Fear Porn Weather, Third World Service

I write this in the midst of what local and national media are breathlessly calling a “historic,” “biblical,” snowfall, the latest in a continuing series of “storms of the century.” Much as intelligence agencies have to christen their misadventures as Operation This or That, these “winter storms” must now have names as well.

Winter Storm Jonas, we were warned, by local “journalists” giddy with excitement, was going to bury the nation’s capital. Much of the country understandably applauded that concept. We were told to expect massive power outages, much as we are always told to expect massive power outages before any of these “historic” storms now.

A few nights ago, about an inch of snow basically shut down much of the Washington, D.C. area. Even though they’ve been caught with their pants down in similar situations in recent years, VDOT and their counterparts in Maryland and D.C. somehow failed to pre-treat the streets with salt and/or sand. These putrid, worthless agencies, however, will once again escape any condemnation by the mainstream media. They’re too busy deploying reporters clad in expensive headgear and scarves to stand outside in various spots and let us know it’s snowing.

Nothing reminds us of how poorly this country is being run, on all levels, than one of these simple snowfalls. The streets that used to be plowed competently and quickly are now seemingly ignored for hours, as panicked motorists unable to drive in these conditions abandon their cars in mid-lane. They have already informed the public that, since the snow is going to continue all day Saturday, they probably won’t really address the situation adequately until Sunday. Stay safe! And stay warm, until those expected power outages occur.

As a child in the 1960s and 1970s, living in the exact same geographical location, I never once experienced a power outage due to snow, ice or wind. And all our power lines were above ground. We had heavy snowfalls on occasion, but they were anonymous sorts not worthy of a cool name, and didn’t seem to do the kind of damage that these new “winter storms” do. They also didn’t come as frequently. It’s a good thing we aren’t being hit with these “winter storms” as often as the local weather people forecast that they might come.

Indeed, I often feel like I’ve moved to a new climate, even though I haven’t. Until the past ten years or so, this area simply wasn’t known for having such extreme weather. A “derecho,” whatever that is (never heard the word until they mentioned it at the time) hit a few years ago and we lost power in my neighborhood, which has underground power lines, for four days. Not knowing much about “derechos,” it just seemed like a thunderstorm to me. Thunderstorms used to, on occasion, knock power out for a few hours. Not several days.

We not only have to contend with “derechos” now, there are nor-easters, and El Nino and La Nina. With their fancy Doppler Radar, the endless slew of local meteorologists will probably find more previously unheard of phenomena that have “always” effected our weather without our knowledge. I don’t know, call me old-fashioned, but I liked the old-style weathermen; aspiring comedians like David Letterman or ex- Ronald McDonalds like Willard Scott. They seemed comforting somehow. And the weather didn’t appear to be so scary, so extreme. 

Watching some of the local news reports (I couldn’t stomach it for more than a few moments), it certainly appeared that all of the “journalists” wanted a blizzard of “epic” proportions. Scrapping their traditional policy of not competing with each other, each of the respective meteorologists seemed to want to up the others in predicting the total amount of snow accumulation. “Two feet!” “No, I say three feet!” “I say it breaks all records!” If mighty “winter storm” Jonas had actually blown out to sea or something, I can only imagine the devastated looks that would have been on their faces.

Local mainstream media outlets really have no reason for existing other than to over- hype these “winter storms” and, less frequently, potential hurricanes, tornadoes and now “derechos.” They are peddling pure fear, with huge smiles and incongruently soothing voices. Much as they are incapable of doing anything other than passing on increasingly absurd official statements in their “news” coverage, they are never going to question the suddenly “expected” power outages, or the consistent incompetence of those tasked to plow and treat the roads.

If a real, Perry White-like news director ran one of these stations, a crew of reporters would be sent to VDOT and their counterparts, in order to grill their officials about their glaring inefficiency. They would confront snow plows sitting on the side of un- plowed roads, and ask them why they weren’t plowing. They would track down plows driving aimlessly along, with their plows up in the air- a common sight in my area- and ask they why they’re driving a snow plow without….plowing.

The only attention even paid to these extreme weather events, other than passionately promoting them, is to vaguely attribute them to “climate change,” formerly known as “global warming.” The fact that our society can’t cope with situations they used to be able to cope with fifty years ago is never addressed by our media or our politicians. I have emailed my congressman, Gerry Connally, about this before. I’ll probably do so again, but I would anticipate the same non-response.

This is one essential difference all citizens should be able to fathom. Even forty years ago, while they were inherently corrupt, our leaders were at least competent when it came to essential matters like keeping the power on and clearing the roads. Now they appear to be just as incompetent as they are corrupt.

Why are Americans satisfied with such “leadership?” Why do we accept that there will be power outages during a snow fall? Why do we pass by snow plows that aren’t plowing anything without complaining? Exactly what are VDOT and their counterparts being paid for, if not to address these rare situations?

