patrick.net

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/privileges-saturday-february-17-2024

Look no further for your weekend listening. Tucker just published his latest interview, this one with Mike Benz, a former Trump State Department official who’s testified in congressional hearings such as the House Weaponization Committee, and is the executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online. The interview — badly under-billed as a discussion about ‘free speech’ — is being described as one of Tucker’s most important interviews yet. It’s a knockout.

Tucker: “Wait a minute. It looks like they knew the outcome of the election seven months ahead of time.”

Benz: “It looks very bad.”

EPISODE 75: Tucker Carlson interviews Mike Benz (1:04:45) For right now, to give you a quick high-level overview, I found this three-minute clip including the rhetorical high-point of Benz’s talk: CLIP: Mike Benz describes the re-definition of democracy (2:48).

In an hour, Benz easily and credibly connected so many dots it is hard to adequately describe. You might even call it a “theory of everything.” Tucker barely spoke. Benz talks fast, a rushing verbal stream spouting facts and names and data, slightly jumbled by a smidge of occasional wonkyiness. But Ben’s quick facility with the information also lends credibility, and listening to him explain what’s really going on is like watching in fast motion someone put a difficult ‘starry sky’ puzzle together.

Blam, blam, blam, the pieces keep plopping into place and you quickly start to see a new and unexpected vista — and then suddenly you get it, you know what it is, before the puzzle is even halfway done.

Benz started by summarizing the history of online “free speech.” It will not surprise you that it was always a military operation, beginning with the Internet itself (just ask Al Gore), and was extended by Pentagon-picked winners like Sergey Brin of Google, whose search engine company started with a DARPA grant. From the start of the Internet till shortly before the 2020 election, the military-intelligence complex loved free speech online; it was their best non-kinetic weapon and they liberally deployed it against foreign enemies, over and over.

In the process, they created a government-toppling, color-revolution-fomenting playbook for undermining ‘anti-democratic’ societies through subversive online speech and protest — what the toppled governments probably accurately called ‘disinformation.’

For short, I will collectively refer to the shady, permanent, parasitic underclass of the federal government and its captive horde of quasi-governmental, “public/private” NGOs, plus the swarming Neocons within the CIA, State Department, Pentagon/DoD, FBI, and now DHS, all together as the “Deep State.”

Tellingly, the Deep State playbook for starting a color revolution included using online free speech against our enemies (and against uncooperative allies) specifically by undermining confidence in elections and keeping handy large groups of standby protestors for immediate deployment whenever and wherever needed, which could be (and were) activated and directed through online posts and bulletin boards and so forth.

Stop for a second. Now you know why they freaked out and overreacted about 2021 ‘election deniers’ and January 6th protestors. To the Deep State, the grassroots pushback against the stolen election on social media involving a large Capitol protest looked just like their own color revolution playbook.

Anyway, picking up the timeline, back during the Internet’s salad years, the Deep State found free speech essential to democratic government, and routinely pounded the U.N.’s giant conference table demanding the Internet remain free for all everywhere in the world. They kept a firm grip — what Benz calls “guardrails” — on the U.S. electorate through corporate media “gatekeepers.”

But sometime shortly after Trump’s election, the Deep State’s love affair with free speech soured. It wasn’t just Trump. It was the whole rising rightwing nationalism, a movement deeply skeptical of the Big Government globalist institutions responsible for picking governmental winners and losers. The right wing was deeply skeptical of the Deep State itself.

The Deep State was shocked to see its own tools being used organically, by voters, to choose forms of government that were not approved by the Deep State, and to oppose the Deep State’s appointed darlings, like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, or to help effect Brexit, or to elect Trump. Worse, social media was replacing their captive media outlets and they were losing control of the narrative.

And so what they did was re-define free speech into something inherently anti-democratic. Unapproved speech, or politically-unhelpful speech, is now misinformation or disinformation or malinformation.

In other words, rather than being a critical part of its very essence, free speech became a threat to democracy. Which is kind of like saying that the heart began to threaten the head.

