Never Assume Anything

1.  Women cannot achieve the way men can.  According to a 9/6/21 piece in the Wall Street Journal, women comprised 59.5% of college students, compared to 40.5% for men, at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.  And, in a rather astonishing fact, women obtained 13 million more academic degrees at all levels than men, during the period 1982 to the present.

While some will cheer this data, it should at least give us pause.  What are the implications for society if women delay/reject marriage and family?  (No nasty emails please.  I have two daughters who are very accomplished, with advanced degrees as well.)  And why are so many fewer men applying to colleges than are women (2.8 million men vs 3.8 million women) for the 2021-2022 academic year.  I think that there are many questions to be asked.

2.  Structural racism is real.  According to a 9/7/21 Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal by William McGurn, there is a serious racial problem in our schools.  According to McGurn, "Of the 27 U.S. urban school districts that reported their results for 2019 (in the National Assessment of Education Progress report) - from Boston and Chicago to Fort Worth, Texas and Los Angeles - not a single one can say a majority of the black eighth graders in their care are proficient in either math or reading.  It isn't even close."

And McGurn discusses that it is not for lack of money.  But, instead, the Democrats and the left object to what may actually aid black students: vouchers.  Vouchers that can be used for private schools or parochial schools.  As long as the teachers unions continue to contribute large sums to Democrat campaigns, do not expect those elected politicians to vote in favor of anything that will negatively impact those teachers.   

3.  Joe Biden is a nice guy.  Does anyone seriously still believe this?  After he and his staff repeatedly said that they had no authority to issue a vaccine mandate, Biden then issued a vaccine mandate.  Biden:  "  We've been patient.  But our patience is wearing thin.  And your refusal has cost all of us."  (Full disclosure.  I previously reported in this blog that I received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.  And that I believe in vaccines.  Since then, I have had a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine.)

My beef with Biden is not that he wanted to encourage people to get vaccinated.  Rather, it was the threatening manner in which he did it.  Threatening people is not the way to get them on your side.   

4.  Joe Biden supports women.  In a 9/22/21 editorial, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Taliban would not be allowing girls to return to school.  Also, no women were named as part of their new government.  We have seen the way that women protesters have been beaten by the Taliban.  Said the Journal:  "No single act by an American President has done more harm to more women than Mr. Biden's willy-nilly withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Noble but feckless exhortations at Turtle Bay (where the UN is located in New York City and where Biden spoke yesterday) can't make up for that reality."    

The U.S. and Israel

Traditionally, our two countries have been close allies, notwithstanding at times serious policy differences along the way.  But with the growth of the left within the Democrat party, and the likely near retirement of some of the old guard who stood by Israel (think Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Chuck Schumer), it is clear that the times they are a changing.

When the House needed to pass a continuing budget resolution in order to keep the government open and functioning, members of the left-wing "progressive" segment of the party were able to eliminate a very specific item from the resolution.  That item would have have provided $1 billion in aid for Israel to replenish their Iron Dome missile defense batteries.  Many of those missiles were used in the recent May war with Hamas.  Recall that the Iron Dome missile defense system was developed jointly by the U.S. and Israel.   

Hoyer (D-MD), pledged to get a separate vote on the funding by the end of this week.  But we have seen how the growing left-wing of the party has no affinity for Israel, and an increasing impact on legislation.

Recently, newly elected Israeli Prime Minister was at the White House.  Here is the Executive Director of CAIR (the Council on American Islamic Relations):  "President Joe Biden is hosting the leader of the Israeli Taliban."  CAIR, the leading Islamic organization in the country, equates the democratically elected Israeli Prime Minister with the Taliban.  

Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich) recently Tweeted about a Palestinian mother (Rashid is a Palestinian American) "fighting to be able to bury her daughter and begin her dealing."  Tlaib told us that this "loving daughter and successful PhD student was killed by the Israeli government... (and) Israel won't release her body to her family."  

Sounds awful.  Unless you know what Tlaib left out.  Which was this "loving daughter" committed a terrorist attack.  She was not killed by the Israeli government, but by the security forces she targeted.  And Israel does have a policy of not returning the bodies of terrorists to their families.  Why?  Because the Palestinians will celebrate yet another martyr, and in the process encourage more terrorist attacks.  Keep that in mind as you contemplate the fact that Tlaib is a respected member of the Democratic House caucus.  

