Two Hours and a Lunch in Wannsee

Berlin, Germany—On the outskirts of this great city is a resort community known as Wannsee. This place has a large beautiful lake and serves as a summer playground for those who can afford it.

When the Allies invaded Germany a curious transcript was found in the personal effects of a man named Martin Luther. Luther had been imprisoned in a concentration camp but he had been the Under Secretary of the Reich Foreign Ministry.

This transcript was a Nazi secret document that was supposed to have been read and immediately destroyed. Luther violated the order and preserved it instead. That document shed a spotlight on a two-hour, January 20, 1942 meeting where 15 assembled high-ranking Nazis settled the Jewish Question. The question was answered with a plan to exterminate every Jew within their reach.

The meeting was held in a sumptuous and grand Wannsee villa that exists today as a War Crimes Museum. Visitors can stand and walk on the same floors as the panelists did where the Holocaust was planned.

In addition to the transcript there is the supporting testimony of Adolph Eichmann who was instrumental in setting the meeting up. That testimony came in Israel after Eichmann was kidnapped in Argentina and brought before a court to answer for Crimes against Humanity. We know for sure exactly what took place at Wannsee.

The panel of 15 included seven trained lawyers. Presumably that was to make sure that Reich Law and the Nuremberg Laws making Jews, persona non grata were followed.

The Chairman of the Panel was the notorious SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich. Heydrich was Hitler’s number one Hatchet Man. He had special powers of persuasion backed by his ability to exercise deadly discipline on anyone attending. Crossing Heydrich was a really bad idea.

Yet two of the panel members, Wilhelm Stutkart and Martin Luthur balked at the outrageous plan exercising nearly tombstone courage. Others suggested the less horrifying solution such as mass sterilization of Jews. Other panelists were simply intimidated into cooperating with the murders of millions of men women and children.

Some panelists complained that the German war effort was dependent upon the Jews they already conscripted for labor. Killing their workers would certainly have an adverse impact on armament production. That compelling argument fell on deaf ears.

By the time lunch was over these Nazis had their Top Secret marching orders.

Jews and Gypsies were efficiently transported far from Germany on rail lines to special state of the art death camps for mass extermination and cremation. Words like resettled and evacuated replaced kidnapped and murdered in the new Nazi lexicon.

HBO re-created the Wannsee Conference in a accurate dramatic film shot at the actual villa with actors Kenneth Branagh and Stanley Tucci. The film is excellent.

After my visit to the Wannsee Museum I had a wonderful lunch nearby but our conversation was much lighter than that dark one in 1942. Here is some video from my visit there last week. Following further below is the trailer for the movie Conspiracy filmed on location at the Wannsee villa.





More photos can be seen here:

Never Let A Good Crisis Go to Waste

Berlin, Germany—Recently Barack Obama’s former Chief of Staff and now the mayor-elect of Chicago, Rham Emanuel said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” That savvy remark was made by a very accomplished politician and campaigner. Such was Adolph Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment, Dr. Paul Joseph Göbbels.

Göbbels was a well-educated educated genius that knew how to shape, contain and exploit public opinion as efficiently as anyone in history. Göbbels played the new media of broadcast radio like a violin as he managed to operate this superb new tool to control very thought of the masses!

Here at home Franklin D. Roosevelt and his political cronies did exactly the same thing to a lesser extent. The famous Fireside Chats kept America spellbound as he waged his own propaganda war.

Today every Hollywood press agent of political campaign manager must understand how to create and exploit any kind of crisis to get exactly what they want. Yes, the old publicity stunt can work wonders.

A few years back an ageing Carol Channing was appearing in a Los Angeles show. She needed to sell lots of tickets but her star had faded and she really needed a publicity boost. This is where sharp publicists earn their bread.

As the show was being promoted these was a high dollar theft in L.A. and the victim was none other than Carol Channing. Police were investigating the claim that her designer dress studded with real diamonds was stolen from the hotel. Needless to say if brought out all of Hollywood’s news organizations that informed absolutely everyone that Carol Channing was appearing live in Hollywood for a stage show. The obligatory coverage of the dress caper and photos and statements from the LAPD were secondary to the free publicity the ticket office obtained. This was only part-one to this saga.

