David Brooks: Send Better Mush

David Brooks, in a column that will surely gain wide mockery, wants to combat fanaticism with more fuzzy intellectuals delivering better mush. The fact that he makes a few good points won't save him.

How to Roll Back Fanaticism

I know what you're wondering - is this about Islamic fanaticism, the progressive fanaticism that got Damore fired at Google, right-wing fanaticism, white supremacist fanaticism, or what? So many fanatics, so little column space...

We’re living in an age of anxiety. The country is being transformed by complex forces like changing demographics and technological disruption. Many people live within a bewildering freedom, without institutions to trust, unattached to compelling religions and sources of meaning, uncertain about their own lives. Anxiety is not so much a fear of a specific thing but a fear of everything, an unnamable dread about the future. People will do anything to escape it.

An "Age of anxiety". Hmm, not much of a clue there. Eventually I will promote the intellectual and geographic "Big Sort" theory as the reason our political 'leaders' talk past each other rather than lead, but meanwhile, on with the bashing of this "Age of Anxiety" notion.

In the 60's we had the civil rights movement, race riots, the Vietnam War and its attendant protests, a President a Senator and a King assassinated, the missile crisis, the Cold War - anxious much?

The 70's gave us Watergate, a Presidential resignation, not one but two oil shocks, Ford, Carter and disco. Are we calm yet?

The 80's began the Reagan Era with a ghastly recession and continued with corporate takeovers, downsizing and 'right'-sizing. The 80's ended with a mini-financial system collapse of the S&Ls and, to be fair, the peaceful collapse of the Soviet Union. Not relaxing.

The 90's opened with a bit of unpleasantness in the Gulf but are widely remembered as peaceful and prosperous. The rise of the Angry White Man and the Gingrich-led Republican takeover of the House and Senate gets short shrift in that telling, as does Clinton's impeachment and his blind eye towards the rise of Al Qaeda. That said, the 90's are probably the Good Old Days Mr. Brooks has in mind.

I am pretty sure he is not looking back fondly on the earlier 21st century, what with 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the rise of China and the displacement of millions of American workers - no, anxious times indeed, sort of as always.

Pressing on:

Donald Trump is the perfect snake oil salesman for this moment. He lacks inwardness and therefore is terrified by the possibility of anxiety. He has been escaping self-scrutiny his whole life and has become a genius at the self-exculpating rationalization. He took a nation beset by uncertainty and he gave it a series of “explanations” that were simple, crude, affirming and wrong.

A Trump-basher? Because Trump is a sloganeering politician totally unlike Mr. Hope and Change or Mr. Man From Hope? My goodness, surely Mr. Brooks remembers Adlai Stevenson running twice against Ike in the 50's. A well-known Stevenson quip: a supporter (allegedly) called out: "Governor, you have the vote of every thinking person". To which Stevenson replied "That's not enough, madam. I need a majority."

Yeah, its a slippery slope from there to "basket of deplorables", but targeting the Great Unwashed is an old tradition.

Trump gave people a quick pass out of anxiety. Everything could be blamed on foreigners, the idiotic elites. The problems are clear, and the answers are easy. He has loosed a certain style of thinking. The true link between the Trump administration and those pathetic loons in Charlottesville is not just bigotry, but also conspiracy mongering.

Groan. This is in contrast to Hillary, who would have done a bang-up job if only those pesky Russians hadn't conspired with other Sinister Forces to steal her White House. No conspiracy-mongering over there from the woman who introduced us to the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy!

OK, I did say a good point was on offer. This is not one of them:

The age of anxiety inevitably leads to an age of fanaticism, as people seek crude palliatives for the dizziness of freedom. 

Hmm, the "dizziness of freedom" hardly describes the fanaticism in the Middle East. This "Age of Anxiety" notion seems to be a one size fits all garment.

But here we go to his defensible point:

But throughout history the wiser minds have understood that anger and moral posturing are not a good antidote to rage and fanaticism. Competing vitriols only build on each other.

