The Problem of Competitive Victimhood

Victor Davis Hanson

Divisive identity politics are fading in favor of a shared American identity.

"The startling 2016 presidential election weakened the notion of tribal identity rather than a shared American identity. And it may have begun a return to the old idea of unhyphenated Americans.

" Many working-class voters left the Democratic party and voted for a billionaire reality-TV star in 2016 because he promised jobs and economic growth first, a new sense of united Americanism second, and an end to politically correct ethnic tribalism third. 

"In the 19th century, huge influxes of Irish and German immigrants warred for influence and power against the existing American coastal establishment that traced its ancestry to England. Despite their ethnic chauvinism, these immigrant activist groups eventually became indistinguishable from their hosts. Then and now, the forces of assimilation, integration, and intermarriage make it hard to retain an ethnic cachet beyond two generations — at least without constant inflows of new and often poor fellow immigrants." . . .   Read more.

CNN, NYT reporters humiliated by Stephen Miller at WH immigration briefing

Thomas Lifson  "I could not help but think of the movie The Revenge of the Nerds yesterday, as a balding, slender Republican hit back when the cool kids from the media started implying racism.  Progressive activists masquerading as reporters are not used to Republicans who hit back at their insinuations.  But two of them encountered return fire at yesterday's White House briefing on the new merit-based Senate immigration bill cosponsored by David Perdue and Tom Cotton.

"White House policy adviser Stephen Miller fought back when CNN's Jim Acosta began insinuating that racism is behind the bill in the "last question" of the briefing, claiming a radical change in immigration policy and citing the Emma Lazarus poem added to the base of the Statue of Liberty.

"What you're proposing," Acosta begins his sermon, "or what the president is proposing, doesn't seem, does not sound like it's in keeping with American tradition when it comes to immigration."

He then looks at his notes and says.

"The Statue of Liberty says …"

The Statue of Liberty says.

"It says 'Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,' it doesn't say anything about speaking English or being a computer programmer," Acosta goes on, "Aren't you trying to change what it means to be an immigrant coming into this country if you're telling them they have to speak English."

"As David Harsanyi of The Federalist dryly commented, CNN's Jim Acosta read the Statue of Liberty poem and "had a meltdown when someone suggested immigrants be able to read it, too.' " . . .

Tesla: the beautiful, clever, and very immoral automobile

Bookworm Room

Tesla owners shouldn’t be proud about their “green” machine. Instead, they should be embarrassed about a rich person’s car paid for by poor people’s money.

 

. . . "Tesla’s flagship automobile, the Model S, would not only fail to make money in a free market, it would likely bankrupt any company that tried. As the Los Angeles Times reported, Tesla’s “cars themselves aren’t making the company any money.” A Model S with a typical options package sells for more than $100,000, but that is literally tens of thousands of dollars less than it costs to manufacture and sell.

"How, then, does Tesla make its money?" . . .

Students Outraged After University Moves 9/11 Memorial

This news should trigger you in your safe space.

“Does the university fear that some students or faculty members might be coerced or harassed by a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed by Muslim terrorists on American soil?"

Todd Starnes

"For the past two years, the Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Southern Methodist University displayed nearly 3,000 American flags on a prominent university lawn to remember those killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"But Old Glory won’t be posted on the Dallas Hall Lawn this year – even though the display had been well-received by the student body.

"The university objected to the location of the display, citing a revised policy aimed at protecting students from “harmful or triggering” messages.

“ 'While the University respects the rights of students to free speech, the University respects the right of members of the community to avoid messages that are triggering, harmful, or harassing,” the policy reads.

"I reached out to Southern Methodist University to find out who could possibly take offense at a memorial honoring American citizens killed by Muslim terrorists. I had my suspicions, but I wanted to hear it from the university’s leadership.

"Spokesman Kent Best told me the revised policy covers all lawn displays, not just the 9/11 memorial." . . .

University Bans White And Straight Students From Campus Safe Space…

Weasel Zippers

"Because it’s okay to discriminate against white and straight people.

"Via Daily Caller:

The University of Minnesota is banning white and straight students from a safe space on campus, according to a Thursday report.

The school’s Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life hosts “Tongues Untied,” a space in which people can congregate to discuss the impact of sexuality, race and gender, according to Campus Reform. But not everyone is invited.

“For our allies: we do appreciate your voices and commitment to dismantling racism and homophobia; however, please note that this is a space created for LGBTQIA and/or same-gender-loving people of color,” the space’s description reads.

