Old man winter is about to catch up with us here in my neck of the woods if the forecast is correct.
Beautiful photography with special music to help us chill a bit.
This is the best I could do with translation! I suggest watching it in full screen.
Snowy Forest with the beauty of Snow White.
Wishing you a wonderful day with much Peace.
Let’s see what mischief our fellow earthlings have gotten themselves into this week. It’s Saturday and time for a break and maybe a smile or two.
Animals rule this week.
For politics page down and/or check top posts at the right side of the page.
That’s all folks. Have a wonderful day.
The Quest for Mediocrity
(Or, keeping our standards low so that we can always attain them)
by Mustang
As we previously reported, most of the old gang has returned to help Uncle Joe Stal … er … Biden govern these somewhat united states, which should give no one conversant about the state of our once-great Republic cause for confidence in our future. But there are a few new faces, as well.
Gina Raimondo
Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo is one example. She’s been nominated to become our 40th Secretary of Commerce. It is enough to cause stuttering in an elocutionist.
According to Wallet Hub, Rhode Island ranked last in their assessment of the best and worst states to start a business. Of course, maybe it’s all relative. In 2015, when Gina assumed the mantle of leadership in Rhode Island, the state was ranked 48th. In 2016, its ranking was 50th, 45th in 2017, and 50th again in 2019. So then, what does Gina bring to the table in the Sta.. (damn it) Biden administration?
Well, for one thing, Gina kept manufacturing and construction operations open during the Covid kerfuffle. Maybe the state’s problem has more to do with her tax policies than anything else.
The Curtin opens … anyone who loves taxes has to appear on Biden’s “plus” column and the fact that Rhode Island has the worse economic infrastructure (ranked with 98 points out of a possible 350) probably doesn’t matter — so long as Gina strives to reach the climate change challenges, which can only be achieved through taxing the bejesus out of Rhode Island citizens. Well, that’s okay, too, since the Rhode Island people, in their wisdom, elected her.
We — the rest of us — on the other hand, didn’t elect her. I don’t know why I continue to do this, but I feel compelled to re-state the obvious: the election of president carries with it significant consequences. Where Gina will take our country’s commerce is anyone’s guess — and maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe we don’t need any stinking jobs, or any stinking American-centered trade agreements — not when we have the Paris environmental accords to keep us warm at night.
What? More corrupt politicians inside the beltway, you claim? Oh say it isn’t so!
Mustang also blogs at Fix Bayonets and Thoughts From Afar
Nope. In an apparent rush to make sure that a new political party is born, our gal Ronna, the chair of the RNC says not going to do it. Will stay neutral. Oh, but by the way, she sure wants Trump to help us in 2022 getting back the House. Who knows, maybe even the Senate.
Of course, its all about the bucks. Rona is afraid the big fat PAC monies won’t find their way into the GOP coffers. You know, we need more RINO’s.
A granddaughter of Michigan Governor and businessman George W. Romney and niece of U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, as RNC Chair, she has been known for her prolific fundraising. It is said she is a major supporter of Trump.
The past four years under Rona’s stewardship we have lost the House, Senate and the Presidency. Trump picked her it is said, and she was re-elected in January. Sure, the RNC is suppose to stay neutral, but why not remain mute until the dust settles while Trump is under major attack with the upcoming impeachment??? Why agitate all those red MAGA hat wearers?
The Republican National Committee (RNC) will not back former President Trump if he chooses to run for office again in 2024 and will instead remain neutral, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel indicated in a Wednesday interview with the Associated Press.
“The party has to stay neutral. I’m not telling anybody to run or not to run in 2024,” McDaniel said, walking the fine line as polls continue to indicate that a sizeable portion of the GOP base continues to back and support the former president.
“That’s going to be up to those candidates going forward. What I really do want to see him do, though, is help us win back majorities in 2022,” she told the outlet.
