2024 US election: A Kennedy presidency? Trump again? Will it be rigged?

[Possibility of Being]

Swell. To further extend the rabbit hole, Thiel goes back to PayPal’s origins with the original funding of Elon Musk which is yet another story that defies surface logic.

The rabbit hole seems to have no bottom. Several months, on and off, of research, many pages filled with data, many web pages saved, all worth a little book by now, and I still discover new bits, facts, connections... And it's only what is freely available online.

 

[iamthatis]

Vance is considered a front man for Thiel, and Thiel - a deep state actor. Thiel is also known of having close ties to US intelligence and DoD; to the infamous Israeli Unit 8200 and their companies; as well as business ties to Jared Kushner through which he maintained a powerful position within Trump administration. (Check this one)

JD Vance used to be very critical of Trump, including on social media, using epithets like "idiot", "reprehensible", "cultural heroin" among others. It was 2016. But the plan was different, it seems. It was 2016 when Peter Thiel donated to Trump's campaign and then joined Trump's transition team. He kept contributing in 2018, 2020 and eventually in 2022 when he donated $30 million to the senatorial campaign of JD Vance and Blake Masters. Vance himself received a record-breaking amount of money: "Thiel had given $15 million in total to bolster Vance — the largest amount ever given to boost a single Senate candidate." (Another at least $10 million donation came from Cambrige Analitica co-founder Robert Mercer.) The same time, there were complaints about illegally coordinating Vance's campaign and a PAC funded by Peter Thiel. On the other hand, the hypocrisy of their campaign promises and declarations is well exposed in Mother Jones article. Anyway, that's in short how Thiel made JD Vance a politician, and now a VP candidate.

Vance met Thiel in 2011 while studying at Yale Law School, what he later called “the most significant moment of my time at Yale.” A few years later, he worked for Thiel, starting at Mithril Capital, Thiel's VC. In 2020, Vance co-founded Narya Capital with significant Thiel’s backing, envisioning it as "an Ohio-based venture fund that would focus on the Midwest instead of Silicon Valley." In 2021 Narya invested in Rumble, and Thiel paid a leading role in this.

So when Vance the "NeverTrumper" changed into his enthusiastic supporter, he also adopted Trump's (partial) isolationist stance on foreign policy. In February 2022, several days before the invasion, Vance said: “I gotta be honest with you. I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine” which he had to "clarify" afterwards. Vance is also with Trump on everlasting support for Israel and fighting antisemitism globally.

The best summary of the whole affair in one sentence comes IMO from The San Francisco Standard:



Highly recommended:
What Is It About Peter Thiel?
How Peter Thiel-Linked Tech is Fueling the Ukraine War

So when Tucker signals that many in Washington hate Vance, maybe it's not because J.D. a genuine, true-blue American - it's because he's part of just another power faction. I'm guessing they all hate each other. I'm sure his rise from a poor family to the Senate didn't help either.

By the way, PoB, I think this would make a good SOTT article.

 

[Alejo]

So when Tucker signals that many in Washington hate Vance, maybe it's not because J.D. a genuine, true-blue American - it's because he's part of just another power faction. I'm guessing they all hate each other. I'm sure his rise from a poor family to the Senate didn't help either.

By the way, PoB, I think this would make a good SOTT article.

Yes, that's my take of it as well.

I'd like to think that Vance would take some interesting postures and support Trump in fighting for the American people, but there's something about him that I can't quite trust, like he seems too ideologically "perfect" for the job. He's more of a politician that Trump for sure.

After the events on Saturday, I keep getting these LBJ vibes, but it might just be me creating connections where there may be none. I suppose we'll have to wait and see, he surely seems a lot less passive than Mike Pence, so he can have a significant role should they be allowed to rule.

 

[iamthatis]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1813036057094455378

I thought it was a good point he makes - after all Trump went through with the assassination attempt, probably thinking thoughts of death and destiny and the meaning of life, he goes to the RNC and has to sit and listen to Amber Rose.

