Diplomats flock to Paris for summit on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Palestinians were seeing "their future state melt away" due to Jewish settlements, Ayrault said. In turn, Israelis suffered nearly daily violence by those who "harness frustrations to promote an agenda of hatred," he added.

Deutsche Welle  "Envoys from over 70 countries, including the US, have gathered in Paris to discuss the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel's Netanyahu has slammed the meet as "rigged" against his country."

. . . "The Sunday conference also sends a symbolic message to the incoming US administration led by Donald Trump, who vowed to provide even stronger support to Israel. Trump has picked hardliner David Friedman as his ambassador to the Jewish state.

"Israel responded with outrage to the UN resolution and dismissed the Paris summit as "rigged by Palestinians."

"On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as "the last twitches of yesterday's world," hinting that his government was holding out for a US policy shift under Trump.

" 'The conference convening today in Paris is a futile conference," he told his cabinet." . . .

PA depicts a world without Israel  

Official PA daily refers to Israel as "occupied Interior"

Source: Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 20, 2016

“Nineteen-year-old Ma’amoun Qashua… played in the past at the Hapoel Petah Tikva club in the occupied Interior (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel).”

Palestinian religious leaders threaten religious war over Jerusalem

George Will: Academia may now be beyond satire

George Will  "The Chronicle of Higher Education, which is a window on the sometimes weird world of academia, recently revisited a hilarious intellectual hoax from 20 years ago. Reading the recollections of the perpetrator and of some who swallowed his gibberish is sobering.

"In 1996, Alan Sokal, a New York University physicist and self-described “academic leftist,” composed an essay that was a word salad of solemn academic jargon. He said he strove to be “especially egregious,” by maundering on about “the dialectical emphases” of “catastrophe theory” becoming a “concrete tool of progressive political praxis.” His essay’s gaudy title was: “Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity.”

"He sent it to the left-leaning “cultural studies” journal Social Text, which swooned, perhaps in part because Sokal larded his nonsense with political tropes that are catnip to lettered leftists — “emancipatory mathematics,” “demystify and democratize the production of scientific knowledge,” “the crisis of late-capitalist production relations.” Soon after Social Text published his faux scholarship, Sokal revealed in another journal, Lingua Franca, that it was a parody.

"This would have been obvious to anyone whose intelligence had not been anesthetized by the patois of “deconstructionist” and “poststructuralist” professors. They move on to Nietzsche’s assertion that there are no facts, only interpretations, which he wrote shortly before going mad at age 44." . . .

Satellite Reveals End of “Unending” N. California Drought

Global Warming  "With more rain and snow on the way, the supposed “unending drought” that the New York Times reported on last year has, in a matter of weeks, ended — at least in Northern California.

"Yesterday’s color satellite imagery from NASA shows the dramatic changes which have occurred since the same date three years ago:

– Widespread and deep snowpack
– Greening vegetation
– Rivers overflowing their banks
– Strong river discharge into the Pacific Ocean

NASA Aqua MODIS color satellite imagery of N. California separated by exactly three years, showing dramatic snowpack increase, vegetation greening, and river discharge into the Pacific Ocean.

 Here’s a zoomed version of the NASA Terra MODIS image yesterday covering the San Francisco Bay area northeastward toward Sacramento:

"The latest GFS model forecast for the next 10 days predicts another 2 to 10 inches of rain, depending on location, with several more feet of snow at higher elevations." . . .

Todd Starnes: Jennifer Holliday pulls out of inauguration; apologizes

Todd Starnes  "Tony-award winning singer Jennifer Holliday has decided not to sing at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration – caving in to significant pressure from gay and lesbian fans who were outraged by her decision to put patriotism over politics."
. . . 

“ 'We’ve become such a polarized country – we’re not listening to what the Obamas have said,” she told the newspaper. “They told us to move forward with hope – they didn’t tell us to stop participating.”

"Ms. Holliday went on to say she was singing for the people – the nation.

“ 'I voted for Mrs. Clinton, and they knew that. But if someone wants me to sing a national anthem or something, we think about America, and we go,” she said.

"It wasn’t long before Ms. Holliday learned that the Trump Administration appreciates tolerance and diversity more than militant members of the LGBT community." . . .

What Went Wrong in US Higher Ed? Harvard Tells the Story

The Daily Signal

. . . "The American education system was established on the basis of objective truth—what was once called “capital T Truth.” But that firm grasp of objective truth has been replaced with moral relativism, and specifically, with secular humanism.

"As more colleges and universities were established in the 18th century, schools began to adopt new secular humanist ideas. The purpose and meaning of learning has changed from what it was in 1636 to a system that assumes the truth of secular humanism instead.

