Comments by "KesArt" (@kesart8378) on "Esper says January 6 committee "needs to get to the bottom of the truth"" video.

  1. And Bill Barr has never attempted to deceive the American public, nor has he ever acted in a nakedly partisan manner using the powers of his office not as longstanding precedents dictate, but to serve Trump's needs and whims.
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  2. With respect, what possible relevance does a rote statement by an FBI spokesperson have to the matters at hand. I'm unclear as to your point.
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  3.  @BobJohnson648  I would rather not indulge in speculation unsupported by any facts. In the case in point,the spokesperson may have, as a condition of employment, signed documents that proscribe quite thoroughly what they can reveal in a public setting. Perhaps, as a hypothetical, this instance may have involved the oft-stated concern about revealing "sources and methods." (I realize that I am indulging in speculation, but absent further evidence, I would rather err on the less condemnatory side of the matter.) Cheers
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  4.  @BobJohnson648  I can't argue with you there, mate. And I would never disagree with the assertion that the American FBI has many sins, past and present, to atone for. Cheers
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  5.  @BobJohnson648  With respect, are you suggesting that the FBI covertly took part in the January sixth riot inside the United States Capitol? If so, then no, given the numerous revelations to date regarding the genesis of the January sixth riot it is not logical to assume that the FBI was involved. Admittedly the FBI seems to have left a noticeable footprint--through numerous informants and an undercover agent posing as a "bomb-maker"--in the alleged plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer. However, post the April 2020 storming of the Michigan state Capitol building by heavily armed citizens, the Bureau was criticized for not having paid greater attention to the threat posed by domestic terrorism, a justifiable criticism. Given the pressure to show that they were in fact regarding threats from within the states as seriously as they did foreign--primarily Muslim jihadist--threats, I can understand the impulse to act a bit overzealous upon receiving tips about the Michigan Wolverines militia group. I do not mean to excuse any questionable conduct by FBI agents in the Whitmer attempted kidnapping case, nor in cases in the past when agents crossed serious red lines. However, neither logic nor the evidence supports the unsubstantiated claims that the FBI played a meaningful role in the events of January sixth. Just because the Bureau has a rather checkered past does not dictate that agents should be assumed to have been involved in the byzantine plotting that led to that terrible day in January of 2020. Lastly, as for the alleged Whitmer kidnapping case, I always find myself leery of dubious characters claiming that they were "entrapped", gulled into committing acts that they would never have considered if not for the beguiling effect of some undercover plant enticing them to engage in deeds that they would never have imagined on their own. Can innocent, righteous people be conned into taking part in an attempted kidnapping? It seems quite dubious to me. Cheers
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  6.  @BobJohnson648  With respect, to whom do you refer when you say, "Americans have the distinct feeling"? Which Americans have this feeling and what percentage of the American population do they represent? Are you perhaps projecting your own suspicions onto what you imagine to be a large cohort of your fellow Americans? Sorry, mare, but the case you are attempting to build is rather weak tea, a jerry-built structure propped up with some rather flimsy assumptions. Take care. Cheers
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  7.  @BobJohnson648  I am Irish, but have lived in the states for decades, and I follow American--and UK--politics quite closely. As for your assertion that the latest polls "show that most Americans distrust the FBI," I cannot find any polling online that corroborates your declaration. In point of fact, the only polling that I encountered that addresses Americans' regard for the FBI indicated essentially an even split between Americans who distrust the FBI (47%), and those who view it favourably (46%). And said polling was conducted by the Rasmussen Organization, a conservative polling entity active since 2003. As for sensationalist headlines that blare that "Americsns Hate The FBI," those can be found in Star Digital News Media publications such as the Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Tennessee Star. Star has a decidedly conservative bias and is among a number of so-called "Baby Breitbarts" that have popped across America, all on a mission to promote Trumpism, part of which involves fostering distrust in Americsn institutions. If half of Americans do distrust the FBI and other intelligence agencies, as well as the judiciary, it should surprise no one given that Trump spent years attacking critical American institutions, as well as denigrating NATO and the American military. May I suggest that you check the bona fides of your sources, that you avoid sweeping generalizations, and that you incorporate precise figures and cite actual sources that support your positions. (Old habits: I'm a retired college professor and published author of non-fiction. So I value fact-checking, precision and attribution.) And now I must push off so as to be ready for a day of play with my brilliant five-year old granddaughter. Take care, mate. Cheers Below you will find a link to the article concerning the Rasmussen Poll that sought to measure Americans' level of trust in their primary institutions. https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/partner_surveys/voter_approval_of_fbi_declines
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