“If you identify as a queer and/or trans indigenous person or person of color, we welcome you to take part in our discussions,” states the group’s Facebook page.

The ban refers to this group's particular safe space, not all safe spaces.

"The University of Minnesota has allowed a group to exclude/prohibit white and straight students from dropping into their safe space. The school’s Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life hosts an event called “Tongues Untied.” So, if you’re identified as a straight Caucasian person, you won’t be allowed entry.

“ 'Tongues Untied,” is a safe space to speak about the impact of sexuality, race and gender, according to Campus Reform. The description for the event reads, “For our allies: we do appreciate your voices and commitment to dismantling racism and homophobia; however, please note that this is a space created for LGBTQIA and/or same-gender-loving people of color.' ” . . .

Retired generals, admirals thank Trump for announcing ban on transgender troops

Rowan Scarborough

"More than a dozen retired generals and admirals have signed a letter to President Trump thanking him for his announced policy to ban transgender people from the armed forces.

“ 'We write today to express our gratitude to you for making the extremely courageous decision to reverse President Obama’s transgender social experiment,” the conservative retired flag officers wrote. “There may be an enormous amount of vitriol directed at you for making this policy correction, but please know that overturning this policy may have done more in the long-term to save the culture and war-fighting capacity of the U.S. military than perhaps any other military policy you will adopt as president.”

"The letter came as the Palm Center, a research nonprofit that promotes the LGBT agenda, released a competing statement from 56 retired admirals and generals who say reimposing the ban will hurt readiness, not help it.

“ 'The Commander in Chief has tweeted a total ban of honorably serving transgender troops,” the statement said. “This proposed ban, if implemented, would cause significant disruptions, deprive the military of mission-critical talent, and compromise the integrity of transgender troops who would be forced to live a lie, as well as non-transgender peers who would be forced to choose between reporting their comrades or disobeying policy.”

"Among the statement’s signatories: retired Marine Gen. John Allen, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command; retired Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, former surgeon general of the Navy; and retired Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, the first woman to achieve three-star rank in the Army." . . .

When Progressives Embrace Hate

NY Times   

"A mere half-year ago, before collusion and Comey, before Mika’s face and Muslim bans and the Mooch, there was a shining moment where millions of Americans flooded the streets in cities across the country to register their rage that an unapologetic misogynist had just been made leader of the free world. (Snip)The leaders of the Women’s March, arguably the most prominent feminists in the country, have some chilling ideas and associations. Far from erecting the big tent so many had hoped for, the movement they lead has embraced decidedly illiberal causes and cultivated a radical tenor that seems determined to . . .   Via Lucianne

Obama wasn't king, and his laws aren't set in stone

William Perry Pendley

To his credit, President Trump directed Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to begin the process of undoing former President Back Obama's abuses regarding the declaration of national monuments to appease environmentalists.

Former President Barack Obama once acknowledged, "I actually believe my own bullshit," which must include statements that, with him, "the rise of the oceans [will] slow and our planet [will] heal," that stimulus projects were "shovel-ready," and that he is smarter than anyone working for him. To those add his observation that his policies, such as his decrees of national monuments off limits to the public, are set in stone.

"Obviously, from their comments among the 1.2 million filed last month on plans by President Trump to void Obama's and former President Bill Clinton's illegal decrees, environmentalists believe that baloney. They are wrong.

"Obama's abuses of the Antiquities Act of 1906 are well known, including designation of an ocean monument off New England to kill fishing[,] an unauthorized park parading as a monument in rural Maine to kill logging and milling[,] and the 1.3 million acre Bear Ears in Utah to placate environmentalists. Largely forgotten everywhere but in the West was Clinton's designation of the 1.8 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

"On behalf of the people of Southern Utah, my organization sued Clinton. For years, a courageous federal judge resisted Clinton's lawyers' efforts to dismiss the case; however, when former President George W. Bush's lawyers defended the decree, the judge figuratively threw up his hands. Our lawsuit was over and with it any hopes of limiting future presidents. ' " . . .

