Friday, March 20, 2020
Infectious Disease Experts Don’t Know How Bad The Coronavirus Is Going To Get, Either
Infectious Disease Experts Don’t Know How Bad The Coronavirus Is Going To Get, Either
Excerpt: The top-line numbers are sobering. The most recent survey, taken on March 16 and 17, found that, as a group, the experts think that as March 15, only 12 percent of infections in the U.S. had been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They think there’s a 73 percent chance of a second wave of hospitalizations this fall. And they expect approximately 200,000 deaths in the U.S. by the end of the year. But averages can only tell you so much. When forecasting the future, it also matters what a person (or model) thinks the range of possibilities could be — how uncertain the forecast is, in other words. In this survey, the experts gave three answers to most questions, representing the most likely future scenario, and the best-case and worst-case scenarios.
Member of Pence’s office tests positive for coronavirus, spokeswoman announces
Member of Pence’s office tests positive for coronavirus, spokeswoman announces
History Called — and Senator Burr Called His Broker
History Called — and Senator Burr Called His Broker
Exclusive: Former Joe Biden Secret Service Agent: We Had to Protect Women From Him, ‘Weinstein Level Stuff’
Exclusive: Former Joe Biden Secret Service Agent: We Had to Protect Women From Him, ‘Weinstein Level Stuff’
I am effectively quarantined.
I am effectively quarantined. My boss sent me an email
saying not to come in to the VA on Monday. Only health care workers can see patients. Since I’m
immune-suppressed because of my lung transplant and 73, I’m at high risk. The
Madison VA just had its first case of COVID-19, treated and sent home to quarantine.
He and the other full-timer can work from home using VA laptops with access to
the system. I can’t. Restaurants and movies closed. Bonnie is doing the shopping
to keep me out of stores.
So, some writing projects may get worked on and those five
shelves of unread books…
Inside The 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic That Left 50 Million Dead
Inside The 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic That Left 50 Million Dead
How Many Laws Are WuFlu Crisis Making People Realize Are Very Dumb?
How Many Laws Are WuFlu Crisis Making People Realize Are Very Dumb?
Senators sold off stock before market dropped in February amid fears about the coronavirus epidemic.
Senators sold off stock before market dropped in February amid fears about the coronavirus epidemic.
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/03/20/senators-sold-off-stock-before-market-losses-from-virus/23955889/
Trump announces FDA making anti-malaria drug available to test coronavirus treatment
Trump announces FDA making anti-malaria drug available to test coronavirus treatment
Excerpt: President Trump announced Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making experimental drugs -- including those used for treating malaria -- available as part of the ongoing effort to tackle the spread of the coronavirus. Trump announced at a White House press briefing that chloroquine, a drug designed for use in malaria, will be made available to test whether it helps patients recover from coronavirus. He said it was one of a number of antiviral therapies to limit the symptoms of the virus that the administration is trying to get to Americans as quickly as possible.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Veteran’s Serenity Prayer
Veteran’s Serenity
Prayer
Robert A. Hall
Former SSgt, USMC
God
grant me:
The
courage to oppose all forms of tyranny and oppression, and to defend the Constitution
of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, all my days.
The
wisdom to know that I will not always be victorious.
And
the serenity to accept whatever comes, in the sure knowledge that your hand is always
on the brave.
More
DEA arrests more than 600 in connection with Mexican drug cartel
Excerpt: Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made sweeping arrests across America on Wednesday, taking 250 members of a notorious Mexican drug cartel into custody -- 600 in total over the six-month operation known as "Project Python." Top members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, referred to as CJNG, were toppled in the raids that resulted from the single largest strike by U.S. authorities against the group, with 350 indictments handed down, 15,000 kilos of meth seized and nearly $20 million recovered from the sprawling drug operation, according to the DEA. Arrests fanned out across the U.S. in states including Illinois, Indiana, California and Wisconsin.
