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MARCH 7,  2022

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

OUR EMBARRASSMENT – OVERNIGHT:   While Ukrainian students, and their teachers, join a desperate fight for freedom, in which they will probably die, some immature academics bring disgrace to our society.  Shame.  From College Fix:  Highly decorated virologist Julie Overbaugh has been forced out of a position of leadership at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and resigned her faculty affiliate position at the University of Washington School of Medicine due to accusations of racism and investigations involving her decision to wear a Michael Jackson costume to a Halloween party in 2009.  A picture of the 13-year-old incident, in which she is accused of wearing “blackface,” has prompted peers to accuse her of racism despite the fact that her research has focused on aiding Africans for the last three decades.  “Overbaugh has devoted her professional career to studying viral pathogens that cause HIV. But amid publishing papers, running her own research lab, and flying back and forth from Kenya, she has also pursued another professional passion: mentoring. Overbaugh is one of two recipients of this year’s Nature Award for Mentoring in Science, which is awarded to select scientists in one country or region each year,” a 2016 report in GeekWire reports.  Last year, Overbaugh was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.  “I am really happy to see gender balance in this year’s elected members and hope this signals a future trend,” Overbaugh said at the time. “In my field, HIV, which is a very large field, there have only been a couple of women elected — hopefully, there will be more in the future.”  But Overbaugh’s accomplishments during an age in which female STEM recruitment and retainment is a social justice priority apparently could not outweigh the 2009 incident of emulating the King of Pop at a party that was reportedly themed after Jackson’s famous “Thriller” album.   What a set of priorities that institution must have.  And outrages like this happen regularly at our houses of "higher" education.  The only way we learn about most of these incidents is through online journalism.  Our so-called "mainstream news organizations" show little interest.

March 7, 2022       Permalink

THE REAL AMERICAN SPIRIT – OVERNIGHT:  As usual, the American people are ahead of their government, politically and morally.  From Fox Business: 

Nearly three-quarters of Americans questioned in a new national poll say they’d support a ban on Russian oil to punish Moscow as it continues its deadly invasion of neighboring Ukraine, even if it triggers another steep rise in already high domestic gas prices.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released on Monday, 71% backed a Russian oil ban even if it further increased gas prices, with 22% opposed. Eighty-two percent of Democrats, seven in ten independents and two-thirds of Republicans surveyed said they supported a ban.

"Americans are ready to put a chokehold on Russia’s key financial lifeblood, oil, no matter what the consequences are at the pump," Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said. 

A growing number of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are calling for a ban of all oil imports from Russia, but President Biden’s administration told Fox News on Monday that "no decision has been made at this time."

The poll, which was conducted March 4-6, also indicated nearly 80% support for a U.S. military response if Russian leader Vladimir Putin extends his invasion beyond Ukraine and attacks a neighboring NATO country. According to the treaty of the NATO alliance of 30 European and North American nations – including the United States – an attack on one member will be considered an attack against all members.

Fifty-six percent of those questioned said steps taken so far by the Biden administration to punish Russia for its assault on Ukraine are not tough enough, with 30% saying they’re about right and 3% saying they’re too tough. Those findings are largely unchanged from a Quinnipiac poll released a week ago.

The poll also indicates that "Americans are divided on Joe Biden's handling of the response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine with 42% approving, 45% disapproving, and 13% not offering an opinion. This compares to a week ago when 39% approved, and 47% disapproved."

The president’s overall approval rating remains underwater, at 38% approval and 51% disapproval, nearly unchanged from 37%-52% in last week’s poll.

COMMENT:  It makes sense for a president's approval to inch upward after a State of the Union message, especially if the nation is involved in a potential war situation.  It's the rally-'round-the-flag response.  But Biden's numbers, given the backdrop, are nothing to write home about.  If trends continue, and that's always a big "if," his party faces a substantial drubbing come election day. 

March 7, 2022      Permalink

MARCH 6,  2022

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

AMERICANS ARE FEELING THE PAIN – OVERNIGHT:  Inflation is roaring.  Americans feel it every day.  And Americans vote.  From PJ MEDIA:  If your grocery bills continue to frustrate you, you’re not alone. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released its report on worldwide food prices for February, and prices hit a record high last month. The February FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) reached a new high of 140.7 points, which reflects an increase of 3.9% over January and a whopping 20.7% over this time last year.  The FFPI serves as a “measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities,” notes the FAO. This month’s increase was largely due to “large increases in vegetable oil and dairy price sub-indices.” Cereal and meat prices are up as well, though not as high, while sugar prices are down.  “A much bigger push for food price inflation comes from outside food production, particularly the energy, fertilizer and feed sectors,” said FAO economist Upali Galketi Aratchilage. “All these factors tend to squeeze profit margins of food producers, discouraging them from investing and expanding production.”  If this continues, and voters blame the Democrats, November can see a bigger political blowout than we've seen in decades.  I feel the Democrats' pain.  Not really.

March 6, 2022       Permalink

YOU SAY YOU AREN'T DISGUSTED ENOUGH WITH AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY TO START A REVOLUTION?  PLEASE READ THIS, AND RECONSIDER.   FROM REUTERS: 

Iran got a much better result in the nuclear talks than expected, the head of Russia’s delegation Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov told Iranian media over the weekend.

“I am absolutely sincere in this regard when I say that Iran got much more than it could expect, much more,” Ulyanov told Iranian news outlet IRNA. “Realistically speaking, Iran got more than frankly, I expected or others expected. This is a matter of fact.” 

Ulyanov said that Iran fought for its interests “like lions… for every comma, every word and as a rule quite successfully.”

In addition, the ambassador said that Russia and China worked well together in the talks.

“I can recollect dozens of such cases when, on rather serious significant questions, we managed together to get positive results, close to what we wanted to achieve,” Ulyanov stated.

Ulyanov’s remarks came as the negotiations for Iran to return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal appeared to be near their end.

Among the concessions to Iran that Israel has been concerned about are allowing Iran to keep its advanced centrifuges even when they are out of use, and lifting the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization by the US, as well as rescinding all sanctions placed by the previous US administration, including those put in place due to terrorism and human rights violations.

The Western parties to the talks - US, UK, Frances and Germany - rejected a suggestion to have the centrifuges transferred to Russia for safekeeping until the agreement expires, because they do not trust Russia, KAN reported.

Last-minute demands by Moscow that the US and Europe carve out an exception from Ukraine-related sanctions so that Russia can trade with Iran are delaying the renewal of the JCPOA.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to dispel talk of such obstacles on Sunday when he said that the sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine had nothing to do with a potential nuclear deal with Iran.

"These things are totally different and just are not, in any way, linked together. So I think that's irrelevant," Blinken said in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" show. He added that a potential deal with Iran was close, but cautioned that a couple of very challenging remaining issues were unresolved.

Yet a senior Iranian official told Reuters earlier that Tehran was waiting for clarification from Moscow about the comments from Lavrov, who said Russia wanted a written US guarantee that Russia's trade, investment and military-technical cooperation with Iran would not be hindered in any way by the sanctions.

COMMENT:  I am thoroughly disgusted.  We apparently are giving up the store.  And in exchange for what? 

We are in deep trouble, and don't count on Field Marshal Biden or Grand Admiral Harris to get us out of this.

March 6, 2022       Permalink