Wrong On Vagas Shooting

For John, BLUF:  Claims diminishing the deaths of US Citizens by Islamic Terrorists should be questioned.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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ABC News Chief Political Analyst Caught Pushing Fake Terrorism Claim

This is by Mr Patrick Poole, Pajama Media, way back on 9 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus one:

This claim, that more were killed in the Las Vegas shooting last week than by Islamic terrorists over the past decade, is flatly untrue, as I'll show you in a minute.

In 60 Seconds click on the link and scroll down to the data on the Orlando Nightclub (49), San Berdo (14), Fort Hood (13) (the three add to 76 of 76), plus others.

Maybe it is a Second Amendment thing on the part of ABC.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Reds Under The Bed

For John, BLUF:  Dems and their Media Buddies want to Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller narrowly focused on Mr Trump, rather than looking at the broader issues.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Robert Mueller’s probe must continue unhindered

This is an Editorial from the Editorial Board of The Boston Globe, 31 October 2017.

Here is the lede:

The indictments of two former aides to President Trump on Monday, and the guilty plea entered by a third, plunge the country into frightening new territory.  Robert Mueller, the special counsel appointed to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, has now found evidence that Trump hired a campaign chairman with a history of sketchy dealings with Russian-backed entities, and that another member of his staff courted Russian representatives during the campaign.

The Editorial has a lot of Purple Prose, especially in the first sentence.  And reveals a real animus toward President Trump.

Then there is the wording of the second sentence, which suggests the Special Council Robert Mueller has found evidence that then Candidate Trump had hired Mr Paul Manafort.  I am shocked.  The Ukraine and Russia ties are maybe new and perhaps the Special Council will be able to explain which side is which and on which side stood Mr Manafort.

While I agree we should let the Special Prosecutor go where he may, I was very disappointed the Editorial Board did not feel likewise.  if they did they didn't verbalized it.

The issue isn't Mr Trump's Campaign Staff looking under every rock for dirt on Candidate Clinton, but on Russian interference in American politics.  It isn't that they haven't before.  Nor is it about us interfering in the elections of others, such as Israel and Russia in the last nine years.  The issue is how do we protect ourselves from such intrusions. Indictments are are just a byproduct of what should be a thorough, non-partisan investigation.

Yes, along the way Mr Muellers's prosecutors will want to count Coup and the press will lap it up.  Then there will be the appeals and reversals.♠  in the end, however, it is the State and Federal Legislators, and the American People who need to learn the lesson, and to take appropriate action.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  As with Senator Ted Stevens.

Biting Off Our Nose to Spite Our Face

For John, BLUF:  Will we abolish the Constitution (and Declaration of Independence) to show our righteousness?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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HOW CHURCHES DIE

First we have the Power Line Blog post on the subject, by Mr Steven Hayward, on 29 October 2017.  This is the cynical, sarcastic, look at the topic, linked above.

Then there is The Waington Examiner Article, entitled "George Washington’s church to tear down memorial honoring first president".

From the sub-headline, it turns out to be a twofer:

Robert E. Lee plaque also to be taken down; both men attended Alexandria church

From the third paragraph of the article:

While acknowledging “friction” over the decision, the church’s leadership said both plaques, which are attached to the front wall on either side of the altar, are relics of another era and have no business in a church that proclaims its motto as “All are welcome — no exceptions.”

My Brother John, noting the motto, asks:

If "All are welcome -- no exceptions," shouldn't they leave the plaques up?

So, do we think that Geo Washington, "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen,"♠  resides now in Hell?  I don't and I hope you don't either.  We have gotten into judging people,♥  rather than letting the historic cards fall where the May.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit And to my Other Brother, Lance.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  These words come from a eulogy written by Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, Father of Confederate General Robert E Lee.
♥  Matt 1:7 "Judge not, that you may not be judged,"

Benghazi Follow-Up

For John, BLUF:  Under President Trump we are not letting the criminality of terrorism time out.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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US captures key militant in Benghazi attack

The report is by Reporter Lucas Tomlinson of Fox News, today, 30 October 2017, with contributions by the Associated Press.

As one person said a while ago, "What difference, at this point, does it make?".

On the other hand, President Trump said:

Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice.

No visit to Club Gitmo for Mr Mustafa al-Imam.  He is apparently going to D.C., to face Federal prosecution.

As Fox News Points out:

The attack, on September 11, 2012, killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Are the God's of the Left Showing Feet of Clay?

For John, BLUF:  The old Democratic Party verities (true principles or beliefs) may no longer hold.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Twilight of the Liberal Gods

Author Sarah Hoyt penned this thought piece for Pajama Media, published 28 September 2017.

Here is the lede plus seven:

Hat tip to Memeorandum.

We are living in amazing times, astonishing times, times I wouldn’t have believed possible as little as a year ago.

There is this Jorge Luis Borges story, where the old gods are returning to Earth, but upon their arrival, it is found that they have lost the ability to speak.  Instead, when they open their mouths, they caw or roar, or make other bestial sounds.  The populace, disgusted, turns away from them and refuses to worship them.  I don’t remember precisely (it’s been years since I read them), but I think in the end the “gods” get utterly destroyed.

That’s what’s been happening to the left this last year.

Look, I’m a writer, which, for a long time, my husband said was an excuse to spend more than I made on history books.  This is not precisely true, more sort of what I do for fun.  Because I write in many times and places, I like to have an idea of what I call “the great movements of history,” i.e. what things led to other things.

Part of what led to the dominance of the left in all the “gatekeeping” places, including publishing, the arts, education, and to a large extent government, was two things:  their ability to project intelligence and calm; and the ruthlessness to not only not hire anyone who wasn’t a fellow-traveler, but also to kick out everyone who disagreed with them as soon as they could.

The second led to, by a ruthless and slow process, getting rid of everyone who wasn’t first at least social-democrat, then socialist, and finally outright communist from most of the fields the left captured.  (And if one is to believe Robert A. Heinlein, the process was completed with the Democratic Party back in the forties.)

The first led to their holding that power, because not only did they have control of the mass media, and really, all forms of cultural communication, but they could project the calm and gentle impression of being the sane ones.

