Yes, Crowder Is Loud, And His Critics Are Avoiding His Points

We haven’t had much in the way of discussion regarding the dust up between Stephen Crowder and the Daily Mail last week here at the Q Tree, but it’s one of the most important stories out there right now, hence, me actually being compelled to write about it.

First off, what happened.

Stephen Crowder left The Blaze in December over disgust with message suppression due to content being sanitized so that he – and other content providers to The Blaze – and his social media channels would not be deplatformed. This happened AFTER a merger with another media company. Apparently, The Blaze, like so many other online publications relies quite a bit on ad revenue to pay staff, or so they want said staff to believe. Really, in the history of all media, that has been a business model used by journalism, specifically.

When Crowder left, his audience, supposedly the largest in the online world, presumably left with him. That meant, a loose cannon who believes in the true conservative movement, not the milquetoast one pushed at us everyday, has the largest audience in conservative online media.

Somewhere in the background, Crowder received an offer from another online publication, one of several, that offered him a lot of money – $50 million, which, apparently Daily Wire has to spend, or anticipates having to spend on this endeavor – to be his distributer for a set amount of content over four years. That money would have to cover his staff and running his shop, with financial penalties for not producing content or being deplatformed.

Somehow, some way, this was a straw for Stephen Crowder, and he kind of snapped. On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, he put out this video, which is worth a watch in its entirety.

The first a lot of us saw of this was an article from Sundance who has been harping on the big money behind all of this for years.

Steven Crowder Goes to the Mattresses Against Big Con

The problem he outlines is an inside baseball dynamic taking place in the background of the conservative media. It essentially boils down to a financial issue CTH raised a long time ago when the first signals of this troubling trend started. Most of the “well known” conservative media outlets have been purchased and co-opted by a financial system that ultimately controls their content.

Essentially, online media has had a lot of mergers and acquisitions in the last decade.

For some inexplicably reason that may well have to do with all of the other online content creators’ reaction to the whole fiasco, the Daily Wire came out, and said they were the shop looking to co-opt Crowder and his Mug Club, and they published the actual contract offer.

From there, a whole lot of finger pointing at Crowder came from the voices of Conservative, Inc., including JP Sears, actually, among various outlets, and all concentrated on the $50 million dollars he turned down (almost as if it was coordinated) and not the true message Crowder was trying to send:

BIG TECH IS HAVING CONSERVATIVE, INC., DO THE DEEP STATE’S WORK FOR THEM, AND THEY ARE DOING IT USING CONTRACTS AFTER SEDUCING YOUNG TALENT.

There’s a lot to unpack here.

First off, what Crowder’s objection is that the young and upcoming content producers in the America First conservative movement are being tied up in multi-year contracts by shops with better reach, which will – and I’m sure do – put a “chilling effect” (that’s an actual communications law term) on the content, by bending it to what the overlords at the social media platforms will allow to be published. This is EXACTLY the same tactic used in entertainment – specifically the music industry – to tie up talent for years and strangle creative development. (Think Prince/The Artist formerly known as Prince when he legally changed his name to get out of a contract with the record label. This is essentially the same sort of thing.)

This is now, and always has been, the Achilles heel of online publishing in the conservative media realm. The people behind the platforms themselves make the rules of the sandbox, and EVERYONE plays by them, or content is suppressed or made financially disadventageous. The independent people who actually survive in the conservative online world are not financially dependent on their content production efforts or have adopted different business models, like donations and merchandizing.

Multiple sites where I used to produce content went under because we could not spread word of our content on social media sites. Several people were banned, and the algorithms throttled reach. This is unquestionably by design. We all know that.

Crowder’s message is not just that this is happening, but that he is willing to find a way to give the grassroots voices of conservatism – not what Conservatism, Inc., is peddling – a platform, and he will find a way to finance it.

After the Daily Wire put out the actual contract offer, and Conservative, Inc., piled on regarding the money, Crowder responded:

It’s not just business, it’s about the country, saving it, and doing it in spite of big tech, big con, and the deep state trying to essentially bribe the content producers into doing their bidding. Crowder’s sin, then, to Conservative, Inc., is exposing what they are doing with proof.

Personally, I applaud Stephen Crowder for taking this stand and standing on the courage of his convictions. The reaction by the rest of the crowd certainly did show some true colors, as well.

Back In My Day: Civilized War – Taking On The Devil

It had become time to face the devil and take him head on. The devil that was facing me from my poor choice of employers and the same snake who wanted me to suffer and die personally.

I started the legal response process by talking with my personal attorney who had handled the employment contract. We knew it contained provisions that the former employer agreed to that made it nearly impossible for me to do what they were accusing me of doing. For starters I had a provision inserted that stated specifically I had no authority to sign checks or indebt the company. My duties were specific and none involved corporate board activities or positions. In other words, my authority was limited to operations activities and even the people I wanted to hire had to be approved by ownership. I had no access to company property after hours. What they were accusing me of simply would never survive even the most casual smell test.

However, they did have money and access to prominent people in the legal and judicial community. So my personal attorney recommended using a proven litigation attorney we both knew. He was a guy for whom I had deep respect and had actually completed financing for in a business partnership in which he was an owner. He was a former Vietnam era Marine with significant battlefield experience and a senior partner in a well known firm that employed several partners from the firm of former Sen. Howard Baker of Watergate fame. My litigating attorney would treat me well (translation: discount) on his billings and be patient in collecting them as a favor for our past relationship. We countersued for payment of compensation due for the entire employment contract. If they wanted a fight, well, they found one.

Playing Dirty

We soon learned what they had spent nearly a year trying to do without achieving the level of success they wanted. They had made similar claims about me also to FIB and DODGE. They had even gone to the point of researching my past banking employment and sent FIB investigators checking out all of my past financings of businesses. Turns out their corporate attorney was drinking buddies with several FIB agents. They had other cases in which they had been intertwined. Their attorney had asked his buddies to look for dirt.

They had chosen a path of blaming me for all of the losses they would be forced to take on their financial statement and tax returns from the write down of the equipment and inventory they stole from themselves over the years, which included receiving funds on the fraudulent insurance claims. Apparently it was the only way they saw to potentially stall the bank that had made the loans that had required the audit and equipment appraisal. They wanted to trot this guy out as the scapegoat and tell those questioning that they had fired the bad guy. All that was left was to file the civil lawsuit to justify the claims and show it in the footnotes. Check the box.

Their plan was to stall it all out for as many years as possible for the flames to die down on themselves even if they were unsuccessful with making me the fall guy.

Once we figured out their game plan over the next year we worked to obtain evidence and witness statements. These led to depositions of course. If you have never been through that experience, they are not fun. Fortunately, I had in a couple of previous business related lawsuits so I knew what to expect during them along with the legal bills that followed.

In our case, it was during the deposition of the wife of the owner, who was actually listed as President, that they made a critical mistake. First, they had the son as President in my employment contract when he was only the General Manager. But she went on to say something even more enlightening to us. She stated that their attorney was the actual Chairman and CEO of the company. There was no denying it – straight out said it in questioning. The blood rushed out of their attorney’s face. My attorney had a huge grin on his. He knew that their attorney had a huge conflict of interest that had been undisclosed that was subject to referral to the Board of Professional Responsibility. He had attempted to keep it hidden. But he was the Chairman and CEO when the alleged activities occurred before I was employed and after while never disclosing his position. We now knew why he was fighting so hard to take me down, he had double jeopardy as the business’ CEO and within the legal profession.

My attorney made the referral to the Board the next week. It was time to up the ante.

It was during this period that FIB paid an unannounced visit to my residence while I was on the road in business meetings. I guess they wanted to see for themselves where I would hide over a million dollars of equipment on our half acre lot and 3 bedroom rancher in podunk. Being an ex-banker with a good understanding of how the legal game was played through her own past experiences, my wife saw them pull in the driveway and knew to not open the door. After a few minutes they left and never returned to our knowledge.

Next, I was able to witness the judiciary protect one of their own. We filed to have their attorney removed as attorney of record due to his status as CEO of the company. We now had the deposition and had secured additional information from company filings at the state as evidence. The judge acknowledged it all, yet, let him stay on as their attorney. My attorney offered to appeal, however, he felt the benefit was minimal compared to cost. He felt strongly we had the upper hand and already had what needed to make their attorney squirm.

The next major event that happened was a phone call I received from the FIB agents, who wanted to have a conversation with me. My attorney was on vacation, so I made the decision to go and have it. I wanted to hear what they were trying to accomplish. They played good cop bad cop and I knew they were trying to read me. They said there had been questionable loans made by me at my last employer, which I knew was fabricated. They asked about a couple, one of which I had not even approved. I had referred the customer to a consumer banking area to handle since I had previously worked with that customer at another employer. I asked them if they had a copy of the Code of Ethics form I had completed and signed with my former bank employer that listed prior business relationships previous to my employment there. They said they did not. I told them to check it out, that my copy was in my attorney’s office. I then asked them if they had a copy of my assigned lending authority documents as well as that of the bank overall in assigning authorities in all of the officers in the various departments. They said they did not. Whether they did or not, asking the questions let them know that I knew.

