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Authored by Jim Quinn via The Burning Platform blog,

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” ? Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World 

“Narcissists are unstable and go through repeated cycles of self-destruction, with other people usually paying the heft of the price. They are aware of what they are doing to others — but they do not care. Narcissists tend to be divisive, vindictive, confrontational, aggressive, hate-filled, raging, incoherent, judgment-impaired, and irrational.” – Sam Vaknin, Malignant Self-Love

Carl Sagan‘s words from 30 years ago, about the American public no longer caring about the truth and unwilling to acknowledge they have been bamboozled by the men controlling the levers of power over our civilization, has never been more prescient than during our current period of delusion, degradation and decay. As the crumbling American empire of debt and denial approaches its disastrous rendezvous with destiny, the populace remains gloriously and willfully ignorant of reality, mathematical certainty of collapse, and the treachery of those constituting the Deep State ruling class. We are truly living in a demon haunted world, run by child rapists and satanists.

It’s interesting Sagan had the foresight to make this brilliant observation in 1995, well before it became readily provable here in this century of the bamboozle, where the banality of evil, inflicted upon the masses by faceless apparatchiks, at the behest of soulless billionaire psychopaths in suits, has turned a once vibrant republic into a dying totalitarian hollowed out husk of a nation. I was bamboozled for about the first forty years of my life, but the weapons of mass destruction bamboozle in 2003 was the final straw. My eyes were opened to the utter corruption and lies of those hand selected by the real ruling class to lead our nation.

I’m convinced this century will see the end of the American Empire, likely to last less than 100 years (1946 – 2033?). As we approach the final blood letting that always marks the final years of a Fourth Turning, the malevolent, degenerate billionaires who currently control our world and pull the levers manipulating the willfully ignorant masses, are maximizing multiple bamboozles in an attempt to expand their wealth, optimize their power, and exploit the system to control the masses in an AI based technocratic gulag. We are nothing but expendable pieces in their demented game of Risk.

These Deep State fiends are the ruling social order doing everything in their power to avoid being swept away by the forces of this Fourth Turning, including mass murder (Covid jabs), global war, assassinations, planned starvation, imprisonment of truth tellers, and unrelenting propaganda designed to bamboozle the public into believing these totalitarian charlatans are actually doing these things (AI data centers, Iran War for Israel, kidnapping world leaders, waging a proxy war against Russia, threatening to invade multiple sovereign nations) for their own good. These bamboozles did not happen by happenstance.

As Edward Bernays explained in his 1928 book – Propaganda – there has always been a ruling elite who knew they could manipulate the minds of the masses in order to control the world. Back then they only had newspapers and radio. Bernays would be flabbergasted at the propaganda tools currently in the hands of the bamboozlers. Convincing a massively dumbed down populace of anything today is like taking candy from a baby.

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society.  In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” ?– Propaganda

The bamboozles went into overdrive at the start of this century. Those who profit from chaos, war and debt were down in the dumps, as there were no major conflicts in the world, deficits and government spending were under control, the internet was going to make our lives easier, and the optimism of a new century was lifting the spirits of America. The Deep State bad actors needed to rectify the situation and the 9/11 bamboozle was just what the doctor ordered. This inside job, probably in cooperation with Israel, ignited two decades of war, tens of trillions in government debt creation, implementation of the surveillance state through the pre-written Patriot Act, 100% increase in inflation (using the fake CPI number),  and multiple bubbles/crashes used to lure the masses into consumer debt servitude to the Wall Street banking cabal.

Sagan feared the dumbing down of America through government indoctrination centers, known as public schools, would lead to a celebration of ignorance (have you seen the high school graduation videos floating around on-line?). With a populace unable or unwilling to think critically, the mouthpieces for the ruling elite in the media were easily able to manipulate the emotions, fears and greed of the average person and convince them to act in a way that would benefit the agenda of our overlord class. The slow decay of our culture turned into an avalanche of degeneracy and deceit.

Our world is supposedly driven by science and technology, but our schools matriculate mostly morons into society. The elitists who declare themselves scientific and medical experts (Fauci, Birx, Gates), technological geniuses (Musk, Karp, Altman, Theil) and social philanthropists (Soros, Adelson, Hoffman) are either mass murders, chaos coordinators, grifters, war mongers, and/or totalitarian minded pretentious traitors to mankind.

These people have far too much power and dominion over the narratives spun to sway the public. Truth is of no interest to these demons. The current combustible amalgam of public ignorance and elitist wealth and power is destined to ignite and create a conflagration which could burn our nation to the ground.

I certainly have a foreboding we have entered an age of darkness, where the “invisible government” (aka Deep State), who have relied on Huxley’s soft totalitarianism, where the masses have learned to love their servitude,  have begun to lose control of the narrative, as financial collapse looms, and are now turning to Orwell’s “boot stamping on your face forever” totalitarianism, with AI data (Surveillance) centers providing the backbone and enforcement mechanism for this authoritarian dystopian future.

