Bi-Weekly Clips -

Readers:

Welcome to the unedited uncensured bi-weekly clips prepared by younger Oregonians for your consideration with other information sources.  My observations are in italics.

You will have noticed we have done several weeks in a row due to the legislature’s short session.  This past week, the Oregon State Senate suspended the Oregon Constitution multiple times in order to advance contentuous bills quickly to avoid public input.  One result on Friday bears remembering.  The Oregon Senate was in recess for hours waiting for electronic processing of two bills.  All other bill passage stopped due to the electronic issues as well.  When a real emergency happens, the powerless legislature will be powerless as it cannot function without a computer.  Not good unless you are a revolutionary. 

The clips from younger Oregonians for your consideration:

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OREGON

Last year marked the longest denial of quorum in Oregon history when some Senate Republicans and Independents halted the legislative process. The reason? HB 2002; a direct attack on parental rights and the family. As originally written, it allowed a child of any age, without parental knowledge, to receive an abortion and minors at just 15-years-old could have irreversible sex-changing treatments and procedures. It decriminalized the concealment of the death of a newborn child. The denial of quorum ultimately ended anticlimactically with the return of some senators, claiming to have “fixed” the bill, but only time will tell on that.

A few days ago, the 9^th Circuit Court ruled that the First Amendment doesn’t protect these senators from the consequences of denying quorum. This ruling impacts the entire judicial system. Who do they really work for? The people or the party who has been in control for decades? The answer seems to be the latter.

As Senator Boquist said in May 2023, “Better to stand up for freedom and liberty as we count to ten, than be ashamed the rest of our short lives.”

Quorum rules protect the minority from the rule of the majority. When a state like Oregon has been under the constant corrupt control of one party for decades, the minority party has the constitutional right to deny quorum or stop the legislature from convening due to not having enough people present, to prevent bad bills from passing. Denying quorum is one tool out of many that the minority parties have used to delay or stop bad bills in state history. In fact, Oregon Democrats have used this tool too. But it wasn’t a problem then…

The walkout in 2023 was different than in previous years because of the passage of Ballot Measure 113, which “added language to the Oregon Constitution preventing any lawmaker from running for reelection if they have 10 or more unexcused absences in a single legislative session,” as reported by OPB.

With Measure 113, it’s clear the Democrats’ intent was to scare minority legislators away from denying quorum – especially as the tactic has been successful in squashing or delaying their special interest bills in the past – by threatening their seats.

The same OPB article continued, “Measure 113 places too much power in the hands of the Senate president and House speaker, the two legislative leaders — currently Democrats — who decide whether absences are marked excused or unexcused.”

The excused vs unexcused absences based on the arbitrary feelings of the Senate President are played out in real time with direct attacks on religious liberty and medical exemptions largely ignored. Political beliefs are on a spectrum as the state saw with the vote to recriminalize hard drugs (more below), and while some Oregonians who align with the “blue” side may not see an issue with the totalitarian control of one party, their party, those who are “blue,” “red,” or anything else in between and are more “forward thinking” could see how one person dictating the rights of other legislators could spell trouble. And it turns out it did.

There are now multiple Oregon Senators who cannot run for reelection anymore.

Additionally, the legislature voted to recriminalize hard drugs once again. From OregonLive: “In a bipartisan vote, the Oregon Senate on Friday easily approved a bill making possession of small amounts of hard drugs a misdemeanor crime again, signaling the end of the state’s first-in-the-nation experiment with drug decriminalization. The bill passed the Senate 21-8, with five liberal Portland and Eugene Democrats, mostly lawmakers of color, and three conservative or libertarian members voting no.”

There were a couple “no” votes on the measure from hard left legislators and some conservatives and libertarians. It’s interesting… at a certain point, sometimes the “extremes” come together and agree that something isn’t right! Remember, Measure 110 was bought and paid for by out of state money.

VIDEO: 5 years old now, but the Oregonian produced a video called, “How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America.”

On Oregon wildfire fund allocation by Oregon Capital Chronicle: “The federal government has allocated $38 million in wildfire funding to three areas of high risk in Oregon. The money, drawn from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help pay for wildfire prevention projects in central Oregon, the Klamath River Basin and around Mount Hood. The three regions are among 21 “priority landscapes” across the West made up of a mix of tribal, state, federal and private land that the U.S. Forest Service considers faces a high risk for wildfires. The areas include vulnerable communities and critical infrastructure.”

Anti-Israel protesters block airport traffic (again) as reported by Oregon Catalyst

From Oregon Live: Medford hospital nurse allegedly replaced prescribed fentanyl with tap water, killing 5-year-old male patient, $11.5 million suit alleges.

