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🇺🇸 Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity

🇺🇸 Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity

Plus, why you like the music you do.

The Flag America's Newsletter
September 27, 2022

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Good morning, and happy Tuesday! At just under 5,500 years of age, many call Chile’s Gran Abuelo “a miracle”...

Plus, this musical taste model looks at three things: arousal, valence, and depth…

Also, as it gets darker earlier, don’t forget to have a few of these handy…

FLAG POLLS

📉 Biden Job Approval: Approve 42, Disapprove 56 (Rasmussen Reports)

📉 Direction of Country: Right Track 29, Wrong Track 64 (Rasmussen Reports)

🐘 Texas Governor - Abbott vs. O'Rourke: Abbott 53, O'Rourke 43 (KHOU-TV/THPF)

🐎 General Election: Trump v. Biden: Trump 44, Biden 45 (Emerson)

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QUICK CLICKS

Tracking Hurricane Ian, Snowden a Citizen, and $400B

US: 300,000 Americans told time to leave is now as monster Hurricane Ian intensifies, stalks US coast (Fox News)

World: Putin grants Russian citizenship to U.S. whistleblower Snowden (Reuters)

US: CBO says Biden's student loan cancellation plan could cost $400 billion (CNN)

Sports: White House says it wants Atlanta Braves name change… on same day Biden hosts team (NY Post)

World: Russian military recruiter shot amid fear of Ukraine call-up (AP)

US: Three men charged with fraud in $100 million New Jersey deli scheme (CNBC)

US: We’re Thrilled to Report That Portland Is Weirder Than Ever (Inside Hook)

World: US aircraft carrier starts joint military drills in South Korea (Al Jazeera)

US: New York City’s Empty Offices Reveal a Global Property Dilemma (Bloomberg)

World: Jupiter is coming its closest to Earth in nearly 60 years (Axios)

US: Rosh Hashanah 2022: What is it? How long does it last? Here’s what you need to know. (Star-Ledger)

World: Canada ends vaccine entry rules, makes ArriveCan optional (BBC)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity

The FBI is front and center amid several controversies currently unfolding in the US, including the raid of Mar-a-Lago, the recent suspension of a whistleblower, a lawsuit concerning a warrant obtained in Beverly Hills, and ongoing investigations into the events of January 6, 2021.

Reporting from the Right: FBI whistleblower: Counterterrorism cases against alleged right-wing extremists mostly ‘entrapment’ (Washington Times)

Reporting from the Left: GOP readies political heartburn for an FBI it won't defund (POLITICO)

From The Flag: Founded in 1908 in an attempt to more effectively pursue felons across state lines, the FBI’s motto is Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. Many right-leaning voices have expressed concern that the bureau has become politically biased, which many on the left find inconsistent with Republicans’ tendency to support cops and law enforcement. Here’s commentary from both sides concerning both the FBI and some of these issues.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

GOP Hating G-Men Makes No Sense as They Back the Blue

FBI agents routinely face dangers in the field and unhinged rhetoric from the right puts them in danger.
It’s bizarre to see former President Trump and his Republican allies trash the FBI, given it’s a conservative agency.
By trashing the FBI, President Trump hopes to provoke feelings of contempt amongst his supporters and further the risk of violence.

“The FBI is not the enemy” Editorial Board, Washington Post : “Calls to ‘defund the FBI’ are bizarre given that the GOP has made support for law enforcement an electoral strategy… These smears are not only damaging to democracy; they’re also dangerous to the individual people working for agencies and institutions that have now become targets. … Bellicose language contributes to the likelihood that violence will break out, because it makes everyday people feel as though they’re at war. Too many elected officials are fostering those feelings, casting men and women who are doing their duty as aggressors and enemies of the nation. They should instead say what Mr. Garland said, which is the truth: ‘Every day, they protect the American people from violent crime, terrorism and other threats to their safety. ... They do so at great personal sacrifice and risk to themselves.’ Unfortunately, now that risk is even higher.”