I guess she made herself known by dating Kanye West years ago, then was known as being a 'rap video vixen', helped found SlutWalk, has sold pics on Only Fans, has been known for her pro-abortion and feminist views. She's also a model, some kind of a fashion designer, and recent MAGA convert. The cherry on the cake is that has a tattoo on her forehead, which read 'Bash Slash'... in commemoration of her two sons.

To put it politely, I didn't expect the RNC to host someone 'so high in trait openness'.

But then, her speech is about how she was brainwashed by the liberal media until she started doing research at her father's urging, and now wears the red hat. So I guess it's an inspiring political conversion story, which makes it less weird that she was 1 of the only 2 presenters who spoke during the 'Primetime' time slot that was shown on network TV.

 

[Possibility of Being]

This is concerning...digging a little deeper into Vance's connection with Narya Capital:

From the link KC provided, found one video titled "J D Vance the Swamp's Useful Idiot" posted last March by "American Intelligence Media" (know nothing about those guys and watched only a few minutes); and what supposedly is a compilation of Vance's 2021 Financial Disclosure (pdf) posted on the YT channel's owner's website. About 160 companies listed, including mysterious medical/ genetics ones and one I recognized from my research called Anduril Industries (see Wiki entry on Palmer Luckey). Under the link I posted earlier on Thiel-linked tech in Ukraine war, Anduril is listed together with Palantir and Clearview AI as defence contractors either co-founded by Thiel or having him as investor.

So Vance has his investment (if I understand it correctly) in Anduril and "clarifies" (NYT, 2022) that “We’ve got to stop the money spigot to Ukraine eventually." Cool.

 

[Vulcan59]

FWIW, from Martin's blog;

This is WHY I have been lobbying on both sides for a political marriage between RFK and Trump. I have been pushing for RFK to be Attorney General in hope of reducing the discontent and the rise in violence. I believe the two together would help heal the separation trend with violence on the horizon. This can be seen as a singe of real unity.

RFK Joins Trump As AG It Will HELP Reduce The Coming Civil Unrest | Armstrong Economics

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong, I know who has publicly stated in several of your interviews that you believed the Deep State would not tolerate a Trump victory. You

www.armstrongeconomics.com

 

[Voyageur]

I'm guessing they all hate each other.

What usually happens when cheats are sitting around a card table playing a so-called friendly game, and then one stands up and accuses the others of cheating? At some point, the cheaters might well devolve quickly and eat each other up, especially if they know they can't save themselves.

As Laura had said of the people watching the big show (Russia was the initial reference, and yet the implication seems broad), "They're just like the cat following the laser light. This way, and that way."

One might note the press in the last few days has done this also, going this way and that way.

By the way, PoB, I think this would make a good SOTT article.

Second that.

After the events on Saturday, I keep getting these LBJ vibes, but it might just be me creating connections where there may be none.

You don't say, same here - and there are observable connections. It has boggled my mind when speaking of the old LBJ devil, that so many (left or right) who should know better, think today he was so utterly fantastic (along with Joe, McCain, and Obama et cetera). Suppose, though, it is no different than many think of the she-devils', such as Hillary and Madeline Albright - or Merkle, Ursula and Freeland (to name a few). Really, it is an endless list of those willing to take a seat at the big table with the other cheats. Buckle up.

 

[JGeropoulas]

Instead of wielding power to manifest their political will, (Republicans) end up ceding ground to political adversaries who are unencumbered by such scruples.

This cowardice and naivety in recognizing and adapting to the actual reality of the political struggle is why they continue to lose ground on all sides. They'd rather lose honorably than win with grit, making them the perfect doormats for those who actually understand how to play the game.

If we want to win, and I'm not just talking about the next election, we need to start doing what's necessary to emerge victorious.

YES! A politician who's naive about psychopaths' strategies (e.g. charm, eloquent lying, guilt-projection, etc.) will end up supporting a lot of evil, and accomplish very little good. The only thing that drives psychopaths is obtaining power and exerting control by means of deceit. The only thing they fear is being exposed as the deceivers they are, which deprives them of power and makes them easier to control. The first step in winning a battle is knowing your enemy. Hopefully these last few years have served as a Master Class in ponerology featuring Democrat political strategies.