And this started with the publishing industry, for instance, back in the twenties.  It might have started with news and art before that.

The title reminds me of a novel by Earnest K Gann.

The author of this piece is an immigrant to the United States, although accomplished enough to right fiction in English and see it sell.

As for the subject matter, she may be on to something, as the left establishment tears itself apart over Mr Harvey Weinstein and progressive men like him.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

What We Know About "The Dossier"

For John, BLUF:  Here's what's actually been reported on the matter of the Christopher Steele Dossier.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Here Are The 10 Most Important Reported Claims About The Steele Dossier On Russia

From The Federalist, by Reporter Mollie Hemingway, 25 October 2017.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Unhinged since 2000

For John, BLUF:  The Democrats are unhinged over last year's election.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Left's Long Post-Election Tantrum

From Pajama Media, by Sarah Hoyt, back on 19 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus one:

You know, it has been asserted — at Ace of Spades Headquarters among other places, and I made the point myself in a post here — that the left has left normal behind.

Part of their primacy in the culture, part of the reason they inserted themselves into gatekeeper positions and managed to control the media-industrial complex, is that for the longest time they looked not only normal but, as far as the human instinct can perceive it (even in a “classless” society) but “high class” and commanding and in control.

Part of this, of course, was their dominance of the higher economic ranges and the respected universities, and that was achieved because the wealthier people were very afraid of the communist threat and willing to parley with it in small increments, so that their children grew up communists, as a way to control what everyone in the early twentieth century thought was “the coming new order.”

I don’t know when that slipped.  I started noticing some acts of truly bizarre public performance during the Bush years. It was as though, with Motor Voter and the ease of election falsification, they’d assumed no Republican candidate would ever displace theirs, and therefore they went utterly unhinged when Bush won.  From trying to disqualify the election results, to bizarre displays including hanging him in effigy, they were off the reservation.  On the other hand, I understand their public displays were always fairly unhinged, including the “marching around with giant papier-mache puppets.”  But even then I thought that “women dancing around in vulva” (unlike them, I know anatomy) “costumes” was a step beyond.

It turns out that the Democrats are not the "normals". Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

DOJ Settles with Tea Parties re IRS

For John, BLUF:  Justicee is sometimes slow, but it does attain.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The IRS Scandal, Day 1632:  Department Of Justice Settles Tea Party Targeting Cases For Millions And An Apology

This is from the Tax Prof Blog, by the Tax Prof himself, Paul Caron, 27 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus two:

The Trump administration on Thursday said it has agreed to pay between $1 million and $10 million to settle lawsuits against the Internal Revenue Service for targeting tea-party groups in the Obama era, saying in court documents that the IRS “admits that its treatment...was wrong.”

The Justice Department entered into proposed settlements with groups that alleged in 2013 they had been subject to discriminatory treatment in applying for tax-exempt status.  The move largely puts an end to a saga that had engulfed the IRS for years.

In a settlement filed in federal court in Washington, which still must be approved by a judge, the Justice Department said the IRS “expresses its sincere apology” and was “fully committed” to not subjecting groups for additional review “solely on the name or policy positions of such entity.”

The only thing missing is Ms Lois Lerner issuing a public apology or paying a fine of $100,000 for her part in this.♠

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Or at least disbarment.

Is Democracy Over?

For John, BLUF:  Local Lowell guy gets fired for participating in a free speech rally.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Rally organizer sues Marty Walsh for $100M

Here is the sub-headline:

Claims mayor comments ‘reckless’

This is The Boston Herald, Dan Atkinson and Laurel Sweet reporting, 25 October 2017.

Right off the bat, I want to say this is outrageous.  This isn't worth much more then $20 million in actual damages.  And I will tell Brandon that the next time I see him.

Here is the lede plus one:

An organizer of a recent Free Speech Rally in Boston has filed a $100 million lawsuit against Mayor Martin J. Walsh after he says Walsh purposefully defamed the group as neo-Nazis, which led to him being hounded by internet activists and losing his job.

Lowell resident Brandon Navom filed a civil suit in Berkshire County Superior Court Monday that claimed Walsh made “knowing lies or reckless false statements” about the organizers behind the August rally, which drew a few dozen speakers and more than 20,000 counterprotesters to the Common.  He’s seeking $50 million in actual damages, $50 million in punitive damages and a declaration that Walsh’s statements were “false and defamatory.”

And, Brandon loses his job but Football Player Colin Kaepernick, and his friends, keep their high paying jobs.  And that is outrageous.

The nation is doomed, and democracy across the globe is doomed if we don't stop shutting down free speech.  You may not like what a person has to say, but you should either walk away or respectfully listen.  How would it be if I claimed Marty Walsh was a full blown Stalinist?  It would be wrong, because we know that Joseph Staff murdered more people than live in all of Suffolk County, several times over.  Remember, the tallest building in Moscow has always been the Lubyanka Prison, for from there you can see all the way to Siberia.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Taking Back Our Measurements

For John, BLUF:  Metrification is the evil imposition of some standardized measurements on people who have common and workable measures already.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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English Vigilantes Use Ladders, Sticky Letters to Exterminate the Metric System

Here is the sub-headline:

Members of The Active Resistance to Metrication launch ‘raids,’ brave arrest to convert signs to imperial measures

By Reporter Jenny Gross, in The Wall Street Journal, 23 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus six:

Tony Bennett took Brexit preparations into his own hands at dusk one Friday this month, defying authority to reinstate a venerable element of British culture.

All it took was glue and stick-on numerals.

The retired lawyer crept through a park, he said, and up to a footpath sign.  It read “1.5km.”

Unacceptable!

He took a numeral and pasted it on to make the sign read, simply, “1.”  That’s one mile, one glorious British imperial mile, rounding up a bit.  No need to add an “m,” Mr. Bennett said, because Britons would know what it meant.

“We have our own very excellent system of weights and measures,” said Mr. Bennett, 70 years old and not the American crooner.  “We don’t need big institutions in Europe telling us what to do.”

Mr. Bennett is a member of Active Resistance to Metrication, a tiny group that has for years been pushing England to go back to its old weights and measures.  Britain’s planned exit from the European Union has breathed new hope into his campaign.

