The U.S. Embassy is remaining open and staffed; however, the State Department has requested all non-emergency U.S. government employees to leave Venezuela.  Additionally, the U.S. embassy in Caracus is warning all American citizens to “strongly consider” departing the country while commercial flights are still available.
The security concerns surround a possibility an increasingly isolated dictator Nicolas Maduro may retaliate against Americans in Venezuela. National Security Adviser John Bolton discusses the current status.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department on Thursday ordered some U.S. government workers to leave Venezuela and said U.S. citizens should consider leaving the country, a day after Washington recognized an opposition politician as Venezuela’s president.
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With massive civil unrest overwhelming many parts of French society, President Emmanuel Macron made a televised speech to the nation attempting to calm the anger. Macron declared a social and economic state of emergency and attempted to stop the ongoing Yellow Vest protests by announcing a special year-end bonus.
In addition to the year-end bonus, during the national address from the Elysee Palace Macron announced an increase in the minimum wage of €100 per month; a tax exemption on overtime pay; and a plan to not raise taxes on pensioners with an income less than €2,000/month.  Here’s the english version of the EU broadcast.

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When the same issues happened in Venezuela, Maduro followed a similar plan… things didn’t end well.   Macron has already committed the full weight of his police and military to crush any uprising.  Tenuous times in France.
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Breaking overnight the French government is attempting to stem the growing civil unrest by announcing they will suspend the plan to implement the upcoming fuel tax.  However, the Yellow Vest protests have grown to personify much more than a new fuel tax.
The protests have morphed into a much larger anger about the influence of a disconnected elite political class, personified by President Emmanuel Macron, over the lives of the ordinary French citizen.  The fuel tax was the last straw, the underlying issues remain.

(Via Associated Press) PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is to announce a suspension of fuel tax hikes, a major U-turn in an effort to appease a protest movement that has radicalized, French media reported Tuesday.
Both Le Monde newspaper and France Info radio said the planned increase, which has provoked riots, will be suspended for several months. Philippe is also expected to announce other measures aimed at easing tensions, just three weeks after claiming that the government would not change course and remained determined to help wean French consumers off polluting fossils fuels.

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Well, there it is.  Quietly within the deliberate words from Vice-President Mike Pence a revelation that explains the origination of the Central American invasion force.  For those who are not deep in the geopolitical weeds, the subtlety can pass unnoticed; for those who travel within the deepest international conflicts, Pence’s words here are as subtle as a brick through a window:

[…] “Financed by Venezuela; and sent North to challenge our sovereignty and our border”…

[wpvideo tXWLlFMs]
Announcing the migrant caravan is “financed by Venezuela” is a direct notification the Central American invasion force is being funded by Russia and China.  Venezuela doesn’t have any money to sustain its own operational government – let alone a 10,000 person convoy.  Venezuela is entirely reliant upon massive investment from Russia and China.
In fact China owns 49% of Venezuela’s state run PDVSA energy production. A collateral system where Beijing takes oil as payment for prior loans the Maduro regime cannot pay back.  With the crippling treasury department sanctions President Trump put on Venezuela last year, Trump has punched Maduro and Xi-Jinping hard.
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All our propaganda are belong to us…

In comments yesterday about the likelihood of Canada joining the U.S-Mexico trade agreement, Justin from Canada stated emphatically that his country would not join any trade agreement that removes Canadian protectionist policy on “cultural industries”.

What are Justin’s “cultural industries“? Well, that would be control over media and telecommunications. In essence, Canada wouldn’t want any of that pesky free-market media stuff interfering with the state-run propaganda broadcasts.  Yup, you can’t make this stuff up folks…

CANADA – […] The prime minister also said his government won’t sign an updated free trade accord with the U.S. and Mexico if the deal doesn’t continue exemptions for Canada’s cultural industries, which aims to protect Canada’s publishing and broadcast industries.

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Under the auspices of making moves to block election interference from outside interests the government of Justin from Canada is moving to block internet content critical of Trudeau and his policies.
Simultaneously and ironically, the same Canadian government is spending millions lobbying U.S. politicians in Washington DC to retain their one-sided NAFTA trade benefits.  Funny that, eh?

CANADA […] Among other things, the government wants to do more to ensure foreign actors or money aren’t involved in elections, require more transparency for political messaging on social media and prevent political parties from setting up ostensible advocacy groups to support them and help skirt spending limits.

[…] Among the options:

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Things have become a little more challenging for kids this year….

When Democrat Congresswoman Maxine Waters demanded the advancement of political violence, many began warning she was lighting a fuse for a resurgence of activity similar to the Weather Underground bombings.   As if on cue, a few days later former domestic political terrorist Bill Ayers surfaced and began immediately supporting the same.

As with the historic reference points, these dangerous left-wing provocations lead to a predictable conclusion.  Quite simply, democrats support political violence.  Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, famously told the U.S. media that she supported the anarchist and Occupy movement: “God Bless these people“.  In 2018 the “Occupy” movement is rebranded in the “ANTIFA” movement.  It is all the same ideology.
Today, in South Dakota police executed a burglary search warrant and found multiple guns and bomb-making material, including ammonium nitrate and aluminum power within a residence of an ANTIFA member.  Those who have followed the violent left will note that robbery and burglary are the primary finance mechanisms for political violence.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Authorities have arrested a 43-year-old man after they located explosive devices and firearms at his residence while serving a search warrant in connection with multiple area burglaries.
Authorities say they connected 43-year-old Mark Einerwold to three separate burglaries throughout June and July in Tea and Dell Rapids.

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According to DNC Chairman Tom Perez, Ms. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is “the future of the Democrat party.”  Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has a bachelors degree in “economics” and “international relations” from Boston University.
Born in 1989, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez is a millennial and a self-described democrat socialist.  In this interview segment she discusses a millennials’ view of economics:

On the dynamic current economy, 3.8% unemployment and capitalism providing expanded economic opportunity:

“unemployment is low because everyone has two jobs.”  “Unemployment is low because everyone is working 60, 70, 80, hours a week and can barely feed their kids”… “capitalism has not always existed in this world, and it will not always exist in this world.”

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I was waiting to see where this story went, and to hear first-hand from the two people arrested and detained in British prison for daring to want to interview Tommy Robinson, before coming to a conclusion.  In essence two people were stopped, arrested and detained in U.K. prison for having incorrect thoughts as defined by the British government.

The story was such an Orwellian outline; my initial skepticism told me there had to be more to these second and third-hand accounts.  Alas, unfortunately the facts are as disturbing as initially outlined.

Austrian political activist Martin Sellner belongs to a group called Génération Identitaire, a national political group who advocate for national identity.  Mr. Sellner’s girlfriend is an American author and ‘YouTuber’ named Brittany Pettibone.  They were stopped from entering England by British authorities because they were going to interview a British nationalist called Tommy Robinson.

Being stopped from being allowed to interview Tommy Robinson, a person who has not committed any crime and is in all other aspects a free citizen, is bad enough;  however, what is exponentially worse is that U.K. authorities forcibly separated Mr. Sellner and Ms. Pettibone and imprisoned them – while admitting their incarceration was entirely because they were going to speak to someone.

Think about that.

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