It was quite a major foreign policy breakthrough. Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to complete "normalization of relations." It is expected that each country will now open an embassy (although it is unclear if the UAE embassy will be in Jerusalem, Israel's capital, or in Tel Aviv) in the other's country. The New York Times reported that, as described by President Trump, the "deal would lead to greater cooperation on investment, tourism, security, technology, energy and other areas while the two countries move to allow regular direct passenger flights, open embassies and trade ambassadors for the first time." In 1979, Israel and Egypt entered into what can only be described as an uneasy peace agreement, which has nevertheless held. The same with Jordan in 1994.
This peace deal is truly historic. However, much of the mainstream could not see fit to give the President and his emissary, son-in-law Jared Kuschner, any credit. On the front page of the 8/14/20 New York Times in the upper right was this headline: "Israelis and U.A.E. Agree To Full Ties In Landmark Deal." No mention of Trump. Immediately below were two subheadlines leading into two stories about the deal. Neither subheadline mentioned Trump. Had this deal been brought about by Obama, I have no doubt that the headline would have been spread across the entire width of the front page with something like "Obama Succeeds In Mid-East Peace Deal That Many Thought Was Impossible." Subheadline: "Exercising Extraordinary Diplomacy, Obama Says Other Arab States Are Likely To Follow."
Joe Biden was quick to take some credit for the historic deal. "The coming together of Israel and Arab states builds on the efforts of multiple administrations to foster a broader Arab-Israeli opening, including the efforts of the Obama-Biden administration to build on the Arab Peace iniative." If you hate Trump, or just do not know better, then this whopper of a lie may sound plausible. But the Arab Peace iniative asserted that Israel had to recede to the so-called 1967 borders (of no legal significance) and recognize a Palestinian state in order for Arab countries to establish relations with Israel. But, as most Republicans and a few Democrats know, the Palestinians have regularly rejected all peace offers, and declared their desire to take over all the land of Israel. So the Arab Peace iniative was going nowhere.
Although, the Obama-Biden administration was of some help. By cozying up to the Ayatollahs in Iran, Obama and Biden made it clear to the Gulf Arab states that the United States would not be a trustworthy ally in opposing the terrorist sponsoring and aspiring nuclear power of Iran. On the other hand, Israel and the Gulf states shared a distrust of Iran. Additionally, Israel is an economic and technological powerhouse in the Middle East. No doubt that the UAE (and perhaps other Gulf states) see that it is in their interest to have normalized relations with a country like Israel. Maybe they decided it was time to stop putting Palestinian interests ahead of their own, especially given the Palestinians lack of interest in settling the long-standing dispute. Objecting to the deal were, of course, the Palestinians, and Iran and Turkey. Under Erdogan, Turkey has been moving away from being a secular country to more Islamist. Admittedly, the UAE and some other Arab countries are rated "not free" by Freedom House. But, as with all countries, Israel does not get to pick its neighbors. And this deal, and others if they happen, can not help but add stability to a region that desperately needs it. And just maybe the Palestinians will come to realize that the rest of the world is not going to wait for an end to their intransigence.
Here is an example of some classic Leftist thinking. At the start of a Major League Soccer game in Frisco, Texas between FC Dallas and Nashville SC, the players on both teams took a knee during the playing of the national anthem. The fans were not pleased, and player Reggie Cannon said this afterwards: "I think it was disgusting. I think it was absolutely disgusting. You got fans booing you for people taking a stand for what they believe in. Millions of other people support this cause and we discussed with every other team and the league what we're going to do and we've got fans booing us in our own stadium. How disgraceful is that?...it pissed me off...it's baffling to me." Maybe I can help you understand, Mr. Cannon. You see, as a man of the Left, you expect everyone to think like you do. When people have the nerve to express a contrary opinion you feel a need to retreat to your safe space. Well, maybe millions do agree with you, but millions do not. The only "disgusting" thing, Mr. Cannon, is how society allowed you to come to the belief that only those who agree with you get to publicly express their opinions. I might add, if you are shocked by your own fans booing you, you have clearly never been to Yankee stadium when the Yanks are losing badly.
Somewhat related, is the thinking of some who hate, who detest, Trump. Last time around, in 2016, I was called a "Putin lover" because I was going to vote for Trump. More recently I have been called a "hater." And, I have been accused of believing that the coronavirus is a hoax. Which is really strange, as I have been giving the weekly number of cases and deaths in various places every single week of the blog. Most recently, I have been accused of putting party ahead of country because of my expressed intention to vote for Trump again. To me, that is no different than Mr. Cannon not understanding that others may have a legitimate difference of opinion. And the fact that these ad hominem attacks occur with some frequency perhaps may explain why many Trump supporters remain silent.
A week ago, there was a substantial amount of looting in the Magnificent Mile area of downtown Chicago. Over 100 peope were arrested, and 13 police officers were injured. A day or so later, Black Lives Matter held a rally in support of those who were arrested. Prior to the looting, the police had shot a man who had fired on them, on Chicago's south side. Apparently, caravans from the south side then went to the downtown area for the purpose of looting. Said one of the organizers of BLM: "I don't care if someone decides to loot a Gucci or Macy's or a Nike store, because that makes sure that person has clothes...this is reparations...anything they wanted to take, they can take it because because these businesses have insurance." There is a clear understanding of how the world works. Putting aside for the moment the estimated $60 million dollars in damage, and the hundreds of stores now boarded up, I would ask this BLM organizer if she knows if all insurance policies cover this type of damage. I would ask if she knows about deductibles. I would ask what she thinks about all the people who are now out of work until such time as these businesses may reopen. What if some cannot reopen?
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot finally spoke up, saying this was "abject criminal behavior." The Mayor: "This is not legitimate First Amendment protected speech. These were not poor people engaged in petty theft to feed themselves and their family. This was straight-up felony criminal conduct." For those inclined to support the BLM movement, here is more of what that organizer had to say: "The fact that anyone gives a shit about these businesses over what is happening in this city right now and the pain that people are in and the suffering that is taking place, I don't care." And then there is this: "The whole idea of criminality is based on racism anyway...because criminality is punishing people for things that they have needed to do to survive or just the way that society has affected them with white supremacist B.S." I think I'll let her words speak for themselves.
The New York Times reported that, after the rioting and looting in New York City, some major national chains have decided to permanently close their stores in midtown Manhattan. Those chains include JC Penney, Kate Spade, Subway, and Le Pain Quotidien. Other stores are keeping closed for the time being. But those lost jobs are of no concern to some. See above paragraph.
If you still support BLM, here is a further story out of Louisville, Kentucky, which was brought to my attention by a friend who is a retired police officer. In "The Police Tribune" was a story about a business owner who felt that the local BLM people were using Mafia-like tactics to force his agreement to certain demands they were making. This business owner was told to make 23% of his staff black and buy a minimum of 23% of his inventory from black businesses. In the alternative, he could pay a "contribution" of 1.5% of his net sales to black organizations. His last option was to face a boycott. However, the business owner claimed that he was also told that he "better put (the demands) on the door so your business is not fucked with." Having grown up in New Jersey, I am confidant in saying that this is exactly like the "protection racket" that the Mob used to extort money from legitimate business owners. The justification put forth in support of these extortionist tactics, was the fact that the area had seen significant "gentrification," including the demolition of a public housing project that resulted in many black families being displaced. If that is the case, the BLM's beef is not with legitimate business owners, but with the elected officials and government bureaucrats that made the decisions regarding the rezoning of the area.
President Trump's younger brother, Robert, just died. Trending on Twitter was "#wrongtrump." Disgusting, but not surprising given the intense hatred many on the left feel towards this President. But, in a heartwarming goodbye to his brother, the President expressed this: "He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace."
Monday, August 17, 2020
Sunday, August 9, 2020
The Coronavirus Twenty-One Weeks Later - The Progressives Are On The March
Long serving (over 30 years) Democratic Representative Eliot Engel had already lost his primary election to Jamaal Bowman, who had the backing of Sanders, Warren and AOC. Engel had been a strong supporter of Israel. Bowman claims to also support Israel, but is opposed to the "ocupation." In other words, he does not support Israel. And, given the support of Socialist Sanders, and Warren and AOC, we can expect support for many leftist policy iniatives. Lacy Clay was a Democratic Representative in Missouri for 20 years, having won the seat his father held for 30 years. Clay, who is black, just lost his primary to Cori Bush, a black woman who has been part of the Black Lives Matter movement, and who was supported by...yep, the socialist Sanders.
Anti-America and anti-Israel Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar said this: "We can't stop at criminal justice reform or policing reform. We are not merely fighting to tear down the systems of oppression in the criminal justice system. We are fighting to tear down systems of oppression that exist in housing, in education, in health care, in employment, in the air we breathe." I've said it before, the Left is very good at propaganda with their use of carefully crafted phrases. Omar is not saying there is some unfairness - she is saying that in all aspects America is an oppressive country. Her audience understands very well what she means; if the country is oppressive, it must be torn down.