 

[Timótheos]

I thought it was a good point he makes - after all Trump went through with the assassination attempt, probably thinking thoughts of death and destiny and the meaning of life, he goes to the RNC and has to sit and listen to Amber Rose.

I guess she made herself known by dating Kanye West years ago, then was known as being a 'rap video vixen', helped found SlutWalk, has sold pics on Only Fans, has been known for her pro-abortion and feminist views. She's also a model, some kind of a fashion designer, and recent MAGA convert. The cherry on the cake is that has a tattoo on her forehead, which read 'Bash Slash'... in commemoration of her two sons.

To put it politely, I didn't expect the RNC to host someone 'so high in trait openness'.

But then, her speech is about how she was brainwashed by the liberal media until she started doing research at her father's urging, and now wears the red hat. So I guess it's an inspiring political conversion story, which makes it less weird that she was 1 of the only 2 presenters who spoke during the 'Primetime' time slot that was shown on network TV.

I noticed quite a bit of angry backlash on Twitter coming from more traditional or puritan type conservatives who were upset about several of the more progressive speakers showcased at this year's RNC. Amber Rose seems to be getting the most flack, but there were also complaints about a Sikh woman who led the crowd in a traditional prayer, and others dissing VP pick Vance because his wife comes from SE Asian immigrant family.

Keeping in mind that the Deep State failed in their attempt to assassinate Trump, and that both sides of the American political spectrum are infiltrated and controlled by the very same Deep Sate, can we speculate that the some of program and slate of speakers scheduled for the convention were planned in advance by these insiders counting on the idea that Nikki Haley would be the presumptive Republican nominee?

The fact that Trump survived threw a wrench in their plans, but by then it was too late to change the program.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

The factions in the Democratic Party will not let Trump to win, so they are preparing more attacks on him in the upcoming weeks.

 

[Possibility of Being]

The Hill published it 2 days ago, with precious quotes from Vance:

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy [the so called Chameleon politician and fierce supporter of NATO] met with Vance in May in his position as shadow foreign minister in the opposition.

Lammy referred to Vance as his “friend” and agreed with the Ohio senator that “we in Europe have a problem that we need to fix with higher defense expenditure.”

Vance promoted Trump’s “America First” foreign policy at the Munich Security Conference in February, saying that European countries should shoulder more responsibility for military defense, in particular manufacturing, so the U.S. can pivot to putting resources in Asia against an aggressive China.

Vance has raised doubt that the U.S. can maintain military support to Ukraine, saying that the U.S. does not build enough munitions to sustain the level of assistance funneled to Kyiv.

And he’s called for engaging with Russian President Vladimir Putin to deliver for “American interests.”

“I’ve never once argued that Putin is a kind and friendly person. I’ve argued that he’s a person with distinct interests, and the United States has to respond to that person with distinct interests,” Vance said at the Munich Security Conference.

“But the fact that he’s a bad guy does not mean we can’t engage in basic diplomacy and prioritizing America’s interests. There are a lot of bad guys all over the world, and I’m much more interested in some of the problems in East Asia right now than I am in Europe.”

On the Middle East, Vance has echoed Trump’s call for Israel to “finish the job” against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, saying that ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia can only be established once Hamas is defeated in the Gaza Strip. Saudi Arabia has said it can’t establish ties with Israel until it sees a viable pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian State.

“Our goal in the Middle East should be to allow the Israelis to get to some good place with the Saudi Arabians and other Gulf Arab states. There is no way that we can do that unless the Israelis finish the job with Hamas,” he said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” in May.

“If they can’t even do that, the attitude in the Middle East will be: ‘You can’t trust these guys, they’re not pursuing their own national security.’ So we’ve got to let them finish this job, and I think hopefully, on the other end of it, get to a new era in the Middle East.”

In a speech delivered at the Quincy Institute in May, Vance addressed the contradiction between his conditional support for Ukraine — “ I think we should stop supporting the Ukrainian conflict,” he said — and unconditional support for Israel.

“A majority of citizens of this country think that their savior, and I count myself a Christian, was born, died, and resurrected in that narrow little strip of territory off the Mediterranean,” he said.

“The idea that there is ever going to be an American foreign policy that doesn’t care a lot about that slice of the world is preposterous,” he said.

