11/3/2020
[Two changes made 7/23/21 (one update; one addition). Go find them.]
I have tried to write this post for months. I have numerous versions that start at different points that I hoped I could bring together into something masterfully cohesive. It has all been so overwhelming. I couldn’t pull it together. At this point, all I can do is throw together some thoughts and observations in no particular order or cohesive construction. I will also remind you that this site is full of posts that are related to the topics that follow. I designed my archive page so you can actually tell what an article is about, not just see a list of dates.
I have very little good to say about Trump as a person. He is a petulant 9-year old unworthy of the office personally and politically. Nor has he matured and risen to the standards and stature of the office while in office. That said, politically he has achieved many of the goals he said he would (and I agree with), despite the hindrance of feckless Republicans who squandered the opportunity they were given in his first two years to undo the damage of his predecessor who did exactly what he said he would do, which was no surprise to those of us who were paying attention and looked into his background before he even hit the big stage. Instead, the Republicans did what all politicians do eventually: Look out for themselves to preserve their seats while they sat back waited to see what would happen.
It’s a good thing I have set and maintained standards of decorum for this site. I am straining hard right now to control myself so I do not say what I want to say, in the manner I want to say it. I am past tired and well into smoldering anger over those who “resist” and riot and all the social unrest they cause claiming it is because of Trump. Imagine if all of us who despised Obama did the same. The hypocrisy is beyond the pale. What are they, eight-year-olds? Trump made me do it? They have no self-control, are even less mature than Trump, but self-justify their actions with cheerleading from the press and even elected officials who turn their back and then want federal money to repair the damage they allowed. Unfreaking believable. All because they don’t like Trump? Hate Republicans and think they are sub-human animals? Don’t like capitalism? See racism and inequality everywhere? Think they don’t need police? Don’t like and think they can whitewash and invalidate history and rewrite it in their image, and then think that this history somehow validates their actions?
That last line is the social, political, and educational sin called presentism: Projecting the values of the present onto the past. History happened. In fact, it happened as it happened and in no other way. You can’t control it, can’t alter it, and is the epitome of hubris to think you can wipe it away or, as in the case of that despicably dishonest 1619 project, selectively alter it for present purposes. That’s called propaganda, and you should know that, NYT. Those who have done that in the past (and present) include actual dictators, communists, true historical fascists, present-day liberal fascists, radical Muslims.
If you are the type who lets the past—and it’s not even your past—control your thoughts and actions to the point that you think you are justified to project your self-loathing onto others, then you need to look in a mirror and…just…shut…up. You are the problem. You and your sanctimonious and misbegotten repudiation, threats of retribution, and self-absolution are erroneous and repugnant because your premises are wrong. You have no sense of historical context yet are quick to cast labels you don’t even understand onto others that accurately describe you. Those who are quick with knee-jerk reactions tend to be deflecting onto others what they refuse to acknowledge in themselves, or if they do recognize it, find ways to justify their hypocritical slight of mind.
Our educational system has been almost completely subverted by the old left-wing anarchists to the point that most Americans do not understand our constituted polity and what it took to create and defend it over the last two and half centuries. Civics and history education has been destroyed by this noxious cancel culture. This explains most of what is happening.
The vast majority of media and social media platforms are in the bag for Biden as they were for Obama, and have fallen into the trap of believing their own press. It’s unbelievable what they have believed, fabricated, and fed to a gullible public. If you are among those who buy into the media narrative that the Russians altered the 2016 election, it is either because you were among those who spent time reading Twitter and Facebook feeds and think those are fonts of factual information; or, you don’t know how to vet what you read, and chose by default to believe everything from the sources you chose to read that mirror your bias. I don’t waste my time on social media. If you ever see me quoting any it is because I read about it elsewhere and then went to see if what was said was true.
In one of my posts, way back, I believe I mentioned that for more than four years I have constantly maintained a database of published items I have read. It has 8,333-plus articles [latest update as of 7/23/21*] from a large number of diverse sources. It’s interesting to read the same story in right- and left-wing publications. It’s as if they weren’t at the same event, or reading or seeing the same thing. They claim to be “reporting” when the reality is they are simply presenting biased interpretations—commentary—usually in line with the expectations of their respective customer-choirs.
Polarization in our society today has as much to do with media malfeasance as anything that actually happens in the political arena. The carefully crafted perceptions and the biases that they bring, the outright lies—and, yes, fake “news” —they present as factual reporting is straight-up propaganda.
Selective editing, or deliberate omission, is a travesty of democracy and one of the tenants of all the “-isms” the illiberal left adores. The alphabet soup of media acronyms practicing active censorship is truly mind-boggling. This is not how a democracy is supposed to work and why it is not working here, now. And the more we, through our civic laziness, allow this to happen, the more we become less democratic (little “d”) and more banana republic.
Where you get your information is critically important. Underline the word critical, as in be a critical thinker. It takes time. It is serious work and requires you, unfortunately, to do your own vetting, your own thinking.
