The News Cycle is almost impossible to track these days. At least, to do so fully.
That’s where we come in.
In the Badlands News Brief, the Badlands Media team is going to take you through a few news items of interest from the previous day in an attempt to give you an overview of the biggest goings-on relevant to the Truth Community while introducing you to some brief, original commentary from our growing team of citizen journalists.
(Feel free to follow the corresponding link attached to each Badlands contributor’s name to check them out on other platforms.)
Now, onto the news from Wednesday, January 18 …
Project Cedar: Inside the Plot to Destroy the U.S. Dollar
On November 15, 2022, several of the world’s biggest banks agreed to a shocking new plan – one that could lead to a complete overthrow of the U.S. dollar as we know it.
Sponsored by the New York Federal Reserve, participants in this plan include banking giants like Wells Fargo, Citigroup, HSBC, and Mastercard, just to name a few.
The pilot program – dubbed “Project Cedar” – would convert regular U.S. dollars into a brand-new type of dollar, which could have massive implications for all American citizens. — Breitbart
Our Take: “If we're to believe macroeconomist and CIA advisor Jim Rickards, Project CEDAR (in addition to EO 14067) could be one of several avenues that lead to the creation of a new currency. We know the globalists in Davos are antsy to rollout an unholy union between technocracy and transhumanism, and overthrowing the US Dollar in favor of a trackable Central Bank Digital Currency is a critical part of their plan. This could be one big step in that direction. In this article there's a link to a video presentations by Rickards; if you are interested in this topic, it might be worth a watch.” — Ryan DeLarme
House Bill Would Criminalize Social Media Postings Supporting “White Supremacy” or “Replacement Theory
The anti-free speech movement in the United States continues to grow with alarming speed among writers, journalists, academics, and most importantly Democratic members of Congress.
Members now openly call for censorship and the manipulation of what citizens see and read. Yet, even in this environment, a recent proposal by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D., Tx.) is a menacing standout. Jackson has introduced a bill that is an almost impenetrable word salad of convoluted provisions.
However, what is clear (perhaps the only clear thing) is that the “Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023” would gut the First Amendment and create effective thought crimes. The bill is not going to pass. However, the anti-free speech elements of the bill are deeply disturbing because they reflect successful efforts at speech criminalization in other countries. It also reflects elements in a bill that I testified against last year in the Senate. — Jonathan Turley
Our Take: “The totalitarian MO requires censorship of the truth. This is partially because freedom and fairness is hardwired into the human psyche. If people saw the real agenda in a transparent way, they'd quickly reject the proposals of the authoritarian elite. The proposed bill would give a blank check to censors, to censor any and everything they deem a threat to the globalist agenda, or their feelings. Of course, the enforcers of this policy won't know that. As we saw with the Twitter Files, the people pushing the censorship button are often low-grade thinkers, not people capable of carefully defining what White Supremacy is and applying the standards to the letter of the law. They aren't trained to think that way. It's also not likely because the definitions cited for White Supremacy, or hate speech, are never clear; they're intentionally vague so they can be applied to almost any situation. For this reason, you can identify a globalist policy fairly easily.” — Justin Deschamps
Mutiny erupts among WEF staff over role of ‘Mr Davos’
The future of Klaus Schwab – Mr Davos for more than half a century – has become a talking point at this year’s meeting after World Economic Forum employees voiced strong criticism of their chair and the lack of a succession strategy.
A group of current and former WEF staff members who contacted the Guardian said the 82-year-old Schwab was a law unto himself and had surrounded himself with “nobodies” who were incapable of running the organisation he founded in the early 1970s.
“Klaus has been at the helm of the WEF for 52 years. When he was born [in 1938] 122 of the 195 states in the world right now did not even exist. He is completely unaccountable to anyone inside and outside the organisation,” the group said. — The Guardian
Our Take: “The World Economic Forum appears to be in shambles, as a group of former and current WEF staff members are speaking to media about how Klaus Schwab runs the organization as if he has a God complex, and how he hires completely inept people incapable of running things. Media also reports this week that many of the companies and NGOs that bankroll the WEF are unhappy with Schwab's managing abilities. Let's hope this group crumbles. Maybe they will own nothing and be happy!” — Jordan Sather
Saudi Arabia Says Open to Settling Trade in Other Currencies
Saudi Arabia is open to discussions about trade in currencies other than the US dollar, according to the kingdom’s finance minister.