NATIONAL

From POLITICO: “US Army is slashing thousands of jobs in major revamp to prepare for future wars. The cuts will mainly be in already-empty posts — not actual soldiers — including in jobs related to counterinsurgency that swelled during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars but are not needed as much today.”

From Daily Wire: “A young female Augusta University nursing student was murdered on her morning jog, and an illegal immigrant has been arrested in connection with the murder, but CNN insisted on downplaying any connection between illegal immigration and the murder.” Along the same lines from National Review: The Laken Riley Tragedy.

From NBC: Macy’s is closing 150 stores nationwide as it seeks ‘bold new chapter’ with greater focus on luxury.

From CNN: Troubled Chinese property developer Country Garden faces liquidation petition.

An Austrian pharmaceutical heiress is taking the “spread the wealth” idea a bit too far in seeking to give away her $27 million inheritance. She seems to feel bad that she “won the birth lottery for inheriting wealth without personal effort.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with being charitable, but feeling guilt over inherited wealth and feeling the need to give it all away is a bit much. Studies have shown that people who are just given money (like the recipients of said $27 million) are not as happy as someone who earned it.

Forbes: Does money buy you happiness? Actually, yes.

GLOBAL

Ukraine/Russia

From BBC: Nato allies reject France’s Emmanuel Macron idea of troops to Ukraine.

NPR Podcast: Congressional leaders hope to avoid a shutdown. But Ukraine aid still unclear (as of 2.27)

From Reuters: Russia bans gasoline exports for 6 months from March 1. In the article, “Russia and Ukraine have targeted each other's energy infrastructure in a bid to disrupt supply lines and logistics and demoralize their opponents, as they seek the edge in a nearly two-year-old conflict that shows no sign of ending.” Newsweek says Russia was “forced” to cut exports due to Ukraine strikes on oil hubs.

Israel

From National Review: Hamas death cult comes to America. From the article (next 3 paragraphs): “That cult extends well beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip, as the self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell sadly illustrates. Bushnell announced himself as an active-duty U.S. airman when he approached the gates of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. There, he declared his opposition to “genocide,” dowsed himself in a flammable liquid, and set himself alight. He died of his wounds shortly thereafter. Bushnell seems to have captured the hearts of Americans who are predisposed to share Bushnell’s outlook on Israel’s defensive war against Hamas and the Biden administration’s support for it. Their praise for his act of violence is evidence of both the depravity cultivated by Hamas’s obsessive bloodlust and an unspoken but apparently widespread desire to see more violence follow it.

“Let us never forget the extraordinary courage and commitment of brother Aaron Bushnell, who died for truth and justice!” declared Cornel West, a professor emeritus at Princeton University and an independent candidate for the presidency in 2024. Indeed, the outright support (bordering on advocacy) for Bushnell’s suicide seems most common among Ph.Ds.

“This horror — both the self-immolation of a beguiled Westerner and the fawning praise for his act of “self-sacrifice” — is precisely what Hamas seeks when its fighters shield themselves with civilians and launch attacks on Israel from in and around schools and hospitals. The big idea is to convince Western naifs that the morally righteous party to this conflict is the one that begat it. And too many Westerners are happy to play along, not because they fully comprehend this region and its complexities (they don’t), but because it contributes to their own self-conception as the heirs to a noble culture of dissent in America.”

Afghanistan

From AP: “The Taliban held a public execution on Monday of a man convicted of murder in northern Afghanistan as thousands watched at a sports stadium, the third such death sentence to be carried out in the past five days.”

The Taliban released an Austrian activist who had been held in Afghanistan since last May after being accused of spying.

From Semafor, a global news platform: “Thousands of Ugandans who guarded U.S. government buildings in war zones are preparing to sue their former employers who they claim failed to pay their agreed wages and cover medical bills, leaving many badly injured and mired in debt. The workers guarded institutions and military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan in the wake of the U.S. invasion of both nations from 2005 to 2022. They were recruited by private security companies contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The guards, who were cheaper than American personnel, helped meet the need for increased security at U.S. buildings after they became targets for insurgent attacks following the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan.”

From NYPost: House committee chairman threatens Blinken with contempt (what would that actually do though?) unless he forks over unseen docs on botched Afghanistan withdrawal.

Information in the bi-weekly clips can be used for preparing legislative actions, functions, purposes, and responses for potential future enactments in Oregon.

Recommended Listening: Human by The Killers

 

Information in the bi-weekly clips can be used for preparing legislative actions, functions, purposes, and responses for potential future enactments in Oregon.

