To the Editor:
[Note: Mr. Ewing writes to us frequently. His letters repeatedly present the same set of editorial problems. Disregarding his letters altogether would the simplest solution. Doing so, however, would deprive our readers of a view into a pervasive mindset which, if left unchecked, ultimately will reduce mankind’s chances of survival. It would also deprive the editor of his fun, and we can’t have that. Therefore we advise our readers that by publishing Mr. Ewing’s letters, we do not endorse his views. Nor do we accept any assertions he presents as if they were facts. Further, we remind our readers that Mr. Ewing has been known to parrot lines of argument originally spewed by notorious propagandists in service to a depraved political and economic order. – The Ed.]
It’s been said that prosecutors can indict a ham sandwich. Soviet Secret Police Chief Beria said, “Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime.”
For seven years Democrats, and others enriched by big government, alleged that Donald Trump committed many crimes, including treason. Trump’s opponents spent over 100 million tax dollars trying to prove those allegations. The media endlessly repeated/repeats those allegations providing Trump’s opponents with billions of dollars’ worth of free advertising.
Despite all these investigations, not one criminal allegation has been substantiated.
Trump’s opponents falsely slandered Trump too many times to just be believed.
The one-sided Trump-hating January 6 Committee (Jan6Com) now makes new allegations; rational people demand proof…none has been provided.
The Jan6Com presented selectively chosen and edited documents and statements, false claims, endlessly repeated slanders, innuendos, and allegations; it excluded all exculpatory evidence. The Jan6Com refuses to allow the scrutiny required of proof: due process, cross examination of witnesses, presentation of additional evidence and interpretations. Why?
Democrats are desperate to prevent Trump’s re-election in 2024. Under President Trump most Americans could afford gas, food, electricity, and heat and cooling for their homes; inflation was negligible; peoples’ retirement savings were growing in value; our nation was secure and energy independent, our environment was improving; the world was growing more peaceful; our enemies were in check and weren’t threatening nuclear annihilation.
Since Democrats took power and resumed Obama’s fundamental transformation of America, most Americans, and people around the world, began suffering.
An election is coming in November. The Jan6Com extravaganza is intended to divert voters’ attention from how much Democrat control of government has made Americans poorer, and their lives less free and more dangerous.
In November, vote Republican to stop the painful Democrat fundamental transformation of our country.
Don Ewing
Meredith, N.H.
Don:
Thank you for providing such clear proof of the necessity for the disclaimer which precedes the text of your…let’s call it “Other Correspondence.”
Last November a repentant Michael Cohen—President Trump’s own lawyer—said, on the occasion of his completion of a sentence of home confinement, which came subsequent to a one-year stay at the Otisville, N.Y. federal penitentiary, according to CNBC, “My release today in no way negates the actions I took at the direction of and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump.” And yet you write, “Despite all these investigations, not one criminal allegation has been substantiated.”
What will it take to convince you? Are you waiting for a visit from Dolt #45, encumbered in chains like Scrooge’s Marley, confessing to his manifold crimes?
We are also indebted to you for providing us with this handy heuristic, a checklist of skeevy techniques which, though in constant use by the GOP, you atrribute to the January 6th Committee: “selectively chosen and edited documents and statements, false claims, endlessly repeated slanders, innuendos, and allegations; [exclusion of] all exculpatory evidence…[resusal] to allow the scrutiny required of proof: due process, cross examination of witnesses, presentation of additional evidence and interpretations.”
The limits of space and time prevent us from fully responding to the rest of your blather. We trust our readers will keep their BS detectors fully engaged.
The Editor
–=≈=–
Major Mike Weighs In Again
To the Editor
It’s official, our national leaders obviously don’t care about this country, our state, the American people, or the Constitution they swore an oath to support and defend.
How could they, if they are willing to idly watch our country be invaded by unvetted foreigners?
How could they, if they are content allowing human beings to be illegally trafficked by criminal cartels into our country?
How could they, as they watch fentanyl and other deadly drugs flow across our border, killing countless innocent Americans?
How could they, as they encourage dishonest judges and district attorneys to unleash violent criminals back into our society, to prey on law abiding Americans?
How could they, as they condone our rogue justice department selectively meting out “justice” while blatantly mocking the judicial tenets lady justice is supposed to represent?
