The Russian Collusion Story: The Acme of Fake News

Clarice Feldman   "Richard Fernandez is one of the most brilliant authors on the Internet. This week he wrote:

Conventional wisdom posits the chief challenges facing the post-Cold War World are Global Warming and the decline of international institutions. But maybe that assurance is a species of Fake News. Suppose the most pressing problems in the next decade is finding new energy supplies to 1) keep the price of oil low enough to contain Russia (and Islamism); and 2) adapting to a disruptive information revolution no one can seem to control. Who will hand you that unconventional wisdom unless you come to it yourself.

"He’s right, as I explain, but the significance of his observation is this: which of the two candidates -- Hillary or Trump -- was more likely to tap into America’s huge energy resources to contain both Russia and the Islamists? And when you answer that as you must -- Trump -- you can dismiss all the folderol about Donald J. Trump Jr’s, 15 minute meeting in Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer as evidence of “collusion” with Russia.  As I further explain, the non-stop media promotion of some nefarious scheme between Russia and Trump does not pass even the most cursory forensic examination, proving once again in the age of fake news, you cannot remain a passive consumer of news. You have to bring to each story the good sense and diligence with which you handle your most important personal affairs."

Maxine Waters short circuits during live TV interview

The American Mirror  "Liberal rock star Maxine Waters suffered an awkward moment during a live interview on Friday when she appeared to short circuit mid-sentence.

"Waters was speaking to MSNBC’s Katy Tur when she had a verbal malfunction."

In April, the 78-year-old congresswoman suffered a brain freeze during another interview.

Maxine Waters Says 700 Billion People Are About to Lose Their Healthcare
"Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a leader of the "resistance," hasn't been doing too well lately. She told MSNBC's Chris Hayes that, if the Republican healthcare bill is passed, "700 billion" people will lose health access. Keep in mind that our planet has about 7.3 billion people living on it. We knew the GOP proposal was ambitious, but not quite that ambitious! Maybe there should be an ongoing senility test for congresspeople?" . . .

Crisis of Confidence Week in Higher Education

Legal Insurrection

"People are beginning to see what’s happening on college campuses and there are consequences.

• Republican views of higher ed impact on society turn sharply negative

"There is no political balance on campus.

• Ivy League Faculty Members Spent Over $2.5 Million on Hillary’s Campaign
• Psych Profs Call Trump Mentally Unfit, Want Congress to End His Presidency

"Evergreen State is merely a symptom.

• Evergreen State Faculty Member Describes ‘Warzone’ on Campus
• Evergreen Student: ‘I’ve been told I’m not allowed to speak because I’m white’

"It’s all leftism, all the time.

• Freshmen at San Jose State University Must Now Pay for Microaggression Training
• U. Wisconsin Madison Center for Social Justice Gives Award to Fan of Hugo Chávez
• Antioch U. Seattle Offers Student Grants for Social Justice Projects

Here's why college campuses are so out of control

Another reason microaggressions have found a home is how college administrators increasingly have to take on the role as surrogate parents — a role they are totally unsuitable for — to students. They have to mediate student conflicts and concerns, and generally they just side with whomever applies the most pressure and more effectively appeals to progressive orthodoxy. Campus leftists are the loudest and most aggressive group administrators have to deal with, so the officials elevate the agitators' concerns about microaggressions as a (poor) way of reducing conflict.

Sen. Rand Paul: "Spineless" Senate GOP Decides to Keep Obamacare

Rand Paul.  Via World Affairs Brief

"I miss the old days, when Republicans stood for repealing Obamacare. Republicans across the country and every member of my caucus campaigned on repeal – often declaring they would tear out Obamacare “root and branch!”What happened?"

"Now too many Republicans are falling all over themselves to stuff hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ dollars into a bill that doesn’t repeal Obamacare and feeds Big Insurance a huge bailout.

"Obamacare regulations? Still here. Taxes? Many still in place, totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. Insurance company bailouts? Those, too. Remember when Republicans complained about Obamacare's risk corridors? Remember when we called the corridors nothing more than insurance company bailouts? I remember when one prominent GOP candidate during a presidential debate explicitly called out the Obamacare risk corridors as a bailout to insurance companies. Does anyone else? Now, the Senate GOP plan being put forward is chock full of insurance bailout money – to the tune of nearly $200 billion. Republicans, present company excluded, now support the idea of lowering your insurance premium by giving a subsidy to the insurance company." . . .