As for part-two, as the show was winding down and more tickets were needed to be sold, the stolen dress was found! Imagine that! It seems a homeless man found the dress, knew it must be Channing’s and returned it! The media circus was on again and Channing’s show was extended! Of course, I have absolutely no evidence that this was not more than a coincidence. But go ahead and, you can be the judge on that one.

For politicians the tricks are the same. As the Weimar Republic was struggling with their defeat after World War One, and the Great Depression every politician was fighting to control Germany. There was no shortage of political parties and people ready to exploit the treasury, limousines and prestige of high political office.

The National Socialists under the leadership of Adolph Hitler were competing with the Communists to rule Germany. Both parties were identical in their Marxist based redistribution of wealth platforms. Each party offered a slightly different flavor of Socialism.

Who would the hungry people of Germany trust to lead them out of their financial mess? Neither party had sufficient votes or public support needed to win. That’s where a crisis was and a way to heroically overcome it was needed.

The Reichtag was and still is the Capitol building for Germany. It is the home of the Parliament and government political apparatus. Across the street was another government building where the Nazi Party’s military political leader, Hermann Göring had an apartment. Beneath the street there was a tunnel connecting both buildings.

On, February 27, 1933 an arson fire broke out at the Reichtag and the Nazi wasted no time on blaming the fire on the Communists. Soon a Dutch Communist, Marinus van der Lubbe along with four others were framed for torching this venerable landmark.The Nazis were able to convince the people of Germany that the Communists were plotting against Germany. This was the crisis that Hitler needed in order to win absolute power in Germany through a special Emergency Decree to combat the new Communist threat. Civil rights were suspended so they could immediately round up and deal with the Communists.

Liberty never returned to Germany for 12 long years as Hitler led Germany into a massive world-wide Apocalypse. Before it was over, 50 million human lives that included six-million Jews and Gypsies along with nine-million Germans were needlessly lost.

Hitler was evil but his evilness was somewhat over-rated when compared to other despots. Hitler had more efficient, state of the art technology for murdering the innocent. The deeds of the Nazi agents were meticulously documented for posterity. Any despot leading a major nation could kill more efficiently today if given absolute power. One-party rule anywhere is always dangerous.

A good government is one that operates openly with lots of vigorous debate. If your, City Council, County Board, State Legislature are all in agreement dangerous and evil things are assuredly happening.

In every nation on earth there is some politician with the desire to control and own every country on earth. These evil would-be despots all have charisma, charm and a nice smile. They have all learned from the great despots that preceded them and that what’s past is prologue. They have all learned to never let a good crisis go to waste.

The Death Penalty and American Justice

Berlin, Germany—I must admit that I’ve long ago parted company with the vast majority of cops on the death penalty. It’s not that those savage, sadistic and cruel thugs who murder innocent people deserve any mercy at all, because they don’t.

I will never waiver in my absolute belief in the use of immediate deadly force by any citizen to stop a violent felony crime in progress. Self-defense and the protection of our families is a right given to us by our creator and must never be inhibited by our politicians and bureaucrats.

For me the problem is government. Governments including ours are run by politicians and their appointed political hacks that nearly all enrich themselves and blunder through their turn at “public service”. Unfortunately as we know only too well these people can’t seem to have the simple skills to even count small change.

Even if our government officials are not being malicious or grossly incompetent they constantly make lots of mistakes. Those mistakes happen incredibly too often when it comes to the death penalty. I have favored a higher standard of proof at the minimum rather than that nearly impossible to define term, Reasonable Doubt. Right now murder convictions are based on the guess of some jury.

Governments can and do change in a heartbeat. Other factors such as the steady effort by the nation's prosecutors to allow courts to weigh evidence precluded by our Bill of Rights. Once unconstitutional laws are passed, it can take decades before the courts get around to striking them down.

You may like the political make up of your government today but bad health, elections and political violence can bring you a leader that you will loathe. It is unwise to give more than minimal power to any politicians that affect your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

The power over our very own lives is what many people are willing to entrust politicians to defend and protect. I’m unwilling to do that ever.

Plötzensee Prison was a long-time, Prussian correctional facility for criminals. They supported the idea of the death penalty in Germany. The criminals convicted of despicable, cruel or infamous murder were placed under the executioner’s axe at a rate of less than ten per year.

Plötzensee changed when law enforcement duties were handed to thugs and political hacks loyal to Adolph Hitler. The standard of proof was changed and the kinds of allowable evidence in the courts of the Third Reich.

