The New Ugly Americans

  Victor Davis Hanson

How odd that those on the Left who in the past decried "American imperialism" are now proving the greatest imperialists of all.

"The old cultural imperialism was supposedly greedy corporatism like Disneyland, McDonald's, and Starbucks sprouting up worldwide to supplant local competitors.
"But these businesses spread because they appealed to free-will consumer demand abroad. They were not imposed top down.
"The U.S. presence in Afghanistan collapsed in August 2021 amid the greatest American military humiliation in modern history. A billion-dollar new embassy was abandoned. Hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of new infrastructure at the huge Bagram Airbase was dumped.
"We still do not know how many billions of dollars of sophisticated new weapons were left to the Taliban and now are making their way through global terrorists' marts.
"Yet, in our skedaddle, the LGBTQ flag still flew high from our new Kabul embassy. A George Floyd mural was prominent on city streets.
"And gender studies programs - to the tune of $787 million in American subsidies - were showcased at Kabul University, in one of the most conservative Islamic countries in the world.
"Rainbow flags and Black Lives Matter banners have hung from our embassy in South Korea.
"Such partisan cultural activism is a diplomatic first.
"The woke Left has now weaponized the country's diplomatic missions abroad to advance highly partisan and controversial agendas that can offend their hosts, and do not represent the majority of American voters at home.". . .

. . .American foreign policy toward other nations seems now to hinge on their positions on transgender people, LGBTQ promotion, abortion, climate change, and an array of woke issues from using multiple pronouns on passports to showcasing transgender ambassadors. . .

‘The jokes write themselves’: Buttigieg mocked for response to future run for Transportation secretary

 ‘The jokes write themselves’: Buttigieg mocked for response to future run for Transportation secretary (bizpacreview.com)  

"Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s tenure as the head of one of the nation’s most important federal agencies has been marked by what many feel has been his lackadaisical if not outright incompetent responses to a series of crises, including ongoing air traffic snafus, unprecedented supply chain disruptions and a spate of train derailments, the worst of which occurred in East Palestine, Ohio where the town was poisoned by a hazardous chemical spill and subsequent “burn off” that sent plumes of poison into the local air.

"Many have suggested that the former mayor of the smallish college town of South Bend, Indiana was in over his head from the onset, having been tabbed as another of President Joe Biden’s diversity hires for being openly gay with no real experience that would otherwise qualify him for the job and his less than impressive performance review marked by his focus on ridiculous non-issues like renaming “racist” roads and racial disparities in traffic fatalities would seem to bolster the case of his critics.

"Now “Mayor Pete” is being ridiculed for remarks made during an interview when he responded to a question of whether he plans to re-up for another term as the nation’s top infrastructure official if Biden is reelected for a second term next November.

" 'Well you know right now I’ve got my head down seeking to deliver on all of the historic opportunities that are in front of us,” Buttigieg said. “It’s demanding work but it’s rewarding work, I’m very glad to be doing it and the future is … we’ll find out what’s next but right now we’ve got a lot to be proud of and a lot more to do.' ” . . .

Why the bombshell Joe Biden bribery allegation matters

"It does matter, because Biden is the most corrupt and least punished president in history, with a full family of accomplices." 

Monica Showalter; American Thinker  "Sen. Charles Grassley's and Rep. James Comer's subpoena to the FBI to release an unclassified document it holds about a whistleblower allegation of a "criminal scheme" involving Joe Biden, is nominally about whether the FBI ever bothers to investigate allegations of crime involving Democrats.

"And that's a well and worthy aim, given that Comer is the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and Republicans are casting a spotlight on the illegal politicization seen in that law enforcement agency. 

"We believe the FBI possesses an unclassified internal document that includes very serious and detailed allegations implicating the current President of the United States. What we don't know is what, if anything, the FBI has done to verify these claims or investigate further. The FBI's recent history of botching politically charged investigations demands close congressional oversight," Grassley said.

"Did they do anything? Bribery, which is what Comer suggested the matter involved, is an explicitly impeachable offense. Did the bureau act on an actual bribery allegation by a whistleblower? Or did they kick back and yawn, focusing on pro-life activists, angry parents at school board meetings, Latin mass enthusiasts, and President Trump's disputes with the National Archives instead?

"That's their job." . . .

How do we know for sure that the Bidens are sinister? - American Thinker . . ."Everyone paying attention knows by now that Hunter Biden fathered a child with a woman with whom he met in D.C. and had a month-long affair.  

"Hunter is a known pervert, according to the information and photographs on his laptop. The man is pond scum, an addict, a pedophile (some of the young girls he filmed himself with were clearly under-age), and a foreign agent.

