If We Hate the Artist We Miss the Point

IF WE HATE THE ARTIST WE MISS THE POINT.  IF WE LOVE THE ART, WE MAY MISS IT TOO.

My point is that there is an aspect to Jim Carrey's art that transcends his message.

Jim Carrey (JC) says his art is "his way of dealing with the NIGHTMARE of life under the Trump presidency in a civilized fashion."

JC is a rare talent. While I don't agree with his point of view, he is brilliant and his art is pretty amazing.  But as I see it, the most important thing about Carrey's art is that he needs to do it at all.

Carrey is expressing a deep emotional trauma.  He is the quintessential artist who needs to release his complex feelings through his art in order to process and cope with them. He "has to" do his art or he would go insane.  Or he IS insane and he uses his art in order to claw his way back. But either way, that is not the most important point either. That is actually a classic artistic process.  Think Vincent Van Gogh.

The most important message about JC's art is in my opinion, that JC represents the cultural reaction to the phenomenon that IS Trump and Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Artists traditionally capture the human psyche and express it through their art.  Their sentiments may be highly personal, but artists often tap into a more popular subject. When that subject is a relatable trauma, the artist "treats" their audience in a somewhat clinical sense through their art. Such is the "power of art."

Sometimes in history a large part of society or even an entire country can experience a shared traumatic experience, such as a war or a revolution. When this happens, artists invariably capture it and process it in various medium such as on canvas, books, poetry, music and even cartoons, for example Captain America and Superman.  JC's art is very "cartoonish."

Society can experience a trauma from significant transformation from one "AGE" to another. For example, the legend or lore of Paul Henry captured America's psyche regarding the industrial revolution and the spread of mass transportation with the railroad, and Paul Bunyon did the same regarding deforestation. The movie the Matrix speaks to the fantasies and fears of AI and Virtual Reality.

JC's art is the artistic manifestation of one of the political/cultural phenomenons of our day, Trump Derangement Syndrome. Which in turn is the clash of multiple political ideologies.

Carrey has the guts to admit he is having a a difficult time coping. There are many who do not know we have a problem. To those in denial the problem exists outside of us - in Trump, his base, his supporters, Republicans.  But the problem exists in us. The problem is our inability to cope with our differences.  The problem is our inability to have respectful and meaningful dialogue with the "enemy."

Tragically, there are those with powerful influence that don't want us to cope. They don't seek resolutions - to the contrary!  They profit off our discord. They exploit our anger. They revel in our rage. They add to and stir the pot of our emotions and make sure that there is just enough heat to keep them simmering.  They feed us the drug of our addiction. They are literally in the business of promoting, fostering and maintaining our "nightmare," to put it as JC did.  That nightmare has a name - Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Who are the "THEY" I keep referring to?  They are certain people in the news media, and many partisan politicians. They truly are "the enemy of the American people."

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

SOMETIMES THE DIFFERENCE IS JUST HYPOCRISY. AND OFTEN TIMES THE HYPOCRISY IS JUST HATE. AND HATE DOESN'T GET THE USA WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.

Obama used tear gas nearly 30 times at the border.  Do you remember hearing the outrage in the mainstream media?

During the Obama Administration we had terrible racial division. There were race riots and violent BLM protests which required the use of tear gas.  Did the mainstream media express outrage at the use of tear gas on American citizens?

French President Macron has been using tear gas for weeks on his own people? Where's the outrage from American mainstream press?

We heard hardly a peep about the terrible use of tear gas in all those situations.  Because it was understandable.  Some situations call for it.

When a massive group of migrants are rushing the USA border with the full intention to break US immigration laws and break into America, the Federal Homeland Security used tear gas cautiously to turn back their advance. And the AMERICAN MAINSTREAM MEDIA WENT BALLISTIC!  This is a prime example of how biased they are.  They aren't objectively reporting news in a balanced way. They are operating with an agenda and the news narrative is worked into order to serve their Leftist anti-Trump agenda.

WHEN they do that they ARE Fake News!  WHEN they violate the standards for accurate, objective, balanced reporting in order to promote a Partisan purpose they are doing what George Washington warned us about in his Farewell Letter. As such, they are the "enemy of the people."

