The World Doesn’t Care About Groupthink

Victor Davis Hanson

Among the political classes, both being slurred or slurring others of like kind in disgusting fashion is no big deal. Apparently, it is just the usual foul water that such kindred fish always swim in.

Saint-to-Sinner Silicon Valley  

. . . "In turn, Democrats gave up their suspicions of big money, as they canonized liberal Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg. Their wealth was okay, since the creators of it were progressives and dressed like Woodstock hipsters as they spread their billions freely among progressive think tanks, foundations, and political campaigns. 

From Too Little to Too Much Oil  

" Less than 15 years ago, the conventional wisdom was that we’d reached “peak oil,” or that the U.S., and indeed the world at large, had already extracted more petroleum than what remained beneath the ground.

"Then, in unheralded fashion and quite silently, American frackers and horizontal drillers made such a term entirely obsolete. The U.S. went from a superpower hobbled by an insatiable need for imported oil to the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world and, soon, the likely largest exporter of fossil fuels. In the same vein, the Middle East and especially the Persian Gulf transmogrified from being the nexus of American foreign policy to nearly irrelevant in U.S. strategic thinking. If Saudi Arabia was once accused of virtually running American foreign policy, it is now seen at the other extreme as a minor medieval bother. A few thousand people in obscurity in the fracking industry, without government grants and without the media fawning over them as they had green legends such as Al Gore, literally changed the lives of millions of Americans at home and their country’s status abroad." . . . (Emphasis mine, TD)  

The Old New Nazi Slur  

Antifa on the campuses, it appears.

"Between 2006 and 2008, George W. Bush was reduced by the anti-war Left left to a veritable Nazi. Op-eds, documentaries, plays, and novels fantasized without apology about his assassination. Mainstream politicians including Senators Robert Byrd, John Glenn, and Al Gore compared the Bush administration to Brownshirts, Fascists, and Nazis. Indeed, so hated was Bush by his critics that that they stooped to accuse him of plotting near genocide during the government’s often incompetent response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005 that virtually destroyed large swaths of New Orleans. No slur or smear was too low to throw against the president.
"Now this world of Nazi boilerplate has been turned upside down. In the age of Trump, Bush has been rehabilitated as a sober and judicious centrist by even his left-wing critics, in part to use him as an establishment club to batter the sometimes crass Donald Trump." . . .

Reparations: Another Cynical Racial Ploy from the Democrats

In a nauseating display, one after the other of their 2020 candidates stepped forward to be blessed in his or her fealty to reparations by that racist of racists—who can forget Tawana Brawley—the Reverend Al Sharpton at his National Action Network convention in NYC.

Roger L. Simon

"They say money is the mother's milk of politics, but for the Democrats the true mother's milk is racism—that is the perception thereof. Without the belief that America is a racist country, specifically against blacks but generally against any other group they can claim to be vulnerable, the party would cease to exist, dissolving into a puddle like the Wicked Witch of the West in the "Wizard of Oz."

"That is why they work so hard to preserve this sense of a country suffused with racism, fanning the flames at every turn to make it so, even when it isn't. In so doing, they often hypnotize themselves, convincing themselves of their own belief, which in turn perpetuates the myth and continues to manufacture hatred where it doesn't exist.

"Their latest gambit in this repellent cycle is the renewal of the demands for reparations for slavery. Never mind that this country fought its most dreadful war, resulting in the deaths of 400,000 Union soldiers, to end that horror. Never mind that the population of our country—approximately 30 million at the end of the Civil War—is now 325 million, a relatively small percentage coming from families that were here during slavery. Most came in waves of immigration, many escaping from such events as the Armenian and Jewish genocides, the Ukrainian Holodomor, during which Stalin starved millions to death, and similar famines and wars in China, Southern Europe, Ireland, Scotland, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia that caused those waves. And then, obviously, so much of Central and South America, Cuba, etc. in turmoil of their own. (I'm undoubtedly forgetting a few.) Do these people—legal and, yes, illegal—owe reparations for slavery?" . . .

It's too easy to call someone a racist these days

The word "racist" means nothing these days.  It's nothing but another talking point to distract voters.  In the meantime, I wonder which Democrat will use it next.

Shake the hand that shook
the hand of Farrakhan

Silvio Canto, Jr.  "As someone who's been called a "racista" for promoting something very radical, like the respect of immigration laws, I learned this weekend that Senator Bernie Sanders and candidate Beto O'Rourke called someone a "racist."

"Senator Sanders did it at the Sharpton meeting, when a number of Democrats went to New York to kiss the Rev's ring.

