Kamala Harris

No Active Duty Military In War Zones? WTH?

Published by Papa Giorgio
  • “As of today there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, for the first time this century.” – Kamala Harris

This was my quick ad-on to the video on my sites FB:

JUST A FEW HEADLINES, preceded by date:

  • (ABC | September 13th, 2024) Iraqi and US forces kill a top IS commander and other militants in joint operation — Iraq’s military says its forces and American troops have killed a senior commander with the Islamic State group who was wanted by the United States.
  • (Big News Network | September 13th, 2024) 2 officers killed in IS attack in N. Iraq — BAGHDAD, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) — Two army officers were killed and three soldiers wounded on Friday in an attack by the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk, said a local security source.
  • (WSJ | September 9th, 2024) U.S. Forces Try to Regroup as al Qaeda, Islamic State Sow Terror in West Africa — After being evicted from counterterrorism stronghold Niger, U.S. is adopting a smaller military footprint — The U.S. is gradually moving aircraft and commandos into coastal West Africa in an urgent effort to try to stop the march of al Qaeda and Islamic State militants across one of the world’s most volatile regions.

The NEW YORK POST has more:

Outraged family members of US troops hurt in the line of duty slammed Kamala Harris’ brazen claim that no Americans are serving in war zones — a statement which flies in the face of her own administration’s official list of active combat zones.

As many as 50,000 US service members currently patrolling countries and oceans across the Middle East and Africa are receiving either “hostile fire” or “imminent danger pay,” monthly payments of up to $225 for troops deployed in areas where they could easily be subjected to — or do come under — enemy attack, retired Army Col. and military analyst Jonathan Sweet told The Post.

Yet during Tuesday’s ABC debate with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, the vice president to make it seem as if the Harris-Biden administration has heralded in a period of peace not seen in decades — and that all American military members are safe.

More via LIBERTY DAILY, emphasis in the original:

… it’s essential to recognize the gravity of the situation where service members like Chief Warrant Officer Garrett Illerbrunner are critically injured in active duty. His father, Brad Illerbrunner, expressed profound disappointment and anger towards Harris’s misleading assertions.

“really [hit] below the belt… She doesn’t even recognize that our own troops are getting hurt.” – Brad Illerbrunner

“We’re still in war zones.” – Brad Illerbrunner

“trying to snow the public.” – Brad Illerbrunner

These poignant words from a distressed father highlight the disconnect between the administration’s narrative and the ground realities. How can such blatant disregard for the truth be justified? Is it merely a ploy to divert the public’s attention from the ongoing dangers faced by our troops?

Michael DiMino, a fellow at the think tank Defense Priorities, also criticized the vice president’s claims for failing to reflect the true conditions experienced by U.S. forces deployed overseas.

“fail a basic kind of smell test” – Michael DiMino

“If you’re in Jordan in the middle of nowhere to fight ISIS, and you’re getting attacked by Iranian drones and rockets on a daily basis, you’re in a war zone.” – Michael DiMino

“to finagle a wording… to make a point we’re not engaged in all these conflicts — which we are” – Michael DiMino

“Those quibbling qualifiers ignore the fact American men and women in uniform are getting shot at on daily basis, and many just in the last eight months have died or been injured.” – Michael DiMino

Despite these glaring facts, a Harris campaign spokeswoman and a Defense Department official reiterated the administration’s stance, further fueling the narrative disconnect.

“taking risks for our country that should be honored no matter where they serve.” – Harris campaign spokeswoman

“An aspect of military service includes serving in locations where hostile actions may occur… Those locations are designated by executive order and/or the Secretary of Defense. However, it’s important to note that just because a service member is in one of these locations does not mean they are engaged in war.” – Defense Department official

The emotional toll on families is palpable. Holly Davis, whose husband is currently deployed in Syria, shared her distress over the vice president’s claims, which starkly contrast with her daily reality.

“It’s very hurtful that someone who is currently our vice president is making these claims when my husband is literally sacrificing his life every day over in the Middle East.” – Holly Davis

“I had to sit in those literal two minutes of hearing that, wondering if he was going to come back on the phone… It’s very real. Very war zone.” – Holly Davis

The Harris-Biden administration’s portrayal of a peaceful, conflict-free global stage under their leadership does not hold up against the testimonies of those directly impacted by the realities of war. 

