Democrats No Longer Soft on Crime?

For John, BLUF:  Frankly, the President's budget may throw a lot of money at policing, it doesn't seem headed in the direction of effective policing.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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It turns out the Democrats aren’t soft on crime at all

From The New NEO, by NEO, 29 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus two:

Forget these Soros DAs. Forget “defund the police” – you must have imagined it.^  Forget the Floyd riots and the open borders.

Forget it all, because of Biden’s proposed new budget:

The plan sent to Congress allocates more than $32 billion to fighting crime, especially violent crime, with $20.6 billion going to the Department of Justice and $3.2 billion in discretionary resources for funding local and state law enforcement, much of it in the form of grants to hire more police officers.  About $30 billion in mandatory resources will be funneled to “support law enforcement, crime prevention, and community violence intervention.”

Except, with Federal Money comes Federal control.  That oftem means one size fits all.  What is good for Caalifornia is assumed good for both Montana and Main.

Further, as The NEO says, a lot of it is wrong headed, such as working to restrict gun ownership.  And there are parts that look like they are aimed at fighting the efforts of some states to clean up their voting laws.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

MIT to Test Applicants

For John, BLUF:  It turnss out that for schools with especially challenging academic programs application tests help the school prepare to help students in the classroom.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why MIT Is Reinstating Its SAT/ACT Requirement

Here is the sub-headline:

MIT is once again requiring student to take standardized tests as part of the admissions process, saying their research shows standardized tests help administrators identify which students are MIT ready.

From the Foundation for Economic Education, Managing Editor Jon Miltimore, 30 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus four:

In case you missed it, on Monday MIT announced that they would be reinstating their SAT/ACT requirement for future admissions cycles.  Like many universities, MIT had ditched the tests during the pandemic.

Even prior to the pandemic, however, there had been a widespread push to abandon these tests to enhance diversity.

“Data shows tests like the SAT are biased against students from low-income households. Poorer students tend to perform worse on the test,” CNN reported in 2015.  “Blacks and Hispanics also consistently score lower on the SAT than whites.” (CNN conveniently left out that Asian Americans score much higher than whites, presumably because it didn’t fit the narrative.)

So will MIT’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts be set back because it reinstated its test requirements? Nope—at least not according to MIT.

“Our research shows standardized tests help us better assess the academic preparedness of all applicants, and also help us identify socioeconomically disadvantaged students who lack access to advanced coursework or other enrichment opportunities that would otherwise demonstrate their readiness for MIT,” wrote Stu Schmill, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services.  “We believe a requirement is more equitable and transparent than a test-optional policy.”

My own experience was that after the first semester of two years of math, I was moved back from the accellerated path to the more pedestrian path.  It was a good movre on the part of the Academic Faculty.  On the other hand, if I had gone to Cal State Long Beach I might have been among the 50% who washed out after the first semester.  No test to get it, but many tests to stay in.  The CSLB approach was cheaper for the school, but was brutal in separating the wheat from the chaff.

Bonus Tweet from the article:

Sarah Isgur
@whignewtons
Beware easy solutions under the guise of equity:  Turned out getting rid of SAT/ACT advantaged wealthy and well connected kids who could ensure their applications stood out in other ways.  Duh.

Congrats to MIT for looking for the real problems, below the surface problems.

Regards  —  Cliff

SPLC Alleged Discrimination

For John, BLUF:  The Southern Poverty Law Center seems to be a Progressive Organization with a penchant for smearing more mainstream organizations.  It once had a mission, but has morphed into a political aggitation activity.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Southern Poverty Law Center Is Racist, Employees Say

From The Washington Free Beacon, by Reporter Patrick Hauf, 28 March 2022, 5:25 pm.

Here is the lede plus two:

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which is best known for its extensive list of hate groups, is racist, according to its employees.

SPLC Union members protested outside of their employer's office Monday in opposition to the legal advocacy group's plan to require certain employees to return to in-person work.  The union, in a statement, claimed the move targets black women because it primarily requires workers in low-level positions to return to the office.

"Staff in more highly regarded job classifications and who are higher-paid employees are being given the flexibility to work remotely, while women, Black, brown, and lower-paid employees are forced back into the office regardless of our work, our needs, and our advocacy for more inclusive treatment," Lisa Wright, a union bargaining committee member, said.  "Forcing employees back into the office isn't about collaboration or cooperation—this is about policing and surveillance of SPLC's lowest-paid employees."

