Thursday, December 31, 2015

New Year's Eve events in Brussels, Paris called off due to terror threats

From the article: 
Due to threats of terrorist attacks, authorities in Paris and Brussels have decided against holding their annual large-scale New Year's Eve celebrations as usual.  

http://www.debka.com/newsupdate/14354/Brussels-calls-off-New-Year-s-Eve-festivities-following-terror-warning

So, terrorism works.  The "JV" team wins.  We modify our behavior to capitulate to their demands.  Doesn't this kind of suicidal behavior begin to become apparent?  "They" now run our lives.  In the false guise of diversity and inclusion and tolerance, we allowed this to happen.  We allowed them access.  Now they they threaten us from within and we shut down our society, which is exactly what they want.  THEY WIN!!!!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Most Top Politicians are Psychopaths « The Thinking Housewife

From the article: 
MIKE KING at The Anti-New York Times theorizes that at least 80 percent of top political figures meet the clinical definition of the psychopath
 

I have been saying this for a long time.  

Misleading and Using Blacks | Human Events

From the article: 
Black people cannot afford to have our youngsters turned into failures in order to support the agendas of diversity race hustlers and to lessen the guilt of white liberals.

http://humanevents.com/2015/12/30/misleading-and-using-blacks/

Scalia says the truth out loud and is attacked by those who want to further the victimhood meme.  Walter Williams, a black man is a smart guy and he gets it.  He sees through the facade and understands these folks really have their own selfish agenda.  He calls them "diversity race hustlers" and "guilty, white liberals".  This makes it very difficult to have a rational discussion that might actually lead to some beneficial changes.  These, so called "leaders" and "representatives" of the "victims"  do not truly represent them but use them and mislead them for their own personal gain.  

Sunday, December 27, 2015

“What Divides Us Destroys Us” | Gates of Vienna

From the article - Egypt's President Al Sisi: 
What he is calling for is, in effect, the rewriting of the basis of Islamic law. And his words are being spoken in the heart of Islamic scholarship and jurisprudence. It's a remarkable moment:

http://gatesofvienna.net/2015/12/what-divides-us-destroys-us/

Whoa, did Hell freeze over?  The times they are a changin'.  Let's hope this is for real.  

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Coalition: Air Force B-1 bombers being used in Ramadi offensive | TheHill

From the article: 
The U.S. military will use B-1 bombers — not A-10s — to provide Iraqi security forces with close air support as they make their final push into Ramadi from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a military spokesman said Thursday. 


http://thehill.com/policy/defense/264211-coalition-air-force-b-1-bombers-being-used-in-ramadi-offensive

This is pretty interesting.  I wonder why it took so long to figure out.  I wonder what the cost is.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Feminist trouble

This might be a rare topic for our forum but I think it's very appropriate to talk about how it has influenced our culture and also in the context of women in the Army today.  I have liked Paglia for a long time.  I think she is a straight shooter.  I'd also suggest that her reference to feminism and it's use of victimhood is very similar to many of the other "minority" groups who claim victimhood status.  This uses of the victimhood status is not just used by feminism but is a favorite tactic by many groups to further their agenda and manipulate the situation and influence popular opinion.

From the article: 
Above all, Paglia, who some have called the anti-feminist feminist, has remained a staunch defender of individual freedom. She has argued against laws prohibiting pornography, drugs and abortion. And, when political correctness was cutting a swathe through a host of institutions during the 1990s, she stood firmly on the side of free speech. So, what does she make of the political and cultural state of feminism today? What does she think of the revival of anti-sex sentiment among young feminists, their obsession with policing language, and their wholehearted embrace of victimhood?

Paglia:  I am continually shocked and dismayed by the nearly Victorian notions promulgated by today's feminists about the fragility of women and their naïve helplessness in asserting control over their own dating lives. Female undergraduates incapable of negotiating the oafish pleasures and perils of campus fraternity parties are hardly prepared to win leadership positions in business or government in the future.
 
http://www.spiked-online.com/spiked-review/article/feminist-trouble#.VnrfiPkrKM-

It’s Not Just About Israel. BDS Threatens Us All

Those that believe this is just an issue for Israel or the Jewish community are sorely mistaken. These developments endanger the future of America. Like a wildfire spreading out of control, BDS is a menace that must be contained today, before it alters our society's moral compass and threatens the values and freedoms at the heart of our very way of life.

https://warsclerotic.wordpress.com/2015/12/23/its-not-just-about-israel-bds-threatens-us-all/

Politicians Without Borders | Human Events

From the article: 
Individual freedom, and limited government, is better.
 


Immorality and Contempt for Liberty | Human Events

From the article: 
I personally believe in helping one's fellow man in need. Doing so by reaching into one's own pockets is laudable and praiseworthy. Doing so by reaching into another's pockets is evil and worthy of condemnation.

http://humanevents.com/2015/12/23/immorality-and-contempt-for-liberty/

Walter Williams is a pretty smart guy.  

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Rape Culture: The Real Thing | Power Line

The first question to be asked about any proposed group of immigrants is, why do we need them? It would seem that, given our hypersensitivity to "rape culture," those who require training to understand that "women have value" and that a smile does not represent consent to rape should receive low priority.


http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/12/rape-culture-the-real-thing.php

Guns vs. Cars (and Drugs) | RealClearPolicy

http://www.realclearpolicy.com/blog/2015/12/21/guns_vs_cars_and_drugs_1500.html

Pretty interesting stats here.  So, it seems that gun deaths have been pretty steady for a while, yet many of our "elite leaders" want to ban guns. While any gun death is not a good thing, maybe this is not the crisis some want us to believe it is.  And, drug overdoses continue to soar.  Drugs are already banned.  How is that working out for us?

I wonder if this idea of banning things is really a good solution?  How did that work out for prohibition?  

