Cancelers canceled at Simon & Schuster

The media today are far more homogeneously left-wing and devoted to the destruction, not just the defeat, of their enemies.  And generations of brainwashed products of left-wing higher education have been weaned away from any understanding of the Constitution and the importance of civility.

 Thomas Lifson   "A small sign that cancel culture may have peaked, at least in book publishing, is worth noting.  The president of Simon & Schuster, Jonathan Karp, has announced that his firm will ignore a petition from its staff (reportedly, 216 employees and thousands of sympathizers) demanding that plans to publish an autobiographical memoir by former V.P. Mike Pence be canceled.

"Thomas Lipscomb, a publishing industry veteran, takes note and celebrates the act of courage in the Asia Times:

[T]he internal petition being circulated by Simon & Schuster employees is far more extensive. It is demanding categorical censorship irrespective of any underlying editorial merit. It wants to employ a heckler's veto to override the judgment of some of the finest editors in publishing in multiple imprints, even extending it to canceling totally independent distribution clients.

Simon & Schuster's president, Jonathan Karp, announced that his firm would go forward and publish Mike Pence's memoir. In the same letter he reminded his employees "… we come to work to publish, not cancel, which is the most extreme decision a publisher can make, and one that runs counter to the very core of our mission to publish a diversity of voices and perspectives."

Simon & Schuster's petitioners have now reached outside their own community looking for "solidarity" throughout publishing for their position.

. . . "Is Hawley beyond the pale but Pence barely acceptable?  Or is there a new commitment to resisting those who would narrow the range of discourse?  We don't know.

"What stood out for me, though, was the insight on the role of independent bookstore-owners in pushing cancel culture:" . . .

Kancel Kulture Kartoons: That's All Folks: Here Are 10 More Looney Tunes Characters That Must Be Canceled

. . . "Tweety Bird, who uses racial profiling in looking for threats: Oh, you taw a puddy-tat, did you? Check your prejudice, you bigoted bird." 

"Hugo the Abominable Snowman, an all-white character: Do we not have enough white characters already? On the plus side, he is called "abominable" so maybe he can stay as a reminder of white abominableness." . . .

Another sign Dems fear Ron DeSantis as a presidential contender

 Thomas Lifson   "Politico’s Playbook is a daily feature, sent by email to a large list of subscribers, heavily concentrated among professional political insiders. Companies “sponsor” it -- reportedly costing $60,000 a week in 2018 – in hopes of goodwill from the movers and shakers that read it.

"Friday’s Playbook (online here) was, as a friend wrote, “a ham handed effort to suggest to Republicans that he won’t win the White House, since he has not built up a strong team of advisors and treats aides badly.  It’s pretty obvious Dems fear him, as Politico is one of their many mouthpieces."

"Here is the introduction. Go here to read the whole thing."

Full article here...

True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal-and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life

" 'I just returned a pair of Nike shoes to the store. I complained that they hurt my feet when I stand for the [national anthem]," Sorbo wrote at the time."

Kevin Sorbo    "In this inspiring memoir, the star of Hercules shares the story of the sudden aneurysm and multiple strokes that left him incapacitated--but ultimately redefined his definition of success.

"On television, Kevin Sorbo portrayed an invincible demigod; in his real life, an aneurysm caused strokes that left him partially blind and incapacitated at just thirty-eight years old. Yet since appearances are everything in Hollywood, he hid the full details about his condition from the press and continued to film Hercules, which was the number one TV series in the world.

"True Strength is the story of transformation, persistence, and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Sorbo reflects on his childhood in Minnesota and his early acting days in Hollywood, to his charmed life as television's beloved Hercules, and where he is today. He recounts the onset of his symptoms, his frightening hospitalization, and his arduous path to recovery. With this honest account of personal tragedy and triumph, Sorbo aims to blaze a trail for those who have ever suffered acute illness or a serious setback in life and are now struggling to find their way back."