They then asked questions about my role at the equipment company. I proceeded to give them what I hoped would get back to their attorney buddy. I started with my employment contract details and let the air out of their balloon. I let them know clearly that there was over a million dollars worth of equipment and parts missing from our internal audit and third party appraisal, that the company had made insurance claims fraudulently, that they had not paid taxes on the missing equipment they sold for cash, that the agents should pay a visit to the owner’s farm, and that they were committing EPA violations at all of their locations. That took about 5 minutes and they decided to stop asking questions. They thanked me for coming in.

When my attorney returned from vacation he let me have it for talking to them. He told me to never acknowledge their existence. He said they were liars and would entrap innocent people just to win cases. I told him I was aware, that I had moved here from Arkansas. He knew what I meant. I also told him my referral network and the business community needed to know I was not the bad guy or it would kill my career.

He was right though, FIB and DODGE were not done. We found out later they had tried to indict me. A couple of past business associates let me know they were called to answer questions at a grand jury hearing. According to my attorney who researched it and the called witnesses the jury itself challenged the prosecutors about wasting their time with false accusations with no evidence. However, the thought that they had even attempted to do that sent shivers down my spine. Evil is as evil does. I am a sinner saved by grace, but I would never conspire to destroy an innocent person’s life and family like those evil doers did – ever.

Tie that knot…

However, my attorney and I knew factually the company had a problem that would never go away, which were the equipment and parts audit worksheets and third party appraisal of same. My guy had conducted the audits, I knew they were accurate as they were audited twice as a precaution, with the equipment also verified on the third party appraisal. All of that would go into evidence. The lack of investigation and follow-up by FIB after having been made aware in our meeting of their buddy’s criminality would come out as our meeting was recorded and the details had also been discussed in the depositions. They knew the equipment and parts were missing as they had used that claim from the company as the basis for conducting an investigation of me.

Which is why they would never have won a case against me even if the grand jury rubber stamped their claim. However, it is why I now know for certain that actual innocence or guilt has nothing to do with the outcomes of some of the cases you hear and read about. There are unknown motives and bad actors in positions of trust.

There had to be other motives to lie and run interference for those criminals besides friendship. Somebody owed somebody else something. The company may have been an undercover trap that local law enforcement, FIB and DODGE used for other purposes. Who knows? I had lost my curiosity for knowing more.

For the next six months or so we heard nothing. Until we received a letter releasing me from all claims and ending it all from the same devious Asst. U. S. Attorney who had tried to convince the grand jury. At the same time the equipment company was also now ready to end our lawsuits against each other. Shocker. Four years had gone by and four annual audited financial statements and federal tax returns submitted by them to the bank and to the IRS. I knew it was pointless to continue the process of my countersuit as the legal bills would only get larger. I had taken cash advances on credit cards to pay the more recent legal bills and we were just then starting to come out of the paycheck to paycheck life with my increasing commission income.

We prayed about it and the peace we received was clear. It was time to end this civilized war and focus on living free of that stress ever again. God would provide and vengeance is His to determine

Meanwhile…

After nearly four years of utter turmoil in one part of our lives, the Lord had blessed us beyond any expectation we could have in another. I knew I finally had found my career calling and I knew why it had happened. Which also brought peace to Rock Star.

There are strange people like me in this world that love small businesses and their entrepreneurial owners. Weird, huh? I admire their tenacity, belief in what they are doing, inventiveness and focus. They tend to be really creative in general and unafraid to take risks. Being a financial partner with many of these type folks is inspiring. Most working Americans do not realize that half of them are employed by small businesses. All of my work life experiences had led me to the strong support of the average Joe and Jane, the underdogs trying to succeed against the odds and the elites, corporate behemoths, and other naysayers who wanted to tamp them down. I no longer took pride in assisting the Pilots and Regal Cinemas of the world. I wanted to help us – real people who did not sell their souls to the devil for money and power, who believed in the American Dream.

In the process of handling this career I could do well for my employer, take care of my family and have more personal time available to do the work of the church. Self centered pride had exited and was replaced by sincerity and purpose.

Rebirth

Four years before I hit bottom with that termination and lawsuits, I knew more personal changes needed to be made. I could no longer have one foot in the world and one in God’s kingdom and expect to be blessed. I never wanted to experience anything like that ever again. The weight of providing for the well being of my family as well as living as Christ would have me live had brought me to my knees. Literally.

