Michael Krieger

My name is Michael Krieger, and I am the creator and editor of Liberty Blitzkrieg. I'm originally from New York City.

As far as my academic and professional background, I attended college at Duke University where I earned a double major in Economics and Spanish. After completing my studies in 2000, I took a job at Lehman Brothers where I worked with the Oil analyst in the Equity Research Department.  In 2005, I joined Sanford C. Bernstein where I served as the Commodities Analyst on the trading floor. About halfway through my time there, I started to branch out and write opinions on bigger picture "macro" topics that no one else at the firm was covering. These opinion pieces were extremely popular throughout the global investment community, and I traveled around providing advice to some of the largest mutual funds, pension funds and hedge funds in the world.

I loved my job, but as time passed I started to educate myself about how the monetary and financial system functions and what I discovered disgusted me. I no longer felt satisfied working within the industry, and I resigned in January 2010.  At that point, I started a family investment office and continued to write macro pieces on economic, social and geopolitical topics. That summer, I drove cross country for six weeks and ultimately decided to leave the crowded streets of Manhattan for the open spaces of Boulder, Colorado, where I currently reside.

In the years that followed, I gradually recognized that my true passion centers upon writing on issues of significant societal importance given the extremely challenging times we live in. This realization culminated with me losing interest in financial markets and eventually launching this website in early 2012.

If you are interested in a more detailed description, replete with colorful anecdotes, of how I ended up making this bizarre professional transition, take the time to watch the video below.

https//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/DcqMN-FXCIE?rel=0

In Liberty,
Michael Krieger

Liberty Links – 12/1/15

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Below are links to some of the more interesting and important reads I came across today, but will not be publishing on in detail.

This post will be updated with new links throughout the day.

The Fed’s New Bailout Rule Expands Its Powers Rather than Limiting Them (Wall Street on Parade)

Why the U.S. Pays More Than Other Countries for Drugs (Wall Street Journal)

Turkey Stages Coup Against Its Own Press and Generals in Bid to Arm Syrian Militants (TruthDig)

Oklahoma Wesleyan University President Dr. Everett Piper: ‘This is Not a Daycare’ (NBC News)

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11 Years Later, We Finally Know What’s in a National Security Letter (It’s Bad)

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Back in 2004, Nicholas Merrill, who was then president of Calyx Internet Access, received a National Security Letter (NSL) from the FBI. These letters are notoriously authoritarian in that they come with a gag order that prevents the receiving party from even informing its customers it has received one.

Fortunately for us all, Nicholas Merrill refused to comply, and decided to fight the gag order in court. Eleven years later, his efforts have paid off, and we finally know just how awful these NSLs really are.

From ArsTechnica:

The National Security Letter (NSL) is a potent surveillance tool that allows the government to acquire a wide swath of private information—all without a warrant. Federal investigators issue tens of thousands of them each year to banks, ISPs, car dealers, insurance companies, doctors, and you name it. The letters don’t need a judge’s signature and come with a gag to the recipient, forbidding the disclosure of the NSL to the public or the target.

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A Look Inside Saudi Arabia’s Elaborate U.S. Propaganda Machine

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Elements of the charm offensive include the launch of a pro-Saudi Arabia media portal operated by high-profile Republican campaign consultants; a special English-language website devoted to putting a positive spin on the latest developments in the Yemen war; glitzy dinners with American political and business elites; and a non-stop push to sway reporters and policymakers.

That has been accompanied by a spending spree on American lobbyists with ties to the Washington establishment. The Saudi Arabian Embassy, as we’ve reported, now retains the brother of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, the leader of one of the largest Republican Super PACs in the country, and a law firm with deep ties to the Obama administration. One of Jeb Bush’s top fundraisers, Ignacio Sanchez, is also lobbying for the Saudi Kingdom.

In September, the Kingdom helped sponsor opulent galas for Washington’s business elite at the Ritz Carlton and the Andrew Mellon Auditorium. The events were attended by King Salman, along with the chief executives of General Electric and Lockheed Martin, the chairman of Marriott International, and prominent think tank officials.

– From the Intercept article: Inside Saudi Arabia’s Campaign to Charm American Policymakers and Journalists

So what do you do when you’re a barbaric monarchy with a justice system remarkably similar to ISIS, but at the same time want to remain very close ally of the U.S. government? You create a sophisticated propaganda network, naturally.

This is precisely what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has done, and the Intercept’s Lee Fang shined some light into this very dark and slimy corner.