Resisting the Tranny State

One wonders how many would join the military just for the sex change, much as the bounty men did in the civil war for money. TD

TakiMag  . . . "But the thing is, these days trannies are not content to just go be trannies; they insist that we become accomplices to their fantasy. We have to pretend to see what they see. We have to use pronouns that we know are

misapplied. We have to allow dudes with dirlywangers to shower, change, and go to the bathroom alongside our daughters. We have to foot the bill for sex change surgeries. To even suggest that sex change operations are elective and not a “medical necessity” is to challenge the tranny illusion. This is at the heart of the controversy surrounding President Trump’s announcement that trans folk will no longer be allowed to serve in the military. Trannies, their leftist allies, and “moderate Republicans” think soldiers are as entitled to state-funded sex change operations as they are to first aid on the battlefront.

"In Sweden, the trans lobby has been able to bully the medical establishment into changing the official term for sex change (or sex reassignment) surgery. The new authorized term is “könskorrigering”—“gender correction.” A perfectly healthy organ (a penis) is now seen as a congenital defect to be surgically lopped off . . .

“Sorry, but you can’t make your mental health dependent on everyone else seeing you as you see yourself.”

By David Cole. 

Confirmed: Senate Too Gridlocked to Move Forward With Obamacare Reform

earloftaint

Legal Insurrection

“There’s just too much animosity and we’re too divided on healthcare”

"We’ve been actively chronicling the Senate Republican’s embarrassing attempt (or feigned, depending on your thoughts here), to repeal Obamacare.

"Whether it’s one big, long con, or a deeply fractured caucus, Sen. Hatch is under the impression that the division in the Republican ranks runs far too deep to find a path forward in the long-promised effort to rid us of Obamacare.

"In an interview with Reuters, Sen. Hatch said, “there’s just too much animosity and we’re too divided on healthcare.”

Trump over the weekend urged Republican senators to stick with trying to pass an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act, former President Obama’s signature domestic initiative known as Obamacare.

Trump made replacing Obamacare a key part of his presidential campaign and Republicans have promised for years to repeal or replace the law. The House of Representatives has passed an overhaul but the Senate has been unable to do so despite having worked on it for months. Three Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against repealing even part of the law at the end of last week.

"Hatch’s statements contradict directives from Trump, who urged the Senate to continue working to find consensus Sunday." . . .

Race Hysteria Erupts over a Commonsense Casting Decision on Broadway

Buzzfeed

National Review

"Everyone associated with The Great Comet will soon be out of work if the show doesn’t find a way to boost ticket sales."

. . . 'When Groban left the show on the expiration of his contract on July 2, the boyish baritone was temporarily replaced by an unknown, Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan, whom Patinkin would have replaced. Onaodowan is black. Patinkin isn’t. So an utterly routine fact of Broadway life — star replaces non-star — was dressed up in racial outrage. Social media seethed. The Daily News headline read “‘Great Comet’ actor Okieriete Onaodowan shoved aside for Mandy Patinkin, causing outcry.” One actor, Rafael Casal, tweeted, “Telling lead actors of color to #makeroom? Really? @greatcometbway #makeroom is the new code for ‘still not your turn.’” Actress Cynthia Erivo, who won a Tony in 2015 for The Color Purple, also took exception, tweeting, “This has been handled badly. Ticket sales shouldn’t override a person doing his job” and “Oak worked extremely hard for this. Which makes this occurrence distasteful and uncouth.”

"Patinkin withdrew from the show, groveling. The producers who hired him also scraped and begged forgiveness, as did the composer. All did much agonizing about how they should have better understood the “optics.” Then Onaodowan himself quit, announcing that August 13 would bring his last performance. " . . .

With repeal off the table, media suddenly 'discover' that Obamacare is in deep trouble

The three stooges against repealing Obamacare though they ran on it.

Monica Showalter  "Just moments after Sen. John McCain torpedoed Obamacare repeal, the mainstream news media started publishing stories about how Obamacare is in desperate need of repairs.

"For example, there is this New York Times piece, cited here:

On Saturday, The New York Times ran a big story that began this way: "Republicans have failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Now, can it be repaired?"

"The timing of these stories is a mystery only to those who don't understand how the press works these days.  Journalists surround and shame any reporter who reports a story that could in any way be seen as helping Republicans.  And stories about massive premium hikes, lack of insurers in dozens of counties, imploding exchanges, larded up unwanted mandates, etc., had they been written while repeal was a live prospect, would have been seen as aiding and abetting the enemy. 

"So reporters sat on them, and instead focused on all the supposed benefits of the law.  Now that negative Obamacare stories won't make a difference, the press decides that it's OK to inform the public about how it's all falling apart.

"This is media bias at its worst – and why the public despises the mainstream media."

comicallyincorrect