Actually, this seems more class discrimination, which shows itself as racist because of who has which positions.

Benefit of the doubt to the SPLC, but it adds to my suspicion that the SPLC is a corrupt institution.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Othering of Others

For John, BLUF:  When I was growing up we were still dividing by race, religion and erthnicity.  We seem to have overcome that and are now down to assigning those we disagree with to disfavored categories.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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MSNBC Op-ed:  If You Exercise, You're a Neo-Nazi

From Town Hall, by Reporter Matt Vespa, 24 March 2022, 1:45 PM.

Here is the lede plus two:

The Left has a Nazi fetish. They have an unhealthy obsession with Adolf Hitler.  Maybe it’s because they all secretly want to be him?  After all, he built death camps, put people he hated into them, and systemically murdered them.  It’s what liberals want to do with anyone with whom they disagree, so roughly half the country.  Everything they hate is rooted in racism, sexism, misogyny, or Nazism.  It’s the same old game, but it’s not reaching levels of mockery that we really haven’t approached yet.  I have never seen an op-ed that argues that working out and exercising is akin to Nazism.  It’s all here.  Exercise is a far-right activity.  You cannot make this up (via MSNBC):

It appears the far right has taken advantage of pandemic at-home fitness trends to expand its decade-plus radicalization of physical mixed martial arts (MMA) and combat sports spaces.

Earlier this month, researchers reported that a network of online “fascist fitness” chat groups on the encrypted platform Telegram are recruiting and radicalizing young men with neo-Nazi and white supremacist extremist ideologies.  Initially lured with health tips and strategies for positive physical changes, new recruits are later invited to closed chat groups where far-right content is shared.

Makes me not want to walk laps in the house, or up and down the driveway, for fear that my neighbors with "Black Lives Matter" Flags think I am another Nazi, embedded in a Democratic Party voting City.

Apparently, in the minds of many, the best way to fight fascism is to be a fascist.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Living on Mars

For John, BLUF:  Mars is not just like Earth, but without breathable air.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Speed of Sound on Mars Is Strangely Different, Scientists Reveal

From Science Alert, by Writer Michelle Starr, 24 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus one:

Scientists have confirmed the speed of sound on Mars, using equipment on the Perseverance rover to study the red planet's atmosphere, which is very different to Earth's.

What they discovered could have some strange consequences for communication between future Martians.

This is very iinteresintg and shows that going to other planets will not be exactly like living on Earth, but with your own oxygen supply.  Not a reason not to go, but rather a challenge to do it sooner and learn and grow.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Fathers and Sons

For John, BLUF:  Or any mix of Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters.  In politics the second generation may be better than the first, or worst, but for those where the first generation went to the top, the second generation seems to fall short.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Rex Murphy:  Justin Trudeau has become a punchline on the world stage — for good reason

Here is the sub-headline:

This is a sad moment — for Canada and its standing within the free world

From The National Post, by Reporter Rex Murphy, 26 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus one:

It is a brazen thing to go to other countries like some John the Baptist for the democracies, shortly after having trampled all over the rights of those involved in a largely peaceful democratic protest.

Let me make a plain, direct statement: The trucker protest was not an attempted coup. It was not a rebellion. It was not an assault on Canada’s democracy. It was none of those things.

The actions of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau have been egregious of late.  Both at home and abroad.

Here is a condensed version of the sad, sad story.

The Lesson Learned here, reinforcing the lesson from the Cuomos of New York State, is that the scion of a successful leader is not likely to be a good, successful, leader.

Regards  —  Cliff

General Chuck Boyd (RIP)

For John, BLUF:  We meet may people throughout our life, but some make a special impression.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Charles G. Boyd, Air Force general and former POW, dies at 83

Here is the sub-headline:

After his fighter plane was shot down in North Vietnam, he spent nearly seven years in captivity.

From The Wash Post, by Reporter Harrison Smith, 24 March 2022, 11:12 a.m. EDT.

Here is the lede plus two:

Charles G. Boyd, a highly decorated Air Force general who was shot down as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, endured nearly seven years of captivity and rose to become the only former POW from that conflict promoted to a four-star rank, died March 23 at a hospital in Haymarket, Va. He was 83.

