Rebuilding Notre Dame Requires Rebuilding The Culture That Created It

All illustrations added by TD

The symbolism of the burning cathedral is unmistakable: the West has officially entered a post-Christian phase in history.  
. . . "This is what French leaders and the majority of people around the world are lamenting.  In the fire that struck the great cathedral, they saw the destruction of the ideal tourist site.

"Thus, instead of responding with outrage to find the person who set fire to an enormous stone structure that has weathered nine centuries of so many wars and revolutions, officials quickly chalked it up to an accident related to renovation efforts and have already discussed plans for rebuilding. This is just an unfortunate thing that has no meaning or motive behind it—something to be sad, but not angry, about." . . .

. . . A Naive, Superficial Response
"Except that these things do have meaning. Only those who see Notre Dame as merely an exquisite monument could respond to it in such a superficial, willfully naïve way. Consider the context of the fire. It happened at the beginning of Holy Week amidst a nationwide crisis of church desecration, to Notre Dame Cathedral, the most famous cathedral in the world and most visited site in Europe. It seems proper to seek a better explanation. It may very well be an accident—and if so, that’s quite an accident—or it may be something more sinister.

"Because leadership and the media in France have already adopted an appeasement policy that refuses to acknowledges possible crimes among certain minority groups or possible government incompetence or corruption, it highly unlikely that anyone will learn the truth behind the fires. Already, they have quickly ruled out the possibility that this was not an accident, yet without much evidence. Nevertheless, the symbolism of the burning cathedral and the lame response is unmistakable for those loyal to France or to the Catholic Church: the West has officially entered a post-Christian phase in history." . . .

Inquisitio Requiescat in Pace*

In the end we are left with the beginning: Mueller’s team started with the supposed guilty man and searched desperately but ultimately in vain to find the crime.

Earl of Taint

Victor Davis Hanson  "The variously dubbed dream team/all stars/hunter-killer/army of Mueller’s lawyers, after 22 months, $30 million, and 400 pages plus of legalese did not find “Russian collusion,” the original reason to be of their investigation. At what early point the team realized that fundamental truth is of importance, but will never be fully disclosed.

"Nor did team Mueller find actionable “obstruction” efforts (promiscuous use of executive privilege, firings of Mueller team members, refusal to let high Trump staffers be questioned, etc.) to impede its investigation of a non-crime as lawyers went into every rumored Carter Page, Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump, Jr. etc. cul de sac. In exasperation Mueller leveraged almost anyone peripherally related to the Trump campaign either to indict him on mostly process crimes, or to air their incriminating “Trump said this” versions of private conversations.

"And because Mueller felt it necessary to include in his report suggestions of Trump’s mercurial talk, obfuscations, and shenanigans that did not constitute actual crimes as opposed to thought crimes (those falsely accused of a felony have a tendency to become furious and sound off), the question arises that, if Mueller felt it so necessary to include in his report any material he swept up as he vacuumed around, why not at least suggest that the FBI Director and members of DOJ did not honestly inform a FISA court of the true nature of the evidence for their writ — given the centrality of surveilled conversations within the Mueller report?" . . .

Tony Branco

*Definition of requiescat in pace: Rest in Peace;  may he/she rest in peace —abbreviation RIP —used on tombstones.

Brit Hume Calls Out Adam Schiff For Saying Mueller Didn’t Find Trump Innocent;

Daily Caller  "Fox News senior correspondent Brit Hume called out California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for suggesting special counsel Robert Mueller’s report released Thursday failed to exonerate President Donald Trump.

"Schiff said, “If the special counsel … had found evidence exonerating the president, he would have said so. He did not. He left that issue to the Congress of the United States, and we will need to consider it.”

"Hume replied to that contention in a tweet:

Brit Hume

✔@brithume

And if he found conclusive evidence Trump had obstructed justice, he would have said that. He didn’t. Schiff is spouting nonsense.

"Those who suggested that the president colluded with the Russians before the release of the report now appear to be focusing on unsubstantiated obstruction of justice charges. This focus is based on an inconclusive line in Meuller’s report, which says investigators were “unable to reach” a judgment that Trump “clearly did not commit obstruction of justice:

If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment. The evidence we obtained about the president’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred.

