Saturday, July 13, 2024

Strategic Thoughts … by Kamala Harris

 Diann Russell (substack.com)

The only maps she’s studied are electoral maps.

. . ."I cannot envision a world in which the Israeli War Cabinet would take her vacuous comments and faux tough-guy threats of consequences seriously. Heaven knows nobody here in America does."


"I nearly choked on my coffee this morning when I saw the clip of Kamala Harris faking her way through an ABC News interview about the war in Gaza.

"There is something painfully embarrassing about watching someone whose only military expertise consists of saluting a Marine for the cameras attempting to talk about military strategy in a time of war. ABC News may as well interview my cat.

"The only military-related matter Kamala Harris had a hand in was the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which, for reasons I cannot fathom, Kamala was quick to boast about her key role in Biden making that disastrous decision.

"What kind of an ignoramus would want to take credit for that disaster?

"Well, the same ignoramus that popped off yesterday about Israel’s impending advance on Rafah, that’s who.

"Kamala sat down for a softball interview with ABC News congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, who was no doubt chosen for sharing a pigment with the Veep." . . .

Friday, July 12, 2024

Why are so many people protesting for Palestine if Palestine is the one who started the war?

 Quora

"Actually, most of them don’t give a s--t to Palestine. They protest against Israel and the Jews. Otherwise we would have seen much wider protests against genocide in Rwanda, civil wars in Sudan, Syria, Yemen, etc. Millions of people are being killed in the Middle East and Africa, but since the Jews are not involved, no one cares. And this is the bitter truth."

Related

"I will try and give a serious answer even though I agree with the feeling behind the question.

"People are busy with their own lives and don’t make a real study of the situation in other countries. They might get information from social media or TV, and some people do follow the news, but they don’t know the history of the conflict.

"On the face of it, it appears that Israel has power and the Palestinians are poor and being bombarded by superior Israeli fighting machines. And as many people on Quora tell me, vast numbers of Palestinians have been killed and far fewer Israelis.

Rashida Tlaib, US Congress
"All that is true. But it hides a much more complicated truth. For instance, the difference in the numbers of dead is because the Israeli government has spent literally millions (maybe billions) of dollars in protecting its citizens, not only the development of Iron Dome, but shelters in every city and school, an extensive early warning system and more. Hamas has not spent one red cent; they have shelters - a vast network of underground tunnels - but that is where the militants hide, while they leave the ordinary people above ground and vulnerable so they can then display all the dead bodies for public relations..

"And that hides a more complicated truth - if Israel were willing to let the Palestinians develop an independent state, and give them economic cooperation, Hamas would not have so much support, and would not have been elected.

"And that hides more complicated truths - because Hamas was elected as part of a unity government and then seized total power in a coup, and nobody would dare to speak up against them today. Conversely - when Israel signed the Oslo Accords and allowed the Palestinians an armed police force, Palestinian opponents started bombing Israeli restaurants, buses and malls, convincing Israelis that concssions to them were dangerous.

"It goes on, and on, and on, and on, and is just plain complicated. Even in the days when people read lots of books and newspapers, most people didn’t have the time to delve into the complications of other countries’ conflicts. I myself know almost nothing about India in its first days of independence, for instance.

"But today in the era of populist media, people grab onto what they see and think they know something, and most people have good and passionate hearts and care about others, so they rush to protest for whoever seems superficially like the underdog.

"
And yes, there is also a lot of underlying contempt and hatred for Jews in many places."

MSNBC's Fake News Finally Catches Up to It in Court - Judge Rules Hosts Made ‘Verifiably False' Statements

 The Western Journal

MSNBC Anchor Nicolle Wallace Declares Trump ‘The Enemy’ (lifezette.com)

"MSNBC is learning the hard way what happens when they spread fake news only for the sake of blasting former President Donald Trump.

"MSNBC's parent company NBCUniversal is going to trial after being sued for defamation by Dr. Mahendra Amin for $30 million.

"Amin worked as a gynecologist at a Georgia Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, where he treated women being detained. Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District of Georgia found in her ruling that Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace and Chris Hayes made multiple "verifiably false" allegations about Amin.

"A nurse at the facility, Dawn Wooten, alleged Amin was performing "mass hysterectomies" and that he was known as the "uterus collector." The Washington Free Beacon reported her claims were based on hearsay and have been proven false.

