Returning Home

For John, BLUF:  God will return His People to their land.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From , by .

Here is the Reading, Jeremiah 31:7-9:

Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
    exult at the head of the nations;
    proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
    the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
    from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
    with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
    they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
    but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
    on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
    Ephraim is my first-born.

Ephraim?  Who is Ephraim?  He is, per the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph ben Jacob and Asenath, as well as the adopted son of his biological grandfather Jacob, making him the progenitor of the Tribe of Ephraim.

The point of the reading is that God will console the exiles of Israel, and will return them to their ancesteral lands.  Thus, the Jews returning to the Holy Land and forming the nation of Israel.  I, for one, would not wish to get in God's way in this matter.

But, as Father Mark Jette, down in Conneticutt, pointed out in an EMail, the Gospel (Mark 10:46-52) has a powerful lesson.  Blind Bartimaeus, upon hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was approaching, cried out "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me".  This is basically the Jesus Prayer.  It is short (3 Seconds) and yet powerful.  Invoking this short prayer is an effective way to orient the moment on God.

Regards  —  Cliff

How You Score DJT

For John, BLUF:  Is this the "October Surprise" of the 2024 Election Season?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Trump's former chief of staff called him a 'fascist.' Harris is campaigning on that

From NPR, by Reporter Ximena Bustillo, 23 October 2024, 1:53 PM ET.

Here is the lede plus two:

Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, who was former President Donald Trump‘s longest-serving chief of staff, called Trump’s leadership style “dictatorial,” “fascist” and lacking empathy in new interviews this week.

Now Vice President Harris — who is trying to peel off moderate Republican voters and independents in key swing states — is seizing on those warnings to bolster her argument that her opponent is a threat to democracy and too dangerous to hold the office.

Trump has made more than 100 threats to prosecute or punish perceived enemies "So the bottom line is this, we know what Donald Trump wants — he wants unchecked power. The question, in 13 days, will be what do the American people want?" Harris said, referring to Election Day on Nov. 5.

I want to switch this up because I am not sure I understand how Progressives view “fascism”. I distinctly remember some woman being interviewed on NPR saying, about Mao, and the Great Leap Forward, that to "Make an Omlet you have to break some eggs."  Really?

Anyway, I ask each of you to tell me where, on this spectrum, you put Candidate Donald J Trump in terms of his fascism.

1. Woodrow Wilson (New Jersey)
2. António Salazar (Portugal)
3. Francisco Franco (Spain)
4. Benito Mussolini (Italy)
5. Adolf Hitler (Germany)
6. Joseph Stalin (Russia)
7. Mao Zedung (China)
8. Pol Pot (Cambodia)

In thinking about this, keep in mind that in Italy Carlo Levi survived WWII to write a book, but, in the Netherlands Anne Frank did not survive WWII, to allow her to edit her diaries.  The Ukrainians probably have yet to forgive Russia for the Holodomor.  While I have forgiven The Old Gray Lady and Walter Duranty and the Pulitzer Panel for lying about it, I haven't forgotten their failures.

Anyway, give DJT a score.  A score with a decimal fraction is fine.  For instances, my score for Candidate Trump is 0.8.

Then ask yourself where you would put Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.  Think especially about their views on freedom of speech (First Amendment) and the right of People to be wrong.

Exit Question:  If, as I would assert, Joseph Stalin was worse than Adolf Hitler, does that make his Left Wing Government more right wing than Nazism?

Regards  —  Cliff

Dems Call DJT a Fascist

For John, BLUF:  I am going to blame high school history teachiing for the false belief that Donald Trump is a Fascist.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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My Middle Brother, who is a Progressive, sent me this article

Harris and Democrats Lose Their Reluctance to Call Trump a Fascist

Here is the sub-headline:

Since Gen. Mark Milley was quoted as saying Donald Trump is “fascist to the core,” a term avoided by top members of the Democratic Party is suddenly everywhere.

From The Old Gray Lady, by Jonathan Weisman, 17 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus six:

The word “fascist” has hovered around former President Donald J. Trump from the moment he rode down his golden escalator in 2015 to warn of Mexican rapists and drug dealers in the memorable opening of his bid for president. But for most top Democrats, it was a provocative term loaded with dread, historical import and potential incitement — best left unsaid.

Until Vice President Kamala Harris this week made clear — again and again — that it would be just fine with her to use the word.

On Tuesday, as the radio host Charlamagne Tha God interviewed Ms. Harris, he interjected as the vice president contrasted her vision with her rival’s. “The other is about fascism,” he said of Mr. Trump’s vision. “Why can’t we just say it?”

Ms. Harris’s response: “Yes, we can say that.”

On Wednesday, speaking in Washington Crossing, Pa., Ms. Harris quoted Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Mr. Trump, describing his former boss as “fascist to the core,” as detailed in a new book from the journalist Bob Woodward.

“America,” she said, “must heed this warning.”

The quotation of Mr. Milley may have opened the floodgates for Democrats, granting new permission with the authority of his uniform and his unique closeness to the inner workings of Mr. Trump’s administration. But an element of political risk remains, even as Mr. Trump freely uses the word himself against Ms. Harris.

As an aside, one wonders if General Milley is sort of a Paronist.

But, since we are crediting General Milley with opening up the use of the word fascist, via Reporter Bob Woodward's book, War, we need to ask what it means.  I expect that to most Americans the term fascist conjurs up the image of German Fuehrer Adoph Hitler.  I think that is wrong.  Fascist comes from Italian leader Benito Musolinni, Il Duce.  He was a former Communist, looking for a new system.  This was parallel to Adolph Hitler creating a new approach for Germany, National Socialism.  While Wikipedia says "Nazism is a form of fascism", I am doubtful that Adolph Hitler was modeling his party on what was happening in Italy at the same time.  I doubt that Hitler saw Musolinni as an influencer.

It would seem that those who followed in the fascist path are Spain (Francisco Franco) and Portugal (António de Oliveira Salazar).

Yes, Benito Musolinni was a bad guy, but he was no Hitler.  Remember that Carlo Levi, a Jewish Italian Physician and Painter, lived through the war to write Christ Stopped at Eboli.  We know that Anne Frank, a Jewish teen in German occupied Holland, did not live to edit her diaries.

So, does General Milley think that Trump models himself after Musollini or after Hitler?

Yet, there are others in the Twentieth Century who might have been worse than Hitler.  I am thinking of Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union), Mao Zedung (China), Pol Pot (Cambodia) and the Kim Family (North Korea).  Each has been ruthless and each has killed a higher percentage of its Citizens.  And yet we tend to shy away from examining the evil in those four leaders and from using them as standards of evil by comparison.  A prime example is Reporter Walter Duranty, who won a Pulitzer Prize while reporting for The New York Times on the Soviet Union and the Holodomor.

In fact, it appears sometimes that Progresssives make space for such evil.  I remember, about a decade or so ago, sitting in the parking lot of the Raytheon Facility in Sudbury, Massachusetts and listening to a woman on NPR talking about Mao's Great Leap Forward, "That to make an omlet you had to break some eggs."  wikipedia has a low estimate of 15 million dead, with a high of 55 million.  Elsewhere I have heard the number 100 milliion dead.

When someone claims Candidate Donald Trump is a fascist it tells me more about the speaker than it does about Donald J Trump.