"The report’s emphatic conclusion that the Trump campaign did not conspire with Russian forces during the 2016 election prompted the president to remark that it was “a good day.” (RELATED: Schiff Asks Supporters To Dig Deep For The ‘One Term President Fund’ To Defeat Trump)

"Schiff, who has long maintained he has “evidence” of Russian collusion has also criticized attorney General William Barr for suggesting the FBI was spying on the Trump campaign. " . . .

CNN’s April Ryan Melts Down, Demands Sarah Sanders Be Fired Immediately for ‘Lying’ to Her

I did say CNN, didn't I?

Chicks On The Right

"April Ryan’s unhinged hatred for Sarah Sanders goes way, WAY back.
"Remember Pie-Gate?
"Anyway, this woman has clearly only gotten worse since she literally threw a fit about whether or not Sarah Sanders baked a pie herself.
"And yes, she’s throwing yet another fit. (surprise, surprise!)
"According to Fox News:

CNN POLITICAL ANALYST APRIL RYAN CALLED FOR THE FIRING OF WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY SARAH SANDERS ON THURSDAY, CLAIMING SANDERS “LIED” TO THE MEDIA FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF THE MUELLER REPORT. 

In May 2017, following the turbulent firing of FBI Director James Comey, Sanders told reporters that “countless” FBI agents had lost confidence in Comey despite one reporter’s assertion that the “vast majority” of them supported his leadership. According to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office, Sanders told investigators her claim was a “slip of the tongue” and was “in the heat of the moment,” admitting that it was not founded on anything.

"Fair enough… but let me say one thing. Any FBI agent with a SPINE would have realized that what was happening was wrong." . . .

In the Bronx, AOC Advocates for a ‘VA for All’

The Nation

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez breaks with Democratic Party orthodoxy and decries the privatization of the Veterans Administration.

. . . "The Phoenix scandal did reveal serious capacity issues and administrative wrongdoing, but it was not indicative of endemic issues. Numerous non-partisan studies have ranked VA health care as generally superior to the private sector’s, and the vast majority of veterans trust the VA to treat their ailments. In January, the Journal of the American Medical Association found that VA patients generally face shorter wait times for care than civilians in the private sector.

"Unfortunately, few on the left have crafted a coherent argument in defense of the agency, thereby allowing and, in some cases, abetting a slew of privatizing measures. In response to Phoenix, a bipartisan crew in Congress passed a hastily drafted law called the Choice Act, which outsourced millions of veterans appointments to the private sector and, ironically, resulted in longer wait times for veterans." . . .

Written by Jasper Craven, who also opined: The VA Is Socialism in Action. We Must Defend It From Privatization.

Sorry, Democrats, but Your Stars Are Socialists  . . . "The fact is that the most compelling stars of the party are self-declared socialists with a knack for generating controversy and media attention, and with committed mass followings. Pelosi might wish it weren’t true, but poll numbers, fundraising, and follower counts don’t lie.
"Sanders is reliably second — sometimes first — in national and state presidential polling. He’s outraised everyone else in the field and, with his massive small-donor base, probably can continue to do so for the duration. More than anyone else, he has defined the Democratic party’s current agenda.
"It’ll be much harder to maintain that the Democratic party isn’t socialist if it nominates one as its presidential candidate, which everyone paying attention realizes is a real possibility. " . . .

Did Western Civilization Burn Along With Notre-Dame?

Rich Terrell

The Loss of Notre Dame Reawakens the Heart of the West  . . . "In the last few days, the world has been considering what it would mean to lose one of the masterpieces of medieval Christendom for all time. There is widespread agreement that such a loss would be profound. And there is reason to hope that the near loss of something that people have come to realize is so dear to them will cause at least some to reflect upon their attachment to Notre Dame and, as a result, come to cherish the civilization that built her.

"The civilization that built Notre Dame was the result of the Western Church's sustained effort to unite the Gospel with Greco-Roman culture and the folkways of the barbarian tribes, including the Goths who gave their name to the architectural style so memorably embodied by Notre Dame de Paris. May the near loss of one of the greatest monuments of Western Civilization and an irreplaceable treasure lead us back to the faith without which the West would not have come into existence, and without which the West will not continue to exist."