How could they, as they mindlessly vote for spending bills that fund foreign wars, waste taxpayer money and bankrupt our country?
How could they, as they allow big Pharma to test experimental drugs and vaccines on the American people with impunity?
How could they, as they bend a knee to China, allowing them to steal our intellectual property, while plotting our demise?
How could they, as they compliantly watch corporate media and big tech silence our freedom of speech, and “cancel” those they disagree with?
They are all complicit in allowing these things to happen during their tenure.
They are all accessories, who have condoned all of these actions, with their silence and inaction.
Their failure to act, coupled with their mindless political obedience, have negatively impacted the safety, security and quality of life of the American people.
The failure of our representatives, to protect the Granite Staters who sent them to Washington, will forever be their legacy.
They have failed all of us, and we need to vote them all out.
We need to fill their seats with bold new leaders who are able to act independently.
Leaders who will replace their rhetoric with results, their aloofness with accomplishments, their indifference with industriousness, and their dishonesty with integrity.
I pray that our country still produces such people.
Sincerely,
Michael Petruzziello
Major, USMC (Ret.)
Wolfeboro, N.H.
Major Mike:
What a load of pompous hogwash.
As a mid-level career officer you will have had plenty of experience regurgitating such tripe to a captive audience, forbidden by the Uniform Code of Military Justice to follow their natural instinct and laugh in your face.
Your UCMJ has no power here. Your rehash of corporate-approved propaganda deserves the same warning we applied to Don Ewing’s latest blargh [see above]. Tossing it in the round file, though, would deprive us of the opportunity to talk back to an O-4.
The Editor
–=≈=–
Culture at Rockingham County
Attorney’s Office Must Change
To the Editor:
My name is Rich Clark and I am running for Rockingham County Attorney. I am a Democrat who practices law in Portsmouth where I also live with my two sons and girlfriend. Through my business, Clark & Assoc., LLP, I have effectively litigated criminal cases in 30 towns over the past 15 years within the state’s district and superior courts.
I would like to share the personal reason why I was compelled to campaign for this position. In 2019, I was wrongfully indicted under Pat Conway’s leadership of the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office for allegedly assaulting and sexually abusing my son after accusations were made by my ex-wife during our custody battle. The Portsmouth Police Department filed an arrest warrant for me based on these false accusations. The warrants were denied when the court found probable cause was lacking. Shortly afterward I was indicted on the exact same charges under Pat Conway’s control even after a court had already refused to issue an arrest warrant. This is just one of many reasons that I feel Pat Conway should be removed from office.
If people do not have the courage to stand up to corruption, governmental failures, racism, loss of women’s rights, and basic gun control––nothing would happen. After what Pat Conway did to my family and I, through her personal handling of my case, I have been determined to enact change to prevent this from happening to other innocent families whatever their party affiliation is.
Conway’s continued unethical prosecution kept me from having any contact with my son for a year and 11 months, not even a text message was allowed, even after Conway knew the Division for Children, Youth and Families had closed the case against me finding the allegations were unfounded. Since getting the phone call that my son had said the story was fabricated, the charges were dropped, and he has lived with me exclusively for the past year.
The only person I have to blame for what happened is Pat Conway. Others have contacted me with similar stories related to Conway’s conduct. How do we stop this? First, we must remove Conway from power. Then I will work with the state Legislature to enact protection that prevents an indictment from being filed when a court refuses to issue an arrest warrant. I will also work with the N.H. Legislature to mandate that County Attorneys be transparent with a Grand Jury and present known exculpatory facts that way nothing is hidden.
During Pat Conway’s first day she fired Rockingham County prosecutor Jerome Blanchard. Blanchard was the whistleblower who had revealed Conway’s husband, a police officer, had been removed from the Laurie List—also known as the Bad Cop List—by her former boss who was the Rockingham County Attorney. Some might call this crooked or corrupt, I see it as a call for change—change that I will lead the day I begin managing the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office.
I am not part of a corrupt system, nor am I part of the “Good Ol’ Boy” network. I am dedicated to enacting change and transparency in the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office and I appreciate your vote this November. More about Rich Clark and what I am about can be found at Clark4Justice.com.
Rich Clark
Portsmouth, N.H.
Rich:
We asked County Attorney Conway for comment. We do not have the space to print her full 482-word reply, which began, “I disagree with Mr. Clark’s characterization of the case. I cannot and will not comment on the specifics of the case as it is sealed by the court and in order to protect the privacy of the juvenile.”
