Are ya ready for an all-American Reichstag fire?

"History repeats itself!" is bunk. It's an aphorism loosely based on an aphorism commonly attributed to George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." 

Strictly speaking, history cannot repeat itself exactly, because there can never be an exactly similar situation involving exactly the same people in exactly the same place. And even if that could be so, you can't predict that the same people would act/react in exactly the same way a second time. Human beings are, if nothing else, unpredictable. 

The most we can say, then, is that certain events occurring now, or which may occur in the future, put us in mind of events that have occurred before, and prompt us to speculate that the outcomes might be similar. That's all. 

So it is with the dire warnings with which the FBI, the Dumbocrats and the lickspittle controlled media are assaulting us every bloody minute, regarding the possibility of armed protests on the occasion of Sleepy Joe Biden's almost-secret inauguration on January 20th. 

White nationalists, Trump supporters and neo-Nazis [they tell us] are preparing for bloody insurrection, not just in Washington DC but in all 50 state capitals! 

 Here's a sample of the steaming load of bullshit being shovelled out by the likes of Business Insider: "Biden's inauguration rehearsal has been postponed because of security threats, report says". And how about this, from the TDS sufferers at Yahoo!: "'Cowboys for Trump' leader plans to bring guns to DC on the day of Biden's inauguration".

Scary, isn't it? Imagine that guy -- Couy Griffin, a New Mexico county commissioner and founder of Cowboys for Trump -- bringing "multiple guns" to Washington! He'll even have one on the front seat of his car [Yahoo! sez], while reminding us that DC law prohibits keeping a firearm in the passenger compartment of a vehicle and has tight restrictions on guns in the capital! The horror! The horror!

I have yet to hear weather-forecast-like phrases such as "the mother of all protests" or "rebelliomageddon", but clearly the lamestream media are whipping up hysteria! 

Why? I am reminded [Coming to the point at last! Ed.] of the Reichstag fire of 1933. For those who don't remember the history of Germany and WWII, the fire was an arson attack on the building housing the Reichstag, the German parliament, four weeks after Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. 

The Nazis blamed the fire on Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch Communist, saying it was the work of Communist agitators. The government used the fire as a pretext to claim that communists were plotting against the German government, and so it became pivotal in the establishment of Nazi Germany.

After searching the still-smoldering building, die Polizei arrested Mhr Van der Lubbe, who was found inside, along with four Communist leaders. Within hours, Chancellor Hitler urged President von Hindenburg to issue an "emergency decree" to suspend civil liberties and pursue a "ruthless confrontation" with the Communist Party of Germany. The Reichstag Fire Decree was passed the following day.

After the decree was issued, the government instituted mass arrests of Communists, including all of the Communist Party's parliamentary delegates. With their bitter rivals gone and their seats empty, the Nazi Party went from having a plurality to a majority, thus enabling Hitler to consolidate his power. 

Although the Nazis accused the Comintern (Communist International) of the act, many historians now believe, based on archival evidence, that the arson had been planned and ordered by the Nazis as a false flag operation, intended to make absolute their hold on power. Which it did.

Getting back to the events planned for next week, we have already seen evidence that some of the protesters urging the occupation of the Capitol building were actually Antifa and anarchists who had infiltrated the ranks of Trump supporters. There is also the suggestion that some law enforcement personnel didn't try very hard to stop the protesters from running amok. 

Could the events of January 6th be repeated two weeks later? Who knows? History doesn't repeat itself... does it?

Who pulled Cesar Sayoc's strings?

A churlish reader has suggested that the arrest of Cesar Sayoc, a self-identified Republican now facing five federal charges in connection with more than a dozen -- I've lost count -- intercepted suspicious packages, disproves my theory that the "pipe bomb" affair is a hoax concocted for to give the Democrats a much-needed boost in the run-up to the mid-term elections. See "More on the moronic pipe bombs", WWW 25/10/18.

I call BS on those calling BS on my theory! If anything, what we've learned in the last 24 hours about Mr Sayoc reinforces my skepticism.