Regards  —  Cliff

Blame it on Russia

For John, BLUF:  It appeas that Russian interference in domestic politics is not going away and is not limited to the United States.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Not that Russia doesn't deserve a lot of criticism, but still, there are limits to the evil responsibilities of President V Putin.

Trudeau accuses Jordan Peterson and Tucker Carlson of being funded by Russia

From True North Wire, by Reporter Clayton DeMaine, 17 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus one:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Canadian author and psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson, as well as American media personality Tucker Carlson, of being funded by Russia without providing any evidence to substantiate his claims.

While testifying at the ongoing foreign interference inquiry on Wednesday, Justin Trudeau accused the two conservative media personalities of being on the Russian payroll.

Prime Minister Trudeau was even asked if there was a connectino between Russia and the Freedom Convoy in 2022, durihng the COVID-19 outbreak.  There appears to be none, but I am sure the Prime Minister would like to be able to point to one, since it was a thorn in his side

I have not been a close follower of Canadian politics since Blogger Ed Morrissey switched from Captain's Cabin as his blog location, but I do think Prime Ministeer Trudeau fis may be in a bit of trouble, politically.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Restricting Space Travel

For John, BLUF:  This is over a month old, but the story has not gotten better with time and now SpaceX has sued the California Coastal Commission over obstruction based on Mr Musk's political views.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Biden Admin to SpaceX:  Drop Dead!

From Vodka Pundit, by Stephen Green, September 11, 2024, 10:00 AM.

Here is the lede plus three:

It isn't a joke whenever I say that the new space race is Elon Musk versus the rest of the world, and I'm not joking now when I tell you that his company's biggest competitor isn't China — and it certainly isn't Russia — but the Biden-Harris FAA.

SpaceX's Starship promises to revolutionize spaceflight by reducing launch costs by two orders of magnitude — that's a 99% savings — and vastly expanding current limits on the size and mass of what can be lifted into orbit and deep space.

If SpaceX can get permission to perform the necessary flight tests, that is — and the FAA is dragging its feet.

"Starships are meant to fly," the company reminded the Biden administration in a lengthy statement released on Tuesday. "We recently received a launch license date estimate of late November from the FAA, the government agency responsible for licensing Starship flight tests. This is a more than two-month delay to the previously communicated date of mid-September. This delay was not based on a new safety concern, but instead driven by superfluous environmental analysis."

"Starships are meant to fly."  That is correct.  There is, however, an apparent tension between our free enterpise approach of exploring space and the desire of progressives to protect the environment by constraining free lance exploration that damages our enviroment and could damage enviornments on other worlds.

My sense is that a cheap trick now will cost us later.  We need to let ingenuity roam free and count on self interest to ensure we do not act, in the long run, in stupid ways.  Early constraints on such exploration is reminiscent of China in 1405 to 1433, which had conducted seven voages by its treasure fleet, only to back away from it all and eventually fall into a period of decline, finally pulling out recently.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Trudeau in Trouble?

For John, BLUF:  There is political trouble in the always polite neighbor to our north.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Some Liberal MPs are mounting a new effort to oust Justin Trudeau

Here is the sub-headline:

MPs were pulled into meetings across Parliament Hill this week to sign a pledge demanding change at the top

From Canadian Broadcastting Corporation, by David Cochrane, John Paul Tasker, Catherine Cullen, 11 October 2024, 8:00 PM EDT.

Here is the lede plus four:

Pressure is building on the prime minister and his office as a growing number of anxious Liberal MPs are co-ordinating efforts to force Justin Trudeau to step down as Liberal Party leader, multiple sources have told CBC News.

Disgruntled Liberal MPs held a series of meetings to discuss a path forward for the party since the surprising Toronto-St. Paul's byelection loss in June.

Those talks accelerated with Parliament's return and the Montreal byelection loss. They escalated further this week with the prime minister and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, out of the country for a summit in Asia.

Some MPs are being asked to sign their names to what amounts to a pledge to stand together in calling for Trudeau to resign, multiple sources said.

The document isn't a letter to be circulated; sources describe it as a vehicle to secure a commitment from MPs to seek a leadership change, and to bind the MPs to that goal if the prime minister and his supporters push back.

If the Canadians are finally seeing the problem with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, surely American Votrs will be able to see the problems ahead with a Harris/Walz Administration.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Musk Frustrated in the Golden State

For John, BLUF:  California Bureaucrats are acting to strangle Mr Elon Musk's ingenuity and initiative.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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California officials reject more SpaceX rocket launches, with some citing Musk's X posts

From The Los Angeles Times, by 11 October 2024 at 2:35 PM.

Here is the lede plus five:

SpaceX's plans to launch more rockets from the California coast were rejected by a state commission this week, with some officials citing Elon Musk's political posts on X and raising concerns about the billionaire's labor record at his companies.

The plan to increase the number of rocket blasts into space up to 50 a year was rejected by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday despite assurances from Space Force and Air Force officials that they would increase efforts to monitor the effects that rocket launches have on nearby wildlife.

The military also vowed to mitigate the reach of sonic booms that often span across 100 miles of coastline, an issue that has caused controversy.

Members of the California Coastal Commission commended Space Force and Air Force representatives for reaching an agreement, but some cited their concerns about Musk, the owner of SpaceX, before rejecting the plan.

Among the issues raised were Musk's decision to insert himself in the presidential race, his spreading of conspiracy theories, the labor record of his companies and derogatory comments he has made about the transgender community.

"We're dealing with a company, the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race," commission Chair Caryl Hart said.

We are talking about shutting down an operation that just recaptured a first stage back onto a gantry, ready to refuel and relaunch.  For the first time.

Is there any question about why firms are leaving California?

This kind of action in California adds to the swirl around if the Federal Government is out to get Mr Elon Musk.  I hope this is just internet misunderstandings.

Regards  —  Cliff

A Relook at Voting History

For John, BLUF:  An interesting dive into history that looks at a big political myth.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Goldwater landslide myth

Here is the sub-headline:

Alabama political columnist needs a history lesson

From Don Surber Substack, by Reporter Don Surber, 15 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus ten:

It’s that time in the presidential election year when lazy journalists roll out their frightening fairy story about Nixon’s southern strategy. The fable is meant to portray Republicans as racists. It is of course a lie but it goes like this, as reported by Steve Flowers whose weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature.

He wrote:

Lyndon Johnson was the Democrat nominee for president. Johnson carried 44 states and won the presidency by a landslide. Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona carried only his home state and the five deep south states, including Alabama. Goldwater carried Alabama overwhelmingly, thus the label given to the Republican victory in the south was ironically the Goldwater Landslide.

The so-called “Solid South” had been Democratic more out of tradition and protocol than philosophy. Both national parties took the south for granted in national elections. The Democrats ignored us because we were in the barn and the Republicans ignored us for the same reason.

The 1964 election was the turning point when the deep south states voted for Barry Goldwater. The south has never looked back. It was the race issue that won them over. Goldwater and the Republican party captured the race issue.

Let us look at the facts.

Goldwater was one of only 6 Republican senators who opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The other 27 voted for the act — clearly a higher percentage of the support than the Democrats who split 44-23 on passage of the law. The two-thirds majority was necessary to overcome a Democrat filibuster.

Goldwater indeed carried 5 of the 11 Confederate states with his stand against civil rights. Four years later, Nixon too carried 5 of the 11 Confederate states.

None of them, however, were the 5 states Goldwater carried. Those five states all went to a Democrat which shows that if Nixon had a Southern strategy of wrangling klansmen into the Republican Party, he failed miserably.

