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Barnes Brief: Valentine's Day, 2023
February 14, 2023
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Barnes Brief

Schedule This Week

Tuesday: Early Bourbon w/ Barnes at 6 pm eastern

Wednesday: Sidebar w/ Duran at 1 p.m eastern; Bourbon at 9 p.m. eastern

Thursday: Bourbon w/ Barnes at 9 pm eastern

 

The Introduction: News in Brief

  • Neocon Nikki Haley announced her candidacy for the Presidency, as fellow South Carolinian Tim Scott plans his own Presidential bid.
  • CPI “falls” to 6.5%
  • Biden forms new UFO task force, as this increasingly looks like a mass distraction campaign.
  • Trump’s new nickname for DeSantis is “Meatball Ron”, which is kinda funny.
  • Feinstein retiring finally.
  • House committee to investigate Fauci.
  • USA Today now admits the obvious: Russia winning in Ukraine.
  • Smart legislation in Arkansas: expand ability to sue for misguided gender transition treatment.
  • England ends boosters for under 50.
  • T-Mobile outage hits across the country.
  • Georgia Trump grand jury report to be partially released.

Wisdom of the Day: “Agents and informers do not merely spy. Their main purpose is to discredit, disrupt and negatively redirect action.” COINTELPRO.

 

The Evidence: Barnes Daily Curated Library

  1. Media complicity in Covid polices precludes real accountability. https://www.eugyppius.com/p/dont-be-fooled-by-dumb-talkshows
  2. Did the response to Covid cause the early deaths attributed to Covid? https://substack.com/inbox/rec/102633007
  3. Forgetting lessons from past foreign wars. https://thefederalist.com/2023/02/14/republicans-who-want-war-to-the-hilt-against-russia-forget-the-lessons-of-iraq/
  4. Everybody thinks they can be President. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/13/anti-woke-ramaswamy-2024-election-00082414
  5. Backlash on economic war on Russia. https://asiatimes.com/2023/02/breaking-russia-more-like-breaking-ourselves/
  6. Battery problems set back Ford’s electric truck. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ford-sinks-after-halting-production-shipments-electric-f-150-battery-issues
  7. The bull in b.s. https://gainspainscapital.com
  8. Basham’s take on 2022. https://chroniclesmagazine.org/recent-features/an-underwhelming-haul/
  9. Ukraine history. https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/02/_since_when_did_ukrainians_become_entitled_to_a_giant_state_.html
  10. One example of interesting story covered by new news aggregator. https://ground.news/article/nyc-schools-sent-fbi-fingerprints-of-teachers-who-refused-covid-vax_34c0b8

*Bonus: Curious George’s Valentine.

 

 

