The Wolf is at the door

"After all, this is the one task at which Obama – the ideal president in the view of Wolff and everyone else in his class – managed to succeed.  He couldn't enforce his line in the sand.  He couldn't stop the growth of ISIS.  He couldn't keep Putin from annexing Crimea.  He couldn't prevent the terrorist acts of the week that we had to get used to under his leadership.  But Obama could throttle the U.S. economy." *

*Wolffian economics  "Michael Wolff, author of Fire and Fury, promoted his book recently in aninterview on BBC Radio.  After boasting that the book spells the end of the Trump presidency – just like all the other phenomena that brought about the end of the Trump candidacy and presidency in the past – Wolff was asked whether Trump deserves credit for America's current booming economy.  He delivered himself of this gem of analysis:

He hardly has a staff anymore, since most people have left the White House.  And it may be that he will do nothing.  The economy is booming possibly because you'll have someone who's not capable of actually implementing any policies or regulation.

"I contend that these few sentences should receive far more attention than has so far been the case.  They tell us what Wolff – and really his whole media class – consider the role of a competent and functional White House.

"That role is to impose policies and regulations that will throttle the economy." . . .

#TheResistance pins its hopes on Michael Wolff, who admits parts of his book may not be true   "Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury” hijacked the news cycle this week.

"Fantastical tales of a White House in disarray, administrative turmoil, and anecdotes aplenty meant to justify Trump’s “unfitness” for the Oval Office made for some captivating reading.

"Excerpts allegedly quoting former White House aide Steve Bannon ignited a scorched earth flame war between the embittered exiled aide and Trump.

"Immediately, certain parts of the story were called to question as they didn’t hold up to basic fact-checking, begging the question: How much of “Fire and Fury” is true?

"Wolff himself isn’t entirely sure all parts of the book he’s peddling as the ultimate insider account of Trump’s first year are actually true. In fact, he knows some of his sources were telling tall tales, yet chose to include their stories anyway." . . .

Child abuse documentary Hollywood 'didn't want you to see' goes viral

American Thinker

The Guardian

The film An Open Secret died upon release in 2015, but is seeing a renewed interest online amid a cascade of allegations against Hollywood’s elite

"When the documentary An Open Secret tried to lift the lid on child abuse in Hollywood, it billed itself as “the film Hollywood doesn’t want you to see”. The marketing tagline did not exaggerate.

"The film died upon release in 2015. There was no theatrical release to speak of, no television deal, no video-on-demand distribution.

“ 'We got zero Hollywood offers to distribute the film. Not even one. Literally no offers for any price whatsoever,” said Gabe Hoffman, a Florida-based hedge fund manager who financed the film.

"It did not seem to matter that it was directed by an Oscar-nominated director, Amy Berg, or that it uncovered damning evidence of the sexual abuse of teenage boys by figures in the film industry.

“ 'There was nowhere to see it,” said Lorien Haynes, the film’s writer. “I don’t think it impacted at all. Nobody saw it. We released a film that didn’t [seem to] exist.”

"Now, two years later, multiple “open secrets” of predatory behaviour are detonating across Hollywood and the documentary that blew the whistle is getting millions of viewers – but still no distribution deal.

"Hoffman released the film for free on the video-sharing website Vimeo this month after reports about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual assaults set off a chain-reaction, with James Toback, Tyler Grasham and Kevin Spacey among those accused of harassment and worse.

An Open Secret review – damning documentary takes aim at sexual abuse in Hollywood

    

Amy Berg’s revealing look at child molestation in the film industry is plainly told but undeniably shocking

 

Read more

"Corey Feldman, a former child actor who says he was the victim of a paedophile ring, has raised more than $170,000 through crowdfunding for a purported $10m biopic about the abuse." . . .

The 20 Most Annoying Liberals of 2017 (15th Annual)

Townhall

"Honorable mentions: Bill Clinton, Cher, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Stephen Colbert, Carmen Yulín Cruz, Lauren Duca, Lena Dunham, Keith Ellison, Jill Filipovich, Al Franken, Kirsten Gillibrand, Al Gore, Al Green, Kamala Harris, Chris Hayes, Jemele Hill, Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson, Van Jones, Tim Kaine, Steven King, Rachel Maddow, Bill Maher, “Chelsea” Manning, Chris Matthews, Alyssa Milano, Ed Murray, Tariq Nasheed, Keith Olbermann, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Ben Rhodes, Linda Sarsour, Chuck Schumer, Starbucks, Brian Stelter, George Takei, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, The View, Joan Walsh, Wil Wheaton, Montel Williams, Sally Yates, Mark Zuckerberg (2016 list)"
. . . 
"13) Sheila Jackson Lee / Maxine Waters: Both of them are embarrassingly dumb for members of Congress, yammer on about impeaching Trump and blame racism for every problem in their lives. They're basically indistinguishable idiots; so why not let them share a slot on the list?"
. . . 
"Defining Quote: "Whether we realize it or not, most men hate women." -- Sally Kohn"
. . . 