The cause was complications from lung cancer, said his son, Dallas Boyd.

A 36-year veteran who held posts in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Pentagon, Gen. Boyd retired from the Air Force in 1995 after serving as deputy commander of the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, with an area of responsibility spanning 82 countries.  He later served as executive director of the Hart-Rudman Commission, a congressionally chartered panel that reviewed the state of national security and — seven months before the 9/11 terrorist attacks — called for the creation of a new agency similar to what became the Department of Homeland Security.

My Wife and two of our children and I knew General Boyd in the 1980s.  On short notice I was reassignerd from the Air Staff, in the Pentagon, to Headquarters, US Air Forces Europe, as General Boyd's deputy in the Plans and Programs Directorate.  This was due to the intervention of Colonel Al Gropman, who was may boss on the Air Staff.  I remember the discussion.  Colonel Gropman cme into my closet like office and said that "Chuck" Boyd was looking for a Deputy (at Ramstein) and would i be interested?  My briefcase was open on the two drawer file cabinet and I reached in and picked up my checkbook and said:  "I'm ready to go."  Colonel Gropman said:  "Don't you want to check with Martha?"  I responded:  "No, she is ready to go also."  And she was.  We had talked about taking an assignment going back to Europe just a few weeks before.

General Boyd was a great boss.  He encouraged those who worked for him and demonstrated integrity.  And, he took care of people, seeing that they moved on to better jobs.  He got me a position as a Wing Commander, which was a wonderful next stop for me.

Our paths diverged after we each returned to the Pentagon, but I did visit his late wife Milce, who was in Walter Reed Hospital.  A fine woman and Air Force Wife.  She too was missed.

As an aside, I have been impressed with the former Prisoners of War I have meet during my career.  They geneerally have a special humility, which allows them to be better human beings.

Regards  —  Cliff

Trump v Clinton--The Judicial Event

For John, BLUF:  Former Candidate Donald Trump is suing former Candidate Hillary Clinton, over Ms Clinton slinging mud during the 2016 campaaign.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Trump Sues Hillary Clinton, Others Over Russia Collusion 'Conspiracy'

Here is the sub-headline:

Trump also named the Democratic National Committee and former FBI Director James Comey, among other prominent figures.

From The Huffington Post, by Reporter Andre Ellington, 24 March 2022, 05:03 PM EDT.

Here is the lede plus one:

Former President Donald Trump is suing his 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton and others, accusing them of a “malicious conspiracy” and again claiming they rigged the 2016 election against him.

The lawsuit repeats a common Trump claim that Clinton and other Democratic politicians conspired to create a “false narrative” that he received help from Russian allies to win the 2016 election. It comes over five years after Trump defeated Clinton in that election.

This is The Huff Post, so I expected a lot of nay-saying.  And I got it.

Fraankly, I don't expect Former President Donld Trump to win this lawsuit.  What I hope for is a "Disclosure" Phase in the trial that brings more information to the front, for us mere voters to look at.  Much of this has been previously broomed by the media, such as The Huff Post.

We are talking lawyers here, so they may drag it out past the next Presidential Election, in 2024.

Regards  —  Cliff

The FBI Spying on US Citizens

For John, BLUF:  During my youth Mr J Edgar Hoover was head of the FBI, and apparently played fast and loose with the rules.  We didn't know.  It didn't get better and in the last three Administrations it may have gotten worse.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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DOJ collected Project Veritas emails but didn't reveal it to federal judge overseeing case

From Hot Air, by Reporter John Sexton, 27 March 2022 3:30 PM ET.

Here is the lede plus one:

An attorney for Project Veritas sent a letter to District Court Judge Analisa Torres accusing the Department of Justice of sidestepping her prior rulings designed to protect the journalistic and attorney-client privileges of the organization.  Microsoft recently revealed that the DOJ had previously seized Project Veritas documents from a cloud account using a warrant which was not revealed to the court and which Microsoft was forbidden from revealing until recently.