"How long can we go on?  Calling President Trump a racist to earn the blessing of a man of questionable character is pretty amazing.

"The next one is Beto O'Rourke, who decided to put his "dos centavos" in the Israeli election.  This is what he said:

. . . "We must be able to transcend his current leadership to make sure that that alliance is strong, that we continue to push for and settle for nothing less than a two-state solution, because that is the best opportunity for peace for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine," O'Rourke said.  "It is the best opportunity for the full human rights of everyone who is living in that region."

. . . "It's funny, but I've heard lots of criticism of P.M. Netanyahu, and racism is not among them.  Also, why are we interfering in another country's election?  I thought that that was a "no-no."

"As for the will of the Israeli people, we will learn soon whether P.M. Netanyahu is their choice or not.  My guess is that most Israelis will not base their vote on what Beto O'Rourke is saying in Iowa." . . .

Don’t Worry, Israelis: Beto Knows What You Want Better Than You Do . . . " As the Atlantic reported last month, while the candidate wants to offer hope that America can rise above its partisanship and hateful politics, "he hasn't landed on how he'll propose to actually make that happen."
"On Sunday, however, O'Rourke ventured into the great unknown and directly addressed an area of policy: the U.S.-Israel relationship. For his sake, maybe the presidential hopeful should stick with the vague platitudes." . . .

On the subject of Bobby O'Rourke:

Beto O'Rourke wants farmers to hand over their 'fair share' of crops to stop global warming  . . . "It also shows that he sees global warming as an instrument for increasing state power, even as he puts it in new dulcet terms such as "allowing" farmers to "contribute" their fair share.  What he means is what socialists always mean: taking other people's stuff by force.

"And like any socialist (I'm gonna call him one with a proposal like that), he always favors what he favors conditioned on himself being the one on top, doing all the "redistributing."  How'd he like some Iowa farmers to "redistribute" some of his belongings in the name of saving the Earth?  It's the same logic.

"It's vapid.  It's impractical.  And it has potential for destroying the entire farm structure of the U.S., given that farmer after farmer in such as scenario will "go Galt." 

"What it shows is that Beto hasn't a clue as to what makes economies run.  The ignorant boob's lust is solely for power over others.  Call it socialism with a boyish and syrupy face."

Fined $55,000 for Calling a Male a Male

American Family Radio

. . . "Now, in Canada, a Christian activist has been fined $55,000 for the “hateful” act of misgendering an adult male. How soon before this reaches America?"

. . . As Mass Resistance explains, “During the British Columbia elections in the spring of 2017, Christian activist Bill Whatcott passed out hundreds of flyers notifying people that one of the local candidates for Parliament, Morgane Oger — who claimed to be a woman and dressed as a woman — was actually a man named Ronan Oger. (In fact, up until five years ago, Oger lived relatively normally as a father with his wife and two children.)”

"That was it. He simply reported the truth: Morgane was a biological male.

"For that he was arrested, held in jail, and ultimately fined for committing a hate crime.

"It is absolutely true that Whatcott’s flyer also spoke out against homosexuality and transvestitism. And it is certain that many found his flyer to be offensive. (For the text of the flyer, see here, p. 104.)

"So be it. People say offensive things day and night in countless public settings, and those freedoms are protected by the law.

"You might even say, “As a Christian activist, Whatcott should simply preach Jesus and not warn voters that Oger is a not a female but a male.”

"You’re entitled to that opinion." . . .

Old Joe nuzzles the neck and whispers in the Democrat Party's ear

The man is willing to once again destroy Justice Clarence Thomas for his own political purposes along with Fed nominee Herman Cain, and you can expect Biden to do the same to Justice Kavanaugh in the process. Democrats have already shown numerous times that they will immolate our nation, her history and her people to satisfy shallow bigoted (I'm so sorry to be a white man; "men should just shut up!" , etc.) constituencies, shaped by media and - I posit - an inferior education system.
It is said that a nation gets the leaders it deserves. If so, please pray fervently that we deserve better than these. The Tunnel Dweller

One foolish remark and a presidential candidate is toast  . . . "Good old Joe is not the first politician to say something he thought was clever, or learned, and committed suicide, or something close to it, like losing election to the White House. Sometimes one remark that should never have been said is all it takes to consign the unwary to a forgotten footnote to a presidential campaign." . . .