The Three Colors of Martyrdom  

Although the fires that damaged the Notre Dame in Paris and almost started at St. Patrick's in New York City during Holy Week seemed to underscore the disaster that had overtaken the Church,  Rod Dreher points out that the flameless burning of the Western world's secular cathedrals has been happening for some time.

 The End of Cathedral Culture . . . "Fox's Laura Ingraham underlined his point with a depressing quote from Rolling Stone: "Any rebuilding should be a reflection not of an old France, or the France that never was -- a non-secular, white European France -- but a reflection of the France of today, a France that is currently in the making."
"What's "in the making" is the world remade by the left, with a secular orthodoxy that's mercilessly rigid. History is suspect. What has been called "Western civilization" is seen as white, patriarchal, superstitious and European -- not "inclusive.' " . . .

France: Statue of Virgin Mary Decapitated  "A statue of the Virgin Mary was decapitated in a small French village yesterday, the latest in a deluge of anti-Christian attacks in France which numbered almost 900 in 2018 alone."

Dark Angel

Bobby O'Rourke Says His Big Charitable Contributions are Him Running for Office, Spending Time on the Road

Want to know how a politician can talk circles around you and avoid answering the hard questions? Read and learn:

Legal Insurrection

. . . "In other words, we should be grateful to have O’Rourke in public office since 2005 and in the 2020 presidential race. We are SO lucky!

"The arrogance of this man boggles my mind. How many people heard of him before he launched his senate race against Sen. Ted Cruz? Despite the support from Hollywood and sports athletes, Cruz still won. (Gee, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it? You know, November 2016!)" . . .

No matter how shallow and silly the leftist candidate's answer, expect to hear cheers from youthful voices in the crowd.

The Media Sprinted To Support Mayor Pete… And Ran Over Beto In The Process

The things that once seemed so appealing about O’Rourke to the press—the generalities, the platitudes, the offhanded charisma, the rolled-up sleeves—seem off-putting now. The clearest sign of the press corps’ O’Rourke infatuation was its routine reference to him by his first name in its stories—something it has moved on to doing with Buttigieg. Such shameful and transparent familiarity.

And when asked by a student as to why his charitable giving is so anemic, the man of the Countertops said this:

. . . "When it comes to charitable giving, it doesn’t surprise me that Democrat politicians are so stingy with their own money.  
"But I have to admit, I am impressed by the lengths some of them will go to justify their lack of charity.
"Case in point, Robert Francis O’Rourke." . . .

Mueller Report: Assange Called Hillary: “Bright, Well-Connected, Sadistic Sociopath”

Weasel Zippers

"Multiple interesting things here.

"First, Assange is not a fan of Trump or the GOP, but he assumes if they win, they will be checked by the media, which is quite true (checked or be an opposition force). Whereas if Hillary wins, she will not be checked. That’s why he’s not in favor of her winning, in addition to her being a “bright, well-connected sadistic sociopath.”

What’s also interesting in this is that the GRU agents pretend to be other people in trying to get WikiLeaks to take their information, according to this. That would suggest that WikiLeaks, always assumed by some to be connected to Russia, is less-connected than one might have thought.

Smackdown: Attorney General Barr Shuts Down Reporter Who Tried To Insinuate He Was Protecting Trump

Townhall

. . . "Here are portions on Barr’s remarks. Full remarks can be found here [emphasis mine]:" . . .

Katie Pavlich: Bill Barr Just Used Even Stronger Language to Exonerate Trump of Collusion   . . . " 'But the Special Counsel found no evidence that any Americans – including anyone associated with the Trump campaign – conspired or coordinated with the Russian government or the IRA in carrying out this illegal scheme.  Indeed, as the report states, '[t]he investigation did not identify evidence that any U.S. persons knowingly or intentionally coordinated with the IRA’s interference operation.'  Put another way, the Special Counsel found no “collusion” by any Americans in the IRA’s illegal activity.' " . . . 

