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JULY 2,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:57 P.M. ET:

REAL NEWS – FROM THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES:   At least 49 people were shot across Chicago, four of them fatally, by Sunday night of the Fourth of July weekend.  Last year’s Independence Day weekend ended with 66 people shot — a total that actually stoked cautious optimism with the lowest death toll for the July 4 weekend in nearly a decade.  On Saturday, Chicago Police touted a 14 percent decline in shootings this year compared to the first six months of 2016, and they hoped to tamp down the holiday weekend violence with the help of a new gun violence strike force that includes ATF agents.  At least 1,786 people have been shot in the city this year, 310 of them fatally, according to data maintained by the Chicago Sun-Times.   That is considered progress in Chicago.  And where is Chicago's number one citizen through all this horror?  Barack Obama is in Indonesia warning Americans against showing too much patriotism.

FANTASY LAND – FROM THE HILL:  Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman (Calif.) on Sunday called on other congressional lawmakers to join the efforts of impeaching President Trump, as thousands of people in Los Angeles participated in an impeachment march, the Los Angeles Times reported.  "We have to act now to protect our country from abuse of power and impulsive, ignorant incompetence," Sherman said to audience members while on stage, the newspaper reported...Most Democrat leaders in the lower chamber rejected and warned against the calls to impeach the president, maintaining their distance from such measures.  “We have to find out what the facts are,” Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said last month.  What a farce.  Some Democrats started talking impeachment before Trump was even inaugurated.  They cannot accept that they lost the election.  At least some other Democrats are behaving rationally and warning against premature calls for impeachment.  I'd like to see some evidence against Trump, but apparently that's an old-fashioned concept.

VERY SHREWD GUY – FROM GULF NEWS:  Manama: Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has called for the suspension of a columnist after he published a piece that praised him with God-like attributes.  The Saudi monarch also ordered action against Al Jazeera, the Saudi daily that published the column on Friday, Saudi news site Sabq reported.  In a letter to Information Minister Awad Bin Saleh Al Awad, King Salman said that he was shocked by the headline and some of the expressions in the column that contained excessive words and descriptions of praise, including attributes that God used for Himself or to describe Prophet Abraham.  Now here's a shrewd king – complaining that he's getting too much praise.  He's learned the humble pie routine.  Maybe he's preparing for a Saudi move toward democracy, where he'd have to run for office.  Next, watch the humble king polish his own crown.

July 2,  2017    Permalink

THERE IS SANITY – AT 1:32 P.M. ET:   Many college campuses have descended into madness.  But there are still some points of light, even among faculty members.  One of them is John McWhorter, an African-American linguist at Columbia University.  He cuts through the haze of racial rhetoric to remind us of actual reality.  From College Fix: 

Columbia University linguistics Professor John McWhorter, a black Democrat, recently appeared at the Aspen Ideas Festival and weighed in on the latest campus trends afflicting higher education, including safe spaces and white privilege.

McWhorter, author of the 2001 book “Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America,” said when students bemoan constant oppression and extreme racism — those claims are “not true,” and there’s a performance aspect to their outcries, reports The Atlantic.

“I think anybody in their more sober moments understands that even though racism exists and microaggressions are real, college campuses are perhaps the least racist spots on earth. And the idea that any student is undergoing a constant litany of constant racist abuse is theater, it’s theatrical––you hate to say that to somebody 19 years old, but it’s not true,” McWhorter said.

The Atlantic transcribes much of McWhorter’s commentary, in which he also critiqued the white privilege drumbeat on campuses:

COMMENT:  Read the whole thing.  John McWhorter makes Barack Obama sound like the undergraduate that he is.

July 2, 2017       Permalink

THE PHILOSOPHER SPEAKS – AT 12:58 P.M. ET:  Amazing, isn't it?  Barack Obama has been out of office less than six months, and no one particularly misses him.  Even the Dems aren't chanting, "Bring back Barack!"  Gee, I wonder why.