I’ve transcribed the part of Ben’s talk where I snatched up a pen and started writing as fast as I could (lightly-edited for clarity and to add context):

“What I am describing is military rule, a total inversion of the concept of democracy itself. What they said was, ‘We need to re-define democracy from being about the will of the voters, to being about the sanctity of democratic institutions. Which is us,’ (meaning the WEF, the Pentagon, the State Department, Blackrock, the NGO’s, the very same Elite Establishments that right-wing voters distrust.)

(Rather than voters), they declared their own consensus to be the new definition of democracy. ‘Democracy’ is just the consensus-building architecture within the democratic institutions themselves.”

Paradoxically, they view us, the voters, as the chief danger to democracy. I would not believe it possible if I hadn’t just watched them glibly re-define ‘vaccine’ and ‘gain of function’ like they were trying on outfits after stealing some poor woman’s Louis Vuitton off the airport luggage conveyor. Ultimately, Benz goes on to connect this grotesque re-definition of democracy, the “threat” posed to ‘democracy’ by voters and our free speech, to the 2020 election, Russia-gate, the Orwellian CISA censorship agency (which he described as a mutant hybrid of the CIA and the FBI), and by extension virtually everything else important happening in the news right now, not least of all why they must stop Trump at all costs.

To me, the timing of this interview looks like another careful move in the as-yet-undefinable drama unfolding this month. The information Benz disclosed is all publicly available, but Benz coherently ties it all together and names names.

To defeat an enemy, the first thing you need to know is: who is the enemy? And where are they?

Benz just tore off the enemy’s mask. The military-intelligence axis isn’t fighting ‘for democracy.’ They are fighting to preserve a failed, unwanted, liberal world order that has long since died and is well into the stinky decaying phase.

If learning Benz’s explanation feels overwhelming instead of empowering, stop thinking of winning in terms of a single apocalyptic battle. Try thinking about winning a war of inches, a guerrilla war waged in a thousand thousand tiny battles, from the halls of Congress right down to Penciltuckee’s School Board meeting room. Or if it ever comes to that, think about winning as a war of quiet resistance and stubborn noncompliance.

You can be quietly stubborn, can’t you?

Finally, I was so shocked by learning this that I am leaving you with Michael McFaul’s “7 Pillars of Color Revolution,” which has been the Deep State’s playbook for the last 20 years or so. Everyone needs to know that this is how they undermine democracies. Don’t be fooled by McFaul’s Orwellian reference to “semi-autocratic” regimes; he’s talking about us. After all, free speech is required for this formula to work, and free speech is not a feature of autocratic governments (by definition!). It is, after all, nearly undeniable that they successfully deployed this strategy to overthrow Ukraine’s government in 2014:




That’s straight from their own white papers. Does any of it sound familiar? It should. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Bump.

I really read the transcript and boy oh boy is this the best explanation of most of the weirdness lately.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23a243_7l48.pdf

This case concerns what two lower courts found to be a
“coordinated campaign” by high-level federal officials to
suppress the expression of disfavored views on important
public issues. Missouri v. Biden, _ F. 4th _, _, 2023
WL 6425697, *27 (CA5, Oct. 3, 2023). To prevent the continuation of this campaign, these officials were enjoined
from either “coerc[ing]” social media companies to engage
in such censorship or “active[ly] control[ling]” those companies’ decisions about the content posted on their platforms.
Id., at 7, 15. Today, however, a majority of the Court,
without undertaking a full review of the record and without
any explanation, suspends the effect of that injunction until
the Court completes its review of this case, an event that
may not occur until late in the spring of next year. Government censorship of private speech is antithetical to our
democratic form of government, and therefore today’s decision is highly disturbing. ...

