Iran Smuggles for Venezuala, Israel & Arabs Split the Bill (On Missles), Meghan Markle vs. Dairy Farmers, The Christmas Message of Hamilton (The Five for 12/16/20)
Hey,
Good morning (errr, good noontime when you’re reading).
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On to The Five.
[one]
Iran is smuggling oil of out Venezuala, which has been confirmed by Bloomberg.
According to a U.S. government site, the sanctions are in place to curb Venezulan Dictator Muduro’s actions to grow rich as his people starve.
U.S. sanctions are designed to ensure that Maduro and his cronies don’t profit from illegal gold mining, state-operated oil operations, or other business transactions that would enable the regime’s criminal activity and human rights abuses.
For example, the oil sanctions are designed to “to cut off those sources of financial income and prevent the oil industry from being exploited for patronage,” State Department’s Carrie Filipetti told a U.S. Senate committee.
This means sanctions go after someone such as Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman who used a network of shell companies to hide profits from no-bid, overvalued contracts obtained through bribes and kickbacks. Now that he is sanctioned, he is no longer allowed to conduct business in the U.S. or through the U.S. financial system.
Economists agree that U.S. sanctions are not responsible for the Venezuelan economy’s decline. According to a Brookings Institution and Harvard University study, “when analyzing several socioeconomic outcomes in Venezuela across time, it becomes clear that the bulk of the deterioration in living standards occurred long before the sanctions were enacted in 2017.”
And while the U.S. government imposes sanctions on pro-Maduro people and businesses, it doesn’t decrease the amount of aid that the U.S. contributes to Venezuela.
The U.S. government provided over $656 million in life-saving aid to the Venezuelan people between 2017 and 2019. President Trump’s proposed FY 2021 budget includes $205 million to address Venezuelans’ health and agriculture needs.
As my business partner Drew pointed out on a call last night…podcasters talk to podcasters. Twitter is journalists talking to journalists (in large part).
And murderous dictators who steal from their people…are gonna smuggle oil for murderous dictators who steal from their people.
[two]
And speaking of…Iran is now officially crazy enough that other Arab nations are looking to partner with Israel to create a missile defense network to keep the Iranians from blowing up the region. Reuters reports.
Whatever you think of the outgoing Trump administration, the peace deals between Israel and neighboring Arab nations is nothing short of amazing. And it could save countless lives if one of the worst dictatorships in the world is now kept locally in check by new alliances.
[three]
Not a joke…France is trying to develop a cyborg super soldier. Popular Mechanics reports:
A French military bioethics panel has cleared the development of technological upgrades for members of the armed forces. The panel says the French Armed Forces may develop and deploy technological augments in order to preserve the French military’s “operational superiority.”
The news comes after U.S. intelligence officials announced China is conducting biological experiments to enhance the performance of People’s Liberation Army troops.
The panel has given permission for the French military to develop and deploy enhancements, that, according to CNN, improve the “physical, cognitive, perceptive and psychological capacities” of its soldiers. It could also develop “medical treatments to prevent pain, stress and fatigue, and substances that would improve mental resilience if a soldier were taken prisoner.”
“Preserve the operational superiority?”
Sorry, but if the French were “operationally superior” my grandpa and Great uncles wouldn’t have recived draft notices between 1941-1945.
The article goes on to say the program must “not deploy technologies that interfere with a soldier’s fundamental humanity.”
Cool…so, they’re just gonna make soldiers so strong their rifles crack when thrown down in surrender and who can run from the battlefield faster than their ancestors.
[four]
Earlier this week, I reported on the Spygate of Fang Fang, the Chinese spy who…ummm…granted access to gain access from at least two Midwestern mayors and allegedly California congressman Eric Swalwell, but now we need to talk about another attempt of a foreign invader to conquor America, another turncoat in the struggle for democracy.
The re-invasion of the British through Meghan Markle importing the same brand of European monarch my 7x great-grandfather died defeating in the American Revolution. Markle invested in non-dairy lattes, according to CNN.
Markle said Monday she invested in instant oat milk latte company Clevr Brands, which sells four flavors of its powdered drink for $28 per 14-serving bag. The company says its products are sustainable, ethically sourced and healthful.
The startup's CEO Hannah Mendoza started the company in 2019 with Roger Coppola, who is now the company's chief operating officer.
"This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business," Markle said in a statement. "I'm proud to invest in Hannah's commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love and has a holistic approach to wellness."
I’ve gotta give Markle credit as she and husband Harry are now allegedly worth $10 Billion and inked a major deal with Spotify.
And like a lot of Hollywood elites, she’s now using her money and influence to try to destroy heartland dairy farmers, despite the fact that even vegan publications will tel you that cutting meat and dairy leads to more broken bones. In fact, the Sun UK found that vegans were twice as likely to experience a major fracture as their meat-eating counterparts.
Enjoy that oat milk latte…and the six weeks in a leg cast that comes with it.
[Five]
Gonna wrap on a bit of a pop culture wrap up with a personal observation here…and make the claim that the last three songs of the Hamilton soundtrack are essentially “Christmas music.”
At a time when the nation is very divided…friends are divided…families are divided, it’s worth a few moments to pause and reflect on the end of the musical, and of Hamilton’s life.
After losing his son in a duel, Hamilton agreed to battle Aaron Burr at the spot where his own child died in a similar gunfight.
You know the end of the story. Hamilton dies after having a last-minute change of heart that he can’t put a bullet in an old friend over a political disagreement.
But the rest of the story is that is ruined Aaron Burr, who fled to Europe to avoid murder charges. Killing one of his best friends ended Burr’s public and political life, and he died in disgrace.
Hamilton’s wife Eliza lived another half century, and did a lot of good in life. And she wouldn’t have had to do it alone, but for the stubborn pride of two men who both lost their lives in that dual, in different ways.
So, I recommend listening to The Best of Wives and Women, The World Was Wide Enough and Who Lives, Who Dies Who Tells Your Story and then make that call you’ve been putting off. (Those are YouTube links, in case you don’t subscribe to a streaming service).
”Tell the lady at the liquor store she’s forgiven, so come home.” -2Pac.
Until the next one,
-sth