George Carlin Told America How Not To Worry About Coronavirus This is the best of the batch!--R
Excerpt: In this routine, Carlin lays waste to the notion of Americans getting so worked up about germs, while allowing the media to whip them into a frenzy. He rightly observes that our immune system needs exercise, and mercilessly mocks people who obsess over cleanliness. He may or may not talk about swimming in sewage and how often he washes his hands after using the bathroom. It should go without saying, but this clip is in no way safe for work, family, church, polite company, rather impolite company, and even some sailors who may be easily offended. BIG, FAT, LANGUAGE WARNING. [This is GREAT! Carlin has always been one of my favorite stand-up comedians. I saw him live once, and nearly peed my pants. This video is not for the faint of heart. Also, do not click the green “Watch Now” box, click the title that appears in the video header; the “Watch Now” box asks for information to spam you. We'll miss Carlin, now that he's gone. Ron P.]
Items from Ron while I was away
Don’t Sweat the Crash in Oil Prices
Excerpt: Beyond the most obvious benefit to consumers in the form of lower gasoline and motor oil prices – crude oil prices make up more than 70 percent of the price of gasoline per gallon – oil is obviously a major factor in industrial production. Critical products made from it number in the thousands and include jet fuel, kerosene, diesel, heating oil, waxes, plastics, asphalt, dyes, grease, solvents, inks, and innumerable others. [Oil is one of the key “basic” needs of the modern world. It can be argued that cutting off the oil supply to Germany during WWII was a major factor in winning the war. That it should be suddenly significantly cheaper will be a blessing for most, though not all. Any energy-related investments will likely be temporarily on the losing end of the bargain; unfortunately, that will include most mutual funds. Ron P.]
As Bipartisan Support for Nuclear Energy Grows
Excerpt: Any serious conversation about the future of America’s energy production must include nuclear energy, which accounts for 20 percent of all American energy production and 55 percent of American carbon-free-energy production. Unlike wind and solar, nuclear energy can be reliably supplied on demand, not just when the wind is blowing or when the sun is shining. Nuclear-energy plants also have the advantage of using less land space than solar and wind farms. [While the headline may be an exaggeration, nuclear power is the safest, most reliable no carbon emissions option there is aside from hydro. France gets almost all their electricity from nuclear power plants, the US figures are above, and neither country has ever lost a life because of a nuclear accident (my brother, David, now 61, was one of the soldiers delivering and installing protective insulation during the accident). Newer, even more reliable molten-salt designs from MIT and others would prevent any “melt-down” or “China Syndrome” from occurring; in case of a leak, they simply stop reacting. Even the Fukushima Daichi disaster has lost only one life, so far, nine years ago tomorrow, 11 Mar 2011. Ron P.]
Farm fire caused by pedometer-eating pigs
Excerpt: Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames that had spread to four pig pens without any injuries reported to humans or animals. An investigation of the blaze found a pedometer that had been attached to a pig to prove that it is free range had been eaten by other pigs. The firefighters said the pieces passed through the animals' digestive systems and when they came out the other side, copper from the batteries reacted with the animal waste and caused a fire to ignite. [Well, no, uh, uh, comment. Ron P.]
The Demos' 2020 Economic Doom Platform — WuFlu Apocalypse
Excerpt: Do you know somebody who suffers from ABM (Acute Bunker Mentality)? The onset symptoms of ABM occur when mass-media echo chambers foment unwarranted public hysteria by promoting an apocalyptic scenario, especially if that scenario is bolstered by conspiracy theories and an election-year political agenda. Those afflicted with ABM are sure that this is "THE BIG ONE" and consequently spend most of their waking hours obsessed with the next report about the end of the world. The only cure for ABM sufferers is an eventual realization that the world did not end, at which point they come up for some fresh air and begin preparing for the next apocalyptic scenario. [This is a very good editorial from Mark Alexander at The Patriot Post. Ron P.]
Wuhan Virus Exposes The Danger of Reliance Upon China
Excerpt: What has been the most galling and dangerous weakness to be exposed—but also the most correctable one—is the realization of how dependent the United States is upon China for lifesaving drugs, for hazmat suits, and for N95 masks. For all sorts of critical products, we don’t and currently can’t make them ourselves. Ninety-seven percent of antibiotics used in the United States are made in China, 80 percent of the chemical components necessary for the drugs that we do make here come from China. Within one year, nearly the entire production of N95 masks went from “Made in USA” to “Made in China.” The U.S. Strategic Stockpile currently holds just 12 million N95 masks, a small fraction of the 3.5 billion the DHS estimates we would need in the event of a pandemic. This is insane and it must change. Outsourcing manufacturing to China has done incalculable damage to the United States. It’s impoverished countless towns and many millions of people. It’s shrunk the American middle class and made it more precarious. And that’s led to all kinds of social and political distress from skyrocketing opiate addiction and deaths to an embrace of radical politics. [This ought to be a very sobering assessment. I added emphasis. Ron P.]