The Editor
–=≈=–
Great Balls of Fire
To the Editor:
Any time a heavy transport plane like a C17 takes off in a combat zone, you’re likely to see a brilliant display of fireworks shoot away from beneath the fuselage. These “decoy flares” burn super-hot to lure hostile heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles away from the aircraft’s vulnerable jet engines.
Kind of like the Republican Party’s cadre of fireball launchers. To view their pyrotechnic show, simply dial up your favorite media outlet and take in the current episode of Culture-War Madness.
It’s no secret that American and foreign oligarchs donate billions annually to bankroll radical politicians, K-street think tankers, right-wing “talkers,” and social media “influencers”—human fireballs paid to dominate the news cycle and distract attention from the ongoing financial conveyer belt scooping up wealth from the public domain and depositing it into private coffers.
A penny invested and a dollar returned.
It’s always been about money for the so-called “conservative movement.” So, when will it become “about the money” for the rest of us? I’m guessing when we no longer have any!
Rick Littlefield
Barrington, N.H.
Rick:
A mere dollar in return for every penny invested? We suspect you are underestimating the financial savvy of our Owning Class.
The Editor
–=≈=–
Liberal Media to Blame for Invasion of Ukraine?
Dear Sirs,
I was impressed by a recent musical performance of the Ukrainian National Anthem but meanwhile, the Russian war criminal continuously produced death and destruction in Ukraine in addition to a possible nuclear war. Even though Putin indirectly ordered [the Russian Army] to kill thousands of innocent Ukrainian people including young children, our U.S. President is not willing to face directly to the problem. He claimed that the “escalation risk” would create a World War III if we enter our military forces in the Ukraine area and, thereby, must use sanctions.
During the 1962 Russian [sic]/Cuban Crisis, President John F. Kennedy used military strength instead of sanctions and demanded the removal of all nuclear missiles regardless of escalation risk for WW III. Because of his presidential strength, Kennedy saved the world. By comparison, our current and extremely weak President will probably ignore Putin’s evil goals beyond the country of Ukraine while China’s goal of invading Taiwan and Iran’s goal of achieving the nuclear bomb will eventually generate a global disaster.
The reason of this serious problem was created by various liberal media sources that distributed dishonest information just before the 2020 election. The extreme importance of American voters must start using common sense and stop listening to democratic scare tactics that continually make untrue statements to the American people. This country deserves a strong President for protecting our Rights, maintaining a steady economy and enforcing our existing laws.
Ken Senkow
San Antonio, Texas
Ken:
Wow—“this serious problem was created by various liberal media sources.” If we had known the Kremlin was formulating strategy based on cues from us, we’d have been much more careful.
Your take on the history of the Cuban Missile Crisis seems to us to miss the mark. If you want to learn more about that, turn off NewsMax and read some primary historical documents. They’re readily available at https://nsarchive.gwu.edu.
“John F. Kennedy used military strength”? Sure, he blockaded Cuba. That was a fairly convincing demonstration of testicular fortitude. His most courageous stance, though, was against his own Generals. Curtis LeMay wanted to bomb the missile sites. Others urged the President to invade. Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” was closer to being a documentary than anyone knew at the time.
PS—If you’re worried about an Iranian nuke, drop in at Mar-a-Lago and bring that up with Dolt #45.
The Editor
–=≈=–
Inflation and Our Ukrainian Sacrifice
To the Editor:
I recently returned from the wedding of my nephew which took place in Europe. While there I asked a few people about the high inflation in Europe (~9%) and the Russian-Ukrainian war. Everyone was seriously concerned about the impacts of the war, but were less worried about the inflation.
No one was blaming their country’s leaders for the inflation.
They seemed to agree with most economists worldwide (including our Federal Reserve Chair Powell) that this worldwide inflation had multiple drivers, but that the economies of both the U.S. and Europe were in strong fiscal shape and should weather this temporary storm. Drivers of the inflation that have been identified include: the pandemic recession and the recovery from that recession, supply-chain disruptions, gouging by the oil and gas companies, consumers driving up demand without adequate supply available, and, finally, the Russian-Ukrainian war which has disrupted the world economy and resulted in sharp price increase for energy and food.