“What happened to me was a gift,” Sorbo says. “God was trying to warn me. I didn’t listen, so he gave me a tap on the shoulder to slow down.”

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995-1999) "One of the most overlooked, yet one of the most influential of all 90s genre series, 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys' (1995-1999) was pure escapism in its finest form. It started out as more of a straight forward fantasy series, but over time it began to branch out to include other genres. The stylized reimagining of the classic hero captured fans' the world over."

Christian Actor Kevin Sorbo Is The Latest Conservative To Fall Victim To Big Tech Censorship   "Big Tech's silencing of conservatives rages on, and one of the latest high-profile personalities to have his right to free speech suppressed via account deletion is Christian actor Kevin Sorbo.

"Actor Kevin Sorbo said on Friday that his official account with over 500,000 followers was deleted by the tech giant Facebook.

"Newsbusters reported that Facebook did not respond to question on why they deleted Sorbo's account." . . .

Actor Kevin Sorbo says Facebook deleted his page with over 500,000 followers  . . . "In another article, Kevin Sorbo was reported to have blasted Hollywood's treatment of Gina Carano Saturday, which highlighted a producer who has worked with Disney and received no rebuke from the company when he fantasized about "MAGA kids" going "into the woodchipper." He highlighted Disney's hypocrisy for ignoring these kinds of behavior.

"Just so we're all clear, he still has his job at Disney," Serbo tweeted with a pic of producer Jack Morrissey's tweet on MAGA kids."

VCU student activist celebrates the shooting deaths of police officers, 'prays' for the death of Andy Ngo

The Post Millennial  "After the student body president of Virginia Commonwealth University was revealed to have advocated for the murder of cops, another student with far-left views at the college has celebrated the shooting deaths of law enforcement officers."  .  .  . 

"Last week, The Post Millennial reported that VCU student government president Taylor Marie Maloney, 20, has called for violence on social media and posted numerous racist statements.

"Maloney, who was championed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia last month for being the "first openly transgender and non-binary person" elected to the position, advocated on Twitter for killing cops, rioting, looting, vandalism and arson.

"When two North Carolina deputies were shot dead last Wednesday by an active gunman, 19-year-old VCU student Knisya Shaheen Johnson, of Richmond, cheered in celebration. "Officers down," Johnson, also using an online moniker, tweeted with the party popper emoji."

Since the report that uncovered Maloney's extremist views, Johnson has prayed for the death of The Post Millennial's editor-at-large Andy Ngo. Johnson has used Twitter on several occasions to promote violence and organize Antifa meetings.

MSNBC panned for Joy Reid's ‘poop’ segment attacking Rep. Elise Stefanik

"Left-wing host, guests mock Republican lawmaker with toilet jokes"

Fox News  "Left-wing cable news network MSNBC came under fire Thursday following a perplexing segment on Joy Reid's show centered around "poop" jokes and attacking Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. 

"Reid, the left-wing host well known for criticizing Republicans, was seemingly amused when former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, now a political analyst for MSNBC, resorted to using defecation references to attack Stefanik, the Republican Party, and former President Donald Trump. 

"The segment began with Reid going on a profanity-laced rant against Stefanik, calling her statements on election fraud in the 2020 election "bulls**t," questioning her past political support for anti-Trump Republicans, and claiming she was defrauding "Trumpy" voters by pretending to not be one of the most liberal Republicans." . . .

To the amusement of Joy Reid, MSNBC's supposedly civil and principled Republican Michael Steele says @EliseStefanik is made of poop and decided that Donald Trump's "golden toilet" that he "brought into the RNC" is actually "a swimming pool." pic.twitter.com/xx5iL5LtuE

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 6, 2021

Mainstream press stoking racial tension to paint 'whites as the enemy,'

 

Left and Media are Fomenting a Race War  . . . "At least the media haven’t politicized the weather reports —  yet. . . . 