Engineers crack 58-year-old enigma, make quantum breakthrough
Excerpt: "This discovery means that we now have a pathway to build quantum computers using single-atom spins without the need for any oscillating magnetic field for their operation," said Andrea Morello, UNSW's scientia professor of quantum engineering, in a statement. "Moreover, we can use these nuclei as exquisitely precise sensors of electric and magnetic fields, or to answer fundamental questions in quantum science." Quantum computing, which lets computers manipulate information in extremely sophisticated ways, aims to provide more powerful computing than current supercomputers. The research is described in a paper in the journal Nature. The discovery was made by accident, according to the University of New South Wales, which explains that the researchers were originally attempting to perform magnetic resonance on a single atom of the chemical element antimony. "However, once we started the experiment, we realized that something was wrong. The nucleus behaved very strangely, refusing to respond at certain frequencies, but showing a strong response at others," said Dr. Vincent Mourik, also a lead author on the paper, in a statement. [I took a brief look at the article in Nature magazine. Trying to read it was humbling. I doubt I understood more than 5% of it. They might as well have said “It was magic.” I wouldn’t have believed it, but at least it would make sense to me. Depending on how quickly they can figure out a way to exploit this, it could be HUGE or just an interesting side show. Or, it might be on the local store’s shelf in three years. Time will tell. Ron P.]
The Inevitable Shoe Drops: DOJ Dismisses Mueller’s Charges against Russian Businesses
The Inevitable Shoe Drops: DOJ Dismisses Mueller’s Charges against Russian Businesses
Excerpt: More than an investigation, the Mueller probe was the wellspring of a political narrative. That becomes clearer as time goes by and more information ekes out . . . such as new confirmation that, months before Mueller was appointed in May 2017, it was already well understood in Justice Department circles that there was no case of criminal “collusion” between the Trump campaign and Russia. Never was that made more obvious than by the Justice Department’s quiet announcement late Monday, under the five-alarm noise of the coronavirus scare, that it has dropped the special counsel’s indictment of Russian companies — an outcome I predicted here at National Review nearly two years ago. A little refresher is in order. As detailed here many times, one of the biggest problems confronting those weaving the collusion tale was the inability to prove that Russia hacked the Democratic email accounts. As Ball of Collusion outlines, that’s not the only fundamental problem. There is also the fact that the Democratic emails, in which Hillary Clinton was not an active correspondent, did not actually hurt her campaign at all — certainly not the way her own email scandal did (a scandal for which there was no way to blame Moscow). There is also the dearth of evidence that the Trump campaign was even aware of, much less complicit in, Kremlin intelligence operations. Still, very basically, it would be impossible to prove that Trump had conspired in Russia’s hacking unless prosecutors could first establish that Russia had done the hacking. Let me repeat something else I said several times: This is not to say that Russia is innocent. [Wow. This is one you NEED to read. This whole thing was just partisan BS. What a crying shame to put the country through. For naught. I added emphasis. Ron P.]
Pics from our trip to MO, TN and LA
Seven days, six states, Bonnie drove 2400 miles, 1000 the last two days! Lowest gas we saw was $1.68.
Sunset on Lake Pontchartrain.
In the pool and the hot tub in Covington, LA, 52 miles N. of New Orleans. It was about 84 degrees. We did NOT go into the N.O. Bonnie swam, I waded.
Char grilled Oysters at Don's seafood shack. We had them three nights in a row, at Don's, Chimes and Buster's Oyster Bar. And shrimp 2-3 times. All closed now for the duration, take out only. And I came back 2.9 pounds down from the day I left!
Dinner with our friend Donna Payne at Chimes. We met her when she was going through the lung transplant program with her late husband, Marine John Payne. They became family.
We met for dinner with Marine buddies, Bill Rajewski, (see all evil), Mike Sherin (hear all evil) and of course me, (say all evil) in Columbia, MO on the way down. Bill and Mike were in Radio Relay tech school at MCRD San Diego with me in 1965. Bill owns a huge body shop in Columbia, Perry Legend. He said at 73 he doesn't work as much, 9-5:30, down from 7 to 7. He was off the day we left, was going to cut down trees for his new lakefront home. Mike is a retired prison psychologist.