Nazi courtrooms and justice was only allowable for those people not outlawed by mere genetics. Jews and Gypsies had no rights and were deported to resettlement locations where they were simply liquidated in secret.

No less than five thousand Germans were tried and executed for treason for any resistance or disrespect to the Hitler Administration. Thousands of others were sent to work concentration camps inside Germany for very long terms.

Unfortunately the Third Reich is always singled out as an anomaly or very unusual criminal regime. These governments are everywhere in the world today but lack the kind of meticulous record keeping, photographic and film proof created by the Nazis themselves.

The winners of wars never face was crimes trials. Josef Stalin’s government murdered tens of millions and their soldiers and bureaucrats raped the women and children of Berlin for years after they controlled this area. They all escaped any civil or military punishment.

The evil of the Third Reich is not some genetic defect that only affects Germans. That evil is in every government on earth waiting for power that citizens will willingly give them.

Americans have the duty to keep a sharp watch over our freedom. We somehow failed as we have passed loads of laws restricting freedom. Hate speech and thought is under attack every day. Imagine if in America you could not openly express hate for someone as evil as Adolph Hitler? That was a capital crime under Nazi law.

Don’t trust your government not to abuse the power to kill their own citizens.

Learn more about the Death Penalty in this video:

Judicial Tyranny Investigated by Crimefile News

Berlin, Germany--I´m right now investigating Adolph Hitler´s judge that sentenced over 5,000 good Germans to death for government resistance. His name is Dr. Roland Friesler. In addition he was the judge that made the Holocaust legal by decree.

Above is a plack that is where this Nazi´s courthouse once stood in Berlin. It is where the Sony Center stands in Pottsdamher Platz.

I will have a lot to say about him later. You can take it to the bank that Friesler´s judicial tyranny exists today in neary every American courthouse. Friesler clones must be purged wherever they are found.

Battle: L.A.

Westwood Village, Los Angeles, CA—Another star-studded premier is happening for The Battle: L.A.

A guess this film is about space invaders rather than the much more likely revolt of the Entitlement Zombies once Barack Obama’s checks start bouncing.

They’re getting ready for the star’s arrival and hordes of autograph seeking fans.
See the preparations and below that is the actual trailer for the film. I will be on the plane bound for Europe during the premier and I think I will wait until this film hits Netflix.

Sheen TV—Wayne’s World On Steroids!

Sherman Oaks, CA—Charlie Sheen is embroiled in a media war unpatrolled anywhere in history. I’m not sure what’s really going on in Sheen’s world. For all I know this whole apocalypse could be nothing more than a giant publicity stunt.

By all appearances this multi-millionaire is going through a meltdown fueled by alcohol, drugs and the largest ingredient, massive ego. Is this all just an act? There is no shortage of comedy, heartbreak and drama in this media Armageddon.

“Sheen’s Korner” broadcasts are done with a simple computer with broadband, a cheap camera and ordinary household lighting. Anyone, almost anywhere could do better quality broadcasts than Sheen has produced so far. The public lure of Sheen’s broadcasts seems to be sheer morbid voyeurism.

Sheen’s normally clean-cut TV appearance is embellished by the best TV make-up people who are noticeably and sorely needed for, Sheen’s Korner. He certainly looks like he’s on an extended bender on his show.

Should Sheen, CBS, Warner Brothers and the show’s creator resumed, Two and a Half Men right now it would break every ratings record ever established.

Sheen is a devilishly clever lad and born showman. Is there perhaps more to, Charlie Sheen’s Winning than meets the eye?

I personally want Sheen to succeed. Sheen’s many talents have enabled so many people to realize the American dream with lucrative employment connected to Sheens projects.

If as most people suspect, Sheen is going through a dark period of illness, addiction and the road to suicide, this is beyond tragic.

Sheen above all has to be a father to his young children. Yes, he can support them incredibly well but he has a more important duty and that’s to be their role model.

If Charlie is suffering from illness he needs treatment and those bridges that were burned must all be rebuilt by all involved. Those people who have been hurt need to do the right thing and that’s to help this fellow in spite of himself.

I want this war over, the show to continue and everyone involved to profit like they never have before. That can happen. Sheen’s young life hangs in the balance. Sheen and his family deserve a better entertainment effort than, Charlie sheen’s Winning. Sheen could easily retire in a grand lifestyle, but I insist that he also has an obligation to share his talent with the world. Let’s hope this was all just a grand publicity stunt.