In fact, the most powerful answer to fanaticism is modesty. Modesty is an epistemology directly opposed to the conspiracy mongering mind-set. It means having the courage to understand that the world is too complicated to fit into one political belief system. It means understanding there are no easy answers or malevolent conspiracies that can explain the big political questions or the existential problems. Progress is not made by crushing some swarm of malevolent foes; it’s made by finding balance between competing truths — between freedom and security, diversity and solidarity. There’s always going to be counter-evidence and mystery. There is no final arrangement that will end conflict, just endless searching and adjustment.

Well, fine. Simple answers get people marching but eventually nuance takes over when the time for resolution and compromise arrives. One might point to the US Constitution as an example of a compromise document crafted by post-success revolutionaries.

Then again, where did Obama's nuance and subtle understanding get him or lead us? Was the country less divided and less polarized after his eight years? Of course not, or if it was, why did Trump win?

I discard this 'Age of Anxiety" notion as timeless. For my money the geographical 'Big Sort' (e.g., conservatives fleeing cities and heading for areas they can shoot their guns) and the intellectual 'Big Sort', where everyone gets the news that affirms their current beliefs, goes a long way towards explaining the current inability of our political class to have a sensible discussion about anything.

Comments

[JimNorCal]

Ewww. David Brooks

[JimNorCal]

It must be a sad trial to be a pundit and have nothing to say.

[narciso]

Gruel has nutritional value, unlike brooksie.

[henry]

Brooks is correct. Next protest, we put Brooks and his #NeverTrump and Leftist (redundancy alert) brethren in between Antifa and the Nazi/KKK instead of the cops. They can read their columns to all in a giant kumbaya head bashing epic.

[JimNorCal]

Ah, narciso, I was getting an Oliver Twist vibe too

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/the-rise-of-the-violent-left/534192/

This article is an interesting accompaniment to Brooks. It details the rise of Antifa and points out at the end a very important point, which I am going to summarize.

Antifa is not elected, and therefore their efforts to stop unpopular (to them) ideas from being spoken is nothing more than that of vigilantes.

When "unacceptable" behavior and speech is bludgeoned down by an angry mob, the slippery slope will require ever-increasing amounts of blood.

Mr. Brooks may think he is safe now as a "moderate voice," but sooner or later they will get around to him, too.

[rse]

Brooks sounds just like a Third Way, Purple America, Convergence advocate.

He can take his fondness for perfectly creased trousers and F himself instead of thinking we need his advice on how to view the world.

[Clarice Feldman]

Iggy, Subotai's remark is the most accurate and brilliant analysis of Charlottesville I've seen,

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article167257787.html

Durham statue-destroyers were taped by police and will be charged.

[henry]

charged. not convicted, fined or jailed. merely charged. and the statue will not be restored. convenient, isn't it.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I'm shocked and flummoxed. How after eight years of rule by precisely the smooth, cool, moderating, modest Niebuhrian intellectualoid who even has his pants ironed coolly [all according to Brooksie of course] could we be living in an age of anxiety?
Shouldn't all this True Believer angst have been fixed by Brooksie's Platonic ideal who he's been fellating nonstop for nearly a decade?

It almost makes one think maybe Brooks is not only not as smart as he thinks he is, he's not even as smart as I thought he was, which was in the slime-mold realm.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

henry,

Alas, you are probably right.

Wearing masks in public demonstrations is illegal in most states, a leftover from the days of the Ku Klux Klan.

What I want to know is why it isn't enforced. The only time I have seen it done was a recent Antifa demonstration in Auburn, Alabama.

Anonymity in a demonstration is rather like being anonymous on the internet. People who do not have a moral compass use anonymity to shield them from consequences of their actions.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

A discussion of the motivation of all of the players, both in DC and even in Charlottesville.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/08/15/there-are-trillions-of-dollars-at-stake/comment-page-1/#comment-4263230

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

I want to put in a plea for cancelling cable.

I understand it is a sacrifice for sports fans, but if you are not a big football or basketball fan (heresy, I know) please consider doing so.

CNN gets its money from cable fees. Just not watching them isn't helpful, because they will still get the money. Yes, ratings MAY mean that they have to sell ads at lower cost, but this would take years to bankrupt them. In addition, many of the cable companies are ALSO our enemies, particularly Comcast and Time-Warner.

