News of the Week for July 11th, 2021
- Riots & Revolution
- Corona Virus
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Riots & Revolution
Antifa Doesn’t Really Care About “Transgender Rights” or Anything Else
They just want an excuse to beat people up
Group in Armed Standoff with Police in Massachusetts Claims to Be Moroccan and Muslim; They’re Neither
We know that eleven people were arrested in Massachusetts after an armed standoff with police, but the establishment media has been unsure of exactly who they are. They’re clearly not the media’s preferred bogeymen, “white supremacists,” as they’re black Americans, but they claim to be Moroccans, even unfurling the Moroccan flag on I-95 during their confrontation with the cops. The truth about them is wilder than even the media’s guesses.
Welcome to George Floyd Square, a Sacred Space Marked by Murder and Mayhem
Some mornings, Ivy Alexander will get in her car and just drive through the East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue intersection. Not because she needs to, but to make sure she can.
D.J. Hooker remains at large
Star Tribune reporter Liz Navratil provides a detailed account of the June 27 interaction between Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins and “protesters” who held her captive until she signed off on demands they presented to her.
10 days after city council defunded police, Oakland police chief describes ’12-hours of non-stop chaos’ in the city
On July 24, the Oakland City Council voted to slash $17 million from the city’s police budget. The following week, Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong gave a press conference in which he warned very explicitly “That additional $17 million that was reduced from the police department’s budget will have an impact.” He added, “When you hear the statements from those who say nothing will change, that is not true. Yes it will. The impact will be immediate.” The July 4th weekend seems to have proven the chief was right.
Another peaceful night at the peace garden
My first friend in life lives in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. It has become a peculiar hellhole in solemn tribute to Winston Boogie Smith, who was killed in a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force operation when officers were executing a warrant for Smith’s arrest.
Leftist “Reimagined” Policing Programs Raise Red Flags
So, in effect, un-uniformed government contractors will be taking away non-violent individuals in unmarked vehicles.
Corona Virus
Luxembourg’s Prime Minister has been rushed to hospital just days after testing positive for Covid.
Xavier Bettel is due to stay in hospital for at least 24 hours to undergo “additional tests and analysis” as he is kept for observation.
Poll: Americans now believe the lab-leak theory, 52/28 — including majorities in both parties
It’s not easy to bring Republicans and Democrats together anymore but the malevolence and mendacity of the Chinese government have birthed an outright bipartisan miracle.
Gun Rights
Self-defense in California. Who Knew?
It is apparently becoming a thing. Deputies Release More Information In 2nd Deadly Shooting Of Suspected Home Intruder In Stanislaus County This Week
Terry McAuliffe Has No Idea What Virginia’s Gun Laws or Voting Laws Are
Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic former governor of Virginia who wants to be elected governor again in November, thinks he’s hit on a winning applause line this morning: “Call me crazy, but I think it should be easier to vote than it should be to buy a gun.”
“Gun Violence” Propaganda
Notice the grammar of this headline from CBS News: More than 180 people died in gun violence over the July 4 holiday weekend
Study: Homicide surge not linked to increased gun sales
It’s widely known at this point that shootings and homicides were up sharply last year, about 25 percent overall but even more in large cities. That trend has continued this year with another jump that is into the double digits. There have been a myriad of explanations about the causes of this sudden increase in crime. One of the ones that has been floated is that the increased violence is tied to an increase in gun sales.
Hide the Decline
Environment &
“Green Energy”
The Fever Dreams of the Climatistas
Cast your mind back to around 1999 or so. I think it was that year that the Sierra Club declared “suburban sprawl” to be the single great environmental problem facing the United States. What? Not climate change?!? I thought climate change was armageddon for the planet?!?
Keystone pipeline developers would like their money back
This might be about to get expensive and I’ll give you three guesses as to who will be picking up the tab. (The first two guesses don’t count.)
A New Low in Leftist Fanaticism
Politico reports a stunner today: the climatistas are begging President Biden not to be too tough on China for human rights violations, or anything else, because . . . it might be bad for the climate!
Keep your Green New Deal. Coal is making a comeback
Global energy usage shrank significantly during the pandemic lockdowns and remained comparatively low during the winter. But now that the United States is reopening, along with much of the rest of the world, energy demand is spiking at unprecedented levels. In order to meet the increasing need, many countries, including America, are turning to a much-vilified but very reliable source. Coal-fired power plants are driving up the need for more coal. This trend flies in the face of all of the promises and treaties that have been in vogue of late, with countries promising to reduce their “carbon footprints” and go to renewable, green energy technologies. The reality of the current state of green energy is sinking in, however, and people are going to meet that demand for electricity however they have to.
More Evidence of the Uselessness of “Green” Energy
At AmericanExperiment.org, my colleague Isaac Orr deals a double-barreled blow to the fantasy of “green” energy. First, after all of the hype surrounding wind and solar energy, where did Americans actually get their energy in 2020?
