Rather than dwell on what we consider the hopelessly depressing results of this weekend's presidential primary voting (spoiler alert: approximately 75% of all voters are out of their freaking minds), Hope n' Change is looking at a sneakier but no less important threat to freedom being pushed by Barack "I Still Have a Year To Destroy You" Obama: The TPP.
The TPP (which allegedly stands for Trans-Pacific Partnership even though we're more familiar with those first two letters having a different and more accurate association) is the bizarre, mostly-secret trade agreement which our current anti-capitalist president is ramming through. It's long, complex, and, like Obamacare, deliberately written to be misunderstood - so we just want to focus on one seemingly teeny-tiny element which was recently changed (and which the Obama administration is no doubt hoping will fly under the radar).
You can read all about it here, but in a nutshell the TPP will allegedly extend "copyright protection" for things like online content by allowing the government to bring charges against anyone suspected of copyright infringement even if the "copying" (like a simple link to a news story) does no harm to the copyright owner and, indeed, may even be encouraged by the copyright owner.
In other words, Hope n' Change could be shut down for linking to the dry story about the TPP above, let alone linking to stories about more sensitive issues like Hillary's criminal wrongdoing or how "Bathhouse Barry" got his nickname. And if you share one of our cartoons, even though we explicitly encourage you to do so, the government could come and get YOU, too. A very tidy way to curtail bothersome political speech, don't you think?
Despite vagueness in many other areas, the TPP is quite clear about what the government can do to you if it finds you in potential (or even imaginary) violation of their new copyright standards:
• Sentences of imprisonment as well as deterrent-level monetary fines
• Higher penalties in more serious circumstances
• Seizure of infringing items (ie, computers, phones, printers, office equipment)
• Forfeiture or destruction of those items, materials, and implements (that's right, they'll crush them with a steamroller just to further honk you off).
• Forfeiture of any assets (such as money) derived from the infringement• Assignment to a prison cell which you'll share with an angry muscular giant named Mohammed Mustafa "Ass Rammer of Death" X. (Okay, the TPP doesn't specifically say this, but we think it's implied).
It's hard to see either Bernie or Hillary not liking this potential tool for reining in free speech, but can anyone really be sure that a president Trump might not also like the power to keep people from seeing "stupid" things like this troubling review of his past (and current) policy positions..?
Without freedom of speech, every other freedom will soon fall by the wayside. Which is what makes the death of a true Constitutionalist like Antonin Scalia such a critical and tragic loss at this crucial time.
40 comments:
I am a Trump Voter. Yes, he has said some pretty dumb things over the years, but he has revolved. In my way of thinking he is the only one who can salvage America after the Obama Years. God help us if Hillary or Bernie get elected. Rubio is the choice of the Establishment.
Obama got elected on Hope and Change. He promised a utopia with everyone riding around on unicorns. The most transparent administration ever. I knew he was trouble right away, but when he told Joe the Plumber “we have to spread the wealth around” that removed any doubt. In my opinion the only reason he wasn’t impeached is because he is the affirmative action President.
Trump is playing the very same game. Of course everyone wants America to be great again. That’s a great slogan. Everything else from him is empty rhetoric. “It’s going to be huge or wonderful etc. etc..” All beautiful promises. How’s he going to pay for it? Trust him, he’ll see to it later. If elected, could he get anything through Congress?
As for the jail time for posting links, I think they better build more jails because there will be a lot of us together. Hell, I post news links to Facebook, Twitter, email and blogs. On the up side, I’m old and jail will provide free housing, free food, free clothing, free security and free healthcare with better coverage than Obamacare.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg doing a strip tease?! Be still my heart!
Good luck throwing the millenials in jail. They post more links than you çould imagine. Just can't see this taking hold and sticking around. Obama care will eventually be overthrown, and so would this.
But let's pass it first so we can see what's in it! And while we're at it let's have Nancy Pelosi join Ruthy on the pole!
Quietly serious: If "reigning in" was a funfully ironic display of your off-the-ceiling wit, I'll award your usual kudos.
If knot, watch your speling.
Jim
From what I understand of the TPP, it basically will give large corporations control over government. Many more of our jobs will go overseas, big pharma will force generic medications off the market, uninspected and thereby unsafe food and other products will flood our markets.