The progressives understand the need to inculcate left-wing ideology into the young. Here is a Tweet from Teen Vogue, which has over 13 million followers. "While we're working to abolish the police, we must also work to dismantle what the police were put here to protect: property." I'm a little unclear. Does this mean that I can walk into the Teen Vogue offices and walk out with any property that I choose? And police only protect property - not human life? In the 7/26/20 Sunday edition of the New York Times was one of their periodic "For Kids" sections. One article discusses a mural put up in Durango by a couple of women artists, with help from some neighborhood kids. In the center is a head of a black woman with a halo around the head. Above the head reads "Black Lives Matter." To the side we see "Enough is Enough," and "No Justice No Peace. "What messages are being conveyed? All blacks are angels? Blacks are constantly being targeted by the police? People should riot until there is justice, as the Left sees it? Virtually the entire section of the Times is encouraging kids to become left-wing activists.
Recall the scathing resignation letter by Bari Weiss, a liberal Op-Ed editor at the New York Times. And, the similar diatribe by Andrew Sullivan, after his termination by New York Magazine. Neither was sufficently "woke," "left-wing," "politically correct" for their respective publications. (See the 7/19/20 post.) Now, we have yet another employee of yet another mainstream media (i.e. left-wing, Democratic party) outlet also complaining of the left's intolerance for opposing views. This time, the offender is MSNBC. Explaining why she left, producer Ariana Pekary wrote: "I've even heard producers deny their role as journalists. A very capable senior producer once said: 'Our viewers don't really consider us the news. They come to us for comfort.'" And they say that Fox News is fake news.
Maureen Dowd is a regular Op-Ed columnist at the New York Times. In today's paper, Dowd wrote: "It's hard to fathom, but it has been 36 years since a man and a woman ran together on a Democratic party ticket. To use Geraldine Ferraro's favorite expression, 'Gimme a break!'" Ferraro was Walter Mondale's running mate in the 1984 election. I guess Dowd, along with whoever edits her columns, was not alive in 2016 - when Hillary Clinton ran with Tim Kaine. In the online version of this Op-Ed yesterday, a number of readers caught the error and commented accordingly.
Apparently, the Times then changed the online version to say "It has been that long since a man chose a woman to run as his vice president." Wrong again, as John McCain chose Sarah Palin in 2008. So what is going on here? We are talking about the New York Times, the self-described "paper of record." How do such falsehoods make it into an article like this? As I've said before, and as we have now been told by Bari Weiss, Andrew Sullivan and Ariana Pekary, when the agenda drives the story, truth and accuracy will always take a back seat.
Are "trigger warnings" the new normal? On the USA Network, I was greeted with this message: "We all love 90's buddy comedies...but this movie was created in a different time. FYI: Certain depictions, language and humor may seem outdated and at times offensive." Just what was the offending movie? "Rush Hour," with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Rush Hour? Admittedly, I cannot recall every scene from the movie, and I did not watch it again when it came on. But, really? A trigger warning for Rush Hour? How about all the snowflakes stay indoors and disconnect from the world. Problem solved.
Michigan's Democratic Governor was recently commenting on our latest health crisis. No, not the coronavirus pandemic. Silly. No, "racism" is a "public health crisis" according to the Governor. "We have a lot of work to do to eradicate the systemic racism that Black Americans have faced for generations." Maybe we need a civil war. Nope, did that. Maybe we need civil rights legislation. Nope, did that too. You have to love the Left - they talk like nothing has changed since 1619, when the first slaves were brought to the new world (according to the NY Times 1619 Project). The Governor issued an executive order establishing a "Black Leadership Advisory Council, which will be responsible for making policy recommendations.
Jerry Nadler (D-NY) is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. As he was walking to his car, he was approached by someone identified as a writer/producer, and was asked if he would disavow violence by Antifa in Portland (something that Democrats have been reluctant to do, similar to their reluctance to criticize the violent and crime-ridden Occupy Wall Street movement). Nadler: "That's a myth." A myth? No violence in Portland the last two months? What Nadler did do, along with House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Dennie Thompson and House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, was sign on to a letter condemning the federal officers in Portland for their actions. It turns out that even the left-wing Mayor of Portland had enough of the violence. Here's Mayor Ted Wheeler: "When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building (it was a police precinct) that is occupied by people who you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder." I am curious about when the Democratic leadership might deem it worthwhile to criticize attempted murder.
One more piece of nonsense before we close. We know the countless lies the Dems and the mainstream media have told about Trump. He was going to start a war with Iran. He was going to start a nucear war with North Korea. Russian collusion, which they still talk about. But one of my "favorites" is the lie that Trump will not accept the results of the November election if he loses, and will have to forcibly be dragged from the White House. The hypocrisy is simply breathtaking. As I recall, the Democrats never accepted the results of the 2000 election. And, as we all know, they never accepted the results of the 2016 election - so much so, that they attempted a non-violent coup of a sitting president. Dems such as Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters and James Clyborn, the third highest ranking Democratic member of the House, have all said Trump will not leave if he loses. Not that the mainstream media parrots whatever the Dems say, but here is April Ryan of CNN: When the TV shows Biden being inaugurated, there will be "police and armed forces trying to pull Donald Trump out of the White House. I cannot wait for that split-screen." And I can't think of a more disgusting wish by a so-called journalist than to see a President of the United States being dragged out of the White House. I've spoken to a lot people who have an extreme hatred of Trump. I wonder how many would like to see him dragged out of the White House and summarily executed. Sounds extreme, I know. But so does all the frightening vitriol and venom I hear out of the mouths of Democraats.
Anti-America and anti-Israel Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar said this: "We can't stop at criminal justice reform or policing reform. We are not merely fighting to tear down the systems of oppression in the criminal justice system. We are fighting to tear down systems of oppression that exist in housing, in education, in health care, in employment, in the air we breathe." I've said it before, the Left is very good at propaganda with their use of carefully crafted phrases. Omar is not saying there is some unfairness - she is saying that in all aspects America is an oppressive country. Her audience understands very well what she means; if the country is oppressive, it must be torn down.
The progressives understand the need to inculcate left-wing ideology into the young. Here is a Tweet from Teen Vogue, which has over 13 million followers. "While we're working to abolish the police, we must also work to dismantle what the police were put here to protect: property." I'm a little unclear. Does this mean that I can walk into the Teen Vogue offices and walk out with any property that I choose? And police only protect property - not human life? In the 7/26/20 Sunday edition of the New York Times was one of their periodic "For Kids" sections. One article discusses a mural put up in Durango by a couple of women artists, with help from some neighborhood kids. In the center is a head of a black woman with a halo around the head. Above the head reads "Black Lives Matter." To the side we see "Enough is Enough," and "No Justice No Peace. "What messages are being conveyed? All blacks are angels? Blacks are constantly being targeted by the police? People should riot until there is justice, as the Left sees it? Virtually the entire section of the Times is encouraging kids to become left-wing activists.
Recall the scathing resignation letter by Bari Weiss, a liberal Op-Ed editor at the New York Times. And, the similar diatribe by Andrew Sullivan, after his termination by New York Magazine. Neither was sufficently "woke," "left-wing," "politically correct" for their respective publications. (See the 7/19/20 post.) Now, we have yet another employee of yet another mainstream media (i.e. left-wing, Democratic party) outlet also complaining of the left's intolerance for opposing views. This time, the offender is MSNBC. Explaining why she left, producer Ariana Pekary wrote: "I've even heard producers deny their role as journalists. A very capable senior producer once said: 'Our viewers don't really consider us the news. They come to us for comfort.'" And they say that Fox News is fake news.
Maureen Dowd is a regular Op-Ed columnist at the New York Times. In today's paper, Dowd wrote: "It's hard to fathom, but it has been 36 years since a man and a woman ran together on a Democratic party ticket. To use Geraldine Ferraro's favorite expression, 'Gimme a break!'" Ferraro was Walter Mondale's running mate in the 1984 election. I guess Dowd, along with whoever edits her columns, was not alive in 2016 - when Hillary Clinton ran with Tim Kaine. In the online version of this Op-Ed yesterday, a number of readers caught the error and commented accordingly.
Apparently, the Times then changed the online version to say "It has been that long since a man chose a woman to run as his vice president." Wrong again, as John McCain chose Sarah Palin in 2008. So what is going on here? We are talking about the New York Times, the self-described "paper of record." How do such falsehoods make it into an article like this? As I've said before, and as we have now been told by Bari Weiss, Andrew Sullivan and Ariana Pekary, when the agenda drives the story, truth and accuracy will always take a back seat.
Are "trigger warnings" the new normal? On the USA Network, I was greeted with this message: "We all love 90's buddy comedies...but this movie was created in a different time. FYI: Certain depictions, language and humor may seem outdated and at times offensive." Just what was the offending movie? "Rush Hour," with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Rush Hour? Admittedly, I cannot recall every scene from the movie, and I did not watch it again when it came on. But, really? A trigger warning for Rush Hour? How about all the snowflakes stay indoors and disconnect from the world. Problem solved.