Friday, December 18, 2015

A New Era of Health-Care Innovation by Joseph Jimenez - Project Syndicate

From the article: 
Today's transformational advances in health care owe much to new genomics information, to the availability of big data to influence decisions in real time, to more targeted and individualized therapies, and to smarter, more connected delivery systems. But they are just the beginning. Further breakthroughs, enabled by the convergence of science and technology, can be expected, especially as unconventional players enter the health-care sector. In this process, partnerships between health-care and technology companies will become increasingly important.
It is an exciting time for health care, with many disruptive innovations on the horizon. For patients and providers alike, this is very good news.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/health-care-new-era-of-innovation-by-joseph-jimenez-2015-12

A bit of good news here.  We hear so much about the cost of health care rising.  If we could just get the regulatory agencies out of the way and let the market and technology work.

Roland Fryer’s Outstanding Seminar

From the article: 
I had long been aware of Fryer's academic work but I had not realized how much he and his team at the Harvard EdLabs have actually done on the ground to remake dozens of schools in Houston, Denver and elsewhere in the process showing that the best practices of the best charter schools can be scaled to the entire nation. Remarkable.

http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2015/12/roland-fryers-outstanding-seminar.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+marginalrevolution%2Ffeed+%28Marginal+Revolution%29

Amazing what happens when folks stop acting like victims and actually try to solve the problem.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Pat Caddell: Country Closer to Revolution Than Ever - Breitbart

From the article: 
Veteran pollster Pat Caddell says he agrees with the premise that America today is closer to another revolution than at any time in recent history, adding, "The strength of this country comes from its people and it has a political system that is run, now, to the exclusion of its people … you have three quarters of the American people saying the government in Washington does not rule with the consent of the governed."

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/17/pat-caddell-country-closer-to-revolution-than-ever/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+breitbart+%28Breitbart+News%29

What think you?  Are "we" really fed up enough? What kind of revolution?  

Mass civil disturbance?  Man the barricades a la the French Revolution?  

Military coup?  I hear rumours of the latter sometimes but I don't put much credence in it and don't usually pass it along.  

Electoral revolution?  We keep electing people who simply refuse to govern appropriately.

I wonder what kind of revolution he thinks is in the offing?


Afghanistan: Not Worth Fighting For

From the article: 
The fundamental problem for Afghanistan is the endemic corruption. This makes it very difficult to run the country effectively when any law or regulation can be bypassed with a large enough bribe. This makes it possible for the drug gangs to produce and export most of the world supply of heroin. The Taliban sustains itself by providing security for drug gang operations as well as extorting and stealing cash and goods at every opportunity. The corruption stems from the tribalism which fell out of use in the West, China and elsewhere centuries ago. But in Afghanistan is persists and it is an inefficient and, for the people involved, expensive and deadly historical artifact to live with.

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/afghan/articles/20151217.aspx

This is really the fundamental question for Western Civilization.  I have been struggling with this for several years.  I was very supportive of George W's choice to go into Iraq.  I was very supportive of the ideas of promoting freedom as expressed by folks like Natan Sharansky.  In retrospect, I am less supportive of this.  We have spent blood and treasure to try and make a difference and it seems to be an endless pit.  

I am becoming more convinced that there is little we can do to change this barbarian, tribal culture. Having said that, I wonder what am I supposed to do?  Do I just get entirely out of these lands and let them fester and multiply and only get stronger to create problems for Western culture in the future?  That doesn't sit well with me, yet what we are doing now isn't working either.    

What to do?


Procurement: Smart Bombs For Iran

From the article: 
The F-15E remains a potent air-superiority fighter, making it an exceptional combat aircraft. This success prompted Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Singapore to buy it, paying about $100 million per aircraft. In the U.S. Air Force the F-15E is one of the most popular aircraft for combat pilots to fly, even more so than the new F-22.
 

The lead of this article is the suggestion that the Saudis are accumulating weapons to use against Iran.  This may be true and is very interesting.  However, what struck me was this last part that I quoted.  There have been a fair amount of articles recently talking about the cost benefits of upgrading the F15s, 16,s 18s.  It seems we could be a bit enamored of ultra high tech and not making good trade offs.  In the end, high tech is just another tool.  More is not always better.  

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Presidents Shouldn't be Wonks

From the article: 
I saw most of the debates. No one won. But Trump looks better; he has learned self control. One tends to forget that he's not been in politics and this is his first political debate. Carly Fiorina came across as perhaps the best prepared, and she certainly seems to know what she's talking about. Trump was pounded for not being specific, but that's nuts: Presidents shouldn't be wonks, they should know what they want. We know Trump can get very complex jobs like building resorts, office buildings, and casinos constructed and opened up; one presumes he knows how to listen to advisors, else he's never have made the money to finance his campaign, And no, this is not an endorsement; merely an observation.


https://www.jerrypournelle.com/chaosmanor/there-will-be-war-is-done-the-debates-porkypine-on-the-middle-class-and-a-great-deal-more/

I think this is a pretty astute observation.  Some of you may know Pournelle as a famous Scifi writer.  He is also a very smart guy and has great commentary about culture and politics.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Thomas Sowell: Affirmative Action Is No Favor To Minorities - Investors.com

From the article: 
Much research over the years has confirmed Justice Scalia's concern that admitting black students to institutions for which their academic preparation is not sufficient can be making them worse off instead of better off.


http://news.investors.com/IBD-Editorials-On-The-Right/121415-785216-thomas-sowell-antonin-scalia-is-right-affirmative-action-damages-the-education-opportunities-for-minorities.htm?ven=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EditorialRss+%28Editorial+RSS%29

Media Effusively Praises Global Warming Deal That Does Nothing - Investors.com

From the article: 
Media Bias: Reading the fawning coverage of the "Paris Agreement," you'd have thought western civilization had won the war on terror or scientists had discovered a cure for cancer. Sorry. Didn't happen.
The climate change deal has been almost universally hailed by the press as "landmark" (New York Times), a "historic" victory (Washington Post), Obama's "huge win" (Bloomberg) and "a remarkable achievement on behalf of humanity" (USA Today).
 