The globalists readily admit that they want open borders.  But most MODERATE Democrats say they are NOT for open borders. Yet they all have fits of rage every time the Trump Administration does anything to enforce our immigration laws.  It is NOT odd. We have seen this sort of rage every time Conservative thinking is ascending.

From Goldwater to Reagan to Bush I & II there has been a consistent pattern of hypocrisy born out of Partisanship that is born out of the hate the Left as for Conservatives and their values.
And it is a far greater threat to America than President Trump.

Trump does bring out the worst, as well as the best. Because of his political incorrectness he  highlights, exposes and draws out the extreme Partisan attitudes people have.

But Trump isn't the cause. He is the symptom. He is the result when the Left refuses to listen or acknowledge any valid Conservative approaches to governing.  Trump is the outcome of an American government that isn't working for the American people.

Our State and Federal governments are working for themselves - the government worker's Unions, the lobbyists and special interests, rather than for the freedom and prosperity of the American people.  We have become taxpaying slaves to the entitlement system, government pensions, the military industrial complex and hundreds if not thousands of obsolete government programs.

The Political Parties aren't doing what is best for AMERICA -- They are doing what is best for their PARTY.  We need to PUT AMERICA FIRST.

Macron and the globalists throughout Europe are discovering, that President Trump was right when he spoke at the U.N. recently - every country's leadership needs to put it's people first. Then, as strong, prosperous and diverse Nations, each with their own special strengths, the Nations can work together in a spirit of cooperation to address greater problems.

Globalism has become like unhealthy codependency, and it isn't working. Sovereignty and Nationalism are healthy things. Their meaning has been distorted by Globalist and Socialist.  Globalism isn't Patriotism. It is an attempt at a world order which puts government over G-d.

The Difference Is This:
Our moral values do not come from government. And if people think it does they are sorely mistaken.  Sadly, there are too many people in this world who think they do. And many of them are globalist who believe they represent truth and morality and have the higher authority to control our lives. Many of them are uber-Left globalist who believe they represent truth and morality and have the higher authority to control our lives and have put their faith in politicians. Unfortunately, many of them are controlling the Leftist media and view their truth as the only truth and all other views unholy lies that need to be silenced. 

Government's morality comes the PEOPLE.  And where do the people get morality from? If I need to tell you, you may be part of the problem. 

THE HYPOCRISY IS GREATER THAN THE TRUTH.

CATCH-2020

Democrats banked everything on taking full control of Congress.  They were nearly assured to get back the House, though they didn't do as well as the opposite party typically does in the Mid-term Election. But what really messed Democrats up was losing more seats in the Senate.  The Senate is crucial!

The Left threw everything they could at the Senate - spending a fortune, the most ever.  They threw illegal aliens and fraudulent vote handling in key races like Florida. And now they are throwing lawyers at it. On the flip side Trump threw himself at it with an amazing set of enormous rallies. How does he find the energy at 72 years old?

For the Democrats it is not about an agenda for the American people as much as it is about power, money and gaining the control they need to stop the President.  While Trump promoted more success for America. The Left's platform was essentially "if you hate Trump pick us."

What's at stake?

1. First and foremost, Trump is going to confirm a record number of Federal and Supreme Court Conservative judges.  For Democrats, it is absolutely critical for them to have Progressive Liberal ideologues on the bench because they legislate with lawyers. They can't get their uber-Left agenda through the Houses of the People, so they need Judges who let them Legislate through the Courts.

2. Trump is going to defend our borders and reform our messed up immigration laws.  Trump wants more immigrants, but he wants them to enter legally, through an orderly process that protects us. He also wants sensible criteria that prioritizes immigrants who are more likely to contribute to society and our nation. The Left wants open borders. Democrats would count every illegal alien as a voter if they could -- Process, security and cost to the taxpayers be dammed.

3. Trump is going to protect the 2nd Amendment from overly ZEALOUS gun laws. Reform, yes!  But the Democrats want to go too far.