It also has language in it that will bypass much of our Constitution, not just the 1st ammendment. Naturally Øbastard is all for it.
Here's the deal with Trump (as pontificated by Bobo the Hobo, world-renowned political pundit): The GOP has no idea how much anger there is out there.
2008 we elected representatives who told us they would roll back taxes, reduce government waste and size of government, and get the government's boot off our necks. "Trust us, send us to Washington, we will do your bidding." So we did and who did we get? McCain. Nothing happened because allegedly, "Oops! We need the Senate to get the job done because we're being blocked by the Democrats. Give us the Senate and this will happen - we pinkey swear!"
So in 2012, we made sure the GOP had both houses ... but wait! now we also need the Presidency to stamp, "Mission: Accomplished". Meanwhile, the borders are porous, Europe is in the toilet, we cannot depend on the government to keep us safe, Obamacare is throttling the life out of small businesses - the list is literally endless. So yeah, we're angry and now Reince Priebus is wringing his hands over the fact that a political outsider has the gall to challenge the lineage of imperial presidential nominees and can do so with impunity, not to mention the backing of those of us who are ticked-off enough to vote to change the direction of the party. Priebus cannot understand how Trump is clearly winning the hearts and minds of not only Republican voters, but some Dems as well.
Is Trump perfect? Aw, hell no but I am willing to overlook his flaws and faults because I believe he will go to Washington to kick ass and take names and I would absolutely love to see Putin's face after the election because I believe Trump will win. I also believe Trump will finally build that freaking wall.
So bite me, Republicans; coming to a poling place near you.
OMG! This video is unbelievable. He says whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear. He has NO core beliefs. He talks a good game, but I've never heard how he'll accomplish all his promises, and talk is cheap. If he becomes president, He will still need congress (so far), unless he decides to become a dictator, like the one we have now. He's narcissistic, like the one we have now and possibly has histrionic personality disorder. The only thing good about him is he's not hillary or bernie (so far). He wouldn't be where he is today without the media following him around like a bunch of puppy dogs and reporting his every move and insult. He is a bully who can't stand criticism.
I prefer someone with a consistent ideology.
@mary ann rohde- Following the debacle of the Obama years, it does seem like only a seismic change in Washington might be able to get us back on a positive course. Trump just might be that seismic change, and I'll absolutely give him my vote if he's running against Bernie or Hillary.
That being said, Trump has such a long record of views which are diametrically opposed to conservatism (including views expressed quite recently) that any vote I'd cast for him would be based on hope rather than reason - and I'm not personally comfortable with that.
@Joseph ET- Much like Bernie Sanders has one solution to all problems ("We'll make da billionaires pay their fair share!") it seems like Trump's one solution to all problems is "I'll make a wuuunderful deal!" And maybe he would, but I'm getting desperate to hear some specifics. Pressed on how he would make sure everyone would have health insurance, he cobbled together an answer that he would keep the mandate but it wouldn't be single-payer because he'd use "heart." Uh, what?
To play Devil's advocate, Trump's deal-making talents just might allow him to push stuff through Congress. In part because he's expert at give-and-take, but also because he's a rulebreaker. For all I know, he'd start rounding up votes for his agenda by threatening to reveal sleazy secrets about other politicians. "Blackmail," I think they call it. Which brings us to a big moral question: if Trump used the "wrong" methods to accomplish the "right" things, would that be acceptable to you, me, or other voters? Should it be?
Truthfully, I don't have easy answers.
@Jim Irre- The millenials won't have much to worry about with links. The point isn't that the government will prosecute everyone for such an innocuous activity, but rather that they could prosecute anyone who gets on their bad side. Which some of us actively labor to do.
By the way, if Pelosi and Ginsburg do that dance you're referring to, I think we've finally found that 10-foot pole that no one will touch afterwards.
@Anonymous- D'oh! You got me fair and square. As much as I'd like to claim subtle and sophisticated wordplay, you actually spotted a brainfart.
@Geoff King- Obama and big business are both for the TPP, which is an uncomfortable combination: hard to see this ending well for the little guy. Or in my case, the freedom-loving guy.
@Bobo the Hobo- I hear and understand all that you're saying, and agree with a lot of it. Trump's popularity is a direct result of recent GOP betrayals, and ongoing DEM attacks on the substance of our nation. People are angry and the system has been shown to be so dysfunctional that maybe there isn't a way to make things right from within that system.