But Obama continues to give us the benefit of his wisdom.  From American Mirror:

While most Americans are gathering with family and community this weekend to celebrate the most exceptional country in the history of the world, Mr. Hope and Change is halfway around the world talking doom and gloom — and criticizing his successor.

Barack Obama visited Indonesia this weekend, and in a series of appearances, attacked love of country and the policies of Donald Trump.

The Guardian reports:

The former US president said some countries had adopted “an aggressive kind of nationalism” and “increased resentment of minority groups”, in a speech in Indonesia on Saturday that could be seen as a commentary on the US as well as Indonesia.

“It’s been clear for a while that the world is at a crossroads. At an inflection point,” Obama said, telling a Jakarta crowd stories of how much the capital had improved since he lived there as a child.

But he said that increased prosperity had been accompanied by new global problems, adding that as the world confronts issues ranging from inequality to terrorism, some countries – both developed and less developed – had adopted a more aggressive and isolationist stance.

“If we don’t stand up for tolerance and moderation and respect for others, if we begin to doubt ourselves and all that we have accomplished, then much of the progress that we have made will not continue,” he said.

“What we will see is more and more people arguing against democracy, we will see more and more people who are looking to restrict freedom of the press, and we’ll see more intolerance, more tribal divisions, more ethnic divisions, and religious divisions and more violence,” Obama asserted.

While former presidents rarely criticize their successors at home, Obama took the unusual step of going to a foreign country to do it.

COMMENT:  Meanwhile, back in the United States, President Trump has been working overtime cleaning up the mess that philosopher Obama left him.  Obama is a college-level ideologist who never quite understood how to make things work, and never much liked his own country.  Not a good combination for a president, as we found out.

July 2, 2017       Permalink

OFFENSIVE – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:  This sounds like the old Soviet technique of declaring opponents mentally ill.  It was first tried against Senator Barry Goldwater in 1964.  From the Daily Mail:

A Democratic congressman has proposed convening a special committee of psychiatrists and other doctors whose job would be to determine if President Donald Trump is fit to serve in the Oval Office.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who also teaches constitutional law at American University, has predictably failed to attract any Republicans to his banner.

But the U.S. Constitution's 25th Amendment does allow for a majority of the president's cabinet, or 'such other body as Congress may by law provide,' to decide if an Oval Office occupant is unable to carry out his duties – and then to put it to a full congressional vote.

Vice President Mike Pence would also have to agree, which could slow down the process – or speed it up if he wanted the levers of power for himself.

The 25th Amendment has been around since shortly after the John F. Kennedy assassination, but Congress has never formed its own committee in case it's needed to judge a president's mental health.

Raskin's bill would allow the four Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate to each choose a psychiatrist and another doctor. Then each party would add a former statesman – like a retired president or vice president. 

The final group of 10 would meet and choose an 11th member, who would become the committee's chairman.

Once the group is officially seated, the House and Senate could direct it through a joint resolution to conduct an actual examination of the president 'to determine whether the president is incapacitated, either mentally or physically,' according to the Raskin bill.

COMMENT:  In 1964 a group of psychiatrists ran an ad declaring the Republican candidate for president, Barry Goldwater, mentally unfit for the presidency.  The backlash against the ad within the medical profession led to new rules barring psychiatrists from making evaluations without direct, medical examination of the individual involved.

I doubt if this new Democratic gimmick will get anywhere.  Trump is eccentric, but he isn't sending nuclear bombers over foreign targets.  I would rather depend on a president's cabinet, those who know the president's actions best, to make these decisions. 

Once again the Democrats are tempted by the idea of government by non-democratic means.

July 2,  2017     Permalink 

JULY 1,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

CRIME STORY – FROM BREITBART:  When the City of Phoenix ended its sanctuary city status crime began to fall, the Arizona Police Association reports. Their statement contrasts sharply with politically motivated chiefs of police from around the country.  “When we eliminated our sanctuary policy back in 2008, we saw crime, violent and stolen vehicles fall by 25 percent,” former Phoenix police officer and Executive Director of the Arizona Police Association Levi Bolton told Fox News Channel’s William La Jeunesse in an interview. “We saw a 20-year low crime rate. When we were allowed and had the discretion to contact our federal immigration partners, crime fell drastically.”  Lajeunesse reported data from City-Data.com revealing that from 2008 to 2009, the murder rate in Phoenix dropped by 27 percent. Other crimes fell as well.  Those are the facts.  As the story notes, police chiefs elsewhere tell a different story.  But remember that police chiefs are politically appointed officials.  They follow the line.