Most Americans have not experiences such high inflation in their lives and while willing to complain about it, are unsure what can be done. We have also never experienced being invaded by a foreign power or governed by one, as is now occurring in Ukraine. Most of us admire the bravery and determination of the Ukrainian people to defend their country and wonder what we can do to help. Maybe we should see our battle with inflation as our modest contribution to supporting Ukraine (a small sacrifice by comparison).
We need not feel guilty for not donating more for Ukrainian causes, if we can’t afford to do that. Our country is already contributing (through our tax dollars) significant defensive weapons and other supplies. But if you can donate to this cause, no need to do much searching: the United Nations Refugee Agency is the largest and most effective organization to consider.
In addition, perhaps we can use the high inflation prices as a learning experience for our families, and especially our children, to develop useful skills. How can we live with this inflation? Here are a few suggestions: 1) Drive fewer miles and drive more slowly (closer to the speed limit), 2) Set your AC for a higher temperature, and your hot water heater at a lower 120° F, 3) Do most wash in cold water, 4) Eat out less, 5) Use home-made meals as a family strengthening tool, 6) Buy less and postpone non-essential purchases for six months until there is more supply, and prices are lower.
By driving down demand for products and services and adjusting our lives to the current situation, we can contribute to driving down inflation. We should see this opportunity as the sacrifice that we can make, which pales in comparison to what the Ukrainian people must endure.
This situation is a global one, and no one political leader is either responsible for it, nor can they solve it by themselves. That is why we should also do our part.
Peter Somssich
N.H. State Representative,
Portsmouth, N.H.
Peter:
Thanks for this extremely cogent assessment of these issues. Let’s hope Ken Senkow reads your letter.
The Editor
–=≈=–
Spain Hiding Biggest UE Espionage Case
To the Editor:
Gonzalo Boye is a lawyer specializing in international criminal law who defends the President of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont (who was illegally ousted by the Spanish government in 2017, and is fighting from exile for the liberation of Catalonia).
In his latest book, Boye talks about Catalangate, the espionage case uncovered by The New Yorker (1) on April 18th, based on the investigation of the Citizen Lab organization, linked to the University of Toronto. It discovered that 65 Catalan independence supporters had been illegally spied on with the Pegasus and Candirú programs (2).
The Spanish government denied having anything to do with it and tried to discredit Citizen Lab. After a few days, in what seemed to be a smokescreen, it revealed that the Spanish president and several ministers had also been spied on with Pegasus. They tried to diffuse their responsibility, but this does not exonerate them from being the alleged perpetrators of Catalangate, although most of the Spanish press has seized on this to stop talking about the spying on the Catalans.
Finally, the Spanish government has acknowledged that they had spied with Pegasus on 18 Catalan independentists during 2019 with the endorsement of Judge Pablo Lucas Murillo of the Supreme Court. These are 18 cases of 2019, but they are new cases because the cases discovered by Citizen Lab refer to other dates, they were from 2017 (1 case) and 2020 (64 cases), but not from 2019. Therefore, these should be added to those already discovered: 65 + 18 = 83 cases at least!
The Boye espionage case serves to demonstrate how Justice acts in Spain. Judge Lucas Murillo authorized the eavesdropping on lawyer Boye and, at the same time, he was the judge who was ruling on the lawyer’s appeals concerning the immunity of the Catalan MEPs Puigdemont, Comín and Ponsatí. Already at that time, Boye tried to appeal against this judge for lack of impartiality, due to a publication and statements against Catalan independence. But the judge vehemently defended his impartiality, and now we know that in the morning he authorized spying on the lawyer and in the afternoon he resolved his appeals!
Moreover, according to Spanish law, a judge can authorize the interception of communications, but in no case can he authorize what Pegasus makes possible: access to all the contents of the cell phone (communications, documents, videos, photographs…) and also be able to control it (activate cameras and microphones, write or delete emails…). In addition, this information must always be under judicial custody, while with Pegasus the information is controlled by the Israeli company NSO, outside the EU—the same company that, on the instructions of those who its employers, infects the mobiles.
For example, while Boye was being spied on, among other things, he was defending Syrian leaders who were tried and convicted in Germany. What he said to his clients was in the possession of the Israeli company. Can we be sure that this information was not used?
