Will History Repeat Itself?

Will History Repeat Itself?

Blasting With Boyles

OPINION

Parallels Between Epstein And Denver’s Players And Sugar ­Scandal

Let’s see by a show of hands how many of you remember an infamous period in Denver history when we all discovered that Denver had four operating bordellos with a very high-class high end bold print names as clientele.

When you compare and contrast the Jeffrey Epstein story with Scotty Ewing and the rich and powerful of Denver, it amazingly lines up.

Post Watergate, when Gerald Ford was president, he held a meeting with ­Richard Helms the head of the CIA, his vice president Nelson Rockefeller, and Henry Kis­sin­ger. As the story goes Gerald Ford had discovered that Nixon was having the CIA open people’s first-class mail, wiretapping reporters, monitoring the anti-war efforts, and wiretapping citizens with no one’s knowledge.

Ford asked the CIA what would happen if that information got out. Helms replied a lot of dead cats are going to get out.

I always thought of that when it came to Scotty Ewing’s client list. If it ever got out a lot of dead cats were going to get out.

Since we were involved in the initial investigation, I called the Hancock number from Ewing’s list and — City Council member about to be Mayor — Michael Hancock’s voice answered. We knew we were on to something. Since then, comparing it to the Epstein story I’ve learned so much more.

Alan Dershowitz asserted at one time that he had seen the client list, but the Department of Justice and Pam Bondi say there is no such animal.

Scotty Ewing claimed his client list was stolen and there was a Denver police report that Ewing was a victim of a burglary. Stolen items did not include cash, jewelry, his iPad, his flat screen tv. Rather the burglars only made off with Scotty’s computer and the records from the former escort service.

Like the Epstein case, the Denver police announced they had also closed the investigation into the theft of Ewing’s records.

And the police cited lack of forensic evidence that there was actually a burglary. Scotty told me that he believed none of what was stolen would ever be returned. But at the same time, I talked to Channel Seven’s Tony Kovaleski who confirmed at the time that they saw the black book phone list of appointments, logs, scheduled bookings, and credit card slips of Players and Sugar.

Also recall Chief Federal Judge Edward Nottingham, naughty Nottingham. Documents in February of 2008 shut down the escort agency and the documents led to Nottingham’s resignation in 2008.

Sound familiar?

Many big Denver names were rumored to be on the stolen list, of course including Mayor-elect Michael Hancock. Now comes again parallel lives.

The present government officials who claim this is all absolutely false also remind me of Hancock’s campaign manager the legendary Evan “blow dryer” Dreyer who claimed the reports were untrue. And, that Michael, and the campaign, endured negative, false, deceptive attack after attack for months and none of us should believe it.

Again, sound familiar?

The protection, and I believe cover up, was done by The Denver Post, KUSA, and other sources.

One of the many internet rumors in the Epstein case was that the so-called client list was his insurance policy, or perhaps even blackmailing prominent world players.

I do know that when Scotty Ewing did my radio show, and management of KHOW tried desperately to stop Ewing’s appearance, including putting a little watchdog in the studio with me the day he came on, stated like Robert De Niro in Goodfellas you may know who I am, but I know who you are, and he aimed that at his johns who were listening to the show that morning.

After all of this, including charges of tax evasion and witness intimidation, Ewing did six months home detention. The woman he sold Players and Sugar to, Brenda Stewart, did six months. And Judge Nottingham will do the rest of his life.

But what does that say about the Epstein saga. Chuck Plunkett with The Denver Post wrote a column that tried to exonerate Hancock because they had spelled his name wrong in the book, and never mentioned our phone call on the air where Michael Hancock’s voice answered the phone number, and one of the working girls picked Hancock’s picture out of the lineup. The story in Denver was spiked.

And isn’t it amazing that after all these years not one of those names has ever appeared, not one customer/client has been revealed. Now will history repeat itself, and you and I never find out who flew to Jeffrey’s island, or visited him in New York or, for that matter, whether or not he killed himself.

—Peter Boyles

Will History Repeat Itself?

Galileo, Cargo Cultists, And Mike Lindell

Blasting With Boyles

OPINION

 

 

It’s like the old gag on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, what do these things have to do with each other? Galileo, cargo cultists, and My Pillow’s Mike Lindell.