Besides, in many cases of mass murder, the laws existed that should have thwarted the crime. Enforcement, errors in judgment and oversight were the problem, not existing gun laws.  And lets face it, someone set on committing mass murder isn't concerned with law anyway.  That is why it's said that "the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

4. Health care. The Right wants to drive down costs through competition, negotiating with drug companies, innovative approaches and other free market methods. The Left wants a massive increase in government coverage, a Socialist approach. A large Government program that citizens depend on is the best job security that Democratic politicians can hope for. That is why we are in the unsustainable entitlement situation we are in today! What is the best solution for health care cost, quality and delivery?  One indication - drug companies loved Hillary!  They gave mightily to her campaign.

5. Removing Trump. Democrats are by no means done with what Comey, Lynch and Obama started, and Peter Stroyk called "Plan B."  Like Bill Clinton, Trump can not be removed through impeachment without support in the Senate.

With different political Parties in Congress it means one of two things:  Gridlock or Bipartisanship. Trump is NOT an ideologue. He can work with Democrats, and has offered many times to do so. Together we can accomplish some positive Legislative results. Truly!

The problem is that a more successful America puts Democrats in a Catch-2020. Positive results for America while Trump is President may help Trump's reelection. And for Partisan focused politicians, Party comes before country. Citizens are the losers!

What can we do?  If you are a hyper-partisan person inflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome, I have no suggestion you want to hear. But for the rest of us regardless of Party, we can demand that Congress work together with the POTUS to fix the problems our Nation has.

The answers do exist. There are solutions!!!! But they require cooperation from both sides. This takes dialogue rather than debate. Listening with an open mind. It takes empathy and respect. It means individual accountability versus the blame game.  It means having the courage to stand up for what is right, even when it's not popular.

THE HYPOCRISY IS GREATER THAN THE TRUTH.

WE NEED TO REMEMBER. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO SEE.

November 9th marks the anniversary of one of the darkest day's and times in history - Kristallnacht (crystal night) 1938. Also know as "The Night of the Broken Glass." The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the windows of Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and the many hundreds of synagogues that were smashed, ransacked and burned with support of German authorities. Additionally, ~30,000 Jewish men were arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps. The unimaginable "Final Solution" was underway.

How could this happen, especially in Germany which was the pinnacle of culture and civilization? In the context of the Great Depression, the people and media let hate get out of control.  

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In America today, we have too much hate.  Uncivil behavior is too prevalent. The media needs to put a check on it's biase and incessant efforts to foster division and anger which leads to hate.  

President Trump is NOT the root of the problem. The problem stems from hyper-partisanship where BOTH SIDES, Left and Right compete for the outrageous power and money associated with politics. Why else would people raise and spend $80 million to win a position that pays about $200k? 

Both sides use their philosophical views, to justify their desires. Said another way, both sides use their knowledge of good and evil to justify their behaviors in an effort to seek power (control and money). This should sound familiar!! 

We are witnessing an old story that has played out long before Trump. When leaders like Trump and Reagan and Goldwater and especially Lincoln, all on the Right, give the Left a real "run for their money and power" things get very ugly.  Just do a little research to see what the opponents of Reagan and Lincoln said about them in their day, and you will see the similarities.

The problems of politics today should be familiar because the Father of our Country, George Washington, warned us of putting Party over country in his Farewell Letter. 

Today's political battles should also sound familiar because the roots can be traced all the way back to Genesis when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden because they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil. 

Ever since Mankind was expelled from the Garden of Eden, we have used our knowledge of "good & evil" to justify our "desires."  The differences and competition in our desires have been at the core of the greatest destruction in history.  It is how a society even as sophisticated as Germany digressed into insanity and hell.  And it can happen again in America if we don't stop the direction we are going in. Anarchy just needs a catalyst, such as an economic depression and a spark like an assassination for there to be another "Kristallnacht" as society spirals out of control.

Americans need to stop dividing ourselves from one another!  We need to align along our common challenges and American interests, not along COMPETITIVE PARTY LINES!  We need to hold ourselves and the leaders of our OWN PARTY accountable, and expect others to do the same, not through BLAMING THEM but by setting a better example. 

We need to have a dialogue rather than debate. Together we must identify common concerns and practical solutions that are consistent with our Constitution and the Vision of the Founders of this great Nation. 