On appeal, the Court of Appeals agreed with the District
Court’s assessment of the evidence, which, in its words,
showed the existence of “a coordinated campaign” of unprecedented “magnitude orchestrated by federal officials
that jeopardized a fundamental aspect of American life.”
Missouri v. Biden, 2023 WL 6425697, *27. The Court of
Appeals found that “the district court was correct in its assessment—‘unrelenting pressure’ from certain government
officials likely ‘had the intended result of suppressing millions of protected free speech postings by American citizens.’”

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/a-new-hopium-sunday-february-18-2024

Yesterday some people felt despondent, distressed, and discouraged by Mike Benz’s revelation of the nefarious forces opposing democracy. Today’s morale-boosting post will be based on three principles. ...

But Jeff, I can hear some of you saying, what can we do? How can we possibly fight a sprawling, shadowy, sinister military-intelligence axis? I will suggest that is the wrong question but I will answer it anyway.

The Good News

First we must correct any misunderstanding that yesterday’s Tucker interview was somehow bad news. It wasn’t; it was actually good news. Let me give you an example.

Suppose you started having bad headaches, especially — but not always — whenever you saw a badly written, politically-correct remake movie. But then it gets progressively worse, mutating into migraines triggered by drag brunches, generals in high heels, and bald, lipsticked, luggage lifting nuclear waste officials. It even happens without cheap female knockoffs of traditional male leads, lacking any story arc, character flaws, or internal struggles. It seems serious, so you finally give in and trot off to see the neurologist, fearing the worst. Brain cancer? An inoperable clot somewhere? Mangled neurons? Or even … a toxic allergy to wokeness?

After many time-consuming tests, scans of sensitive spots, penetrating probes, and intimate interviews, followed by worrisome weeks of endless waiting for word, the doctor finally dishes the diagnosis. It’s a brain parasite, toxoplasmii Pelosi, and the doctor recommends immediate brain surgery to wriggle out the damnable worm, plus six weeks of bed rest, a year of IV antibiotics, and your solemn promise to cut back to a dozen house cats max.

You trudge out the doctor’s office, dial your spouse with numb fingers, and explain the diagnosis. But your spouse seems oddly excited. “No,” they explain, “this is actually good news! At least now we know what it is and how to fix it.”

In his Tucker interview, Mike Benz didn’t tell us anything about any new problem. He ably revealed a slow-motion disaster unfolding for a long time. The CIA’s dirty tricks only metastasized and took on a new form, responding to the new environment of social media and the Internet. “Conspiracy theorists” have been complaining for decades about media’s capture by government (see, e.g. ‘Project Mockingbird’) but there has never been any collective will to resist, change, or even admit there was a problem.

Probably because it didn’t seem to really affect regular folks. Well, that’s changed, hasn’t it?

It’s changed a lot. You have to work awfully hard to believe nobody’s doing anything. Now there’s a major Supreme Court case that is right on point (Missouri v. Biden). There’s relentless disclosure of Deep State’s dirty tricks like Tucker’s interview. There are citizens like Mike Benz and Joe Rogan and Elon Musk who are well-funded and working day and night to expose them.

And there is a growing group of millions of highly-concerned citizens who are not just willing to listen but are eager to learn. As of this morning, Tucker’s Mike Benz interview has nearly 25 million views. Tucker’s interview with Putin has surpassed 200 million views. Like antibodies assembling to resist a marxist mind virus, the culture is changing. ...

We are stronger than we think.

If the bad actors had the power to pull our plug, they’d have already done it. If they were secure in their powers, they wouldn’t have to operate in the dark. They obviously aren’t secure, nor are they all-powerful. However “close” you might think they are, they clearly aren’t there yet. Which means we — at least collectively — are still more powerful than they are.

They’re afraid of us.

To retain and grow their power, the globalist oligarchs can need a substantial part of society to support and protect them. Once the forces opposing them reach a certain critical mass, which is probably far below a majority, it’s all over for them. That’s why they have to censor and obfuscate. That’s why they have to bend the law to the breaking point and create all-new ‘disinformation’ agencies.

The social antibodies are already beginning to work. The globalist viruses are weakening. As Exhibit A, behold the short and unremarkable career of former Harvard President and grotesque DEI caricature Claudia Gay...

