I have written before about reliance on government for your safety and the safety of those you love.
"The real problem stems from one word in the sentence above beginning with "Let's". That word is government.
The latest shooter was a convicted felon who bought his weapons from a
licensed fire arms dealer who received the all clear from the
government. There is that word again.
The arm of the government that convicted the shooter of multiple felonies failed to post those convictions in the government data base.
I have another "sensible step" to suggest. Do not ever assume that the
government will get anything right. Look after yourself and those you
love. As the saying goes, when seconds count the police are only minutes
away."
As you know, another lunatic went nuts a few days ago. Another lunatic whose bizarre behavior foreshadowed his killing spree. Another lunatic who was known to the authorities. Even the FBI. Nothing was done, other than warning the FBI, and 17 people were massacred.
The usual braying about gun control is swamping the media. It is a useless reflex.
How many of these lunatics have walked into a police station and opened fire? None.
How many of them have walked into a "gun free zone" and opened fire? All of them.
A few years ago an Islamic nut fired into a Navy recruiting office. Correct, another gun free zone.
"We realized it was an actual shooting, so we then initiated our
active-shooter drill: getting down low to the ground, moving to a safe
location. And we waited until everything seemed to be clear.”
Several years ago a US Army Major went on a shooting spree in an army processing center. You guessed correctly. Gun free zone.
" According to testimony from witnesses, Hasan passed up several
opportunities to shoot civilians, and instead targeted soldiers in
uniform,[25] who – in accordance with military policy – were not carrying personal firearms." (Emphasis added)
I do not know the provenance of the rules that prevent members of our Armed Forces from being Armed. I do know they appear to be ridiculous and occasionally deadly.
You do see the real problem here I am sure. It is well-intentioned but incredibly, predictably, stupid policies promoted by people who so abhor human nature that they pretend it does not exist and legislate accordingly.
The crazy people who carry out these awful crimes are crazy, not stupid. They do not choose venues for their mayhem that might result in them being disarmed or killed quickly. They follow the path of least resistance. A very common human trait.
Be prepared to defend yourself. Our various governments have failed miserably at doing the most basic job the Constitution assigned to them.
"...insure domestic Tranquility..."
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Friday Document/News Dumps
I love Friday. No, not because it generally marks the end of the work week, I am retired.
I love Friday because the juiciest news tries to dribble out quietly.
No doubt you have heard that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russian election meddling grand jury indicted 13 people yesterday. Big news! Trump is finally going down! His whole family is going down with him! It wasn't a hoax after all!
Or not. 13 Russians! Not a Trumpian among them, only person currently within our jurisdiction and he was indicted for money laundering and identity theft. It is just too funny. Read the article to enjoy the outrage and surprise expressed by the writer at the discovery that Russians attempted to make mischief in the USA. Who knew!
Then there is this gem from Deputy AG Rosenstein,
"Rosenstein noted that there is no allegation in the indictment that Americans had any knowledge of the operation.
"There is no allegation in the indictment on the outcome of the election," he also stressed." (Emphasis added)
It gets better.
"In addition, the defendants allegedly promoted allegations of "voter fraud" in the Democratic Party beginning in the summer of 2016, through their personas on social media and political advertisements."
Really. Was Donna Brazile part of the Russian operation?
"Brazile writes the DNC was rigged (emphasis added) in Clinton's favor because her campaign was largely financing the party early on in the presidential election."
Sure sounds like voter fraud to me.
Speaking of making mischief you may have forgotten, or perhaps never knew about this,
" The Obama presidential election team has set up camp in Tel Aviv with the mission to defeat Netanyahu in our upcoming election.
The “Anyone but Bibi” mission is headed by Jeremy Bird, Obama’s National Field Director in his successful presidential campaigns."
Here is a beaut I never knew about courtesy of Instapundit contributor Charles Glasser.
"According to The Week, the Most Qualified Candidate Ever said, regarding Palestinian elections:
Whatever it is, meddling in elections included, it is ok when they do it.
I think I have mentioned before that if it was not for situational ethics the left would have no ethics at all.
"...With the intent to have a fair basis for judgments or action, one looks to personal ideals of what is appropriate to guide them, rather than an unchanging universal code of conduct,..."
What could go wrong!
I love Friday because the juiciest news tries to dribble out quietly.
No doubt you have heard that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russian election meddling grand jury indicted 13 people yesterday. Big news! Trump is finally going down! His whole family is going down with him! It wasn't a hoax after all!
Or not. 13 Russians! Not a Trumpian among them, only person currently within our jurisdiction and he was indicted for money laundering and identity theft. It is just too funny. Read the article to enjoy the outrage and surprise expressed by the writer at the discovery that Russians attempted to make mischief in the USA. Who knew!
Then there is this gem from Deputy AG Rosenstein,
"Rosenstein noted that there is no allegation in the indictment that Americans had any knowledge of the operation.
"There is no allegation in the indictment on the outcome of the election," he also stressed." (Emphasis added)
It gets better.
"In addition, the defendants allegedly promoted allegations of "voter fraud" in the Democratic Party beginning in the summer of 2016, through their personas on social media and political advertisements."
Really. Was Donna Brazile part of the Russian operation?
"Brazile writes the DNC was rigged (emphasis added) in Clinton's favor because her campaign was largely financing the party early on in the presidential election."
Sure sounds like voter fraud to me.
Speaking of making mischief you may have forgotten, or perhaps never knew about this,
" The Obama presidential election team has set up camp in Tel Aviv with the mission to defeat Netanyahu in our upcoming election.
Here is a beaut I never knew about courtesy of Instapundit contributor Charles Glasser.
"According to The Week, the Most Qualified Candidate Ever said, regarding Palestinian elections:
“And if we were going to push for an election,” Clinton went on, “then we should have made sure that we did something to determine who was going to win.” (Emphasis added)
Whatever it is, meddling in elections included, it is ok when they do it.
I think I have mentioned before that if it was not for situational ethics the left would have no ethics at all.
"...With the intent to have a fair basis for judgments or action, one looks to personal ideals of what is appropriate to guide them, rather than an unchanging universal code of conduct,..."
What could go wrong!
Sunday, February 04, 2018
This and That # 8
Sometimes a statement conveys far more information than its length would suggest.
Two examples.
"What’s remarkable is that the Democrats still haven’t caught on to the fact that there’s usually a hook inside Trump’s bait." Stephen Green, contributor, 2/1/2018 on Instapundit .
Margaret Thatcher, "The facts of life are conservative." Indeed.
&&&&&
A week or two ago our President was engaged in negotiations with Democrats and Lindsey Graham, a rino, over the status of the "Dreamers" and other immigration issues.
It was eagerly reported by Dick Durbin, Democrat senator from Illinois, that when referring to places like Haiti, and some African countries President Trump described them as "shitholes". Mr. Durbin claimed that the President's use of such language severely damaged our standing in the world. He did not mention that if he had not eagerly reported the alleged comment no one would have known about it so our reputation would be intact. Oh well, politics above all, always, for Democrats.
President Trump expressed a preference for immigrants from Norway. The Prime Minister of Norway was not amused.
Durbin reported that Graham's reaction to the President's comment (Mr. Trump denies using the offending term) was to point out, angrily, that the country Mr. Trump's grandfather emigrated from in 1869, Germany, was no paradise. Probably true and momentarily effective. Have we become such snobs and/or racists that we look down our noses at the world's downtrodden, most of whom today are people of color?
No. America's needs and our fiscal environment have changed dramatically since 1869. How much foreign aid did we distribute in 1869 to help poorer countries? None. How much did we contribute to the U.N. for redistribution to poorer countries? Nothing.
We were then a vast and underpopulated country of about 39,000,000. That's right. About 10% of today's population in a country of almost exactly the same size it is today. ( We had just bought Alaska. Hawaii was added later.) We needed bodies. Lots and lots of them. We no longer do.
Just as importantly the enormous welfare regime we have developed did not exist in 1869.
What government benefits and programs were available to Fred Drumpf? None. Was it partly welfare benefits that might have attracted him to America? Obviously not. Immigrants were essentially on their own. Private charities, family, religious and fraternal organizations were the only sources of help or support for immigrants. None could afford to be terribly generous.
We provide billions of dollars every year to help the downtrodden where they live now.
What we need now are immigrants with skills to help our country move forward and compete. What we certainly do not need are more people to compete for low end jobs thus keeping downward pressure on the wages those jobs pay.
&&&&&
James Clyburn is one of many hacks masquerading as a congressperson. Below he displays the depth of his knowledge of history.
"Having
studied history and having taught history, I can only equate one period
of time with what we experience now, and that was what was going on in
Germany around 1934 right after the 1932 elections when Adolph Hitler
was elected chancellor," Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn
(D-S.C.) told CNN"
Mr. Clyburn, Hitler was never elected Chancellor.
As to the rest of his assertions, well, what can you say. These people live in a universe reserved to the ill-informed and dishonest.
Two examples.
"What’s remarkable is that the Democrats still haven’t caught on to the fact that there’s usually a hook inside Trump’s bait." Stephen Green, contributor, 2/1/2018 on Instapundit .
Margaret Thatcher, "The facts of life are conservative." Indeed.
&&&&&
A week or two ago our President was engaged in negotiations with Democrats and Lindsey Graham, a rino, over the status of the "Dreamers" and other immigration issues.
It was eagerly reported by Dick Durbin, Democrat senator from Illinois, that when referring to places like Haiti, and some African countries President Trump described them as "shitholes". Mr. Durbin claimed that the President's use of such language severely damaged our standing in the world. He did not mention that if he had not eagerly reported the alleged comment no one would have known about it so our reputation would be intact. Oh well, politics above all, always, for Democrats.
President Trump expressed a preference for immigrants from Norway. The Prime Minister of Norway was not amused.
Durbin reported that Graham's reaction to the President's comment (Mr. Trump denies using the offending term) was to point out, angrily, that the country Mr. Trump's grandfather emigrated from in 1869, Germany, was no paradise. Probably true and momentarily effective. Have we become such snobs and/or racists that we look down our noses at the world's downtrodden, most of whom today are people of color?