At the base of all of this is the FBI investigation into how Project Veritas wound up in possession of Ashley Biden’s diary.  An FBI raid of homes belonging to Project Veritas CEO James O’Keefe and two former PV journalists, resulted in the FBI seizing a number of phones, laptops, thumb drives, etc. last November.  Project Veritas asked Judge Torres to appoint a Special Master to review the seized information and determine what should and should not be turned over to authorities.  Judge Torres agreed and ordered everything that had been gathered turned over to the Special Master.  But even after she issued that decision, the DOJ didn’t reveal the PV documents it had already collected from Microsoft and went behind Judge Torres back and the back of the Special Master she appointed to keep the previously seized documents a secret.

I get that the FBI can lie to us, but we can't lie to them.  However, they can lie to a Judge?  That seems a little too much of an insult to the Bill of Rights.

Democracy does better when the People think that their Government is not violating their rights, or the rights of other of their Federal Citizens  This is a problem for the US Congress to fix.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

A Professor Challenges Wokeness

For John, BLUF:  Without the freedom to think and exchange ideas, and to challenge the ideas of others, one cannot claim to have a University.  God Bless fair Judges.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Pushback:  Judge rules university officials can be held personally responsible for firing a professor for his political opinions

From the Blog Behind the Black, by Author Robert Zimmerman, 21 March 2022 12:36 pm.

Here is the lede plus three:

A major victory for free speech: A federal judge ruled on March 11th that officials at the University of North Texas can be held personally responsible for firing a professor because they did not like his political opinions.

In his 69-page order of March 11, Judge Sean Jordan, of the United States District Court for Eastern Texas, found that university officials should have known that math professor Nathaniel Hiers’ speech “touched on a matter of public concern and that discontinuing his employment because of his speech violated the First Amendment,” before they fired him for going public with his disagreement with the left-wing concept of “microaggressions.”

The university was claiming qualified immunity for school officials in the case, meaning that the school wanted its officials to be excluded from being held responsible for their actions merely because they were acting in their position as state employees.  Jordan denied the claim of qualified immunity and also denied the school’s demand to have the case dismissed outright.

You can read the judge’s order here [pdf].

And Professor Hiers is not the only one.  From January we have a Professor Jackson being cleared to sue the same institution.

Should we use the term "university" to describe this North Texas institution?  Without "Academic Freedom' can the institution be a Univeristy?  Or is it just another institution, unworthy of the name University?.

I celebrate this judicial decision.

Regards  —  Cliff

Longest Serving Congressman Passes Away

For John, BLUF:  Congressman Don Young, from Fort Yukon, Alaska, has died.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Alaska U.S. Rep. Don Young dies at age 88

From The Anchorage Daily News, by Reporter Nathaniel Herz, 18 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus two:

Don Young, the seemingly indestructible politician who was Alaska’s sole congressman for more than three-fourths of his state’s existence, died Friday.

His wife, Anne, was by his side, his office said in statement.

“It’s with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved,” the statement said.

I never met the Congressmsan, but visited his home town several times when he was a Congressman, between 1978 and 1980.  He was an institiution.

Rest in Peace, Congressman Young.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Putin's War and Nuclear Weapons

For John, BLUF:  There is a conceptual distinction between strategic (intercontinental) nuclear weapons and tactical (or theater) nuclear weapons.  This distinction breaks down when they are being used on your nation.  In the case of Putin's War, for Russia the use may be tactical, but for Ukraine it is "strategic".  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Would Russia Use a Tactical Nuclear Weapon in Ukraine?

From the Modern War Institute, US Military Academy, by Researcher Al Mauroni♠, 16 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus three:

Recent nuclear saber rattling by Russian President Vladimir Putin is forcing the West to confront a question that even many national security professionals have been able to ignore for decades:  Would Putin actually use tactical nuclear weapons?  More specifically, would he order a tactical nuclear strike on Ukrainian military forces out of frustration that his military forces have failed to achieve their objectives?  Assessing that possibility requires a reevaluation of certain assumptions that is long overdue. Russian Nuclear Weapons, in Context

In the current context, Putin could view nuclear weapons use as necessary to ensure Russian national security interests are not derailed by overt Western military support to Ukrainian efforts—which would be in line with stated Russian doctrine.  One course of action could be a so-called demonstration strike with a single low-yield nuclear detonation in Ukraine or over the Black Sea to serve as a dramatic warning that resistance to Russia’s military campaign must be ended, backed by the compellent threat of further tactical nuclear attacks.  There is no question that Putin has already signaled the use of nuclear weapons as an option, and he has stated his (alleged) concern about nuclear weapons being stationed in Ukraine for use against Russia.