For example, Goldwater received 87% of the vote in Mississippi in 1964. Four years later, Nixon received less than 14% of the vote in that state.

Of course, Nixon had no such designs on the South. He was an ardent supporter of civil rights as vice president and therefore, President of the Senate.

This is different from how the "Nixon Southern Strategy" is normally portrayed.

It should be pointed out that the Candidacy of Alabama Governor George Wallace iin 1968 impacted who got which Elecoral College votes.

This year we are seeing such blocks breaking up as votes look to issues rather than to racial groups.

Regards  —  Cliff

Reason for Large Illegal Immigration

For John, BLUF:  The Department of Homeland Security has a problem with putting out a coherent story that sells across the fruited plain.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Trust Me, We Would NEVER Do That, Says Mayorkas to Disbelieving Americans

From PJ Media, by Reporter Victoria Taft, 14 October 2024, 9:18 AM.

Here is the lede plus six:

Alejandro Mayorkas, the impeached Department of Homeland Security Secretary, wants you to know that he's vewy, vewy angwy that people would dare say that the reason he, Border Czar Kamala Harris, and President Joe Biden, have opened the borders to a marauding horde of millions of illegal aliens is to import new Democrat voters.

That's just "disinformation," he said on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday morning, with just a tad too much-feigned disbelief in his voice.

Mayorkas told Margaret Brennan that these kinds of stories combined with the concerns over helping North Carolina hurricane victims vote this election have caused Americans to "lose confidence in the integrity of the election system, and we need people in positions of authority to actually communicate accurate information to the voting public."

Getting "accurate information" would be a refreshing change, wouldn't it?

But this was my favorite line from Mayorkas. Make sure you're not eating or drinking anything while you read on.

"The notion that we in law enforcement have sought to intentionally allow individuals to cross the border illegally for the purpose of voting is preposterous, and everyone should condemn that rhetoric," he solemnly told Brennan. "Everyone, regardless of party affiliation."

That's right. It's not his contemptible behavior that begs explanation, it's our daring to ask the question that's the problem.

So, can we say that the flood of illegal immigrants is due to incompetence on the part of the Bush Administration?  Or, are they tryihng to compensate for all those childless cat ladies?  Maybe it has to do with fertility collapse.

Fertility has collapsed worldwide owing to female empowerment, urbanization, economic insecurity and climate concerns. "Peak humanity" is upon us – and that's before we factor in another pandemic or accelerating climate disasters.

Yes, we need more immigration in the United States.♠  However, we need to do it the right way.  The Senator Schumer supported Immigration Reform Bill is not the right way.  For one thing, it allows for 1.82 milllion illegal immigrants a year before actions kick in, if they are not waived by the Administration.  Really?  Just go with the House Bill they have been suppressing.  Hypocrits all the way down.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠ 

Getting the News

For John, BLUF:  Back in the day we believed that there was objectivity in our news sources, the days of Yellow Journalism having passed.  No more.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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CBS and Objectivity

From Chicago Boyz, by Mike, 10 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus four:

CBS has had an interesting week. First there was the interview of Ta-Nehisi Coates by “CBS This Morning” co-anchor Tony Dokoupil regarding Coates’ book “The Message.” Dokoupil treated Coates well, like a Republican, in that he asked some pointed questions about Coates’ book; his claim Israel was a white supremacist ethnostate akin to the Jim Crow South, that he treated Palestinians exclusively as victims without agency, and that he failed to state how Israel was surrounded by enemies pledged to destroy it.

Tough, but civil…. and then all heck broke loose

Apparently the morning show staff was so traumatized by the interview that CBS held a struggle session the next day. One of the criticisms that was hurled at Dokoupil was that he ignored the “one-sheet:”

”…the network went through its standard protocol of vetting questions through its legal, standards, and race and culture departments. The properly vetted questions were then included on what’s known as a ‘one-sheet,’ from which everyone within the show works.”

It’s standard protocol to vet questions through a race and culture department?

Mike seems to think that CBS is a fraud in terms of being an objective news organization.  For example, he calls out one of my big concerns:

The first is the standard DEI mantra of equating a certain percentage of racial/gender/LGBT+ identities in their newsroom with a diversity of viewpoints.

It is a little sad that we need to filter our news, looking for inherent biases that might distort what we are learning.  It is even sadder that there are people working in such organizations who have to filter what they say or write in order to conform to some socially constricting standards impose by identity politics.

It is incumbent on all of us to widen our news souorces and do the tear and compare of what we are hearing, so we can be better voters and citizens.

Regards  —  Cliff

You Still Have to Govern

Blog Template.
Winning an election is only the first step.  Then you must govern.  It appears the aparliamentary Labour Party og Greak abritain was not prepared for this second step.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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LABOUR DITCHES 100 DAY CELEBRATION

Here is the sub-headline:

NO PLANS FOR CELEBRATION OF DISASTROUS FIRST 100 DAYS OF LABOUR

From Order Order, by Guido Fawkes, 11 October 2024, 12:26.

Here is the lede plus one:

No 10 has just confirmed at today’s Lobby briefing that there are no plans to hold a celebration to mark 100 days of government.  Starmer will be holed up in Downing Street this weekend working on his “reset”…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has run into a number of issues since moving to No 10 Downing Street.  Among them is a major popularity crash.  Not that the Tories (Conservatives) have managed to get their act together .

The best of British Luck to our cousins across the pond.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

24/7

For John, BLUF:  I am impressed that Waffle House provides greaat waffles 24/7, and works to do it under all conditions.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Yes, Waffle House really has a storm center

Here is the sub-headline:

Waffle House has a reputation for not only staying open 24/7, 365 days a year, but also for its disaster response. Here’s what we can VERIFY about its storm center.

From Verify This, by Author Erin Jones, 5:29 PM EDT, 9 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus one:

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

On Oct. 8, an X post with over 2.6 million views claimed Waffle House, a popular restaurant chain with more than 1,900 restaurants in 25 states, set up a storm center ahead of Milton.

“Waffle House has a Storm Center with an entire operations team that is so good at their job they assist FEMA during hurricanes,” the post said.

Many people who commented on the post questioned if Waffle House really has a storm center.

Yes, Waffle House has a storm center and it works to keep its resturants open or to get them back up and runnihng, even if with a limited menu and on temporary power.

Excellent food and excellent serice, 24/7.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Ignorant Students

For John, BLUF:  Asw a college graduate I am embarrassed at the way students at Columbia University, and elsewhere, are acting toward Israel and their Jewish Classmates.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Columbia's Student Protesters Really Have Embraced Hamas

From Hot Air, by Opinionator John Sexton, 8:40 PM, 10 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus seven:

I touched on this earlier this week when Columbia's anti-Israel group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), held a walkout/protest on the anniversary of 10/7, but I think it probably deserves more attention.

You may remember this guy, Khymani James, one of the student organizers at Columbia who made news earlier this year when a video circulated of him saying, "Zionists, along with all white supremacists, need to not exist." He added, "Be glad, be grateful that I'm not just going out and murdering Zionists."

After this made news in April, James was suspended and CUAD put out a statement, apparently from James himself, apologizing for his comments.

“CUAD and the Gaza Solidarity Encampment have made clear that my words in January, prior to my involvement in CUAD, are not in line with the CUAD community guidelines. I agree with their assessment,” the apology read. “Those words do not represent CUAD. They also do not represent me.”