No. America's needs and our fiscal environment have changed dramatically since 1869. How much foreign aid did we distribute in 1869 to help poorer countries? None. How much did we contribute to the U.N. for redistribution to poorer countries? Nothing.
We were then a vast and underpopulated country of about 39,000,000. That's right. About 10% of today's population in a country of almost exactly the same size it is today. ( We had just bought Alaska. Hawaii was added later.) We needed bodies. Lots and lots of them. We no longer do.
Just as importantly the enormous welfare regime we have developed did not exist in 1869.
What government benefits and programs were available to Fred Drumpf? None. Was it partly welfare benefits that might have attracted him to America? Obviously not. Immigrants were essentially on their own. Private charities, family, religious and fraternal organizations were the only sources of help or support for immigrants. None could afford to be terribly generous.
We provide billions of dollars every year to help the downtrodden where they live now.
What we need now are immigrants with skills to help our country move forward and compete. What we certainly do not need are more people to compete for low end jobs thus keeping downward pressure on the wages those jobs pay.
&&&&&
James Clyburn is one of many hacks masquerading as a congressperson. Below he displays the depth of his knowledge of history.
"The third-ranking Democrat in
the House said Monday said that if one was comparing America today to
Europe before World War II, "this president would be Mussolini and Putin
would be Hitler."
Mr. Clyburn, Hitler was never elected Chancellor.
As to the rest of his assertions, well, what can you say. These people live in a universe reserved to the ill-informed and dishonest.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Thanks Mr. President, Again
So here we are, one full year into the Trump term. Are you tired of winning yet? Me either.
Looking back over this eventful and tumultuous year a few things become clear.
Donald Trump is, in fact, a genius. He ran for his first public office at age 70. That office is the most powerful in the world, thus a very highly prized one, attracting some of the smartest people around into the contest.
Not only some of the smartest. Some of the richest and best connected. He torched them, all of them. The Bush and Clinton dynasties are left in smoking ruins.
The enormity of his accomplishment is breathtaking.
Then there are the talking heads and members of the democrat and republican opposition. Each smarter than the next, if they do say so themselves. All completely, utterly, undeniably wrong.
Trump has no idea how to wield the levers of presidential power they insisted. Wrong, as he has already proven dozens of times.
Predictions of stock market collapse in the wake of his victory? Wrong. Not only wrong, spectacularly, unprecedentedly wrong.
Predictions of trade wars. Wrong.
Predictions of blundering into new wars. Wrong.
Predictions of congressional intransigence. Wrong.
Predictions of impeachment. Wrong.
The Obamacare mandate is gone.
Hundreds of billions of dollars sequestered overseas to avoid US corporate taxes are headed home.
Announcements of new corporate investment in US manufacturing arrive on an almost daily basis.
The tax cut legislation he shepherded through the process his critics claimed he could not possibly understand will begin to dump billions into the pockets of hard working Americans next month. Almost as exciting as that prospect is, it also means less money for the federal government to fritter away.
A truly amazing performance made all the more enjoyable by the President's fondness for tweeting his thoughts in order that heads explode daily among the intelligensia, left and right.
Keep up the good work Mr. President.
Looking back over this eventful and tumultuous year a few things become clear.
Donald Trump is, in fact, a genius. He ran for his first public office at age 70. That office is the most powerful in the world, thus a very highly prized one, attracting some of the smartest people around into the contest.
Not only some of the smartest. Some of the richest and best connected. He torched them, all of them. The Bush and Clinton dynasties are left in smoking ruins.
The enormity of his accomplishment is breathtaking.
Then there are the talking heads and members of the democrat and republican opposition. Each smarter than the next, if they do say so themselves. All completely, utterly, undeniably wrong.
Trump has no idea how to wield the levers of presidential power they insisted. Wrong, as he has already proven dozens of times.
Predictions of stock market collapse in the wake of his victory? Wrong. Not only wrong, spectacularly, unprecedentedly wrong.
Predictions of trade wars. Wrong.
Predictions of blundering into new wars. Wrong.
Predictions of congressional intransigence. Wrong.
Predictions of impeachment. Wrong.
The Obamacare mandate is gone.
Hundreds of billions of dollars sequestered overseas to avoid US corporate taxes are headed home.
Announcements of new corporate investment in US manufacturing arrive on an almost daily basis.
The tax cut legislation he shepherded through the process his critics claimed he could not possibly understand will begin to dump billions into the pockets of hard working Americans next month. Almost as exciting as that prospect is, it also means less money for the federal government to fritter away.
A truly amazing performance made all the more enjoyable by the President's fondness for tweeting his thoughts in order that heads explode daily among the intelligensia, left and right.
Keep up the good work Mr. President.
Saturday, December 09, 2017
Projection
As you know "projection" has many meanings. We will explore only one of them for the purpose of this post.
Projection includes,
"...a psychological defense mechanism whereby one "projects" one's own undesirable thoughts, motivations, desires, feelings—basically parts of oneself—onto someone else..."
I have written recently about the sexual harassment epidemic consuming left wing institutions. See "Good News" and "This and That #7."
As I mentioned we on the right have been accused, as a group, of misogyny and hypocrisy for a very long time. Right wing men in particular.
I have always assumed that the accusations were a manifestation of projection.
Since no one I know engaged in the often complained of behavior and most of those with much higher profiles than mine also had only very rarely been demonstrated to have manifested those behaviors (Newt Gingrich comes immediately to mind) I often thought projection might be at work. But, like our accusers, I had precious little evidence to support my theory.
Not anymore.
We now know that Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton and Harvey Weinstein were not outliers, they were main stream for lefty institutions.
CBS, NBC, NPR, Broadway, and a thoroughly astonishing list of other cesspools are now being exposed as hotbeds (forgive me) of sexual predation.
And apparently everybody involved in those institutions knew. The most egregious example of the extent of that knowledge is the 2008 "secret" roast of Matt Lauer . Do not follow the link unless you are prepared to be offended.
The audience was filled with all the people who claimed ignorance once he was exposed.
So where did the Republican War on Women and Republican Misogyny come from?
Unfortunately it was projection. More unfortunately the women complaining loudly appear to have been cowards (a very common human condition) at best, and enablers at worst. These unfortunate people were living and working with misogynists and predators so they naturally assumed that all men behave this way. Surely these ugly impulses could not be confined to just their men.
Well ladies and all you feminist gentlemen of the left, it seems, for the most part, that they are. Enjoy what your constant efforts to be "progressive" have earned you. Destroy all the rules of civility as you have been doing for 40 years and people will behave badly.
Those of us who have been watching in horror as women turned themselves into Victoria Secret wannabes are not surprised at the world you have created.
Projection includes,
"...a psychological defense mechanism whereby one "projects" one's own undesirable thoughts, motivations, desires, feelings—basically parts of oneself—onto someone else..."
I have written recently about the sexual harassment epidemic consuming left wing institutions. See "Good News" and "This and That #7."
As I mentioned we on the right have been accused, as a group, of misogyny and hypocrisy for a very long time. Right wing men in particular.
I have always assumed that the accusations were a manifestation of projection.
Since no one I know engaged in the often complained of behavior and most of those with much higher profiles than mine also had only very rarely been demonstrated to have manifested those behaviors (Newt Gingrich comes immediately to mind) I often thought projection might be at work. But, like our accusers, I had precious little evidence to support my theory.
Not anymore.
We now know that Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton and Harvey Weinstein were not outliers, they were main stream for lefty institutions.
CBS, NBC, NPR, Broadway, and a thoroughly astonishing list of other cesspools are now being exposed as hotbeds (forgive me) of sexual predation.
And apparently everybody involved in those institutions knew. The most egregious example of the extent of that knowledge is the 2008 "secret" roast of Matt Lauer . Do not follow the link unless you are prepared to be offended.
The audience was filled with all the people who claimed ignorance once he was exposed.
So where did the Republican War on Women and Republican Misogyny come from?
Unfortunately it was projection. More unfortunately the women complaining loudly appear to have been cowards (a very common human condition) at best, and enablers at worst. These unfortunate people were living and working with misogynists and predators so they naturally assumed that all men behave this way. Surely these ugly impulses could not be confined to just their men.
Well ladies and all you feminist gentlemen of the left, it seems, for the most part, that they are. Enjoy what your constant efforts to be "progressive" have earned you. Destroy all the rules of civility as you have been doing for 40 years and people will behave badly.
Those of us who have been watching in horror as women turned themselves into Victoria Secret wannabes are not surprised at the world you have created.
Wednesday, November 08, 2017
Good News
Today marks one year since we awoke to the absolutely astonishingly good news that Hillary Clinton had lost the election. Thanks again President Trump.
There has been a lot to cheer about during this last year.
Consumer confidence is at heights not seen since 2000.
US stock markets are at all time highs.
The Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Scalia has been filled by another reliable conservative, Neal Gorsuch.
ISIS is in the process of being thoroughly destroyed.
We appear to be well on our way to defanging North Korea, one way or another.
There may be some tax reform on the way.
Liberal men, particularly those in, or connected to, Hollywood, have been exposed as the miscreants I have always assumed they were.
Liberal women, particularly those in or connected to Hollywood, have been exposed as the self-righteous dilettantes I have always assumed they were.
They never tired, male or female, of lecturing us about the evils of republican men while allowing a culture of actual sexual assault to flourish as they remained silent lest their careers be adversely affected by speaking out. The primary by-product of that silence was to expose other young women and men to the predators.
There are other by-products coming from the exposure of the Hollywood cesspool.
Some mythical liberal narratives seem to have disappeared.
Republican war on women. Anyone?
Campus rape culture. Anyone?
Donald Trump has a potty mouth and said some boorish things. Anyone?
Regarding Hollywood and its inhabitants I have an observation. How can anyone writing, producing or acting in the rot that Hollywood has been producing for years be assumed to have anything remotely resembling ordinary morals. Actors and actresses (why has that word disappeared) happily engage in on screen nudity and sex apparently thinking it very avant-garde to disrobe and perform sex acts for the public. It isn't. It is the simple substitution of exhibitionism for talent.