“We want the Israelis and the Sunnis to police their own region of the world. We want the Europeans to police their own region of the world, and we want to be able to focus more on East Asia.”

Find 3 details, if you can, differentiating the declared Trump/Vance's foreign politics from the current one. I can spot only one.

 

[Possibility of Being]

By the way, PoB, I think this would make a good SOTT article.

Second that.

Wow. No copyrights claimed. :) If any SOTT editor is willing to take care of it, go ahead. If more supportive links or a small expansion on something is needed, just message me.

 

[Beau]

Find 3 details, if you can, differentiating the declared Trump/Vance's foreign politics from the current one. I can spot only one.

Well, just my opinion but vice presidents don't really do anything. Yes he's in line if Trump is killed and that's worth looking into his past statements. But if he never becomes prez, then really this is about his foreign policy lining up with Trump's. Get out of Ukraine, stop inciting Russia into a nuclear war, focus on China as the bigger problem, and try to make peace between Israel and Palestine while still supporting Israel. That's pretty much Trump's foreign policy. And maybe this brush with death changes Trump's thinking on foreign policy. That remains to be seen.

I'm more interested in what he did as governor, like supporting the covid nonsense. But again, as VP his influence isn't going to be strong especially since he's young and essentially being groomed as Trump's protege. He's going to follow Trump's lead IMO. Who else was a better pick? Vivek probably, but I think he'll have a better role in the Trump admin than VP. Tucker likely has zero interest, he understands the threat he and his family would be under if he went into politics. Tulsi would have been interesting, but she is a career Democrat who has been out of politics for 4 years and wouldn't at all have made a difference in the swing states like Vance will. RFK Jr. isn't a Republican either. All the other options were worse than Vance. Rubio, Burghum, Noem (dog killer), none moved the needle although many big donors on the Right were pushing for some of them. Ben Carson I would have been happy with, but I see him as potential surgeon general or HHS director.

So yeah, Vance isn't someone that looks very intriguing from our perspective. But he's young and can change so I'll give him a chance to show he isn't beholden to the Empire.

 

[luc]

Well, just my opinion but vice presidents don't really do anything. Yes he's in line if Trump is killed and that's worth looking into his past statements. But if he never becomes prez, then really this is about his foreign policy lining up with Trump's. Get out of Ukraine, stop inciting Russia into a nuclear war, focus on China as the bigger problem, and try to make peace between Israel and Palestine while still supporting Israel. That's pretty much Trump's foreign policy. And maybe this brush with death changes Trump's thinking on foreign policy. That remains to be seen.

I'm more interested in what he did as governor, like supporting the covid nonsense. But again, as VP his influence isn't going to be strong especially since he's young and essentially being groomed as Trump's protege. He's going to follow Trump's lead IMO. Who else was a better pick? Vivek probably, but I think he'll have a better role in the Trump admin than VP. Tucker likely has zero interest, he understands the threat he and his family would be under if he went into politics. Tulsi would have been interesting, but she is a career Democrat who has been out of politics for 4 years and wouldn't at all have made a difference in the swing states like Vance will. RFK Jr. isn't a Republican either. All the other options were worse than Vance. Rubio, Burghum, Noem (dog killer), none moved the needle although many big donors on the Right were pushing for some of them. Ben Carson I would have been happy with, but I see him as potential surgeon general or HHS director.

So yeah, Vance isn't someone that looks very intriguing from our perspective. But he's young and can change so I'll give him a chance to show he isn't beholden to the Empire.

I agree, Vance was the best pick by far among the realistic options. Also, I haven't been convinced so far by those who paint him as this sinister figure. Time will tell I suppose.

But I think people tend to underestimate the symbolic power of resisting the Deep State in certain areas, such as immigration, Ukraine, NATO... This destroys their narrative. But more than that: withdrawal from Ukraine? Leave Europe alone? Leave the Eurocrats in the rain? Hell yes!

As for Israel, this is of course morally infuriating, but let's be real, that's just how it goes in US politics. Trump is like that too. But look at their actions, not their words - symbolic acts like moving the US embassy aside, Trump wanted to withdraw from the Middle East and take on an isolationist policy. And Israel of course saw right through it and hated him: they don't want anybody who's isolationist and not a neo-Con/neo-Lib in the White House, no matter how often Trump and Vance (or LePen or Orban or whoever) profess their undying love for Israel.