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Kerry: Public Shaming is ‘Most Powerful Weapon in Many Ways’ to Enforce World Climate Agreement

From the article: 
Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that international shame and condemnation is "the most powerful weapon in many ways" to ensure countries comply with the newly-signed climate change accord reached in Paris, which is meant to lower greenhouse gas emissions around the world.

http://freebeacon.com/issues/kerry-public-shaming-most-powerful-weapon-in-many-ways-enforce-climate-agreement/

So when the science and logical argument fail, "they" resort to emotional manipulation on an international scale.  There is really something deeply and seriously wrong with this kind of thinking.

Zulu King: South Africa Was Better Off Under Apartheid

From the article: 
They were handed a prosperous first-world country. Now look at it.
 

Anybody know if this is true or an exaggeration?  If true, is this a natural result of socialist policies?

What Happens When A Country Prioritizes Refugees Over Citizens | The Federalist Papers

For years, the Swedish government prioritized the well-being of refugees and migrants over that of its own citizens, and now, not surprisingly, the nation has become a socialist hellhole.

Writing for the Gatestone Institute, Swedish journalist and author Ingrid Carlqvist explained that decades of refugee-centric social welfare have led to a failing social safety net that pays less money to seniors who worked all their lives than it does to refugees.
Moreover, refugees also receive free healthcare and dental care, "while the destitute Swedish senior citizen must choose between paying 100,000 kronor ($12,000) to get new teeth or living toothless."
These sorts of backwards policies by the Swedish Social Democratic Party have led to a dismal state of affairs in Sweden, a nation currently beset by housing shortages, unemployment, poverty, desperation and even violence.
But the violence isn't being perpetrated by Sweden's suffering citizens, but rather by its spoiled and indignant refugees.

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/world/what-happens-when-a-country-prioritizes-refugees-over-its-own-citizens?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheFederalistPapers+%28The+Federalist+Papers+Project%29

While I have some empathy for folks who need help, and I think being charitable and gracious is usually a good thing, I also think some healthy skepticism and a healthy sense of self preservation is not necessarily a bad thing.

Mike Roark

Saturday, December 12, 2015

The 500-mile front against Isis - The Unz Review

From the article: 
Isis is being squeezed by growing military pressure from its many adversaries, but these remain disunited and hostile to each other so, for the moment, the overall stalemate continues.

http://www.unz.com/pcockburn/the-500-mile-front-against-isis/

One of the better, fact filled articles I have read of what is going on, on the ground.  

Maybe the best thing to do is shut these places « Samizdata

From the article: 
It is indeed interesting, and worrying, that students are so sensitive and censorious today. But I have a question for the hand-wringers, the media people, academics and liberal thinkers who are so disturbed by what they're calling the 'Yale snowflakes': what did you think would happen? When you watched, or even presided over, the creation over the past 40 years of a vast system of laws and speech codes to punish insulting or damaging words, and the construction of a vast machine of therapeutic intervention into everyday life, what did you think the end result would be? A generation that was liberal and tough? Come off it. It's those trends, those longstanding trends of censorship and therapy, that created today's creepy campus intolerance; it's you who made these monsters.
Brendan O'Neill.
 
http://www.samizdata.net/2015/12/samizdata-quote-of-the-day-654/

Friday, December 11, 2015

So, Who is the Fascist?

From Melanie Phillips: 
So, let's see. Isis are said to be fascists. Le Pen and Trump, who want to fight Isis and their ilk, are also fascists. Ah, so they're anti-fascist fascists, then. Hello?

https://www.facebook.com/?sk=h_chr

Monday, December 7, 2015

Carly Fiorina: Bring Back 'Warrior Class' Generals Petraeus, Flynn, Keane and Mattis - Breitbart

GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina says if she's elected President of the United States, she would bring back "the warrior class" of generals, such as General Petraeus, General Flynn, General Keane and General Mattis.
"They're pretty smart guys. I'd like to bring them back, by the way," Fiorina told Breitbart News Daily host Stephen K. Bannon. "These are generals that understand what is going down on the ground."
"The warrior class…who understand these enemies," she stated. "They've all been sidelined because they gave Obama messages he didn't want to hear."
 
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/07/carly-fiorina-bring-back-warrior-class-generals-petraeus-flynn-keane-mattis/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+breitbart+%28Breitbart+News%29

Does this necessarily imply that the current generals are not "warrior class"?

Shocking Numbers for Benedict Option

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/shocking-numbers-benedict-option-poll-37-percent/

This is quite an article.  I have been reading Rod Dreher for several years.  Preserving traditional Christianity is important.  Although my gut reaction is to me more assertive and influence society, this approach has many things going for it.


Sunday, December 6, 2015

Foul disgusting liberal equates San Bernardino terror VICTIM to his ISIS KILLER because he was CONSERVATIVE

From the article: 
This is really actually quite alarming. If people out there believe this, then they're actually a danger to their fellow Americans.

http://therightscoop.com/foul-disgusting-liberal-equates-san-bernardino-terror-victim-to-his-isis-killer-because-he-was-conservative/

Yes, there are some Liberals who are dangerous to their fellow Americans.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

The CAIR Effect: See Something, Do Nothing

From the article: 
Little wonder, then, that in this politically correct climate of intimidation, a neighbor of the San Bernardino jihadists told local media this week that he had "noticed a half-dozen Middle Eastern men in the area in recent weeks, but decided not to report anything since he did not wish to racially profile those people."
That's the CAIR effect: See something, do nothing. Silence is complicity.

http://www.vdare.com/articles/the-cair-effect-see-something-do-nothing

Do not underestimate this enemy.  They have sized up Western societal weaknesses and have implemented a strategy that uses our misplaced moral decency to hobble us.  They see this more clearly than we do in our denial.  They have been working on this for decades and the tree is bearing fruit.  They watch us create a PC dominated culture that is slowly losing it's ability to defend itself.  They laugh at this weakness and take every advantage of our own suicidal behavior.  