"He had an affair with his brother’s widow then next, with the then-D.C. stripper with whom he fathered the child in question, Navy, now four year old.  Hunter has never laid eyes on the girl.  He tried to deny she was his, but a DNA test proved that he is indeed the girl’s father.  He and his despicable parents refuse to acknowledge her existence.  They deny her as their grandchild!

"Who does this?  What kind of people do this?  Grandchildren are one of life’s greatest blessings, whether they are expected or not, born into a marriage or not."

Poll: Generation Z are the Worst, Dumbest, Most Useless Employees in U.S. History

 Warner Todd Huston; The Lid (lidblog.com)   He said it, not me.

They can’t self-start, either. They have no capacity to pick things up on their own and need to be handheld; all the while as they whine and cry about being handheld. Worse, they are so full of themselves that they are often insubordinate and willing to tell managers that they don’t know how things should work. 

"According to a recent survey of employers, Gen Z is the worst, dumbest, least-skilled, most arrogant, privileged, and laziest generation to ever enter the workforce.

"The survey found that Gen Z employees have these most endearing qualities:

• Least tech skills
• Worst work ethic
• No motivation
• Can’t be counted on to produce
• Are easily distracted
• Have poor communication skills
• Are easily offended
• Are dishonest and lie
• Feel entitled despite their uselessness

“ 'ResumeBuilder surveyed 1,344 people in managerial positions across different industries in the US earlier this month, asking them about their experiences working with those born in 1997 or later,” the New York Post recently reported.

"Almost half (49%) of respondents declared it challenging to work with Gen Z “all or most of the time,” while a staggering 79% said they find them the most challenging generation to have in the workplace." . . .

China creates a new world order as Biden ignores the threats

"Traditionally, Riyadh would have looked to Washington for support as Tehran wields its Russian bayonet, but the Biden administration has shown little interest in deterring Iran. With war in Europe, it has little appetite for another hard-power competition in a second theater. . .

AfterMath - Home (terrellaftermath.com)

China creates a new world order as Biden ignores the threats (nypost.com)  In the opening weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European Union foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell placed his hopes in China to resolve the conflict.

"“There is no alternative,” Borrell said. “We cannot be the mediators, that is clear. And it cannot be the US either. Who else? It has to be China, I trust in that.”

"A year later, Borrell’s faith has proven misplaced, as China has only disappointed Western policymakers. Once the repository of American and European hopes, Beijing has shown no interest in restraining Russia and restoring the pre-war European order.

"Instead, it has leveraged the Ukraine war to begin building an alternative, Sino-centric system.

"Its efforts are bearing fruit: As Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of their three-day summit in Moscow last week, “Right now we’re seeing a change we haven’t seen for 100 years, and we’re driving this change together.”

"The change Xi references is most evident in the Middle East, where Russia’s war on Ukraine is driving America’s Gulf ally Saudi Arabia into the embrace of China.

"China this month brokered the normalization of ties between Riyadh and Tehran in a diplomatic coup that shocked Washington." . . .

How to Bribe the Supreme Court (townhall.com)

 Ann Coulter

Adored: Anthony Fauci, BLM, Michelle Obama, Trevor Noah, transgenders, Ukraine, black people, pot, Elon Musk (pre-Twitter), Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Hated: Ron DeSantis, the Proud Boys, Melania Trump, Dave Chappelle, Christians, Russia, white people, cigarettes, Elon Musk (post-Twitter), Clarence Thomas.

Having failed to destroy Clarence Thomas 32 years ago with preposterous sexual harassment charges (disbelieved at the time by 60% of Americans), now the left is resorting to attacking the ethics of a man vastly more honorable than the collection of degenerates reviling him.

The sole purpose of the media's sudden fixation on the Supreme Court's "ethics" is to morally intimidate conservative justices by reminding them that the left controls the culture. Since they lost abortion, liberals have been in a panic that the court will junk other liberal sacraments, like gay marriage and affirmative action, too. That's the reason for the stream of calumnies directed at the justices.

As usual, the main target of the left's rage is Thomas. We're supposed to be appalled that Thomas' billionaire friend Harlan Crow took the justice and his wife on a vacation that (the media claim) would have cost Thomas more than $500,000!!!

Well, yeah, but Thomas and his wife, Ginny, weren't going alone. They hadn't just won a cruise sweepstakes. They were joining Crow on a vacation he was taking anyway. Cost to donor: a few extra chicken cutlets and string beans.

Crow sounds like a great guy, but when you're going on vacation with a benefactor, it isn't like he's handing you an expensive bauble. You are the expensive bauble.

We went on a cruise on my private yacht in Indonesia and served Jeroboam of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945. [Meh.]

We went on a cruise on my private yacht in Indonesia and Justice Clarence Thomas was our guest. WINNER!!!!

