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Response to Thom Hartmann’s “The Recession Racket: Musk, Trump, and the Billionaires’ Blueprint for Profit”

Sadly, it's all too true! Most Americans live in the United States of Amnesia. Thank you, Thom, for reminding us that the Trump years weren’t about us; they were about the “morbidly rich.”

As a transparency activist in elections and the director of the 501(c)(3) organization AUDIT USA, I’ve dedicated my life since 2004 to rooting out corruption in elections and protecting democracy. I also happen to have ADHD—driven to fix things by understanding why they break in the first place. I've traveled the country to understand the problems. Back in the early 1970s I was Psychotherapist after going through the program in Maine called Elan One, I rose to be senior troubleshooting director over all facilities.

In April 2021, I served as deputy liaison for the Maricopa County Arizona recount, under Ken Bennett, former Arizona Secretary of State and now Ken is my brother from a different mother because of what we went through together. Initially, we entered the audit with an open mind, but it wasn’t long before we recognized that we were surrounded by “Parrot Election Experts”—talkers, not doers. The Cyber Ninjas excel at putting on a show, pushing out real experts, and pretending to know what they’re talking about while collecting donations to “protect the republic.” They don’t hold press conferences; they run infomercials—like the propaganda film The Deep Rig and the closed Senate hearings—avoiding any real questions from the public or media.

I learned from my attorney and best friend and co-founder Bill Risner, that Truth is a public service! A grifter is someone who swindles you through deception or fraud. Synonyms include fraudster, con artist, cheater, confidence man, scammer, hustler, swindler, etc. by the they make great Fake Experts.

Looking back, the Maricopa audit launched with an 11-hour public hearing that felt more like the ‘Rudy Giuliani Grifter Show.’ These so-called experts misled and exploited people, siphoning millions from Americans who were vulnerable to their misinformation. They even ran a daily grifting routine, broadcasting on all nine audit cameras and mobilizing supporters on Telegram with morning prayers to lull them into parting with their money.

It’s painful to admit, but the Democratic Party, which recognized my election work by naming me runner-up for state Democrat of the Year in 2006, turned against me for my role in this audit. I didn’t go into it as a Democrat; I went in because, after 17 years of studying election issues, I knew I had to observe it firsthand. That’s a story for another time, which I plan to write up after the election. By the way, since when has simply annoying a large group of people being led by grifters ever been a idea or real solution?

We at AUDIT USA are known for stimulating public debate and trying to break up groupthink. Groupthink is a way of thinking where members of a cohesive group accept a viewpoint, or a conclusion, whether it is correct or not, which then becomes a group consensus.

Groupthink stifles debate and ridicules other viewpoints. It is, sadly, effective because other ideas, facts, and opinions are shut down. The dangers of Groupthink: and Wikipedia

For those who haven't read my op-ed on the morbid rich called: “Democracy in Peril: A Well-Orchestrated Decline?” here is the link: https://johnrbrakey.substack.com/p/democracy-in-peril-a-well-orchestrated

Excerpt: Many people attribute the root of our current political crisis to polarization and tribalism, driven in part by social media algorithms.

This "Mirror Effect" intensifies the divide:

Republicans view Democrats as an existential threat, and vice versa. However, polarization may be a symptom rather than the cause. The real cause could be a well-funded, strategic takeover of key institutions—the GOP, the Supreme Court, state legislatures, redistricting processes, and Congress—with the ultimate goal of establishing rule by the wealthy.

Hope, Peace, Love, & democracy. John Brakey

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Are voter's names scanned in and visible?

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Hi Ann, Good Question. Absolutely not. These records are totally anonymous. However, if you write your name on a ballot, you've outed yourself. I'm totally against redacting anything because it’s tampering with evidence. Most states have constitutions like this. Voting is a secret process. However, counting anonymous ballots is a public process.

To know more go here: https://whowhatwhy.org/elections/digital-ballot-images-key-to-trustworthy-elections-bridging-our-great-divide/

Thank you again for asking. John

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