At age 40, I finally gave in. I chose that from that point on it would be Him and me. He could lift me up or toss me down. He could use me or not. I placed myself totally in His hands. Whatever happened would be what He desired to have happen, not me. I promised to be more thoughtful and to test decisions and actions against His word to the best of my human ability. I informed Rock Star and she had a puzzled look, but did not question it. My home office in the extra bedroom would become a sanctuary of sorts. Prayers would be offered and conversations held with the Lord daily. I had purchased a large dry erase board for the wall to track prospects and loan closings. I repurposed the top for a description of what each member of the Holy Trinity meant to me. To start my day I would read it and modify as more was revealed to me. I needed to become the best me so that I could love and serve others as He would have me do it.

Forty years…

Conclusion

With the next part we will go back and fill in some details, talk a little politics, expand the faith journey aspect and discuss what happened to various actors over time in this strange Goober Gump movie. Some say karma. I say, what goes around comes around. Until then…

Dear MAGA: 20230122

This Rejoice & Praise God Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.

It’s also a place to read, post, and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.

In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.

We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.

Please show respect and consideration for our fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure your opinion addresses the issue only, and does not confront or denigrate the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name-calling, ridicule, insults, baiting, and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.

In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores, and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.

Please also consider the Guidelines for posting and discussion printed here:
https://www.theqtree.com/2019/01/01/dear-maga-open-topic-20190101/

Principalities and Powers

H/T grandmaintexas “He who has ears to hear”.

The phrase principalities and powers occurs six times in the Bible, always in the King James Version and its derivatives (NKJV, MKJV). Other versions translate it variously as “rulers and authorities,” “forces and authorities,” and “rulers and powers.” In most places where the phrase appears, the contexts make it clear that it refers to the vast array of evil and malicious spirits who make war against the people of God. The principalities and powers of Satan are usually in view here, beings that wield power in the unseen realms to oppose everything and everyone that is of God.

The first mention of principalities and powers is in Romans 8:37–39: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” These verses are about the victory Christ has won over all the forces ranged against us. We are “more than conquerors” because no force—not life, not death, not angels, not demons, indeed nothing—can separate us from the love of God. The “powers” referred to here are those with miraculous powers, whether false teachers and prophets or the very demonic entities that empower them. What is clear is that, whoever they are, they cannot separate us from the love of God. Victory is assured. It would be unfortunate to dwell on identifying the powers and miss the main thrust of the verse, which is assurance about what God has done to save us.

Another mention of principalities and powers is in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” Here is the clear statement that God is the Creator and Ruler over all authorities, whether they submit to Him or rebel against Him. Whatever power the evil forces possess, they are not out of the ultimate control of our sovereign God, who uses even the wicked for bringing about His perfect plan and purpose (Daniel 4:35; Isaiah 46:10–11).

In the next chapter of Colossians, we read about Jesus’ ultimate power over all other powers: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). In keeping with all things, the powers are created by Christ and therefore under His control. They are not to be feared, for they have been disarmed by the cross. The Savior, by His death, took dominion from them, and took back what they had captured. Satan and his legions had invaded the earth and drawn mankind into captivity, subjecting them to their evil reign. But Christ, by His death, subdued the invaders and recaptured those who had been vanquished. Colossians 2:14 speaks of Jesus being nailed to the cross along with the written charges against us. The record of our wrongdoing, with which Satan accuses us before God, is nailed with Christ to the cross. It is thereby destroyed, and the powers can no longer accuse us; we are innocent in the eyes of God. Hence, they are disarmed.

Ephesians 3:10–11 presents different principalities and powers—those of the heavenly realms: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Here we see the angelic hosts being shown the wisdom and purpose of God in the plan of salvation through Christ. Angels, both holy and unholy, witness the glory of God and the preeminence of Christ above all creatures in the church, those who are saved and preserved by His power (Ephesians 1:20–21).

Ephesians 6:12 declares the warfare in which we are engaged as we battle throughout our lives “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” So, having been saved, we must continue to struggle to do good things in light of the sure victory promised in Romans 8. It is as though we are facing an army of dark powers who have been disarmed from real power and against whom we have been promised victory. It is our job to demonstrate and depend upon the wisdom and power of God in defeating them in our lives. We can do this by trusting in God’s victory.

The final reference to principalities and powers is Titus 3:1. Here they refer to those governmental authorities whom God has placed over us for our protection and welfare. They are God’s representatives on earth, and submission to Him involves submission to His duly constituted authorities. Those who rebel against earthly authorities are “rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:2).

https://www.gotquestions.org/principalities-and-powers.html

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5

God’s Everlasting Love

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

Remember. Always remember . . .
It is done! It is finished! We are already more than conquerors!

God has ALREADY won ! ! !