This week, CUAD reversed course, not only saying it regretted its earlier statement but making it plain that the group supports violence, i.e. it supports Hamas.

The pro-Palestinian group that sparked the student encampment movement at Columbia University in response to the Israel-Hamas war is becoming more hard-line in its rhetoric, openly supporting militant groups fighting Israel and rescinding an apology it made after one of its members said the school was lucky he wasn’t out killing Zionists.

“We support liberation by any means necessary, including armed resistance,” the group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, said in its statement revoking the apology.

The group marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by distributing a newspaper with a headline that used Hamas’s name for it: “One Year Since Al-Aqsa Flood, Revolution Until Victory,” it read, over a picture of Hamas fighters breaching the security fence to Israel. And the group posted an essay calling the attack a “moral, military and political victory” and quoting Ismail Haniyeh, the assassinated former political leader of Hamas.

One wonders what is happening at Columbia University.  From a cultural point of view there students seem to have slipped away from American, into some new grouping.  It is one thing to be against Zionism, or evewn the return of Jews to their ancesteral home, now Israel.  It is another to call for killing of Zionists.

Further, the student protestors seem to not give a fig for the 7 million Israelis.  What is to become of them.&nsp; To not care about them is to betray the progress our Western Culture has made in accepance of Jews.  It would be like the United States standing by and saying nothing as Liberia was buldozed into the Atlantic Ocean.  Morally unacceptable.

There is no doubt we need peace in the Middle East.  To get there e need to recognize the underlying animosity of Iran toward israel and the United States.  Not Irran as a whole, but the Mullahs of Iran, from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on down.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Compare and Contrast

For John, BLUF:  Not all Parishes are the same, but it is the smae Mass and same Communion; the sme Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church

Last weekend I Celebrated Mass in a different location:

THERE—As I walked in there was holy water for me to bless myself.
HERE—Not so much

THERE—Processioning down in front of the Celebrant was an Altar Server with the Cross and seventeen other Altar Servers.
HERE—Not so much

THERE—Two Readers, one for each of the first two readings.
HERE—One person for both plus the Psalm.

THERE—There were nealers for those receiving Communion who wished to use them.
HERE—What, kneeling to receive?

THERE—Three Priests distributed Communion.
HERE—Praise God for our Lay Euchristic Ministers.

THERE—Just after Mass started the Deacon had to duck into the back to get a replacement microphone set.
HERE—Mics seem iffy.

Regards  —  Cliff

Register Your Chickens

For John, BLUF:  The British Government has gone overboard in its fight against avian flue by registering every owner of a chicken in England.  It has not gone well.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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As God Is My Witness, I Thought Roasted Chickens Could Fly

From VodkaPundit, by Blogger Stephen Green, 10:15 AM on 8 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus five:

Ordinary people need to enjoy a little taste of rebellion against their oppressors now and then, particularly when it comes in the form of a delicious roasted chicken. But there's something I need to get off my chest before we get to Britain's tawdry tale of chicken registrations and crashed government websites.

Watching the once-Great Britain slowly slide into soft totalitarianism has been a great disappointment. It's virtually impossible to do anything in the UK any longer without being surveilled on video, audited, indexed, reported to the authorities, or jailed for silently praying. You can't own a pistol, and they've considered banning knives. You'll be hounded or stabbed by Islamic colonizers or beaten with reeds for using the incorrect imaginary personal pronouns.

I made up the part about the reeds. But Britain's Labour government has considered making it a hate crime punishable by up to two years in jail for purposely using the "wrong" pronouns.

All this is from the people who invented the English liberty that evolved here into American exceptionalism.

True, it's sad, but glimmers of Ye Olde English Liberty remain.

Following a 2021 outbreak of avian flu that resulted in millions of culled birds, the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) was placed in charge of new registration requirements for chickens.

I was beginninhg to have my doubts about Vera Lynn and her singing There Will Always be an England:

There'll always be an England
And England shall be free
If England means as much to you
As England means to me

I am not English.  I am an American.  But, both. physically and politcally I am a descendent of England,  Thus, this gives me hope.  This tells me there are people in Merry Old England who still believe in individual freedom and who are willing to tweek the nose of oppressive government.

The point is that if you have just one chicken, even for a pet — and I won't judge you, I swear — as of Oct. 1, you have to register your bird with DEFRA. (I swear I keep reading that as "DERPA.")

This is when Britons have finally said, "Enough!" because pranksters hit the registration page so hard last week that they crashed it.

The prank registrations aren't limited to Tesco roasted chickens. Some people have reportedly registered rubber chickens and even chicken nuggets.

As of this writing, one week later, the website is still "unavailable due to technical issues."

Good on you People of England.  Good on you for standing up to petty bureaucrats who would crush the idea of individual freedom.  Good laws make everyone safer and happier.  However, oppressive petty restrictions are the bane of freedom and democracy.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

China's Economy

For John, BLUF:  The economy in China is being kept moving by stimulations.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Did Democrats Take Control of China?

From VodkaPundit, by Blogger Stephen Green, 8:45 AM on 8 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus four:

Obamanomics — borrowed from FDR and since resurrected as Bidenomics — was the fine art of taking an economy that had been knocked on its back, firmly stepping on its throat with the jackboot of regulation, and bashing it repeatedly on the head with a giant sackful of money while shouting, "WHY WON'T YOU DO ANYTHING?"

While we're just four weeks out from learning whether Obamanomics will be rebranded once more as Kamalanomics, our friends in Communist China are learning the hard way what it's like to be ruled by truly ambitious Democrats. Or Communists. It's all so confusing sometimes.

The point is that China's massive economy has been flat on its back for a while now, thanks in no small part to strongman Xi Jinping's determination to restore Communist control. His severe COVID lockdowns only made things worse, convincing consumers that they'd better stuff all their money under the proverbial mattress.

This is where classic New Deal/Obamanomics comes in.

The New York Times breathlessly reported Monday that "China’s Policy Reversal Sparks ‘Mind Boggling’ Stock Rally." The report opened with, "Just a few weeks ago, many investors in China’s stock markets were ready to give up and eager to sell. Then late last month, traders rushed in to make bullish bets after the government’s leaders announced a series of steps to stimulate China’s faltering economy."

Then it fell and more stimulation is needed.

Is it possible that the economy in China is like the economy under Bidenomics?  At many levels no, but at some yes.  China is caught in an effort to be a capitalist society with Communist characteristics.  Perhaps the question is, how much freedom do people need to make a capitalist systaem work?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Happy 5785

For John, BLUF:  Today, 3 October, is the beginning of the new Jewish Year, Rosh Hashanah.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Rosh Hashanah

Here is a Wikipedia explanation:

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day observance and celebration that begins on the first day of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year. In contrast to the ecclesiastical lunar new year on the first day of the first month Nisan, the spring Passover month which marks Israel's exodus from Egypt, Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the civil year, according to the teachings of Judaism, and is the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman according to the Hebrew Bible, as well as the initiation of humanity's role in God's world.

Happy New Year and a better year in 5785.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Spirit Falls

For John, BLUF:  The Holy Spirit falls far and wide.  As Christians we should be open to what the Spirit wishes to empower us for.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading (Numbers 11:25-29):

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.

Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses' aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

I think this is an importnt passage from the Old Testament, about the new Christian church.  Saint Paul lists the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as (1 Corinthins 12, Douay-Rheims):

8 To one indeed, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom: and to another, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
9 To another, faith in the same spirit; to another, the grace of healing in one Spirit;
10 To another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, diverse kinds of tongues; to another, interpretation of speeches.
11 But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as he will.

