Friday, May 15, 2015

Thomas Sowell on Race, Politics and Lies

 You cannot take any people, of any color, and exempt them from the requirements of civilization -- including work, behavioral standards, personal responsibility and all the other basic things that the clever intelligentsia disdain -- without ruinous consequences to them and to society at large.
Townhall
 

"Among the many painful ironies in the current racial turmoil is that communities scattered across the country were disrupted by riots and looting because of the demonstrable lie that Michael Brown was shot in the back by a white policeman in Missouri -- but there was not nearly as much turmoil created by the demonstrable fact that a fleeing black man was shot dead by a white policeman in South Carolina.

"Totally ignored was the fact that a black policeman in Alabama fatally shot an unarmed white teenager, and was cleared of any charges, at about the same time that a white policeman was cleared of charges in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

"In a world where the truth means so little, and headstrong preconceptions seem to be all that matter, what hope is there for rational words or rational behavior, much less mutual understanding across racial lines?
. . . 
 
Guaranteed to get Dr. Sowell attacked by the Sharpton crowd and the Congressional Black Caucus:
The "legacy of slavery" argument is not just an excuse for inexcusable behavior in the ghettos. In a larger sense, it is an evasion of responsibility for the disastrous consequences of the prevailing social vision of our times, and the political policies based on that vision, over the past half century.

Anyone who is serious about evidence need only compare black communities as they evolved in the first 100 years after slavery with black communities as they evolved in the first 50 years after the explosive growth of the welfare state, beginning in the 1960s.
 

The train issue: More demagoguery from liberals

 Emergency personnel work the scene of the Amtrak train wreck on May 12, 2015 in Philadelphia.
A Shameless Train of Thought  . . . "Democrats forget that President Obama promised us that our infrastructure problems were over the day he signed the trillion-dollar stimulus package with the Orwellian name of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on February 17, 2009:

Because of this investment, nearly 400,000 men and women will go to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, repairing our faulty dams and levees, bringing critical broadband connections to businesses and homes in nearly every community in America, upgrading mass transit, building high-speed rail lines that will improve travel and commerce throughout our nation.
The Left Won’t Let the Amtrak Tragedy Go to Waste   "It took just a few sorry hours for the news to become politicized. On Tuesday evening, we were told of a tragedy. An Amtrak train running between New York City and Washington D.C. had derailed disastrously at Philadelphia, killing eight and wounding two hundred. By Wednesday morning, tragedy had become transgression. Speaking from the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest explained that he didn’t know for sure why the train had crashed, but that it was probably the Republicans’ fault. “We have seen a concerted effort by Republicans for partisan reasons to step in front of those kinds of advancements” that would have prevented crashes such as this one, Earnest proposed slyly. His message: “Yeah, the conservatives did it.”

"Before long, this theory had become omnipresent on the Left.

  GOP Budget Scrooges Didn’t Cause the Amtrak Wreck   . . . "After investigators revealed that the train was traveling 106 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone and that Congress has poured billions into funding for safety features that haven’t been deployed on schedule, liberals backpedaled in search of other equally absurd arguments.
 Rescue workers climb into the wreckage of a derailed Amtrak train to search for victims in Philadelphia on May 12, 2015.

Krauthammer Rips Obama’s ‘Absolutely Pathetic’ Attempt To Reassure Gulf States

Daily Caller   . . . "In his comments at Camp David, Obama said that the U.S. stands “ready to work” with the gulf nations to “determine what actions may be appropriate” if the nations come under the “threat of such aggression” from the Iranians.
"Krauthammer told “Special Report” guest host Chris Wallace that Obama’s remarks were “absolutely pathetic,” adding that he’s “never seen a statement with more caveats in it.”

