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SEPTEMBER 11,  2017

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

NOT MUCH – We'll be doing more on this.  The U.S. was able to get a resolution through the UN Security Council today increasing sanctions on North Korea.  China and Russia went along, but only after our original draft was gutted.  What was left was the usual raising of some sanctions, but nothing that would hit North Korea in the gut, like an oil embargo.  And we can't even be sure that China and some other countries will even honor the sanctions that were approved.  I have to believe that Trump has more up his sleeve, unless the Obama holdovers will ultimately convince him that nothing much can be done about the North Korean nuclear and missile programs.  That's not the Trump the people elected.

HURRICANE – Now that Irma has passed through Florida, the post mortems have begun.  I am amazed at how few casualties there were.  There is great credit to be given both to President Trump and Governor Scott, for their remarkable organizational abilities.  Add to that the professionalism of emergency services and local police departments.  There was some looting, but much less than might have been expected.  And the forecasters got it mostly right.  I can't find serious fault with most of the TV coverage.  Yes, there was some of the "worst thing to ever happen" stuff, but very little.  And most of what I saw was very fair to the president.  I can't imagine the good feeling will last, but the unity and capability shown by this country in the two recent hurricanes – Harvey and Irma – were memorable.

DO WE WANT THIS? – FROM THE TELEGRAPH:   Robots will begin replacing teachers in the classroom within the next ten years as part of a revolution in one-to-one learning, a leading educationalist has predicted.  Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, said intelligent machines that adapt to suit the learning styles of individual children will soon render traditional academic teaching all but redundant.  The former Master of Wellington College said programmes currently being developed in Silicon Valley will learn to read the brains and facial expressions of pupils, adapting the method of communication to what works best for them.  You mean, no more remembering Miss Berger and what she taught us?  I don't like that world.

September 11, 2017       Permalink

THE ROAD TO MADNESS – AT 11:40 A.M. ET:  Bernie Sanders is alive and mentally unwell, and living in Washington.  But he really wishes he were living in one of those "progressive" countries where the government decides when you can sneeze.  From Fox: 

A leading ObamaCare architect is the latest Democratic figure to get behind the push for single-payer health care, as Sen. Bernie Sanders prepares to unveil his “Medicare for all” bill this week – kicking off a campaign sure to put immense pressure on senior Democrats and 2020 presidential hopefuls to support the costly proposal.

The push for government-funded health care once was relegated to the fringes of the Democratic Party but has made its way into the mainstream. The latest example of this was former Sen. Max Baucus saying last week that lawmakers should start looking at single-payer.

"I just think the time has come," he told NBC News, after making similar remarks at a public event in his home state of Montana.

Baucus led the Senate Finance Committee during ObamaCare talks and acknowledged he opposed single-payer at the time, because it was “branded as socialistic by too many people.” 

Times have changed – at least among Democratic lawmakers.

Sanders plans to introduce his bill on Wednesday, along with “Senate co-sponsors.” Sanders recently confirmed one of them – Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. – and another, California Sen. Kamala Harris, also revealed to constituents she plans to co-sponsor the bill.

Harris is considered a potential 2020 presidential candidate and her early endorsement of Sanders’ plan indicates how the legislation could emerge as a litmus test for other 2020 candidates – demonstrating their alignment with the liberal wing of the party. 

And...

Democrats do not have the numbers to pass any such legislation right now, but the issue could become a focal point of the party’s efforts to win back one or both chambers in the 2018 midterms. A majority of House Democrats already support “Medicare-for-all” legislation. 

COMMENT:  It would destroy American medicine as we know it, and create a tax burden that would break the backs of most families. 

Much of the financing would probably come from shrinking national defense to way below the minimum requirement for national survival.  Who cares?  All men are brothers, right?

We would have equality of mediocrity, and long waits for procedures that, today, you can get immediately.  The government will decide your life for you.

But the Dems are very good at describing things as "free stuff," and something as crazy as socialized medicine, which is what this is, might just come to this country.

September 11, 2017       Permalink

THE FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY – AT 9:47 A.M. ET:  We are entering an intense and combative political season.  The 2018 midterms are a bit more than a year away.  Will the Democratic Party, now at its weakest, statistically, in 90 years, mount a comeback?  Or will it further decline into the dustbin of history? 

The party itself is changing.  From the Washington Times:   

An extensive new Pew Research Center analysis finds that 48 percent of Democratic voters overall now identify as liberals. A decade ago, that number was 32 percent. There is an interesting ethnic dynamic at work, however. Currently, 55 percent of white Democratic voters say they are liberal — compared to 28 percent of black Democrats and 41 percent of Hispanic Democrats.

While 8 percent of white Democrats now identify as conservative, that number is 30 percent among black Democrats and 22 percent among Hispanic Democrats.

Meanwhile, who’s the most liberal among all Democrats? That award goes to those with a postgraduate school education who weigh in at 60 percent liberal, then college grads (58 percent) and millennials born after 1981 (57 percent). The analysis was based on 17 years' worth of Pew Research Center voter surveys.

COMMENT:  Fascinating.  The Democratic Party is indeed becoming a party run by white, hyper-educated elitists.  The figures give hope that an imaginative, open Republican Party can attract some of those blacks and Hispanics who are more in the conservative column than the liberal.  If that happens, the Democrats can say goodbye to national victory.

But the Democrats are experts at running scare campaigns.  They will probably be able to keep minority voters in line, at least in the short run, by conjuring up images of racist and bigoted Republicans.  It's worked well.  What else are they offering?

The future can belong to the Republicans, if they know how to exploit it.  Problem is, imagination is usually not part of their game plan.

September 11, 2017       Permalink

THE DATE – AT 8:56 A.M. ET:  I watched the commemoration of the 16th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.  These ceremonies never fail to move us. 

And yet, the 16 years have undoubtedly caused some softening of the horror of that day.  Think of it in World War II terms.  Sixteen years after Pearl Harbor would have been December 7, 1957.  An entirely new era.  World War II would have been over for 12 years, its youngest American veterans about 29 years old.  We had fought, in between, the Korean War.  The man in the White House in 1957 was Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the major commanders in World War II.  One of our major allies in that war, the Soviet Union, was, in 1957, a mortal enemy who was beating us into space. 

Today we see a continuing struggle against those who attacked us on 9-11.  There is no permanent victory in sight.  And a disturbing number of those in America's chattering classes have become sympathetic to the very forces we face.  Concern about "Islamophobia" has, in these classes, replaced any worry about terrorism.   It's as if they were lamenting the fate of those poor Nazis. 

President Trump has issued an entirely appropriate statement on this day.  He has proclaimed it Patriot Day:

On Patriot Day, we honor the nearly 3,000 innocent lives taken from us on September 11, 2001, and all of those who so nobly aided their fellow citizens in America's time of need.  We rededicate ourselves to the ideals that define our country and unite us as one, as we commemorate all the heroes who lost their lives saving others.
 
September 11, 2001, will forever be one of the most tragic days in American history.  Through the unimaginable despair, however, ordinary Americans etched into our history remarkable illustrations of bravery, of sacrifice for one another, and of dedication to our shared values.  The shock from the indelible images of the smoke rising from the World Trade Center and Pentagon gave way to countless inspiring videos of co-workers helping one another to safety; of heroes running into collapsing buildings to save the innocent people trapped within; and to the unforgettable story of the patriots who charged the cockpit of Flight 93 to save untold numbers of lives.  These heroes moved us with their bravery.  They make us proud to be Americans. 
 
Throughout history, everyday Americans and first responders have done the extraordinary through selfless acts of patriotism, compassion, and uncommon courage.  Not just in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, but across our great Nation, Americans on September 11, 2001, bound themselves together for the common good, saying with one voice that we will be neither scared nor defeated.  The enemy attempted to tear at the fabric of our society by destroying our buildings and murdering our innocent, but our strength has not and will not waiver.  Americans today remain steadfast in our commitment to liberty, to human dignity, and to one another.  
 