The best cure for worry is doing something practical. If you don’t know what else to do, do local, local, local. Oppose porn and drag at the local school board meeting. Support local freedom candidates, or support an influencer who is moving the needle and not just doomblogging. Go get on the library board. Volunteer at the local Republican Party and start earning a voice with your sweat equity. When you disagree with other conservatives, and you will, don’t take your toys and go home. Compromise for now, and work to build consensus over time.

Together we will lift the parasitic Death Star and stuff it right into the globalists’ reverse aperture. Now get out there and keep lifting, you joyful warriors.

https://merylnass.substack.com/p/mike-benz-is-the-best-person-in-the

Epoch Times spent about 3 hours with Mike Benz more than a year ago, with Jan Jekielek, and I listened to the whole thing 2 or 3 times. Benz worked on cyber issues for the State Department, and now leads the Foundation for Freedom Online.

The new Tucker Carlson interview (actually a tour de force monologue by Benz) was posted yesterday, and already has 21 Million views.

Please listen, and do so more than once. Mike Benz’ information is critical to understand, and he works very hard to get it all out. You can subscribe to his twitter feed for a measly sum. He is risking his life to give us this understanding.

https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1758529993280205039

https://www.arkmedic.info/p/paperclip-panda-monium

Recall how the Drudge Report started out, much like Wikileaks, as a site that posted information from inside sources within the government. Back then, Drudge was a professed conservative that only wanted to function as a truth telling journalist. He did in fact break many news stories that were 'missed' by the Mainstream Media. Later, along with his friend Ann Coulter, Drudge was an early supporter of Donald Trump in 2016. Something happened, however, prior to the 2020 election. Coulter began heavily criticizing Trump and Drudge began posting only negative news on Trump. What changed? What we know now is that the Drudge Report is no longer a source for reliable information. It's not much more than a reflection of the Mainstream propaganda. What happened? Did the CIA offer Drudge and his friend Coulter an offer that they couldn't refuse, or, were they CIA plants in the first place? Whatever the case, independent people with an influential foot print risk being silenced by some very powerful people. If they don't cooperate, the entire wrath of the government will come down on them. Witness Trump.

If you haven't watched this Tucker Carlson/Mike Benz interview, you are really missing out on something special. Take the time to watch it, and pass it on!

https://sashastone.substack.com/p/tucker-and-dave-smith

An attempted assassination, followed by a coup. It makes you wonder what’s next. Dave Smith has some ideas.
(1:03) Dave Smith’s 2024 Predictions
(8:34) Who Is the President Right Now?
(12:39) The Greatest Scandal in American History
(19:34) The Deep State Coming Out of the Shadows
(33:30) The Trump Assassination Attempt
(43:25) Tim Walz’s War on Nicotine and Testosterone
(54:38) Jeffrey Epstein
(1:09:37) What Should Trump Be Running On?
(1:34:12) Joe Rogan, Donald Trump, and Bobby Kennedy
(1:57:19) Foreign Wars and NATO
(2:00:16) How Does Dave Feel About the Future?

That was a really excellent interview.

Anyone who says that KGB takover of Crimea by military force and fake "plebiscite" is expression of "hearts and minds bla-bla" is either stupid cunt or a KGB stooge.

Wait, did you just say that it was a better interview than one with OUR GREAT CHRISTIAN LEADER? How is this possible?

You still believe the US propaganda?

Patrick says

The defining fact of the United States is freedom of speech. To the extent this country is actually exceptional, it's because we have the first amendment in the Bill of Rights. We have freedom of conscience. We can say what we really think.

The First Amendment prohibits congress from enacting laws that abridge freedom of speech. It does not mean the Google, or Meta, or anybody else needs to provide you with a platform to exercise your freedom. It is your responsibility to do so, and if nobody cares about what you say or wishes to provide you with a loudhorn, too bad. Your freedom of speech is not being abridged by the government.