Michigan's Democratic Governor was recently commenting on our latest health crisis. No, not the coronavirus pandemic. Silly. No, "racism" is a "public health crisis" according to the Governor. "We have a lot of work to do to eradicate the systemic racism that Black Americans have faced for generations." Maybe we need a civil war. Nope, did that. Maybe we need civil rights legislation. Nope, did that too. You have to love the Left - they talk like nothing has changed since 1619, when the first slaves were brought to the new world (according to the NY Times 1619 Project). The Governor issued an executive order establishing a "Black Leadership Advisory Council, which will be responsible for making policy recommendations.
Jerry Nadler (D-NY) is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. As he was walking to his car, he was approached by someone identified as a writer/producer, and was asked if he would disavow violence by Antifa in Portland (something that Democrats have been reluctant to do, similar to their reluctance to criticize the violent and crime-ridden Occupy Wall Street movement). Nadler: "That's a myth." A myth? No violence in Portland the last two months? What Nadler did do, along with House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Dennie Thompson and House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, was sign on to a letter condemning the federal officers in Portland for their actions. It turns out that even the left-wing Mayor of Portland had enough of the violence. Here's Mayor Ted Wheeler: "When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building (it was a police precinct) that is occupied by people who you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder." I am curious about when the Democratic leadership might deem it worthwhile to criticize attempted murder.
One more piece of nonsense before we close. We know the countless lies the Dems and the mainstream media have told about Trump. He was going to start a war with Iran. He was going to start a nucear war with North Korea. Russian collusion, which they still talk about. But one of my "favorites" is the lie that Trump will not accept the results of the November election if he loses, and will have to forcibly be dragged from the White House. The hypocrisy is simply breathtaking. As I recall, the Democrats never accepted the results of the 2000 election. And, as we all know, they never accepted the results of the 2016 election - so much so, that they attempted a non-violent coup of a sitting president. Dems such as Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters and James Clyborn, the third highest ranking Democratic member of the House, have all said Trump will not leave if he loses. Not that the mainstream media parrots whatever the Dems say, but here is April Ryan of CNN: When the TV shows Biden being inaugurated, there will be "police and armed forces trying to pull Donald Trump out of the White House. I cannot wait for that split-screen." And I can't think of a more disgusting wish by a so-called journalist than to see a President of the United States being dragged out of the White House. I've spoken to a lot people who have an extreme hatred of Trump. I wonder how many would like to see him dragged out of the White House and summarily executed. Sounds extreme, I know. But so does all the frightening vitriol and venom I hear out of the mouths of Democraats.
Sunday, August 2, 2020
Sunday, July 26, 2020
The Coronavirus Nineteen Weeks Later - The Word(s) of the Day Are Race/Racist/Racism
(Ed.'s Note. On August 4, 2019 I wrote a post called "Racism, Racism, Everywhere is Racism." I said then: "For many on the Left, if you simply voted for Donald Trump for president you are automatically a racist." We are currently bombarded with messages from the Democrats/mainstream media about the systemic racism of the country. The economic system (capitalism) is racist. The educational system is racist. The justice system is racist. Police are definitely the most racist. And so on. So, here are a few ideas, along with some remedies, as the Left sees it.)
Actress Pauley Paulette, of NCIS fame, tweeted: "PLEASE DON'T FOLLOW ME IF YOU'RE A RACIST Meaning you support Trump..." There it is. But she is just an actress, you say. What about Joe Biden, who is the presumptive nominee of the Democrat Party for President of the United States. Biden: "We've had racists, and they've existed, they've tried to get elected president. He's (Trump) the first one that has." So, does that mean we can now keep the statues of Washington and Jefferson and other presidential slave owners? Can Princeton again name their school of public policy The Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy? Is this why his campaign does not allow Biden out of his basement? The Biden campaign had to correct him, of course, by saying that Trump stands out for his racism in modern times. Oh.
But make no mistake, America is racist. Who says so? The American people. According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll of 900 registered voters, 56% of Americans say the country is racist. 66% of women agree, and 46% of men agree. Broken down by party, 82% of Democrats agree vs 30% of Republicans. And broken down by race, 78% of blacks say the country is racist, with 60% of Hispanics agreeing and 51% of whites also agreeing. Most disturbing? 78% of blacks and 82% of Democrats say the USA is a racist country. In a Washington Post/ABC poll, we are told that 63% support the Black Lives Matter movement. Which, ought to be renamed Black Lives Only Matter if Killed by the Police. The poll also shows 55% of Democrats support defunding the police compared to only 14% of Republicans.
But just to be sure that ALL Americans understand how racist the country is, the Loudoun County, Virginia school district has the solution. The plan is to teach "social justice" to elementary school kids. The idea is to "emphasize slavery as fundamental to American society," as described in the Washington Free Beacon. Why the need to teach this in grades K through 5? Because "sugarcoating or ignoring slavery until later grades makes students more upset by or even resistant to true stories about American history." I wonder if the New York Times' 1619 project (claiming that the country began when slaves were first brought over in 1619) will be used as the textbook. It's fine, the country is on the way out anyway. After all, if we instill a sense of how bad America is in young children, rather than a sense of patriotism, we can assure the rapid demise of this terrible country. Let's teach kindergarten kids all about murderers and rapists too.
For those young people who never received the proper instruction in their earlier grades, let's teach them in college. The California State University system is the largest in the country, with 430,000 undergraduates spread across 23 campuses. Beginning in the 2023 school year, students will be required to take a course in ethnic studies or social justice. The ethnic studies choices will be: Native American studies, African American studies, Asian American studies or Latina/o studies. If you do not fit into one of those categories, too bad for you.
Across the country at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, the English Department has a plan to deal with our racist language by "incorporating 'critical grammar' into our pedagogy." "This approach challenges the familiar dogma that writing instruction should limit emphasis on grammar/sentence-level issues so as to not put students from multilingual, non-standard 'academic' English backgrounds at a disadvantage. Instead, it encourages students to develop a critical awareness of the variety of choices available to them with regard to micro-level issues in order to empower them and equip them to push against biases based on 'written accents.'" So, aside from all the intellectual claptrap, English should have no standard usages. And, rather than assure that English is taught properly in earlier grades, let's tell college students not to bother. One speech pathologist asserted that the message from Rutgers is that minorities are incapable of understanding traditional English. It is "insulting, patronizing, and in itself, extremely racist." But it is typical elitist leftism - we of the left were all able to succeed in this racist country, but the rest of you rubes need us to understand, well, everything.
Fresh from their "1619 Project," the New York Times now has a podcast called "Nice White Parents." "When we look at how our schools are failing, we usually focus on who they're failing: Black and brown kids. We ask: Why aren't they performing better? Why aren't they achieving more?...Those are not the right questions...if you want to understand what's wrong with our public education system, you have to look at what is arguably the most powerful force in our schools: white parents." You didn't really think that the left-wing New York Times thought white people were nice, did you? What's wrong with public education - white parents. Got it?
Excuse me for asking, but what about the Jews? After all, Jews are still overwhelmingly the victims of religious hate crimes. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. Now, I know that left-wing Jews do not care about this issue. In their left-wing bubble they believe they are isolated and protected from hateful anti-Semitism. Another elitist attitude: "I'm on the left's side, they won't bother me." Social media has certain standards. But Jew-hatred is not one that will interfere with your posts. Here's one from Twitter: "#Jewish Privilege is running the Slave Trade, owning the Slave Ships and owning the Cotton Plantations but constantly blaming Slavery on White people with the very media that you completely control."
Obama made a habit of demonizing Israel. The mainstream media does it all the time, recently with the Op-Ed by Peter Beinart explaining why he no longer believes Israel should exist. (See the July 12, 2020 post, "The Coronavirus Seventeen Weeks Later - Maybe Its Time?") Now, a poll by Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland, shows the waning support for Israel. According to the poll, 42% of young Americans (ages 18-34) support the destruction of Israel and its replacement with a non-Jewish state. 42% of young people would bring an end to the one Jewish state in the world. Should we be surprised? Between the eight years of Obama, and the propaganda machines of Hollywood, the mainstream media and academia, we really should not be surprised. The poll also found that 55% of Democrats think the Israeli government has too much influence on US politics and policies. That compares with only 19% of Republicans.
Recently, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, endorsed Rep. Ilhan Omar in her bid for reelection. Notwithstanding Omar's repeated anti-Semitic comments, Pelosi called her "a valued and important Member of our Caucus." More recently, Joe Biden spoke to the "Million Muslim Votes," a conference put on by Emgage Action, described as the largest Muslim PAC. Biden: "I wish we taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith. I wished we talked about all the great confessional faiths." Maybe we can get the Director of "Islamic Relief Worldwide" from the UK to speak. He recently said that Jews are the "grandchildren of monkeys and pigs." He also called Egypt's President a "Zionist pimp."