I am with Mr Bennett.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

All Hail the University

For John, BLUF:  There are definite advantages to having UMass Lowell in Lowell.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Five reasons why “downtown universities” matter for economic growth

By Mr Scott Andes, 11 October 2017, from The Brookings Institution.

Here is the lede:

The value of the nation’s higher education system is usually expressed as just that—education. But while the educational mission of America’s colleges and universities is critical, often missed or neglected by local and national policymakers is the value of these institutions to economic growth. This is particularly true for those universities located near major employment neighborhoods of large cities. In a recent Brookings paper, I draw from a number of data sources to show how these “downtown” universities punch above their weight as economic anchors for both the regions in which they are located and the nation.

Actually, it seems more like three and a half reasons, but the fact is, there is economic value to a city of having a research university in town.  UMass Lowell is a treasure for Lowell.

Regards  —  Cliff

Senator Warren Weighs In

For John, BLUF:  If you think resident Trump plummered his call the the Gold Star wife, think about Ms Warren's actions at a Memorial Service.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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This isn’t the first time Warren spoke about that office incident

An article in today's edition of The Boston Globe, by Correspondents Julia Jacobs and Victoria McGrane (24 October 2017).

Here is the lede plus one:

When Senator Elizabeth Warren on Sunday told a national television audience a personal story of sexual harassment from her days as a young law professor, she described a harrowing incident that left her shaken.  She said that she wondered if she’d done something to deserve it and that she told no one but a close friend.

But the tone of her telling, recounted on NBC’S “Meet the Press,” appears to be inconsistent with the reportedly more lighthearted manner in which she described the same incident two decades after it occurred, during the memorial service for the senior University of Houston faculty member she accused of pursuing her around his office.

It may just be me, but to go to someone's funeral or memorial service and discuss the person's failings, no matter the humorous tone, seems very wrong.♠

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  And, the deceased is no longer present to defend himself or herself, which makes such things even more tacky.

Slavery of the Mind

For John, BLUF:  Don't let others judge you as inferior.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Slavery and Freedom

From Pajama Media, by Author Sarah Hoyt, 15 October 2017.

This opinion piece is a meditation on slavery based upon the writings of Robert A. Heinlein’s and his Science Fiction Novel, Citizen of the Galaxy.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Mueller Investigation Spreads

For John, BLUF:  Once you launch a Special Council there is no telling where the investigation might end up.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Mueller Now Investigating Democratic Lobbyist Tony Podesta

NOTE:  This is NOT Ms Hillary Clinton's Campaign boss, John Podesta, but his Brother.

This is from NBC News and Reporters Tom Winter and Julia Ainsley, 23 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus two:

Tony Podesta and the Podesta Group are now the subjects of a federal investigation being led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, three sources with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

The probe of Podesta and his Democratic-leaning lobbying firm grew out of Mueller's inquiry into the finances of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, according to the sources.  As special counsel, Mueller has been tasked with investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Manafort had organized a public relations campaign for a non-profit called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU).  Podesta's company was one of many firms that worked on the campaign, which promoted Ukraine's image in the West.

Frankly, I don't believe any leaks supposedly emanating from the Mueller Investigation(s).

That said, there are some small signs that the Russia/Trump collision meme may be turning against the Democrats.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Oppressing the Oppressed

For John, BLUF:  New York City Mayor doing bad while doing good.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Bill de Blasio, Populist, Unleashes Police Power on Take-Out Delivery Guys

From Slate and Reporter Henry Grabar, 20 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus one:

Imagine a citywide policy that could reduce the incomes of the poor, worsen traffic congestion, make living in a city more expensive and less convenient, and fine small businesses.  It would be a remarkable achievement, putting the limited power of urban governance to maximum bad effect.

Well, congratulations to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on hitting the stupid-policy quadfecta with his announcement on Thursday of a crackdown on electronic bicycles, or e-bikes.

It is Slate dumping on His Honor the Mayor.  Slate.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The National Divide

For John, BLUF:  There are arenas where the likes of us will never play.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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'Front Row Kids' and values have taken over our courts: Glenn Reynolds

Here is the sub-headline:

The problem is not just that Back Row America’s values won’t be considered — it’s that the Supreme Court may not even realize it’s ignoring them.

From USA Today, for 23 October 2016, by Law Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds.

In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, we heard a lot about America’s division into two mutually hostile camps:  A largely coastal, urban party run by educated elites, and a largely rural and suburban “Flyover Country” party composed of people who did not attend elite schools and who do not see themselves as dependent on those who do.  This divide is more fundamental than mere partisan identification, as there are Democrats and Republicans in both groups.

One of the best formulations of this division comes from photographer Chris Arnade, who has spent years documenting the lives of America’s forgotten classes.  In his characterization, America is split between the “Front Row Kids,” who did well in school, moved to managerial or financial or political jobs and see themselves as the natural rulers of their fellow citizens, and the “Back Row Kids,” who placed less emphasis on school and who resent the pretensions and bossiness of the Front Row Kids.

While teaching constitutional law after the election, it occurred to me that while the Back Row Kids can elect whomever they want as president, senators or representatives, there is one branch of the federal government (and all state governments) that is, more or less by its nature, limited to Front Row Kids: the judiciary.

Speaking of "check your privilege".  There are levels of elitism in the Law.  West Coast Law Grads need not apply for East Coast jobs, including in DC.  There are exceptions, but, as the French would say, "The exception that proves the rule."  Even amongst East Coast Law School Graduates, there is a hierarchy.  Look at which schools produce the membership of SCOTUS.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Killing Democracy

For John, BLUF:  Here it is in the last sentence (BLUF)—"Once the door to the criminalization of political and ideological disagreement is opened, it may be near impossible to close it."  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why your alarmism over Trump is dangerous for democracy

This is from PBS and Mr Shadi Hamid, who is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.  The Dateline is 18 October 2017.

I will let him explain it.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Virginia Gubernatorial Race

For John, BLUF:  The Democrats should win, but they may throw it away.  Presently they are within the margin of error.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Democrats should be terrified by this governor’s race

From Reporter Salena Zito and The New York Post, 21 October 2017.