There is the ridiculous notion of voter suppression extolled by the usual suspects (e.g. The Intercept) at the same time others are noting record turnouts at early polling locations in the very same locations where they are supposedly being suppressed (Forbes). The former says long lines are a sign of suppression (due to allegedly deliberately limited polling locations), the latter just the opposite—and the kicker is that both are nakedly leftist publications. I say the lines would be—oh, I don’t know—approximately 6 times shorter if social distancing were not involved. Duh! And I would bet the vast majority of local voting rules stipulate that if you are in line by the time of poll closing, you will get to vote. What suppression?
But there is plenty of voting fraud. The rush to promote mail-in ballots and early voting under the smokescreen of COVID is going to be the source of all the legal, political, and actual violence that is about to occur. There are lies that there is no problem with mail-in voting (I have a plethora of articles in my database that show that ain’t so, and add new ones daily). Why the pushing of early voting? To get the Biden vote in before the certain October surprise? That story has been deliberately suppressed and isn’t much of a surprise. All of what is coming out has been known for years—if you read sources that weren’t in the bag for Obama. So what and who has actually been suppressed? What I do see and read about is the extension of ballot collection and harvesting, the outrageous lack of validating who is legally eligible to vote resulting in dead people (and pets) voting, and duplicate voting—you know, good old Chicago-style politicking.
What else…Idiot celebrities now talk about shutting the country down or “burning it all down.” Just leave the country Amy Schumer, et al, like you said you would after the last election, and take Kathy Griffin with you, please (what’s up with her surgically altered fake face?)! The seeds of post-election anarchy have been planted since the day after the last one. Yes, I’m talking about the criminal, and incredibly self-unaware H. Clinton, among many others. Karma. It’s a thing.
My post-election 2017 New Year’s post is as valid today as the day I wrote it, as is my platform for that election. I said I would write a new one for this election—an addendum, actually—but had no time, and quite frankly, lost motivation to do so.
Language issues. Huge topic. I wish I had time to tell you why I won’t use the phrase “African-American.” There is the disgusting manipulation of language concerning guns, abortion, climate…name a topic and I’ll show this in action. The language used has been perverted, weaponized, politicized. It’s one of many topics with posts I started but didn’t have the time to finish.
I often preach the need to restrain from making comments on fresh events. I practice what I preach, so the drafts of partially written posts just pile up as fresh events keep pushing my drafts further into the backlog. This is something the allegedly “serious” media outlets should practice, especially about police and shootings, which they almost always get wrong. Then we know what happens next. Fat chance. For them, it’s all about the fallacious idea that there is special merit to being the first to misreport. Just proves they are no different from the “tabloids.” Don’t get me going on examples such as The Daily Beast, and 90% of the crap that gets pushed to me each and every day from Medium and so many other sources, including some right-wing rags. No wonder the perception of the media is on par with public opinion about Congress and lawyers.
Then there is the cancel culture idiocy. This is just another consequence of a tabloid-mentality-driven media in that the ones making the most noise, no matter how numerically insignificant, become amplified. They know the media is always looking for the next big trend (actual or created), the next screaming headline, and will give them the megaphone they want, distorting their true numbers and natural impact. Just look at the “gender” crap going on. You would think that at least half the population is or should be categorized as being in one or more of these increasing splintered super-minority groups. The lack of vehement pushback makes it appear that silence is agreement or acquiescence, but is it? Or is it simply the majority keeping silent so as not to become targets? This election will let us know who wins that war.
Presentism must end. The media must restore balance, credibility, and stop cheerleading all this intellectual, political, and physical destruction. Why do they spotlight and elevate this behavior (It sells, stupid!)? Why are colleges and universities allowing the clowns to run their circus? Because “higher education” is just another commodity, proven by all those 4th-rate-college TV commercials extolling the susceptible to finish their useless degree, their framed diploma just a fancy receipt.
So how do I vote? Here’s where the rubber hits the road and the guano hits the fan. It’s time to think of the long-term and act accordingly.
I will never support the horror that is the Democratic Party. I was not in favor of Trump in 2016, am not now (And remind you I am no longer a Republican. Find why in the archive.). I said in my previous Front Page post, I might hold my nose and vote for him if the race was razor-thin in NJ. It won’t be. Any vote for Trump will be canceled in this state. Since my vote is of no practical consequence, I can vote my conscience.
A vote for Biden is simply a vote to install Harris as the blue-check woman (check) of color (check) into position to assume the presidency, despite all her Biden-bashing back during the primaries. Is being a woman or black or Asian qualification to be President? Biden is now the congenial proxy stand-in until the Democrats are ready to throw him under the bus, his purpose fulfilled, when once again, they will be prayerful and somber as they pretend to go through exhaustive anguish and hand-wringing about his obvious senility and unsuitability for office. He will resign, as planned, and Harris will be installed as President, giving her unearned incumbency going into 2024. Talk about subverting democracy! Yep, your Democratic Party at work.
Does anyone really think she should be president…ever? Anyone…Bueller? If they did, she would be the Democratic nominee. Obama did severe damage to this country. Harris is just a female version, but even less qualified.
All one has to do is watch this, parse the language, and know what’s coming if the Democrats take the White House and the Senate. This is communism. Luckily for her, she bypassed all the social unrest over inequality, inequity, and privilege; as well as the massive historical failure of the communist and Marxist policies she espouses, because she got her leg(s)-up in life by being…mentored (sure, we’ll go with that) … “under” the infamous Willy Brown.
So once again, I voted for myself. We need more viable party options—another topic I have started writing about but can’t finish.
We have an electoral college for damned good reasons. Could it be modernized? Sure. Eliminated? It could be, but shouldn’t. The Constitution is the instrument and instructional framework of how our federal government is organized and conducted. This is a federated republic. Do you know what that is? Why that form was chosen? Federalism means states exist for reasons other than having different license plates.
You want to debate about, and possibly alter the Constitution? Then convene a constitutional convention and present your challenges and arguments out in the open air and sunshine of public debate. Then put it out there to see if enough states will ratify. This is the way any foundational changes should and have occurred. The Constitution has been altered many times over our history through the methods provided by the Constitution. The despicable end-run attempt around the electoral college with the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which, strangely, hasn’t been discussed of late…keeping the “quiet parts” quiet…until tomorrow or whenever the final electoral numbers are finally certified—but only if Biden loses. This is occurring because certain factions detest the outcome of 2016 and will do anything they can to nullify how it happened (four times in our history).
They know they would never succeed to bring about what they crave in the manner prescribed by the Constitution. Why not? Because states matter and the people in the states meant to be neutered and neutralized by this subterfuge, matter. But watch for other end-runs using the stealth of creeping incrementalism and normalization, and not just over this issue (this is how so many things that are so wrong became acceptable). The same nefarious results can be achieved in both ways.
There are very basic questions that need to be examined: Should this remain a federated republic; should there be semi-autonomous states or should this be one single un-federated entity, even split into multiple countries? Any of these changes would probably necessitate a change in the type of democracy we would have. Or maybe not be a democracy at all, which, is exactly what the true fascist—the illiberal left—want. They certainly aren’t ‘liberal” in the classic sense. They are open to all ideas and points of view provided they are in lockstep with theirs. They are fascists, socialist/communists: Two concepts that those who praise and seek to bring to fruition either have no knowledge of the catastrophic history of these pernicious ideologies or will claim they can make it work, which brings me to…
Human nature. In the end, it all comes down to human nature. Any form of democratic self-governance requires self-control, an intelligent and educated electorate nourished by scrupulous and balanced media, and a sense of personal and then social responsibility—individual and social moral compasses to temper the worst of human nature, both as individuals and fluid collectives of shared interests. These used to be the purview of various religious traditions, now under a full-court press of secular nullification. The void is filled with ever-increasing government and related bureaucracies that have been empowered to control more and more aspects of our lives as they become increasingly empowered to be the arbiter of societal (ab)normalities that, by design, has no moral center or fixed common-sense standards. There are only “rights” and “entitlements” (not to be confused with the evils of earned privileges), no responsibility for personal actions, therefore no need for police, or prisons, standards for college admissions, job qualifications, etc. Another attempt at utopia is almost here. Are you ready?
Whatever happened to statesmanship, to the ideals of citizenship? We all know the answers if we just think for about 30 seconds. I don’t have time to write about these critical topics, especially citizenship and the web of related topics.
We are in the condition we are in, in part, because of government and how we go about conducting it. Our acquiescence to the ever-increasing size and influence of government has resulted in overreach which has created fractious factions, which have become aggrieved belligerent camps of smoldering discontent. The result is all of this societal breakdown into ever-increasing tribes of perpetual aggrieved constituencies. If the government is a problem, and human nature is a problem, then we the people are the root of every problem.
Everyone…just shut up. Stop reading your Twitter and Facebook feeds. Put down your phone. Turn off the TV. Breathe. Get control of yourselves. And stop trying to control everyone else. Repair the traditional social fabric that has been torn asunder. Live by the Golden Rule.
Become responsible adults again and take the responsibility for raising your kids, not leaving it to schools. Do you know what your kids are being taught? Do you care? Care enough to fight to get control of the curriculum? I’ll bet there were elections for the school board on most ballots. Do you know who those people are, what they stand for, what texts your property, and other taxes, are buying? Don’t blindly leave this to teachers (and their corrupt unions) and administrators.
There is so much I wanted to say over these last few months but just can’t spend that kind of time writing. The best I can do is try to remain steady in the face of all the crap going on around me in this pinball machine of life. To hold on to principles that are my stand in the face of unchanging human nature and the whirlwind of often inhuman activity. To carry on the best I know how.
This is a very consequential day.
I’ll be back.
L@L
* I would be willing to make portions of the database content (specifically the timeline and links) available to others who demonstrate serious purpose, need, and benefit.