The next night we had dinner with Master Gunnery Sergeant John Lewis, USMC (Ret.) (Center) and his bother, Eddie, like me a former SSgt, in Millinton, TN.
We came home safe and sound three days early, given the current panic & closings. In all, a great trip.
~Bob Hall
Sunset on Lake Pontchartrain.
In the pool and the hot tub in Covington, LA, 52 miles N. of New Orleans. It was about 84 degrees. We did NOT go into the N.O. Bonnie swam, I waded.
Char grilled Oysters at Don's seafood shack. We had them three nights in a row, at Don's, Chimes and Buster's Oyster Bar. And shrimp 2-3 times. All closed now for the duration, take out only. And I came back 2.9 pounds down from the day I left!
Dinner with our friend Donna Payne at Chimes. We met her when she was going through the lung transplant program with her late husband, Marine John Payne. They became family.
We met for dinner with Marine buddies, Bill Rajewski, (see all evil), Mike Sherin (hear all evil) and of course me, (say all evil) in Columbia, MO on the way down. Bill and Mike were in Radio Relay tech school at MCRD San Diego with me in 1965. Bill owns a huge body shop in Columbia, Perry Legend. He said at 73 he doesn't work as much, 9-5:30, down from 7 to 7. He was off the day we left, was going to cut down trees for his new lakefront home. Mike is a retired prison psychologist.
The next night we had dinner with Master Gunnery Sergeant John Lewis, USMC (Ret.) (Center) and his bother, Eddie, like me a former SSgt, in Millinton, TN.
We came home safe and sound three days early, given the current panic & closings. In all, a great trip.
~Bob Hall
Will The Costs Of A Great Depression Outweigh The Risks Of Coronavirus?
Will The Costs Of A Great Depression Outweigh The Risks Of Coronavirus? Federal and state governments are making a massive gamble about a little-understood new virus. They are betting our future on the most extreme worst-case scenario without considering the costs.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Biden ad fact-checked: Campaign gets ‘four Pinocchios’ over video ‘trickery’
Biden ad fact-checked: Campaign gets ‘four Pinocchios’ over video ‘trickery’
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-ad-fact-checked-campaign-gets-four-pinocchios-over-trump-video-trickery?fbclid=IwAR2dxQaHM8rFDEhnV51y6FaOr6H2UPvnuQYcg06SYpLJ9LrCG2ZyzRO9vkQ
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-ad-fact-checked-campaign-gets-four-pinocchios-over-trump-video-trickery?fbclid=IwAR2dxQaHM8rFDEhnV51y6FaOr6H2UPvnuQYcg06SYpLJ9LrCG2ZyzRO9vkQ
Monday, March 9, 2020
Worth Reading: Preparing for the Coronavirus Disruption. By JIM GERAGHTY
Worth Reading: Preparing for the Coronavirus Disruption. By JIM GERAGHTY
Dr. Drew On Coronavirus: ‘Businesses Destroyed, Lives Upended — Not By Virus, But By Panic’
Dr. Drew On Coronavirus: ‘Businesses Destroyed, Lives Upended — Not By Virus, But By Panic’
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Bernie Sanders’s Scandinavian fantasy
Bernie Sanders’s Scandinavian fantasy
Excerpt: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says that his proposals “are not radical,” pointing again and again to countries in Northern Europe such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway as examples of the kind of economic system he wants to bring to the United States. The image he conjures up is of a warm and fuzzy social democracy in which market economics are kept on a tight leash through regulation, the rich are heavily taxed and the social safety net is generous. That is, however, an inaccurate and highly misleading description of those Northern European countries today. Take billionaires. Sanders has been clear on the topic: “Billionaires should not exist.” But Sweden and Norway both have more billionaires per capita than the United States — Sweden almost twice as many. Not only that, these billionaires are able to pass on their wealth to their children tax-free. Inheritance taxes in Sweden and Norway are zero, and in Denmark 15 percent. The United States, by contrast, has the fourth-highest estate taxes in the industrialized world at 40 percent. Sanders’s vision of Scandinavian countries, as with much of his ideology, seems to be stuck in the 1960s and 1970s, a period when these countries were indeed pioneers in creating a social market economy. In Sweden, government spending as a percentage of gross domestic product doubled from 1960 to 1980, going from approximately 30 percent to 60 percent. But as Swedish commentator Johan Norberg points out, this experiment in Sanders-style democratic socialism tanked the Swedish economy. Between 1970 and 1995, he notes, Sweden did not create a single net new job in the private sector. In 1991, a free-market prime minister, Carl Bildt, initiated a series of reforms to kick-start the economy. By the mid-2000s, Sweden had cut the size of its government by a third and emerged from its long economic slump.