I realize there are a few high profile actors and actresses who do not engage in such on screen self-abasement but they are few.
Democrats won some elections for a change yesterday. They are celebrating. Allow them their moment of pleasure. They have endured a lot of pain in the last year.
Their paroxysm of glee will be short lived. Retaining the governorship of Virginia is no great accomplishment. It is what should have happened given that the republican candidate was an establishment rhino of long standing running in the Trump era.
They won the governorship of New Jersey proving, with finality, that Chris Christie's political career is, happily, over.
Be of good cheer my friends. All is well.
There has been a lot to cheer about during this last year.
Consumer confidence is at heights not seen since 2000.
US stock markets are at all time highs.
The Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Scalia has been filled by another reliable conservative, Neal Gorsuch.
ISIS is in the process of being thoroughly destroyed.
We appear to be well on our way to defanging North Korea, one way or another.
There may be some tax reform on the way.
Liberal men, particularly those in, or connected to, Hollywood, have been exposed as the miscreants I have always assumed they were.
Liberal women, particularly those in or connected to Hollywood, have been exposed as the self-righteous dilettantes I have always assumed they were.
They never tired, male or female, of lecturing us about the evils of republican men while allowing a culture of actual sexual assault to flourish as they remained silent lest their careers be adversely affected by speaking out. The primary by-product of that silence was to expose other young women and men to the predators.
There are other by-products coming from the exposure of the Hollywood cesspool.
Some mythical liberal narratives seem to have disappeared.
Republican war on women. Anyone?
Campus rape culture. Anyone?
Donald Trump has a potty mouth and said some boorish things. Anyone?
Regarding Hollywood and its inhabitants I have an observation. How can anyone writing, producing or acting in the rot that Hollywood has been producing for years be assumed to have anything remotely resembling ordinary morals. Actors and actresses (why has that word disappeared) happily engage in on screen nudity and sex apparently thinking it very avant-garde to disrobe and perform sex acts for the public. It isn't. It is the simple substitution of exhibitionism for talent.
I realize there are a few high profile actors and actresses who do not engage in such on screen self-abasement but they are few.
Democrats won some elections for a change yesterday. They are celebrating. Allow them their moment of pleasure. They have endured a lot of pain in the last year.
Their paroxysm of glee will be short lived. Retaining the governorship of Virginia is no great accomplishment. It is what should have happened given that the republican candidate was an establishment rhino of long standing running in the Trump era.
They won the governorship of New Jersey proving, with finality, that Chris Christie's political career is, happily, over.
Be of good cheer my friends. All is well.
Tuesday, November 07, 2017
This and That #7
Harvey Weinstein et al...
It has apparently come as a surprise to those who aspire to be viewed as the most sophisticated among us, that wealthy, powerful men have been known to prey on the women who depend on their wealth and or power for their own livelihoods.
They can be forgiven for never having heard of Bill Clinton or Ted Kennedy I suppose, two wallflowers who never made a headline.
Kennedy should have been prosecuted. Clinton should have been prosecuted. Hopefully Weinstein will be prosecuted.
I do not begrudge Weinstein's victims their outrage. I do begrudge them their phony naivete while repairing to the fainting couch.
It takes a great deal of courage to bite the hand that feeds you. Very few of us are courageous, human nature being what it is, as the otherwise self aggrandizing denizens of Hollywood have clearly demonstrated.
&&&
Massacres and Gun Control.
Another massacre, another appeal for "sensible steps" to ameliorate the problem of gun violence.
I have a "sensible step" to suggest. Let's create a government data base of everyone convicted of a felony and insist that the name of any putative gun buyer be run through that system before being permitted to possess one.
Oh, wait. We have one of those already. So how did the latest shooter get his weapons? Was it through the so-called gun show loop hole ? No it wasn't.
The real problem stems from one word in the sentence above beginning with "Let's". That word is government.
The latest shooter was a convicted felon who bought his weapons from a licensed fire arms dealer who received the all clear from the government. There is that word again.
The arm of the government that convicted the shooter of multiple felonies failed to post those convictions in the government data base.
I have another "sensible step" to suggest. Do not ever assume that the government will get anything right. Look after yourself and those you love. As the saying goes, when seconds count the police are only minutes away.
Last week another Muslim lunatic killed a bunch of people in New York City. He had been interviewed by the ICE in 2015. He was not interviewed because he had jaywalked. He was interviewed because of association with people who had overstayed their visas, a common terrorist profile. No action.
Remember the Boston Marathon bombers.?
"The brothers were Muslim; Tamerlan's aunt stated that he had recently become a devout Muslim.[174][175] Tamerlan became more devout and religious after 2009,[185][186] and a YouTube channel in his name linked to Salafist[185] and Islamist[181][187][188] videos. The FBI was informed by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in 2011 that he was a "follower of radical Islam."[187] In response, the FBI interviewed Tamerlan and his family and searched databases, but they did not find any evidence of "terrorism activity, domestic or foreign."" No action.
Remember the San Bernardino killers??
"They said he had contacts with five people whom the F.B.I. had investigated for possible terrorist activities — including one associated with the Shabab, the Islamist militant movement in Somalia, and another associated with the Nusra Front, the wing of Al Qaeda in Syria. In all five cases, the investigations were closed and no charges were filed."
Are you seeing a pattern here? Sclerotic bureaucracy is the problem, not the solution.
Do not allow yourself to be brow beaten into agreement with the apparently endless legion of our fellow citizens who, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, believe that government should be the repository of all power.
It has apparently come as a surprise to those who aspire to be viewed as the most sophisticated among us, that wealthy, powerful men have been known to prey on the women who depend on their wealth and or power for their own livelihoods.
They can be forgiven for never having heard of Bill Clinton or Ted Kennedy I suppose, two wallflowers who never made a headline.
Kennedy should have been prosecuted. Clinton should have been prosecuted. Hopefully Weinstein will be prosecuted.
I do not begrudge Weinstein's victims their outrage. I do begrudge them their phony naivete while repairing to the fainting couch.
It takes a great deal of courage to bite the hand that feeds you. Very few of us are courageous, human nature being what it is, as the otherwise self aggrandizing denizens of Hollywood have clearly demonstrated.
&&&
Massacres and Gun Control.
Another massacre, another appeal for "sensible steps" to ameliorate the problem of gun violence.
I have a "sensible step" to suggest. Let's create a government data base of everyone convicted of a felony and insist that the name of any putative gun buyer be run through that system before being permitted to possess one.
Oh, wait. We have one of those already. So how did the latest shooter get his weapons? Was it through the so-called gun show loop hole ? No it wasn't.
The real problem stems from one word in the sentence above beginning with "Let's". That word is government.
The latest shooter was a convicted felon who bought his weapons from a licensed fire arms dealer who received the all clear from the government. There is that word again.
The arm of the government that convicted the shooter of multiple felonies failed to post those convictions in the government data base.
I have another "sensible step" to suggest. Do not ever assume that the government will get anything right. Look after yourself and those you love. As the saying goes, when seconds count the police are only minutes away.
Last week another Muslim lunatic killed a bunch of people in New York City. He had been interviewed by the ICE in 2015. He was not interviewed because he had jaywalked. He was interviewed because of association with people who had overstayed their visas, a common terrorist profile. No action.
Remember the Boston Marathon bombers.?
"The brothers were Muslim; Tamerlan's aunt stated that he had recently become a devout Muslim.[174][175] Tamerlan became more devout and religious after 2009,[185][186] and a YouTube channel in his name linked to Salafist[185] and Islamist[181][187][188] videos. The FBI was informed by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in 2011 that he was a "follower of radical Islam."[187] In response, the FBI interviewed Tamerlan and his family and searched databases, but they did not find any evidence of "terrorism activity, domestic or foreign."" No action.
Remember the San Bernardino killers??
"They said he had contacts with five people whom the F.B.I. had investigated for possible terrorist activities — including one associated with the Shabab, the Islamist militant movement in Somalia, and another associated with the Nusra Front, the wing of Al Qaeda in Syria. In all five cases, the investigations were closed and no charges were filed."
Are you seeing a pattern here? Sclerotic bureaucracy is the problem, not the solution.
Do not allow yourself to be brow beaten into agreement with the apparently endless legion of our fellow citizens who, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, believe that government should be the repository of all power.
Transgender Tragedy
I was minding my own business when suddenly confronted with some astonishing "facts".
Men could "become" women and vice versa.
Humans of the same gender could "marry".
Those men who became women and vice versa are now referred to as transgendered.
Here are some facts.
Men cannot become women and women cannot become men.
Men can pretend to be women and women can pretend to be men.
They cannot ever "become" the gender they aspire to in the same way that I cannot "become" Donald Trump. I could dye my hair and put on a hundred pounds and look a lot like Donald Trump but I can never, ever, be Donald Trump. Seems pretty simple to me, but then, as I wrote recently, to me, The David is just a giant statue. Perhaps I am nothing more sophisticated than a contrarian. I am not! (sorry, could not resist)
There are, unfortunately, some real world consequences to being forced to enable the gender fantasies of some unfortunate souls.
This is a tragedy. A boy is being allowed to "compete" with the girls. This is not competition. It is as thoroughly unfair as the legendary doping of female athletes during the Soviet era. Turn athletic women into testosterone fueled athletic women and your team will win a lot of medals.
I stopped paying attention to the Olympics years ago and was surprised to find that the Russians have continued the practice.
So, getting back to our tragedy, authentic girls are being forced to compete against a naturally doped boy.
No doubt you are aware that in most sports the sexes are segregated because boys are, generally, bigger, stronger and faster than women.
Now the unfortunate authentic women are forced to lose so that this arguably deranged and at the very least, incredibly selfish, or clever, boy can force us all to indulge his idiotic fantasy.
Will the athletic scholarship committees at the schools these young women apply to take into account their victimization? One can only hope so, but that hope is a dim one.
The "girl" had this to say after winning a state championship race,
“It feels really good. I’m really happy to win both titles,” Yearwood of Cromwell High School told the Day after winning at the May 30 meet. “I kind of expected it. I’ve always gotten first, so I expected it to some extent. … I’m really proud of it.”