But breaking that centuries old mold takes us into new and untested territory; putting nearly unlimited power into the hands of a man whose core beliefs are fluid (to put it mildly), a man who is volatile and reactive rather than thoughtful, and a man who has never been tested in actual governance and leadership.
I hope Trump is the right man for the job. But after 7+ years of "Hope" under Obama, the word has been damaged almost beyond repair.
@Judi King- I posted the video because I know a lot of people here are Trump supporters. It's not so much that I want to change their minds as I'd like them to help change our minds about why we shouldn't believe our eyes and ears when it comes to things Trump has said and continues to say.
Let me pose this as a direct and non-combative question to Trump supporters (I'm not trolling, I'm trying to initiate dialogue): when you watch the video I posted today, why doesn't it bother you? Why do you believe that Trump has changed his mind on all of these issues, and that his mind won't change again?
Thank God Hope n' Change hasn't swallowed the Kool-Aid. Mary Ann Rohde above says 'he's revolved' sic. Has he evolved the way the Clinton' evolved? The way Obama evolved? It's an old saying but a leopard cannot change its spots. This person is the most egomaniacal man I've ever heard. It would be hell having him sit in the Oval Office. I'll pull the lever before I do Hillary but I don't believe he can defeat. He's hated by 60% of the Republican voters. God is punishing us for all of our sins.
The video does not bother me because it is so evident that it has been edited to death. It reminds me of something that Cruz would have put out. This is a good article. Now they can come and arrest me.
http://www.thepostemail.com/2015/12/11/who-is-donald-trump/
There is simply no difference between Tump, Sanders, and Clinton.
Those who claim to be right-leaning and who support Trump are either ignorant of him (aside from his name and his horrific hot air excursions) or are fools.
There I said it.
Wise up Trump supporters - he is no better than Sanders/Clinton. All three are fascists!
Well, a couple of weeks ago I wouldn't have lost too much sleep over this since we could assume that under review by the Supreme Court, this would clearly be declared unconstitutional. But now we can no longer make such assumptions like that now can we.
Of course, if interpreted literally this would shut down the world wide web as we know it. It's easy to see why certain politicians who are largely hindered by documentation of their past would be all for this kind of thing. But by any objective standard, this is simply unworkable.
So, ranchers in the western USA, white Christian males, gun owners, federal government whistleblowers and makers of anti-islamic movie clips should stop sharing links...
@mjloehrer- The anger which has energized Trump's campaign is entirely understandable and entirely justified. I get it. Heck, I share it. The question is whether or not we can trust Trump to be who he claims to be now rather than the man he has claimed to be through words and deeds in the past.
I am not without hope that he could be a good president. However, as I said earlier, I no longer put much faith in "hope." Look how badly it's burned America in the past 7+ years.
@Friedrich Hayek- I think there's a difference between Bernie, Hillary, and The Donald in terms of their visions for America...but I don't think there's enough of a difference in their disregard for the Constitution and traditional separation of powers.
@John the Econ- Using the TPP to suppress speech would only be unworkable if the government brought charges against everyone, no matter how small the infringement. But if they choose to ignore infractions 99.9% of the time and just dust it off to nail political opponents, I'm afraid it's very workable.
@Thomas- Bingo.
Anyone who plays Euchre knows that, in the trump suit, the Right Bower beats the Left Bower and all other cards. Question is: which bower is Trump?
The plan appears to have every citizen committing a crime at any given time, you then relinquish any and all rights (save your Miranda, assuming those will remain in place). The government will have free reign to reveal each and every thing previously considered private. Your constitutional privacy is no longer valid. Just a guess.
Cute video on Trump.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0tE6T-ecmg
Stilton, you do an outstanding job of pointing out the failures of our elected people and processes.
As far as Trump goes, does it matter really if he is liberal or conservative? What he appears to be in reality is pragmatic – the ability to see a problem and deal with it. We all know what the liberals are doing (and have done) to this country, and the conservatives have rolled over and played dead, even when given the chance to make a difference. This election seems to be the last chance for this once great country to turn things around, and if we don’t - - - -
Maybe Trump has flip/flopped over the years, but who hasn’t ever had a change of mind as the situation changes? No doubt many of us have told the truth as we know it at the time, and find out more facts that causes us to rethink our position.
