Swelce, the Border and the GOP, all linked by Russian/ Far-right Narrative Warfare
Dear TAT readers,
Last week was largely a travel week which left me less time for writing than planned. In catching up, I’ll begin this week (late of course) with a couple of topics of high interest over the past few days. Think of this as a sort of, “read-ahead” for the rest of your week.
Of course, there was the Super Bowl where I proceeded to eat far more chicken wings than reasonable, while cheering the Chiefs victory over a great San Francisco team. Let’s not forget that I do have a few dozen cousins in the Kansas City area, so some of my cheering was really my self-defense strategy for the next family reunion. I am now also, a self-declared “Swifty” after watching all of those fragile, male, MAGA egos, lose their minds over Taylor supporting her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
Travis Kelce embraces Taylor Swift following the Chiefs victory at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Photograph: John G Mabanglo/EPA
There was also a traitorous Trump encouraging Putin to attack NATO allies and the sickeningly, regular treason of the Republican Party, regarding funding the defense of Ukraine.
Finally, I will leave a note or two on Gov. Greg Abbott’s bizarre and fully expected attempt, to take credit for the Federal Government’s success at our Southern Border. Directly associated to this disgrace is the TX GOP’s pro-Russian, Pro-MAGA (they are relatively synonymous) false narratives that drive secession, civil war and anti-constitutional agendas in TX.
In the summary, I’ll briefly address the common thread in all of these high-profile and acute national security threats… Russian/ GOP false narratives and conspiracy theories. My second TAT last week addressed this in detail as a post about sitting down with Jeff Stein, the GOAT of national security and intelligence reporting, for his SpyTalk podcast.
Since I have written extensively on all of these in the past, today I will try a little different approach that should help everyone’s busy, beginning of the week schedule: I’ll use bullet points when possible, with a few supporting points and links to previously published deep -dives, from TAT.
Yep, he really said it:
“‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’” Trump recounted saying. “‘No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.’” - Donald Trump - Speaking at a Conway, SC campaign rally - February 10, 2024
My comments this morning on LinkedIn pretty well summarize my feelings about not only Trump’s latest outrage, but the MAGA dominance of the GOP as well. As of this morning, Mike Johnson the White Christian Nationalist Speaker of the House of Representatives, still refuses to consider any progress towards funding our fellow, democracy-loving allies in Ukraine, despite bipartisan success in the US Senate.
I simply don’t know how to make it any clearer that supporting Ukraine’s needs against a genocidal Putin, is the only thing now standing between NATO having to do the job ourselves. Putin has made it clear, including in loud boisterous public statements, that Ukraine is first and then on to the next Eastern European Nations, including NATO members. This triggers Article 5 of our NATO treaty which simply means, that we have a legal responsibility to support those nations attacked by Putin.
I’ve spent a great deal of my life at war, and I can assure everyone, no one should want to engage in another unless there are no other options. A pragmatic concern is that it would cost between 4 and 5 times what it is costing in full-fledged support for Ukraine. The cost in troops would be staggering and at a time, when only a minority of Americans would pass the physical exam in a draft, which would be required to fight such a war.
This is about as close to treason as anyone or any organization can come in peacetime. Treason as a charge is quite rare in US history but Trump and today’s MAGA controlled GOP, have pushed the limits far past any previous similar case. In the Trump era, they have singularly supported Putin’s agenda, not US national security.
The disgraceful behavior of the Speaker of the House and the GOP, regarding aid to Ukraine (truthaboutthreats.com)
MAGA's sellout of America and Western democracy (truthaboutthreats.com)
The real Axis of Evil in the US is Russia, the MAGA controlled GOP and spineless Republican voters, putting party over country. (truthaboutthreats.com)
“Traitor Trump has endorsed Russian attacks on NATO. This has prompted me to replay a recent TAT/ Truth about Threats article of consequence.” - Cobaugh - 12 Feb 2024 - LinkedIn
4. If someone still votes "Republican, they are tacitly supporting the sellout of our US, democratic republic.
5. A simple logic train through these thoroughly credible points means... a Republican vote now... disqualifies those voters from ever again wearing the label, "principled conservative" or "patriot."
6. There is not just a diminished moral spine left in the party, but a complete absence of one.
7. It is your choice; Stand up and publicly denounce trump and the MAGA agenda or lose your credibly as a patriotic American. There is zero middle ground.
Okay, as a Texan, I just have to tell y’all about the insanity imposed on Texans by Greg Abbott and his Texas Taliban, regarding the Southern border. First, let’s start with a baseline set of facts, taken directly from the perpetually public reporting on the CBP/ Customs and Border Patrol website. All Americans and in fact the world can read the reporting daily simply by opening up their phone or computer.
Below is a look at the Southern border now, compared to the FY/ Fiscal Year (The US Government’s fiscal year goes from Oct. 1st through Sept. 3th the following year. The chart below shows the comparison between FY 23 relative to FY 24 to date. The little arrows in the last column show the trends comparable to the same time/ month the past FY. We can see that in all sectors, the trends are down except for San Diego and Tuscon sectors. Abbott and his Texas Taliban sure as hell won’t tell you that.