Oh, how I long for the days of the Obama-Biden White House. Obama and his reverend, Rev. Wright, who hated America and Israel. When Al Sharpton was able to visit the White House over 80 times. When Obama refused to say "Islamic terrorism" or "radical Islam." I yearn for the days when Obama refused to acknowledge Jews being the target of radical Muslims at a Parisian kosher market; instead saying that a "bunch of folks" were killed. Obama told us it was just a "random" attack. Because who cares when Jews are the targets? And I especially pine for December, 2016, when Obama sold Israel out at the UN and gave the Palestinians the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem, including the Old City which houses the most holy sites in Judaism. But we can get the Obama-Biden years back. We can get a Biden-Obama White House, because who really believes that the Democrats will let Biden run things if he wins.
Actress Pauley Paulette, of NCIS fame, tweeted: "PLEASE DON'T FOLLOW ME IF YOU'RE A RACIST Meaning you support Trump..." There it is. But she is just an actress, you say. What about Joe Biden, who is the presumptive nominee of the Democrat Party for President of the United States. Biden: "We've had racists, and they've existed, they've tried to get elected president. He's (Trump) the first one that has." So, does that mean we can now keep the statues of Washington and Jefferson and other presidential slave owners? Can Princeton again name their school of public policy The Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy? Is this why his campaign does not allow Biden out of his basement? The Biden campaign had to correct him, of course, by saying that Trump stands out for his racism in modern times. Oh.
But make no mistake, America is racist. Who says so? The American people. According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll of 900 registered voters, 56% of Americans say the country is racist. 66% of women agree, and 46% of men agree. Broken down by party, 82% of Democrats agree vs 30% of Republicans. And broken down by race, 78% of blacks say the country is racist, with 60% of Hispanics agreeing and 51% of whites also agreeing. Most disturbing? 78% of blacks and 82% of Democrats say the USA is a racist country. In a Washington Post/ABC poll, we are told that 63% support the Black Lives Matter movement. Which, ought to be renamed Black Lives Only Matter if Killed by the Police. The poll also shows 55% of Democrats support defunding the police compared to only 14% of Republicans.
But just to be sure that ALL Americans understand how racist the country is, the Loudoun County, Virginia school district has the solution. The plan is to teach "social justice" to elementary school kids. The idea is to "emphasize slavery as fundamental to American society," as described in the Washington Free Beacon. Why the need to teach this in grades K through 5? Because "sugarcoating or ignoring slavery until later grades makes students more upset by or even resistant to true stories about American history." I wonder if the New York Times' 1619 project (claiming that the country began when slaves were first brought over in 1619) will be used as the textbook. It's fine, the country is on the way out anyway. After all, if we instill a sense of how bad America is in young children, rather than a sense of patriotism, we can assure the rapid demise of this terrible country. Let's teach kindergarten kids all about murderers and rapists too.
For those young people who never received the proper instruction in their earlier grades, let's teach them in college. The California State University system is the largest in the country, with 430,000 undergraduates spread across 23 campuses. Beginning in the 2023 school year, students will be required to take a course in ethnic studies or social justice. The ethnic studies choices will be: Native American studies, African American studies, Asian American studies or Latina/o studies. If you do not fit into one of those categories, too bad for you.
Across the country at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, the English Department has a plan to deal with our racist language by "incorporating 'critical grammar' into our pedagogy." "This approach challenges the familiar dogma that writing instruction should limit emphasis on grammar/sentence-level issues so as to not put students from multilingual, non-standard 'academic' English backgrounds at a disadvantage. Instead, it encourages students to develop a critical awareness of the variety of choices available to them with regard to micro-level issues in order to empower them and equip them to push against biases based on 'written accents.'" So, aside from all the intellectual claptrap, English should have no standard usages. And, rather than assure that English is taught properly in earlier grades, let's tell college students not to bother. One speech pathologist asserted that the message from Rutgers is that minorities are incapable of understanding traditional English. It is "insulting, patronizing, and in itself, extremely racist." But it is typical elitist leftism - we of the left were all able to succeed in this racist country, but the rest of you rubes need us to understand, well, everything.
Fresh from their "1619 Project," the New York Times now has a podcast called "Nice White Parents." "When we look at how our schools are failing, we usually focus on who they're failing: Black and brown kids. We ask: Why aren't they performing better? Why aren't they achieving more?...Those are not the right questions...if you want to understand what's wrong with our public education system, you have to look at what is arguably the most powerful force in our schools: white parents." You didn't really think that the left-wing New York Times thought white people were nice, did you? What's wrong with public education - white parents. Got it?
Excuse me for asking, but what about the Jews? After all, Jews are still overwhelmingly the victims of religious hate crimes. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. Now, I know that left-wing Jews do not care about this issue. In their left-wing bubble they believe they are isolated and protected from hateful anti-Semitism. Another elitist attitude: "I'm on the left's side, they won't bother me." Social media has certain standards. But Jew-hatred is not one that will interfere with your posts. Here's one from Twitter: "#Jewish Privilege is running the Slave Trade, owning the Slave Ships and owning the Cotton Plantations but constantly blaming Slavery on White people with the very media that you completely control."
Obama made a habit of demonizing Israel. The mainstream media does it all the time, recently with the Op-Ed by Peter Beinart explaining why he no longer believes Israel should exist. (See the July 12, 2020 post, "The Coronavirus Seventeen Weeks Later - Maybe Its Time?") Now, a poll by Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland, shows the waning support for Israel. According to the poll, 42% of young Americans (ages 18-34) support the destruction of Israel and its replacement with a non-Jewish state. 42% of young people would bring an end to the one Jewish state in the world. Should we be surprised? Between the eight years of Obama, and the propaganda machines of Hollywood, the mainstream media and academia, we really should not be surprised. The poll also found that 55% of Democrats think the Israeli government has too much influence on US politics and policies. That compares with only 19% of Republicans.
Recently, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, endorsed Rep. Ilhan Omar in her bid for reelection. Notwithstanding Omar's repeated anti-Semitic comments, Pelosi called her "a valued and important Member of our Caucus." More recently, Joe Biden spoke to the "Million Muslim Votes," a conference put on by Emgage Action, described as the largest Muslim PAC. Biden: "I wish we taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith. I wished we talked about all the great confessional faiths." Maybe we can get the Director of "Islamic Relief Worldwide" from the UK to speak. He recently said that Jews are the "grandchildren of monkeys and pigs." He also called Egypt's President a "Zionist pimp."
Oh, how I long for the days of the Obama-Biden White House. Obama and his reverend, Rev. Wright, who hated America and Israel. When Al Sharpton was able to visit the White House over 80 times. When Obama refused to say "Islamic terrorism" or "radical Islam." I yearn for the days when Obama refused to acknowledge Jews being the target of radical Muslims at a Parisian kosher market; instead saying that a "bunch of folks" were killed. Obama told us it was just a "random" attack. Because who cares when Jews are the targets? And I especially pine for December, 2016, when Obama sold Israel out at the UN and gave the Palestinians the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem, including the Old City which houses the most holy sites in Judaism. But we can get the Obama-Biden years back. We can get a Biden-Obama White House, because who really believes that the Democrats will let Biden run things if he wins.
Sunday, July 19, 2020
The Coronavirus Eighteen Weeks Later - The Cultural Revolution Is Here, Are You On Board Yet?
Things started out slowly. They moved faster under Obama. Now, with Antifa, Black Lives Matter and the Cancel Culture, everyone needs to be careful about their thoughts, lest those thoughts leave their mouths. The results can be devastating - ostracism by friends and family, being "unfriended" - and not just on Facebook, and the loss of one's job and career. Unfortunately, one's past words, if they come to light, can also have ruinous consequences, as there is no tolerance for an error in thinking. Conservatives are most at risk, but so are classical liberals (if any still exist), and even leftists may face the wrath of those who do not think they are left-wing enough.
Bari Weiss was an Op-Ed editor at the New York Times from 2017 to 2020. She just resigned. In her resignation letter, Weiss said: "I was hired with the goal of bringing in voices that would not otherwise appear in your pages...But the lessons that ought to have followed the election (when no one at the Times could conceive of Trump winning) - lessons about the importance of understanding other Americans, the necessity of resisting tribalism, and the centrality of the free exchange of ideas to a democratic society - have not been learned. Instead, a new consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this paper: that truth isn't a process of collective discovery, but an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform everyone else."
Weiss: "My own forays into Wrongthink have made me the subject of constant bullying...they have called me a Nazi and a racist...about how I'm writing about the Jews again...intellectual curiosity - let alone risk taking - is now a liability at the Times. Why edit something challenging to our readers - when we can assure ourselves of job security (and clicks) by publishing our 4000th Op-Ed arguing that Donald Trump is a unique danger to the country and the world? And so self-censorship has become the norm." I would simply tell Ms. Weiss - welcome to the party, I've been there for a while. Weiss ended her letter with a quote from the paper's founder, Adolph Ochs, whose goal was "to make the columns of the New York Times a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, and to that end to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of opinion." But that was said in 1896. Look how advanced we have become.