The serious thing is that the European Parliament committee investigating the abuses committed with Pegasus only wants to investigate Poland and Hungary and not Spain. We know that the EU is a club of which Spain is a member and Catalonia is not, but if the EU does not want to be complicit in abuses of the civil rights of European citizens, it should not give in to Spanish pressure.
(1) The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/25/how-democracies-spy-on-their-citizens
(2) Amnistia Internacional: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/04/spain-pegasus-spyware-catalans-targeted/
Jordi Oriola Folch
Barcelona, Catalonia
Jordi:
Reading about the Spanish justice system goes a long way towards reconciling with to our own.
Please continue sending these illuminating reports.
The Editor
–=≈=–
The GOP Waging War on Medicare
Dear Editor:
Last Sunday Sen. Rick Scott [R-Fla.] appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” to discuss the Inflation Reduction Bill that was still being debated in the Senate as the show aired. Noting that the bill expands Medicare access and will reduce the budget deficit, the moderator asked Scott if there was anything he considered good in the legislation. Mr. Scott responded. “Here’s the way I look at it. Right now, this bill actually ought to be called the war on seniors act. I mean, this is a war on Medicare.”
A very interesting comment, coming from a man whose party never supported Medicare from the very beginning, and has tried to defund it and privitize it for decades. In fact, just recently, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin suggested that Medicare and Social Security should be reauthorized every year by Congress. Imagine the stress placed on seniors worrying that Medicare and/or Social Security could be eliminated or drastically changed every year. Talk about a war on seniors.
It was a curious decision by Republicans to have Mr. Scott appear on national television and talk about a war on seniors and Medicare. However, considering Mr. Scott’s history with Medicare fraud, who would know more about waging war on Medicare than him?
For those who do not recall, before becoming a politician Mr. Scott was the the head of Columbia/HCA—one of the largest for-profit healthcare companies in the nation. Columbia/HCA was responsible for what the Department of Justice, in June, 2003, called the largest healthcare fraud case in U.S. history.
In its settlement with the government, the company admitted to 14 felonies related to fraudulent billing and practices, most of which took place under Mr. Scott’s leadership. Columbia/HCA gave kickbacks to doctors so they would refer patients. Columbia/HCA made patients look sicker than they were, so Medicare would pay more.
The settlement with the government required Columbia/HCA to pay $1.7 billion in fines, then the largest health care fraud case in the country. As a result of this case Mr. Scott was forced out of his position by the Columbia/HCA Board. Mr. Scott left the company with $300 million in stock, $5.1 million severance, and a $950,000-per-year consulting contract for five years. (Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, October 2, 2018.)
So now Mr. Scott is claiming that the Democrats passing legislation reducing drug costs for seniors on Medicare is somehow waging war on Medicare and seniors. As a senior, I prefer the type of war the Democrats are waging against Medicare to the war Mr. Scott’s company waged, and what Republicans would do to Medicare given the opportunity.
Rich DiPentima, LTC, USAF Ret.
Portsmouth, N.H.
Rich:
It’s a paradox: self-described “conservatives” claim to be tough on crime, and yet this bullet-headed geek sits in the Senate and gets invited to spew nonsense on the Sunday talk shows.
The Editor
–=≈=–
Republicans Back Death Panels
To the Editor:
Ever wonder what the Republican Party stands for these days? Well, your wait for an answer is over.
The skyrocketing cost of insulin has made the headlines for months. It was also made clear that there was no reason for the big increases in insulin’s cost except price gouging. This is a drug diabetics must have to live! And there are 37 million diabetics in the U.S. Many families have to choose between food or electricity and insulin.
This week the Democrats brought a bill to the floor of the Senate that would cap the monthly cost of insulin at $35. Big Pharma was against it! Big surprise. But, so were 43 Republican Senators! They were able to block the legislation. Big Pharma is happy.
So, now you know what the Republican Party stands for: Big Pharma! They also stand for Big Oil, Big Coal, Big Guns—but we won’t go into that here. And while they scream “socialism” for every piece of legislation Democrats propose and promote to help citizens, they are willing to let people die who can’t afford the jacked-up prices of their medicine!
Michael Frandzel
Portsmouth, N.H.
Michael:
This infuriating situation finally stirred us to consult Wikipedia—which we like to think of as an ever-present reproach to the neoliberal “if it’s not for-profit, it can’t be legit” agenda—for a little background on the story of the insulin patent. What we learned—see page seven, opposite—only made us more enraged.
The Editor