A Sickness Reason Cannot Cure | The Z Blog

From the article: 
There's no reasoning with them. No amount of carnage will shake them of this disease that has driven them mad.
 


Wednesday, December 2, 2015

But it’s hard to think of any as ugly, vindictive and packed with prejudice as the Israel-bashing BDS movement.

Samizdata quote of the day:

There are many weird and angry political movements in the 21st-century West. But it’s hard to think of any as ugly, vindictive and packed with prejudice as the Israel-bashing BDS movement.”

Brendan O’Neill.

About Safe Places

From the article:
7. Quote of the Day: Daycare
"This past week, I actually had a student come forward after a university chapel service and complain because he felt 'victimized' by a sermon on the topic of 1 Corinthians 13. It appears that this young scholar felt offended because a homily on love made him feel bad for not showing love. In his mind, the speaker was wrong for making him, and his peers, feel uncomfortable.
I'm not making this up. Our culture has actually taught our kids to be this self-absorbed and narcissistic. Any time their feelings are hurt, they are the victims. Anyone who dares challenge them and, thus, makes them 'feel bad' about themselves, is a 'hater,' a 'bigot,' an 'oppressor,' and a 'victimizer.' [...]
Oklahoma Wesleyan is not a 'safe place', but rather, a place to learn: to learn that life isn't about you, but about others; that the bad feeling you have while listening to a sermon is called guilt; that the way to address it is to repent of everything that's wrong with you rather than blame others for everything that's wrong with them. This is a place where you will quickly learn that you need to grow up.
This is not a day care. This is a university!"
—Dr. Everett Piper, President, Oklahoma Wesleyan University

This is a quote I lifted.  I do not have a link to the original article but it has been in the news for a few days.  You can google for it if you want to see more.

It seems that someone is actually standing up the crazy doublespeak we have allowed to infest our society.   I hope we see more of this.



Freedom is not free. Free men are not equal. Equal men are not free.
(borrowed from Jerry Pournelle)

Safwch yn gadarn. "Stand firm."  From the Welsh New Testament

Monday, November 30, 2015

COMMON CENTS: Viral Video - Amazon Prime Air

http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2015/11/viral-video-amazon-prime-air.html

"And balance is restored to the universe."

Pretty amazing technology.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Crony Capitalism At Work——$29 Billion “Green Energy” Boondoggle Flops in Spain | David Stockman's Contra Corner

Solar energy has surely come a long way in recent years, as technological progress has undoubtedly improved its economics. Evidently though, the improvement isn't sufficient yet to make it actually viable. One would think that it makes sense to deploy it in places that are sunny most of the time (such as, well, Spain), but even there, it evidently depends on subsidies.
People often forget that it actually costs energy to produce solar panels. Whether they will in turn produce enough energy during their lifetime to make this investment viable remains questionable. It remains questionable precisely because so many companies in the sector depend both directly and indirectly on a vast variety of government subsidies (including the introduction of inane trade barriers to the detriment of consumers).
With the subsidization scam in Spain reaching its limit, it turns out that not even sunny climes can keep solar boondoggles afloat. In the current case, a cool $29 billion (€17.3 bn.) in liabilities have just been exposed to intense vaporization danger, as "green energy" company Abengoa has finally filed for bankruptcy.

http://davidstockmanscontracorner.com/crony-capitalism-at-work-29-billion-green-energy-boondoggle-flops-in-spain/

"It remains questionable precisely because so many companies in the sector depend both directly and indirectly on a vast variety of government subsidies (including the introduction of inane trade barriers to the detriment of consumers)."  

Hmmmm.  So when the government intervenes in the free market, scams and bubbles and all sorts of nonsense seems to mysteriously and unexpectedly happen.  

What to Do About Guns and the Mentally Ill | PJ Media

From the article: 
What's lacking in the current system is not a faster way to declare citizens insane, but a functional method of assembling and disseminating the data regarding those who are truly dangerous. In too many cases that's simply not being done and it allows for holes in the already adequate background check system. If the states can manage to fix that problem, we might be willing to talk about tweaking it a bit in the future.
As with so many subjects when it comes to gun control, the remedy to the very real problem of gun violence would be achieved by simply enforcing the laws we currently have and putting smart people in charge of administering the system. But since we can't seem to manage that, Democrats will continue to conclude that more and "better" laws are needed, ignoring the fact that the worst violent crime rates in the nation remain stubbornly high in the places with the strictest gun laws. As for the crazy people… perhaps we need to examine those seeking elected office a bit more closely before we go chasing down the hoi polloi.

This seems to me a rather rational discussion.  We do need to be able to identify irrational folks and restrict their access to weapons.  This is not a bad idea per se.  But, who gets to judge their "irrationality"?  It always leads back to some kind of governmental control and systems that are rife for abuse.  How much uncertainty can we willingly accept in order to preserve our freedom?  Some recent articles suggest the homicide rate from weapons is declining even though we seem to have these high profile events in the news.  Are we being driven by the news cycle?  Can we find some acceptable balance that identifies most troublesome folks without overly restricting the freedom of everyone else?  

How does personal carry play into this?  "When seconds matter, the police are minutes away".  There was a time in the evolution of our society when most people carried and peace officers were few and far between.  People learned to live mostly reasonably with their neighbors and banded together when necessary to take on the bad guys.  While this was not a perfect solution, and posse's can get out of control, for the most part it tended to promote stability in our society and we functioned and flourished.  There was an old saying, from those times.  Something like - People learned to be courteous to each other when everyone carried.  There might be some truth in that old wisdom.