Aside from the question of whether a Russian nuclear strike is credible as an aspect of future military operations in Ukraine, there are ample reasons that prudent policy must consider the threat of Russian nuclear weapons use as credible.  First, Russia does not have a “no first use” policy and has doctrine to use nuclear weapons in the event that it was losing a conventional conflict with NATO forces.  A nuclear attack against Ukraine would be intended to allow Russia to conclude a regional conflict on terms acceptable to its leadership.  Second, Russia under Putin has made significant investments in nuclear weapons modernization and has frequently exercised its nuclear forces.  Third, Putin has stated his concern over Ukraine developing a nuclear “dirty bomb” as well as the “aggressive statements” of NATO powers.  These false statements could be intended as establishing a casus belli to use a tactical nuclear weapon.  On the other hand, this might be merely a case of nuclear brinksmanship that will not play out in Russia’s favor.

At the article there are embedded links, if you care.

My view is that if President Putin uses one or two nuclear weapons for demonstration/coercion shots, there is no reason for us to respond in kind.  If he uses them it will be because he is losing.  If we ignore him, and the Ukrainians ignore him and he does not escalate, then the war is over.  I guess he could gas the whole nation, but he may not have enough chemical weapons to kill 40,000,000 people, or even 20,000,000..

Most of us can do little more than pray.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Al Mauroni is the director of the US Air Force Center for Strategic Deterrence Studies and author of the book, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: Assessing the U.S. Government’s Policy.

Esther—And God—Save the Jewish People

For John, BLUF:  The Jewish day begins, not at sunrise, nor at midnight, but at sundown the previous day.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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What Every Gentile And Secular Jew Needs To Know About Purim

Here is the sub-headline:

The Purim Story Is Full Of Political Intrigue And People Representing Themselves As Something They're Not

From The Lid Blog, by Columnist Jeff Dunetz, 13 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus one:

On Wednesday evening, March 16, Jews worldwide will begin to celebrate the holiday of Purim. It commemorates a victory of the Jews over an evil man named Haman who wanted to wipe them out. Purim is a different kind of holiday for many reasons. The biggest difference is that Purim is a holiday for political junkies…it’s full of political intrigue and people representing themselves as something they’re not— just like politics.

On Purim, we read the Megillat Esther, “The Scroll of Esther,” the firsthand account of the events in Persia long ago. It was written by the heroes themselves: Esther (whose real name was Hadassah) and her Uncle Mordecai, who raised her as if she was his daughter.

Short read, but informtive.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Tracking Down a Candidate

For John, BLUF:  When you want to reach a candidate or a member of the campaign, any member, and there is no contact information on the web, it is discouraging.  It also suggests they are not getting fedback.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Cndidate Maura Healey

Here is the Ballotpedia page on AG Maura Healey:

Maura Healey

I went to Ms Healey's web page to invite her, or a surrogate, to come on Lowell's LTC City Life Show.

I tried several times, but each time it switched to a page for making donations.  I didn't wish to make a donation, although in the end I may have to, to contact someone in the Campaign.

If anyoone has an EMail or telephone number for the Press Secretary or for the Campaign itself, please reach out to me at crkrieger @ me.com.

Thank you.

Regards  —  Cliff

Humor to Ease Tensions

For John, BLUF:  Someone tried it and failed, although in retrospect I think he made some good points.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Monty Python Star John Cleese Is the Latest to Be Silenced

From PJ Media, by Reporter Stephen Green, 14 March 2022, 5:14 PM ET.

Here is the lede plus two:

John Cleese had his microphone taken away at an SXSW comedy event in Austin, TX for having the audacity to joke about reparations, according to the Daily Mail.

“[People] get competitive about this business of being oppressed,” he deadpanned.  “We were oppressed, the English, by the Romans from about 0 to 400.”

Cleese asked, “You do know the British have been slaves twice, right?”

Twice?  Yes, remember the French conquest of England in 1066—Battle of Hastings and all that.