How marginalized communities in the South are paying the price for “green energy” in Europe
Andrea Macklin never turns off his TV. It’s the only way to drown out the noise from the wood mill bordering his backyard, the jackhammer sound of the plant piercing his walls and windows. The 18-wheelers carrying logs rumble by less than 100 feet from his house, all day and night, shaking it as if an earthquake has taken over this tranquil corner of North Carolina. He’s been wearing masks since long before the coronavirus pandemic, just to keep the dust out of his lungs.
European Union’s rules on renewable energy have a big loophole with unintended consequences
CNN published an interesting story today about European environmentalism and the law of unintended consequences. It’s a lengthy story but the core of it is that back in 2009 the European Union embraced a plan (the Renewable Energy Directive) to reduced its reliance on fossil fuels and instead depend on renewable energy sources. In most people’s minds that would refer to solar panels, windmills and maybe hydroelectric power. But one of the sources specifically cited in the document was biomass, i.e. wood pellets. The European Union reasoned that the burning of wood pellets was better than the burning of coal since trees can be regrown. While that’s true, trees definitely aren’t carbon-neutral in the same way that other renewable sources are.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Computer Program Developed in Canada to Predict When Seniors Have 6 Months to Live
As if we needed further evidence that medicine is growing increasingly impersonal, the Canadian Medical Association Journal has published a study that claims a computer program can predict when seniors have six months to live.
Ohio Enacts Conscience Protections for Health-Care Workers
At the end of June, Ohio governor Mike DeWine signed a state budget that includes robust conscience protections for health-care workers.
There’s Been a Horrifying Discovery in a Dumpster at an Ohio Abortion Clinic
The pro-death ghouls on the left will stop at nothing to make sure abortion is dangerous, legal(ish), and common—quite a departure from the days when Bill Clinton said it should be “safe, legal, and rare.” The powerful death cult even opposes commonsense measures to ensure that abortion clinics are safe and sanitary. They pitch a fit anytime lawmakers or health officials try to force them to clean up their filthy clinics or hold them to the same standards as other medical facilities. One thing I’ve learned over the years of being an advocate for unborn babies is that abortion proponents don’t value human life—at all. They may pay lip service to the concept, screeching about abortion being a human right, but they don’t mean it.
Dutch Death Doctors Pitch the Euthanasia Bull
Dutch euthanasia enthusiasts always pretend that doctors there commit homicide by lethal injection “only as a last resort” when nothing else can be done to eliminate “unbearable suffering.” What a pile of manure!
War & Terror
Nigeria: Gunmen kidnap more than 100 students from school
A school official said unidentified gunmen seized more than 100 children from a school in Kaduna, a provincial capital in northwest Nigeria.
U.S. Adds NATO Member Turkey to List of Countries Implicated in Using Child Soldiers
The State Department acknowledged that “this is the first time a NATO member has been listed in the child soldier prevention act list.”
North Korea’s Generals Are Scared: South Korea Wants an Aircraft Carrier
An aircraft carrier would more significantly increase South Korea’s ability to contribute to regional security alliances or multi-national expeditions, both symbolically and materially.
Why the Confederacy Failed to Recreate the American Revolution
The South invoked the Founders’ struggle for freedom — and ignored crucial differences in doing so.
An American lawyer gets caught up in China’s crackdown in Hong Kong
Back in 2019 an American lawyer named Samuel Bickett was walking to dinner in Hong Kong when he saw a man hitting a teenager with a collapsible baton. The man was asked by others if he was with the police (he was dressed in ordinary clothes) and he denied it. Bickett tried to pull the baton away from him and wound up in a fight after the man flipped over a railing trying to hit Bickett with his baton. Part of the incident was captured on video. Bickett is wearing a blue sweater. You won’t see him right away.
Be Nervous, China: India Sending Additional 50,000 Troops to Border
Now the early summer temperatures in the region have risen and so too have tensions between New Delhi and Beijing.
China Is Preparing for Nuclear War
Recently released satellite imagery reveals that China has embarked on what the Washington Post termed “a building spree that could signal a major expansion of Beijing’s nuclear capabilities.”
Oh, great. The Taliban is already holding military parades… with our weapons
Well, they may not technically be formal “parades” at this point, but close enough. Either way, today brought us more discouraging news out of Afghanistan.
Chris Hayes Hearts ChiCom Propaganda
Here is a state-run Chinese newspaper mocking Americans and guns.
Afghan Soldiers Flee as Northern Districts Fall to Taliban
“Taliban fighters can be seen … celebrating the seizure of US Humvees, tanks and assault weapons from Afghan security forces.”
Whistleblower exposes defense contractor’s woke awakening as it embraces CRT program for employees
The nation’s second-largest defense contractor, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, has embraced an anti-racism program. Employees must identify their privilege or their time is limited with the company. Leaked internal documents show white workers how to dispel their whiteness by rejecting racial equality and replacing it with equity.
Twitter restricts account of expert who mocked China leader
A New Zealand academic says Twitter temporarily restricted her account after she mocked Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Disturbing Reports From US Troops and ROTC Cadets of “Woke” Military Priorities
Woke priorities are now trickling down to our troops, and reports are surfacing about some humiliating drills and exercises that boost neither morale nor preparedness among our service personnel.