The press has to do it's part to encourage cooperation rather than exploiting controversy and contention to get ratings.  Their objective should only be to report the news fairly, honestly and objectively with high professional and ethical standards. They must police their own in ways that bring out better behavior.  America's greatness depends as much on the integrity of the press as any institution!

Last but not least, we need to anchor ourselves to the moral code of our Judeo-christian valves. We have to put our Faith in G-d not Government.  George Washington warned on this as well  

Our Government leaders must be our SERVANTS!!  Our Government must protect our freedoms, not rob them from us through excessive taxation and control. 

In the spirit of the Golden Rule, we must rely more on ourselves and give generously to help our friends and neighbors DIRECTLY through acts of loving kindness, volunteerism and charity.

All the problems are solvable. But they will only get worse if we refuse to work together and blame one another.  We need to demand that politicians work with one another. Debating and defeating each another is not a way forward, it is an endless circle that leads to frustration, corruption and decay.

FEAR!!!

THIS IS TODAY'S #1 PROBLEM.

IT IS NUMBER ONE BECAUSE IT IS SEPARATING US AS NATION, AND EVEN WITHIN FAMILIES. IT IS CREATING DYSFUNCTION. IT IS CAUSING US TO HATE OTHER GOOD FELLOW CITIZENS. IT IS CLOSING OR MINDS AND DISABLING OUR ABILITY TO SOLVE OTHER EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PROBLEMS.  IT IS MAKING US VULNERABLE TO OUR EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENEMIES WHO SEEK TO WEAKEN OR EVEN OVERTHROW OUR WAY OF LIFE AND EVEN OUR GOVERNMENT.

Both Political parties do it. But one uses this tactic in such excess the the moral of our nation is suffering. Here are my thoughts on a problem with politics.

Driving the mind with FEAR is one of the oldest political tactics. It is also the most common tactic in the Democratic party playbook. Should we be feeling so much fear?

It seems to me that:
- The economy is much better than it was a few years ago;
- Concerns about wages and a recession are much less than a few years ago;
-There are fewer terrorists attacks, ISIS violence, and military actions on TV every night than there was a few years ago;
- There are fewer violent protests by anti-Zionist and anti-cop activists on the news than there were a few years ago;
- The threats by North Korean and Iran have toned down enormously since a few years ago.
- CO2 emissions in the USA went down last year more than any other country in the Paris Climate accord, whereas most of the participants went up;
- The rivers of refugees that overflowed during Obama have slowed substantially.
- The disastrous war people warned about if we moved our Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem didn't happen.
- The tariffs that everyone was so afraid about, instead look like they are resulting in BETTER trade deals with Europe, Mexico, Korea, the U.K. and soon Canada.  China is a work in progress, but markets are giving the Administration time.
- The current Administration, Congress and technology firms are dealing with Russian meddling that has been going on long before this last election and which the prior Administration failed to address. If anything, the last Administration ordered the CIA to stand down and allowed the DNC to use a fake Dossier in cooperation with a foreign agent to purposely disrupt the last election!! Today, the Russian government is under more pressure than ever and getting away with much less than it did years ago in Syria and the Ukraine.

One of the best cases against fear and for OPTIMISM is made by Steven Pinker. 

I could go on, but you've got the theme of what I am saying. And yet ...

Why are so many Democrats so afraid?  Could it be that FEAR is the result of propaganda and marketing efforts by the Democratic party and activists like Soros?

Could it be that people are being brainwashed to create an emotional state of mind that STRATEGISTS know is an excellent way to motivate the vote they NEED TO OBTAIN POWER AND MONEY?

FEAR ... IT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE CONCEPT BESIDES SEX TO PUT INTO A HEADLINE!!!  That is why the Democratic party uses it so effectively. But frankly, many Republicans do too. Don't discount this possibility!  It is also why the Libertarian side of me believes in smaller government generally speaking.

FEAR is a construct - it is induced by a perceived danger.  Politicians weaponize fear, which in turn generates hate, by every means possible. Hate is a defense response to fear. The two emotions create an unpleasant state of anxiety, a feeling of threat, which the people seek relief from.