And The Algemeiner (an online Jewish paper) reported on a recent poll of Jewish college students.  They noted that "a poll released Monday found that half of 'openly Jewish' college students have at times attempted to conceal their religious identity on campus, and that they are more likely to do so the longer they're enrolled."  They go on to state that "more than half have hidden their support of Israel."  And, quite disturbingly, 30% who hid their Jewish identity did so because they feared their professors would give them lower grades if they knew the students were Jewish.

We are living in an era when open support for Israel can cause people to be ostracized.  And, as we know, the attacks are overwhelmingly coming from the left wing of the Democrat Party.    

 

The California Recall Election

There were two issues on the ballot in California:  1) Should Gavin Newsom be recalled?  and 2) If he is recalled, who should replace him?  The most prominent person running to replace Newsom was author and radio talk show host Larry Elder.  Elder is a Republican/Libertarian.  And he is black.

It was no surprise that in heavily democratic California Newsom beat back the recall by a large margin.  When I last checked the numbers a few days ago, voting against the recall were over 6.7 million people, or  63.5%.  Voting for the recall were over 3.8 million people, or 36.5%.  Newsom only needed 50% plus one vote to remain in office.  

But here is an interesting statistic.  Of the (I think) 56 people running to replace Newsom, Larry Elder, a black Republican, received the overwhelming number of votes, with over 2.7 million, or 47.3% of those other candidates receiving votes.  The next highest vote getter was Kevin Paffrath, with only 585,000 votes, or 9.9%.  What?  All those "racist" Republicans voted for the black man?  

But is Larry Elder really black?  Can I believe my lying eyes?  In a column by Erika Smith, run by the Los Angeles Times before the election, Smith asserted:  "Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy.  You've been warned."  Here was a major newspaper, in the year 2021, essentially endorsing an accusation against Larry Elder that he is an "Uncle Tom."  It is beyond outrageous.   On the other hand, I am long past the point in time where I expect Democrats to debate based on facts, logic and reason.  No, name calling will do just fine.

Here is Melina Abdullah of Black Lives Matter:  "...everything that he's pushing, everything that he stands for, he is advancing white supremacy."  And:  "Few things infuriate me more than watching a Black person use willful blindness and cherry-picked facts to make overly simplistic arguments that whitewash the complex problems that come along with being Black in America."  

And in a New York Times Op-Ed, Farhad Manjoo wrote this:  "In the year 2001, (Elder said that) racism is not our major problem.  Personal responsibility is."  And, Manjoo told us that Elder called Blacks "victocrats."  Actually, Elder has called many on the left "victocrats."  

So, a black man who thinks for himself (i.e. does not adhere to the left-wing party line) is called the black face of white supremacy.  A black man who talks about personal responsibility is obviously abhorrent.  

On the bright side, we did get to keep Gavin Newsom as Governor.  Crime is rampant.  Homelessness is out of control, with tent cities everywhere.  Gas prices are no doubt the highest in the nation.  We are teaching critical race theory and antisemitism in our schools.  The quality of life has so deteriorated that many people and businesses have fled the state.  According to the latest census, California will actually be losing a House seat for the first time, as a result of the exodus.  

And if Larry Elder is the black face face of white supremacy, then Gavin Newsom is the white face of white privilege.  After all, Newsom's kids get to go to private schools.  And he sides with the teachers unions against giving that right to low income and minority kids.  And given his political connections, Newsom was able to raise $70 million for the recall fight, compared to Elder's $13 million. 

Someone said to me that Newsom screwed up San Francisco when he was Mayor.  So he got promoted to Governor.  After screwing up California, next stop...the White House.  You've been warned.  

  

The U.S. Immigration Policy - There is None!

 On 8/17/21, Fox reported on the amount of coverage given by the three networks to the crisis at the southern border.  During July, NBC Nightly News spent all of 3 minutes and 43 seconds on it.  Which definitely beat ABC's World News Tonight of 37 seconds.  And last was the CBS Evening News which spent zero seconds on the border.  Fox, however, has been showing what has been happening at the border for months.  Now, some of the mainstream media have awakened to the issue.  Or perhaps they have been embarrassed by their ignoring the issue.