Yes, The Left Thinks Lawns Are Racist

Published by Papa Giorgio

To “get this post” and to understand the comment by THE PEOPLE’S CUBE (PC), one has to do some reading.

Here is the idea behind PC’s quip ~ New York Times: Lawns Are Symbols of Racism and Bad for Global Warming (Breitbart):

While most Americans are spending time this summer enjoying the sun in the comfort of their houses’ yards, the New York Times is out with a new exposé on how lawn care is problematic, once viewed through the lens of social justice.

Lawns are contributing to pollution and climate change, asserts narrator David Botti, and their origins are far from woke, in a seven-minute video on the history of American lawns.

Botti says lawns are part of the “colonizing of America,” which transformed the landscape from “pristine wilderness” to “identical rows of manicured nature.”

“These lawns come on the backs of slaves,” he continues, zooming in on a painting of George Washington in a field to highlight men cutting the grass with scythes. “It’s grueling, endless work.”

“By the 1870s we also see American culture slowly start to embrace lawns for the privileged masses,” he states. …

The Times also refers to the work of historian Ted Steinberg, who calls lawns the “outdoor expression of ’50s conformism.”

Jerry Thornton over at BARSTOOL SPORTS takes the above to an awesome conclusion:

  • I used to just blame the white supremacists, the neo-Nazis and the garden variety ignorant rednecks for creating division in our country. There was a time I believed the true polluters were the ones flying private jets, dumping plastics into the oceans and clear cutting rainforests. I no longer have that luxury thanks to the NY Times. They woke me to the fact it’s my fault. Me, George Washington, 1950s conformism, a couple of anonymous dead ladies who wanted to live near white people, the golf industry and Big Garden. We are to blame. Me and my Sears Craftsman push model with the autodrive feature are creating racial intolerance and melting the Antarctica permafrost, one blade of grass at a time. And I am sorry.

Jerry makes sure to post the Brothers [movie] scene… hilarious!

Now the the main event… a KAMALA WORD SALAD:

Here is my response to PC

In other words, in the current #WOKE or CRT (Critical Race Theory) understanding — Kamala is essentially calling those middle-class Americans “systemically racist.”

A COUPLE MORE “TWI-X’S”

Also note that radical Islam got its philosophical start by Sayyid Qutb in part to hating the bourgeoisie “lawn status” of Americans:

See more here:

Why “Ron Paul Types” are Wrong About Foreign Policy and Islam

 

 

 

Gold Star Families Defend Trump After Harris’ Criticism

Published by Papa Giorgio

‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ hosts discuss Gold Star families defending former President Trump for attending a memorial for fallen service members after Vice President Harris’ criticism.

Senator Tom Cotton Shuts Down The Fake News Arlington Hoax

 

FACT CHECKING DNC 2024 | Links via LOUDER w/CROWDER

Published by Papa Giorgio

Democratic National Brat (Language Warning)

We investigated the 2024 DNC in Chicago, and asked hard questions to politicians, delegates, senators, protestors, and your fav progressive stars.

Featuring interviews with Rep. Jerry Nadler, AG Letitia James, Chris Cuomo, Sen. Raphael Warnock, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Cohen, JJ Abrams, Kellyanne Conway, Sen. Ed Markey, Harry Sisson, Vermin Supreme, Crackhead Barney, Nick Shirley, Cornel West, and Hasan Piker.

  • These people at the DNC had no idea this dude is making fun of them. — Champagne Joshi

WHO IS TIM WALZ?
ROUND ONE – MORE HERE

BACKGROUND

RADICAL POSITIONS:

GEORGE FLOYD:

COVID:

IMMIGRATION

CHINA:

INTEREST GROUP RANKINGS:

STATE TAX BURDEN:

MISC SCANDALS

LAST NIGHT OF CONVENTION
ROUND TWO – MORE @LOUDER w/CROWDER

LIVE FACT CHECK

KAMALA THE BORDER CZAR

POLICIES SHE HAS CLARIFIED

POLICIES KAMALA IS HIDING FROM

KAMALA AND WILLIE BROWN

JOBS

INFLATION

IMMIGRATION

CRIME

Trump Mic-Drops Reporter in Howell Michigan

Published by Papa Giorgio

THE NEW YORK POST has an excellent piece on this issue, of which a large excerpt lies below:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Harris campaign — along with media allies — has made an extraordinary claim, implying Donald Trump’s Tuesday visit to discuss crime and safety in Howell, Mich., is motivated by racism.