"Today, American universities, particularly Harvard and its sister Ivy League universities, have relinquished their role as mentors for students.

"For example, in 2013, nearly an entire government class at Harvard was caught cheating, and the professor and teaching assistant were partly to blame for the scandal. In 2015, a student at Yale University was called a “bigot” and pressured by peers to leave campus because of her conservative beliefs. In Florida, a humanities professor punished a student by giving her “zero” grades on assignments for refusing to agree with his humanist bias." . . .  Hat tip to Jeff Hayden; Plano, TX

The vileness of Democrats; President Trump versus vengeful liberals(?)

"This is the revolution that Trump represents. It will succeed or fail on whether the American people are ready to reject the racial, gender and ethnic divisiveness that has become the policy of the Democratic Party; whether they are ready to restore the American social contract that regards individuals on their merits, regardless of race, color or creed. In short it will succeed or fail on whether they are ready to make America great again."

The Left prepares its counter-attack on American democracy.  . . . "Nor is all this simply a fit of Democratic absent-mindedness. Instead, it is the culmination of a long developing shift in Democratic Party politics, a shift symbolized by the current favorite to become its next leader. Keith Ellison is a Muslim radical who spent his formative adult years as a vocal supporter of the anti-American, anti-Semitic racist Louis Farrakhan. Ellison reflects the power of the Bernie Sanders radicals in the Democratic Party who according to recent Gallup polls now represent its majority, even though they lost a rigged primary election which would have made him the party’s presidential nominee." . . .

What would make Democrats happy … aside from canceling Donald Trump’s inauguration? 
 . . . "The Left’s strong distaste for a Trump presidency and all it connotes for them finally culminated yesterday when civil rights icon John Lewis made this outrageous admission that no doubt has been on the tongues of his fellow [leftists]" . . . . . 
Trump fires back at Lewis . . . “ 'Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart,” Trump tweeted." . . .

Inauguration Protesters Plan To Destroy Property And Disrupt Balls . . . "The protests will likely include property destruction, a source with intimate knowledge of the protest plans told The Daily Caller Friday. 
"The blockades are not limited to roads but will also be at every security checkpoint, the source said. The source added that the protesters blockading each checkpoint will represent a different liberal cause such as climate change or money in politics." . . .
With the full approval of Meryl Streep and other Hollywood celebrities.

Bikers for Trump Ready to Stand up to Protesters  "A motorcycle group led by a South Carolina chainsaw artist will ride into the nation’s capital on Inauguration Day in support of the 45th President of the United States.
"Bikers for Trump, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts, will likely be toeing the line with protesters, who are also expected to be at the event." . . .

Jennifer Holliday backs out of Trump inauguration gig  . . . "Holliday, best known for her Tony-winning role in Broadway’s “Dreamgirls,” faced pressure from her gay, lesbian and black fans when it was announced she would sing at a Thursday concert at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial.

"Holliday said in a statement Saturday that she apologized for her lapse of judgment, for being uneducated on the issues and causing heartbreak for her fans." . . .

“I didn’t see it as singing for Trump; I saw it as singing for the people on the mall,” Holliday told the AP.

The performer, who most recently starred on Broadway in “The Color Purple,” said she was hurt by the angry backlash, which included calls to boycott her music. Others called her “Uncle Tom” and there was even a suggestion that she take her own life." . . .

"I guess it’s not like those old days when political views were your own and you had freedom of speech… We live in a different time now, and a decision to go and do something for America is not so clear-cut anymore.' ”

Protesters planning to blockade inauguration checkpoints, 'party' outside Pence home  Whose freedom of speech are we honoring here?

Marie Osmond willing to sing at Donald Trump's inauguration

Oh, well; there's always this:  Trump’s Celebrity-Free Inauguration Is Great for America  "As a Briton born after 1953, I have yet to witness a royal coronation at Westminster Abbey. However, every four years our American cousins treat us to a spectacular, regal, and full-blown monarchical affair as the president of the United States takes his inauguration oath. With parades, concerts, and lavish luncheons, the inauguration has become an event fit for a king, not the president of a republic."

How's this for irony?  

John Legend explained his choice not to perform by arguing that “creative people tend to reject bigotry and hate.”

Hate? You mean like this? 
Ivanka Trump and her kids ATTACKED on plane

Obama's latest edict on Cuban refugees

Having seen Obama's past actions, one must assume he is being spiteful and vindictive toward Republicans. As far as Cuban refugees are concerned, when in the past eight years has Obama stood with the persecuted against tyrants? Iran? Cuba? Venezuela? Islamic rulers? Russians? TD

Obama's timing on Cubans raises some questions

. . . "What happens now?  My guess is that some human rights group will challenge the decision because no one knows what will happen to the Cubans returned, as Senator Marco Rubio indicated.