There is almost always a victim or victimhood involved so the Party and their candidate can be your "savior." It nearly always starts by twisting or falsifying the facts regarding a matter about an emotionally charged subject. It works best if they find or fabricate a victim whom we can either relate to or empathize with. Someone who represents the population who feels victimized and they want their votes from. (E.g. A black man who was shot, or a woman who was abused, or someone with gender concerns, etc.) Then they can construct a  narrative around this person that is the victim or martyr.  Once that's established, then the politicians ride to the rescue like righteous heroes. For that, all those who relate to the victim, are expected to reward the Party, their "personal savior" with their votes. This is how Government replaces G-d.

Fear in & of itself is not all bad - it has a valid purpose - to cause us to take actions that protect ourselves - individually and as a country.   And, the Right uses fear too.  They highlight fears such as the scourge of Socialism and other ways the Left is encroaching on American values and our system, for example capitalism. The Right highlights other fears such as the horrific dangers of nuclear proliferation and threats posed by Iran and North Korea, the safety risks of an unsecured border such as gangs, drugs and sex/human trafficking, the dangers of failing infrastructure, the financial pains from over-regulation, and other legitimate risks.

The #WALKAWAY Movement has identified and tapped into the way the Left/Liberals/Progressives/Democrats/Socialist use fear. Brandon Straka has turned his epiphany moment of how he was effected by fear and the action he chose to take, into a huge following of others who too are waking up and walking away from the Democratic party.   And that, my friends, is SCARING THE HELL OUT OF THE STRATEGIST AND THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN AMERICA WHO WANT TO CONTROL YOUR MIND, YOUR VOTE AND THE PURSE STRINGS OF THE TAXPAYERS!

View #WalkAway Founder's video

BAFFLES THE MIND

Prominent Democrats, including Obama before he ran for office, embraced Louis Farrakhan.  Former Democratic Party chair Keith Elison and prominent Democratic Maxine Waters still support his views. Obama prayed ritually with a radical pastor who is antisemitic. Only after running for office did he disavow him.

President Obama was the worst President in history for Israel.  His policies led to the ascendancy of Iran AND the rise of ISIS. ISIS caused the largest refugee crisis in history which in-turn resulted in giant demographic changes in Europe which they are paying a terrible price for.

Obama's handling of the United Nations permitted rampant anti-Israeli attitudes to become the norm and anti-Israel condemnations to become a regular occurrence.

Obama's handling of the Palestinian conflict emboldened Abbas to move away from direct negotiations with Israel and take a failed confrontational approach.

During the Obama years, the BDS movement grew and was legitimized.  In addition, hatred for the police became popular and race relations soured.  And openly misogynistic rappers were welcome guests in the White House.

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY:
The three major CURSES against Israel have been themselves been cursed.
1. Iran is isolated, marginalized, and weakened.
2. The United Nations is paying a heavy price for it's harsh and heavy handed treatment of Israel and virtually ignoring atrocities against Christians.
3. The "Obama Legacy" has been shredded and thrown in the garbage heap of history!

As a direct result of Trump, Israel is more secure than ever. Much of the Middle East and Arab nations are warming up and opening up to a more positive relationship with Israel. Trump has literally been a blessing to Israel. Israeli's, let alone most Arabs, know it!

There is much more to say about what has TURNED POSITIVE thanks to Trump, besides matters concerning Israel, Iran, and Middle East.

AS A JEW, HERE IS WHAT I BELIEVE:
Central to being a Jew is our relationship to Eretz Israel, the Promised Land of our Hebrew ancestors. It is at the core of our relationship with Abraham and Moses, and essential to accepting the Torah, the Hebrew Bible, also known as the "Old Testament" to Christians. Israel is the world's response to the Holocaust. It is our final destiny.

G-d didn't just promise Abraham the Land Eretz Israel. He gave Abraham a three-fold promise. The same three part blessing which G-d repeated in the Torah when he spoke through Bilam regarding the Hebrew people.

One, that Abraham's people, the Jewish people would be fruitful and multiply. Second, that nobody would conquer the people. The third promise is key to the point of this post. Here is what it was ...

According to the Torah, and central to the beliefs of Christians as well as Jewish tradition, G-d proclaimed that those who cursed Abraham's followers and Israel, would be cursed. AND conversely those that blessed Israel would be blessed.