China reveals top secret AI drone that can track & blast enemy submarines with NO human input
The unmanned attack robot was first test fired in the Taiwan Strait a decade ago but its existence was not made public until now.
Xi Jinping Is Mobilizing China for War, Possibly With Nukes
Beijing looks as if it is preparing for a full-scale invasion of Indian territory…. Ladakh is not the only hotspot. There is a Chinese encroachment in India’s Sikkim as well as incursions in neighboring Bhutan and Nepal.
Important for Hong Kongers— share widely
Vilnius: Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Mantas Adomenas just told us in his office they fast-track Hong Kongers who wish to move to Lithuania. Get to any embassy and Lithuania will help, and if they have no passport will help with travel documents.
Progressive groups on China: What’s a little gulag between friends?
A coalition of 40 progressive groups has written a letter to the Biden administration and to member of congress asking that they tone down the criticism of China for the sake of climate cooperation.
Chinese state-run op-ed threatens Japan attack for vowing to join US in protecting Taiwan: “Japan would dig its own grave”
Chinese state-run publication Global Times published an op-ed Wednesday warning that “Japan would dig its own grave” is it interferes with Taiwan after Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso vowed to join the United States in defense of the sovereign island nation if China invades.
China space war threat growing “exponentially”
China engaged in a large-scale, rapid buildup of space warfare capabilities over the past six years — that is a major concern for the new Space Command, a senior officer revealed.
New leader of Colombia’s ELN terrorist organization has long enjoyed the Cuban dictatorship’s protection
The communist Castro dictatorship’s aid and protection of the Marxist ELN terrorist organization’s new leader is consistent with its decades-long history of being a state sponsor of terror. No surprises here.
China Is Weaker Than Xi Will Admit
The Chinese strongman and the U.S. security establishment both profit from pretending the country is a bigger threat than it is.
China Seeks More Advanced Nuclear Weapons Systems, Says Senior U.S. Diplomat
“Beijing might soon obtain ‘exotic nukes’ such as underwater drones and nuclear powered missiles.”
Raytheon CRT Training: White Employees “must work on ‘recognizing [their] privilege’ and ‘step aside’ for minorities”
Raytheon “encourages white employees to ‘defund the police,’ ‘participate in reparations,’ ‘decolonize your bookshelf,’ ‘join a local “white space”‘.”
Deleted Taiwan Tweet Is a Diplomatic Disappointment and a Concession to China
After tweeting a message about America’s COVID vaccine donations to the world that included an image of the Taiwanese flag, the Biden administration has deleted the post and apologized for its “honest mistake.”
Pentagon Sees China’s Offensive Space Technology “On the March”
China is making sizable, long-term investments in weapons designed to jam or destroy satellites as the nation seeks to rapidly narrow the gap in space technology with the U.S., according to the top intelligence official for the Pentagon’s Indo-Pacific command.
National
Trans-Riot In Los Angeles
At a Los Angeles spa, a “trans woman” used the wome’s locker room and waved his unit around in front of a group that included small girls. The women were understandably unhappy.
Supreme Court Will Hear Case on Law Excluding Religious Schools From State Funding
The Supreme Court decided Friday to hear a case regarding a Maine Department of Education law excluding religious schools from public tuition funding.
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Appeal of Christian Florist in Same-Sex Wedding Case
The Supreme Court on Friday announced it had declined to review the case of a Christian florist in Washington state involving same-sex marriage, again punting on major constitutional questions involving religious freedom.
Tweets of U.S. Olympian Gwen Berry Who Turned Her Back On Anthem Surface – Derogatory Towards Chinese, Mexicans, Whites
Berry: “This lil white boy being bad as hell!! I would smack his *** then stomp him!! Smh #whitepplKids hella disrespectful”
Polis signs off on bill establishing Front Range rail district
Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation Wednesday to create a district for a Front Range passenger rail, a high-speed rail system that will stretch from southern Colorado to the Wyoming border.
The ‘most complicated machine humans have built’ keeps US technology a decade ahead of China
I’ve written about this before but yesterday the NY Times published an interesting piece on the EUV lithography machines produced by ASML and how those machines really determine who can manufacture cutting edge microchips.
Allen West challenges Greg Abbott in GOP primary race for Texas governor
Former one-term Congressman and Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Allen West officially announced his challenge to Governor Greg Abbott’s re-election. West resigned from the RPT about a month ago but the resignation takes effect on July 11. At the time he announced his resignation from the RPT, it was commonly thought that West would run for governor. As chairman of the party, he frequently criticized Abbott.
UCSF’s callous abortion harvesting operations exposed in records obtained by pro-life group
Pro-Life San Francisco has long been protesting UCSF and related institutions which operate under the university’s banner for their gruesome experiments involving fetal tissue and body parts, including recent experiments involving humanized mice, as well as the egregiously inhumane second-trimester abortions which supply those fetal parts. UCSF receives millions of taxpayer dollars to conduct these experiments, which hardly resemble any legitimately purpose-driven science.