Mr Sayoc was born in New York. Eventually he drifted to Florida, which (along with California) is a magnet for America's loners, losers and nutbars. [Didn't you live there at one time? Ed.] Court records show that his conviction in the 1990s in Broward County on charges of grand theft and stolen property. In 2004, he was convicted on a felony charge of fraud and a misdemeanour of tampering with physical evidence.

In between, he was sentenced in Dade County in August 2002 for threatening to "throw, place, project or discharge any destructive device" during a conversation with a representative of a Florida utility. He served a year's probation after a judge signed a discharge certificate in November 2002. In 2015, he reported to police that his van was broken into outside of a gym in Oakland Park FL. He claimed that more than $40,000 worth of items were stolen, including $7150 worth of Donald Trump-brand suits.

Cesar Sayoc is a registered Republican. He has worked, off and on, as a stripper, promoter of "entertainment events" and, most recently, a pizza delivery man. Event promoter Tony Valentine said he hired Mr Sayoc in the 90s to strip on multiple occasions in Ohio, and that he (Sayoc) travelled the country for similar appearances. "He really couldn't find his niche in life, and I guess he found it now," Mr Valentine told the Washington Examiner. "Back in the 90s, he was running around from Minnesota to the Carolinas to Florida. He was like a gypsy."

His cousin, Lenny Altieri, was less charitable in his characterization. "He has been a loner," Mr Altieri told AP. "I know the guy is a lunatic."

We pause now for a brief lesson from the pages of history. For those who didn't catch my reference to the Reichstag Fire (in "Who's behind the pipe bombs?", WWW 24/10/18), the fire that destroyed the German parliament building in Berlin on 27 February 1933, was blamed by Hitler's government on Martinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch communist. The "intellectually challenged" Dutchman was found near the building and attributed the fire to communist agitators in general, although he claimed he acted alone.

Historians disagree as to whether Mr van der Lubbe acted alone, as he said, to protest the condition of the German working class. The Nazis accused the Comintern of the act. The Communists claimed that the arson was planned and ordered by the Nazis as a false flag operation. The court which tried Mr van der Lubbe ruled that indeed he acted alone. No-one else was involved. Of course.

Now back to my theory... Suppose you were a strategist for the Democratic Party, faced with the task of preventing the Trump Republicans from prevailing in next month's mid-term elections. You've got the lamestream media and (((Barbra Streisand))) and all of Hollywood on your side, and plenty of money to spend, thanks to (((George Soros))). But the migrant caravan approaching the southern border has heightened Americans' fears of the impending invasion, which the Democrats seem inclined to encourage rather than stop. What do you do?

What is needed (you say to yourself) is some kind of physical attack on the leaders of our party. Not an actual assassination of course, and nothing so lame as a burglary at Democratic headquarters. How about something dangerous sent through the mail? Poison, perhaps... or how about a bomb?! Great idea!! But who (you are still talking to yourself) could we get to build a bomb (or twelve bombs) and put them in the mail? Hey, how about someone who lives (yes, lives!) in a van like this?

We return now to Cesar Sayoc's conviction in 2002. Ron Lowy, the attorney who represented Mr Sayoc in the past and now represents his family, told the Clinton News Network's Anderson Cooper that he recalls someone with a "lesser IQ" and "substantial" emotional problems. Lowy said Sayoc has refused medical help for years, despite urging from his family. "He's become indignant, angry, someone who doesn't want to look at his problems."

Mr Lowy said that his former client "never seemed sophisticated enough" to put together a complicated mail bomb scheme and he wouldn't be surprised if Sayoc had someone who "helped prod or encourage him to do this."

But who? Here are a few innocent questions:
* From whom would Mr Sayoc have obtained the addresses -- home addresses -- of people like (((George Soros))) and the Prez? You can't just search the phone book to find them.
* How long would it have taken a semi-skilled person like Mr Sayoc to build not one, not two, but 12 or 14 (and counting) "bombs", and package them together with sachets of milk powder (or whatever it was) and pack them neatly in padded envelopes? A one-man job? Don't think so!
* Did Mr Sayoc actually take not one, not two, but 12 or 14 (and counting) packages to the post office, buy enough stamps to put six on each one and then hand them over the counter without anyone asking him what he was mailing?
* Suspending disbelief, if that's what happened at the post office, how come there are no postmarks on any of the packages... at least not the ones of which photos have been published?
* How did "the authorities" know where and when to look to intercept the suspicious packages before they could be delivered?
[That's enough innocent questions! Ed.]