Vance also voted in the Senate against the Ukraine/Israel package, although that may not say much. As for Covid, that's more worrying, but then again tons of right-wingers were really bad here and only later changed their tack.

So, let's see. I like that he's an author and somewhat of an intellectual, but to be honest, my main concern with him is that he somehow seems a bit fragile, and I'm not sure he could withstand the incredible pressure of the political game at this level when he needs to remain firm, but this might only be an issue should he become president. As Trump's right-hand man though, he's probably the best we'll get.

 

[Cosmos]

Well, just my opinion but vice presidents don't really do anything. Yes he's in line if Trump is killed and that's worth looking into his past statements. But if he never becomes prez, then really this is about his foreign policy lining up with Trump's. Get out of Ukraine, stop inciting Russia into a nuclear war, focus on China as the bigger problem, and try to make peace between Israel and Palestine while still supporting Israel. That's pretty much Trump's foreign policy. And maybe this brush with death changes Trump's thinking on foreign policy. That remains to be seen.

I'm more interested in what he did as governor, like supporting the covid nonsense. But again, as VP his influence isn't going to be strong especially since he's young and essentially being groomed as Trump's protege. He's going to follow Trump's lead IMO. Who else was a better pick? Vivek probably, but I think he'll have a better role in the Trump admin than VP. Tucker likely has zero interest, he understands the threat he and his family would be under if he went into politics. Tulsi would have been interesting, but she is a career Democrat who has been out of politics for 4 years and wouldn't at all have made a difference in the swing states like Vance will. RFK Jr. isn't a Republican either. All the other options were worse than Vance. Rubio, Burghum, Noem (dog killer), none moved the needle although many big donors on the Right were pushing for some of them. Ben Carson I would have been happy with, but I see him as potential surgeon general or HHS director.

So yeah, Vance isn't someone that looks very intriguing from our perspective. But he's young and can change so I'll give him a chance to show he isn't beholden to the Empire.

I agree, Vance was the best pick by far among the realistic options. Also, I haven't been convinced so far by those who paint him as this sinister figure. Time will tell I suppose.

But I think people tend to underestimate the symbolic power of resisting the Deep State in certain areas, such as immigration, Ukraine, NATO... This destroys their narrative. But more than that: withdrawal from Ukraine? Leave Europe alone? Leave the Eurocrats in the rain? Hell yes!

As for Israel, this is of course morally infuriating, but let's be real, that's just how it goes in US politics. Trump is like that too. But look at their actions, not their words - symbolic acts like moving the US embassy aside, Trump wanted to withdraw from the Middle East and take on an isolationist policy. And Israel of course saw right through it and hated him: they don't want anybody who's isolationist and not a neo-Con/neo-Lib in the White House, no matter how often Trump and Vance (or LePen or Orban or whoever) profess their undying love for Israel.

Vance also voted in the Senate against the Ukraine/Israel package, although that may not say much. As for Covid, that's more worrying, but then again tons of right-wingers were really bad here and only later changed their tack.

So, let's see. I like that he's an author and somewhat of an intellectual, but to be honest, my main concern with him is that he somehow seems a bit fragile, and I'm not sure he could withstand the incredible pressure of the political game at this level when he needs to remain firm, but this might only be an issue should he become president. As Trump's right-hand man though, he's probably the best we'll get.

I fully agree with both points and especially the bolded part. As the saying goes, paraphrasing: “You shall judge them by their fruits and actions and not by their words.“

Vance is in the middle of the deepest swamp on the planet, so, no matter what his real agenda/thinking is, you have to expect that he has needed to play ball in certain or even many areas. Also, as of yet, Vance wasn’t in any position of power and influence that can be compared to what he will face as the vice of Trump. Therefore we haven’t yet been able to really judge him by his actions, deeds and fruits when he has such power. My bet is on him being a wildcard and dangerous to the agendas of the PTB. His situation might also be subject to change. People can change throughout life.