North Carolina Public Universities Aren’t Preparing Students Well on Free Speech
North Carolina’s Campus Free Speech Act requires all public universities to include in their freshman orientation programs information about free speech on campus. How well are they doing?
Looters ransack San Francisco Neiman Marcus in broad daylight: Video
Looters were captured on video Monday ransacking a Neiman Marcus in San Francisco as thefts continue to plague businesses in the area.
Oakland Streets Erupt Into “12 Hours Of Non-Stop Chaos”; Homicides, Shootings, Sideshow Violence
The Fourth of July reeled into “12 hours of non-stop chaos” Sunday night with several victims wounded by celebratory gunfire, a homicide and a massive sideshow marred by gunfire. The night culminated at the sideshow, where more than 200 participants pelted police officers with debris and flashed them with hand-held lasers.
FBI Seized Lego Set From D.C. Riot Leader
Man, 27, had “fully constructed U.S. Capitol Lego set” in home
Union-Linked Coalition Scripts “Messaging” To Counter Parental Pushback Against Critical Race Theory
Attacks on parents and groups opposing CRT in K-12 follow closely the messaging scripts and tactics prepared by the 300-group Future of Learning coalition CRT Messaging Guide. And deep in the mix was the largest teachers union in the nation, the National Education Association.
Nikole Hannah-Jones Spits in UNC’s Face, Turns Down Tenure for Howard U. Position
Hannah-Jones made such a big deal about not receiving tenure, making the school jump through hoops for her. Capitulation and bending the knee never works
Facebook blocks hashtag #revolution on day celebrating American Revolution
Can we all agree that at this point, Facebook is just trolling everyone in an effort to own the cons? I mean, this couldn’t have been an accident or some malfunction of their algorithms and filters. Somebody at Facebook must have made the decision to set up a filter looking for the hashtag “revolution” because they’re worried that the Proud Boys are about to cross the Potomac or something. I’m not sure when that went into effect, but it became glaringly obvious on the 4th of July, just as the country was celebrating our declaration of being an independent nation and the American revolution.
The Administration Shuns Sanctions, Embraces Europe
The Wall Street Journal reports a policy review that began in the early days of the Biden presidency will soon likely culminate in a rollback of sanctions targeting U.S. adversaries.
Texas Chainsaw Election
Governor Greg Abbott. Lieutenant Colonel Allen West. Professor Matthew McConaughey. The Texas governor’s race is going to be a hoot.
Natio’s Largest Teachers’ Union Will Debate Resolution Accusing Israel of “Ethnic Cleansing”
The National Education Association will also consider recognizing Palestinian ‘sovereignty’
Good News, Criminals: Manhattan’s Next D.A. Has Your Back
Promoting social decay in the name of social justice, Alvin Bragg threatens to be a disaster for New York City.
The transgender battle moves to spas
Over the past year, a lot of the focus in the debate over accommodations for transgender individuals has shifted from the “bathroom wars” of a few years ago to questions of equity in women’s and girls’ sports. The jury is still out on the sports question, but some of the original concerns over privacy rights have not gone away in the meantime. Another of these issues cropped up recently in a dispute involving a well-known spa named Wi Spa in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. As the Washington Post recently reported in the most woke, politically correct fashion possible, a “transgender woman” entered the spa, went into the women’s section and disrobed in front of one woman and two young girls. This was described as a traumatizing event, particularly for the children, and a dispute ensued.
“We Find that [Voter ID] Laws Have No Negative Effect on Registration or Turnout.”
A few days ago, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger observed on this site, “a sudden surge in new support for voter ID. Stacey Abrams and Georgia senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, for example, have suddenly become big supporters of voter ID despite repeatedly referring to the provisions of Georgia’s new election law, which imposes an ID requirement on absentee ballots, as ‘Jim Crow 2.0.'”
Eric Adams wins Democratic primary in NYC’s mayoral race
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City after appealing to the political center and promising to strike the right balance between fighting crime and ending racial injustice in policing.
The Unlivable City
People are fleeing California in general, and San Francisco in particular, in droves. As to San Francisco, the fundamental problem is lawlessness. Which means not just violent crime, which the city has in abundance, but a breakdown in the fundamental norms of civilization that make urban living possible.
Trump Suing Google, Facebook, Twitter Over Censorship
“There is no better evidence that big tech is out of control than the fact that they banned the sitting president of the United States earlier this year. If they can do it to me they can do it to anyone.”
State Legislation Countering Critical Race Training: Focus on K-12 and Conduct
Some preliminary thoughts as I prepare my speech for the ALEC Annual Meeting.
Teaching Hate and Revenge: High School CRT Teacher Reveals the Horrible Truth About CRT
Welcome to Insanity Wrap, your daily dose of the best of the worst. Teaching hate — and even “revenge” — is today’s big crazy.
Perfect: Bill de Blasio Will Be Replaced by a Cop or a Vigilante
Tuesday was the six-month anniversary of the January 6 riot that Democrats are treating like Pearl Harbor Day. They would prefer that the nation focus on that and forget the fact that the country’s blue cities were on fire for pretty much the entire summer of 2020 and the people they supported had the matches.