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Couple of short observations to stimulate thoughts.  Neither agree or disagree. 

Millennial Revolution.  The clips focus on and are prepared in the light of millennials and younger.  The reason is the largest population group in America is millennials and younger.  This is the largest voting block as well.  FYI, there are over 50,000 millennial and younger combat veterans in Oregon whom can be seen daily at political events ... just like the GI Generation.  Whether we old people like it or not these younger people are the future for whatever that future holds?

White Oligarch War.  Failing anglo-saxon old globalist political groups are being tossed out of office across what is left of the old white western Europe.  Millennials and younger would prefer not to die for profiteers who have made them indentured servants to the corporations, nonprofits, and governments.  The collapsing currencies and economies caused by US, UK and EU chicken hawks has tipped the scales in euro elections.  In response, the USG and other aged failed euro governments are appointing tossed out politicians to carry on the war in institutions like the EU, NATO and OECD.  Real inflation continues to rise in Oregon due to this expanding war.  When will the next Oregon National Guard troops be mobilized and sent overseas?  While it is clear Commie Mitch and Old Biden are part of the old-school warmongers, but that Never Nikki wants world war at all costs, makes the future US elections, if they happen, quite interesting. 

Gaza Conflict.  The death on all sides in Gaza and Israel continues unabated.  All wars are tragic regardless of the reasons or outcomes.  Israel appears to be massing forces on Lebanon’s border.  Israel is convinced Biden and the GOP Neocons will support US military action side by side on the ground against Arabs.  But with what?  The white oligarch war has drained DoD munitions to the point the USA lacks self-defense except with nuclear weapons.  No amount of debt and tax dollars directed to Ukraine or Israel will buy nonexistent munitions.  It will divert USG funds away from Oregonians.  The Yemenis continue to bleed the US/UK of million-dollar missiles while the shooting raised oil prices by 10% at the pumps.  The pumps Oregonians pay for but are told inflation is gone by the talking heads and professional liars.  Now Biden Blinken & Nuland chicken hawks have directed DoD to airdrop humanitarian aid into Gaza … ignorant, incompetent and stupid but a nice trick.  It will put US combat troops on the ground in the name of humanitarian aid.  The amount that can be air dropped is small.  The type of food that is air droppable, the Arabs will not eat, as Americans are clueless to their diet.  And mark my word, Palestinians will be hit and killed by the dropping supplies.  Happens every time.  Worse, as the mob surges, will US soldiers fire into the crowds in self-defense … Israel is certainly hoping so.  In the meantime, Turkey, with Egypt, are preparing for war … war against Israel which means war against the USA as well.  Hope I am wrong?

The above is to remind you everything you buy in Oregon is impacted by the US proxy wars.  Almost every state, county and city tax dollar spent is impacted by these wars.  So much so, a committee this week listened to a Kotek agency presentation that equals over 95 cents per gallon gas tax increase requirement.  Further, over 34% of Oregon’s budget is made up of federal funds: $40.3 billion.  Most borrowed.  When Congress gives $100 billion in borrowed money to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that means less for state’s like Oregon.  Does Biden and the GOP Neocons care about our citizens, our homeless, our working poor, our drug crisis, etcs? 

BTW, the reason the Biden’ers and GOP Neocons, like Commie Mitch and Never Nikki, want Ukraine, Taiwan & Israel to get $95 billion, is allegedly $39 billion would go to US defense contractors to enrich the oligarchs who are big political donors.  However, US corporate factories cannot produce the desired munitions for years to come … guess it will go to their beach houses in the Hamptons or the ski chalets in Jackson Hole?  Further, is it more important to indenture Millennials billions more to pay salaries and pensions in Ukraine while forcing more of Oregon's working poor and seniors into homelessness?

The Oregon legislature has just over a week to go.  The secret work of a few in order to block public input is coming to light.  The uniparty keeps suspending the Oregon Constitution to get bills and budgets out of the legislature in record time to avoid public input and protests from both sides.  It is a simple fact no democracy or republican government exists in Salem.  None.  Be reminded, the Oregon Supreme Court in 'Elkhorn (2020)' ruled Oregon is a ‘police state’ not what is falsely taught in public schools.  Buckle up as my bet is on the coming Millennial Revolution?

Government serves Government not the People. 

Be prepared.  Be informed.  Be ready.  Pray for peace.

De oppresso liber.

Sincerely,

Brian Boquist

Oregon State Senator

Strauss-Howe theory: Is revolution coming to America? - Big Think