Jason Miller, 2020 senior adviser to the Trump campaign, stated that Trump is committed to that goal.
He said Trump “made clear his goal is to win back the House and Senate for Republicans in 2022” despite rumors of the former president planning to forge a party outside of the Republican Party.
“There’s nothing that’s actively being planned regarding an effort outside of that,” he added.
This is the best of the swamp today..
In the waning days of the Obama administration, Obama finished off his ravaging the land taking control of more land to make sure we would be energy dependent and finish off tens of thousands of good paying jobs. I listened closely to Biden’s first day of E.O.’s and a close ear would have heard him add he wanted to “expand the Monuments land.”
Let us be clear what that is suppose to be:
No surprise, it’s been abused to grab tons of federal land. Once land is set aside and cannot be reversed.
So we ain’t see nothing yet… Let’s take a look at just how devastating has been so far.
Flashback: Obama eyes taking control of the Arctic, adding to Monuments Act
November 21, 2016
We learn that Obama has eyes on the Arctic. Of course, to remove any opportunity for oil and gas exploration and adding to the larder of government controlled land and water. In the last year alone added 750,000 acres. All under the Monuments Act. The result? No turning back. Of course he will do this and much more. Here tis;
In September President Obama created the first marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean, roping off around 5,000 square miles in waters near the coast of Cape Cod. The month before, he designated over 440,000 square miles in the Pacific off the coast of Hawaii.
Now, as the president begins his lame duck stint, environmental groups are pressuring him to turn his focus to Arctic waters, with the goal of permanently banning oil and gas development in the region. And that prospect has become even more likely following last week’s election result and the advent of a Trump Administration, which has pledged to provide industry with greater access.
President Obama‘s use of the 1906 Antiquities Act is already unmatched. In an effort to secure his environmental legacy, his administration has created or enlarged 26 national monuments since 2011, including 14 in just the past year and a half, collectively totaling more than 750,000 square miles.
Any national monument designation is effectively final. That means portions of America’s Arctic Ocean bestowed with monument status would be removed from oil and gas development forever, even if a later administration, with the benefit of hindsight, wanted to reverse the order.
If environmental groups are successful in banning offshore oil and gas development, it will have dire and lasting consequences. More at Washington Examiner
Obama gobbles up 400,000 square miles for the government August 27, 2016
President Obama, with the stroke of a pen, created the world’s largest ocean reserve on Friday off Hawaii, 400,000 square miles, days after designating a massive federal monument in Maine – moves that have angered local lawmakers who accuse the president of disregarding the impact on residents.
I just got done posting on August 22, 2016 Obama and the Greenies seeking massive land grab in Utah
The latest will claim land from Utah the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Over Two million acres. August 22, 2016
Now more:
Try this one out:
Obama Designates National Monument in Maine, to Dismay of Some New York Times – 3 days ago
Mr. Obama designated more than 87,500 acres of rugged terrain
It became by far the largest region of federal parkland in Maine, surpassing the 48,900-acre Acadia National Park on the coast
Hawaii
Obama used a presidential proclamation to expand the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii by over 400,000 square miles. The preserve now stretches 582,578 square miles, the world’s largest marine protected area. .
Previous posts of land grabs that may be of interest:
Obama to claim half million acres today under ‘Monument act’ UPDATE .Then we have President Obama designates five new national monuments add Obama Stretches ‘Antiquities Act’ to Include Three New National .
I will give you this one With 3 California Sites, Obama Nearly Doubles Public Land and we have Obama decrees another grab – Closes vast Pacific area to fishing
The government already owns two-thirds of the 13 Western states. This doesn’t include State and Local government ownership.
Given the nation’s possible dependence on foreign sources of energy, it seems like it’d be a pretty bad move for the president to use his executive power to tie up more lands via the Antiquities Act–a measure generally intended to preserve historic landmarks. Percent of Federal Land own in Western States:
Hang on folks, he is just getting started.
The Failure of Education
America’s war on its children
by Mustang
If (fill in the blank) isn’t working out to your expectations, then all you have to do is throw more money at it. That’s the message we regularly receive from people who make their money from selling “education.” But, is it true? Of course not.
The American education system is an utter failure and has been for decades, and there is no more significant proof of that than observing today’s young adults. They have no academic skills beyond cheating on tests; they lack essential knowledge about our nation’s history or even their own states. They are unable to comprehend cause and effect relationships, and they cannot reason. If our education system is the doctor, then we’ve killed the patient.
Educationalist (a term I use in the most disparaging manner possible) Kate Barrington wants us to know about the American education system’s top fifteen failures. None of her “failures” represent the underlying problem of American schools, but here’s what she identified as her most significant concerns:
She never once mentioned political brainwashing imposed on every child in public schools, never said anything about the costly athletic programs that take away time and money from academic curricula, never mentioned the dismal results of “high stakes” testing, or the fact that students receive no training in civics education, are taught revisionist history, or that they are bored to the point of tears in the classroom.
Ms. Barrington didn’t say that our children cannot construct a proper sentence, much less a paragraph, or that an average first-year high school student can only read at the fifth-grade level and cannot perform algebraic computations or has no interest in the wonder of science.
She also never mentioned that the United States (federal and state expenditures) spends, on average, $800-billion on educational programs EACH YEAR. That figure approximates $15,000.00 annually for each child in elementary and secondary schools. Maybe we shouldn’t focus so much on what we spend on American education — perhaps we should be asking what we’re getting as a return on that investment. Are we getting smarter kids who, within a few years, are knocking them dead in the corporate structure, on Wall Street, as engineers, as scientists?
No — actually, American kids (including those graduating from college with a four-year degree) are mediocre compared to the rest of the civilized world. Forty years after the publication of A Nation at Risk, a ground-breaking report by the National Commission on Excellence, America’s kids are dumber than ever despite the doubling of our expenditures on education.
Constructing more schools does not equate to better education — it only means more children per year are less competitive globally. What other conclusions can a rational person make when more than two-thirds of the student population cannot demonstrate mastery in grade-level mathematics and science, reading, or even understanding the history of their own ancestors?
Here’s an interesting statistic: 85% of our nation’s high school graduates each year are unqualified to enter college as freshmen without substantial remediation.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average expenditure worldwide is around $9,800 per student annually. Around the world, then, nations who spend far less educating their children are producing young adults who can (and do) read, who can communicate well in writing, who understand complex mathematics, and are geared toward careers in science and engineering.
Equally important, we must address the question of whether America’s young adults are as well-adjusted psychologically as their “other world” cohorts. There does not appear to be any evidence to support such a claim. Considering high incidents of violence in schools and throughout local communities, the opposite seems right. America’s young adult is maladjusted, and if there is not a trend toward psychopathic abnormality, it certainly seems that way.
What, then, should we deduce? Should we conclude that in exchange for $800-billion annually, we are getting psychologically damaged young adults? As young adults, our children not only do not know who they are but also don’t care.
Our young adults do not understand that the rights they enjoy extend to every other citizen, as well — so supporting such notions that they must silence a citizen who has different views from their own — forcibly, if necessary — tells us that our education system has grown at least two (maybe three) generations of dangerously maladjusted human beings. Moreover, they are irrational in thinking that such behavior benefits a healthy society.
America is getting no bang for its buck. Rather than demanding more money (to waste), perhaps reduced spending is a better plan. Pay teachers less money, not more. Stop pretending that high school football programs are equal in importance to science and mathematics. Stop spending hundreds of millions of dollars on textbooks that facilitate revisionist brainwashing or communicate anti-white racial biases.
When compared to the children raised in third-world countries, our children are stupid, psychotic, and socially inept. Is this our return on our ever-increasing investment in the American education system? One notable scientist suggested, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” We attribute this quotation to Albert Einstein’s Parable of Quantum Insanity. Perhaps the educationalists should make a note of it.