"I've always gotten first...", yes, of course, those with an unfair advantage usually do.
The girl who won last year had this to say,
“It’s frustrating,” Hall of Stonington High School told the Courant. “But that’s just the way it is now.”
Unfortunately she appears to be resigned to being relegated to second place by a man.
Sound familiar?
Men could "become" women and vice versa.
Humans of the same gender could "marry".
Those men who became women and vice versa are now referred to as transgendered.
Here are some facts.
Men cannot become women and women cannot become men.
Men can pretend to be women and women can pretend to be men.
They cannot ever "become" the gender they aspire to in the same way that I cannot "become" Donald Trump. I could dye my hair and put on a hundred pounds and look a lot like Donald Trump but I can never, ever, be Donald Trump. Seems pretty simple to me, but then, as I wrote recently, to me, The David is just a giant statue. Perhaps I am nothing more sophisticated than a contrarian. I am not! (sorry, could not resist)
There are, unfortunately, some real world consequences to being forced to enable the gender fantasies of some unfortunate souls.
This is a tragedy. A boy is being allowed to "compete" with the girls. This is not competition. It is as thoroughly unfair as the legendary doping of female athletes during the Soviet era. Turn athletic women into testosterone fueled athletic women and your team will win a lot of medals.
I stopped paying attention to the Olympics years ago and was surprised to find that the Russians have continued the practice.
So, getting back to our tragedy, authentic girls are being forced to compete against a naturally doped boy.
No doubt you are aware that in most sports the sexes are segregated because boys are, generally, bigger, stronger and faster than women.
Now the unfortunate authentic women are forced to lose so that this arguably deranged and at the very least, incredibly selfish, or clever, boy can force us all to indulge his idiotic fantasy.
Will the athletic scholarship committees at the schools these young women apply to take into account their victimization? One can only hope so, but that hope is a dim one.
The "girl" had this to say after winning a state championship race,
“It feels really good. I’m really happy to win both titles,” Yearwood of Cromwell High School told the Day after winning at the May 30 meet. “I kind of expected it. I’ve always gotten first, so I expected it to some extent. … I’m really proud of it.”
"I've always gotten first...", yes, of course, those with an unfair advantage usually do.
The girl who won last year had this to say,
“It’s frustrating,” Hall of Stonington High School told the Courant. “But that’s just the way it is now.”
Unfortunately she appears to be resigned to being relegated to second place by a man.
Sound familiar?
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
This and That Italian Edition
My wife and I just returned from our first trip to Italy.
It is a very beautiful country. We spent time in Rome, Florence, Venice, Messina, the Amalfi Coast and a couple of other small towns. We also spent one day in Sibenik, Croatia. It is just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Very pretty place.
Seeing the Colosseum was a great treat for me. As with so many other buildings in Italy, it is an amazing example of engineering, particularly considering the time at which it was built.
I had not considered, before embarking on the trip, that most of the sites I would tour would be focused on the Catholic Religion. I know, you were just about convinced I was a smart guy! Anyway, never gave it much thought.
The tours we took were all very similar. Churches, Cathedrals, and Basilicae. Being an areligious person, these soon became quite boring although the buildings were all quite beautiful.
A few comments, in no particular order of importance.
When viewing the Colosseum I was reminded of the "bread and circuses" style of governance. Keep the people fed and entertained and they will not complain too much. Seems like not much has changed in 2000 years as massive numbers of citizens of the welfare West are on the dole and kept cheaply entertained.
The Sistine Chapel was an odd experience for me. It is very beautiful, very elaborate. Every inch of all the walls and the ceiling is covered in art produced by many masters. It all looked very similar to what I had seen in the many other churches we had visited.
While Michelangelo's ceiling is clearly an enormous feat of human endurance and productivity, the artwork itself looked to me quite ordinary. The usual assortment of humans, angels and other religious objects. Really much ado about not so much, in my opinion. It was an Emperor's New Clothes moment for me. Then again, perhaps I am just a philistine, incapable of appreciating real art.
The David was a similarly odd experience. It is massive, 17 feet tall. Another demonstration of Michaelangelo's ability to take on and complete huge projects. It has less detail than any child's plastic super hero doll mass produced today. Well, except for his genitals. Nude men appear to have been an obsession of Michaelangleo's. According to one guide he is said to have stated that the male body is the most beautiful thing on earth. Not in my opinion.
In the Uffizi museum in Florence hangs the only individual picture authenticated as Michaelangelo's work. It is a strange painting. The background is full of naked men. One might draw conclusions, might one not?
The Vatican Museum contains an incredible array of art and religious artifacts. Much of the place, like many of the churches we visited, is gilded. There are elaborate gold and silver pieces everywhere. It occurred to me that much of the gold and silver these items were made of was stolen from the Americas. Much of the rest, not to mention the buildings themselves, were funded by the tithe. In other words, money extorted from working people to benefit the priestly class in exchange for promises of a heavenly hereafter. A disgrace, in my opinion. The Catholic Church is, in my opinion, a giant criminal enterprise.
I mentioned that we had visited Sibenik. Croatia is, apparently, a very Catholic country. Our guide was a lovely young lady of 32. She mentioned her age in passing. While in the most important church in the area she was asked where all the beautiful statuary had come from. Her answer was confirmation of my opinion of the Church. She said that some local nobles had donated some of the statuary but that most of it was paid for by the tithe. She rolled her eyes as she said it. An acknowledgment, in my view, of the basic unfairness of taxing working people for the churches' aggrandizement.
One last thing, in the nature of a tip on being a white tourist in Italy.
At many tourist sites there is a substantial army of very tall, handsome Nigerian men with beautiful smiles and arms full of trinkets. They will approach you and say "I like your shoes". The approach is intended to disarm you and cynically prey on the inherent niceness (and perhaps racial guilt) of white people. I never saw any of them approach a person of color. Tell them to fuck off and turn away. It is, unfortunately, the only method I found to stop them trying to guilt me into giving them money.
It is a very beautiful country. We spent time in Rome, Florence, Venice, Messina, the Amalfi Coast and a couple of other small towns. We also spent one day in Sibenik, Croatia. It is just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Very pretty place.
Seeing the Colosseum was a great treat for me. As with so many other buildings in Italy, it is an amazing example of engineering, particularly considering the time at which it was built.
I had not considered, before embarking on the trip, that most of the sites I would tour would be focused on the Catholic Religion. I know, you were just about convinced I was a smart guy! Anyway, never gave it much thought.
The tours we took were all very similar. Churches, Cathedrals, and Basilicae. Being an areligious person, these soon became quite boring although the buildings were all quite beautiful.
A few comments, in no particular order of importance.
When viewing the Colosseum I was reminded of the "bread and circuses" style of governance. Keep the people fed and entertained and they will not complain too much. Seems like not much has changed in 2000 years as massive numbers of citizens of the welfare West are on the dole and kept cheaply entertained.
The Sistine Chapel was an odd experience for me. It is very beautiful, very elaborate. Every inch of all the walls and the ceiling is covered in art produced by many masters. It all looked very similar to what I had seen in the many other churches we had visited.
While Michelangelo's ceiling is clearly an enormous feat of human endurance and productivity, the artwork itself looked to me quite ordinary. The usual assortment of humans, angels and other religious objects. Really much ado about not so much, in my opinion. It was an Emperor's New Clothes moment for me. Then again, perhaps I am just a philistine, incapable of appreciating real art.
The David was a similarly odd experience. It is massive, 17 feet tall. Another demonstration of Michaelangelo's ability to take on and complete huge projects. It has less detail than any child's plastic super hero doll mass produced today. Well, except for his genitals. Nude men appear to have been an obsession of Michaelangleo's. According to one guide he is said to have stated that the male body is the most beautiful thing on earth. Not in my opinion.
In the Uffizi museum in Florence hangs the only individual picture authenticated as Michaelangelo's work. It is a strange painting. The background is full of naked men. One might draw conclusions, might one not?
The Vatican Museum contains an incredible array of art and religious artifacts. Much of the place, like many of the churches we visited, is gilded. There are elaborate gold and silver pieces everywhere. It occurred to me that much of the gold and silver these items were made of was stolen from the Americas. Much of the rest, not to mention the buildings themselves, were funded by the tithe. In other words, money extorted from working people to benefit the priestly class in exchange for promises of a heavenly hereafter. A disgrace, in my opinion. The Catholic Church is, in my opinion, a giant criminal enterprise.
I mentioned that we had visited Sibenik. Croatia is, apparently, a very Catholic country. Our guide was a lovely young lady of 32. She mentioned her age in passing. While in the most important church in the area she was asked where all the beautiful statuary had come from. Her answer was confirmation of my opinion of the Church. She said that some local nobles had donated some of the statuary but that most of it was paid for by the tithe. She rolled her eyes as she said it. An acknowledgment, in my view, of the basic unfairness of taxing working people for the churches' aggrandizement.
One last thing, in the nature of a tip on being a white tourist in Italy.
At many tourist sites there is a substantial army of very tall, handsome Nigerian men with beautiful smiles and arms full of trinkets. They will approach you and say "I like your shoes". The approach is intended to disarm you and cynically prey on the inherent niceness (and perhaps racial guilt) of white people. I never saw any of them approach a person of color. Tell them to fuck off and turn away. It is, unfortunately, the only method I found to stop them trying to guilt me into giving them money.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
NFL
I have been a football fan for a very long time.
Over the last ten years or so I have watched, dismayed, as the product has deteriorated and the NFL has become ever more greedy and unwatchable. Moving games to the NFL channel was a really bush league move.
Color commentators afflicted with verbal diarrhea and an addiction to superlatives so severe that almost any play or player turns into the greatest ever are extremely annoying.
After enduring this nonsense for far too long I have recently taken to watching the games on mute. Big improvement which has the laudable side effect of tuning out the commercials!
Then there are the head coaches most of whom appear to have become obscenity spewing pseudo generals who think they are commanding troops in an enterprise as noble as war.