The last paragraph:

Certainly the Democrats are the ones with the most to lose.  The party has had a year to craft the perfect message offering voters an alternative to the Republicans in power.  Have they succeeded?  Maybe.  If not, the rejection could be almost as bad as the pain they were dealt nationally last year.  Once again, a race easily within their grasp could slip through their fingers because they failed to excite their base.

One of the things I like about Ms Zito's reporting is that she writes paragraphs of more than one sentence.  The other is that she is out checking what is going on beneath the hood and not just looking at the shiny wax job.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Never Give An Inch

For John, BLUF:  The School Committee, counting on their side winning in November, asks higher authority to stifle the City Council, which won the right to decide in court.—Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Lowell school board asks MSBA to delay LHS action until after election

From The [Lowell] Sun, by Reporter Todd Feathers, 21 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus one:

In a letter signed by Mayor Edward Kennedy and Superintendent Salah Khelfaoui, the School Committee has asked the Massachusetts School Building Authority to take no action on the Lowell High School project before the Nov. 7 city election.

The committee voted 6-1 in executive session to make the request, according to a copy of the letter.  The MSBA board of directors meets on Oct. 25, but has not yet indicated whether the Lowell project will be on the agenda or, if it is, whether it will be tabled until the next meeting in December.

The November election could shift the balance on the City Council, which voted 5-4 to relocate the high school to Cawley Stadium.  In the Sept. 26 preliminary, six candidates who favor keeping the school downtown finished in the top nine.

Well, there is the question of if making the decision to send the letter in Executive Session was a violation of the Commonwealth's Open Meeting Law.

A bigger question is what happens if the City Council goes Cawley in November?  Will the "Never Cawley" Crowd then back off?  I have my doubts, as at least one has vowed to fight on for ever.

And, if the "Downtowners" win in November, do they expect the sitting City Council to roll over and reverse themselves?  Who is their advisor?  Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig?

If we have to wait for the new School Committee and new City Council (what if the School Committee goes Cawley?) then we will have missed both the October and December meetings of the Massachusetts School Building Authority and we will be into 2018.  Option Zero♥ is looking more and more possible.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  From the headline, a reference to the motto over the fireplace in the story Sometimes a Great Notion.  Goodnight, Irene.
♥  Option Zero is we do minimal repairs to our existing buildings.  This just puts off the day of reckoning for a few more years.

T'aint Funny, McGee

For John, BLUF:  We need to give others some space; to not expect them to hew to some narrow way.  And, we need to be watching to see if Russia is stirring our pot, generating hate and discontent.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Russia-linked Twitter account helped Drexel professor’s ‘White Genocide’ tweet go viral, prompting university investigation

This posting to the web site of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education—FIRE is by Mr Adam Steinbaugh, 20 October 2017.

Here are the first two paragraphs:

Last week, Drexel University placed political science professor George Ciccariello-Maher on involuntary leave and barred him from campus, citing a “growing number of threats” directed at him over his personal political views.  (As of yesterday, he was allowed to resume teaching his undergraduate courses — but only by “synchronous online instruction.”  In other words, via video.)  Ciccariello-Maher’s suspension was the culmination of months of outrage over his tweets, beginning with a tweet that first drew anger from white nationalists before the mainstream media picked it up — with, apparently, help from @TEN_GOP, the “Unofficial Twitter of Tennessee Republicans,” which, it turns out, was actually operated by the Russia-based and Kremlin-linked Internet Research Agency.

In other words, Drexel University launched an investigation into a professor’s off-campus speech, then suspended him, after a Russian “troll farm” helped send his tweet viral.

I have some sympathy for Professor George Ciccariello-Maher.  I too have said things that I thought were clever or funny, only to find that the rest of the world has no sense of humor, no interest in the absurdity of much of life.

My other thought is that we should give applause to the Russians at the Internet Research Agency.  They invented @TEN_GOP and then used it to foment hate and discontent in these United States.  They are good at what they do.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Another View of the Special Prosecutor

For John, BLUF:  My fear is that Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller will feel he has to find something to justify his appointment and the cost of his investigation.  Anything.—Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Judging by Mueller's staffing choices, he may not be very interested in justice

An Opinion Piece from The Hill, by Ms Sidney Powell,♠ 19 October 2017.

Much has been written about the prosecutorial prowess of Robert Mueller’s team assembled to investigate allegations of Russia’s involvement in the Trump campaign.  Little has been said of the danger of prosecutorial overreach and the true history of Mueller’s lead prosecutor.

What was supposed to have been a search for Russia’s cyberspace intrusions into our electoral politics has morphed into a malevolent mission targeting friends, family and colleagues of the president.  The Mueller investigation has become an all-out assault to find crimes to pin on them — and it won’t matter if there are no crimes to be found.  This team can make some.

Many Americans despise President Trump and anyone associated with him.  Yet turning our system of justice into a political weapon is a danger we must guard against.

Think back to April 1, 1940, and a world awash in turmoil, hate and fear.  Revered Attorney General Robert H. Jackson assembled the United States attorneys.  In remarks enshrined in the hearts of all good prosecutors, he said, “the citizen's safety lies in the prosecutor who tempers zeal with human kindness, who seeks truth and not victims, who serves the law and not factional purposes, and who approaches his task with humility.”

Yet Mueller tapped a different sort of prosecutor to lead his investigation — his long-time friend and former counsel, Andrew Weissmann. He is not just a “tough” prosecutor.  Time after time, courts have reversed Weissmann’s most touted “victories” for his tactics.  This is hardly the stuff of a hero in the law.

Hat tip to the Drudge Report.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Ms Powell has been both a Federal Prosecutor and a Defense Attorney.  She is the author of Licensed to Lie:  Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice.

Attorney v Attorney

For John, BLUF:  Special Council Robert Mueller (Russia Gate) is not a choirboy.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Silverglate: How Robert Mueller Tried To Entrap Me

This essay is from Attorney Harvey Silverglate, on 17 October 2017, at Boston Public Radio station WGBH (89.7 FM).