NORTH KOREA HEATS UP – FROM BBC:  US President Donald Trump says that years of "strategic patience" with North Korea have failed and it is now time for a "determined response".  "Together we are facing the threat of the reckless and brutal regime," Mr Trump said at a press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.  Mr Trump called on North Korea to "choose a better path... quickly".  Separately, Mr Moon said that it was necessary to continue to engage in dialogue with North Korean leaders.  The South Korean president added that his country would pursue defence reforms and continue to build up the capacity to defend itself.  Mr Moon said the North Korea issue was a top priority during the talks, stressing that "only strong security can bring about genuine peace" in the Asia-Pacific region.  North Korea has been completely unresponsive both to American demands to curtail its nuclear and missile programs, and to appeals for a peaceful resolution to its conflicts with other nations.  It's clear that Trump won't tolerate the North's intransigence much longer.  Obama tolerated it, and look where we are.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SINKING – FROM AP:  COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A major financial ratings agency has downgraded the University of Missouri system's credit outlook from stable to negative, citing enrollment declines on the flagship campus in Columbia and declining state revenue.  Moody's Investor Services on Thursday also affirmed the university's Aa1 credit rating, the second highest rating possible. Moody's said the university's revenue and overall financial health give it the flexibility to deal with year-to-year financial challenges.  System President Mun Choi said in a news release Friday that the university recognizes the financial challenges presented by declining enrollment and state funding cuts.  Moody's acknowledges that the university has planned options for revenue growth and cost reductions, but said the new management's ability to deliver on those plans is not yet proven. Choi has been president since March 1.  This all began with absurd, extremist, student demonstrations.  Missouri isn't California.  Taxpayers did not appreciate their state-funded university being taken over by nutjobs.  The result has been a withdrawal of many students and a reluctance of others to attend.  The "social justice" warriors who caused all this have yet to apologize.

July 1, 2017       Permalink

STILL STRONG, AND SUING, AT 101 –  AT 1:53 P.M. ET:  Olivia de Havilland is the last remaining star of 1939's "Gone With the Wind."  She's about to turn 101, and what is she doing?  She's filing a lawsuit.  Why not?  Everybody's doin' it, doin' it, doin' it.  From AP:   

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood great Olivia de Havilland has launched her own sequel to the TV series "Feud" — a lawsuit.

The double Oscar-winning actress filed suit Friday against FX Networks and producer Ryan Murphy's company, alleging the drama inaccurately depicts her as a gossipmonger and is an invasion of privacy.

The suit was filed in Los Angeles on Friday — one day before de Havilland turns 101. The actress, whose credits include the role of Melanie Hamilton in "Gone with the Wind," lives in Paris.

De Havilland's suit alleges that "Feud: Bette and Joan," about the testy relationship of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, used her name and identity without permission or compensation.

FX Networks declined comment Friday. Representatives for Murphy, who co-created the hit series "American Horror Story" and "Glee," didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Catherine Zeta-Jones played De Havilland in the series, which aired earlier this year. The anthology series' next announced chapter is about the ill-fated marriage of Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

While De Havilland is "beloved and respected by her peers" and has a reputation for integrity and honesty, the series depicts her as "a hypocrite, selling gossip in order to promote herself" at the Academy Awards, the suit says.

This is false, the suit against FX and Ryan Murphy Productions contends.

COMMENT:  Who knows what's true here?  But I'm glad Olivia de Havilland is still with us.  She is one of our last connections to a past, glorious age of film.