Yes, the Englished managed to absorb the French and reassert themselves.  Remember Robin Hood?  Rember the 1215 Magn Carta.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

United Yet Divided

For John, BLUF:  We, as a nation, are divided, between those living in Blue Cities and those living in the hinterlands.  There is an intermixing of folks with different outlooks, but the Cities tend Democrat and the hinterlands tend Republican.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Diner breakfasts are perfectly normal, no matter what D.C. elites think

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, by Reporter Salena Zito, 13 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus two:

BLAIRSVILLE, Pa. — For nine years, Shawn Stanford has called Dean’s Diner her second home.  On a recent grey Tuesday afternoon, the petite 30-year-old in a crisp white uniform offered an infectious smile and warm greeting to anyone who walked in the door.

At the heart of the reason she loves her job is a sense of community — “outside of the money,” Ms. Stanford said, laughing.  “There is a great mix of regulars who I know what their order will be as soon as they walk in the door as well as travelers passing through on the highway looking for some good homemade food and a place that feels welcoming.”

The Hay family from State College were the latter; they quickly grabbed one of the green leather booths located by a window overlooking U.S. Rt. 22 and ordered some stick-to-your-ribs nourishment for their drive from Pittsburgh back to Happy Valley.

This column was provoked by a Tweet from a DC-Based journalist, which denigrated the idea of diners as being for serious people.  He evoked this response:

A Washington, D.C.-based journalist working for a well-respected newspaper — seeing someone being interviewed at a diner for another reporter’s story — recently tweeted:  “Who has time to sit down for breakfast at a diner on a weekday?  Feels like people who have time for a leisurely weekday diner breakfast are not normal!”

It was another reminder that those who work for our cultural curators — corporations, academia, Hollywood, Silicon Valley and our national newsrooms — often have very little in common culturally with many of the people who buy their products, attend their schools, stream their shows, use their social media platforms or read their news stories.

(It was also a swipe at yours-truly, made explicit in a follow-up tweet about “the salena zito-style real american interview.”)

Unfortunately, many of these people who live and work and socialize in the “super zip codes” amuse themselves by mocking people who frequent diners, gas stations, Dollar Generals, Dunkin Donuts and other un-trendy places.

Keystone College political science professor Jeff Brauer sees it as a big part of the cultural divide in this country that has caused both the Republican and Democratic coalitions to shift so significantly over the past few years.

The column then goes on to talk about the sociological and political factors at play, as Professor Prauer lays it out.  Well worth the couple of minutes to scan through or read.

Yes, the Americans in big cities on the two coast tend to look down on those in the hinterlands.  But, across the fruited plain the people have a low opinion of those college educated manderins in our centers of power.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Teachers on Strike

For John, BLUF:  The Democrats, with Joseph Biden as their President, are toying with a game of economic 52 Card Pickup.  It might not end well for them.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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‘Our Fight Is Against Capitalism’ and ‘the Patriarchy,’ Says Union Boss Leading Teachers Strike

Here is the sub-headline:

The teacher strike in Minneapolis shows how prescient FDR was when he warned about the dangers of public sector unions.

From Foundation for Econoomic Education (FEE), by Jon Miltimore, 12 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus one:

Minneapolis teachers were striking for a fourth consecutive day Friday on bridges and overpasses throughout the city. Some 4,500 members of the Minneapolis Teachers Federation and Education Support Professionals are demanding more compensation, improved working conditions, and smaller class sizes.

“Our fight is against the patriarchy, our fight is against capitalism, our fight is for the soul of our city,” said Greta Callahan, head of the Minneapolis teachers union.

The article tells us that average teacher saleries are good (Indeed.com, says mean salary is $76,000 pa, 98% above national average), tenure is good, and performance of students, in terms of high school graduation is poor (schools graduate only 74.2% of high school students, state average is 83.8% and national average is 85.3%).

In my humble opinion, this strike is about the revolt of the COVID Moms.  When the Union says it is against the Patriarch it is really against the Matriarchy.  It is K-12 and Mothers are the ones focused on that.  When the Union says it is against Capaitalism it is really saying it is against Charter Schools, Private Schools. Parochial Schools and Home Schooling.  Because the Public Schools are under-performing, these "Capitalist" challengers must be suppressed for the Public Schools to keep their monopolies.