“Trump Is Going After One of the Most Conservative Institutions in the US Government” Garrett M. Graff, New York Times Op-ed: “Of all the weird and historically discordant moments and news stories of the Donald Trump era, few seem stranger than watching the former president and his allies demonize the FBI as some sort of rogue ‘woke’ Democratic deep state mob. … the bureau has attracted particularly withering criticism for its supposedly leftist persecution of Mr. Trump, and Republicans have even begun to call to ‘defund the corrupt FBI’ Historically, though, the FBI has been arguably the most culturally conservative and traditionally white Christian institution in the entire US government. It’s an institution so culturally conservative, even by the standards of law enforcement, that Democratic presidents have never felt comfortable — or politically emboldened — enough to nominate a Democrat to head the bureau.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: Trump Continues to Escalate His Dangerous Incitement Mark Follman, Mother Jones

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

The FBI Is Out of Control, as Repeatedly Evidenced

The FBI just suspended a whistleblower who objected to what he saw as the politicized pursuit of January 6 offenders.
As evidenced by a raid conducted this weekend, the FBI is wreckless and routinely comes off as a menace to society.
The FBI is vindictive and effective in the process, as evidenced by their smear campaign against Rep. Matt Gaetz.

“FBI hero paying the price for exposing unjust ‘persecution’ of conservative Americans” Miranda Devine, New York Post Opinion: “Bombshell allegations by FBI Special Agent Steve Friend contained in a whistleblower complaint… reveal a politicized Washington, DC, FBI field office… Friend, 37, a respected 12-year veteran of the FBI and a SWAT team member, was suspended Monday, stripped of his gun and badge, and escorted out of the FBI field office in Daytona Beach, Fla., after complaining to his supervisors about the violations. He was declared absent without leave last month for refusing to participate in SWAT raids that he believed violated FBI policy and were a use of excessive force against Jan. 6 subjects accused of misdemeanor offenses. This American hero, the father of two small children, has blown up his ‘dream career’ because he could not live with his conscience if he continued to be part of what he sees as the unjust persecution of conservative Americans.”

“In raid on home with seven children, FBI again acts dangerously thuggish” Quin Hillyer, Washington Examiner Opinion: “If the FBI and the Justice Department want critics to stop portraying the bureau as a menace to society, maybe FBI leaders and agents should stop acting like menaces. Conservative social media is blowing up this weekend about a sickeningly abusive, armed FBI raid on the child-filled home of a pro-life activist in Pennsylvania. … an unnecessary show of force. … The latest atrocity… stemmed from incidents in 2021 when Mark Houck, a prominent leader of a Christian men’s ministry, shoved a pro-abortion volunteer after, according to Houck’s wife, the other man repeatedly directed profane verbal abuse at Houck’s 12-year-old son. Charges against Houck were dropped earlier this year, but Garland’s Justice Department suddenly picked up the case again. … This overuse of force by federal agents, especially the FBI, has been a problem for years. During Wray’s term as director, it seems endemic.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: The FBI’s Matt Gaetz Operation Sidelined An Effective Republican Voice At A Crucial Time. That Was The Point. Mollie Hemingway, The Federalist

FLAG THIS

Majority Say They Remain Confident in the FBI

Polling conducted last month asked respondents about their general feelings toward the FBI.

Just over half (51%) indicated they have either a “great deal” or “some” confidence in the bureau. Meanwhile, 38% said they have “not much” or “no confidence,” in addition to 11% who weren’t sure.

The same poll asked if people support former President Trump’s since-successful bid to have a special master review documents seized by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago. More were in favor (41%) of the special master’s appointment than those who were opposed (40%), while just under 2 in 10 were unsure (Economist/YouGov).

How would you describe your general perception of the FBI?

FLAG FINDS

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WATERCOOLER

Tripartite Pact Signed, Feel More Confident, No Discounts

On September 27, 1940, the Axis powers are formed as Germany, Italy and Japan became allies with the signing of the Tripartite Pact in Berlin. The Pact provided for mutual assistance should any of the signatories suffer attack by any nation not already involved in the war. In the above photograph, seated at front left (left to right) are Japan's Ambassador Saburō Kurusu (leaning forward), Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Galeazzo Ciano, and Germany's Führer Adolf Hitler.

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