So the 72, including Eldad and Medad, received, from the Spirit, the gift of prophecy, just as Saint Paul tells us, Christians who received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit may receive, amongat several gifts, the gift of prophecy.  Thus, as one should expect, there is continuity between the Old and New Testament.

And the infilling of the Holy Spirit is something each Christian should strive for.  And they shoould be open to exercising the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Regards  —  Cliff

A Fuzzy Picture

The Democrats in Congress often have a hard time supporting our Middle East ally, Israel.  And,they have no solutions to bring peace for all.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Ocasio-Cortez nailed with online backlash after bizarre response to pager attack on Hezbollah

Here is the sub-headline:

The congresswoman demanded to know if the US had any hand in the attack.

From The Blaze, by BLAZE NEWS, 18 September 2024.

Here is the lede plus three:

Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York offered a bizarre response to the astounding pager attack on members of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

While many praised the ingenuity and precision of the attack on the terror group, Ocasio-Cortez issued a demand for assurance that the U.S. didn't provide any assistance to the operation.

"Israel’s pager attack in Lebanon detonated thousands of handheld devices across of a slew of public spaces, seriously injuring and killing innocent civilians," she wrote in a post on social media.

"This attack clearly and unequivocally violates international humanitarian law and undermines US efforts to prevent a wider conflict," Ocasio-Cortez added. "Congress needs a full accounting of the attack, including an answer from the State Department as to whether any US assistance went into the development or deployment of this technology."

Were civilians injured or killed in this event?  I am sure there were.  But, how?  The carelessness of the Hezbollah targets, the "soldiers" of a terrorist organization?  Likely.  Say a Hezbollah terrorist giving his pager to a young neice to play with.  Being careless often has consequences.

I suspect Representative Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is just looking for reasons to whinge against Israel.  I wonder if she is one of those "river to the sea" types, who has no ideas what to do with eight million Israelis who would be displaced by her desired solution?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Faith Without Works is Dead

For John, BLUF:  Our Love of God should result in action.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Here is the Second Reading (Epistle of Saint James, 2:14-18):

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, "
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

From a Sermons by Saint Peter Chrysologus, we have the concept that "Prayer knocks, fasting obtains, mercy receives".  In my mind mercy and works merge and are actions that represent our faith in action.

Regards  —  Cliff

America Turning Inward

For John, BLUF:  In politics one needs to chase after the voters.  This article suggests the Democrats have something to learn by listening to Trump and his supporters.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Deep Roots of Trump’s Isolationism

Here is the sub-headline:

Democrats Need Their Own “America First” Agenda

From Foreign Affairs, by Prof Charles Kupchan, 9 September 2024.

Here is the lede plus three:

The mainstream U.S. foreign policy establishment views former President Donald Trump as a dangerous neo-isolationist, completely out of step with American ideals and interests. Internationalists at home and abroad shudder at the prospect of Trump’s potential reelection in November, fearing that he would dismantle the liberal order that the United States and its allies have built and defended since World War II.

Such fears are justified; Trump may indeed seek to do away with at least some core elements of the U.S.-led liberal order. But to portray his “America first” approach as a dark deviation from the American experience is to misunderstand its deep historical and ideological roots, as well as its considerable political appeal. Trump’s statecraft is a response to a changing world and to demand signals from the U.S. electorate, not a capricious effort to take apart the world that the United States made.

None of this is to deny that Trump’s return to office could be disastrous. At home, he may well imperil American democracy. Abroad, Trump’s mere reelection would set the world on edge. U.S. allies would have to face the reality that their security guarantor—the globe’s premier power—has been beset by intractable political dysfunction; they would have no choice but to question Washington’s long-term reliability and make other plans. Meanwhile, autocrats would be emboldened and the cause of democracy everywhere debilitated.

Yet the best way to avoid that highly unattractive outcome is not to recoil at Trump’s “America first” movement or to see it merely as the work of a know-nothing felon. Rather, the way forward requires unpacking that movement, understanding its considerable political appeal, and appropriating its worthy elements. If the Democrats are to defeat Trump and his neo-isolationist agenda, they should cull central elements of his “America first” program and pivot toward a more modest, restrained, and pragmatic brand of U.S. statecraft.

I think this article, although written from "left of center,” offers an alternative look at how we might conduct our foreign policy, perhaps going back to our roots in our early decades.  While it looks askance at President Trump and his ideas, the author teases out what he sees are veins of thought that resonate with the American People. Thus, its positive points may well outweigh its partisanship.

One place I strongly disagree with the author is his characterization of Senator Chuck Schumer's "bi-partison" immigration bill, which he brought forward to supplant the House Bill, which the Senate Majority Leader had buttonholed.  The Schumer Bill did not do the job.  For example, it would allow 1.82 million illegals a year without triggering actions.  As it is, President Biden's Executive Order♠ has an annual limit of only 912,500, which is still a lot of illegals per year.

The Author is Dr. Charles Kupchan, Professor of International Affairs in the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University, and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2014 to 2017 Kupchan served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council in the Obama White House. He was also Director for European Affairs on the NSC during the first Clinton administration. Before joining the Clinton NSC, he worked in the U.S. Department of State on the Policy Planning Staff. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Politics at Princeton University..

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  One wonders how Preesident Biden issued that Executive Order after whinging for three years that he couldn't.

Somewhat Off the Hook

For John, BLUF:  People are piling on with blame for Vice President Harris for the events of the last three and a half years.  It isn't fair.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Voters Say Kamala Can’t Escape Biden’s Legacy, Despite Her Flip-Flops

From The Media Research Center, by Reporter Craig Bannister, 5 September 2024.

Here is the lede plus one:

Vice President Kamala Harris can claim she’s not responsible for the Biden-Harris administration’s failed policies, but voters aren’t buying it, results of a new national poll reveal.

Despite her claimed rejection of Biden policies, ranging from fracking and taxing tips to finishing former President Donald Trump’s border wall, U.S. likely voters largely blame Democrat presidential nominee Harris for Biden’s policy failures and credit her for their successes.

The job of the Vice President is actually very limited.  For example, Vice President Harry S Truman had no idea about the A-Bomb when he took over as President from Franklin D Roosevelt.  As Vice President John Nance Garner, III ("Cactus Jack") said about being Vice President, it is “Not worth a bucket of warm spit.”

Here is my take on Vice President Harris' responsibilities:

Her primary job is being ready to be President.

Preside over the US Senate—Where her's was the deciding vote to pass the infamous "Inflation Reduction Act", which helped spike inflation and impacted drug research.

Some apparent organizing responsibility in the 25th Amendment.
Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.♠

Plus Administration appointed Tasks:

• Chairman of the Space Council.
• Border Tsar. (Maybe)

I am not saying she is without sin in the Biden Administration, but I am saying she was not in charge.  The failures of the Biden Administration can not be passed from President Joseph R Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Having said that, to the degree she participated in discussions♥ or accpeted assignments (eg, Border Tsar) she bears some responsibility.  The job for the voter is to sort through this and then make a decision, in part on this work experience, how to vote.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  This raises one of those "Whaat did she know and when did she know it" questions.
♥  For example, in the past Vice President Harris has said she was the last one in the room with President Biden when the Afghan withdrawal decision was made.