Patricia McCarthy: Why are most of the Republicans in Congress so spineless?

Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania let the cat of the bag as to the Republicans' pathetic inaction at a recent townhall; "We did not expect Trump to win."  So, these Republicans who have been promising to repeal Obamacare once they achieved maximum power were just faking it.  They had no plan to actually repeal Obamacare and it appears now that they never had any intention to do it.

 

Sharyl Attkisson Exposes Big Media in The Smear

Elise Cooper  "Attkisson went on: "I believe Donald Trump should be covered, as any president should, aggressively, and questioned on what he does.  Yet there has been a shocking degree of false reporting on him in this short period of time by formerly well respected news organizations that have publicly suspended their normal standards and practices to cover Trump, saying they view him as uniquely 'dangerous.'  This has also led to such practices as over-reliance on anonymous sources, who prove to be wrong time and again.  I think this has resulted in experienced journalists at formerly well respected news organizations like CNN, Time, The New York Times, and The Washington Post making rookie mistakes that would not even be accepted in journalism colleges.' "
. . . 

"As an investigative reporter, Attkisson is an expert at detecting smear campaigns.  She warns, "One smear artist I interviewed said nearly every image you run across in daily life, whether it's on the news, a comedian's joke, a meme on social media, or a comment on the internet, was put there for a reason.  It's like scenes in a movie, he said.  Nothing happens by accident.  Sometimes people have paid a great deal of money to put those images before you.  What you need to ask yourself isn't so much 'is it true,' but 'who wants me to believe it and why?'"  This is why everyone should be reading The Smear: to find out how they do it, who is doing it, and what to look for regarding these dirty tactics."  

Trump, the bull in the media shop

Monica Showalter  "Have the mainstream media finally caught on to the obvious?  Well, at least Mike Allen, and his Axios news site, have, recognizing Trump counterterrorism adviser and administration spokesman Sebastian Gorka for who he is, a rock star, as he puts it, instead of what the media's parrot-meisters, JournoListers, leftists, and echo gallery clowns claim he is. Axios writes:

But to Trump's nationalist base, and the one person who matters inside the White House, he's become a rock star in recent days. Gorka's stock has soared as President Trump has watched him on various cable channels fighting with the hosts and accusing them of being part of the "fake news industrial complex."

Before Trump left for Paris yesterday evening, he was asking West Wing staff, "Did you see Gorka? So great, I mean really, truly great." Trump loved, in particular, when Gorka told CNN morning host Alisyn Camerota that more people are interested in cartoons than CNN, and that the network's ratings are lower than "Nick at Nite."

"Long the object of calumnies and fake news – the phony Nazi claim is a real favorite of theirs – the reality is that Gorka is probably the most effective spokesman of the Trump administration.  He makes appearances on Fox News and other outlets as a spokesman for the White House, takes on the mud flung from some pampered prince of the press, and fires back with lightning-fast wit and a sharp verbal sword to the talking head." . . .

"Here's but one example of the moral bankruptcy of Gorka's attackers."

Burying Obama’s legacy

Caroline Glick 

. . . "It may very well be that this week was the week that Israel and the US put to rest former president Barack Obama’s policies and positions on Israel and the Palestinians.

"If so, the move was made despite the best efforts of Obama’s team to convince the Trump administration to maintain them.

"The details of Obama’s policies and positions have been revealed in recent weeks in a series of articles published in Haaretz regarding Obama’s secretary of state John Kerry’s failed peacemaking efforts, which ended in 2014.

"The articles reported segments of two drafts of a US framework for a final peace treaty between the PLO and Israel. The drafts were created in February and March 2014.

"The article series is predicated on the assumption that Kerry and his team were on the precipice of a historic breakthrough between PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. But a close reading of the documents shows that the opposite was the case.

"There are two reasons that Kerry had no prospects for reaching a deal.

"First, he, Obama and their advisers were too hostile to Israel and its citizens to ever convince Netanyahu that Israel’s interests would be secured.