July 1, 2017       Permalink

UP NEXT – AT 12:50 P.M. ET:   Despair about the young generation is a regular political sport, but there are those who see some real, positive promise. Salena Zito, a Pittsburgh-based reporter, has emerged as one of the sharpest observers of the political scene, and she feels a new, young generation, offers much hope.  Let her be right.  From the New York Post: 

ERIE, PA — Max Bloomtine has a positive view of the nation’s growing diversity, believes the American dream is attainable (but doesn’t believe he’s entitled to it) and is more into the “we” instead of the “me.”

He is politically independent but leans conservative, attends church on a regular basis, and views his parents — not sports figures or celebrities — as role models.

Right now, though, two things weigh heavily on his mind: where to attend college next year (It’s either going to be the University of Pittsburgh or Rochester) and working on a summer job.

“I am a good entrepreneur when it comes to online gaming administration,” he said.

Say hello to Generation Z, the most recent to come of age. It is the youth of America, with its oldest members in their early 20s.

Sometimes referred to as the iGeneration, as they literally grew up with technology and social media in their hands, they are poised to dramatically change the cultural, economic and political landscape for some time to come.

And...

“Gen Z actually like and trust their parents, who have been transparent with them, much more than any generation before,” said Jeff Brauer, a political-science professor at Keystone College in suburban Scranton, Pa., who has produced one of the first comprehensive studies on the next generation.

Analyzing research from Wright State University in Ohio on 1,200 Generation Z students at 15 colleges and universities across the country, Brauer also used exit polling from CNN and census data to draw his conclusions.

“They are not as impressed with fame — celebrities, athletes, politicians — as are their predecessors, since fame in their lifetime has become rather easy to obtain with social media and reality TV,” Brauer added.

And...

Generation Z possibly had a major, yet completely overlooked, impact in this historic election. “Generation Z voters were likely attracted to Trump because of his strong stances on national security and economic recovery — the main concerns of that generation,” said Brauer.

“This generation is different, and they are about to have a profound impact on commerce, politics and trends,” Brauer concludes. “If politicians and business leaders aren’t paying attention yet, they better, because they are about to change the world.”

COMMENT:  Read the whole thing.  Zito is one of the few reporters who can look beyond the race, gender, and ethnicity agenda of the mainstream media.  I've spoken to teachers who confirm what she is saying.

Maybe we'll yet be saved.

July 1, 2017       Permalink

THE FIGHTERS – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  As we enter our Independence Day weekend, we might note those who are fighting on behalf of this country and its tradition of freedom.  First, and always, our armed forces, whose role has, in a strange way, become anonymous.

There was a time when everyone knew a soldier, a sailor, an airman, a Marine, a Coast Guardsman or woman.  No longer.  With the end of the mobilization of World War II and, ultimately, the end of conscription in the early seventies, our armed forces have become a society apart, professionalized, but unintentionally distant from the civilian population they serve. 

A few nights ago I attended a dinner given by the Anglosphere Society to honor Winston Churchill.  Some of our service people were invited, and I was struck by how rarely I see those uniforms in my own daily life.  It wasn't always that way.  Growing up, I could walk down my block on Long Island and identify veterans and their stories, as Americans routinely did.   There was the guy who'd been hit by a mortar during "the war" – World War II – and walked with a severe limp.  Next door to him was Phil, who'd been a tail gunner on a B-17, and was the only member of his crew to survive.  Then there was Joyce.  She didn't serve herself, but her brother had been a merchant-ship captain, sunk twice in the Atlantic by German submarines.  Bob, further down the block, had been in World War II, and was called up for service in Korea.  Later, when we moved, one of our neighbors was a former Navy rear admiral, who'd been an air squadron commander aboard a carrier during the assault on Iwo Jima. 

We were a society close to our military. 

We must restore the connection.  I have no idea how to do it.  But I do know that the military link is carried on by teaching, both in schools and in the home.   Our schools, increasingly taken over by the left, will not do the job.  And our homes are increasingly led by parents who themselves never knew a soldier.  The task is great.

July 1,  2017     Permalink