" Under the circumstances, it’s little wonder that Bahrain’s King Hamad preferred to go to a horse show [in] London rather than confer with Obama. Just as Israel has learned that the United States is more interested in a new Iran-centric policy than it backing its traditional allies, so, too, must the Arabs come to grips with a new reality in which their Iranian foe is no longer restrained by the United States.
 . . .
Charles Krauthammer
http://comicallyincorrect.com/

 Jonathan Tobin on  Obama’s Not-So-Ironclad Guarantee  ..."The wording of the president’s “guarantee” is a marvel of lawyerly ambiguity that any connoisseur of diplomatic doubletalk must appreciate:
In the event of such aggression or the threat of such aggression, the United States stands ready to work with our GCC partners to determine urgently what action may be appropriate, using the means at our collective disposal, including the potential use of military force, for the defense of our GCC partners.
"Let’s unpack this carefully so we’re clear about what the United States isn’t promising its Arab allies. As even Obama’s cheerleaders at the New York Times noted, this “carefully worded pledge that was far less robust than the mutual defense treaty the Gulf nations had sought.” In the event of aggression, the U.S. isn’t going to spring into action to defend them. Instead it will “work” with them to “determine” what they might do. That falls quite a bit short of a hard promise of collective action, let alone the drawing of a line in the sand across which the Iranians may not cross. In other words, if something bad happens, Obama will talk with the threatened parties but he won’t say what he will do in advance or if he will do anything at all. If that is an “ironclad guarantee,” I’d hate to see what a less binding promise might sound like.
. . . 
 The upshot of all this then is:
 Under the circumstances, it’s little wonder that Bahrain’s King Hamad preferred to go to a horse show London rather than confer with Obama. Just as Israel has learned that the United States is more interested in a new Iran-centric policy than it backing its traditional allies, so, too, must the Arabs come to grips with a new reality in which their Iranian foe is no longer restrained by the United States.
This president just is not interested and is content to pass on these diplomatic land mines to the next administration . Obama will then gloat over how he left the world "at peace" only to have the new administration's "failed policies"ruin what he had done. He has spent almost seven years doing this with George Bush so we know the character of Obama. TD

 Obama promises Gulf allies he will talk and talk and talk in their defense 
 No time for horseshoes. (Pete Souza / White House)
. . . "Veteran Obama listeners have learned to watch for the Democrat's bold statements that also contain masked qualifiers. People recall his repeated assurances that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon. But now Obama emphasizes: "on my watch." Which has 615 days left." . . .

Iran fires on cargo ship while Obama assures Gulf allies he has their backs 
 "I would say that Iran has impeccable timing."  Read more:

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Hillary’s unfavorability rating continues its upward climb

Political Cartoons by Bob Gorrell

Legal Insurrection  "New polling released by Gallup shows a steady upward tick in Hillary’s unfavorability rating.

"While Hillary’s approval ratings have hovered around 50%, her unfavorability rating has steadily increased since March. Now up a full 7 points since her presidential candidacy announcement, is Mrs. Clinton’s campaign facing imminent danger?" . . .

 Hillary Clinton Favorability Ratings Trends 2016 President
The more Americans see Hillary Clinton this time, the less they like her

 What ‘Deflate-gate’ Can Teach Us about the Clintons’ Continued Popularity  . . . "Conservatives are often bumfuzzled by how the Clintons continue to maintain good electability ratings even as the “trustworthiness” ratings sink into the gutter. The new poll on quarterback Tom Brady and the “Deflate-gate” scandal provides an answer.

"In short, a large number of Americans just don’t think ethics are very important. Here are the two key numbers from the poll on Brady: 69 percent of avid fans “think Brady cheated.” Yet 61 percent of avid fans think Brady “is a good role model for young people.” This means that at least 30 percent of “avid” fans think that Brady is both a cheater and a good role model.
 
" Come again?"

‘THE LEFT IS KILLING FREE SPEECH': Kristen Powers’ New Book has Progressives Panties in a Wad

"This is hilarious. Especially because Kristen is a liberal.

"Liberal Fox News’ contributor Kirsten Powers was on the firing line from the left Monday over her new book — and there’s going to be a lot more to come.

"Tellingly, Powers spent the day defending herself against the same tactics she outlines in“The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech.”

"Despite the book’s positive reviews, Powers was met with contempt by fellow liberal writers who didn’t appreciate her expose of how progressives continually use race, religion, gender and personal “smoke and mirror” attacks to systematically shut down opposing views.