OK, OK! But you get my point. IMHO, the whole thing reeks of publicity stunt, engineered to get Democrats out to vote in sympathy and anger! I am waiting with bated breath to hear what Mr Sayoc has to say about whether or not he acted alone. Let's just hope that he is brought to trial quickly. Wouldn't want any evil to befall him before he has a chance to speak. Of course that would never happen in America. Oh... Wait... Lee Harvey Oswald... ... ...

9/11: US version of the Reichstag Fire? What about MH370?

The Reichstag was the German parliament in the 1930s. The name also referred to the building which housed it. On 27 February 1933 the building was destroyed by an arson attack. Like subsequent events which changed history, it was initially blamed on "just one man, acting alone" -- Marinus van der Lubbe, a somewhat retarded Dutch bricklayer who was caught at the scene. He was also a card-carrying Communist. Thus the Nazis were able to claim that the Communists were plotting against the German government, which was true enough but hadn't been confirmed by any overt acts until then.

The burning of the Reichstag was a turning point in the rise of Nazi Germany. Hitler, who had become Chancellor of Germany just four weeks before the fire, talked President Paul von Hindenburg into passing an emergency decree to suspend civil liberties in order to counter the "ruthless confrontation of the Communist Party of Germany".

After passing the decree, the government instituted mass arrests of Communists, including all of the Communist parliamentary delegates. With their bitter rival Communists gone and their seats empty, the Nazis went from being a plurality party to the majority. Subsequent elections confirmed this position and thus allowed Hitler to establish his Third Reich.

Some historians suggest that the Mr van der Lubbe, a mildly retarded and suggestible person, was put up to the arson by the Nazis themselves, as what is now called a "false flag" operation. It's a movie which the world would see again... and again...

Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth is one of many groups of "truthers" who believe that the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 on 11 September 2001 was caused by a controlled demolition. (The official investigation says falling debris from the nearby Twin Towers ignited fires in Building 7 and ultimately caused its collapse.)

One of AE911's members, architect Richard Gage, is on a speaking tour, "raising a red flag" (his phrase) not just in the USA but in Canada. "We're not trying to upset anybody," says the self-styled patriotic American, [but] "if there’s any question about what happened on 9/11, which created two wars and the loss of our civil liberties and massive economic hardship...then we’ve got to get to a real investigation and answer these questions."

Who would have been behind this controlled demolition and perhaps the whole 9/11 outrage? Fingers were naturally pointed at Muslim terrorists. But there were those -- including the creators of South Park-- who painted a different picture. Could it not have been the government of Bush the younger, seeking to create a "casus belli" as an excuse to start Desert Storm II and create a police state in America?

Consider what followed in the aftermath of 9/11:
- legislation like the Patriot Act in the USA (and similar "security" laws in Canada, the UK, and elsewhere)
- a de facto police state where the power of the military and "security forces" is unquestioned
- the drastic curtailment of the freedoms we used to take for granted: to bear arms, to criticize the government, to travel in our countries
- the invasion and brutal occupation of Afghanistan by NATO of Iraq and Afghanistan, and
- a resurgence of American imperialism in the guise of being the world's policeman.

Suggested reading: "Too Many Years Of Lies: From Mossadeq to 9/11" by Paul Craig Roberts, author of How America Was Lost: From 9/11 to the Police/Warfare State (just released) and The Tyranny of Good Intentions.

Which brings us to MH370, still unaccounted for as the guesses and theories multiply. The words "Muslims" and "terrorism" are on the tips of many tongues.

The pilot and co-pilot of the ill-fated plane were Muslims. (Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country.) MH370 might have been hijacked by Uighur (Muslim) terrorists as part of an attack on China. (Unlikely, but who knows.) Or the Taliban or al-Qaeda might have diverted the plane to a secret airstrip to turn it into a giant flying bomb!