Deny them your money. You can rent movies, subscribe to Netflix, watch live strams on-line, or read a book.

I am positive my blood pressure went down since ending cable and cable news (even Fox).

[Antetam]

You have the best mom-beaters ideology can buy..

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/james-fields-held-bond-fatal-charlottesville-crash-article-1.3410210

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--In fact, the most powerful answer to fanaticism is modesty. Modesty is an epistemology directly opposed to the conspiracy mongering mind-set.--

It's not a good point. It's an idiotic point.
The proper way to live, as opposed to fanaticism, is modestly.
However the idea modesty is an antidote or an effective counter to a fanaticism run rampant is the best way to allow fanaticism to triumph.

Was Total War modest? Were Fat Man or Little Boy modest?
Was razing Carthage and salting the earth modest?
When people refuse to live modestly, the modest must at some point become temporary savages to put fanaticism back in its box so that society can survive.

Guys with precious patches on the elbows of their tweed jackets, a thoughtfully furrowed brow and a dumb grin on their empty heads need not apply, but they do need to get the hell out of the way while housekeeping is in order.

[rse]

Does every one agree that governors are the "chief job creation officers" in each state?

https://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/2017/1708WorkforceAssociationsPaper.pdf

[JimNorCal]

"I want to put in a plea for cancelling cable."

With you on that one. Not a big sacrifice when you get used to it. And over time, competitive products will arise. Possibly cable companies will bit the bullet and implement cafeteria plans that allow you to choose channels.

[Antetam]

He was FORCED to dead-eye read the teleprompter?

Find out who forced him.

Make THAT guy POTUS!!

[henry]

maybe "chief bribe creation officers" is closer to reality.

[Antetam]

Kelley for interim POTUS.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/nyregion/hartford-with-its-finances-in-disarray-veers-toward-bankruptcy.html

Math: it's a mystery to democrats.

[JimNorCal]

*bite* sigh...

[rse]

That is that piece of legislation no one wanted to talk about when it was passed and which was initially pitched as being about helping people with disabilities.

It is actually a Bipartisan attempt to put politicians in charge of the economy at all levels in every state.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Well, rse, I think that term assumes more influence than governors really have.

When Pence was governor here, and Mitch Daniels before him, they did a lot of overseas trips to try and lure business here, as well as trips to places like New York and California.

Their chief role in job creation, however, was in NOT raising corporate and income taxes, which made doing business here more profitable.

Indiana has a workforce development program, but mostly it involves itself in promoting job fairs, running job ads, and pointing people towards educational resources.

[JimNorCal]

I haven't followed the "teleprompter" talking point but I can say this:
I've seen Trump speak extemporaneously and do very well indeed. I have seen NUMEROUS examples where former Pres Obama could NOT speak without someone telling him what to say.

I assume this is all about the Left crafting talking points "you criticized Obama for using a TelePrompter, now it's our turn". Still, as usual they miss the point completely ...

[Dave (in MA)]

Cat in the Hat was at it again yesterday.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

I just unfollowed Jennifer Griffin for promoting Eboni Williams hateful screed.

I told her they were all well aware Trump isn't a racist and yet they promote the idea and are shameful people.

Not much, but it's the only weapon I have.

[rse]

MM-the people who don't realize how unworkable this vision is are politicians, public sector emplyees and their unions, and lobbyists. Unfortunately the legislation does put pols completely in charge and it's an expensive apparatus to boot.

Since my experience with the current Gov and the Lt, who is now running for Gov, is that neither shows any signs of firing in their cerebral cortex, these people actually believe they are the chief job creators in the state. They literally parrot these talking points and act on them and they are already putting community organizing groupds on these created boards. I know because I was at the meeting at the carter center of one of the listed parties in Ga about 18 months ago. I listened to their precise agenda and now they get to work to implement it from the state board.

[rse]

Right on schedule http://www.educationdive.com/news/governors-call-for-greater-partnership-around-workforce-development/449301/

[Janet the expert 🚬]

We were all quiet & "modest" for too long. Look where we are.
While we sat there....live & let live, don't discuss politics or religion, be polite, ....the left was screaming their beliefs from the rooftops - schools, TV, entertainment, advertisements, etc. .

We are fools to be quiet. It will not get easier.

Thoughts from an old Prager/Metaxas discussion -

2 strong points were:
*speaking up while we still can - Metaxas raised Bonhoeffer & Germany & how the ability to speak out against evil became harder & harder & harder. Polite silence is a LOSER strategy.
and
*this is AMERICA...we can think & say whatever we want. We all should really be outraged at any attempt to silence the exchange of ideas.
Speak up. Take action. Begin NOW.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

rse,

I see your point. Our current governor may be ripe for such foolishness, as he is not very charismatic and is looking to make a name for himself.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 2m2 minutes ago

For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!

[Antetam]

Missing the point is SOP..

Who dragged him to the podium of redemption lite?

Make the enforcer POTUS, not this panty-waist tidy- didy.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://donsurber.blogspot.com/2017/08/begone-national-review.html?spref=tw

[rse]

MM-later in that link it talks about the need to link the training system to the welfare system.

Remember I don't just know the theory I am watching all these databases being set up in every state to "ensure equity" and for political steering when there is a gap between what exists and the desired goals. These are the old 5 year plans mentalities except adjustable to fit the data. The goals are still politically set and since I actually have read WIOA, the federal ed statute, and that Resilient Boston paper I wrote about yesterday I know precisely how they all fit.

I can see how it ties to Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy integrated databases all states are to set up and what is called Health in All Policies that pulls in Housing, HHS, and everything.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

I think the dems are going to regret taking this current line of attack.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4340596/JFK-s-diary-reveals-deep-fascination-Adolf-Hitler.html

[Jim Eagle]

Found this on Hot Air. In New Zealand they have taught 3 dogs to drive a Mini. Hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWAK0J8Uhzk

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.golf.com/knockdown/2017/08/14/former-pga-champ-sportswriter-make-nice-after-locker-room-dust

Actually a good story, which the headline doesn't quite convey.

I wish political columnists could learn the lesson this golf columnist describes.

[matt, deplore me if you must]

It will be easy to boycott UnderArmor, not so much Intel.I am disgusted with these politically correct groupthinking assholes who deny realities such as the differences between men and women and who curry favor and advantage through cronyism.

Trump has been cutting through the bullshit of American Manufacturing, where most of the big names have sold their souls to China. Motorola? A shadow of it's former self. IBM. A services company for the most part. HP? A joke. And on and on.

Intel has most of their fabs in this country, but very few others do. Most of it is foundries out of Taiwan and increasingly China.

If or when China's economy gets hit hard, which is increasingly likely. That huge surplus is going to deflate like a pricked balloon. Growth is still anemic when they need that 8-10% growth every year just to employ new hires.

Maybe then, when factory owners just close the gates and head for Vancouver and Monterey Park and millions suddenly lose their jobs as happened in 2008-2009, will these companies realize that maybe their shouldn't have put all of their eggs in one basket.

They sold out technology when they went offshore to improve their bottom lines.Most of it just labels and branding of the same stuff made in the same factories whether it be clothing, shoes, furniture or any of 10,000 products both low and high tech.

And all the while a bunch of gravy training MBA's express their horror that a bunch of Klanners decided to take a stand on some 150 year old monument.

The only way that works out for the media is if the great middle class realizes that those symbols have been politicized in the interest of Marxist ideologues. Alinskyism is hard at work.

[daddy on iPad]

But throughout history the wiser minds have understood that anger and moral posturing are not a good antidote to rage and fanaticism. Competing vitriols only build on each other.

In fact, the most powerful answer to fanaticism is modesty.

For starters, tell me again how Justinian "modestly" dealt with the fanaticism of the Byzantium riots. Or any other hundred examples throughout history.

Brooks is not only not as smart as he thinks he is, he's not even as smart as I thought he was,

BTW, over here Google has removed David Brooks sissy pic as a high school punk, so you'll have to find it over there. It needs posting.

[jack burton]

Hey, wait a minute. You just "fisked" someone in the New York Times.

[henry]

fish , barrel, loaded weapon, free ammo. fire away.

[matt, deplore me if you must]

After the Civil War, all efforts were made to heal the country from its terrible wounds.

Both sides respected the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of lives. Soldiers such as Lee, Jackson, Hood and many others fought for their states and were honored for their service. Many Southern towns have memorials to the sons lost in that war, just as we also have monuments to the soldiers of other wars.

Vietnam was considered an unjust war by many on the Left. Should we now tear down the Vietnam Memorial?

Now the Left is rewriting and trying to erase history. Read up on Gramsci and historicism.

They are fighting over a war 150 years gone. Why? Because it advances the Leftist agenda. The Antifa were in Charlottesville looking for a fight. It takes two to tango. This is agitprop on both sides and both sides need to be condemned.

[Jim Eagle]

Under Armour is a great American success story and Plank is the reason why. He is a Terp like CH:)

I don't see a boycott happening with them unless parents say no to the kid's out there who want the product. They will still have big institutional team sales. Its the way he started.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://cbs4indy.com/2017/08/15/94-year-old-man-builds-swimming-pool-for-neighborhood-kids-after-wifes-death/

[cboldt]

So, protesters can be charged for beating up a statue, but not for beating up humans. That's seriously mixed up.

[daddy on iPad]

Mr. Brooks may think he is safe now as a "moderate voice," but sooner or later they will get around to him, too.

Miss Marple,

I'm waiting with some enthusiasm to see when the BLM/Antifa crowd, currently going after "Racist" Confederate Statues, zero in on the Mormon's and their historical "Racism" against Blacks in the Priesthood and against women as Equals. Mormon's in the big scheme are a covenient small target, and the despicableness of Egg McMuffin and his Utah cohorts in aiding and abetting by their voices the current destructors destroying Trump has turned off tons of potential allies like me, so when the Hard Left does turn on the Mormons when the oportunity arises as we know it will they can kiss me ass.

You'd think that a group who's founder was dragged out of a jail and murdered by an angry illegal mob might know better than to encourage angry illegal mobs, but apparently they don't.

[henry]

Check here: https://twitter.com/ddiamond/status/897486083382026240

and here: https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/897490816763080705

OFA campaign to sandbag CEOs on the council.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

daddy,

I have been reluctant to bring the topic up, but I notice that Orrin Hatch was one of the first to come out with some stupid statement.

I note that a LOT of the NeverTrump gang are Mormons: McMullin, Romney, Heller, Flake, Lee, etc.

Particularly galling to me was Orrin Hatch's posturing because for YEARS he made a big deal about his "across the aisle" friendship with TED KENNEDY!!

In what world is Donald Trump beyond the Pale but Ted Kennedy a swell guy?

I am with you. Let's sic these people on Utah and see how THEY like it.

[cboldt]

Mormon mafia. Hatch put Ginsberg on SCOTUS.

[daddy on iPad]

And Hatch personally orchestrated keeping Lisa Murkowsky in the Senate.

[Jim Eagle]

henry,

If I am Trump, I would replace the guys who leave with their competitors. Replace Ford with Chevy, or AMD for Intel, Nike for Under Armour, Pacific for Campbells (better rated brand anyway), etc. etc.

If they would accept.

[sbw]

Any CEO engaged in virtue signalling/moralizing got to the top misunderstanding capitalism. Capitalism allows any individual to voluntarily form community with anyone else.

[cboldt]

Wasn't it Hatch who also encouraged Mr. "wide stance" Larry Craig to not resign? Craig had resigned, then reneged on his resignation.

[henry]

given the campaign from OFA... our Chitown Lurker expects the next step will be occupooping the remaining CEO's homes.

[James D.]

In fact, the most powerful answer to fanaticism is modesty.

Of course it is. We answered the fanaticism of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan with thousands of modest ships, tens of thousands of modest planes, hundreds of thousands of modest men, and, at the end of the day, two very modest nuclear weapons.

[cboldt]

"The most powerful answer to fanaticism is surrender"

[maryrose]

Modesty?
Ok all you deranged Demoncrats can quietly go back under your rocks and modestly wait for the next election. Take lying Harry Reid with you, he who is now a big nobody who still thinks what he says counts for anything.
He lied proudly about Romney and became the anti- statesman.

[Frau Weg damit!]

US-Taliban on the move:

(GA's) Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams called for the removal of the giant carving that depicts three Confederate war leaders on the face of state-owned Stone Mountain, saying it “remains a blight on our state and should be removed.”

Printable words fail in the face of such ignorance. What does this person know of *our* history and especially the famous monument at Stone Mountain?

Gutzon Borglum was hired in 1915 as the carving consultant, and in 1916 he was appointed carving sculptor by the Stone Mountain Monumental Association. ... Borglum went on to carve the famous Mount Rushmore sculpture in South Dakota.

My inner Seymour Hersh language demon wants to comment appropriately to this runaway stupidity.

For those keeping tabs on Mormons today, Borglum was the son of a Danish Mormon convert who married two Danish sisters but later left the group.

[Man Tran]

The Mrs gets AT pushed to her iPhone every morning and often reads there long before I get a link from you guys. So she reads the article on Goolag to me. Except every few seconds, a splash page pops up that says she has a virus and click to . . .

So she reverts back to the starting link and starts over. Scrolling down to continue and gets another pop up. Reboot the phone, no change.

Eventually moves on to other articles and the problem goes away. Later she goes back to that article and the problem comes back!

So, is Goolag spamming articles about them?

[henry]

Man Tran, probably

[Janet the expert 🚬]

OFA campaign to sandbag CEOs on the council.

Wiki - Organizing for Action is a nonprofit 501(c)4 organization and community organizing project that advocates for the agenda of former U.S. President Barack Obama."

No IRS trouble for them.

[Frau Weg damit!]

The Confederate statue destroyed in Durham, NC by the evil US-Taliban was in honor of a common soldier. It was a reminder of the many who died during the horrific Civil War and a warning to the future generations.

What's next?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

I just got done filling out a survey for Luke Messer, one of the GOP primary candidates for the Senate who will run against Donnelly next year.

After answering a lot of questions on issues, there was a space for comments at the end. I told him I would only support a candidate who gave a full endorsement to Donald Trump and would pledge to support his policies in the Senate. I also told him I was enraged by leadership's foot-dragging on various bills and appointments and that I was extremely angry that few senators defended the President from baseless charges of racism.

[Dave (in MA)]

In June, the Boston Holocaust Memorial was vandalized by someone throwing a rock through one of the panes of glass, but they managed to charge a black vagrant before the Trump's Fault train got up to full speed.

Yesterday, the same thing happened, but bystanders grabbed the perp and held him until the cops came. This time it was a minor so we don't know any details, but surely it must have something to do with the number of hours that transpired between the time Ms. Heyer was run over by a neo-nazi and the time Trump specified that nazis were bad.

This morning, a black guy was arrested for kicking over the flowers left by visitors at the the memorial.

[Ralph L]

Man Tran, I got a lot of that until I installed adblocking.

Why not get rid of the Manufattering council?

[-peter]

Perhaps Brooks and Maya Angelou can cowrite a book and call it black and white mush

[Ralph L]

Zombie Maya

[Porchlight]

This Antifa rioting and violence is a huge miscalculation on the part of the left.

Just as the BLM and Antifa riots last summer went poof! and mostly disappeared in the fall because Hillary's people finally perceived it was hurting her in the polls, these machinations will have the opposite of the intended effect.

[Porchlight]

Dave (in MA),

I know I'm banging this drum but vandalizing a Holocaust memorial is easy pickings for the fake hate crime folks.

[maryrose]

I feel bad for Southerners who had ancestors who fought in the Civil War.
How about we push down a statue of Booker T Washington or Frederick Douglass?
It is the same thing.
Leave our statues and memorials alone.
They want to punish us for voting for President Trump.
All this does is strengthen our resolve.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Many years ago, when I had a part-time job at the Hallmark Store in the Hyatt Regency downtown (a friend owned it so it was an easy job to get), Hallmark came out with a Maya Angelou line, which was mostly mugs, plaques, and cards with various quotes from her poems printed on them in a calligraphy style.

Worst Hallmark line EVER. Most of it got clearanced after 3 months. I think the reason was when you SAW her poetry, rather than hearing her read it with her deep, drmaatic voice, it looked as inane as it really was.

[Frau Weg damit!]

Signer's soldiers:

Let's unmask Signer's thugs--only white hands holding the clubs.

Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer declared the city the “capital of the resistance” at a rally held in January following the election of President Donald Trump.

Signer organized the rally to announce his plans to “resist” the Trump administration by providing legal assistance to immigrants and directing the Charlottesville’s Human Rights Commission to address reports of xenophobia or racism. Signer also said he was considering violating federal law by making Charlottesville a “sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants.

[maryrose]

I have visited all these battlefields and I am taking this personally.
Go wreck your own stuff.History belongs to all of us.

[Rocco]

Saturday could be interesting on the Boston Common. He's the guy who organized the rally and the group he founded, ProudBoys, was seen in Charlottesville.

https://twitter.com/Gavin_McInnes/status/897158659112873984/photo/1

[Rocco]

Sorry, should have posted this too

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2017/08/15/what-we-know-about-the-free-speech-rally-planned-this-weekend-on-boston-common

[Threadkiller]

Hatch put Ginsberg on SCOTUS...
...And Hatch personally orchestrated keeping Lisa Murkowsky in the Senate...
...Wasn't it Hatch who also encouraged Mr. "wide stance" Larry Craig to not resign?...

On the plus side, Hatch held the hearings to redefine the eligibility requirements for POTUS so Schwarzenegger could run our military.. At those hearings Dick Durban pushed for allowing a person with Obama's 1st narrative citizenship defects to be considered ok without a change to the requirement.

Hatch abandoned the pursuit when the expert witness said good luck with a redefinition.

Obama's handlers went with a 2nd narrative and promptly had his bio removed from the net.

[cboldt]

Search Warrant Re: Superior Court DC Case 17 CSW 3438, 12 July 2017. Info associated with disruptj20.org.

Orin Kerr Remarks on the Subject

Dreamhost is essentially challenging the widely accepted two-stage warrant practice.

[Threadkiller]

It is odd that Australia's version of English Common Law is very restrictive when it comes to dual citizens running their government but the United States' version of ECL allows for a POTUS with an infinite amount of citizenships.

#AfterbirtherBuffoonery

[henry]

More curious info on the Charlottesville op.

[cboldt]

Proposals to amend the natural born citizen requirement from the constitution appear in pretty much every session of Congress. As far as I can tell, that clause has no power anyway. Congress counts electoral votes for admitted dual citizens without as much as a mention of whether or not there is any conflict between dual citizen, and natural born citizen. If a conflict isn't discussed in the hallowed halls, it doesn't exist.

[cboldt]

TK - it's all about being "in the club," and the first rule of being in the club is to not talk about getting in the club.

[Barbara]

From Ignatz' post on the last thread:

"Attorney General Sessions is apparently hell on civil forfeiture of property without a conviction of a crime, but cannot spare any effort to investigate Democrat crimes at any level or any violent and illegal attacks on what is President Trump's voter base. There is a lesson here. You cannot depend on the law, because it will be used against conservatives only."

This is the problem with an effectively hog tied Attorney General. Does anyone think these pressure points weren't planned in advance by those who didn't fully realize the devolution of America under Obama?

[Threadkiller]

Congress can be trusted.

[Threadkiller]

As far as I can tell, that clause has no power anyway.

You differ from Clarence Thomas.

He says that SCOTUS is evading the issue. Why evade it if it is an easy ruling?

[cboldt]

Actually, I agree with Clarence Thomas. But on this particular point, his observation and my observation have the same power.

The government has trampled over the constitution six ways to Sunday. "Limited poweres," except see commerce clause, etc.