Gun owner who went viral wins North Carolina lieutenant governor GOP primary
Gun owner who went viral wins North Carolina lieutenant governor GOP primary
https://www.foxnews.com/media/gun-owner-who-went-viral-wins-north-carolina-lieutenant-governor-primary?fbclid=IwAR22Qgi2Q3cYiQnfV234RvhNtqBrizUUX9bjNbuhVj3tVf5ItOA5ADd4EIE
https://www.foxnews.com/media/gun-owner-who-went-viral-wins-north-carolina-lieutenant-governor-primary?fbclid=IwAR22Qgi2Q3cYiQnfV234RvhNtqBrizUUX9bjNbuhVj3tVf5ItOA5ADd4EIE
Worth Reading. The Roots of Our Partisan Divide
Worth Reading. The Roots of Our Partisan Divide
Excerpt: American society today is divided by party and by ideology in a way it has perhaps not been since the Civil War. I have just published a book that, among other things, suggests why this is. It is called The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties. It runs from the assassination of John F. Kennedy to the election of Donald J. Trump. You can get a good idea of the drift of the narrative from its chapter titles: 1963, Race, Sex, War, Debt, Diversity, Winners, and Losers. I can end part of the suspense right now—Democrats are the winners. Their party won the 1960s—they gained money, power, and prestige. The GOP is the party of the people who lost those things. One of the strands of this story involves the Vietnam War. The antiquated way the Army was mustered in the 1960s wound up creating a class system. What I’m referring to here is the so-called student deferment. In the old days, university-level education was rare. At the start of the First World War, only one in 30 American men was in a college or university, so student deferments were not culturally significant. By the time of Vietnam, almost half of American men were in a college or university, and student deferment remained in effect until well into the war. So if you were rich enough to study art history, you went to Woodstock and made love. If you worked in a garage, you went to Da Nang and made war. This produced a class division that many of the college-educated mistook for a moral division, particularly once we lost the war. The rich saw themselves as having avoided service in Vietnam not because they were more privileged or—heaven forbid—less brave, but because they were more decent. Another strand of the story involves women. Today, there are two cultures of American womanhood—the culture of married women and the culture of single women. If you poll them on political issues, they tend to differ diametrically.
The Muslim Migrant Attack in St. Louis You Heard Nothing About
The Muslim Migrant Attack in St. Louis You Heard Nothing About
Coronavirus: Australian newspaper prints extra pages to help out in toilet paper shortage
Coronavirus: Australian newspaper prints extra pages to help out in toilet paper shortage
Excerpt: One newspaper has gone one step further by printing extra pages in its editions to help out those who have been … caught short. On Thursday the NT News, the Darwin-based newspaper with a national reputation for its headlines and antics, printed a special eight-page insert that can be cut into toilet paper. Its editor, Matt Williams, told Guardian Australia the paper was selling well and was “certainly not a crappy edition.” “We are a newspaper known around the world who understands the needs of our readers,” he said. “Territorians … are in great need of toilet paper right now so we had to deliver what they needed.” The stunt comes after supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths have been besieged by shoppers clearing their shelves of loo paper and hand sanitiser. [What a...revolting development! Isn't this in the “read’em and laugh” category? Ron P.]
