Category: Uncategorized

Urban combat: the battle of Marawi

I remember hearing a little about this Islamic uprising in the Philippines two years ago, but I had no idea that the combat was so intense, or that it took place on such a large scale:

Marawi: a vicious urban siege

On 23 May 2017, security forces from the Philippines conducted a raid in the city of Marawi to capture an insurgent named Isnilon Hapilon—the former leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and self-proclaimed Emir of Islamic State in East Asia. The forces who conducted the raid reported much tougher resistance than expected. The insurgents were rapidly reinforced and quickly revealed extensive preparations throughout the city—well constructed defensive positions, concealed routes, hidden ammunition and arms caches, and an almost doctrinal urban defensive plan. The raid was repulsed, and by the end of the day the so-called Islamic State in the Philippines (IS-P) had triggered their long-laid plans to dominate the city.

Martial law was declared by President Rodrigo Duterte and a five month urban siege to regain the city commenced. The battle was pitched against a well-resourced, sophisticated enemy who had the ‘home ground advantage’. Extensive preparations had been conducted throughout the city and an intense, protracted and close-quarters battle – the likes of which has not been seen in the region in decades – became the only way to destroy the enemy and recapture the City. On 23 October, following 153 days of war, this gruelling mission was achieved.

The costs of the Battle of Marawi were high. Opinions on infrastructure damage vary but aerial imagery indicates that huge swathes of the city have been devastated by the fighting – the mass destruction flattening entire city blocks. The World Bank estimates it may take two decades to restore Marawi to its original condition. However, the true price of the battle is that paid by the people of Marawi and the lives of those fighting. 165 members of the AFoP were killed in action, with over 1,000 injured. Some reports indicate over 1,000 insurgents were killed in the siege, which also took the lives of 47 civilians. The fighting drove over 400, 000 people from their homes.

This article would make for a magnificent piece in the next volume of THERE WILL BE WAR, as it is a detailed review of the tactics utilized by the armed forces of the Philippines as well as the insurgents.

The Legend on Bane

The Legend Chuck Dixon talks about the creation of Bane, the famous Batman villain, in the second episode of Chuck Dixon on Comics. For Unauthorized subscribers only. Sadly, rumor has it that Kellen Lutz will be playing Bane in the next round of DC films, in opposition to Robert Patterson’s Batman.

Not a man of the Right

The American Right is finally beginning to grasp that Ben Shapiro is not, and never was, one of them… and he is not helping them either.

Suffice to say, Ben Shapiro was long overdue for his opportunity to be the one who gets “destroyed” in a debate. And who would’ve guessed that the occasion for his destruction would be in an interview with the septuagenarian Andrew Neil of the BBC?

And here’s the real twist: It was not even Neil who destroyed Shapiro. Rather, Shapiro “destroyed” Shapiro. And that was quite a feat.

From his ridiculous suggestion that Neil—a longtime member of the Conservative Party—is on the Left, to his pompous declaration that he is somehow superior because he is “more popular” than Neil, there is enough in the arrogance he displayed to undo him.

But rather than belabor the question of Shapiro’s childish behavior and what it says about his temper, his inability to debate anyone who’s not a blue-haired college feminist, and his unjustly inflated ego, it would be more useful to to examine what Shapiro revealed about his actual ideas, such as they are.

For even in that brief interchange before Shapiro stormed off in a rage, quite a lot was revealed about his political ideas. These are ripe for more careful examination, and that examination will demonstrate the inconsistencies within his own beliefs. In this case, his arrogance—though difficult to miss—should not overshadow how objectively wrong he is on the substance. Nor should it obscure how—in more ways than the damage that comes from such petulant displays—he is not helping the American Right.

One by one, the charlatans are being exposed. And it’s particularly interesting to observe that this well-deserved dismissal of Ben Shapiro is being delivered by one of the young college Republican men who are supposed to be his primary supporters.

It WAS treason

The President is not fooling around with the criminals in the FBI:

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump
My Campaign for President was conclusively spied on. Nothing like this has ever happened in American Politics. A really bad situation. TREASON means long jail sentences, and this was TREASON!

Then again, treason can be a capital crime….

They will never stop coming for you

If the SJW antichrists are willing to destroy their entire programs and deplatform their biggest stars for failing to submit to their wickedness, what won’t they do to you?

Israel Folau was today officially sacked from the Australia rugby union team for a homophobic Instagram post. The decision makes the devout Christian the first Australian athlete dismissed for expressing religious beliefs.

Folau, 30, has the right to appeal and have his case heard at a second code of conduct hearing by a new panel. But he will reportedly skip that process and head straight to court to argue that he is being persecuted for his religion.

In a press conference this afternoon, Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle said Folau was a ‘great player’ but that everyone has the right to be respected regardless of sexuality, race, gender or religion.

Ms Castle said Rugby Australia ‘did not choose to be put in this position.’

‘We want to stress that this outcome is a painful outcome for the game. Rugby Australia did not choose to be in this situation, but Rugby Australia’s position remains that Israel, through his actions, left us with no choice but to pursue today’s outcome,’ she said.

‘This has been an extremely challenging period for rugby. This issue has created an unwanted distraction in an important year for the sport and the Wallabies team. Our clear message today is that we need to stand by our values and the qualities of inclusion, passion, integrity, discipline, respect and teamwork.’

Ms Castle said she had told all rugby players in Australia that RA supports their rights to their own beliefs. ‘But when we are talking about inclusiveness in our game, we are talking about respecting differences as well. When we say rugby is a game for all, we mean it. People need to feel safe and welcoming in the game, regardless of their race, background or sexuality. When players sign a contract with the Wallabies, they sign up to the values of the team and the sport.’

Bring back the Christian blasphemy laws. Because the alternative is not “free speech”, but rather, Satanic blasphemy laws.

Italy strikes back

George Papadopoulos@GeorgePapa19
The Italian prime minister has suddenly requested resignations from 6 deputy directors of Italian intelligence agencies: DIS, AISI and AISE. This was all after I outed Mifsud in Rome and the president called the Italian prime minister. Italy has flipped and are giving up Brennan.

Curiouser and curiouser. Nationalism rises. The interesting thing is that the news here is all-Salvini all the time now. Conte could arrest half the bureaucracy tomorrow and I’m not sure the media would even notice.

Striking down the thought police

This is potentially great news. It appears the God-Emperor is finally preparing to strike back against the converged companies that have been persecuting his supporters:

The Trump administration is asking victims of social media censorship to share their stories, promising to “fight for free speech online” and exciting conservatives who feel their plight has been ignored.

No matter your views, if you suspect political bias has caused you to be censored or silenced online, we want to hear about it! http://wh.gov/techbias 

Of the named platforms, only Twitter had anything to say about the administration’s call for stories, responding that it enforces its terms of service “impartially” without regard to “background or political affiliation.” President Donald Trump met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey last month at the White House just hours after complaining (via Twitter) that the platform didn’t “treat [him] well as a Republican,” and Dorsey has admitted in the past that they’ve been “too aggressive” in banning right-wing users, but many complain that nothing has changed.

I suggest every AH:Q backer submit the story of how the AH:Q campaign was deplatformed by Indiegogo to the administration site.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS should advance FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Yet too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear “violations” of user policies. No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump. 

Economic patriotism and winning the trade war

Pat Buchanan was correct all along:

If you choose not to purchase Chinese goods and instead buy comparable goods made in other nations or the USA, then you do not pay the tariff. China loses the sale. This is why Beijing, which runs $350 billion to $400 billion in annual trade surpluses at our expense is howling loudest. Should Donald Trump impose that 25{078d2fa92d2710998490ec6979ca31630e0fb1e1550511b9ab87370364231a3d} tariff on all $500 billion in Chinese exports to the USA, it would cripple China’s economy. Factories seeking assured access to the U.S. market would flee in panic from the Middle Kingdom.

Tariffs were the taxes that made America great. They were the taxes relied upon by the first and greatest of our early statesmen, before the coming of the globalists Woodrow Wilson and FDR.

Tariffs, to protect manufacturers and jobs, were the Republican Party’s path to power and prosperity in the 19th and 20th centuries, before the rise of the Rockefeller Eastern liberal establishment and its embrace of the British-bred heresy of unfettered free trade.

The Tariff Act of 1789 was enacted with the declared purpose, “the encouragement and protection of manufactures.” It was the second act passed by the first Congress led by Speaker James Madison. It was crafted by Alexander Hamilton and signed by President Washington.

After the War of 1812, President Madison, backed by Henry Clay and John Calhoun and ex-Presidents Jefferson and Adams, enacted the Tariff of 1816 to price British textiles out of competition, so Americans would build the new factories and capture the booming U.S. market. It worked.

Tariffs financed Mr. Lincoln’s War. The Tariff of 1890 bears the name of Ohio Congressman and future President William McKinley, who said that a foreign manufacturer “has no right or claim to equality with our own. … He pays no taxes. He performs no civil duties.”

That is economic patriotism, putting America and Americans first.

Anyone who claims that free trade is good for America is either a) lying, b) does not understand economics, or c) both. I pointed out when this US-China trade dispute began that any so-called trade war would be good for the US economy because imports (M) are an intrinsic statistical drag on the economy.

Do the math. Since GDP = C+I+G + (X-M), does GDP grow or contract when M gets smaller?

And on the logical side, if Chinese imports are so good for America and its workers, then why is China shrieking in outrage over mere prospect that it will not be able to export as much to the USA in the future?

Then there is the key question asked by Mr. Buchanan: What great nation did free traders ever build?