Abbott or as we call him here in Texas, pejoratively, “Hot Wheels” continues to lie to Texans, the American people and his entire party, of whom support him blindly. Those who remain in the GOP in Texas, precisely as with the national party have become lemmings, blindly following their pied pipers off the cliff of reality. This is because they have been “brainwashed” by thirty years of FOX and other far-right propaganda sites like NewsMax, Breitbart, OAN and the plethora of endless far right websites and AM talk radio, “shock jocks,” where far-right conspiracy theorists dominate the AM market. “Brainwashed” is not a clinical term but I use it for familiarity to readers.
As respected professionals in national security have long warned, often as a lone voice in the wilderness, Russian influence operations dominate and are often synonymous with US right-wing narratives and conspiracy theories. The data has been there for at least 9 years, but the US lacks the ability within the national security community to do anything about it. This is a sad truth that you will see often from me, including in-depth and detailed reporting. This is our single most dangerous national security threat.
Combat ineffective, the rusted, broken hulk of US Influence Operations (truthaboutthreats.com)
On the battlefield of influence, the US is unarmed (truthaboutthreats.com)
The US National Security Community has left us a critical vulnerability in US national security. (truthaboutthreats.com)
The US always fights the "last war," instead of the one we're in. (truthaboutthreats.com)
The US National Security community is incapable of managing mis/ disinformation threats (truthaboutthreats.com)
A Five Point Strategy to Oppose Russian Narrative Warfare (truthaboutthreats.com)
We can't protect ourselves from mis/ disinformation, until we understand influence (truthaboutthreats.com)
Without factoring "brainwashing" into the equation for 2024, we're doomed to another far-right, extremist administration, no matter what pollsters say. (truthaboutthreats.com)
Just last week and in the most reputable publications, this came up again. Below are two current articles and the last is from 2017. Russia plays hard here in Texas, and our seemingly perpetual GOP administration, wields their propaganda like a weapon of war, against Texan and in fact, all American voters.
Texas secession key theme in Russian disinformation campaign, report says | The Texas Tribune
Russian propaganda promotes civil war over Texas border dispute | Texas Standard
Examining How A Russian ‘Troll Factory’ Pushed Texas Secession – Houston Public Media
Still, Hot Wheels and his subservient Texas Taliban are hellbent on wasting more taxpayer dollars on Operation Loonstar, plus his other border stunts, like sending some 133,000 immigrants to other so-called, “Democrat cities.” Abbott has plenty of narrators within and outside of Texas. My congressman here in TX 23, Tony Gonzalez is one of the most vocal. Let’s talk Tony for just a minute here.
Tony Gonzalez, embarrassingly a Veteran, sold his soul for a Trump endorsement and changed districts in order to run for congress, 6 years ago. He replaced what I would term a “principled conservative” who was maybe the last of his Texas breed, Will Hurd. Agree with him or not, TX 23 trusted Will. He had a whole different approach to the border, based on his personal experience in the district and as his years as a CIA Officer during the War on Terror. No, it wisely did NOT include the idiotic wall concept sold by the orange pied piper himself. Not Tony, he spends his time trying to play a baby-faced, “nice guy” on TV, but ends up simply whining loudly in a grating, high-pitched voice. His now day-long campaign ads on TV are pure propaganda, delivered via fear-mongering, with apocalyptic, haunting colors and sensationalized conspiracy theories.
A master of speaking out of both sides of his mouth, baby-faced and whining, seem to be his most established skills. I had higher hopes when first elected but Tony, like his entire party in the US House of Representatives voted to not only impeach President Biden, but also Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, based on zero evidence. Apparently, Tony has no idea what impeachment means in the US Congress.
Here is the meaning: “Impeachment is the process of bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing.” Impeachment doesn’t mean to go looking for unicorns that don’t exist, it is quite literally to bring charges for which evidence already exists.
Here’s the problem with Tony; his district, including where I live in San Antonio, includes the largest section of the TX/ Mexico border in one of the most bizarrely gerrymandered districts in the country. He and his propaganda have nearly become the face of GOP border BS, where Greg Abbott has to fight to keep his share of the limelight. The only thing that matters to either is their political career, not the lives of their constituents, unless they are the big oil campaign donors of course.
This segues nicely into “who pays for this dishonesty?” The answer is simple, it is a wide variety of oligarchs, largely from the oil industry. Big oil uses the border as the tool to keep easily manipulated GOP congressmen like Tony, Greg, Teddy, etc. in power. Texas, which I love as a state, is no longer an American dream for those with big and bold ideas. It is a state manipulated by oligarchs for the purpose of power and profit, human beings be damned. In most ways, it is the Texas taxpayer that pays for Greg and Tony’s dishonesty, with some of the very highest property taxes in the nation.
Don’t let Tony’s baby face fool you, he has demonstrated unheard-of, cold-blooded ruthlessness from the moment he signed his soul over to Trump. For example, my congressional district includes , and Tony repeatedly denied to the grieving families, any opportunity to pursue any progress on responsible gun restrictions on assault weapons for minors. It wasn’t until the cries of the mourning families created devastating optics for him, did Tony, with the parties approval agree to the bare minimum passed in Congress. Greg hasn’t had a soul in decades, nor any of the political leadership in the Texas Republican Party.
