Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Hannibal]

That's a pretty common phenomenon. The economy might be growing but people can't sense that in their everyday lives.

Edit: Another reason that people's attitudes don't match the data is that some of the data is bullshit. The CPI is laughable.

[Hannibal]

Hooo, boy, the NASDAQ is flirting with 17,000 this morning. Thank God the money printing has inflated stocks more than the prices of food and housing. Especially tech. Wow. Those of us who were lucky enough to have a job that allowed us to start investing in the 80s or 90s are set to reap some really big rewards.

Boomers and Gen Xers have made shitloads of money in the stock market. Not to mention, the equity in our homes. We can actually retire someday! Everyone else is screwed though.

[Tom W]

Boomers and Gen Xers have made shitloads of money in the stock market. Not to mention, the equity in our homes. We can actually retire someday! Everyone else is screwed though.

I guess so, but like most people, I honestly don't keep my finger constantly on the pulse of my portfolio. That's long term and beyond the horizon (which keeps getting further away). What I (and most other people, I suppose) do keep an active eye on is the control volume that is my bank account and what goes in (my paycheck, mostly) and what goes out (stuff like food, fuel, consumer goods and services). It's been a pretty grim, almost terrifying, view for the last few years.

Yet, here's the Chairman sitting back, telling us how Great everything's been since he took over. Also, he's more concerned about making sure that women have electric cars so that they can exercise their reproductive rights in a carbon neutral fashion.

Why would any sane, rational person believe that crap? Yet, the Dems still expect us to.

[Mike]

What I do keep an active eye on is the control volume that is my bank account and what goes in (my paycheck, mostly) and what goes out (stuff like food, fuel, consumer goods and services).

Yep. Purchasing power, IMO, is how people gauge the strength of the economy. When your weekly grocery bill for a family of 4 is $400, Amazon's stock performance doesn't seem that important.

Why would any sane, rational person believe that crap? Yet, the Dems still expect us to.

You answered your own question by invoking "sane" and "rational".

[Dr. Strangelove]

A sane, rational person might notice that Trump's proposed economic policies are almost entirely inflationary themselves. More tax cuts for corporations. All existing free trade agreements (even his own!) torn up and replaced with huge new tariffs. Expel millions of illegals and drive up labor costs all over the US economy.

I guess you can hope he won't actually be able to do the things he says he wants to do. A fair bet considering he's grotesquely incompetent.

[Mike]

John Kerry's State Department blocked arrests of Iranians with links to terrorism during negotiations of the Iran nuclear deal.

An email from <redacted> to the FBI on April 28, 2016.

From CPC Iran's side, State has been blocking FBI actions where State has had a role for approval or concurrence -visas, lure ops primarily. We have prepared a package of several cases blocked by State and have been working it up the FBI/DOJ/State chain over the past 6 months. Cindy'sextraditions were not specifically part of that package. However, in an FBI/DOJ/State meeting In March, we did raise It as an upcoming action. State indicated that they would have to look closely at all extraditions, including this one, so they could evaluate impacts against their ongoing dialogue with Iran <cough cough>. DOJ was surprised by this a bit because extraditions are ministerial functions and not something State would/should block.

More. JCPOA is the "Iran Nuclear Deal" AKA Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Names of suspects redacted.

Are any of the actions that were held up as a result of PS+l and JCPOA negotiations/Implementation still outstanding?

MaryJo 11 MJ" Thomas
section Chief
Counterproliferation Center (CPC)

From:
Sent: Friday, August 25, 201710:21 AM
To: THOMAS, MARYJO (CD) (FBI)
Cc: MOORE, KEVIN J. ICD) (FBI)
Subject: RE: PS+l and JCPOA -- UNCLASSIFIED

There is not a simple yes or no to that one, unfortunately. There were 8 cases we regularly highlighted as being held up. The PS+l or the JCPOA did not hold up the cases- State Department held up the cases. The FBI/DOJ/USG could have moved forward with the cases but the State Department chose to block them.

The 8 cases and a short disposition were:

1. (---- SU ---- ) -We never arrested the main subject,----. The opportunity to arrest him is lost at this time.

2. -MP--- State lifted their block andwe arrested both ---- and ---- since the new Administration took office.

3. ----MP-----We have lost the opportunity to arrest the main subject who has returned to Iran.

4. cv--The main subject has been arrested after State lifted their block and issued the subject's visa to travel to the US.

5. ---NV--The opportunity to arrest the subject has been lost though the FBI continues to create new opportunities.

6. •WF- - The opportunity to arrest the subject has been lost though the FBI continues to create new opportunities.

7. -NY--The FBI lost the opportunity to arrest the subject, who is on the Terrorism Watch List, when the subject traveled to the US in July 2015. The State Department blocked our plan to arrest while the subject was mid-flight and the subject was forced to leave the US immediately upon arrival.

8. -NV- -The opportunity to arrest the subject has been lost though the FBl continues to create new opportunities.