The first three paragraphs don't leave me with a good feeling about Special Council Robert Mueller:

Is special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, appointed in mid-May to lead the investigation into suspected ties between Donald Trump’s campaign and various shady (aren’t they all?) Russian officials, the choirboy that he’s being touted to be, or is he more akin to a modern-day Tomas de Torquemada, the Castilian Dominican friar who was the first Grand Inquisitor in the 15th Century Spanish Inquisition?

Given the rampant media partisanship since the election, one would think that Mueller’s appointment would lend credibility to the hunt for violations of law by candidate, now President Trump and his minions.

But I have known Mueller during key moments of his career as a federal prosecutor.  My experience has taught me to approach whatever he does in the Trump investigation with a requisite degree of skepticism or, at the very least, extreme caution.

Especially the Friar Tomas de Torquemada part.

Further down in the essay Mr Silverglate points out to us that Federal laws are so loose and so plenteous that just about anyone can be found to have violated one or another of them.

My impression, after reading the item, is that Mr Mueller will come up with someone to indict, no matter how long it takes to do it.  It may have nothing to do with the allegations of the Trump Campaign colluding with the Russians, but it will be something.

My question is, will there be any examination of the other side to see if they colluded with the Russians?

How silly of me.

My supplemental question is the one asked by former Labor Secretary Raymond J Donovan:  "Which office do I go to to get my reputation back?"

I would like to see Attorney General Jeff Sessions answer that question by publicly acknowledging the innocence of those who are smeared by the accusations of wrong-doing and are found to not be guilty of the crime or crimes of which they were accused, by indictment, innuendo or leak.

ADDED THOUGHT:  When Public Radio is turning against you it should be a sign that you are losing the PR Battle.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The President at Work

For John, BLUF:  President Trump, perhaps with 2020 in mind, is trying to fulfill his campaign promises.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Trump Calls the Congressional GOP's Bluff

Here is the sub-headline:

From Iran to Obamacare to DACA, the president is acting on what Republicans have long promised, in a way that rightly devolves power to the legislative branch.

From Reason Magazine and Mr Matt Welch, 18 October 2017.

What we are seeing down in DC is that President Trump is moving to implement policies that reflect the issues he ran on, and which Congressional Republicans claimed were their issues.  However, those Republicans in Congress can't seem to act.  Then the President throws the issue into Congress' lap.  Now Republicans and Democrats have to act, sometimes with a deadline.  An example is the DACA Policy of the last Administration.  President Trump said fix it or I will end it in six months.  Another is the unconstitutional payments to insurance companies under the PP&ACA.

Good job Mr President.  Fulfilling campaign promises AND prodding Congress to do its job.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Unfit For Service

TRIGGER WARNING:  In which I suggest you are not fit to make the grade in the US Army.

For John, BLUF:  Young Americans are over-weight and out of shape, by and large.  Further, others have gotten into trouble with the law.  We have a problem.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Vast Majority Of Americans In Their 20s Are Unfit For Military Service

From the Web Presence, Task and Purpose, By Mr James Clark, 13 October 2017.

Here are some excerpts:

The military is facing a growing recruiting crisis:  71% of Americans between 17 and 24 can’t meet the minimum criteria for service, which places the burden of service on an ever-small and shrinking pool of troops with a family history of joining the military.

…

Some quick math shows what the services are up against.  For the Army, the recruiting goal for the coming fiscal year is roughly 180,000 new soldiers.  According to a detailed analysis by Army Times, only 9.7 million out of the 33.4 million Americans between 17 and 24 meet the Army’s minimum standards.  The reasons for disqualification range from failure to meet weight and fitness standards, misconduct, medical issues, mental health, and substance abuse concerns.

Once you take into account whether or not the remaining 9.7 million are enrolled in college — and that the Army doesn’t want the bare minimum for its future soldiers — the recruiting pool shrinks to just 1.7 million.  And that’s before you get to those who are even interested in enlisting.  What you’re left with is just 136,000 potential recruits interested in joining out of the original pool of 33.4 million, Army Times reports.

This is not a good thing.

Regards  —  Cliff

Hope Springs Eternal

TRIGGER WARNINGS:  In which I suggest that Professors at Harvard often speak through their hat.

For John, BLUF:  The Left, the Clintonistas, just cannot let go of the defeat of Mrs Clinton by Mr Trump.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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HOW HILLARY CLINTON STILL CAN, AND SHOULD, BECOME PRESIDENT AFTER THE TRUMP-RUSSIA INVESTIGATION

From Newsweek, by Ms Julia Glum, on 16 October 2017.

From the third paragraph:

Harvard University professor Lawrence Lessig offered a Clinton path to the presidency on Medium, putting forward a series of "if/then" scenarios that lead to House Speaker Paul Ryan handing the White House keys to Clinton.

Here is the Professor's proposed path:

If number 1:  If Trump is definitively found to have colluded directly with Russia, he would be forced to resign or be impeached.

If number 2:  If Trump is removed, Vice President Mike Pence would become president.

If number 3:  If Pence becomes president, he should resign too, given that he benefited from the same help from Mother Russia.

If number 4:  If Pence resigns before appointing a vice president, Ryan would become president.

If number 5:  If Ryan becomes president, he should do the right thing and choose Clinton for vice president. Then he should resign.

"The answer seems unavoidable: He should nominate the person defeated by the treason of his own party, and then step aside and let her become the president," Lessig writes. "Without doubt, if Ryan did the right thing, that would be the most extraordinary event in the history of America since the Confederate Army fired on Fort Sumter. But unlike that, this event would build the union, not divide it."

But, the first "IF" is the hard one, although "IF" Number 3 is also a huge leap.  The reason I say the first "IF" is the hard one is because it isn't clear there is a connection between the Trump Campaign and Putin and Putin's Russia.  The use of "Should" in the headline is a leap that probably won't reach the other side.  Oops.

Perhaps more important is the question of if Mrs Clinton and the Clinton Campaign had greater "ties" to the Russians than the putative Trump Campaign ties.

And, if all of Professor Lessig's scenario comes to fruition we would be stuck with Mrs Clinton as President.  The Government Official who, through her Libya Policy, gave us Benghazi, and then tried to cover it up.  Keep that in the back of your mind when you think about nKorea.

UPDATE:  Here is the Blog Post by Law Professor Ann Althouse.