Friday, November 27, 2015

Safe spaces must be destroyed

From the article: 
No consequences for anyone. That's what a safe space is, and that's why all of them should be abolished.
 

This is really very good.  Go read the whole thing.

Obama's Green Initiatives Have Cost Us BILLIONS | The Federalist Papers

Think of Obama's failed energy policies, and Solyndra is probably the first to come to mind. The solar company went bankrupt a short two years following a $536 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. A high profile failure without a doubt, but hardly the only failed green energy project Obama's administration failed at propping up.
In total, taxpayers have been on the hook for over $2.2 billion in losses from other failed loan guarantees to supposedly "green" companies.
But that's hardly the tip of the iceberg.
It's not the losses from failed green energy subsidies that are shocking, but the losses from pressure Obama has put on the coal industry. Coal producers in West Virginia are expecting their costs of production to increase 40% under Obama's Clean Power Plan, which will have a devastating impact on the industry.

Do we need a better educated army?

Hope you all had a great Turkey Day.  We did.  I will be eating left-overs for days.  

But now, back to reality .......

This seems counter-intuitive: 
As shown previously, the higher an officer's cognitive ability, the lower that officer's chance at early promotion and battalion command selection.
 

Thursday, November 26, 2015

American public school system an expensive exercise in wasting youth, teaching ignorance...

American public school system an expensive exercise in wasting youth, teaching ignorance...:

ZxnGcvCA_normal.jpg
Author:
wretchardthecat
Source:
Twitter Web Client
American public school system an expensive exercise in wasting youth, teaching ignorance says Arne Duncan
politico.com/story/2015/11/…


State Dept. Admits That Iran Nuke Deal Was A Farce - Blur Brain

So, it was much ado about nothing. It's not a treaty or even binding agreement, but rather a set of "commitments." Just a wishlist if you will.
Never the less, our side of the commitment releases $100 billion of frozen Iranian assets while turning a blind eye to Iranian goals of creating a nuclear arsenal.
And for the Iranian's part, they promise they won't build that arsenal until well after Obama has left office so he can pretend to achieved some sort of victory.
Of course, none of that is set in stone. We give them everything upfront and hope that the Iranian's reciprocate.

http://blurbrain.com/state-dept-admits-that-iran-nuke-deal-was-a-farce/

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

The Strongest Retrograde Force in the World. | Wizbang

From the article: 
Face the Fire or be consumed by it, name your enemy or die a contemptible death.
 

The author only makes a few brief comments.  He quotes extensively from a very good article by Roger Kimball and brings out the pithy points.  Follow the link and read that entire article.  Kimball, in turn, quotes some prescient points from George Orwell and Winston Churchill.

I have seen this quoted several times recently.  Something like - "you can ignore reality but you cannot ignore the consequences of reality".  


Monday, November 23, 2015

$1 Billion U.S. Bio-Terror System is Busted, Can't Get Job Done

From the article: 
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the BioWatch system used to fight against bioterrorism is useless.
"You can't claim it works," Timothy Persons, GAO's chief scientist, told The Los Angeles Times.
The scientists often find "numerous false alarms" since they cannot "distinguish between harmless germs and the lethal pathogens that terrorists" would use in an attack. Despite the evidence, the Department of Homeland Security still shows off the alleged "effectiveness while seeking to upgrade it with new technology."

Great.  Another useless government project.  Another $1B, as in billion, pissed away.  No one will be held accountable.  

‘All the terrorists are migrants’ – POLITICO

From the article, an interview with Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary: 
In a wide-ranging 90-minute interview a week after the Paris terrorist attacks, Orbán lays out his prescriptions for Europe's ailments: An impenetrable external border to boost security and save the Schengen treaty on passport-less travel within the EU; a new EU constitutional convention that strengthens the power of nation states and weakens Brussels; and normalized relations with Russia.

Fascinating stuff here.  This guy gets it.  He aligns with Poland who also gets it.  Interestingly, these two cultures that have suffered greatly under former Russian control now see the World much differently, and to my mind, more realistically, than say some of the EU countries that have lived pretty fat, dumb and happy.  

Sunday, November 22, 2015

BRUSSELS UNDER LOCKDOWN: Muslims Have Ruined This Once Great City, Police WARN Residents To ... ⋆ Doug Giles ⋆ #ClashDaily

This is what happens when Europe swings their doors wide open to a mess [mass] migration of Muslims.

http://clashdaily.com/2015/11/brussels-under-lockdown-muslims-have-ruined-this-once-great-city-police-warn-residents-to/

Dear Liberals: ISLAM Is The Problem, Not Us | The Federalist Papers

Every single day, Islamic radicals throughout the world commit grievous acts of rape, torture and murder in the name of their religion. And every single day, liberal Islamic apologists try their hardest to divert attention from these atrocities and instead pin the blame on Western culture.
This foolishness stops TODAY!

Like John Hayward wrote for Breitbart, "Our culture as-is, our Constitution as written, makes ample room for every religious tradition, including some quite extreme ones … provided they keep their hands to themselves, refrain from imposing their views on others, and don't demand our system be rewritten to handle their special demands."
Radical Islam, on the other hand, seeks to impose its doctrines (Shariah law) on everybody else; anyone who fails to comply simply gets blown to smithereens.
 

Will the West now understand Israel?

Will the West now understand Israel?: Paris and the world have experienced a wake up call from the terrorists.