The Argument: A Reasoned Rant

  • An argument (I suspect originated from allies of Pfizer) recently emerged in the public discourse that the Covid vaccines are really “bioweapons” which required no clinical testing for safety or efficacy, because Pfizer was merely an agent and instrumentality of the Defense Department. This basically blames Trump for starting a bioweapon program “intended to kill and disable” people under the guise of a vaccine, while also immunizing Pfizer from any suit (including Brook Jackson’s whistleblower claim) as a mere “agent” of the government. To get to this conclusion, various authors misconstrued the procedural manner Operation Warp Speed functioned.
  • I see some substack authors pushing a theory that would immunize Pfizer and shift blame to the DOD. These authors often mis-cite the pleadings in the Brook Jackson case I am co-counsel on. They are mistaken. The DOD is definitely in bed with Big Pharma, but legally speaking, Pfizer was not a mere agent of the DOD in this context, and their lies to the government material to Pfizer's funding. Indeed, the contract required the vaccines not be administered if the FDA ever withheld authorization or withdrew authorization. 
  • The quickest way to fund an expedited vaccine project was through the Defense Department using its legal authority to develop “prototype” projects. In this case, the prototype was not the vaccine, but the method used to create it – a wide scale, sped-up process of producing medical countermeasures in a pandemic for national security and future military use. The prototype was the process, not the product. This has been misconstrued to make the vaccine a “prototype weapon” because the prototype legislation primarily presumed purchases for weapons, but this confuses the most common use of the law with the purpose of the project here. 
  • The second, separate item they misconstrued was the legal pleadings in the Brook Jackson case I am co-counsel on. According to these same authors, Pfizer argued they were immune because it was a bioweapon project they were performing as an agent of the government, and the clinical trials were never required to measure for safety or efficacy. According to these same authors, the Government filed paperwork “admitting” to this. This claim is false. 
  • Pfizer’s DOD contract focused on logistics solely because FDA compliance was a precondition of payment for the contract all the way through. Pfizer tried to play off of this by claiming the absence of all the FDA rules from their DOD contract meant the FDA rules were not preconditions of payment. We rightly satirized Pfizer’s claim as absurd. The reason is the plain language of the contracts Pfizer themselves admitted into the record, contracts these same authors oddly fail to discuss in detail while spinning their seductive Dominion-like conspiracy tale that the Covid vaccines were bioweapons (which, if true, did something they managed to forget to talk about – completely immunize and inoculate Pfizer under sovereign immunity and eviscerate Brook Jackson’s case.) 
  • In order to procedurally facilitate Operation Warp Speed, the Department of Defense utilized its prototype funding program to accelerate the development of the vaccine. That has been misconstrued to mean the vaccine was a Government "bioweapon", that clinical trials were neither necessary nor welcome for its production and distribution, and that Pfizer was merely acting as an agent/instrumentality of the federal government. Part of this stems from people accepting Pfizer's defense at face value that clinical trial regulatory compliance was not a precondition of the award of a $2B DOD contract. This is flatly erroneous. Indeed, the only reason no separate regulation was required by the Defense Department was, as the agreements explicitly and expressly state, because "these clinical trials are regulated by the FDA and HHS."
  • The OTA Base Agreement cited by Pfizer didn't discard FDA rules, but actually reinstated, reinforced and reincorporated them. 
  • Section 21.06 of the Base Agreement
  • "Deployment and production of medical products and processes fall under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and research on these products involving animal or human studies is regulated by other laws, directives and regulations....Efforts conducted under this OTA shall be done ethically and in accordance with all applicable laws, directives, and regulations." So much so that Pfizer had to share all FDA information with the DOD, including listening to conferences, sharing all documents , exchanging all communications, allowing government attendance at all visits and audits. 
  • Section 21.12 of the Base Agreement
  • Pfizer had to comply "with current Good Manufacturing Processes as defined by FDA guidance", including "clinical trials", and any "failure to comply" that had any "material adverse effect on the safety" of the product would be a "material failure." 
  • The Statement of Work (SOW) – the second binding agreement Pfizer admitted and filed into the public record -- incorporated the terms of the Base Agreement, as 1.1 of the SOW states the agreement is entered into "pursuant to" it. 
  • The SOW further stated the agreement is Pfizer’s "provision to the Government, a state of the art candidate vaccine...providing protection against the SARS-Cov-2 threat and related coronaviruses” but only after “subject to technical, clinical and regulatory success." Pfizer led the government to believe Pfizer could do "unprecedented phase" clinical trial design and its mRna technologies would "abolish the risk of anti-vector immunity." Indeed, Pfizer promised they could scale fast "while preserving high quality and safety standards." Pfizer promised its product would be "for the prevention of Covid-19." The agreement required "regulatory approval" after "conducting clinical trials." The agreement only provided for funding "if clinical trials are successful and the FDA grants" EUA and BLA licensure. 
  • Just in case this wasn't clear enough, the Statement of Work is crystal clear: "Pfizer will meet the necessary FDA requirements for conducting ongoing and planned clinical trials." Pfizer can only seek FDA approval or authorization if "the clinical data supports such application for approval or authorization." Indeed, the only reason no separate regulation was required by the Army was because "these clinical trials are regulated by the FDA and HHS." 
  • The SOW even goes into detail on the kind of study necessary to "evaluating the safety" of the vaccine -- "a randomized, placebo-controlled, observer-blind, dose-finding, and vaccine candidate-selection study in healthy adults." The SOW describes the clinical trials as "pivotal efficacy study design." Only upon "adequate safety and efficacy data" could it be approved. The words "FDA approval or authorization" repeat throughout. The SOW even expressly incorporated the EUA preconditions for approval with express EUA process document incorporation. Pfizer's promise was that "doses shall establish the effectiveness of a technology capable of potentially providing immediate and long-term solutions to coronavirus infections." 
  • The SOW repeated throughout that Pfizer must comply "in a manner compliant with applicable laws and regulations" and expressly referenced the Good Manufacturing Practices regulation (21 CFR 210 & 21 CFR 211). The payment was only for "safe and effective doses required for vaccination" and Pfizer was being paid to "deliver those doses" at scale and speed. Any additional production required "particularly favorable" results. Over and over again, the SOW required Pfizer's drug be a "FDA-approved or authorized vaccine." Again and again, the DOD required any approval was "subject to FDA-approval or authorization" and "subject to FDA-approval or authorization." There would be no approval if "clinical" or "regulatory" failure occurred. 
  • In fact, to further enforce this, Pfizer had to provide the DOD all "data updates from clinical studies." Additionally, Pfizer had to "notify the Government of any event, risk, formal or informal FDA communication, or other issue" that could impact the project. All payments were "subject to change" based on "clinical trials and the validation of the product." Just as no payment could be made until successful clinical trials and FDA authorization or approval, the Government could stop payment whenever the FDA withdrew approval or authorization. That is why Pfizer had to provide all the "data updates" from the clinical trials as well as "any and all inspection and compliance notices, observations and responses" of those clinical trials. 
  • Every great crime needs a great patsy. Pfizer found theirs – the Defense Department. But Pfizer’s still the criminal. Eternal Truth #3.
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The Barnes Brief: Week of December 19, 2025