CRT Pervades Educators’ Reading Catalogue
Trudging through the rain this morning to retrieve my daily bread of the WSJ, I spied poking from my mailbox the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) spring/summer catalogue. Given my wife is a language-arts teacher, the existence of such a thing was not a shock; however, the content of the catalogue was. Critical race theory, antiracism, and “anti-Black linguistic racism” literature recommendations littered the pages of a publication distributed to NCTE members — predominantly public educators — teaching kindergarten through college. Don’t take my word for it; page through a digital copy yourself here. Reading through, it is apparent that CRT is being pushed down to all grades through teacher-education courses, not just graduate-level work.
Why Can’t College Officials Be Held Responsible When They Violate Student Rights?
College officials often act in ways that trample on the First Amendment rights of students (sometimes faculty too), and the courts have often agreed when the aggrieved parties sue. The problem is that any money that’s paid out comes from the school (meaning, the taxpayers), not the officials themselves. They get a free pass due to a vague and legally shaky doctrine called “qualified immunity.” (Qualified immunity also shields bad conduct by other public officials, especially police.)
Important Reading on the Critical Race Theory in Schools Debate
Conservatives are on the march in the political offensive against the teaching of Critical Race Theory and related racialist concepts in K-12 public schools, a battle that has moved into state legislatures. I have written about some of the philosophical problems with the “anti-anti-CRT” movement. But it is also the case that the anti-CRT initiatives must navigate a series of political and legal obstacles, and prudent consideration of those is a worthwhile task for those of us who believe in that cause.
Michigan Judge Refuses to Allow Sidney Powell, Lin Wood, and Other “Kraken” Attorneys to Skip Sanctions Hearing
Mere hours after lawyers for the so-called “Kraken” litigation to overturn the 2020 presidential election asked to skip attending an upcoming sanctions hearing, a federal judge in Michigan refused to budge from her earlier order.
America’s largest teachers’ union backs teaching critical race theory to children, says it will fight those who oppose move, and calls for October rally to commemorate George Floyd’s birthday
The National Educator’s Association recently announced it backs the teaching of critical race theory in schools
Is Critical Race Theory Taught in K-12 Schools? The NEA Says Yes, and That It Should Be.
“It is reasonable and appropriate for curriculum to be informed by academic frameworks…”
Ohio School Children Expelled after Mothers’ Pushback against Teaching of Critical Race Theory
Several children at the Columbus Academy in Gahanna, OH, have been expelled after their mothers violated the school’s “Enrollment Agreement” by leading a public campaign against the “indoctrination” of students with far left-wing ideology by teachers.
U. Texas Critical Race Training Showdown Looming
With a special legislative session on the horizon, UT’s days of simply ignoring critics and disgusted alumni may be numbered.
What Are They Trying to Hide? CRT Resolutions Mysteriously Disappear From Teachers Union Website
Last week, the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in America, passed resolutions promoting Marxist critical race theory (CRT) in schools and committing to fighting CRT opponents. Days after the 2021 Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly, dozens of those assembly resolutions and proposed resolutions disappeared from the NEA website.
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Releases ‘Pride’ Song to Announce: ‘We’ll Convert Your Children’
It seems the people who want to convert your children to their lifestyle and way of thinking don’t even bother to hide it anymore. The so-called “anti-racists” who peddle racist, anti-Western ideology say it out loud. They even have pet thug blackshirts to scare people into it. Antifa holds a summer camp to teach protest tactics to children. Men who wish to normalize pedophilia now call themselves “minor-attracted persons” (they used to be NAMBLA ) and pretend to fight for children’s sexual freedom. Don’t scoff, it’s picking up traction.
Texas Gov. Abbott Releases His Special Session Agenda. Here It Is.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has released his agenda items for the special session of the Texas legislature, which starts Thursday, July 8.
Academics Rush to Defend Teacher Who Taught “Pornography Literacy,” Showed First Graders Cartoon About Masturbation
Academics rushed to defend a former teacher at an elite New York City school who taught “pornography literacy” to high schoolers and showed first graders a cartoon about masturbation.
A FRIEND ON THE OPPOSITION TO CRITICAL RACE THEORY IN SCHOOLS:
“We aren’t trying to prevent schools from teaching about racism. We are trying to prevent schools from engaging in it.”
An diversity officer for a children’s book writers group condemned anti-Semitism and was quickly out of a job
It has only been a couple of months since there were multiple instances of Jews being verbally attacked and physically beaten in the streets by caravans of Palestinian supporters. At the time that was happening the Equity and Inclusion Officer for a children’s book group called The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators issued a condemnation on Facebook.
White Fragility Author’s Sequel on “Nice Racism” Looks Like a Flop
Last year, in the wake of the riots and protests triggered by George Floyd’s death, white anti-racist author Robin DiAngelo appeared to be everywhere. Her book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism skyrocketed to the top of the Amazon bestseller list; she raked in five-figure speaking fees; trained major corporations; and addressed 184 Democratic members of Congress. But it seems like her license to print money comes with limits
CRT and the Churn of America’s Social Relations
I sense there’s something missing from all the current debates about critical race theory and anti-racism. And it feels just slightly risky to draw attention to it, because I don’t want to give an inch to people I consider bad actors and ideologues.