“There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always— do not forget this, Winston— always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face— forever. ” ? George Orwell, 1984

The Covid bamboozle perfectly captures the willful ignorance of the vast majority of Americans, who refuse to accept the unequivocal fact they were bamboozled by Fauci, Gates, Trump, Biden, and hundreds of other so called bought off “experts”. As a key element of their de-population agenda, a fake pandemic with a billion dollar marketing campaign; 24/7 media fear propaganda; never ending lies about cases, deaths, and treatments; killing patients with remdesivir and vents while paying hospitals per death; suppressing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine because they worked; and forcing a toxic gene therapy (not a vaccine) to be injected into billions of guinea pigs across the world. Despite real scientific proof the shots killed people and will continue to kill people into the future, most of the jabbed prefer to remain bamboozled because the truth of their acquiescence to authority is too painful to confront. Willfully ignorant they prefer to remain.

Sagan foresaw the gutting of American jobs, the rise of technology in the hands of a few, and a populace so bamboozled by those in control of the narrative, they were incapable of resistance and unable to discern truth from falsehood. The unpayable national debt exceeding $39 trillion and the unfunded social welfare liabilities exceeding $200 trillion are guaranteed to create a governmental financial collapse. Credit card debt, mortgage debt, auto loan debt and student loan debt are at all-time highs, with defaults accelerating. We are losing a war, AI is taking our jobs, inflation is soaring, and the average schmuck is buying stocks at all-time highs, when a crash is inevitable. It seems Americans love being bamboozled, until the consequences land on their heads like a ton of bricks. Sagan warned us.

“I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time — when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness… ? Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World

We are currently experiencing the biggest bamboozle of them all – Trump’s presidency. His Make America Great shtick convinced millions to vote for him, but a huge chunk voted for him because his 75 IQ cackling hyena whore of an opponent was an absolutely unacceptable alternative. Virtually everything he promised to do turned out to be a lie. His extreme narcissism was perfectly described by Sam Vaknin in the quote above. Trump stated how little he cares about the financial plight of average Americans when questioned recently.

“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody” – Donald Trump

Trump was going to end the Ukraine war in a week. He was going to keep us out of Middle East wars. He was going to reduce the deficit. DOGE was going to reduce government waste and save trillions. Gas was going to be $2.00 a gallon. Tariffs were going to restore manufacturing to America. He was going to release ALL the Epstein files. He was going to deport all the illegal invaders. He was going to prosecute all his enemies who stole the 2020 election and persecuted him and the J6ers. He was going to make future elections safe and fraud free. Everyone was going to get DOGE checks. Everyone was going to get tariff checks.

It is crystal clear to anyone with two brain cells Trump has failed to deliver on any of these campaign promises. The country was clearly bamboozled, but the MAGA NPCs reject all evidence of the bamboozle. They are captured and unwilling to recognize they were lied to and misled. It is too painful for those who saw Trump as some sort of savior to admit they have been bamboozled. The older I get, the less sure I am about what is happening in this world and who is responsible for the insanity. When every conspiracy theory comes true, I am now inclined to believe the worst scenario in every staged situation presented to the public by our overlords. Was Trump in on the bamboozle from the get go, or did something or someone “convince” him it was in his best interest to follow orders and set in motion the downfall of an empire?

In my estimation, the dystopian nightmare ignited by Trump at the start of 2026 is entirely related to the Epstein files and Israel blackmailing Trump, politicians in both parties, and billionaires who liked to rape children. Trump kidnapping foreign presidents; threatening to invade Greenland, Cuba and numerous other sovereign nations; turning on the America First patriots who got him elected (Massie, MTG, Carlson); embracing the traitorous Israel Firsters (Levin, Loomer, Huckabee); ramping up the Ukraine proxy war against Putin; and ultimately being Netanyahu’s bitch by insanely going to war with Iran under the false pretense of them being 2 weeks away from a nuclear bomb they would use on Israel, has set in motion a series of financial, political, and societal events which will have disastrous consequences for Americans and the world.

And still, the vast majority of Americans are either oblivious to the gathering storm, or openly cheering on their own downfall, because they refuse to believe they have been bamboozled once again. This tweet from X poster MW4Liberty succinctly and brutally captures this moment in time:

We live in an open air prison called America.
Debt slaves to central bankers who counterfeit our money.
Ruled by Baal worshiping pedos who traffic kids and souls.

Many of you out there?
Perfectly content in your recliner.
TV on. Phone in hand. Brain off. Worshiping a politician.

Mention any of this? Question the war?
You EXPLODE. You rush to defend your chains. That’s the conditioning talking.
The fear. The manufactured consent.
The illusion of choice they programmed into you.

Your “agency” is a f***ing joke.
They own your thoughts, your outrage, your vote. You’re a good little order taker.