"Also, did President Obama get any concessions from Raúl Castro that these Cubans won't be treated like traitors when they go back?  In the past, returning Cubans have been targeted by the regime.    

"My hope is that President Trump reverses Obama's decision and calls on Cuba to make some concessions, such as a guarantee that these Cubans will not be targeted.  It could be part of a new deal with Cuba based on helping the Cuban people rather than making a deal for the sake of making a deal".

NY Times: Ordinary Cubans Fret About End to US Immigration Policy  But Havana loves this and got it with nothing demanded in return by Obama.
"The Cuban government hailed President Barack Obama´s decision ending automatic legal residency for any Cuban who touches U.S. soil, while ordinary citizens mourned the end of an easy pathway to a new life in the United States. Average Cubans and opponents of the island´s communist leaders said they expected pressure for reform to increase with the elimination of a mechanism that siphoned off the island´s most dissatisfied citizens and turned them into sources of remittances supporting relatives who remained on the island. The repeal of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy went into effect immediately after a Thursday afternoon announcement."

Obama Caves to Castro—AGAIN!  . . . "First off, this U.S. immigration policy wasn’t invented for Cubans. Our status upon reaching U.S. shores actually had little to do with so­called "political pandering to the powerful Cuban­exile lobby," and everything to do with something called the Refugee Relief Act signed into law by President Eisenhower in August 1953 to assist Iron Curtain refugees. 

"Came Castro's Stalinist regime in 1959 and Cuba’s became a regime more oppressive than East Germany’s or Hungary’s and the Florida straits became a barrier far deadlier than the Iron Curtain. In fact, over twenty times as many Cubans died trying to breach it than Germans attempting to breach the Berlin Wall.

"Essentially the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 simply codified the 1953 Refugee Relief Act for victims of tropical Stalinism." . . .

 Hey, POPE?! How ’bout THIS wall?! –TWENTY-TIMES as many Cubans have died trying to escape Communist Cuba as East Germans died trying to escape East Germany

American Silliness; Jan 14, 2017

Using absurdity to illustrate absurdity: Can Chelsea Manning be pardoned for crimes committed while 'she' was a man?
"Chelsea Manning, who as Bradley Manning was convicted of espionage and aiding the enemy, is requesting that President Obama pardon "her" for "her" crimes and release "her" from jail.  But liberals would agree that Chelsea committed these crimes as a man and maintains that he is a woman now.  So, by their logic, how can Manning be pardoned for acts committed when he was a completely different gender, basically a completely different person?
. . .  

. . . "Not everything has been great for Mr. Manning, of course; he has tried to kill himself several times and was alarmed when his guards were briefly replaced with Arab secret agents.  He has also been denied permission to cut off his penis, which upsets him greatly, and is understandable – what woman wants to have a penis hanging around?

Questions for discussion:

1) Could Obama issue two pardons for Manning, one for each gender?" . . .

Ted Cruz Smacks Democrats For Hypocrisy… Defends Jeff Sessions… Laughs At Code Pink  . . . "During the confirmation hearing on Tuesday for Jeff Sessions, the circus came to town. It was choreographed by Medea Benjamin of Code Pink infamy. They had people there dressed as the KKK and others wearing pink tiaras. They screamed for Black Lives Matter. And Ted Cruz did exactly what he should have done as they were being escorted from the chambers… he laughed at them.". . . Sen. Cruz is more than willing to confront them

No, this ain't basketball: White Women's March Madness
. . . "Molly wants to rescue nearby male passengers, fighting for their lives in the frigid sea. Her lifeboat is less than 200 feet from the men screaming for help. The crew refuse, stating that the suction of the sinking ship will drag them under; rather than rowing towards the men, they must get away as quickly as possible. Undeterred, Molly persists:

I don’t understand a one of you. What’s the matter with you? It’s your men back there! We got plenty a’ room for more.

In response, Molly is told that if she says another word, there will be one less occupant in the boat. None of the other passengers come to Molly’s defense. And so they leave; their sons, brothers, husbands and fathers knowingly betrayed and abandoned to await their cruel death."

. . . "Older white men are judged generically and unfairly, embodying Clinton’s basket of deplorable traits: racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, and misogynistic. Why aren’t white women saying no? No! My dad and grandfathers and uncles do not possess these awful traits." . . .

Inauguration Workers Cover Up 'Don's Johns' on Portable Toilets on Capitol Hill  . . . "The name of the Virginia-based portable toilet rental company is apparently too close to that of the president-elect for inauguration organizers." . . .