Friday, March 6, 2020
Voters don’t want the Sanders-Warren revolution
Voters don’t want the Sanders-Warren revolution
Excerpt: Sen. Elizabeth Warren is a brilliant debater and policy expert who ran a disciplined, proficient campaign. Yet she dropped her presidential bid after winning none of the first 20 primary elections and placing a dismal third in her home state of Massachusetts. What happened? The answer lies not just in Warren’s flameout, but in the shrinking campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was the frontrunner a week ago but is now behind the recently moribund Joe Biden. With a large sampling of votes representing all cross sections of the Democratic electorate now in the bag, it’s evident that voters simply don’t want the radical, disruptive regime Sanders and Warren have both promised. [This is from Yahoo News where the author covers financial news. Not Fox, or National Review, Yahoo. If Bernie has lost the high tech guys at Yahoo, the other high-tech guys are likely right behind. Bernie is screwed. Thank God! Ron P.]
Traitors do exist and do harm
Traitors do exist and do harm
OK, a 61 year old woman linguist contractor for the Pentagon gets in a "romantic relationship" with an Arab foreigner and hacks her way into Top Secret records to get information on US agents, which she then gives to this guy. Who has a connection with Hizbollah. This is espionage by any definition, and that information is the kind that gets people murdered and puts more Americans in danger. There is total zero excuse for this, and I hope they throw the book at her and she spends the rest of her life in maxiumum security prison. I'm only sorry that we don't just shoot traitors anymore. --Del
174 House Dems Vote Against Anti-Sexual-Predator Amendment.
174 House Dems Vote Against Anti-Sexual-Predator Amendment. Dozens of Dems join GOP to prevent TSA from hiring people with sexual misconduct, terror convictions
Basic Math Is Important, Guys
Basic Math Is Important, Guys
Excerpt: Have you ever run into someone who was too stubborn for his own good? Who kept making an argument long after it had been won or lost, and who simply alienated people by being unwilling to drop the issue? Sanders is that kind of guy. Even after other Democrats started screaming that praise for Castro amounted to conceding the state of Florida, Sanders doubled down:
'I Hope Every Single One ... That Votes Republican Dies Today'
Museum Director on Super Tuesday: 'I Hope Every Single One ... That Votes Republican Dies Today'
The tolerant, peaceful left. ~Bob
Thursday, March 5, 2020
who's is violent?
Hmm.... this video shows a nice selection of people going crazy in public and being violent to others. See if you can find a pattern. -Del
Former Prisoner Recalls Sanders Saying, 'I Don't Know What's So Wrong' With Cuba
Former Prisoner Recalls Sanders Saying, 'I Don't Know What's So Wrong' With Cuba
Jill Biden’s epic tussle: In split-second blocking maneuver, she protects husband from lunging vegans
Jill Biden’s epic tussle: In split-second blocking maneuver, she protects husband from lunging vegans
Jill Biden 2, Team Vegan 0. Just hoping their rights aren’t violated and their feelings aren’t hurt. --GS
Chief Justice Roberts issues rare rebuke to Schumer's 'dangerous' and 'irresponsible' comments
Chief Justice Roberts issues rare rebuke to Schumer's 'dangerous' and 'irresponsible' comments; Trump slams lawmaker, says 'must pay a severe price'
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chief-justice-roberts-rare-rebuke-schumer-calling-comments-kavanaugh-gorsuch-dangerous
Trump nominates first black Air Force chief of staff
Trump nominates first black Air Force chief of staff
You Know Who Else Colonized Land From ‘Indigenous Peoples’? Native Americans
You Know Who Else Colonized Land From ‘Indigenous Peoples’? Native Americans
Excerpt: Hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus and his three ships arrived in the New World, a Native American civilization conquered neighboring tribes and expanded its political and cultural influence across what is now the central and southern United States. Historians believe its great metropolis and ceremonial complex at Cahokia in present-day Illinois was, in the 12th century, comparable in size to contemporaneous London. The Mississippians, as they are called, were not the only indigenous American people to conquer others’ land — the Aztecs, Incans, Mayans, and Mohawks did much the same, all before Europeans arrived.
Super summary of communism's evil.
Super summary of communism's evil. Great article, but filled with a whole series of videos on the details of history for the individuals, many but not all of which are well known. I
recommend it strongly to be seen and disseminated. --Del
The Roots of Our Partisan Divide
The Roots of Our Partisan Divide
Excerpt: First, it has a moral element, almost a metaphysical element, that is usually more typical of theocracies than of secular republics. As we’ve discussed, civil rights law gave bureaucrats and judges emergency powers to override the normal constitutional order, bypassing democracy. But the key question is: Under what conditions is the government authorized to activate these emergency powers? It is a question that has been much studied by political thinkers in Europe. Usually when European governments of the past bypassed their constitutions by declaring emergencies, it was on the grounds of a military threat or a threat to public order. But in America, as our way of governing has evolved since 1964, emergencies are declared on a moral basis: people are suffering; their newly discovered rights are being denied. America can’t wait anymore for the ordinary democratic process to take its course. A moral ground for invoking emergencies sounds more humane than a military one. It is not. That is because, in order to justify its special powers, the government must create a class of officially designated malefactors. With the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the justification of this strong medicine was that there was a collection of Southern politicians who were so wily and devious, and a collection of Southern sheriffs so ruthless and depraved, that one could not, and was not morally obliged to, fight fair with them. That pattern has perpetuated itself, even as the focus of civil rights has moved to American institutions less obviously objectionable than segregation. [This is an absolutely brilliant essay that actually succeeds in identifying the source of our current partisan divide. If I’d thought about this for 50 years I wouldn’t have seen this simple–to the point of being sel-evident–truth. Imprimis is a ten-times-yearly publication of Hillsdale College. It is available by FREE subscription. I’ve been receiving it by mail since the early 1980s, but I’m sure most people would want it via the internet–which means you’ll have it a few weeks before I get it. I added emphasis. Ron P.]
Yes, Sometimes Politics Is Personal
Yes, Sometimes Politics Is Personal
Excerpt: We see one zone after another toppling. Actors in a Broadway hit halt the performance in order to berate the vice president after they spot him in the audience. Professional athletes insult the flag and all the fans who revere it before the contest begins. Famous conservatives must be wary in restaurants. Conservative Christians who work in the professions must keep their biblical beliefs hidden. After Obergefell, President Obama turned the White House into an illuminated partisan billboard of rainbow colors. I went to a performance of Wagner at the Kennedy Center awhile back and there it was again, the “pride” lighting encircling the building. Offices, eateries, academia, sports, entertainment . . . progressives are politicizing them all. They rationalize their conquest by claiming that those zones were always political and that they have only created a more just politics. But conservatives know better. {A frightening but unfortunately accurate look at how politics is invading every corner of our lives. That’s really sad when all most people want is to be left alone to do their best. Ron P.]
There's a very good reason the media are silent about the Milwaukee mass shooting
There's a very good reason the media are silent about the Milwaukee mass shooting
Democrats are watching the speeding train head to the washed out bridge
Democrats are watching the speeding train head to the washed out bridge
What Happened Last Night?
What Happened Last Night?
Excerpt: The short version of last night: It was the biggest setback for socialism since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Today’s Morning Jolt surveys the political landscape after Super Tuesday’s earthquake wiped out Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren and left Bernie Sanders in really rough shape. That Joe Biden nomination that looked so unlikely just a week ago now looks extremely plausible. The Worst Beating of a Socialist Since Rocky Fought Ivan Drago. This Super Tuesday, everything went as well for Joe Biden as he and his campaign could possibly hope. He won nine states, swept the South, won Massachusetts and effectively humiliated Elizabeth Warren, and is now the front-runner once again. The race isn’t over, but it’s now effectively down to two, and the only thing that stopped the night from being a blowout was Bernie Sanders winning California and three other states. Biden is ahead in delegates and heading towards six states that all look like friendly territory. Before our eyes, he is pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in American political history.
Bureaucratic Euphemisms
Left, right or center, at the very least, it seems to be human nature to take the edge off a concept. Often starting off as benign, smooth words are often carried to the extreme. As we belatedly come to realize, it is a way for influencers to implant their deliberate agendas to into our minds because we are too busy or uncritical to take notice, and thereby they imperceptibly implement their projects. Below is a case in point.
,
Yours truly,Larry Greenberg
Bureaucratic Euphemisms
When word are the only tool you have, everything looks lie a word problem. This is why we so often encounter the euphemism spiral: a series of polite synonyms, each more abstract than the last, rolled out over the decades to describe the same phenomenon. For example: What once had been simply “bad kids” were fancied up as “juvenile delinquents,” then called “underprivileged,” then “at risk,” and then, during the Obama era, the triumphantly bureaucratic “justice-involved.” “Disconnected youth” had its day, and now the social workers’ latest term for this unfortunate sector of society seems to be “opportunity youth.” If only our bureaucracies were as good at improving these children’s prospects as the are at redescribing them.
National Review, The Week section, March 8, 2020, p. 10
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Seven 'Great' Marxist Leaders Young Socialists Need to Know
Seven 'Great' Marxist Leaders Young Socialists Need to Know
https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/seven-great-marxist-leaders-young-socialists-need-to-know/?fbclid=IwAR2dKU-KzGEnQcdq9oERvNZjcJIAIKINa99gtrLn9w4VZSuxIM5uAgyrmCA
https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/seven-great-marxist-leaders-young-socialists-need-to-know/?fbclid=IwAR2dKU-KzGEnQcdq9oERvNZjcJIAIKINa99gtrLn9w4VZSuxIM5uAgyrmCA
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis and Bing West
This
excellent book is a biography/autobiography of a Marine icon, detailing his
rise from Second Lieutenant to four-star Marine General. It is also a
leadership manual that should be read by every military officer. His hands-on,
delegate responsibility, encourage different thinking, release initiative leadership
style would be of great value to business and organization leaders as well. It
is also a history of our wars in the Middle East, from the Gulf War to Iraq and
Afghanistan today. Mattis is not afraid to name names pointing how senior
military and political leadership caused much needless bloodshed among American
troops and civilians in the countries involved. One wishes his advice had been
followed in several cases where it was ignored. There
are wonderful anecdotes as well, as when he asked a Marine squad engaged in
Iraq what they were doing. “Taking the fun out of fundamental, sir,” the squad
leader replied. Bing
West is also a great Marine and fine author, always worth reading. I especially
recommend “The village, and “The March Up.” I
highly recommend “Call Sign Chaos.”
Fact-Check: Obama Waited Until 'Millions' Infected and 1000 Dead in U.S. Before Declaring H1N1 Emergency
Fact-Check: Obama Waited Until 'Millions' Infected and 1000 Dead in U.S. Before Declaring H1N1 Emergency
Events, Dear Boys
Events, Dear Boys
Excerpt: None of this is a brief for limited government or for expansive government — for a small state or for a large one. It is, rather, a brief for a state with well-defined roles and responsibilities, one that has adequate resources and authority to execute its duties in relation to these. It is in no way contradictory or inconsistent to advocate a settlement under which the national government has no role whatsoever in, say, K–12 education or the management of churches or newspapers, and in which it is very limited in its role in building highways or regulating trade — but at the same time has a great deal of power and authority when dealing with an epidemic or other public-health crisis and a relatively free hand in matters of national security. (This strikes many people as obviously reasonable and unobjectionable, which is why our reflexively sneaky progressive friends are always trying to redefine gun control or climate change as public-health and national-security issues.) It is perfectly defensible to favor a smaller welfare state and a bigger budget for the Centers for Disease Control. But our heroic, god-emperor conception of the presidency prevents the emergence of that understanding of the state. [Williamson almost always makes good points; this article is no exception. I won’t give away his ending in this article, but it’s sobering. “The Random” is hiding in every shadowed place, waiting–lurking–for a chance to bite us when we least expect it. NOTE: this is an NR-Plus article that might be hiding behind a pay wall; if so, readers can view 3 or 4 such articles for free every month (that’s how I see the ones I read). Ron P.]
How Venezuela Went From A Rich Nation Of Immigrants, To A Hungry Nation Of Refugees
How Venezuela Went From A Rich Nation Of Immigrants, To A Hungry Nation Of Refugees
Excerpt: It was February 7, 1956 when the Vera Cruz Vessel sailed from the port of Vigo in northern Spain. Among its 800 passengers was my grandfather, Vicente Novo. Like everyone on that ship, he left everything behind in his homeland to pursue his dreams in a more prosperous country. In this land of opportunity, he and the other passengers found jobs, started businesses and raised families – all while sending money back to their hungry families in Europe. But this newfound land of opportunity wasn’t the United States of America. It was my home country: Venezuela. It’s hard to believe now, but in 1950, Venezuela was the fourth-richest country on earth. Tragically, over the course of the next six decades, Venezuela was transformed from a prosperous nation of immigrants to a devastated and poor land full of people in need of refuge. (Wow... so Venezuela was another "land of opportunity" for immigrants and doing really well.... until they slid into socialism. What a terrible story. --Del)
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