Sunday, June 7, 2020

Rotten Apples Or Is the Whole Crop Rotten?

The killing of George Floyd by a white police officer has sparked widespread protests not only in the US but around the world. The continuing pattern of violence by mostly white police against African-Americans has become a kind of institutional sickness within the American system. It would be interesting to compare this case with that of Justine Diamond, a white woman killed in 2017 by a black police officer, Mohammed Noor. Noor was convicted in 2019 of third degree murder and manslaughter and sentenced to 12.5 years in prison. While some would argue that police violence is out of control, nobody can deny that racism governs the whole system. White police officers kill black people all the time, and they either get off scot free or they get a mere slap on the wrist.

One idea would be to abolish police unions, which are one of the biggest enemies to reform. Some people would go further. It is clear that the current system is one of criminal injustice.

Monday, May 4, 2020

What To Do About Joe

Just as Joe Biden had virtually wrapped up the Democratic nomination for President, he got hit with accusations of sexual assault or something. The allegations are made by a former staffer over an incident that allegedly happened 27 years ago. It seems unlikely that anything could be proven after all these years. The situation has caused a lot of embarrassment not only for the Democrats but for the entire liberal movement. The liberals embrace of the MeToofers and their premise of guilty-by-accusation has put in them in a predicament. They won't be able to play that card anymore.

Oddly the New York Times has had to concede, obliquely, the folly of guilt-by-accusation.

"With Mr. Trump in the White House, and a country that is learning — very slowly — to reconsider the form that harassment and assault can take, Democrats have staked their political brand on the idea that all allegations should be taken seriously and that every woman has a right to be heard. But that doesn’t mean every woman is right when she speaks."

No kidding. The article also says

"“If this is true, and there is no investigation, his candidacy or his presidency could implode over it” — and, she noted, could take #MeToo down with it."

If MeToo goes down, that would be for the best. Perhaps we should say not only to the MeToofers but to Feminists in general the words of Oliver Cromwell to the Rump Parliament: "You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately. Depart, I say I say, and let us have done with you." (1653).

"Tara Reade's Allegation Is Against Biden, but the Burden Is on Women" by Jessica Bennett and Lisa Lerer.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Vox: Liberal Hypocrisy and Duplicity

An article recently appeared in Vox which show the hypocrisy and selective "compassion" that characterizes not only Vox but also the entire liberal left. One of these is "The whiteness of anti-lockdown protests" by Maia Niguel Hoskin. Hoskin claims that protests against the lockdown are somehow racist. She also claims, that since blacks are somehow more affected by the epidemic, that opposition to her stance is somehow racist. This is an example of the original meaning of the term non sequitur: "it doesn't follow." Considering that Hoskin's real stance is based on rhetoric:

"Oppressed is an interesting word choice. Let’s start first with what racist oppression is. Oppression is not getting a job, a promotion, a business loan, or approved for your dream home solely based on your race — things black people deal with regularly. On the other hand, oppression is not staying in the comfort of your home, with a full fridge, health care, and a 401k. Oppression is also not a term that should be used willy-nilly, at the first feeling of discomfort, crying it to get your way — putting other people’s health and lives at risk. Many of us are uncomfortable right now. But please do not conflate discomfort with oppression."

It's obvious that the only people white people who Hoskin is thinking of are people like herself: affluent, urban types who aren't adversely affected by the shutdown. Skin off who's ass, right?

It is remarkable how smug and arrogant is the stance of Hoskin and people like her. She, like most left liberals, don't realize that putting everything in a black-versus-white stance is actually works to their disadvantage. You are not going to win people over by telling them, as Hoskin does "You're problems don't matter." It is no wonder why middle class whites don't vote for liberals. Because why would they?

Friday, April 17, 2020

Insult Upon Injury, and Then Another Injury

Let us first recap how we got here.

*The government neglected the healthcare system, leaving it unable to cope with an epidemic.

*When the epidemic broke out the government had no response other than to shut down the economy

*There are now 22 million unemployed Americans

*The governments "stimulus checks" program has turned into a clusterfuck, with many people not getting the help they were supposed to get.

Assuming that civilization doesn't collapse, we should hold this stupid government accountable. Kick the bums out, whether they are GOPers or Demos.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

No Skin Off Of Their Asses

The latest catchphrase "social distancing" is really a joke. It would only work if everybody walked around wearing space suits or stayed locked inside. Since the former is obviously impossible, the latter has come to be public policy, with shut downs of schools, libraries and increasingly businesses of all sorts. It's not even possible to get anything to eat anymore. Doctors of course don't care; they are making around $150,000 a year and in any case their livelihoods are not affected. Much of the liberal media has also jumped on the bandwagon, based on comparisons with the epidemic of 1918. Except that the epidemic of 1918 was incurable in its time. That is not true today.

The brings the question of what the rest of us are supposed to do. Stay in our homes and starve? Maybe we should be allowed to go about our business, and take our chances with the virus.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Totalitarian Feminism Shows Its Face

The recent decision by Hatchette Publishing to not publish the memoirs of Woody Allen shows the totalitarian nature not only of MeToo but of Feminism in general. Totalitarianism, at its simplest, is a group of people who think they have a mandate to dictate to others what to say, what to read, and what to think. The way in which the management of Hatchette allowed itself to intimidated by feminist hoodlums will go down as one of the worst examples of censorship in history. Another characteristic of totalitarianism is that it is often built around a cult like following of a leader who is supposed to be all knowing and all good. For the MeToofers that leader is Ronan Farrow. What will happen when Ronan Farrow is finally exposed as a scum bag liar with a twisted mother complex? The same thing that happened to communism after the crimes of Stalin were revealed.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Trump's Peace Deal is Falling Apart

Trump's supposed peace deal, which was supposed to lead to a US withdrawal from Afghanistan, is falling apart. The problem is that the Taliban is demanding the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners. The government of President Ashraf Ghani, however, is refusing. It turns out that the deal was only between the Trump administration and the Taliban. Ghani's government was excluded, which now seems like a big mistake. In the meantime, the fighting in Afghanistan continues. So much for the peace accord.

Donald Trump has been trying to conduct foreign policy the same way he ran his business: on the basis of shady deals. It turns out he is now dealing with opponents who have his number.