So, here’s the bottom-line and first-hand scoop on today’s little fact-filled expose’, of Texas politics about the border:
Yes, our border is a problem, and in fact a big one. This is not due to the current administration any more than it has been since my youth in the 50s, 60s and 70s. It’s the fault of Congress for nearly 70 years. Both parties have failed to do what is required for Comprehensive Immigration reform, which by the way, is the only effective answer.
What Speaker Mike Johnson wants for the border, in order to allegedly support the real threat, Ukraine’s fight against Putin, will NOT solve the problems at the border, not one bit.
We now have, with the current DHS/ CBP/ ICE and other Federal agencies, the largest Federal posture on our Southern border than at any other time. FACT
The numbers from the CBP report above shows that the immigration trends are improving steadily, not getting worse. Facts matter and you won’t get them from the GOP.
The primary reasons that they increased in the first place are mostly due to global factors regarding Climate Change related issues and conflict.
Putin, via his proxy nations spent much of 2023 funneling immigrants from those proxy nations into Cuba and/ or Venezuela and then onto Nicaragua where his buddy Daniel Ortega of Iran Contra infamy then shoved them over his northern border so they could then start northward.
In the meantime, Tony a Veteran never once stuck up for the abuse heaped onto the Texas National Guard by Hot Wheels’ shoddy management of his political stunt. The Military Times and the Army Times published no less than nine articles detailing the disaster imposed on our Guardsmen at the border, stagnated with no mission, high incidence of alcohol abuse, high suicide rates, loss of service-related benefits towards retirement, lower pay than national mobilization, etc. etc. etc.
Now as things are improving, just as at the end of Title 42, where border encounters dropped up to 60+%, not Tony, Greg nor any other GOP member in or outside of Texas congratulated the Federal Government. I can still hear Tony’s whiny little voice spews hatred and unfounded abuse at the “other side,” President Biden and Federal Authorities. He’s a favorite on the lead propaganda channel FOX as well as other similar media.
To polish off this part of today’s article, I will add a fact that occurred just this morning that is best described by the old saying, “you could have knocked me over with a feather.”
Our eight years absent senior Senator, John Cornyn came out of hibernation this morning, just long enough to respond to a critical tweet accosting him from none other than, our indicted felon, Attorney General, Kenny Paxton. Paxton is Abbott’s attack dog best known for bribery charges, extra marital affairs, chasing down women and cabbies for abortion related legal reasons etc.
Paxton had been chastising Cornyn on X/ Twitter about being a RINO and Cornyn responded with the following tweet.
“Ken, your criminal defense lawyers are calling to suggest you spend less time pushing Russian propaganda and more time defending longstanding felony charges against you in Houston,” - Senator John Cornyn's account on X
Finally, after 8 years of straight denial, a Republican leader admits what we have all long known from mountains of facts and data, that the GOP knew that their ideology was the un-American propaganda from Putin. I could hardly be more stunned, especially coming from Cornyn who sat on the 3 1/2-year, five-volume SSCI investigation, of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Summary
To wrap this up, it is critical to America’s future to understand that what binds all of today’s focuses together is the threat of mis and disinformation. This threat is even more acute considering, that our national security community is fully impotent to protect US citizens from what is professionally termed, "malign influence.”
A primary reason that today’s mis/ disinformation threat is so acute domestically, is because foreign adversaries have unleashed a full-cognitive assault on America, in cooperation with today’s MAGA controlled GOP. This has been ongoing for decades, however in the Trump era and just prior, one of only two major political parties was fully complicit, the GOP and have made their voters, unwittingly complicit via Narrative Warfare, a specialty and critical, core element of influence operations. The US national security community uses the term but is not one shred of evidence that they either understand it or campaign with it. They simply don’t know how and haven’t for at least four decades.
Don’t get me wrong, I love and appreciate my former military and national security community. They are courageous, hard-working patriots being hobbled by dysfunctional and ill-informed “experts” who have been overpaid and underperforming since the end of the Cold War. We have brilliant, motivated professionals, world class technology and a budget to completely refit the community with a functional architecture, knowledge and operability. We must first ditch the alleged experts, toss aside all training and reform the community, from the ground up.
Yes, the situation is this bad. I should know, since I was hobbled by this until I threw up my hands and began doing things my way. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I have several successes under my belt and the existing community contributed precious little to any of them.
Since a combination of Russian, far-right, oligarchical supported adversaries have the US and the entire Western World in a flailing defensive posture, it is “Hail Mary” time or at least should be If only leadership had the spine to admit it and move forward, based on success, not failure.
Whether it is Tony Gonzalez, Greg Abbott, Speaker Johnson or even the traitorous former president, we must stop the madness and start all over with teaching civics, history and most of all, via the perspective of truly patriotic values, not the fake patriotism of today’s Republican Party.
Back again tomorrow with hopefully, a shorter TAT,
Paul