“There are no issues with discussing how we settle our trade arrangements, whether it is in the US dollar, whether it is the euro, whether it is the Saudi riyal,” Mohammed Al-Jadaan told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday in an interview in Davos.
“I don’t think we are waving away or ruling out any discussion that will help improve the trade around the world,” Al-Jadaan said. — Bloomberg
Our Take: “Many in this community are aware that the Federal Reserve—and the fiat central banking system as a whole—must be reformed, torn down or scattered to the winds in order for humanity to move into a more sovereign, freedom-minded future where production and free trade are the lynchpins of a multi-polar world order. With the formation of the BRICS alliance and the continued flirtation of Saudi Arabia to join its ranks, the time of petrodollar—and Deep State—hegemony appears to be on the verge of ending.” — Burning Bright
“I Am Taking This Very Seriously”: BlackRock’s Larry Fink Struggles With “Demonized” ESG Narrative
BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, has faced increasing backlash about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. A handful of US states have pulled billions of dollars from BlackRock funds over accusations of “greenwashing,” hurting the fossil fuel industry and turbocharging America’s “woke” culture.
On Tuesday, BlackRock’s Larry Fink told Bloomberg TV at the World Economic Forum in Davos that ESG investing has been tarnished:
“Let’s be clear, the narrative is ugly, the narrative is creating this huge polarization.”
Fink continued:
“We are trying to address the misconceptions. It’s hard because it’s not business any more, they’re doing it in a personal way. And for the first time in my professional career, attacks are now personal. They’re trying to demonize the issues.” — The Activist Post, Sourcing Bloomberg TV
Our Take: “BlackRock CEO Larry Fink laments that his China-inspired Environmental Social Governance Score system has been "tarnished." If you're unfamiliar with ESG, imagine China's social credit system for corporations: instead of measuring your obedience to the CCP, it measures a given company's adherence to globalist agendas. Over the last year, independent media outlets as well as America First politicians have pounced on the concept of ESG, and for good reason.” — Ryan DeLarme
Ardern Out: Tearful New Zealand Prime Minister Unexpectedly Announced Resignation
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, one of the best known and longest faces of the globalist menace that steamrolled all personal rights and liberties during the period of world history known as "covid fascism" while arresting countless non conformists just so she could impose universal lockdowns and to enable the CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna to become stinking rich, said she would step down by Feb. 7 after more than five years as leader because she "lacks the energy" to do the job ahead of an election later this year.
“I believe that leading a country is the most privileged job anyone could ever have, but also one of the more challenging,” a tearful Ardern said. “You cannot and should not do it unless you have a full tank plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges.”
“I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice,” the now former prime minister said. “But I absolutely believe and know there are others around me who do.”
She added: “This has been the most fulfilling five and a half years of my life. I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility.” — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “No doubt there wasn’t a dry eye in the Truth Community when Jacinda Ardern—perhaps the world leader most ubiquitous with authoritarian lockdown culture that will come to define the reign of terror world governments levies upon their people from 2020-22—stepped down on Wednesday. Of course, most of us were crying tears of joy. While Arden’s departure is welcome news, citizen journalists and political leaders in New Zealand and beyond must ensure that such rampant abuse of power is not left to the pages of history, and that Ardern is one of many world leaders brought before legal bodies for a proper accounting.” — Burning Bright
The Dawn of Stakeholder Geopolitics
Over the last few years, the world has experienced a gradual slide from cooperation to competition to conflict. The post–Cold War international order has been replaced, first by a period of intensifying global rivalry and then by war in Europe. In this new and unsettled era, world leaders must adapt their understanding and practice of geopolitics because time is running out to address critical global challenges.
[…]
Simply put, leaders need to manage geopolitical competition in a way that preserves space to align with diverse parties on shared interests. The alternative, competing to define the era ahead but failing to untangle the knot of common challenges, will leave countries worse off in the long run.