. . . "The news and cable talk shows are brutal — all-partisan-politics-all-the time.

"Sports programs are almost as bad, thanks to their blind worship of the Black Lives Matter movement and its dangerous ideas.

"NBA coverage is the worst.

"You almost feel like you have to swear your allegiance to BLM or confess to being a lifelong racist before every tip off — which is why the NBA’s TV ratings for this year’s playoffs are in the toilet." . . .

Mainstream press stoking racial tension to paint 'whites as the enemy,' says Heather Mac Donald

Why the media loves the white racist story

Ignored in the process of labelling people racists and shaming them is that the shaming fails to condemn actions. Instead, it focuses on a single person. Condemning people gives them little room to change, grow or learn from their mistakes. Humility is needed on all sides.

CNN admits to terrorizing America with fear-mongering and crisis programming  "Charlie Chester, one of CNN‘s technical directors, was caught on tape admitting that the fake news network “got Trump out” by spreading lies and disinformation about his presidency.

"Among other deceptions aimed at steering the public into panic and unrest, CNN told its viewers to be afraid of President Trump – and many listened. Consequently, he was voted out of office through fraud and misdirection, complements of CNN." . . .

EVIDENCE: How CNN faked a story about Matt Gaetz, got caught, but still won’t remove it  . . . "Miller insisted: “This CNN story is complete fake news. No such scheduling or meeting request was ever made, and therefore, it could never have been declined. Take note that this story has zero on-the-record sources. It’s literally made-up. We are demanding a full retraction.”

"He added, in a second statement: “CNN has no on-the-record sources making this claim, no electronic or written or recorded evidence backing up this claim, it flat out never happened, and we demand a full retraction of this story. Who was the editor that allowed this to be printed???”

"That CNN failed to approach Miller in the first instance, forcing a post-publication correction would be bad enough." . . .

But the CNN editorial process failed on multiple levels:

Cisgender Intersectional Agitprop; “Woke” CIA video ensures no happy ending for the people.

 Frontpage Mag

. . . “ 'I am intersectional, but my existence is not a box-checking exercise,” the CIA star claims.  She suffered  from “imposter syndrome,” which supposedly causes high achievers to doubt their skills, but “I did not sneak into the CIA.” Indeed, “My employment was not and is not of a fluke or a slip through the cracks. . . I am educated, qualified and competent.” That gives viewers plenty to ponder.

"On the education side, what exactly is the intersectional agent’s field of study and what is her GPA? Would a degree in sociology or women’s studies qualify somebody as educated? Has she read books on espionage such as Perjury: The Hiss Chambers Case, by Allen Weinstein? Like Clinton security advisor Anthony Lake, does the star CIA agent think Hiss might be innocent? She claims to be qualified but for what the video provides no clue. For many viewers, that will be an issue.

"The Central Intelligence Agency is tasked with protecting the United States against hostile, nuclear armed powers such as China, Russia, and North Korea, with Iran soon to join the list. Protecting America would seem to require more than mere competence, but the CIA video star gives no examples of her actual job performance. On the other hand, she leaves viewers with more than a reasonable doubt.

 “ 'I am a woman of color,” the CIA star explains. “I am a mom, I am a cisgender millennial who’s been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.” Viewers might think that such a disorder would disqualify a person from working for the nation’s most sensitive intelligence agency. Strictly speaking, the CIA is not a therapeutic or training organization.

"Whatever “cisgendered” might be, the 36-year-old provides no explanation of how qualifies someone for employment with the CIA." . . .

CIA Publishes Super Woke, Super Cringe Promo Vid About 'Intersectional,' 'Cisgender Millennial'  . . . "Civil Service, like the military, is traditionally a meritocracy. There should be no reason to put a fine point or emphasis on diversity. Mike Pompeo tweeted something akin to this perspective:

“When I was Director of the CIA, we valued individuals based on their talent and skill, not their race or sexuality. I’ll never forget what one female analyst said to me: 'Thank you for valuing me for my work. I want my abilities and achievements to define me, not my sexuality.'”