I.   INTRODUCTION

A. Art of the Day

Christmas music, my favorite season thanks to my father, by wondrous choirs, which also was my father’s favorite form of Holiday cheer. This particular album from the Vienna Boys Choir.

B. Wisdom of the Day

“Ignore them, and you get Fuentes, but worse.” Carl Benjamin on young men in the west.

C. Cultural Recommendation

Greatest Christmas movie ever. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097958/

D. Appearances

  • LIVE w/ Tom Woods
  • LIVE w/ Dr. Bowden & Brook Jackson

II.   THE EVIDENCE

 *Note: A reminder — links are NOT endorsements of the ideas contained therein. The Library is big, and it often consists of ideas I do not personally share, but whose ideas are worth further exploring.

A.  Daily News of Interest

  1. Erika Kirk announces support for Vance 2028. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/erika-kirk-endorses-jd-vance-for-president/ar-AA1SEd5F
  2. Left populism rebuild. https://www.liberalpatriot.com/p/the-future-of-the-left-in-the-21st-ef0
  3. Big MAHA wins on trans interventions. https://www.themahareport.com/p/breaking-kennedy-signs-medical-declaration
  4. Somali fraud. https://archive.is/lMATr
  5. Georgia comes clean on 2020, in part. https://thefederalist.com/2025/12/17/fulton-county-we-dont-dispute-315000-votes-lacking-poll-workers-signatures-were-counted-in-2020/

*Bonus: Kimchi heals. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251216081945.htm

B. Daily Deep Dive: Zoomer Men Rebel

  1. Zoomer men missing relationships. https://isaiahmccall.substack.com/p/gen-z-men-have-given-up-on-dating
  2. Condemned for their gender. https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/52863-young-men-masculinity-and-misogyny
  3. No good jobs. https://fortune.com/2025/08/25/gen-zers-neets-jobless-men-unemployed-higher-rates-women-healthcare-coding-ai/
  4. No home. https://fortune.com/2025/12/12/gen-z-giving-up-on-owning-home-spending-more-saving-less-working-less-risky-investments/
  5. Carl Benjamin explains.