A real interim choice for Syria - Family Security Matters

From Walid Phaes. 
The development of a free Syria is the most viable option for the United States and Europe and the rest of the international community
In the northeastern part of Syria-contiguous to Iraq and Turkey-lies al Hasaka or the Triangle, also known as al Jazeera province.
As large as Lebanon, this area is inhabited by roughly four million Kurds, one million Christians and a half million Arabs. Assad forces have practically left the area, and Kurdish militias have set up patrols, stopping Al Qaeda militias trying to enter these districts.
This region should be the foundation for a free Syria. Here we should nurture a free zone inside Syria with the potential to grow rapidly and defeat both the Assad regime and the Jihadists.
With U.S. and western help, the Kurds, Christians and Arabs who populate this region can establish a liberated zone with its cities and rivers and expanded airports that should serve as the receiving area for aid.
The current FSA and other opposition groups can be invited to aggregate in this region. This pluralist "smaller Syria" would become the basis for liberation of the country-and the establishment of a pluralistic and peaceful society for all Syrians.

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/detail/a-real-interim-choice-for-syria

Very interesting ideas here.  This seems to make a lot of sense.  Why not allow these people to settle in a land they are familiar with and cultures they are familiar with.  Give them the opportunity to make free choices and work out their path to freedom.

It seems we could provide troops to help the Kurds establish a southern border that would be defensive in nature and not an aggressive force.  This may be more palatable to many than "boots on the ground".

Recent articles emphasize how costly it is for Western countries to bring in these refugees.  Just in dollars alone, the cost to provide support locally would be much less than what it costs us to bring them here.  In addition, it seems to alleviate many of the problems of being culturally assimilated into our societies.




Saturday, November 21, 2015

Massive Russian blanket air bombardment is flattening Raqqa

Debka reports: 
Russia has launched a merciless blanket air campaign, backed by Kalibr cruise missiles fired from the Caspian and Mediterranean Seas, for the object of wiping the Islamic State's Syrian center of Raqqa off the map, DEBKAfile's military sources report.

http://www.debka.com/article/25032/Massive-Russian-blanket-air-bombardment-is-flattening-Raqqa

Is this for real?  Are the Russians going to flatten Raqqa? 

Debka is an interesting Jewish news/intel website.  Occasionally they get a bit hyper so I would be a bit skeptical about this early news.  Although I do ask myself why we haven't done this already.


Friday, November 20, 2015

Report Exposes SHOCKING Truth About TSA and Airline Safety | The Federalist Papers

We already know the private sector to be vastly more efficient than the public sector, so why not privatize the TSA?
Such a model is already present in Israel and various European nations. Domestically, San Francisco International airport uses private screeners, and with much success. A 2007 study (by the TSA, by the way) found that private screeners were twice as effective at detecting fake bombs as TSA screeners. Private screeners also worked faster – processing 165 passengers for every 100 the TSA could.
The TSA isn't effective according to the DHS – and when the TSA's own studies from nearly nine years ago show that the private sector does a better job, privatizing the TSA is a necessary action that has been long overdue.

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/new-report-exposes-shocking-truth-about-the-tsa-and-airline-safety?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheFederalistPapers+%28The+Federalist+Papers+Project%29

So, we have studies and tests that show the TSA is useless.  We know the private sector is more effective and efficient, yet, we persist in spending billions to maintain a charade.  Go figure.


In Fighting Radical Islam, Military Victory Is Necessary but Not Sufficient » Mosaic

From the article: 
Rather, it requires Muslims to examine the Islamists' core belief that they must somehow be forcibly united, and that they have a God-given right to lead the world.
 

This seems pretty true to me.  

ISIS IS NOT THE CRISIS

Here is a taste from the article.  Do read the whole thing. 
The sad fact is that at the moment we actually need ISIS, because we have lost our ability to think as a society, as a collective with a defined positive identity, and as a civilization capable of defending itself. We have become a great "sucking hole," obsessed with our egos and "freedoms" and oblivious of our coming collective death. As it stands at the moment, the West is already effectively dead without a radical change of direction.
The worst thing would be if ISIS were to disappear and we got back to the taqiyyah and gradual "soft" infiltration of the West by the demographically more potent Third World, under the guise of the false, sheep-like humanism of globalism and "human rights."

http://alternative-right.blogspot.com/2015/11/isis-is-not-crisis.html

The University of Practically Everywhere | Fred On Everything

Fred the curmudgeon opines on the current state of the University: 
You will not realize how degraded your schooling is here because you have no standard of comparison. The chain of civilization has been broken and, once broken, is not easily repaired. It is not even remembered. When the children are in charge of the kindergarten, no good comes of it.


http://fredoneverything.org/on-campus-at-u-pe-the-university-of-practically-everywhere/

WWLMD? » Cold Fury

http://coldfury.com/2015/11/20/wwlmd/

What would Lemay Do?  

I'll tell you what war is about, you've got to kill people, and when you've killed enough they stop fighting.  Curtis Lemay

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Antarctica Isn’t Melting as Fast as We Thought

Once again, our climate models have betrayed us. Though scientists previously warned that melting Antarctic ice could raise global sea levels by a full meter by the end of the century, it seems those reports of our collective demise have been greatly exaggerated.
 

Latest #BlackLivesMatter Success – Baltimore Reaches All Time Homicide High | VDARE - premier news outlet for patriotic immigration reform

Thanks to #BlackLivesMatter, the war on police, and the aftermath of the Freddie Gray case, Baltimore is slowly transforming into an urban dystopia straight out of a Death Wish movie.


http://www.vdare.com/posts/latest-blacklivesmatter-success-baltimore-reaches-all-time-homicide-high

Muslims Aren’t 70 Percent Of The Prison Population In France Because Of Something Wrong With France, But Because Of Something Wrong With Muslims | VDARE - premier news outlet for patriotic immigration reform

These guys aren't an underclass because of French racism, but because they're like that. Allow them to emigrate to the US, and they'll be like that in your town.


http://www.vdare.com/posts/muslims-arent-70-percent-of-the-prison-population-in-france-because-of-something-wrong-with-france-but-because-of-something-wrong-with-muslims

152 Years Ago Today Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: 278 Words, Best Presidential Speech Ever

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
 
— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
 

Powerful words from our history, our legacy.  How do these words hold up today?  How many people today receive an appropriate education that teaches them the principles of the founding of our nation and the ideas of government of the people?