Galileo was placed under house arrest by the Catholic Church for his belief that the earth revolved around the sun. A belief the Church denounced no matter what the evidence was. Cargo cultists arose in New Guinea following World War Two when the remnants of crashed Japanese and American and English airplanes appeared. The cargo cultists believed the wreckage was sent by the gods to help and support them. Mike Lindell and others challenged the results of the November 2020 election even before the race was officially called for Joe Biden. They were throwing around words like “stolen,” “rigged,” and “hoax” despite the fact there was no evidence to support those beliefs.

Mike Lindell

Let’s outline some of those involved. Sydney Powell, aka the kraken, who became Sammy the Bull Gravano, turning herself in to get the best deal. She pled guilty in an election interference case after spreading conspiracy theories about election fraud. Lin Wood, who was Patsy Ramsey’s attorney, say no more. Rudy Giuliani, America’s Mayor who has now been disgraced. And Mike Lindell, whose election conspiracy claims led to him being sued for defamation in a Denver trial in June. Lindell offers the George Costanza defense. In Seinfeld, George Costanza always said to Jerry, “If I believe it, it’s true.” Well, jurors found Lindell did defame Eric Coomer.

Like the cargo cultists, these people cling to their beliefs and look to the skies for the gods to save them. Bloggers, social media influencers, podcasters, talk show hosts, they repeat the false beliefs.

The company I work for, Salem Media is being sued, as well as a talk show host who used to work in the building where I still work. Fox paid off, Newsmax paid off, OAN paid off. Will the company I work for pay off?

These people have caused so much damage to this country, damage that will not be undone in my lifetime.

A hundred years later the Catholic Church apologized to Galileo. When will these people apologize to the country for the harm they have done.

A sad day.

— Peter Boyles

Will History Repeat Itself?

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: How We Got Here

Blasting With Boyles

OPINION

I always call myself an amateur historian, somewhat of a traveler, a reader of this part of the world, and a listener to people from the Middle East.

The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians — how many people in this country really truly know the history of the conflict.

Historically the British take control over the part of the world known as Palestine after World War One. The Arabs help defeat the Ottoman Empire which ruled Palestine and the British and the French then cut their throats. The tension between Arab and Jewish populations deepened when the UK agreed on the principles of a national home in Palestine in the Balfour Declaration.

Jews, Zionists I should say, had historical links to the land, but Palestinian Arabs also had claims dating back centuries and were very much opposed to the move. The British said the rights of Palestinian Arabs would always be protected.

Between the 1920s and the 1940s European Jews arrived and then the knowledge of over six million Jews murdered in the holocaust increased urgency to demands for a safe haven. In 1947 there was growing violence between Jews and Arabs and against British rule. The UN voted for Palestine to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states. Jerusalem would be an international city. No Arab nation supported it and the British abstained and then in typical British colonial fashion handed the whole problem over to the UN on May 14, 1948.

Jewish leaders in Palestine declared an independent state known as Israel. Then Israel was recognized by the UN the following year. The day after Israel declared independence it was attacked by the armies of five Arab nations.

By the time the fighting ended in an armistice in 1949, Israel controlled most of the territory.

The agreements left Egypt occupying Gaza Strip. Jordan occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Israel occupied West Jerusalem.

Over 750,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes on land that becomes Israel, and they end up as refugees. That event in Arabic is called Nakba. It means catastrophe. In the years that follow­ed hundreds of thousands of Jews left or were expelled from Muslim countries. Many go to Israel and then what is known as the 6 Day War in 1967 changes everything again. The war saw Israel fight Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The Israelis launched first strike on the Egyptian air force. By the time the fighting ended the Israelis had Sinai and Gaza from Egypt, Golan Heights from Syria, and East Jerusalem and the West bank from Jordan. A million Palestinians came under Israeli control.

Israel, in a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979 returns the Sinai and exits East Jerusalem and Golan Heights. Along with Gaza it is now known as the occupied Israeli territories.

Israel has overall control of the West Bank but since the 1990s the Palestinian government has run the towns and the cities.

There are 150 Israeli settlements and housing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinians want all Israeli settlements to be removed, and Israel does not recognize the right of Palestinians to have their own state and argue the West Bank is part of the Israeli homeland.

In July 2024 the top court for the UN, the International Court of Justice, said Israel’s continued presence in occupied Palestinian territories is illegal.

Israelis and Palestinians both claim Jerusalem as their capitol. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capitol of a future Palestinian state. Most of the population is Palestinian and only a very small percentage of them have chosen to become Israeli citizens. The UN and most international opinions consider East Jerusalem to be Palestinian.