Two or three years ago my local team, the Cardinals, were featured in some program that took an in depth look at the team. I turned it off after about thirty seconds of head coach Bruce Ariens' obscenity laced rant about leading his troops into battle. Mr. Ariens, George Patton you are most assuredly not and most of your troops would be deemed unfit characters for military service.
Then there are the players. By and large a group of spoiled, tattooed thugs more interested in stupid demonstrations of personal prowess than the dignity of their teams or the game. Is there anything less compelling than watching some behemoth do his victory dance after sacking a QB in garbage time while losing the game?
Now these spoiled millionaires, mostly black ones, have decided that living in the country that has allowed them to become rich and famous is a racist nightmare.
Good luck to all of you. I will not be watching anymore games. The anti-American demonstrations by players and entire teams today are more than I can stand.
Well, except for watching the Cardinals. I love cheering on their humiliation, their owners having stolen billions here in the Valley of the Sun over the last 29 years.
I hope you will join me in finding something else to do on football season Sundays. These miscreants do not deserve our support in their present incarnation.
Over the last ten years or so I have watched, dismayed, as the product has deteriorated and the NFL has become ever more greedy and unwatchable. Moving games to the NFL channel was a really bush league move.
Color commentators afflicted with verbal diarrhea and an addiction to superlatives so severe that almost any play or player turns into the greatest ever are extremely annoying.
After enduring this nonsense for far too long I have recently taken to watching the games on mute. Big improvement which has the laudable side effect of tuning out the commercials!
Then there are the head coaches most of whom appear to have become obscenity spewing pseudo generals who think they are commanding troops in an enterprise as noble as war.
Two or three years ago my local team, the Cardinals, were featured in some program that took an in depth look at the team. I turned it off after about thirty seconds of head coach Bruce Ariens' obscenity laced rant about leading his troops into battle. Mr. Ariens, George Patton you are most assuredly not and most of your troops would be deemed unfit characters for military service.
Then there are the players. By and large a group of spoiled, tattooed thugs more interested in stupid demonstrations of personal prowess than the dignity of their teams or the game. Is there anything less compelling than watching some behemoth do his victory dance after sacking a QB in garbage time while losing the game?
Now these spoiled millionaires, mostly black ones, have decided that living in the country that has allowed them to become rich and famous is a racist nightmare.
Good luck to all of you. I will not be watching anymore games. The anti-American demonstrations by players and entire teams today are more than I can stand.
Well, except for watching the Cardinals. I love cheering on their humiliation, their owners having stolen billions here in the Valley of the Sun over the last 29 years.
I hope you will join me in finding something else to do on football season Sundays. These miscreants do not deserve our support in their present incarnation.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
This and That # 6
There has been quite a spat going on in the academic legal community over the last month or so.
Two tenured law professors from two different schools, Pennsylvania and San Diego, co-authored an opinion piece explaining that a lot of our current social problems, kids without families, opioid abuse, and catastrophic urban violence, among others, might be less serious if the basic rules of personal responsibility prevalent in mid twentieth century America were still in place.
"That culture laid out the script we all were supposed to follow: Get married before you have children and strive to stay married for their sake. Get the education you need for gainful employment, work hard, and avoid idleness. Go the extra mile for your employer or client. Be a patriot, ready to serve the country. Be neighborly, civic-minded, and charitable. Avoid coarse language in public. Be respectful of authority. Eschew substance abuse and crime."
Pretty tame stuff. But then they crossed the rubicon.
"All cultures are not equal(italics are mine). Or at least they are not equal in preparing people to be productive in an advanced economy. The culture of the Plains Indians was designed for nomadic hunters, but is not suited to a First World, 21st-century environment. Nor are the single-parent, antisocial habits, prevalent among some working-class whites; the anti-“acting white” rap culture of inner-city blacks; the anti-assimilation ideas gaining ground among some Hispanic immigrants."
That all cultures are not equal is, for most of us, blindingly obvious. Do I really have to explain it? Again? No, I don't.
For any of you who may doubt this obvious statement of incontrovertible fact please look around you. Do you see all those millions and millions of legal and illegal immigrants? Do you have any idea why they might have chosen to leave the countries and cultures of their birth and flee to America, often at great personal peril? I know, I don't get it either. What could possibly explain why they wouldn't have chosen to stay in, in no particular order, Russia, China, The Philippines, Mexico, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, India, Pakistan, etc?
Even as degraded as our culture has become, thanks to the never ending attempts by the left to denigrate anything and everything American, it is still the culture the whole non-western world is fleeing to.
The colleagues and students of the two rogue professors who offered such an heretical analysis of culture are aghast. Fire them, string them up. How dare they!
From Penn Law students;
"While we do not challenge Professor Wax’s right to express her views, we question whether it is appropriate for her to continue to teach a required first-year course. The Penn Law administration has long been aware that her bigoted views inevitably seep into her words and actions in the classroom and in private conversations with students. We call on the administration to consider more deeply the toll that this takes on students, particularly students of color and members of the LGBTQIA community, and to consider whether it is in the best interests of the school and its students for Professor Wax to continue to teach a required first-year class. Exposure to a diversity of viewpoints is an essential and valuable part of any educational experience, but no student should have to be exposed to bigotry or abuse in the classroom (italics are mine)."
These idiots are attending a top tier law school and want to be lawyers?
From the dean of law at University of San Diego comes this;
"I want to thank the student groups, as well as the many individual students, faculty and other members of the USD law school community who have spoken or written to me to express their concerns about the article written by USD School of Law Professor Larry Alexander, along with University of Pennsylvania Professor Amy Wax, and their subsequent interviews about the article.
...We must recognize that, for many students, racial discrimination and cultural subordination (WHAT!) are not academic theories, they reflect the students’ personal experiences.
... The views expressed by Professor Alexander were his personal views. I personally do not agree with those views, nor do I believe that they are representative of the views of our law school community."
Luckily for them and us both professors are tenured. If they were not they would probably both have been fired. For being polite, truthful and honest. That is no longer permitted, unless you have protection.
&&&
Speaking of LGBT let's explore a real dilemma. I am working on another post about the tragedy of transgenderism and via Instapundit I came across a story headlined,
"Why Can't My Famous Gender Nonconforming Friends Get Laid". Interesting I thought, so I clicked through and read the piece. Profoundly stupid, extremely long and entirely unnecessary. Why unnecessary, you ask?
Because...
Now you know the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey famously intoned back when boys were boys and girls were girls.
Two tenured law professors from two different schools, Pennsylvania and San Diego, co-authored an opinion piece explaining that a lot of our current social problems, kids without families, opioid abuse, and catastrophic urban violence, among others, might be less serious if the basic rules of personal responsibility prevalent in mid twentieth century America were still in place.
"That culture laid out the script we all were supposed to follow: Get married before you have children and strive to stay married for their sake. Get the education you need for gainful employment, work hard, and avoid idleness. Go the extra mile for your employer or client. Be a patriot, ready to serve the country. Be neighborly, civic-minded, and charitable. Avoid coarse language in public. Be respectful of authority. Eschew substance abuse and crime."
Pretty tame stuff. But then they crossed the rubicon.
"All cultures are not equal(italics are mine). Or at least they are not equal in preparing people to be productive in an advanced economy. The culture of the Plains Indians was designed for nomadic hunters, but is not suited to a First World, 21st-century environment. Nor are the single-parent, antisocial habits, prevalent among some working-class whites; the anti-“acting white” rap culture of inner-city blacks; the anti-assimilation ideas gaining ground among some Hispanic immigrants."
That all cultures are not equal is, for most of us, blindingly obvious. Do I really have to explain it? Again? No, I don't.
For any of you who may doubt this obvious statement of incontrovertible fact please look around you. Do you see all those millions and millions of legal and illegal immigrants? Do you have any idea why they might have chosen to leave the countries and cultures of their birth and flee to America, often at great personal peril? I know, I don't get it either. What could possibly explain why they wouldn't have chosen to stay in, in no particular order, Russia, China, The Philippines, Mexico, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, India, Pakistan, etc?
Even as degraded as our culture has become, thanks to the never ending attempts by the left to denigrate anything and everything American, it is still the culture the whole non-western world is fleeing to.
The colleagues and students of the two rogue professors who offered such an heretical analysis of culture are aghast. Fire them, string them up. How dare they!
From Penn Law students;
"While we do not challenge Professor Wax’s right to express her views, we question whether it is appropriate for her to continue to teach a required first-year course. The Penn Law administration has long been aware that her bigoted views inevitably seep into her words and actions in the classroom and in private conversations with students. We call on the administration to consider more deeply the toll that this takes on students, particularly students of color and members of the LGBTQIA community, and to consider whether it is in the best interests of the school and its students for Professor Wax to continue to teach a required first-year class. Exposure to a diversity of viewpoints is an essential and valuable part of any educational experience, but no student should have to be exposed to bigotry or abuse in the classroom (italics are mine)."
These idiots are attending a top tier law school and want to be lawyers?
From the dean of law at University of San Diego comes this;
"I want to thank the student groups, as well as the many individual students, faculty and other members of the USD law school community who have spoken or written to me to express their concerns about the article written by USD School of Law Professor Larry Alexander, along with University of Pennsylvania Professor Amy Wax, and their subsequent interviews about the article.
...We must recognize that, for many students, racial discrimination and cultural subordination (WHAT!) are not academic theories, they reflect the students’ personal experiences.
... The views expressed by Professor Alexander were his personal views. I personally do not agree with those views, nor do I believe that they are representative of the views of our law school community."
Luckily for them and us both professors are tenured. If they were not they would probably both have been fired. For being polite, truthful and honest. That is no longer permitted, unless you have protection.
&&&
Speaking of LGBT let's explore a real dilemma. I am working on another post about the tragedy of transgenderism and via Instapundit I came across a story headlined,
"Why Can't My Famous Gender Nonconforming Friends Get Laid". Interesting I thought, so I clicked through and read the piece. Profoundly stupid, extremely long and entirely unnecessary. Why unnecessary, you ask?
Because...