SF Gay Men’s Choir: We’re Coming for Your Children
Not so long ago, all they asked was that they be allowed to engage in perversion between consenting adults in the privacy of their own bedrooms. Before long, they demanded that holy matrimony to be offered up as a burnt offering to the depravity they worship. By that point, they had the whip hand. Their next demand is your children.
Ibram Kendi likens CRT opposition to backlash against Brown v. Board of Education desegregation case
In a Q&A session with the nation’s largest teachers’ union on Wednesday, Boston University Professor Ibram Kendi likened opposition to “antiracist” teaching in schools to the backlash schools faced after the Supreme Court desegregated public education in the 1950s.
Creepy Gay Men’s Chorus Video Reveals Something Important About the LGBT Movement
As PJ Media’s Victoria Taft reported, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released an extremely creepy song about normalizing the LGBT lifestyle by effectively brainwashing the children of social conservatives. The song repeats one refrain, over and over: “We’ll convert your children.”
Michael Barone to the two political parties: Grow up
Michael Barone contends that both political parties are failing to respond to signals in the political marketplace. I think Barone is right and has stated the problem neatly.
New frontiers in “equity”
Is it possible to satirize the calculated malice and unthinking stupidity underlying the movement supporting the replacement of “equality” (meaning equal rights) with “equity” (meaning equal results)? I don’t think so. Maybe, but I seriously doubt it.
CNN’s “Hero” Voter Is a Felon
On “Super Tuesday” last year, CNN celebrated a Houston voter, Hervis Rogers, who stood in line for hours to vote in the Democratic primary
National Intelligence Office Diversity Report Uses Photoshopped Stock Image to Fake Diversity
The office photoshopped two handicapped people into the photo.
American Federation of Teachers Goes All In On Critical Race Theory
AFT president said elementary schools don’t teach CRT. Yet, she announced a $5 million legal fund to defend any teacher punished for teaching CRT in those schools.
Court Showdown Over Boston “Zip Code Quota Plan” And Concealment of School Committee Anti-White Texts
Parents group: “… if the motivation behind the Zip Code Quota Plan was truly based on something other than race (as Defendants and Intervenors have repeatedly claimed), why cover up these racially motivated messages?”
Dan Bongino instructs followers to form right-wing safe spaces
The Fox News host is abandoning his self-professed lifelong mission of “owning the libs”
“Prosecution Equity” is a Mockery of Justice
Social justice activists are working hard, in the name of “equity,” to compromise the foundations of our justice system.
A Landmark Civil Rights Lawsuit
Private litigation against critical race theory in Evanston public schools is necessary because the Biden administration won’t enforce federal law as written.
Running for the School Board? You’re QAnon!
The Democratic Party is rightly concerned that the overwhelming unpopularity of Critical Race Theory will destroy its chances in the 2022 election. Democrats are therefore trying out various messages to try to stem the tide. This one, from NBC News, is comical, but it is not clear that the Democrats have anything better: “QAnon’s new ‘plan’? Run for school board.”
Judge Withdraws Opinion Dismissing Boston Zip Code Quota Plan Case – “I’ve Been Misled” By Concealment of Anti-White Text Messages
“This was my opinion, my signature’s on it, I was misled”
Awakening To The Loss of Institutions: Critical Race Theory Fight Is About Preventing Society From Turning Against Itself
A Twitter thread read on air by Tucker Carlson ostensibly was about 2020 election media manipulation, but it reflects a broader awakening to institutional rot that is playing out state by state, school district by school district, and school by school. CRT is the cultural battle of our time.
California Police Officers Sue City Over Anti-Police BLM Mural
The letter “E” has an image of convicted cop-killer Assata Shakur. She is believed to be living in Cuba after she escaped prison.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Illegally-parked cars, electric-shock treatment, and highly-regulated massages.
Sean Penn Blasts Woke/Cancel Culture: “you wonder at some point if only Danish princes can play Hamlet”
Conan O’Brien: “This whole concept of cancel culture is, ‘we’ve found that someone did something in 1979 that is now not appropriate, they’re dead to us.'”
Five Tenets of CRT: What they say vs. what they mean
As with so much jargon, one can use these principles in a benign way or a destructive one.
University successfully argues that it is biased against accused students, not just male defendants
Its Title IX process is just biased against defendants, not men, university said
Parents rage over “racist” question in online kindergarten lesson
Parents are outraged and district officials are demanding answers after one parent raised questions about an online social studies lesson for kindergarteners in Peoria Public Schools.
Economy & Taxes
Why Infrastructure Isn’t The Big Political Winner Democrats Think It Is
Gallup’s Frank Newport has written an overview of recent public polling on infrastructure, and the data show why passing legislation may not resonate with voters as much as they think it will.
Who’s Ready for Another Subprime Real Estate Crash? Joe Biden, That’s Who
Welcome to Insanity Wrap, your daily dose of the best of the worst. Setting up another subprime real estate crash is today’s big crazy.