*Bonus: Hollywood attacks young men. https://slate.com/culture/2024/11/entertainment-hollywood-masculinity-male-role-models-movies-tv-social-media.html

C. Cases of Consequence

  1. Brown University murder case. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/claudio-neves-valente-reddit-brown-shooting-b2887811.html
  2. Epstein Files release.
  3. Bongino retires. https://x.com/barnes_law/status/2001725595022160288?s=20
  4. Judge convicted. https://www.npr.org/2025/12/18/nx-s1-5648584/judge-hannah-dugan-guilty-obstruction-ice
  5. 1stA & immigration judges. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/opinion-immigration-judges-free-speech-trump.pdf
  6. Maryland reparations legislation. https://apnews.com/article/slavery-reparations-wes-moore-veto-maryland-9c134edbf0410228035743a8dc546171
  7. Luigi. https://courthousenews.com/luigi-mangione-faces-uphill-battle-after-marathon-evidence-hearing/
  8. 1A & new antisemitism laws. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/antisemitism-lawsuit.pdf
  9. Minnesota whistleblower suit: bogus child abuse grant scam. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/sharon-vs-harper-complaint.pdf
  10. Walmart sexual assault. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/walmart-could-have-foreseen-sexual-assault.pdf

*Bonus: Baby Shark suit. https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/892398f9-ac03-458a-8ba1-dce37861e63c/1/doc/24-313_opn.pdf#xml=https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/892398f9-ac03-458a-8ba1-dce37861e63c/1/hilite/

III.     Best of the Board: Trump Admin Grade

On the 1st year of the 2nd term of the Trump administration

  • UncleBugbite: I'm a young man with decades ahead of me to suffer under our bullshit kleptocracy. Sure, Kamala Harris isn't president right now. But Trump's absolute failure to address the structural problems is laying the groundwork for something much worse and better prepared than stupid Kamala Harris, with a desperate population willing to risk more extreme measures for any sort of relief. Trump's weakness is wasting the tiny opportunity we had to fix things, and frankly I'm terrified.
  • JoeKD: This Country was a FUCKING MESS. You just don't clean up a Mess like that in 9 months. Give the man some time. It'll get there. As far as Foreign Affairs goes, he needed to spend alot of time on that to get our Allies back in line.
  • TJefferson: Positives: Immigration/border; JD vance/RFK jr/Tulsi; Multiple pardons; A single month of DOGE. Negatives: Everything else
  • Iceni2103: what are we comparing it to? compared to the alternative, it is B+ to A range. Kamala or Biden 2 would have been an utter disaster. compared to the promises: D+? some good things (mostly border, hard changes to trade, and some executive reforms), but he is falling down way too much (hyping up 'peace deals' that don't last, warmongering Venezuela, dragging out Ukraine, unforced errors on staffing and by extension big issues like Epstein, DOGE/BBB, and MAHA, listening to neo-cons like he needs to please them, focus on donors not voters).
  • Bdmichael09: The only thing hes actually done that truly matters is stop the insane flow of mass migration. That is great, but he hasn't delivered really on anything else. Russia/Ukraine is still a shit show. He bends over and takes it up thr ass for Israel daily rather than put them in their place as the welfare recipients of the US that they are. This nonsense with Venezuela needs to stop, now. He hasn't handled any of the corruption in the bureaucratic state. His push to lower interest rates is a recipe for disaster. We need more restrictive monetary policy after the covid insanity, not easy money policy. Its going to take at least a decade to recover from those awful Congressional decisions in 2020 and 2021. He hasn't actually held the DEI bureaucracy to account in Universities. Many universities kept all of the DEI people but renamed the departments/roles and there has been 0 follow up on actually stomping that out.
  • Ktrimbach: I go back and forth between B- and C+. He’s still the best President of my life (starting with Nixon), but Oh so much less than he could be!