"A February 2014 draft framework agreement, which was based on conversations Kerry and his team held with Netanyahu and his advisers, makes this clear. The draft includes Netanyahu’s demand that Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria not annexed to Israel would remain “in place” after the implementation of a peace deal, and presumably, become towns in the future Palestinian state.

"In other words, Netanyahu demanded that the Israelis in Judea and Samaria whose towns would be located in the territory of “Palestine” would enjoy the same rights and protections as Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy.

"Kerry and his team would have none of it." . . .

If regime change comes to Iran, it will be in spite of Obama, but I'm sure he will claim credit for it.

What a divergence from the actions of the feckless, mullah-pandering Obama who abandoned the Iranian people to the tender mercies of the religious Revolutionary Guards back in the Green Revolution.



Iran regime change is in the making  "Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stressed in a recent congressional hearing that the U.S. should "work towards support of those elements inside Iran that would lead to a peaceful transition of that government," signaling the overhaul needed in Washington's Iran policy.
"From Tehran's point of view, this was a completely unpleasant surprise, as the Trump administration unexpectedly placed its weight behind those seeking true and democratic change.
"Considering escalating public dissent and growing rifts in Iran's senior hierarchy, the international community should brace for a major impact in developments centered on Iran.
"Before and after the May 19 presidential "election," Iran's powder-keg society witnessed a major outbreak of protests, especially by investors placing their savings in institutions linked to the state and/or the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
. . . 

"Such an initiative also enjoys vast regional support, voiced also recently by a prominent Saudi figure.

. . . 

"Even a brief glance at ongoing developments emerging domestically and abroad for Iran provides convincing evidence that regime change is absolutely in the making in Tehran."

Why Obama Let Iran's Green Revolution Fail
"The president wanted a nuclear deal, not regime change." . . .

Report: Obama Ordered the CIA Not to Support Green Movement in Iran in 2009   . . . "The Green Movement, as it was called, struggled forward with mass demonstrations and civil disobedience while the nominal leaders of the uprising were systematically arrested, subjected to kangaroo courts, torture and imprisonment. The police and the Basij brutally suppressed the protesters using batons, pepper spray, axes, sticks and firearms. As many as 150 protesters were slaughtered that June.  The most widely known victim of the regime's brutality was innocent onlooker Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot dead in the street during one of the massive protests. Her last moments were caught on a video that went viral around the world. The president's famous response? He went out for ice cream.

"Obama was handed a unique opportunity in history to be the sort of inspirational and transformative figure Ronald Reagan was for Eastern Europe before the Berlin Wall fell. All he had to do was say and do the right things to denounce the illegitimate Iranian government and stand with the people in the street.

"But he didn't."

Feminist geographers encourage colleagues not to cite research of white men

Washington Times

Daniel Cockayne

"Two feminist geographers are encouraging their colleagues to be more mindful about citing the research of white males because doing so contributes to “the reproduction of white heteromasculinity of geographical thought and scholarship.”

"Writing in “Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography,” Carrie Mott and Daniel Cockayne argue that considering an author’s gender, race or sexuality prior to citation can be an effective “feminist and anti-racist technology of resistance that demonstrates engagement with those authors and voices we want to carry forward.”

"The authors point out that whether an academic’s research is cited by his peers has significant implications for promotion, tenure and influence. Therefore, to cite only white men “does a disservice to researchers and writers who are othered by white heteromasculinism.”

"The authors define “white heteromasculinism” as “an intersectional system of oppression describing on-going processes that bolster the status of those who are white, male, able-bodied, economically privileged, heterosexual, and cisgendered.”

"Academics should practice “conscientious engagement” when citing research, the feminists assert, “as a way to self-consciously draw attention to those whose work is being reproduced.”

"The article, titled “Citation matters: mobilizing the politics of citation toward a practice of ‘conscientious engagement,’” was first reported by Campus Reform." . . .

CNN, the most WHAT? name in news.