As fund board diversity lags, U.S. SEC advisers push for details on race, gender
Mutual fund boards would be required to disclose information on the gender and racial diversity of their directors under a rule change recommended to the top U.S. securities regulator.
You Can’t Build the Interstate Highway System Twice
Let’s say I’m hungry and I make a sandwich. Once I eat that sandwich, I’ll feel much better than I did before doing so. My stomach will stop grumbling and I’ll no longer feel quite as hungry. If I then make and eat another sandwich, I won’t feel nearly as good as I did after the first.
A third of former hospitality workers won’t return to the industry during the labor shortage because they want higher pay, better benefits, and a new work environment
Low pay, bad benefits, and a stressful workplace are putting off former restaurant and hotel staff from returning to the industry, according to a survey by job site
Gas prices hit seven-year high – a 40% surge under Biden
Republican leadership is slamming Joe Biden for the rise in gas prices. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy blames Biden’s socialist policies for driving up costs. Millions of American families are struggling financially due to the pandemic. Prices are rising across the board – food prices (despite what the Biden administration claims), building supplies, home improvement supplies, and now gas prices at the pump are surging to a seven-year high.
Higher Inflation Is Here to Stay for Years, Economists Forecast
Strong economic rebound and lingering pandemic disruptions fuel inflation forecasts above 2% through 2023, survey finds
Landlord faces abuse from tenants who owe her $23,000 in back rent
Landlord’s don’t get a lot of love from people but yesterday the NY Times published a story pointing out that small-scale landlords have been dealing with a lot between the pandemic and the eviction moratorium. The story focuses on a physician’s assistant named Vanie Mangal who lives in the upper portion of a house owned by her mother. The first floor of the house is a separate apartment as is the basement. Last year the people on the first floor stopped paying rent and didn’t pay anything for 15 months.
International
Israeli doctors develop “pig-human” hybrid organ for transplant
There have been many attempts to implant animal organs in humans, however there have been very acute rejections.
First HIV vaccines given to Oxford trial volunteers in fresh hope for 40 year fight
In what scientists hope could be a critical blow against the disease, volunteers have received the first HIV vaccinations as part of an Oxford University trial as ‘an effective HIV vaccine has been elusive for 40 years’
Smart foam material gives robotic hand the ability to self-repair
Singapore researchers have developed a smart foam material that allows robots to sense nearby objects, and repairs itself when damaged, just like human skin.
Israel’s ruling coalition splits at first time of asking
The coalition government that rules Israel is an absurdity. Cobbled together for the sole purpose of ousting Benjamin Netanyahu, it’s led by Naftali Bennett, a hard line anti-Arab, but includes members of an Islamist party.
Haiti in upheaval: President Moïse assassinated at home
A squad of gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in an overnight raid on their home Wednesday, inflicting more chaos on the Caribbean country that was already enduring gang violence, soaring inflation and protests of his increasingly authoritarian rule.
2 Haitian Americans detained in slaying of Haiti president
Two men believed to be Haitian Americans — one of them purportedly a former bodyguard at the Canadian Embassy in Port au Prince — have been arrested in connection with the assassination of Haitis president, a senior Haitian official said Thursday.
Brexit: Downing Street rejects EU’s estimate of divorce bill
Downing St has rejected the EU’s estimate of the UK’s post-Brexit divorce bill after new figures put the total debt at £40.8bn.
“We need help”: Haiti’s interim leader requests US troops
Haiti’s interim government has asked the U.S. and U.N. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare for elections in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination.
Russians flock to Cuba’s apartheid resorts as plague rages, but total number of tourists down 91%
Cuba was once a colony of the Soviet Empire, and now it is deeply in debt to Grand Putinia, which has designs on recolonizing the island. So, it’s no surprise that sun-starved Russians now make up more than half of the tourists who have traveled to the island for a dream apartheid holiday in the midst of one of the worst plagues to hit planet earth in a century.
Feminist account’s glowing tribute to lesbian “world-class athlete” Violette Morris left out some pretty important details
We have no problem with wanting to pay tribute to the many women who have helped to shape our history, but not every woman deserves to be celebrated.
The War on Meat (Spanish Edition)
The war on meat seems to have spread to Spain
Opinion
The 10 Stages of Genocide
At the risk of sounding paranoid, these 10 stages of genocide call to mind the liberal establishment’s campaign to marginalize conventional Americans
I Read Robin DiAngelo’s New Book on “Nice Racism.” Here Are 3 Takeaways.
As the battle over critical race theory heats up around the country, it’s important to examine the thinkers who have done the most to launch the woke revolution on our elite institutions.
Conservatives Need to Think Way Outside the Box on Education
Tyler Cowen has an excellent column for Bloomberg today about what his fantasy university would look like. It would be radically different from any existing university today, and it has some very strong ideas that conservatives should be interested in.