The first amendment and freedom of speech is alive and well; this website and Mr. Benz's are proof of that.

In fact, if Google, Meta, or anyone else was not allowed to control the content on their platforms, that would be an abridgement of their freedom of speech, as they would be prevented from expressing and executing their opinions and ideas as to what belongs on their platforms.

Nomograph says

It does not mean the Google, or Meta, or anybody else needs to provide you with a platform to exercise your freedom.

@Nomograph

The problem is that the Biden White House was giving explicit direction to tech companies on what information it wanted them to censor.

watched it, was very informative. frightening how much power those people have. and they are all connected with MIC, hand in hand. to me that explains why we like every war and regime change.

New winner for best Tucker interview yet, and it's Benz again!

https://x.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1828918312069128268

Pavel Durov? Mike Benz explains.

(1:20) Who Was Involved in Pavel Durov’s Arrest?
(15:50) How Telegram Is Used by the CIA
(27:22) Domestic Policy Doesn’t Exist
(34:19) The Redefining of Democracy
(39:21) The Biggest Threat to NATO
(44:16) What Is DARPA?
(1:02:53) WhatsApp and the Facebook Files
(1:13:34) Does Putin Have a Back Door to Telegram?
(1:19:12) The Red Lines Memo to Zelensky
(1:28:09) The Real Motive Behind Durov’s Arrest
(1:43:51) The Deep State vs. Donald Trump
(1:50:46) Will They Take Out Elon Musk Next?
(2:04:27) Would Benz Join a Trump Administration?

Things I learned from that interview:

The West suspects that Russia has a backdoor into Telegram, giving them an advantage in various wars.

The Russian military itself uses Telegram, so it would be an immense win for homo-globo incorporated if it could get its own back door to spy on Russia.

The US loved freedom of speech and Telegram when it could use those to undermine uncooperative foreign governments. But after Trump got elected and Brexit passed, the State Department, CIA, DoD, etc decided that freedom of speech and Telegram were dangerous to their power. They implemented a mass censorship campaign by influencing corporations and creating "fact checkers".

They also redefined "democracy" to mean the consensus of State Department, CIA, DoD, etc rather than the will of the people.

The war in Ukraine is largely about NATO attempting to gain control over and profits from the natural resources of Ukraine.

France gets 75% of its electricity from nuclear power, and that in turn depends on uranium from their former colony Niger, which recently came under the Russian sphere of influence, probably because Russia was quite annoyed at France for its stance on the war in Ukraine.

The biggest lobbyist by far, the US Chamber of Commerce (the "CoC"), decided it didn't like Trump because he was focused on America too much. The largest share of US-based homo-globo profits are now from international operations. So concentrating on America rather than global domination threatens the profits of those companies.

All homo-globo companies are reliant on the US State Department and military to impose their homo-globo interests abroad, whether other countries like it or not. Microsoft, for example, makes the majority of its income outside the US. To prevent any kind of adverse rulings or sanctions by other countries, Microsoft relies ultimately on the US military. In return, Microsoft provides the US military with backdoors into Windows to facilitate spying.

Patrick says

New winner for best Tucker interview yet, and it's Benz again!

https://nitter.poast.org/TCNetwork/status/1830649349472453102#m

I didn't like this Darryl bozo, he's got internalized Leftism.

A reminder that Churchill wasn't in the government at all, but a backbencher with no power and booed by his own party and Labour together, until after Poland was invaded. Then he was only in charge of the Navy. It wasn't until after the disaster at Dunkirk that he became Prime Minister, May 1940.

When Hitler reoccupied the Rhineland in 1936 with a scratch force of a few hundred motorcyclists, they had strict instructions to immediately flee if they encounted any resistance whatsoever, including a few police with pistols and a car blocking the road. Imagine if Churchill had been in any office - Foreign Office, Admiralty, much less PM - then. All of WW2 and the disaster of Hitler and then Stalin murdering their way through Eastern Europe would have never happened. Hitler gave the USSR a half century of life.