"Director and producer Robby Starbuck sees this embarrassing woke piece as an indication that the “the state of our Union is in peril.” He retweeted the video with obvious disgust saying:

“Our enemies are laughing their asses off watching this. While the CIA virtue signals about hiring an ‘intersectional, cisgender, millennial with generalized anxiety disorder,’ our enemies are plotting to take advantage at every turn.”

. . . 

This does not escape parody: CIA Breaks Up ISIS Plot To Use Incorrect Pronouns "The Central Intelligence Agency has already seen results of its new intersectional hiring campaign. The Agency’s recent recruits have announced they’ve broken up an ISIS plot to refer to people by incorrect pronouns.

“That’s literal violence,” explained CIA Agent MaKenna Wallace, a recent Gen Z hire with a degree in women’s studies. “I’m shaking right now just thinking of it.”

"The CIA jumped into action, though, and got those ISIS members kicked off Twitter. “They’re not going to hurt anyone now,” MaKenna added. “I mean, they could be on Parler, but I’m not going to get an account there to check that out. Ew.”

"The incorrect pronoun plot got the agency really worked up, and they’ve temporarily shut down to give everyone there a chance to rebalance, which is why they have yet to look into all those bombs that just went off in Europe. They may have to leave that to others, though, as they’ve reportedly obtained intel that terrorists are plotting to obtain deadnames, which MaKenna described as “as bad as a dirty bomb times a million.” (Parody, in case this was not obvious?

Leftism has damaged blacks more than slavery or Jim Crow did; Asians are paying the price

 Leftism has damaged blacks more than slavery or Jim Crow did

Even as leftist policies chipped away at family stability, leftists did two other evil things: (1) They attacked faith, even though modern Judeo-Christian faith has been a tremendous force for good at the micro-level, in families, and at the macro-level, in whole societies. (2) They told blacks that, because of “systemic racism,” blacks were damned if you did and damned if you didn’t in terms of obeying the laws. So you might as well disobey the laws. No one on the left ever pointed out that all this systemic racism existed most in Democrat-run communities.

. . . 

Video Shows Man Repeatedly Punching Asian Man Pushing Stroller in Unprovoked Attack in San Francisco (VIDEO) . . . "The violent attacker, 26-year-old Sidney Hammond, was arrested by San Fran PD. (Video)

"Sidney Hammond was recently released from jail by radical Marxist San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin for robbery at the same location!

"After being violently attacked, the 36-year-old Asian father is seen quickly jumping on his feet to check on his 1-year-old child in the stroller."

⚠️ TW / ASIAN FATHER ATTACKED IN MISSION BAY WHILE WALKING WITH 1-YEAR-OLD IN STROLLER

The attack happened Friday just after 2 pm outside Gus's Community Market on 4th/Channel. SFPD was patrolling the area and immediately arrested the suspect - 26 yo Sidney Hammond.@KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/rcidGexoc7

— Betty Yu (@BettyKPIX) May 5, 2021

SF DA Chesa Boudin drops charges against one of two suspects in viral attack on Asian man  "Dwayne Grayson was arrested last week in connection to the attack. His charges have been dropped in favor of a restorative justice approach."  

. . . "Several people can be seen standing around in the Bayview neighborhood, but none of them interfered. Some mocked the victim. No other arrests have been made in the case. "

 Many more videos here. 

'F*** you, Chinese people! I hate you!': Video shows Asian store owner punched in face, knocked to floor by customer

MPD seeks the public's assistance in identifying and locating a suspect and a person of interest in an Aggravated Assault offense that occurred on 5/4/21 in the 1300 block of 4th St., NE

Have info? Call (202) 727-9099/text 50411

Release: https://t.co/rbxcNWOTb5 pic.twitter.com/HcC2ZUeiyO

— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) May 6, 2021

If store owners feel fear when someone resembling this man enter their store, are they racist? 