In sum, of the eight cases, we have since executed on two cases. There are currently zero pending approvals at State Department since there are no viable operations on the remaining six cases

https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/grassley_johnson_to_doj_-_state_department_iran.pdf

[Mike]

From: "Bladel, Louis E. (CD) (FBI)"
Date:07/03/2015 7:45 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: "Reyes, Reginc1ld B. (LA) (FBI)"
Subject: RE: HQ Support

Thanks and likewise. We are all beside ourselves on asking the field to stand down on a layup arrest, however as It stands right now we all have to sit back and wait until all the US and Iran negotiations resolve themselves. We will continue to argue for aggressive action, however we will probably lose. ■--- and his Unit always push the envelope and hate our current stance, I totally agree, even though our hands are tied. Thanks for your patience and enjoy your weekend.

[Mike]

From: BURNHAM, CINDY R. (MP) (FBI)
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2016 11 :33 AM
To:
Subject: Just between us ... ••• UNCLASSIFIED
SentlnelCaseld: NON-RECORD

A few more details that I didn't want to share with Matt, our new ALAT, because I don't want this getting around
the Embassy or back to the-

The Thursday meeting between Secretary Kerry and the AG didn't go well for us ... the read-out is that now is not
a "good time" to be requesting approvals for extraditions or lures on Iran CP cases. In other words, State has no
current plans to send our request to the --- But we don't want the ----to know that since they
worked hard to put together a thorough assessment of dual criminality, which stated that extradition is likely on
4 of the 7 counts in the indictment. ln other words, they are willing to extradite if we just ask. The USG looks
terrible if we don't even ask, at this point.

In addition, as you probably know, Interpol's General Counsel Kevin Smith has relayed the following: "We've put
all lranian sanction/embargo cases on hold since the treaty was signed and the sanctions were lifted, and we
were asked to cancel approximately 12 red notices in January. We have a quite a few piled up and would need
· to consult with DOJ and State before doing any of them. I don't think this Issue will be addressed for some
time."

The small glimmer of hope is that State said we could raise the issue/request again in the future. We plan to do
so in June ... the indictment is dated December 8, 2015. According to case law, there is a presumption that the
Government should make substantial efforts within one year to apprehend the subject. After a year, the
Government must explain why it did not take steps to apprehend the subject. (This ls due, in part, to the
defendant's right to a speedy trial.) That might be pressure point to get State to move. Things really can't get
worse for us, but *maybe* they get better??

In the meantime, we are pushing forward to lure defendant- to-(it's the same indictment, so the
same dual criminality assessment would apply). gave us an email address to use, and our UC is
initiating contact with- today. Please keep your fingers crossed for us!
Cindy

[Mike]

This all seems fine.

[Tom W]

A sane, rational person might notice that Trump's proposed economic policies are almost entirely inflationary themselves. More tax cuts for corporations. All existing free trade agreements (even his own!) torn up and replaced with huge new tariffs. Expel millions of illegals and drive up labor costs all over the US economy.

I guess you can hope he won't actually be able to do the things he says he wants to do. A fair bet considering he's grotesquely incompetent.

Nah, sane and rational people notice that they didn't worry so much about the cost of everything. Cutting and pasting all of the ridiculous buzzlines from "Occupy Democrats" isn't going to change that. They also know that almost all of the Progressive agenda is not just ridiculous, but dangerous. They just choose not to make asses (or targets) out of themselves by broadcasting what they know.

[iam416]

The inflation-adjusted growth (or lack thereof) is the real problem for The Chairman. But, I hope he, like DSL, continue to tell Americans how awesome things are thanks to The Chairman.

[iam416]

Also, I'm not exactly sure how reducing corporate taxes is inflationary. I mean, I guess creating jobs is inflationary.

Tariffs and other interferences with the market -- sure.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Increasing demand for labor at the same time you’re actively trying to shrink the labor pool by millions of legal and illegal immigrants is going to be inflationary.

I mean it’s not propaganda to say DJT wants to deport all the illegals in the country. He talks about it all the time. Those of you R’s who know what that would mean to the domestic food industry are counting on that just being hot air. You’re counting on him being incompetent in enacting that policy, not that you think it’s a great policy that’ll help bring food prices down. It’s a solid bet.

[Tom W]

Also, I'm not exactly sure how reducing corporate taxes is inflationary. I mean, I guess creating jobs is inflationary.

Especially when most of those jobs are in the minimum wage range. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to the see the connection between raising the wage of fast food workers and the price that they charge consumers. The added cost isn't going to be passed on to the executives or the corporate bottom line- it's going to be passed on to the customers. So, while the kid flipping burgers might think they're reaching a "living wage", they really aren't - and those of us that were making enough to pay our bills and keep our families provided for are paying for that illusion.

One could apply the same logic to the UAW strike, and how brave and noble the Chairman was in supporting it. Sure, the union ended up winning, but the executives aren't suffering. Salaried people got laid off, suppliers got squeezed and customers will ultimately be paying higher prices for vehicles.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Random but I was curious about this. The only age group that isn't back to 2019 levels of employment is the 16-24 yr old group. People 55+ are actually employed at a higher rate than pre-covid.

Employment rate by age U.S. 2023 | Statista