Andrew Sullivan was a writer at New York Magazine, which is owned by Vox Media. Speaking of his firing, he said "they (the powers that be) seem to believe, and this is increasingly the orthodoxy in mainstream media, that any writer not actively committed to critical theory in questions of race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity is actively, physically harming co-workers merely by existing in the same virtual space." The fact that Sullivan is openly gay and adheres to many of the liberal/left talking points, did not save him from the Cultural Revolution. Perhaps a little time in a re-education camp will help Sullivan and Weiss.
The National Museum for African American History and Culture (one of the Smithsonian museums) posted a chart on its "Talking About Race" link on its website, called "The Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness in the United States." The chart told us some of the traits of "white culture," including: hard work, self-reliance, delayed gratification, rugged individualism, the nuclear family, reliance on the scientific method, politeness, being on time and planning for the future. So, are these traits bad because they are part of white culture, or is white culture bad because they have these traits? I feel confident in saying that some white people are going to need re-education.
Meanwhile, at George Washington University (why hasn't that name been changed yet) they are pushing their students to read a book by San Francisco University Professor Robert Smith, called "Conservatism and Racism, and Why in America They Are The Same." "Conservatism as a philosophy and ideology - is and always has been hostile to the aspirations of Africans in America, incompatible with the struggle for freedom and equality." Africans in America? I am curious as to how many blacks here think of themselves as "Africans in America." Those blacks who just think of themselves as "Americans" may need some re-education. Besides, if memory serves, it is the Democratic Party that has a long history of racism and affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan.
On the bright side, the re-education camps in California are not at some distant locale. Rather, the public schools were deemed the perfect place to teach kids the three "R's" - racism, racism and racism. California law requires an "Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum." As described on Ed Source, the original draft "critically grapples with the various power structures and forms of oppression, including but not limited to white supremacy, race and racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, Islamophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, that continue to impact the social, emotional, cultural, economic and political experiences of Native People/s and people of color." No need to include anti-Semitism, as Jews will clearly need to be re-educated. After all, many support Israel. And many have those "white culture" traits.
A former editor at Wikipedia reports that the website has a history of "non-neutral editing" and "a history of adding negative content to the articles of conservatives." Conservative TV and radio host and author, Mark Levin, has been a target for years according to the former editor. Take down favorable comments and put up negative ones. Wikipedia - just part of the mainstream media educating the rest of us? Reminds me of YouTube (owned by Google/Alphabet) refusing easy access to certain Prager University videos because, they are not consistent with the sites standards. In other words, the videos express conservative messages.
Prager U actually sued YouTube to get access, but lost, as the First Amendment does not apply to private businesses. But a writer at Slate, on the right side of the Cultural Revolution, explained: "The First Amendment does not force platforms to host Dennis Prager's hateful claptrap." The writer also told us that Prager promotes "exclusively conservative, often fringe views." Now that is a good reminder for many of us - only "exclusively left-wing, fringe claptrap views" will be acceptable in the Cultural Revolution, not comments like Prager's "hateful gibberish."
Over the years, most of us have likely seen numerous ads on TV by The Ad Council. The most recent one I saw was this: "ALL LIVES CAN'T MATTER, UNTIL BLACK LIVES MATTER." "Learn. Act. Donate." By all means donate to Black Lives Matter. But if you don't support Black Lives Matter, remember that the Cultural Revolution is here, and will be coming for you.
I have been told that none of this is important. Or, that it will all go away, or get better, if Joe Biden beats Trump. In a few short months we may get to see how the Cultural Revolution fares under Biden leadership.
Bari Weiss was an Op-Ed editor at the New York Times from 2017 to 2020. She just resigned. In her resignation letter, Weiss said: "I was hired with the goal of bringing in voices that would not otherwise appear in your pages...But the lessons that ought to have followed the election (when no one at the Times could conceive of Trump winning) - lessons about the importance of understanding other Americans, the necessity of resisting tribalism, and the centrality of the free exchange of ideas to a democratic society - have not been learned. Instead, a new consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this paper: that truth isn't a process of collective discovery, but an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform everyone else."
Weiss: "My own forays into Wrongthink have made me the subject of constant bullying...they have called me a Nazi and a racist...about how I'm writing about the Jews again...intellectual curiosity - let alone risk taking - is now a liability at the Times. Why edit something challenging to our readers - when we can assure ourselves of job security (and clicks) by publishing our 4000th Op-Ed arguing that Donald Trump is a unique danger to the country and the world? And so self-censorship has become the norm." I would simply tell Ms. Weiss - welcome to the party, I've been there for a while. Weiss ended her letter with a quote from the paper's founder, Adolph Ochs, whose goal was "to make the columns of the New York Times a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, and to that end to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of opinion." But that was said in 1896. Look how advanced we have become.
Andrew Sullivan was a writer at New York Magazine, which is owned by Vox Media. Speaking of his firing, he said "they (the powers that be) seem to believe, and this is increasingly the orthodoxy in mainstream media, that any writer not actively committed to critical theory in questions of race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity is actively, physically harming co-workers merely by existing in the same virtual space." The fact that Sullivan is openly gay and adheres to many of the liberal/left talking points, did not save him from the Cultural Revolution. Perhaps a little time in a re-education camp will help Sullivan and Weiss.
The National Museum for African American History and Culture (one of the Smithsonian museums) posted a chart on its "Talking About Race" link on its website, called "The Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness in the United States." The chart told us some of the traits of "white culture," including: hard work, self-reliance, delayed gratification, rugged individualism, the nuclear family, reliance on the scientific method, politeness, being on time and planning for the future. So, are these traits bad because they are part of white culture, or is white culture bad because they have these traits? I feel confident in saying that some white people are going to need re-education.
Meanwhile, at George Washington University (why hasn't that name been changed yet) they are pushing their students to read a book by San Francisco University Professor Robert Smith, called "Conservatism and Racism, and Why in America They Are The Same." "Conservatism as a philosophy and ideology - is and always has been hostile to the aspirations of Africans in America, incompatible with the struggle for freedom and equality." Africans in America? I am curious as to how many blacks here think of themselves as "Africans in America." Those blacks who just think of themselves as "Americans" may need some re-education. Besides, if memory serves, it is the Democratic Party that has a long history of racism and affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan.
On the bright side, the re-education camps in California are not at some distant locale. Rather, the public schools were deemed the perfect place to teach kids the three "R's" - racism, racism and racism. California law requires an "Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum." As described on Ed Source, the original draft "critically grapples with the various power structures and forms of oppression, including but not limited to white supremacy, race and racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, Islamophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, that continue to impact the social, emotional, cultural, economic and political experiences of Native People/s and people of color." No need to include anti-Semitism, as Jews will clearly need to be re-educated. After all, many support Israel. And many have those "white culture" traits.
A former editor at Wikipedia reports that the website has a history of "non-neutral editing" and "a history of adding negative content to the articles of conservatives." Conservative TV and radio host and author, Mark Levin, has been a target for years according to the former editor. Take down favorable comments and put up negative ones. Wikipedia - just part of the mainstream media educating the rest of us? Reminds me of YouTube (owned by Google/Alphabet) refusing easy access to certain Prager University videos because, they are not consistent with the sites standards. In other words, the videos express conservative messages.
Prager U actually sued YouTube to get access, but lost, as the First Amendment does not apply to private businesses. But a writer at Slate, on the right side of the Cultural Revolution, explained: "The First Amendment does not force platforms to host Dennis Prager's hateful claptrap." The writer also told us that Prager promotes "exclusively conservative, often fringe views." Now that is a good reminder for many of us - only "exclusively left-wing, fringe claptrap views" will be acceptable in the Cultural Revolution, not comments like Prager's "hateful gibberish."
Over the years, most of us have likely seen numerous ads on TV by The Ad Council. The most recent one I saw was this: "ALL LIVES CAN'T MATTER, UNTIL BLACK LIVES MATTER." "Learn. Act. Donate." By all means donate to Black Lives Matter. But if you don't support Black Lives Matter, remember that the Cultural Revolution is here, and will be coming for you.
I have been told that none of this is important. Or, that it will all go away, or get better, if Joe Biden beats Trump. In a few short months we may get to see how the Cultural Revolution fares under Biden leadership.
Sunday, July 12, 2020
The Coronavirus Seventeen Weeks Later - Maybe It's Time?
You can't claim we haven't had a good run. After all, the country just celebrated its 244th birthday. That is a long time. As they say, all great civilizations come to an end. But America was different. It was a country based on an idea - that all men (and all people) are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These ideas, along with the founding documents upon which they are based, and the Founding Fathers who wrote those documents, are all out of vogue now. So, maybe it's time to let it all go. Let's take a look around.
Seattle. One City Council member said this: "We are coming for you (Amazon) and your rotten system. We are coming to dismantle this deeply oppressive, racist, sexist, violent, utterly bankrupt system of capitalism - this police state. We cannot and will not stop until we overthrow it and replace it with a world based on solidarity, genuine democracy and equality - a socialist world." Keep in mind that the speaker is an elected official in one of our country's major cities.
Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. In Baltimore, protesters tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus and threw it into the harbor. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is of Italian heritage; and her father and brother had been mayors of Baltimore. In D.C. she said that the taking down of the Columbus statue "doesn't diminish my pride in my Italian heritage." When asked if it would not be better to have a commission decide what statues should come down and where they should go, Pelosi replied with a brusque "people will do what they do." It should come as no surprise that the Speaker (next in line to the presidency after the Vice President) would not condemn the vandalism of public property. After all, she also refused to condemn Ilhan Omar for making one anti-Semitic remark after the next, making excuses for Omar instead. But, it's just property and Jews - nobody cares about them anyway.
Los Angeles. During the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, numerous Jewish shops and synagogues were vandalized. On the walls of one synagogue were the words "Free Palestine," and "fuck Israel." In the Fairfax area, a heavily Jewish area, numerous shops and Jewish schools and other synagogues were also vandalized. Said the area's City Council member: "As we watched the fires and looting, what we didn't get covered were the anti-Semitic hate crimes and incidents. Under the guise of protests, some advanced their anti-Semitic agenda." Had the council member asked me, I could have told him that Jews are not one of the favored minority groups of the left, nor of the media.
Everywhere. Goya Foods is the largest Hispanic owned company in the US. Its CEO, Robert Unanue, was recently at the White House with other Hispanic business and political leaders to help celebrate President Trump's "Hispanic Prosperity Initiative." The purpose of the executive order was to increase funding for charter schools and private schools, and provide tax benefits for "opportunity zones" in urban areas. The Goya CEO made the egregious offense of daring to say that the country is "truly blessed" to have Trump as a leader. In today's "cancel culture" any praise of the President is downright evil. Igor Volsky, a VP at the Center for American Progress, Tweeted what Unanue said, and added: "Make your shopping decisions accordingly." In supporting a boycott of Goya, AOC added "Oh look, it's the sound of me Googling 'how to make your own Adobo'" (a Goya product).
Piling on was none other than former presidential candidate Julian Castro, who was also the Secretary of HUD under President Obama. Castro encouraged his followers to reconsider the purchase of Goya products. This boycotting of those who do not adhere to a strict party line is one of the core principles of the left - and of the Democratic Party. Don't believe me? See my August 2, 2012 post discussing how big city mayors (all Democrats) across the country said they no longer wanted Chick fil-A in their cities. Why? Because the owner of Chick fil-A dared to say that he believed in the traditional definition of marriage. It should be clear to all that the left will seek to punish you for your words and thoughts. I should add that in the CNN story reporting on Goya, you would not learn that the company announced that they were donating one million cans of chickpeas and one million pounds of products to food banks across the US. CNN did not want to take the chance that anyone would think well of Goya Foods after the CEO praised the President.
New York, and wherever the paper reaches. Recall that The New York Times apologized for the offense of publishing an Op-Ed by US Senator Tom Cotton, because black staff said the mere publication of the article made them feel unsafe. Peter Beinart, a left-wing writer and columnist, had an Op-Ed in the Times titled "I No Longer Believe in a Jewish State." Now he says that there should be one state - called Israel-Palestine consisting of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Beinart asserts that Jews would still have a homeland, just not a state. But you know what, just like the Democrats don't need the USA, they also don't see a need for Israel. 191 members of the Democratic caucus in the House signed a letter to Israeli leaders warning of serious repercussions in relations if they were to annex the Israeli communities across the so-called 1967 borders. 23 of the 25 Jewish House members signed the letter. Peter Beinart is also Jewish. (But Jews who will not defend Israel or their own people is a topic for another day.)
CNN. Do black lives really matter? Don Lemon has his own show on CNN. Recently, former NFL player turned actor, Terry Crews, was a guest on the show. Lemon was quite unhappy with Crews for daring to suggest that all black lives matter, with this Tweet: "#ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER 9 black CHILDREN killed by violence in Chicago since June 20,2020." How dare Crews insert the word "ALL" in his Tweet. Lemon made it clear that Black Lives Matter is about police brutality. It is not all encompassing. Oh no? So including LGBTQ rights, the Green New Deal, Palestine, canceling rent, defunding the police and other matters can be included - but not the killing of black children. I guess Lemon sure told Crews (who is also black).
Across the country. We've seen police be verbally assaulted. We saw the police forced out of their own station in Seattle in the CHAZ/CHOP. Now, police officers are being physically attacked and shot at across the country. Here are just a couple examples. In New York City, one officer was put in a headlock by a perpetrator. As my friend, a retired officer, likes to remind me, the danger is not just the assault, but the risk that the perpetrator can get the officer's gun. In Aurora, Colorado, police were trapped in their own station when people put chains on the doors. It was subsequently discovered that nearby were cans filled with gasoline. The police were trapped inside for 7 hours, during which time 911 calls went unanswered.
The New York Times, again. On July 11, there was an Op-Ed by professor Amna Akbar. After discussing defunding the police, and also discussing the Green New Deal, the professor turned to rents. "So when organizers make the demand to cancel rent, they are conjuring up a state whose primary allegiance is to people's needs instead of profit. The demand raises the possibility of a world where housing is an entitlement rather than a commodity. It aims to shift power from landlords to tenants, in the service of housing for all." No obligation to pay rent is the equivalent of taking the landlord's/owner's property. So private property is gone, and all housing becomes government housing. As I explained above, private property ownership is not valued by the left. Although, do not expect all the liberal homeowners to voluntarily give their property to those in need.
New York City, again. The Mayor (I need to be polite and not call him a stupid nut job) decided it was a good idea to paint "Black Lives Matter" in large yellow letters on Fifth Avenue right in front of the Trump Tower. Mayor De Blasio told Trump: "Black people built Fifth Avenue and so much of this nation - we are honoring them." No you are not, you moron. You are honoring a far left group that has a far left agenda. This was nothing other than a stunt to stick it to Trump, while you are defunding the NYPD, the premier police force in the world. You want to honor black lives? Then how about honoring the most vulnerable - children - killed by violence in your city and across the country. But those deaths are often caused by other blacks, so the Mayor can't be bothered about them.
The polls show Biden has a large lead on Trump. If Biden wins, the Democrats will likely maintain control of the House, and win back the Senate. That puts Biden, Pelosi and Schumer in charge. Biden recently told us that we "won't just rebuild this nation - we'll transform it." I get it. Socialism. Political group think - think like us or else. Rewrite history. Anti-Israel. Shut down businesses who refuse to follow the party line. Never allow opposing viewpoints to be uttered. One might argue I gave isolated examples. That's what "liberals" always tell me. But I'm talking about elected officials. I'm talking about the premier paper in the country, The New York Times, and one of the premier media outlets, CNN. And I'm talking about the Speaker of the House. These are people who drive the agenda. If they take over all the branches of government...well, as I said, we had a good run.
Seattle. One City Council member said this: "We are coming for you (Amazon) and your rotten system. We are coming to dismantle this deeply oppressive, racist, sexist, violent, utterly bankrupt system of capitalism - this police state. We cannot and will not stop until we overthrow it and replace it with a world based on solidarity, genuine democracy and equality - a socialist world." Keep in mind that the speaker is an elected official in one of our country's major cities.
Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. In Baltimore, protesters tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus and threw it into the harbor. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is of Italian heritage; and her father and brother had been mayors of Baltimore. In D.C. she said that the taking down of the Columbus statue "doesn't diminish my pride in my Italian heritage." When asked if it would not be better to have a commission decide what statues should come down and where they should go, Pelosi replied with a brusque "people will do what they do." It should come as no surprise that the Speaker (next in line to the presidency after the Vice President) would not condemn the vandalism of public property. After all, she also refused to condemn Ilhan Omar for making one anti-Semitic remark after the next, making excuses for Omar instead. But, it's just property and Jews - nobody cares about them anyway.
Los Angeles. During the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, numerous Jewish shops and synagogues were vandalized. On the walls of one synagogue were the words "Free Palestine," and "fuck Israel." In the Fairfax area, a heavily Jewish area, numerous shops and Jewish schools and other synagogues were also vandalized. Said the area's City Council member: "As we watched the fires and looting, what we didn't get covered were the anti-Semitic hate crimes and incidents. Under the guise of protests, some advanced their anti-Semitic agenda." Had the council member asked me, I could have told him that Jews are not one of the favored minority groups of the left, nor of the media.
Everywhere. Goya Foods is the largest Hispanic owned company in the US. Its CEO, Robert Unanue, was recently at the White House with other Hispanic business and political leaders to help celebrate President Trump's "Hispanic Prosperity Initiative." The purpose of the executive order was to increase funding for charter schools and private schools, and provide tax benefits for "opportunity zones" in urban areas. The Goya CEO made the egregious offense of daring to say that the country is "truly blessed" to have Trump as a leader. In today's "cancel culture" any praise of the President is downright evil. Igor Volsky, a VP at the Center for American Progress, Tweeted what Unanue said, and added: "Make your shopping decisions accordingly." In supporting a boycott of Goya, AOC added "Oh look, it's the sound of me Googling 'how to make your own Adobo'" (a Goya product).