Read more: bizpacreview.com

Charles Krauthammer: ‘Pathological’ President ‘Doesn’t Know a Damn Thing About Fox’ (Video)


 PJ Tatler ..."On Hugh Hewitt’s radio program Wednesday, Charles Krauthammer, a licensed psychiatrist, couldn’t decide if President Obama is delusional or merely cynical. He also said the president is “sort of … pathological” in the way he picks up “these (anti-Fox) memes” while not knowing “a damn thing” about what’s on Fox News.
"Dr. K. was reacting to the startling comments Obama made at George Washington University Tuesday:


. . . "Krauthammer quipped, “I remember we talked about it last night on Special Report, and I suggested that Fox buy a full-page ad touting the fact that Barack Obama is apparently now a constant viewer of Fox News, he’s such an expert on it.”
. . .
"Dr. K did make one firm diagnosis." :
“He’s got a tick,” he said. “I said last night, he’s got a tick, and it’s curable. I was going to offer to cure it myself, but I’m otherwise occupied. And even though licensed, I don’t practice anymore.”

The Shameful Rush to Blame the Amtrak Crash on our ‘Infrastructure Crisis’

Ian Tuttle ..."First responders had not finished combing the wreckage of Tuesday night’s Amtrak derailment for bodies when the liberal outlet Vox posted:

 

"First — and this seems important — we don’t yet know what caused the derailment. An investigation is under way. Sources tell the Wall Street Journal that the train was traveling more than 100 mph — more than twice the speed limit — as it entered the curve where it derailed. But the bottom line is, we don’t know what happened.

 Slideshow of the crash scene.

"Yet ThinkProgress is currently flogging a piece entitled “Why You Can’t Talk about the Amtrak Derailment Without Talking about Our Infrastructure Crisis.” Of course you can. And you should. Until an investigation uncovers evidence that unsound infrastructure was a contributing factor in the crash, it would be irresponsible to speculate. Unless (to Jonah’s point) you’re less interested in the tragedy itself than in exploiting it for political gain." . . .


Goodnight My General, Sleep Well…

 Political Cartoons by Dana Summers

Rabid Republican Blog
 "Defense Minister Hyon Yong-chol, who recently spoke at a Moscow defense conference, – has been executed by anti-aircraft fire in North Korea."

 NorK Defense Minister Hyon Yong-chol in Moscow
 "The head general insulted NorK Runt Kim Jung un by falling asleep in a meeting."

 NorK anti-aircraft machine gun

 "I’m guessing the perverted insecure runt likes to see pieces of flying meat, – rather than simply watching a bullet-riddled body slump in place.

"So far this year [2015] Kim is reported to have ordered the death of at least a dozen high officials – all in public executions.  But he’s got an army overflowing with generals – so replacing executed leaders is very easy.  What are they going to say when offered a promotion…?"
. . . 
 "So while Obama plays patty-cake with the Iranian Twelvers, – and plays the politics of race-baiting and class warfare here at home,  – it will only take one bad morning in Kim Jung un’s life to forever re-arrange the world order…."

 Emphases in the original.

Huge BDS loss – GreenStar Food Coop rejects Israel boycott


"Activists from Ithaca Jewish Voice for Peace brought a referendum to the GreenStar Food Coop in Ithaca calling for a boycott of Israeli products. The effort was national, with big names such as Angela Davis (radical anti-Israel prof.) and Medea Benjamin (Code Pink) lending their support (see Featured Image).

"The effort was rejected tonight unanimously by the GreenStar Council based on the NY State Human Rights law prohibition of boycotts based on national origin. (Full decision at bottom of post.)

"Similar to the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, NY, the referenda caused enormous tension among the GreenStar membership and within the community. See our prior posts:" . . .

 Sick: BDS groups spread photoshop of Concentration Camp inmates holding anti-Israel signs
 "We are dealing with some really sick minds when it comes to the proponents of the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement propaganda machine.
"The latest is from a group with over 91,000 Facebook fans, called “I Acknowledge Apartheid Exists.”
"That phrase is an integral part of the BDS movement, which falsely seeks to portray Israel as the equivalent of apartheid South Africa. That claim of Apartheid status was the founding propaganda principle of the BDS movement, which was started at the anti-Semitic 2001 Durban conference.

"The group has posted a photoshop of Nazi concentration camp inmates holding anti-Israel signs, on its Facebook page. It’s unclear if the group created it, or is just promoting it."