'White Privilege': Part II in a Series of Widely Held Beliefs That Are Either Untrue or Meaningless

Daily Wire  "A pillar of contemporary leftism is the notion of"white privilege." Given that a generation of high school and college students are being taught that a great number of"unearned privileges" accrue to white Americans -- the charge of white privilege demands rational inquiry.

"The assertion turns out to be largely meaningless. And more significantly, it does great harm to blacks.

"First, no reasonable person can argue that white privilege applies to the great majority of whites, let alone to all whites. There are simply too many variables other than race that determine individual success in America.

" And if it were true, why would whites commit suicide at twice the rate of blacks (and at a higher rate than any other race in America except American Indians)? According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, white men, whom the left argue are the most privileged group of all in America, commit 7 of every 10 suicides in America -- even though only 3 of 10 Americans are white males. 

"Whatever reason one gives for the white suicide rate, it is indisputable that, at the very least, considerably more whites than blacks consider life not worth living. To argue that all these whites were oblivious to all the unique privileges they had is to stretch the de×nition of "privilege" beyond credulity. Second, there are a host of privileges that dwarf"white privilege." . . .

PRAGER: If It Damages America, It's Good for Democrats

Dennis Prager

"In almost every area of American life, the better things are, the worse it is for the Democratic Party. And vice versa."Marriage."Even today, after decades of feminism, most Americans agree that it is better for women (and for men) -- and better for society -- when women (and men) marry. Yet, when women marry, it is bad for the Democratic Party; and when women do not marry, even after -- or shall we say, (SET ITAL) especially (END ITAL) after -- having children, it is quite wonderful for the Democratic Party."Married women vote Republican. Unmarried women lopsidedly vote Democrat."It is both silly and dishonest to deny that it is in the Democrats' interest that women not marry."Blacks."Blacks who are not angry at America, especially white America, are more likely than those who harbor such anger to vote Republican. On the other hand, the more a black American considers America a racist society, the more he or she is a guaranteed Democratic voter."Therefore, it is in the Democratic Party's interest to ensure that as many blacks as possible regard America negatively. If Democrats feel it will benefit their party, they will play with fire -- the fire of violence. Take Ferguson, Missouri. No Democrat or Republican knows what happened in Ferguson just before a black teenager was shot by a white policeman. The only thing almost any American has known about Ferguson is that a white police officer shot and killed a black teenager. Yet, while blacks in Ferguson demonstrated, some violently, the reaction of Democrats -- both politicians and the mainstream left-wing media -- has been to side with the demonstrators." . . .

The University of Oregon application: you’re either an oppressor or a victim

Bookworm Room

The University of Oregon has two types of applicants: victims and oppressors — and the latter should identify themselves and their repentance immediately.

"The University of Oregon application requires that students respond to one of two essay questions. The first posits that the student is either a victim or an oppressor:

"Describe an experience with discrimination, whether it was fighting against discrimination or recognizing your contribution to discriminating against a person or group. What did you learn from the experience? In what ways will you bring those lessons to the University of Oregon? (Emphasis mine.)

"Please note that the second option in the above essay prompt — “recognizing your contribution to discriminating against a person or group” — implicitly includes a Maoist type of confession and re-education. I don’t know about you, but I find that prompt extremely disturbing insofar as it reveals that the University’s admission committee has lumped all of its applicants into two categories: oppressor and oppressed." . . . 

Academy members now regret banning Weinstein so hastily

Page Six

"When Hollywood’s most prestigious organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) — the group of nearly 7,000 actors, directors and other industry types who dole out the Oscars — expelled Harvey Weinstein on Oct. 14,audiences applauded. But by acting so swiftly, a mere nine days after the New York Times first reported allegations of sexual assault against the movie producer, the outfit now finds itself facing a dilemma.

"Put simply: What to do with the rest of them?" . . .

Wash Post Media Reporter: Trump-Book Author Accused of Inventing Quotes

Newsbusters  "On the front of Thursday's Style section, Washington Post media reporter Paul Farhi wrote a piece on blazing-hot author Michael Wolff and his Trump book Fire and Fury. The headline was "A whale of a Trump tale, but is it fishy?" Inside, the headline is "Wolff made up quotes, some of his sources say." 

"After recounting all the hot stories about Trump and his former aide Steve Bannon, that revelation is tucked inside on page C-4: 

Wolff, for example, writes that Thomas Barrack Jr., a billionaire friend of Trump’s, told a friend that Trump is “not only crazy, he’s stupid.” Barrack on Wednesday denied to a New York Times reporter that he ever said such a thing.

Katie Walsh, a former White House adviser, has also disputed a comment attributed to her by Wolff, that dealing with Trump was “like trying to figure out what a child wants.”

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders added her own skepticism during her daily briefing on Wednesday. “We know the book has a lot of things, so far that we’ve seen, that are completely untrue,” she said. She was not specific, but Sanders added that Wolff’s characterizations of White House operations were “the opposite of what I saw.”

Wolff, 64, has said his book was based on 200 interviews with White House and campaign staffers, including Bannon. He didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.

"We should expect that NBC's exclusive interview with Wolff on Friday's Today will focus on the fake-news question. Farhi also found this pattern in Wolff's media columns for New York magazine: " . . .