IV.    Closing Argument: The Constitution, Article 1, The Power of Impeachment

  • Aside from the power of the purse, the other principal power afforded the legislative branch is the power to remove executive officers, including the President and Judges, in the power of Impeachment.
  • As always, we start, first and foremost, with the text. Section 3 of Article 1 provides the House
    shall have the sole Power of impeachment” while ascribing to the Senate “the sole Power to try all Impeachments.” The Constitution requires “no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.” The constitution constricts the impact of impeachment to “not extend further than to removal from Office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States.” Further, “the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment according to Law” by authorities other than the legislative branch.
  • Of note, Article 1 otherwise remains mute on the issue of impeachment. The other Articles answer who can be impeached and the legal predicates for cause to issue such impeachments. Section 4 of Article 2 provides impeachment for the President, Vice President “and all civil Officers of the United States.” The cause permitted for their impeachment is limited to “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” The power to impeach judges is only indirectly referenced, as section 1 of Article 3 provides judges can only hold their offices “during good behaviour.” The only other reference to cause for removal is the obligation for all judicial officers to be “bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution” in Article 6. The rules of impeachment permit “each house may determine the rules of its proceedings” in section 5 of Article 1. The “civil officers” subject to impeachment parallel the “principal officers” the Senate must be “advised” and “consented” to the appointment of under Article 2.
  • While executive officers can only be impeached for “treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors”, judges can be impeached simply for not holding office during “good behaviour.” Some scholars argue the ‘good behaviour” phrase was just a limitation on at-will firing, and not an independent grounds for impeachment and removal, but early American practice and ancient English practice belies that construction. The contrast evidences that good behavior is a broader provision than treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors. A judge can be impeached for non-criminal conduct. The phrase derives from the Latin – as long as they shall behave themselves well. The legacy of the phrase derives from old English practice dating to the 12th century, intended to protect against arbitrary removal or removal without any limits on discretion, comparable to the principle difference between “at will” employment and “for cause” limits on firing.
  • What constitutes such cause for judicial removal? Consider early American practice: merely being drink on the bench was sufficient for impeachment. The principal and paramount precedent of impeachment of judicial officers is the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase in 1804. What grounds did the House recite: “arbitrary, oppressive and unjust” handling of a trial, including partisan prejudice especially, as reflected in the application of the law, exclusions of evidence, and inaccurate recitations of the law to grand juries. Two examples include the failure to remove biased jurors, excluding defense witnesses, and generally “tending to prostitute the high judicial character with which he was invested, to the low purpose of an electioneering partizan.”
  • Sound like any Judges you know? 
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The Barnes Brief: Week of December 12, 2025

I. INTRODUCTION

A.  Art of the Week

As the birds make their winter trip in synchronized form, they almost magically make the form of their species in live time in the air, captured in the moment by a photographer’s film, reminding us of the Creator’s noble design and winking at us in real time. 

B.  Recommendation of the Week

An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States by Charles Beard unmasked that many of the men at the Convention Hall in Philadelphia were not as enlightened and allied to the Founding generation as later history would tell the tale. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/187702.An_Economic_Interpretation_of_the_Constitution_of_the_United_States

C.  Wisdom of the Week

Affording politicians “a universal, unbounded permission” to take another’s liberty or property in the name of the public fisc will “when the expenses of the nation, by their ambition are grown enormous” inescapably “oppress and subject” the citizenry.” William Symmes. 