CONCLUSION: That third blessing is the context for my conclusion. NO POTUS in history was worse for Israel than Obama.  And NO POTUS has been a greater curse to Obama and a blessing to Israel than Trump. DAYENU!

And yet, Obama is still a hero to many Liberal Jews. And those same Liberal Jews despise Trump. IT BAFFLES THE MIND.

Even if the 3rd Blessing is not enough to support Trump ... there is plenty more.

Black, Hispanic, and Women employment is better than ever. Wages are finally growing. People who have been out of the workforce are re-entering and food stamp demand is plummeting. Trump is going head on against opioid usage and crime across the country. And Law enforcement is getting the respect it deserves.

It baffles the mind how so many Liberal Jews still practically worship Obama and hate Trump.  It is like they have been brainwashed!

What could have brainwashed so many intelligent people?  How could so many people be so mislead?  What could possibly produce the years of non-stop exposure, misinformation, lies, and hate to blind so many Liberal Jews to how Obama cursed Israel, as well as what a blessing Trump has been?  And for what?

What body would stand to gain so much to justify the billions of dollars spent and the billions of hours of people's time & effort? What massive groups with huge self-interests could possibly conspire to promote an agenda that could fool millions of people into thinking Obama was so good and Trump was so evil??

Do I really need to tell you it is the Democratic Party and the mainstream anti-Conservative mass media?

Fortunately, Blacks and Hispanics are waking up to the falsehoods and HYPOCRISY of Obama and Democratic leaders such as Keith Ellison, Nancy Pelosi, and shameful Schumer.  They are WALKING AWAY from the Democratic Party. The are waking up to the Party's dark past.

Blacks and Hispanics, and women too, are starting to wake up to the virtues of Conservative ideals and values;

They are waking up to the bogus promises the Democratic party made to them;

They are waking up to the sacred and essential character of the US Constitution;

They are waking up to how free markets and a vibrant economy increases freedom, raises wealth and creates opportunity for everyone. They see finally how Trump's economy is providing a ladder which lets the bottom climb out of poverty and despair.

THEY ARE WAKING UP AND WALKING AWAY!

Liberal Jews do not speak for all Jews!  I am a Jew who has been active in the Reform (Liberal) movement all my life, and I still am. But I woke up and walked away from the Democratic party years ago.  Ronald Reagan delivered my "wake-up call."

I encourage other Jews to #WALKAWAY

Video

Keeping Promises No Matter What

Since the election, Hillary has been blaming others for losing. And Mueller has spent a fortune trying to figure out a way to concoct a crime of Russian collusion and created a giant distraction from the enormous responsibility and time it takes to lead our Nation. Since the election, Congressional Democrats have done all they can to obstruct the filling of positions to run the country. And CNN, MSNBC, the NYT, the WaPo, and most other Leftist media have made garbage on Trump their most important focus, while ignoring the greatest political scandal in American history.

While they all have doing everything they can to undermine Trump's progress and America's success, Trump has figured out how to:
- bring unemployment to 3.9% with lowest level ever for blacks
- reach target levels on inflation, stimulate wage growth, and expand labor force participation
- bring consumer and business confidence to decades high levels
- end the Korean War
- get our NATO allies to pay their share
- crush ISIS and give the Iranian people who hate their evil regime some hope
- elevate more moderate views and reforms in Saudi Arabia
- stand up to the anti-Semitic United Nations
- develop the best relationship we have ever had with Israel and after almost 40 years of broken Presidential promises, finally move our Embassy back to Jerusalem
- virtually achieve energy independence
- restructure our tax code and repatriate huge sums of money held offshore
- renegotiate numerous major trade agreements
- and more...

The Leftist, and the Deep State have done everything they can to hurt the POTUS and our NATION in the process. They have divided our country, and turned up partisan flames of hate and disrespect. Progressive Liberals have done everything they can to undercut both the 1st & 2nd Amendments of our Constitution.

DESPITE unprecedented non-cooperation, Trump is doing everything he PROMISED to #MAGA. In the face of unfathomable obstacles by NeverTrumpers, Trump and our NATION are #WINNING!  Poles show that a growing number of Americans believe Trump's policies are working, and his approval ratings keep climbing.

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