The Book That Blew Up Washington

Matthew Continetti  . . . "As if all this wasn’t enough, January 3 brought the first excerpts from Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury, which hit the Beltway with the force of the thermonuclear explosion referenced in its title. The president’s former chief strategist suggested the president’s son and chief strategist had committed treason and money laundering. And that was just for starters. David Stockman, George Stephanopoulos, Scott McClellan, Bob Gates, eat your heart out. No insider tell-all beats this. 

"I don’t know what to make of the Wolff excerpts. It’s clear that Steve Bannon was a major source, and I wouldn’t trust a thing that man says. A lot of the material falls into the “too good to check” category of journalism. There are some basic errors involving ages, dates, and typos. And the content seems designed to fit the media’s preferred narrative that President Trump is senile or crazy or both. Purporting to confirm what everyone in the press already believes is a surefire way to maximize publicity and sales. Doesn’t mean what you’re selling is true.

"Sensational books are perennial in Washington. What’s different here is the president’s response. Reagan, Clinton, W., Obama kept their distance from the controversies engendered by disgruntled former aides. To engage would be beneath the office. Not for President Trump. "  Full Article.

How Bernie Sanders's minimum wage hike idea works in Venezuela

Monica Showalter  "Bernie Sanders has opined for years on the necessity of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, explaining that:

By phasing in a pay raise for tens of millions of workers, we can improve living standards, lift families out of poverty, and provide a much-needed boost to our economy. Our bill will raise the wages of 41 million workers — an extra $3,500 a year in pay for full-time workers.

"The socialist Senator this past year introduced legislation in the Senate for the wage hike and while that didn't succeed (so far) has made the $15 wage call a standard platform item for most Democrats on the campaign trail. After all, if a $10 minimum wage hike is great, why not a $15 raise?

"Sanders has even claimed such a move would cut federal spending, something that the lefty PolitiFact found 'mostly false.'

"Factual or not, Sanders remains popular, especially among the millennials who, born after the Wall's fall, have no experience of socialism whatsoever.

"Until now." . . .

The Evil that Must Not Be Named on Campus  "Academia turns a blind eye to the reality of actual socialism, the ideology practiced by Marxists while they sought the perfection of communism...someday.  Socialism is ruining Venezuela today, and the whitewash pervades elite culture, even when the evil strikes close to home for an elite American small college." . . .

. . . "The bottom line: the true, evil nature of socialism is not being taught at most of America's colleges and universities.  To the contrary, socialism is promulgated as a positive force for "social justice," "income equality," and "environmental preservation."  As such, when the true nature of socialism rears its ugly head (as in present-day Venezuela), the horrific reality must be suppressed." . . .

Understanding Keith Ellison

Power Line  "Keith Ellison is Minnesota’s Fifth District Congressman and the Democratic Party’s deputy chairman. We’ve followed his rise since he won the DFL nomination to run for the Fifth District seat in 2006 in “Louis Farrakhan’s first congressman” (October 9, 2006), in the companion Power Line post “Keith Ellison for dummies,” and in “The Ellison elision”(February 3, 2014).

"Most recently, I revisited this history in the context of Ellison’s national ambitions in “The trouble with Keith Ellison” (November 21, 2016) and in the Power Line post “Keith Ellison’s back pages” (February 8,2017). The 2017 Power Line post includes a video of Ellison as a third-year University of Minnesota Law School student appearing in February 1990 under his Nation of Islam pseudonym Keith Hakim.

"Ellison welcomed Kwame Ture (the former Stokely Carmichael) to speak in the law school’s Room 25 on the topic “Zionism: Racism, Imperialism or both?” Ellison’s introduction of Ture is clipped, but we are able to see him recalling the time he welcomed “Minister Farrakhan” to the University of Minnesota. Ellison was already deep into his Nation of Islam phase.

"What a long, strange trip it’s been.

"Ellison is back in the news this week with his photographic endorsement of the fascist Antifa movement. John wrote about it here." . . .

The geniuses we elect

Power Line  "No doubt you’ve heard about it: President Trump proclaimed himself a “stable genius” on Twitter this morning. Here is the series of tweets, so you can see what he actually said. I should add that these weren’t his only tweets this morning; he was busy:

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence....

. . .

"These comments are obviously tongue in cheek, but Trump’s points nevertheless are well taken, including his recollection of the Left’s attacks on Ronald Reagan, who they also claimed was unstable and stupid. Which is not to say that these tweets were a bright idea." . . .

"These tweets reminded me of a famous quote from the Obama era:

The White House takes pride in the fact that Obama’s PDB is “not briefed to him” – because, they say, he is “among the most sophisticated consumers of intelligence on the planet.” That hubris brings to mind this revealing quote from a September 2008 New York Times profile of Obama:

Obama: I’m a better intelligence briefer than my intelligence briefers

"The White House takes pride in the fact that Obama’s PDB is “not briefed to him” – because, they say, he is “among the most sophisticated consumers of intelligence on the planet.” That hubris brings to mind this revealing quote from a September 2008 New York Times profile of Obama:" . . .