I imagine that those who live in Third World countries would scoff at my criticisms. But that’s exactly my point; this kind of monumental incompetence is standard operating procedure in the Third World. We’re supposed to be “number one,” the “greatest” country on earth. Why then are we drifting so visibly towards Third World status? Why are we increasingly getting, and passively accepting, Third World-style performance and service? How many of us now have become resigned to having Third World expectations?

It is a testament to my own Third World expectations that I am utterly astonished that our power hasn’t gone out yet. We have all contracted varying degrees of Stockholm Syndrome; grateful when our drunken, bloated national spouse takes a brief break from abusing us.

I hope no one loses power in this latest “winter storm.” I wish that at least one “journalist” would realize that potential misery and destruction isn’t cute and cuddly. I wish that some official, somewhere, would understand that it’s their job to keep the roads cleared in this kind of weather, and to quickly restore the power if it inexplicably goes out. The elderly and infirm are stuck in some of those houses, as are infants and toddlers. Yet you instruct our unquestioning “journalists” to pass along pronouncements that we should “expect” power outages. You will, of course, address those outages “as quickly as possible.” Stay safe!

During that ridiculous “derecho” a few years back, one intrepid poster on an internet forum drove by Dominion Power’s headquarters in the middle of a massive power outage, effecting thousands of homes. The poster reported that Dominion’s parking lot was full of trucks. This exemplified what are confronting now; Third World-style, in your face corruption. If that situation didn’t warrant having every truck on the road, and every employee mandated to work overtime, what situation would?

I have no idea if this is a local phenomenon, or if other parts of the country are experiencing similar “service.” One would think that the Washington, D.C. area, with some of the wealthiest suburban counties in the country, would never be in this situation. Many national politicians live in our area. They’re driving the same roads, and attached to the same woefully outdated power grids, which they strangely aren’t interested in replacing, even when it’s in their own interest.

We know that HAARP exists, and exists to conduct top-secret weather research. When Jesse Ventura tried to simply get inside their well-guarded facility in Alaska, he was forcefully reminded that the public isn’t permitted there. Why? What kind of weather research is going on at HAARP? It obviously isn’t something that prevents extreme weather; noble efforts to blow storms out to sea, or direct rain clouds over drought areas. The conclusion is inescapable that they are trying to weaponize weather, to use it for the diabolical purposes our leaders are renowned for. By any measure, since HAARP came into existence, we are seeing more and more extreme weather all over the world. But if it’s noticed at all, it will be blamed on “climate change,” and by extension on us.

A real national news outlet would send a team of reporters to those locked gates of HAARP and shame them for their incomprehensible secrecy. They would try to contact the top officials of HAARP on air. They would tell the truth about the incompetence of local and national leaders on this issue, and would investigate historical weather patterns to see if there are more extreme weather events going on now. The really “cool” late night comedians would take these leaders to task for their laughable performance, instead of blasting Sarah Palin or some other easy target.

I’m starting to understand more clearly every day just why people retire to Florida. Except for the now alarming number of sinkholes there. And the threat of “epic” hurricanes, which the Weather Channel and local “journalists” will inform us is a particularly frightening “category.” They couldn’t very well have a Weather Channel if the weather was mostly boring, could they? In fact, the Weather Channel is becoming a go-to source for older Americans. They follow Hurricane season just like most Americans follow football season.

I never used to worry about the weather. Unlike other issues our corrupt leaders trot out to distract us from their continuous misdeeds, what H.L. Mencken once called “an endless series of hobgoblins,” the weather is something we really can’t ignore. We have to drive on those unplowed roads, and see the plow trucks sitting idly by or driving with their plows in the air, if they’re seen at all. We have to contend with no power in freezing weather.

Everyone seems to need their porn fix, and this kind of fear porn is selling, like Lisa Douglas used to say on Green Acres, like hotscakes.

What is a “Conspiracy Theory?”

Those Americans still getting their news from the mainstream media have learned to nervously laugh when the term “conspiracy theory” is derisively applied by any of their overpaid “journalists.” At this point, the label “conspiracy theorist” is a badge of honor. I wear it proudly.

A few days ago, President Obama shed what appeared, to many of us, to be theatrical tears during his anti-gun speech. There has been the usual hysterical reaction from the mainstream media to “conspiracy theories” that his tears weren’t sincere. Is it now a “conspiracy theory” to question the sincerity of politicians? What has Obama or any other politician ever done to earn such universal trust?

When John Toland published his book Infamy, he went from being a Pulitzer Prize-winning establishment historian to “conspiracy theorist.” All the private diary anecdotes and unclassified documents be damned; to contend that FDR knew about the attack on Pearl Harbor in advance is just another discredited “conspiracy theory.” To those of us on the fringes, it doesn’t appear to have been “discredited” other than through the loud proclamations of the court historians. I will explore this subject, along with many other pre-1963 conspiracies and cover-ups, in Hidden History 2. 