Keep up the good work!
Warning!
Completely off topic.
While taking my daily Obama, it suddenly dawned on me that if Slick Willy gets back into the White House, 'Madame' President will take on a completely different meaning.
"Using the TPP to suppress speech would only be unworkable if the government brought charges against everyone, no matter how small the infringement. But if they choose to ignore infractions 99.9% of the time and just dust it off to nail political opponents, I'm afraid it's very workable.
And thanks to the "selective enforcement" we've seen from Federal agencies such as the IRS, we well know that this is not only possible, but likely.
One only needs to look overseas to Progressive Europe to see exactly how this would work:
"In Denmark, apparently, it is a crime to criticize Islam and "Islamists," but calling Jews the "offspring of apes and pigs" and inciting their murder in a packed mosque (and calling non-Muslims in general "animals") can be done with impunity."
As John Edwards famously used to say, there are "Two Americas". But the real "Two Americas" won't be based upon class, but upon "favored" vs the "un-favored", or the "over-regulated" vs the "non-regulated".
The truth is Trump should have run in the Democrat primary where he belongs. I think he chose Republican so as not to have to face the all mighty Hillary, whereas he could lord it over all those stupid little pinhead Republicans running. Also, he gauged correctly this should be a Republic year, emphasis on should. He has gotten a total free ride in the media, on the one hand for yuuge ratings and on the other so that he can be the one up against Hillary. Believe me, the long knives will come out for him if he secures the nomination. For this and many other reasons, I have completely sworn off Fox News and the Sunday morning shows. It was making me angry and upset and I realized I am helpless to change anything. I voted for Cruz by mail and that's all I have control over. There has been some withdrawal but it has also been extremely liberating. I'm reading books, coloring in my adult coloring books, listening to Pandora and watching good TV shows. I am dismayed at the inability of anyone to take down that blowhard so I am just tuning out, except for this wonderful blog and one conservative group on Facebook.
@Geoff King- I'm sure your comment is witty and thought-provoking. But since I don't know anything about Euchre or bowers, I can't really be more specific.
@jimp8606- Exactly. Create enough obscure laws that everyone is guilty of something, and prosecutable when it best serves the needs of the state.
@robsan19- Wow, that video was REALLY well done. Whoever made it has serious professional chops.
@George Cooper- Great comment, and you summarize what I consider to be the most hopeful scenario with the Trump ascendency. At this point, it genuinely may not matter if the president is liberal or conservative - but may only matter that he wants to enact genuine, rule-breaking reforms. As I've said before, Trump may be that guy - but I wouldn't be honest if I didn't express my reservations.
We may have reached the point where a metaphorical hand grenade needs to be tossed into the heart of a stagnant and stacked system. It's the collateral damage that keeps me awake nights.
@NVRick- Are you implying that the White House would become a house of ill repute, with carnal goings on?! Because I think you're right.
@John the Econ- Exactly. There's no need to tax the system by oppressing everyone. All they really need to do is make examples of the troublemakers and the rest of the sheep will stay silent.
@Shelly- I think Trump could easily have run as a Democrat, and in fact would make a better president than either Hillary or Bernie (notice I didn't exactly set the bar very high there). I do think that the ratings-hungry media has helped create the Trump wave of momentum...and I agree with you that if and when he becomes the GOP nominee they will turn on him in a feeding frenzy unlike anything we've seen previously.
Frankly, I think you're making some good choices at the moment: stay informed and vote wisely, but also take a deep breath and look away from the political circus as much as possible. I'm listening to music, watching good television (Mrs. Jarlsberg and I greatly enjoyed watching "Holiday" with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn last night), and I've actually started work on publishing some adult coloring books of an entirely non-political nature. These days, I consider stress reduction to be a genuine achievement.
@Stilton: Euchre is pretty much an upper-Midwestern card game which requires little skill and lots of alcohol to play.
Needless to say, it is one of my favorites.
P.S. the bowers, unlike poker, are the jack of trump and the jack of the same color. If, say, diamonds are deemed trump, the jack of diamonds (the right bower) is the highest card in the deck, followed by the jack of hearts (the left bower), followed by the ace of diamonds, etc.