But, I doubt that will be part of the public discussion.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Food Prices Going Up

For John, BLUF:  Therre are goingn to be global food shorrtaages.&nbswp; Sme will starve.  Others will pay higher prices.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Record Food Prices Could Leap 22% More on Ukraine War, UN Warns

From Yahoo News, via Bloomberg, by Reporter Megan Durisin, 11 March 2022, 8:50 AM·2

Here is the lede plus two:

(Bloomberg) -- Record-high global food costs could surge another 22% as Russia’s assault on Ukraine stifles trade and slashes future harvests, the United Nations warned.

A report from the agency’s Food and Agriculture Organization on Friday shows the far-reaching fallout of the war on the world’s food system, with the impact set to stretch well beyond the next season.  Ukraine and Russia together account for more than a tenth of all calories traded globally, and those flows have been stifled since the conflict erupted late last month. Soaring production costs means other countries will only partly be able to compensate for the “sudden and steep reduction” in Black Sea grain and sunflower exports in the coming 2022-23 season, FAO said.  That will likely push international food and feed prices 22% higher and a “considerable” supply gap will linger going forward if the war persists and energy stays expensive.

HMaybe there is planning by the Federal and State Governments in the back room, but I suspect they have yet to tumble to the problem.

Buying staples now might be a good idea.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Possible Bad Times Ahead

For John, BLUF:  The Democratic Party dominated January 6th (J6) hearings are becoming (have become) a threat to our First Amendment rights.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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RNC Fights Back Against Partisan J6 Committee, Files Lawsuit

From Pajama News, by Mr Matt Margolis, 10 March 2022, 9:19 AM ET.

Here is the lede plus two:

After many months of the January 6 committee’s partisan overreach, on Wednesday, the Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the January 6 committee over their efforts to subpoena RNC databases.

“The RNC has sued to stop the January 6th Committee from unlawfully seizing confidential information about the internal activities of the Republican Party and millions of its supporters which is completely unrelated to the attack on the Capitol,” RNC chief counsel Justin Riemer said in a statement.

“The select panel has subpoenaed Salesforce.com for the data it maintains for the RNC.  Those digital communications enable political parties and other nonprofit organizations to operate and allow for organizations to interact with millions of online users,” reports the Washington Times.”

If the Rpublican Party takes control of the House of Representatived in January 2023 there could be a reserval of fortunes regarding the House J6 Commission.

And it could be worse.  It seems Veritas ran a honey trap against a reporter regarding the 6 January 2021 Capitol Hill Riots.

New York Times reporter Matthew Rosenberg, the Pulitzer-prize winning National Security correspondent for one of the nation’s largest newspapers, has admitted on an undercover video what most of us have long known: the lefty news media is blowing the events of Jan. 6, 2021, out of proportion.

. . .

Rosenberg also states that there were a “ton of FBI informants” in the Capitol [that day].

I am hoping the FBI was not involved in the 6 January activities.  However, I would not be shocked to find out it was so.

We need a way to accept that the Capitol Hill riots happened, they were, early on, encouraged by the reactions of the Capitol Police and that the net impact was near zero.  In the mean time we are eating away at our Rights and our Democratic Institutions.  That is not good.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

School Administrators Squashing Academic Freedom

For John, BLUF:  This is academic freedom and its errosion in American institutions of higher learning, is to our detriment.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Law Student Complains about a Question; Professor Sentenced to Re-education Camp

From The James G Martin Center for Academic Renewal, by Mr George Leef, JD, 2 March 2022.

Here is the lede plus four:

Law students are adults who have completed an undergraduate degree.  They’re in a professional school to learn the law, procedures, and skills they’ll need in a conflict-ridden, frequently harsh world.  You would expect that they would act accordingly.

Sadly, that’s not always the case. As we’ll see, law students can be petty and vindictive.

And you would also expect that the people who run law schools would act like responsible scholars, defending their faculty members against groundless attacks.

Sadly, that’s not always the case either.  As we’ll see, law school administrators can act like craven cowards, scurrying away from academic principles at the first hint of trouble.

Welcome to the case of Jason Kilborn, a professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago law school.  He has been on the faculty since 2010, teaching civil procedure, evidence, and other courses.

It isn't just in Law Schools.  There are indicztions that Dr Anthony Fauci was using his power of the purse to stifle researchers who were not following his line during the COVID Pandemic.

Academic Freedom is important, in that challenging old ideas and putting forward new ideas is how scientific progress (and other academic progress) is made.  We should not allow the powerful to stifle thinking.  The other path leads to a new serfdom and ignorant solutions imposed from on high to the detriment of the People.