Piling on was none other than former presidential candidate Julian Castro, who was also the Secretary of HUD under President Obama. Castro encouraged his followers to reconsider the purchase of Goya products. This boycotting of those who do not adhere to a strict party line is one of the core principles of the left - and of the Democratic Party. Don't believe me? See my August 2, 2012 post discussing how big city mayors (all Democrats) across the country said they no longer wanted Chick fil-A in their cities. Why? Because the owner of Chick fil-A dared to say that he believed in the traditional definition of marriage. It should be clear to all that the left will seek to punish you for your words and thoughts. I should add that in the CNN story reporting on Goya, you would not learn that the company announced that they were donating one million cans of chickpeas and one million pounds of products to food banks across the US. CNN did not want to take the chance that anyone would think well of Goya Foods after the CEO praised the President.
New York, and wherever the paper reaches. Recall that The New York Times apologized for the offense of publishing an Op-Ed by US Senator Tom Cotton, because black staff said the mere publication of the article made them feel unsafe. Peter Beinart, a left-wing writer and columnist, had an Op-Ed in the Times titled "I No Longer Believe in a Jewish State." Now he says that there should be one state - called Israel-Palestine consisting of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Beinart asserts that Jews would still have a homeland, just not a state. But you know what, just like the Democrats don't need the USA, they also don't see a need for Israel. 191 members of the Democratic caucus in the House signed a letter to Israeli leaders warning of serious repercussions in relations if they were to annex the Israeli communities across the so-called 1967 borders. 23 of the 25 Jewish House members signed the letter. Peter Beinart is also Jewish. (But Jews who will not defend Israel or their own people is a topic for another day.)
CNN. Do black lives really matter? Don Lemon has his own show on CNN. Recently, former NFL player turned actor, Terry Crews, was a guest on the show. Lemon was quite unhappy with Crews for daring to suggest that all black lives matter, with this Tweet: "#ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER 9 black CHILDREN killed by violence in Chicago since June 20,2020." How dare Crews insert the word "ALL" in his Tweet. Lemon made it clear that Black Lives Matter is about police brutality. It is not all encompassing. Oh no? So including LGBTQ rights, the Green New Deal, Palestine, canceling rent, defunding the police and other matters can be included - but not the killing of black children. I guess Lemon sure told Crews (who is also black).
Across the country. We've seen police be verbally assaulted. We saw the police forced out of their own station in Seattle in the CHAZ/CHOP. Now, police officers are being physically attacked and shot at across the country. Here are just a couple examples. In New York City, one officer was put in a headlock by a perpetrator. As my friend, a retired officer, likes to remind me, the danger is not just the assault, but the risk that the perpetrator can get the officer's gun. In Aurora, Colorado, police were trapped in their own station when people put chains on the doors. It was subsequently discovered that nearby were cans filled with gasoline. The police were trapped inside for 7 hours, during which time 911 calls went unanswered.
The New York Times, again. On July 11, there was an Op-Ed by professor Amna Akbar. After discussing defunding the police, and also discussing the Green New Deal, the professor turned to rents. "So when organizers make the demand to cancel rent, they are conjuring up a state whose primary allegiance is to people's needs instead of profit. The demand raises the possibility of a world where housing is an entitlement rather than a commodity. It aims to shift power from landlords to tenants, in the service of housing for all." No obligation to pay rent is the equivalent of taking the landlord's/owner's property. So private property is gone, and all housing becomes government housing. As I explained above, private property ownership is not valued by the left. Although, do not expect all the liberal homeowners to voluntarily give their property to those in need.
New York City, again. The Mayor (I need to be polite and not call him a stupid nut job) decided it was a good idea to paint "Black Lives Matter" in large yellow letters on Fifth Avenue right in front of the Trump Tower. Mayor De Blasio told Trump: "Black people built Fifth Avenue and so much of this nation - we are honoring them." No you are not, you moron. You are honoring a far left group that has a far left agenda. This was nothing other than a stunt to stick it to Trump, while you are defunding the NYPD, the premier police force in the world. You want to honor black lives? Then how about honoring the most vulnerable - children - killed by violence in your city and across the country. But those deaths are often caused by other blacks, so the Mayor can't be bothered about them.
The polls show Biden has a large lead on Trump. If Biden wins, the Democrats will likely maintain control of the House, and win back the Senate. That puts Biden, Pelosi and Schumer in charge. Biden recently told us that we "won't just rebuild this nation - we'll transform it." I get it. Socialism. Political group think - think like us or else. Rewrite history. Anti-Israel. Shut down businesses who refuse to follow the party line. Never allow opposing viewpoints to be uttered. One might argue I gave isolated examples. That's what "liberals" always tell me. But I'm talking about elected officials. I'm talking about the premier paper in the country, The New York Times, and one of the premier media outlets, CNN. And I'm talking about the Speaker of the House. These are people who drive the agenda. If they take over all the branches of government...well, as I said, we had a good run.
Sunday, July 5, 2020
The Coronavirus Sixteen Weeks Later - I'm Done With the NFL and the NBA and the Democrats
Recall that in the June 7 post I quoted Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who, while criticizing Drew Brees, claimed that taking a knee was never about the national anthem. I don't know if Rodgers was being stupid or cowardly or both. But here is Kaepernick, the instigator of kneeling during the anthem, on this July 4th: "Black ppl have been dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized by America for centuries, and are expected to join your commemoration of 'independence,' while you enslaved our ancestors. We reject your celebration of white supremacy and look forward to liberation for all." Yes, America did terrible things to black people. But we fought a war over slavery and slavery was ended. Yes, blacks were treated badly still, and we passed civil rights laws. And America elected a black president. Twice.
What Kaepernick does not get is that the words of the Founders helped create the very equality that did not exist for all in 1776. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." What Kaepernick does not get is that America has continued to improve in extending rights for all. What Kaepernick does not get is that America continues to pursue "a more perfect union." What Kaepernick does not get is...everything! That the American system of government provides freedoms that others can only dream about. That American capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than any other system created.
What Kaepernick does do is dishonor all those, white and non-white alike, who have fought and even died in order to defend his freedoms. And he does not get that people want to come to America from all over the world to be able to share in the American dream - to make a better life for themselves and their children. And, perhaps Kaepernick would be surprised to learn that black people continue to emigrate from Africa to come to the USA. Kaepernick clearly does not speak for all of black America.
It has been reported that National Football League commissioner, Roger Goodell, said this: "We, at the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter. I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country." And: "...the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality, and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff." Centuries of silence? Did Goodell also forget the Civil War and all the civil rights legislation? Does Russell Wilson's four year contract for $140 million dollars also qualify as oppression? Does the minimum NFL salary of $440,000 qualify as oppression?
The NFL apparently intends to play what has been referred to as the "Black National Anthem," called "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," (written in 1899) before all the first week's games of this season. If you believe in identity politics then you probably like the idea. But if you believe in E Pluribus Unum, (out of many, one) the unofficial motto of the USA, then you know that it is a bad idea. What will the NFL do if Mexican-Americans want to hear the Mexican anthem? How about "G-d Save the Queen?" Or the Italian anthem? Or Hatikvah, the Israeli/Jewish anthem? We have ONE national anthem - The Star Spangled Banner. But the Left is always seeking new ways to divide us. Rather ironic and hypocritical when they make the accusation against Trump.
It has also been reported that the National Basketball Association, in conjunction with the players' union, has announced a list of acceptable "social justice" messages that will be allowed to be worn on players' jerseys. Those permissible words and phrases include: Black Lives Matter, Say Their Names, Vote, I Can't Breathe, Justice, Peace, Equality, Freedom, Enough, Power to the People, Justice Now, Say Her Name, Si Se Puede, Liberation, See Us, Hear Us, Respect Us, Love Us, Listen, Listen to Us, Stand Up, Ally, Anti-Racist, I Am a Man, Speak Up, How Many More, Group Economics, Education Reform and lastly, Mentor.
One person Tweeted: "Congrats to everyone who bravely displays an NBA approved message on the back of their jersey this season." Bravely? No, there is nothing brave about going along with the political correctness of the day. What would be brave is if a player had one of these messages: Trump 2020, Make America Great Again, E Pluribus Unum, In G-d We Trust, I Believe in the First and Second Amendments or Capitalism is Great. A responsive Tweet to the above Tweet said this: "Wonder if the NBA will kick out all the Chinese Americans wearing "Free Hong Kong" t-shirts. (Or does) social justice only matter when it's not hurting your pockets."
