Tuesday morning links

Guardian on Trump supporter
FWIW: There is a lengthy thread on Samizdata:

https://www.samizdata.net/2020/11/dear-guardian-readers-everything-you-think-you-know-about-who-supports-trump-is-wrong-love-the-guardian/

#1 Exasperated on 2020-11-17 09:12 (Reply)

Oops, sorry, Samizdata is the link.

#2 Exasperated on 2020-11-17 09:17 (Reply)

I guess we know which side Amanpour is on as she smears Trump supporters despite their support for Enlightenment ideals and American values.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/13/cnns-amanpour-slammed-for-comparing-trumps-term-to-kristallnacht/

We need a term for the shills of soft facism, maybe “Uncle Joes”. They would be the cheerleaders the top down power of government partnered with their allies in business and finance. It entails concentrating wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands and bypassing the representative legislative process in favor of the bureaucrat’s ideological sciency policy, du jour. Unexpectedly, it includes submitting to supra national agencies and courts.

#2.1 Exasperated on 2020-11-17 09:21 (Reply)

Re: Banning To Kill a Mockingbird and Huck Finn

This and actions like Amazon refusing to sell books it doesn’t like is the modern form of book burning. What’s worse is that To Kill a Mockingbird and Huck Finn are the opposite of racist and if you can’t understand that, you have no business having anything to do with a school.

For the record, I’m against free speech. I think it should be illegal to say or do anything that hampers or constrains free speech.

#3 mudbug on 2020-11-17 09:46 (Reply)

Not disagreeing with you mudbug, but to provide some perspective I would note that this book banning is not a new phenomenon. It has been going on at least since the early 70s when I was in HS.

This is nothing new.

#3.1 feeblemind on 2020-11-17 09:58 (Reply)

One thing that’s new is the idiocy of it - banning a book that attacks racism directly because you think it’s racist.

Another is that bookstores used to protest banning books and put them on special sales. Now, Amazon is banning books I don’t think they’re going to protest their own banning of books.

Lastly, books might be banned by a single school district but I don’t remember an entire state banning a book (referring you to the first paragraph of this post).

Banning Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are a little understandable if you squint really hard (and look at things from the left’s point of view since both use the n-word and their attacks on racism are not very direct but To Kill a Mockingbird directly and obviously attacks racism. It’s not unlike tearing down a statue of Fredrick Douglass.

#3.1.1 mudbug on 2020-11-17 11:47 (Reply)

Just more of the fruits of Zinn history.

#3.2 indyjonesouthere on 2020-11-17 11:27 (Reply)

I think it's only a matter of time until they ban the Bible.

#3.3 oolioo on 2020-11-17 15:38 (Reply)

Score Big Gains in House, Pelosi Barely Hanging On

House seats must be harder to steal systematically. Trump had 4 million more votes in 2020 than in 2016, he had coattails. Another reason to be suspicious of the election returns.

#4 Exasperated on 2020-11-17 09:46 (Reply)

Sorry make that Trump had 11 million votes more in 2020 than in 2016.

#4.1 Exasperated on 2020-11-17 10:04 (Reply)

Pelosi has been rumored to be on the ropes before. I'm no fan but would point out she is a very good party boss style politician. The rumors of her death are, I suspect, greatly exaggerated.

#4.2 steve walsh on 2020-11-17 11:08 (Reply)

Re: Trump’s Pennsylvania Longshot

Alan Dershowitz disagrees.

#5 mudbug on 2020-11-17 09:52 (Reply)

I am with Dershowitz on this but probably for different reasons. I have always known that the Democrats would steal this presidential election AND that because Trump is so popular that they would have to do it so blatantly that it would be obvious to everyone. Therefore they knew that they had to sustain that cheat until time ran out and the Democrat "winner" would have to be "installed" as president. So Trump will lose in PA and it will be in courts and you will see blatant anti-constitutional reasoning and more weasel words in support of their decision than you ever thought possible. Trump will lose; Biden will win, period. Your masters wanted this and they will have it.

Now you have two choices; accept your new masters or fight for your country.

#5.1 OneGuy on 2020-11-17 12:11 (Reply)

Now you have two choices; accept your new masters or fight for your country.

Agreed.

Scott Adams had an interesting and I think insightful analysis about whether the Democrats cheated.