One wonders if the profliferation of University Administrators is helping along this evil trend.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

What to Investigate

For John, BLUF:  This is based on the Republicans winning a House Majority in November, which is not a sure thing.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Jim Jordan:  House GOP Will Prioritize These 3 Investigations Next Year

From Pajama Media, by Reporter Matt Margolis, 1 March 2022, 10:53 AM ET.

Here is the lede plus four:

On Monday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, was asked to identify “the number one investigation that the House Republicans should put forward and pursue,” should the Republicans be in the majority next year after the midterm elections.

He couldn’t name one … he named three.

1. According to Jordan, the House GOP will investigate “all the lies from the misinformation, the disinformation from [Dr.] Fauci and the CDC,” which includes the suppression of the lab leak theory of the origins of COVID and the illegal funding of gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology with taxpayer dollars.
2. After Trump secured the southern border, Joe Biden laid out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants, causing illegal immigration to reach historic crisis levels  Biden’s migrant facilities are plagued with overcrowding and overall disgusting conditions.  There have also been reports of migrant children being sexually assaulted in these migrant facilities.  In addition, the Biden administration, rather than cracking down on illegal immigration, has been flying illegals to various U.S. cities.
3. Last year we learned that Attorney General Merrick Garland authorized the FBI to investigate parents who protest school board meetings.  Not only were they using the FBI to investigate parents who dared to criticize schools for teaching CRT and radical transgender ideology, according to a whistleblower in the department, but the FBI also employed counterterrorism tools to monitor parents—essentially treating parents as domestic terrorists.

I would add a fourth, the investigations and actions resulting from the 6 Janaury 2021 riots on Capitol Hill  The are things that have happened since then which seem very sketchy.

I welcome these investigations.

That said, investigations, House hearings, need to focus on facts and processes, and eschew personalities.

Go to the article (link above) for the links to more detail.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Reinterpreting the Age of COVID

For John, BLUF:  The thesis is that Democrats have to pivot to stay in line with the People regarding COVID.  And, the story of the past few years are being respun, science notwithstanding.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Democrats Will Try to Retcon Their Response to COVID-19 With a New Narrative–Don't Let Them

The term retcon means a new interprutation on a previous event.

From Pajama Media, by Reporter Stacey Lennox, 27 February, 2022 11:57 AM ET.

Here is the lede plus five:

The polling firm that proudly served Joe Biden in 2020 has some advice for Democrats.  Impact Research wrote a memo, which is circulating on Capitol Hill, alerting Democrats that no one likes their policies regarding COVID-19.  Prepare for the most comprehensive attempt to retcon the last two years we have seen yet as Democrats now understand that their political fate depends on embracing reality.

Impact Research is advocating for Democrats to declare that their leadership has defeated the threat from COVID-19 and claim the win.  The title of the memo is “Taking the Win Over COVID-19.” From the memo:

After two years that necessitated lockdowns, travel bans, school closures, mask mandates, and nearly a million deaths, nearly every American finally has the tools to protect themselves from this virus.  It’s time for Democrats to take credit for ending the COVID crisis phase of the COVID war, point to important victories like vaccine distribution and providing economic stability to Americans, and fully enter the rebuilding phase that comes after any war.

There was no war.  There were artificial economic and education shutdowns that many public health experts objected to from early in the pandemic.  Once it became clear that the virus was a serious threat to people over the age of 65 who had other health issues and not the younger, healthier populations, thousands of health experts, researchers, and clinicians signed on to the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020.

Related: Fauci Orchestrated ‘Quick and Devastating’ Takedown of Anti-Lockdown Experts

The document provided clear guidance to get low-risk younger adults back to work and children back to school.  At the same time, it called for creativity and local action to protect the vulnerable until treatment or vaccines became available.  Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Anthony Fauci actively sought to discredit these ideas and maintain harsh restrictions.  Vulnerable and elderly Americans died by the hundreds of thousands anyway.

This is a two part message.  One part is about the spinning of the past to put a better face on it.  Including the revising of the history of our time in COVID lockdown.  The second is about how it is time for the Democratic Party to turn on a dime and fall into step with the People, with regard to it being time to move on from the COVID pandemic interregnum.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff