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OCTOBER 6,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

RUBBING OUR NOSES IN IT – FROM CNN BUSINESS:   A film glorifying the heroism of Chinese soldiers fighting American troops during the Korean War smashed box office records for China's National Day holiday.  "The Battle at Lake Changjin" — commissioned by the Chinese government — has grossed an estimated 1.85 billion yuan ($287 million) since its release on Thursday, according to ticketing app Maoyan. It beat the previous record for the same Chinese holiday set by "My People, My Country," which grossed more than 1.5 billion yuan ($233 million) over five days in 2019.  "The Battle at Lake Changjin" was released at the start of the week-long holiday in China and was also timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party.  It tells the story of the brutal 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. The Chinese side claims it as the most critical victory of the conflict, known in China as the "War to Resist American Aggression and Aid Korea."  Co-directed by top Chinese and Hong Kong filmmakers Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam, the film casts Wu Jing in a lead role. One of China's most popular actors, Wu is best known for starring in and directing action flick "Wolf Warrior" in 2015 and its even more popular sequel in 2017.  This can only whip up anti-American and martial sentiment in China, and remind the Chinese that they defeated American troops – temporarily – when the Chinese entered the Korean War.  I wonder if the film was released to coincide with a Chinese move against Taiwan.  See the post below.

October 6, 2021       Permalink

THE PROBLEM THAT WON'T GO AWAY – OVERNIGHT:  Taiwan, once again, is at the center of informed international opinion, and no one is backing down.  From Gateway Pundit:

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen vowed to ‘do whatever it takes’ to guard Taiwan against an invasion by China. She warned that if its allies allowed it to fall ‘it would signal that authoritarianism has the upper hand.’

China ramped up its threats on Taiwan following Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Communist China flew 56 warplanes into Taiwanese airspace this past week.

The Daily Mail reported – via Midnight Rider Channel:

"China has warned Taiwan against ‘playing with fire’ and said that ‘war may be triggered at any time’ after it sent dozens of warplanes into the island’s airspace.

"An article in the state-backed Global Times said that ‘collusion’ between the US and Taiwan was so ‘audacious’ that the situation ‘has almost lost any room for manoeuvre, teetering on the edge of a face-off.’

"Nearly 150 Chinese warplanes have breached Taiwan’s airspace since Friday, including 56 jets on Monday in a dramatic increase in aggression.

"Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen today vowed to ‘do whatever it takes’ to guard Taiwan against invasion as she indicated that without help from the country’s allies ‘authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy.’

"Recent voyages through the Strait of Taiwan by the British and American navies, coupled with the new Aukus defence pact have infuriated Beijing and sparked more shows of strength in the South China Sea."

COMMENT:  Taiwan's great fear is that it will be abandoned by the United States, as was Afghanistan.  The fear is legitimate. 

Japan has announced that it is beefing up its military forces, a sign that it would be willing to get involved militarily if China tries to take Taiwan.  But would it get involved without the United States?

The Taiwan issue is not yet front and center to most Americans.  They are still getting over our humiliation in Afghanistan, and I really wonder if they have the stomach for another overseas crisis.  We have to ask whether Biden would actually give up Taiwan, let the Chinese have it, in exchange for a period of peace, knowing that such a Chamberlain-style collapse might actually be just what Americans want.  Are we replaying the late 1930s?  Do any of the adolescents in the Biden administration, including the vice president, know how that ended?

Who tells America to wake up this time?

October 6, 2021       Permalink

OCTOBER 5,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

MORE BAD NEWS FOR THE DEMS – I'M SO DISTRESSED – FROM FOX:   A pollster that typically leans toward Democrats shows the Republican Party with a lead in its latest generic congressional ballot poll, a potentially concerning sign for Democrats as next year's midterms loom.  "Though the numbers are not overwhelming, they signal a potentially ominous trend for Democrats as a plurality of voters recommend tossing out the party that controls the House," said Tim Malloy, an analyst at Quinnipiac University Polling, the pollster behind the latest numbers.  The poll asked Americans which party they would prefer controlled the House of Representatives if the election were held today. Among registered voters, 47% said they would prefer Republicans, while 44% said they would rather see Democrats in control.  The numbers could be more troublesome for Democrats than they appear on the surface, due to Quinnipiac's tendency to slightly bias toward their party. According to opinion poll analysis done by data journalism publication FiveThirtyEight, Quinnipiac receives an "A-" grade for accuracy but has a typical bias of about 0.5 points in favor of Democrats.  We must take nothing for granted, and that includes the integrity of the elections coming up.  Polls like this are entertaining, but the Democratic Party is becoming fanatical, and the campaign will be vicious.  Gentlemanly Republicans might reconsider their style.

October 5, 2021       Permalink

AN ISSUE THAT IS GROWING FAST – OVERNIGHT:   Parents are being shoved out of their children's education by radical school boards, teachers unions, and left-wing Democrats determined to get control of children's minds.  Sound familiar?  Look up the history of any dictatorship.  And it can happen here.  This issue is growing faster than any I've seen in recent years.  It may well play a decisive role in next year's Congressional elections.  And it leads directly into school choice.  From the New York Post: 

Politicians and parents are joining together to slam the Department of Justice’s recent decision to bring in the FBI to investigate what it called a spike in “harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence” against school teachers, administrations, board members and other staff.

In recent months, dozens of parents have taken a stand in school board meetings against the teaching of Critical Race Theory in classrooms and to protest mask mandates, causing some to wonder what the FBI and DOJ are actually investigating.

The DOJ move was spurred by the National School Boards Association asking the Biden administration for assistance, suggesting that there have been threats and acts of violence and equating those to domestic terrorism.

“Dear @TheJusticeDept Merrick Garland and @FBI Director Christopher Wray, This is what a domestic terrorist looks like? You are criminalizing parenting, and you owe the people of America a swift apology,” Asra Nomani, vice president of investigations and strategy at Parents Defending Education, posted on Twitter.

She sarcastically signed the missive, “‘Domestic Terrorist,’ Asra Nomani.”

Namani’s group has been researching how school boards across the US implement “woke” ideas into curricula, such as critical race theory.

In a separate tweet, Nomani claimed Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a “declaration of war” on parents when he announced the initiative on Monday.

Another parent, Nicole Solas from Rhode Island, accused the FBI of being “the politics police,” while claiming any “legitimate” violence is already “sufficiently addressed by your local police.”

“Arrest me,” she said in another tweet.

Garland’s decision was made after the National School Boards Association asked the Biden administration for assistance.

In a memo released Monday, Garland announced that while “spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats or violence or efforts to intimate individuals based on their views.”

The investigation will be looking at the recent spike in acts of violence against school staff members, however, Garland’s memo did not specify what those acts were.

In a Sept. 29 letter, the National School Boards Association said much of this opposition led to dozens of incidents at school board meetings this year, claiming, “America’s public schools and its education leaders are under an immediate threat.”

The NSBA suggested that “[a]s these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes” and asked that the administration review the question.

While Garland’s memo follows the NSBA’s request for help, he did not specify whether incidents related to the implementation of mask mandates or critical race theory would be investigated.

Additionally, the memo does not classify the incidents as domestic terrorism.

“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values,” Garland wrote.

“Those who dedicate their time and energy to ensuring that our children receive a proper education in a safe environment deserve to be able to do their work without fear for their safety.”

Many parents, however, still see the order as targeted towards them.

“This is a coordinated attempt to intimidate dissenting voices in the debates surrounding America’s underperforming K-12 education – and it will not succeed. We will not be silenced,” Parents Defending Education said in a Monday statement.

Elicia Brand, a parent from Loudoun County, told Fox News that parents “owe this to our children” and generations after to “stand strong in their fight for freedom.”

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  It's chilling.  As one parent said in the above story, any actual threats of violence are easily covered by laws already on the books and by normal responses of local police.  We do not need the involvement of the Justice Department or other federal agencies.

I have no doubt that the real purpose of these latest government moves is intimidation of parents who dare to speak out.   Just wait until a dissenting parent gets a visit from a federal officer "just asking for information."  You'll feel the chill.

This is an issue upon which Republicans must take a principled stand.  Thoughtful Democrats should as well, but I don't see any of them sticking their heads up.

October 5,  2021     Permalink