We know that there was a diabolical plan, which President Kennedy thankfully vetoed, to create a series of fake attacks, which apparently would have included real casualties, called Operation Northwoods. If that wasn’t a conspiracy, what was it? Is it a “conspiracy theory” to mention it? Was Operation Mockingbird, a CIA program to infiltrate the media with intelligence assets, a conspiracy? When “conspiracy theorists” now rant about establishment journalists being “controlled,” how can anyone deny that there was an official government program designed for just such a purpose?

When evidence is withheld, as it routinely is in virtually every significant event, is it a “conspiracy theory” to question this? After all, each of these same events is invariably attributed to random madness. What is there about random madness that impacts “national security?” If Lee Harvey Oswald was a minimum wage loser, why is anything related to the JFK assassination still classified?

Thus, it is a “conspiracy theory” to question the unconstitutional actions of Abraham Lincoln, or the official narrative of 9/11, or the sanctity of the Apollo space program, or the wildly implausible story of Sandy Hook. In the minds of some, it is “disrespectful” to families, whether the event in question was 9/11, or the Aurora “Batman” case, or Sandy Hook, or the Boston Bombing, to ask any questions. Instead, we should all contribute to the ever-present funds, which are established for unclear purposes and appear to have less oversight than the Federal Reserve has.

Jim Fetzer and company’s book Nobody Died at Sandy Hook has been banned by Amazon. Why? What is it about that particular “conspiracy theory” which causes such blatant censorship? Wolfgang Halbig went to Newtown and tried to question the local chapter of the United Way, in regards to the fund established for the families. The police blocked the building and wouldn’t let him enter. Doesn’t such an overreaching act cry out “conspiracy?”

When Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Jenny McCarthy and numerous experts charge that there is a connection between vaccines and autism, the mainstream media, in conjunction with the medical industrial complex, slanders them as “conspiracy theorists.” Is it a “conspiracy theory” to note that when Bill Gates got his polio vaccine into India a few years ago, nearly 50,000 cases of paralysis resulted?

Is it a “conspiracy theory” to point out how the absolute leaders of countries all over the world meet once a year, with no coverage from the mainstream media? The Bilderberg group consists of truly powerful people, gathering in secrecy, always including a few high-profile journalists, who agree not to report on anything that transpires. Celebrity weddings garner more press attention.

Is it a “conspiracy theory” to mention the yearly get-togethers at Boheman Grove, where our leaders don robes, participate in occult rituals, and worship a giant owl? What else would one call this, other than a conspiracy? Again, as it is with the Bilderbergers, some well- known journalists and celebrities are always in attendance. As long as they’re male, of course. No females have ever been allowed, and no feminist is apparently concerned about this.

Those who are paid generously to supposedly “investigate” these incidents, and have the resources the rest of us don’t, simply won’t ask any questions. Unless they’re scrutinizing the skeptics, of course. They have been trained to accept the most ridiculous conflicting accounts, the most suspicious behavior, and the most incriminating arrogance of authorities, at face value. Since professional journalists simply won’t do their jobs, the void has been filled by those dreaded “conspiracy theorists.”

When Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone ran his car into a tree a few years back, shortly after warning friends and associates that he was onto something “really big,” was it a “conspiracy theory” to connect the dots there? If you were watching a movie like that, what member of the audience wouldn’t associate his death with his dire pronouncements immediately preceding it? Similarly, when Andrew Breitbart announced that he had a video that was going to totally expose Barack Obama, and then dropped dead at a young age, are we “conspiracy theorists” to associate his death with his comments?

The examples are endless. Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the “D.C. Madam,” goes on the Alex Jones show and tells him that she will never commit suicide, then supposedly kills herself. Margie Schoedinger accuses President George W. Bush of rape, and publicly claims to fear for her life, then supposedly kills herself, too. The mainstream media had little interest in either story, and certainly wasn’t about to trot out a Woodward and Bernstein to truly investigate these incidents. It was left, instead, for those pesky “conspiracy theorists” to make the logical connections.

No matter what the mainstream media does, the majority of the public continues to trust them. When they were caught faking a scud attack in Iraq, no repercussions resulted. When they doctored an audio tape in an overt attempt to stoke racial tensions in the Trayvon Martin case, people barely blinked. Instead, they place an unwarranted faith in those vacuous, smiling faces as they transmit one official lie after another to millions of clueless, eligible voters.

Even with the lack of attention paid to their continuous crimes, the public has come to hold a grudging belief that most politicians are hopelessly corrupt. Congress holds an approval rate of under 10%. However, these same despicable representatives are re-elected, in election after election, at a 90% or more clip. The dichotomy there is astounding, and hopefully is the result of massive voting fraud, which the late Collier brothers chronicled in their book Votescam, and which I covered extensively in Hidden History. 

For whatever reason, the American public clings to a naive notion that, despite the broken promises and empty rhetoric, our leaders are basically a decent lot, who act out of good intentions.As I’ve said before, most people are reluctant to confront the extent of the corruption all around them. Perhaps they don’t want to feel like rubes at a circus, or accept just how extensively they’ve been swindled.