"The discovery process of the lawsuit shows how MSNBC and NBC journalists and executives had concerns over the authenticity of Wooten's claims, but chose to move forward with their coverage anyway.

"NBCUniversal's deputy director of standards Chris Scholl said to Hayes in a conference call that Wooten "has no direct knowledge of this stuff "and that Amin "has a pretty clean record."

"While Hayes said he initially "discounted the whole thing," he interviewed Wooten on his show, titling the segment, "ICE whistleblower speaks out, alleges mass hysterectomies performed on migrant women."

Maddow ran her own coverage of Amin on her show. "The nurse says she and her fellow nurses, quote, questioned among ourselves, like, goodness, he’s taking everybody’s stuff out, that’s his specialty, he’s the uterus collector … He’s taking all their uteruses out or he’s taking their tubes out." . . .

For wonks: The Problem with Wind Energy

Real Engineering (youtube.com)


Comments to this video: "Wind turbine service technician here, actually modern machines doesnt need to achieve 1500-1800 rpm to produce power, thanks to the converter system its possible to start producing usable power as low as around 900-1000 rpm (about 3.5 / 4 m/s of wind on 150m diameter machines at max blade pitch angle). The way its done is simply to lower the voltage frequency on the generator side of the converters (while keeping 50/60Hz on the grid side). The 1500-1800 range is now more of a "max power" range if the wind speed is high enough (4.2MW for a Vestas V150 MK3E for example, at about 11m/s). About the maintenance on gearboxes in fact there is not really much to do most of the time, as soon as the service is correctly done (filter changes, oil levels) they can last more than the 7 years you are speaking without any issues. Of course gearboxes problems are possible, but they are pretty rare compared to the quantity of machines."

"Thanks for the video, but it's a bit outdated. Wind turbines nowadays have better power control systems that allow the "inertia" effect and allow 50/60Hz output and variable speed without all of the power going through an inverter. The gearbox has a design life equivalent to the turbine's design life (15 years in France generally)."

"Recently started working for a bearing manufacturer. Among the biggest problems with the bearing replacement is the fact that it requires removing the blades, which requires the use of cranes, which are very expensive and have to be scheduled. Apparently some companies are switching to split-ring bearings, which can be replaced without removing the blades. It's my understanding that they wear a little faster, but they reduce the cost of each replacement so much that it's incredibly worth it. Just thought I'd throw in my two cents to show that there are entire industries working to solve this problem and that it's not unworkable."

Gavin Newsom for president? Tallying up his assets and liabilities - California Political Review

Even as Biden insists that he is committed to finishing out the race, speculation continues among the party faithful and political observers over who might be best positioned to defeat Republican former President Donald Trump instead. Among those frequently cited is California’s own Gov. Gavin Newsom . . ."


 Alexei Koseff - California Political Review  . . ."While Newsom says he’s standing firmly behind Biden’s re-election and has long publicly denied any presidential ambitions, this chaotic political moment is elevating the national profile that Newsom has spent years cultivating — including through a Fox News debate last fall against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and a heretofore unsuccessful bid for a constitutional amendment on gun control.

CalMatters spoke with political consultants and experts — veterans of California elections, swing state organizing and national campaigns — about Newsom’s prospects as a presidential contender. They largely agreed that he was extremely unlikely to become the Democratic nominee this year even if Biden ultimately withdraws, with Vice President Kamala Harris waiting in the wings, but that Newsom could be a strong candidate in the 2028 primary because of his progressive bona fides and extensive political network.

"The biggest question mark: Can a California Democrat, the liberal caricature that has been a political punching bag for decades, win a presidential election? If the last eight years have taught us anything, it’s that the conventional wisdom may no longer apply." . . .

The Gov has long been parody material:   Gavin Newsom Thankful As Fleeing Californians Can No Longer Afford To Fill Up Their U-Hauls | Babylon Bee


. . ."Whew! For a minute there, I thought we'd lose everyone!" said Newsom to reporters. "Good luck escaping California now with these gas prices! HAHAHA!" ...

. . ." As California continues to lose residents, Newsom has called for an additional tax on trudging down desert roads while carrying possessions on your back to prevent further escapes." 

Has the Media Been Covering Up President Biden’s Cognitive Decline?

 Kurt Mahlburg - Intellectual Takeout  

. . ."To the degree that the mainstream media didn’t see President Biden’s decline is the degree to which they were avoiding seeing it. They looked away until they could look away no more." . . .