"Watch TRUMP Advisor Sebastian Gorka MOPS THE FLOOR With CNN’S Alisyn Camerota On LIVE TV"   . . . "After starting the interview with a brief discussion about the important defeat of ISIS in Mosul, Camerota predictably pivoted to all things Russia. The anchor asked Gorka about Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer to potentially collect opposition research on then-opponent Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

"The deputy assistant returned fire by asking why CNN has yet to cover the Democratic National Committee’s meet-up with operatives at the Ukrainian Embassy with the same breathless zeal they’ve covered what Gorka essentially described as a nine-month witch-hunt into alleged Russia/Trump collusion.

“ 'Was it a good idea for the DNC to send its operatives to the Ukrainian Embassy?” asked Gorka.

"Camerota accused Gorka of deflecting and followed up by questioning the Trump aide as to why the First Son didn’t “adequately disclose” his meetings until they were leaked to the press.

"After suggesting that Trump Jr. did nothing illegal, Gorka decided to mock CNN … on live CNN air." . . .

"Camerota offered a denial: “Our ratings are doing just fine,” she said. “If you want to go there, our ratings are doing just fine.”

“ 'Nick at Nite is [in 11th place],” taunted Gorka. “More people are interested in cartoons!”

"CNN is currently ranked 13th out of all the cable networks; Fox News and MSNBC rank 1st and 2nd, respectively. And yes,Nick at Nite, ranking number 11, does have a stronger viewership than CNN.". . . 

Alt-Left Insanity: Spider-Man’s Real Power Is White Privilege!

MRC   Note: Normal people might find some of this offensive. (We hope. Dear Lord, please!)

Spider-Man, Spider-Man,
Does whatever a white guy can
Fills a film with diverse guys,
Skin so light, it will blind your eyes
Oh no!
Here comes white Spider-Man.
(With apologies to one of my favorite bands, The Ramones, who performed an actual version of the Spider-Mantheme.)

"One of the hallmarks of the alt-left is that nothing ever satisfies them. You can be 100 percent left-wing in your politics and make a minor gaffe and they will throw you under the bus.

"It’s a kind of extreme fascism that eventually destroys everything and everyone except the last person of indeterminate gender left standing (Formerly known as the last man standing, but we’re not supposed to use that phrase and even the show of the same name got cancelled.)

"Diversity is a big part of this. You can never be diverse enough unless you leave out all the white people. Try to update a white guy superhero movie franchise by being all inclusive and you still get called out for leaving the white guy superhero white." . . .

Legal Insurrection

"Sends reporters on a bus tour to learn what real Americans think"

"Credit where credit’s due: the HuffPost (now just HuffPost since founder Ariana Huffington parted ways) is launching a bus tour, stopping in 23 cities so their reporters (or bloggers) can find the answer to this burning question: What does it mean to be American today?

"The bus tour turned mobile video studio hopes to showcase “what we share as Americans, rather than what divides us.”

"A noble goal, if it’s an earnest one.

"HuffPost explains further:

WHY WE ARE DOING THIS
Trust in media has bottomed out. We hope to rebuild some of that — and learn from it — by listening to the public and elevating their stories through our massive distribution network.

HOW WE ARE MAKING IT HAPPEN
We will travel the old-fashioned way — via bus — to 20-plus states to hear from some of the under-heard, diverse Americans who make up the communities that form much of our nation. And by working on the ground with community leaders, nonprofits, educational institutions, local businesses and others, we’ll make sure people know we’re there to listen.

Not on the bus tour? Don’t worry. We’ll be announcing ways to participate online in the coming weeks.

"HuffPost is right about how little faith the general public has in its media, and they’ve certainly contributed to the decline of discourse.

"Lydia Polgreen, HuffPost’s new Editor-in-chief told Politico:

“A lot of us are thinking about journalism and how journalism relates to people’s lives and this project was really a direct result of that, wanting to get out into the country and hear from people about the things that mattered most to them rather than us deciding from our office in the East Village what are the stories that are most important to Americans and hear what people have to say,” she said. “So much of journalism today is elites speaking to elites and I see the role of HuffPost as speaking for really everyone.”

"I want to love this, I really do. Regular readers are familiar with my station as the resident “can’t we all just get along!” blogger here at LI. I routinely advocate for finding common ground rather than focusing on ideological differences, so I want to believe that under new leadership, HuffPost might actually be less focused on divisive posts a la this one: