2017 April to May Miscellaneous
Again, I am catching up after a few months of blog inactivity. Following is a chronological collection of notes and Facebook posts. They include:
Successful US ICBM interceptor test to counter N. Korean threats, Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel & Europe, a few posts regarding the Left's attempts to silence conservative speech in America, confirmation of media bias against Trump & the GOP, Poland's prime minister berating Europe for being soft on terrorism & immigration, CNN not innocent of its own harassment, Trump innocent of leaking intel sources, division in America, more revealed on the terrible Iran deal, climate change science vs policy, North Korea's belligerent missile tests & the different China & Russia responses, the MOAB bomb in Afghanistan, Democrats and the Nazi & fascist cards, Gorsuch's Supreme Court confirmation and my Facebook interchange with a Trump detractor, the US missile strike against the Syrian air base that launched the chemical weapon attack (a new sheriff in town), Russian hacking in the election and Trump-Russia conspiracy theories, Trump's immigration ban is constitutional, and restitution to victimized minorities.
May 30, 2017
Successful US ICBM interceptor test to counter N. Korean threats, Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel & Europe, a few posts regarding the Left's attempts to silence conservative speech in America, confirmation of media bias against Trump & the GOP, Poland's prime minister berating Europe for being soft on terrorism & immigration, CNN not innocent of its own harassment, Trump innocent of leaking intel sources, division in America, more revealed on the terrible Iran deal, climate change science vs policy, North Korea's belligerent missile tests & the different China & Russia responses, the MOAB bomb in Afghanistan, Democrats and the Nazi & fascist cards, Gorsuch's Supreme Court confirmation and my Facebook interchange with a Trump detractor, the US missile strike against the Syrian air base that launched the chemical weapon attack (a new sheriff in town), Russian hacking in the election and Trump-Russia conspiracy theories, Trump's immigration ban is constitutional, and restitution to victimized minorities.
May 30, 2017
Put this in your pipe, and smoke it, North Korea & Iran! I'm feeling less
vulnerable in L.A. And the country as a whole should feel relief from possible
EMP blackouts.
The Pentagon
successfully tested a U.S. long-range interceptor missile over the Pacific
Ocean on Tuesday
May 29, 2017
This Memorial Day, God bless the families of those who have
made the ultimate sacrifice, and who continue to make other sacrifices for
our freedoms. I was moved by the stories of surviving friends and families this
morning on the Dennis Prager show.
I also found inspiring the words of President
Trump in Saudi Arabia,
and the imagery of military solidarity symbolized in his participation in the
sword dance, and in Israel:
"It is a
choice between two futures—and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you.
"A better future is
only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive.
Them. Out.
"DRIVE
THEM OUT of your places of worship.
DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities.
DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and
DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH."
DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities.
DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and
DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH."
It reminds me
of those in the Book of Mormon who would not tolerate the Gadianton Robbers,
but drove them out from their midst. Otherwise, they will continue to plague us
and others.
And he also
clearly called out Iran as a key part of the problem:
"Starving
terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their
craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them.
"But no
discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the
government that gives terrorists all three—safe harbor, financial backing, and
the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible
for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran.
"From
Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias,
and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region.
For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.
"It is a
government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel,
death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.
"Among
Iran’s most tragic and destabilizing interventions have been in Syria.
Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the United
States has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons
by the Assad Regime – launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base
from where that murderous attack originated.
"Responsible
nations must work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate
ISIS, and restore stability to the region. The Iranian regime’s
longest-suffering victims are its own people. Iran has a rich history and
culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their
leaders’ reckless pursuit of conflict and terror.
"Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.
The decisions we make will affect countless lives."
A Syrian crematorium has now been identified adjacent to a prison, where some 50 bodies have been burned per day to cover up mass murders. Assad has got to go.
May 26, 2017
RIP free speech in America, Part III. Here's yet another
instance demonstrating the third tactic to silence conservative speech, as
mentioned in my May 13 post. Again, as with O'Reilly, Media Matters apparently
orchestrated a campaign against advertisers. Like sharks, they smelled blood in
the water from O'Reilly, which whipped them into a frenzy and encouraged them.
Again, they can't win the war of ideas, so they fight dirty. The advertisers
need to wise up -- those calling them are not
typically Fox News audience, and so the advertising base won't be significantly
impacted. And while typically one complaint represents 1,000 who feel similarly
but don't complain, that's completely untrue for such a politically
orchestrated campaign. Maybe if more of the real viewing audience began calling
the same advertisers and threatening to boycott them if they do pull funding,
things will change. Or fighting fire with fire, by calling MSNBC's or CNN's
advertisers to complain (legitimately) about their fake news, character
assassinations and bias....
Fox News'
Sean Hannity is bleeding advertisers after being targeted by Media Matters. The
left-wing nonprofit published a list of Hannity's advertisers on Wednesday,
kickstarting a public campaign
DAILYCALLER.COM
The media bias has been glaringly obvious to me, and now
quantitatively confirmed by this Harvard study. Over 90% against Trump
-- and viciously. For our liberal mainstream media, Obama could do no wrong,
and Trump no right. Trump has made numerous excellent appointments, delivered
on campaign promises to those who elected him, made some excellent speeches,
including on his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel & Europe, and shown
real leadership and strength much needed in this dangerous world. But the media is obsessed with
Russian conspiracy theories and verbal faux pas. I care much more about results
for America & its allies, but the media & Dems are more focused on
inarticulateness and political interests, still smarting from the election.
Which brings to mind the scripture: "That make a man an offender for a
word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the
just for a thing of nought." Isaiah 29:21
The
credibility of the mainstream media takes another hit, this time from a
surprising source. By Bob Adelmann
THENEWAMERICAN.COM
The Polish
prime minister is another rare, brave, politically incorrect leader who sees and speaks
clearly. There are other effective ways to deal with the refugee crisis and
immigration -- e.g., establishing interim safe zones & camps in Syria &
neighboring Muslim nations -- cheaper in the long run in cost, disruption and
loss of life through terrorism. Germany especially is still dealing with guilt
from WWII. The link below has a video of her speech, and textual excerpts.
Poland has
been a staunch and consistent critic of the European Union's reckless policy on
immigration and refugees. While Poland understands the need for…
CONSTITUTION.COM
May 18
Trump didn’t give
Russians sources/methods in the meeting talking about new terrorist efforts
to plant bombs on laptops to blow up airlines – information that clearly needs
to be shared with all airline security services. The media implied it was Israeli sources, and
they say they don’t care – only the Left/media care to delegitimize Trump. Trump has a point when he calls it a “witch
hunt.”
Victor Davis Hansen, on Prager’s show, said what we’re
seeing is a slow coup (against Trump). People unable to accept the election results. He’s being harassed for things the previous
administration did but got away with because of the media bias, etc. For example, Obama leaking bin Laden intel.
May 16, 2017
"Those
who live in glass houses should not throw stones"
But of course no heads will roll there, because
there will be no activists demanding withdrawal of advertising (unlike for
Fox). Just more hypocrisy, and "being on the Left means never having to
say you're sorry."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/cnn-faces-growing-racial-discrimination-lawsuit-991036
All the continuing leaks tend to support the notion of the “deep
state,” with imbedded liberal/Left, anti-Trump/GOP bureaucrats, and the need to
continue “cleaning the swamp.” They are
clearly partisan and political and part of the incessant drumbeat to impeach
Trump, and are not in the national security interests. These people need to be found and prosecuted
for their crimes.
If the claim is correct about a Comey memo in February that
Trump told him “I would hope you can see your way through to put this [the
Flynn affair] behind us,” was not just a hopeful wish but obstruction of
justice, why didn’t he share that at the time with DOJ, but wait until after
Trump fired him?
May 13
RIP Free Speech in
America, Part II. Kimberley Strassel
of the WSJ, author of “The Intimidation
Game: How the Left Is Silencing Free Speech,” gave an enlightening speech at Hillsdale College
April 26 titled “The Left’s War on Free Speech” (https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/lefts-war-free-speech/).
She begins with an anecdote about her 3 squabbling young children, who when
asked to define free speech showed themselves to reflect a real-world range,
respectively: a constitutional
conservative, a libertarian and a socialist with totalitarian tendencies.
She then traces the shift in political culture the last 8
years to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling. With the Left unable to
use campaign finance laws or argumentation to muzzle or win policy debates, it
has resorted to a strategy to threaten, harass, and intimidate its opponents
out of participation. [Standard Leftist tactics – e.g., Alinsky’s “Rules for
Radicals.”]
She says this strategy is manifest in 3 tactics. First, unleashing of biased or intimidated
federal and state bureaucracies on political opponents – e.g., the IRS
targeting of conservative non-profits.
Second, for prosecutors to frighten and hound political opponents – the
most terrifying, police-state-like example being the John Doe probe in
Wisconsin, conducted in secret and putting targets (Scott Walker supporters)
under gag orders. Third is for activist
groups to use blackmail against corporations, non-profits & individuals to
silence them – e.g., against ALEC (free-market promoter), Frank VanderSloot
(Romney supporter), California Prop 8 supporters (including myself) – and I
would add Bill O’Reilly, Chick-Filet, Ivanka Trump, etc. Her solutions include awareness, exposing
& standing up to the bullies (they hide behind anonymity, like the masked
rioters), and various legislation. Let’s
get to it!
By the way, Hillsdale
College's monthly speech digest, Imprimis, is great, and free to subscribe to.
April 27
RIP Free Speech in
America. Time and again, violence or
even the threat of it has succeeded in suppressing free speech at supposedly
the most liberal campuses in America, such as Berkeley. The Left is projecting again, with its
accusations of fascism on the Right, and with its accusations of hate. Real hate leads to violence. And not standing up to it, just like paying
ransom for hostages, encourages more of the same. As noted in other posts, enlightened Liberals
like Kirsten Powers (Author of “The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech”)
recognize this. And even Bill Maher.
Part of this movement includes the incessant campaign to
bring down conservative spokesmen (O’Reilly, Hannity) at Fox News, to silence
them. No jealousy of ratings there,
right? And no sour grapes from the
election. If they can’t win at the
ballot box, or in the war of ideas, this is what they resort to – character
assassination and rioting. It should be
blatantly obvious to any observer. Of
course it’s good to know that all the other networks are so pristine as to not
be worthy of such scrutiny.
We’re more divided
than any time since the Civil War.
Some states have already effectively in part seceded from the Union, not
recognizing federal immigration or drug laws, etc.
Pena: “The era of strategic patience is over” –
speaking about North Korea & previous administrations who kicked the can
down the road. We can no longer afford
to. “If China [& N. Korea?] won’t
take care of it, the U.S. and its allies will.”
April 24
Disgraceful (the Iran deal), and all for a terrible deal. Quite a legacy.
http://ijr.com/2017/04/854873-new-details-emerge-on-obamas-iran-deal/?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=afternoon-newsletter&utm_medium=owned
A new
Politico report uncovers important details.
April 23
Climate Change Science
& Policy
A note I sent to my sister who’s doing some STEM education work,
and recently did an oceanographic cruise with scientists with the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). [Regarding
the climate change policies debate,] “I’m also interested in the communication
from science to the public (& policy-makers). I think scientists are
generally measured. They need to quantify their uncertainties (e.g.,
especially in forecasting climate impacts -- I understand worst-case
predictions have come down considerably). And the public &
policy-makers need to understand those, and that even though there may be
strong correlation with human activity, that doesn't justify draconian
(especially US), worst case (Al Gore hysteria) policy impacts. There
needs to be understanding and discussion of the trade-offs -- the costs vs
benefits/risks for US measures. Especially if draconian US measures will
have negligible global climate impact, but horrible economic (& military)
impacts, which ripple through the rest of the world. And stifling 3rd
world development. One new organization that has sprung up in our company
is policy-related. As complicated as the science & physical
forecasting is, it gets even more complicated with the socio-economic &
geo-political forecasting. I think too many just assume that the science
is settled and so, too must be the policy. I think Carol [my other sister,
and senior scientist at WHOI] sent me a copy of a paper she sent to the EPA
that warranted more caution.”
April 20
Now the Russians, as well as the Chinese, have massed along the N. Korean border. And we all know what happened the last time 150,000 Chinese troops massed along the Yalu River. They may not be there for the reasons some assume (to pressure N. Korea to behave, to press for a coup, or to stop N. Korean refugees if war breaks out). Stalin & Mao collaborated in the Korean War. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4428384/Putin-sends-troops-Russia-s-border-North-Korea.html
Now the Russians, as well as the Chinese, have massed along the N. Korean border. And we all know what happened the last time 150,000 Chinese troops massed along the Yalu River. They may not be there for the reasons some assume (to pressure N. Korea to behave, to press for a coup, or to stop N. Korean refugees if war breaks out). Stalin & Mao collaborated in the Korean War. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4428384/Putin-sends-troops-Russia-s-border-North-Korea.html
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
April 18
"Oh, behave!" North Korea.
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