Gaza is 25 miles long and about 10 miles wide. It’s home to 2.3 million people and even before the latest war between Israel and Hamas, Gaza had one of highest unemployment rates in the world, people living below the poverty line, and depending on food aid to survive.

Egypt was driven out of Gaza in 1967 and the strip was occupied by Israel.

The UN still regards Gaza as Israeli occupied territory and in the years that follow, Hamas and Israel fought in several conflicts, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021. In every round of fighting people were killed on both sides but the vast majority of them have been Palestinians in Gaza.

Then October 7, 2023, Hamas launches the assault from Gaza. Kills around 1,200 people in Israel and takes more than 250 hostages, a major military offensive in Gaza. It’s believed that more than 46,700 people have been killed, a majority of them women and children.

In January 2025, after 15 months of war, begins the slow agreement to halt the war and release Israeli hostage and Palestinian prisoners.

The war spreads into Lebanon, the West Bank.

143 out of 193 members of the UN vote in favor of a Palestinian bid for full UN membership. Some European countries, along with our country, do not recognize a Palestinian state, and say they will only do so as part of a political solution to the conflict.

There are about 5.9 million Palestinian refugees. They are descendants of the Palestinians who fled, that were forced from their homes. Most live in Jordan, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon.

The two-state solution to all of this seems highly improbable. Israel rejects it. ­Early efforts to settle the conflict led to a deal called the Oslo Peace Accords. Those talks collapsed.

We sit where we sit today.

I don’t have an answer and seemingly no one does. The Israelis now have four stated goals. Destroy Hamas, free the hostages,  ensure Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, and return displaced residents of northern Israel.

The Palestinians seek to establish their own independent state in at least one part of what was historic Palestine. Israeli defense controls West Bank. The Egyptian blockade of Gaza and the terribleness of Palestinian internal politics place their goals totally out of reach.

What I tried to say here is a line I’ve used too many times. There are parts of the world where there is no tomorrow, there is simply yesterday repeating itself.

Thanks for reading this, it was difficult to write.

— Peter Boyles

Will History Repeat Itself?

Lions And Tigers And Tariffs, Oh My!

OPINION

On all levels — local, national, and worldwide — tariffs seem to be the topic of conversations. And I cite you an example of how tariffs do work and can help. And also, how major corporations in our country, nationally and locally, totally misunderstand who their target audience and their target customer is.

Take you back in time.

In 1983 President Ronald Reagan inter­vened to protect Harley Davidson by imposing tariffs on imported motorcycles principally from Japanese manufacturers.

Harley Davidson the corporation had fallen into the hands of AMF, the bowling company. AMF was systemically destroying a product that began in 1912 in this country, had a great reputation, and people bought the bikes. In the early 1980s Harley Davidson was facing significant financial difficulties due to the Japanese manufacturers who were dumping, another term could be flooding, the U.S. market with cheaper motorcycles. You could indeed buy a large Japanese motorcycle cheaper in Denver, Colorado, than you could in Japan. They were in essence bayoneting the wounded.

The United States trade commission concluded that the Japanese motorcycles were harming domestic industry and recommended protective measures. Ronald Reagan, not Donald Trump, agreed to impose a tariff on big motorcycles imported from Japan. Anything over 700 ccs. Now watch this.

He raised the tariff from 4.4 percent to 49.4 percent. The tariff was designed to provide relief for Harley to get back on its feet and reverse the decline. Harley returns, regains market share, and the company invested in improvements and innovation. They also used the time to retune their factories, introduce new engines, and develop new technologies. Ronald Reagan protected this iconic corporation from foreign interests.

Would Harley Davidson be here today if Ronald Reagan hadn’t stepped in? I really don’t think so. Reagan saved Harley Davidson.

Now the fools that got their hands on the company after that decided to go woke. The board of directors brought in from Europe, the new CEO, Jochen Zeitz, declaring Harley Davidson would be woke the year after Bud Light decided it was going to be woke as well. The mecca of motorcycling is Sturgis. I was there when both things happened. The huge street bar owned by Bud Light was empty and the grumble was nobody’s going to drink that tranny beer. And much like George Bush learning nothing from what the Soviets were doing in Afghanistan, Harley Davidson pulls the same stunt. The target demo for these motorcycles is principally middle-aged men, veterans, conservatives, Trump supporters, and so the factory decided to go woke on them. The manufacturers are now in huge difficulty and much of it is because of woke policies and building electric motorcycles. And a company that always prided itself on “made in America” was like the rest of the multinationals, they were headed abroad.