Discretion

For John, BLUF:  In this week's Gospel reading Jesus show compasion in Ministering to a person with handicaps.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Gospel, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Here is the Gospel Reading from Saint Mark 7:31-37:

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

In the Second Reading Saint James tells us (2:1-5) to not make distinctions, but to treat all the same, rich or poor.

In the Gospel Jesus shows us that we can make exceptions.  The man suffering from deafness and a speech impediment is taken off, away from the crowd, where Jesus csn minister to him in private.  I see this as a courtsey to the man.  This is guidance to all of us, in that when we minister we should not do it in a showy way.  Rather, when possible, do it in a private way, to provide some dignity to the person.

Regards  —  Cliff

Our Big Act of Faith

For John, BLUF:  Some weekends the Scripture Readings at Mass are OK, and somoe weeks they hit it out of the park.  This was a hit it out of the park weekend.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Here is the Gospel Reading (John 6:60-69):

Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."

As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

This is my favorite Bible passage.  In the reading the previous week Jesus lays out that His Body and Blood are food and drink for the believer.  Many disciples found this to be hard to accept.  They turned away from Jesus.  Then Jesus turns to the Apostles and asks them where they stand.  Saint Peter answers for the Twelve, and as if thinking, "I don't have a clue" he says

"Master, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

In my mind Saiant Peter is saying:

Boss I don't have a clue, but if you say so.

Saint Peter is speaking out of faith.  The same faith we show when we go forward to receive Communion.

But, it wasn't the only good reading.  There is the first reading, from the Book of Joshua.  Those of us of a certain age might remember the spiritual, Joshua Fought the Battle of Jerico.♠  In this reading the Prophet Joshua makes clear that he stands with God.

"As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

And, the Second Readding, from Saiant Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32) is good advice for Christians.  The reason there are two versions is becsuse this scripture calls for wives to be "be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord".  Some are offended by this wording.  Apparently, folks are not as offended by "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her," which calls for husbands to be willing to die for their wives.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Joshua is the person in the Bible with no parents:  "Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the LORD" (Joshua 29:1).

Check the Data

For John, BLUF:  The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a difficult job and finds itself always having to update their data,  One would expect the Secretary of Labor to keep up on this.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Biden's commerce secretary ridiculed for saying she's not 'familiar' with damaging jobs report, blames Trump instead

Here is the sub-headline:

Many wondered why the commerce secretary was unaware of the newest jobs report.

From Blaze News, by an unkown reporter, 22 August 2024.

Here is the lede plus five:

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was mocked and ridiculed over her response to a blistering jobs report on Wednesday.

Raimondo was being interviewed on ABC News from the Democratic National Convention when she was questioned about a revision showing that the number of jobs in the U.S. had been overestimated by nearly a million over the last year. Instead, she accused former President Donald Trump of being a liar.

'We’re in the best of hands.'

“I don’t believe it because I’ve never heard Trump say anything truthful,” responded Raimondo.

"It is from the Bureau of Labor," replied the reporter.

"I'm not familiar with that," Raimondo said.

I have a friend who thinks the problem here is Fedeeral Bureaucrats who can't do the statistics well.  His solution is to fire people.

I expecct those bureaucrats are trying to do the job as best they can.  On the other hand, this response suggests that there might be an advantage to the Voters to fire the Cabinet Secretary.  How can she lead the Department of Labor if she doesn't know what is going on in the Department.  How can she emphathise with the workers if she doesn't understand the water within which they swim.

If the Cabinet Secretary doesn't understand the numbers, what is the chance the President, and the White House understands the numbers?

Regards  —  Cliff

Free Speech

For John, BLUF:  I worry that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz does not understand Free Speech the way the Founding Fathers did and I do.  Maybe he doesn't understand Democracy.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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THEY BELIEVE THAT RIGHTS AREN’T ABSOLUTE,
BUT POWER IS

From Instapundit, by Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds.

Here is the first social media post in this larger blog post:

Gad Saad
@GadSaad
What we are seeing is precisely why the West was such an anomaly in the history of mankind.  Specifically, the reflex to suppress speech with which the rulers/elite disagree is the default reflex, and we are seeing a return to it.  The West is facing the classic Herculean fork in the road.  Take the easy or hard road in defending free speech.

This post by Professor Saad was in response to this 𝕏 post:

BBC Newsnight
@BBCNewsnight
Aug 9
"[Elon] Musk is trying to pretend freedom of speech as some absolute right.  It's never been an absolute right."  Keir Starmer's biographer Tom Baldwin says there should be more regulation of social media. #Newsnight

This is a fight for the West, for the Anglo-Saxon tradition of free speech and the idea of competing ideas in the search for truth and for a better future.  The problem is, if we squash free speech then we stunt our future.  We end up with hundreds of years of stagnation.

One person laid the issue at the feet of Wokeness:

Robert ₿reedlove
@Breedlove22
Wokeism is a psyop designed to destroy basic definitions to undermine rational discourse and divide people.  When people are unable to use speech to resolve conflicts, then their only alternative is force, and in the domain of force The State is unrivaled.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Trump at the NAMJ

For John, BLUF:  Ms Juliette Ochieng, a retired Air Force Member, writes as a Black Conservative.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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No Pandering

Here is the sub-headline:

Amatuer shrinking the NABJ

From Baldilocks Talks, by Ms Juliette Ochieng, 2 August 2024.

Where the Blogger shifts from talking about her Caucasian Brother-in-Law to talking about Candidate Donald Trump:

He doesn’t treat black people like children - unless they’re his own children - and doesn’t kowtow.  If they’re nice to him, he’s nice to them and the same goes for nastiness.

After watching Donald Trump's interview with the NABJ I thought of this phenomenon.  Most journalists and politicians who are white tip-toe around black people in fear of being labeled as racist.  In contrast, President Trump treats blacks, whites, etc. as individuals.  (I was especially amused when the former president lambasted the interviewers for being on CPT.)

To be honest, I think that a significant segment of black Americans aren’t used to that, especially from white persons in authority. Many are more used to having smoke blown up their backsides, and when that doesn’t happen, they don’t know what to do with that, so they think it’s racism.

Yes, it’s true. Many of us aren’t used to being treated as equals. And I think it’s why many think Mr. Trump is racist but can’t name a racist thing he has said or done.

The last quoted paragraph was interesting to me in that I don't think of Candidate Trump as racist or Anti-semetic.  Yes, some do.  I was impressed that during his interview with the NABJ that President Trump was willinig to engage with the reporters asking questions.  It is my belief that as long as we are talking there is a chance that we are communicaitng and perhaps even learning.

Learning is good.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Assumption

For John, BLUF:  A Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Thursday, August 15, 2024
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

This day celebrates the Assumption of Mary into heaven, body and soul, signifying her purity and her close relationship with God.

Masses at the Immaculate:

• There is a Mass of Anticipation (Vigil Mass) on Wednesday, 14 August, at 5:00 PM.
• The Mass on the Day will be at 9:00 AM.

Regards  —  Cliff

Avoid Anger, Pursue Love

For John, BLUF:  Before Mass this afternoon I was talking to Gail Ann Desmond and she mentioned that she had run into Bill Johnson at Market Basket.  We both agreed that he was a definite add to the City Life Show and had interesting ideas and put them forward in a calm manner, without rancor.  I said it was like our Second Reading for the day.♠  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Second Reading

St Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:30 – 5:2

Here is the Reading:

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and clamour, and blasphemy, be put away from you, with all malice.
And be ye kind one to another; merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ.
Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children;
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness.