And Howell residents are mystified.

[….]

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign thinks Trump’s Tuesday event at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in Howell, a city of 10,000 near Michigan’s major population centers, is a sign of solidarity with these young men.

“The racists and white supremacists who marched in Trump’s name last month in Howell have all watched him praise Hitler, defend neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, and tell far-right extremists to ‘stand back and stand by,” said Kamala Harris’ Michigan spokeswoman Alyssa Bradley.

“Trump’s actions have encouraged them, and Michiganders can expect more of the same when he comes to town.”

A Washington Post article boosted this narrative: “Howell has long been associated with the Ku Klux Klan because of the rallies Michigan-based Grand Dragon Robert Miles held on a nearby farm in the 1970s and 1980s.”

And Reuters headlined a piece “Trump to campaign in Michigan town with historic links to white extremism.”

Anonymous user Carlstak extensively edited Howell’s Wikipedia page Aug. 17 to emphasize claims of racism after the announcement of Trump’s event. 

The user, for example, changed the line “For many decades, Howell had the reputation of being associated with the Ku Klux Klan,” to say “For many decades, Howell has had” that reputation.

Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy, who is hosting Trump, rejects any insinuation that a culture of racism attracted the Trump campaign.

“I’ll call 100% bullsh-t on that,” Sheriff Murphy told The Post.

“Frankly, I get a little bit fired up when people bring that up,” he said, “We did have the Grand Dragon that lived here in Livingston County. But we somehow as a result of that got labeled with ‘racist, unwelcoming community,’ which truly couldn’t be further from the truth.”

[….]

Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national press secretary, said, “Did the media write this same story when Joe Biden visited Howell in 2021, or when Kamala Harris visits cities where racist protests and marches have occurred in the past? No, of course not.”

Trump’s Michigan spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita emailed The Post a list of cities where Kamala Harris has campaigned that have seen racist incidents in the past, including Eau Claire, Wis., Pittsfield, Mass., Philadelphia and Atlanta.

“You should ask the Harris team why she believes all residents of Howell, Michigan, are racists and if that also applies to the cities she has visited with their own divisive histories,” said LaCivita.

The Harris campaign did not reply to a request for comment. 

Trump Mic Drops Reporter’s “White Supremacist” Question

RED STATE notes the backfire aspect of Kamala’s campaign strategy here:

  • … this latest moment of fake outrage could backfire on the Harris campaign by alienating voters in these areas. It certainly comes off as an elitist dismissal of their communities, does it not? Are we to ignore people living in certain parts of the country because evil things occurred where they live? This isn’t exactly the best way to attract people to one’s cause.

HOWELL, Mich. (FOX 2) – About a dozen white supremacists made their mark on Howell with a disruptive demonstration last weekend that reignited the city’s checkered past.

“I saw a few men, teenagers maybe, all covered in black – kind of like ninjas. That was my first thought,” said Howell resident Shannon Harvey.

[….]

Harvey lives a block away from the courthouse where the men were, and could hear them.

“I can sum it up in two words. Their messaging was white power,” Harvey said. “I was very surprised to hear the type of language that they were using downtown. It’s something that you don’t hear here often.”

The men moved from the courthouse, to the library. Eventually, the demonstration was dismantled and they went home. 

“Howell Police were able to make contact with several of the demonstrators confirming that all those contacted came from outside of our community, as far away as Saginaw and Macomb Counties,” Ellis stated. 

The reason these men chose Howell is believed to be because of Robert Miles, a prominent KKK leader who held cross burnings and rallies nearby in the 1960s. ….

Biden/Harris & Harris/Walz Monetary Policy Cause Inflation and Shortages

Published by Papa Giorgio

…First, the greedflation story ignores business competition. How could so many firms suddenly command higher profit margins? Corporate concentration didn’t dramatically increase during the pandemic. Firms didn’t magically gain more market power or suddenly become greedier. To believe in greedflation, we’d therefore have to think that businesses across many sectors colluded by using their pricing power to raise prices by limiting their output. But in most industries the urge to undercut rivals and grab market share would undermine this coordination. Moreover, real output actually grew strongly in 2021 and 2022, while inflation surged, thus contradicting the idea that collusive efforts to withhold output was what drove rising prices.

Second, the greedflation tale overlooks consumers. How could customers suddenly afford higher prices across many industries? If businesses in some sectors with price-insensitive customers jacked up prices to puff their profits, those consumers would have less money to spend elsewhere, reducing demand and prices for other goods. This would leave overall inflation largely unchanged. To get a situation in which all prices are rising—a macroeconomic inflation—therefore requires more overall spending, perhaps indicating that there was more money available to spend to begin with.

This points us to the real story: Far from profits driving inflation, inflation and temporarily higher profits were both being driven by a third factor: excessive macroeconomic stimulus.

(CATO | See also CITY JOURNAL)

Supply chains were broken by GOVERNMENT REGULATION AND RULES during covid. It just “didn’t happen” by accident or natural causes. Supply chains were cut by enforcement. As above… long haul video!

  • NEWSBUSTERS: “Brooks Surprised ‘Responsible’ Harris Would Endorse Soviet-Like Price Controls”

JOHN STOSSEL on Greed and Inflation

Inflation is sharply up. Now it’s 7%. What went wrong?

STEVE FORBES for PRAGER U ~ Inflation

Look for the source of a society’s collapse, and you’ll usually find the i-word (inflation) at its core. So what exactly is inflation? How does it work? Why is it so dangerous? And how does it affect your everyday life? Steve Forbes breaks it down.

“GREEDFLATION”

The entire article from REASON is this:

The Misuse of Data Behind the ‘Greedflation’ Narrative
There’s no evidence that greed is causing inflation.

The chairman of the WAYS & MEANS Committee has a wonderful [7-2022] fact check page refuting the Democrats “Greedflation” position. I have been warning of this inflationary cliff for many years in my posts on Quantitative Easing.

Likewise, this is a decent article on the topic of disproving a large portion of the “Greedflation” charge:

As the US economy continues to grapple with persistently high inflation, President Biden has repeatedly blamed “corporate greed” as the primary culprit.

The administration has accused companies of engaging in “greedflation” and “shrinkflation” – raising prices and reducing product sizes to maximize profits at the expense of consumers.

However, a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco challenges this narrative, providing a more nuanced and evidence-based understanding of the factors driving the current inflationary pressures.

The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s research shows that while there has been an increase in markups (the difference between a product’s selling price and its production cost) in select industries like motor vehicles, the overall markup rate has remained largely in line with previous economic recoveries. Contrary to Biden’s claims, the data suggests that fluctuations in corporate markups have not been a driving force behind the ups and downs of inflation during the post-pandemic recovery.

The report attributes the current inflationary pressures to other factors, such as the massive government stimulus spending and the Federal Reserve’s low-interest-rate policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures boosted consumer demand at a time when the economy was experiencing supply chain disruptions and shortages, leading to a sharp rise in prices across various sectors.

While corporate profits did spike during the economic recovery, the Fed’s analysis indicates that this is not unusual compared to previous recoveries, such as the Great Recession. The increase in profits is largely attributable to pandemic-era subsidies and lower business taxes, rather than a deliberate effort to exploit consumers through “greedflation.” ….

(More at TAMPA FREE PRESS)

The CAROLINA JOURNAL has a wonderful article as well.

Price inflation is never caused by greed. It’s always caused by a growing money supply. The money supply has grown big-time since 2020, and now we pay a lot more for food and housing. [RPT: actually, the money supply has been growing since Obama]

A new report claims “resounding evidence” shows that high corporate profits are a main driver of ongoing inflation, and companies continue to keep prices high even as their inflationary costs drop.

The report, compiled by the progressive Groundwork Collaborative think tank, found corporate profits accounted for about 53% of inflation during last year’s second and third quarters. Profits drove just 11% of price growth in the 40 years prior to the pandemic, according to the report.

Is this true? Unraveling this mysterious relationship between corporate profit and inflation is easy once we clearly define what profit and inflation are. This allegation that corporate profits accounted for 53 percent of inflation is a result of using wrong definitions and reasoning by mainstream economics researchers.

First, let us see what inflation is. As Henry Hazlitt explained in his article “Inflation in One Page,” inflation is “an increase in the quantity of money and credit. Its chief consequence is soaring prices. Therefore inflation—if we misuse the term to mean the rising prices themselves—is caused solely by printing more money. For this the government’s monetary policies are entirely responsible.”

Faulty reasoning by mainstream economists occurs because of their faulty way of mistaking the price rise effect of inflation as inflation itself. They are putting the cart before the horse. Rising prices is only one of the chief effects of inflation, not inflation itself.

Another mistake that mainstream economists make is that they use the long disproved Marxist “production cost/labor theory of value” to explain the rise in the prices of consumer goods, as is the case with this research done by the Groundwork Collaborative think tank. Production cost (corporate profit) doesn’t determine the prices of consumer goods. The subjective value of the consumer determines those prices. In this article I do not have the space to discuss this very important subjective value theory. I advise my readers to study the literature of the Austrian School of economics.

They also mistake individual commodity price fluctuation for inflation. In a market economy, prices of various commodities are always changing. Such price fluctuation doesn’t reflect the mythical general price level that mainstream economists use to measure inflation.

Also, if corporate profits explain the rise in prices of consumer goods—what mainstream economists call inflation—then what explains the rise in the prices of producer goods? The same corporate profits? We need to remember here that inflation not only increases the prices of consumer goods but also producer goods. When the supply of money rises due to the Fed’s easy money policies of creating dollars out of thin air, it dilutes the purchasing power (value) of all existing dollars in the economy. And because dollars are legal tender money (a common medium of exchange), they will buy less of both consumer and producer goods (i.e., looking from the goods side it will look as if their prices have gone up). Actually, the dollar is losing its value and so buying less of everything against which it is being used in market exchange. …..

(More at MISES.ORG)

Few people have had as profound an impact on modern economics as economist Milton Friedman. His Nobel Prize-winning ideas on free enterprise resonated throughout the world and continue to do so. Johan Norberg, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, tells Friedman’s fascinating story.

With the recent passing of Walter Williams, I watched a video of him [Thomas Sowell’s tribute] that reminded me of a video of Milton Friedman on the Donahue Show. So I wanted to combine them for affect.

Marxist-Kamala’ism

Published by Papa Giorgio

Part 2 of Rita Panahi added below.

Rita Panahi

PART ONE >>

Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi has roasted some of Kamala Harris’ most outlandish public moments stating the presumptive Democratic nominee will say “just about anything” to get ahead. “One thing you can say about Kamala Harris is that despite her far-left belief system, she’s willing to say just about anything to get ahead,” Ms Panahi commented. “One minute she’s the defund the police, BLM, bail money raiser, and the next she’s presenting herself as the tough prosecutor that criminals fear.”

PART TWO >> 

Sky News host Rita Panahi exposes the media’s attempts to “re-write” Kamala Harris’ history. “Apparently she was never the border czar, she never had the most left-wing voting record in the senate, and she was never considered a liability in the Biden administration,” Ms Panahi said.

BTW, it was because of this awesome SKY NEWS video that I added to that VEEP comparison:

RPT SHITE

Bill Maher notes that Kamala is not liked all that much:

DAVE RUBIN & Bill Maher

Dave Rubin & Mark Levin

Dave Rubin and Mark Levin discuss the most liberal senator and radical Presidential nominee yet.

Jesse Watters

Fox News host Jesse Watters says Americans cannot trust the vice president on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’

Michaelah Montgomery Rocks!

Published by Papa Giorgio

Michaelah Montgomery brought the …

BOOMSTICK!

FOX INTERVIEW

Conserve the Culture founder Michaelah Montgomery joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss her experience meeting former President Trump at an Atlanta Chick-fil-A and how the media has impacted the perception of Trump support in the Black community.

FULL SPEECH!

Stu Burguiere Debunks The Green Delusion (POWERLINE UPDATE)

Published by Papa Giorgio

Stu Burguiere says you shouldn’t laugh at all of the mainstream media’s climate change stories. The truth behind China’s emissions and the current “Green Delusion” is debunked by Stu.

UPDATED w/POWERLINE!!

Wind and solar installations produce electricity well under 50 percent of the time, a fact that never will change. So, in a “green” world, how do you keep the lights on? Battery storage, liberals tell us. (The electric grid is not a storage device. Electricity on the grid must be consumed in the moment in which it is produced.) Amazingly, however, no environmentalist or liberal has made any effort to demonstrate that battery storage on the scale needed is possible, let alone affordable. In fact, it is not even remotely possible.

Francis Menton has just published a PAPER on energy storage. He summarizes his findings at HIS WEB SITE:

The main point of the paper is that an electrical grid powered mostly by intermittent generators like wind and sun requires full backup from some source; and if that source is to be stored energy, the amounts of storage required are truly staggering. When you do the simple arithmetic to calculate the storage requirements and the likely costs, it becomes obvious that the entire project is completely impractical and unaffordable. The activists and politicians pushing us toward this new energy system of wind/solar/storage are either being intentionally deceptive or totally incompetent.

Thus, for example:

Consider the case of Germany, the country that has gone the farthest of any in the world down the road to “energy transition.” My Report presents two different calculations of the energy storage requirement for Germany in a world of a wind/solar grid and no fossil fuels allowed…. One of the calculations, by a guy named Roger Andrews, came to a requirement of approximately 25,000 GWh; and the other, by two authors named Ruhnau and Qvist, came to a higher figure of 56,000 GWh. The two use similar but not identical methodology, and somewhat different assumptions. Clearly there is a large range of uncertainty as to the actual requirement; but the two calculations cited give a reasonable range for the scope of the problem.

THIS IS THE PORTION POWERLINE CUT OUT OF THEIR EXCERPT

….To give you an idea of just how much energy storage 25,000 (or 56,000) GWh is, here is a rendering (also from my Report) of a grid-scale battery storage facility under construction in Queensland, Australia by Vena Energy. The facility in the rendering is intended to provide 150 MWh of storage. 

Remember that 150 MWh is only 0.15 of one GWh. In other words, it would take about 167,000 of these facilities to provide 25,000 GWh of storage, and about 373,000 of them to get to the 56,000 GWh in the larger estimate…..

And against these projections of a storage requirement in the range of tens of thousands of GWh, what are Germany’s plans as presented in this “20-fold expansion” by 2031? From my Report:

In the case of Germany, Wood Mackenzie states that the planned energy storage capacity for 2031, following the 20-fold expansion, is 8.81GWh.

Rather than tens of thousands of GWh, it’s single digits. How does that stack up in percentage terms against the projected requirements?:

In other words, the amount of energy storage that Germany is planning for 2031 is between 0.016% and 0.036% of what it actually would need. This does not qualify as a serious effort to produce a system that might work.

This absurd situation is duplicated in every other jurisdiction that has purported to mandate wind and solar energy. For example, California:

The Report cites another article from Utility Dive stating that the California Public Utilities Commission has ordered the state’s power providers to collectively procure by 2026 some 10.5 GW (or 42.0 GWh) of lithium-ion batteries for grid-scale storage:

The additional 10.5 GW of lithium-ion storage capacity, translating to at most about 42 GWh, would take California all the way to about 0.17% of the energy storage it would need to fully back up a wind/solar generation system.

This is a joke. There are nowhere near enough batteries in the world to back up the world’s need for electricity, nor will there ever be. My colleague Isaac Orr prepared this simple graph, which shows the entire battery capacity of the world as projected in 2030 against the electricity consumption of a single state, Minnesota:

Is there a single place, anywhere in the world, that has actually satisfied its citizens’ need for electricity through wind or solar energy, plus batteries, as liberals now demand for all of us? No, actually, there isn’t:

Here’s what tells you all you need to know: not only is there no working demonstration project anywhere in the world of the wind/solar/storage energy system, but there is none under construction and none even proposed.

The whole green energy project is a gigantic fraud. A handful of shysters are getting rich, along with some activists and politicians, while the rest of us will be left holding the bag. In the dark.