1. The left truly believes Trump is be another Hitler. If you are a moral person, you would make sure that he did not stay in power.

2. There are people like that who have the opportunity commit voter fraud to do it.

3. They would expect that they would not get caught. Rod Blagojevich, who probably knows a thing or two about big-city Democrat fraud, says that they have been cheating on elections for decades without consequences.

So you have some self righteous people who think Trump is the second coming of Hitler, who have the opportunity to make sure, through fraud, that he does not continue to be president, and who have good reason to believe that they won't get caught or punished. What "moral" person wouldn't do the US and the world a favor under those circumstances?

#5.1.1 mudbug on 2020-11-17 13:29 (Reply)

Morality and the left, don’t even operate in the same solar system. At least not the morales, based around the Ten Commandments, that I was taught. They have huge issues with lying, coveting, loving others, idolatry, stealing, pretty much all of it.

I think the left, actually thinks it is immoral to be a self sufficient independent individual. To the left: If you don’t rely on government for your every need and thought, you are of no use to society; why they detest everything about America.

#5.1.1.1 B. Hammer on 2020-11-17 15:45 (Reply)

There are two primary causes of black disadvantage:

A broken family model that does not focus on or help their children to succeed.

A black social structure where achievement is discouraged and grievance is encouraged and the claim of discrimination is the answer to everything.

#6 OneGuy on 2020-11-17 10:54 (Reply)

The Supreme Court and Pennsylvania is more complicated that the writer assumed. In PA the government broke laws, pure and simple. THAT is the Supreme Courts bailiwick. If the do not decide that is was illegal to for government officials to change/write laws that is the responsibility of the legislature THEN the Supremes would be derelict. How can they not overturn what happened in PA.

#7 Anon on 2020-11-17 11:01 (Reply)

If it is up to gutless Roberts, the SC will not overturn PA.

#7.1 Ron Snyder (Link) on 2020-11-17 11:14 (Reply)

How Do Geese Know How to Fly South for the Winter? They know how to flap their wings! Duh... (I live in goose territory.)

Oxford Dictionary: The one I won't use.

Does Racism Explain Black Disadvantage? My money is on culture.

California’s Affirmative Action Proposition Failed Thanks To Latinos And Asians: Heh, heh, heh...

"It's going to be a tough winter," Whitmer enacts new restrictions for 3 weeks in Michigan: Three weeks? My money's on six/nine/twelve. Could be more.

Gov. Newsom announces 94% of Californians under ‘purple tier’ which means indoor businesses must close (Update): Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight! No business taxes, because no business income. Foot; shot; some assembly needed.

Republicans Score Big Gains in House, Pelosi Barely Hanging On: Come on, GOP!!

#8 Sam L. on 2020-11-17 11:21 (Reply)

Bezos Gives $791 million to Climate Activists, Another $9 billion Planned

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/11/16/bezos-gives-791-million-to-climate-activists-another-9-billion-planned/

#9 feeblemind on 2020-11-17 11:56 (Reply)

Seems foolish to me but I'm not going to quibble with him over how he spends his money. Quite different from so many others that try to spend your and my money on this stuff.

#9.1 steve walsh on 2020-11-17 12:52 (Reply)

Yes, Steve. You are quite correct. Bezos should be able to spend his money as he wishes.

The story was more or less a heads up that environmental groups are going to have a lot more money to spend on obstructing economic progress/development.

I suspect it will buy him a lot of protection from the left as well.

One wonders if anyone has asked Bezos what Amazon is doing to reduce its carbon footprint and when we can expect them to reduce their carbon emissions to say . . . year 2000 levels?

Or maybe being crushed by 'climate change' initiatives are just for other companies?

#9.1.1 feeblemind on 2020-11-17 13:16 (Reply)

CNN for sale and it is rumored Bezos may buy it.

QUOTE:

“The balance sheet over there is a real problem,” Gasparino reports. “That’s what’s fueling this. They need to cut costs. There’s an active investor out there.”

AT&T, which acquired Time Warner in 2018, has a debt worth $150 billion. Gasparino adds the company is “financially unstable.”

“This rumor is real and the people I know at CNN believe they are for sale,” Gasparino concludes.