The Problems with Left-Wing Alternatives to Civics Education
A growing coalition of lawmakers and nonprofits wants to make civics more partisan and radical. The latest effort comes in the form of the PREP Civics and Government Act. Of the four civics-funding bills being pushed in Congress, the PREP act includes the fewest details. The text of the bill consists of a mere four complete sentences, clarifying that the National Endowment of the Humanities can give grants for research in civics and government.
Justice Kagan’s Rhetoric Diminishes the Court
In the case of Brnovich v. DNC decided last week, the Supreme Court wrestled with whether Arizona’s laws against ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting are permissible under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Given the political nature of the dispute, a naïve Court observer might assume that the justices would be especially careful to limit their analysis to the relevant text and case history, avoiding any hint of personal investment in the outcome.
Stopping K–12 Indoctrination Is Right
A July 5 New York Times Op-Ed by Kmele Foster, David French, Jason Stanley, and Thomas Chatterton Williams argues that it is “un-American” for state laws to keep indoctrination in the tenets of critical race theory (CRT) out of the K–12 curriculum. While conceding that such laws may be permissible in the “narrow context of public primary and secondary education,” they argue that said laws are “antithetical to educating students in the culture of American free expression.” While the authors raise some legitimate concerns about specific provisions in bills that have passed to date, their conclusions do not follow. Many of the specific problems they point to can and should be fixed. The overall effort to prevent CRT indoctrination, however, is both necessary and justified. It is CRT that is un-American, not efforts to prevent the imposition of this pernicious orthodoxy on schoolchildren.
Philosophy’s systemic racism
It’s not just that Hegel and Rousseau were racists. Racism was baked into the very structure of their dialectical philosophy
Philosophy’s systemic racism
It’s not just that Hegel and Rousseau were racists. Racism was baked into the very structure of their dialectical philosophy
David French, Kmele Foster, and Thomas Chatterton Williams Misrepresent a Key Aspect of the Laws Banning Critical Race Theory
I am a big fan of David French, Kmele Foster, and Thomas Chatterton Williams. Today, those gentlemen, in addition to someone named Jason Stanley (with whom I am unfamiliar) have a piece in the New York Times titled Anti-Critical Race Theory Laws Are Un-American.
Flood the Zone?
With New York’s newly lenient criminal-justice system, even adding more cops is not enough to deter crime.
If government doesn’t follow the rules, why should we?
The state supreme court’s recent ruling striking down a pair of illegally passed tax hikes is good news for those who believe in the rule of law, and an important reminder of the critical role the judiciary plays in our system of representative government.
From Caracas to Ann Arbor: An international student’s perspective on the value of free speech and campus protest in America
For a little over a year now, the discourse on social media and college campuses has been consumed by conversations about America being fundamentally corrupt. Some college students worry that, given the history of racism and inequality in the U.S., America’s institutions have no redeeming qualities. I disagree. I believe the Constitution, particularly the First Amendment, makes America unique.
Immigrants from repressive countries warn of free speech erosion in U.S. academia
Vaguely worded laws, censorship, and due process violations are commonplace in some of the most repressive regimes in the world. Therefore, it’s no coincidence that international students flock to the United States from all corners of the globe — making up an amazing 5.5% (~1.1 million) of the total U.S. college student population — to obtain their degrees from universities that promise both academic rigor and academic freedom. Yet some students born in other countries have found themselves facing the same modes of control (if in attenuated fashion) that they faced in their repressive home nations. When they warn us, we should listen.
Critical Race Theory as Metaphysics
It might be time to admit that education is an induction into a metaphysical and moral worldview.
The Case for Small Towns
A uniquely American place can bring down housing costs for families, if we can restore the conditions that made them possible.
Is It Too Much to Ask That Critics Not Distort the Anti-CRT Laws?
Dan alluded to this earlier, but the New York Times piece by our friend David French and others leans heavily on selective quotation and misleading paraphrase. It says the Tennessee law bans “any teaching” that makes students feel distress. This isn’t true. The Tennessee law prohibits schools from including or promoting the concept that students should feel distress because of their race or sex.
Education Is Less Productive Than It Used to Be, Therefore Use More Education?
President Biden’s official account tweeted, “The fact is 12 years of education is no longer enough to compete in the 21st Century. That’s why my Build Back Better Agenda will guarantee four additional years of public education for every person in America – two years of pre-school and two years of free community college.”
The Border Needs Help, but Not This Kind of Help
Down in Texas, where I am writing from, concerns about the border are reaching a fever pitch. However, the border crisis is a national problem, which has led to a truly bizarre turn of events: A Tennessee billionaire privately paid for 50 South Dakota National Guard troops to guard the Texas border. While the concerns about illegal immigration are valid, Noem’s approach of deploying troops sponsored by a private benefactor should trouble constitutional conservatives.
Regulate Teaching of U.S. Race History, But Keep It Real
States are right to push back against left-wing classroom theories, but they’re botching the specifics.
Ban Critical Race Theory from K–12 Classrooms: A Response to the New York Times
There can be no credible objection to prohibiting the racially based shaming of children.
William Jennings Bryan Revisited
Tapping Trump to run again in 2024 may seem sensible, but Trump’s downward political trajectory looks eerily like William Jennings Bryan’s.