Nothing can be ruled out! For Walt, "nothing" includes the possibility that the American military may have diverted MH370 to a location they control, like Diego Garcia, which should have been within range.

Why would they do this? To divert attention from the failure of Obama's foreign policy in the Crimea? Or -- far worse -- to set that stage for a catastrophe in Afghanistan -- not a long flight from Diego Garcia -- which would "require" the Americans to stay in the sandpit for another couple of years, even if the Afghans don't want them there. You read it here first.

See also: MH370: Three guesses from Walt

The connection between the Marathon Bombing, the Reichstag Fire... and this man

Reports today are that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, "Suspect No. 2" in the Boston Marathon bombing, may never be able to tell us why he did it, and who else was involved. He is in a Boston hospital in "serious condition" from wounds suffered when the Law opened fire on the pleasure boat in which he was hiding. He might die before being able to answer questions. Just like Lee Harvey Oswald.

Which brings me to the topic of the Reichstag Fire. For those who don't remember, the Reichstag was the name for the German parliament and the building which housed it. By early 1933, Adolf Hitler had risen to the position of Chancellor -- equivalent to prime minister -- of the German republic. But the ageing Paul von Hindenburg, the President, stood between Hitler and supreme power.

On 27 February 1933 the Reichstag suddenly and mysteriously caught fire. The police noticed a young man named Marinus van der Lubbe warming his hands at the scene. Herr van der Lubbe was, in today's PC phrase, "intellectually challenged". After a little "enhanced interrogation" by the Gestapo, he confessed to starting the fire. However he denied that he was part of any conspiracy.

Van der Lubbe's denial notwithstanding, Hitler claimed the event was part and proof of a Communist conspiracy, and ordered that all leaders of Germany's Communist party "be hanged that very night." President Hindenburg countermanded that order, but did agree that Hitler should take "dictatorial powers" immediately.

Less than a month later, the Reichstag (meeting in temporary quarters, presumably) passed the Enabling Bill, which banned the Communist and Social Democractic parties from contesting part in future election campaigns.

In April, Nazis were put in charge of all local government in the provinces. In May, trade unions were abolished, their funds taken and their leaders put in prison. In July, a law was passed making the Nazi Party the only legal political party in Germany.

Thus "Reichstag Fire" became a metaphor for an event staged to provoke or legitimize a seizure of power. Or more power.

Two-thirds of a century after the Reichstag Fire came the atrocity of 9/11. America abounds in conspiracy theories, one of the most enduring of which is the claim that 9/11 was staged (and then covered up) by Dubya's government to strengthen its grip on power and take away the freedoms of the American people.

Walt thinks that theory is bullshit. But... there can be no doubt that, in the aftermath of 9/11, the freedom of Americans (and Brits and Canadians and Aussies and so on) has been drastically curtailed. The USA now has the "protection" of the Department of Homeland Security, for instance.

How many terrorists have they caught? And how many harmless citizens have been investigated and/or detained and interrogated for no other reason than (again for instance) having an Arabic-sounding name?

And let's not forget the Transport Security Administration -- TSA -- the folks who like to look at your junk at the airport. How many people have been denied boarding an American aircraft because they "look like the kind of person who would do something like that"?

Speaking of which... Whatever happened to the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution?

That's the one which supposedly guarantees Americans freedom from "unreasonable searches and seizures". Walt wonders how many residents of Watertown MA asked the cops who knocked on their doors to produce a warrant.

But that's the way it is, nowadays, in the Land of the Free and Home of the Fearful. Sure, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. But is it really necessary for our governments to make us prisoners in our own countries, just because of the cowardly acts of a couple of misfits who (for all we know) may indeed have been acting on their own?

Fourth Amendment Footnote: To see what happens to someone who stands on his rights, read the true story of Aaron Tobey, who wrote an abbreviated version of the Fourth Amendment on his body and stripped to his shorts at a Richmond VA airport security screening area.