A Round-Up of News and Miscellany

I've been wandering around the web working VERY hard, honest. And, I've somehow managed to find some interesting links:

Sharyl Atkinson's new book - The Smear (with a much longer subtitle that I don't want to bother about right now).

The reviews I've seen are good. I'm on the wait list for an e-copy at my library. I have reading a-plenty for my trip to Cleveland this week (mostly family-related). I've checked out some of D'Souza's works, including his most recent, Stealing America.

I saw a 3-part interview with Bill Whittle, and it was riveting. Here is a link to the first part.

The Progressive Media Meltdown continues.

You may not have been aware of it, but - did you realize that you Deplorables are just not Smart Enough for the Progressive Stars? They don't want you in their audience, and have said so.

Naturally, this means that you will be limited to Pat Boone records and Hee-Haw re-runs, because you will have no other choice. Until you cave in, and abandon Trump and his allies.

Because, there are NO alternatives to them.

Oh, really?

Where's Waldo? has nothing on this guy.

The LEAST lucrative college majors. Mine was worse - History. Fortunately, I had a husband who advised me to minor in a subject that I also liked - Science - with my coursework being spread out sufficiently to qualify me to teach General Science. I later took more Chemistry and Physics courses, which led me to teach those subjects.

One caveat: I majored in History, but my specialty was analysis of quantitative data, which I did well enough that a professor had me assist him in a class teaching students about databases and quantitative analysis. I was the tech assistant, and learned both dBase and SPSS.

That was quite useful to me, as I was able to get several jobs with that expertise.

Valedictorians - not as successful as you might think. It's one of those things that drive women CRAZY (OK, crazier). They often get better grades than the guys, yet see those same men stepping into better jobs, promotions, and success.

The ONLY possible explanation is that the system is rigged, right?

Wrong, as the video explains. Success at the highest levels is often tied to breaking the rules, which is NOT a trait that will mesh with high grades.

Another trait of many men that succeed - especially those joining frats - is high social intelligence - People Smarts, as it has been called. The more daring, the more adventurous, and the more willing to break rules a guy is, the more he is admired by the brothers.

In contrast, sororities are all about conformity, not opposing the other sisters, and not getting too much attention.

YES! The  Russians WERE bribing American politicians!

And, finally, just one more Weinstein story - from someone who saw, and didn't speak out. He admits his complicity in keeping quiet, but says that the full story wasn't known at the time.

He challenges all the people who knew about this to come forward, and - maybe - make up for their past ignoring the problem.

Expect a stampede of confessions from those who fear being outed for their 'playing dumb'.

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The Center Cannot Hold

Title is a quote from Yeats "Second Coming". Surprisingly, I've been reading poetry lately - NOT like me, at all.

Many, on both the Extreme Left and on the Non-Conservative Right (what we Conservatives like to call RINOS), are expressing dismay at the polarization of the American public. It's not as though this is an unusual thing - we've been sharply divided before:

• American Independence - few Americans realize just how popular our connection with England was - fully 1/3 of the population supported it. Another 1/3 were Revolutionaries. The rest sat on the fence, waiting to see which side would prevail.
• Federalists vs. the Original Confederacy - it was a long and contentious fight to Constitutionalize.
• Civil War, including the Reconstruction Period.
• Populism - the original Uprising of the Deplorables.
• Anarchy - deliberate use of assassination and bombings to promote Leftist aims. The anarchists of that time were allied with the Wobblies and other radical groups.
• WWI - it took a lot of effort to get America involved in this; it required Federal suppression of dissent to make it happen (legislation included the Alien Espionage Act and the Sedition Act).
• Progressivism - first major attempt to take over the country through massive Federal growth.
• Prohibition - BTW, it DID have some effect. Drinking was greatly reduced. What it DID do is to uncover the extent to which the Elites of that time were incapable of quitting their addiction to alcohol. The presence of many alcoholics in government - including those residing in the White House - led to repeal of Prohibition.
• WWII - many people don't remember it, but there was a strong anti-war faction before 1941.
• Red Activities after WWII - contrary to what is commonly called McCarthyism or the "Red Scare", the Communists were, in fact, bankrolling and directing the activities of their allies in the West. Most of this was without the knowledge or compliance of Liberals.
• The 1960s - included bombings, street action, criminal activity to support The Cause, and deliberate promotion of drug culture to the young.