Barr: White House Offered Unfettered Access to Special Counsel Investigation, Did Not Obstruct Justice, No Executive Privilege Claimed

Mueller Report: Dems Bash Barr to Keep Hype Alive  . . . "All that changed when the Mueller report killed the collusion hoax and Barr reported that fact to Congress. Now, it would seem that Barr himself is in league with Russia, as Newsweek breathlessly reports . . ."

How we already know the Mueller report found nothing on Trump

Mayor Pete Will Make You Bake the Cake

Free Beacon

Despite calls for pluralism, Buttigieg would force small business owners to violate religious conscience

"Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg's public calls for pluralism do not apply to religious small business owners.

"South Bend Mayor Buttigieg has made his Episcopalian faith and tolerance a centerpiece of his campaign, but the policies he champions would force religious small business owners to participate in ceremonies they find objectionable under penalty of law. Buttigieg, who is married to a man, will keynote the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner. The nation's largest LGBT lobbying group credited his support for the Equality Act for the invitation.

" 'Buttigieg is an outspoken advocate of the Equality Act—critically important, bipartisan legislation that would finally provide clear protections against discrimination for LGBTQ people across the country," HRC said in a Tuesday release.

"House Democrats introduced the Equality Act in March. It would strike down religious freedom protections for private citizens if they exercised their consciences in running their own businesses. It is designed to trump Religious Freedom Restoration Acts at the state and federal level, according to critics. Greg Baylor, director of the Center for Religious Schools at the non-profit Alliance Defending Freedom, said he agrees that "our laws should respect the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of every citizen," but said the legislation "fails to meet this basic standard."

" 'This federal law would force Americans to participate in events and speak messages that violate their core beliefs," he said. "We should reject laws that single out and punish citizens on the basis of their peacefully expressed beliefs.' " . . .

Remember this from 2016: Oregon Bakery That Wouldn’t Bake a Cake for Gay Couple Closes

Booker Town Hall Audience Member Mocks CNN Town Halls: ‘It’s All Fake’

Young Conservatives with a hat tip to Chicks On The Right

"Gotta love the unscripted moments in politics. 

"And that was the exact point made by an audience member at a black caucus town hall for Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) in Iowa when he blasted CNN town halls for being fake."

From the Free Beacon

“If CNN is in this house, you need to take a lesson from her. This is what you call a real town hall meeting,” the guy said. “All that mess that CNN be doing is all fake. They already got people out in the audience already picked who they want to ask a question. It ain’t going down like that here, so CNN need to take a lesson of this.”

“All that signing in and all that old mess that y’all got to do and you got to have a ticket and all, show your new phone that you–hey, I’m here and able to come in and all that old mess,” the guy continued.

. . . Booker laughed at his mockery of CNN and then asked him to go ahead and ask his question. The guy referred to President Donald Trump as the "so-called president" and went on to criticize him for "lying." Booker, who is running for president, took several questions from Iowa voters in the audience and stayed around afterwards to take selfies and answer more questions."CNN has already held numerous town halls for Democratic candidates. CNN has scheduled five town halls on Monday, April 22 in New Hampshire. The candidates will be Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.)."Fox News held a town hall for Sanders earlier this week and it was the highest rated 2020 candidate forum, surpassing the town halls hosted by CNN and MSNBC." . . .

Barr: White House Hasn’t Seen Unredacted Report, Didn’t Suggest Redactions

Mairead Mcardle  "Attorney General William Barr said Thursday that President Trump and his lawyers offered no input on any of the redactions in the version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s final report that will be released to Congress.

“Because the White House voluntarily cooperated with the special counsel’s investigation, significant portions of the report contain material over which the President could have asserted privilege. And he would have been well within his rights to do so.”

“ 'The president confirmed that, in the interests of transparency and full disclosure to the American people, he would not assert privilege over the special counsel’s report,” Barr said at a press conference at the Justice Department hours before the redacted report is to be released to Congress. “No material has been redacted based on executive privilege. The president’s personal lawyers were not permitted to make, and did not request, any redactions.” 

"The president’s personal lawyers were granted a request to read the redacted version of the report earlier this week, which is allowed under the Ethics in Government Act, Barr said, but they have not seen the unredacted version." . . .

Ian Macfarlane