Apparently, the good people of East Palestine, Ohio, and the surrounding areas, have been paying taxes to the federal government for no apparent reason.
Is this opening salvo seemingly too harsh?
Not really?
Those good Americans in that Ohio town played by the rules, worked hard to earn an honest living, and lived a healthy distance from D.C., yet the deadly tentacles of the beltway swamp creatures somehow found them anyway — with all their suffocating, entangling bureaucracies and the guaranteed miseries they bring.
Not a balloon in sight – just a toxic chemical cloud.
While "We the People" scanned the skies for more Chinese Communist Party (CCP) balloons, the toxin-loaded Norfolk Southern train derailed with 38 cars leaving the tracks.
Neither the public, nor first responders knew just how toxic the chemicals on those tankers actually were.
USA Today reported that residents were ordered to evacuate due to the threat of explosion, prior to local authorities breaching five tankers — all filled with vinyl-chloride, sending hydrogen chloride and phosgene, a toxic gas, into the air.
The evacuation and "controlled release" of the chemicals commenced.
This is where the chilling imagery of the black plume cloud came from, albeit days later to the mainstream press and greater public.
By the way, special thanks to the vigilant farmers in Montana who initially detected the Chinese balloon — not NORAD, which we pay for.
As Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, announced the drinking water was safe and residents could return, imagine their skepticism with residents reporting dizziness, nausea, headaches, rashes, and other ailments.
Meanwhile, back in East Palestine, citizens took to social media to show the "safe" drinking water from the tap was now neon green and that there were dead animals everywhere — from fish to farm animals.
Maybe the governor and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg would like to take the first sips?
By the way, crickets from global climate zombies. And where’s Greta Thunberg?
Nord Stream Pipeline explosions released billions of cubic meters of methane into the atmosphere, but again nary a climate alarmist anywhere.
Are you starting to see a pattern here? Most assuredly, and sadly yet again, there is one.
Secretary Buttigieg bloviated from the safety of Washington’s swamp not East Palestine, demanding restitution by Norfolk Southern. That bureaucracy I alluded to moments ago; let's please not forget the mentality that invariably goes with same as well.
Almost as much air as the CCP spy balloon.
It’s been 18 days after the disaster and a defensive Mayor Pete has reluctantly decided to visit – but only thanks to former-President Donald Trump’s visit.
Photo-op or not, let’s let the public decide who cares about the residents of East Palestine.
It's undeniable that Norfolk Southern lobbied against increasing safety rules late last year with Secretary Buttigieg. In fact, the rail industry has spent more than $756,700,000 lobbying in DC since 1998.
As an aside, facts tell us that with that kind of lobbying cash the rail industry could have paid off 50% of all student loan debt in America.
But I digress.
The rail industry needs more safety not less, evidenced by at least seven derailments around the nation since the East Palestine incident.
What is the rail lobby asking for?
Less crew on trains, Civil War braking systems, and the feds to not interfere with a $4 billion stock buyback scheme by executives.
It’s not the southern border, inflation, our airspace, domestic corruption, election integrity or even the crony capitalism that led to the demise of East Palestine.
If you cherish bipartisanship, you must be delighted that D.C. has closed ranks with the national security team’s "rack and stack" of what's most important.
True to their cause, President Biden landed in Ukraine on a "mostly secret" visit.
Biden’s visit to Ukraine was secret to Americans — only the Russians got a head’s up.
As you ponder the concept of the Green New Deal, remember the shimmering, rainbow striped, hues of the Ohio River and its tributaries, as well as the greasy snow blanketing Ontario, Canada.
This does not have one thing to do with environmental safety and everything to do with government scaring the people to exert more control.
Don’t take my word for it, check out Elon Musk’s Twitter and see for yourself: #EastPalestine.
In the valley that includes East Palestine, oil and gas fracking operations continue with some new equipment on the rigs, seismographs, and Geiger counters.
Why?
Pushing fluids and gases into the earth to capture and sequester carbon as part of the process has the rig operators justifiably concerned that they are potentially stoking earthquakes and possibly releasing of toxic substances including radioactive material. (Think spent nuclear fuel rods buried nearby).
We will learn a lot about Washington if we follow the money trail.
If you want transparency go to OpentheBooks.com.
President Biden’s new Executive Order 14008 includes the "Justice40" program, which states that 40% of all climate change money dictates "benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution."
What does that mean? How does big oil and gas fit into this new directive?
Are we funding our own demise?
American taxpayers have great power — if only we wield it starting in our states.
It’s time for leadership that is "Taxpayers First," not last.
Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt (retired) is a co-founder of Restore Liberty, a former deputy representative to NATO, a lifetime member on the Council on Foreign Relations, and a Newsmax contributor. The views presented are those of the author and do not represent the views of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, or its components. Read Gen. Holt's reports — More Here.
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