The Del Rio crossing in Texas has been much in the news.  At one point an estimated 15,000 "migrants" (aka illegal aliens) were living on the US side in what can only be described as a shanty town.  Texas Governor Greg Abbott asked President Biden for a federal disaster declaration.  I am unaware of the President replying.  25 Republican Governors have requested a meeting with Biden in order to address the border crisis, and have been joined by one Democrat Governor.

There was a widely reported news story of Border Patrol agents on horseback allegedly using whips on "migrants."  They had no whips.  So the story changed to whipping the "migrants" with the reins.  VP Harris, put in charge of the border by Biden, said this:  "What I saw depicted, those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were was horrible.  I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into what is going on there.  But human beings should never be treated that way, and I'm deeply troubled by it."  

That's a relief.  You now what Harris is not deeply troubled by?  Human smuggling.  Drug smuggling.  Cartels getting enriched.  People being allowed to enter our country when they may have Covid.  Or other diseases.  Or may be criminals.  Or gang members.  Or terrorists.  Current estimates are that 1.3 million people have entered illegally.  We do not know who they are.  But most are being given free access to go anywhere in the country.  Press Secretary Jen Psaki said they have no intention of staying for a long period of time.  Right.  They have traveled hundreds if not thousands of miles, from all over the globe, just so that they can return home in a few days.  

Here's more from Harris:  "People want to stay home.  They don't want to leave home.  But they leave when they cannot satisfy their basic needs."  As I recall, during the campaign Biden said the country could easily accommodate another couple million people.  Well by year's end it is likely that 2 million illegal aliens will have entered the country.

Here is US Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA):  "What we witnessed (Mounted Border Patrol Agents) takes us back hundreds of years.  What we witnessed was worse than what we witnessed in slavery - cowboys with their reins, again, whipping black people."

What I'm witnessing is one moron after the next.  Biden, who not only refuses to enforce the law, but by executive order on his first day in office, ended all of President Trump's border protection policies.  I'm witnessing a VP who, as with her boss, has no respect for the law nor for US sovereignty.  I'm witnessing a Press Secretary perfectly willing to lie in order to support Biden's open border policy.  As for Maxine Waters - doesn't everyone know by now what a moron she is.  

But Mike, don't you have any sympathy/empathy for these "migrants?"  I do.  But it is completely irrelevant.  If having sympathy/empathy is the only determining factor as to who gets into our country, then come on in world.  But understand that you no longer have a sovereign nation.  The first, and most important, job of a president is to protect the American people.  But not for these Democrats.  When asked why they are coming now, many said that Biden invited them.  And he promised "free" food and housing.  Free for them, but not for the American taxpayer.  This is Biden and Harris looking out for you.         

Reflections on 9/11

Many, if not most, of us recall where we were when the planes hit the twin towers.  I was at home.  My phone rang and I heard my brother tell me to turn on my TV.  I was in complete shock.  When the first tower came down, I remember feeling extreme anger.  But with no adequate way to express that anger, the tears began to flow.  I remember turning to my wife and telling her that it was inevitable that someone that I knew died then.  

You see, I grew up just across the river in New Jersey, and attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  From the top floor of my dorm (I had the same room for two consecutive years) I was able to see into lower Manhattan.  I do not recall if it took 7 or 8 or 9 years for the towers to be completed.  My worst fears were realized when I learned that someone that I went all through public school with, and through years of Jewish day camp with in the summers, was murdered that day in the towers.  He worked at Cantor Fitzgerald, a firm that occupied the 101st to the 105 floors of One World Trade Center.

After 9/11/2001, and notwithstanding the bitter contest over the 2000 presidential election, the country was united.  More united than during any period in my lifetime.  The American flag was proudly flown across the country.  I remember seeing New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani standing at what came to be known as "ground zero."  He truly was, at that moment, America's Mayor.  I remember President Bush also speaking to the country from ground zero.  