History will not remember you well.

We have passed the point of no return. It is impossible to wake a vast majority of bamboozled boobs from their self-induced stupor. They will need to experience a banquet of consequences, on par with the Red Wedding scene from Game of Thrones, before reality will set in. There are a tireless, irate minority of men and women who still adhere to Samuel Adams‘ belief in prevailing over the forces of evil by setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men. I consider myself a member of this small club.

This irate minority who form the resistance to the Deep State and their malicious machinations are why those pulling the levers of our society are accelerating their diabolical plans. They are scared of us because they are actually the minority, pretending to be the majority. They have abruptly abandoned their climate hoax bamboozle because it does not jive with their new AI surveillance center bamboozle that requires more electricity and water than exists on the planet today.

At the outset of 2026 you barely heard a peep about data centers. Now, there is a frenzy of planned data (surveillance) centers because they are the key cog for pedo-billionaires to technologically control the global population through permanent surveillance, dominion over your financial assets, social credit scores based on your obedience to their commands, and ability to ruin your life with the push of a button. Believing their bamboozles has given you the illusion of freedom. But your controllers have decided the illusion has become to expensive to maintain, so these data (surveillance) centers are the brick wall at the back of the theater, described many years ago by Frank Zappa.

.“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.” ? Frank Zappa

Our choice is sedately accept our techno-imprisonment or fight using any means necessary. This is how Fourth Turnings roll. Good luck and Godspeed.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

The State Department updated its travel advisory for Mexico on May 29, continuing to warn Americans who plan on visiting the country to be wary of terrorism and crimes.

“Many violent crimes take place in Mexico. They include homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, sexual assault, and robbery. There is a risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Mexico,” the advisory said.

Overall, Mexico is categorized with a “Level 2—Exercise Increased Caution” designation for travelers.

“The U.S. government has limited ability to help in many parts of Mexico, a large country in which conditions can vary widely from state to state and even within a state. U.S. government employees may not travel to certain high-risk areas, which may be within states that include low-risk areas,” the department said.

The travel restrictions on U.S. employees prohibit them from traveling between cities in the dark, waving down taxis on the street, driving between border cities and the interior of Mexico, and traveling alone, especially in remote areas.

Due to security risks, Americans visiting Mexico must follow the same restrictions as applied to U.S. government employees, the advisory said.

The State Department also published maps showing various restricted areas in Mexico.

Some states in the country are classified under “Level 4-Do Not Travel,” such as Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas. States designated as “Level 3-Reconsider Travel” are Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, and Sonora.

The department warned Americans that emergency services will be unavailable or limited in rural or remote regions. When met with a road checkpoint, visitors must comply, the advisory said, warning that “fleeing or ignoring instructions can lead to you being hurt or killed.”

There have been multiple cases of tourists being killed in Mexico. In April, a Canadian tourist was killed in the Teotihuacan archaeological zone after a gunman opened fire on tourists. Back in 2024, an American couple was shot dead in the state of Michoacán while traveling in a pickup.

According to the Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2025, there are “extremely high rates” of violent crime in Mexico.

“Security analysts estimate that around two-thirds of homicides are committed by organized crime. Two-thirds of homicides in 2023 were committed with firearms,” the report said.

The group also warned about the risk of arbitrary detention in Mexico.

“People accused of crimes often face extended periods of pre-trial detention. Approximately 37 percent of incarcerated people in 2023 were not convicted of any crime, and more than 20 percent of those in pre-trial detention had been there for more than two years,” it said.

World Cup Travel

The State Department’s travel advisory update comes as Mexico is set to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 games beginning this month, together with the United States and Canada.

In Mexico, the games will be played across three locations—five in Mexico City, four in Guadalajara, and four in Monterrey.

The U.S. Embassy and consulates in Mexico have issued guidance for Americans who wish to visit the country for the games.

“Book your transportation, accommodation, and tickets well in advance. Expect big crowds, heavy traffic, and longer travel times,” the embassy said.

“You can find game tickets on the official FIFA website. For your protection, FIFA runs an Exchange Marketplace, the only authorized way to purchase FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets on the secondary market in Mexico. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico do not sell FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets.”

In an April 23 post, the embassy said that Americans planning to travel by land to Mexico for the World Cup should review the latest State Department travel advisory, assess information for each state along their planned route, and understand the risks they may face.

While navigation apps may show the desired route, they only display the most direct driving route and fail to account for the State Department’s advice on unsafe areas.

“Do not bring weapons or ammunition into Mexico. It is a serious crime, and you could face severe penalties, including years in prison. Permits to own or carry a gun in the United States are not valid in Mexico. Do a thorough check before leaving home,” the embassy said.

“Search your belongings and clothing pockets before travel if you regularly use items prohibited in Mexico. Bringing in banned items can result in serious penalties, even if accidental.”