Hunter and Navy Joan; an American Family

 

Tony Branco

WATCH: KJP Refuses To Say Why The Bidens Don't Acknowledge Their 7th Grandchild (trendingpoliticsnews.com)   "During Tuesday’s White House briefing, Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the ongoing child support trial in Arkansas involving Hunter Biden, the President’s son. Despite being asked about why the Bidens have not acknowledged the child, "KJP refused to answer any questions on the matter.

"When asked if the President and First Lady were monitoring the trial, KJP simply replied, “I’m not going to speak to that from here.”

"When pressed further about why the Bidens have not publicly acknowledged their seventh grandchild, KJP responded, “I’m not going to speak to that.”. . .

80 y/o Joe Biden struggles to recall 'Ireland visit' along with his 7th grandchild | Watch | US News (republicworld.com)

https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/us-news/80-y-o-joe-biden-struggles-to-recall-ireland-visit-along-with-his-7th-grandchild-watch-articleshow.html

Meet Joe Biden's seventh grandchild Navy Joan Roberts | Daily Mail Online

"Growing up behind a veil of secrecy, the adorable little girl who Hunter Biden didn’t want to claim as his own is a happy two-year-old living in rural Arkansas with her mother and her mother's family, DailyMail.com can reveal.

On Saturday, Joe Biden invited six of his grandchildren on stage when he announced to the world that he had won the 2020 presidential election.

But the seventh was missing from the smiling ranks of America’s next First Family: Navy Joan Roberts - the two-year-old daughter Hunter fathered with stripper Lunden Roberts then shamefully denied was his. ". . .

Woke ideology is the train. Total monitoring and control over money and energy is the destination.

CBDCs may pose a threat to privacy. The central authority that will be responsible for collecting and distributing identification and transaction data will have access to all monetary transactions. In addition to the threat of central banks disallowing or curbing transactions between citizens, the data could be vulnerable to hacks or misuse, if leaked. 

"Few on the American Right are unaware of Anheuser-Busch’s recent foray into woke politics. Taking their regular customers for granted, the once-great American company “partnered” with a transsexual person to become a new product spokesperson for Bud Light.

"The imbroglio that followed is just one of the latest installments of the culture war over woke ideology, now working through its “trans” iteration, which is keeping the lights on in political consultancies across the nation and consuming huge percentages of conservative mind-share.

"The encroachment of woke ideology threatens the American way of life.". . .

'One of the most fundamental expressions of freedom Americans take for granted is the ability to conduct transactions using cash. The fact that ordinary Americans can settle debts and sell goods using cash may not be fully appreciated until cash is taken away.

" 'The privacy afforded by cash is irreplaceable. Bitcoin and other digital currencies may be difficult to track, but undisclosed Bitcoin accounts are already illegal, and it isn’t hard for authorities to identify who is using virtual servers and other methods of concealment.

" 'The case for cash, however, isn’t that we want to encourage an underground economy. It’s that the existence of cash can at least prevent the arm of government from coming down to even the most petty transactions. Did you use cash to pay your gardener or an occasional babysitter or a handyman? If so, you might decide not to give them a 1099. Did you sell some old utensils, books, CDs, and furniture at a garage sale, and collect cash? If so, you might decide not to get a resale permit to collect sales tax. Once cash is eliminated, those choices will be made for you. Wasn’t that de minimis? It won’t matter.". . .

12-year-old stands up to school board after he was kicked out of class for 'Only 2 Genders' t-shirt -

 LifeSite (lifesitenews.com)

"MIDDLEBOROUGH, Massachusetts (LifeSiteNews) — A video of a middle school student defending to a school board his decision to wear a T-shirt affirming biological truth has gone viral. Video

"During an April 13 school committee meeting, Liam Morrison, a seventh grader at John T. Nichols, Jr. Middle School in Middleborough, MA, recounted his experience of being removed from class because of the message on his shirt, “There are only two genders”. He also pointedly asked why he was barred from practicing his First Amendment rights. 

"Although the meeting took place last month, the clip of the boy’s testimony began circulating on social media this week after being posted by the conservative Libs of TikTok Twitter account. 

“ 'Hello, good evening, my name is Liam Morrison,” the 12-year-old began. “I never thought the shirt I wore on March 21 would lead me to speak with you today. On that Tuesday morning, I was taken out of gym class to sit down with two adults for what turned out to be a very uncomfortable talk.” 

"The REAL reason Susan Rice fled Biden Administration may SHOCK you— is Michelle Obama RUNNING?!"

 . . .It’s fair to ask: What has Obama done to reconcile blacks and whites? How has he helped beyond being America’s first black president? And yes, expectations are greater for him, even as the politics are more volatile. NY Post, 2016

Recent Developments Spark Michelle Obama '24 Rumors – PJ Media

Prepare for more racial division!  With regard to race, Obama’s historical significance is ensured; only his impact and legacy are up for debate.

"Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are busy living lives of luxury that peons like us can only dream of. Perhaps because it’s boring to spend all their time ensconced in their mansions in Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii, and Washington, D.C., the former first couple is currently jet-setting and hobnobbing about Europe with their fancy friends. Not a bad lifestyle for a couple who were decidedly middle class before Barry first got into public office.". . .

How Obama has turned back the clock on race relations (nypost.com)  "Americans celebrating Martin Luther King Day today should be proud of the incredible progress made since the civil-rights leader’s birth 87 years ago. At the same time, we should lament one of President Obama’s greatest failures.

"The last Democratic president and the last Republican president both managed race relations more effectively than Obama has. Seven years after American voters made history by electing the country’s first black president, racial tensions have worsened. It didn’t rank on Obama’s one-item list of his “few regrets” during his State of the Union address. But signs of Obama’s failure are on our streets, on our campuses and among our leaders, left and right.

" Ferguson” has become shorthand for African-American fury objecting to insensitive white cops harassing young blacks. The “Black Lives Matter” movement has spilled into American campus culture, as privileged kids attending the world’s finest universities bemoan their alleged oppression — bullying anyone who challenges them.

"This black backlash has prompted a white backlash, personified by Donald Trump. Every justifiable police shooting called “racist,” every Halloween costume labeled politically incorrect, every reasonable thought censored makes Trump look like America’s last honest man.

"Amid this tension, Obama has been disturbingly passive — even during America’s first serious race riots since 1992. He acts like a meteorologist observing the bad weather, not a president able to shape the political climate.". . .

A Complete Timeline of Race Relations Under Obama | The Daily Wire   . . ."At every opportunity to quash racial division, Obama’s rhetoric instead amplified it. For eight years he continuously peddled the notion that America is a deeply racist, unjust vessel of oppression. While he would at times admit that some progress had been made in race relations, he consistently returned to his rhetoric about a country plagued by “systemic racism.” And so, race relations in America changed to reflect the vision Obama promulgated for 8 years. The media beloved racial unifier, Barack Obama presided over the deterioration of race relations in America. If you like your race relations, you’ll get to keep your race relations."

Victor Davis Hanson: Joe Biden's regime is most revolutionary Left-wing since FDR

Victor Davis Hanson: Joe Biden's regime is most revolutionary Left-wing since FDR - YouTube   "President Biden's muted campaign launch this week is a sign for things to come. Whilst the President attempts to hide from the media, America's allies and enemies alike are left wondering who's really in charge. To discuss Joe Biden and Donald Trump's chances in the lead up to the 2024 American election, the historian and commentator Victor Davis Hanson sits down with Steven Edginton for this week's Off Script podcast. "

From the comments section: "A brilliant interview. Great questions and astoundingly incisive answers. I just learned how next two years of US Presidentia lelection will play out. Everything Victor Davis described about the TRUMP/DeSANTIS situation is spot on.

"Victor Davis Hanson describes how Woodrow Wilson, President 1913 to 1921, was unable to perform as President for 1½ years after he had a stroke. The actual period when Wilson was incapacitated was from Autumn 1919 until he left office in March 1921 (the handover was then in March, not on January 20th as it is now). So Edith Wilson and his Private Secretary were issuing the President's decisions for the whole of 1920, the last year of the Spanish Flu pandemic. This wasn't well-known publicly for 10-20 years."

White Man Calling Himself A ‘Lesbian Indian’ Forces Alphabet Activists To Turn On Their Own Talking Points

 Indiana Councilman Defiant Amid Calls To Resign Over Trans Post (thefederalist.com) "A white Indiana county councilman is remaining defiant against calls to step down after publishing a Facebook post that announced his identity as a lesbian Indian woman.

"Republican Delaware County Councilman Ryan Webb ignited local outrage at a public council meeting last week after he declared himself an American Indian woman with a Facebook post three weeks ago.

“ 'It is with great relief that I announce to everyone that I identify as a woman and not just any woman but as a woman of color as well,” Webb wrote. “I guess this would make me gay/lesbian as well, since I am attracted to women.”

"Residents lined up at the county council’s hearing on Tuesday to demand Webb resign.

“ 'I feel that he basically made a hate speech in this post,” said one constituent named Mary Stilts in the eastern Indiana city of Muncie. “He has created some hate and discord and divide with the transgender population here.”. . .

Indiana councilma'am Ryan Webb flips the script and identifies as a 'lesbian woman of color' and the left predictably flip out 👀 pic.twitter.com/wL1yOxHJAX

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) May 1, 2023