Sure, it isn't always a piece of cake.  There are folks out there who work to get under our skin.  Responding in kind won't chnge them.  Saint Paul gives us the gouge.  Put away "bitterness, and anger, and indignation" and respond by "forgiving one another".  Not easy, but the best way.

Every morning signals a new day and a chance to put the anger of the previous day behind us and move forward with forgiveness and love.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  I review the Readinngs before Mass in case the Sexton, Richard Sweeney, comes by and tells me the Reader is missing and it is on me.  Better to be prepared.

Is Equity Good For All?

Do we make more progress under equality or under equity?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Normies and Equity

From The Anchoress, by Ms Elizabeth Scalia, 7 August 2024, 11:37 AM.

Here is the 𝕏 post:

The video of Kamala talking equitable outcomes wld play much better if the outcomes of the so-called “public servant” classes were included in all that equity.  Somehow living in middle class nabes w/reduced health insurances & police & speech protections is never their outcome.

In my mind equality means we all get a fair shot.  This is, I believe, the traditional American ethos, even if not achieved at 100% in practice.  Equity is more a "from each according to his ability; to each according to his need.  To me equity is helping everyone be as fast as Roger Bannister.

As Ms Scalia states, there is doubt as to if we ever see universal equity.  What are Candidates Harris and Walz selling us, and how will they achieve it, and at what cost?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Origin of Species

For John, BLUF:  Science is about upstarts posing new ideas that disrupt the established ideas.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Wild Tale of the Cerutti Mastodon, a Fossil That Could Rewrite the Human Story

Here is the sub-headline:

The Cerutti Mastodon, found near San Diego, shows signs of being butchered 130,000 years ago—but by who? Or what?

From Atlas Obscura, by Reporter Gemma Tarlach, 1 August 2024.

Here is the lede plus five:

CALIFORNIA’S HIGHWAY STATE ROUTE 54, skirting southeast of San Diego, doesn’t seem like it would be the catalyst for challenging some of the longest-held ideas about human evolution and our spread across the planet. And yet, in 1992, along SR 54’s ribbons of asphalt and exit ramps to malls, taco joints, and subdivisions, road-widening construction unearthed a fossil that could rewrite the human story—if scientists ever stop arguing about it.

Here, 130,000 years ago beside the future site of SR 54, a young mastodon perished. There’s nothing uncommon about that—these heavily-built, distant relatives of modern elephants were found throughout much of North America at the time. Paleontologists don’t know how the mastodon died, but there is evidence preserved in its bones, and in rocks found nearby, that the animal’s carcass may have been butchered by humans. There’s just one problem with this scenario. Most scientists agree: Homo sapiens left our ancestral homeland of Africa less than 100,000 years ago, and arrived in the Americas only in the last 15,000–25,000 years, as the last ice age ended and travel from Asia and the land bridge known as Beringia, into Alaska and Canada, became possible.

So who—or what—made a meal out of that mastodon?

The fossil is now known as the Cerutti Mastodon, after the late paleontologist Richard Cerutti, who recognized the significance of the bones as they were uncovered during the highway expansion project. Greater San Diego was growing rapidly at the time, and so was its infrastructure. Previous highway projects had turned up a wealth of fossils, from ancient walruses to dinosaurs, and Cerutti worked on behalf of the San Diego Natural History Museum as a site monitor, on the lookout for more discoveries. But he wasn’t expecting this.

Cerutti was initially excited because he thought the fossil belonged to a mammoth. However, further excavation over several months revealed the distinctive teeth of its close relative, the mastodon—and turned up strange things neither Cerutti nor his colleagues could explain.

The heavy, massive limb bones of a mastodon are not easy to break, and specific fracture patterns on the Cerutti specimen were not consistent with natural processes, such as being tumbled in river rapids. There was also the curious arrangement of the bones. Two broken femurs appeared to be placed side by side, and one of the animal’s tusks was almost vertical, as if stuck upright in the sediment like a flagpole.

So maybe we have it all wrong.  Maybe the human species evolved in San Diego, a veritable Garden of Eden, and then moved across the Bering Strait, into Asia, Africa and Europe.  Perhaps we evolved from the Grunion, as they turned their fins into legs..

On the other hand, getting such a theory to be considered, considering the power of the scientific establishment, is a Sisyphian Task.  Look at the efforts expended and wasted by those scientists who differed from Doctor Anthony Fauci during the Covid-19.  Dr Fauci, who famously saaid:  "I Am the Science".

In the mean time, we have a conundrum.  How do we explain the early emergence of human type activity in San Diego, California.

Regards  —  Cliff

Offer Revoked

For John, BLUF:  The Department of Defense seems to be in administrative chaos.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Defense Secretary Revokes Plea Deal for Accused Sept. 11 Plotters

Here is the sub-headline:

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III assumed direct oversight of the case and effectively put the death penalty back on the table.

From The Old Gray Lady, by Reporter Carol Rosenberg, Reporting from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, 2 August 2024, Updated 8:41 p.m. ET.

Here is the lede plus three:

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Friday overruled the overseer of the war court at Guantánamo Bay and revoked a plea agreement reached earlier this week with the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and two alleged accomplices.

The Pentagon announced the decision with the release of a memorandum relieving the senior official at the Defense Department responsible for military commissions of her oversight of the capital case against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his alleged accomplices for the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field.

The overseer, retired Brig. Gen. Susan K. Escallier, signed a pretrial agreement on Wednesday with Mr. Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi that exchanged guilty pleas for sentences of at most life in prison. In taking away the authority, Mr. Austin assumed direct oversight of the case and canceled the agreement, effectively reinstating it as a death-penalty case. He left Ms. Escallier in the role of oversight of Guantánamo’s other cases.

Because of the stakes involved, the “responsibility for such a decision should rest with me,” Mr. Austin said in an order released Friday night by the Pentagon.

This is embarrassing.  Why did SecDef Lloyd Austin not knonw about this before it went public.  This suggests very poor staffing.

The other side of this is that given an offer was made, and accpeted, and should it not have been peremptorily revoked?  It strikes me as going against our tradition of English Common Law.  I will ask a lawyer .

Hat tip to the Citizen Free Press.

Regards  —  Cliff

Leak

For John, BLUF:  My question is, was the lead deliberate, and if so why, or was it just an accident?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Philly Mayor Leaks Dem VP Choice

Here is the sub-headline:

Accidentally

From 𝕏, by Ian Miles Cheong, 2 August 2024.

Here is the lede plus one:

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker accidentally published this video ahead of schedule. She leaked Kamala Harris’ pick for Vice President as Josh Shapiro.

I think it is a solid choice.

However, I wonder about the impact on certain corners of the Democratic Party, and the knock on effect when the Democratic National Convention convenes.  Will there be riots, as in 1968?

Regards  —  Cliff

Peace in the Holy Land

For John, BLUF:  The differences between the State of Israel and the People of Gaza, represented by Hamas are, at this time, irreconcilable.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why America Has Failed to Forge an Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire

Here is the sub-headline:

Pressuring Belligerents to Talk Rarely Works—and Sometimes Backfires

From Foreign Affairs, by Professor Eric Min, 24 July 2024 .