It could not have been more than five years after the attack, when a group of us attorneys in court were discussing the upcoming 9/11 anniversary.  I still recall one attorney saying something to this effect:  "It's been five years.  It's time to get over it already."  I was furious.  Statements such as that help explain why immediately following the attacks, I made numerous calls to my friends in New Jersey, people who also grew up with our mutual friend who was murdered.  We understood each other.  Political differences were a none issue.  I did not feel that my Southern California friends and neighbors "got it" in the same way.  

I remember being so proud of the young men and women who enlisted in the military, and signed up to become part of the FBI and the CIA.  The call of patriotism was strong.  While Joe Biden did not honor their service, those service members who did not return home did not die in vain.  They helped to keep America and the world safe for the last twenty years.  I know the refrain - it is not America's job to be the policeman of the world.  Except, that has been America's job since the end of World War II.  Who else will do it?  A Europe weakened by war, and by left-wing ideology?  

As one commentator wrote, if we failed to keep troops in Europe, would that continent have fallen to the Soviets?  If we failed to keep troops in South Korea, would the North have taken over the South, and even threatened Japan?  Before you say "who cares?' think for a moment what the world would be like without the US having a single major ally, with the US being alone in a world of totalitarian dictatorships.  Has the US made errors along the way?  No doubt.  Did Presidents Trump and Obama also want to end US involvement in the Middle East?  No doubt.  

As I recall, when President Trump removed our 2000 troops from Syria, I wrote in this blog that it was a "bonehead" move.  The same for Biden removing our 2500 troops in Afghanistan.  Those were non-combat troops who kept stability in Afghanistan.  They allowed us to engage in surveillance and counter-terrorism and intelligence gathering.  And they facilitated the taking out of bad guys, without worrying about this "over the horizon" nonsense.  While the US may never have succeeded in establishing a western style democracy in Afghanistan, that does not mean nothing was accomplished.  A generation of Afghans tasted freedom.  A generation of Afghan women and girls were able to work, get an education and secure careers.  

And now?  Women protesters were beaten by the Taliban, who were using sticks and whips on them.  You think Biden gives a crap?  When Biden was asked by George Stephanopoulos about two Afghans falling to their deaths from a C-17 transport plane, his reply was "that was four days ago, five days ago."  It was actually two days prior to that August 19 interview.  But so what.  That was Biden being Biden.  Not the Mr. Nice Guy, an image pushed by his campaign and adopted by the mainstream media, that was always a lie.  But the mean-spirited and angry man I have seen so many times on TV.  

When Biden gave his speech defending what many across the political spectrum called a "debacle" of an exit from Afghanistan, I again saw an angry and defensive man.  Here we had a President defending leaving Americans behind, and taking ill-deserved pride in ending what many have called America's longest war.  But how exactly is it over?  Can Biden guarantee that the war on terror is over because we left Afghanistan?  We left there, so every radical, Islamist group in the world will leave us alone?  Is that how it works?  

Biden told us that "it was the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs and all all of our commanders on the ground to end our airlift mission as planned."  Really?  Not one dissenting voice was heard?  Either that was a huge whopper of a lie, or not a single military leader had the courage to speak up.  I am inclined to think it was the former.  Those commanders should all resign in disgrace.

One news source disclosed a confidential conversation between Biden and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.  (As an aside, I am not in favor of leaking confidential Presidential conversations.  But this story is already out there.)  This is what Biden reportedly said:  "I need not tell you the perception around the world and in parts of Afghanistan, I believe, is that things are not going well in terms of the fight against the Taliban...and there is a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture."  Imagine if Trump won a second term and said that to the Afghan President.  Impeachment 3.0!  How dare he try to mislead the American people and our troops, when they are in harm's way.   

I just saw a story on Fox News about the University of Florida.  Apparently, some students there believe the telling of the history of the 9/11 attacks should not mention who the perpetrators were.  And there should be no mention of American exceptionalism, as that may lead to unwarranted nationalism.  I am not surprised.  These young people have been brainwashed to think that there is nothing exceptional about America - just the contrary.

On this 9/11, I'll be watching the news.  And if Mayor de Blasio allows, I'll be listening for the reading of the names of those who were murdered in the twin towers 20 years before, and for the name Richard Rosenthal to be read.  And I'll be shedding quite a few tears.  May all their memories be a blessing to their families and friends.