Mustang also blogs at Fix Bayonets and Thoughts From Afar
Under Attack: The American Way
by Mustang
Communism is a philosophical, social, political, and economic ideology and movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of a communist society — a socioeconomic structure based on common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social class, money, and the state. We attribute these idea to Karl Marx and Frederick Engles in 1848. Since then, communism in practice has become a blight on mankind.
Socialism is a theory of social organization which advocates that the means of economic production, distribution, and exchange, should be owned by the community, as a whole. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (also known as Vladimir Lenin) (1870-1924), leader of the communist movement in Russia, emphasized “The purpose of socialism is communism.” He envisioned socialism as a temporary phase in the quest for a communist state.
To my understanding, with but a few failed minor attempts, communism has never been achieved. The reason for this, I believe, is that the theorists involved in the development of communism either did not understand human nature, or completely misread it. So, in terms of the stages in its development, the best that any of its implementers could achieve is a socialist state — and for the most part, until recently, by force of arms.
Progressivism began as a common-sense social movement in the 1890s. I contend “common sense” because really, who could argue with Upton Sinclair’s conclusion that since the meat industry refused to police itself in matters of product safety and hygiene, it was incumbent upon the government to step in to regulate the industry. But since its early days, progressivism has morphed into a radical political movement consisting of many ideas (again, not without some merit) but which, over time, were absorbed into the march toward national socialism.
Today, progressives debate the relevance of America’s traditional values. For example, a progressive will argue that truth is at best contextually relative. They reject the “self-evident” truth that all men are created equal, or that they endowed by their creator with unalienable rights. No, they argue, there are only community rights that must change over time — and that to achieve this, the old rights must be taken away. There is no right to free speech, they argue … only the speech they approve of, as a community.
Crony Capitalism is a system in which businesses become profitable, not because of their willingness to take risks, but rather, based on their close relationship with ruling political class (of both parties). In essence, businesses rely on state power rather than competition to gain access to government contracts, grants, permits, tax breaks in areas where the government exercises a monopoly, such as gas and oil pipeline operations, mining concessions, and contracts for public works.
It is a profiteering scheme where businesses profit and, to ensure continuation of their close relationship with the political elite, offer financial support to their political friends seeking reelection. It is a de facto corruption of public-serving economic activities.
Of the foregoing, three pose a clear and present danger to the American Republic: socialism, progressivism, and crony capitalism. Under the banner of the new progressive movement, the American Republic (and its people) is under attack; not simply the integrity of the Republic (governmentally), but all of our traditional values, as well. Of even greater concern, they’re winning all the major battles.
American Values
Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement of the late 1600s/1700s that migrated to the British/American colonies emphasizing reason and individualism in opposition to traditional servitude to nobility. It was heavily influenced by the philosophers Descartes, Lock, and Newton, expounded by Immanuel Kant, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Francois-Marie Arquet (also known as Voltaire), Jean-Jaques Rousseau, and Adam Smith.
We may remember Kant as someone who believed that reason is the source of morality; he professed Christianity, but repudiated the kind of Christian behavior expressed by oppressive Catholicism. Few living in the United States today would argue with Kant, whether Catholic or Protestant. Much of what Kant wrote remains influential in contemporary philosophy.
Goethe was a humanist who viewed himself as a moderate (classical) liberal, anti-radical, and a man who on the one hand sympathized with the American Revolution, and on the other was skeptical of the French Revolution.
Voltaire was a writer, historian, and philosopher who was famous for his wit, his criticism of Catholicism, and an advocate of freedom of speech and religion, and the separation of church and state.
Rousseau influenced enlightened ideas throughout Western Europe in the development of modern political, economic, and educational thought and Adam Smith was a key philosopher who some credit with being the “Father of Economic Capitalism.”
The ideas of these “enlightened” men heavily influenced the leaders of the American Revolution, the Continental and United States Congress, and the framers of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. These unalienable rights are individual rights —not communal rights, as Neo-progressives would have you believe.
America’s Creation
America’s founding fathers did not create democracy — by 1775, democracy already existed for a few thousand years. What they did create was a Republic based on democratic ideas, such that everyone has an equal voice, and that everyone has an equal right to express his or her opinion. Whether that opinion has any merit must depend on how well it is articulated and how well it is received by the listeners — nothing more.
But republican democracy did not come to the American people in an instant. It has been a long, upward climb — because such forms of government are frequently boisterous and always somewhat untidy.
The 1700s were a time when monarchs ruled over their subjects — where the notion of common people governing themselves was completely alien. A successful republic requires practice, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and a great deal of patience. The reason for this is that, because it is a human endeavor, it is imperfect.
As an analogy, every one of us may recall a time when sitting around the dining room table with our families, everyone had their own opinion about just about every topic. Occasionally, voices became loud, anger boiled over, and perhaps, someone simply got up and left the table. Now imagine 300-million voices all speaking at once inside a very large auditorium. That’s where we are today.
It is entirely human to classify others according to what they say, and how they behave. For example, we frequently hear Democrats referring to Republicans as fascists; Republicans often refer to Democrats as communists (which, of course, many are). People who speak one way and behave another are called politicians.
If we must label people, how they behave may be more revealing to us than what they say. For example, how a politician votes on an issue is more revealing than what he or she might tell us on a campaign stump — if we “good citizens” even bother to notice.
Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom
Knowing what happened, why it happened, and what we should we do about it is the challenge facing American society today. My argument is that it shouldn’t be too difficult to make informed decisions — if we are willing to open our minds to issues that confront us. Ultimately, what we believe — and why we believe it — is an individual decision. But what do half of modern Americans demand?
Roughly half of our citizens today repudiate the enlightened tenets of our founding documents. The other half strives to preserve them. Those who do repudiate the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers have been brought up that way — programmed, in fact, to deny anyone but themselves the right of free thought or expression. To silence others with whom they disagree, they label such speech as politically incorrect — which has lately morphed into such terms as hateful, racist, or xenophobic.
Progressives have chosen this path because they are incapable of honest, polite debate — and because there is no merit to their argument. They lack knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Under such circumstances, they strive to shut down any deviation from what “they” think.
What matters most to progressive-minded people is controlling the narrative rather than improving the republic. There is room for improvement in our nation, in our society, of course — but we cannot achieve that by tearing down America’s foundations. The loudest progressives, and the most violent — the young know-nothings — do serve a purpose, however. They help keep everyone at odds. You know … divide and conquer.
Referring to these people as “know nothings” may appear hyperbolic, but it is very close to unmitigated truth. Among young progressives, there are no worthwhile lessons in history because, or so they believe, America’s founding fathers were all racists. So they tear down statues of such men as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington (and others) demanding that we ignore these men in history because the owned slaves.
Knowing only a little about actual history is a dangerous thing. Jefferson and Washington never owned slaves; their wives did — and this is more than a technicality. The last will and testament of both these men freed these slaves, which explains how Jefferson’s will was tied up in probate court for so long. Jefferson died land rich, money poor, and deeply indebted. But to revise American history, progressives now claim that Washington and Jefferson were racists — and it isn’t true.
Actual history is vital to who we have become, as Americans. Not all of our history was laudatory, but if there is any benefit to the unsavory aspects of what happened before, it has been that we learned valuable lessons about ourselves along the way. Six-hundred thousand Americans died to free the slaves.
Americans of the 1960s overwhelmingly repudiated Democrats in their horrific treatment of blacks during the civil rights movement. This should account for something worthwhile in our history — and all was working well until a virulent progressive became president in 2007. He demanded “fundamental change” to America — and he’s damn well achieved it.