The Equity Mess

Despite their professed goals, Democrats' pandemic policies have widened disparities between races, classes, and genders.

terrellaftermath

 Reason "Two days before the 2020 election, Kamala Harris could have picked from any number of campaign themes. The number of COVID-19 cases had doubled over the previous month. At home, violent crime was up; abroad, negotiations with the Taliban over U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan had bogged down. And ominously, Harris' opponent, Vice President Mike Pence, was refusing to state clearly whether Donald Trump would accept the results of the election.

"Instead of any of those closing arguments, Harris and her campaign team chose to emphasize, in a tweet, speech, and animated video, a single portentous word that in a remarkably short time has escaped the laboratory of academe, spread through newsrooms and human resources departments, and now lodged itself firmly inside the White House: equity.

" 'There's a big difference between equality and equity," a slightly bemused, slightly exasperated-sounding Harris explained over the image of an animated young white man vaulting his way confidently through a rock-climbing course after having started out in a more advanced position than his discouraged black counterpart. "Equitable treatment means"—the two hikers, now joined in success after the disadvantaged one was given a boost up, gaze confidently at the horizon from atop the summit—"we all end up at the same place.' " . . .

The Problematic Equity Case for Mass Transit  "A large body of research suggests something quite different: access to private automobiles—not transit—is a powerful social equalizer."

. . . "Even when racial discrimination was not the motivation, black property owners were more likely to be targeted because their land tended to be valued less.  . . ."

Pro-Choice Group Apologizes For Video That Accidentally Humanized The Unborn (Parody, in case that wasn't obvious))

Babylon Bee

"WASHINGTON, D.C.—After the Agenda Project's three-year-old ad in which a baby is shown with the caption "She deserves to be a choice" was unearthed, the progressive think tank faced severe backlash from pro-life groups and anyone else with a modicum of conscience.

"The group has since come forward and apologized for accidentally humanizing the unborn in the video.

" 'We are extremely sorry for making it appear as though unborn babies are 100% biological humans. That was never our intention," said an Agenda Project representative. "We see now that footage of a human baby whose life we would gladly see snuffed out is probably not the best way to advance our agenda."

"Fellow progressives also blasted the ad, claiming that the video makes it obvious that the far left is OK with killing babies. "We don't want to let on that we know the unborn are human," said former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards. "That would give up the game. So for this ad to equate a human child with an unborn human child is beyond the pale for the pro-choice movement."

" 'Just to be clear, our official position is to never let on that we know the unborn are biologically human. Just yell something about your body being your choice if someone tries to corner you on that," she added."

Sen. Tim Scott: Driving the Wrong Way While Black

"But there’s also a ridiculous reason Republicans make goo-goo eyes at any black Republican. As the Social Justice Warriors say, they’ve “internalized their oppression.” Oh, you call us “racist,” media? We support (Fill in Name of Black Republican Here)! What do you say now, media?  Media: Yeah, he doesn’t count."

  Ann Coulter  "ANSWER: “Sen. Tim Scott, Republican from South Carolina.”

"QUESTION: “Who will loads of Republicans support for president in 2024?”

"I know this because … I am Carnac the Magnificent!

"Also because Republicans have latched onto a black candidate for president every four years, pretty much throughout my entire adult life.

I’m one of those Republicans, having enthusiastically supported Alan Keyes in at least one of his three presidential runs, Herman Cain in 2012 (9-9-9!) and Ben Carson, as my backup to Trump, in 2016.

"Other black Republicans who were — in the words of Michael Kinsley — “drooled over” by the GOP include Colin Powell (the Weekly Standard’s choice for the 1996 contest), Condoleezza Rice (supported by Dick Morris and Rush Limbaugh as our 2008 nominee), and Allen West (Glenn Beck’s choice in 2012).

"The rational reason for this is that no black person in modern America casually rolls into being a Republican. I never really gave it much thought, but all my friends and family are Republicans, so I guess I am, too.

"That doesn’t happen. By the time any black person decides to announce to the world that he’s a Republican, a lot of thought has gone into it. There will be no hagiographic profiles in The New York Times, Pulitzer Prizes or hosting gigs on MSNBC.

"That’s why black Republicans, on average, are a lot ballsier than white Republicans (and 147% smarter than black Democrats)." . . .

. . . Wouldn’t a great cause for any U.S. senator — especially a black senator — be to oppose the effectively pro-criminal, aggressively anti-police BLM, instead of catering to them?  (Emphasis mine, TD)

The Politics of Attacking Tim Scott  "After a week of vicious personal attacks on Sen. Tim Scott, it’s time to step back and ask what’s really going on here. Why such ferocious pushback after Scott’s calm rebuttal to President Biden’s speech to Congress? Why are the assaults so nasty, so personal? What are the political implications?

"One implication should be clear, but another is well hidden. The obvious one is the attacks are meant to keep Black voters firmly within the Democratic coalition. Condemning dissidents like Scott as “race traitors” implies that the only way to keep faith with Black America is to support Democrats and their progressive agenda." . . .

. . . "One way to stop it is to make sure Black conservatives pay a high price for speaking out. The goal, like so much in modern American politics, is to suppress dissident views, to shame, humiliate, and cancel them.

"That’s the message from those who condemn Scott as “Uncle Tim” or an “Oreo.” They are telling African Americans: If you challenge our agenda, we will shred you personally. That’s exactly what MSNBC host Tiffany Cross did on her show when she lacerated “the hollow institution that resides inside Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s head. No racism there, and
apparently no sense either." Cross added that she wouldn’t "argue with people Harriet Tubman would have left behind," and that Scott’s remarks would "shame the ancestors and appease the oppressors.” Joy-Ann Reid, another MSNBC host, tweeted her approval. At their network, that’s what passes for intelligent commentary." . . .

MSNBC's Joy Reid and Guests Tag-Team in Effort to Portray Conservatives as 'Hideous Racists'

The Left isn’t Woke, It’s Hypocritical, Here’s How:

The moment Caitlyn Jenner announced she was running for governor of California as a republican, she went from hero to villain in an instant. It’s predictable now, expected and a little bit funny.

Conservative Cardinal   "The Democrat party and radical left like to see them selfs as the champions of the minorities. They claim to uplift the majority-black inner cities and bring social justice to the “oppressed” groups such as LGBTQ and Women.

"That is a noble cause. No one argues that any group should be oppressed and restricted in their right to participate in the American dream. However, they are hypocrites. Democrat policies do nothing to uplift the poor, and when a woman, African American, or LGBTQ person doesn’t tow their political line, they are canceled just like the rest of us."

" 'Tim Scott, a Black Republican, has come under fire from leftists after his rebuttal to Joe Biden’s speech to congress. Scott started trending on Wednesday night, being called an “Uncle Tim.” This phrase is a derogatory term used to describe a Black person who is being submissive to his/her white masters." . . . 

Even if he's conservative on some issues, Bruce Jenner is still a man  "I have been observing political maneuvering in California as relates to the recall of Governor Newsom and the candidates lining up to replace him.  During appearances in conservative media, hosts have referred to the putative CA gubernatorial candidate as "Caitlyn Jenner" and used the pronoun "she."

"As Jenner continues campaigning, Conservative, Inc. is going to find itself in a position of pitiful intellectual inconsistency.  For years, conservatives have rejected the concept of "trans" as simply impossible.  Conservatives seek to understand and amplify objective reality over political narratives.  Accepting the concept that Jenner is female is a direct assault on this philosophical and factual perspective." . . .

Leftists Blast Caitlyn Jenner as 'Anti-Trans' for Calling for Fairness in Sports

Much more on this subject here