It has been 16 years since the tragedy of September 11, 2001.  Children who lost their parents on that day are now parents of their own, while many teenagers currently in high school learn about September 11th only from their history books.  Yet all Americans are imbued with the same commitment to cause and love of their fellow citizens as everyone who lived through that dark day.  We will never forget.  The events of September 11, 2001, did not defeat us.  They did not rattle us.  They, instead, have rallied us, as leaders of the civilized world, to defeat an evil ideology that preys on innocents and knows nothing but violence and destruction.  
 
On this anniversary, I invite all Americans to thank our Nation's incredible service members and first responders, who are on the front lines of our fight against terrorism.  We will always remember the sacrifices made in defense of our people, our country, and our freedom.  The spirit of service and self sacrifice that Americans so nobly demonstrated on September 11, 2001, is evident in the incredible response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.  The same spirit of American patriotism we movingly witnessed on September 11th has filled our hearts as we again see the unflinching courage, compassion, and generosity of Americans for their neighbors and countrymen.  The service members and first responders who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and in the years of service since would be proud of what we have all witnessed over these last three weeks and what will undoubtedly unfold in the coming months of recovery.  By protecting those in need, by taking part in acts of charity, service, and compassion, and by giving back to our communities and country, we honor those who gave their lives on and after September 11, 2001.

COMMENT:  Well said.  The left will not praise it.

September 11,  2017     Permalink

SEPTEMBER 10,  2017

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

MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC NEWS – FROM TOWNHALL.COM:   The University of California Berkeley is making counseling and other services available to students who may be upset or "threatened" by conservative writer Ben Shapiro's upcoming appearance on campus. In a memo published on Friday ahead of the event, the University reminded students that support services would be available if they were to need them.   I'm glad to know that.  I'll pass it on to liberal friends who may be on the brink at Berkeley.  We must understand their fear of an unfriendly idea.

PEACEFUL PROTEST – FROM FOX:   Antifa demonstrators hurled smoke and projectiles at police officers during rallies in downtown Portland on Sunday, injuring at least two, according to police.  The Rally and March Against White Nationalism, which was organized by the Portland Stands United Against Hate group, started off at a park on the waterfront with speakers leading demonstrators in song and prayers, Fox 12 reported.   After police changed the planned route of the march to avoid violence, tensions built up between the demonstrators and an opposing group, Patriot Prayer, also scheduled to hold a rally.  Police said demonstrators threw projectiles and smoke bomb — and knocked down a fence that police had put up. They also said seven suspects were in custody.  There are some Democrats and liberals who still refuse to condemn Antifa.  Just misunderstood moralists, I guess.

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS? – FROM THE HILL:   Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said in an interview broadcast Sunday that while she is "done" being a candidate, she is not leaving politics.   "Is your political career over?" Jane Pauley asked Clinton on "CBS Sunday Morning."  "Yes," Clinton responded. "As an active politician, it's over.  "I am done with being a candidate," she added. "But I am not done with politics, because I literally believe that our country's future is at stake."  Dearie, the country's future is always at stake.  That's what elections are about.  I suspect she could be persuaded to run, if anyone of influence wants her to. 

September 10,  2017     Permalink

THE FIGHT GOES ON – AT 2:06 P.M. ET:  We're focusing on our weather, but, elsewhere, the fight against terror is ongoing.  From the Los Angeles Times:   

U.S. intelligence analysts have gained valuable insights into Islamic State’s planning and personnel from a vast cache of digital data and other material recovered from bombed-out offices, abandoned laptops and the cellphones of dead fighters in recently liberated areas of Iraq and Syria.

In the most dramatic gain, U.S. officials over the last two months have added thousands of names of known or suspected Islamic State operatives to an international watch list used at airports and other border crossings. The Interpol database now contains about 19,000 names.

The intelligence haul — the largest since U.S. forces entered the war in mid-2014 — threatens to overwhelm already stretched counter-terrorism and law enforcement agencies in Europe, where Islamic State has claimed responsibility for attacks in Paris, London and Stockholm this year.

With the extremist group’s army and self-declared caliphate fast shrinking, U.S. officials are concerned that foreign-born militants who once flocked to Iraq and Syria will try to escape before the U.S.-led coalition or other military forces can kill them.

In recent weeks, U.S.-backed ground forces have sent an estimated 30 terabytes of data — equal to nearly two years of nonstop video footage — to the National Media Exploitation Center in Bethesda, Md., a little-known arm of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence.

Analysts there are scrutinizing handwritten ledgers, computer spreadsheets, thumb drives, mobile phone memory cards and other materials for clues to terrorist cells or plots in Europe or elsewhere.

"The reason electronic exploitation is so critical is that enemy forces doesn't fake those records," an intelligence official said. "When you interrogate someone they can hide facts, but logs of phone calls and video clips don't lie. That stuff isn't made-up."

COMMENT:  Obviously a major intelligence victory for our side.  Now it has to be exploited.  Trump and Defense Secretary Mattis have shown greater vigor and expertise in pursuing ISIS than did their predecessors, although the bar wasn't set too high by the Obama administration. 

The great fear now is that ISIS, driven from parts of the Mideast, will attempt to strike inside the United States.  It would not surprise me.

September 10, 2017       Permalink

THE PRESIDENT ON TAX REFORM – AT 12:47 P.M. ET:  Once the hurricane passes and recovery efforts are underway, attention will focus on the intense political agenda in Washington, made more intense by Mr. Trump's demands that Congress act quickly on high-priority items.  From Reuters: 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he will ask the Republican-controlled Congress to further speed up its efforts to overhaul the U.S. tax code, citing the potential impact of Hurricane Irma as a reason to hasten reforms.

"I think now with what's happened with the hurricane, I'm going to ask for a speedup. I wanted a speedup anyway, but now we need it even more so," the president said at the outset of a Cabinet meeting at Camp David. The White House released a video of his remarks.

Trump urged Congress in a Friday tweet not to wait until the end of September for tax legislation.

COMMENT:  That is now the cornerstone of the Trump domestic agenda, and the Republican Congress had better act.  If it doesn't, or says it needs more time, we can easily see Trump becoming an "independent Republican," working with moderate Democrats, and decapitating the GOP congressional leadership.  We have theorized here that Trump really wants to be the head of either a new party or a redesigned Republican Party.  It may happen.  Do not underestimate him. 

September 10, 2017       Permalink

IRMA ASSAULTS US – AT 11:53 A.M. ET:  And we are probably better prepared than we've ever been for a hurricane.  Mass evacuations have occurred.  Shelters are in place.  The federal government has acted swiftly and decisively.  From Breitbart: 

President Donald Trump stationed approximately 1,000 marines on two U.S. Navy warships in preparation for Hurricane Irma relief operations in Florida. The Marines and Sailors will provide logistical and medical support in the wake of the predicted devastation caused by the storm’s high winds, tidal surges, and floods.

Department of Defense officials stated the Marines and Sailors are assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Assigned to the USS Kearsarge and the USS Iwo Jima, the units are prepared to deliver water purification systems; storage and distribution capabilities; airborne and surface transportation; heavy lift capabilities; damage assessment aerial reconnaissance; and the distribution of medical technicians.

“We train for this kind of mission. It’s in the DNA of the Marine Expeditionary Unit to rapidly respond to crisis when called upon,” 26th MEU Executive Officer Lt. Colonel Christopher Timothy said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “Alongside our Navy partners, we stand strong and ready to help those affected by this storm in whatever way we can.”

From the deck of the two warships, Marine pilots are prepared to place five Osprey. six Super Stallions, and three Huey helicopters wherever they are needed to provide assistance and support to local rescue and recovery operations.

COMMENT:  Now watch:  The Trump haters will accuse the president of militarizing America, attempting to seize Florida, and using the Marines to protect his home at Mar-a-Lago.  Everyone knows he's taking over.  We've already heard Melania singing, "Don't Cry for Me Palm Beach County."

September 10,  2017     Permalink