But there are good examples of how we’ve failed to learn from history, as well. Perhaps the best example of this has been our lionizing one of the most despicable women in history, Margaret Sanger. Actual history tells us that Margaret Sanger conspired to eradicate black American populations through abortion programs.
Her plan was enthusiastically embraced by Woodrow Wilson (Democrat), and not surprisingly, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, who adapted Sanger’s ideas to the extermination of Jews, gypsies, and homosexuals — his Final Solution. Yet, despite the wanton murder of tens of millions of black babies, Sanger’s plan continues day — partially funded by the federal government disguised as “a woman’s right to choose.”
Among progressives, American institutions serve their interests, not those whom they oppose, and so in modern America, there is no longer a requirement for checks and balances in government. To the winner go the spoils; winning is all that matters — not the survival of the Republic.
Such tenets as “land of the free” and “liberty and justice for all” only apply only to progressives. People with different views have no place in the new America, which has become a common “virtue signal” within the progressive’s propaganda media. Political disenfranchisement is “okay” so long as it only applies to everyone who is not a progressive.
Finally, after only three days in office, Democrat/Socialist/Progressive Jose Biden put nearly 100,000 Americans out of work. He did this by favoring the corporation owned by Warren Buffet over the rights of Americans to work and feed their families. There is no better example of crony capitalism than this — but this one example is but the tip of a massive iceberg. And it has been going on for far too long and involves the elite of both political parties. This is NOT what America is (or should be) all about. It is also not very wise.
Conclusion
Over time, words and phrases have changed, but behaviors have not. For me, personally, if Democrats want me to stop calling them communists, they’re going to have to change their behavior. I’m not holding my breath — but I am praying that the American people come to their senses.
Mustang also blogs at Fix Bayonets and Thoughts From Afar
It has been an incredibly difficult week for many of us. Filled with sadness and loss. This song came to mind. An unusual rendition with some lovely paintings.
Patricia Kaas ~ What now my love
Paintings – Frode Niboe
Wishing you a good day with Peace.
Let’s see what mischief our fellow earthlings have gotten themselves into this week. It’s Saturday and time for a break and maybe a smile or two.
Animals rule this week.
For politics page down and/or check top posts at the right side of the page.
That’s all folks. Have a great day….
Fauci flushes with the excitement of his resurrection to be front man for Biden’s covid response.
Science, he says… Science will rule. Let’s take a look at a couple of clips from yesterday’s roll out of Fauci and team.
The last clip has to be the best summary of the infamous 80 year old Dr. Fauci’s various positions taken regarding the “best” Covid policies.
No wonder the Donald got fed up with him and moved on to others and gave up on the daily wisdom of Fauci.
Oh the excitement of being center stage once more. Oh joy!
Let’s do the setup with a couple of clips.
Reporter once again confronts Dr. Fauci with a hard hitting question. Fauci swoons with excitement… after all he takes no pleasure in what he is about to say….
Now the punchline. We discover the emperor is wearing no clothes……of course no reporter will ask him about his movable opinions on the matter and why it no doubt drove Trump nuts and left Trump with the bag. Why Fauci was relegated to the third string in the end. (I can only hope this tweet stays up….here is hoping.)
Looks like Biden and Fauci will be the perfect match. Biden announces with a scowl and proudly indeed that the goal is a million shots of vaccine in arms in a 100 days. Unfortunately Biden’s new Covid savant Fauci failed to tell him that it is about where we are now.
Twitter is ablaze that Biden finally has a plan for distribution.
a quote:
“Last week, we had two days when we vaccinated one million people a day”
Why is Biden planning to SLOW DOWN vaccination? we were already on track to EXCEED 100 million doses in 100 days. Biden‘s target should be 200 million will Dear Leader media call him on this scam?
Paul Revere Award
Women and Guns (click)
BUNKERVILLE | God, Guns and Guts Comrades! 