Some are suggesting that a Civil War is imminent.

Christopher Cantrell calls is a Cold Civil War.

He also looks at what a HOT Civil War would look like.

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Russia, Russia, Russia

Fans of the old show The Brady Bunch will get that reference.

I found a good list of questions to ask about the "Russian Influence on the 2016 Election" story - emphasis on the word STORY.

To me, # 5 is the most critical:

5. Precisely what meddling occurred? Somebody meeting with a Russian does not constitute proof of anything. rather, this is the classic witch-hunt accusation of the McCarthyite "Red Scare" of the 1950s--guilt by association: you were seen conversing with a Communist, thus you must also be a Communist--or at a minimum, you are tainted by association and thus under a cloud of suspicion that can never be cleared because no accusation of guilt in a court of law is ever made.

Guilt by association is insidious because it can't be cleared in court. Those accused of guilt by association are not innocent until proven guilty--they are guilty until proven innocent, a proof that can never satisfy the accusers.

A precisely defined chain of verifiable actions is required to prove meddling beyond reasonable doubt. So date, all the accusations have failed to meet this most fundamental standard of evidence of wrong-doing.

If Republicans/Conservatives are still being accused of 'McCarthyism' for any pointing out that someone is verifiably Socialist/Communist, then why are the Democrats/Progressives/Liberals/Leftists using that smear tactic to associate the Trump administration with the Russians?

If McCarthyism is the Ultimate Bad Thing, why are THEY doing it?

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If You Are Sick of Politics, You MUST Read This

I'm the outlier in my family. The rest have maintained their customary Liberal/Progressive/Whatever views consistently over the years.

What has changed?

I have.

I used to express my views without fear of criticism (other than an occasional - 'wouldja knock it off, I'm trying to watch the game'). Once I deviated from the Accepted Wisdom of my group, I learned to keep my thoughts on the Down Low. It generally wasn't worth the argument.

Hence, blogging. If you don't want to hear about what I think, don't read my blogs. I write what I think, and don't bother to censor it for those who think differently.

But, too often, the Political Becomes Personal, to up-end that tired old Feminist phrase. When I read the first part of this, I'll admit - I was expecting a completely different answer to the young man's question. I was astounded to find that the answer was reasoned, patient, and decent. Especially since it was in the Village Voice.

Go read it - you won't be sorry you did.
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How Progressives Mis-Understand The Working Class

I started thinking about that misunderstanding while reading this post.

Now, if you only watch ONE online video, make it THIS ONE. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

The David Brooks article about the cultural divide between working class and upper class people really struck a chord with many, particularly those that, like I did, shifted between classes during my life.

Read Rod Dreher's take on the controversy, and take the time to read the comments.

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Borrowing Tactics From Dictators

I was reading about Trujillo of the Dominican Republic here, and found a reference to a phenomenon that I've been seeing lately, but had not known its name:

Many times, I have written about “actos de repudio” in Cuba — “acts of repudiation.” What happens is this: A government-inspired mob appears in front of the house of a disfavored person. They hurl things at it, scrawl things on it, and scream threats. They also use their fists, when they can.

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/448908/goat-and-feast-trujillo-vargas-llosa-and-more

 It's interesting just how much the so-called Revolutionaries borrow from extremely violent and repressive regimes, and, yet, have the gall to scream about the 'scandalous and dictatorial' American system.

Really?

For all their 'broadening' travel, Progressives never seem to learn the basic facts on the ground. They take 'learning trips' to what amount to prison camps - such is a fair description of modern-day Cuba - and return from their travels, starry-eyed and evangelistic about the country.

Every time.

So, no, I'm not impressed by those sophisticated travelers who can return from the EU, excited about the possibilities of a Diverse and Wonderful Socialist Paradise. Nor those, who having returned from the latest Progressive Wonderland, tell all about the AMAZING social, political, and cultural system that the USA absolutely MUST adopt, ASAP.

Morons.

They never seem to see the detractors - nor, wonder why they are NOT seeing dissent. It's because to dissent is to die, along with all your family. Or, to spend long years in a prison camp that makes death seem kinder.

I highly recommend the article at the link.

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