UPDATE:  Professor Lessig just said, on The Tucker Carlson show that it hasn't been proven that Russian interference was connected to Mr Trump.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Reading Time at your Local Branch Library

TRIGGER WARNINGS:  In which I suggest that all things in due time.

For John, BLUF:  We need to not introduce too many adult ideas too soon to fresh minds.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Children’s Story Time In Weimar America

From Mr Rod Dreher, at The American Conservative, 17 October 2017.

Right up front I wish to make the point that this is NOT the Branch Library where I was a member of a high school book club.♠

I am not against young men and women learning about the realities of alternative life styles—remember, I was reading Christopher Isherwood when I was in High School.

It is that I think a too early introduction of long term alternatives can sow more confusion than insight.

And, doing in at a Branch Library named after a former First Lady just adds to the roil.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  I do acknowledge that I did read a Christopher Isherwood novel while participating, but it was my choice.  That said, we watched Oscar Levant on the TV most weeknights, and Mr Isherwood was a frequent guest.

Who is Skipping the PP&ACA?

For John, BLUF:  The PP&ACA is a solution that makes the Left feel good, but it doesn't make things better.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Majority of Households Paying Obamacare Penalty Are Low and Middle-Income

This is from The Washington Free Beacon and Reporter Ali Meyer, on 9 October 2017.

The sub headline is:

79 percent of penalized households made less than $50,000,

On the other hand, the income of Americans is pretty much like a pyramid, with few at the top and many at the bottom.♠  But, still, that is a lot of folks below $50,000 PA who have elected to not enroll in a PP&ACA approved program.

There were 6,665,480 households who chose to pay the Obamacare penalty in that year rather than signing up for Affordable Care Act coverage. They paid a total of $3,079,255,000.

Of the 6.7 million households who chose to pay a penalty, 37 percent—2.5 million households—earned a salary less than $25,000 per year. There were 5.2 million households that earned a salary less than $50,000 per year who decided to pay the penalty, which totaled 79 percent of households paying the penalty. Finally, 92 percent of the households—6.1 million households—paid the penalty and earned less than $75,000 a year.

That is a lot of low income folks who are willing to pay the avoidance tax.♥

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Well, the $250,000 and above is a long line, but if we ran in $5000 increments there would be a lot more lines and a lot shorter.  In fact, the next to top line gathers up ten of the lower increments and thus is ten times over its natural size.
♥  So, who are we really helping with the PP&ACA?  At least as interesting is the question of if ten percent of Mr Trump's November vote came from those paying the PP&ACA Penalty Tax.

Puerto Rico—What did the President Say?

For John, BLUF:  If it can't sustain itself, over the long term, bring the citizens to the US and quarantine it.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Puerto Rico can’t get aid ‘forever,’ Trump says

This is a Washington Post article by Reporter Philip Rucker, published on 12 October 2017 in The Boston Globe.

I am trying to see the President's sin here.  The headline says, to me, the fifty states can't afford to underwrite Puerto Rico for ever.  And I agree.

Here is the lede plus two:

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump served notice Thursday that he may pull back federal relief workers from Puerto Rico, effectively threatening to abandon the U.S. territory amid a staggering humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Declaring the U.S. territory’s electrical grid and infrastructure to have been a ‘‘disaster before hurricanes,’’ Trump wrote Thursday that it will be up to Congress how much federal money to appropriate to the island for its recovery efforts and that recovery workers will not stay ‘‘forever.’’

In a trio of tweets, Trump wrote, ‘‘We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!’’

Para 1 seems to overstate the case.

Para 2 has the President stating the obvious, the Puerto Rico infrastructure was a problem before the Hurricane.  And, in this nation the Congress appropriates and authorizes the funds, not the President.

Para 3 is also true, unless the US Congress provides for more FEMA folks and Service Members and those First Responders on loan never go home.  At some point Puerto Rico has to return to normal and the residents, overwhelmed by the Hurricane, have to pick up their normal responsibilities.  Otherwise the relationship will continue to give people like San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz a reason to decry American colonialism.

And speaking of San Juan Mayor Cruz, I do think the United States should declare Puerto Rico an independent nation.  Immediately after this Hurricane disaster is cleaned up.  And we should take five years of decreasing Federal Payments to ease them into their new status.  At the end of five years we should provide them one shot at statehood within the United States, with English as the official language.  It would require a two-thirds vote in favor of statehood, with a two-thirds turnout of registered voters.

In or out, but no more this straddling of the fence, by any side.

UPDATE:  Fixed a typo.

Regards  —  Cliff

A Statistician Look at Gun Control Ideas

For John, BLUF:  The real reason for the Second Amendment is not target practice.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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I used to think gun control was the answer.  My research told me otherwise.

From The Washington Post and Ms Leah Libresco,♠ on 3 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus one:

Before I started researching gun deaths, gun-control policy used to frustrate me.  I wished the National Rifle Association would stop blocking common-sense gun-control reforms such as banning assault weapons, restricting silencers, shrinking magazine sizes and all the other measures that could make guns less deadly.

Then, my colleagues and I at FiveThirtyEight spent three months analyzing all 33,000 lives ended by guns each year in the United States, and I wound up frustrated in a whole new way.  We looked at what interventions might have saved those people, and the case for the policies I’d lobbied for crumbled when I examined the evidence.  The best ideas left standing were narrowly tailored interventions to protect subtypes of potential victims, not broad attempts to limit the lethality of guns.

If passing gun control laws work, that is, passing laws, why do we find so many shivs and so much drugs in prisons?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Leah Libresco is a statistician and former newswriter at FiveThirtyEight, a data journalism site. She is the author of “Arriving at Amen.”

Lost Bearings in Michigan

For John, BLUF:  Crime Victims should be protected from the Perps.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Blog Post at Victory Girls

A Rapist who impregnated a twelve year old girl is ordered listed as the Father and given his victim's address.  It seems possible, per the blog post, he might even win visiting rights.

I find this to be sailing off the edge of a flat earth.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Liberal Conflicting Agendas

TRIGGER WARNING:  In which I suggest you can't have it both ways.