Has Obama already won?

"Repeal through reconciliation will allow the elimination of the many Obamacare taxes and rules stifling employment.  Providing the coverage for the subsidized insured persons is more problematic.  Presently there are seven similar competing Republican replacement plans.  It is time to coalesce behind one proposal that can muster the necessary Senate votes."

Howard J. Warner  "Donald Trump has promised to repeal and replace Obamacare.  The Senate and House have begun the effort to defund the legislation via the budgetary and reconciliation process, where only 51 Senate votes are required.  However, lost in all this minutia is the fact that Obama has succeeded in altering the discussion on health care.  This change to federalism has legitimatized a role for the national government in health care for all citizens.  This has further weakened the Tenth Amendment.  This is his legacy.

"The narrative is no longer whether the federal government should be involved in health care for all people, but to what extent.  Since over 12 million people now receive health insurance via the federal Obamacare portal, there is reluctance in Washington to eliminate a federal role for providing health care insurance." .  .  .

YouTube has removed Legal Insurrection’s Channel . UPDATE: Now restored

UPDATE, 1/14/2017: Youtube restores Legal Insurrection  Don't mess with a site that has the word "Legal" in its name.

. . . "There was no cause to shut down the channel without warning and without giving any specific reason.  This is a clear case of harassment and intimidation by an organization known for its anti-Israel bias.  They are a prominent member of the BDS movement and unabashedly support the Palestinian cause.

"Mr. Jacobson is a vocal supporter of Israel and a vigorous opponent of the BDS movement.  It is not beyond imagining that MLA brought the copyright claims to silence an effective political opponent.

"Jacobson says the legal battles are not over.  But given the speciousness of MLA's claims, from here on out, their efforts are more of a nuisance than a threat."

Legal Insurrection

"Modern Language Association files complaint after we report on audio statements of anti-Israel activists at MLA Annual Meeting"

 

"UPDATE 1-13-2017 9:50 a.m. — I just received notice from YouTube that the copyright claims were filed by the Modern Language Association based on excerpts of audio of pro- and anti-Israel speakers at the MLA Annual Meeting we reported on in this post, Massive DEFEAT for BDS at Modern Language Association."

Hillary’s E-mails and the Justice Department

Andrew C. McCarthy

"The DOJ Inspector General’s review will focus on the FBI, not DOJ."

. . .  "There will similarly be no inquiry into why the Justice Department allowed subjects of the investigation (who had been granted immunity from prosecution) to appear as lawyers for the main subject of the investigation – despite ethical and statutory prohibitions on such conduct. Nor, evidently, will the IG be probing why the attorney general furtively met with the spouse of the main subject of the investigation – the spouse who just happens to be the president who launched the attorney general to national prominence by appointing her as a district U.S. attorney in the Nineties – on an airport tarmac just days before Mrs. Clinton submitted to a perfunctory FBI interview, after which came Comey’s announcement that charges would not be filed." . . .

CNN Doesn’t Like Being Treated The Way Obama Treated FOX News for 8 Years

Politistick  . . . "The irony of it all is that CNN and other news organizations have talked exhaustively about the problem with “fake news” and many on the Left have used allegations of fake news as a reason for Hillary Clinton’s loss. They still can’t accept that she was simply a terribly flawed candidate whose corruption, lies, and inability to truly connect with the people were just too much to overcome. In addition, her insult of Republicans as a bigger enemy to her than ISIS and Trump supporters as “a basket of deplorables” did not weigh favorably with independent voters and even some Democrats.

"Acosta tried his best to get Trump to take a question saying that he owed it to them to ask a follow-up question, but it didn’t work. Trump told him he was being rude and went with a different reporter’s question.

"Following that presser, Acosta appeared on CNN with Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper to talk about the exchange and, of course, made the network, and spreader of fake news, out to be the victim.

"You’ve got to see this." . . .

Jennifer Burke is a Co-Founder of PolitiStick and the Editor-in-Chief. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and a certified teacher with 12 years experience in the classroom. Jennifer attended what is credited for being the first modern-day Tea Party rally in the country in the Seattle area and from there emerged as a powerful speaker and writer within the movement. . . She brings to Politistick a passion for the fight for freedom for current and future generations.

Hat tip to Jody Hines from Rebels at Heart

Cavuto: CNN Now Knows How Fox News Has Felt for the Past Eight Years

Remember when CNN and others rallied to support Fox against Obama?  . . . "The decision by the network bureau chiefs to stand with Fox News is one of the first instances of the mainstream media defending Fox News against the White House’s claims.

“ 'I’m really cheered by the other members saying “No, if Fox can’t be part of it, we won’t be part of it,’” . . .