Click here for SHEEN'S KORNER.

Oak Brook Police Officer Stephen Peterson Files a Lawsuit to Keep his Job

Oak Brook, IL—The son of retired Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson refused to tell investigators what they wanted to hear about his father. The penalty was that he be discharged in a two-fold effort. Part one was simply to pressure and punish Drew Peterson and part two was to turn the younger Peterson into a snitch.

Oak Brook Police Chief Thomas Sheahan danced vigorously to the music of Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow. Glasgow simply brought a case against the elder Peterson despite a lack of admissible evidence and is suffering embarrassment accordingly as a result.

The good news here is they will be in a different court where Glasgow has no jurisdiction. I don’t think this action by the Oak Brook Police and Fire commissioners will pass Constitutional muster.

The younger Peterson’s FOP lawyer, Tamera Cummings fired the first shot with her petition filed below:

Stephen Peterson wrongful discharge petition

Lindsay Lohan’s Defense Investigation Laundry List

Venice, CA—Lindsay Lohan is accused of the felony crime of Grand Theft. This was in connection with the temporary removal of a necklace from a jewelry store. The reasons for the removal are not all that clear nor is the intent to permanently deprive needed to establish a theft case.

As a criminal defense investigator these are what I would do to establish Lohan’s innocence:
1. Learn the reasonable value or worth for the necklace to see if it really meets the threshold minimum dollar amount required to classify this as a felony offense.
2. Interview every witness listed in the police or news media reports. The witnesses’ friends must be also interviewed to determine inconsistent statements. There will always be inconsistent statements in a case like this.
3. Conduct a full background investigation on every witness including examination of internet social networking sites visited by these people.
4. Examine the scene where this event took place.
5. Determine if any media leaks were the result of witness instigation or celebrity information commerce.
6. Establish any and all increased traffic to the “victim” business and their website after this story was published in the media and its influence on the witnesses.
7. Full investigation of prospective jurors and their social networking activities. This would continue throughout any trial.
8. Any other tasks though necessary by the defense counsel.

The defense lawyers have no choice but to fully test the evidence. Failure to do so could result in a wrongful conviction and years of unnecessary appeal work.

Lindsay Lohan cannot risk a serious conviction. It would affect her ability to work and for any future foreign travel.

I already believe the state’s theory is full of gaping holes and that Lohan should be very reluctant to seek any plea bargain that could damage her significantly. Of course that’s a decision she must make on her own after being fully advised by her lawyers.

The next question I have, are Lohan’s lawyers up to the task of trying this case? I’m not so sure of the answer. One of her lawyers, Blair Berk is a master at facilitating generous plea agreements. That’s however not the same as trying the case.

Me, I’d bring in Chicago Uber-Defender, Jed Stone. Stone is one of the better death penalty lawyers in America. He may be over-kill but he has special abilities to get the right information to the jurors in a way they can all understand.

In any even I hope this case plays out in a way that will make us proud of our Bill of Rights and the way we conduct criminal trials.

You never know when the victims show their real motives in matters landing in our criminal courts. Check out this one!

Hiring and Promotion for The Chicago Police Department is a Disaster

Chicago, IL—It began in the 1970’s when it became obvious that Chicago educated African Americans and Hispanics were not literate enough to pass the police civil service examinations. Lawsuits were filed making claims that the tests were culturally biased. This notion was in vogue with the political left. The testing as we knew it was scrapped.

Yes, the department really did not hire very many woman and the ones they did were either Matrons for the lockups or Policewomen for the Youth Division. There were no rank promotions after that. It was generally accepted that women were the weaker sex and could not have presence and appearance of a strong man for those difficult people police must deal with. Others feared the day when our daughters would be killed in the line of duty just like the men.

Frankly the women had to compete with thousands of women for a handful of positions so academically they were for the most part brighter and better educated than most of the male officers.

The real cultural issue was simple enough. African-Americans in Chicago were not motivated to succeed in school or do much more than collect entitlements. That was and is Chicago's African-American culture. Should some ghetto dwellwrs change their minds at age 20-21 it’s really too late to re-enter school to learn the basics and failure with poverty is the hand they’re dealt.

White males were left out in the cold unless they were politically connected by blood or at least bed sheets.

The Socialists running the city turned over hiring and promotion to neighborhood political strongmen. That includes the local reverends.