Now you know the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey famously intoned back when boys were boys and girls were girls.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Trump and DACA
You will all have noticed the goings on over the last few weeks regarding DACA, the program undertaken, unconstitutionally, by Barry O a few years back to protect young illegals from the sins of their parents. Most of us are sympathetic to them.
It was announced as a temporary measure as his imperial majesty became impatient with that pesky congress for not doing as it was told. It would disappear as soon as congress did its job, his majesty told us.
DJT announced that it would end in six months and congress had better get to work.
As you know Mr. Trump, and all of his supporters, have been denounced as racists because we disapprove of illegal immigration. So be it.
For reasons too embarrassing to recount Trump ended up negotiating with Pelosi and Schumer on a DACA replacement. Completely brilliant.
For the tiny price of giving some kind of official status to about 800,000 very compelling illegals (details unknown at this time) and working with Democrats to do so, he has immunized himself from the racist anti-immigrant charges the left saddled him and us with. Brilliant. The art of the deal indeed.
It was announced as a temporary measure as his imperial majesty became impatient with that pesky congress for not doing as it was told. It would disappear as soon as congress did its job, his majesty told us.
DJT announced that it would end in six months and congress had better get to work.
As you know Mr. Trump, and all of his supporters, have been denounced as racists because we disapprove of illegal immigration. So be it.
For reasons too embarrassing to recount Trump ended up negotiating with Pelosi and Schumer on a DACA replacement. Completely brilliant.
For the tiny price of giving some kind of official status to about 800,000 very compelling illegals (details unknown at this time) and working with Democrats to do so, he has immunized himself from the racist anti-immigrant charges the left saddled him and us with. Brilliant. The art of the deal indeed.
Thanks Again Mr. President
I thought President Trump's UN speech Tuesday was great. I hope you were able to watch it, hear it or read it. A breath of fresh air. Devoid of diplomatic double speak. Entirely.
A few of my favorite moments.
“The United States of America has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world, and the greatest defenders of sovereignty, security, and prosperity for all."
Indeed. Well, a bit humble in my opinion. Has there ever been a greater force for good in the history of the world? In a word, no. Will there ever be one? Look around the world. The answer is clearly no. We are it and hopefully DJT's election will have helped prevent our destruction and the extinguishing of the only real beacon of liberty in the world.
As I watch more and more of my fellow citizens seeming to embrace socialist notions I was very pleased that the President put the case clearly.
"The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. (italics are mine) (Applause.) From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure. Those who preach the tenets of these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems."
On North Korea.
"The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. That’s what the United Nations is all about; that’s what the United Nations is for. Let’s see how they do."
The no BS network* is a beautiful thing. Notice the last sentence. I was surprised but delighted he did not say "we".
On Iran,
"We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program. (Applause.) The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it -- believe me." The no BS network on display again!
A very important phrase banished by Barry O and his cadre is back.
"We will stop radical Islamic terrorism (italics are mine) because we cannot allow it to tear up our nation, and indeed to tear up the entire world.
Last, but by no means least.
"As President of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries will always, and should always, put your countries first. (Applause.)"
Shortly after the speech concluded a headline appeared on Yahoo "News" noting that some diplomats were offended by the speech. Who were they? The ambassadors from Iran, North Korea, Syria (I didn't mention them but he did) and Venezuela. As though that was some unintended consequence. It was the whole point for goodness sake.
*Pop culture 1970's style reference to "Tunnelvision", the no bullshit network.
A few of my favorite moments.
“The United States of America has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world, and the greatest defenders of sovereignty, security, and prosperity for all."
Indeed. Well, a bit humble in my opinion. Has there ever been a greater force for good in the history of the world? In a word, no. Will there ever be one? Look around the world. The answer is clearly no. We are it and hopefully DJT's election will have helped prevent our destruction and the extinguishing of the only real beacon of liberty in the world.
As I watch more and more of my fellow citizens seeming to embrace socialist notions I was very pleased that the President put the case clearly.
"The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. (italics are mine) (Applause.) From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure. Those who preach the tenets of these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems."
On North Korea.
"The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. That’s what the United Nations is all about; that’s what the United Nations is for. Let’s see how they do."
The no BS network* is a beautiful thing. Notice the last sentence. I was surprised but delighted he did not say "we".
On Iran,
"We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program. (Applause.) The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it -- believe me." The no BS network on display again!
A very important phrase banished by Barry O and his cadre is back.
"We will stop radical Islamic terrorism (italics are mine) because we cannot allow it to tear up our nation, and indeed to tear up the entire world.
Last, but by no means least.
"As President of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries will always, and should always, put your countries first. (Applause.)"
Shortly after the speech concluded a headline appeared on Yahoo "News" noting that some diplomats were offended by the speech. Who were they? The ambassadors from Iran, North Korea, Syria (I didn't mention them but he did) and Venezuela. As though that was some unintended consequence. It was the whole point for goodness sake.
*Pop culture 1970's style reference to "Tunnelvision", the no bullshit network.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Apology
I had written yesterday that I would be attending the Trump event last night. I was looking forward to writing about it. Good intentions...
I know downtown Phoenix about as well as I know downtown Moscow.
When I reached the convention center area yesterday evening there were a number of closed roads. After a short while I gave up trying to find my way to a safe parking area and returned home.
My primary interest in attending was to try and help ensure that the venue had a good crowd. It was obvious by the throngs (not just erstwhile protesters) downtown that this would not be a problem.
It so happens that Phoenix airport is on the route I had to take downtown. As I was driving, at about 5PM, I began to wonder how long in advance of an event like this the President would arrive. The event was to begin at 7PM.
The highway I was on is roughly parallel to the airport's two glide paths. One to the left, the other to the right. As I looked to the right, at 5:13PM, there it was. Air Force One on the glide path, gear down, floating towards the runway. An inspiring sight. And the answer to my question.
I know downtown Phoenix about as well as I know downtown Moscow.
When I reached the convention center area yesterday evening there were a number of closed roads. After a short while I gave up trying to find my way to a safe parking area and returned home.
My primary interest in attending was to try and help ensure that the venue had a good crowd. It was obvious by the throngs (not just erstwhile protesters) downtown that this would not be a problem.
It so happens that Phoenix airport is on the route I had to take downtown. As I was driving, at about 5PM, I began to wonder how long in advance of an event like this the President would arrive. The event was to begin at 7PM.
The highway I was on is roughly parallel to the airport's two glide paths. One to the left, the other to the right. As I looked to the right, at 5:13PM, there it was. Air Force One on the glide path, gear down, floating towards the runway. An inspiring sight. And the answer to my question.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Don't Believe A Word They Say
No doubt you have noticed the never ending torrent of outrage directed at President Trump. Don't believe a word of it.
The latest outrage is over his immediate post Charlottesville comments and the press conference that followed.
I will leave you to look at the transcripts if you feel the need. Otherwise, you can take my word for fact that he said nothing wrong or inappropriate.
The left, MSM and more than a few so-called Republicans are setting their hair on fire, again, because Trump did not say exactly what they wanted him to say.
While it is an outrage to them it is not to us ordinary people who have watched the "Antifa" movement riot over and over again in their never ending determination to make it impossible for ordinary Americans to speak our common sense minds. They deserve as much blame for the events in Charlottesville as the Nazi thugs. But for their abandonment of the American social contract that is the 1st Amendment there would have been no violence at all. None. The idiot Nazis would have marched and gone home just like they do after making some noise every 30 years or so.
The combined anti-Trump forces are deluging us in negative press in the hope that we will all be shamed into deserting the President. As they have made obvious, that is their sole agenda. Do not believe a word they say.
I will be attending the President's event in Phoenix tomorrow evening. Can't wait to show him that we appreciate his courage in the face of the most vicious onslaught any President I know of, with the possible exception of Lincoln, has had to endure.
In case an example of the anti-Trump forces knee jerk besmirching of Trump is necessary I will share my most recent favorite. In an interview with the NYTimes (I think) he referred to his big win in New Hampshire. Without bothering to give it a second thought they were bellowing their derision. "Trump didn't win New Hampshire", came the full throated roar. That would be correct if he was referring to the election. He was not. He was referring to his primary win which was crucial to his candidacy.
Don't let the bastards get you down!
The latest outrage is over his immediate post Charlottesville comments and the press conference that followed.
I will leave you to look at the transcripts if you feel the need. Otherwise, you can take my word for fact that he said nothing wrong or inappropriate.
The left, MSM and more than a few so-called Republicans are setting their hair on fire, again, because Trump did not say exactly what they wanted him to say.
While it is an outrage to them it is not to us ordinary people who have watched the "Antifa" movement riot over and over again in their never ending determination to make it impossible for ordinary Americans to speak our common sense minds. They deserve as much blame for the events in Charlottesville as the Nazi thugs. But for their abandonment of the American social contract that is the 1st Amendment there would have been no violence at all. None. The idiot Nazis would have marched and gone home just like they do after making some noise every 30 years or so.
The combined anti-Trump forces are deluging us in negative press in the hope that we will all be shamed into deserting the President. As they have made obvious, that is their sole agenda. Do not believe a word they say.
I will be attending the President's event in Phoenix tomorrow evening. Can't wait to show him that we appreciate his courage in the face of the most vicious onslaught any President I know of, with the possible exception of Lincoln, has had to endure.
In case an example of the anti-Trump forces knee jerk besmirching of Trump is necessary I will share my most recent favorite. In an interview with the NYTimes (I think) he referred to his big win in New Hampshire. Without bothering to give it a second thought they were bellowing their derision. "Trump didn't win New Hampshire", came the full throated roar. That would be correct if he was referring to the election. He was not. He was referring to his primary win which was crucial to his candidacy.
Don't let the bastards get you down!
Tuesday, July 04, 2017
This and That, July 4th Edition
Happy Independence Day to all.
Courtesy of Powerline's Scott Johnson, an excerpt from Calvin Coolidge's July 4, 1926 speech.
"If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary." Indeed.
If the above looks familiar you are either a long term reader of this blog or of Powerline. Mr. Johnson has published the excerpt (a much longer one actually, you should enjoy it at the link above) every July 4th since 2004.
