The Progressive Octopus

Indeed, the octopus has formidable and far-reaching tentacles that reach into every crevice of modern American life. Our progressive mollusk is big, and he swims with us everywhere.

Victor Davis Hanson  Politics lost, culture won. 

"It is the best and worst of times for progressives and liberals. Politically, their obsessions with identity politics and various racial and gender -isms and -ologies have emasculated the Democratic party: loss of governorships, state legislatures, the House, the Senate, the presidency, and the Supreme Court.

" Democrats, for the time being at least, are now reduced to largely a coastal, big-city party. It can certainly pile up lots of blue electoral votes. And, thanks to California, Democrats can capture the popular vote, without necessarily winning presidential elections. 

"The old liberal idea that the new demography is progressive destiny did not work out as planned. When the Blue Wall crumbled; Hillary Clinton lost a sure-thing election. Large Latino populations in red Texas and blue California are not likely to turn either one into a swing state. Inner-city voters so far have not transferred prior record levels of turn-out and bloc voting to candidates of the Hillary Clinton sort. Identity politics did not ensure that the white liberals who created it were always exempt from the natural boomerang of their own ideology.  
. . . 
Network news was always liberal. Yet in the last decade, ABC, NBC, and CBS, along with PBS and NPR, as well as their cable counterparts such as CNN, have become veritable progressive operatives. Mention of transgenderism, gay marriage, abortion, global warming, and identity politics will be massaged to promote a progressive position that was once held only by minority — until the position morphs into an intolerant mainstream orthodoxy that does not allow dissent." . . .

Why single payer health care is a terrible option, says CNN

CNN. Wait! What?

• Scott W. Atlas: Democrats are now championing a precarious form of health care -- single payer .  For decades, single payer health care has failed to deliver on quality and care in numerous other countries, writes Atlas

"The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is failing. Without regard for consequences, the law expanded government insurance programs and imposed considerable federal authority over US health care via new mandates, regulations and taxes. Insurance premiums skyrocketed even as deductibles rose; consumer choices of insurance on state marketplaces have rapidly vanished; and for those with ACA coverage, doctor and hospital choices have narrowed dramatically. Meanwhile, consolidation across the health care sector has accelerated at a record pace, portending further harm to consumers, including higher prices of medical care.

"Almost inexplicably, even more top-down control -- single-payer health care, a system in which the government provides nationalized health insurance, sets all fees for medical care and pays those fees to doctors and hospitals -- has found new support from the left. And this despite its decades of documented failures in other countries to provide timely, quality medical care, and in the face of similar problems in our own single-payer Veterans Affairs system.

"Clearly, this moment cries out for the truth about single-payer health care -- conclusions from historical evidence and data.

"Single-payer health care is proven to be consistently plagued by these characteristics:" . . .Read the entire article here.

The main points discussed in more detail are these:

• Massive waiting lists and dangerous delays for medical appointments
• Life-threatening delays for treatment, even for patients requiring urgent cancer treatment or critical brain surgery
• Delayed availability of life-saving drugs
• Worse availability of screening tests
• Significantly worse outcomes from serious diseases

. . . "And make no mistake about it -- America's most vulnerable, the poor, as well as the middle class, will undoubtedly suffer the most if the system turns to single-payer health care, because they will be unable to circumvent that system."

Are you saying this NFL routine began with a player's radical [partner]?

American Thinker is a library of commentary on the NFL today.
Thank you, Mrs. Kaepernick. Michelle Obama added some fuel to the fire as well.


After fifty years of NFL, it’s over for me   . . . "One radical [?]* ("Mrs. Kaepernick") started this whole mess. Now the country has turned on its self.  For nothing.  Between professional sports and my love and appreciation of this country, I chose America." . . .

. . . "This is more than an embarrassment.  Back when Chief Antagonizer started this racial divide mess with the “beer summit” it was laughable because he was weak and feeble and was supposed to go away.  Then we had the media pick up the lies about the “white Hispanic,” “Hands up – Don’t shoot” and the Mizzou lunatics.  Was anyone ever going to stand up and tell the truth – teach our children how this was turning into organized lies designed to tear our country apart?

 "Those Thinkers who know history know the playbook of those who want to destroy America. We have seen the 45 Declared Goals for the takeover of America Communist plan written long ago. Did we ever think it would get beyond Hollywood? Well it did." . . .

. . . "Look at those 45 Declared goals.  When are we going to say something?

2. US willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging to atomic war. (North Korea)

17. Get control of the schools.  Put the party line in textbooks.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests. 

23. Promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art. 

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them violation of free speech. 26. Promote homosexuality, degeneracy, promiscuity as ‘normal, natural, healthy.’  27. Discredit the Bible.

28. Eliminate prayer.

29. Discredit Constitution.

30. Discredit American Founding Fathers.

"And especially relevant today:

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition. . . .

*Correction update:  

*Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab "marriage": Yes, the fact is true that Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab are recently deeply and madly in love with each other, but the rumors about their marriage are not true. They were spotted together taking some vows in the intimate morning ceremony, but the fact about getting married is not right. They share a wonderful relationship thus are rumored to be married soon."

Villanueva's unconvincing apology and other blunders from the Steelers

. . . "One can only imagine that in light of head coach Tomlin's other remarks that Villanueva probably heard from him.

"After all, Tomlin has the power to cut Villanueva from the team any time he wants. Villanueva himself had a rough road getting into the National Football League as his biography shows, overcoming many disappointments of not being chosen before finally make it into professional football. He's also on record as stating he's one of the cheaper (implied: less powerful) players in the league, making only half a million a year or so." . . .

The NFL and breaking the chains of conformity   "Might the kerfuffle over NFL players kneeling for the National Anthem finally trigger the decline of the victimhood meme in the black community?" . . .

"There are few genuine "individuals" in public black life.  Better to be a clone and operate within accepted parameters.  If anyone strays, he is excommunicated and shunned. " . . . 

Classic media bias: Tebow vs. Kaepernick  . . . "When Denver Broncos unapologetic Christian QB Tim Tebow takes a knee to thank G-d for his successful plays, he is mercilessly mocked by the left and the mainstream media.  When Colin Kaepernick takes a knee to protest what he imagines as American institutional racism, he is ebulliently admired by the leftand mainstream media as a heroic champion for "social justice."  Why?  The answers are simple and obvious but also enlightening." . . .

NFL players and owners can't take criticism  . . . "The fans watch the games to enjoy and relax, not be preached at by overpaid millionaires.  We get enough preaching from overpaid millionaires when we are forced to listen to Hillary, Obama, Pelosi, and the rest of the Democrats." . . .

What if the 49ers owner had put his foot down a year ago?  . . . "Also, tell me what it is that you are protesting about.  Buy some time on TV and tell us about the problems you see and the solutions you propose.  Don't talk about racism or injustice.  Tell me specifically what you intend to do to about black-on-black crime, inner-city public schools, and bringing more jobs to these areas."

 Thomas Lifson: National Review editors fall back on lazy assumptions to criticize Trump on NFL  . . . "So, Black Americans suffer from injustice more than white Americans? Based on what data? Based on what definition of “injustice?”

"I realize that going deeper into the subject via the research of their own contributor is not the sort of thing that wins you invitations to cocktail parties among the swell set in Manhattan and DC. Much better to stand against the uncouth president and engage in ritual shaming."