 "For the last 17 months of his two-term presidency, following a severe stroke, President Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) was barely functional.

"Behind the scenes, Wilson’s wife Edith stepped in to effectively serve as de facto commander-in-chief. She even earned herself the title “Secret President” and “first woman to run the government,” according to her official White House biography.

"The parallels between Woodrow Wilson and President Joe Biden might not be exact, but they are hard to ignore.

"Biden has faced disastrous polls since going head-to-head with GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. All eyes are now on Biden’s age and apparent cognitive decline since the pair’s last electoral matchup in 2020.

"To be fair, the current POTUS is certainly more functional than Wilson was: It would be near impossible to conceal a Woodrow-like condition in the White House given today’s 24-hour news cycle and incisive social media scrutiny.

"It is no surprise that the White House and prominent Democrats have denied reports of Biden’s declining mental acuity. That is, it could be argued, their job.

"What’s far less forgivable is the role the media has played in such denials.

"Voicing the concerns of many, Newsmax host Todd Starnes asked over the weekend, “How many White House correspondents will be fired for their part in the coverup of Biden’s health. They all knew. They had a front row seat.”

"Indeed they did." . . .

House Democrats and GOP Join Forces to Defend Our Appliances from Biden’s Crazed Energy Department

 Leslie Eastman (legalinsurrection.com)   "House backs bills to roll back energy efficiency standards for refrigerators, dishwashers."

From 7 Other Problematic Household Appliances That Should Be Banned | Babylon Bee

"Since the beginning of his administration, Biden has waged a seemingly endless war on America’s appliances.

"So far, the Biden administration goons at the Energy Department have come after our:

"Let’s not forget the attack on gas stoves, which led to the House of Representatives passing legislation to block the Department of Energy from implementing tough new energy conservation rules on gas stoves. That was a rare bipartisan move supported by more than two dozen Democrats.

"Now comes even more bipartisan opposition to Biden’s energy rules. Several Democrats in the House of Representatives joined Republicans on legislation blocking new Biden administration energy efficiency standards for refrigerators and dishwashers.

The Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act by Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., and Refrigerator Freedom Act by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, passed along party lines Tuesday evening.

Seven House Democrats voted for each bill. The dishwasher standards legislation passed 214-192 with no GOP dissent. The refrigerator bill passed 212-192, with one Republican voting against it.

Both bills are aimed at prohibiting the Secretary of Energy from enacting and enforcing “energy efficiency standards for residential refrigerators, freezers and dishwashers that are not technologically feasible and economically justified,” the House GOP has said.

"One bill offered by Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa would curtail Energy Department rules on refrigerators. The second measure was put forth by New York Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy and bars the administration from implementing or enforcing new efficiency rules if they are not “cost-effective or technologically feasible.”

America’s refusal to support Israel at the United Nations is cowardly and immoral

 Michael S. Goldstein

"In contrast, in 2023–24 Hamas is a true existential threat to the State of Israel, to all Jewish and non-Jewish Israeli citizens, to Jews world-wide, and eventually to all of Western civilization."

. . ."In U.S. experience, the way to win a war is to fight it with all necessary force, whether or not the threat to America is existential, and this they did in the Pacific.

In contrast, Arab opposition to the State of Israel, and particularly Hamas’s most recent barbaric attack of October 7, 2023, which it vows to repeat until all Jews everywhere are dead, is inarguably an existential threat to Israel and to the Jewish People.  Israel, with its very existence at issue, has much more at stake to win this war than the United States had to defeat Japan, and yet the current U.S. administration is siding with the barbarians of Hamas and telling Israel to stop its operations against Hamas in Gaza in the south, and to refrain from offensive warfare against the much greater threat of Hezbollah to its north, in southern Lebanon.  Instead of fighting to destroy these existential enemies, the administration is pressuring Israel to negotiate terms with them.  But no Israeli government would last for one day after agreeing to leave Hamas free to rebuild and rearm in Gaza, or to cede its sovereignty in northern Israel to Hezbollah, as the U.S. administration is demanding." . . .

"The most effective way to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza and in the north, is for Israel to use all necessary force within international law to win the wars on both fronts as soon as possible.  The U.S. administration’s siding with Hamas and Hezbollah to stop Israel from winning this war immediately, and to protect its sovereignty and its citizens from destruction, is not only cowardly, as CBN opines, but is also immoral, and all Americans, through their elected representatives and directly to the White House, should tell them so, again and again."