Wednesday, November 18, 2015

The Culture of Coddling | The American Conservative

Comment from Rod Dreher in the article: 
So one of the best-known professors on the NYU campus cannot speak his mind out of fear that his students will drag him before a federal agency. That is terrifying.
 

The mob now runs the institutions of higher education backed and supported by a corrupt government.  

Mike Roark

Our Bitter and Graceless President | commentary

We all know people of towering arrogance and we all know people of staggering incompetence, but Barack Obama is quite possibly the perfect package. No one on the scene today combines these two qualities in quite the same way as Mr. Obama.
 
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/barack-obama-bitter-graceless/

Suppression of Free Speech in Academia Is Out of Control | Cato Institute

Quoted from the article:
Hostility to the exercise of free speech on American college campuses is nothing new. But what happened at Yale University, the University of Missouri and other colleges over the past two weeks is something new and frightening. The suppression of speech in academia has begun to spiral out of control.
 

So, how did we arrive at this place where some people think they have a right to not being offended?  How did that happen?  When did we become so helpless that we are unable to properly engage in give and take of open discussion and require "safe zones"?  How did that happen?

Terrorism & This Religious Century | The American Conservative

Comments from Rod Dreher at the article: 
If the West is going to endure, it will have to return to its ancestral faith, Christianity, and do so in a serious, sustained way. I believe that it will, but not soon. The future of the West depends on the faithful, on those who really live the religious life, not just play at it. I believe that Orthodoxy will have a role to play in this revival. But the revival will come, one way or another.

Is this the fundamental answer to what is going on in the world today?  A return to or ancestral faith?  This seems correct to me.  Judeo/Christian principles have nurtured the civil societies of Western Man and promoted freedom.

The Unknowns - Guarding the Tomb

http://www.theunknownsmovie.com/

Good stuff here.  Some of this reminds me of my cadet days.  

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The West Has Lost the Will to Live - Freedom Outpost

From an article by Pam Gellar: 
The most basic, primitive honor a nation owes to its dead is to fight to defend itself—to defeat the enemy and win. And yet the West won't.
The West is hanging on by a thread and doesn't even know it. We are living off the fumes of the accomplishments of our forefathers and those who fought and died in the cause of freedom and individual rights. But the thread is wearing thin. Time is just about running out.
 
http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/11/the-west-has-lost-the-will-to-live/

Have we really lost the will to live?  There seem to be a lot of indication that this is true.

Monday, November 16, 2015

War in the Absence of Strategic Clarity

This article was written in 2003 but still we do not listen.  

Here is a bit of the article: 
The war in Iraq was a war of sufficiency when what was needed was a war of surplus, for the proper objective should have been not merely to drive to Baghdad but to engage and impress the imagination of the Arab and Islamic worlds on the scale of the thousand-year war that is to them, if not to us, still ongoing. Had the United States delivered a coup de main soon after September 11 and, on an appropriate scale, had the president asked Congress on the 12th for a declaration of war and all he needed to wage war, and had this country risen to the occasion as it has done so often, the war on terrorism would now be largely over.
But the country did not rise to the occasion, and our enemies know that we fought them on the cheap. They know that we did not, would not, and will not tolerate the disruption of our normal way of life. They know that they did not seize our full attention. They know that we have hardly stirred. And as long as they have these things to know, they will neither stand down nor shrink back, and, for us, the sorrows that will come will be greater than the sorrows that have been.

http://www.claremont.org/crb/article/war-in-the-absence-of-strategic-clarity/

Mike Roark

Flexible, Stretchable, Implantable LEDs Could Show Us Why We Feel Pain | MIT Technology Review

How America Failed to Keep the Republic

Articles: How America Failed to Keep the Republic:

"Cooper’s essay describes how America has failed to keep the republic because the constitutional structure created by Franklin and his fellow Founders is no longer the law of the land. The Administrative State “has become a sovereign power unto itself, an imperium in imperio regulating virtually every dimension of our lives. Its nearly 450 agencies are manned by legions of bureaucrats, now numbering almost 2.7 million,” writes Cooper.

Unlike the frequent violations of the Constitution through legislation or executive orders that may be reversed by future Congresses or presidents, the Administrative State has become an institutionalized violation of the constitutional structure itself.

Instead of the representative branch of government making laws, a separate executive branch enforcing laws, and a neutral judiciary adjudicating disputes -- and enforcing the rule of law on government itself -- the republican structure of government has been displaced by the Administrative State.  No longer are the powers of government separate.

"


'via Blog this'

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Trump Just Won the Election

Trump Just Won the Election:

Because of those recent terrorist attacks in France, Trump just won the election.
by noreply@blogger.com (Bob Wallace) via UncleBob's Treehouse



Interesting thought.  Is it true?  Does it bring immigration to the most important topic and will it cause most people to support more control of immigration and therefore support Trump?





Sunday, November 8, 2015

The Rape of Sweden

The Rape of Sweden:

Pat Condell is at his sharpest as he sounds the alarm on what the Muslim–moonbat alliance is doing to Sweden. It is no longer a safe place to be a woman. Unfortunately it is not only in Sweden that the news media consists almost entirely of traitors and reprehensible cowardly cockroaches. If people understood what was going on, they would stop it by literally any means necessary. But soon it will be too late.
Europe’s progressively correct ruling class is an infestation of parasites that is importing a second, more quickly lethal infestation of parasites. Both infestations have to be dealt with effectively and immediately if Europe is to survive.
by Dave Blount via Moonbattery

Oops! 95% of “Global Warming” Computer Models Are Wrong

Oops! 95% of “Global Warming” Computer Models Are Wrong:



President Obama is planning to go to the Paris Climate shindig this month to demand that the world’s nations response to his perceived threat of “Climate Change/Global Warming.”
But, there’s just one problem with Obama’s fear-mongering.  The computer models used to justify this scary scenario are almost completely wrong – 95% to be [...]
by Russ Hepler via The Federalist Papers


Saturday, October 31, 2015

Obama’s America: Christians Jailed, Muslims Get $240,000

Obama’s America: Christians Jailed, Muslims Get $240,000:



So it’s come to this: Christians who hold fast to their religious beliefs are fined, financially ruined and threatened with prison for refusing to participate in a gay wedding, but Muslim workers are rewarded with hundreds of thousands of dollars for refusing to transport alcohol as part of their jobs as truckers.
[...]
 by Robert Gehl via The Federalist Papers


DC Dems + DC Republicans = The Government Party: Organized Crime never had it so good

DC Dems + DC Republicans = The Government Party: Organized Crime never had it so good – | IntellectualFroglegs.com:

"The level of ‘deception in broad daylight’ that we’ve witnessed over the course of the republican majority’s first year is jaw-dropping.  

There’s only one party in DC….The Government Party. And organized crime never had it so good….
"


'via Blog this'

Friday, October 30, 2015

Justice Scalia: ‘Liberal’ SCOTUS Destroying Our Democracy

Justice Scalia: ‘Liberal’ SCOTUS Destroying Our Democracy:



In a visit to Santa Clara University, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia blasted the SCOTUS as a “liberal” institution, bent on the destruction of our democracy.
Scalia was also noted as saying that the notion of a “living Constitution” is ridiculous.
“For Pete’s sake, [the Constitution] [...]
by Sierra Marlee via The Federalist Papers


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Who’s More Shameful, Hillary or Her Media Protectors?

Who’s More Shameful, Hillary or Her Media Protectors?:

Isn’t it just great that the liberal establishment views Hillary Clinton’s testimony in the Benghazi hearings in terms of performance art rather than substance? That’s the liberals’ way of telling you how much they value integrity.
It would be one thing if the mainstream liberal media said, “Clinton got caught red-handed in a number of lies, and not just on insignificant matters but on very important ones, but overall she held up well under pressure, and because of her performance, the hearings may actually be a net plus for her.”
The liberal media understand the gravity of Clinton’s lies but, instead of showcasing them and shaming her, are concealing them in a fog of compliments over her performance.
They can gloat to their heart’s content over Clinton’s “stamina” and “poise” and ignore her disgraceful conduct and moral unfitness, but I’m praying people will realize that she is nothing but a self-serving charlatan who always puts her own political interests above the nation’s.
Today they will boast, but tomorrow — God willing — they will encounter justice.
by David Limbaugh via Human Events

Sunday, October 18, 2015

History of Political Correctness - Roger Kimball

History of Political Correctness:

Political correctness (a.k.a. cultural Marxism) is literally destroying our society. That has been its explicit purpose from the beginning:Politics is downstream of culture. By using their control of the media, entertainment, and education to relentlessly pour sewage into the culture, leftists have poisoned politics to the point that we now elect “leaders” like Barack Hussein Obama and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton who clearly do not mean us well.
On a tip from DJ.



by Dave Blount via Moonbattery

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Andrew Sullivan: Hillary A ‘Unbelievably Useless, Terrible Candidate,’ ‘Talent-Free Hack’

Andrew Sullivan: Hillary A ‘Unbelievably Useless, Terrible Candidate,’ ‘Talent-Free Hack’:



Blogger Andrew Sullivan slammed Democratic presidential candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a “talent-free hack,” and openly wondered if “she has any core beliefs” on Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time.”
by Ian Hanchett via Breitbart

Friday, October 9, 2015

Liberalism Is Closer To Sharia Than It Is To Constitutional Conservatism

Liberalism Is Closer To Sharia Than It Is To Constitutional Conservatism:








I think we would all agree that radical Islam is not good for America and Sharia law has no place in this country. Dr. Carson was absolutely right when he said that Sharia law is the antithesis of a Constitutional Republic. Why that was controversial, I'll never know.

I thought it fascinating that the left made such a fuss over something which, to us conservatives, appears so obvious. At first, I thought they were just saying how wrong Carson was out of hatred for the right and political correctness.

So I started outlining some of the glaring disparities between Constitutional conservatism and Islam's Sharia law. As I wrote, it dawned on me that there is a third category: liberalism/progressivism/statism, however you wish to classify it. And I discovered something quite interesting—liberalism is closer to Sharia than it is to Constitutional conservatism.
The post Liberalism Is Closer To Sharia Than It Is To Constitutional Conservatism appeared first on Freedom Outpost.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Islamic State gaining ground on Golan border

Islamic State gaining ground on Golan border:



They will advance even farther if Assad is removed. And as for the “moderate rebels,” they were never all that moderate. The Free Syrian Army has collaborated with al-Qaeda and terrorized Christians in Syria. “Islamic State gaining ground on Golan border as moderate rebels wither,” by Elhanan Miller, Times of Israel, October 1, 2015: As […]
by Robert Spencer via Jihad Watch

Bahrain Warns: Iran is Trying to Rule the Middle East

Bahrain Warns: Iran is Trying to Rule the Middle East:

Iran expels senior official from Bahrain embassy after Bahrain cuts ambassadorial ties Bahrain protests Iran hegemony in UN.
via Arutz Sheva News



Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Meme Exposes BRUTAL TRUTH About Muslim Majority Countries

Meme Exposes BRUTAL TRUTH About Muslim Majority Countries:



From CNS News:

Nine of the 10 countries with the worst records for persecution of Christians have populations that are at least 50 percent Muslim, according to the assessment of persecution in the Open Doors USA’s World Watch List (WWL) 2015 and population information published by the State Department and the Central [...]
by Brittany Soares via The Federalist Papers



I wonder when we'll stop listening to Obama's insanity and actually face the truth.