The key is sincerity and honesty;
if  you can fake that you can make
it anywhere. TD

. . . The hugs and massages diverted the attention of the ever-dozing media to the really chilling things he said in a speech the other day at the Russian Tea Room in Manhattan. He was trying to offer a full grovel to the radical feminists for his close questioning of Anita Hill at the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings in the previous century. He’s apparently willing to sacrifice America’s crown jewels to make the benighted ladies feel better.
"The trouble with America is the white man, good old Joe said. The political culture of centuries of dreadful white men in charge has encouraged violence against women, and Joe knows why.
" 'It’s an English jurisprudential culture, a white man’s culture,” he said, “and it’s got to change.” He did not specify which of the bedrock items of the “English jurisprudential culture” he wants to throw away. The right of a trial by jury? The principle that a suspect is innocent until proved guilty? That, barring exceptional circumstances, a criminal trial must be open to the public? Must all these rights, bought by the blood of patriots, be trashed to make it up to the angry #MeToo ladies abused by a politician’s wandering hands?" . . .

Stacey Abrams says Georgia 'fetal heartbeat' bill 'bad for business'

The Washington Times

"Failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said Sunday that a bill banning abortion as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected would be “bad for business” in the state.

"The controversial bill, which would ban abortions as early as six weeks, is expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. A campaign launched by actress Alyssa Milano and signed by more than 100 celebrities threatens to boycott the state if Mr. Kemp does not veto the bill.

"Ms. Abrams, who narrowly lost to Mr. Kemp in 2018 and is floating a possible 2020 presidential run, said on MSNBC’s “AM Joy” that the bill threatens the state’s booming film business.

" 'think Georgia has to realize that while we’re enjoying an extraordinary boom in the film industry, there is nothing that says it has to stay here,” she said. “We have to be a state that is not only friendly to businesses, we have to be friendly to the women who work in businesses.

“ 'You should not have to worry about your ability to controlling your bodily autonomy because the governor has pushed such an abominable and evil bill that is so restrictive,” she added. “It’s not only bad for morality and our humanity, it’s bad for business.' ”

Ocasio-Cortez slams critics for mocking her voice

NY Post  

"Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shot back at critics on Friday who accused her of adopting a southern drawl while speaking to a majority-black audience at Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network convention.

“ 'Folks talking about my voice can step right off,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter.
“Any kid who grew up in a distinct linguistic culture & had to learn to navigate class enviros at school/work knows what’s up,” she added. “My Spanish is the same way.”
"Conservatives on Twitter and several right-leaning media outlets claimed Ocasio-Cortez forced the accent during her speech at the conference at the Sheraton Hotel in midtown Manhattan.
“ 'This is what organizing looks like,” Ocasio-Cortez said in her remarks. “This is what building power looks like. This is what changing the country looks like. It’s when we choose to show up and occupy the room and talk about the things that matter most, talking about our future.”
"Among her critics was conservative pundit John Cardillo, who works for Newsmax television.
“ 'In case you’re wondering, this is what blackface sounds like,” he wrote in a tweet.

"Ocasio-Cortez described the attacks as “hurtful” in another tweet.

“ 'As much as the right wants to distort & deflect, I am from the Bronx. I act & talk like it, especially when I’m fired up and especially when I’m home,” Ocasio-Cortez said in the tweet.

“ 'It is so hurtful to see how every aspect of my life is weaponized against me, yet somehow asserted as false at the same time,” she added."

‘Beto’ and Other Names in Politics and Life

National Review

William Safire took up the question of names, and their pronunciations, in his language column, back in 1983. “Your house may not be your castle,” he wrote, “but your moniker is your property to pronounce the way you like and to correct others about.”  . . .

. . . "Let’s go back to Texas. Last year, Beto O’Rourke ran for the U.S. Senate, losing to the incumbent, Ted Cruz. The senator’s full name is “Rafael Edward Cruz.” (His father came from Cuba as a refugee.) The future “Ted” grew up as “Felito.” But in junior high, he wanted out of that name. He tells the story in his autobiography, published in 2015.

"The problem with “Felito,” Cruz says, “was that it seemed to rhyme with every major corn chip on the market — Fritos, Cheetos, Doritos, Tostitos — a fact that other young children were quite happy to point out.” He continues, “I was tired of being teased. One day I had a conversation with my mother about it and she said, ‘You know, you could change your name. There are a number of other possibilities.’”

"This hit the young man like a thunderbolt. “It was a shocking concept,” Cruz says. “It had never occurred to me that I had any input on my name.” He decided on “Ted,” derived from his middle name, Edward.

"Self-reinvention is as American as apple pie. Think of Jay Gatsby, a.k.a. the Great Gatsby, who started out in North Dakota as “Jimmy Gatz.” “Gatz,” huh? Possibly Jewish? This has been a theory, or suggestion, among literary critics.

"There was a time when many American Jews felt they had to Anglicize, or de-Judaize, their names. I think of a pair of tenors, who were brothers-in-law, as it happened: Rubin Ticker became Richard Tucker; Pinky Perelmuth became Jan Peerce. Italians got in on the act as well: Dino Crocetti became Dean Martin." . . .

Pathetic Democrats have become the party of apologies

NY Post

. . . "Some of these apologies (like Warren’s and Sanders’) were necessary and some weren’t. But, politically speaking, they’re self-defeating. If you’re apologizing, you’re losing, and America doesn’t like losers. As Kathleen Parker put it in The Washington Post, directing her remark at O’Rourke, “Once you start apologizing, especially for things over which you had no control, you are more likely to be perceived as weak — and not real smart.”

"The contrast with the man all of these Democrats seek to replace as top dog is excruciatingly evident. President Trump has done a lot of things most would agree merits an apology, but then again you do project a certain aura of strength when you never back down from any dispute, no matter how trivial.

"At some point in most campaigns, voters get a jarring reminder that the world is a dangerous place and that toughness and confidence are more reassuring in a difficult moment than cringing, blanching and begging. The Democrats sometimes act as though they’re ashamed of their country. They can’t afford to seem as though they’re also ashamed of themselves."

Next they will travel the world, apologizing for the United States. I know that's a long shot but it could happen. TD

Omar and Farrakhan; the pillars of tolerance

Omar Refuses To Condemn Gays Being Stoned To Death Under Sharia Law, Violence Against Israel From Hamas    . . . "Omar has been embroiled in an anti-Semitism scandal since the first day she arrived in Washington, D.C.

"Omar has been condemned multiple times by her Democratic colleagues for pushing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories used by Nazi Germany and using anti-Semitic tropes. Omar has compared Israel to the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism in media interviews where she also suggested that Israel should not be allowed to exist as a Jewish state. Omar has suggested that her Jewish colleagues devised a plan to silence her by accusing her of being anti-Semitic and suggesting that Omar was expecting one of her Jewish colleagues to have dual loyalties to Israel. Omar also claimed that pro-Israel groups were paying off U.S. politicians to have dual loyalties to Israel.

"Omar's anti-Semitism is so extreme that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, while not using her name, clearly directed scorn at Omar during speeches at AIPAC this week." . . .

Netanyahu, Democrat Leaders Blast Ilhan Omar At AIPAC. Omar Explodes.  . . . "I stand with Israel, proudly and unapologetically," [House Majority Leader Steny]  Hoyer said."So when someone accuses American supporters of dual loyalty, I say: accuse me." Hoyer then blasted the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign that Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) both support and on which Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) refuses to take a clear stance. "When the curtain is pulled back, everyone can see what the [BDS] movement truly is: a front for delegitimizing the Jewish people’s right to selfdetermination," Hoyer said. Hoyer took aim at the three anti-Semitic freshman Democrats, saying:"By the way, there are 62 freshman Democrats. Do you hear me? There are 62, not three." 

Sorry about the robo-voice in this video but you should find the light it sheds on Omar of interest. TD

WATCH: CBS Cameras Cut Away the Moment Texas Tech Starts Praying

Breitbart  "CBS cameras cut away from the Texas Tech locker room the moment their head coach entered the room and began leading the team in prayer.

The network seemed to have no problem letting their cameras linger, while the announcers filled time and waited for the coach to arrive. However, moments after the coach Chris Beard arrived, the team began to pray and the cameras cut away to a shot of the announcers.

. . . 

"CBS has yet to offer an explanation as to why they chose to cut away during Texas Tech’s team prayer.

"This is not the first time a network has decided to cut away during a moment of prayer, or religious speech at a sporting event. In October of  2015, ESPN cut away from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney after he thanked “the good Lord” during a post game interview."

Mueller Express Fails to Deliver, Democrats Head for the Abyss

Clarice Feldman  . . . "To be sure the Congressional Democrats are floating a series of moves with more public relations impact than likely success.

"The planned subpoena of an unredacted Mueller report is unlikely to yield results.

A House panel voted yesterday to authorize subpoenas to obtain Robert Mueller’s full report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The vote was strictly along party lines. 

Democrats aren’t going to issue the subpoena yet. First, they will negotiate with the Justice Department.

But Democrats are holding a losing hand. This subpoena, like all the others House Democrats are thinking about issuing, cannot, in all likelihood, be effectively enforced.

The normal enforcement mechanism for a subpoena is to cite for contempt the party that refuses to comply. But it’s up to the Justice Department to prosecute that case. The DOJ isn’t going to prosecute its head. 

. . .