Balancing competition and cooperation is a tall order. But there are lessons from the private sector, particularly regarding its growing embrace of stakeholder capitalism. Over the last decade, as governments were retreating from cooperation, the business community has been moving in the opposite direction—coming together to address common challenges while still competing vigorously in the marketplace. — Foreign Affairs
Our Take: “Stakeholder Capitalism: the fusion of government with corporations in which the government creates "public-private partnerships" with transnational corporations willing to advance the global agenda in return for ESG investments and a monopoly/cartel control. This is the traditional definition of fascism. Stakeholder Geopolitics = world governments align on the global agenda to take advantage of "opportunities." Non-participatory governments will face cascading "threats." So … global fascism.” — Chris Paul
*Meltdown* Karine Jean-Pierre Snaps As Reporters Bombard Her with Questions on Biden Documents Scandal
Reporters once again on Wednesday grilled Karine Jean-Pierre about the classified documents stored in Biden’s garage.
NBC’s Peter Alexander asked KJP: “We’ve all reached out to the Department of Justice…[They have] not told the WH that it cannot talk about the fact underlying the special counsel investigation…So…why can’t you speak about the underlying facts?”
Karine Jean-Pierre obfuscated: “We’ve been clear…”
Peter Alexander accused the Biden White House of withholding information from the public.
“Will you concede that it’s the White House that has been incomplete in its provision of information?” he said.
Karine Jean-Pierre referred him to the White House counsel’s office. — The Gateway Pundit
Our Take: “White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ran one of the most useless press conferences on Wednesday, where she successfully managed to answer zero questions. When grilled with inquiries about the ongoing classified documents scandal that is currently plaguing the Biden Administration, KJP repeatedly deflected or gave non-answers. It looks like this diversity hire checks all the boxes except the one that reads ‘competent.’” — Justin Deschamps
White House decries GOP appointments of Greene, Gosar to key committees
The White House on Wednesday denounced the appointment of Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ga., and Paul Gosar, Ariz., to the House Oversight Committee, suggesting that those assignments indicated the GOP was not serious about bipartisan governance and instead was hell-bent on political theatrics.
"As we have said before, the Biden Administration stands ready to work in good faith to accommodate Congress' legitimate oversight needs. However, with these members joining the Oversight Committee, it appears that House Republicans may be setting the stage for divorced-from-reality political stunts, instead of engaging in bipartisan work on behalf of the American people," said White House spokesperson Ian Sams, according to The Hill.
"House Republican leaders should explain why they are allowing these individuals to serve on this Committee and reveal transparently once and for all what secret deals they made to the extreme MAGA members in order to elect a Speaker," he continued. — Just the News
Our Take: “To be fair, the House Oversight Committee is stacked with a dream team of America First firebrands who are ready to come out swinging, some of whom were previously stripped of their assignments in the previous, highly partisan Congress. That being said, the J6 Committee was essentially a group of establishment Democrats and two of the biggest RINOs in government. The difference between the two? The House Oversight Committee will actually be investigating legitimate concerns, such as: fentanyl coming over the border, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, the origins of COVID-19 and influence peddling by the Biden family.” — Ryan DeLarme
We hope you enjoyed this brief look back at the major news items you might have missed in this ever-escalating and ever-accelerating news cycle as the Information War continues to rage on around us.
The Badlands Media team will continue to combine our cognitive powers in order to slow things down and find the signal amidst the noise as this series expands.
As always, if you have any thoughts on these news items or the MANY others swirling in the digital ether, drop into the comments below to share them with your fellow Badlanders.
Badlands Media will always put out our content for free, but you can support us by becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter. Help our collective of citizen journalists take back the narrative from the MSM. We are the news now.
Excellent content here, I found the subject matter relevant and I love the “our take” commentary. So much talent at Badlands Media. Other media outlets don’t stand a chance! Keep it going!!
Thank you for a succinct analysis of the most important events of the day. In a few minutes’ read, one is able to conclude things are moving along at a brisk pace for immense change in 2023! And, most importantly, even those sleeping (more lightly every day) are beginning to ask questions! 👍