Here is the lede plus two:

On May 31, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a three-phase proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip.  He called, first, for a temporary cease-fire tied to partial withdrawals of Israeli forces, limited hostage exchanges, and an influx of aid.  Negotiations would then begin and, if successful, lead to the second phase, involving a permanent cessation of hostilities, tied to full withdrawals and complete hostage exchanges.  The final phase would see reconstruction efforts begin in Gaza, and the exchange of the remains of Israeli hostages.

Despite the fanfare with which it was announced, this proposal was just one of many to have been made since the war began.  Indeed, Israel and Hamas had previously rejected similar plans advanced by Egypt and Qatar.  And, like the other proposals, the Biden plan has fallen flat.  Although these mediated initiatives have not succeeded in forging peace, they represent attempts to end the ongoing suffering caused by the war.  It can’t hurt to try.

Or can it?  The historical record reveals that such diplomatic interventions often have hugely negative consequences.  Outside powers have almost never been able to impose lasting cease-fires without support from the belligerents themselves and, perhaps more troublingly, external efforts to facilitate diplomacy can make wars worse. Rather than bringing peace, there is the uncomfortable likelihood that diplomacy which takes place regardless of what is happening on the battlefield, can actually exacerbate a war.  The United States and its allies should pressure Hamas and Israel to change their wartime conduct, instead of seeking to impose negotiations when neither side has expressed an interest in a settlement.

I began reading this article with a degree of skepticism, and in the end remained skeptical.  I am not a diplomat, and don’t even play one in Summer Stock.  However, I am married and have three adult children.

Professor Eric Min lays out the issues involved in obtaining a cease fire in Gaza.  However, the author has reconvinced me that peace between Hamas and Israel is not possible.  Hamas thinks Israel should cease to exist.  Israel holds a “Never Again" mentality.  How can that be reconciled?  A two-state solution does not meet the goal of Hamas.  Without Palestinian acquiescence the two-state solution is not viable.

The author talks about "providing valuable humanitarian aid to innocent civilians caught in war’s crossfire."  Given that, from a Hamas point of view, this is a Peoples War, the concept of innocent civilians differs from the idea of the Residents of Dresden in 1945.  Hamas, with a majority support in Gaza, uses civilians as a shield behind which to operate.  They place military facilities in tunnels under schools and hospitals.  Further, we have long term stories of Hamas "taxing" humanitarian aid.  Civilians in Gaza, are, in a way, part of the Hamas way of War.

We hear about the International Criminal Court, but the focus is on Israel.  Which, COL John Spenser tells us is working harder than anyone in the past to protect civilians.  US Rep Rashida Tlaib holds up a sign to Prime Minister Netanyahu calling him a war criminal.  Yet, I don't hear people talking about how the ICC has indicted Yahya SINWAR (Head of the Islamic Resistance Movement (“Hamas”) in the Gaza Strip), Mohammed Diab Ibrahim AL-MASRI, more commonly known as DEIF (Commander-in-Chief of the military wing of Hamas, known as the Al-Qassam Brigades), and Ismail HANIYEH (Head of Hamas Political Bureau) for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 7 October 2023.

We seem to have forgotten that Hamas has promised future repetitions of Operation al Aqsa Flood (7 October 2023).  Do we doubt this promise?  I would not.

Our Vice President recently said:

It is time for this war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self determination,

From my time in the Air Force Procurement dodge, I remember that the goal was a contract that provided a product on time, to specification and at price.  The tag line was “pick two.”

The Palestinians in Gaza wish to return to their homes in what is now Israeli national territory, homes abandoned in 1948, with the hope of returning after the Arab Armies had defeated Israel.

There is nothing to be had in the way of a cease fire in Gaza as long as Hamas has a degree of control in Gaza.  Why would they (Hamas) agree to a cease fire?  They gain nothing by accepting a cease fire.  The status quo results in Israel being more and more branded as evil.  We can see the impact as we look at demonstrations on US Campuses, or in front of Washington, DC's Union Station.

America hasn’t failed to forge an Israel-Hamas cease-fire, because there is none to forge.  We need either a form of metanoia within Hamas or a mass migration of Israeli Citizens to another land (the US would be OK with me).  The author, Professor Min, seems to miss this point.

Regards  —  Cliff

See Naples and Die

For John, BLUF:  We learn:  "Vedi Napoli e poi muori ("See Naples and then die") was a common expression, echoed most famously on his grand tour by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, to identify Naples as the most naturally and artistically beautiful city in the world; so beautiful that one needn't look upon anything else after seeing it.".  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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May the Wolf Die
Author:  Elizabeth Heider
Kindle Version:  368 Pages
Publisher:  Penguin Books
Language:  English
ASIN:  B0CKBD4PZT
Publication Date:  July 2, 2024

This is a murder mystery, with a number of plot twists to keep the reader engaged to the end.  Also keeping the reader engaged is the ongoing life of the heroine, Investigator Nikki Serafino, of Pheonix Seven, an Italian liaison organizaation embedded within the US Military stationed in Naples, Italy.

The locale for the murder mystery is the City of Naples (Napoli), and for those of us who have lived there the geography and the monuments are familiar.  I could almost think that the author saw her target audience as the thousands of US military and civil servants who have been assigned in Naples or who were there on Port Calls.

Murder, mayhem, criminal gangs and emotional stress are a part of Naples, and a part of this novel.  On the other hand, Naples is seen as a City it is safe to visit.

As the story begins our Heroine, Nikki, is out on a sailboat, of which she is part owner.  After some acquatic adventure they are headed back to port when they realize they have snagged a body floating in the bay.  While not involved in the ensuing murder investigation, Nikki finds herself drawn further and further into the case.  Her powers of observation and her reasoning skills allow her to help the official investigators, Italian and American, as the murder victum is a US Naval Officer.  I drop-shipped a copy of the book to a friend, a former Commander of the US Naval Support Activity in Naples.  Having quickly checked the back cover, he called me and asked "When do I die?"  It turns out the murder victim, although of the same rank, occupied a different slot in the organization.

Nikki, not a favorite of her boss, is outside the investigstion, and embroiled in problems of her own, but the investigation continues to intrude on her life, and she, in turn, continues to think about it and draw conclusions of value.

As a thread through the book is Nikki's own story, as she tries to establish herself as an independent and self-suffient woman, not to be pushed around by others or owned by any single man.  This problem is its own battle, and apparently not concluded by the end of the book, leaving space for a sequel.

Typo:  In Chapter Thirteen A NCIS Agent explains to the Italian Police Inspector, Sonia, that the murder victim was not, as he had told his wife, on TAD.  This acronym is defined as "Temporary Active Duty".  Per the DoD Dictionary, the meaning is "temporary additional duty".  Aside from that slip, the novel seems very faithful in reflecting the US Military in Naples.

For me, a good read.

Regards  —  Cliff

St Paul on Our Love for Others

For John, BLUF:  Respond to others in love.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Today's Second Reading Here is Saint Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (4:1-6e):

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

I was especially struck by the line "bearing with one another through love".  Yes, there are irritating people out there.  People who are ignorant or stupid or overly self-centered.  But, St Paul calls us to love them, in Christ.  Every morning is a new day and a new chance to act in love.  Yes, if Person X is out to knife you, you have the right to protect yourself from damage, but you need to be open to the idea that today may be different and Person X may have turned over a new leaf.  And when you must respond, do it in love.

In responding to someone who is against us our response must reflect truth and support justice.  We are not dealing with a space alien, but with a fellow human being, although perhaps one we find grating, "striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace".

Regards  —  Cliff