[Clarice Feldman]

https://amgreatness.com/2017/08/14/mcauliffes-progressive-government-riot-charlottesville/

[Old Lurker]

Barbara "This is the problem with an effectively hog tied Attorney General."

Sorry, you are being too kind. OK, perhaps he hogtied himself re Russia and Mueller...but he is still in charge of everything else. IIRC, by this time Eric Holder was already in Ferguson having "meetings" and talking on camera.

Part of the job of the AG is to pretend at least that there is equal justice under the law.

Time to stop apologizing and admit something isn't right with that appointment, and it is causing real headwinds for Trump and the MAGA Agenda.

Unless it is as Trump wants it in which case we are truly screwed.

[jimmyk]

On cancelling cable: It seems to be a more viable option now that there are things like Amazon (yes, I know) Fire Stick, Hulu, Netflix, etc. Before long we'll be able to pick and choose what we want and steer clear of propaganda.

[henry]

new thread

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

henry,

At what point are we allowed to say that there is an actual conspiracy?

Since that guy has such a complete video, perhaps he could be subpoenaed and questioned about it.

I have it news overload so will return later. I have a mystery to finish.

[henry]

Miss M, we are never allowed to say anything. (hint, see next thread about authoritarian left).

[Barbara]

OL,

Although I had great respect for Attorney General Sessions when he was a Senator, I wasn't intending to be kind in my comments. In my view, the opposition to President Trump took specific aim at Sessions, a sitting Senator of long standing, to effectively neuter him during the confirmation process.

They knew their target and what he would do if attacked. Sessions responded as anticipated, and took himself out of the picture. He basically removed the Attorney General's Office from action, and turned over the most serious threat to the President to someone else. (I won't go into the merits of Rosenstein here because he's not my target.)

If you are the opposition and are looking down the road to implement your agenda, as they left always is, and you are faced with a crushing defeat at polls across the nation, where would you turn next? Ferguson and Baltimore did not produce the war they were looking for, nor did the murder of police officers across the country.

We've had Berkeley, and the police stood down. Charlottesville and Durham are just the beginning of the next onslaught. In the meanwhile, we have no effective Attorney General. If Sessions doesn't retire honorably with his dignity still in tact, you know what I believe the President should do next.

[Porchlight]

Get back to me when Sessions gets his staff actually appointed and on the job.

If any of the naysayers were CEOs and couldn't get their key hires in place (and the entire company was infested with snakes out to get them) I bet they'd have a different view of what's possible.

[Old Lurker]

Porch, as I alluded above, is it Sessions or is it Trump. Either way it is not serving Trump or his Maga agenda, in fact I argue it is damaging both not just being neutral. That being so, then either Sessions could not pull his Club Colleagues along to give him help with approvals, or else Trump is not pushing his nominees through a Senate which would just as soon see trump and his Agenda fail.

So regardless of the fault, the result is the same...Trump is being damaged and his agenda is flat out stalled. If a huge reason for Trump's election was our disgust with the lawlessness of the Obama Years, than having a DoJ seem to sleep through nine months sends exactly the wrong message to the good guys and to the bad guys.

[Captain Hate]

I'm 100% with OL on Sessions. What's the purpose of getting an insider if he still can't get things done? Stedman didn't have any trouble pursuing the JEF agenda almost immediately.

I think he's in over his head and proves again how worthless Senators are in executive positions.

[boatbuilder]

"It means having the courage to understand that the world is too complicated to fit into one political belief system. It means understanding there are no easy answers or malevolent conspiracies that can explain the big political questions or the existential problems. Progress is not made by crushing some swarm of malevolent foes; it’s made by finding balance between competing truths — between freedom and security, diversity and solidarity. There’s always going to be counter-evidence and mystery. There is no final arrangement that will end conflict, just endless searching and adjustment."

However all of you Southerners, Evangelical Christians, and Trump voters need to understand that your way of thinking is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE and get comfortable with accepting the wisdom of your betters.

[Comanche Voter]

Hey Brooksie will you take my slacks to the dry cleaners? That's about the level of the tasks you are suited for.

[R. Bodner]

When an intellectual whines it sounds like David Brooks.