From the Tunnel Wall blog.

Victor Davis Hanson on the Illusion of Invincibility

 Victor Davis Hanson - American Thinker   "Victor Davis Hanson’s latest book is a macabre warning to an aging America as it closes in on its 250th birthday.  The warning comes in the form of a graphic depiction of the hideousness of war and the terrifying state of those who suffer ignominious defeat. 

However different the four societies described in the book were, be they Thebans, Carthaginians, Byzantines, or Aztecs, each was blinded by the illusion of invincibility.  Hanson shows that such an illusion is so persistent that even as the conquered were being slaughtered, they continued to think: “It cannot happen here.”. . .

"Hanson’s tone in The End Of Everything may seem detached and pitiless considering the brutality described in the book.   But his tone suggests how we, in contrast to the examples in the book, should unsparingly evaluate ourselves if we are to survive.   For people’s fears and hopes are like gravity in their consistency and predictability.  In that sense, Victor Davis Hanson is more Isaac Newton as opposed to the progressives, who dream “that money, education, and better intentions could arrest the gory arch of history,” as he wrote in one of his previous twenty-seven books.  Ignoring reality destroyed the four societies shown in the compelling narrative of this book.   May such blindness not be visited on us!"

Biden’s NATO speech should have been about a different nation - American Thinker  . . ."When Biden said this:

Together, we’ve built a global coalition to stand with Ukraine. Together, we’ve provided significant economic and humanitarian assistance. And together, we’ve supplied Ukraine with weapons it needs to defend itself: tanks, armored fighting vehicles, air defense systems, long-range missiles, and millions of munitions.

The United States and nearly two dozen Allied partners have signed the bilateral security agreements with Ukraine and more countries will follow.

"I wished he’d said this:

Together, we’ve built a global coalition to stand with Israel. Together, we’ve provided significant economic and humanitarian assistance. And together, we’ve supplied Israel with weapons it needs to defend itself: tanks, armored fighting vehicles, air defense systems, long-range missiles, and millions of munitions.

The United States and nearly two dozen Allied partners have signed the bilateral security agreements with Israel and more countries will follow.

"Would the current, ostensible Leader of the Free World have said that? And, had he done so, would his remarks have garnered the same applause? Would the world rally behind Israel the way it has behind Ukraine?" . . .

Why Biden Is So Insistent on Running

 


Why Biden Is So Insistent on Running - The American Spectator   . . ."And so we come to Joe Biden. Why in the world won’t he quit on his own, even without being pushed out? For that matter, why didn’t he pass the word a few months ago that he would be passing the torch to a new generation? We all know that the Big Guy has millions upon millions, howsoever attained. He achieved his lifelong goal, the presidency of the United States. There have only been 45 such people. (Grover Cleveland took it twice.) Even the most avid students of American history cannot say with certainty, looking back into legacies, which president served two terms and which only once. John Adams only once. But his son made it, too. And he also served only once. James Polk did a heck of a job, expanding the country, and he served only once. Teddy Roosevelt opted not to seek reelection; by the time he changed his mind four years later, it was too late. William Taft only once. Others of greatness served only once.

"Biden could have gone down in history as a very successful president because, even though he was a miserable disaster, history would have seen his time as one of comparative peace because Ukraine and Gaza, though both came from his weakness, will be seen as irrelevant to him. The disgrace of Afghanistan will not be appreciated by history. The border calamity will be traced to Reagan’s mass amnesty and Obama. As much as he messed up the economy, there was no Great Depression or Panic of 1837 or Panic of 1873. History will not blame him for Iran getting nuclear. Biden could have slipped through, lucky as Clinton, not too bruised by history. And he even avoided a Monica Lewinsky — Paula Corbi Jones — Kathleen Willey – Juanita Broaddrick legacy.

"So he has the money. He has the legacy. For all his lifetime of lies to aggrandize himself, the one truth — that he held court in the White House for four years — would have outlived all the lies. After all, who really remembers that Andrew Jackson shot people to death in duels or that John Tyler turned coat and joined the Confederacy or Lincoln’s failures or cancelation of Habeas Corpus, Wilson’s racism and suppression of civil liberties, the scandals that pocked Grant’s and Harding’s administrations, and such? Biden made it through to the finish line. So why in the world did he keep running after he had no more breath, trudging forward until he would collapse on the track?" . . .