D.  Appearances

  • Dr. Bowden
    placeholder

E.  Best of the Board

  1. Birthright citizenship. https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7341595/is-the-nationality-act-of-1940-the-proper-starting-point-for-analyzing-the-scope-of-subject-to-th
  2. Viva done w/ Candace. https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7516832/update-about-a-month-ago-i-asked-for-prayers-for-my-mom-since-we-were-going-to-get-an-update-on
  3. Curated content from @CCandent https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7516486/title
  4. Massie: let’s leave NATO. https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7516236/massie-introduces-bill-to-get-us-out-of-nato-by-paul-dragu-the-new-american-representative-thom
  5. Nice ruling in PA. https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7516323/robertbarnes-well-at-least-there-are-still-a-few-judges-in-pa-that-follow-the-constitution-good-r

*Bonus: Personal hope. https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7516832/update-about-a-month-ago-i-asked-for-prayers-for-my-mom-since-we-were-going-to-get-an-update-on

F.  Best Across the Internet

  • Disconnect from purpose.
    placeholder

II. THE EVIDENCE

A.   NEWS OF THE WEEK: The Library

  1. EU crosses Rubicon. https://x.com/PM_ViktorOrban/status/1999358779763183953?s=20
  2. Vaccines & chronic disease. https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/125
  3. Disney’s AI gamble. https://x.com/HedgieMarkets/status/1999170314580746623?s=20
  4. Lindell goes for Governor. https://x.com/realMikeLindell/status/1999191330829009327?s=20
  5. Honduran election dispute. https://x.com/SalvaPresidente/status/1998955182277722383?s=20

*Bonus: Foster kids helped. https://x.com/MAHA_Action/status/1999241337745670236?s=20

B.    DEEP DIVE: RUSSIA-US Reasons for Alliance

  1. Tucker: Russia-US natural allies. https://x.com/AFpost/status/1998968887724183834?s=20
  2. Russia: world’s richest resources. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-top-10-countries-by-value-of-all-their-natural-resources/
  3. Russia: world’s largest country. https://x.com/World_Insights1/status/1999029803458965765?s=20
  4. Russia: world’s largest nuclear arsenal. https://www.icanw.org/nuclear_arsenals
  5. Russia’s GDP replaced Europe. https://x.com/IslanderWORLD/status/1978510171589513504?s=20

*Bonus: Russia’s traditional culture. https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1998812811171082739?s=20

C.   HOMEWORK: Cases in Controversy

  1. SCOTUS: Trump authority over bureaucracy. https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2025/25-332_7lhn.pdf
  2. SCOTUS: campaign spending limits. https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2025/24-621_q86b.pdf
  3. SCOTUS: sentencing the disabled. https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2025/24-872_b07d.pdf
  4. SCOTUS: Covid immunity limits. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-180_8m59.pdf
  5. SCOTUS: Bondi defends Whitmer Fednapping convictions. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-5249/387036/20251210183835177_Croft_Opp_12.10.pdf
  6. Courts extend special protection to Maryland Man. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/paula-xinis-grants-abrego-garcia-tro-block-rearrest.pdf
  7. Share Ryan v. Crenshaw. https://x.com/ShawnRyan762/status/1999554231842349564?s=20
  8. Pipe Bomber Patsy. https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1999541341466866022?s=20
  9. Big Tech contempt. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/epic-games-vs-apple-ninth-circuit-opinion.pdf
  10. Pentagon wins trans ban. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/dc-circuit-trans-soldier-ban-opinion.pdf
  11. Russia Euroclear Arbitration possibilities. https://share.google/FdKIPKgvLfEeJXsUz & https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/international-investment-agreements/treaties/bit/3645/belgium-luxembourg---russian-federation-bit-1989-
  12. Doctor liability for patient’s drugs. https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/oregon-supreme-court-cyclist-doctor-liability.pdf

*Bonus: Ferrari Tennessee tax case up in flames. https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a69556804/whistlindiesel-tennessee-allegations-ferrari-tax-evasion/