Before the election, speculation in business circles emerged that, due to debt, AT&T could move off CNN. Investment bankers speaking to Fox Business surmised Jeff Bezos could be a buyer.

CNN’s future is up in the air for reasons beyond just AT&T’s enormous debt. CNN President Jeff Zucker’s may not stick around . . .

Gasparino tells Tucker Carlson that the tech companies — the scenario discussed is Bezos buying CNN himself, not under Amazon — and Comcast are “out” because of anti-trust laws. However, veteran analyst Rich Greenfield disagrees, naming both ViacomCBS and Comcast as potential CNN buyers. That said, neither make sense.

ViacomCBS couldn’t compete financially with Bezos. CBS’s market cap is only $18 billion compared to Comcast’s $205 billion and Amazon’s roughly $2 trillion.

Comcast already has large investments in NBC News, MSNBC, and Peacocks’ news hub. I expect NBC to, instead, focus on Peacock, not buy a competing cable news channel.

https://www.outkick.com/att-selling-cnn/

#9.1.1.1 feeblemind on 2020-11-17 13:57 (Reply)

Protection money, good idea, I suspect you are correct.

#9.1.1.2 steve walsh on 2020-11-17 15:34 (Reply)

"Bezos Gives $791 million to Climate Activists, Another $9 billion Planned"

Also, giving that kind of cash to "climate activists" is ultimately just money down the toilet. Sure, they'll use it to make complete pests of themselves but then - it's gone.

If Bezos were sincerely interested in the climate issue rather than the cacophony of self-serving nonsense surrounding it (such as the cult of Greta The Grim), he could at least put his money into climate technology or, say, support projects to help ordinary people improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

#9.1.2 JJM on 2020-11-17 14:11 (Reply)

I meant to add that the only good news about throwing his money at climate activists is that it's private money i.e., not taxpayer dollars.

#9.1.2.1 JJM on 2020-11-17 14:15 (Reply)

By my napkin calculation Bezos didn't give $791 million to climate activist. He gave about $400 million and the American taxpayers gave the rest. Perhaps it's time to limit tax deductible donations to say $10,000 a year.

#9.1.2.2 Anon on 2020-11-17 15:06 (Reply)

Donald Trump, the Loneliest Man on the Planet

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/11/donald_trump_the_loneliest_man_on_the_planet.html

#10 feeblemind on 2020-11-17 13:08 (Reply)

"How Do Geese Know How to Fly South for the Winter?" I believe in science, not what some are pushing for science today, but I absolutely believe God programed life forms so to enable them to survive. To me evolution is a chess move by God also to help creatures to advance in life.

Banning books. I read To Kill A Mocking Bird and Huckleberry Finn in high school in the so called dark ages. They were both using the conditions in the current times to portray what was happening. My very intelligent son absolutely loved Huckleberry Finn but flunked the test as he had difficulty taking test, learned how to take them as he got older thank heavens. It brought out such strong emotions in him the idea that the test would question his enjoyment of the book made him quite unhappy.

#11 JC on 2020-11-17 14:14 (Reply)

Was god pissed off at all those life forms that have become extinct???

#11.1 Anon on 2020-11-17 15:07 (Reply)

Geese Fly South

I’m reminded of this

The younger and the old man stood out in the open watching a gaggle fly over.
The old man stated “did you ever notice the geese fly in a V formation?, Notice how one side of the V is longer than the other?”
Younger replies “yes, why is that?”
.......
.......
Older answers “There’s more geese on that one side.....”

Ha ha ha ha ha

#12 Franknbean on 2020-11-17 15:38 (Reply)

re A Quiet Totalitarian Revolution

This is a top notch read.

#13 feeblemind on 2020-11-17 17:35 (Reply)

I see the economy struggling through Christmas and a collapse before or maybe after the new year. A combination of things but mostly the lockdowns and Biden apprehension.

#14 Anon on 2020-11-17 18:08 (Reply)

Will You Be Compliant Or Not?

Because if you will wear the face mask, then you will take the vaccine. If you will wear the face mask, you will believe the election results. If you will wear the face mask, you will accept the lockdown. If you will wear the face mask, you will let your mother die alone. If you will wear the face mask, you will let your son be buried with no funeral. If you will wear the face mask, when historians one day call it necessary and normal, you will agree. If you will wear the face mask, then 2020 will be tolerable to you, and you will learn to adapt to the worst in humanity, rather than to demand the best.