For John, BLUF:  And this doesn't even touch on the Harvey Weinstein imbroglio.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Muslim Homophobia Becoming ‘Very Inconvenient’ for Liberals

Of course it is from Breitbart (Reporter Aaron Klein, 9 October 2017), but it is a problem for the bien-pensant.

Hat tip to the Drudge Report.

Regards  —  Cliff

Some Folks Like Christopher Columbus

TRIGGER WARNING:  In which I talk to the view of the majority.

For John, BLUF:  However, history shouldn't be based on polls.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Poll:  Most Americans Want to Celebrate
Columbus Day

From Pajama Media, by Tyler O'Neil, 5 October 2017.

Money paragraph:

Perhaps in light of this, a Marist/Knights of Columbus (KOC) poll conducted in September found that 57 percent of Americans said they think "it is a good idea ... to have a holiday named after Christopher Columbus."  Only 29 percent said they think it is a "bad idea," while 15 percent remained undecided.

Regards  —  Cliff

Christopher Columbus Alternatives

TRIGGER WARNING:  What if C^2 had been funded by Abu `Abdallah Muhammad XII, the Emir of Granada?

For John, BLUF:  If Christopher Columbus did wrong, then was there a "right" way of learning about the rest of the world?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Anglosphere: Celebrating wrong Italian?

A nice, but short read, by UPI and Mr James C Bennet, on 12 October of the year 2002.

Here is the meat of it.

I do not join in the politically-correct denigration of Columbus.  But I do raise the question of whether, by celebrating him rather than John Cabot [born Giovanni Caboto], we of the Anglosphere may be celebrating the wrong Italian.

The answer is yes.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

NFL Failing

For John, BLUF:  Question:  If Hillary had won, would the NFL be riding high at this point?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Shock poll: NFL now least liked sport, core fans down 31%

This is from the "Washington Secrets" section of The Washington Examiner, by Reporter Paul Bedard, 7 October 2017.

The lede plus one:

Over just one month of player, coach, and owner protests of the flag and National Anthem, the National Football League has gone from America's sport to the least liked of top professional and college sports, according to a new poll.

From the end of August to the end of September, the favorable ratings for the NFL have dropped from 57 percent to 44 percent, and it has the highest unfavorable rating – 40 percent – of any big sport, according to the Winston Group survey provided exclusively to Secrets.

Former Evergreen State College Professor Heather Heying summed it up, here:

Who would have guessed that when America cleaved, the left would get the National Football League and the right would get uncontested custody of science?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Culturally Corrupt Academics

For John, BLUF:  It is just UMass Amherst being UMass Amherst, wandering off the left side of a steep slope.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Amherst course puzzles over how women become conservative

This is from Campus Reform, and their Massachusetts Campus Correspondent, Ms Kassy Dillon (@kassydillon), on 5 October 2017.

The key paragraph:

According to the course description, the seminar will explore “the consequences of neoliberalism, cultural conservatism, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiments for women of different social and economic strata as well as women’s divergent political responses.”

But, it seems to follow the line being presented by Former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Belleville Shooter

TRIGGER WARNINGS:  In which I suggest gun laws only go so far.
For John, BLUF:  Authorization to carry is a good thing.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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New Report: GOP Baseball Suspect Committed ‘Act Of Terrorism’ ‘Fueled By Rage Against Republican Legislators’

This is from Daily Caller Associate Editor Peter Hasson, 6 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus one.

The left-wing Bernie Sanders supporter who opened fire on a crowd of Republican congressmen in June intentionally committed an “act of terrorism” that was “fueled by rage against Republican legislators,” according to a new report released by the state’s attorney on Friday.

The suspect, 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson, picked the baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia as his target months in advance of the shooting, according to the report.  Hodgkinson was also seen watching the Republicans practice for the congressional baseball game the day before the shooting, where he shot and wounded four people, including Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise.

Mr Hodgkinson is from Belleville, Illinois, an otherwise very normal little city.

Think how bad that could have been if Mr Hodgkinson was any kind of a shot or if there had not been armed men present to return fire.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Masses Against Christopher Columbus

For John, BLUF:  Anti-Columbus demonstrations planned for Monday.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Antifa Group Plans Nationwide 'Deface Columbus Day' Actions for Monday

This Pajamas Media article was written by Ms Debra Heine, 6 October 2017.

Violent left-wing anarchists have announced a nationwide campaign to deface Christopher Columbus statues this coming Monday.

Five Christopher Columbus statues have already been vandalized in New York City in recent weeks, according to Far Left Watch. In one case last month, vandals defaced a "larger-than-life" statue of Columbus in Central Park, leaving blood-red paint on his hands, and scrawled, "Hate will not be tolerated" and “#SomethingsComing” on its pedestal.

What is coming appears to be a coordinated campaign to destroy monuments all across the country on Columbus Day.

The NYC-based antifa group Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM) made the announcement on Thursday, September 21, calling on antifa groups nationwide to “decorate” their neighborhoods.

If you are scratching your head, go back to Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara and his intellectual explainer, the French intellectual and government official Régis Debray.

They gave us the foco theory of revolution.  This is the idea that the revolutionary cells, usually engaged in guerrilla warfare, provide a focus for the grievances of the masses.  It is also known as focalism (foquismo [foˈkizmo]).

Actually, the majority of folks in the US like Christopher Columbus.

I would like to know what the world would be like if King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella had not funded Christopher Columbus' trip?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Unbecoming America

For John, BLUF:  Unless you were a member of a "disfavored group" you should be OK, if you watch your tongue.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Speaking Bolshevik

From The Hoover Institute, by Mr Paul R. Gregory, Thursday, 5 October 2017.

Here is the lede plus two:

Nobel laureate F.A. Hayek said totalitarian regimes—Bolshevism, Fascism, and Nazism—are forms of government that direct “members of society by a single will supposed to represent the ‘whole.’” This “single will” is dictated by a Stalin, Mao, Hitler, or some collective rule. Per Hayek, such dictatorships require that “everything be governed by a single system of thought,” which rules out freedom of speech and press. These regimes may claim to aspire to lofty goals that compensate for the loss of freedoms, but they inevitably turn brutal, particularly against those who reject their ideology.