For those who don't know, and to otherwise refresh recollections, the General Manager (Daryl Morey) of the NBA team, Houston Rockets, caused quite a controversy last October with this Tweet: "Fight for Freedom, Stand With Hong Kong." The Chinese Communist government has been imposing harsh restrictions on the freedoms long enjoyed by the residents of Hong Kong. But the NBA, especially the Rockets with Yao Ming, has been quite popular in China; with the relationship also being a profitable one for the league. But defending other people's rights, especially when money is at stake, is apparently something the "brave" NBA players were not inclined to do. Rocket star, James Harden, offered a meek apology to China: "You know, we love China. We love playing there."
Commenting on the issue of Morey's free speech rights, superstar LeBron James said this: "Yes, we do have freedom of speech. But at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you're not thinking about others, when you only think about yourself. So many people would have been harmed, not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually." It's easy to be "brave" when there are no negative consequences that will ensue. It is easy to support free speech when everyone agrees on what you are saying. But Morey's support of freedom for the people of Hong Kong did, in fact, affect players economically, as China sought to punish the Rockets and the league. When that happens, bravery and support for free speech, and for people's freedom, is far less important.
Here is a Tweet emanating from the official Democratic National Committee Twitter account: "President Trump will be at Mount Rushmore, where he'll be standing in front of a monument to two slave owners and on land wrestled away from Native Americans." Wow. I guess the Dems will take down Mount Rushmore (or at least the two visages of Washington and Jefferson) if they succeed in November. And, what's the plan - return all of the United States to Native Americans? Everyone should give up any property rights they have, and maybe they will be allowed to lease the land back for a period of years. I can't wait until all the wealthy liberals give up their properties. I'm for that.
Of course, when Sanders went to Mount Rushmore in 2016, the media was proud to report that Sanders called it "a monument to four great American presidents." And: "just the accomplishment and the beauty, it really does make one very proud to be an American." The mainstream media, aka the propaganda arm of the Democrat party, said Trump's speech "stoke(d) a culture war," (The LA Times), "a divisive culture war message," (The NY Times), "push(ing) racial division," (Associated Press) and "warns of 'left-wing cultural revolution' in dark speech ahead of Independence Day," (The Washington Post).
Here are a few quotes from Trump's "dark" speech. In attacking left-wing insistence on obedience to their ideology, Trump said this: "One of their political weapons is cancel culture, driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees. This is the very definition of totalitarianism, and it is completely alien to our culture and to our values and it has absolutely no place in the United States of America." How refreshing to have a politician stand up to the mob. But if you want to live in a less free society, then Joe Biden is your man, as I have no doubt he lacks the courage to stand up for freedom.
But here is the most appropriate quote from the Trump speech for this July 4th weekend: "No nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America and no people have done more to promote human progress than the citizens of our great nation. It was all made possible by the courage of 56 patriots who gathered in Philadelphia 244 years ago and signed the Declaration of Independence. They enshrined a divine truth that changed the world forever when they said, 'All men are created equal.' These immortal words set in motion the unstoppable march of freedom. Our founders boldly declared that we are all endowed with the same divine rights, given us by our Creator in Heaven, and that which G-d has given us, we will allow no one ever to take away..."
What Kaepernick does not get is that the words of the Founders helped create the very equality that did not exist for all in 1776. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." What Kaepernick does not get is that America has continued to improve in extending rights for all. What Kaepernick does not get is that America continues to pursue "a more perfect union." What Kaepernick does not get is...everything! That the American system of government provides freedoms that others can only dream about. That American capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than any other system created.
What Kaepernick does do is dishonor all those, white and non-white alike, who have fought and even died in order to defend his freedoms. And he does not get that people want to come to America from all over the world to be able to share in the American dream - to make a better life for themselves and their children. And, perhaps Kaepernick would be surprised to learn that black people continue to emigrate from Africa to come to the USA. Kaepernick clearly does not speak for all of black America.
It has been reported that National Football League commissioner, Roger Goodell, said this: "We, at the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter. I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country." And: "...the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality, and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff." Centuries of silence? Did Goodell also forget the Civil War and all the civil rights legislation? Does Russell Wilson's four year contract for $140 million dollars also qualify as oppression? Does the minimum NFL salary of $440,000 qualify as oppression?
The NFL apparently intends to play what has been referred to as the "Black National Anthem," called "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," (written in 1899) before all the first week's games of this season. If you believe in identity politics then you probably like the idea. But if you believe in E Pluribus Unum, (out of many, one) the unofficial motto of the USA, then you know that it is a bad idea. What will the NFL do if Mexican-Americans want to hear the Mexican anthem? How about "G-d Save the Queen?" Or the Italian anthem? Or Hatikvah, the Israeli/Jewish anthem? We have ONE national anthem - The Star Spangled Banner. But the Left is always seeking new ways to divide us. Rather ironic and hypocritical when they make the accusation against Trump.
It has also been reported that the National Basketball Association, in conjunction with the players' union, has announced a list of acceptable "social justice" messages that will be allowed to be worn on players' jerseys. Those permissible words and phrases include: Black Lives Matter, Say Their Names, Vote, I Can't Breathe, Justice, Peace, Equality, Freedom, Enough, Power to the People, Justice Now, Say Her Name, Si Se Puede, Liberation, See Us, Hear Us, Respect Us, Love Us, Listen, Listen to Us, Stand Up, Ally, Anti-Racist, I Am a Man, Speak Up, How Many More, Group Economics, Education Reform and lastly, Mentor.
One person Tweeted: "Congrats to everyone who bravely displays an NBA approved message on the back of their jersey this season." Bravely? No, there is nothing brave about going along with the political correctness of the day. What would be brave is if a player had one of these messages: Trump 2020, Make America Great Again, E Pluribus Unum, In G-d We Trust, I Believe in the First and Second Amendments or Capitalism is Great. A responsive Tweet to the above Tweet said this: "Wonder if the NBA will kick out all the Chinese Americans wearing "Free Hong Kong" t-shirts. (Or does) social justice only matter when it's not hurting your pockets."
For those who don't know, and to otherwise refresh recollections, the General Manager (Daryl Morey) of the NBA team, Houston Rockets, caused quite a controversy last October with this Tweet: "Fight for Freedom, Stand With Hong Kong." The Chinese Communist government has been imposing harsh restrictions on the freedoms long enjoyed by the residents of Hong Kong. But the NBA, especially the Rockets with Yao Ming, has been quite popular in China; with the relationship also being a profitable one for the league. But defending other people's rights, especially when money is at stake, is apparently something the "brave" NBA players were not inclined to do. Rocket star, James Harden, offered a meek apology to China: "You know, we love China. We love playing there."
Commenting on the issue of Morey's free speech rights, superstar LeBron James said this: "Yes, we do have freedom of speech. But at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you're not thinking about others, when you only think about yourself. So many people would have been harmed, not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually." It's easy to be "brave" when there are no negative consequences that will ensue. It is easy to support free speech when everyone agrees on what you are saying. But Morey's support of freedom for the people of Hong Kong did, in fact, affect players economically, as China sought to punish the Rockets and the league. When that happens, bravery and support for free speech, and for people's freedom, is far less important.
Here is a Tweet emanating from the official Democratic National Committee Twitter account: "President Trump will be at Mount Rushmore, where he'll be standing in front of a monument to two slave owners and on land wrestled away from Native Americans." Wow. I guess the Dems will take down Mount Rushmore (or at least the two visages of Washington and Jefferson) if they succeed in November. And, what's the plan - return all of the United States to Native Americans? Everyone should give up any property rights they have, and maybe they will be allowed to lease the land back for a period of years. I can't wait until all the wealthy liberals give up their properties. I'm for that.
Of course, when Sanders went to Mount Rushmore in 2016, the media was proud to report that Sanders called it "a monument to four great American presidents." And: "just the accomplishment and the beauty, it really does make one very proud to be an American." The mainstream media, aka the propaganda arm of the Democrat party, said Trump's speech "stoke(d) a culture war," (The LA Times), "a divisive culture war message," (The NY Times), "push(ing) racial division," (Associated Press) and "warns of 'left-wing cultural revolution' in dark speech ahead of Independence Day," (The Washington Post).
Here are a few quotes from Trump's "dark" speech. In attacking left-wing insistence on obedience to their ideology, Trump said this: "One of their political weapons is cancel culture, driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees. This is the very definition of totalitarianism, and it is completely alien to our culture and to our values and it has absolutely no place in the United States of America." How refreshing to have a politician stand up to the mob. But if you want to live in a less free society, then Joe Biden is your man, as I have no doubt he lacks the courage to stand up for freedom.
But here is the most appropriate quote from the Trump speech for this July 4th weekend: "No nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America and no people have done more to promote human progress than the citizens of our great nation. It was all made possible by the courage of 56 patriots who gathered in Philadelphia 244 years ago and signed the Declaration of Independence. They enshrined a divine truth that changed the world forever when they said, 'All men are created equal.' These immortal words set in motion the unstoppable march of freedom. Our founders boldly declared that we are all endowed with the same divine rights, given us by our Creator in Heaven, and that which G-d has given us, we will allow no one ever to take away..."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)