 

Afghanistan

 (Note:  I'm angry.  I understand that I am not alone in feeling angry.  And there is so much that has been written, and can be written, that this post may seem a bit disjointed.  My apologies if that is the case.  And, while the post may seem somewhat lengthy, there is so much more that  I wanted to say about this topic.)

President Biden wanted us out of Afghanistan.  Many Americans agreed.  I did not.  We had about 2500 non-combat troops left.  They advised the Afghan army, and I imagine that they gathered intelligence.  Not a single member of our military was killed in the last 18 months.  I do not believe that the service men and women who risked their lives (2,448 made the ultimate sacrifice, with over 66,000 Afghani military/police killed, and many wounded) did so in vain.  Our brave men and women kept this country safe for the last 20 years, with no major terrorist attack since 9/11/2001.

We could have stayed with that minimal force and kept stability in that country.  But Biden said that Trump made a deal with the Taliban and he was stuck with that.  One of many lies.  On Biden's first day in office he signed numerous executive orders overturning every Trump policy his people could not wait to reverse.  But not Afghanistan.  Right.  Biden originally set 9/11/2021 as the date for all US troops to be out of Afghanistan.  But his advisers reminded him that was the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, and the optics would not be good.  They attacked us and killed 3000 Americans on 9/11/2001, and we're going to bail on 9/11/2021?  That would appear that we are giving the Taliban two victories on the same date.  So, the date was changed to August 31, 2021.

I understand the argument against our having stayed there for this long.  Nation building in Afghanistan was never likely to succeed.  But we are (were) still there, so the analysis should be made based on current circumstances, not what we should have done 10 or 15 or more years ago.  But Biden wanted out, and the consequences be damned.  Biden kept his own counsel.  His advisers' opinions were irrelevant to him.  After the last of our people are home, the Joint Chiefs and Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State and National Security Adviser should all have the decency to resign.  Yes, the Commander in Chief has the last word.  But if the CIC's decision is dangerous to national security, and you have not convinced your boss of that, then resign.  

Speaking of that, please do not email me about Trump and January 6.  Assuming Trump could even be held responsible for the 5-6 deaths that may be related to that day, the amount of blood on Biden's hands is far greater.  Yesterday, August 26, 2021, a suicide/homicide bomber killed at least 92 people, including 13 US troops.  The US had the Taliban providing security outside the Kabul airport.  The Taliban!  But, you say, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.  That would be the same ISIS members which the Taliban just released from prisons which, until recently, were under US/Afghan government control.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of ISIS prisoners were released.  So, how is the Taliban, the group tasked with guarding the airport for the US, also not responsible?

Isn't it interesting that Osama bin Laden saw just how weak Joe Biden is.  In the computers taken from bin Laden's compound, was this memo:  "Obama is the head of infidelity, and killing him automatically will make Biden take over the presidency.  Biden is totally unprepared for that post, which will lead the U.S. into a crisis."  A crisis?  No, many crises.  Let's see.  Afghanistan is again a safe haven for terrorists.  Our southern border crisis should make it easier for terrorists to come to the US.  We already know that people are coming in from countries all over the world.  And the nearly $5 trillion dollars in pending legislation should prevent us from keeping up militarily with the ever increasing threats from China, Iran and Russia, among others.  

Speaking of which, maybe someone can explain why we left billions of dollars worth of military hardware at Bagram Air Base.  While much of social media was saying that $80 billion of equipment was left behind, Politifact (which many claim to have a left-wing bias) claimed the assertion was false, and that maybe less than $10 billion in equipment was left behind.  Either way, I don't get it.  If we were unable to take it, then destroy it   Blow it up.  I wonder how much money the Taliban will be able to make by selling our military hardware to China or Russia or Iran?  And the buyer will then be able to reverse engineer our equipment so that they can mass produce their own.  Great.  

Biden said he did not want to turn over Afghanistan to yet a fifth president.  That is confusing.  Was he about to leave office, or does he not have well over 3 years left in his term?  No, he wanted out by the twentieth anniversary of 9/11.  I imagine he envisioned himself giving a speech on that day about what a great job he did in ending that war.  I wonder what he is going to say now.  Leon Panetta, Obama's Defense Secretary, said the war may be over for us, but it is not over for them.  The Taliban, ISIS, Al Qaeda and others will continue to try to do us harm.  Panetta anticipated that sooner or later we will have to go back.  