That's a brief explanation, but sufficient for this forum.
Also, as in government operations, cheating is totally acceptable as long as you do not get caught.
@Geoff King - Corporations controlling governments? Shades of 'Rollerball' (the Caan one) - "Ladies and Gentlemen, our Corporate Anthem!"
Trump. A Trump on every corner. Am tired of the cucumber sandwiches and wishing Trump wasn't Trump. He AIN'T them. Snap out of it. JoeDaddy.
@George Cooper said,
"...and the conservatives have rolled over and played dead, even when given the chance to make a difference. "
It wasn't "conservatives" who rolled over, it was REPUBLICANS. Especially ESTABLISHMENT Republicans. The establishment Republicans want the exact same things the establishment Demo_Rats want, so they will never fight the Demo_Rats on anything. That right there is the main reason I like the Donald right now. The establishment Republicans hate him as much as do the establishment Demo_Rats. Anyone the establishment politicians hate is okay in my book.
@ Shelly: I feel your pain and share it. I will be voting for Cruz in MI's primary in a couple of weeks. PS: I have an adult coloring book, too (love it, hate the news) and watch retro TV most of the time.
@Geoff King- I think the game is misnamed. If it involves alchohol and a jack bower, it should be called "24."
@Popular Front- I also think of "The Running Man" a lot these days.
@JoeDaddy- I'm not closed to the idea.
@JustaJeepGuy- You make a great point differentiating between conservatives and Republicans. I'm a conservative but have never been (and at this rate never will be) a Republican. Clearly, a game changer is needed...I'm just trying to assure myself that Trump is the right game changer.
@Judi King- I pay attention to the news, but increasingly try to do it in measured doses. There's only so much stress a body can take.
WRT to your reply to my comment:
Their difference in vision is a bit like a difference in shoe size.
So what? If the shoe fits.... all three are fascists. Period!
If you support Trump, you are no better than Hillary or Sanders supporters. Or jock straps for that matter. Well-used jock straps.
BTW what the hell is going on with that damn CAPTCHA - I can hardly see the pics these days. It took me four tries to get through. Sheesh.
@Stilton - interestingly, Euchre is played with 24 cards (9 through ace of all 4 suits), so I wonder if the name Jack Bower in 24 isn't an inside joke there.
As to the topic at hand, I'll do what I always seem to be forced into: vote for the lesser of evils.
Ahh! I knew there had to be at least one other Euchre player out there. I am from Michigan where playing the game borders on being a religious cult. Here in Arizona, no one has ever heard of it (sigh).
Good to see you talking about Euchre which is very popular in Australia and one of my favourite card games. We play an enlarged variation called '500' with a bigger deck - red fours up as we say - but the bowers are the same plus we play the joker, known as the 'bird'. It is the Australian Army game and one of the things you learn as a young soldier. Whenever the troops get 15 minutes off, out come the cards. It is best played with four, though you can play it three handed with a blind hand or two handed. Since my 30 years service ended I have tried in vain to get three other skilled players together at the same time but have to content myself with the yearly unit reunions.
Hold on a moment. After watching that Trump video, and continuing to go on to watch 2 hours of other videos and reading many articles and speechs, no where, and I mean no where has Trump ever said he wishes to halt freedom of speech. He has made mention as to how we need to dismantle and embargo parts of the internet, but if you bother to read his words in context, you would realize that he wants to stop ISIS activity and isis sites and terrorist activities. You (the article writer) then go on to posting a video that uses clips from years and years ago in order to say Trump is weak and truly hates freedoms. Do you know anyone else who swapped parties in the past and had the views of idiots when he was younger and became a Republican when he grew old? Can anyone say Ronald Reagan? These actions are disgraceful to the idea of an informed American public. People like you Mr. Author, are the reason why Hillary Clinton can get away with the idea of committing thousands of acts of treason. You just put it in the correct lighting and it goes away.
Go ahead an write me off as a militant Trump fan, but until you back up your accusations with some real facts, well, let's just say that the TPP won't affect you much, because it will all just be opinionated lies.
Ooh and just a side note, I'm a registered Republican and activity support the GOP, it's hard to be a Republican at a collage, so don't write me off as a Democrat trying to destroy the credibility of this site I fight just as much if not more in real life for Republicans, give me the respect I deserve
@Friedrich Hayek- I think there's a chance, maybe even a good chance, that Trump would be better than Hillary or Bernie. It's the uncertainty that's killing me.