&
I hope you have been enjoying the Donald Trump Show as much as I have. His latest Tweet storms have been fabulous. Thin skinned poseurs like Joe Scarborough and Mika Brezinski apparently cannot help themselves and respond to him like Pavlov's dogs.
It is a joy to watch their hair catch fire as these two hypocrites try to take on a man much more clever than them.
For months, since he didn't allow them into a New Year's Eve party at his Palm Beach resort, they have been attacking him daily. Suggesting he suffers from a mental illness among other insightful revelations of his character . Having been friends of his for years, no doubt they know him well. Except for the curious change in their attitude after he wasn't nice to them, I might even believe some of what they have to say. Or not. Truly a joy to watch.
&
Do you remember the controversy President Trump created with his "Comey better hope there are no tapes of our conversations" Tweet? It was beautiful. All the right people reacted in all the right ways interpreting his comment to mean that he had taped the conversations and the Nixon comparisons took flight.
"With that tweet, Trump immediately deepened his own legal and political quagmire, evoking comparisons to President Richard M. Nixon and prompting congressional committees investigating his campaign’s alleged ties with Russia to demand the disclosure of any such recordings."
Look at what he actually said.
Do you remember his much earlier Tweet about Obama having wire tapped Trump Towers in New York?
It has been suggested, credibly I think, that when looked at together Trump was actually warning Comey that the intelligence community might have tapes of their conversations and he had best be careful about his then pending testimony to Congress. It worked. Comey confirmed in that testimony everything Trump had said. Trump didn't need to tape anything. The bluff was sufficient. Brilliant.
&
From the annals of "You must be joking " comes this.
"The Denver City Council voted Monday to approve major sentencing reform (in other words, making penalties more lenient) on Class I and II offenses. The latter cover crimes like public defecation, panhandling and camping out on the sidewalk." (Emphasis added).
The "reasoning" behind this outrage?
"City leaders and immigrant rights advocates argued the changes will protect Denver’s immigrant community from facing unintended consequences.
“Many times it becomes a deportable (sic)offense if you’ve been convicted of even a minor ordinance violation that’s punishable by a year in jail,” Mark Silverstein said, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado."
Abject stupidity in the service of the progressive agenda to turn the USA brown.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Enjoy the 4th of July. Most of you have the great good fortune to live in the greatest country in human history. Too bad we have to share it with so many ingrates and fools.
Even so, it is well worth the price.
Courtesy of Powerline's Scott Johnson, an excerpt from Calvin Coolidge's July 4, 1926 speech.
"If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary." Indeed.
If the above looks familiar you are either a long term reader of this blog or of Powerline. Mr. Johnson has published the excerpt (a much longer one actually, you should enjoy it at the link above) every July 4th since 2004.
&
I hope you have been enjoying the Donald Trump Show as much as I have. His latest Tweet storms have been fabulous. Thin skinned poseurs like Joe Scarborough and Mika Brezinski apparently cannot help themselves and respond to him like Pavlov's dogs.
It is a joy to watch their hair catch fire as these two hypocrites try to take on a man much more clever than them.
For months, since he didn't allow them into a New Year's Eve party at his Palm Beach resort, they have been attacking him daily. Suggesting he suffers from a mental illness among other insightful revelations of his character . Having been friends of his for years, no doubt they know him well. Except for the curious change in their attitude after he wasn't nice to them, I might even believe some of what they have to say. Or not. Truly a joy to watch.
&
Do you remember the controversy President Trump created with his "Comey better hope there are no tapes of our conversations" Tweet? It was beautiful. All the right people reacted in all the right ways interpreting his comment to mean that he had taped the conversations and the Nixon comparisons took flight.
"With that tweet, Trump immediately deepened his own legal and political quagmire, evoking comparisons to President Richard M. Nixon and prompting congressional committees investigating his campaign’s alleged ties with Russia to demand the disclosure of any such recordings."
Look at what he actually said.
Do you remember his much earlier Tweet about Obama having wire tapped Trump Towers in New York?
It has been suggested, credibly I think, that when looked at together Trump was actually warning Comey that the intelligence community might have tapes of their conversations and he had best be careful about his then pending testimony to Congress. It worked. Comey confirmed in that testimony everything Trump had said. Trump didn't need to tape anything. The bluff was sufficient. Brilliant.
&
From the annals of "You must be joking " comes this.
"The Denver City Council voted Monday to approve major sentencing reform (in other words, making penalties more lenient) on Class I and II offenses. The latter cover crimes like public defecation, panhandling and camping out on the sidewalk." (Emphasis added).
The "reasoning" behind this outrage?
"City leaders and immigrant rights advocates argued the changes will protect Denver’s immigrant community from facing unintended consequences.
“Many times it becomes a deportable (sic)offense if you’ve been convicted of even a minor ordinance violation that’s punishable by a year in jail,” Mark Silverstein said, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado."
Abject stupidity in the service of the progressive agenda to turn the USA brown.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Enjoy the 4th of July. Most of you have the great good fortune to live in the greatest country in human history. Too bad we have to share it with so many ingrates and fools.
Even so, it is well worth the price.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
This and That # 5
As I mentioned in an earlier post I watched some of the NBA finals. Thanks to Obama, Black Lives Matter, people of color only spaces at universities, people of color only dormitories at universities, and toxic racialists who seem to be everywhere, I am now seeing things through the prism of skin color.
During game 1 a huge white Golden State player set a legal, non moving pick. It was perfect. Feet solidly beneath him well before the black offensive player arrived at the spot. Black guy bumps the white guy, black guy falls down. Foul on white guy, natch. Oh, black referee, I almost forgot.
There was a Nissan commercial dissing girls on Barbie bikes. Girl on black Boys bike is the big thing while mom imitates a man in her black Nissan and leather jacket. Really? Barbie girls look on disapprovingly. What happened to toxic masculinity? I swear I can't keep up.
&
In the first "This and That" post I mentioned that the inspiration for the format came from Steven Hayward's "Loose Ends" series. He has another series, The Week in Pictures. He publishes it every Saturday and many of the offerings are very, very funny. Here are a couple from today's post for your consideration.
Well, I know I said a couple but I couldn't resist this.
&
I have mentioned before my search for "moderate" Muslims condemning the mayhem practiced in their name and that I have had very little success finding them. I did post a photo of Muslims demonstrating outside Trump Tower in New York. Unfortunately they were protesting us.
I got to thinking about the possibility that the reason "moderate" Muslims were not holding Not in My Name rallies after any of their coreligionists' atrocities is because such demonstrations are not part of their culture.
Turns out I was wrong. Again.
Wither that "vast majority" of Muslims who are "moderates"?
&
For my legion of fans north of the border, this one is for you.
"Canada passed a law Thursday making it illegal to use the wrong gender pronouns. Critics say that Canadians who do not subscribe to progressive gender theory could be accused of hate crimes, jailed, fined, and made to take anti-bias training." (Emphasis added)
This appears to be a law that says if a girl identifies as a boy and you insist on acknowledging reality by referring to her as "her" after being informed (not sure how) that she prefers to be referred to as "he", you may be subject to prosecution. Prosecution.
Some years back I had a conversation with an especially eminent member of my legion of Canadian fans about the advisability of labeling anything a hate crime. Aside from being awfully close to criminalizing thoughts, the practical problem is who is controlling what gets named a hate crime. This episode is a very clear example of the potential for catastrophe. Lunatics running the asylum. See cartoon above regarding transgender access to what, in any sane universe, would still be called the lady's room.
During game 1 a huge white Golden State player set a legal, non moving pick. It was perfect. Feet solidly beneath him well before the black offensive player arrived at the spot. Black guy bumps the white guy, black guy falls down. Foul on white guy, natch. Oh, black referee, I almost forgot.
There was a Nissan commercial dissing girls on Barbie bikes. Girl on black Boys bike is the big thing while mom imitates a man in her black Nissan and leather jacket. Really? Barbie girls look on disapprovingly. What happened to toxic masculinity? I swear I can't keep up.
&
In the first "This and That" post I mentioned that the inspiration for the format came from Steven Hayward's "Loose Ends" series. He has another series, The Week in Pictures. He publishes it every Saturday and many of the offerings are very, very funny. Here are a couple from today's post for your consideration.
Well, I know I said a couple but I couldn't resist this.
&
I have mentioned before my search for "moderate" Muslims condemning the mayhem practiced in their name and that I have had very little success finding them. I did post a photo of Muslims demonstrating outside Trump Tower in New York. Unfortunately they were protesting us.
I got to thinking about the possibility that the reason "moderate" Muslims were not holding Not in My Name rallies after any of their coreligionists' atrocities is because such demonstrations are not part of their culture.
Turns out I was wrong. Again.
Wither that "vast majority" of Muslims who are "moderates"?
&
For my legion of fans north of the border, this one is for you.
"Canada passed a law Thursday making it illegal to use the wrong gender pronouns. Critics say that Canadians who do not subscribe to progressive gender theory could be accused of hate crimes, jailed, fined, and made to take anti-bias training." (Emphasis added)
This appears to be a law that says if a girl identifies as a boy and you insist on acknowledging reality by referring to her as "her" after being informed (not sure how) that she prefers to be referred to as "he", you may be subject to prosecution. Prosecution.
Some years back I had a conversation with an especially eminent member of my legion of Canadian fans about the advisability of labeling anything a hate crime. Aside from being awfully close to criminalizing thoughts, the practical problem is who is controlling what gets named a hate crime. This episode is a very clear example of the potential for catastrophe. Lunatics running the asylum. See cartoon above regarding transgender access to what, in any sane universe, would still be called the lady's room.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Keepers of the Protocols
In the wake of the Comey kerfuffle I have read a lot of analysis of the unnecessarily provocative manner in which President Trump fired him.
Un-presidential, incompetent, chaotic, and, a breach of protocol, are common descriptions unfortunately coming not only from the left but also from the right. In my opinion the President did it perfectly. As in, exactly what I hoped he would do.