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2020/11/allan-stevo/the-question-ive-wanted-to-answer-for-twenty-years-is-suddenly-so-clear-to-me/

#15 IdahoBob on 2020-11-17 19:09 (Reply)

Read the link with interest, as had offspring studying in eastern Slovakia 2001 - 2005 so had occasion to visit that country several times (someone had to bring in required western foods - tinned pumpkin, cranberry sauce, soy sauce and peanut butter being what I remember - not to mention the various over-the-counter medications (decongestants, cold remedies, etc) which were unavailable at that time. This was not that long after they had ditched Communism, and one could still see the effects at that time. Very much enjoyed my time there and was sad when said offspring's graduation and return home meant no more travel. However, a few years ago, the uni had the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the English language program, and offspring and I returned for that occasion. It was great.

That being said, I do disagree with the premise that wearing the face mask will inexorably lead to totalitarianism. When the Wuhan flu hit, spouse and I were shocked to realize that, by reason of our ages, we were considered at risk; we hadn't thought we were THAT old. Accordingly, we are taking some precautions, which - sadly - means limited contact with the grandbrats. And we do wear masks where mandated, though I rip mine off as soon as leave the shop. But we are very much against lockdowns and will fiercely back whichever level of government is with us.

Unfortunately, here in Canada, the toll is mainly in the long term care facilities. They were never designed for outbreaks such as these, but rather to (economics being a consideration) maximize the contact amongst the residents. Every year, we would hear of lockdowns at various facilities because of the 'flu or other viruses, and the deaths then were just shrugged off. Now there's a panic; the result is that many residents of these homes are in what is essentially solitary confinement, and too many are just giving up - dying "because of Covid", not with it.

#15.1 Frances on 2020-11-18 00:18 (Reply)

The question is should the mask be mandatory? Or even more to the point can any mayor, governor or president mandate that healthy people wear masks and cannot leave their home. As I interpret the constitution not only does no politician have that power but more importantly the citizen has the guaranteed constitutional right to travel and not abide by some politicians superstitions. A mask mandate is unconstitutional, simple as that.

Masks don't work. If they did work then everyone could just wear a mask and we wouldn't need social distancing and shutdowns. If shutdowns worked covid would have ended back in April. None of these things work. It is a highly communicable disease and it will continue to spread because it doesn't agree with our superstitions. It doesn't know that those silly cloth masks are supposed to stop it.

There is a "right" way to manage this. The government gives their best advice and the citizens make their own decisions. My entire 77 years the advice has been to brush pour teeth or to not smoke cigarettes. But during that entire time no one has been wrestled to the ground by the police and jailed for failing to brush their teeth. Why not? Brushing your teeth is actually better health advice than wearing the phony cloth masks. Let's force people to brush their teeth and end tooth decay!! I prefer to be free. That means free to decide to not wear the mask and that businesses can decide to mandate a mask on their property. That way IF you believe a mask works you can wear one. IF you believe a shutdown works you can shutdown (stay home). Everyone else get's to make their own decision. I for one choose to brush my teeth. Everyone else gets to choose what they want to do. THAT is freedom!! What we are doing now is slowly boiling the frog.

#15.1.1 Anon on 2020-11-18 10:53 (Reply)

Here is a actual "expert" who states this case better than I can:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEo3rnU12jw&feature=emb_logo

#15.1.2 Anon on 2020-11-18 11:07 (Reply)

Add Comment

Name
Email	(Your e-mail will not show in your comment)
Homepage
In reply to
Comment	By commenting on this site you agree to the site rules listed here. Email addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for email notifications. Quick reference guide: [i] italics [/i], [b] bold [/b], [u] underline [/u], [url] (web address) [/url]. More tips here. Enclosing asterisks marks text as bold (word), underscore are made via _word_. E-Mail addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for E-Mail notifications. To prevent automated Bots from commentspamming, please enter the string you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly. Enter the string from the spam-prevention image above: BBCode format allowed
	Remember Information? Subscribe to this entry

Maggie's Farm

Our Recent Essays Behind the Front Page

Categories

Quicksearch

Links

Blog Administration

RSS Readers

Tuesday, November 17. 2020

Tuesday morning links