And sorry about the CAPTCHA problems. I've got nothing to do with it, so assume that it's a problem on the NSA's end.
@Chuck Baker- Many's the time I've voted for the lesser of two evils. I just keep hoping to get the chance to do something else.
@Geoff King- I think my parents played Euchre back in Indiana eons ago, as well as some mysterious game called Canasta.
@Popular Front- You paint a vivid and enjoyable picture of men in uniform playing Euchre. I may have to learn more about this game!
@Unknown- I appreciate your spirited defense of all things Trumpian, but think you're overreacting to things I said...and even things you apparently only think I said.
I didn't say Trump was trying to halt freedom of speech: I said that Obama is instituting language through the TPP which could effectively halt freedom of speech, and added that I didn't know if Trump would be averse to it if he were in power. Keep in mind that this is the man who threatens to sue anyone and everyone who says anything he doesn't like, so I'm not exactly hallucinating here.
You don't like the video showing clips of what The Donald said "years and years ago" even though the first clip is clearly labeled as being less than 6 months old. Other clips are older - but should we really ignore everything Trump has said in the past? Is your defense of Trump that we shouldn't believe what he's said previously, or that his core beliefs are subject to seismic change? By the way, that's not a rhetorical question - I genuinely want to know why hardcore Trump supporters don't care about his previously stated convictions.
Regarding former liberal idiots who became conservatives, I've previously outed myself as one of those. As far as Ronald Reagan goes, he started as a Democrat but had many, many years of solid conservatism behind him by the time he ran for President. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, was still saying that Planned Parenthood does wonderful work as recently as a week ago.
It's laughable that you think I'm somehow giving cover to Hillary F. Clinton and helping her get away with (ahem) "thousands of acts of treason." I've been putting the slapdown on Hillary, Barry, and the rest of these sad sack anti-American lunatics on this website for nearly 8 years now.
In attempting (but, sadly, failing) to wrap things up, you say I'll have to "back up (my) accusations with some real facts." Only I haven't made any accusations - I've shown factual evidence that Trump's currently stated positions aren't what they've been in the past, including the recent past. But I've also expressed the opinion on this website that in our current cockeyed political system, he may be the right man for the job.
Finally, my young friend, (I'm assuming youth if you're attending "collage") why are you so angry? If you took the time to read this site, you'd know that I'd actually like to hear good reasons to be enthusiastic about Trump. This space is a forum for you to make a reasoned and reasonable case for actual conservatives to support Trump. If you can take a deep breath and then share your perspectives (again, backed up with "some real facts") perhaps you can swing some uncertain readers of this site to vote for your candidate.
Do that, and you'll earn the respect you're demanding.
@ unknown ???: I'm a Constitutional Conservative and only vote ideologies. I see NO Conservative speak coming out of Trump's big mouth. I see NO core beliefs in any of his "speeches", past and present, other than "we'll make America great". We all want that, including ALL the other Republican candidates. I see NO solutions to any of our many problems, which are much more than just closing our Southern border, other than " I'll build a wall". How? With what? If a wall should happen, how do you stop tunnels, etc.? What about the huge Northern border? He's all mouth, no substance. Of all the remaining Rep. candidates, he's the last on my list and it's really irritating to me that I'll have to vote for him in Nov. Do you really think he can beat whichever socialist is on the Dem. ticket with all their promises of free stuff?
On the other hand, a modest prison stretch might not be so bad--3 meals a day, no bills to pay, no wife to obey, regular sex for a chsnge...
@Stilton - Canasta! now you're talking. A fantastic game to play and one where you can really put the boot in! Crushing victories are the norm for good players.
I am a conservative and a Trump supporter. Trump is the only candidate that stands out to me as having the business experience and strong, politically incorrect mindset that I think this country desperately needs. Everyday I hear people mocking Trump supporters, calling them foolish, crazy, and saying they "need to come to their senses". I don't care. I want a president with the business skills, the common sense, and the guts to do what needs to be done before it is really too late.
This article explains it well...
http://www.wnd.com/2016/01/trump-a-pragmatist-not-a-conservative/
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