Harley Davidson is more than just a motorcycle. It’s a culture. People got mad. The company faced a boycott over DEI efforts. Read the stories of John Deere and Tractor Supply, both of those corporations have now stepped away from DEI in favor of keeping customers, and Harley finally responds. The culture of Harley Davidson is more than just motorcycles. It is, as they say, a way of life.

And what the current board did was offensive to everybody up and down the line. Now they’ve slammed the brakes on woke policies after sparking outrage. They’re in search of a new CEO and board members have resigned.

It’s a microcosm of how things can work. What Donald Trump is doing was done once by Ronald Reagan. And nobody remembers that story. I’d like you to at least look at the accomplishments of Reagan in 1983, and the real question is can it be done again on a macro scale?

Ride fast, take a lot of chances. Make a lot of noise.

— Peter Boyles

Will History Repeat Itself?

A Story From The Heart — Proof That I Have One

Blasting with Boyles

OPINION

Dr. Nelson Prager

Dr. Jason Shofnos

Dr. Jeffrey Park

Millions of years ago I took auto and diesel mechanics at Forbes Trail Technical School, because I couldn’t fit into normal high school, allegedly to study auto diesel repair. One of the things that stood out was that flathead Ford vehicles needed valve jobs at 81,000 miles. I’m now 81. And was told I needed a valve job.

On a serious note, for the last three years, I have really had a difficult time existing. If you’re keeping score at home I had a mini stroke on air, degenerative heart failure in Sturgis needing to be brought home, and received my pacemaker.

Dropping fully back in time, 25 years ago, I still think I’m being haunted by the Bush administration as we took our morning radio show to Washington, D.C., to cover the George W. Bush first inauguration.

When I returned, I was having a hard time breathing and walking and I was immediately taken to Dr. Richard Flanagan who turned me over to the capable hands of heart surgeon Dr. Kevin Miller. I had a quintuple bypass and went back to work at KHOW just in time to go on to great ratings and great health. I ran the Bolder Boulder. I skied and always will, and did mixed martial arts. I always saw it as a bump in the road.

Then about three years ago when I was 79, I started having issues again. That’s when I, along with publisher Chuck Bonniwell, discovered Dr. Nelson Prager, cardiologist to the stars.

And then I had an incident on Christmas Eve with my grandson in Winter Park, where I literally could not catch my breath. I came back, called Dr. Prager, and went through a battery of tests. That’s where, through Dr. Prager, I met Dr. Jeffrey Park, the new age heart surgeon, along with Dr. Jason Shofnos.

When I met them, it was like going to a meeting of outlaw bikers. Shofnos, like myself, has inked up his left arm, and Dr. Park, like Dr. Nelson, just seems to be like one of the guys. Except they’re brilliant.

They ran me through a battery of tests at Swedish Hospital (what a great place) and decided I had a calcified aortic valve in my heart, and that I was going to need a valve job.

I hit the panic button. I thought as difficult as it had been going through bypass surgery would my 81-year-old carcass be able to take another open-heart job. Shazam.

Enter the dragon. These guys are trained in robotic surgery. As Dr. Prager said, “this is our bread and butter.”

My son tells me that I was in the OR for the bypass surgery for almost seven hours. So now, for what’s behind the curtain, what’s in the box that Julie’s pointing to, and the new car, how long did it take for all this modern equipment and wonderful physicians to get me a new heart valve? Forty-seven minutes. They go up the insides of your legs and a balloon goes into your valve, the balloon opens, the new valve tips come out, the calcification of the valve crunches into the new valve, the balloon pulls out, and your heart is brand new.

I know when I was in the hospital the first time with bypass I was there for eight days. This time I was in Swedish overnight. One of the things that Dr. Park did before and after was hand me his stethoscope and said, “Want to hear your murmur?” It sounded like a river rushing. He gave me the stethoscope again when I was ready to go home, and I could hear a heartbeat.

I’m back in the gym for an hour; I want to get an easy one-day ski in as the end of the season beckons, and it’s a whole new lease on life, and I owe it to those three men and the remarkable staff at Swedish Hospital.

If this is what medicine can do now, imagine what it will be for my grandson. Assuming the world is still here. But I publicly want to thank Swedish, Aurora Denver Cardiology, and the three horsemen who saved an old man’s rear end. Thanks guys.

— Peter Boyles