We elected him because "Presidential" in the way his critics mean it is precisely not what we wanted. We wanted a particularly big bull in that incredibly corrupt and self-dealing china shop, rampaging about and breaking things. And break things he does. He so infuriated the execrable Comey that Big Jim actually became a leaker, of all things. Whiny, weepy, self-righteous, broken and humiliated. Exposed for who he is, finally. Protocol be damned. Outstanding job Mr. President.
Their precious protocols just protect them, but not us, from their incompetence and informs their corruption.
Congress inconvenienced by being subject to ObamaCare rules regarding employer subsidies? No problem. Exempted.
"...members of Congress and their staffs are slated to get that will make them the only participants in the new Obamacare exchanges to receive generous subsidies from their employer to pay for their health insurance." (Emphasis added)
An illegal immigrant crime spree? No problem. Those illegals never get close to the keepers of the protocols.
A border wall? No way. Un-American. Xenophobic. Walls around the homes and communities of the keepers of the protocols. No problem.
2nd amendment. No way we should be permitted to arm ourselves. We are too stupid and dangerous. Armed guards and gun permits for the keepers of the protocols? No problem.
There is another way to spell President Donald J. Trump. Enough.
Un-presidential, incompetent, chaotic, and, a breach of protocol, are common descriptions unfortunately coming not only from the left but also from the right. In my opinion the President did it perfectly. As in, exactly what I hoped he would do.
We elected him because "Presidential" in the way his critics mean it is precisely not what we wanted. We wanted a particularly big bull in that incredibly corrupt and self-dealing china shop, rampaging about and breaking things. And break things he does. He so infuriated the execrable Comey that Big Jim actually became a leaker, of all things. Whiny, weepy, self-righteous, broken and humiliated. Exposed for who he is, finally. Protocol be damned. Outstanding job Mr. President.
Their precious protocols just protect them, but not us, from their incompetence and informs their corruption.
Congress inconvenienced by being subject to ObamaCare rules regarding employer subsidies? No problem. Exempted.
"...members of Congress and their staffs are slated to get that will make them the only participants in the new Obamacare exchanges to receive generous subsidies from their employer to pay for their health insurance." (Emphasis added)
That was 2013. Fast forward to last month. Have the keepers of the protocols learned anything from the 2014 and 2016 elections? Judge for yourself.
"As Republicans rush to vote on their latest ObamaCare
repeal-and-replace plan, it appears to still include an item exempting
members of Congress and their staffs from losing the healthcare bill's
popular provisions (ed. Of which they are the only beneficiaries. Interesting to note how the author tries to hide that fact. Popular provisions? Right, except for the part where those "popular" provisions apply only to Congress.).
House GOP leaders worked Wednesday night to fast-track consideration of an amended American Health Care Act without posting the bill text and without a Congressional Budget Office analysis detailing the effects of the latest changes to the legislation." (Emphasis added).
To be fair,
"...Rep. Tom MacArthur's (R-N.J.) office said separate legislation would close that loophole." Uh, right, I'll take your word for it. That has worked out really well for us taxpayers so far.
House GOP leaders worked Wednesday night to fast-track consideration of an amended American Health Care Act without posting the bill text and without a Congressional Budget Office analysis detailing the effects of the latest changes to the legislation." (Emphasis added).
To be fair,
"...Rep. Tom MacArthur's (R-N.J.) office said separate legislation would close that loophole." Uh, right, I'll take your word for it. That has worked out really well for us taxpayers so far.
An illegal immigrant crime spree? No problem. Those illegals never get close to the keepers of the protocols.
A border wall? No way. Un-American. Xenophobic. Walls around the homes and communities of the keepers of the protocols. No problem.
2nd amendment. No way we should be permitted to arm ourselves. We are too stupid and dangerous. Armed guards and gun permits for the keepers of the protocols? No problem.
There is another way to spell President Donald J. Trump. Enough.
Wednesday, June 07, 2017
"Moderate" Muslim Update
As you know I have been looking for signs of that vast majority of Muslims who are "moderates" and opposed to their coreligionists penchant for blowing up and otherwise dismembering innocents. They have been hard to find.
This (link fixed) story looked promising.
"Over 130 imams from across the United Kingdom have said they will refuse to perform the traditional Islamic funeral prayer for the London and Manchester terror attackers. The ritual is normally carried out for every Muslim, regardless of their actions.
In what is a highly unusual move, Muslim religious leaders from different schools of Islam -- both Sunni and Shia -- issued a statement late Monday saying their pain at the suffering of the victims of Saturday's attacks had led to their decision, and they called on others imams to follow suit."
Given all I have heard and read over the years about the proliferation of Muslims in the UK I decided to try and find out what proportion of UK Imams were represented in the letter.
That would be about 7.4%. Not impressive, at all.
There is something very familiar about that percentage. It is in the general area of the number of Muslims said to be supportive of Islamic terrorists.
It seems to me that the numbers we have been treated to over the years are upside down.
It is becoming more obvious, as a matter of simple observation, that the vast majority of Muslims are content to sit on the sidelines and watch, if not applaud, the slaughter of innocents.
No doubt they happily engage in the moral relativism that conflates jihadists blowing up and otherwise attacking ordinary citizens as they go about their lives with Muslims killed in wars. If the distinction has to be explained it is not worth the bytes to do so.
This (link fixed) story looked promising.
"Over 130 imams from across the United Kingdom have said they will refuse to perform the traditional Islamic funeral prayer for the London and Manchester terror attackers. The ritual is normally carried out for every Muslim, regardless of their actions.
In what is a highly unusual move, Muslim religious leaders from different schools of Islam -- both Sunni and Shia -- issued a statement late Monday saying their pain at the suffering of the victims of Saturday's attacks had led to their decision, and they called on others imams to follow suit."
Given all I have heard and read over the years about the proliferation of Muslims in the UK I decided to try and find out what proportion of UK Imams were represented in the letter.
That would be about 7.4%. Not impressive, at all.
There is something very familiar about that percentage. It is in the general area of the number of Muslims said to be supportive of Islamic terrorists.
It seems to me that the numbers we have been treated to over the years are upside down.
It is becoming more obvious, as a matter of simple observation, that the vast majority of Muslims are content to sit on the sidelines and watch, if not applaud, the slaughter of innocents.
No doubt they happily engage in the moral relativism that conflates jihadists blowing up and otherwise attacking ordinary citizens as they go about their lives with Muslims killed in wars. If the distinction has to be explained it is not worth the bytes to do so.
Monday, June 05, 2017
This and That, Religion of Peace Edition
You will have noticed, upon careful reading, that I have been pointing out the deafening lack of remorse by "moderate" Muslims with respect to the murderous antics of their coreligionists. If Islam ever was the Religion of Peace it can now more accurately be described as the Religion of Pieces given the penchant of so many of its adherents to turn those of whom they do not approve into pieces in various creative ways.
Bombs laden with ball bearings and nails, machetes, knives and even vehicles. Clever those people, eh?
So, wasn't I pleased to come across this this morning.
Well, on second thought, no. CNN is doing its best to prop up the notion that there are "moderate" adherents to the Religion of Pieces. The ruse didn't last long.
"Note the white police officers leaving before the CNN shot & the Asian officers coming in. They then left after they went off air!"
I wrote yesterday of Roger L. Simon's suggestion on stamping out Islamic terrorists by enlisting the help of Muslim countries. He suggests that those who do not help will be punished with sanctions. I called the idea useless.
You may recall that during his recent trip to Saudi Arabia President Donald J. Trump addressed a meeting of 50 Muslim leaders from the region and exhorted them to become more active in the terror fight.
This morning I read this and I am more hopeful than I was yesterday when I was busy criticizing Mr. Simon.
"Several countries took major moves against Qatar today over its support for terror. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties, setting off a major crisis in the Middle East."
I would be very happy to have been entirely incorrect in my take on Mr. Simon's proposal.
In another, earlier post on the subject of terrorism, I pointed out that part of the frustration we ordinary people suffer with respect to the policing of these terrorists is the result of the fact that our police and legal systems are obviously not up to the task.
Once again the ring leader was known to the authorities.
"The ex-KFC and London Tube worker, known as Abz, 27, was quizzed by cops over his twisted views before he was gunned down along with his two accomplices down following the depraved assault on Saturday night."
There is, perhaps, a silver lining to this story. The people complaining to the cops about this nut job were Muslims. Could these be the "moderate" Muslims I have been looking for? I hope so and I hope there are many more of them willing to come forward because that will be the best way out of this mess.
Bombs laden with ball bearings and nails, machetes, knives and even vehicles. Clever those people, eh?
So, wasn't I pleased to come across this this morning.
Well, on second thought, no. CNN is doing its best to prop up the notion that there are "moderate" adherents to the Religion of Pieces. The ruse didn't last long.
"Note the white police officers leaving before the CNN shot & the Asian officers coming in. They then left after they went off air!"
I wrote yesterday of Roger L. Simon's suggestion on stamping out Islamic terrorists by enlisting the help of Muslim countries. He suggests that those who do not help will be punished with sanctions. I called the idea useless.
You may recall that during his recent trip to Saudi Arabia President Donald J. Trump addressed a meeting of 50 Muslim leaders from the region and exhorted them to become more active in the terror fight.
This morning I read this and I am more hopeful than I was yesterday when I was busy criticizing Mr. Simon.
"Several countries took major moves against Qatar today over its support for terror. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties, setting off a major crisis in the Middle East."
I would be very happy to have been entirely incorrect in my take on Mr. Simon's proposal.
In another, earlier post on the subject of terrorism, I pointed out that part of the frustration we ordinary people suffer with respect to the policing of these terrorists is the result of the fact that our police and legal systems are obviously not up to the task.
Once again the ring leader was known to the authorities.
"The ex-KFC and London Tube worker, known as Abz, 27, was quizzed by cops over his twisted views before he was gunned down along with his two accomplices down following the depraved assault on Saturday night."
There is, perhaps, a silver lining to this story. The people complaining to the cops about this nut job were Muslims. Could these be the "moderate" Muslims I have been looking for? I hope so and I hope there are many more of them willing to come forward because that will be the best way out of this mess.
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