**Bonus: Class Action AI in Healthcare. https://www.fisherphillips.com/en/news-insights/new-class-action-targets-healthcare-ai-recordings.html

***Bonus: What does AI own? https://www.commonplace.org/p/matthew-b-crawford-ownership-of-the

III.  CLOSING ARGUMENT: Masterclass -- The Constitution Article I, The Power of the Purse

  • The first power of the purse the Constitution affords the legislative branch of government in Article I is the power to pay themselves, as section 6 of Article 1 provides: “The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.” 
  • The second power of the purse is Article I's most controversial and most consequential: the power to tax and the power to borrow, or, colloquially, the power to “raise Revenue” in section 7. The mechanism for “raising revenue” shall be by legislation that “shall originate in the House” and then be concurred with by the Senate. The power finds explicit enumeration in Section 8: lay taxes; collect taxes; lay duties; collect duties; lay imposts; collect imposts; law excises; collect excises; pay debts; borrow money on credit of the US; coin Money; regulate the value of Money; regulate the value of foreign Coin; fix weights and measures; appropriate money to support Armies (capped at 2 years); provide and maintain a Navy; provide for arming the Militia; and the broad “necessary and proper” catchall in Section 8. The power of the purse finds further enumerated restrictions within Section 1 itself, though subsequent Constitutional provisions could further constrain and restrain the power of the Purse: section 8’s requirement that all “duties, imposts and excises” must be “uniform”; section 9’s prohibiting a tax on importation of people capped at $10 per person; prohibiting any tax that constitutes a bill of attainder or ex post facto law; no direct tax unless apportioned amongst the states; no tax on exports; no port-preferential tax; and no money spent that is not “in consequence of appropriations made by law”. 
  • The Sixteenth Amendment clarified one key aspect of the power of the Purse: enumerating Congress “power to tax” including the power to “law and collect taxes on incomes” regardless of “whatever source derived” without requiring apportionment. This removal-of-the-source rule was later interpreted to be a Congressional reversal by Constitutional Amendment of the Pollock decision of 1896, and enshrining the dissenting opinion as the authoritative interpretation of the power of the Purse in the court’s Brushaber decision by the dissenting Pollock Judge turned Brushaber Chief Judge White. White would treat any tax on income as an indirect tax, and decided that’s all that the 16th Amendment authorized, codifying his 1896 dissent into the Constitution in 1913.  White used the 1794 Carriage Tax Act to claim a direct tax was a tax on an object whereas an indirect tax was a tax on use, effectively affording a broad power to tax “incomes” as long as the subject of the tax was the gain severed from the source rather than a tax on existing or ownership.  The absent clarity from the court enabled Congress to evade ever defining income itself subject to tax since 1916. 
  • This power of the purse exceeded that intended by many in the founding generation, as the Articles of Confederation did not authorize such centralized, federalized power to begin with, and the anti-federalists proved prescient in their warning against the bond-holding elite that packed the text-writing segments of the Constitutional Convention, as well detailed in Charles Beard’s Economic History of the Constitution. https://cdn.mises.org/11_1_6_0.pdf#:~:text=The%20Antifederalists'%20fundamental%20and%20most%20enduring%20objection,in%20nearly%20all%20of%20the%20Antifederalist%20writings.
  • As one of that generation, known only as Federal Farmer, forewarned: “The only semblance of a check is the negative power of not re-electing them. This, sir, is but a feeble barrier, when their personal interest, their ambition and avarice, come to be put in contrast with the happiness of the people. All checks founded on anything but self-love, will not avail.” 
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The Barnes Brief

I.  Schedule

      A.  Interview on World Apart RT https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7495641/interview-w-rt

      B.  Interview w/ Michael Malice https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7495633/michael-malice-interview

      C.   Interview on Duran https://vivabarneslaw.locals.com/post/7477013/live-w-duran 

II. The Evidence

 

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