The new police headquarters at 35th Steert and Michigan Avenue has the well-deserved nickname of Fort Fellatio. Your imagination will help you arrive at how that became the moniker.

I was asked tonight if Commander Penny Trahanas better known as Hennypenny was qualified to be a District Commander. My response was simple, I don’t know since she’s not been tested. We don’t know if she is smart or literate enough. She does however, apparently have the right political sponsor.

As for her personal life it has proven to be a major embarrassment with criminal charges and now a child abuse complaint.

Trahanas' wisdom for allowing assorted vagabonds, and beggars the run of the Harrison District to me is both appalling and dangerous.

As for the pending matter with Hennypenny’s teenage daughter, that’s why we have Due Process. That being said, a police commander has to avoid the appearance of improperly. In that regard she has failed.

Update: There are now published reports that Commander Penny Trahanas has abdicated the District Commander’s Throne in 011. At this point giving up her gold star will cause her to revert to the rank of captain and this will result in her reassignment in some other unit. Retirement may hold a better option for her in the long run.

This will improve things for the beleaguered Filmore Rangers formerly under Hennypenny’s command in the short term.

In any event it’s doubtful that Chicago will see an end to fraternization or nepotism or promotion by fellatio. The current culture of the Chicago Police Department must return to just and discipline for all officers. The return of legitimate civil service testing is one sure way to improve department morale and the quality of those selected to lead their fellow officers. Without reform this once proud department is doomed.

As for Captain Trahanas, she deserves full due process and punishment to harsher than any other officer if she has been found to have violated laws or departmental rules. Immunity for the chosen few should become a thing of the past.

Lisa Madigan Wants to Make Stalking and Killing Cops Easier in Illinois!

Chicago, IL—Illinois forces it's gun owners to surrender their privacy rights for the privilege of possessing a firearm. You say owning a gun is a right in Illinois? Surly you jest! If you are required to pay for a FOID card and wait months to receive it that’s hardly a right at all considering they don’t make you wait for a driver’s license. The same holds true for waiting periods and redundant background investigations. Remember driving is not a right, but a privilege!

Illinois requires completed applications with your personal demographics and a photograph. Attorney General Lisa Madigan feels that this is a public record and intends to disclose it to anyone and everyone accordingly.

I’m not saying Madigan’s legal opinion is wrong at all. I think she’s absolutely correct! It’s the requirement for gun owners to provide the information before they can enjoy their second Amendment rights is what’s wrong!

Most police agencies require all current and retired cops who possess firearms to have the FOID card as a condition of employment even though the law has a peace officer exemption.

Anyone wanting to kill a cop will have free access to the home address of every cop in Illinois! Criminals will be able to quickly learn whether the people they intend to rob, rape or murder owns a gun! If this is unsettling and even frightening then something needs to remedy this mess.

This matter should be addressed with emergency legislation. The legislation should protect all city, county and state records. Hunting licenses are also a great source for this kind of privacy invasion.

I support the notion that public records are just that. I don’t however support government collecting this kind of information from its citizens.

L.A. Tunnel Gang Scores Millions in Jewelry Heist

Los Angeles, CA—It happened in the downtown Jewelry District of this city. Right out of a Hollywood screenwriter’s imagination, like the Michael Mann plot for that James Caan flick, Thief.

It was on February 19, 2011, between the hours of 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM when an industrious pair of thieves tunneled through the walls and lifted some really hot ice worth well over $3 million. This was at a yet to be named business located in the 600 block of South Broadway.

Rather than put their merchandise in the vault that night, employees left the goodies out in the display cases like candy. Yes, I agree this scenario has a strong odor of being an, inside job. Getting the LAPD to prove that theory is yet another matter.

The merry burglars were able to tunnel in to the business with ease and they purloined the gems while fully covered with hooded outfits and back packs.

The question I have is will insurance cover this claim if they simply did not vault the loot while the store was closed?

Stay tuned and see if LAPD’s, Sergeant Joe Friday can crack this caper! Somehow, I don’t think he up to the task.

Sit back and watch the gang do their magic to the elegant music of George Gershwin.

.

Your Turn, Tell Me What You Want Me To Cover

The fun about having a blog is that you get to do what you want to do subject of course to your budget of time and money. I know a lot of you may have ideas for stories and this would be a great time to put in your requests.