Joe Biden's Press Conference Fails To Stop Democrat Rebellion: 'Step Aside'

CBS News reports that dozens of Democratic lawmakers are to issue statements calling for Biden to end his campaign within the next 48 hours.

Biden is on course to be confirmed as his party's 2024 presidential nominee at the Democratic National Committee in Chicago in August.

Update 7/12/2024 6:43 a.m. ET: The headline has changed.

FANFARE FOR THE 1ST LADY an anthem to JILL BIDEN

 Jill Biden's Ego and Arrogance...She Wanted Her Own Entrance Music?! With Tulsi Gabbard 

 FANFARE FOR THE 1ST LADY an anthem to JILL BIDEN unearthed by BEN SHAPIRO

Jill Biden apparently has her own ‘Hail to the Chief’-style entrance theme, courtesy of the Marine Corps band - Washington Examiner

"Jill Biden apparently has her own walk-up music now.

"The Marine Corps band was instructed last fall to come up with an entrance theme for the first lady, a source told the Washington Examiner. The band now has in its repertoire an original composition titled “Fanfare for the First Lady.” The song, the source said, is essentially Jill Biden’s personal “Hail to the Chief,” in that it is to be performed and repeated at official White House functions, from her first appearance until she is ready to speak.

“Fanfare for the First Lady” has created both amusement and confusion within the band, with some remarking that in the many years they’ve played in the group, this is the first time the group has had to provide the first lady with an exclusive entrance theme.

"Someone in the White House apparently “had the bright idea, ‘Oh, tell the band that we want music for Jill,'” a source said. “The band had to provide music.”

"The band was “rushed” to provide the entrance song for the first lady, the source said, adding the Marine Corps band submitted a few options for the White House’s consideration. The first lady’s handlers settled eventually on the original piece “Fanfare to the First Lady.”

"Michael LaRosa, Jill Biden’s press secretary, says the entire story is bunkum.

“The first lady does not have a song anybody has written for her specifically. She has no ‘Hail to the Chief’ song. She has no song,” he told the Washington Examiner. “She never asked anyone to create a song.”

“The White House asked nobody, not one person, to compose an exclusive entry song, or any song, for the first lady,” LaRosa added. “None of that is accurate.” . . .

Dems love for Biden


RealityBites by Broc Smith – Editorial Cartoons (rofcbybroc.com)

Democrats Have Never Really Loved Joe Biden Enough to Spare Him This Humiliation – PJ Media  "... Democrats don't love him that much, either. 

Bear with me on this one.

"Looking at the circumstances that got Joe Biden into the Oval Office, one can see that he wasn't carried there on a great wave of positive emotion. 

"Biden owes most of his political fortunes to his ability to keep getting elected to the United States Senate. He did that in Delaware, though, a state with a population similar to that of my favorite local brewery on a Saturday. 

"He hung around long enough to become useful to Barack Obama in 2008. His High Holiness the Lightbringer needed a running mate who was older and had better Washington connections than he did. Actually, "wanted" is a better word than "needed" in this situation. There is a very real possibility that Obama could have chosen one of Zsa Zsa Gabor's furs as a running mate and beaten John McCain. 

"In 2020, it wasn't a great love of Joe Biden that motivated Democrats but a deep, abiding hatred of Donald Trump. Biden had hung around longer than any other Dem in that race, so he was the safest bet for what Dem elites had planned. They knew he would be grateful for getting a third shot at the office and — because he's never been the sharpest tool in the Beltway shed — easy to control. 

"Now, all the Dem faithful who are asking him to step aside are telling us what a great guy he is for hanging around Washington all these years. It's crap. 

"Joe Biden has always been a combative, verbally abusive jerk. He's been tolerated because he was a great pit bull for the Dems. He may even be liked by many. But loved? 

"No way. 

"Because they really don't have any better options, all the power players in the Democratic Party are fine with Joe Biden getting mocked after every public appearance. Like his wife, there isn't one important Democrat who cares about Joe Biden enough to want to keep him from further embarrassment. The only ones who are sincere about him stepping aside are those on the B Team bench who are waiting to replace him.

"I think we know how they all feel about him." . . .