I happened to watch Chris Wallace interview Secretary of State Anthony Blinken last Sunday on "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace."  Wallace may be on Fox, but he is a Democrat.  (As an aside, Fox has far more balance than the other two cable networks.)  I had seen Wallace be a tough interviewer with Republicans, but less so with Democrats.  But it was apparent that Wallace, like many Americans, was angry with the debacle that was unfolding in Afghanistan - even before the events of yesterday.  Biden had said that Al Qaeda was no longer a threat in Afghanistan.  False said Wallace.  A UN report said Al Qaeda was still operating in 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.  Biden had said that none of our allies had criticized his handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Wrong again. said Wallace.  At one point Wallace asked Blinken:  "Mr. Secretary, does the President not know what's going on?"  I lost track of how many times Wallace suggested Biden was lying.

Armin Laschet, the head of the Christian Democratic Union in Germany, and a possible successor to Angela Merkel, called Biden's handling of the withdrawal "the biggest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding, and we're standing before an epochal change."  French President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe would need to "reassess the reality of what NATO is in light of the commitment of the United States."  The head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Britain's House of Commons, called Biden's retreat "shameful."  

Which brings me back to Biden's 8/31 deadline.  Biden having announced the deadline, the Taliban then said that they would not agree to any extensions.  So Biden has a deadline, regardless of whether or not all Americans, and all Afghanis who assisted our troops, are safely out.  That is beyond incredible stupidity.  It is beyond infuriating.  It is a complete failure to exercise the primary responsibility of any American president - the responsibility to protect Americans.  It is, indeed, "shameful."  But for those of us paying attention, we know that Biden does not care about Americans.  If he did, he would protect our southern border.  He would not allow people who tested positive for Covid to freely enter the country and move anywhere within the country that they like.  And he would care about the illegal drugs, the criminals and likely terrorists, entering our country. 

But everything that was stable under President Trump had to be reversed.  His leftist run party told him that and he obeyed.  The deal that Trump made with the Taliban had a number of conditions.  Those conditions were never met.  Here is what I would have announced to the Taliban if I was the CIC (and assuming I was determined to exit Afghanistan):  "We will get out when we are good and ready to get out.  It will not be before every single American is safely evacuated.  It will not be before every Aghan is out that we want to get out.  And I will send in as many troops as are necessary to accomplish those goals.  If you interfere with our evacuation, if a single American is killed or even injured, you will regret it - now and for the foreseeable future."

It was not just democrat Chris Wallace who turned on Biden.  The Democratic leadership, of course, has not.  But some in the mainstream media seem to have awoken to the fact that they are journalists.  Here is the front page headline in the 8/18/21 USA Today:  "Who is responsible for this catastrophe?"  Here is a headline, albeit on page 7, of the 8/24/21 New York Times:  "Afghan Fiasco Shows Fault Lines in NATO."  Fiasco indeed.  

After yesterday's terrible attack on our troops and others, I watched Biden say "We will not forgive, we will not forget.  We will hunt you down and make you pay."  I did not see the kind of passion, of anger, that I would have liked to have seen from a CIC.  At this point I might be pushing for Biden's impeachment.  But, if successful (I know, impossible under Pelosi and Schumer) we would get Harris.  Possibly more unfit for the job than Biden.  And, with her displays of uncontrollable and inappropriate laughter, she clearly has some issues.  

As I am typing this, I received a news bulletin on my phone that the US has carried out an attack on ISIS in Afghanistan.  It is being described as an "unmanned airstrike."  Presumably a drone attack.  The report also indicates that one ISIS fighter was killed.  Good, but too little, too late.

Finally, I ask my friends on the left - where are all the women's marches to protest what will be happening to the women and girls in Afghanistan after we leave?  Where are all the demonstrations protesting the brutality of the Taliban and ISIS and Al Qaeda?  Why have so many Afghanis tried to leave their country for the USA?  Isn't the Taliban going to govern under Sharia law, and isn't Islam a religion of peace?  Isn't the USA an irredeemably racist country?  Why would darker skinned people want to come here?  

And, how many of you are happy to have Biden as President now, instead of the man who at times sent out some nasty tweets?  I asked a friend and Biden supporter just that.  He replied he would prefer to see Joe Manchin in the White House at this time.  He asked my preference.  I said for this moment I would like to see Trump back in the White House.  But if I could not get him, I would pick Joni Ernst or Nikki Haley.  (And, I would have no problem with others, such as Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio.)   

The End Is Nigh, Per The UN's Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change Report

I fully understand that we are not expected to challenge what we are told by politicians and the mainstream media.  After all, they know what is best.  Yes, I am aware of the fact that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that July was the hottest month on record, for the last 142 years for which records were maintained.  Yes, I know that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just issued a new report with a dire warning, telling us that it is a "code red for humanity."  

A USA Today editorial (reprinted in the 8/11/21 Ventura County Star) told us that global temperatures have risen nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 1 degree Celsius.  The editorial also told us that "heat deaths are far outpacing every other form of weather killer in a 30-year average."  Does this mean we are not supposed to ask if the number of deaths as a result of cold weather has gone down?  Should they be telling us if that is so?  Or, would any good news detract from the dire messaging?  

The editorial also tells us that "the clock is ticking for planet Earth."  That sounds scary.  But are we allowed to ask what it means?  Is it ticking because the Earth is going to explode?  If so, when?  If not, what are they telling us - other than trying to frighten us.  One climate scientist said "I don't see any area that is safe...nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."  That is definitely scary.  But, if I am allowed to inquire, is every square inch of land on Earth going to be equally affected by whatever is going to happen?   

The Wall Street Journal reported (in their 8/10/21 editorial) that someone at Reuters wrote:  "Further warming could mean that in some places, people could die just from going outside."  If I am allowed to ask, how much further warming?  Two degrees?  A tenth of one degree?  In what places will this happen?  Or, as the sentence says "could" happen, what is the likelihood of that occurring?  According to the same editorial, the IPCC report has "low confidence" that the Antarctic sea ice will melt.  As for the Arctic sea ice, the "Arctic is likely to be practically sea ice free in September at least once before 2050."  Is one time before 2050 catastrophic?    

John Kerry is President Biden's Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.  He must be special as he gets to fly around in a private jet.  One site told us that his jet emitted 138 metric tons of carbon between 1/10/21 and 8/6/21.  The average car emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon per year, according to the same article.  But, you say, Mr. Kerry has to fly all over the world as a Presidential Envoy.  That is likely true.  But does he have to fly to places within Massachusetts, or nearby states?  Are we to believe that none of his flights were for personal recreation, such as to Martha's Vineyard?  Or, because Mr. Kerry is "special," are we not supposed to question his travel?  He did tell us:  "Today's report from the @IPCC_CH shows that we cannot afford further delay."  I guess; as long as he can continue to fly on his private jet.  

Full admission - I am not a climate scientist.  I am not any type of scientist.  But, I am an attorney, and as such I know how to ask questions.  Do not misunderstand.  I believe that the Earth has been warming.  But, as one scientist said:  "often adaptation is ignored, although it can alleviate much or sometimes all of climate damages."  Even if you do not agree that humans have an ability to adapt, or to discover ways to deal with a warming planet, my question is this:  are scare tactics even helpful to the cause?  Or are some people turned off by those tactics, with others concluding "what's the point, it's too late to do anything."  

In an Op-Ed in the 8/10/21 Wall Street Journal, Gerard Baker made this astute observation:  "Journalism is no longer about trying to tell us what happened; it's about telling us what we must believe on pain of moral peril.  On every major topic - climate, Covid, race relations, electoral law - almost every story blares out at us with censorious didacticism, the journalist's smug disdain for the unbelievers pouring through the prose."  And Baker tells us this:  "In its heyday journalism demanded skepticism and curiosity...the modern journalist is different.  His primary ambition is to be part of the expert class, to identify as a member of the cultural elite..."

Whatever the topic, I have always encouraged people to read different sources.  That advice is usually ignored by liberals that I know.  And learn to question; don't just read and absorb.  I know any number of otherwise bright individuals, who simply accept without question what their party and the mainstream media tells them.