From the Intercept:

Soon after launching a brutal air and ground assault in Yemen, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began devoting significant resources to a sophisticated public relations blitz in Washington, D.C.

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Saudi Arabia and ISIS – A Side by Side Comparison

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Just yesterday, I published an article highlighting the latest deranged idea floated by Saudi Arabia’s monarchs to sue Twitter users comparing the barbaric kingdom to ISIS.

Today, I present to you a powerful graphic courtesy of Middle East Eye, which demonstrates precisely why the Saudis are so sensitive about the topic. Namely, because the accusations are true.

From Middle East Eye:

The Islamic State (IS) and Saudi Arabia prescribe near-identical punishments for a host of crimes, according to documents circulated by the militant group. 

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Another New Low – Saudi Arabia Threatens to Sue Twitter Users Who Compare it to ISIS

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Saudi Arabia never, ever disappoints when it comes to barbarism and backwardness. The latest example is a supposed threat to sue a Twitter user for making the obvious and accurate comparison of the regime to ISIS, something I myself have done on countless occasions.

The Washington Post reports:

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have long been annoyed that everyone keeps suggesting they are anything like the Islamic State. Sure, they say, perhaps some of the laws on the books may look similar to the punishments in the extremist organization, but the Saudi kingdom is a sovereign state that abides by the rule of law and uses these punishments with discretion.

Now, reports in the Saudi press suggest that authorities have a new tactic for those who compare them to the Islamic State: taking them to court. According to a report in pro-government newspaper Al Riyadh, the Saudi justice ministry is planning to sue a Twitter user who suggested that a death sentence recently handed out to a Palestinian artist for apostasy was “ISIS-like.”

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Video of the Day – If Black Friday Were a Movie

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Put aside 4 minutes of your day to poke some fun at America’s leading religion: Consumerism.

For last year’s year Black Friday post, see:

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A Thanksgiving Message

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On this special day for families across America, I want to share the timeless words I’ve shared with readers on past Thanksgivings. Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about his religion. Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect … Read more

Video of the Day – A Lecture on Cry Bullies, Microaggressions & Victimhood Culture

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The deplorable state of America’s college campuses, overrun by intolerant, censorship happy cry bullies, has been a key topic of discussion here at Liberty Blitzkrieg as of late.

The following video is an excellent lecture on the topic by Jonathan Haidt, Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Take the 30 minutes in between mouthfuls of turkey and share with your families.

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Drone Whistleblower Claim – Pilots Often High on Drugs; Refer to Children as “Fun Size Terrorists”

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The killings, part of the Obama administration’s targeted assassination program, are aiding terrorist recruitment and thus undermining the program’s goal of eliminating such fighters, the veterans added. Drone operators refer to children as “fun-size terrorists” and liken killing them to “cutting the grass before it grows too long,” said one of the operators, Michael Haas, a former senior airman in the Air Force. Haas also described widespread drug and alcohol abuse, further stating that some operators had flown missions while impaired.

Haas also described widespread alcohol and drug abuse among drone pilots. Drone operators, he said, would frequently get intoxicated using bath salts and synthetic marijuana to avoid possible drug testing and in an effort to “bend that reality and try to picture yourself not being there.” Haas said that he knew at least a half-dozen people in his unit who were using bath salts and that drug use had “impaired” them during missions.

– From the Intercept article: Former Drone Operators Say They Were “Horrified” by Cruelty of Assassination Program

I’ve highlighted the plight of several brave drone whistleblowers over the years who came forth to decry the barbaric and likely illegal nature of the U.S. drone program. Recently, four of them came together to denounce it more forcefully and provide more disturbing information. They also wrote a letter to Obama.

The Intercept published a powerful story on them the other day, here are a few excerpts:

U.S. DRONE OPERATORS are inflicting heavy civilian casualties and have developed an institutional culture callous to the death of children and other innocents, four former operators said at a press briefing today in New York.

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Liberty Links – 11/24/15

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Below are links to some of the more interesting and important reads I came across today, but will not be publishing on in detail.

This post will be updated with new links throughout the day.

Emails Show Politico’s Mike Allen Promised Positive Coverage of Chelsea Clinton (Gawker)

A Recent Example of How Crony Capitalist Trade Deals Destroy Democracy (Must read link of the day, The Intercept)

Campaign Watchdogs: Pro-Rubio TV Ads Are Breaking The Law (NBC News)

Meet the Democrats Working to Block New Regulations After Flood Of Campaign Cash (International Business Daily)

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