 I Acknowledge Apartheid Exists Facebook Image Holocaust Survivors with Anti-Israel Signs - Image

UK: Cameron's First Move After Election, New Laws to "Combat Poisonous Islamist Ideology"

Infidel Bloggers Alliance
 

From the Times of India:

LONDON: In what is his first major policy announcement since winning last week's general election, Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday announced new laws to combat a "poisonous Islamist ideology". 
The PM announced plans for a new Counter-Extremism Bill at the first meeting of the new National Security Council (NSC) in Downing Street. 
The new legislation will include introducing banning orders for extremist organizations who seek to undermine democracy or use hate speech in public places, new extremism disruption orders to restrict people who seek to radicalise young people and powers to close premises where extremists seek to influence others. 
It also includes strengthening the powers of the Charity Commission to root out charities who misappropriate funds towards extremism and terrorism, further immigration restrictions on extremists and a strengthened role for Ofcom to take action against channels which broadcast extremist content. 
Cameron said, "For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens: as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone. It's often meant we have stood neutral between different values. And that's helped foster a narrative of extremism and grievance. This government will conclusively turn the page on this failed approach.". . .
 UK: Met Police Arrest Record Number of Jihadist Muslims
 "Half of these arrests are "related to Syria", which means ISIS."

Hillary's "Mediaphobia". Better she keeps her mouth shut.

The NFL suspended Tom Brady for four games for text-messaging clubhouse workers to deflate game balls to his grip and liking. He was mum the next day. Tom Brady referred all questions about his refusal to give NFL investigators his smart phone and text messages to his lawyer, Hillary Clinton. Comedian Argus Hamilton
Brady Deflates, Hillary Skates  " That the standards of transparency are seemingly higher for an NFL Super Bowl quarterback than for a former Secretary of State and presidential wannabe does not bode well for our republic nor speak well of the state of the so-called mainstream media. But the double standards regarding media treatment of Tom Brady versus Hillary Clinton are many and troubling."
. . .
"Do we hold NFL quarterbacks to higher standards than presidential contenders? He used deflated footballs against NFL rules but he did not leave our diplomatic mission in Benghazi with inadequate security and then blame the deaths of four Americans after the September 1, 2011 terrorist attack on an Internet video. Nor did he try to enhance his reputation by claiming to have dodged sniper fire in Bosnia."
 

Hillary's Mediaphobia..."Hillary Clinton is running a groundbreaking campaign by breaking records in her avoidance of the media. If she continues on this path, in just a few days it will be one month since she answered a single journalist’s question.

"Considering how left leaning the media is and how easily they let leftists get away with bogus answers, Hillary really is quite the little coward (among other things), isn’t she? " . . .   
Of course, when Clinton speaks to the press, this is often the kind of image she presents of America:                          

Good grief; she's another Obama on the world stage! Why are there not millions more who are embarrassed by those we choose to run this nation? TD

Did you know about this apology to the world from Hillary?

Marco Rubio Says America’s Physical Strength Has ‘Deteriorated’ Under Obama


Observer/News  ..."Laying out a hawkish foreign policy vision repudiating the Obama era, Sen. Marco Rubio declared in Manhattan today that America’s physical and ideological strength had “deteriorated” since Mr. Obama took office in 2009.

"Mr. Rubio, a Florida Republican and leading contender for president, said his foreign policy agenda would have three pillars: projecting American strength with more defense spending, more free trade, and a “proud advocacy” of American core values. In his prepared remarks, he also called Hillary Clinton, a top Democratic presidential contender, a “leader from yesterday.”

"Mr. Obama “entered office believing America was too hard on our adversaries, too engaged in too many places, and that if we just took a step back, did some ‘nation building at home’–ceding leadership to other countries–America would be better liked and the world better off,” Mr. Rubio said at a Council on Foreign Relations event.

“ 'He demonstrated a disregard for our moral purpose that at times flirted with disdain. He criticized America for having ‘arrogance’ and the audacity to ‘dictate our terms’ to other nations,” Mr. Rubio continued. “From his reset with Russia, to his open hand to Iran, to his unreciprocated opening to Cuba, he has embraced regimes that systematically oppose every principle our nation has long championed.” . . .





OverpassesForAmerica  would agree with Sen. Rubio:
 'GOODBYE, OBAMAVILLE!': KANSAS BUSINESSMAN SPEAKS HIS MIND ON WAY OUT OF TOWN #o4a #Kansas #news
..goodbye obamaville