A single system of thought has many faults. At a minimum, it rules out competition of ideas. Just as the economy stagnates without competition among firms, so too do social and political regimes stagnate without a competition of ideas. This principle has applications today. The modern left disavows the most destructive aspects of totalitarianism. And yet, its approach to language and ideas is increasingly dictatorial. In recent years, radical leftists have been trying to promote a single system of thought via politically correct speech. This effort is doomed to fail.

In communist and fascist states—as exemplified by the USSR, China, North Korea, and Nazi Germany—a ruling monopoly party dictates a single system of thought which is drummed into the people by a propaganda ministry, a state-media monopoly, and the state-educational establishment. A pervasive secret police apparatus (KGB, Gestapo, or Stasi) finds and punishes those who resist.

After further discussion of how ideologically oriented regimes, such as communism and fascism, corrupt language and require conformity of thought, he looks at America today.

Surely such things would not be a problem in the United States. American constitutional guarantees of free speech, a competitive political system, the private ownership of media and entertainment, and a system of local public schools should rule out a single political language in the United States. Yet leftists have been actively working to stifle free speech on campuses, in corporations, and on social media platforms in recent times. It seems as if these progressives are campaigning to become the arbiters of what speech is allowed and what is forbidden in American society. They are promoting a new variant of speaking Bolshevik— “speaking PC.”

Read the whole thing and be prepared.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

California Slides Toward The Pacific Ocean

For John, BLUF:  "Save your Confederate Dollars, the South will rise again."  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Gov. Jerry Brown signs bill, makes California a sanctuary state

From Twitchy, by Brett T, on 5 October 2017.

As Mr Ed Driscoll said in posting this:

Old and busted:  Confederate-era Democrats believe they can pick and choose which federal laws they wish to enforce.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Speaking For Free Speech

For John, BLUF:  Without free speech you have Fascism.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Shapiro Testifies Before California Legislature, Blasts Them For Trying To Limit Free Speech

From The Daily Wire, for 3 October 2017.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

For John, BLUF:  Maybe it is just Hollywood.  I can't imagine her father saying something like this.  But, maybe Old Blue Eyes knew his audience.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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These boots are made for … firing squads? Nancy Sinatra calls for execution of ‘murderous’ NRA members

Mr Ed Driscoll writes:

Since the NRA contains about 5,000,000 members, “Sinatra is calling for mass murder worse than Rwanda, Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, etc. But not quite the Holocaust, so there is that,” Alex Griswald tweets.

So she’s got that going for her at least, which is nice.

Yes, there is that.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The "Real" Source of Mass Shootings

For John, BLUF:  It is CNN, so there is the standard discount factor (divide by seven).   Nothing to see here; just move along.

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CNN Columnist: Vegas Shooting Because America ‘Silently Accepting the Rage of White Men’

This is from Breitbart And Reporter Ben Kew, on 4 October 2017.

In the column by Naaz Modan, editor of Muslim Girl magazine, Modan argues that recent mass shootings have been met with a “fatal passivity” and would generate far greater anger if they were committed by ethnic minorities:

So what is her explanation for happenings in Europe?

And let us be careful in the use of the term Caucasian [I am sure that is what she meant to say].  Aren't a large percentage of Muslims Caucasians?

Besides, there is the whole "Trump as Hitler" thing, which the Antifa says justifies violence.  My head hurts.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Gun Control in the Age of Trump?

For John, BLUF:  Conflicting Rhetoric.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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If You Think Trump Is a Fascist, You Should Oppose Gun Control

As day follows night.

The author of this Reason article is Robby Soave, on 3 October 2017.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Asking the Important Questions

For John, BLUF:  The motive is the thing.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why Did the Las Vegas Shooter Target a Country Music Festival?

This is from Pajama Media and Doctor Helen Smith, 3 October 2017. An excellent question.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Subverting STEM Academics

For John, BLUF:  Fifty years ago we were on a good path in terms of race and racism, but now we have jumped the tracks.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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First, They Came for the Biologists

The sub=headline reads:

The postmodernist left on campus is intolerant not only of opposing views, but of science itself.

By Heather Heying, a former biology professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, Datelined 2 October 2017.

Here is the start of the OpEd.

Who would have guessed that when America cleaved, the left would get the National Football League and the right would get uncontested custody of science?

The revolution on college campuses, which seeks to eradicate individuals and ideas that are considered unsavory, constitutes a hostile takeover by fringe elements on the extreme left. Last spring at the Evergreen State College, where I was a professor for 15 years, the revolution was televised—proudly and intentionally—by the radicals.  Opinions not fitting with the currently accepted dogma—that all white people are racist, that questioning policy changes aimed at achieving “equity” is itself an act of white supremacy—would not be tolerated, and those who disagreed were shouted down, hunted, assaulted, even battered.  Similar eruptions have happened all over the country.

What may not be obvious from outside academia is that this revolution is an attack on Enlightenment values: reason, inquiry and dissent.  Extremists on the left are going after science.  Why?  Because science seeks truth, and truth isn’t always convenient.

The left has long pointed to deniers of climate change and evolution to demonstrate that over here, science is a core value.  But increasingly, that’s patently not true.

A great lede by Professor Heying.  And, sadly, true.

Hat tip to my Buddy, Zyg.

Regards  —  Cliff

Fallout from Vegas

For John, BLUF:  What about the line "But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you." (Matt 5:44)  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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There was a tragedy in Las Vegas Sunday evening, with a death toll of 59 at this writing.  Someone, for yet unexplained reasons, stockpiled rifles and ammunition in a hotel and then began shooting at people gathered for a Country and Western music event, just at the conclusion.

‘I want every Trump supporter dead’: J.R. Salzman exposes today’s compassionate liberals

To keep it straight, it is J R Salzman who exposes the posting of this comment about wanting "every Trump supporter dead" by a person with the handle "i am cassie".

This isn't like the recently fired CBS Vice President, Ms Hayley Geftman-Gold, who said on social media, “I’m actually not even sympathetic bc [sic] country music fans often are Republican gun toters [sic].”

No, Cassie wants 60-some million people dead.

That would be more than five times the population of our Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but mostly people in flyover country.

And, unlike lawyer jokes, she isn't going for the laughs.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff