Music and Texts of GARY BACHLUND
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Collected Poetry
VOLUME THIRTEEN
Original materials - Copyright © 2016-17 by Gary Bachlund All international rights reserved
"I'll admit that writing doesn't always come, but I'm totally against walking around looking at the sky when you're experiencing a block, waiting for inspiration to strike you. Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov didn't like each other and agreed on very few things, but they were of one opinion on this: you had to write constantly. If you can't write a major work, write minor trifles. If you can't write at all, orchestrate something." Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Minor trifles delight as well
as major feasts broad spread.
The grandest is not all there is;
one kneads one's daily bread.
Give us daily bread this day
bred from simplest things,
For this is how a life lives on
and how that lifetime sings.
"The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it." H.L. Mencken (1880-1956), Minority Report, Johns Hopkins University, 2006.
Uproot the evil past; rewrite its evil tales.
Old truths must die, though their substitute quick fails.
Tear out the old foundations; the house must surely fall.
Topple now the edifice, and conjure up the squall.
Uproot what's civil, that anarchy might reign,
As interim, plodding step steps towards a modern pain.
Tear up ancient values; man becomes his god
Though quickly turns each man to godless, lifeless sod.
Uproot with roiling rage; all must be now new,
Even when the newest is patently untrue.
What was, what is, and what will be
Revives again, as new uprooting fails anew.
"Venezuela took its strongest step yet toward one-man rule under the leftist President Nicolás Maduro as his loyalists on the Supreme Court seized power from the National Assembly in a ruling late Wednesday night. The ruling effectively dissolved the elected legislature, which is led by Mr. Maduro’s opponents, and allows the court to write laws itself, experts said. The move caps a year in which the last vestiges of Venezuela’s democracy have been torn down, critics and regional leaders say, leaving what many now describe as not just an authoritarian regime, but an outright dictatorship." In "Venezuela Muzzles Legislature, Moving Closer to One-Man Rule," by Nicholas Casey and Patricia Torres, New York Times, 30 March 2017.
Left to their own devices, dictatorships arise.
One-man rule entices, demanding myriad lies.
Left to bold, based tactics, democracies deflate
As swirls Leftist didactics to dictatorships elate.
Left to the crudest antics, rule is Left to rule;
Complete the Left's semantics; read each wordy tool.
Right one is to now take note the Left leads in this way.
What's then the antidote? Swing right when leftists play?
Right and Left confusion spill words which fumble, fail,
Such speech is just illusion and power their wholly grail.
Left to their own devices is Right in teetering words,
For politics chops and dices what plain sense undergirds.
Left and Right mean little, ever less and less.
Left, like Right, is a brittle shard of emptiness.
Left to their own devices, dictatorships arise.
One-man rule entices, demanding myriad lies.
Each revolution eats its own, and is no a great grand mystery
As time and times again have shown to those willful who'd refuse to see.
Each trend follows that trend line which curves to spiral down,
Collapsing in deliriums' tremors as whole nations gasp and drown.
Addendum of the Socialist Government: "Many people carried signs reading 'No to dictatorship!' and 'Capriles for President'. In the Caracas protest there was a moment of silence in memory of a young man shot dead on Thursday by police during demonstrations. ...Mr Maduro's socialist government have said that a US-backed business elite is responsible for Venezuela's economic downturn and that it is trying to organise a coup to impose right-wing rule." In "Venezuela opposition march over Henrique Capriles ban," BBC, 8 April 2017. [ 1 ]
Addendum of the Socialists' Strategy: "Venezuela's move to bar two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles from public office for 15 years looked like an unusually brazen blow at the opposition but is just the logical extension of a strategy that has emerged as the last, best hope of President Nicolas Maduro's Socialists for maintaining power. A nearly identical maneuver was used ten years ago to halt the rise of former mayor Leopoldo Lopez, who in polls remains one of the most influential opposition leaders despite being jailed three years ago for his role in anti-government protests." In "Venezuela Socialists' election strategy? Block adversaries," by Brian Ellsworth, Reuters, 9 April 2017. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Tightening the Leftist Grip on Power: "Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the army into the streets as the volatile country braces for what his opponents vow will be the "mother of all protests" on Wednesday. Maduro, who has faced violent protests over recent moves to tighten his grip on power, ordered the military to defend the leftist "Bolivarian revolution" launched by his late mentor Hugo Chavez in 1999. 'From the first reveille (on Monday morning), from the first rooster crow, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces will be in the streets... saying, 'Long live the Bolivarian revolution,' ' Maduro said Sunday night in a televised address." In "Maduro orders Venezuela army into streets," Agence France Presse, 17 April 2017.
Addendum of the Generals: "...at least one person at the meeting, whose voice was not identified on the recording, raised objections to the idea of snipers. 'General, with all due respect, if we keep going with the issue of the snipers, all of us here will end up in jail,' protested one of the generals in attendance. He warned that snipers or expert marksmen should not be used because if anyone was able to photograph a sniper, the 'media war is going to kill us.' But Torrealba said he did not care about public perception and, while saying that he had no plans to use the snipers immediately and acknowledging that it would be unconstitutional, the general ordered those present to go ahead with preparations to use snipers. He said snipers would keep demonstrators off the streets." In "In secret recording, Venezuelan general pushes for snipers to control demonstrators, by Antonio Maria Delgado and Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 18 May 2017.
Addendum of the Dead Caused by Repression: "Government moves — through the Supreme Justice Tribunal — to 'take the constitutional faculties from the National Assembly,' while at the “same time giving the president a series of super powers,” said Urosa Savino, have 'worsened' the political crisis in the last months. Despite a partial u-turn by the top court, the latest stream of protests has been non-stop since April 4th. The ranks span all social classes. The death toll numbers above 70 with the wounded in the thousands. 'The dead have been caused by the repression, created by state forces and civilian groups armed by the government acting to strengthen government repression, which is something criminal,' said Cardinal Urosa Savino. Poverty, unrest, impunity, corruption, and widespread shortages in food, electricity, medicine, and basic goods now define what had once been one of the richest countries in Latin America. Polls show that 80% of the population wants Maduro out through new presidential elections." In "Venezuela Bishops Give Pope 'Cruel' Realities - 'The dead have been caused by the repression' — Cardinal Urosa Savino," by Charlette Sosa, Latin American Herald Tribune, 12 June 2017.
Addendum of Rebellion: "They’re increasingly demanding a change in government, infuriated by mismanagement and Maduro’s proposed constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution -- and perhaps seize total control. 'Everyone protests, without differences, because the hunger of the stomach and the hunger for democracy have been united,' said Carlos Julio Rojas, a La Candelaria activist who has been menaced by pro-government militants called colectivos. He said that opposition activists have been joined at protests by government supporters, public employees, housewives and the unemployed." In "Venezuela’s Poor Rebel, Roiling Maduro’s Socialist Strongholds," by Fabiola Zerpa and Andrew Rosati, Bloomberg, 3 July 2017. [ 3 ]
Addendum of Pro-Government Activists Attacking a Government's Elected Legislators: "Dozens of pro-government activists stormed into the grounds of Venezuela's National Assembly Wednesday and attacked lawmakers, leaving several hurt and bleeding. Intruders brandishing sticks and dressed in red broke through the front gate and set off fireworks in the interior gardens of the building, AFP journalists at the scene said. The government supporters reached as far as the corridors of the congressional building, striking and injuring at least three lawmakers. The attackers ordered journalists to stop filming and taking photographs and leave the premises." In "Venezuela govt backers attack lawmakers in congress," Agence France Presse, 5 July 2017.
Addendum of Accelerating Economic Collapse: "The decline has been dizzying -- yet largely ignored by the government, which uses an official rate fixed weekly that is currently 2,870 to the dollar. Ordinary Venezuelans, however, refer only to the black market rate they have access to, which they call the 'dolar negro,' or "black dollar.' 'Every time the black dollar goes up, you're poorer,' resignedly said Juan Zabala, an executive in a reinsurance business in Caracas." In "Venezuela's currency crumbles at dizzying speed," by Alexander Martinez, France 24, 4 August 2017.
Addendum of So Shall Ism by Unmatched Power and Privileged Force: "Venezuela's military accumulated unmatched power and privilege in the past two decades of socialist rule, and Maduro has been increasingly relying on the armed forces as his own grip on power weakens. Last week, with the support of top generals, he plowed forward with a plan to seat an all-powerful assembly mandated with rewriting the constitution. Political opponents and dozens of foreign governments consider it an illegitimate power grab that will strip Venezuela of its last vestiges of democracy." In "Venezuelans watch the military for signs of fraying loyalty," by Jorge Rueda and Joshua Goodman, Associated Press, 7 August 2017.
Addendum of Venezuelan Socialism's Corruption: "It has been estimated that between the mid-2000s and the mid-2010s, over $300 billion dollars were misused by the Bolivarian government. The opposition-led National Assembly estimated that about $87 billion had been embezzled between multiple projects, including $27 billion by the Ministry of Food, $25 billion by the Ministry of Electricity, $22 billion for unfinished transportation works $11 billion by PDVSA and $1.5 billion by the Ministry of Health." In "Corruption in Venezuela," Wikipedia, n. d.
Addendum of Maduro, Left to His Own Devices: "Let them eat rabbits. That was basically the message from President Nicolas Maduro to Venezuelans starving and struggling through severe food shortages...." In "Can Rabbit Meat Save Venezuela From Going Hungry?" by Patrick Gillespie, CNN Money, 14 September 2017.
Addendum of the Columbia Marxist Student Association's View of the Press Reports Above: "Capitalist media bombards us every day with scare stories about Venezuela, as 'proof' of the 'failure of socialism'. The press present nothing but distorted reports about what's really happening." In "What's Going on in Venezuela?" a Facebook post by the Columbia Marxist Student Association, 18 September 2017. [ 4 ]
Addendum of Venezuela and the Brunt of the Blame: "...experts say the socialist Venezuelan regime that has been in power since 1999 bears the brunt of the blame. It fixed -- or froze -- prices on everything from a cup of coffee to a tank of gas in an effort to make goods more affordable for the masses. For years, Venezuelan leaders also fixed the exchange rate for their currency, the bolivar. Those moves were among the driving forces behind the food shortages. Farmers couldn't sell at low prices without going out of business because their cost of production was much higher. Importers also couldn't afford to ship in food, knowing they would have to sell at much lower prices than what they paid for at the port. When food shortages grew worse, an illegal black market emerged where venders sold basic foods at vastly higher prices than the government's artificially low prices. Inflation soared, making the bolivar almost worthless." In "Venezuela just defaulted, moving deeper into crisis," by Patrick Gillespie, CNN, 14 November 2017.
Addendum of the Bolivarian Revolution Busted: "...by 2001 Venezuela was the richest country in South America. Then in 2005 the socialist Hugo Chávez declared that the central bank had 'excessive reserves.' He mandated that the executive take the excess from the bank without compensation. Today the central bank has at best $1 billion in reserves. Falling oil prices are partly to blame, but the main problem is that chavismo has strangled entrepreneurship. Faced with expropriation, hyperinflation, price controls and rampant corruption, human and monetary capital has fled Venezuela." In "Venezuela Goes Bust - Another lesson in the price of lending to a socialist regime," Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal, 14 November 2017.
Addendum of Venezuelans Fleeing the Socialist Revolution: "Although Venezuelans for years have been fleeing the 'socialist revolution' first launched by the late Hugo Chávez in 1999, in recent months the trickle has turned into a flood as living conditions become ever more dire — from hyperinflation to acute shortages of food and medicine to one of the worst homicide rates in the world." In "Flood of Venezuelans are fleeing depressed country. Here's where they're seeking refuge," by Simeon Tegel, USA Today, 14 December 2017.
Addendum of the Revolution's Childhood Malnutrition: "Hunger has gripped the nation for years. Now, it’s killing children. The Venezuelan government knows, but won’t admit it. ...Venezuela has been shuddering since its economy began to collapse in 2014. Riots and protests over the lack of affordable food, excruciating long lines for basic provisions, soldiers posted outside bakeries and angry crowds ransacking grocery stores have rattled cities, providing a telling, public display of the depths of the crisis. But deaths from malnutrition have remained a closely guarded secret by the Venezuelan government." In "As Venezuela Collapses, Children Are Dying of Hunger," by Meredith Kohut and Isayen Herrera, New York Times, 17 December 2017.
Addendum of Scrambling to Survive: " 'To survive, you have to dollarize.' The socialist government of the late president Hugo Chavez in 2003 brought in the strict controls in order to curb capital flight, as the wealthy sought to move money out of Venezuela after a coup attempt and major oil strike the previous year. Oil revenue was initially able to bolster artificial exchange rates, though the black market grew and now is becoming unmanageable for the government. President Nicolas Maduro has maintained his predecessor’s policies on capital controls. Yet, the spread between the strongest official rate, of some 10 bolivars per dollar, and the black market rate, of around 110,000 per dollar, is now huge." In "Venezuelans scramble to survive as merchants demand dollars," by Eyanir Chinea, and Maria Ramirez, Reuters, 26 December 2017.
Addendum of the Super-rich Socialists Among the Starving Masses: " 'They don't want anything to change, or they would lose their high lifestyle. Chávez pretended to be this big Socialist, but he was rich himself. He was a hypocrite. He was a f*****g liar. His legacy is people like me looking for food in the garbage.' For 20 years, Venezuela's economy was gradually destroyed by 'Chavismo', an authoritarian form of Socialism that wrecked the private sector with mass nationalisation and regulation." In "EXCLUSIVE - 'Why shouldn't we enjoy ourselves just because the country is burning?' Super-rich Socialists quaff champagne in Venezuela country club while middle class mothers scavenge for scraps in the gutter... and even the DOGS are starving," by Jake Wallis Simons, Daily Mail, 7 February 2017.
Addendum of Sheer Ignorance: "A general with no energy experience has been installed as the head of the state oil company. Arrests, firings and desperate emigration have gutted top talent. Oil facilities are crumbling, while production is plummeting." In "Once a Cash Cow, Venezuela’s Oil Company Now Verges on Collapse," by Kirk Semple and Clifford Strauss, New York Times, 27 December 2017.
Addendum of Eight Hundred Thousand Percent: "The once-wealthy nation’s annual inflation now tops 800,000 percent, according to the opposition-run legislature, and citizens face chronic shortages of food and medicine. Maduro said in a televised broadcast that the new monthly salary would be 4,500 bolivars. Citizens routinely complain they cannot afford basic items despite a 60-fold minimum wage increase in August." In "Hyperinflationary Venezuela announces 150 percent minimum wage hike," Reuters, 30 November 2018. [ 5 ]
Addendum of Another Socialist Government: "Journalists have been beaten, arrested and robbed; radio stations raided by police. Last week, both the UN and the IACHR condemned the intensifying harassment. 'This government has banned protest, captured opposition leaders, and now the only thing preventing a totalitarian dictatorship is the independent media,' says Mora. 'This is the stage where they try to silence us'." In " 'We’re going to kill you': Nicaragua's brutal crackdown on press freedom," by Toby Stirling Hill, Guardian UK, 10 December 2018. [ 6 ]
Addendum of the News Observing the News: "Conspicuous by its absence in much of the mainstream news coverage of Venezuela’s political crisis is the word 'socialism.' Yes, every sensible observer agrees that Latin America's once-richest country, sitting atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves, is an economic basket case, a humanitarian disaster, and a dictatorship whose demise cannot come soon enough. But … socialist? Perish the thought. Or so goes a line of argument that insists socialism's good name shouldn't be tarred by the results of experience." In "Yes, Venezuela Is a Socialist Catastrophe," by Bret Stephens, New York Times, 26 January 2019. [ 7 ]
Addendum of Drawing a Conclusion: "Since the eruption of protests against President Nicolás Maduro last month, Flor Blanco, a 57-year-old seamstress, has repeatedly clashed with her husband over a question at the core of the crisis here: Did socialism kill Venezuela? Blessed with the world’s largest oil reserves, this South American nation was once the region’s richest per capita. Twenty years after the launch of the late Hugo Chávez’s Bolivarian Revolution, it is now one of the poorest. Blanco’s husband, a loyalist of Maduro — Chavez’s anointed successor — still calls socialism society’s great equalizer that gave the poor dignity. But like more and more Venezuelans, Blanco is questioning not just a man — Maduro — but an economic model. 'My husband doesn’t see the reality,' she said, gesturing in anger at her cheek bones, razor-thin from lack of food. 'Look at us — we’re skinny. We can’t buy food or clothes. Socialism? For me it’s a farce'." In "In socialist Venezuela, a crisis of faith not in just their leader but their economic model," by Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, 11 February 2019.
Addendum of Some Horrid Details: "The men who ripped Carlos Guillen’s toenails out and tightened a plastic bag over his face at counterintelligence headquarters in Caracas were Venezuelan. But the officers overseeing his torture were Cuban. What immediately gave them away was how they spoke Spanish, said Guillen, a former lieutenant in the Venezuelan military who was accused of treason and, after being placed under house arrest and escaping, fled to Colombia." In "How Has Maduro Survived? With Lots of Help From Cuban Operatives," by Ethan Bronner, Alex Vasquez and David Wainer, Bloomberg, 1 April 2019. [ 8 ]
Addendum of Venezuelan Drug Traffic: "Cocaine trafficking from Venezuela to the United States is soaring, even as the country collapses. And US and other regional officials say it's Venezuela's own military and political elite who are facilitating the passage of drugs in and out of the country on hundreds of tiny, unmarked planes." In "Corruption in Venezuela has created a cocaine superhighway to the US," by Nick Paton Walsh, Natalie Gallón and Diana Castrillon, CNN, 17 April 2019.
Addendum of Venezuelan Gold: "The gold arrived on a Russian charter jetliner in two shipments at the international airport in Entebbe, says Ugandan national-police spokesman Fred Enanga. The accompanying paperwork identified the ingots, some with stamped labels partially scratched off, as Venezuelan central-bank property, says a senior Ugandan police officer who saw the bars and documents. Flight records show the trips originated in Caracas, Venezuela. The shipments expose one link in a global underground economy many suspect is helping Mr. Maduro cling to power by bypassing the U.S.-dominated international finance system. Washington has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president, slapped financial and other sanctions on Venezuelan officials and institutions, and threatened penalties for others doing business with the regime." In "How 7.4 Tons of Venezuela’s Gold Landed in Africa—and Vanished," by Gabriele Steinhauser and Nicholas Bariyo, Wall Street Journal, 18 June 2019.
Addendum of Venezuelan Death Squads: " 'They would separate young men from other family members before shooting them,' the report said. 'In every case, witnesses reported how FAES manipulated the crime scene and evidence. They would plant arms and drugs and fire their weapons against the walls or in the air to suggest a confrontation and to show the victim had 'resisted authority'." In "Venezuela's army death squads kill thousands — UN," Deutsche Welle, 4 July 2019.
Addendum of Massive Hyperinflation: '...it was really a scheme to scam the oil revenue, to promote the Bolivarian model, which again was not socialism to any extent,' Gamarra said. 'Everything was done through this corrupt scheme where they skimmed the money off the top and did everything in such a corrupt manner that it only benefited a few.' 'They could have created the Emirates. The King Chavez. But still spend all of that money on Venezuela. Instead, they blew it. It was money blown through corruption and these international alliances,' Gamarra said. 'And so however you look at it, even from the kindest, kindest way, it was a model that was bound to fail'." In "Venezuela hyperinflation hits 10 million percent. ‘Shock therapy’ may be only chance to undo the economic damage," by Valentina Sanchez, CNBC, 3 August 2019. ["Businesses in the South American country have seen surprise increases in monthly bills for services like trash collection, electricity and telephones over the past month. Earlier this week the government announced a 2,900% increase in the unit used to calculate taxes. .... In February, costs for services like internet and telephone lines rose between 80% and 749% - well above the rate of inflation, according to a report prepared by the opposition-controlled National Assembly and which was seen by Reuters. The national minimum wage is equivalent to just $3 a month, and household utilities costs have now risen to around $2." In "Cash-strapped Venezuela hikes public service fees amid coronavirus outbreak," by Corina Pons and Mayela Armas, Reuters, 19 March 2020.
9 ]
Addendum of What It Is: "Venezuela, a nation that was once the richest country in Latin America and a paradigm of democracy in the region, now bears the ravages of authoritarian socialism. An abundance of photographs, videos, and statistics appearing in the media reveal a modern-day genocide, however stubbornly many of those same media refuse to use the term. We can clearly see that government violence as well as a dearth of food and medication are killing Venezuelans; even the country’s own data show deaths from maternal mortality, infant mortality, and malaria rising rapidly. Nearly a fifth of children are reportedly malnourished and nearly four-fifths of households lack reliable access to healthy food. A once prosperous and free nation has fallen to tyranny and destitution." In "Venezuela: The Kidnapping of a Nation," by Carmen Maria Montiel, Houston Courant, 21 February 2020.
Addendum of Economic Idiocy: "Businesses in the South American country have seen surprise increases in monthly bills for services like trash collection, electricity and telephones over the past month. Earlier this week the government announced a 2,900% increase in the unit used to calculate taxes. .... In February, costs for services like internet and telephone lines rose between 80% and 749% - well above the rate of inflation, according to a report prepared by the opposition-controlled National Assembly and which was seen by Reuters. The national minimum wage is equivalent to just $3 a month, and household utilities costs have now risen to around $2." In "Cash-strapped Venezuela hikes public service fees amid coronavirus outbreak," by Corina Pons and Mayela Armas, Reuters, 19 March 2020. [ 10 ]
Addendum of an Indictment: "According to the indictment, Alcalá in 2008, when he was a trusted aide to then President Hugo Chávez, was given additional duties to coordinate drug shipments with corrupt elements of the Venezuelan military and guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which the U.S. listed as a terrorist group." In "Sources: Alleged Maduro co-conspirator in DEA custody after indictments," by Joshua Goodman, Associated Press, 27 March 2020.
Consider the ideology which Accuses others of Sheer Ignorance
NOTES
[ 1 ] The terminology long in use positing a verbal handle for political realities -- Left and Right
-- fails. The New York Times notes specifically that current head of the Venezuelan nation is moving "toward one-man rule" and that this is "under the leftist" Maduro.
Protest
Moreover, Maduro employs the Left-Right model to justify his actions in which opposition to the Left is deemed 1) Right and 2) criminal, as one reads: "...President Nicolás Maduro called the protesters 'terrorists and vandals.' 'We have them all identified. They're all identified. They will fall one by one and they will go straight to face justice,' Maduro said. The president said 30 people had been detained, but the Venezuelan human rights group Penal Forum reported Saturday there had been 115 detentions since Tuesday. Opposition lawmaker José Guerra, who participated in Saturday's protests, said the march was peacefully advancing on Francisco de Miranda Avenue, one of Caracas' main thoroughfares, when 'tear gas bombs started raining on us'." In "Violent clashes in Venezuela as thousands protest socialist government," by Rafael Romo, CNN, 9 April 2017.
It becomes reasonable then to notice that the political jargon is -- crudely put -- bullshit.
This is all the more true when one observes that, under various forms of editorial-laced news reporting, Left is Right, as Right is Left
Yet political terms meaning little or intended to confuse the public abound. As an example, one may consider the historical lesson in which We might have called ourselves the Liberal Party
Shortages Are Commonplace
As to the Bolivarian revolution, this socialist revolution is nothing like the original. The CNN article notes utter mismanagement, as one reads further: "Shortages of basic food products and medicines are commonplace. Inflation is expected to rise 1,660% this year and 2,880% in 2018, according to the International Monetary Fund. Earlier in March, data from the country's central bank revealed Maduro's government is running out of cash. Venezuela has $10.5 billion in foreign reserves left. Given that the country owes $7.2 billion in outstanding debt payments, it means Venezuela will run out of cash at some point, depending on the fluctuation of oil prices. Almost all (96%) of Venezuela's exports are oil products."
One sees, yet again as in history, that Sheer Ignorance
That editorial noted: "Today Venezuela is the third least free economy in the world, ahead of only Cuba and North Korea. As a direct result of those actions, Venezuela went from being on the wealthiest countries in South America — one rich in natural resources — to a country where people are literally fighting for scraps of food. Last year, Venezuela's economy shrank 18%. The unemployment rate is 25% and climbing. Inflation could reach 2,068% next year. Riots have become routine. As we have noted many times in this space, it is socialism, not oil prices or the weather or greedy businessmen or any other such factor that's to blame for Venezuela's economic crisis. This is what socialism produces. Always and everywhere. It is as close to an iron law of economics as there can be. Yet reporters continue to obfuscate, if not totally ignore, this economic reality when they try to explain to readers what is going on down there."
Allergic to Reporting News of Venezuela?
Another complaint about mainstream media in the US is found: "...out of the 50,000 total evening news stories on the three networks, just 25 covered Venezuela, and only seven mentioned 'socialism.' In addition, NBC Nightly News only broadcast 13 stories spanning 16 minutes and 54 seconds, ABC’s World News only covered 8 minutes and 34 seconds over seven stories, and CBS Evening News only offered 3 minutes and 11 seconds over five stories. 'The network evening news programs seem allergic to reporting on the ongoing crisis in Venezuela,' Ciandella told LifeZette in an email. 'Even worse, the few times they have managed to cover the widespread poverty, starvation and government oppression in that country, they somehow find ways to do that without mentioning the word ‘socialism'." In "Media Yawn at Venezuela’s Spiraling, Socialist Nightmare," by Kathryn Blackhurst, Polizette, 31 May 2017.
One-Man Rule Under the Leftist
And yet, as seen above the New York Times specifically that Venezuela moves "toward one-man rule under the leftist" while the BBC above labels Maduro's government as "socialist." That this is not clear enough to some is politics. That it is clear to the Venezuelan people protesting against Maduro in mass demonstrations is reality. Hunger trumps definitions in words, and the ideology which has led to "one-man rule" under a "leftist" is proven toxic.
What is "going on down there" is what has gone on many times before from National Socialism to Soviet Socialism to Sino Socialism and beyond. Socialism has never proved benign, peaceful, incorruptible and a maker of prosperity. But its romance and promises lure the next generation of victims into the same predicament. Left to their own devices....
...one learns the basic lesson: " 'The system is created so you can’t win,' said Alberto Cudemus, who heads the national association of pig farmers. 'The government thinks its survival is in communism, not in us, not with production. And that’s where they’re wrong'." In "Venezuela is starving," by Juan Forero, Wall Street Journal, 5 May 2017.
Venezuelans Unable the Throw Off Their Chains
An editorial opinion cites factually why the citizens are unable "to throw off their chains" - to use Marx's imagery against the ideology and its ideologues -- "It was only in 2012 that the socialist government of Hugo Chavez enacted the 'Control of Arms, Munitions and Disarmament Law.' When it was passed, the authors of the legislation pulled no punches, saying that the explicit purpose of the law was to 'disarm all citizens'." In "Venezuela’s gun ban is working out perfectly for the socialist agenda," by Jazz Shaw, HOt Air, 15 December 2018.
That one cannot "win" under such a socialist system is proven untrue. Some do, as one reads: " 'This form of socialism has produced some very powerful millionaires,' says Capriles. 'Most of them are government officials or people close to them -- and currently they are one of the main things holding up the government'." In "Rich Venezuelans eat sushi, guzzle cocktails amid chaos," by Carolos Reyes, Agence France Press, 19 June 2017.
In a similar vein one can ponder Capital for Communists
[ 2 ] The silencing of a political opposition is a hallmark of the Totalitarian
One lesson from history tells much: "Mao launched the so-called Cultural Revolution (known in full as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution) in August 1966, at a meeting of the Plenum of the Central Committee. He shut down the nation’s schools, calling for a massive youth mobilization to take current party leaders to task for their embrace of bourgeois values and lack of revolutionary spirit. In the months that followed, the movement escalated quickly as the students formed paramilitary groups called the Red Guards and attacked and harassed members of China’s elderly and intellectual population. A personality cult quickly sprang up around Mao, similar to that which existed for Josef Stalin, with different factions of the movement claiming the true interpretation of Maoist thought. ...Some 1.5 million people were killed during the Cultural Revolution, and millions of others suffered imprisonment, seizure of property, torture or general humiliation. The Cultural Revolution’s short-term effects may have been felt mainly in China’s cities, but its long-term effects would impact the entire country for decades to come. Mao’s large-scale attack on the party and system he had created would eventually produce a result opposite to what he intended, leading many Chinese to lose faith in their government altogether." In "Cultural Revolution," History, A+E Networks, n. d.
That current attempts to either rehabilitate or deny such historical lessons may be seen shows the human tendency for some towards supporting the totalitarian in grasping at what the New York Times article above clearly states would be "one-man rule."
Where political jargon of Left and Right fails is that each "opposition" accuses the other of seeking such authoritarian rule. Given this, the jargon must be deemed as hugely flawed. In the case of Maduro, his accusation is that his political opposition is attempting a "coup," all the while Maduro's opposition -- now including the New York Times, BBC and CNN reports -- suggests his is the attempt at a "coup."
Breaking the Democratic Order
One reads as example: "The US state department spokesman Michael Fitzpatrick told reporters: 'We have deep concerns about the motivation for this constituent assembly which overrides the will of the Venezuelan people and further erodes Venezuelan democracy. What President Maduro is trying to do yet again is change the rules of the game.' Brazilian Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes called the move a 'coup'. 'It's another step in breaking the democratic order, which contradicts the country's own constitution,' he said. In Venezuela itself, in the opposition-controlled National Assembly, lawmakers voted to reject the new body with many saying President Maduro was attempting to sideline the legislature and avoid new elections." In "Venezuela crisis: Opposition condemns Maduro move," BBC, 3 May 2017.So is the Left attempting a coup? Is the Right attempting a coup? Again, the jargon fails. Left and Right are pretenses at explanation, while greater freedom versus greater governmental control speak more clearly to frame the reality. The reality is that another dictator seeks to arise, as have previous dictators arisen.
Effectively a Dictatorship of the Left
One reads: "The Venezuelan Supreme Court may have amended part of its explosive decision to take over the opposition-led congress, but it still gives embattled leftist President Nicolas Maduro broad new powers over the OPEC nation's vast oil wealth. The reversal on Saturday came after political leaders worldwide and street protesters at home accused the pro-government court of effectively making Maduro a dictator." In "Venezuela's Maduro Wins Power Over Oil Despite Court Reversal," by Alexandra Ulmer. Reuters, 2 April 2017.
As to vocabulary, it conflates into a clear message, irritating to those socialists and Communists who wish the terms would confuse as long they have. One reads: " 'The Electoral Results must be respected,' she wrote in the post, which included a photo of herself next to one of her nephew. 'The Communist Dictatorship must go,' she concluded. In the wake of violent anti-government protests, Venezuela’s Socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, has suspended the country’s constitution, declared a state of emergency and delayed elections." In "Carolina Herrera blasts Venezuela 'dictatorship' after nephew’s death," by Isabel Vincent and Laura Italiano, Page Six, 13 May 2017.
Socialism, as in National Socialism and Soviet Socialism and Cuban socialism and the so-called Bolivarian socialism links cleanly and clearly to Communism, as in the Communist Chinese and the Khmer Rouge and the Stalinist North Koreans, and more. While the "Right" seems so evasive in terms of definition except as a relative pejorative -- especially given the historical proof that the National Socialists of WWII Germany and the Italian Fascists of WWII Italy were also socialists by their own documented words, the "Left" as one reads above from the New York Times leads to "one-man rule" and authoritarianism.
Left to their own Devices
"Left to their own devices, dictatorships arise. / One-man rule entices, demanding myriad lies." The lies are well serviced by political jargon which obscures meaning, while pretending towards being meaningful. If Left and Right both result in dictatorships, as opposing proponents of such verbal models assert, then the words mean nothing and serve no purpose.
More precision in the discussion would be warranted, though the slogan-spewing enthusiasts would be annoyed that their beloved Left-Right shenanigans would be revealed as nothing but a wordy game of lies and the sowing of confusion. Rather than leave this at a sort of postmodern confusion over language itself, one would do well to conclude that gathering, growing government power feeds this "Left" -- even that "Right" by which some Leftists mean National Socialism. Government in all its largest and most powerful forms leads away from freedom.
The only remaining question is to decide for one's self: which side are you on?
The choices are simple: opt for the Totalitarian
[ 3 ] A word about a word: the "colectivos" as "pro-government militants" has at its root the notion of the "collective." Socialism purports to be for and of a collectivist political philosophy.
Generally such a collectivist stance is arrayed against the individual, and thus the Maduro government is against the individual, using enforcers -- quite like any organized crime syndicate -- to obtain its way by force.
Putsch
The BBC tells it this way: "Venezuelan newspaper Tal Cual blamed the attack on militias known as 'colectivos', and said the group had fired rockets and bangers as they forced their way in. Its report said some of the deputies attacked 'fell to the ground and were kicked'. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed victims of the assault with bleeding head wounds. At least one, believed to be deputy Americo De Grazia, was carried out on a stretcher. AFP, whose journalists were at the scene, said reporters were ordered to leave by the attackers, one of whom had a gun." In "Venezuela National Assembly stormed by Maduro supporters," BBC, 5 July 2017.
The choices become clear, with implications worldwide, as the collectivist shows himself to be only for a small cadre of people seeking and holding power, and against the greater collective, which is a people, a citizenry, a human family.
True collectives are voluntary, and do not infringe on the individuality of those participating. Therefore one may correctly conclude that the Venezuelan "colectivos" are gangs operating against individuals as against political opposition.
The real life experiment in socialism is yet another failed attempt to enforce a collective on those who do not "volunteer." Such is the nature of So shall ism
[ 4 ] There is irony in the title, Columbia Marxist Student Association, given that this small group of students attends a university in New York which is expensive, not to mention among the more elite universities.
Tuition is $52,478, with mandatory fees of $2,578, room costs of $7,926, board at $5,318, for a total of $68,300 per year. Source: Planning and Institutional Research, Office of the Provost, "Undergraduate Term Bill: Tuition, Mandatory Fees, Room and Board, 2007-2016," posted 21 November 2016. As a comparison, the "current per capita income for New York is $34,297. Real per capita income peaked in 2008 at $34,442 and is now $145 (0.42%) lower." Source: Department of Numbers.com.
One may then question the economic privilege which these bourgeois "Columbia Marxist students" enjoy.
Report the Economic Miracle?
As to their claim about "distorted reports about what's really happening," one may look back at a "report" from 2013, praising the economic record of socialist Venezuela. One reads from only a few years ago, "...Chavez racked up an economic record that a legacy-obsessed American president could only dream of achieving." In "Hugo Chavez’s economic miracle," by Dave Sirota, Salon, 6 March 2013.
That "report" takes up the Columbia Marxist students' claim, as it compares and contrasts: "When a country goes socialist and it craters, it is laughed off as a harmless and forgettable cautionary tale about the perils of command economics. When, by contrast, a country goes socialist and its economy does what Venezuela's did, it is not perceived to be a laughing matter - and it is not so easy to write off or to ignore. It suddenly looks like a threat to the corporate capitalism, especially when said country has valuable oil resources that global powerhouses like the United States rely on."
One may judge for one's self, by beginning again at the rhyme above and its following addenda and footnotes. The "economic miracle" praised by Venezuelan socialists and American sympathizers proves to have been a mirage. "Moving Closer to One-Man Rule?" So reports the New York Times. "Venezuela Socialists' election strategy? Block adversaries." So reports Reuters. Army in the streets? So reports Agence France Presse. "Poverty, unrest, impunity, corruption, and widespread shortages in food, electricity, medicine, and basic goods now define what had once been one of the richest countries in Latin America." So reports the Latin American Herald Tribune. "Venezuela's currency crumbles at dizzying speed?" So reports France 24. Maduro, Chavez' hand-picked successor, " relying on the armed forces as his own grip on power weakens?" So reports Associated Press.
"...nothing but distorted reports about what's really happening?" So reports the Columbia Marxist Student Association, enjoying their luxurious $68,300 per year education, almost twice the median incomes of New York City residents. Let them eat rabbits.
The irony of a "luxurious" Columbia Marxist Student Union collides with other such ironies, as "the Left" can seem downright confusing. As an example: "You can be gay, intern in the Obama White House, work on Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, and serve as the Silicon Valley fundraising director for the Clinton presidential campaign in 2016, but if you also happen to be Jewish and support the existence of Israel, hard leftists want you gone, as 29-year-old Manny Yekutiel found out the hard way when he opened a café/bookstore in San Francisco’s Mission District Yekutiel was catalyzed to open his café/bookstore, which also hosts leftist political events, after the 2016 election." In "Leftists Target Their Own: Leftist Jewish Cafe Owner In SF Told To Get Out For Supporting Israel," by Hank Berrien, Daily Wire, 29 December 2018.
Graffiti in Venezuela
Citing sources from across the political spectrum, one finds instances in which apparently misapplied use of the failing Left-Right model seems intended to substitute for good-evil models, all the while it has been the Left, a moniker which seems to stand alone without a false "right" when National Socialism is historically and accurately identified as socialist, the real opposition shows glaringly as between an authoritarian, tyrannical stance and live-and-let-live respect for others freedoms. Thus divided, all the authoritarian models cluster in their similar resentment of others taken into political action, even with the inclusion of threats of violence. Left to their own devices, as above, even other Leftists are not safe.
[ 5 ] Chavista mathematics for the economically ignorant socialist, Maduro: "150 percent increase" in salary divided by "800,000 percent" in hyperinflation equals an increase of ".0001875, such that this political announcement of an "increase" is already passé mathematically.
A month and a half later, one reads: "Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday raised the minimum wage by 300 percent to 18,000 bolivars per month, around $6.70, as part of routine wage hikes in an economy suffering from annual inflation approaching 2 million percent." In "Venezuela's Maduro hikes minimum wage 300 percent," by Brian Ellsworth, Reuters, 14 January 2019.
Let them eat ideology.
But as to supporting ideology, while Venezuela starves under Chavista socialism, the Maduro government is offering a "new gesture of solidarity" with the failing Cuban socialist government.
One reads: " 'With ministers Néstor Ruiz Reverol and Aristóbulo Istúriz [minister of Education and vice president for social affairs], we said goodbye to the crew. Infinite gratitude for this new gesture of solidarity of the Bolivarian Revolution.' Reverol, current Minister of the Interior, Justice and Peace and former head of the National Guard, is under sanctions from the U.S. government and the European Union for his role in the humanitarian crisis and human rights violations in Venezuela." In "Maduro sends 100 tons of aid to Cuba as Venezuela meanders through its own crisis." by Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 5 February 2019.
And yet the fine Venezuelan socialists are under sanction from the European Union, as one further reads: "The country is undergoing a major economic and social crisis, with millions suffering food and medicine shortages, hyperinflation and growing insecurity. Those on the EU’s list include former National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol and Chief Justice Maikel Moreno." In "EU confirms new sanctions on seven senior Venezuela officials," by Gabriela Baczynska and Girish Gupta, Reuters, 22 January 2018.
Were one suspicious, one could conclude that "senior Venezuelan officials" are securing allies when collapse comes, such that they have a destination to which to flee.
[ 6 ] The majority party ruling the government of Nicaragua is officially described by a Wikipedia article as the "Sandinista National Liberation Front" and "a democratic socialist political party." Thus it proves by self-identification its stance. The Guardian article tells a tale of Leftists.
"It’s an Orwellian strategy, to falsify the reality of the repression"
One reads of the socialist party acquiring media: "The official version of events is disseminated through a media empire built by Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua’s first lady and, since 2017, vice-president. In 2007, shortly after her husband returned to power, Murillo published an ominous communication strategy, outlining plans to prevent critical media 'contaminating' public perception of his administration. Through the next decade, Murillo spent millions of dollars of Venezuelan cooperation funds – ostensibly destined for poverty reduction – on buying up Nicaragua’s media." Independent media, then, is obviously competing not only against government-owned media, but the Democratic Socialist government itself, superficially the "first" family.
For this, "TV channels 4, 8, 9 and 13 are now owned by her children; also under the family’s control are Radio Ya, Radio Nicaragua and Radio Sandino, state broadcaster Channel 6, and the online news service El 19 Digital. From April, this media apparatus worked to whitewash the government’s deadly response to the protests." This is a parallel the the Chavez family acquiring massive wealth in the Venezuelan "socialist" revolution. The socialists in Cuba, as in Venezuela and Nicaragua behave quite alike, with a narrative of "for the people" and a reality of "for themselves." So was it in the Soviet Union, as in the DDR. So it is in Communist China today, as one considers the socialist truth of Capital for Communists
[ 7 ] While the "liberal" New York Times publishes the above, the American "conservative" alternative publishes a similar op-ed.
Seizing Power by Deceit
One reads: "...Chavez ran for the Venezuelan Presidency. During his run, he downplayed his previous radicalism – telling people that he was 'neither for savage capitalism, nor socialism, nor Communism'. Instead, he claimed to support a 'third way' -- a balance between socialism and capitalism. Chavez won the election. Maria Teresa Romero, a Venezuelan who fled to the U.S., says Chavez’s softer rhetoric was all about seizing power. 'Hugo Chávez deceived people by blatantly using lies,' she told Fox News." In "How socialism turned Venezuela from the wealthiest country in South America into an economic basket case," by Maxim Lott, Fox News, 26 January 2019.
While one may be to the conservative or liberal side of a perceived center, one cannot claim a relationship to any center by claiming an ardent desire for socialism. As Marx' own words in the Communist Manifesto of 1848 testify, socialism is in effect Communism and the "ism" serves one purpose: to acquire power over a people.
[ 8 ] A telling theme in the rhyme, addenda and footnotes above is the phenomenon of socialism. Ardent socialists opine that Venezuela's tragedy is because of corruption, not socialism. But granting ever greater power to a center breeds the abuse of such greater power, which the New York Times, as above, identifies as Leftist, and "many now describe as not just an authoritarian regime, but an outright dictatorship."
The Western Academics' Fantasy
A popular historian in the US in this era, Howard Zinn, writes optimistically about a "prospect... for times of turmoil, struggle, but also inspiration. There is a chance that such a movement could succeed in doing what the system itself has never done - bring about great change with little violence. This is possible because the more of the 99 percent that begin to see themselves as sharing needs, the more the guards and the prisoners see their common interest, the more the Establishment becomes isolated, ineffectual. The elite's weapons, money, control of information would be useless in the face of a determined population. The servants of the system would refuse to work to continue the old, deadly order, and would begin using their time, their space-the very things given them by the system to keep them quiet-to dismantle that system while creating a new one." In "A People's History of the United States," by Howard Zinn, Longman Group UK, 1980 p. 582.
This is the modern academics' fantasy, as the reality above reports physical torture, and a populace suffering deprivation under the repression of "not just an authoritarian regime, but an outright dictatorship." In the face of such dire realities, and by a Leftist historian whose "people's" history highlights the sins of the United States' founding and history, there comes a proof that -- "left to their own devices" -- totalitarians rise to power with little willingness to cede it back to a people, even repressing those citizens with torturous and murderous violence.
In Zinn's fantasy world, "the servants of the system would refuse to work to continue the old, deadly order," but as seen in the above many reports "the servants of the newer system" -- a socialist system -- work to continue a new and deadly order. Such is the nature of the violent Left, and such may be read when Left in an open book....
[ 9 ] The article laughably asserts: "... the experts say socialism was not the root cause of Venezuela’s problems. Corruption and mismanagement are to blame for the collapse of the oil-rich country."
This begs the question. As it was sold specifically as Bolivarian socialism by Chavez and Maduro thereafter, in their own words, cheered on by socialist sympathizers as well as reported to be socialism by many media in past years, to assert that "socialism was not the root cause of Venezuela's problems" in hindsight smacks of an apologia for socialism itself.
"Experts say" is easily met with "other experts say" something else, and one expert's assertion that Bolivarian socialism "was not socialism to any extent" is inexact, at best. Chavez said his goal was socialism, just as Castro said his revolution was for socialism, just as so many other now-failed states were proclaimed to be socialist. But "experts say...."
In addition to what follows just below, one may well consider Socialism's Last Hurrah
[ 10 ] This is the truth of the socialists' Bolivarian Revolution. As of the many other socialist revolutions throughout the last century. The fine facade of rhetoric is seen at first, and then the slow motion collapse, bringing of course corruption and mismanagement, as above, because the ideology itself is corrupt. Beautiful at first and then beautifully ugly
Left in an open book - it couldn't hurt to take a look
"Today's lesson: Our flag and what it represents... The red and black flag is the symbol of the anarcho-syndicalist and anarcho-communist movements. Black is the traditional color of anarchism, and red is the traditional color of socialism and communism. The red-and-black flag combines the two colors in equal parts, with a simple diagonal split. Typically, the red section is placed on the top- left corner, with the black on the bottom-right corner of the flag. This symbolizes the co-existence of anarchist, socialist, and communist ideals within the anarcho-syndicalism movement, and to symbolize the more socialistic means of the movement leading to a more anarchistic end." Posted by Boston Anitfa, on Facebook.com/BostonAntifa, 20 August 2017.
Today's lesson was found to be
left in an open book;
this is why many simpletonssimply will not look.
What appears writ with clarityis clearly not well seen,
requiring thought gymnasticsto clearly contravene
What is this lesson for today,writ to simply tell
one lesson, well ignored,circling back towards history's hell.
Antifascist symbols from Germany in the 1930s [ 1 ] and United States and other Western nations today [ 2 ]
Addendum of an Urban Dictionary's Definition I: "...a bunch of skinhead brats living in their moms basements looking to beat the crap out of anyone who doesnt [ sic ] follow their point of view. They believe their tactics are for the greater good, but have pretty much ran out of nazies to chase after so take it out on anyone else. They will beat you up using mace, batons, boots, brass knuckles and anything else at their disposal. They are the fascist anti fascists. Remember they are cowards, will gang up on you, and only attack in groups. See a lone antifa and they will run screaming. ...antifa looks at black man with white straight laces "are you a nazi?" In "Antifa," posted by "anti-antifa," Urban Dictionary, 22 August 2011.
Masked and armed Antifa militants
Addendum of an Urban Dictionary's Definition II: "Short for (militant) anti-fascists. Middle-class champagne socialist/communist/anarchist white boys who don't like nationalists or fascists. They consider themselves to be rebelling against the establishment, whilst upholding all of its ultra-politically correct views. Antifa only dislike racism when its carried out by whites, and do not have the bottle to stand up against anti-white racism; leading to many people on the right to refer to them as 'traitors'. I'd rather just call them morons. Most are teenagers and university students who grow out of the fad when they start paying taxes." In "Antifa," posted by "scutterschoice," Urban Dictionary, 10 February 2012.
"No hate" shields used in attacks during Berkeley riots by armed masked thugs
Addendum of Faces Hidden: "Their faces hidden behind black bandannas and hoodies, about 100 anarchists and antifa— 'anti-fascist' — members barreled into a protest Sunday afternoon in Berkeley’s Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. Jumping over plastic and concrete barriers, the group melted into a larger crowd of around 2,000 that had marched peacefully throughout the sunny afternoon for a 'Rally Against Hate' gathering. Shortly after, violence began to flare." In "Black-clad antifa members attack peaceful right-wing demonstrators in Berkeley," by Kyle Swenson, Washington Post, 28 August 2017.
Addendum of Experiencing Hate Firsthand: "I experienced hate firsthand today. It came from these people dressed in all black at a protest in Berkeley. Ironically they were all chanting about no hate. Some had shields and gloves. Some had helmets. Some had gas masks." In "KTVU anchor: 'I experienced hate firsthand' at Berkeley rally," by Frank Somerville, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 August 2017.
Addendum of the Often Violent: "In May, police said up to 50 masked and black-clad men and women sprinted through a changing section of North Philadelphia, smashing windows in renovated buildings and more expensive cars and throwing Christmas ornaments filled with paint. They carried a banner that read: 'Gentrification is death and revolt is life.' These outbursts reflect the Philadelphia presence of antifa and its allies, a shadowy collection of extreme left-wing activists who, in their most controversial manifestations, have embraced property damage and street brawling as legitimate forms of protest. Their advocates insist that the group acts primarily as a defensive force, but also say a growing threat of homegrown fascism justifies an aggressive punch or the outright silencing of hateful speech." In "Antifa, black-clad and often violent, is strong in Philly," Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 August 2017. [ 3 ]
Addendum of Ties: " 'Ties between three key leaders of the Oakland group [names redacted] met in Hamburg with a leader of the AQAP [Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] and the AQIM [Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb],' the report continued. 'The leader from AQAP is an Egyptian-born male [name redacted] who is known to be in charge of finances and recruiting for the group. 'There is evidence from informants that he is helping the Oakland group acquire the weapons they are seeking, primarily bomb making equipment and toxic chemicals and gasses. One of the men from Oakland traveled to Syria to meet with ISIS; the purpose was for training in tactics, but was thought to be primarily a bonding visit to discuss possible massive disruptive attacks in the U.S." In "EXCLUSIVE: US left wing groups travelled to Germany for the G20 Summit last July to meet with Al qaeda and ISIS leaders and plot the destruction of President Trump, secret FBI investigation reveals," by Ed Klein, Daily Mail, 29 October 2017.
Addendum of Antifa Communism: "...as a member of Anti-Racist Action, Alcoff was arrested and charged with rioting in New Jersey after a clash in the streets with a neo-Nazi group in 2011. Alcoff typically uses his Jose Martin persona for appearances in mainstream media. Under this alias, he’s been cited as a Chicago Copwatch organizer and as an Occupy Wall Street organizer, as well as an unofficial organizer for Bernie Sanders during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. Jose Martin is often introduced to audiences as an 'organizer,' 'activist' or 'militant researcher,' and has published articles with Rolling Stone and The Indypendent, and regularly appears on BBC radio programs. He discussed his vision of a police-free society on MSNBC in 2015." In "Revealed: Antifa Leader Relied On Anonymity To Push Radical, Violent Communist Agenda," by Andrew Kerr, Daily Caller, 18 December 2018. [ 4 ]
Addendum for Amusement's Sake: "The vast majority of left-wing protesters arrested on suspicion of politically-fuelled offences in Berlin are young men who live with their parents, a new report found. The figures, which were published in daily newspaper Bild revealed that 873 suspects were investigated by authorities between 2003 and 2013. Of these 84 per cent were men, and 72 per cent were aged between 18 and 29." In "92% of left-wing activists live with their parents and one in three is unemployed, study of Berlin protesters finds," by Dave Burke, Mail Online, 7 February 2019.
Addendum of the Left's Historical Opponent: "Throughout the entire 20th century, what did the left consider its intellectual rival? Classical liberalism. That was the political philosophy of our founding fathers. It was classical liberalism that eliminated slavery from the civilized world, gave us women's suffrage, and extended economic and political freedom to people all over the globe." In "Bereft Of Any New Policy Ideas Since Vietnam, America's Liberal Left Is Intellectually Bankrupt," by John C. Goodman, Forbes, 2 July 2013. [ 5 ]
Addendum of Lying: Lying is the centerpiece of both the satanic and the leftist projects. Since few people would willingly consign themselves to Hell, the rebels (for so they always reflexively think themselves), must mask their true intentions." Quote of Michael Walsh, The Devil's Pleasure Palace, Encounter Books, 2015. [ 6 ]
Consider that Left is Right, as Right is Left
Consider additionally why so many Veiled Threats
NOTES
[ 1 ] The Antifaschistische Aktion was proclaimed by the German Communist Party (KPD) in the "Rote Fahne" in 1932 with its first rally in Berlin, capital in that time of the Weimar Republik. During the 1930s amidst rising tensions between National Socialists and the Communists, Berlin was a center of violent clashes between the two groups. In 1932, the Communist paramilitary Rotfrontkämpferbund was banned and the Antifaschistische Aktion was founded to ensure that the militant wing of Communists against the militancy of the rival Nazis whose rose to power and banned it. The Antifaschistische Aktion movement was revived in the 1980s, again set against the now constitutionally banned National Socialists.
A German Antifa banner declares "Shitty Germany. Viva Antifa for Communism."
One may then easily connect these dots, that the National Socialists and the German Communists of the pre-WWII era were both militant and murderous, and both sought power over a citizenry through violent means. That one gained the upper hand is historically factual, and that the other is now reformed to seek the same is a valid observation as well.
As the ideological competition between National Socialism and the German Communists before WWII was not a people's revolution, but rather a competition for political power (which the Nazis won in Germany though the Communists had previously won in the still young Soviet Union), still the National Socialists and Soviet Communists were allied early on, a fact today's so-called anti-fascists either have not known, forgotten, ignored or suppressed.
Detail from a 1953 editorial cartoon showing the specters of Nazism, Communism and Fascism,
all participating in book burning -- the repression of speech and ideas
Of this temporary alliance one reads: "The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, also known as the Nazi–Soviet Pact, the German–Soviet Non-aggression Pact or the Nazi German-Soviet Pact of Aggression (officially: Treaty of Non-aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), was a neutrality pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by foreign ministers Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vyacheslav Molotov, respectively." In "Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Yet the Soviet Union then became allied with Western powers against the National Socialists, breaking the Treaty of Non-aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Allies turned enemies is this tale, but neither sought liberty for a people, and both powers have passed from the world.
Even so, a new generation trots out the same bilge, as one reads: ''Revolution means the long fight for communism and nothing less. There are those who would demand we surrender; between surrendering to developing fascism and a death earned defending people from it, we must unwaveringly choose the later. We must reconstitute ourselves with communist morality." In "In These Times Pacifists are Shameful," by Red Guards Austin (Texas), 16 May 2017.
Become a Communist
Demonstrated by the same old rhetoric and postures and imagery, Marxist enthusiasm renewed lures a next generation of militant, armed and masked anti-capitalists.
Defending the Principle of Tyranny?
The previous century's history of Communism is all but forgotten. Of that history, one learns that others learned lessons. As example, "We had gone to Russia believing there were good dictatorships and bad. We left convinced that defending one dictatorship is in fact defending the principle of tyranny. As long as the Rollands and G. B. Shaws and Barbusses condoned political murder and mass exile and the crushing of human decencies in one place and for one cause, they were supporting those methods in all places and for all causes. Everything else was sophistry and deception." In "Assignment in Utopia (1937) by Eugene Lyons, Harcourt & Brace, 1937, p. 621,
Today's "new" Communism is a repackaging of the same old Communism, which is why piling on confusing terminology is intended to obfuscate.
Consider the historical reality of some Enemies of Capitalism
[ 2 ] One reads: "One of the biggest antifascist campaigns in Germany in recent years was the, ultimately successful, effort to block the annual Nazi-rallies in the east German city of Dresden in Saxony, which had grown into "Europe's biggest gathering of Nazis". In October 2016, the Antifa in Dresden campaigned on the occasion of the anniversary of the reunification of Germany on 3 October for "turning Unity celebrations into a disaster" („Einheitsfeierlichkeiten zum Desaster machen“), to protest this display of new German nationalism, whilst explicitly not ruling out the use of violence." In "Antifaschistische Aktion," Wikipedia article, n. d.
A recent Antifa logo with a Molotov cocktail at its center
The dualistic notion that only two options are acceptable justifies the Left and Right
For all the seeming agitation against Nazis, especially in Germany with grafitti demanding "Nazis raus," one reads that the lessons of history fade. A "study by the Körber Institute found that less than half (47 percent) of 14 to 16 year olds had heard of the death camp where over one million people were murdered between 1941-1945. Their peers aged 17 or over were more likely to have heard of Auschwitz, but three in ten still didn’t know what it was." In "Four in ten German school kids don’t know what Auschwitz was, survey finds," TheLocal.de, 28 September 2017.
It was and remains imperative that the so-called Right and Left retain their appearance as opponents, but they are only opponents to each other, both proclaiming an anti-capitalism stance, while united in seeking dictatorship over a people.
The fluidity of movement between such Totalitarian
Protest as Murder as Protest as Murder
Thus one sees how easily the cloak of an extremist mantle fits onto such an individual, as onto an entire movement. As the Guardian article notes: "According to German newspaper reports, the revelation comes from a leaked report by state prosecutors re-investigating the shooting of a pacifist by a Berlin policeman during a 1967 protest. According to Bild am Sonntag, which claims to have seen the report into the death of Benno Ohnesorg, Mahler was a so-called inoffizielle Mitarbeiter (informal collaborator) for the East German secret service up until 1970. The outing of any public figure as an IM is a controversial affair, but with Mahler, who is in a Bavarian prison for denying the Holocaust, it is especially striking. If he really was collaborating with the Stasi, it shines a whole new light on his time with the Red Army Faction – better known in the UK as the Baader-Meinhof gang."
The latest crop of anti-capitalists has not observed history, for Germany's National Socialists as well as its Communists of that era and today's Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands, MLPD all stood for anti-capitalism.
A Nationalist Redefinition of Socialism
Consider that the "term 'National Socialism' arose out of attempts to create a nationalist redefinition of 'socialism', as an alternative to both international socialism and free market capitalism. Nazism rejected the Marxist concept of class conflict, opposed cosmopolitan internationalism, and sought to convince all parts of the new German society to subordinate their personal interests to the 'common good' and accept political interests as the main priority of economic organization." In "Nazism," Wikipedia article, n. d. Antifa and others on the Left hold anti-capitalist stances coupled to "no freedom with capitalism," as the banner carried in modern Germany proclaims.
"No peace with capitalism"
Murderous political totalitarianism "murders" democratic tolerance of other views and pacifism is one meaning to this example. Another is that anti-Semitism in the denial of the Holocaust -- a crime in Germany today -- is a hallmark of such totalitarianism. Lastly, the shifting of political identities becomes another identifying marker, in the attempt to confuse a populace as to the political ideology itself.
Antifa International
A summary of the political jargon might be read as an equation of sorts. Far Left = Far Right = Political Violence = anti-Semitism = Stalinist and Maoist Communism = National Socialism and Italian Fascism = Stasi = Khmer Rouge = Islamic Socialism = Political Terrorism. It is all repressive terror with ideological rationalization behind it. And its stance is consistently anti-capitalist alongside the call for some form of coercive government, from one kind of dictatorship to another. What separates them? Which party calling for dictatorship is to arise, and which opposing party calling for dictatorship is to be quashed, each under their own "intellectual" justification.
The Self-Congratulatory Practice of Discriminating Tolerance by Militant Intolerance
In this time, one looks back at arguments for such. One example: "For this struggle, I proposed the practice of discriminating tolerance. To be sure, this practice already presupposes the radical goal which it seeks to achieve. I committed this petitio principii in order to combat the pernicious ideology that tolerance has already institutionalized in this society. The tolerance which is the life element, the token of a free society will never be the gift of the powers that be; it can, under the prevailing conditions of tyranny by the majority, only be won in the sustained effort of radical minorities, willing to break this tyranny and to work for the emergence of a free and sovereign majority -- minorities intolerant, militantly intolerant and disobedient to the rules of behavior which tolerate destruction and suppression." In "Postscript 1968," in "A Critique of Pure Tolerance" by Robert Paul Wolff, Barrington Moore, Jr. and Herbert Marcuse, Beacon Press, 1969.
The "militantly intolerant" with masks and an Antifa shield
The admission that such thinking is a circular argument presupposing its conclusion at its outset -- the petitio principii -- demonstrates the urge to employ the "militantly intolerant" circles its own words, declaring a majority both a "tyranny" and a potential "free and sovereign" thing, a utopian vision that militancy will bring about freedom, but from what? A new "majority" to replace an older "majority." One form of socialist thinking to replace another form, both opposed to free markets and capitalism?
Majoritarianism itself is suspect, which is why many civil societies already make "room" for minority rights within a majority. Who defines what? Especially when objectivity is denied, as some in the "new" Left argue with their postmodern jargon.
One finds simply that the application of force -- violence -- is justified by "begging the question" that violence is politically justified against opposing political views -- that "might makes right." The tale is not new, but millennia old.
Willingness to be Violent
And so one finds an awareness dawning again, that because "...their methods are often violent. Antifa leaders admit they're willing to physically attack anyone who employs violence against them or who condones racism -- as long as force is used in the name of eradicating hatred." In "Unmasking the leftist Antifa movement," by Sara Ganim and Chris Welch, CNN, 22 August 2017.
As to the "leftist Antifa movement" in Berkeley, one reads further: "Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin has called for authorities to tackle left-wing violence by classifying members of antifa, the loosely organized group of 'anti-fascists' who believe that violence is acceptable in countering right-wing extremism, as a gang." In "Berkeley Mayor Calls for Antifa to be Classified as Crime Gang After Clashes at Weekend Protest," by Tom Porter, Newsweek, 29 August 2017.
Mayor Arreguin noted they "come dressed in uniforms. They have weapons, almost like a militia, and I think we need to think about that in terms of our law enforcement approach."
Discriminating tolerance, so this is termed
"Discriminating tolerance" morphs quickly into intolerance of others' view of what tolerance is. One reads of "soul-searching" as the indiscriminating fascist behavior of supposed antifascists is on full, violent display: "Gitlin also described what he sees as a push by the anti-fascist — also called 'antifa' — movement to put 'themselves on the map of protest' by using violence to 'intimidate' both political opponents and those on the left who promote non-violence. One of the biggest banners at the Berkeley demonstration carried the message 'Avenge Charlottesville'." In "'Antifa' violence in Berkeley spurs soul-searching within leftist activist community," by Paige St. John and James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 29 August 2017.
The Only Choice? Which Only Choice?
Yet the supposed distinction between violent National Socialism and violent Communism was noted. One reads: "It is obvious what the fraudulent issue of fascism versus communism accomplishes: it sets up, as opposites, two variants of the same political system; it eliminates the possibility of considering capitalism; it switches the choice of 'Freedom or dictatorship?' into 'Which kind of dictatorship?'—thus establishing dictatorship as an inevitable fact and offering only a choice of rulers. The choice—according to the proponents of that fraud—is: a dictatorship of the rich (fascism) or a dictatorship of the poor (communism). That fraud collapsed in the 1940’s, in the aftermath of World War II. It is too obvious, too easily demonstrable that fascism and communism are not two opposites, but two rival gangs fighting over the same territory—that both are variants of statism, based on the collectivist principle that man is the rightless slave of the state—that both are socialistic, in theory, in practice, and in the explicit statements of their leaders—that under both systems, the poor are enslaved and the rich are expropriated in favor of a ruling clique—that fascism is not the product of the political 'right,' but of the 'left'—that the basic issue is not 'rich versus poor,' but man versus the state, or: individual rights versus totalitarian government—which means: capitalism versus socialism." In " 'Extremism,' or the Art of Smearing," in "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, 180," Ayn Rand, New American Library, 1966.
Rand, a voice despised by many on the Left, noticed that it is also a polarity between violence and non-violence, with violence the preferred "political" expression of both fascists and communists. One reads: "When physical force is banned, according to Rand, persuasion alone can organize or coordinate human activity, and, consequently, the use of reason is both liberated and rewarded. The technological innovation which characterizes capitalist systems is thus directly related to conditions of economic freedom." In "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Those who accept some polarity between Left and Right and place themselves in some niche all the while holding to non-violence have "persuasion" as their choice, and persuasion through argument, documentation and citation has its place in a civil society, while politically-motivated violence has no place in civil society.
Antifa with its masked faces and protest sign
Eradicating hatred by employing hatred and is that petitio principii as noted above as Marcuse twisted words into philosophical nonsense.
Marcuse, unlike Rand's notion of physical force being banned, finesses the notion of encouraging it. Playing with words and meanings, he opines: "Liberating tolerance, then, would mean intolerance against movements from the Right, and toleration of movements from the Left. As to the scope of this tolerance and intolerance: ... it would extend to the stage of action as well as of discussion and propaganda, of deed as well as of word." In "Repressive Tolerance," Herbert Marcuse, in "A Critique of Pure Tolerance," Beacon Press, 1970.
When persuasion with words fails, use fists and cudgels? Call it action and answer with "intolerance against movements?" Indeed, as Marcuse states that tolerance is not tolerance per se: "The tolerance which enlarged the range and content of freedom was always partisan --intolerant toward the protagonists of the repressive status quo. The issue was only the degree and extent of intolerance. In the firmly established liberal society of England and the United States, freedom of speech and assembly was granted even to the radical enemies of society, provided they did not make the transition from word to deed, from speech to action."
By action, one should read political violence which is "intolerant of the protagonists of the repressive status quo." But who defines repression? Marcuse "persuades" with words for "unequal treatment." He writes: "The historical calculus of progress (which is actually the calculus of the prospective reduction of cruelty, misery, suppression) seems to involve the calculated choice between two forms of political violence: that on the part of the legally constituted powers (by their legitimate action, or by their tacit consent, or by their inability to prevent violence), and that on the part of potentially subversive movements. Moreover, with respect to the latter, a policy of unequal treatment would protect radicalism on the Left against that on the Right."
A Pantheon of Communists
What Marcuse and others advocating such inequality failed to connect was the political violence of the many icons whose portraits were paraded in political movements.
Marx to Engels to Lenin to Stalin to Mao. Missing icons would and should include Hitler and Mussolini, Pol Pot and others, were correction to the Left/Right polarity made. The polarity that corrects places all the repressive, cruel regimes together on a poll set against individual rights and freedom from the state. The Holocaust and Holomodor were dwarfed by the Chinese Cultural Revolution, as objective measures of state-driven, politically motivated cruelty.
All these supposedly iconic thinkers and socialist regimes led to massive "cruelty, misery, suppression," in Marcuse's accusing words. In the words of political scientist Rudolph Rummel, these were massive examples of democide, not "action."
Rand's words respond, as cited above and worth citing again: "It is obvious what the fraudulent issue of fascism versus communism accomplishes: it sets up, as opposites, two variants of the same political system; it eliminates the possibility of considering capitalism; it switches the choice of 'Freedom or dictatorship?' into 'Which kind of dictatorship?'—thus establishing dictatorship as an inevitable fact and offering only a choice of rulers."
The lesson needs repeating, as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn observed: "For us in Russia, communism is a dead dog. For many people in the West, it is still a living lion"."
The Ideology of Absolute Power
Rummel's words thunder as he links the Left and Right as imagined by Marcuse to be opposites: "...totalitarianism characterizes such ideologies as state socialism (as in Burma), Marxism-Leninism as in former East Germany, and Nazism. Even revolutionary Moslem Iran since the overthrow of the Shaw in 1978-79 has been totalitarian--here totalitarianism was married to Moslem fundamentalism. In short, totalitarianism is the ideology of absolute power. State socialism, communism, Nazism, fascism, and Moslem fundamentalism have been some of its recent raiments. Totalitarian governments have been its agency. The state, with its international legal sovereignty and independence, has been its base. As will be pointed out, mortacracy is the result. Totalitarian governments are the contemporary embodiment of absolute Power, as classically understood. And Power is a continuum, with limited and responsible power at one end, and absolute Power--totalitarian governments--at the other end. In the middle are authoritarian governments, that is monarchies or dictatorships that leave social, economic, and cultural affairs and institutions largely free, but squash political opponents or critics (for example, in South Korean and Taiwan until recently, or Thailand and Greece under various military dictatorships). This then gives us a simple summary of relevant findings in the literature. The more unlimited the power of a government, the more likely it will kill. This can be put as a principle: Power kills, absolute Power kills absolutely." In "Democide in Totaltiarian States: Mortacracies and megamurderes -- an Annotated Bibliography," by R. J. Rummel, Power Kills
A banner carried in the Paris riots of 2018 urges "Kill the bourgeoisie." This is political protest? One political "tolerance" to crush another "tolerance" leads quickly to the Totalitarian
The Leading Ideological Cause of Death in the 20th Century
There is another, clearer path politically, as one thinks that Freedom is freedom is freedom
It is a pathway away from the murderous 20th century history of Communism. One reads: "According to a disturbingly pleasant graphic from 'Information is Beautiful' entitled simply '20th Century Death', communism was the leading ideological cause of death between 1900 and 2000. The 94 million that perished in China, the Soviet Union, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Eastern Europe easily (and tragically) trump the 28 million that died under fascist regimes during the same period." In "Communism Killed 94M in 20th Century, Feels Need to Kill Again," by John J. Walters, Reason, 13 March 2013.
For the Very Destruction of Freedom Itself
This is why the parsing of terms is critical to those who would obfuscate the cluster of Communism alongside Fascism and Socialism, because they all work simply for power. "To many who have watched the transition from socialism to fascism at close quarters the connection between the two systems has become increasingly obvious, but in the democracies the majority of people still believe that socialism and freedom can be combined. They do not realize that democratic socialism, the great utopia of the last few generations, is not only unachievable, but that to strive for it produces something utterly different – the very destruction of freedom itself. As has been aptly said: 'What has always made the state a hell on earth has been precisely that man has tried to make it his heaven'." Friedrich A. Hayek, "The Road to Serfdom," 1944.
[ 3 ] One learns that the political theater is again not convincing to many, if not most. "Voters are following the actions of the so-called 'antifa' protesters and aren’t impressed with what they see. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 24% of Likely U.S. Voters have a favorable opinion of the antifa protesters, with eight percent (8%) who view them Very Favorably. Fifty-eight percent (58%) share an unfavorable opinion of these protesters, including 40% who have a Very Unfavorable." In "Voters See 'Antifa' Protesters Chiefly as Troublemakers," Rasmussen Reports, 18 September 2017.The perception seems apt, as one reads: "Refuse Fascism describes itself as a national movement of people from diverse political perspectives who believe the U.S. president and vice president pose an existential threat to humanity. It was founded by supporters of the Revolutionary Communist Party in December and has chapters in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the Bay Area and other cities." In "Antifascist explains why she protests Trump fans," by Otis R. Taylor Jr., San Francisco Chronicle, 29 September 2017.
Oddly similar are these supporters of the Revolutionary Communist Party, willing to employ fascist tactics to "refuse fascism" with the intent of be "revolutionary." But when learning of the demonstrable facts from Professor Rummel and others above, that Communism in the guise of Soviet Socialism and Sino-Socialism were more murderous than the National Socialists -- who claimed the term socialism for themselves -- and the Italian Fascists -- who arose from the Italian socialist ranks, and linked to the above mentioned Revolutionary Communist Party in America, one sees a continuity which all the non-stop political pretense of this moment in time cannot obscure.
[ 4 ] The investigative article shows this Antifa "activist" as presenting different faces to different media. One finds him "...in his professional capacity as Alcoff, he’s been quoted in press releases from Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and appeared at an event with Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia outside the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in March and has been pictured alongside Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters."
Murder of the Rich?
But "...in his social media postings, Alcoff often calls for the murder of the rich and the dismantlement of capitalism."
Being an ideologue, Alcoff alias the overt Communist Chepe, he fails to note a lesson of history. His violent enthusiasm for what was called "scientific socialism" in the 1848 Communist Manifesto has already be demonstrated thoroughly and in many nations, from the Bolshevik revolution and across decades of death.
Consider the overarching urge to murder for ideology, as in True socialism, oh yes, he said
And consider that all the various forms of socialism, as tested in the many crucibles of the 20th century, have all easily descended into murderousness. How could this not be so when a "Chepe" so states in his social media, he works for "the murder of the rich and the dismantlement of capitalism. How Totalitarian
[ 5 ] Goodman notes: The contrast between these two worldviews could not be more stark. The classical liberals believed the state should be the servant of free men. The 20th century left believed that men should serve the state. The results are in. The 20th century was the century of economic instability, depression and war. The 19th century was the century of price stability, economic growth and relative international peace. The 20th century was the century of dictatorship and genocide on an unimaginable scale ― with 125 million people killed by their own governments! The 19th century was a century of liberation and increasing personal freedom."
One may argue the details, but the overall image is one of clear distinctions. The political opposition was and remains between classical liberalism and what is called the Left today.
Thus the Left and Right
[ 6 ] Walsh quotes Anderson: "Communism's power to seduce, Furet begins, was partly based on the mendacity of Marxist regimes and their followers. 'Communism was certainly the object of a systematic lie,' he writes, 'as testified to, for example, by the trips organized for naïve tourists and, more generally, by the extreme attention the Soviet regime and the Communist parties paid to propaganda and brainwashing.' Yet these lies were exposed quickly and often, almost from October 1917 on. They wouldn't have remained so effective for so long without the emotional pull of the grand illusions that they served: that the Bolsheviks were the carriers of history's true meaning, and that Communism in power would bring about true human emancipation. One can find little evidence that the Communists, right up to Mikhail Gorbachev, were ever purely cynical, even when they were lying; they continued to believe, or at least seemed to believe, in the illusions. Describing Communism as a secular religion isn't an exaggeration." In "The Dangerous Era," by Brian C. Anderson, National Review, 29 October 2014.
Everything within -- an original sin
"During a 1945 lecture series entitled The Soviet Impact on the Western World (published as a book in 1946), the pro-Soviet British historian E. H. Carr claimed that 'The trend away from individualism and towards totalitarianism is everywhere unmistakable', and that Marxism–Leninism was by far the most successful type of totalitarianism, as proved by Soviet industrial growth and the Red Army's role in defeating Germany. Only the 'blind and incurable' could ignore the trend towards totalitarianism, said Carr." In "Totalitarianism," Wikipedia article, n. d. [ 1 ]
1.
Everything within.
Nothing without.
The fists will clench.
The leaders shout.2. Where to turn?
No exits are seen.
Run while you can?
Lessons to glean?3. Some within,
And much without.
Freedoms can grow.
Of this there's no doubt.
Addendum of a Slogan: "Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state." Benito Mussolini, Dottrina del Fascismo.
Addendum in Mussolini's Own Words: If liberalism spells individualism, Fascism spells government. Doctrine of Fascism, 1932.
Addendum Defining the Term: "...any program for setting up a centralized autocratic national regime with severely nationalistic policies, exercising regimentation of industry, commerce and finance, rigid censorship, and forcible suppression of opposition." "Fascism," in Webster's Third New International Dictionary, 1966.
Addendum of a Modern Complaint: "The progressive forces of identity politics started this poisoning of America’s favorite spectator sport last year by making a hero of Colin Kaepernick for refusing to stand for 'The Star-Spangled Banner' before games. They raised the stakes this year by turning him into a progressive martyr because no team had picked him up to play quarterback after he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers. The NFL is a meritocracy, and maybe coaches and general managers thought he wasn’t good enough for the divisions he might cause in a locker room or among fans. But the left said it was all about race and class." In "The Politicization of Everything," Editorial Board, 24 September 2017. [ 2 ]
Addendum of an Individual's Tale: " 'I know for a fact that her patients adore her, both for her knowledge of the healing arts as well as her bedside manner and her genuine concern for her patients,' wrote Newport resident Lynn Boudreau. According to her resume, Konopka has practiced in hospitals in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Suffolk County, N.Y., and Jersey City, N.J. She opened a pediatric and internal medicine practice in New Hampshire in 1989. Konopka, who speaks quietly with a soft Polish accent, graduated from the Medical Academy in Krakow, Poland. She said the United States medical system is approaching that of communism. 'It’s fine if you are with the system. If you are not,' she said, 'you are an enemy of the system'." In "New London family doctor, 85, says state forced her to give up medical license," by Mark Hayward, New Hampshire Union Leader, 25 September 2017.
Addendum of Canceling an Exhibit Over Threats Made: "Out of concern for the safety of its staff, visitors, and participating artists, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has decided against showing the art works Dogs That Cannot Touch Each Other (2003), Theater of the World (1993), and A Case Study of Transference (1994) in its upcoming exhibition Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World. Although these works have been exhibited in museums in Asia, Europe, and the United States, the Guggenheim regrets that explicit and repeated threats of violence have made our decision necessary. As an arts institution committed to presenting a multiplicity of voices, we are dismayed that we must withhold works of art. Freedom of expression has always been and will remain a paramount value of the Guggenheim." In "Statement Regarding Works in 'Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World'," official statement from the Guggenheim Museum, 25 September 2017. [ 3 ]
Addendum of Defining the Free Society: "Støjberg shared a screenshot of her iPad background displaying cartoonist Kurt Westergaard’s drawing of the prophet Mohammed wearing a bomb in his turban. She did so in response to the decision by Skovgaard Museum in Viborg to not display the 12 caricatures of Mohammed published by Jyllands-Posten newspaper as part of an exhibition on blasphemy. The integration minister said that the drawings, particularly the one by Westergaard that has led to attempts on his life, 'helped to define Denmark as the free society that we are'." In "Danish integration minister praises infamous Mohammed cartoon," TheLocal.dk., 26 September 2017.
Addendum of Totalitarian Politics Controlling Churches: "Ying Fuk-tsang, director of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Divinity School, also questioned on his Facebook if this is 'reform or moving backward?' 'Religion is a citizen’s basic rights endowed by the Constitution. If it is assigned as specialized duty of the Party, this is undoubtedly a major change in the religious work since the founding of the Communist-rule China. It reflects the unlimited expansion of the Party’s power, interfering directly the basic rights of citizens. This kind of retrogression is definitely negative for the development of religious freedom in China,' he said." In "Goodbye to the Religious Affairs Bureau: religions are now under the direct control of the Party," by Wang Zhicheng, Asia Times, 22 March 2018. [ 4 ]
Addendum of Film Fascism and Chinese State Propaganda: "When China abolished the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television last week, state media said a proposed new body overseeing radio and TV management would fall directly under the State Council, i.e., more firmly under the thumb of the Communist Party. But a question mark was left over what was to become of film oversight. The situation is now gaining some clarity. A statement from China Film Group on Tuesday said film management will be assigned to the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee." In "China Film Industry To Be Regulated By Communist Party Propaganda Department," by Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline Hollywood, 21 March 2018.
Addendum of an Observation of Everything: "... such politicization of the arts is accepted as the norm. Indeed, that’s part of the left’s poisoning of everything — its politicization of everything." In "Whatever the Left Touches it Ruins," Dennis Prager, 10 April 2018.
Addendum of a United States Congresswoman Tiptoeing Towards the Totalitarianism of 'Everything Within': "Democrats’ plans to counteract climate change will involve 'massive government intervention' into Americans’ lives, one of the chief proponents admitted in an interview Thursday morning. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she has no qualms about acknowledging a so-called 'Green New Deal' will mean unprecedented governmental intrusion into the private sector. Appearing on NPR, she was asked if she’s prepared to tell Americans outright that her plans involve 'massive government intervention'." In "Ocasio-Cortez: Fixing Global Warming Requires ‘Massive Government Intervention’," by Tom Elliott, Grabien News, 7 February 2019.
Addendum of a Meaningless Word: "It will be seen that, as used, the word 'Fascism' is almost entirely meaningless. In conversation, of course, it is used even more wildly than in print. I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else. Yet underneath all this mess there does lie a kind of buried meaning. To begin with, it is clear that there are very great differences, some of them easy to point out and not easy to explain away, between the régimes called Fascist and those called democratic. Secondly, if 'Fascist' means 'in sympathy with Hitler', some of the accusations I have listed above are obviously very much more justified than others. Thirdly, even the people who recklessly fling the word 'Fascist' in every direction attach at any rate an emotional significance to it. By 'Fascism' they mean, roughly speaking, something cruel, unscrupulous, arrogant, obscurantist, anti-liberal and anti-working-class. Except for the relatively small number of Fascist sympathizers, almost any English person would accept 'bully' as a synonym for 'Fascist'. That is about as near to a definition as this much-abused word has come." In "What is Fascism?" by George Orwell, Tribune, 1944.
NOTES
[ 1 ] The not-so-clever game of separating one kind of totalitarianism from another lingers, and may be parsed by simply examining which form of totalitarianism points the accusing finger at another, as if a functional argument or form of camouflage.
Similarities Between Fascists and Communists
One reads more from the article simply: "Totalitarianism is a political system in which the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible. A distinctive feature of totalitarian governments is an 'elaborate ideology, a set of ideas that gives meaning and direction to the whole society'. ...The concept was first developed in the 1920s by the Weimar German jurist, and later Nazi academic, Carl Schmitt, and Italian fascists. Schmitt used the term, Totalstaat, in his influential work on the legal basis of an all- powerful state, The Concept of the Political (1927). The concept became prominent in Western political discourse as a concept that highlights similarities between Fascist states and the Soviet Union."
A different detail from an editorial cartoon, cited above, from 1953 linking the totalitarian doctrines
It is worth repeating: one need "highlight similarities between Fascist states and the Soviet Union." And between National Socialist Germany and its onetime Soviet ally. And between the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the tragic Cultural Revolution in Communist China. As Carr is quoted above: "Marxism–Leninism was by far the most successful type of totalitarianism." The crushing of Italian Fascism and German National Socialism by the Allied powers cut short their dreams of "success." Yet the Soviet Union imploded, and today's Communist China as a one-party state spews out Capital for Communists
The similarities are many, which is why proponents of one work rhetorically to separate these political doctrines, though different cadres of leadership fight for their own hegemony over another. But they all intended and still intend to rule again, and by any means necessary.
The Object of Power is Power
This should come as no surprise to the literate in Western society, for a text speaks clearly and should be better known than it is. Yet while Das Kapital is a staple in university instruction, the various postmodern tactics to suppress other texts on a variety of bases are aimed at "instructing" students away from some very clear notions. Among them is this:
"Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just around the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now you begin to understand me." George Orwell, 1984, Secker & Warburg, 1949.
So while the various power-seeking ideologies rage on in their various tactics, they prove by their very actions that they seek their version of "a paradise" which will be their version of "dictatorship" and as such all these ideologies cluster under the more basic banner of the Totalitarian
Benedetto Mussolini's arrest photo, Switzerland, 1907
Who has argued for totalitarianism? All those who have planned to be and remain in the "new" ruling class. Who has argued against the totalitarian? Those who would remain free of the yoke of -- all within the twentieth century -- National Socialism, Soviet Socialism, Sino-Socialism, the Khmer Rouge, the Islamic socialist movements, the now washed away aristocratic systems such as in Europe of 1900, and the host of revolutionary movements in Central and South America and Africa which have resulted in a variety of decades' long single-party governments.
A Century of Collectivism
From fascists' own doctrinaire statements, one reads: "For if the nineteenth century was a century of individualism (Classical liberalism always signifying individualism) it may be expected that this will be a century of collectivism, and hence the century of the State." Benito Mussolini, "The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism,” Jane Soames authorized translation, Hogarth Press, London, 1933.
Thus, while Italian Fascism seems to oppose Marxist Socialism, they both are united in the "state" and against "individualism," or Classical liberalism. Totalitarians all are they.
What irritates them all is that Freedom is freedom is freedom
[ 2 ] "All about race and class?" The title links the editorial to the slogan as above. With regard to the American dialogue about race, consider the premise: Everything's about my colored skin
What is interesting is how the speed to accusation is accelerating. A sports fan's view is read: "Left out of this equation — the metaphorical Joe and Jane Sixpack and their two kids, Brady and Tammy Lynn. They dropped $700 or so on four tickets, plus more on concessions, parking and swag at Gillette. Their reward: Tom Brady being Tom Brady. That was unfortunately preceded by a visual lecture on how they do not understand 'the struggle' — delivered by athletes whose salaries average $1.9 million per year, supported by a group of owners whose balance sheet is in the billions. The '1 Percent' on steroids. And that 1 percent just called Joe and Jane Sixpack racists." In "NFL fumbles in its response to Trump," Bill Speros / Obnoxious Boston Fan, Boston Herald, 25 September 2017.
When race is invoked as potential accusation, class will also be invoked. The "athletes whose salaries average $1.9 million per year" are indeed in the highest economic class in the world, and therefore according to classic Marxist thought fabulously bourgeois, "The struggle" in terms of economic class remains for a Joe and Jane Sixpack, which makes the "politicization of everything" a game filled with fumbles. Among those who have fumbled the political ball are those who are enormous winners in the American game of massive Income Inequality
Game on.
[ 3 ] "Explicit and repeated threats of violence" against anything are political, and only a step away from violence. That well defines the methods of fascism, in this case over perceptions of cruelty to animals. Yet threats of violence and actual violence mark the many who pretend to tolerance while demonstrating violent intolerance. When one's political stance is expected to rule over another by force, whether from a radical fringe or from a government, the fingerprint of the Totalitarian
The similarities between fascism and Communism, as noted above, are obvious to those who would accept the historical record. Offended by an art exhibit? Don't go. Offended by a speech or publication. Don't attend the speech and close the publication. Offended by a political gesture in a venue of any sort? Walk away. After all, there are many instances of this simple, non-aggressive act when People walk away
Then the demand for "everything within" fails. Totalitarianism in all its guises fails.
[ 4 ] The clear proof is easily seen, should one not turn away from historical words coupled to historical deeds, and evaluated against the present-day continuation of this political theory.
Being Absorbed Into the Single Party
As to "everything within" as was the Fascists' stance, one finds the same stance in Communist China. One reads: " 'Religion must adapt to the society it is in,' said Mr. Chen, whose department, the State Administration for Religious Affairs, is being absorbed into a branch of the Communist Party as part of a sweeping government reorganization. He went on, 'If a religion is incompatible with its society, this religion cannot survive and develop'." In "China Insists on Control of Religion, Dimming Hope of Imminent Vatican Deal," by Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 3 April 2018.
Thus one revisits Mussolini's declaration -- "Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state" -- and Carr's statement as above -- "The trend away from individualism and towards totalitarianism is everywhere unmistakable', and that Marxism–Leninism was by far the most successful type of totalitarianism..." -- and sees the enormous similarity of thought. The state under totalitarians of any all all stripes works to make "total" the control of the individual, his beliefs and thoughts, his seemingly non-state institutions, as all are brought under the reach of the state. What could ever go wrong?
A Former Soviet Satellite Observes
The awareness of such equivalency is growing. One reads: "In the July 16 ruling published on its website, the court said the 'communist and Nazi regimes' used similar methods of 'implementing repressive state policies." "The communist regime, like the Nazi regime, inflicted irreparable damages to human rights because during its existence, it had total control over society and politically motivated persecutions and repressions, violated its international obligations, and its own constitutions and laws,' it said. The legislation was passed by Ukrainian lawmakers in May 2015." In "Ukraine's Constitutional Court Upholds Law Equating Communism To Nazism," Radio Free Europe, 17 July 2019.
Thus the equivalency is:
Marxism = Leninism = Socialism = Communism = Fascism ≠ Individual Freedom
To then play "nuanced" semantic games as to the dissimilarities between the various forms of totalitarian control is to either become blind the the clear similarities, or to lobby for totalitarianism and by doing so lobby against individual freedom.
Pierre, Pierre who is never really there
Pierre, Pierre who is never really there,
Why should Jean-Paul bother to ask where?
What does Jean-Paul with non-Pierre share?
They found no exit on their spiral-down stair.
What would have been, if being was not?
What would one get, if it was not got?
What is that story, which has not a plot?
What is that nothing, which we all have a lot?
What is remembered, when one has forgot?
What crackpots crack, when shatters their pot?
What can one do, when one just cannot?
What is distinguished by the tittle and dot?
What is extinguished when truly all is not?
Black and white and red all over
once was just a joke.
Now that Pander Bear is loosed,
clarity fogs with smoke.
Pander, bare, to feelings
and naked stand you, for
All houses firm on shifting sands
crumble on each shore
Where Pander Bear has fed
upon quite nothing much
And withered from such nourishment
while fumbling for a crutch
To hobble, wounded, weary,
from pandering while bare
And naked without standards
except its cry, "Unfair!"
Black and white and read all over
is a joke in the best of times.
Used to replace thinking,
it's among the best of crimes.
"The Central States Pension Fund was the first to actually be approved for this triage under a 2014 law known as the Multiemployer Pension Fund Reform Act. Many pension advocates call it unfair. 'It was run through Congress in the dead of night, and President Obama -- who was supposed to be for the working class -- signed it,' complained Burruel. The fund is overseen by attorney Kenneth Feinberg, known for dividing up huge settlements in cases such as the 9/11 terrorist attack and the BP (BP) oil spill in the Gulf." In "Another blow for heartland workers: Slashed pensions," by Ed Leefeldt, CBS News, 20 July 2017.
Wolves offer keen advice
about protecting sheep,
and foxes guard the henhouse
although the price is steep.
Each predator will tailor
each argument to suit,
for pray such is their nature;
in this they are resolute
That wolves must be allowed
to shepherd herded sheep,
and foxes must be praised,
or else it's they which weep.
A variant for Amusement's Sake:
Wolves should shepherd sheep
And foxes guard the chickens,
Like politics' clever creep,
The plot that ever thickens.
Predators pray that their prey
Are dulled and lulled and lured,
Not alerted to run away,
So that preying is assured.
Lawyers should be trusted
To take what is allowed,
Except they're often busted
By a prying, eyeing crowd.
Wolves obey nature's laws
While lawyers make their own,
And a fox on stolen chickens gnaws
While lawyers gnaw men, it's known.
Once Upon a Time in Berkeley
"All these people talk so eloquently about getting back to good old-fashioned values. Well, as an old poop I can remember back to when we had those old-fashioned values, and I say let's get back to the good old-fashioned First Amendment of the good old-fashioned Constitution of the United States -- and to hell with the censors! Give me knowledge or give me death!" Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1922-2007).
Hate speech? Rate speech? Who defines what rule?
Bait? Preach? Prate? Screech? What refines which tool?
Who hates hate speech? The hypocrite's a fool.
There's lots of room for all speech with freedom's fire's fuel.
Shut it down, say those clowns, worth our ridicule.
Recent chalked walkway at UC Berkeley
Addendum of a Powerful Concurrence: "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence." Concurrence with Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927), by Justice Louis Brandeis (1856-1941).
Addendum of a Dangerous Thing: "The hushing of the criticism of honest opponents is a dangerous thing. It leads some of the best of the critics to unfortunate silence and paralysis of effort, and others to burst into speech so passionately and intemperately as to lose listeners. Honest and earnest criticism from those whose interests are most nearly touched, -- criticism of writers by readers, -- this is the soul of democracy and the safeguard of modern society." In "The Souls of Black Folk," W. E. B. DuBois, A. C. McClurg & Co., 1903.
Consider the Rage Against Dissent
Addendum of the Right to be Offensive: " 'What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist,' wrote Salman Rushdie. It's 15 years since Rushdie's novel, the Satanic Verses, earned the Booker Prize-winning novelist death threats, but the question persists." In "The right to be downright offensive," by Jonathan Duffy, BBC News Magazine, 21 December 2004.
Addendum of the Correct No: "No idea is above scrutiny and no people are beneath dignity." In "Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue," Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz, Harvard University Press, 2015.
Addendum of No Meaning and No Purpose: "It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so fucking what." In "I saw hate in a graveyard -- Stephen Fry," by David Smith, Guardian UK, 5 June 2005.
Addendum of Urges Against Free Speech: "At UC Berkeley, 177 professors and graduate students have signed an open letter urging thousands of colleagues and classmates to boycott campus for four days this month to ensure their 'physical and mental safety'." In "UC Berkeley professors urge campus boycott during 'Free Speech Week'," by Nanette Asimov, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 September 2017. [ 1 ]
Addendum of Equal Speech: "In a free society, speech at times can be annoying, obnoxious, unsettling or offensive. Panhandlers and political protesters can approach you on the street. Controversial ideas can be expressed on tee shirts, bumper stickers or license plates. And governments cannot block speech merely because it is irritating or bothersome — unless you are talking about commercial speech, in which case government bureaucrats have been given more deference to restrict speech." In "It's time for the Supreme Court to treat all speech equally," by Daniel Ortner, The Hill, 24 February 2020. [ 2 ]
Addendum of the Costs of Alleging But Not Defining Hate Speech: "Last year, Owen Benjamin was kicked off of Patreon for violating their terms on 'hate speech.' Benjamin then encouraged his fans to sue the site, given they had participated in, in legal terms, 'tortious interference with a business relationship.' Patreon's terms included language that allowed any users of the plaltform to litigate their case individually under California’s JAMS arbitration scheme. Under California law, Patreon would have to pay the arbitration fees up front, as each user would have to be dealt with on a one to one basis. These fees range from a few thousand dollars to over ten thousand dollars per case. It is unclear how many users intended to sue the platform." In "Patreon Loses Lawsuit With Owen Benjamin Fans, Likely To Pay Millions In Arbitration and Legal Fees," by Jack Hadfield, National File, 30 July 2020.
Synthesizing a stance: One need merely look for a legal definition of what constitutes hate, much less hate speech, to understand that the pejorative phrase is without definition. It is meant as a wholly relative, user-defined and emotionally charged meme with which to manipulate those who resist true critical thought in favor of critical theory, a postmodern construction which merely falls back upon old -fashioned socialist theory. When one's "feelings" define a word or phrase., then the fracturing of language itself occurs, wherein a word or phrase means whatever anyone chooses it to mean, such that all and none are authorities, law collapses and the old argument of ?might makes right" is restated as "by any means necessary." Those who wields power avoid discussion, debate and willingly crush freedom for others in favor of power for themselves. This is the old and abiding domain of the Totalitarian
Consider: Oh, fence!
NOTES
[ 1 ] In 2016, UC Berkeley boasted a faculty of over 1,600 full-time and 500 part-time members, and about 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students overall. Thus an "open letter" from 177 out of 42,100 students and faculty in total represents less than half a percent of the university's population. Fears for "physical and mental safety" seem an expression of a significantly small group of the greater whole. At one time, the movement of the student and faculty activists was for free speech, and in full circle some now urge a boycott of the same.
[ 2 ] One observes throughout the calls to regulate speech one consistent theme -- government. While the opinion piece is written with a mind to the current state of the United States, the fact worldwide is that many governments indeed act against "speech" especially when said speech is directed against a ruling class. This is why the true philosophic disagreement has two poles, one for tolerating the worst of speech, and one for suppressing speech the ruling class deems an offence. The poles are simply greater freedom versus loss of freedom. For this reason, those who express their authoritarian bent, even when dressed in camouflage, are indeed deserving of ridicule.
Tiny picture - rhymed paraphrase of Ilse Weber
"Helga depicted the reality in her drawings, and because the Germans forbade photographs, these drawings, which were recovered after the war along with her Terezín journal, have become an important testimony. She flicks through a book of them, pausing over an ink sketch of a man checking his blanket for bedbugs or 'blechy'. She says: 'I killed them by hand. They were small, but when they had eaten or drunk they bloated up – and what is most terrible, full of blood.' Her favourite drawing is of a funeral cart loaded with bread, and bearing the logo 'Welfare for the young'. She says: 'It was the only vehicle at Terezín. They wanted to decimate us psychologically too. Everything was carried on it – luggage, old people, dirty linen – except dead bodies.' As for those famous baskets of vegetables, which Helga and other children spent their days cultivating, she snorts: 'It was all for the Germans'.' In "Helga Weiss: an interview with a holocaust survivor," Nicholas Shakespeare, Telegraph UK, 19 February 2013.
The hearse of black-cracked lacquer
has served its many dead.
Four silvered columns heft
its ornamental roof overhead.
As dark, sepulchral friend --
it has carried its silent dead;
through ghetto lanes it carries now
its hundred loaves of hard-brown bread.
Snow softens white the silent earth,
wind sighing above this land,
as the wagon, drawn without horses --
no! -- children pull with tiny hand.
Each tugs the carriage traces
and plods in measured gait.
Sweat beads the children's brows and cheeks,
why is this heavy load their fate?
And childlike, earnest grimaces
in cheeks reddened with the cold
tell of their hardened labor for
meager blackened bread controlled.
The title to this picture?
With dark irony it black bleeds,
large is a sign fixed to the hearse:
"Welfare for the Young" it reads.
Welfare for the Young -- in the reality brought by the National Socialists
See: Kleines Lied (2017)
I go I went
I bend and bent
and time is now ticked by
I am I was
and this because
what's negotiable was I.
Thus was now is
for fool and whiz
are neither I deny
for I am naught
what I had ought
as life goes on to die.
"Al Arabiya said security forces had found two groups of terrorists in Mecca and a third group in the city of Jeddah. The foiled attack targetted worshipers at the mosque, it said. Neither Al Arabiya nor Al-Ekhbariya gave any further details." In "Saudi security forces foil attack on Grand Mosque in Mecca: state TV," by Omar Fahmy and Rania El Gamal, Reuters, 23 June 2017.
The rivals cried
there is one god,
the rival for which I fight.
The two sides lied,
the rent facade
showed war of eager might.
The veiled all vied
and all was flawed
with killing as god's right.
Heed not one guide;
as leaders laud.
as all seeds this worlds' plight.
Addendum of Militant Rivalry: "This year's commemoration coincided with an intensifying battle for influence in the region between Shiite Iran and its Sunni arch rival Saudi Arabia, which severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in January 2016. 'Death to the House of Saud and Daesh (IS),' the demonstrators chanted. 'Death to America', 'Death to Israel', 'Death to the UK'." In "Chants against Saudi royals as Iran marks Jerusalem Day," by Ali Noorani, Agence France Presse, 23 June 2017.
Consider such rivalry in terms of the slogan, Coexist
"After much discussion, debate, and research, the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2016 is post-truth – an adjective defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.’ The script was provided by a guest writer, the cultural commentator Neil Midgley." In "Word of the Year 2016 is..." by Oxford Dictionaries, 2016.
Roast truth
on a spit,
charred and
crisp and
hot.Most truth?
Counterfeit,
offhand,
newsstand
fraught.Post-truth,
they admit
it's planned,
fact-panned
rot.Addendum on the Media: "The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses." Malcolm X (1925-1965) [ 1 ]
Addendum of What's Left: "...prominent representatives of the centre-left prepared the ground for the post-politics of 'post-truth'. The irony is that some of their closest relatives have been the first casualties of its further realisation. 'Post-truth' is the latest step in a logic long established in the history of ideas, and previously expressed in the cultural turn led by middle-class professionals. Instead of blaming populism for enacting what we set in motion, it would be better to acknowledge our own shameful part in it." In "The surprising origins of 'post-truth' – and how it was spawned by the liberal left," by Andrew Calcutt, The Conversation, 18 November 2016.
Addendum of Fake News and Biased Sources: " 'The No. 1 skill that kids are going to need in this 21st century is media literacy and the power of discernment,' said Stephen Balkam, founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute. 'What is real and what is not real? What is reputable and what is not reputable? And the willingness to go deep and not just read a headline.' For students, it’s apparently an uphill learning battle. They’re often taught in schools how to comprehend a written passage but less frequently how to judge the source of the information presented before them, Breakstone said. And because technology evolves quickly, the teaching materials about news literacy haven’t kept up." In "Students duped by fake news and biased sources, Stanford study finds," by Queenie Wong, Mercury News, 22 November 2016.
Addendum of Amplification of Assertions and Suppression of Inconvenient Facts: "Bader pointed out that most of the anti-minority 'hate crimes' and 'hate incidents' cited by SPLC do not legally constitute hate crimes, and many involve constitutionally protected speech. 'It is simply ridiculous that SPLC treats 'build the wall' as hate rhetoric,' he said. The center counted people mentioning 'build the wall' as 467 incidents of hate. 'Alas, these days the SPLC is mainly a fundraising machine,' said Gail Heriot, a US Commission on Civil Rights member who voted against Friday’s resolution. 'The more it can persuade its donors that hate groups have penetrated every nook and cranny of American society, the more money it can raise. Now it wants us to believe that the election has unleashed unprecedented waves of hatred and violence among schoolchildren. Let’s stop and take a deep breath before we assume that’s true. The SPLC has no credibility with anyone — on the left or the right — who is familiar with its methods.' While there no doubt are legitimate reports of hate crimes against minorities — and even one is too many — hyping such incidents recklessly fans the flames of anxiety among such communities. And suppressing reports of crimes against Trump supporters gives a one-sided and misleading view of post-election discord." In "Report buried Trump-related 'hate crimes' against white kids," by Paul Sperry, New Post Post, 5 December 2016.
Addendum of Orwell's Premonition: "Rolled all-into-one; the Google and media conglomerate initiatives, the EU parliamentary cadence against Russia, the NATO expansionism, this new EU propaganda arm, and the western world’s old order exercise a massive control. If George Orwell could imagine it, the elites have set it in place. Standing back, viewing the policies and rhetoric mimicked continually, we can see the real game behind. Power, the continuation of it, is the ultimate goal, and it would not surprise me to discover Google was a formulate entity of power all along. The urban legend that such Internet monopolies as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and the rest just 'happen' seems less likely day by day. The 'Fake Story' parroted from the White House to Whitehall and from the Bundeskanzlerin is a figment of the same imagination that said Google will 'Do no evil'. At least this is the view of a few millions. Me and scores of other dissenters are not 'faking', these corporate-government strategies, deals, and laws are dangerous. This is what the 'free press' was originally tasked with." In "The 'Godfather’s' Address to the EU: An 'Offer That Cannot Be Refused'," by Phil Butler, New Eastern Outlook, 6 December 2016.
Addendum of a BBC Admission of False Reporting: "Nearly six months later, the BBC’s editorial complaints unit has now concluded that the item was unfair. According to the unit, the BBC reporter 'did not give due weight to public statements by successive popes or the efforts made on the instructions of Pius XII to rescue Jews from Nazi persecution, and perpetuated a view which is at odds with the balance of evidence.' Pope Pius XII, who was the pontiff during World War II, has been accused of silent acquiescence to the Holocaust, most famously by a 1999 book, Hitler’s Pope, which sparked a major controversy among historians. Its author, John Cornwell, has since backed down on some of his claims." In "The BBC conceded it was false to describe the Church as being 'silent' in the face of Nazism," By Dan Hitchens, Catholic Herald, 9 December 2016.
Addendum of the Press of Post-truth Meeting Plain Truth: "To hear Obama wax poetic about ‘the politics of hope’ and ‘how ordinary Americans can steer change’ feels deeply perverse coming from a figure that has institutionalized a vast, unaccountable permanent warfare state. In the face of Obama’s global covert assassinate program, his numerous secret wars without congressional approval, a mass electronic surveillance capability unprecedented in history, the speeches reveal themselves as little more than banal platitudes and vapid sloganeering. As the sun sets on Obama’s presidency, to say the press has given him a pass is a grand understatement. Some outlets have occasionally run criticism of Obama’s drone policies or inconvenient relationship with Saudi Arabia. Other voices invert reality altogether, chastising Obama for his reluctance to militarily engage Syria, despite the US dropping over 12,000 bombs on the country in 2016 alone." In "Obama’s Achievement was Whitewashing Permanent Warfare with Eloquence," Nile Bowie, New Eastern Outlook, 17 January 2017.
Addendum of Deceptions and Fake News: "While the West poses as the premier champion of free speech, citizen participation, openness, and accountability, the New York Times article reveals an unfolding plan to utterly crush any narrative that deviates from Western media talking points, thus controlling citizen perception, not encouraging “participation,” and ensuring that the West alone determines what is 'opened' and held 'accountable.' No worse scenario can be referenced in human history or even among human fiction than plans to determine for the world through automatic algorithms and artificial intelligence almost in real time what is heard and read and what isn’t. It is even beyond the scope and scale of George Orwell’s cautionary dystopian '1984' novel. In a truly free society, an educated citizenry is capable of deciding for itself what is 'fake news' and what isn’t. Because of the rise of alternatives to the West’s monopoly over global information, many people are doing just that – determining that Western narratives are in fact deceptions. At no other point in modern history has the Western media faced as many alternatives, and as much skepticism on this scale, as well as an ebbing of trust domestically and abroad. It is no surprise then, to find the West resorting to outright censorship, even if it cushions mention of it with terms like 'fake news'." In "The West’s War on Free Speech," by Tony Cartalucci, New Eastern Outlook, 5 June 2017.
Addendum of Failing to Report Honestly: "As hundreds of thousands of refugees arrived in Germany in 2015 and early 2016, daily newspapers took on the role of 'public educators' rather than objective critics of public policy, a team of researchers at the Otto Brenner Institute conclude, according to a report in Die Zeit this week. The researchers, led by former Die Zeit editor Michael Haller, studied thousands of articles published between February 2015 and March 2016 by leading daily newspapers, including Bild, Die Welt, the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The report, which will be published on Monday, criticizes 'the so-called mainstream media' for lining up behind Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door refugee policies, and for uncritically taking on 'the slogans of the political elite'." In "German media failed to report refugee crisis honestly, study finds," TheLocal.de, 21 July 2017. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Checking the Facts: "...the two co-founders were involved in a bitter divorce battle in which he was accused of embezzling nearly $100,000 in company funds to spend on personal expenses and prostitutes. Barbara asked a court at the time to restrict Mikkelson's bank access, claiming his wild spending was going to deplete the company's accounts." In " 'Fact checking' website Snopes on verge of collapse after founder is accused of fraud, lies, and putting prostitutes and his honeymoon on expenses (and it hasn't told its readers THOSE facts)," by Alana Goodman, Daily Mail, 26 July 2017.
Addendum of Refunds for Fake Traffic: "Alphabet Inc.’s GOOGL 0.00%▲ Google confirmed Thursday it will issue refunds for ads bought through its systems that ran on websites with fake traffic, and said a handful of its partners have agreed to do the same. The Wall Street Journal reported in August that Google was issuing refunds to some advertisers after ads purchased through its DoubleClick Bid Manager tool ended up running on websites with fraudulent traffic." In "Google and Its Partners Will Issue Refunds to Advertisers Over Fake Traffic," by Jack Marshall, Wall Street Journal, 21 September 2017.
Addendum of Blame for Fake News: "...Facebook should be held to the same standard as traditional media companies that are responsible for vetting the accuracy of stories before they publish. The poll, she said, shows the public feels the same way: 73 percent of voters said they think 'Facebook should hold itself to the same standard as other media companies to only publish accurate stories about candidates during election season. If you’re getting news from social media, it makes sense you would think of it as a news service,' Ryan said." In "Americans blame Facebook for fake news, new poll finds," by Alex Roarty, Seattle Times, 28 September 2017.
Addendum of a Masterful Lie: "...I followed the headlines and the trail of Russophobic nonsense back to an organization called the Committee to Investigate Russia. The video is part of a campaign by filmmaker Rob Reiner and his scary friends to put the fear of Putin in every heart in America. Quoting the Daily Beast on Freeman’s performance in the short: 'We have been attacked. We are at war.' With all the sincerity and vigor the Academy Award winning actor is famous for, Putin and Russia are sizzling on the ultra-liberal hot plate. Freeman does a masterful job as always, with one small problem. Everything he says in the advertisement is a lie." In " 'Meathead' is Running the Committee to Investigate Russia," by Phil Butler, New Eastern Outlook, 28 September 2017.
Addendum of a Masterful Law to Accompany a Masterful Lie: "Federal law currently exempts Facebook, Google and similar companies from liability for material published by their users. But circumstances are forcing the tech companies to accept more responsibility for the information they spread." In "Fake news is still here, despite efforts by Google, Facebook," by Barbara Ortutay and Ryan Nakashima, Associated Press, 9 October 2017.
Addendum of Fake News and the Stock Market: "The Dow Jones newswires had a ‘technical error’ which caused the portal to report several spurious stories including several headlines claiming Google was acquiring Apple for $9 billion, and that the deal was pre-arranged with Steve Jobs in his will. Obviously, every element of the story is made up, but it’s pretty funny to see the temporal blip on Apple’s stock price, which briefly spiked up to $158. The fake stories have now been removed by DJ." In "Dow Jones technical error spreads fake news story of Google acquiring Apple," by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac, 10 October 2017.
Addendum of Pre-Truth at MSNBC: "A longtime viewer reached out to the Washington Post and questioned if the duo were sharing “fake news” as they were not covering the current events. 'I was quite flabbergasted by the way they were so deceptive about this ... especially when they are always so quick to castigate lying or deception they attribute to others,' the unidentified viewer said. An MSNBC executive confirmed with the newspaper that the program wasn’t live, but denied purposefully misleading those tuning in." In "‘Morning Joe’ caught airing pretaped show the day after Thanksgiving," by Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 November 2017.
Addendum of That Slanted, Curated Version That Serves Their Purposes: "As an immigrant from India who didn’t know much about the politics of this country 15 or 16 years ago, for years I trusted many mainstream outlets to give me an honest view of current events. It is now apparent to me that they haven’t presented an objective picture of current events, but a slanted, curated version that serves their purposes. As an avid media consumer, I expect from journalists objective, honest, fair-minded presentation, and analysis of all the facts available in any situation without taking sides. Commentators and pundits, of course, can take sides, but they’re still expected to be fair, honest and rational. It is what I, as a part-time opinion columnist, try to do when I write for my city paper. The minute journalists take sides and favor one side over the other, and try to actively effect a desired outcome, they lose credibility with their viewers and readers. Once lost, that credibility can’t be regained." In "I’m A Liberal, And I Agree With Sean Hannity That American Journalism Is Dead," by Saritha Prabhu, Federalist, 30 November 2017.
Addendum of an Old Truth Renewed: "Twitter loves lies. A new study finds that false information on the social media network travels six times faster than the truth and reaches far more people. And you can’t blame bots; it’s us, say the authors of the largest study of online misinformation." In "False stories travel way faster on Twitter than true ones do, study finds," by Seth Borenstein, Associated Press, 9 March 2018.
Addendum of How Big of a Screw Up This Was: "The only way to reverse the damage is to own how big of a screw-up this was, but after the last three years, who would hold their breath waiting for that?" In "The Press Will Learn Nothing From the Russiagate Fiasco," Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, 23 April 2019. [ 3 ]
Addendum of the Thumb on the Scale: "Despite publicly denying doing so, Google keeps blacklists to remove certain sites or prevent others from surfacing in certain types of results. These moves are separate from those that block sites as required by U.S. or foreign law, such as those featuring child abuse or with copyright infringement, and from changes designed to demote spam sites, which attempt to game the system to appear higher in results." In "How Google Interferes With Its Search Algorithms and Changes Your Results," by Kirsten Grind, Sam Schechner, Robert McMillan and John West, Wall Street Journal, 15 November 2019. [ 4 ]
Addendum of a Post-Truth Post: "Newspapers like The Post vehemently deny that they have any political agenda, insisting that they are devoted to non-partisan and apolitical reporting. Very few people believe this fraud any longer, which is why trust in journalism has collapsed so precipitously, but rarely do we see a test case that so vividly illustrates how they really function. For years, The Washington Post reported fairly and truthfully on this group, because none of its activities threatened any government officials whom the paper wishes to protect. Suddenly, when the work they have been doing for years began to reflect poorly on a government official vital to American liberalism, The Post launched a campaign that is not even thinly disguised but nakedly clear in its goal: to smear this group by impugning its motives and distorting its agenda so that its work is immediately and uncritically disregarded by the paper's overwhelmingly liberal audience." In "To Protect Fauci, The Washington Post is Preparing a Hit Piece on the Group Denouncing Gruesome Dog Experimentations," by Glenn Greenwald, Substack, 2 November 2021.
Consider some truths about The Truth
NOTES
[ 1 ] This quote was used prominently in an opinion article. That article concluded: "When you read Google News headlines about Trump, Putin, Syria, Ukraine, or anything else for that matter, understand your news has been put in charge of the gatekeepers. And they are gatekeepers with no qualms about punishing people for simply disagreeing. This is where we are." In "When the Gatekeepers of Press Freedom Deride Trump or Putin…" by Phil Butler, New Eastern Outlook, 24 July 2017.
As the radical nature of the Internet and connectivity erodes the grasp of the gatekeepers, the rage of the gate keepers will become more apparent. Once the post-modern assertion of post-truth is posited, then objectivity diminishes. When subjectivity becomes all, then one subjectivity will wage war, create alliances, and assert post-modern sin as enthusiastically as in any previous historical period. The brutal Hobbesian world, not advocated by Hobbes, will have again been achieved, intolerance elevated by the advocates of tolerance to its secular theology.
[ 2 ] With news from a number of nations showing their media's loss of a people's trust is telling. On the state of the US media, one reads: "Trust in the mass media is at an all-time low. Two-thirds of Americans believe the mainstream press publishes fake news. Yes, there’s still much good journalism to be found, if you know where to look. Yet, ask reporters who’ve been around a while, and many will tell you that a lot of good journalism is being left unpublished. Good journalists hate what’s happening to the news. We have only ourselves to blame." In "Americans don't trust the media, and for good reason," by Sharyl Attkisson, The Hill, 18 August 2017.
[ 3 ] The Rolling Stone article is most amusing, for confessing what so many advocacy journalists cannot. The article notes: "You know what was fake news? Most of the Russiagate story. There was no Trump-Russia conspiracy, that thing we just spent three years chasing. The Mueller Report is crystal clear on this. He didn’t just 'fail to establish' evidence of crime. His report is full of incredibly damning passages, like one about Russian officialdom’s efforts to reach the Trump campaign after the election: 'They appeared not to have preexisting contacts and struggled to connect with senior officials around the President-Elect.' In other words, all those fancy org charts were meaningless. Because there was no conspiracy, all those 'walls are closing in' reports — and there were a ton of them — were wrong. We were told we’d hit 'turning point' after 'turning point' leading to the 'the beginning of the end,' with Trump certain, soon, to either resign in shame, Nixon-style, or be impeached."
Reporters Should Be Furious?
So several years of hyperbolic "reporting" -- fully opinioned on one side politically, and in retrospect fully incorrect -- are gone by. Taibbi suggests that "...reporters should be furious at the many sources close to the various investigations who (it now seems clear) must have known pretty early there were serious holes in many areas of this story, and that a lot of these 'dots' were dead ends, but didn’t warn their press counterparts."
But They're Not Mad
And so Rolling Stone gives a clear analysis: "For instance, the papers should be mad those who supposedly had misgivings about the Steele report didn’t warn them earlier. But they’re not mad, which makes it look like a case of intentional blindness, in which eyes and ears were shut among other things because the Trump-Russia conspiracy tale made a ton of money. Media companies earned boffo ratings while the Mueller probe still carried the drama of a potential spectacular ending, with blue-state audiences eating up all those 'walls are closing in' hot takes."
[ 4 ] From another course: "Google engineers and contractors work behind the scenes tweaking algorithms that alter search results in ways it has publicly denied in the past, The Wall Street Journal found in an investigation published Friday. After testing Google’s algorithm and conducting over 100 interviews, the Journal reported that Google has intervened in its algorithm to demote spam sites and maintain blacklists as well as make changes to its algorithm that favored the search ranking of a major advertiser, eBay, contrary to its public position." In "Google exercises more direct control over search results than it has admitted, report claims," by Lauren Feiner, CNBC, 15 November 2019.
One might consider how the elite of Google enjoy their hobnobbing with those certainly favored, such as Prince La-di-dah and gazillionaires
If you've nothing
you have to hide,
simple truths
serve well to guide.
If you've sin
some might spy,
to not be caught,
you have to lie.
If you're all in all
on the up and up,
there is no need
for a cover-up.
If your knots
all come undone,
what falls apart
is sure to stun.
If you conclude
life functions thus,
there'll come a time
you'll rage and fuss,
Lies in knots
all come undone,
while truths abide
o'er everyone.
"The oligarchs of the Bay Area have a problem: They must square their progressive worldview with their enormous wealth. They certainly are not socialists in the traditional sense. They see their riches not as a result of class advantages, but rather as reflective of their meritocratic superiority. As former TechCrunch reporter Gregory Ferenstein has observed, they embrace massive inequality as both a given and a logical outcome of the new economy. The nerd estate is definitely not stupid, and like rulers everywhere, they worry about a revolt of the masses, and even the unionization of their companies. Their gambit is to expand the welfare state to keep the hoi polloi in line. Many, including Mark Zuckerberg, now favor an income stipend that could prevent mass homelessness and malnutrition." In "California’s descent to socialism," by Joel Kotkin, Orange County Register, 11 June 2017.
Ollie Garx and Karly Marx
Played well together, friends,
Until remarks by these Pay-triarchs
Were heard as to what portends
For tomorrows' arcs of these bay monarchs
Who well served their own rich ends.
Billionaire Ollies with socialist views
Make words mean nothing much
Excepting that sought avenues
Play Midas with a Karly touch.
Enormous wealth enormous health
Serves few but serves them well;
The hoi-polloi must not be allowed to toy
With rebelliousness' toppling spell.Billionaire Ollies with socialist words
Sell opiate to the people,
To keep them docile in this world
As well-sheared herds of sheeple.
Addendum of Billionaire Opinions I: "Gates, who is currently the richest man in America, is far from the first tech billionaire to speak out against capitalism. Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin Media Empire, famously said 'capitalism has lost its way' in the forward of his 2011 book, Screw Business As Usual. At the book’s press launch, Branson said, 'The short-term focus on profit has driven most businesses to forget about the important long-term role they have in taking care of people and the planet.' Billionaire investors Warren Buffet and George Soros have also criticized American capitalism, as has billionaire filmmaker George Lucas. But many call these moguls hypocritical — even if they start foundations or pledge much of their own wealth to charitable causes, they still made billions and now seek to devalue others who want to do the same, critics say. 'Not by accident did the expression 'limousine liberal' enter the American political lexicon years ago (in the late 1960s) as a pejorative term to ridicule the hypocrisy of left-wing anti-capitalists living the high life made possible by capitalism,' Richard M. Salsman wrote in Forbes, reacting to Buffet’s critique of capitalism." In "Bill Gates Bashes Capitalism — But He’s Not The First Tech Billionaire To Do It," by Betsy Isaacson, Huffington Post, 14 March 2013.
Addendum of Billionaire Opinions II: "In a 2012 Pew Research survey, Democrats were far less inclined than Republicans to think well of the wealthy, to the point that only 8% thought they were more honest than the average American, and 65% thought they were more greedy. But Steyer has worked to craft an identity beyond hedge fund billionaire, with his work on climate change and income inequality. Will that be enough? Or will voters look at him and see just another rich guy?" In "Billionaire Tom Steyer is spending millions on behalf of Democrats. What will he get out of it?" by Cathleen Decker, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2016.
Addendum of Billionaire Opinions III: "Low-income Americans (43 percent) are twice as likely as higher-income Americans (22 percent) to view socialism positively, according to a Pew Research Center survey from 2011. And among 18-to-29-year olds, 49 percent had a positive view of socialism, while 47 percent had a positive view of capitalism. The acceptance of socialism among younger Americans suggests the presence of a generation gap." In "Bill Gates just endorsed socialism, sort of: A boost for Bernie Sanders?" by Husna Haq, Christian Science Monitor, 27 October 2015.
Addendum of Billionaire Options IV: "It’s the sort of brazen move that might ordinarily trigger a front-page news story or an outraged editorial — a bunch of rich individuals asking Congress to write them a law that would give them better negotiating power against other rich individuals. Yet in this case, the rich individuals wanting special treatment are the newspaper owners themselves. Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos (worth $83.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index), New York Times owner Carlos Slim (worth $61.1 billion), and Buffalo News owner Warren Buffett ($76.9 billion), publicly pleading poverty, are asking Congress for a helping hand in their negotiations with Google, controlled by Sergey Brin ($45.6 billion) and Larry Page ($46.8 billion). In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, David Chavern, president and chief executive of the News Media Alliance, whose board has representatives of Bezos-Slim- and Buffett-backed papers, complained about what he called 'an economically squeezed news industry.' The Times, in a column sympathetic to the effort, likened the news providers to 'serfs'" In "Bezos, Slim, and Buffett, Publicly Pleading Poverty, Ask Congress for Help With Their Newspapers," by Ira Stoll, New York Sun, 10 July 2017.
Addendum of Billionaire Opinions V: "Former U.S. Comptroller David Walker on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's call for the government to guarantee income for all." In "Zuckerberg’s universal income is socialism on steroids: Fmr. U.S. Comptroller," by MSN, 26 April 2017.
Addendum of Billionaire's Company Subsidy: "The U.S. Postal Service delivers the company’s boxes well below its own costs. Like an accelerant added to a fire, this subsidy is speeding up the collapse of traditional retailers in the U.S. and providing an unfair advantage for Amazon." In "Why the Post Office Gives Amazon Special Delivery," by Joseph Sandbulte, 13 July 2017. [ 1 ]
Addendum of Billionaire Options VI: "The latest is self-made multimillionaire Stewart Butterfield, the CEO and co-founder of the workplace chat program Slack, which is reportedly in the process of raising $500 million at a $5 billion valuation. Butterfield also co-founded Flickr, which sold to Yahoo, reportedly for $35 million. He joins Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Y-Combinator president Sam Altman, who all say society will both need and benefit from universal basic income (UBI), a guaranteed cash payment given to every resident irrespective of employment status." In "Another tech titan joins Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg in supporting free cash handouts for Americans," by Catherine Clifford , CNBC, 9 August 2017.
Addendum of Another Billionaire's Company Subsidies: "Burning through taxpayer dollars, buying elections, and expanding a network of crony capitalism has become so inherent to the SolarCity model that $3 million to a public commissioner’s race, brazen though it may be, is only a drop in the bucket for Musk and SolarCity. In 2013 alone, SolarCity received $127.4 million in federal grants. The following year, in which it received only $342,000 from the same stimulus package, total revenue was just $176 million and the company posted a net loss of $375 million. Despite an expansion of operations and claims to be the leader in the industry, SolarCity never has been able to survive without serious help from government subsidies and grants. The failure to responsibly turn taxpayer dollars into a profitable renewable energy provider has led to SolarCity’s collapse into the welcoming arms of Tesla. And with Tesla, SolarCity in fact will be right at home, compounding a disastrous shell game that Elon Musk is playing with government resources. It has been widely reported that among SolarCity, Tesla, and the rocket company SpaceX, Elon Musk’s confederacy of interests has gotten at least $4.9 billion in taxpayer support over the past 10 years. This is almost half of Musk’s supposed net worth—taken from the pockets of American citizens and put into companies that can survive only by cannibalizing each other, spending without end, and promising that success is always just beyond the horizon and yet never arrives." In "It’s Time to Stop Spending Taxpayer Dollars on Elon Musk and Cronyism," by David Williams, Daily Signal, 13 November 2016.
Addendum of the Old New Harmony: "New Harmony provided equality for all its inhabitants, male and female. This manifestation of this equality was the responsibility of each citizen to contribute to the labor force of the community. In order to provide motivation for his workers in this system, Owen instituted a system of 'time money' and 'time stores'. New Harmony currency was worth the amount of time that a worker had labored, and could be exchanged for commodities worth the equivalent amount of labor. But although Owen provided New Harmony with everything he could imagine that it would need to succeed, it was missing the essential component that made other communities, like the Shakers, cohesive. Because Owen did not believe in God, their was no central covenant that committed the residents of New Harmony to their enterprise. Although they were united by their communal labor, and to the idea of utopian life, the very rational concepts upon which Owen had based the community were antithetical to communal life. Because they lacked the strong central belief which served to unite other utopian groups, the members of the community were lacking the commitment to carry out the mission that Owen envisioned. New Harmony dissolved in less than three years." In "Robert Owen and New Harmony," created by Kathleen M. Hogan, American Studies, University of Virginia, n. d. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Insulation from Consequences and Protection by Courtiers: "Democratic New York City mayoral hopeful Mario Procaccino coined the term 'limousine liberal' to describe incumbent Mayor John Lindsay and his wealthy Manhattan backers during a heated 1969 campaign. It was a populist and producerist epithet, carrying an implicit accusation that the people it described were insulated from all negative consequences of their programs purported to benefit the poor, and that the costs and consequences of such programs would be borne in the main by working class or lower middle class people who were not so poor as to be beneficiaries themselves. In particular, Procaccino criticized Lindsay for favoring unemployed blacks over working-class white ethnics. One Procaccino campaign memo attacked 'rich super-assimilated people who live on Fifth Avenue and maintain some choice mansions outside the city and have no feeling for the small middle class shopkeeper, home owner, etc. They preach the politics of confrontation and condone violent upheaval in society because they are not touched by it and are protected by their courtiers'." In "Limousine liberal," Wikipedia article, n. d. [ 3 ]
Addendum of How to Fund the Basic Income Proposed by Billionaires: "Mr. Zuckerberg's concern for the marginalised in society is commendable, as is his commitment to building strong communities. Unlike most of the rest of us, he has the personal influence to help tackle the problems of our age. He runs one of the world's most valuable companies and has a ready-made digital pulpit from which he can make his case to Facebook's 2 billion global users. He should now live up to his rhetoric and launch a Facebook Permanent Fund to cover a broader universal basic income experiment. He should encourage other data businesses, such as Google, to contribute too." In "Why Facebook should pay us a basic income," by John Thornhill, CNBC, 9 August 2017.
Addendum of the Basically Flawed Argument: "A universal basic income would also destroy the conditionality on which modern welfare states are built. During an experiment with a basic-income-like programme in Manitoba, Canada, most people continued to work. But over time, the stigma against leaving the workforce would surely erode: large segments of society could drift into an alienated idleness. Tensions between those who continue to work and pay taxes and those opting out weaken the current system; under a basic income, they could rip the welfare state apart. Lastly, a basic income would make it almost impossible for countries to have open borders. The right to an income would encourage rich-world governments either to shut the doors to immigrants, or to create second-class citizenries without access to state support." In "Basically flawed - Rethinking the welfare state," Economist, 4 June 2016.
Addendum of the Dangerous Policy: "There could be no more dangerous policy. This is to repeat in another form the .fundamental error committed by the socialist countries. Read what Lenin wrote: 'Small-scale commercial production is, every moment of every day, giving birth spontaneously to capitalism and the bourgeoisie ... Wherever there is small business and freedom of trade, capitalism appears' . He is even supposed to have said: 'capitalism begins in the village market-place'. His conclusion was that in order to get rid of capitalism, its very roots that is, individual production and the freedom of trade had to be dug out. Are Lenin's remarks not in fact a homage to the enormous creative powers of the market, of the lower storey of exchange, of the self-employed artisan or even of individual resourcefulness - creative powers which provide the economy not only with a rich foundation but with something to fall back on in times of crisis, war, or serious economic collapse requiring structural change? The lowest level, not being paralysed by the size of its plant or organization, is the one readiest to adapt; it is the seedbed of inspiration, improvisation and even innovation, although its most brilliant discoveries sooner or later fall into the hands of the holders of capital. It was not the capitalists who brought about the first cotton revolution; all the new ideas came from enterprising small businesses. Are things so very different today?" In "Civilization and Capitalism 15th-18th Century: The Perspective of the World," Fernand Braudel, trans. by Sian Reynolds, William Collins Sons & Co Ltd London and Harper & Row New York, 1982, p. 631) [ 4 ]
Consider the glories of oft-Attempted So shall ism
NOTES
[ 1 ] That subsidy is estimated by some at over $2 million per day going to one company from the US Post office, an arm of the Federal government.
How rich is the CEO of and large shareholder in Amazon with its government-subsidized shipping? One reads: "Bezos’ fortune has soared thanks to a sharp rise in Amazon’s share price, which has gone up by one-third so far in 2017, valuing the company at $475bn and Bezos’s stake of roughly 17% at more than $80bn. If Amazon shares continue to rise at the same pace, Bezos will become the richest person in the world within days." In "Jeff Bezos: the 'obsessive' Amazon founder and world's next richest man," by Graham Ruddick, Guardian UK, 2 June 2017.
Of this subsidized company operated by a billionaire, one reads: "In one case, hedge-fund manager Douglas Kass said government intervention could be imminent. 'I am shorting Amazon today because I have learned that there are currently early discussions and due diligence being considered in the legislative chambers in Washington DC with regard to possible antitrust opposition to Amazon’s business practices, pricing strategy and expansion announcements already made (as well as being aimed at expansion strategies being considered in the future,' wrote Kass, head of Seabreeze Partners Management." In "Amazon is getting too big and the government is talking about it," by Tonya Garcia, Market Watch, 14 July 2017.
The notion of "unfair advantage" because of subsidies flies in the face of notions of a "free market." The article notes: " 'My understanding is that certain Democrats in the Senate have instituted the very recent and preliminary investigation of Amazon’s possible adverse impact on competition,' he said. 'But, in the Trump administration we also have a foe against Jeff Bezos, who not only runs Amazon but happens to own an editorially unfriendly (to President Trump) newspaper, The Washington Post'."
Thus, the theme of oligarchs lobbying for money from the government, whether via subsidized shipping or hopes for subsidies for potential losses in the mews media, comes to the same thing. Massively wealthy individuals seek Free Money
[ 2 ] Wealthy Robert Owen invested in his utopian dream, and of him and his dream is written: "Owen’s naïve belief in the power of rational humanism was eventually denigrated by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels; but Engels once wrote of Owen that, in the early 18th century, all social movements and all real advance made in England in the interest of the working class were associated with Robert Owen’s name." In "New Harmony," America and the Utopian Dream, Yale University Library, n .d.
The Yale University site identifies other American utopian attempts at societal organization, all of which failed. The list is informative, to explain the lure of consistently failing utopian dreams attempted in practice.
Some Failed Utopian Dreams
1638 - New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania German Colonies, Pennsylvania; 1694 - Society of the Woman in the Wilder, Germantown, Pennsylvania; 1732 - Ephrata Cloister, Ephrata, Pennsylvania; 1774 - Shakers, near Albany, New York; 1805 - Harmony, Harmony, Indiana; 1825 - Nashoba, Nashoba, Tennessee; 1825 - New Harmony, Harmony, Indiana; 1841 - Brook Farm, West Roxbury, Massachusetts; 1847 - Kingdom of St. James, Beaver Island, Michigan; 1848 - Oneida, Oneida, New York; 1849 - Icaria, Navoo, Illinois; 1875 - Fountain Grove, Santa Rosa, California; 1886 - Kaweah, Tulare County, California; 1894 - Roycroft, E. Aurora, New York; 1897 - Point Loma, San Diego, California; 1903 - Halcyon, Oceana, California; 1919 - Holy City, near Santa Cruz, California; 1919 - Peace Mission of Father Divine, Brooklyn, New York; 1965 - Drop City, Trinidad, Colorado; 1966 - Hog Farm, Taos, New Mexico; 1967 - Twin Oaks, Louisa, Virginia; 1968 - Family of Mystic Arts, Oregon; 1967 - The Diggers, California; and 1971- The Farm, Summerton, Tennessee.
[ 3 ] Amusingly, the American political Left and Right square off as to what the notion of "limousine liberal" means. As above, "Democratic New York City mayoral hopeful Mario Procaccino coined the term 'limousine liberal' to describe incumbent Mayor John Lindsay and his wealthy Manhattan backers during a heated 1969 campaign."
One finds an argument that the term is right-wing, as if Left and Right
So Democrat-coined "limousine liberal" is a successful right-wing myth, for its seemingly "successful" use by some political factions. Yet the sentence highlighted above is telling.
As the billionaires above who must be considered "elite" make their political pronouncements, one notes that within the pendulum of political power, these same are in fact "a cluster of elites that run the country." Drawing off the three card monte game of words and their continual redefinition, one finds "elite" applying to both sides of politics, such that assertions of right and left becomes silly. Oligarchs have a close relationship to government, and ultimately to Marx whose dreamed-of dictatorship of the proletariat was a step towards some sort of utopian vision.
That so many of the billionaires as cited above are insulated from the consequences of their own political proposals and at the same time protected by their courtiers demonstrates the postmodern fact of The Privileges of Intellectuals
[ 4 ] The theme here is clear. The "wealth holders" -- in Braudel's words, "holders of capital" -- even when they have sprung from some small-capital background as is true of the "tech giants" of the moment, behave in ways which obliterate their beginnings, in favor of the nexus of power-and-wealth out of which they operate, rather akin to Lenin's disgust for the small business owner, to stifle the next potential competitor(s). Thus the calls, as in the addenda above, to ensure that the lowest classes remain minimally supported and therefore docile enough for control to take their hand and lead them to "harmony," devoid of liberty and the opportunity to rise in the social and economic classes.
Braudel again cites Lenin: "In his brochure 'Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism,' written in 1917, Lenin asserted that 'capitalism is commercial production at its highest level of development' and that 'tens of thousands of large businesses are everything, millions of small ones are nothing.' But this self-evident truth of 1917 was an old, a very old, truth. Journalists, economists, and sociologists often fail to take historical dimensions and perspectives into account in their writings. And don't many historians do the very same thing, as if the period they study existed in a vacuum, or was both a beginning and an end? Thus Lenin, who had a perspicacious turn of mind, wrote in this same brochure 'Old capitalism,' where free competition reigned, was characterized by the exportation of merchandise. Present-day capitalism, in which monopolies reign supreme, is characterized by the exportation of capital." In "Afterthoughts on Material Civilization and Capitalism," Fernand Braudel, Trans. by Patricia M. Ranum, Johns Hopkins University Press, (The Johns Hopkins Symposia in Comparative History) 1977.
In a nutshell then, and using Lenin's terms as represented by Braudel, today's oligarchs pursue a situation in which "monopolies reign supreme," specifically their monopolies. In order this be so, the modern "kulak" must be kept from rising, and so "old capitalism" be frustrated, merchandise exports hampered while capital exports reign in conjunction with monopolistic practices. This explains Communist China's formation of a small number of massively wealthy "Communists" who align and ally with other massively wealthy individuals and entities around the world. The purpose is clear. Amass and maintain power and wealth, heeding Lenin's warning that out of "free competition" logically competition will arise. Crush the little guy. And send him a subsistence, as is the "universal basic income" to assure docile loyalty to that which lords from above -- power-and-wealth.
Ollie Garx and Karly Marx / Played well together, friends....
Parasites accustomed
to living off their host
writhe with agony loudest
when they've gobbled up the most,
for parasites which devour all
too must come to die,
for such is the basic nature
of the parasite-and-host supply.
Killing a host simply means
its parasites too will die;
the relationship functions thus,
though parasites wonder why;
parasites accustomed
to hosts' assets never try
to learn the basic lesson
of the parasite-and-host supply.
"Left-of-center opposition parties claimed the tax cuts would benefit the richest and boost inequality. Jonas Gahr Store, the wealthy Labor Party contender who is leading in the polls ahead of the September 11 elections, has so far refused to take up the government’s offer. Ironically, it was Store, whose net worth is $8 million, who prodded the government into action by complaining earlier this year that he had ended up paying less taxes under the current administration." In "Norway’s ‘Voluntary’ Tax Plan Brings In Just $1,325," by Sveinung Sleire, Bloomberg, 6 July 2017.
Thanks, no thanks, because of why?
Raise taxes, but on some other guy.
Who shall pay? That question's sly.
Given the chance big mouths reply,
Not I! Not I! Not I!
Thanks, no thanks, the clear reply,
When comes the chance to well supply
The state with cash and so thereby
Prove the words, but they reply,
Not I! Not I! Not I!
Thanks, no thanks, they testify,
For words are cheap yet verify
That big mouths preen to identify
With plain folks, yet they falsify.
Pay more freely? Advocates reply,
Not I! Not I! Not I!
Addendum of Tax Burdens versus Encouraging People to Work: "By encouraging more people to work, the government expects to generate more revenue via sources such as value-added tax, Jensen said during a press conference in Copenhagen. 'There’s still room for growth in public spending, and room to prioritize, as this government does, welfare for Danes,' Jensen said. He said critics of the government’s plan were guilty of a 'simplification' of economic principles. 'This is not a zero-sum game' between taxes and welfare, he said. Denmark boasts the planet’s highest tax burden relative to gross domestic product (the OECD estimates the figure was about 47 percent in 2015, the fattest ratio in the rich world). That revenue is used by the state to make sure Danes have universal access to free education, hospitals, childcare and elderly care." In "Denmark Decides to Make It 'More Attractive to Work'," by Peter Levring, Bloomberg, 29 August 2017. [ 1 ]
NOTES
[ 1 ] "Who should pay" can turn into "who should not be given public monies," such that those who would otherwise "receive" something for nothing end up receiving nothing. Ergo, this can be deemed "paying."
Thus goes the logic, as one reads: "Denmark’s government is seeking to introduce requirements which will limit the access of foreign residents to the country’s welfare system. Savings made from new curbs could help to finance tax cuts in several areas announced by the government on Tuesday, reports broadcaster DR. New regulations proposed by the government would prevent in principle non-Danish citizens from being eligible for certain welfare payments (known in Danish as overførselsindkomster) from their first day in the country." In "Foreigners can help to pay for tax reform: Danish finance minister," TheLocal.dk, 30 August 2017.
Given those "Left-of-center" rich in Norway who eschewed the "opportunity" to pay more to support social welfare, and given the Danish view that "not" paying to some potential recipients of public monies based on residency requirements, one finds the simple situation as argued by a Swedish economist.
A lukewarm prayer - the opposition's snare
I'd like to pray a lukewarm prayer
Which offends no one at all.
I'd like to quietly meditate
On no thing that might appall.
I'd like to contemplate in peace
And not one stain recall.
I'd like to pray a lukewarm prayer
From awaking unto my fall.
Sign of the Times - such paradigms
"The sign in question, which can be seen from the southbound lanes on I-465 near the Washington Street exit, claims to list the characteristics of 'the perfect man.' Among the traits listed on the contentious sign are "'married 6 year old,' 'slave owner,' 'rapist,' 'beheaded 600 Jews in one day,' '13 wives, 11 at one time' and 'tortured and killed unbelievers. 'By now, you've likely figure out that the traits listed here are anything but those of an ideal human being -- and opponents of the sign are saying that it degrades the Muslim prophet Mohammad." In "Muslims appalled at 'perfect man' billboard on Indiana highway," by Alex Lasker, AOL News, 6 June 2017.
A sign of the times serves as signature;
Such a sign signs not with names.
A sign serves as a symbol, a shape,
A signal that imperfectly frames
What one might notice -- some perfect portent
Which figuratively proclaims
That which speaks in volumes,
Referring to word-stuffed games
Of chapter and verse to validate
That signs speak of significant claims.
A sign of the times might well appall.
What refutes what a sign proclaims?
Addendum of Refutation by Taking Islamic Text and History Out of Context: "At the bottom of the billboard in yellow sits the words 'Educate Truthophobes.' A search of Truthophobes online leads to multiple anti-Muslim groups, specifically an Australian group with similar messaging. Indiana representative Andre Carson said he believes the billboard is untrue and that the billboard's author takes Islamic text and history out of context 'just like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Klan do to religious texts to justify their bigotry'." In "Indy Muslims call out creators of local billboard that insults Prophet Muhammad," by Fatima Hussein and Justin L. Mack, IndyStar, 6 June 2017. [ 1 ]
Addendum of Muslims and Sparked Outrage: "The billboard also sits within the jurisdiction of Congressman Andre Carson, who is one of two Muslims serving in Congress. The other in Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison. 'I think there's a way to debate and be Socratic without being disrespectful or undermining people and causing a sense of isolation,' Carson told the Indianapolis Star, adding that he is disappointed that people have decided to use their free speech protections as a platform 'to spread hateful, vile things that are divisive to people.' Shahid added that incidents like this could be better translated into a dialogue. 'I would love to meet the person who put up the billboard just so I could sit down with them and just have a conversation about it,' Shahid said. 'It does hurt, but we will respond to it the way the Prophet would, with a positive approach and peaceful conversation'." In "Billboard Disparaging Prophet Sparks Outrage From Indianapolis Muslim Organizations," by Safia Samee Ali, NBC News, 6 June 2017. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Muslims Agreeing About Very Few Things: "Chaudhry told us that all accounts of the Prophet’s life, which occurred 1,400 years ago in 7th-century Arabia, were written at least 200 years after his death, and their reliability for accuracy is shaky: Muslims believe the Prophet is an excellent example, and deeply disagree about the kind of man he was and the things he did. There are very few things all Muslims agree on — there is one God, the Prophet is his messenger, and the Koran is the word of God. That’s the closest we can come to agreeing." In "Are Indiana Muslims Appalled By an 'Accurate' List of Muhammad's Deeds?" by Bethania Palma, Snopes, 19 June 2017. [ 3 ]
Addendum of ISIS as Not Bad People: "Zameer Ghumra 'brainwashed' two primary school-age youngsters, instructing them to not have non-Muslim friends and asking if they wanted to join the terrorist group. The 38-year-old was convicted on Thursday of disseminating 'terrorist propaganda' in the form of a graphic Twitter video on his mobile phone between January 2013 and September 2014." In "Pharmacist who claimed Isis were 'not bad people' and showed child beheading video jailed," by Patrick Grafton-Green, Evening Standard, 6 October 2017.
Addendum of the Religious Motive for Killing: "... the court accepted the prosecution's argument that the motive behind the killing was a religious one. The man, whose application for asylum in Germany had been officially rejected, fatally stabbed the 38-year-old woman, also an Afghan refugee, in front of a supermarket in the Bavarian town of Prien am Chiemsee in April last year. The murder was committed before the eyes of two of the woman's sons, aged 5 and 11 at the time." In "Germany: Afghan man sentenced to life for murder of converted Muslim," Deutsche Welle, 9 February 2018.
Addendum of Emulating Perfect ion: "Testimony collected by Amnesty from dozens of witnesses and survivors of the attacks in Rakhine in August have detailed how up to 99 Hindu men, women and children were killed by Arsa militants armed with knives, swords and sticks. Only those who agreed to convert to Islam were spared." In "Rohingya militants massacred Hindus in Myanmar, says Amnesty," by Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Guardian UK, 22 May 2018.
NOTES
[ 1 ] The argument asserting truth is empty, without examining assertions and citations for and against such assertions and citations. The statement by a politician is political, more than instructive of truth when what is omitted is a direction to prove or disprove. The life of Muhammad is not contained in the Koran, but in other Islamic documents to which no reference was made in the assertion of a statement deemed "untrue."
One reads: "Sunnah, ( Arabic: “habitual practice”) also spelled Sunna , the body of traditional social and legal custom and practice of the Islamic community. Along with the Qurʾān (the holy book of Islam) and Hadith (recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), it is a major source of Sharīʿah, or Islamic law." In "Sunnah," Encyclopædia Britannica, n. d.
Additionally, "These varying sources, which created differing community practices, were finally reconciled late in the 8th century by the legal scholar Abū ʿAbd Allāh ash-Shāfiʿī (767–820), who accorded the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad as preserved in eyewitness records of his words, actions, and approbations (the Hadith) normative and legal status second only to that of the Qurʾān. The authoritativeness of the Sunnah was further strengthened when Muslim scholars, in response to the wholesale fabrication of hadiths by supporters of various doctrinal, legal, and political positions, developed ʿilm al-ḥadīth, the science of attesting the authenticity of individual traditions. The Sunnah was then used in tafsīr (Qurʾānic exegesis) to supplement the meaning of the text and in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) as the basis of legal decisions not discussed in the Qurʾān."
The billboard's assertions -- which some believe true and others untrue -- seem to refer in large part to this "major source of Sharīʿah, or Islamic law." Thus to adjudicate between true and untrue, there are references to consult. Or to ignore, if one believes this the best expression of "truth."
[ 2 ] One may refer to examples of whatever Islam is asserted to be by a variety of news and opinion sources, as are surveyed under the heading of Islamophobia
Among the several assertions on the billboard which have sparked reaction is the first. But one reads: "The majority of traditional hadith sources state that Aisha was married to Muhammad at the age of six or seven, but she stayed in her parents' home until the age of nine, or ten according to Ibn Hisham, when the marriage was consummated with Muhammad, then 53, in Medina." In "Aisha," Wikipedia article, n. d. By modern standards in many nations, nine is legally too young, so the tribal practice of an "perfect" example becomes imperfect in a modern age, there being no "truth" for one without the other.
Many Women, Many Wives for One Perfect Man
As to another two assertions, one reads in one quote: "When a Muslim is allowed to marry a maximum of four wives, how is it that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had eleven wives? The Qur’an, in Surah Nisa, chapter 4 verse 3, states that a Muslim is allowed to marry a maximum of only four wives. Another verse in the Qur’an makes Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) an exception to this rule. In Surah Ahzab chapter 33 verse 52: 'It is not lawful for thee (to marry more) women after this, nor to change them for (other) wives, even though their beauty attract thee, except any thy right hand should possess (as hand maidens) and Allah doth watch over all things'. [Al-Qur’an 33:52] This verse clearly gives Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the permission to keep all his previous wives but prohibits him to marry any more women except those which his right hand possessed i.e. slave girls." In "Why did Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had 11 wives?" by Anas Challiwala, Knowledge Sharing, 14 October 2010.
So many women allowed to one man? What of jealousy then? One reads from an approved source that for one perfect man, it was approved by Allah: " 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: I felt jealous of the women who offered themselves to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Then when Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this:" You may defer any one of them you wish, and take to yourself any you wish; and if you desire any you have set aside (no sin is chargeable to you)" (xxxiii. 51), I ('A'isha.) said: It seems to me that your Lord hastens to satisfy your desire." In "Chapter: It is permissible for a wife to give her turn to a co-wife," Sahih Muslim 1464 a, Book 17, Hadith 64.
Kill Them Wherever You Find Them
As to questions of violence -- which can be an accusation leveled against all human society throughout the ages, and especially in the twentieth century -- one reads: In 2.191 "And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers."As comment to such, one reads further: "Quran scholars claim that the textual context of this particular passage is defensive war. The historical context of these verses where as defensive war. The previous verse says: 'Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.' Quran 2:190 This has been used to argue that fighting is only permissible as a form of defence. There are two points made in verse 2:191 that may cause some debate. The first is that the killing of others is authorized in the event of 'persecution;' the second is that fighting may persist until 'religion is for Allah' and there is no more 'fitnah' (fitnah having many possible interpretations, the most likely being 'trial' or 'testing'). Quran (2:191–193)." In "Violence in the Quran," Wikipedia article, n .d.
So the challenge is about fighting until "religion is for Allah" and there are no more disagreements, though as above and in these addenda, disagreement within various strains of Islam has been and remain a truth about Islam itself, rather like the many other schisms throughout history, religious and political both.
Shall Islam then Coexist
Perfectly Murderous With Torture as a Method
As to a "perfect man," one reads of tortuous murderousness: "Narrated Anas: Some people from the tribe of `Ukl came to the Prophet (*) and embraced Islam. The climate of Medina did not suit them, so the Prophet(*ﷺ) ordered them to go to the (herd of milch) [sic] camels of charity and to drink, their milk and urine (as a medicine). They did so, and after they had recovered from their ailment (became healthy) they turned renegades (reverted from Islam) and killed the shepherd of the camels and took the camels away. The Prophet (*) sent (some people) in their pursuit and so they were (caught and) brought, and the Prophets ordered that their hands and legs should be cut off and that their eyes should be branded with heated pieces of iron, and that their cut hands and legs should not be cauterized, till they die." Sahih al-Bukhari 6802, Book 86, Hadith 32.
A differing translation from another Islamic source: "he ordered for nails which were heated and passed over their eyes, and whey were left in the Harra (i.e. rocky land in Medina). They asked for water, and nobody provided them with water till they died...."
[ 3 ] "...the closest we can come to agreeing" is a phrase rivaled by "Islamic text and history out of context 'just like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Klan" as was quoted from Andre Carson. A definitions fail, discussion fails. A discussion of Muhmmad's life leads to the Sunnah, far more than the Koran.
Of the Sunnah, one reads: "In the 800s, Sunni jurist Muhammad al-Shafi'i ( 767 – 820 ) sought to establish a strict definition of the term. He believed that the sunnah complemented the Qur'an by illustrating the principles of the sacred text, and he wanted to use it as an additional basis for Islamic law. He insisted that scholars study the hadith very closely to document the authoritative sunnah. Al-Shafi'i's definition of the sunnah created a formal, rigorous, and text-based framework for Muslim jurisprudence and legal practice. Sunni Muslims eventually accepted the notion that the sunnah of the Prophet was best preserved through this type of framework. Shi'i Muslims, however, continued to believe that the ideals of the Prophet could best be realized by following the teachings of the divinely guided imams, who interpreted the sunnah." In "Sunnah," Oxford Islamic Studies, n. d.
Considered To Be
Discussion of Islamic terms and personages must include this source. One reads further: "The second most important source of authority for Muslims is the Sunnah. This refers to the practices, customs and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad that are considered to be a perfect example. They are found in Hadith and other texts. Many of Muhammad’s followers memorised his teachings while he was alive. These were later written down and scrutinised and then collections were made of them. Different groups of Muslims accept different collections of Hadith as reliable sources of authority." In "The Sunnah and belief about Allah," Religious Studies, BBC, n. d.
In short order one learns that "different groups of Muslims accept different collections," and therefore what one believes, another may not. Schism is driven as one reads....
"As a way of life, Islaam [sp] is perfect and complete. However, such are the times that we live in, that some of the liberal elite from the Muslims choose to deny aspects of Islaam to suit their own desires. It is even more sad, that many choose to deny the Sunnah in particular. However this is clearly wrong, as the saying of the Prophet indicates: 'I have been given the Qur'aan and something similar to it besides it. Yet a time will come when a man leaning on his couch will say ‘follow the Qur'aan only; what you find in it permissible, take as permissible, and what you find as forbidden, take as forbidden’. But verily what the Messenger of Allaah has forbidden is like what Allaah has forbidden'. The words of the Arabian Prophet ring truthfully in our ears again. Today there are a group of people in Pakistan called the Pervezies who say exactly as the Prophet foretold. They firmly insist that the Qur'aan is the only source of law to be followed. Thus, they neither consider the Sunnah a source of law, nor a regulation of our daily affairs. This has led to many Muslim scholars declaring (and rightly so) that the Pervezies are not Muslims." In "What is the Sunnah," Islamnet, n. d.
Probably Never Existed?
In a very different direction as regards schism in Islam, one reads: "Münster, Germany -- Muhammad Sven Kalisch, a Muslim convert and Germany's first professor of Islamic theology, fasts during the Muslim holy month, doesn't like to shake hands with Muslim women and has spent years studying Islamic scripture. Islam, he says, guides his life. So it came as something of a surprise when Prof. Kalisch announced the fruit of his theological research. His conclusion: The Prophet Muhammad probably never existed. Muslims, not surprisingly, are outraged. Even Danish cartoonists who triggered global protests a couple of years ago didn’t portray the Prophet as fictional. German police, worried about a violent backlash, told the professor to move his religious-studies center to more-secure premises. 'We had no idea he would have ideas like this,' says Thomas Bauer, a fellow academic at Münster University who sat on a committee that appointed Prof. Kalisch. 'I'm a more orthodox Muslim than he is, and I’m not a Muslim'." In "Professor Hired for Outreach to Muslims Delivers a Jolt, Islamic Theologian’s Theory: It’s Likely the Prophet Muhammad Never Existed," by Andrew Higgins, Wall Street Journal, 15 November 2008.
Such disparity in "agreement" is proof -- truth -- that Muslims disagree and disagree widely in their beliefs and none of these beliefs can be "proved" as can their wide divergence of opinion.
Referring to the original news article, it asserts "opponents of the sign are saying that it degrades the Muslim prophet Mohammad." What remains is not to politicize with an aim to silence discussion, but to open discussion even when problematic. Citing sources and specific source materials would further a "truth." Any such truth seems wholly dependent on which sources one relies and in which one "believes." But since when did belief become truth?
One might do well to be suspicious of those who militantly support The Truth
Fun ding - repeat the repetition
" 'We are doing our best in dialogue with the administration and Congress to make the U.S. understand that funding development aid, funding foreign policy in general, funding organizations like the U.N., is also in the interests of the American people,' Guterres told an event at New York University." In "U.N. chief warns if U.S. pulls back, others will fill leadership role," by Michelle Nichols, Reuters, 30 May 2017.
The fun ding is a ding-dong battle
all about funding like milking US cattle
ding-a-ling sings of wished for chattel
tediously rings this prattle
the fun dings tell and thereby tattleof evermore whing-ding funding funding funding
Addendum of the Transitive and Intransitive Verb: "to dwell on with tiresome repetition *keeps dinging it into him that the less he smokes the better — Samuel Butler *1902* , 1 : to make a ringing sound : CLANG; 2 : to speak with tiresome reiteration.
Addendum of Replacement of Actors: "Asked about a new world order sparked by the Trump administration’s actions, Guterres said: 'I believe that if the United States disengages in relation of many aspects of foreign policy and many of international relations, it will be unavoidable that other actors will occupy that space. And I don’t think this is good for the United States and I don’t think this is good for the world,' he said." In "UN chief: US will be replaced if it disengages from world," Associated Press, 20 June 2017.
Addendum of Expecting Others to Extend: "...U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley urged Arab states to provide more funding for Palestinians. 'Americans are very generous people. We are humanitarian oriented. And we continue to seek out ways to help the Palestinian people, whose plight is of genuine concern to us,' she said. 'But we are not fools. If we extend a hand in friendship and generosity, we do not expect our hand to be bitten. And as we extend our hand, we also expect others to extend theirs as well'." In "UN warns it is 'running out of cash' in urgent appeal to members," by Adam Shaw and Ben Evansky, Fox News, 27 July 2018.
Addendum of Cutting and Not Cutting: "Some critics say the United Nations could spend less on perks and bloated, often tax-free, salaries for senior officials. 'There is huge waste in the U.N.,' said Marc Limon, a former diplomat and Executive Director of Universal Rights Group. 'Instead of focusing on the U.N. mandate … the U.N. spends a lot of money on high salaries in many cases'." In "Lights out for multilateralism? Alarm as U.N. faces cash squeeze," by Emma Farge and Cecile Mantovani," Reuters, 19 December 2019.
Consider begging "with tiresome reiteration" for money from Sam?
"Our newspapers do not represent public interests, but private interests; they do not represent humanity, but property; they value a man, not because he is great, or good, or wise, or useful, but because he is wealthy, or of service to vested wealth." Upton Sinclair, The Brass Check, 1919.
Who needs the caustic Onion,
When these Times are sourly ripe?
Who needs some tearful laughter,
When each Herald airs each gripe?
Who needs to counsel caution,
When a Post's dead set against?
Who needs uproarious vision,
When the News' print's incensed?
Who needs call a cop a cop,
When our Tribunes stand around?
Who needs a jug-eared jolly tune,
When the Journals' toots resound?
Who needs believe their lying eyes
When an Observer watches all?
Who needs a skeptic's careful stance,
When Inquirers stir each squall?
Who needs which what, where and why
When a Reporter rarely heeds?
Who needs grinning rhyme or reason?
When it bloody bleeds, it leads.
Addendum of Dumbing Down: ...when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness... The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance." In "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark," by Carl Sagan, Ballantine Books, 1997
Addendum of Modeling: "The Onion's articles cover current events, both real and fictional, satirizing the tone and format of traditional news organizations with stories, editorials, op-ed pieces, and man-in-the-street interviews using a traditional news website layout and an editorial voice modeled after that of the Associated Press. The publication’s humor often depends on presenting mundane, everyday events as newsworthy, surreal, or alarming (such as 'Rotation of Earth Throws Entire North American Continent into Darkness'). In 1999, comedian Bob Odenkirk praised the publication stating, 'It's the best comedy writing in the country, and it has been since it started'." In "The Onion," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Addendum of Bodybag Journalism: "As a general rule these days, local news is about local death. The more violent the death, the higher it goes in the news show. The New York magazine writer, Eric Pooley, explained what was happening. In a story called 'Grins, Gore and Videotape,' he revealed the unspoken motto of local news: 'If it bleeds, it leads.' In New York, of course, they have more bleeding to lead with. Sometimes, they have a veritable supermarket of horrendous crimes, and it's hard to pick just one or two for the scant time that news is on the air." In "Bodybag Journalism - When Does Gory News Become Too Much For Local TV Shows?" by Eleanor Randolph, Chicago Tribune, 5 November 1989.
Addendum of Americans Finding Fake News: "The belief that major media outlets disseminate fake news at least occasionally has increased among every partisan group over the past year, including Republicans (89% up from 79% in 2017), independents (82% up from 66%), and Democrats (61% up from 43%). In addition to the fact that a clear majority of Democrats now believe that traditional media outlets report fake news at least occasionally, the poll also finds that a majority of Republicans (53%) feel this happens on a regular basis (up from 37% in 2017). A plurality of the public (42%) say that traditional news media sources report fake news on purpose in order to push an agenda. Fewer Americans (26%) believe that major media sources tend to report these stories only by accident or due to poor fact checking. Another 7% feel both reasons are equally prevalent. The remainder are either not sure or do not feel that fake news is reported by traditional media outlets. The number who believe this type of false reporting is done on purpose has not changed much from a year ago when it stood at 39%. The number who say it is done accidentally has increased from 17% a year ago as more people feel that the traditional media engages in reporting fake news stories." In " 'Fake News' Threat to Media; Editorial Decisions, Outside Actors at Fault," Monmouth University, 2 April 2018. [ 1 ]
Addendum of a Western Press Splitting Apart: "What sort of responsibility does a journalist or a newspaper have to his readers, or to his history -- or to history? If they have misled public opinion or the government by inaccurate information or wrong conclusions, do we know of any cases of public recognition and rectification of such mistakes by the same journalist or the same newspaper? It hardly ever happens because it would damage sales. A nation may be the victim of such a mistake, but the journalist usually always gets away with it." In "A World Split Apart," by Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, an address delivered 8 June 1978, Harvard University [ 2 ]
Addendum of Nearly: "Nearly four in 10 U.S. adults who are inattentive to national news (39%) say they do not trust any news organizations. That compares with 17% of those who pay a moderate amount of attention to national news and 8% who are highly attentive. Although these data indicate a strong relationship between attention to news and trust in the news media, they cannot shed light on cause and effect. That is, are some people so distrustful of the media that they cannot bring themselves to follow the news, or are people who do not follow the news distrustful because they do not see the media in action?" In "Indicators of news media trust," Knight Foundation/Gallup, 11 September 2018.
Addendum of an Instance of Journalistic Fraud: "An award-winning journalist who worked for Der Spiegel, one of Germany's leading news outlets, has left the weekly magazine after evidence emerged that he committed journalistic fraud 'on a grand scale' over a number of years, the publication said Wednesday. Spiegel published a lengthy report on its website after conducting an initial internal probe of the work of Claas Relotius, a 33-year-old staff writer known for vivid investigative stories. The magazine said Relotius resigned Monday after admitting some of his articles included made-up material from interviews that never happened." In "Germany: Der Spiegel says star reporter made up material," by Frank Jordans, Associated Press, 19 December 2018. [ 3 ]
Addendum of Not Understanding: "A decided majority of Americans believe 'the news media do not understand people like them,' according to a new analysis released Friday by the non-partisan Pew Research Center." In "Pew Study: 58 percent say media doesn't understand 'people like them'," by Joe Concha, The Hill, 18 January 2019.
Addendum of Automation: "News organizations are increasingly turning toward artificial intelligence (AI) for production, using a variety of new automated systems to pump out content with minimal need for direct human input. According to a report by The New York Times, Bloomberg News relies on a system called Cyborg to produce about a third of its articles. Most of Cyborg’s output takes the form of company earnings reports that are rife with percentages, charts, and other financial data that can be crunched down into a news story quickly and accurately." In "Robots Are Writing the News and Nobody’s Talking About It," by Elias Marat, Activist Post, 7 February 2019.
Addendum of the New York Times' Pathetic Excuse: "I had to see for myself. So I drove to a 24-hour supermarket. There on the newsstand was the April 25 edition. I flipped gingerly through, fearing to see Page 16. And then I found it. It stared back at me: That horrid image of a blind US President Donald Trump with a yarmulke being led by a dog with the face of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Worse, the dog was wearing a Star of David as a collar. This is what The New York Times thinks of us Israelis. Even if they subsequently said it was an error, they thought it was okay to print a cartoon showing the US president being blindly led by the 'Jewish dog'? And not only that, those who watched as it went to print thought it was fine to put a Jewish skullcap on the US president." In "New York Times pathetic excuse for printing antisemitic cartoon," by Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, 28 April 2019. [ 4 ]
Addendum of a Big Problem: " 'Much of the population is perfectly happy with the news that they can access for free and even amongst those who are willing to pay, the majority are only willing to sign up for one subscription,' Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, director of the Reuters Institute, said by telephone. 'A lot of the public is really alienated from a lot of the journalism that they see - they don’t find it particularly trustworthy, they don’t find it particularly relevant and they don’t find it leaves them in a better place'." In "The media has a big problem, Reuters Institute says: Who will pay for the news?" by Guy Faulconbridge, Reuters, 12 June 2019.
Addendum II of the New York Times: "The failure of anyone to recognize that the approach violates the paper’s historic standards of fairness and the strict separation of news from opinion speaks volumes about how low the Times has sunk. If there is a silver lining, it is that the public has been warned. Readers who want straight facts and fair play won’t find it in the Times. All they will get is a biased agenda and a guaranteed conclusion." In "Bias has killed the ‘Gray Lady’ — and Dean Baquet fired the fatal shot," by Michael Goodwin New York Post, 24 August 2019.
Addendum of Quickly Revising Headlines: "The Washington Post published a gasp-inducing headline for the ages on Sunday, describing Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as an 'austere religious scholar'. The obituary, written by The Post’s National Security reporter Joby Warrick, followed confirmation of al-Baghdadi’s death in a US military operation in Syria on Saturday night. It detailed al-Baghdadi’s rise to the terrorist group’s shadow leader from what the paper described as his origins as a 'religious scholar with wireframe glasses'. The headline read, 'Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48'." In "Washington Post publishes al-Baghdadi headline referring to IS leader as 'austere religious scholar'," by Stephen Sorace, News, Australia, 28 October 2019. [ 5 ]
Consider: All the news is screaming
NOTES
[ 1 ] The rising number of Americans "believing" they are seeing, hearing and reading fake news is not alarming. It suggests that healthy skepticism is being found, underpinning those truly fake news reports. Thus, reading between the lines and other forms of evaluating whatever is disseminated are being practiced by the public, as is each citizen's right.
The Monmouth report notes: "Fully 83% of Americans believe that outside groups or agents are actively trying to plant fake stories in the mainstream media. Two-thirds (66%) say this is a serious problem – including 74% of Republicans, 68% of independents, and 59% of Democrats. 'According to the public, fake news is the result of both outside agents trying to plant fabricated stories and the editorial processes of mainstream media outlets that disseminate false narratives. The perception of this problem couldn’t be more pervasive,' said Murray."
Such phrases as "advocacy journalism" demonstrate that news reporting has become simple and often blatant politics, and when a consuming public feels such advocacy does not tell a complete story, by both sins of omission and commission, that same public eventually wanders off in search of other sources. With the vast spectrum of what comes under the heading of "news" is available on line from a variety of sources no longer under the control of one agency or culture, the above conclusions seem obvious and predictable.
This makes the observation of Upton Sinclair from 1919 all the more pointed, though perhaps not in the way he may first have intended it. But if "dumbing down" is melded with "modeling," as the above citations note, and marketed on the basis that "if it bleeds, it leads," one can fathom why the perception of "fake news" is becoming so prevalent.
One may well conclude: Any claim can be made
[ 2 ] This author, a victim of the Soviet Socialist system, continued his critique of a Western, lock-step press: "...One may safely assume that he will start writing the opposite with renewed self-assurance. Because instant and credible information has to be given, it becomes necessary to resort to guesswork, rumors, and suppositions to fill in the voids, and none -- and none of them will ever be rectified; they will stay on in the readers' memories. How many hasty, immature, superficial, and misleading judgments are expressed every day, confusing readers, without any verification. The press -- The press can both simulate public opinion and miseducate it. Thus, we may see terrorists described as heroes, or secret matters pertaining to one's nation's defense publicly revealed, or we may witness shameless intrusion on the privacy of well-known people under the slogan: 'Everyone is entitled to know everything.' But this is a false slogan, characteristic of a false era. People also have the right not to know and it's a much more valuable one."
Taking Upton Sinclair's date as a marker, one may calculate the simple truth that sometimes erroneous and sometimes intentionally false news has been a phenomenon for the last century. But to make such an observation is to annoy the self-congratulatory modern press.
[ 3 ] "Interviews that never happened" is properly termed "fiction." The article notes of such fiction that: The reporter previously worked for other German and Swiss publications and won numerous awards, including CNN Journalist of the Year in 2014."
An Instance of Intentional Deception
Der Spiegel's English page states: "Claas Relotius committed his deception intentionally, methodically and with criminal intent. For example, he included individuals in his stories who he had never met or spoken to, telling their stories or quoting them. Instead, he would reveal, he based the depictions on other media or video recordings. By doing so, he created composite characters of people who actually did exist but whose stories Relotius had fabricated. He also made up dialogue and quotes." In "The Relotius Case, Answers to the Most Important Questions," Spiegel / English, 19 December 2018.
Another media giant mourns: " 'The losers are all the journalists in the country who carry out their research in difficult or dangerous circumstances, as well as members of the editorial teams, who check through texts for quality and accuracy,' said Süddeutsche Zeitung in an editorial." In "Der Spiegel to run 23-page special on reporter who faked stories," Agence France Presse, 21 December 2018.
Additional fraud is suspected: "Spiegel said it now had information that Relotius allegedly launched a campaign for readers to give money to help subjects of an article he wrote but that the bank details he gave directed the funds to his own account. 'Der Spiegel will give all the information it collects to public prosecutors as part of a criminal complaint,' it said on its website." In "Spiegel to file criminal complaint against cheating reporter," Channel News Asia, 23 December 2018.
Another Instance of a Journalist's Deception
One summary: "Fake news wasn’t invented by the Russians. The New York Times had Jayson Blair, who faked dozens of articles and interviews over the years. U.S.A. Today had Jack Kelley, who made up sensational stories about events he had not witnessed and places he had not seen. In both cases, the editors were forced to resign. Now, it’s Der Spiegel’s turn." In "How did a magazine with a renowned fact-checking department fall for fabrication? Der Spiegel’s?" by Josef Joffe, Politico EU, 21 December 2018.
One reads of the USA Today journalist: "Unlike Blair or Glass, Jack Kelley wasn’t a hungry upstart, he was a bona fide star. He had been at USA Today for more than 20 years, he was their go-to guy when they needed a big international feature. His stock in trade was first-person accounts of whizzing bullets, forgotten corners of the world, scoops from stolen documents and embedded sources. When you list all his adventures in a row, it’s incredible he got it away with it for so long." In "Who Knows Jack?" by Jill Rosen, American Journalism Review, April/May 2004.
Yet Another
Similarly of a New York Times journalist: "Blair should bear the full weight of what he has done. May he rot in hell for victimizing others and contributing to many people's opinions that the media cannot be trusted." In "Ostracize Jayson Blair; He Undermined Trust," by John Moran, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2003.
And Historically Many More
The New York Times has a history of problematic journalism. One reads: "Duranty also told Strang that he reckoned 'it quite possible that as many as 10 million people may have died directly or indirectly from lack of food,' though that number never appeared in any of his reporting. Duranty’s reluctance to write about famine may have been particularly acute: The story cast doubt on his previous, positive (and prize-winning) reporting. But he was not alone. Eugene Lyons, Moscow correspondent for United Press and at one time an enthusiastic Marxist, wrote years later that all of the foreigners in the city were well aware of what was happening in Ukraine as well as Kazakhstan and the Volga region: 'The truth is that we did not seek corroboration for the simple reason that we entertained no doubts on the subject. There are facts too large to require eyewitness confirmation. … Inside Russia the matter was not disputed. The famine was accepted as a matter of course in our casual conversation at the hotels and in our homes'." In "How Stalin Hid Ukraine's Famine From the World," by Anne Applebaum, Atlantic, 13 October 2017.
Skepticism of journalists is recommended, given that this sort of "journalistic fraud" testifies now to an era of Post-truth
[ 4 ] Another view is found: "Imagine if the New York Times cartoon that depicted Israel's Prime Minister as a dog had, instead, depicted the leader of another ethnic or gender group in a similar manner? If you think that is hard to imagine, you are absolutely right. It would be inconceivable for a Times editor to have allowed the portrayal of a Muslim leader as a dog; or the leader of any other ethnic or gender group in so dehumanizing a manner. What is it, then, about Jews that allowed such a degrading cartoon about one of their leaders? One would think that in light of the history of the Holocaust, which is being commemorated this week, the last group that a mainstream newspaper would demonize by employing a caricature right out of the Nazi playbook, would be the Jews. But no." In "What if the New York Times Cartoon had depicted a Muslim, a Lesbian, an African American or a Mexican as a Dog?" by Alan M. Dershowitz, Gatestone Institute, 29 April 2019.
And more, of the New York Times coupled to racism and antisemitism: "In response to these revelations, a former White House official who is a person of color told Breitbart News that Wright-Piersanti's tweets demonstrate an endemic culture of hatred inside the establishment media organization. 'The vile hatred spewed by this New York Times editor is indicative of how liberal media continues to condone, promote, and celebrate racism,' the former White House official said. 'As a person of color, I am all too aware of how media marginalizes minorities and this is another example of that intolerant behavior being given a global platform to fester on the pages of the New York Times'." In "Exclusive — 'Crappy Jew Year': New York Times Editor’s Antisemitism, Racism Exposed," by Matthew Boyle, Breitbart, 22 August 2019.
Many media pundits take umbrage when their credibility and that of their employers is seen as tainted, suspect and/or untrustworthy. But with instances aplenty testifying to editorial opinion passing itself off as basic news reporting, a public notices. Then ensues a predicted outcome when People walk away
[ 5 ] Many theorists speak to issues of confirmation bias as to the remarkable euphemism, to misspeak. Of a headline and obituary being quickly revised after being published, one reads further: "The Post changed its headline for the obituary at least twice Sunday, starting by describing al-Baghdadi as the 'Islamic State’s terrorist-in-chief.' The newspaper then adjusted the headline to call al-Baghdadi the 'austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State,' sparking some backlash on social media. They had it right the first time." In "Washington Post changes al-Baghdadi obituary headline after calling ISIS leader 'austere religious scholar'," by Justine Coleman, The Hill, 27 October 2019.
From "terrorist-in-chief" to an "austere religious scholar at the helm of the Islamic State" is quite a leap, and one, or the other, or both demonstrate confirmation bias. Or one might conclude that an "austere religious scholar" can indeed be a "terrorist-in-chief." Perhaps this is a "spiritual gift" as another had asserted.
This becomes a large problem as Islam is identified
Love the little lemmings
Tripping toward the cliffs;
Without them greater lemmings
Could not lead such stiffs.Hail the mob of lemmings
Drowning in the waves;
For their deep submission,
Submersion digs the graves.Follow little lemmings
Schooled to rush en masse
With herded, fixed devotion
To what then comes to pass.
O dear those lips - a psalm for the future through a look to the past
O dear those lips
lied with each breath.
Sweet nothing slips
away in death.
O dear, each word
which dying mutes
Was loudly preyed
in loud disputes.
O dear, plain truth
survives such death.
Mute lies each now dumb
shibboleth.Selah.
Addendum of a Strategy: "Defeating toxic ideologies requires a multi-generational, multi-national, multi-faceted approach, and an intellectual leap of faith to revisit and re-tailor the traditional strategic levers of power that have been long hailed - somewhat Jominianly - as the principles that guide the application of strategy." In "The Battle for Minds. Defeating Toxic Ideologies in the 21st Century," by Colonel R. J. Boyd, United States War College, March 2013. [ 1 ]
Toxic National Socialism and its Hitler Youth
Italian Fascism and its children
Toxic Soviet Socialism and its Young Pioneers
Toxic Sino-Socialism and its tragic Cultural Revolution
Islamic socialism and its training of children to be soldiers and martyrs [ 2 ]
Africa's child soldiers as another representation of today's toxic ideologies [ 3 ]
Child soldiers of Donetsk
Addendum of Untainted Truths: "Science is to remain untainted by the fountains of subjective feelings. As much as possible, scientists need to be free to present their evidence without fear of offending others. Science is the offense—it cares not about your feelings." In "The Ethics of Science: Gagging Science in an Age of Creationism, Homosexuality, and Toxic Ideology," by Moses Y. Mikheyev, Existential Theory blog, 10 July 2015.
NOTES
[ 1 ] Antoine-Henri Jomini (1779-1869) is referenced in Boyd's article cited above. One reads a most pertinent observation: "War in its ensemble is NOT a science, but an art. Strategy, particularly, may indeed be regulated by fixed laws resembling those of the positive sciences, but this is not true of war viewed as a whole. Among other things, combats may be mentioned as often being quite independent of scientific combinations, and they may become essentially dramatic, personal qualities and inspirations and a thousand other things frequently being the controlling elements. The passions which agitate the masses that are brought into collision, the warlike qualities of these masses, the energy and talent of their commanders, the spirit, more or less martial, of nations and epochs, —in a word, every thing that can be called the poetry and metaphysics of war,—will have a permanent influence on its results." Mertsalov, A.N. "Jomini versus Clausewitz", pages 11–19 from Russia War, Peace and Diplomacy edited by Mark and Ljubica Erickson, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004.
[ 2 ] Some socialists in this modern era disagree that Islam is akin to socialism, while others argue it is. What is without dispute is that the notion of a caliphate -- a maximum leader like other historical maximum leaders and Marx' dreamed of dictatorship of the proletariat -- is like unto those whose children from many lands, times and cultures are pictured above.
As to notions of Islamic socialism, one reads of Egypt's Nasser: "Egypt was captivated, and the Arab World watched closely as Nasser expanded on his brand of socialism. He believed that if the people had real equality they would feel more united and act as one entity. Saadedine Ibrahim, an Egyptian political activist, says: 'One of the very early phrases that Nasser coined was addressing the common man: 'Raise your head fellow brother, the end of colonialism has come.' And that is the kind of language, message that echoed very deeply with the average man, because it was a simple language and people who were downtrodden, people who were beaten, mistreated, felt worthless, began to gain that kind of confidence, spirit that they didn't have before.' Never before had an Arab leader achieved such popularity outside his own capital." In "Arab Unity: Nasser's Revolution," Al Jazeera, 20 June 2008.
The Aims of Islam and Socialism Were Identical
Additionally, one reads of Egypt's religious authorities: "...the religious leaders of al-Azhar University went further, stressing that the aims of Islam and socialism were identical—the achievement of social justice, equality, freedom, and dignity, and the elimination of want. Al-Azhar served as an organ of state propaganda, and Nasser himself used mosque pulpits as a platform from which to proclaim his policies. After the Arab defeat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, when it seemed that Arab nationalism and socialism had failed, Nasser appealed more strongly than ever to Islamic values. Traditional Islamic themes and symbols were revived, and he made frequent references to Allāh in his speeches. By the time of his death he was trying to set Egypt on a different course, less socialist, more accommodating, in which religion would play a greater role." In "Nasser, Gamal Abdel," by Derek Hopwood, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, accessed 28 May 2017.
To add to the mixing of the terms Islam and socialism, one reads: "The Ba'ath Party, and indirectly the Syrian Regional Branch, was established on 7 April 1947 by Michel Aflaq (a Christian), Salah al-Din al-Bitar (a Sunni Muslim) and Zaki al-Arsuzi (an Alawite). According to the congress, the party was 'nationalist, populist, socialist, and revolutionary' and believed in the 'unity and freedom of the Arab nation within its homeland.' The party opposed the theory of class conflict, but supported the nationalisation of major industries, the unionisation of workers, land reform, and supported private inheritance and private property rights to some degree. The party merged with the Arab Socialist Party (ASP), led by Akram al-Hawrani, to establish the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in Lebanon following Adib Shishakli's rise to power." In "Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region," Wikipedia article, n. d.
And of the party of Yasser Arafat, one reads: "Fatah has 'Member Party' status at the Socialist International and has 'Observer Party' status within the Party of European Socialists." In "Fatah," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Adding to the image of child soldiers under Islamic governments underpinned by socialist stances, one reads: "In a statement, the Treasury said the Bonyad Taavon Basij business network provided a financial infrastructure to the so-called Basij Resistance Force, a paramilitary force that works for Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 'This vast network provides financial infrastructure to the Basij's efforts to recruit, train, and indoctrinate child soldiers who are coerced into combat under the IRGC's direction,' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. The Basij military group is accused of training fighters for the IRGC, including children as young as 12. Those children are then reportedly deployed to Syria to prop up the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad." In "US sanctions Iran networks accused of supporting child soldiers," by Deutsche Welle, 16 October 2018.
True Socialism
After the defeat of Germany's National Socialism -- see True socialism, oh yes, he said
Yet, as with the images of children enrolled in various forms of ideological militarism shown above, similarities leer out through toxic ideology. The various forms of such a toxic ideology all come down to some version of the stern, enforced dictates of So shall ism
It is the dictatorship of a state ideology over a people as the antithesis of individual freedom.
[ 3 ] The news is heartbreaking to a civil and civilized world. One reads: "The Islamist armed group Al-Shabab has threatened and abducted civilians in Somalia’s Bay region to force communities to hand over their children for indoctrination and military training in recent months. Since late September 2017, Al-Shabab has ordered elders, teachers in Islamic religious schools, and communities in rural areas to provide hundreds of children as young as 8 or face attack. The armed group’s increasingly aggressive child recruitment campaign started in mid-2017 with reprisals against communities that refused. In recent months, hundreds of children, many unaccompanied, have fled their homes to escape forced recruitment. 'Al-Shabab’s ruthless recruitment campaign is taking rural children from their parents so they can serve this militant armed group,' said Laetitia Bader, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch." In "Somalia: Al-Shabab Demanding Children," by Ismail Taxta, Human Rights Watch, 14 January 2018.
Mister I Know Best
Screwed up yet again,
Proving, like the rest,
Mister Best's best yen
As we should have guessed,
Was to err by sword and pen.
Mister I Knew Best
In every place and age
Failed in this age-old test,
To function as our gauge,
Showing I Know Best's a pest
On history's every page.
Follow the book - don't overlook
"Jihad (English pronunciation: /dʒɪˈhɑːd/; Arabic: جهاد jihād [dʒɪˈhaːd]) is an Arabic word which literally means striving or struggling, especially with a praiseworthy aim. It can have many shades of meaning in an Islamic context, such as struggle against one's evil inclinations, or efforts toward the moral betterment of society. In classical Islamic law, the term refers to armed struggle against unbelievers, while modernist Islamic scholars generally equate military jihad with defensive warfare. In Sufi and pious circles, spiritual and moral jihad has been traditionally emphasized under the name of greater jihad. The term has gained additional attention in recent decades through its use by terrorist groups." In "Jihad," Wikipedia article, n. d. [ 1 ]
London town is bloodied now,
-- kill some more, kill some more --
London town is bloodied now,
This, "for Allah," shout. [ 2 ]
Follow the book and kill some more,
-- kill some more, kill some more --
Follow their book and kill some more,
Sharpened with just words. [ 3 ]
Follow the clues through centuries,
-- kill some more, kill some more --
Follow the clues through centuries,
Carved from one small book.
Tally the dead that this has claimed,
-- kill some more, kill some more --
Tally the dead that this has claimed,
Heed the words they say.
Addendum of a Changing Perspective: "Mr Phillips said the survey showed 'the unacknowledged creation of a nation within the nation, with its own geography, its own values and its own very separate future.' He said: 'For a long time, I too thought that Europe’s Muslims would become like previous waves of migrants, gradually abandoning their ancestral ways, wearing their religious and cultural baggage lightly, and gradually blending into Britain’s diverse identity landscape.' He said that the integration of Muslims requires a more 'muscular approach to integration'." In " 'Astonishing' two in three British Muslims would NOT give police terror tip-offs," by Laura Mowat, Express UK, 11 April 2006. [ 4 ]
Addendum of Unsocial Media: "The Prime Minister said introducing new rules for cyberspace would 'deprive the extremists of their safe spaces online' and that technology firms were not currently doing enough." In "Theresa May says the internet must now be regulated following London Bridge terror attack," by Jon Stone, Independent UK, 4 June 2017. [ 5 ]
Addendum of a Sourced Citation to Heed the Words They Say: "Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, 'I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror (cast in the hearts of the enemy), and while I was sleeping, the keys of the treasures of the world were brought to me and put in my hand.' Abu Huraira added: Allah’s Apostle has left the world and now you, people, are bringing out those treasures (i.e. the Prophet did not benefit by them)." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book #52, Hadith #220)
Addendum of a French President's Dilemma: "It is up to you to fight on foot theological and religious ground, to unmask whenever necessary the usurpation of your values, the capture of the history of your religion, the denial of fifteen centuries of interpreted work by your scholars." [ 6 ]
Addendum of the So-called Islamic State: "In 2014, so-called Islamic State fighters targeted the Yazidis, an ethnic Kurdish group in northern Iraq, killing the men and capturing the women and children. Ekhlas, who was 14 at the time, tried to escape up Mount Sinjar but was not fast enough. She was captured and held as a sex slave for six months." In "Yazidi survivor: 'I was raped every day for six months'," BBC, 24 July 2017. [ 7 ]
Addendum of Calling It Jihad: "Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy has condemned what he called a 'jihadist attack'. He has announced three days of national mourning and a minute's silence was held at noon (10:00 GMT) on Friday." In "Spanish police kill suspects in second attack after 13 die in Barcelona," BBC, 18 August 2017. [ 8 ]
Addendum of Another Islamic State Maniac: "A knifeman wearing a fake suicide belt has been shot dead by police after stabbing seven people in Russia – with Isis claiming responsibility for the attack. The man, named locally as 23-year-old Bobichel Abdurakhmanov, was gunned down by cops after going on a horrific stabbing spree in Surgut on Saturday." In "Russia attack – Isis claim responsibility for knife rampage in Surgut as cops gun down maniac ‘wearing fake suicide belt’ who left seven injured," by Brittany Vonow and George Sandeman, Sun UK, 19 August 2017.
Addendum of Jihad Across Europe: "Barcelona and Cambrils, Paris, Stockholm, Berlin and London - these are just some of the horrifying attacks which have taken 364 lives, severely injured victims, ripped families apart and left communities devastated in Europe over the past two years. Each attack - committed by ruthless jihadis - has shocked and saddened the world, leaving people heartbroken and fearful about the future." In "Two years of terror: As Spain is left reeling by Barcelona attacks chilling map shows how more than 300 innocents have lost their lives in 16 separate jihadist atrocities," by Isobel Frodsham, Mail Online, 18 August 2017.
Addendum of Jihadist Propaganda in Switzerland: "Swiss federal prosecutors have brought charges against leading members of the country’s largest Islamic organization in a criminal probe into jihadist propaganda. Swiss media reported on Thursday that the president and two members of the governing board of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS) had been charged with violating the ban on groups including Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS)." In "Leaders of Swiss Islamic organization face criminal charges," TheLocal.ch, 21 September 2017.
Addendum of Wanting to Create the Next 9/11: "One man in the US and two others in Pakistan and the Philippines are under arrest and face charges of plotting the attacks which they hoped to carry out in the name of the Islamic State group. One of the suspects allegedly said he wanted to create 'the next 9/11'. The trio allegedly used chat apps to plan their attack." In "New York City: 'Islamic State attack plot' is revealed," BBC, 7 October 2017.
Addendum of Seeing a Rising Anti-Muslim Sentiment: "A leading Polish expert on xenophobia and extremism, Rafal Pankowski, saw the prayers Saturday as a problematic expression of Islamophobia coming at a time of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in Poland, a phenomenon occurring even though the country’s Muslim population is tiny. 'The whole concept of doing it on the borders reinforces the ethno-religious, xenophobic model of national identity,' said Pankowski, who heads the Never Again association in Warsaw." In "Poles pray en masse at border; Some see anti-Muslim agenda," by Vanessa Gera and Karel Janicek, Associated Press, 7 October 2017.
Addendum of Documenting Anti-Unbeliever Sentiment: "The man who mowed down pedestrians with a truck, killing five, in Stockholm last April had pledged allegiance to Islamic State and had planned his attack for months, prosecutors said in charges filed on Tuesday. Uzbekistan-born Rakhmat Akilov, who was on the run from Swedish authorities after his asylum application was turned down, said in online conversations cited by the prosecutor that he wanted to 'run over unbelievers'." In "Stockholm truck attacker wanted to 'run over unbelievers' - prosecutors," by Johan Ahlander and Simon Johnson, Reuters, 30 January 2018.
NOTES
[ 1 ] The notion of a word which has supposedly so many variants that they contradict one another shows the ideological use of such to demonstrate evasion as to meaning. While Wikipedia, edited by a number of volunteers, tries for accuracy, the opening definitions speak to jihad as both inner and outer, peaceful and militant, and now tinged by "its use by terrorist groups."
Yet later in the Wiki article, one reads: "The context of the Quran is elucidated by Hadith (the teachings, deeds and sayings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad). Of the 199 references to jihad in perhaps the most standard collection of hadith—Bukhari—all assume that jihad means warfare."
Describing the New Interpretation
Then this supposedly modern time includes: "Based on the 20th century interpretations of Sayyid Qutb, Abdullah Azzam, Ruhollah Khomeini, Al-Qaeda and others, many if not all of those self-proclaimed jihad fighters believe defensive global jihad a personal obligation, that no caliph or Muslim head of state need declare. Killing yourself in the process of killing the enemy is an act of martyrdom and brings a special place in heaven, not hell; and the killing of Muslim bystanders, (never mind non-Muslims), should not impede acts of jihad. One analyst described the new interpretation of jihad, the 'willful targeting of civilians by a non-state actor through unconventional means'."
And so in one article, "especially with a praiseworthy aim" seems the latest which many nations and much world media now easily define as terrorist. Additionally and with threat to the whole of Islam in the light of modernity, such acts of jihad are often described or defined away in the media as psychologically insane. The discussion roils and continues as one reads further:
Listen to me!
"During a recent televised interview with Grand Ayatollah Ahmad al-Baghdadi, the leading Shia cleric of Iraq made clear why Islam and the rest of the world can never peacefully coexist. First he spent some time discussing 'defensive jihad,' saying that all capable Muslims are obligated to fight for the 'liberation' of 'occupied' territory, for instance, Israel (see here for a list of European countries also deemed 'occupied' in the eyes of Islam). He then explained 'offensive jihad,' Islam’s primary bloodline, which forged what we now call the 'Muslim world' over the centuries. According to the ayatollah, when they can—when circumstance permits it, when they are strong enough—Muslims are obligated to go on the offensive and conquer non-Muslims (a fact to be kept in mind as millions of Muslim 'refugees' flood the West). The Muslim cleric repeatedly yelled at the secularized host who kept interrupting him and protesting that Islam cannot teach such intolerance. At one point, he burst out: 'I am the scholar of Islam [al-faqih]. You are just a journalist. Listen to me!' " In " 'Abducting Women' and 'Destroying Churches' is 'Real Islam'—Iraqi Ayatollah," by Raymond Ibrahim, Human Events, 20 October 2015.
Listen, it is advised.
[ 2 ] "One eyewitness spoke of the men shouting 'this is for Allah' as they stabbed indiscriminately. The death toll was unclear at first but later rose to six; the number of injured is over 30." In "'They shouted 'this is for Allah', as they stabbed indiscriminately' - How the London terror attack unfolded," by Robert Mendick, Telegraph UK, 4 June 2017.
Similarly, "Witness Erick Siguenza told BBC News that one of the gang screamed 'This is for Allah' as he went on his stabbing rampage." In "8 MINUTES OF TERROR London Bridge attack – cops shoot three terrorists dead as six victims killed after extremists plough into revellers at 50mph before jumping out and stabbing people," by Mark Hodge and Neal Baker, Sun UK, 4 June 2017.
Of this attack, one reads further: "The bridge is in lock down and the area around it is closed with bus routes being diverted, as armed police and a bomb squad attend the scene and boats search the water. The attacks in the streets of London come just days after armed troops were pulled off the streets of Britain." In " 'Run, hide, tell': Metropolitan Police issue warning as officers launch hunt for attackers who went on a terror rampage in the streets of London," by Anthony Joseph and Ekin Karasin, Mail Online, 4 June 2017.
As the apologists seek to explain away gathering examples of Islamic violence, a preponderance of examples testify to a reality which is not easily explained away. One reads, as further example: "Sayfullo Saipov, 30, raised his hand to speak out immediately after U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick set an Oct. 7, 2019, date for the Uzbek immigrant's trial. He said he cared about 'Allah' and the holy war being waged by the Islamic State group. 'So the Islamic State is not fighting for land, like some say, or like some say, for oil. They have one purpose, and they're fighting to impose Sharia (Islamic law) on Earth,' he said." In "Suspect in NYC bike path killings invokes ‘Allah,’ defends ISIS in court." by Amy Lieu, Fox News/Associated Press, 23 June 2018.
[ 3 ] One reads: "ISLAMIC State (ISIS) has called for attacks in Britain during the holy month of Ramadan, which starts tonight, after the Manchester bombing which killed 22 and maimed dozens more." In " 'Attack them in their homes' ISIS in twisted call for bloodshed during Ramadan," by Zoie O'Brien, Express UK, 26 May 2017.
Fro those who argue that such as the above is not representative of Islam, then not only ISIS -- the Islamic State -- is not Islamic, but neither are others.
A Bid to Carve
As one reads: "Northern Cameroon has in recent years suffered from the overflow of violence linked to Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist insurgents. Nigerian refugees have flooded across the border and local residents have been forced to flee their homes. Boko Haram launches frequent cross-border raids in its bid to carve out an Islamic caliphate. Its eight-year insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people in the Lake Chad region and, according to the latest U.N. refugee agency figures, displaced 2.7 million." In "Children strapped with explosives kill nine in north Cameroon," by Josiane Kouagheu, Reuters, 2 June 2017.
So either violent jihad, an Islamic caliphate (or several) and "bloodshed during Ramadan" are Islamic or they are not? All the markers point to these as representative of Islam, especially as "guest" in non-Islamic lands which experience terror from Muslims.
[ 4 ] The gathering of many reports together shows that the empty accusation of Islamophobia
As to Phillips' conclusion that Islam in the United Kingdom is become "a nation within the nation, with its own geography, its own values and its own very separate future" and a number of jihadi attacks euphemized as "terror" by some to parse Islam away from these, one may foretell a time when a "nation without a nation" with its valuing of jihad and the asserted "very separate future," war between these civilizations must erupt and be settled as all wars have been settled -- with a losing side.
"Follow the book" and "heed the words they say." "This is for Allah."
One reads that some Muslims in the UK are attacked by other Muslims over "stigmatizing Muslims." One reads: The former chief crown prosecutor and the country's most prominent Muslim lawyer has said British Islamic groups are undermining fight against terror by peddling 'myths' about the Prevent campaign. Nazir Afzal has claimed an 'industry', of Muslim groups was spreading misinformation about the Prevent strategy, according to The Times." In "British Islamic groups are undermining fight against terror by peddling 'myths' about Prevent campaign, says top Muslim lawyer," by Isobel Frodsham, Mail Online, 3 June 2017.
Such a report and complaint by a "most prominent Muslim lawyer" reinforces Phillips' assertion that some significant portion of a population believing in Islam is the now "a nation within the nation, with its own geography, its own values and its own very separate future." And its own terrorism....
You Jews!
A report about London after the last attack: "The man, of African origin, had recently purchased the machetes, and made his way towards a largely Jewish neighborhood in the Golders Green area of London. Police apparently followed the man from the store where he purchased the machetes and detained him as he entered the neighborhood. Less than a month ago, a man brandishing a meat cleaver threatened Jewish residents of the Stamford Hill neighborhood and attempted to break into a kosher food store. After employees of the store locked the door, the man entered a second kosher grocery store shouting 'Where is the boss, I will kill him!' The man then chased after two Jewish boys, aged 14 and 8, shouting 'You Jews run away form here before I kill you,' JTA reported." In "Muslim carrying machetes nabbed in Jewish neighborhood," by David Rosenberg, Israel National News, 6 June 2017.
Britain has its share of this, as one reads further: "The mosque where bomber Salman Abedi worshipped hosted hate preachers who called for British soldiers to be killed and gays and adulterers to be stoned to death. Didsbury Mosque’s YouTube channel still features videos from clerics including American Abdullah Hakim Quick. He called for homosexuals to be killed and death for those who do not follow Islam." In "Preachers at mosque where Manchester bomber prayed called for homosexuals, British soldiers and non-believers to be killed," by Ben Lazarus, The Sun UK, 28 May 2017.
And of one Muslim and his religious stance coupled to terrorism: "When asked if he planned on instructing a barrister, he replied: 'My legal representative is Allah, but from your side, why would I need any one?' Ali was arrested 100 yards from the spot where Khalid Masood was shot and killed after mowing down bystanders in a hired car driven over Westminster Bridge five weeks before. He faces two charges under the Explosives Substances Act 1883 on 28 January 2012 and 6 July 2012, and one charge of preparation of terrorist acts on 27 April this year." In "Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali was arrested close to the Houses of Parliament," by Paddy Dinham, Mail Online, 19 May 2017.
It would appear that, as Islam splinters, some readers of the Koran are considering and practicing attacks on non-Muslims as in line with what they read. Follow the book. Heed the words they say. It is not some generic "terrorism" but terrorism rooted in an ideology incompatible with others.
In contradistinction to multiple murderous knife attacks and attacks with bombs, one reads of a "hate crime" -- as it is being defined in news media as by politicians: "TellMAMA, which monitors anti-Muslim attacks, said: 'We have received information that worshippers at the Omar Faruque mosque in Kirkwood Road, Cambridge, came out from prayers to find strips of ham on the windscreens of four vehicles'. ...'Clearly in the minds of perpetrators, they believe that pork products are an insult to Muslims'." In "Security stepped up at Cambridge mosques after early morning bacon hate crime," by Raymond Brown, Cambridge News, 9 June 2017.
Thus one should conclude of the current climate of political correctness that: "strips of ham" > murderous knife attacks and bombings of concerts involving multiple killings and serious injuries.
As to the sentence in the article cited which reads "in the minds of perpetrators, they believe that pork products are an insult to Muslims," one may check Islamic sources.
"He has only forbidden you what dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that over which any other (name) than (that of) Allah has been invoked; but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring, nor exceeding the limit, no sin shall be upon him; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." In Qurʼan, Sura 2 (Al-Baqara), ayat 173," as found in Islamic dietary laws," Wikipedia article, n. d. So it is or it isn't, and the journalistic lack of clarity shines brightly. Follow the book?
[ 5 ] Based on the preponderance of evidence as read in the UK media reports, "extremists" were involved in the murders, as well as being characterized by reference to the same book. The Prime Minister has called this "a perversion of Islam." And so another non-Muslim stands to define Islam? Not at all, for while May made her remarks, they did not include a definition of what Islam is, in her view.
Bound Together by the Single Evil Ideology of Islamist Extremism
The report: "...the London and Manchester attacks were connected in 'one important sense. They are bound together by the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism that preaches hatred, sows division and promotes sectarianism,' she said. 'It is an ideology that claims our Western values of freedom, democracy and human rights are incompatible with the religion of Islam. It is an ideology that is a perversion of Islam and a perversion of the truth'." In "Theresa May says 'enough is enough' in wake of London Bridge terror attack as she confirms General Election will go ahead," by Jack Maidment, Telegraph UK, 4 June 2017.
Therefore there is, in her view, the religion of Islam and "the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism" are not connected, all the while the "London and Manchester attacks were connected." At the center is a claim reported above about murder, "This is for Allah." So if the "evil ideology of Islamist extremism" is "connected" to Allah, the Koran and Hadiths, and seems to involve those who would not cooperate with the British government as regards terror -- a reported two-thirds -- then what is connected is the fact that May is not an authority for the Muslims in Britain, and cannot define their religion for them, nor parse it away from that "ideology" which is founded on Allah, and the Koran and Hadiths, and practices militant jihad.
[ 6 ] The original French and source are: "Il vous appartient de combattre pied à pied sur le terrain théologique et religieux, de démasquer chaque fois que nécessaire l'usurpation de vos valeurs, la captation de l'histoire de votre religion, la négation de quinze siècles de travail d'interprétation réalisés par vos savants", a-t-il ajouté." In "Macron appelle les dirigeants de l'islam de France au "combat" contre le fanatisme," BFMTV with Agence France Presse, 21 June 2017.
Macron asserts that "values" have been somehow usurped, a common stance among many political leaders who have no standing in deciding what vales are "fifteen centuries of work." In those fifteen centuries, wars of conquest through jihad as referenced above suggests a historical fifteen years which do snot serve as testimony to the reality of militant jihad, as expressed in many statements from around the world, nor from demonstrable militant actions also found around the world.
It is Up to Who?
"It is up to you," as Macron says, and as Bush and Obama have said before him. Yet militant jihad continues. Which of these Muslim scholars will deny Sahih al-Bukhari, Book #52, Hadith #220, as cited above?
For Macron and his "fifteen centuries of interpretive work," one might inquire about such as in found: In the Sunnah, one finds as an example of "Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud)." Among them, "Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death. Abu Dawud said: The tradition of 'Asim proved the tradition of 'Amir b. Abi 'Amr as weak." (Sunan Abi Dawud 4462) How "weak" is tradition? In whose view? Who decides? Shall one read or not read or read and disagree when observing some Sign of the Times
A review of the second footnote to O dear those lips
[ 7 ] The words? One reads: "In late 2014 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a pamphlet on the treatment of female slaves, which used a Quranic quote containing the expression ma malakat aymanukum to argue that Islam permits having sex with female captives." In "Ma malakat aymanukum," Wikipedia article, n. d.
The enormous challenge for Islam in the modern world is to come to terms with not only such slaving in the "so-called" Islamic State, but elsewhere such as with the Boko Haram. That an ancient text is supposed to be understandable and yet arguments abound as to various readings, the source of IS' sex slavery is rooted in their view to the text. Apologists who aver that such is not Islamic are confronted by their own varying views on what even the word, Islam, means and what the tradition allows.
[ 8 ] The word, jihad, has plainly entered the English language from Arabic, and used in BBC reporting. It relates directly to the parallel word, terrorism, and the two link to Islam, in which terror is meant to advance the political religion. Like guerilla warfare and asynchronous warfare, jihad is far more evident as violent attack than mere inner struggle, as apologists would have the world conclude. It is merely a matter of connecting the language dots together. Follow the book(s) as one considers the Koran and the larger compendium of Bukhari which accompany it.
As to terrorism and the "jihadist attack" as a Spanish Prime Minister identifies this, one reads: "Residents of the Spanish seaside resort of Cambrils fled in terror in the early hours of Friday after five terrorists wearing suicide vests launched the second ramming attack in the country in a matter of hours." In "Second vehicle attack: five terror suspects 'wearing suicide vests' shot dead in Cambrils," by Foreign Staff, Telegraph UK, 18 August 2017. Follow the book(s) and the language which identify and testify.
As to the notion that printed material can be dangerous, those who make apologia for Islamic violence and claim the "book" is not a source need consider the assertion that other printed material is "dangerous."
The Printed as Provocative
One reads: "French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo published a provocative front-page cartoon about Islam and the recent terror attacks in Spain on Wednesday, sparking fears that it could encourage Islamophobia. The latest edition of the magazine, which was targeted by Islamist gunmen in 2015, shows two people lying in a pool of blood after being run over by a van next to the words, 'Islam, eternal religion of peace'." In "France's Charlie Hebdo publishes provocative Islam cartoon," Agence France Presse, 23 August 2017.
By the same logic, "provocative" words in the Koran "could spark fears," too. The AFP article ends with ""Patrick Pelloux, a former Charlie Hebdo contributor, defended the paper, saying: 'We need to fight Islamist terrorism and religious radicalism, not a magazine'." One can follow a "book," and one can allege a "book" is "provocative" and "spark fears" of some phobia and not just the vapid charge of Islamophobia
Consider the postmodern assertion of The religion of peace
"Societies are like individuals, too; some are energetic and outward-looking during periods of their life, while at other times, 'anomie' takes over. That’s when individuals and societies go through life depressed and fearful while trying to hide it with empty indulgences, whether it is drinking or shopping, which one American philosopher called 'joyless hedonism'. Until this value system changes, many “affluent” societies of today will become so depressed that they will commit demographic suicide." In "Baby dearth: why rich societies like Hong Kong are committing demographic suicide," by N. Balakrishnan, South China Morning Post, 20 May 2017. [ 1 ]
Barren One and Barrenness Two would lord over others, and
Each Barren and each Barrenness would shrink each fatherland.
Barrenness Left with Barren Right would pompously declare
As Barrens and as Barrenesses they were most aware.
Barren Left and Barrenness Right were childless; this because
Saving the world for barrenness was how they'd earn applause.
Decades passed and these royal types grew old and bent and gray,
Like the motherlands they ruled, which simply bred away.
Fruitless grows the oldest trees and then the orchard's burned.
And this is how demographically the simplest truths are spurned.
Envoi: "In a society riddled with mindless materialism, purposeless pressure, joyless hedonism, and devastating loneliness, Jews can restructure the family to oppose the shallow ethos of mass culture." In "In God's Mirror, Reflections and Essays" by Harold M. Schulweiss, Ktav Publishing House, 2003. [ 2 ]
Addendum of the Asylum Which Must Be Opposed: "... millions of us shuffle to meaningless jobs, or are commanded to search for them, in a collective act analogous to mass occupational therapy: thousands of Nurse Ratchets, in council offices, MP surgeries and Job Centres, massage our behaviour, preventing us from ever locating the mechanisms at the root of our suffering. Parallel to our being managed, we witness the expression of collective madness that is the joyless hedonism of Leicester Square on a Saturday night. Beneath a tissue-thin layer, we conceal an existential dread that for far too many erupts into a disruptive and harmful breakdown. The asylum is here, and we all live in it." In "Group Therapy," by Jack Dean, Occupied Times 29 March 2014. [ 3 ]
Addendum of Europe's Barrens and Barrenesses Sacrificing Children: " 'Est regis tueri cives.' It is the king's duty to protect citizens. Or do we think that, to continue enjoy our lazy lifestyle, we must feed the Islamic Moloch, like the god of Carthage, which demanded the sacrifice of children in return for the preservation of the city? And another point: Is it possible that Europe's leaders have chosen to avoid fighting because they are all childless? German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the head of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, have one thing is common: they are all childless. They don't have the most powerful stake in the future of the country they lead. Having children and grandchildren influences the desire to ensure that they are given protection and the best chance to flourish in the future. Perhaps a childless leader is unable to see further into the future apart from his own life. In Israel it would be unthinkable." In "Europe chose to sacrifice its children to the Islamic Moloch," by Giulio Meotti, Arutz Sheva, 23 May 2017. [ 4 ]
Addendum of Another View on the Barrenness of Europe: " 'Europe today has little desire to reproduce itself, fight for itself or even take its own side in an argument,' writes Murray. 'Those in power seem persuaded that it would not matter if the people and culture of Europe were lost to the world.' According to Murray, the migrant crisis perfectly encapsulates this exhaustion. In some ways, it’s a case of competing virtues: the desire to be virtuous to the rest of the world is competing against justice for the people of Europe. Increasingly, virtue is winning out over justice because a misguided commitment to hollow notions of 'respect,' 'tolerance,' and 'diversity' has supplanted the deep roots of European civilization. The problem, argues Murray, is that European values have 'become so wide as to become meaninglessly shallow.' As the crisis deepens, it’s become obvious that Europe’s leaders are now so ambivalent about the survival of their own civilization they’re unable to speak of the bad things that have come, and will keep coming, with mass migration." In "Unable To Confront The Migrant Crisis, Europe Is Committing Suicide," by John Daniel Davidson, Federalist, 18 July 2017.
NOTES
[ 1 ] As to "each Barren and each Barrenness," the article notes: "...in the European Union – where an entire continent seems to be marching like lemmings to demographic suicide – many leaders are childless and may therefore be less likely to promote child-friendly policies. Among the current European leaders without children are Germany’s Angela Merkel, France’s Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of European Commission."
One may see these Barrens and Barrenesses at work, rather like their political forbearers, in You're Up
[ 2 ] While Rabbi Schulweiss offers an alternative -- "to oppose" -- from and for the Conservative Jewish perspective, one finds a parallel in a Christian's critique of a supposedly "modern" culture.
"...modern humanism's determinist view of the world and human nature, its misguided educational and social ideals which jettisoned traditional values, its eccentric economic utopianism which took no account of the human sinfulness of both those who govern and those who are governed, its identification of love with lust and altruism with self-interest, and its hostility to religion have produced only a thin, unsustainable metaphysics and joyless hedonism -- a hedonism, along with its residual frustration, which is strikingly portrayed in Ecclesiastes chapter 2. This is a world view and life style buttresses by mores which are based upon self-gratification masquerading as morality. According to the humanists, human beings are behaviorally conditioned and determined creatures who should entertain no illusions about the ultimate meaning of life." In "Theological Sentences: Unveiling the Undeniable Impact of Sacrificial Obedience," by Samuel J. Mikolaski, Sava Communications, 2013.
As to the biblical citation, one reads: "Everything is wearisome, more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, the ear not filled up with hearing. What has been is what will be, what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there something of which it is said, 'See, this is new'? It existed already in the ages before us."
What has existed already in the ages before us is the urge to power, to rule and to become masters over others.
[ 3 ] As to a nation led by a Barrenness oer the above comment by Balakrishnan, one reads of the modern dystopian utopia: "...factories have closed, people travel by car instead of buses, use YouTube rather than the cinema. But these shifts alone fail to explain the speed of our social collapse. These structural changes have been accompanied by a life-denying ideology, which enforces and celebrates our social isolation. The war of every man against every man – competition and individualism, in other words – is the religion of our time, justified by a mythology of lone rangers, sole traders, self-starters, self-made men and women, going it alone. For the most social of creatures, who cannot prosper without love, there is no such thing as society, only heroic individualism. What counts is to win. The rest is collateral damage. British children no longer aspire to be train drivers or nurses – more than a fifth say they 'just want to be rich': wealth and fame are the sole ambitions of 40% of those surveyed. A government study in June revealed that Britain is the loneliness capital of Europe." In "The age of loneliness is killing us," by George Monbiot, Guardian UK, 14 October 2014.
Postmodernism and its royals, contemporary politics and its Barrens and Barrennesses, and "the shallow ethos of a mass culture" as Schulweiss notes above, seek to rule, leading the gullible to being ever more barren, in an age when the "anomie" has led to that "life-denying ideology" in which the ever more expensive social state, pretending to care for its citizenry, makes the many dependent on the state and its few who then rule with an iron hand wrapped in a velvet glove, as opposed to the naked violence as one sees from the many example when such rulers are fully Left to their own devices
[ 4 ] An Italian journalist who writes twice weekly for Il Foglio also writes a column for Israeli news media and a commentator based in Hong Kong note the same fact about so many of Europe's ruling class, that they are barren.
The Judeo-Christian tradition celebrates children, as one may see from the simple quote: "Children too are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. The children born when one is young. are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. How blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them; he will not have to be embarrassed when contending with foes at the city gate." Psalm 127:3-5.
The clarity of the narrative is also simple, when reading: "Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or else I die'." Genesis 30:1.
Give Me Children, Or Else I Die
The Islamic tradition also flies in the face of the current crop of barren European leaders, as one reads a comment on a verse from the Koran: "Undoubtedly the benefits of increasing the nation’s offspring are obvious to everyone who thinks about the matter. Hence nations who understand this matter have been keen to encourage their people to increase their numbers and also to make their enemies reduce their numbers by means of specious arguments and sometimes by using means that lead to infertility and having few children, by means of drugs, contaminated food stuffs that reduce fertility and so on. This is one of the means of war used against the Muslim ummah by its enemies." [al-A’raaf 7:86]
Thus one sees demographic tides shifting across the world, with the "modern" arguments from some that population should be reduced for fear of a coming Apocalypse sometime
But cultures have seen children as the future, and indeed a demographic-proven future. As an example from another tradition, one reads: "If the woman has the physical fitness and the meritorious luck to bear his children, the family was a fortunate one. Villagers always looked at sterility with a squinted eye, and its fault and the misfortune lay solely on the woman's part. As such, a childless woman often became culprit for her entire life." In "The Master's Daughter," by Swarnakanthi Rajapakse, Sarasavi Publishers, 2014.
Adopting this vocabulary, one could opine that each "culprit" atop European governance in its barren demographic modernity is, in fact, in part and by example culpable for building up a quiver-empty governance unable to respond to "specious arguments and sometimes... [ the use of ] means that lead to infertility and having few children, as an Islamic source has clearly stated.
Soldiers Nurtured in the Wombs of Women
A modern writer notes: "God is building a mighty army to vanquish the forces of darkness. These soldiers of the light are initially conceived and nurtured in the wombs of women. As such, an obvious strategy for the devil would be to sabotage the womb to cut down the size of this godly army." In "Hannah's Song," by Theresa Pecku-Laryea, Xulon Press, 2013.
Given such a torrent of imagery, one only need wait for the outcome of which army "conceived and nurtured in the wombs of women" will "cut down" an opposing army, depleted and spent for having become barren. Islam has not forgotten this, as above, while the "modern" liberal -- seeming liberal but in fact losing ground as the demographic battle rages -- has.
Fruitless grows the oldest trees and then the orchard's burned. / And this is how demographically the simplest truths are spurned.
When the burden becomes too great,
Time comes to set it down.
This time turns yellowing pages' fate
Towards breaking, broken brown.
Life's humbled human clay erodes
Which breathed its breathless breath,
And shrouded clay just time corrodes;
Yet trust abides, beyond time's death.
"It doesn’t take much at all for a white person to be considered good. As long as they avoid killing someone themselves, no one is going to demand anything else of them. Whites don’t need to do anything decent for anyone, especially not people outside of their own family, and yet, everyone will assume that they are good people. Even when whites do undeniably harmful things, American culture explains it away. This is why our society subjects impressive people of color to dehumanization that a white person who behaves despicably doesn’t encounter." In "Low Standards for Whites. That’s What’s Killing Us." by Koritha Mitchell, KorithaMitchhell.com, 10 July 2016.
Marx was white, oh yes he was,
And Lenin too was white.
Babeuf was white, and this because
Of French apartheid.
Lest one forget a little fact,
Engels was Caucasian light,
And helped white old Karl
To read, research and write.
Uncle Adolf and Old post-Tsar Joe
Were Hitler and Stalin bright,
Because they considered well
Their privilege was white?
Derrida and Foucault
Post-modernly were white
In their French enlightenment,
Philosophically so lite.
Hollande, Merkel and Trudeau
Today they're governing white.
Putin and Sweden's feminists
Play this hand of sleight?
Robert of the Senate Byrd
Was once KKK upright,
And Al Gore, the senior,
Was a segregationist's delight.
Clinton, Sanders, Durbin,
Pelosi and Schumer quite
Hold aloft white features
With Americanizing might.
Michael Moore is quite bright
And large among the lily white;
Meryl Streep acts brilliantly
As a very whitest knight.
Leftists, liberals, progressives too
Are sometimes so contrite,
Labeling white folks racist
With their racist peals of right.
One understands the pap
An English professor might
Write about such whiteness
In the glare of her small spotlight.
Post-presidential Barry
Showed half himself as quite
Black in public spectacle,
But his other half shows white.
White as just condemnation
Is a trendy sort of rite
In the height of folly's fiddling
With whatever it is to be white.
One can judge the gamers' game
Which plays as erudite
Is aging to decrepitude
In its guttering candlelight.
Race, all race, and all the time
Is not all racial plight,
When race as social construct
Teeters as birthright.
White Lincoln toppled slavery
And schools opened through Ike the white,
And oh so many examples
Prove goodness can be white...
...and black and all the colors
With which one paints polite
That race runs now on empty
In the racists' racist fight.
Envoi Revisiting a Statement: "It doesn’t take much at all for a white person to be considered good."
Portraits in Shades of White Noise [ 1 ]
Addendum of Moral Claims and Reparations: "The moral claim persists because the brutality and stolen labor of slavery, and the grim years of Jim Crow segregation that followed, have left a legacy of lost wealth and opportunity. Such legacy continues to burden African-Americans today. A quarter of our nation’s African-Americans live in poverty. The tough part of making the case for reparations is not showing that past racial crimes burden the present. No fair-minded person denies this. The question is who should pay for them? The sad truth is that the harms of slavery and Jim Crow are greater than the wealth they created. Moreover, the primary beneficiaries of those systems are now gone. Payments will have to come from taxpayers, who have no culpability for those past crimes and little, if any, of the benefit. The case for repair would be based on the federal government’s traditional role of helping people in need, which has inspired social welfare programs like the New Deal, the Great Society and the 9/11 Victim Compensation fund. In those cases, there is no need to show culpability by the government to make a compelling case for doing something positive." In "Who Would Pay for Reparations, and Why?" by Alfred L. Brophy, New York Times, 9 June 2014. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Academia Working Against Whiteness: "Paul Dionne, Inclusive Success Coordinator for Beloit College’s Office for Academic Diversity and Inclusiveness, gave a speech entitled, 'Working Against Whiteness' as part of a 'Love Made Public' lecture series. The lecture series started during the fall, but resumed this semester. To help define 'whiteness,' Dionne instructed the student attendees to chant 'imperialist, capitalist, white supremacist patriarchy,' a phrase originating from feminist and self-avowed socialist bell hooks, who spells her name with all lowercase letters. 'Working against whiteness for me is interrogating myself and who I am and where I come from and all of my privileges,' said the school administrator, according to an audio file of the event obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation." In "University Admin: ‘Whiteness’ Goes Against Christianity," by Rob Shimshock, Daily Caller, 21 March 2017. [ 3 ]
Addendum of White Noise: "In discrete time, white noise is a discrete signal whose samples are regarded as a sequence of serially uncorrelated random variables with zero mean and finite variance; a single realization of white noise is a random shock. Depending on the context, one may also require that the samples be independent and have identical probability distribution (in other words i.i.d. is the simplest representative of the white noise). In particular, if each sample has a normal distribution with zero mean, the signal is said to be Gaussian white noise." In "White Noise," Wikipedia article, n. d. [ 4 ]
Addendum of Non-White Noise Being Blackish: "Rachel Dolezal, former president of the NAACP of Spokane, Washington, was 'outed' for being White and apparently lying. That aside, the question remains: can a person feel like or identify as another race in a way similar to taking on a new gender identity? Our Census Bureau seems to think that’s sufficient. The U.S. Census Bureau website states: 'The Census Bureau collects racial data in accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and these data are based on self-identification. The racial categories included in the census questionnaire generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country and not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically'." In "Being Blackish: Race and Self-Identification," Mirah Riben, Huffington Post, 23 June 2015. [ 5 ]
Addendum of White Mortality Rate Rising: "In 2015, Princeton Professors Anne Case and Angus Deaton made global headlines after documenting a shocking rise in the proportion of white non-Hispanic Americans dying in middle age. This year, as part of the Spring 2017 edition of the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Professors Case and Deaton are following up on that research to further investigate the rise and its causes, examining midlife mortality rates of white non-Hispanics in the U.S. by geography, education, birth cohort, and more." In "Working class white Americans are now dying in middle age at faster rates than minority groups," by Alison Burke, Brookings.edu, 23 March 2017. [ 6 ]
Addendum of Becoming a Nation of Racist Scoundrels: "Social media has become dominant in most of our lives, and what does social media do if not reduce everything to the personal? 'How does this affect me...here are my thoughts of the day…here are my feelings on that issue.' Social media is total absorption with self. That’s pretty much what a racial-identity-centered worldview is, too. There’s a reason that 90% of the stories that go viral on social media deal with race or other 'identity' issues. That’s what resonates with us now that the political has truly become personal. If racism is indeed the last refuge of scoundrels, we are certainly on the path to becoming a nation of them." In "Racism: The Last Refuge of Us All?" by David Cole, Taki's Magazine, 18 May 2017.
Addendum of Manifest and Open Evidence of Racial Discrimination: "A white professor at a predominantly black university in St. Louis was fired 'because of the color of her skin,' a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. A three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed a 2015 jury verdict that awarded nearly $5 million to Beverly Wilkins, a former professor at Harris-Stowe State University. 'Rarely have we seen such manifest and open evidence of racial discrimination,' the appeals court ruling said." In "$5M award upheld in white professor's discrimination case," Associated Press, 6 June 2017.
Addendum of Murderous Discrimination: "Scott, who is black, has been charged with murder in the deaths of Steven Gibbons, 57, and John Palmer, 54. On Tuesday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced those charges, also naming Scott as a suspect in the killings of David Lenox, 67; Timothy S. Rice, 57, of Excelsior Springs; and Mike Darby, 61, co-owner of Coach’s Bar & Grill at 103rd Street and Wornall Road. All five were white men between ages 54 and 67. All five were fatally shot, most from behind, in surprise attacks as they walked dogs, visited parks and, in one case, walked down a city street." In " 'Kill all white people': Suspect in killings of five white men made threat in 2014," by Glenn E. Rice, Ian Cummings, Joe Robertson and Toriano Porter, Kansas City Star, 30 August 2017.
Addendum of Identifying False Charges: "When confronted with a phony charge of racism, not every American has the financial resources, the institutional and legal support, or the impenetrable hide of a politician. For an ordinary person, such a charge is undeniably hurtful, and in some professional and personal contexts it is devastating. It thus behooves all of us to reserve such claims to instances where real, provable animus exists. 'Racism!' should not be a throwaway line, to lob at anyone who dares to contradict you. It is rather a serious offense against the American values of liberty, equality, and individual dignity. It is often a crime. I implore all Americans, therefore, to treat one another with civility, and to address the arguments of the other side rationally and without descending to personal attacks, especially when they are based on assumptions rather than evidence. Simply put, a charge of racism is not a weapon to be wielded casually, and neither is hate the answer to hate. Surely as Americans we can do better." In "Unfounded charges of racism are hate speech, too," by Nicholas L. Waddy, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, 25 August 2017. [ 7 ]
Addendum of the Very Definitions: "The very definitions of 'race' and 'ethnicity' are fuzzy, said Joseph Pickrell, a computational geneticist at the New York Genome Center laboratory, affiliated with Columbia University. 'Different people mean different things when they say 'race,' ' he said. In the United States, for example, a person with almost any African ancestry often is identified as black. 'That’s not necessarily the case in other parts of the world,' Dr. Pickrell said." In "With a Simple DNA Test, Family Histories Are Rewritten," by Gina Kolata, New York Times, 28 August 2017.
Addendum of All: "In a lengthy Facebook rant, she wrote: 'Honestly I don't have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people. Because most of ya'll don't even realise or refuse to acknowledge that your existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour. Your entire existence is drenched in racism. From micro-aggressions to terrorism, you guys built the blueprint for this s***. Come see me when you realise that racism isn't learned, it's inherited and consciously or unconsciously passed down through privilege." In "L'Oreal's first transgender model is SACKED by the cosmetics giant after claiming 'ALL white people' are racist in extraordinary Facebook rant," by Clemmie Moodie, Daily Mail, and Rory Tingle, Mail Online, 31 August 2017. [ 8 ]
Addendum from a Black Conservative: "Hurricane Harvey reveals an America that many in the media seem not to know exists: a multi-ethnic, multiracial country where people, for the most part, get along. ...If America were as racist as many in the media think, why do blacks excel in two of the most competitive fields -- sports and entertainment? On Forbes' list of highest-earning celebrities, blacks occupy seven of the top 25 slots, including Sean Combs, who clocks in at $130 million annually; Beyonce at $105 million; and Drake at $94 million. On Forbes' list of highest-earning athletes, blacks occupy 13 of the top 25 spots, including LeBron James at $86 million; Kevin Durant at $60 million; and Stephen Curry at $47 million." In "Harvey shows America's colourblind spirit — bad news for race hustlers," by Larry Elder, Special to Postmedia Network, 9 September 2017.
A Black Author Pens an Open Letter to a Black Author: "When people give up the seductive idea that the world owes them something, except the right to be left alone, they are given the power of forgiveness—even of those who have historically oppressed them. This, Mr. Coates, brings me to your June 2014 essay in the Atlantic arguing for reparations for black people. You were and are wrong. No self-respecting black person ought to take a single penny from the state for the infliction of any ancestral damage. The very premise supposes that blacks are wards of the state. If individual rights are currently being violated by states that illegally discriminate against blacks, that is a matter to be redressed in the courts. People who are possessed of self-esteem, who are dignified individuals capable of supporting themselves, do not seek any form of reparations. It is beneath them. Reason indicated that you cannot codify either collective guilt or collective entitlement. And reparations are predicated on the attribution of collective guilt, which in turn is based on the worst form of racism: biological collectivism." In "An Open Letter to Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Dream is real," by Jason D. Hill, Commentary Magazine, 13 September 2017.
Addendum of Liberalism Being White Supremacy: "...protesters drowned her out with cries of, 'ACLU, you protect Hitler, too.' They also chanted, 'the oppressed are not impressed,' 'shame, shame, shame, shame,' (an ode to the Faith Militant's treatment of Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, though why anyone would want to be associated with the religious fanatics in that particular conflict is beyond me), 'blood on your hands,' 'the revolution will not uphold the Constitution,' and, uh, 'liberalism is white supremacy.' This went on for nearly 20 minutes." In "Black Lives Matter Students Shut Down the ACLU's Campus Free Speech Event Because 'Liberalism Is White Supremacy'," by Robby Soave, Reason, 4 October, 2017.
Addendum of Slamming Political Correctness: "..he used a cast of predominately white models to wearing dreadlocks in New York last year. Speaking to around 400 students at the Oxford Union, Jacobs said: I think it's very dangerous to say: 'You can't use this, you can't look at that, you can't borrow from that, you can't be inspired by that'. 'You know, 'stay in your own lane'. I don't really understand that mentality and I think it's a very dangerous way of thinking'." In "Designer Marc Jacobs hits back at 'dangerous' politically correct complaints after he was slammed for using dreadlocked white models on the catwalk," by Charlie Bayliss, Mail Online, 8 October 2017.
Addendum of the Solution -- Self-Identify through Postmodern Fludity: "The University announced that the 'largest-ever cohort of students' from historically underrepresented groups entered graduate programs this fall, representing 12 percent of the entire class of graduate students, according to an Oct. 5 press release. The number of students from HUGs has increased 38 percent since 2015. Administrators view this as a step forward in their goal to double the representation of students from HUGs by 2022, as outlined in the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. The University defines HUGs as 'those who self-identify as American Indian, Alaskan Native, African American, Hispanic or Latinx and Native Hawaiian and/or Pacific Islander,' according to the DIAP." In "Grad school strives to recruit underrepresented students," by Priyanka Podugu, Brown Daily Herald, 7 November 2017.
Addendum of an Academic Question: "Have you ever wondered what it really means to be white? If you’re like most people, the answer is probably 'no'." In "African 405: The Problem of Whiteness," by Damon Sajnani, Department of African Cultural Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Spring 2018. [ 9 ]
Addendum of the Word Some Should and Others Should Not Sing: "The song contains 15 instances of the slang word 'n---a,' three of which Delaney rapped with abandon. Until the music stopped halfway through the song. 'What's up? Aren't I cool enough for you?' she said, according to video of the incident posted on social media. The packed crowd can be heard booing and cursing at the woman. 'You got to bleep one single word,' Lamar said. Delaney admitted it was an honest mistake: 'Did I do it? I'm so sorry ... I'm used to singing it like you wrote it'." In "Kendrick Lamar rebukes white fan who rapped n-word on stage with him," by Michelle Robertson, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 May 2018. [ 10 ]
Addendum of Another Racist Perspective: "I thought white people were evil. I was wrong. Whenever anyone mentions the historical atrocity of chattel slavery, white people will emerge from the dark crevices of humanity to gnaw away at the assertion like roaches on a discarded Cheeto." In "White People Are Cowards," by Michael Harriot, The Root, 19 June 2018.
Addendum of Antifa White Noise: "During the recent AbolishICE riots, which cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars to clean up, white Antifa gremlins called the Black and Hispanic police officers blood traitors and extremely derogatory slurs." In "INJURIES, ARRESTS: Antifa invades Portland City Hall, brutalizes officials," by Jonathan Lockwood, Medium, 8 August 2018. [ 11 ]
Addendum of PBS and White Genocide: "A Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) host has a long history of anti-white racism and calling for the genocide of white people, evidenced by multiple Tweets sent from her personal account. 'We anti-whites are coming for you,' Lindsay Ellis Tweeted in 2017. 'We know where you live.' She then replied to her own tweet, saying that she gets 'really excited about white genocide. It’s going to be the best genocide ever,' according to Ellis." In "PBS Host Lindsay Ellis: ‘I Get Really Excited About White Genocide'," by Peter D'Abrosca, Big League Politics, 23 August 2018. [ 12 ]
Addendum of a Lot of Change That Needs to Occur: "The Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. of Salem Bible Church in Atlanta said in his eulogy: 'Where is your soul, black man? As I look in your house, there are no fathers in the home no more.' He said children need both a 'provider' and a 'nurturer.' He criticized the Black Lives Matter movement: 'It amazes me how it is when the police kills one of us we're ready to protest, march, destroy innocent property. We're ready to loot, steal whatever we want, but when we kill 100 of us, nobody says anything; nobody does anything. Black-on-black crime, we're all doing time. We're locked up in our mind. There's got to be a better way. We must stop this today'." In "Aretha's Funeral: Anti-Trump Bigots Hear Truth About the No. 1 Problem in the Black Community," by Larry Elder, Townhall, 6 September 2018. [ 13 ]
Addendum Noticing Nothing: "The state Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises said it considers applicants on a case-by-case basis. 'We work really hard to be fair. Nothing is just black and white,' Gigi Zenk told the Seattle Times." [ 14 ]
Addendum of Being Not Worried: "...I realized the same thing that figures like Booker T. Washington, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Elijah Muhammad, and Malcolm X realized during their attempts to uplift black people; that being, the best policy for Black America was 'to do for self.' From my perspective, the refusal to adopt a mantra of “do for self” was akin to a private admission of cowardice." In "Why I’m Not Worried About White Folk Posing A Significant Obstacle To Black Liberation," by Dr. James Thomas Jones III, ThyBlackMan.com, 24 October 2018.
Addendum of a Logical Extension of the Transgender Movement: "... adopting a different racial identity represents a logical extension of the transgender movement, which has celebrated men and women who portray themselves members of the opposite sex. '[T]his poses an interesting dilemma for the identitarian left,' said [U.K.] Spectator columnist Toby Young. 'If it’s perfectly fine for someone born male to identify as female, why isn’t it OK for someone born white to identify as mixed heritage?' " In "White director who won minority theater grant defends decision to identify as black," by Valerie Richardson, Washington Times, 10 November 2018.
Addendum of Cancelling Our White Noise: " 'Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community,' the press release went on to say. 'Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach. Our goal is that planning will continue and we will be successful in creating an event that will build power and community engagement through connection between women that seek to improve the lives of all in our community'." In "California organizers cancel Women's March due to 'overwhelmingly white' participants," by Marissa Papanek, KRCR 7/ABC News, 29 December 2018.
Addendum from Dickinson College: "...should white boys still be allowed to share their 'opinions'? Should we be forced to listen? In honor of Black History Month, I’m gonna go with a hell no. Go find someone whose perspective has been buried or ignored and listen to them, raise up their voice." In "Should White Boys Still Be Allowed to Talk?" by Leda Fisher ’19, Guest Writer, Dickinsonian, 7 February 2019.
Addendum of Another Professor's Complaint: "Many of my choices as a young black woman growing up in post-1980s America were shaped by a desire “not to become a statistic.” Like Scylla and Charybdis, an impeccable grind and an unstoppable hustle might help you to outrun the statistical narrative, but weathered health brought on by too many years of stress and struggle might have the last, cruel laugh." In "Being a black woman in America means realizing that doing everything right may not be enough," Brittney Cooper, NBC News, 15 May 2019. [ 15 ]
Addendum of Dissent About the Color of Descent: "Roughly 3 million people of Southwest Asian, Middle Eastern or North African descent live in the United States, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. No other county has more of these communities than Los Angeles, where more than 350,000 people can trace their roots to a region that stretches from Mauritania to the mountains of Afghanistan. In past census surveys, more than 80 percent in this group have called themselves white, The Times analysis found. Arab and Iranian communities for years have lobbied the bureau to create a separate category for people of Middle Eastern or North African descent." In "Census Bureau says Arabs and Persians are white, but many disagree," by Sarah Parvini and Ellis Simani, Los Angeles Times, 30 March 2019.
Consider the game of White is black
Consider that Mitchell has noticed that some white noise might be The Scourge of the Planet
NOTES
[ 1 ] While the selection of "portraits in shades of white noise" is editorial, one can construct such a gallery to include other "whites" seen as opposing the ideological Left with its roots in socialist theory, such as America's Trump, Britain's May, France's Le Pen, Germany's Petry and more, based solely on the editorial attempt to identify by association. Ultimately, attempts to sully by racial accusation will fail, as one can find opposing voices in all group identities based on the so-called democratic virtues of race, religion, creed, gender and national origin.
As part of the visual editorial above, note the "empowered" and enthusiastic expressions on the Swedish women during their visit to Iran, with its compulsory hijab stance. They complied, and seem pleased to have shown cultural respect, one might think.
That a voice from academia in the United States asserts 1) racial identity as causality, 2) racial identity as value-laden, and 3) racial identity as, in some instances, dehumanizing is sadly amusing. It is a voice asserting Post-truth
Categories Change for Many Reasons
As to fluidity of self-identification as regards race categorization, one reads: "Previous research on people’s racial self-identification has found that they may change categories for many reasons, said demographer Sharon Lee of the University of Victoria in Canada, at the population conference. The question mode—whether people are asked in person, on a paper form, on the phone or online—makes a difference. Some people may change their category after they find out they had an ancestor of a different race, she said. Or they may decide there are benefits (such as priority in college admissions) to including themselves in a certain group. Some category-changers were children in 2000 whose race was filled in by their parents, but by 2010 were old enough to choose for themselves, which may account for some of the change. Children in some groups in 2000—for example, white and black—were especially likely to be recorded in a different category in 2010, Liebler said. (Although she did not mention President Barack Obama, he chose to check only 'black' on his 2010 census form, even though his mother was white and father black.)." In "Millions of Americans changed their racial or ethnic identity from one census to the next," by D’Vera Cohn, Pew Research Center, 5 May 2014.
When Is Black and When Is Black Not Black Enough?
With a black father and white mother (as if race mattered as much as the politics demands), one reads of a similar case with a different end result. One reads: "Rachael Malonson is biracial and said because of her skin tone, some people don’t recognize that. In fact, some of her critics have told her she’s not black enough. She said she entered this pageant to feel more empowered as a black woman, but after winning the competition she was met with some criticism she didn’t expect. 'Someone literally asked me are you black? Can you prove it to me?' Malonson said. 'I was like yes, my dad’s black and my mom’s white'." In "Miss Black University of Texas Criticized for ‘Not Being Black Enough’," Erin Jones, KHOU vua Black Christian News, 5 May 2017.
What is the distinction between an ex-President with a black father and white mother and a University of Texas student with a black father and a white mother? Is one black enough and the other not black enough?
When all is potentially fluid and all is social construction, then indeed race itself is proven social construction. That is the point. When skin color was a signal of human value in the proponents of slavery, then fluidly moved to the rationale for the advocates of Jim Crow laws and segregationists, and now to such arguments as found above, one finds all little more than racist assertion across a swath of history and across many nations and cultures.
One should not forget, in the real struggle of mankind historically Modern Slavery
It Doesn't Take Much At All For a White Man To Be Considered Evil
As to Mitchell's assertion that it "doesn’t take much at all for a white person to be considered good," it also doesn't take much at all for a white person to be considered evil. As one example of this alternative conclusion, one reads of a view to deny white men their "franchise."
"This would also strike a blow against toxic white masculinity, one that is long needed. At the same time, a denial of the franchise to white men, could see a redistribution of global assets to their rightful owners. After all, white men have used the imposition of Western legal systems around the world to reinforce modern capitalism. A period of twenty years without white men in the world's parliaments and voting booths will allow legislation to be passed which could see the world's wealth far more equitably shared. The violence of white male wealth and income inequality will be a thing of the past." In "Could It Be Time To Deny White Men The Franchise?" by Shelley Garland, Huffington Post, 13 April 2017.
Redistribution of global assets to their rightful owners? The assertion is naive, as not even well-formulated Marxism, which suggests class based on economic position. If "global wealth" is in the hands of white men, then all white men are wealthy, a fallacious conclusion. Additionally this sort of socialist politics is underpinned by its very-white, European theorists. If skin color makes criminal guilt hereditary, then blatant racism is the underpinning of such an argument. Does a philosophy student have information enough to conclude who are "rightful owners," when ownership itself is a legal and not political position?
The post seems to have been a hoax of sorts, and Huffington Post deleted the article after publishing it. The writer as identified seems to have been a false name, but the sentiment was allowed to stand for some time, suggesting a sympathetic resonance by editors. But for what? Elements of old-fashioned Marxism.
Old-Fashioned Marxism
Additionally these elements of old-fashioned Marxism are essentially racist. In one example from Canada, one reads of "white privilege training": " 'If you took out the word ‘white’ and used any other race, it would be perceived as racist,' she said. 'It’s stereotyping in reverse.' I spoke with Ms. Walker after the program. Other parents in the school were also uncomfortable, she said, but were reluctant to speak up. As a dark-skinned person, she felt she could stick her neck out. 'A lot of people are afraid to say that this is racism,' she told me. 'But it is'." In "The original sin of white privilege," by Margaret Wente, Globe and Mail, 27 May 2017.
Another view by a black conservative: "It is leftist propaganda openly stating that races are different and 'whiteness' is bad." In "No, It's Not 'Racist' to Oppose Critical Race Theory | Opinion," by Charles Love, Newsweek, 8 November 2021. As example one might consider Black and White, part deux
.
Oppression Must Be Carefully Taught
Given notions of redistribution camouflaged with unscientific race theory assertions, what must one then do about academics earning much more than the median income in any locale, as seen when one's studies lead to Doctor Oppression comes to call
What must one then do about Capital for Communists
And as to the province of rich, white men, one might do well to consider "post-reproductive wealthy white men" leading the charge that mankind is The Scourge of the Planet
Among white males who some consider to be good and others consider to be evil, one might survey that form of white privilege which places socialism and the call for redistribution of wealth at the forefront of so many race-tinged arguments, as when reading of that fellow who accused another of being a Jewish nigger
[ 2 ] The complexity of arguments and multiplicity of views as regards reparations for American blacks is a Gordian knot, which perhaps suggests the ultimate solution.
Another New Times opinion notes: "If there were a real consensus on how to turn black America around, there could be some logic in heightening the effort with vast influxes of cash – and over the virulent objection of a good segment of the nation’s taxpayers. But we’re not at that point of consensus. Instead, while there is serious catharsis in this new reparations discussion, there is no practical goal beyond catharsis itself." In "No Consensus on Need or Possible Results of Reparations, by John McWhorter, New York Times, 14 January 2015. One might view the call from Professor Mitchell above as part of a larger social catharsis.
It is seen that the "proliferation of black politicians in recent decades — which now includes a twice-elected black president — has done little to narrow racial gaps in employment, income, homeownership, academic achievement and other areas. Most groups in America and elsewhere who have risen economically have done so with little or no political influence, and groups that have enjoyed early political success have tended to rise more slowly." In "Why Obama’s presidency didn’t lead to black progress," by Jason Riley, New York Post, 17 June 2017.
The Weakness of the Argument
Another view is found: "The weakness of the reparations argument is not that we shouldn't talk about racial classes, that African-Americans are not a racial class, or that it cannot be true that one class of people owes another class of people something. We already accept all of these propositions in many other contexts. The questions are whether reparations would actually do anything substantial to solve the problems they claim to solve, whether the costs they impose on those who would have to pay them are justifiable or reasonable, whether there is any conceivable political likelihood that they will ever happen, or whether the effort to obtain them will lead to undesirable side effects that outweigh whatever benefits they promise." In "Cutting through the nonsense," Economist, 27 May 2014.
A Scam?
The notion of reparations to one particular race is become a preoccupation for some, and a problem for others. One reads: "During an interview on Fox News' Friday, former ACLU national board member Michael Meyers called 2020 Democrats' push for 'reparations' for blacks a total scam that itself is built on racism. 'It's more of that blame whitey movement mania, madness. And it's sheer racial rhetoric, and that’s what you get at the Al Sharpton so-called 'house of justice.' You have buffoonery, and you have diversion, you have distraction. You have this notion of farce,' Meyers said." In "Former ACLU leader says Dem push for 'reparations' is a scam and a 'blame whitey movement' gone crazy," by Jon Dougherty, National Sentinel, 7 April 2019.
The coloring of the argument that "one class of people owes another class of people something" is Marxist, and can be traced further back to Gracchus Babeuf, an earlier French socialist pictured in the "white noise" portrait above. The complexity is that post-modern, deconstructionist academics see so many classes of people, oppressed by some power structure, that parsing out one class from another, much less answering the question of "who should pay" is that Gordian knot. And for the most part very white, in the sense that Mitchell uses the race-identifying term.
Were the competing claims to involve capital punishment of incarceration for criminal guilt rather than claims for money, the arguments would become clearer. Like the class of kulaks among the peasants who were judged guilty in the beginnings of Bolshevik tyranny in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, a failed state for economic reasons, history is replete with one "class" attacking another "class," with results worth historical understanding. But reparations as a hydra of arguments cannot deal with adjudicate criminal guilt, and suffices with arguments through civil penalties. But for whom?
But for whom? From whom? To whom?
As with so much of "class" oppression and "class" redress today, the conversation ends always for the adjudicated "oppressor" as "pay" and for the adjudicated member of an "oppressed class" as "pay me." It reduces down to money, specifically Free Money
The human phenomenon can be simplified as the many who would seek their "freebies" from others by any and arguments available. Consider Free bees
The argument from Brophy above notes: "...the primary beneficiaries of those systems are now gone. Payments will have to come from taxpayers, who have no culpability for those past crimes and little, if any, of the benefit."
Reparations for Lies?
And yet, under the topic of reparations, one finds some reparation -- repayment --- being repaid. Reflecting on Michael Myers assertion above, one reads: "...Tawana Brawley has finally started payment on a defamation judgment awarded Pagones. He sued Brawley and her handlers, including Sharpton, alleging the story that she was abducted and raped by a gang of white men, including Pagones, was a hoax. A grand jury, which heard from 180 witnesses over seven months, concluded in 1988 that the entire story was indeed apocryphal. Last week, 10 checks totaling $3,764.61 were delivered to Pagones, the first from Brawley on the 1998 judgment on which she still has $431,000 left to pay." In "Tawana Brawley Pays For Lies — When Will Sharpton?" Editorial Board, Investors Business Daily, 8 August 2013. One past crime has had legal redress.
Other "past crimes" which spawn a class worthy of reparations: American-Indian tribes, Japanese-Americans interred during WWII, the victims of the Viet Nam war, and all this is expected to be sorted out when some Doctor Oppression comes to call
Or not.
Slavery was a historical fact of the early United States, as with many other nations. It continues today, and skin color has little to do with this fact. One reads of Africa today: "... a modern-day slave trade – plied along routes once used by slaving caravans – that has engulfed tens of thousands of lives. The new slave traders operate with such impunity that, survivors say, some victims are being sold in public markets. Most, however, see their lives and liberty auctioned off in private. 'They took people and put them in the street, under a sign that said 'for sale',' said Shamsuddin Jibril, 27, from Cameroon, who twice saw men traded publicly in the streets of the central Libyan town of Sabha, once famous as the home of a young Gaddafi, but now known for violence and brutality. 'They tied their hands just like in the former slave trade, and they drove them here in the back of a Toyota Hilux. There were maybe five or seven of them'." In "Africa’s new slave trade: how migrants flee poverty to get sucked into a world of violent crime," by Emma Graham-Harrison, Guardian UK, 14 May 2017.
Slavery is Very Modern
Africa is not alone as a nexus, as one learns additionally from the Guardian: "GSI estimates that 58% of those living in slavery are in five countries: India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. The countries with the highest estimated prevalence of modern slavery as a proportion of their population are North Korea, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, India and Qatar. Research by the International Labour Organisation suggests that more than half of the victims are women and girls, mostly in domestic work and commercial sexual exploitation. Men and boys are most often exploited through work in agriculture, construction and mining. A quarter of the victims are thought to be under 18."
Given the multiracial, multicultural slave trade of today, the focus on American whites today as somehow the most heinous perpetrators shows that a "race grievance industry" has matured into a respected academic enterprise in which a well-paid elite feathers their "income inequality" nest by rhetoric, ignoring the worldwide problem of centuries.
As to these academics' racist elite place in American society, the footnote below and many of those which document Income Inequality
[ 3 ] The quote is from a white male, for so does he seem to identify himself. Bell Hooks, who spells her name in lower case letters which
I do not replicate herein, was referenced in the phrase to describe American society as an "imperialist, capitalist, white supremacist patriarchy." Given the last eight years of Obama serving as president, the "white supremacist" nation's voters have seemed to have another, less white supremacist view.
That women are represented is high office suggests the "patriarchy" withers anyway. That the empire of the United States has not actually conquered and annexed more land suggests that "imperialist" better describes China's annexation of Tibet. As to the adjective "capitalist," those usually using the word as a pejorative root their thought in the very white and patriarchal lineage from Babeuf to Marx and Engels to Lenin and beyond. Might one conclude the political sympathies of those who rage against capitalism as socialist? Marxist? Revolutionary? An Inclusive Success Coordinator for Beloit College’s Office for Academic Diversity and Inclusiveness?
In the Upper 20 Percent of Income and Still Oppressed While Being Guilty of Oppressing
A simple search for Beloit College salary information within the public record yields this: "Professor Salary, Average Effective Annual Salary: $104,062" As a contrast, the median income in Wisconsin, $55,638 according to state records. Thus one learns that complaining about the "capitalist, white supremacist patriarchy" in a university pays about double the average citizen. Nice work if you can get it. Most can't, which justifies a conclusion that such university academics in the upper crust of society are more oppressors than oppressed. Given so many university academics are public employees, this simply shows the nature of Politics
Another report suggests a professorial salary at Beloit in 2015 was $103,608. ("Beloit College: Faculty & Salaries," American School Search, n. d.) The average for all faculty was seen as approximately $84,000. However one looks at such numbers against the average taxpayer in the state, the academic teaching that American society is an "imperialist, capitalist, white supremacist patriarchy."
Given the last eight years of Obama serving as president, the "white supremacist" nation's voters have seem chosen a black patriarch over a white matriarch (Clinton ran against him in the primaries). So much for the chanted mantra of protest.
But what of such rhetoric? It can lead to unacceptable consequences, as one parses a news item. "An elderly white man was shoved to the floor and derided as a 'honky motherf----r' by a black woman, who also told him to sit in the back of the East Side bus they were riding, police sources said Monday. The suspect, believed to be between 30 and 40 years old, is still being sought." In "Woman shoves, curses out 80-year-old man on city bus: 'You white honky motherf----r'," by Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 September 2017.
Was he representative of the "imperialist, capitalist, white supremacist patriarchy?" Was she representative of a younger generation's attitude toward the "elderly." It would seem a better representative of a "imperialist, capitalist, white supremacist patriarchy" might be well paid Inclusive Success Coordinator who can make such claims, being white, pulling in a nifty salary from a posh organization, and as a male being patriarchal as opposed to matriarchal.As to other public access database information one finds this: "Mitchell, Koritha, Associate Professor, English, Columbus campus, Annual base pay $99,000." (Cleveland.com public access database.) As comparison, the median income in Wisconsin is $51,075. Thus, the "society [ which ]subjects impressive people of color to dehumanization" is dehumanizing Professor Mitchell by paying her twice the income of the average Ohioan. Again, nice work of "dehumanization," if you can get it.
Nice Work If You Can Get It -- and Most Cannot
Bell Hooks, cited above, as author using a pen name opined that a "...shift that will undoubtedly emerge as the struggle to end sexual oppression progresses will be decreased obsession with sexuality...sexuality will no longer have the importance attributed to it in a society that uses sexuality for the express purposes of maintaining gender inequality, male domination, consumerism, and the sexual frustration and unhappiness that deflect attention away from the need to make a social revolution." In "Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center,". Cambridge, 2000. Bell Hooks was born Gloria Jean Watkins in 1952, and chose the pseudonym for publishing. An institute housed by Berea College promotes her work, with thirty-plus books, lectures and public appearances as well as gigs as visiting professor in other institutions.
All in all, quite oppressed in a most bourgeois way.
Only decades after the above quote was written, American campuses are torn by an overflowing and variable protest over sexual issues, including the wondrous deconstruction which now justifies fluidity in sexual orientation and gender identification, not to mention race. Hooks' "decreased obsession with sexuality" is as yet not shown to be true. Quite the opposite.
Hooks' stated "need to make a social revolution," as with the many revolutions which Babeuf and the many white males who underpin such thinking urged, is awaiting such leadership as the academically exalted, postmodern Doctor Oppression comes to call
Taxation as Oppression?
While the world awaits this next revolution, many academics are doing quite well, far more than the average Joe in any given locale. It is informative to note the taxpayer is never deemed to be among the approved oppressed classes as defined by our oppressed upper crust. And yet these publicly-promoted revolutionaries are well-paid (many in the upper five percent of all citizens) and surround themselves with like-minded revolutionaries, in meetings, seminars, institutes and press conferences to declare "oppression!" From a safe distance....
Babeuf would be scandalized that the nouveau academic bourgeoisie is so bourgeois. C'est vrai!
Proven in the black and white of their press and publications and documented by annoying public records showing them so well off. Are "impressive people of color" in Mitchell's parlance oppressed while earning twice the median income for a state in which they live and work?
Let one review that so many academic anti-capitalists rake in more than the median income of their locale.
This is reason enough to be skeptical of their pretense. And yet, in time and under some specific circumstances, I Shall Believe the Socialist
[ 4 ] The rhyme reflecting on the racial chatter in academia in the moment is "White noise." White noise as a physical phenomenon is used in a variety of ways, even to the "capitalist exploitation" of it in manufacturing and selling at a profit white noise generators touted to aid in sleep.
Serially Uncorrected Random Variables
As to Gauss who is the namesake of Gaussian white noise, one reads: "Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (/ɡaʊs/; German: Gauß, pronounced [ɡaʊs]; Latin: Carolus
Fridericus Gauss) (30 April 1777 Braunschweig – 23 February 1855 Göttingen) was a German mathematician who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, algebra, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, geophysics, mechanics, electrostatics, astronomy, matrix theory, and optics." In "Carl Friedrich Gauss," Wikipedia article, n. d.
As one considers this giant in so many scientific disciplines, one might do well to contrast such as he with the many postmodernist, deconstructionists and their "contributions" to any field other than socio-political roiling and "revolution." It turns out the most revolutionary of men -- a generic term -- are those who have advanced hard sciences, technology and engineering, for such revolutions have had a lasting effect on the world, while the socio-political revolutions' white noise has advanced and retreated like the shifting tides, in their many "serially uncorrelated random variables."
One's revolution, it seems, is not another's, and all the causes gathered together create a white noise as one cancels another out, leaving continual background noise across society.
[ 5 ] If a Huffington Post author can assert "being blackish," the question of verbiage and meaning leaps to the front.
The tale of Dolezal is curious, given that "whiteness" and "being blackish" have been asserted in the public debate. One reads: "Her new memoir, 'In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World,' details her journey from a poor white girl in Montana to what she refers to as a 'woke soul sista' working in Washington. Dolezal, who pretended to be a black woman for years before her parents outed her as white in 2015, writes that she realized early on in life that she needed to free her inner blackness, in the memoir obtained by the Daily Mail." In "Rachel Dolezal details her journey to becoming 'woke soul sista' in new memoir about race," by Minyvonne Burke, New York Daily News, 24 March 2017.
Too Black? Too White? Social Constructs Collide With Celebrity
In an academically-driven conversation about cultural appropriation, one could suggest that Dolezal appropriated her self-identification as black. But there are apparent degrees of what it means to be black, as one reads further of this tragic comedy: "Her first marriage to an African American man was rough because Dolezal writes she was 'too black' for him. During a television interview in November 2015, Dolezal acknowledged being born to white parents, but also said she identifies as black." In "Rachel Dolezal: I was ‘too black’ for my husband," by Ashley May, MSN, 26 March 2017.
"Too black" for an African American to tolerate is quite an assertion when considering racial identity and, now, racial self-identity.
Apparently "too black" did not restrain from a magazine identifying as "white." One reads: "Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who made national headlines in 2015 after she pretended to be black, is back in the spotlight...." In "Rachel Dolezal Says She Was 'a Little Too Black' for Her African-American Ex-Husband," by Caitlin Keating, People, 28 March 2017.
Another take finds the assertion stated outright, though the article's title disparages it. "The 'unapologetically black' 39-year-old claimed she believes race is a social construct and that she stands by her 'trans-black' identity, in an interview on Saturday. She added: 'I haven't identified as African-American. I've identified as black. And black is a culture, a philosophy, a political and social view'." In " 'I believe that race is a social construct': Race-faker Rachel Dolezal compares her 'trans-black' identity to Caitlyn Jenner," by Cheyenne Roundtree and Kelly McLaughlin, Mail Online, 2 April 2017.
The trans-racial politicking made it to South Africa, with predictable friction. One reads: "Deriding Ms Dolezal's claim to 'racial fluidity', she was told by a member of the mostly-black audience of students that , 'Only a white person could claim blackness and tour the world talking to blacks about blackness'." In "'Who let her in? She is either SICK or a fraud!' White race faker Rachel Dolezal causes outrage as she lectures black South Africans about her 'struggle' with being 'trans black'," by Jane Flanagan, Mail Online, 21 April 2017.
Life stories have their tales, and Dolezal's is one, as one reads: "A former NAACP leader in Washington state who was exposed in 2015 as a white woman pretending to be black has reached an agreement to avoid trial on charges of welfare fraud." In "Woman who posed as black makes plea deal in fraud case," Associated Press, 5 April 2019. So was it a pretense, as the Associated Press writes? A reality, as Dolezal asserted, and the NAACP validated in her service as a "former NAACP leader?" A complicated story, to be sure.
The Interconnectedness of All These Themes
The interconnectedness of all these themes brings one to the conclusion that there is no longer a valid taxonomy, when a "white woman" is "too black" for an African-American ex-husband. Does Dolezal as "white" participate in Mitchell's accusation of "Low Standards for Whites?" At the same time, if racial identity is fluid, does a "woke soul sista" avoid such standards?
Does one then reject trans-racial self-identification? Accept it? Is "black is a culture, a philosophy, a political and social view?" Is race a "social construct? If so is white also "a culture, a philosophy, a political and social view" as distinct from black? What then is "white" that Koritha Mitchell assign is the view she does? Is Mitchell's identification as black a social construct?
One seemingly minor article touching this kind of issue created a firestorm. One reads in conclusion: "We should want academics to write about complicated, difficult, hot-button issues, including identity. Online pile-ons cannot, however righteous they feel, dictate journals’ publication policies and how they treat their authors and articles. It’s really disturbing to watch this sort of thing unfold in real time — there’s such a stark disconnect between what Tuvel wrote and what she is purported to have written. This whole episode should worry anybody who cares about academia’s ability to engage in difficult issues at a time when outrage can spread faster than ever before." In "This Is What a Modern-Day Witch Hunt Looks Like," by Jesse Singal, New York Magazine, 2 May 2017.
Not all arguments can be reduced to Black and white
One may take note that in almost no case in the moment, is race defined clearly. As a concept employed in law in the United States, it has changed from era to era, and now there are inclusions for a variety of racial self-identifications in the census, but additionally assertion that race itself is fluid, as when someone "outed... as white" frees "her inner blackness." So what does the terminology mean? Almost everything and therefore almost nothing.
Whiteness and Being Blackish?
When someone who could identify as a member of one race identifies as another, a proven phenomenon according to those who assert social construction as a basis for identities, then racial fluidity crashes against racial -- I assert racist -- terminology itself. The goal is not to more closely define taxonomic words, but rather to muddy the waters with socio-political fireworks, most usually to support the end games of more invasive government and redistribution of wealth.
Racial Fluidity and Changing Self-Identification
As to further insight into race fluidity, one reads: "Using anonymized data for 162 million Americans who responded to census surveys in 2000 and 2010, researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Census Bureau concluded that self-identified race and ethnicity are fluid concepts for millions of Americans. If the data set were nationally representative, researchers said, then the figure would translate to roughly 8% of Americans self-identifying differently over time. But such conclusions are difficult to draw: if a certain racial group, for example, responded less frequently to the 2010 Census than in 2000, that group would be underrepresented." In "10 Million Americans Switched Their Race or Ethnicity for the Census," by Jack Linshi, Time Magazine, 7 August 2014.
The notion of racial fluidity -- a postmodern game -- might be an antidote for another postmodern game. One reads of something called racial fatigue. An example: "I just spent the last 5 days at the American Library Association annual conference in Chicago, and I am suffering serious race fatigue. Race fatigue is a real physical, mental, and emotional condition that people of color experience after spending a considerable amount of time dealing with the micro- and macro-aggressions that inevitably occur when in the presence of white people. The more white people, the longer the time period, the more intense the race fatigue." In "Critical Theory: Post-ALA Race Fatigue," by April Hathcock, a personal blog, 28 June 2017.
Therefore among the "social constructs" deconstructing even the deconstruction of American society, one finds "switching" of race and ethnicity a reality, and perhaps the critical theory answer to a critical theory problem. With "whiteness" and "blackish" alongside "racial fatigue" being asserted, one waits for greater fluidity, with new races asserted much as new gender identities have been asserted. See the addenda and footnotes to Hen Party
Change is Already the Constant
The Time article notes further: " 'If social science evidence is correct, people are constantly experiencing and negotiating their racial and ethnic identities in interactions with people and institutions, and in personal, local, national, and historical context,' the study said. 'Perhaps it is not surprising that people change responses and instead it is surprising that so many are consistent in their race and Hispanic origin reports to the Census Bureau'."
Thus one response to various sorts of political arguments is simply to morph -- to self-identify away per the various, historically "white" arguments as those of Derrida and Foucault, deconstructing one's self into just another oppressed class, even should it be an oppressed class which seeks to oppress by accusations of "oppressor!"But as to racial authenticity allowing some authority to make public policies, one finds messy facts. As an example, "...the most recent statistics show that around 21 percent of white Americans have an admixture of black blood, and 17 percent of blacks have an admixture of white blood. This should surprise no one, since scarcely a week goes by without some tabloid headline about a white supremacist having black ancestors or Oprah being related to a Montana rancher. And, of course, the biggest hypocritical denial of them all emanated from the White House between 2009 and 2017, as a half-white, half-black president embraced the heritage of his absent father and denied the heritage of his loving mother, presumably in order to juggle his proud genes the way the Tennessee faux-Cherokees do." In "Then Again, Maybe I’m a Black Man," by Joe Bob Briggs, Taki's Magazine, 24 April 2017.
The Dirty Secret of American Politics?
And so Briggs makes the argument succinct: "...the dirty secret of American politics: Race doesn’t exist!" That skin colors vary is a physical fact, but that skin color tells a tale of group identity is itself a social construct, applied over generations by varying groups of people and with various praise-filled or pejorative a priori assertions, all fallacious. It was and remains and argument of ranging from justifying enslavement to justifying heavy tax burdens, in all cases taking something from someone and assigning it to another.
That race exists as a valid taxonomic term based in biological markers AND race does not exist based on biological markers. Race is fixed AND race is fluid, by simple declaration or politically-marked affiliation. With the assertion that one can identify with another race and therefore be of that new race comes conundrums. One needs scapegoats, of course.
As so, one also reads: "I woke up this morning, sneezed, and then suddenly every white person in the world was a 'white supremacist.' And if they try to deny it, well, that only means they are white supremacists who lie about it. Still flailing desperately like a half-crushed bug about its electoral defeat last November, the modern left is tossing the term 'white supremacist' at any suspected counterrevolutionaries with the same zealous abandon that Antifa chucks urine-filled bottles at old white ladies who wave American flags. We are led to believe that race doesn’t exist—which would imply that white people don’t exist, either—but that through some sort of socially righteous prestidigitation, white people are easy to spot and must be scapegoated for all human, animal, and plant suffering across the universe from the dawn of time. And if you think that’s a ridiculous burden to bear, that’s only because you’re a 'white supremacist'." In "Where Are All the White Supremacists?" by Jim Goad, Taki's Magazine, 28 August 2017.
Yes and No and Yes and No
Thus race exists. Also race does not exist. Also that one can change race by assertion of "fluidity." And race also assigns value -- positive or negative - by skin color, but also race cannot be used to assign value based on skin color. Some races should pay other races, as some races have enslaved other races, excepting that the history of slavery and especially Modern Slavery
A celebrity, ostensibly once white, converts while "reverting," and made a bit of press with complaints as well as applause: "Others branded her a 'hypocrite' and a 'racist', with another commenting: 'You shouldn't stereotype.. ppl are different regardless of colour !!!!' Muslims on Twitter said she was misinterpreting the religion and one used the hashtag #notintheirname." In "Sinead O'Connor sparks outrage by saying she 'doesn't want to spend any more time with disgusting white people' following conversion to Islam," by Lara Keay, Mail Online, November 2018.
Such modern press celebrity and exposure further confuses definitions of race itself. When shots of Gimme
[ 6 ] While a Koritha Mitchell, black professor of English at Ohio State, writes a short essay titled "Low Standards for Whites. That’s What’s Killing Us," two white professors of economics from Princeton write a 60 page report titled "Mortality and morbidity in the 21st century," in which one learns in contradistinction to Mitchell's assertion that ""...mortality for middle-aged black people converged with mortality for middle-aged white people with low levels of education in the late 2000s (though the white population overall is still doing better than African Americans).
Meanwhile, mortality rates among Hispanics continued to fall. These other racial groups aren’t necessarily doing any better economically than their white counterparts, which is part of the reason Case and Deaton don’t accept a simple income explanation for the death uptick. 'It is possible that it is not the last 20 years that matters, but rather that the long-run stagnation in wages and in incomes has bred a sense of hopelessness,' they write. 'But ... even if we go back to the late 1960s, the ethnic and racial patterns of median family incomes are similar for whites, blacks, and Hispanics, and so can provide no basis for their sharply different mortality outcomes after 1998.' Instead, the researchers think the fact that the overall life prospects for white middle-aged people without a BA have declined over time — they are doing worse than their parents on both a personal and professional level, and probably worse than they expected — is nudging mortality downward." In "Why Middle Class Whites Are Dying Faster (In 6 Painful Charts)," by Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge, 26 March 2017.
Competing Claims Suggest False Conclusions From Which To Profit
Of the study, "In 2015, Princeton Professors Anne Case and Angus Deaton made global headlines after documenting a shocking rise in the proportion of white non-Hispanic Americans dying in middle age. This year, as part of the Spring 2017 edition of the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Professors Case and Deaton are following up on that research to further investigate the rise and its causes, examining midlife mortality rates of white non-Hispanics in the U.S. by geography, education, birth cohort, and more." In "Working class white Americans are now dying in middle age at faster rates than minority groups," by Alison Burke, Brookings.edu, 23 March 2017.
Thus one finds two distinctly opposite messages from academia. One in which "whiteness" according to a black is "killing us," while another specifically finds whites "dying in middle age at faster rates than minority groups."
In both cases, academic intellectuals make statements each contradicting the other, while so many professors at universities are in fact doing very well financially. From Case and Deaton, one learns: "According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report from 2015, the average household income of someone older than age 75 is $34,097 and their average expenses exceed that slightly, at $34,382. It is not an exaggeration, then, to say that even a modest reduction in retirement income makes the typical budget of a 75-year-old unsustainable — even when the average budget is far from luxurious at current levels."
Moreover while well-paid academics wring their hands over racial, and therefore racist, arguments, one finds most Americans take little notice of this new version of a race industry, as was noted a century ago. One reads of real life, non-academic problems for the many of all races: "Some 50 percent of people are woefully unprepared for a financial emergency, new research finds. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans (19 percent) have nothing set aside to cover an unexpected emergency, while nearly 1 in 3 Americans (31 percent) don’t have at least $500 set aside to cover an unexpected emergency expense, according to a survey released Tuesday by HomeServe USA, a home repair service. A separate survey released Monday by insurance company MetLife found that 49 percent of employees are 'concerned, anxious or fearful about their current financial well-being'." In "Half of US working families are living paycheck to paycheck," by Quentin Fottrell, Marketwatch, 5 April 2017.
The Arguments Reduce Down to Nonsense
So while upper-income intellectuals, many in "liberal" academic institutions, are doing three times better than "someone older than age 75," as above, and better than most Americans, it seems all the racial comparisons assigning group guilt reduce down to nonsense as many in today's academic class justify their well-above-average incomes. This is often what is expected for many of those who enjoy so many of The Privileges of Intellectuals
Nonsense? Of a potential racially linked hate crime hoax, as it is alleged by the Chicago police and Mayor Emanuel, one reads of a humorous "could be."
You Can Put Make-up On, and Worn White Face
Of black assailants, one reads a statement by a lawyer: "...Glandian said, Smollett 'found it hard to believe' because he had told that he could make out one had 'pale or white skin' around his eyes beneath the ski mask he was wearing. It was not a lie, she insisted, adding that the reason for it could have been that the brothers were in 'disguise'. 'He did tell police that from what he saw, he thought it was white or pale skin, that's what he initially said. 'Obviously, you can disguise that. You can put make-up on,' she said." In "'They could have worn white face': Jussie Smollett lawyer offers bizarre explanation as to why the Empire actor told police his Nigerian assailants were white - and points to old video of one of them wearing make-up to play the Joker as potential proof," by Jennifer Smith, Daily Mail, 28 March 2019.
At times white noise can be deafening.
[ 7 ] False charges of racism as hate speech? One references an authoritative voice: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." In "A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches," Martin Luther King Jr., ed. by James M. Washington, Harper Collins, 2003.
You Owe Me
A visit to a minor news story involving race and aggression in informative for the characters in this small, sad drama. One reads: "According to court documents, Marquis Evans-Royster, 27, approached the disabled, homeless man, looked directly into his eyes and stated, 'You owe me for making my grandmother a slave.' The victim remained calm and did his best to ignore the racially motivated comments. However, the confrontation became tenser when Evans-Royster allegedly began to rummage through the victim's pockets. A number of bystanders attempted to intervene, prompting Evans-Royster to charge at various passengers, spit in the victim's face and threaten to douse the victim with a cup full of urine. 'Who carries around a bottle a urine,' MetroBus rider Desi Cureton stated with a confused look upon his face. 'If I was the judge, I would send him for mental health evaluation.' The bus driver threatened to call the police, prompting Evans-Royster to exit the bus near the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Connecticut Avenue. Yet, before fleeing, the 27-year-old allegedly snapped off one of the bus’ side view mirrors, valued at around $250." In "Man attacks disabled, homeless man on bus: 'You owe me for making my grandmother a slave'," by Kevin Lewis, ABC7|, 15 October 2017.
The characters in this drama are an angry 27 year old black and a "disabled, homeless man" presumably white. That someone who is homeless and therefore without significant assets is adjudged by another to "owe" over something which lies well in the generational past is nothing short of ludicrous, excepting in the rhetoric of today's race-based rhetoric which so blithely assigns guilt based on skin color.
Hoaxes
One may also note that racist hoaxes have been seen. One such example: "For the second time in two years, the person who reported a written racist slur found on or near Kansas State University has admitted that it was a hoax, police said. Officers on Monday received a report of 'a note using a racial slur posted on a door in the Jardine Apartment Complex,' K-State police said Thursday in a news release on Facebook. 'Upon questioning, the person who reported the incident admitted to creating and posting the note to their own door,' K-State police said. 'The matter will be addressed in accordance with applicable disciplinary procedures'." In "For second time in two years, racist slur at Kansas State was a hoax, police say," by Jason Tidd, Wichita Eagle, 8 November 2018.
[ 8 ] The argument that "racism isn't learned" is asserted by a "transgender" individual who has attempted to change gender. If fluidity of gender is possible, then fluidity of race is possible as examples above has asserted. If not, then a given component of the human is not malleable but biologically fixed, and as such the "social" argument demonstrates nothing about reality and everything about this latest form of Politics
That the assertion by a transgendered individual is stated in a language -- English -- which has been "learned" and that the wish to present one's self in a specific manner, i. e. via style, fashion choice and "beauty" standards are themselves "learned," then such an argument carried out in "social media" ends up demonstrating nothing more than Warhol's observation that "In the future everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."
So What?
Warhol's advice might prove apt here. "Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say, 'So what.' That's one of my favorite things to say. 'So what.' 'My mother didn't love me.' So what. 'My husband won't ball me.' So what. 'I'm a success but I'm still alone.' So what. I don't know how I made it through all the years before I learned how to do that trick. It took a long time for me to learn it, but once you do, you never forget."
And if Andy Warhol and Karl Marx and Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss are termed white, so what. If Koritha Mitchell and Idi Amin and George Washington Carver are thought of as black, so what. If Confucius and Mao Tse-Tung and Kim Jong-Un are said to be yellow, so what. If Sacajawea, Cochise and Maria TallChief are supposed to be red, so what.
If a publicity-seeking, Facebook-using transgender model is whatever, so what. All this flows together into just so much white noise, that "discrete signal whose samples are regarded as a sequence of serially uncorrelated random variables with zero mean and finite variance." Today's white noise hisses on, random variables multiplying and variance at odds with itself.
But shall we remark "so what" when considering the strange case of the Jewish nigger
[ 9 ] The Department of African Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison employs, according to the "Database: University of Wisconsin employee salaries," accessed 27 December 2017, one Damon Burchell, not as the African Cultural Studies Department lists him as "Damon Sajnani."
"Sajani" returns no response from the database website, nor does the hypenated Burchell-Sajani."
Burchell-Sajani appears as a name in the Harvard rota of speakers: "HipHop Galsen: Hiphop activism and notions of the democratic in Senegal" Damon Burchell-Sajnani, 8 October 2014, per The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University. The Hutchins Center at Harvard notes: "Damon Burchell-Sajnani is a doctoral student in African American Studies at Northwestern University. In residence as an Inaugural Nasir Jones Fellow for the 2014-2015 academic year, he will be working on his dissertation project Deepening Democracy Galsen Style: HipHop and Civil Society in Senegal which is an interdisciplinary ethnography examining politics, identity and activism among one of Africa’s foundational hiphop scenes."
From the Wikipedia entry: "Damon Sajnani, better known by his stage name Professor D or ProfessorD.us is a Canadian rapper and assistant professor based in the United States. He is the lead vocalist of The Dope Poet Society and professor of African Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Madison where he teaches courses on Hip Hop and Politics in Africa and around the world.
Is this "rap" more white noise from a Canadian, as per the Wikipedia article? In the African Cultural Studies department of the University of Wisconsin is Burchell considered white? Or does the notion of racial Fluidity
A conservative journal critiqued Burchell, aka ProfessorD: "In one article, he criticizes Jay-Z for being too pro-America and 'identifying with “an oligarchy whose interests are antithetical to Black liberation.' 'America is the reigning, though waning, seat of capitalist imperialism,' he writes. 'Among other things, it is an enslaver of Africans, exterminator of aboriginals, environmental devastator, global terrorist, captain of neo-colonialism and chief beneficiary of these crimes.' 'To be pro-American does not mean that you support Americans, but that you buy into the propaganda that allows the richest Americans to collude with the richest global elites elsewhere, to the detriment of the world’s people including the majority of Americans,' Sajnani continues. 'American culture is the set of beliefs, practices and ways of living that support America as such.' Sajnani calls Jay-Z and President Barack Obama 'mouthpieces for imperialism'." In "Radical Pro-Castro Prof Teaches Course in 'Problem of Whiteness'," by S. Noble, Independent Sentinel, 17 December 17, 2016.
Koritha Mitchell, whose quote above inspired this line of inquiry notes: "Whiteness is a powerful set of beliefs that yield material outcomes." In "Low Standards for White People. That’s What’s Killing Us," 10 July 2016.
From the database referenced above, one learns that Damon Sajani, aka Damon Burchell, Damon Burchell-Sajnani, and more is a salaried employee of the university, whose total remuneration as assistant professor is $77,777.80. This is in a state where the average salary is $55,638, and even in the more affluent Madison is $64,174. Thus this many-named assistant professor is paid above average for his work, while his Dope Poet Society YouTube videos are also "monetized." This brings Mitchell's charge in her blog to mind, as she asks: "Do you actually care about fair play? Do you really believe that fair play is the American way? Then you must begin judging whites based on actual standards, not just demographics."
The Problem of Whiteness and the University of Wisconsin's New Negro
For the Department of African Cultural Studies of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, below is offered a selection of some university posted faculty photos as "white noise" imagery for the department, to indicate how "white" the African Cultural Studies Department is.
If the academic course African 405: The Problem of Whiteness addresses "the problem of whiteness," does the department itself have such a problem, or is this merely white noise? But for those, like Mitchell, who inquire about "fair play," and specifically in this case at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, then other information can flavor the whole. One reads: "...the highest compensated employee is retired UW-Madison men's basketball coach Bo Ryan, who made a cool $3.3 million in 2015. And Ryan, who retired abruptly in mid-season in December 2015, wasn't the only employee in the college sports department who claimed a top spot. The top four highest-compensated people in the UW System all work in university athletics for UW-Madison. UW-Madison athletic director Barry Alvarez, who reaped $1.18 million in total pay for the year, took the title of second highest-paid employee in the UW System. UW-Madison head football coach Paul Chryst was third, securing $1.16 million, and assistant football coach David Aranda nabbed fourth with $548,097 in total pay. (Aranda has since left Madison for a position with the Louisiana State University football program." In "The highest-paid UW System employee in fiscal 2015 was not the president," by Melanie Lawder, Milwaukee Business Journal, 18 April 2016.
An Irony Amid Ironies
Koritha Mitchell's challenge as above is interesting? Are the white faculty in the African Cultural Studies department
oppressed by their paltry "above-average" salaries, when compared to the college sports department? Does professor Mitchell's salary, higher than assistant professor Burchell's, equate to her privilege or his lack of privilege? Or, should the entire "imperialist, capitalist" structure which supports these intellectuals be toppled? And then, what would they do for a buck?
The great irony of white Burchell acting as quasi-black Sajani and his rage against the rich global elite is that his claim to fame rests in part on The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University, funded for a time by a Saudi billionaire. Topple the rich? Or kiss their ring?
The Commitment Doesn't Match the Rhetoric
So is academia "white?" One finds an interesting view: "Colleges and universities talk up a blue streak about their commitment to diversity, in their student bodies and faculty. But when it comes to actually hiring black faculty at most schools, the commitment doesn’t match the rhetoric." In "It’s 2015. Where are all the black college faculty?" by Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, 12 November 2015.
As to so many "white" African Cultural Studies as shown above, one finds a suggestion for how to deal with this racial imbalance, as one reads: "The only way we will successfully close the racial equity gaps produced by our higher education system when it comes to black, Latino, Native American and marginalized Asian-American students is to address racial imbalance on our faculties. Many such minority students are poor and the first in their families to attend college, and they are too often blamed for their own difficulties navigating our complex systems." In "Creating Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculties," by Estela Mara Bensimon, Inside Higher Ed, 26 March 2018.
A black professor offered her opinion clearly: "I know you’re not going to quit your job, but I want you to understand that you should. And to understand that by keeping your job and your other unearned privileges, you are running a continued debt to marginalized people and you should always be seeking ways to pay us back. Not to alarm you, but statistically speaking you are the problem. Your very presence. I can’t tell you what is the best strategy for you to stop blocking my path. I can just ask that you please get out of my way." In "Get Out The Way," by Piper Harron, American Mathematics Society Blogs, 11 May 2017.
Left to their own devices
In Order to Get Rid of the Senegalese Socialist Regime
As to Burchell, above and his focus on Senegalese rap, ne reads: "During the presidential elections of 2000, rappers rallied the Senegalese people and encouraged them to register and vote in order to get rid of the socialist regime that had been in power for 40 years. Through concerts and the use of media, rappers campaigned in their own way so that the voice of the people could be heard. On the evening of 19 March 2000, Senegal experienced its first democratic transition when Abdoulaye Wade was elected. Later, in 2011, Wade himself would pay the price of the political commitment of the same rappers who had participated in his election as president. Indeed, after 10 years of Wade’s rule, social disparities had increased and living standards deteriorated, except for a handful of his closest supporters. On top of that, recurrent floods occurred in the suburbs of Dakar and other communities, there were constant power outages and the educational system was failing. All these issues inspired a group of rappers (Keurgui, Fou Malade, Simon and Djily Baghdad) to join forces with a number of journalists and create the Y’En A Marre (enough!) movement. That would mark the beginning of the end for Abdoulaye Wade’s regime, who subsequently lost the elections of 2012." In "Hip-hop in Senegal," by Keyti, Music in Art, 6 February 2015.
The story of hip-hop in Senegal is about toppling socialism and inept and corrupt government. To what goal? For a better standard of living which a "socialist regime" and its follow-on both failed to deliver. For lessening social disparities, which universities by their very structure seem to encourage. For bettering that "educational system [that] was failing."
The Blurred Line Between Rapper and Islamic Preacher
A second lesson from Senegal, perhaps lost on upscale academia is this: "For many, any alliance between 'Islam' and 'Hip Hop' is an unholy one, whether for bringing Hip Hop into Islam or vice versa. Yet many of Senegal's prominent rappers today are committed adherents of the Fayḍa Tijāniyya Sufi (mystical Islamic) movement who rap about religious knowledge. Even the Fayḍa's senior, classically trained authorities tend to accept Hip Hop as an effective tool to promulgate religious principles and recruit new disciples. The line between rapper and Islamic preacher has become blurred, and several rappers are even formally appointed spiritual guides with their own disciples. This article attributes the success of Sufi Hip Hop to aesthetic resonances between global Hip Hop culture and the Fayḍa's self-imagination as an increasingly urban and global esoteric movement. I illustrate with the persona and art of Daddy Bibson, the first and most influential Fayḍa rapper to rap about Sufi knowledge." In "A mystical cosmopolitanism: Sufi Hip Hop and the aesthetics of Islam in Dakar," by Joseph Hill, Taylor & Francis Online, 17 September 2017. Culture and Religion - An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume 18, 2017.
One notes that many within the Islamic streams of thought have rejected democracy as a process of governance, such that the whole picture is much more clouded than academic simplification has made it seem.
The University of Wisconsin, Madison, through its assistant professor of several names will be teaching on "The New Negro, Negritude, and Black Arts Movements Monday." One can consider the privilege of a white male with a variety of noms de plum, a demonstrably fluid identity and perhaps even consider an explanation of why racial as well as cultural appropriation are acceptable in some instances, such as this, while not in others.
The Road to the Classroom of Bourgeois Socialists
What, then, is fascinating about the pseudo-socialists of academia in the West, is that they are bourgeois, when measured by their above-median income compared to the average wage earner in any geographic area.
One visits George Orwell's "on the road to" opus, and reads: "Sometimes I look at a Socialist–the intellectual, tract-writing type of Socialist, with his pullover, his fuzzy hair, and his Marxian quotation–and wonder what the devil his motive really is. It is often difficult to believe that it is a love of anybody, especially of the working class, from whom he is of all people the furthest removed. The underlying motive of many Socialists, I believe, is simply a hypertrophied sense of order. The present state of affairs offends them not because it causes misery, still less because it makes freedom impossible, but because it is untidy; what they desire, basically, is to reduce the world to something resembling a chessboard." In "The Road to Wigan Pier," George Orwell, Left Book Club, Victor Gollancz, 1937.
So many concerned in the moment with "white noise" on campuses are essentially intellectually covert racists, equating skin color with character and characteristics.
Perfectly Capable of Displaying Hatred
Orwell continues: "...it would be a mistake to regard the book-trained Socialist as a bloodless creature entirely incapable of emotion. Though seldom giving much evidence of affection for the exploited, he is perfectly capable of displaying hatred – a sort of queer, theoretical, in vacua hatred – against the exploiters. Hence the grand old Socialist sport of denouncing the bourgeoisie. It is strange how easily almost any Socialist writer can lash himself into frenzies of rage against the class to which, by birth or by adoption, he himself invariably belongs. Sometimes the hatred of bourgeois habits and 'ideology' is so far-reaching that it extends even to bourgeois characters in books. According to Henri Barbusse, the characters in the novels of Proust, Gide,etc., are 'characters whom one would dearly love to have at the other side of a barricade'. 'A barricade', you observe. Judging from Le Feu, I should have thought Barbusse’s experience of barricades had left him with a distaste for them. But the imaginary bayoneting of 'bourgeois', who presumably don’t hit back, is a bit different from the real article."
With the twists and turns stemming from social science academics, now denouncing the bourgeois is extended to denouncing a specific race while preaching collective guilt, as well as denouncing one sex as exploiter of another, one sexual behavior stance as being exploitive of another, on ethnic background as exploitive of another and so on.
But one notices that such is delivered from the cosseted bosom of reasonably well-paid academic positions, many supported by public funds directly or indirectly through grants. Or as Orwell so aptly observes: " It is strange how easily almost any Socialist writer can lash himself into frenzies of rage against the class to which, by birth or by adoption, he himself invariably belongs."
Bourgeois Western academia fits that description adequately.
It seems the promotion and indeed acceleration of continuing racial strife is become foundational in some academic circles.
Have you ever wondered what it really means to be Nigerian while white?
In a parallel story regarding Africa and whatever it means to be "white" as Burchell purports to examine in a for-credit course at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, one reads of a "Nigerian scam" operator: "A 67-year-old Slidell man who served as a go-between for an international team of scammers running a 'Nigerian prince' email scheme has been arrested after an 18-month investigation. Michael Neu, who is neither Nigerian nor a prince, has been charged with 269 counts of wire fraud and money laundering. Neu helped shuttle fraudulently obtained money to his co-conspirators, some of whom actually do live in Nigeria, according to the Slidell Police Department." In " 'Nigerian prince' email scammer arrested in Slidell," WGNO ABC News, 29 December 2017.
Apparently the white noise of the Nigerian scams indeed was, in part, white. And in part co-conspiratorially African.
Have you ever wondered?
Another story steeped in criminality alongside irony: "For at least a year, the biggest page on Facebook purporting to be part of the Black Lives Matter movement was a scam with ties to a middle-aged white man in Australia, a review of the page and associated accounts and websites conducted by CNN shows. The page, titled simply 'Black Lives Matter,' had almost 700,000 followers on Facebook, more than twice as many as the official Black Lives Matter page. It was tied to online fundraisers that brought in at least $100,000 that supposedly went to Black Lives Matter causes in the U.S. At least some of the money, however, was transferred to Australian bank accounts, CNN has learned." In "The biggest Black Lives Matter page on Facebook is fake," by Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, 9 April 2018.
Perhaps Koritha Mitchell's musing is apt. "It doesn’t take much at all for a white person to be considered good." Especially when someone, apparently good and white, teaches on "the new negro" while surrounded by the demographic reality of a mostly white, upper middle class, bourgeois and quite a white African Cultural Studies Department faculty. It doesn't take much.... to create a scam. Some are legal while some are not. Some are African, and some are not.
Perhaps, as ever, things sound too good to be true?
Professor Mitchell calls for higher standards "for whites." Higher standards for all would be the far more universal goal, excepting that it would irritate so many who lobby for another measure which assures their sinecure in the academic system.
Mister I-Don't-See-Color Sees Color
The nuanced game of racial politics is sometimes a matter of yes-and-no. One reads: "Gary Shipman, one of three Democrats hoping to challenge Republican Rep. Holly Grange in a House district in New Hanover County, told the crowd at a park in Wilmington on Sunday that he has empowered members of the gay and black communities through his work as an attorney and official in the Democratic Party. 'I'm a member of the African-American community,' said Shipman, who is white." In "White NC candidate: 'I'm a member of the African-American community'," by Paul A. Sprecht, News & Observer, 11 April 2018.
Such statements are amusing, identifying the color of a community and one's seeming racial identity therefore. In the same article, this white politician who says he is a member of the "African-American community" testifies of his own view, " 'I don’t see color, I see people; and not because I’m running for the NC House either — I’ve talked the talk and walked the walk for many, many years,' he said."
The questions lingers. Who sees color? And why? This is addressed in part by the rhyme, addend and footnotes titled Everything's about my colored skin
Mister I-Don't-See-Color sees color well enough to self-describe membership in a community defined by color/race, and such must be the stance, from the perspective of Professor Mitchell as above, in which "It doesn’t take much at all for a white person to be considered good." It doesn't take much, indeed.
In a amusing, soft condemnation of "white liberals," one reads: "According to new research by Cydney Dupree, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Yale SOM, white liberals tend to downplay their own verbal competence in exchanges with racial minorities, compared to how other white Americans act in such exchanges. The study is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology." In "White Liberals Present Themselves as Less Competent in Interactions with African-Americans," by Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Yale Insights, Yale School of Management, November 15, 2018.
Is this unconscious patronizing by white liberals? The research article article notes: "This possibly unintentional but ultimately patronizing competence-downshift suggests that well-intentioned liberal Whites may draw on low-status/competence stereotypes to affiliate with minorities." In "Self-Presentation in Interracial Settings: The Competence Downshift by White Liberals," by Cydney H. Dupree and Susan T. Fiske, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2018.
The article concludes: " Ironically, those who are less explicitly antagonistic toward minorities may be more likely to display such indirect forms of bias, drawing on negative stereotypes to affiliate with Blacks."
How odd to find stereotypes causing bias, normally assumed to be the province of one side of a political divide showing itself on the "nicer" side. Perhaps the stereotyping of anyone according to racial thinking is far too pervasive.
[ 10 ] The mixture of "culture" with racially charged vocabulary is problematic. One hears an authoritative opinion: " 'My words are not that powerful. I started saying in 1985 I don’t think we should have a music talking about niggers and bitches and hoes. It had no impact. I’ve said it. I’ve repeated it. I still repeat it. To me that’s more damaging than a statue of Robert E. Lee'." In "Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis says rap and hip-hop are ‘more damaging than a statue of Robert E. Lee’," by Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post, 22 May 2018.
This becomes obviously more than a disagreement about musical tastes. It becomes a panorama of images in which faux-black voices say one thing, then another, while black voices say one thing, and then another. The resulting cacophony of competing dissonances becomes basically white noise.
[ 11 ] The dark irony of "white" Leftist rioters attacking black and Hispanic police with accusations of "race traitor" is laughable, such an act of hubris allowing some political form of "white" to determine what skin colors have what values.
What many be learned from this and the other above-cited observations is that the focus on racial values has been overly political in nature. One may follow such violently coercive notions as these Antifa thugs evidence by considering the interesting shared reality of Veiled Threats
[ 12 ] That a publicly-funded media organization would employ someone calling for "white genocide" is indicative of the racism running rampant by those who style themselves as anti-racists, in the same way that the era's supposed "anti-fascists" show themselves as violent and fascist, all the while advocating for Communism which is the ideal and goal of Marxism, per the Communist Manifesto of 1848.
The Living Embodiment of Satan's Asscrack
Ms. Ellis thinks herself amusing, no doubt, as one visits her Twitter feed via a screenshot.
But what makes such crude and racist remarks disingenuous at best is a "picture" of some of the PBS employees as found on one web page for the organization, wherein "people of color" are a distinct minority compared to "whites." So which are the racists? Which are to be the targets of a "white genocide?"
But what makes such racist remarks disingenuous at best is a "picture" of some of the PBS employees as found on one web page for the organization, wherein "people of color" are a distinct minority compared to "whites." So which are the racists? Which are to be the targets of a "white genocide?"
Would Ms. Ellis, herself, be among the murderous perpetrators of such a genocide? Would she be a victim? Given the amusing game in which postmodernism allows racial fluidity, perhaps the "truth" of postmodern reinterpretations of Marxism and its several generations of "thinkers" is folding in on itself, inconsistent and angry to the point of calling for genocide.
Amusingly...
Or perhaps these many fools think themselves amusing. Like Marx, Hitler, Stalin and Mao, three whites and an Asian?
An answer was proposed: "A new set of regulations being considered by Delaware’s Department of Education would allow public school students of any age to “self-identify” their gender and race. The regulations would let schools to forego parental consent if it believes parents aren’t 'supportive' of their child’s gender or race identification." In "State Considers Allowing Students to Self-Identify Gender and Race Without Parental Consent," by Andrew Kerr, Western Journal, 27 November 2017.
Fluidity is not Allowed?
Yet such racial fluidity breeds its own pushback. One reads further: "Some Delaware high school students are split on the proposed anti-discrimination rule. Amaya Williams, a junior at Mount Pleasant High School, says being mixed race is different than someone switching to their race to something they're not. 'If you're not going through the struggles that a black person faces on a daily basis, there's no way for you to feel black,' she says. 'You can appreciate black culture, you can have black friends and you can listen to black music, or whatever you do, but you're not black'." In "In Delaware, Students (And Parents) Can Soon Choose Their Race And Gender At School," by Sarah Mueller, NPR, 4 July 2018.
Yes, and no. No and yes with a good dose of maybe as regards whatever "definition" and self-identification is "good," in the sense that Professor Mitchell, as above, uses the evaluative adjective. After all, "It doesn’t take much at all for a white person to be considered good." It seems now to also not "take too much at all for a white person" to self-identify as a "person of color." Ah, fluidity.... and not.
Perhaps it "doesn’t take much at all" for all sorts of people to be racist while fluidly self-identifying too. Now you see it; now you don't.
[ 13 ] That Elder, as a black conservative, pens this opinion should not diminish the pointed nature of his view. He writes, further, after the pastor was attacked per the rules of political correctness: "Pastor Williams later defended himself, saying, 'I'm sure much of the negativity is due to the fact that they don't understand what I'm talking about.' He means that many are unaware that almost 70 percent of black kids today are brought into the world by a mother and father who aren't married. That is about 33 percent higher than the percentage of Hispanics and almost 2 1/2 times the percentage of whites. Williams said: 'Anybody who thinks black America is all right as we are now is crazy. We're not all right. It's a lot of change that needs to occur. This change must come from within us. Nobody can give us things to eliminate where we are. We have to change from within ourselves'."
We're Not All Right
That the American political Left, pretending to liberality while espousing silencing news and opinion contrary to its view, rages against some basic facts within the black demographic in the US indicates that, as Pastor Williams states "Anybody who thinks black America is all right as we are now is crazy. We're not all right."
How then may possible solutions to issues be found, when a professor accused whites of "low standards for whites is killing us?" It may well be argued that low standards for all -- courtesy of that form of political correctness which demands certain problems be ignored -- and especially personal responsibility on an individual, familial, group and societal level -- while problems exacerbate? It seems so sadly.
When the failing model of Left and Right
Racism Everywhere?
It is amusing that a white American author shooting for his fifteen minutes of fame has complained of racism in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. One reads: " 'Put simply, Tolkien's good guys are white and the bad guys are black, slant-eyed, unattractive, inarticulate and a psychologically undeveloped horde'." In "Science Fiction writer claims the Lord Of The Rings series is 'racist' because it discriminates against orcs," by Joseph Curits, Mail Online, 26 November 2018. A fictional set of characters, the orcs, fight under the mark of the "white hand" but are black and therefore objects of racial discrimination. White noise from a white author of lesser fame, with the hope of greater fame. Idiocy.
Perhaps liberals and conservatives could propose effective solutions jointly? Unlikely, for then the age-old and ugly game of Politics
[ 14 ] There is a delicious irony in the assertion of a bureaucrat. The article tells the tale of the litigant: "His case — which poses the complex question of how race is defined — is pending before the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals. In 2013, Taylor used his DNA results to try to get his business certified with Washington’s Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises — but officials there said he wasn’t a 'visibly identifiable' minority, the Seattle Times reported. He accused the agency of cherry-picking whom to approve without having any clear guidelines — or a definition of what 'visibly identifiable' means. 'There’s no objective criteria and they’re picking the winners and losers,' he said." In "Man claims to be a minority business owner after DNA test shows he’s 4% African," by Lia Eustachewich, NY Post, 25 September 2018.
Minority Status on a Case-by-case Basis?
One might notice the assertion: ""There’s no objective criteria and they’re picking the winners and losers." The bureaucrat quoted above states " We work really hard to be fair. Nothing is just black and white." And yet without "objective criteria," everything then becomes wholly subjective. This is an enormous problem for law itself. What defines a "minority' and what is 'minority status?" Laws have already been written to refer to such notions, all the while no "objective criteria" is apparently found within the law itself. Ergo the law suit aimed at government and bureaucracy. If the state Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises makes "case-by-case" decisions, even those decisions must have some criteria, and to discover what that criteria is challenges the whole "office" as well as law and politics. Without objective criteria, one is reduces to a Kafkaesque world in which state power does as it will, all the while trying to understand "rules" is obfuscated.
With the postmodern arguments that race, like gender, can be fluid, then even such an entity as is an Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises is without demonstrable criteria to make decisions under the force or color of law. Subjectivity must reign supreme, and when it does all the above citations, addenda and footnotes, become one enormous jest.
Both concepts of race and of racism become wholly subjective, different for each such that society becomes awash in disagreement over all things. Nothing objective may be alleged? All that is subjective must be deemed true?
[ 15 ] One learns from the tag to the article: "Brittney Cooper is associate professor of Women's and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University. She is also author of 'Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower'." If arriving at tenure in an American university is not enough, does this prove that neo-liberalism, as she opines, is at fault. Is society at fault? Maybe "doing everything right" is at fault? But what then?
Aside from rudimentary political theories, what might well be at fault" is the definition of "doing everything right" when one reaches a seeming pinnacle of feminist academic success to find the nihilistic void at its "superpower" center. But never fear, this author, feminist, professor will teach her students something of her "eloquent rage."
Racism Everywhere?
Cooper talks about her "superpower," but argues oddly. One read further of her views: "What if I told you that time has a race, a race in the contemporary way that we understand race in the United States? Typically, we talk about race in terms of black and white issues. In the African-American communities from which I come, we have a long-standing multi-generational joke about what we call "CP time," or "colored people's time." Now, we no longer refer to African-Americans as "colored," but this long-standing joke about our perpetual lateness to church, to cookouts, to family events and even to our own funerals, remains." In "The racial politics of time," Brittney Cooper, TEDWomen, October 2016.
Whites Stole Time?
The TEDWomen site tells: "Cultural theorist Brittney Cooper examines racism through the lens of time, showing us how historically it has been stolen from people of color, resulting in lost moments of joy and connection, lost years of healthy quality of life and the delay of progress. A candid, thought-provoking take on history and race that may make you reconsider your understanding of time, and your place in it."
Given that the largest race, in contemporary terms although terms fluctuate, is Asian, specifically Chinese, the assertion by a "black" cultural theorist that an amorphous them, "whites," has "stolen" time from "people of color" falls in upon its own racist assertion about skin color, group identity by skin color, and group guilt assigned to certain skin color.
Apparently a cultural theorist and published author has not done simple or sufficient research to support her racist assertion, perhaps relying on that other assertion, that only whites can be racist. But if her assertion is anywhere close to being accurate, then she need ally as a "person of color" with other people of color, i. e. not white (whatever that means) because there are more people of color, when one excludes whites, than whites around the world. She is therefore not in a minority, but a majority if "people of color" are taken to be a viable taxonomic group.
For detail of the world's population, one reads the following data: Asia at 4,307,107,875 or 60.3%, Africa at 1,037,524,058 or 14.5%, Europe at 742,991,991 or 11.4%, North America at 544,620,340 or 7.6%, South America at 400,067,694 or 5.6%, Oceania at 35,426,995 or 0.5%, Antarctica at 11,969 or 0.00002%. Summarized from "Demographics of the world," Wikipedia article, n. d.
But one may be assured, in this world of "modern" scholarship and "eloquent rage," that Any claim can be made
Tongue in cheek,
Smile and wink,
Snide, deride
What fools think.Poke fine fun,
Cutting bite;
Cynically
Mock to smite.Satirize,
Sharply sneer,
Mocking just
With jolly jeer.Backhand with
Taunt and grin.
Caustic cut
Without, within.
Dick, you're supposed to have gone off somewhere
"A source told The Sun: 'It beggars belief why a convicted double rapist like Jessica is allowed to mix with females despite still have her penis intact. Prison bosses were worried she would try it on with inmates and their fears have come true. Inmates were furious to be lumbered with a convicted rapist in the first place and they're even more angry now.' Discussing her sexuality in the prisoners' newspaper, Inside Time, in 2007, Winfield claimed she was targeted in prison because of her sexuality." In "Transgender rapist who was moved to women-only jail despite still having a penis is segregated after 'making unwanted sexual advances on female inmates'," by Anthony Joseph, Mail Online, 5 September 2017.
Dick, you're supposed to have gone off somewhere
And more than that, your past foreswear,
But it turned somehow, somewhere,
That, of Dick, many gals still cry: beware!
Cut it out! Don't bother me!
In tact, Dick did not agree.
She and Dick in a sentence wed
Tell of this time in which sense has fled.
Courage of your convictions, Dick?
"Women only" is your verbal trick.Dick, you're supposed to be well behaved,
or, by absentia, not by Peter portrayed,
But Jessica -- so these names parade --
Plays out some cosmetic, made-up charade,
As her and Willy, in one sentence wed,
Capture this time in which sanity's fled.
Courage of more convictions, Dick?
"Rape" is not a loving prick.Surely, you're a victim in your own mind,
Of Dick, not Jessica, who's been much maligned.
Addendum of Predators and Names: "Dane William Anderson, Mark Christopher Klein and Samuel Heineman were part of a ring of sex predators who operated between 2007 and 2014, court documents say. All have pleaded guilty to pornography or child-exploitation charges. They are scheduled to be sentenced later this year in Asheville federal court. Before their arrests, several of the defendants helped produce a vast online archive of sexually explicit tapes involving hundreds of unsuspecting young men, according to prosecutors and an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security." In "Online they were Heather, Megan and Kylie – adult men luring boys into making porn," by Michael Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 5 September 2017.
Addendum of Danger: "The prosecution asserted Hambrook, a former stripper and escort from Quebec, simply cannot control his deviant sexual urges and that locking him up indefinitely is the best way to protect the public." In "Predator who claimed to be transgender declared dangerous offender," by Sam Pazzano, Toronto Sun, 26 February 2014.
Addendum of Another Transgender Predator: "A transgender registered sex offender is charged with raping a 15-year-old Belgrade girl. Documents filed in District Court in Bozeman last week say the girl’s mother told investigators that she consented to her daughter’s relationship with 28-year-old Aliea Rose Brown, knowing she was a convicted sex offender previously known as Albert Allen Brown." In "Transgender sex offender charged with rape in Belgrade," by , Greta Falls Tribune, 24 November 2016.
Addendum of Becoming a Woman Convict: "Lilly, a former youth pastor, was arrested Jan. 12, 2016 and later indicted on 28 counts of first-degree sexual abuse as well as charges of third-degree sexual assault and incest. After his arrest, Lilly told detectives with the Bluefield Police Department that he was transgender and in the process of becoming a woman." In "Transgender sex offender sentenced," by Greg Jordan, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 17 May 17 2017.
Addendum to Define: "A sexual predator is a person seen as obtaining or trying to obtain sexual contact with another person in a metaphorically 'predatory' or abusive manner. Analogous to how a predator hunts down its prey, so the sexual predator is thought to 'hunt' for his or her sex partners." In "Sexual predator," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Addendum of a Difficulty: "The disgraced activist added that he is filing a lawsuit against the right-wing activists for 'misusing' information from the sex offender registry, as use for 'intimidation, threats, or harassment of an offender' is banned. Melissa Morris, the new President of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce, admitted that the group had been aware of his convictions for some time. She told the outlet: 'We’re like a family, and as a family, it’s difficult for us to see any one of us put in a bad situation. It’s disheartening that things had to move in this direction, but as a family, we also recognize that we have to look out for the best interests of the whole." In "Leading LGBT activist outed as registered sex offender, resigns," Nick Duffy, Pink News, 10 march 2016.
Addendum of Determining Boundaries: "The research illustrates the utility of staff collaboration with transgendered sex offenders on transgender issues but also suggests some additional guidance is required when it comes to determining the boundaries. Staff may also benefit from more education on the possible ways in which a transgendered identity can impact on criminogenic needs." In "Working with transgendered sex offenders: prison staff experiences," The Journal of Forensic Practice, Vol. 17 Issue: 3, by Katie Marlow, Belinda Winder an Helen Jane Elliott, 2015.
Addendum of a "Woman" Penetrating a Girl: "Martinez's public defender, Tracy Hucke, said at a previous hearing that her client identifies as a woman and uses the name Michelle. The 10-year-old's mother reported to Casper police in March that her daughter said Martinez sexually assaulted her in a bathroom. The girl told police that Martinez, who is a family friend, invited her into the bathroom, touched her breasts and genitalia before penetrating her." In "Trial begins for Casper resident charged with sexually assaulting 10-year-old girl," by Elise Schmelzer, Billings Gazette, 16 October 2017.
Addendum of Another "Transgender Woman" Rapist With a Penis: "Transgender woman who raped a 15-year-old girl while still a man could be moved to a female prison if a planned new law is passed. Davina Ayrton, who still has male genitalia, wanted to be sent to a women’s jail. And the sex predator could get her wish if Government gender self-identification proposals are given the go-ahead." In "Transgender woman who raped a 15-year-old girl could be moved to a female prison under proposed law," by Greg Wilford, Sun UK, 21 November 2017.
Addendum of Yet Another Aroused "Transgender Woman": "A transgender prisoner has been accused of sexually assaulting four female inmates after being sent to a women's prison, despite not having had reassignment surgery. It is alleged the first attack took place within days of the inmate arriving at New Hall jail in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The prisoner, who has been living as a woman for more than two years, was seen visibly aroused during the assault at the high security complex." In "Transgender prisoner who was put in a female jail despite not having sex-change surgery 'sexually assaulted four women inmates before being moved to a male prison'," by Rod Ardehali, Mail Online, 17 July 2018.
Addendum of Yet Another: "The court heard White, who was born male and now identifies as a woman, used her 'transgender persona' to put herself in contact with vulnerable women. Passing sentence, Judge Christopher Batty said: 'You are a predator and highly manipulative and in my view you are a danger. You represent a significant risk of serious harm to children, to women and to the general public.' White was on remand at HMP New Hall for other offences when she attacked the two women between September and October last year." In "Trans inmate jailed for Wakefield prison sex offences," BBC, 11 October 2018. [ 1 ]
Addendum of a Radical Feminist: "Julia Beck was booted from the Baltimore LGBTQ Commission because she referred to a male rapist as male even though he says he’s female. They placed this male rapist in a woman’s prison where he proceeded to rape more women." In "Radical Feminists Join Conservatives to Fight Trans Cult," by Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine, 1 February 2019. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Continuing Idiocy: "Karen White dressed as a woman but was still legally a man and had not undergone surgery. She was jailed for life in 2018 by a judge who branded her a 'highly manipulative' predator. Now the Ministry of Justice has admitted the case was not a one-off. In response to a Parliamentary question from former Labour Party General Secretary Baroness McDonagh, Ministers have revealed there have been several other sexual assaults by trans prisoners." In "Transgender inmates have carried out seven sex attacks on women in jail: Despite the risks, male-born trans convicts are still allowed to move into women's prisons," by Martin Beckford and Glen Owen, Mail on Sunday, 9 May 2020.
Addendum of the Female Penis: "I became aware of this particular issue after I wrote an article about sex, lies and legal consent. Several people got in touch with me to say there was a 'huge problem' for lesbians, who were being pressured to 'accept the idea that a penis can be a female sex organ'. I knew this would be a hugely divisive subject, but I wanted to find out how widespread the issue was." In " 'We're being pressured into sex by some trans women'," by Caroline Lowbridge, BBC, 26 October 2021.
Addendum of Calling Them What They Are: "Here at the CIW's women's yard, transgender women numbers continue to go up. How many? I'm not sure. With Covid-19 causing restricted movement, I'm limited on info. I'm also not sure what to call these people with full male anatomy. So I'll just call them what they are, PENISES. After all, that's what this is all about..." In "Concerns were raised about condoms being used to hide evidence of rape - in a women's prison by 'women'," by Amber S. Jackson, Santa Monica Observer, 31 October 2021. [ 3 ]
Addendum of a Woman's Lawsuit Against California Dicks: "According to the suit, plaintiff Krystal Gonzalez says she was sexually assaulted by a biological male transferred to Central California Women's Facility under the law, known as the Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act, or SB 132. When Gonzalez filed a grievance and requested to be housed away from men, the suit says, the prison's response referred to her alleged attacker as a 'transgender woman with a penis.' 'Krystal does not believe that women have penises,' the lawsuit says, 'and the psychological distress caused by her assault is exacerbated by the prison's refusal to acknowledge the sex of her perpetrator'." In "California Forces Transgender ‘Belief System’ on Female Prisoners Housed With Biological Males, Lawsuit Says," by Mary Margaret Olohan, Daily Signal, 17 November 2021.
Addendum of She Dicks in the United Kingdom: "This means that if a male who identifies as female rapes a female, that rape is classified as a woman committing rape, with, presumably, her penis. And because of provisions and policies that require the use of preferred pronouns, a woman who was raped by a biological male who identifies as female would have to call her rapist a 'she.' In order to meet these guidelines, a woman who has been the victim of rape would essentially have to perjure herself in describing what happened to her before a court of law." In "JK Rowling SLAMS police for logging male rapists as 'women'," by Libby Eamons, PM, 12 December 2021.
One might consider that There's little left to unpack
NOTE:
[ 1 ] The BBC article adds details worth noting. ""White, who was born Stephen Wood and is originally from the Manchester area, was first arrested last August after attacking a 66-year-old neighbour with a steak-knife in Mytholmroyd. While on remand at HMP New Hall, she began gender re-alignment, wearing a wig, make-up and false breasts. She also admitted to probation officers she was sexually interested in children and could abuse a child and 'think nothing of it'."
That this individual, which the BBC coverage terms as "she" based on the pressures of political correctness more than biology and even the actual sexual orientation of this violent criminal, can contemplate abusing children without conscience. Given the facts that White or Wood, was violent, targeted women and could target children, the notion that this biological male could be a male with a "transgender persona" -- the term from BBC's report -- suggests that such a "persona" might be a camouflage for a predator -- a male -- who has a penis and attempts rape of biological females. Where in this set of characteristics is there cause to "respect" such a predator's "transgender persona" by assigning the linguistic trick of calling "he" a "she?"
[ 2 ] The rejection of a public feminist and lesbian by a "commission" does not change realities, merely perceptions. The article notes: "Beck was accused of 'violence' for referring to the male rapist as a male. The effort to vote Beck off the LGBTQ Commission was led by the Commission chairman, a man who says he’s a woman and—get this—a lesbian. A man, most likely one with a penis, who says he’s a lesbian. He would no doubt say his penis is female. During the hearing to kick her off, a gay man announced that 'biological sex is a thing of the past.' Beck responded, 'How can we be homosexual if sex is fake?' "
Beck tried answering illogic with logic, which of course failed. The assertion that mis-gendering an actual rapist is violence is the end game of a cultural idiocy, in which advocacy of the predatory is illogically asserted to be a justifiable stance because.... well, just because. Which inmates run which asylum?
One of them is Dick.
[ 3 ] CIW, mentioned in the quote from the longer article, is the California Institution for Women.
With the politically-induced confusion over a once understandable word, women as a category is supposed to also mean men, when such definition-bending aims are expressed. Else one is supposed to be transphobic, one among many newly minted words.
The author of the article, a female inmate, observes of the politics of changing definitions: "So, this has opened the floodgates to all manner of B.S. motivations by men why have very little hurdles to climb to get to be men serving time among a women's yard. Ladies and gentlemen, multiple foxes are now in the hen house! Those in CA political power barely sneeze at all this."
Boys and girls and whirls of noise
Boys and girls and whirls of noise
Push more than two that now enjoys
That whirls of noise, not girls and boys,
Number the number of gendering toys.
Such are the ploys of such sexual joys,
Alleging some number, like many, deploys
When counting on mounting girls and boys
Into lists with twists as trysts' decoys
That whirls of noise, not girls and boys,
Number the number of gendering toys.
Congenital liars conned genital hoise.
Addendum of Making Women Unmentionable: "The government has said the term 'pregnant woman' should not be used in a UN treaty because it 'excludes' transgender people. Feminists reacted with outrage to what they said was the latest example of 'making women unmentionable' in the name of transgender equality. The statement comes in Britain’s official submission on proposed amendments to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the UK has been a signatory since 1976. The UN treaty says a 'pregnant woman' must be protected, including not being subject to the death penalty. Yet in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office submission, Britain opposes the term 'pregnant woman' because it may 'exclude transgender people who have given birth'. The suggested term is 'pregnant people'." In "It/s not women who get pregnant — it's 'people'," by Andrew Gilligan, Sunday Times (UK), 22 October 2017. [ 1 ]
Addendum of a Dictionary Definition: "1 a : a subclass within a grammatical class (as noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb) of a language that is partly arbitrary but also partly based on distinguishable characteristics (as shape, social rank, manner of existence, or sex) and that determines agreement with and selection of other words or grammatical forms b : membership of a word or a grammatical form in such a subclass c : an inflectional form showing membership in such a subclass2 a : SEX *the feminine gender* b : the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex," Main entry "gender," Merriam-Webster's 11th Collegiate Dictionary. [ 2 ]
Addendum of the New Fashionable Argument Over Language Itself: "Since the 14c. the word has been primarily a grammatical term, applied to groups of nouns designated as masculine, feminine, or neuter. During all these centuries, however, as the OED shows, it has also been used as a term meaning 'the sex of a person' (e.g. Of the fair sex ... my only consolation for being of that gender has been the assurance it gave me of never being married to any one among them—Lady M. W. Montagu, 1709). The OED (1899) labelled this sense 'Now only jocular'. Since the 1960s this secondary sense has come into much more frequent use, esp. among feminists, with the intention 'of emphasizing the social and cultural, as opposed to the biological, distinctions between the sexes' {OED 2). As a result the literature of the subject bristles with expressions such as gender gap, gender identity, gender language, gender model, gender role, and gender-specific; and fashionable courses at our universities abound in titles such as 'Literature and Gender in the English Restoration'." In "Gender," Fowler's 'Modern English Usage'," edited by R. W. Burchfield (Oxford University Press, third edition, 1968. [ 3 ]
Consider this a part of the Hen Party
NOTES
[ 1 ] Does not the Queen of England, as a title, exclude males and transgendered people, in the same way that Princess as a title does? And in the same way that a King or Prince as a title might exclude other "genders?" When one begins to unravel the historical roots of language, one also must unravel the language itself. When a fully transgendered individual has had the reproductive organs removed as a part of completing of that medical process, is that individual also excluded biologically from what formerly might have been? The argument begins to unravel quickly even when considering the verb "exclude." Definitions exclude by defining that something is not something else, and without such discriminatory linguistic behavior, even language is becomes barren, as does a phrase like "pregnant transgender people."
Fowler's -- cited above -- notes under the heading of "sexist language," the following: "4 An academic view. In English Today (Jan. 1985) the dialect and sociolinguistic scholar Jenny Cheshire concluded: There is a built-in masculine bias in English, and this does have very serious implications for both the women and the men who use the language. And this bias will not disappear unless there is some measure of conscious reform in the language.' But where is the evidence that 'conscious reform' will be accepted by the English-speaking public? None of the significant changes to the language in past centuries has come about by 'conscious reform'. And none will in the future unless the whole community singly and collectively decides, not by edict or proclamation, and not even by a vote in the House of Commons, to allow new fashions to be regarded as standard, or at any rate irreversible."
New fashions, as opposed to new understandings of biology? Of course, as even Cheshire is a "fellow," having been elected as Fellow of the British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences in 2011. And of course, she is employed at Queen Mary University, in London.
[ 2 ] A most basic issue arises. As to form, there are two general structures of genitalia, and as to chromosome structure there are two exclusive strains or strands. When one considers the politicized pleadings of the ardent transgender lobby, an obvious point is often ignored. A transgender before transition prefers to have or be recognized by the opposite genital configuration. Male to female, and female to male. Where in the politics and literature is there a third genital configuration within the biological realities of the human body? The eunuch? And which would argue for the possibility of a eunuch becoming pregnant. Language laughs.
[ 3 ] Like linguistic expression and cultural markers, fashions come and go. Thoreau observed in "Walden" that: "Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new." This generation of activists has its genital religion, its gender-less catechism its notion of sin in which disagreement with the credo is the sin, and its messianic dream in which "conscious reform" .of language will somehow change over generations. Yet generations are defined simply by being birthed, and the natural facts of this do not conform to the latest fashions.
As Aesop reminds: "...silly words will disclose a fool." Such as these recent words from England, "The government has said the term 'pregnant woman' should not be used in a UN treaty because it 'excludes' transgender people."
Veiled Threats - a commonality
" 'We do not want clothes covering the face in nurseries, schools and universities,' Minister of Education and Research Torbjorn Roe Isaksen said in a statement. 'These clothes prevent good communication, which is important for students to receive a good education,' he added." In "Norway to ban full-face Muslim veil in all schools," Agence France Presse, 12 June 2017.
Veiled threats are threatened
when unveiling veiled threats.
Identities masked and hidden
are unmasked, and this offsets
Those who would remain hidden
behind their veiled threats.
Let veiled threats be threatened.
Selah.
Addendum of Turning Into a Hideously False Ideology: "For Michael Behrle and many others like him, those are the battle lines in post-Cold War, multicultural America: on one side, fascists, and opposing them, the antifa. The word 'antifa' comes from Antifaschismus, the German term for anti-fascism. Dressed in their preferred street garb of black clothes, boots, balaclavas, and anti-Nazi patches are young people, almost all white, driven by an ideology as powerful and magnetic as communism. French philosopher Alain Finkielkraut has warned, 'I think that the lofty idea of ‘the war on racism’ is gradually turning into a hideously false ideology. And this anti-racism will be for the 21st century what communism was for the 20th century: a source of violence'." In "The Antifa Fad: Totalitarian Anti-Fascism," by Michael C. Tuggle, Taki Magazine, 24 March 2011.
Addendum of a Penal Code: "...if someone wears a mask or disguise to avoid being detected by the police he or she could be charged with a criminal offense. Under California Penal Code Section 185 PC, it is unlawful to wear a mask or disguise in order to evade the police." In "California Penal Code Section 185 PC: Wearing Mask Or Disguise To Evade Police," Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers, n. d.
Addendum of a Delicious Irony: "In a twist of delicious irony, a law originally enacted to deal with the Ku Klux Klan led to the unmasking of several Antifa thugs on the streets of Auburn, Alabama, Tuesday." In "Antifa thugs unmasked – by laws originally passed against the KKK," by Nate Madden, Conservative Review, 20 April 2017.
Addendum for the Women: "Reports said the gunmen had entered parliament via a public entrance, dressed as women." In "Iran attacks: 'IS' hits parliament and Khomeini mausoleum," BBC, 7 June 2017.
Addendum of a Fine Law: "Austria has passed a controversial law that fines women who wear Islamic dress covering the whole face, and takes away welfare benefits from immigrants who fail to learn the language. 'Those who are not prepared to accept Enlightenment values will have to leave our country and society,' reads the text of the law...." In "Austria Bans Islamic Dresses for Women, Mandates 12-Month Integration Course," by Lukas Mikelionis, Heat Street, 10 June 2017.
Addendum of Booming Incidents: "...a suicide bomber dressed as a veiled woman mingled with crowds of refugees before detainating [ sic ] an explosive device and killing 14 and injuring a further 13, Reuters reported." In "ISIS in Iraq: Suicide Bombers Kill 15 in Baghdad, Mosul Attacks," Callum Paton, Newsweek, 3 July 2017.
Addendum of Islamic State Cross Dressers: "Hordes of Isis fighters are desperate to dodge capture after the city was freed from the brutal terror group. They have been resorting to all kinds of tricks to slide past the authorities and many have taken to dressing-up as women to elude detection. One painted his face with thick make-up and wore a padded bra to give himself feminine curves." In "JIHAD TO BE KIDDING! ISIS beast in escape bid dressed as GIRL ," by Ruth McKee, Daily Star, 22 July 2017.
Addendum of Muslims Burning Their Veils and Shaving Their Beards: "Women are burning their burqas and men shaving off their beards in a show of defiance against ISIS after escaping from the terrorist group's stronghold in Syria. Civilians in Raqqa tore off their traditional dress and set it alight after being liberated from the city on Thursday. And some of the men immediately began shaving off their facial hair in a move to 'spite' Islamic State." In "Women burn burqas and men shave their beards as they celebrate escape from ISIS stronghold in Syria," by Kara O'Neill, Mirror UK, 23 July 2017.
Addendum of Showing One's Face By Law, Austrian Version: "The Austrian law — called 'Prohibition for the Covering of the Face' — forbids off-slope ski masks, surgical masks outside hospitals and party masks in public. Violations carry a possible fine of 150 euros (nearly $180) and police are authorized to use force with people who resist showing their faces." In "‘Burqa ban’ law signals rightward political turn in Austria," by George Jahn, Associated Press, 30 September 2017.
Addendum of Showing One's Face by Law, Quebec Version: "Quebec has adopted a law that will force people to show their faces when taking the bus or borrowing a book from the library, pushing ahead with legislation that is being criticized for targeting Muslim Canadian women. Bill 62, which the Justice Minister described as a North American first, requires one's face to be uncovered when giving or receiving public services. The law marks the outcome of a contentious, decade-long debate about the place of religious minorities in Quebec." In "Quebec bans face covering in public services, raising worries among Muslims," by Ryan Remiorz, Globe and Mail, 18 October 2017.
Addendum of Unveiled Threats: "Tehran police have arrested 29 women for appearing in public without a headscarf as protests against the dress code in force since the Islamic revolution of 1979 intensify, Iranian media reported Friday. Those arrested were accused of public order offences and referred to the state prosecutor's office, the Fars, ILNA and Tasnim news agencies reported without elaborating." In "Iran arrests 29 women as headscarf protests intensify," Agence France Presse, 2 February 2018.
Addendum of an Effect of Refusing a Headscarf: "He carried out the alleged killing during the appeal process to have him deported, according to prosecutors, and snapped when she refused to put on a headscarf. Mireille is one of several young women who has died at the hands of refugee men in the country – crimes which have helped fuel the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany party." In "Failed asylum seeker 'killed German girlfriend for refusing to convert to Islam'," by Richard Hartley-Parkinson, Metro UK, 16 March 2018. [ 1 ]
Addendum of Banning the Hiding of the Face: "The wording of the new legislation does not specifically mention Muslim women but says that 'anyone who wears a garment that hides the face in public will be punished with a fine'. Speaking about the law, Denmark’s Justice Minister Søren Pape Poulsen said: 'In terms of value, I see a discussion of what kind of society we should have with the roots and culture we have, that we don’t cover our face and eyes, we must be able to see each other and we must also be able to see each other’s facial expressions, it’s a value in Denmark'." In "Denmark passes ban on niqabs and burkas in public places," by Dawood Rehman, Daily Pakistan, 31 May 2018.
Addendum of Masked Attackers in Germany: "The 66-year-old Magnitz, who remains hospitalized, was reportedly set upon by masked assailants, who struck the parliamentarian in the head with an object. When Magnitz went to the ground, the attackers apparently continued beating him. Passersby ultimately came to his aid. Bremen's police and state security authorities suspect the attack was politically motivated and have established a special commission to find the culprits." In "Outrage in Germany after brutal attack on AfD lawmaker Frank Magnitz," by Peter Helle, Deutsche Welle, 8 January 2019.
NOTES
[ 1 ] In that very real tale of coercion and murder, the individual by his acts defines what Islam means to him. Acts, the adage goes, speak louder than words. One reads that the criminality coming from this "new" phenomenon in Germany grows, as it is reported that the "Flensburg police have declared a large portion of the city center as a dangerous area. The background is that different groups of youths have fought since the beginning of the year."
In the original German-language coverage, "Die Flensburger Polizei hat einen Großteil der Innenstadt zum 'Gefährlichen Ort' erklärt. Hintergrund sind Auseinandersetzungen zwischen verschiedenen Jugendgruppen seit Beginn des Jahres." In "Flensburger Innenstadt wird zum 'Gefährlichen Ort'," NDR.de, 23 March 2018.
I might look silly in what I chose,
but I'll wear it anyway.
I might sound really rather dumb
but still I'll have my say.
I might and then I just might not
do this, think that or then
When time is passed along with me,
still want to try again.
I might, when might makes me right,
opt to be quite impolite.
I might.
"Barack Obama has only four years to save the world. That is the stark assessment of Nasa scientist and leading climate expert Jim Hansen who last week warned only urgent action by the new president could halt the devastating climate change that now threatens Earth. Crucially, that action will have to be taken within Obama's first administration, he added. Soaring carbon emissions are already causing ice-cap melting and threaten to trigger global flooding, widespread species loss and major disruptions of weather patterns in the near future. 'We cannot afford to put off change any longer,' said Hansen. 'We have to get on a new path within this new administration. We have only four years left for Obama to set an example to the rest of the world. America must take the lead'." In "President 'has four years to save Earth'," by Robin McKie, Observer UK, 18 January 2009.
It was '07 and then 4
on Armageddon's watch;
and '17's now more -
the blurb is now a blotch.
4 was all, so urgent, stark,
when '09 heard its roar.
'17 makes new its mark
following millennia before.
Only 4 was cried aloud
and more are now gone by,
so the knowing Armageddon crowd
must see its end comes nigh.
Nigh for what? Now there's the rub
as saviors come to go;was the 4 perhaps a flub?
Prevailing winds will show.
It was '07 and then 4
in recalling numbering words,
and numbers now pour
like nightmare-crowing birds.
Only 4 years only now
is past, is spent away;
only 4 you must allow
is now grown old and gray.
Only 4 in old '09
is over; time has passed
into '17, 8 past whine
as time speeds by so fast.
Prophets come and prophets go
as history will show;
who will warm himself
by a failed Armageddon's glow?
Envoi from More than Ten Years Ago: “...ten years left to save the planet from a scorching.”
Addendum of a Point of No Return Past 2014: "Karl Mallon, a scientist with Climate Risk and one of the key authors of the report, says 2014 has been calculated as the point at which there is no longer enough time to develop the industries that can deliver a low carbon economy. 'The point of no return,' he said." In "Five years to save world from climate change, says WWF," by Sarah Clarke, ABC Australia, 19 October 2009.
Addendum I of a Point of No Return Past 2016: "...unless drastic measures to reduce greenhouse gases are taken within the next 10 years, the world will reach a point of no return, Gore said. He sees the situation as 'a true planetary emergency'." In "2006: Al Gore Does Sundance," by Jaclyn Schiff, CBS News/AP, 26 January 2006.
Addendum II of a Point of No Return Past 2016: "But given Stern's verdict that preventing climate change will cost 1 per cent of global GDP - about £184 billion a year - and that it must be done in the next 10 to 15 years, the question is: where will the money come from? Green groups support people acting individually to do what they can. But the answers will not all come from everyone becoming an armchair environmentalist." In "Ten years to save the planet from mankind," by Gaby Hinsliff, Guardian UK, 29 October 2006.
Addendum of the Next Point of No Return in 2027: "The planet, as we know it, has been given a deadline: 10 years. According to the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, if humans don't reduce greenhouse gas emissions drastically and maintain carbon sinks, like forests, then the results will be catastrophic for the climate." In "Scientists Say Only 10 Years Left to Save the Planet," by Cassie Kelly, EcoWatch, 13 April 2017.
Addendum of an Odd Point of No Return and the Climate of Change: "Since 2008, when Barack Obama first took office, Republicans have gained somewhere around 900 to 1,000 seats overall. There are a lot of reasons for this. But there's no way to spin some of these numbers in a way that doesn't speak to the awesome unpopularity of the blue party." In "The Democrats Need a New Message," by Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2017.
Consider: Apocalypse sometime
"When in Paradise Lost Milton’s Satan stood in the pit of hell and raged at heaven, he was merely a trifle miffed compared to how I felt that day. I felt totally alone, with the world receding from me in every direction and you could have used my anger to weld steel." In "Terry Pratchett: I'm slipping away a bit at a time... and all I can do is watch it happen," by Terry Pratchett, Mail Online, 7 October 2008.
The end is coming, all prophets say,
As heard for thousands of years;
The "end" placards serve each day
To gin up end days' fears.
The end is near and is at hand,
So grouses gray each signing guy;
The end is oh so near and nigh,
Not ever, no never a worldly lie.
The world recedes for everyone,
As happened, and happens and will;
Such is our biodegradable state,
Our unavoidable mortality bill,
Due and payable, when and where
The auditors come to call.
Rage at heaven from the pit of hell?
But what's the point, after all?
The end is coming, the prophets said,
Having said so, yea, for years.
The "end is coming" signs speak loud,
And yet nothing interferes.
The end is coming. Ponder this
And live well accordingly.
Days diminish. Time ticks off.
Words too fail, wordlessly.
We're all going to meet our ends,
Of this much we should be sure.
For some it's a sentence dour and grim
And for some its a loony lure.
For some it's just what it is,
For others it's just the same,
For whatever it is comes to be,
It's man's unavoidable aim.
Addendum of All Kinds of Ends: "From catastrophic climate change to black holes and robot wars, here are 10 apocalyptic visions that could end the world as we know it… Global warming, Gamma ray burst, Pandemic, Robot ascension, Black hole, Global war, Magnetic reversal, Supervolcano, Alien invasion, Asteroid impact," In "Apocalypse now? Ten of the greatest threats that could wipe out all life on Earth," by Matt Roper, Mirror UK, 29 September 2015. [ 1 ]
It's coming!
Addendum of Newer End Time: "Since the development of the concept of deep time in the 18th century and the calculation of the estimated age of the Earth, scientific discourse about end times has centered on the ultimate fate of the universe. Theories have included the Big Rip, Big Crunch, Big Bounce, and Big Freeze (Heat Death)." In "End time," Wikipedia article, n. d.
It's near!
Addendum of a Familiar Pattern: " 'There's a feedback loop of noise and bias to the downside within the professional investing/trading/media world. Every single time we have a downturn, people go to the narrative of the the worst-case scenario,' said Zachary Karabell, head of global strategy at Envestnet. 'It's a familiar pattern'." In "What happened to the world coming to an end?" by Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 March 2016.
Aged Agitators Contemplating The End
Addendum of Thinking in Narrative: "As soon as we are old enough to want to understand what is happening around us, we begin to live in a world of stories. We think in narrative. We do it so automatically that we don't think we do it. And we have told ourselves stories vast enough to live in." In "The globe: the science of Discworld II," by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen, First Anchor Books, 2002 p. 340. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Death Being Funny: "Is death funny? It is. Death is certainly present in my life, and there’s humor to be mined from it. Somebody was saying to me last week that you can’t talk about death these days without people thinking you’ve done something absolutely antisocial. But death is part of the deal. Imagine if, before you came to exist on Earth, God said, 'You can choose to stay up here with me, watching reruns and eating ice cream, or you can be born. But if you pick being born, at the end of your life you have to die — that’s nonnegotiable. So which do you pick?' I think most people would say, 'I’ll give living a whirl.' It’s sad, but the whirl includes dying. That’s something I accept." In "In Conversation: John Cleese (legacy, Political Correctness, and the Funniest Joke He Ever Told)," by David Marchese, New York Magazine, 17 September 2017.
Addendum of Riddles, not Solutions: "The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man." G. K. Chesterton, "The Book of Job: An introduction," 1907. [ 3 ]
Consider this: I prefer a vital God
NOTES
[ 1 ] Amusingly, before listing "scary things," Roper noted: "Doom-mongers predicted a massive asteroid would slam into Earth some time last week." But one might have time to wait for an Apocalypse sometime
Today this urge is rooted in many kinds of soil, and especially in The Privileges of Intellectuals
[ 2 ] This assertion that "we think in narrative" may interpret Pratchett's end of life quote which we read above. Contemplating life "slipping away a bit at a time..." with the very personal response "and all I can do is watch it happen," is to lose hold on a narrative which can bring hope rather than despair. Faith is tested, as the grip on a positive narrative fails. One response can be to hold fast to a narrative of comfort.
Those narratives which assert a nihilistic "end" challenge at the minimum while bringing no "story vast enough to live in," even at the end of life.
Pratchett with his co-authors write: "Science alone is not The Answer. Science too has its myths. We have shown you some of them, or at least we believe to be some of them. The misuse of anthropic reasoning is a clear example, as in the case of carbon resonance, but argued with no thought for the fudge-factor of the red giant. The ideal of the scientific method is often not realized. Its usual statement is an oversimplication in any case, but the basic worldview captures the essence. Think critically about what you are told. Do not accept the word of authority unthinkingly. Science is not a belief system: no belief system instructs you to question the system itself. Science does."
Given the use of capitalization in Pratchett's other work, "The Answer" becomes worth notice. What then is The Answer?
Pratchett with his co-authors continue: "The most dangerous myths and ideologies, today, are the ones that have not yet been destroyed by the rising ape. They strut their stuff on the world's stage, causing grief and havoc -- and the tragedy is that it's to no purpose. Most of it doesn't matter." Myths are stories, so failing to destroy a story deemed "dangerous" is assigned as the guilt of "the rising ape."
The vocabulary dallies in storytelling itself, for theories are not facts. Nevertheless, the authors challenge: "We need to invent the right stories. The ones we've got have brought us a long way. Plenty of creatures are intelligent, but only one tells stories. That's us, Pan narrans.
The authors expand: "The anthropologists got it wrong when they named our species Homo sapiens ('wise man'). In any case it's an arrogant and bigheaded thing to say, wisdom being one of our least evident features. In reality, we are Pan narrans, the storytelling chimpanzee."
I don't agree with being a chimpanzee per se, but it's a question of words and storytelling after all. Much depends on the stories one tells one's self about one's self.As to storytelling and the invention of names, the generic names for man have multiplied -- like rabbits -- over the years. One reads of Homo absconditus, Homo adorans, Homo aestheticus, Homo amans, Homo animalis, Homo avarus, Homo combinans, Homo contaminatus, Homo creator, Homo degeneratus, Homo demens, Homo deus, Homo discens, Homo domesticus, Homo duplex, Homo economicus, Homo educandus, Homo ethicus, Homo excentricus, Homo faber, Homo ferox, Homo generosus, Homo geographicus, Homo grammaticus, Homo humanus, Homo imitans, Homo inermis, Homo ignorans, Homo investigans, Homo laborans, Homo logicus, Homo loquens, Homo loquax, Homo ludens, Homo mendax, Homo metaphysicus, Homo necans, Homo neophilus, Homo neophobus, Homo patiens, Homo pictor, Homo poetica, Homo religiosus, Homo ridens, Homo reciprocans, Homo sanguinis, Homo sciens, Homo sentimentalis, Homo socius, Homo sociologicus, Homo technologicus, and Homo viator. Mensch and Übermensch. Even chimpanzees are finding themselves dropped into the genus as Homo paniscus, Homo sylvestris, or Homo arboreus.
So Pratchett, the storyteller who told stories about small gods, seems to have adopted a story late in life. One reads: "he said: 'It is just possible that once you have got past all the gods that we have created with big beards and many human traits, just beyond all that, on the other side of physics, they just may be the ordered structure from which everything flows. That is both a kind of philosophy and totally useless - it doesn't take you anywhere. But it fills a hole'." In "Terry Pratchett hints he may have found God," by Rob Davies, Telegraph UK, 8 June 2008.
A storytelling chimpanzee, in one parlance, fills "a hole." In what? In "the right stories," as one seems to have been absent and in its absence aggravated the reality of "the end."
Pratchett observed: "I'm certainly not a man of faith, but as I was rushing down the stairs one day... it was very strange. I suddenly knew that everything was okay, that what I was doing was right, and I didn't know why."Accepting not knowing why can be a comfort. Another high-profile atheist became a deist at "the end," seemingly infuriating those not at their ends.
One reads of Antony Flew: "In 2007 a book outlining his reasons for changing his position, "There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind" was written by Flew in collaboration with Roy Abraham Varghese. The book (and Flew's conversion itself) has been the subject of controversy, following an article in The New York Times Magazine alleging that Flew's intellect had declined, and that the book was primarily the work of Varghese; Flew himself specifically denied this, stating that the book represented his views, and he acknowledged that due to his age Varghese had done most of the actual work of writing the book." In "Antony Flew," Wikipedia article, n. d.
A story among stories, we revisit these words: "we have told ourselves stories vast enough to live in." And "to die in." One may reflect, in Pratchett's words, "it fills a hole."
It is worth considering.
The end....
[ 3 ] Chesterton offers further as to narratives, specifically. One reads of fairy tales: "Fairy tales, then, are not responsible for producing in children fear, or any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do not give the child the idea of the evil or the ugly; that is in the child already, because it is in the world already. Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon. Exactly what the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms him for a series of clear pictures to the idea that these limitless terrors had a limit, that these shapeless enemies have enemies in the knights of God, that there is something in the universe more mystical than darkness, and stronger than strong fear." G. K. Chesterton, "Tremendous Trifles," 1909.
That the doomsayers will parade with "the end is near" signs and the overt atheists will parade too with mockery of those with "fairy tale" faith, the notion that "limitless terrors had a limit" is worth considering.
"...there is something in the universe more mystical than darkness, and stronger than strong fear."
They - a tale of a gender non-conformist who murders a gender conformist
" Pablo Gomez Jr. was a University of California, Berkeley, senior majoring in Latino studies and a prominent campus activist when authorities say he stabbed to death a popular elementary-school teacher. Soon, the crime that police described as 'very brutal and unusual' in a city that reported just two homicides last year was sucked up into the debate over gender identity when it was reported that Gomez preferred to be called 'they' rather than 'he.' Even in famously liberal Berkeley, with its long history of protest, the uproar came as a surprise, overwhelming the online news site, www.berkeleyside.com, that first reported on Gomez's preference." In "Berkeley killing renews debate over gender pronouns," by Paul Elias, Associated Press, 26 March 2017. [ 1 ]
Pablo Gomez, Jr. (right) with California's Governor Brown and billionaire environmentalist, Tom Steyer
They was a singular Pablo,
a cocky junior male,
Who raged over they's pronoun
proving well they's frail.
They roiled at all those others
who did not submit to say
They in they's approved manner
of they's holy grail that day.
They was a student, youth-bright,
Berkeley-ish were they's smarts,
Declaring language forcefully forced,
then applying killing arts.
They was brutal, so Berkeley's news
in detail did tell and dwell,
Over they's they-ish pronoun;
and thus they's path to hell?
They was meanly, murderously moved
to liberally kill a liberal gal,
And in so doing they'd now proved
They's murderously madly radical.
They's been caught, as stories tell,And this tale's star's a boy fatale,
Who was active in so many things
Appearing awhile as rationale.
And so it goes and so it went.
Death lies there au naturale.
They's debate over pronoun gender
played they's part it all this madness.
They's debate over gendered pronouns
argues debate burns to excess.
This they's a singular Pablo;
debate and murder is this they's mess.
Addendum X Marks the Spot: "Gomez Jr. is studying 'Chicanx/Latinx Studies' according to their Facebook page, and is a senior climate action fellow at Alliance for Climate Education. (The 'x' is a gender-neutral ending used to avoid a binary designation.) They were deeply involved in the campus activist community. One person told Berkeleyside she had seen Gomez Jr.’s 'advocacy work from afar and was always really impressed about it,' adding, 'a lot are still in shock right now and need time to really process everything cause it’s so conflicting to [t[their]character'." In "Suspect in custody after Berkeley homicide, stabbing," by Emilie Gauso, Berkeleyside, 7 January 2017. [ 2 ]
Addendum of a Question Regarding the New and Deadly Grammar Rules: Is "they" singular when referring to one individual?
One might consider a visit to the Hen Party
NOTES
[ 1 ] One reads a blog post for some detail: "Gomez began blogging at the site Tumblr.com in 2011, but archives for his blog show he has been inactive on Tumblr since March. In 2016, Gomez’s activism seemed to shift toward supporting 'Black Lives Matter.' In July, he posted a rant to Facebook about how 'infuriating” it is that people were 'not getting' what he called 'a legacy of anti-Blackness' in America, the causes of which he listed as 'colonialism,' 'cisheteropatriarchy,' 'capitalism' and 'imperialism,' among others." In "Berkeley Student Activist Pablo Gomez Charged With Homicide, Stabbing," posted in The Other McCain, 9 January 2017.
One notes how related the topics of activism and "not getting" certain racially charged perspectives are found in and around academia, as above in White Noise
[ 2 ] A stated purpose of Chicanx/Latinx Studies is to avoid a binary gender, and one supposes a binary gender pronoun, especially those which are proven to infuriate. Of the Berkeley "studies," one reads "The taskforce is charged with addressing campus climate issues including mapping, assessing, and providing recommendations, and giving strategies to campus administrators to address the various needs of the Chicanx and Latinx communities on the Berkeley campus, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, alumni, and staff. " In "Chicanx Latinx Taskforce," UC Berekely, n. d.
Among the "needs" of those who find gender and pronoun activism appealing was Pablo. Apparently he also found murderous violence appealing, though the legal stance in the United States states that one is "innocent until proven guilty." This standard did not apply to the murdered female student.
An Exercise in Noticing Binary Pronouns
As to the "taskforce" which seeks by its "X" to avoid a binary gender is chaired by an English professor. One notes that the some speak of him with the very binary, male pronoun, most clearly not avoiding a binary gender. Of Genaro Padilla (Taskforce Chair), Professor and Chair of English, one reads: "He is the author of 'My History, Not Yours: The Formation of Mexican American Autobiography' (1993), editor of 'The Stories of Fray Angelico Chavez' (1987) and has co-edited numerous other books including 'The Recovery of the U.S. Hispanic Literary Tradition' (1993), 'Nuevomexicano Cultural Legacy: Forms, Agencies, and Discourse'(2004), and 'Power, Race and Gender in Academe: Strangers in the Tower' (2005). Some of his influential articles include 'The Literature of the Spanish Borderland,' 'The Catholic Church in Chicano Literature,' 'The Mexican Immigrant as *: The (de)Formation of Mexican Immigrant Life Story,' 'Myth and Comparative Cultural Nationalism: The Ideological Uses of Aztlan,' 'Anthony Quinn's Autobiography: The Original Sin,' 'The Recovery of 19th Century Chicano Autobiography,' “Imprisoned Narrative? Or Lies, Secrets and Silence in New Mexico Women's Autobiography.”" In "2006 Brock Prize Jurors," Brock International Prize in Education, n. d.
The university website also uses the male binary pronoun. More on Padilla, "From 1995 to 2006 he served as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, he then served for two years as Associate Dean in the College of Letters and Sciences and is now serving as Chairman of the Berkeley English Department." In "Professor Genaro Padilla," Berkeley Residential Life, n. d.
A special note should be made that these "studies" in English is the arena in which new, non-binary pronouns is being fought. One notes with irony that "Every noun in Spanish is considered to have either masculine or feminine gender for grammatical purposes." In "Grammatical gender in Spanish," Wikipedia article, n. d.
So Conflicting and So English Language Based
Thus the Chicanx Latinx Taskforce to avoid a binary gender identification in English indentifies its chairman with an avoidable pronoun. One wonders whether this will "infuriate" those in the Chicanx Latinx Berkeley community whose demands are for genderless pronoun use. What might an activist who rages against the "cisheteropatriarchy" be driven to do? What did they do?
One also notes that Pablo's upset with capitalism did not extend to Professor Padilla's "total pay" of $122,000 as of 2015, found in "State worker salary database," Sacramento Bee, n. d. One may compare that to California's media per capita income of about $30,318, and its household income about twice that. It is assured that when a Doctor Oppression comes to call
Given Padilla's enthusiasm for discussions of "Power, Race and Gender in Academe," this English professor has his issues.
For other English professors' issues, as mentioned see White Noise
As to the notion of not only Chicanx Latinx academia but also Chicano Latino academia, without regard to the gender game, as represented by an English professor, one could consider the relation to that brand of politics which would Use a kid for politics
Joe and Donny Sermon tried lecturing today.
Those who hadn't asked for this, by clicking, strolled away.
Joy and Katie Talking-To nagged in their cute way,
such entertaining words managed not to sway,
For off folks went exhorted by an urge to simply stray
away from all harangues addressing men this day.
Addendum of a Defining Term: "The label 'infotainment' is emblematic of concern and criticism that journalism is devolving from a medium which conveys serious information about issues affecting public interest, into a form of entertainment which happens to have fresh 'facts' in the mix. The criteria by which reporters and editors judge news value—whether something is worth putting on the front page, the bottom of the hour, or is worth commenting on at all—are integral parts of this debate. Some blame the media for this perceived phenomenon, for failing to live up to ideals of civic journalistic responsibility, while others blame the commercial nature of many media organizations, the need for higher ratings, combined with a preference among the public for feel-good content and 'unimportant' topics such as celebrity gossip or sports." In "Infotainment," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Consider simply that People walk away
O so very
yes it was
I saw me
near that spot.
It's surely not
certainly
someone grasped
what I'd caught.
Yes and no less
constant, see,
was scrawled the
impish plot.
Look out the back
of one I,
blindly lost
who'd seen naught.
O so wary,
know it was;
life had seen
what was wrought.
Cardboard - depending on whose ox is being gored
The cardboard man seems caring
and carries on a stick
his cardboard waving messages
to lay them on quite thick;
amateur seems his protest
and passionate seems his shtick
but see his pain and hear him howl
and watch him hurl a brick
when disagreement disagrees
with whoever's in his clique,
when others will not stand with him,
but pass on by, oft double quick.The cardboard gal seems caring
and waves her cardboard loud
with others who'd align with her
in her cardboard waving crowd;
amateur plays her protest
yet she is haughty, proud,and often very, very loud
to vouch for what she's vowed,
but watch her rage and grouse
when others are not cowed
and disengage from cardboard rageout her all-too-cardboard cloud.
Cardboard is but paper
in plies enough to make
it seems as if its strength
is such it will not break;
and yet it is but paper
and sometimes strength is fake,
for who waves their cardboard
would try to make earth shake
with changes with which not all agree
for brittle cardboard's sake,for as one sees in all of this,
not all each protest undertake.
Addendum of the Agonist: "For animals, display is any behaviour modified by evolution that is used to convey information. Animals display particular signs, which recipients can use to infer something about the mental and physical state of the first animal. To avoid the heavy cost of fighting, animals have evolved sophisticated rituals, which they use to bluff their opponents into backing down or fleeing. The cost-benefit model of display makes three assumptions: (1) type of display varies depending on the cost; (2) the risk of the display increases as the effectiveness of display increases; and (3) the value of resource being disputed over determines the choice of display used. Animals have evolved to use their physical attributes as a display of ability. If contests can be resolved with ritual display, fighting is not needed. Display can be used to dispute for mates, territory, and food through symbolic gestures instead of battles to the death. If an animal can display without fighting that he is more physically fit than his opponent, he will have gained more than he would have if he had fought and in the process possibly been injured." In "Agonistic behaviour," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Addendum of Hovering Between Attempts to Forge an Identity: "Every protest, every dissent, whether it's an individual academic paper, Founder's parking lot demonstration, in [ sic ] unabashedly an attempt to forge an identity in this particular age. That attempt at forging for many of us over the past four years has meant coming to terms with our humanness. Within the context of a society that we perceive - - now we can talk about reality, and I would like to talk about reality sometime, authentic reality, inauthentic reality, and what we have to accept of what we see -- but our perception of it is that it hovers often between the possibility of disaster and the potentiality for imaginatively responding to men's needs." In "Commencement Speech, Wellesley College," by Hillary Rodham, Wellesley College, 31 May 1969.
Addendum to a Flock: "In order to be a perfect member of a flock of sheep, one has to be, foremost, a sheep." In "Essay to Leo Baeck (1953)," Albert Einstein, 1953.
Addendum of When Protest Is Wrong: "Some protests are always vicious and never virtuous, such as violent protests against subjects that have not shown any violence or incitement to violence, or protests against legitimate democratic outcomes – one might not like particular outcomes, but in any political system somebody must be disappointed, so to turn that disappointment into a campaign against a legitimate democratic outcome is anti-democratic. In a free and fair democracy, the normative protests of our time are unnecessary, aimless, counter-productive diversions from more virtuous, old-fashioned forms of political engagement, such as researching the issues, deliberating, and developing an argument before writing to Congress. If that sounds burdensome, and protest sounds easier, you’ve realized one of the reasons for the decline in our political discourse. Protesting is the least constructive form of engagement: it reduces discourse to what can fit on a placard or into a chant, encourages in-group/out-group separation, prevents discourse between groups, and encourages self-evaluations based on noise and burden, rather than the quality of evidence or argument." In "When “PROTEST!” is wrong," by Bruce Newsome, Berkeley Blog/UC Berkeley, 2 February 2017.
For an political oddity of recent memory, consider A Modern Observation on The Anti-War Movement
Home with a Mask - (To the melody, "Home on the Range," a classic Western folk song) [ 1 ]
"...we are witnessing the emergence of a dangerous new norm for responding to speakers who challenge campus orthodoxy. Anyone offended by the speaker can put out a call on Facebook to bring together students and locals, including 'antifa' (antifascist) and black-bloc activists who explicitly endorse the use of violence against racists and fascists. Because of flagrant 'concept creep,' however, almost anyone who is politically right of center can be labeled a racist or a fascist, and the promiscuous use of such labels is now part of the standard operating procedure. The call to shut down Mac Donald’s talk asserted, without evidence, that her agenda is 'racist, anti-Black, capitalist, imperialist, [and] fascist.' As with accusations of witchcraft in earlier centuries, once such labels are attached to someone, few will dare to challenge their accuracy, lest they be accused of the same crimes." In "Intimidation Is the New Normal on Campus," by Jonathan Haidt, Chronicle of Higher Education, 26 April 2017. [ 3 ]
Oh, we will rage crass using knuckles of brass,
Where each safe space is brittle as glass,
Where never is heard any unwanted word
As we dears and dear slogans harass.
Refrain:
Home, home with a mask
To riot as scholarly task,
All contrary views are hated taboos,
To submit is just all that we ask.
Oh, let us be tasked with our faces well masked
To build safe spaces ruled by the fist,
Where no one can spew any unwanted view,
Else we dears through our riots "resist."
Addendum of the Jackasses: "Any jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build it." Sam Rayburn, former speaker of the US House of Representatives (1882-1961).
Addendum of the Fascism of the Illiberal Left: "... this behavior must be portrayed as it truly is, as a shameful and pedestrian surrender to authoritarian political doctrine and mob mentality. Considering this, 'fascist' works fairly well as a label for members of the social justice mob. It drives home their authoritarian, ideologically-possessed mindset and tactics which can only be described as systematic brainwashing followed by witch hunts for any who would even think to diverge from the social justice orthodoxy. And for those who think I’m going a step too far and overreacting, watch the videos from Evergreen State, as well as the endless additional footage of ‘social justice warrior’ mobs and 'protests' of college speakers available on YouTube. Witness the actions of these people and how no one steps up to correct them. Watch as they hospitalize a female professor at Middlebury College and receive minimal consequences. Watch as they set University of California, Berkeley ablaze because of the presence of a dissenting political voice. Now, you can watch as they physically and verbally intimidate faculty and students at their own institution, terrorizing them for the heinous crime of being present while white." In "A Liberal’s Perspective: Evergreen College And The Fascism Of The Illiberal Left," by Matt Teitelbaum, Huffington Post, 3 June 2017.
Addendum of Preemptive Violence against Possible Violence: "Left wing 'antifas,' wearing red bandana masks alongside other far-left protesters, have rioted multiple times and caused millions of dollars of damage, with threats from left wing groups even forcing the cancellation of a parade because it featured a float from the local Republican Party. Eager to push back against the opposition, white nationalists have begun mixing with anti-government militia members for 'free speech' rallies. A man who attended one of these rallies would later stab to death two men on a train when they intervened to stop his anti-Muslim rants against two young women. The norms of protest and counterprotest—mostly verbal shouting and sign-waving—are quickly crumbling in Portland. The left wing antifa have even threatened preemptive violence in the name of the defending the city from groups they say promote violence." In "How Liberal Portland Became America’s Most Politically Violent City," by Casey Michel, Politico, 30 June 2017. [ 4 ]
Addendum from 1844: "What I recently read, Fourier and the communists, has much to say in the critical realm—in the organic realm it is always highly problematic; and you are completely right, before one sees the 'how,' there is not much to be said for the idea of a new reality. Heads are confused, and the socialist parties don’t speak much more clearly than they think. Neither the complicated proposals of the Fourierists nor the abolition of private property of the communists can be formulated clearly. Both amount in the end to a veritable police state or slave state. In order to free the proletarians both spiritually and physically from need and the pressure of need, they think of an organization that would make all people experience this need and this pressure. One must accept the challenge of ending the neglect of man at any price, and if it is necessary that the privileged suffer for this, one must accept this too. But is the practical problem even solved in this case? Is freedom achieved when both need for and abundance from the state is evenly distributed? And would men become more humane if some are relieved and some are burdened in that way? The communists say 'yes' and dream of a paradise as soon as the next revolution brings them to the helm, as they believe will happen. The communists are so far removed from humanity and from actual communism that living with them presents no intellectual or social attraction.” [ 5 ]
Addendum of the Repulsive Nature of Violence: "Let us not forget that violence does not and cannot flourish by itself; it is inevitably intertwined with lying ... and the only way lies can hold out is by violence. Whoever has once announced violence as his method must inexorably choose lying as his principle. [The lie] does not always or necessarily go straight for the gullet; usually it demands of its victims only allegiance to the lie, only complicity in the lie. The simple act of an ordinary courageous man is not to take part, not to support lies! Let that [lie] come into the world and even reign over it, but not through me. Once lies have been dispelled, the repulsive nakedness of violence will be exposed – and hollow violence will collapse." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, in his Nobel Lecture of 1970.
NOTES
[ 1 ] " 'Home on the Range' is a classic western folk song, sometimes called the 'unofficial anthem' of the American West. The lyrics were originally written by Dr. Brewster M. Higley of Smith County, Kansas in a poem entitled "My Western Home" in 1872. In 1947, it became the state song of the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2010, members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time." In "Home on the range," Wikipedia article, n. d.
[ 2 ] This banner was carried during the so-called Berkeley riots of 2017. This suggests the intellectual and scholarly naïveté of such students and their faculty and political advisors, for whom the actual meaning of the word 'war' is lost, as they expect to be able to physically intimidate others, but only up to a point long before the use of the weapons of war is actualized.
How different was the original Berkeley Free Speech movement, where "stand for what you believe" melded with notions of "free speech" and the Constitutional protection of that human right. A sign such as "This Is War" would have seemed quite out of place in that era where to be liberal was to be antiwar. Those who protested in the 1960s did not hide behind masks, carry shields and weapons and violently attack others while calling those who did not believe in "lock step" viewpoints as fascists. "An injury to one is an injury to all." Or it was.
[ 3 ] As to "intimidation as the new normal on campus," one reads a cogent observation: "The only thing anyone is allowed to hear on campus is a slogan. Thinking is so 20th century (and early 20th century at that). The adults paid to be in charge have retreated to a safe place, where never is heard an encouraging word and the skies are cloudy all day. The First Amendment has been under the latest assault for months, and this week Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont and onetime chairman of the Democratic Party, finally said out loud what certain prominent Democrats have hinted at and alluded to, that free speech does not necessarily include extending it to anyone who disagrees with them. This poison spread, like so much of the toxic stuff polluting the body politic, from the campuses of the elite." In "Spooked by the power of words, words, words," by Wesley Pruden, Jewish World Review, 28 April 2017.
One would do well to recall: "It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse races." Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar, in "The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson," by Mark Twain (1894). Difference of opinion also stirs free elections.
Without public debate, there is no debate, but there is also no longer political disagreement as power to adjudicate truth, engage in philosophical discussions involving opposing views and make some speech illegal results in what so often has become Totalitarian
It was opined in the article above that "There must be zero tolerance for mob rule, intimidation of speakers, and intimidation of political minorities among students as well as faculty members."
Or it's inverse becomes reality, that there must be complete tolerance for mob rule, intimidation of speakers, and intimidation of political minorities among students as well as faculty members.
And suddenly, one finds mob rule and "dancing bears." Of another university in a mess, one reads: "Watching the way George Bridges, the president of Evergreen, has handled this situation put me in mind of a line from Allan Bloom’s book '“The Closing of the American Mind.' Mr. Bloom was writing about administrators’ reaction to student radicals in the 1960s, but he might as well be writing about Evergreen: 'A few students discovered that pompous teachers who catechized them about academic freedom could, with a little shove, be made into dancing bears.' At a town hall meeting, Mr. Bridges described the protestors as 'courageous' and expressed his gratitude for 'this catalyst to expedite the work to which we are jointly committed.' Of course, there was also pabulum about how 'free speech must be fostered and encouraged.' But if that’s what Mr. Bridges really believes, why isn’t he doing everything in his power to protect a professor who exercised it and condemn the mob that tried to stifle him? The Weinstein saga is just the latest installment in a series of similar instances of illiberalism on American campuses." In "When the Left Turns on Its Own," by Bari Weiss, New York Times, 1 June 2017.
The images above are of mob rule and intimidation. They are the imagery of illiberalism. They are the new images of the postmodern American Left. One must then consider that exemplary and well documented process which occurs when Left to their own devices
[ 4 ] The left-right model is not failing. It has failed repeatedly. With mentions of "illiberalism" in a NYTimes article testifying of this time "when the Left turns on its own," and a Huffington Post article speaks of "the fascism of the illiberal Left," one finds that the postmodern "repressive tolerance" as preached in universities since Herbert Marcuse coined the notion, one finds repression and illiberalism showing their singularly true nature.
That Way is Revolutionary Terror
What is that true nature? One reads: "...developments will not wait for the bills of exchange drawn by the European states on European society to expire. The crushing counter-blow of the June revolution will be struck in Paris. With the victory of the 'red republic' in Paris, armies will be rushed from the interior of their countries to the frontiers and across them, and the real strength of the fighting parties will become evident. We shall then remember this June and this October and we too shall exclaim: Vae victis! The purposeless massacres perpetrated since the June and October events, the tedious offering of sacrifices since February and March, the very cannibalism of the counterrevolution will convince the nations that there is only one way in which the murderous death agonies of the old society and the bloody birth throes of the new society can be shortened, simplified and concentrated, and that way is revolutionary terror." In "The Victory of the Counter-Revolution in Vienna," by Karl Marx, Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 136, November 1848, translated by the Marx-Engels Institute (1994).
Marx Becomes an Icon, with Engels, Lenin and Stalin in a cult of personalities
From 1848, the notion of "revolutionary terror" has attracted the willfully violent, but it has repulsed the non-violent majorities in various nations. Why? One explanation comes from only decades after Marx fantasized about revolutionary terror.
Mao Tse-Tung is added to the iconography in international movements
From 1890, one reads: "The economic quintessence of the socialistic programme, the real aim of the international movement, is as follows. To replace the system of private capital (i. e. the speculative method of production, regulated on behalf of society only by the free competition of private enterprises) by a system of collective capital, that is, by a method of production which would introduce a unified (social or 'collective') organization of national labour, on the basis of collective or common ownership of the means of production by all the members of the society. This collective method of production would remove the present competitive system, by placing under official administration such departments of production as can be managed collectively (socially or cooperatively), as well as the distribution among all the common produce of all, according to eh amount and social utility of the productive labour of each." In "Quintessence of Socialism," by Albert Schäffle, trans. by Bernanrd Bosanquet, Swan Sonnenschein & Company, 1890.
If Marx had a value theory of labor, what was his value theory of "official administration?" The bosses of this "new" socialist program?
Schäffle observes: "As soon as you take out of the theory of social democracy the two essential parts, viz., granting to each one the whole and full profit of his individual work, and measuring this profit according to the extent of the contribution to the social quantity of labour-time; as soon as you put a premium on economical merit, take into consideration the use-value of the contributions of work and the produce, keep in view the assurance of a firm authoritative guidance of the immense business of collective production, -- as soon as you do this, you have scattered to the winds the spirit of democracy; nothing more can then be said about the equal share of every individual in the control, or about a division of the produce of social labour which shall be equally just to all or even equal throughout. Socialism has then no further charm for the masses."
"No further charm for the masses" is obvious historically as the "official administration," i.e. the bosses in the new order, are quite like those in the former. They deem themselves masters, and worth more on the basis of their "official administration" offices, easily painting others as having Sheer Ignorance
Rules for Real Radicals
Thus, images of masked violent protestors and a sign declaring "this is war" remind of another socialist -- this a National Socialist whose words should be remembered, for they explain the strategy of those masked demonstrators of today who have failed to learn the lessons of history, but behave quite like those they supposedly oppose.
"Whoever can conquer the street will one day conquer the state, for every form of power politics and any dictatorship-run state has its roots in the street." Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945).
The model as mere slogan -- Left and Right
[ 5 ] The many militant activists in the moment know little of their history. Arnold Ruges (1802-1880) was a colleague of Karl Marx, who broke with him philosophically. Four years before Marx' Communist Manifesto was published, Ruges noted that Communism would eventually "amount in the end to a veritable police state or slave state."
The original German (with the old "c" replaced by the modern "k") for those interested is as follows: "Was ich neuerdings gelesen, Fourier und die Kommunisten, hat im kritischen viel Grund, im Organischen ist es immer höchst problematisch, und Sie haben ganz Recht, ehe man das Wie siehst, ist von einer neuen Realität nicht viel zu halten. Die Köpfe sind konfus geworden, und die sozialistischen Parteien reden bis jetzt nicht klarer, als sie befinden. Weber die komplizierten Vorschläge der Fournieristen noch die Eigentumsaufhebung der Kommunisten sind klar zu formulieren. Beides läuft immer auf einen förmlichen Polizei- oder Sklavenstaat hinaus. Um den Proletarier von der Not und von dem Druck der Not geistig und körperlich zu befreien, denkt man an eine Organisation, die alle Menschen an dieser Not und diesem Druck teilnehmen lässt. Man muß die Forderung zugeben, daß die Bewahrlosung der Menschen um jeden Preis aufgegeben werde, und wenn es nötig ist, dass die Bevorzugten dafür leiden, so muß man auch dies zugeben. Ist nun aber das praktische Problem damit gelöst? Ist die Freiheit erreicht, wenn die Not wie der Überfluss von Staatswegen gleichmäßig verteilt werden? Und werden die Menschen humaner sein, sobald die einen so erleichtert, die andern so belastet find? Die Kommunisten sagen „ja“ und träumen sich ein Paradies, sobald sie durch die nächste Revolution ans Ruder kommen, wie sie glauben. Aber die Kommunisten sind von der Humanität und von wirklichen Kommunismus so weit entfernt, daß es wieder intellektuellen noch geselligen Reiz hat, mit ihnen zu leben." In "Arnold Ruges briefwechsel und tagebuchblätter ... 1.Bd. (1825-1847), as a letter addressed "An Feuerbach - Paris, 15 May 1844."
The Utopian Belief of Communists Ends in a Veritable Police State or Slave State
The point is clear, and was clear even before the Communist Manifesto was published. As Ruges noted, the Communists "dream of a paradise as soon as the next revolution brings them to the helm, as they believe will happen. The communists are so far removed from humanity and from actual communism that living with them presents no intellectual or social attraction.” In this, Ruges makes the similar observation made later by Erich Kurt Mühsam, who was murdered by the National Socialists.
He wrote: "It is certainly clear that wherever society exits there is no room for the state, but that wherever the state is it is like a thorn in society’s flesh, it does not permit it to form a people who can socially inhale and exhale, and instead divides them into classes and thereby prevents them from being a society. A centralized construct cannot at the same time be a federalist construct. A system of management organized along authoritarian lines is a government, a bureaucracy, a commanding power, and this is the mark of the state; a community built upon equal rights and mutuality is, when considered within the bounds of their physical proximity, a people, when considered as a general form of human living, a society. State and society are opposing concepts; the one excludes the other." Erich Kurt Mühsam, in "The Liberation of Society from the State. What is Communist Anarchism?" (Berlin-Britz, November 1932, Translated by CR Edmonston, 13 Sept 2008).
Ruges worried about idealistic communist goals, such as a worker receiving the "full product of his labor," as today one compares heavy burdens of taxation and debt -- as advised by Lenin, among others -- in the West as authoritarian, "the mark of the state." The modern Left advocates increasing that burden.
The militant Leftists, so easily prone to violence in the name of nominally acting against violence, might carry a banner saying "become ungovernable," but "this is war" is not aimed at becoming "ungovernable," but at acting as the revolutionaries whose revolution, in Ruges imagery, will "bring them to the helm, as they believe will happen."
Since the mid-1800s this has been understood. And today, as then, it is Left in an open book
An Inexorable Path to an Oppressive State
A summary of a century's history reinforces this message: ".. if we’ve learned one lesson from the communist century, it is this: That to implement Marxist ideals is to betray them. Marx’s call to 'abolish private property' was a clarion call to action—and an inexorable path to the creation of an oppressive, unchecked state. A few socialists began to recognize that there could be no freedom without markets and private property. When they made their peace with the existence of capitalism, hoping to regulate rather than to abolish it, they initially elicited denunciations as apostates. Over time, more socialists embraced the welfare state, or the market economy with redistribution." In "The Communist Century," by Stephen Kotkin, Wall Street Journal, 3 November 2017.
A similar editorial which rankled the American enthusiasts for communism is found: "The irony of the series' title, 'Red Century,' seems lost on the Times's editors. The 20th century was 'red' indeed — red with the blood of communism's victims. The death toll of communism, cited in 'The Black Book of Communism,' is simply staggering: In the USSR, nearly 20 million dead; China, 65 million; Vietnam, 1 million; Cambodia, 2 million; Eastern Europe, 1 million; Africa, 1.7 million; Afghanistan, 1.5 million; North Korea: 2 million (and counting). In all, Communist regimes killed some 100 million people — roughly four times the number killed by the Nazis — making communism the most murderous ideology in human history." In "The New York Times keeps whitewashing communism’s crimes," by Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 10 November 2017.
The point behind the Washington Post editorial is clear. To espouse communism -- which will work out well next time it is tried -- must also account for these "100 million people" dead because of one over-arching ideology of the state as dictatorship to birth the new utopian world. Again..
Heine reminds us: "Communism possesses a language which every people can understand – its elements are hunger, envy, and death."
" 'I speak on my own behalf, I am worried about what I have done and what I should have done. If our actions were correct, we would not be in this situation today, but I believe all of us, all officials, past and present, should apologise to the people. This [apology] is even more necessary for those who wear the clerical cloth'. In the last years of his life, Ardebili seemed to have finally realised the harms done to religion itself by mixing it with politics. 'If this revolution is lost, as well as all the opportunities that will be lost for the people, the reputation and credibility of the Shia clergy will be lost too. Our actions and shortcomings have nothing to do with the enlightened religion of Islam and the school of Shia, but nevertheless that's not how people will make their judgements, if they see us do evil they will blame the religion itself'." In "When the Henchman Weeps – The Ayatollah who Apologised for his Role in the Revolution," by Potkin Azarmehr, Kayhan London, 23 November 2016.
It's not what we say
but what we do
that gives it all away.
It's not just the words
but dreadful acts
that conclusions undergirds.
It's not in the texts
but what lashes out
that tells and well connects.
It's not the verbose
but the murderous acts;
nothing else comes close.
It's not just the prose
but how we prance
as words into acts transpose.
It's not what we've said
but what we've done
which to this sad world has led.
Addendum of What's Looming: "Horrifyingly, although home to only 5% of the world’s population, in 2014 the Arab world accounted for 45% of the world’s terrorism, 68% of its battle-related deaths, 47% of its internally displaced and 58% of its refugees. War not only kills and maims, but destroys vital infrastructure accelerating the disintegration. The Arab youth population (aged 15-29) numbers 105m and is growing fast, but unemployment, poverty and marginalisation are all growing faster. The youth unemployment rate, at 30%, stands at more than twice the world’s average of 14%. Almost half of young Arab women looking for jobs fail to find them (against a global average of 16%). Yet governance remains firmly the domain of an often hereditary elite." In "Another Arab awakening is looming, warns a UN report," Economist, 29 November 2016.
Addendum of Another Islamic State Horror Is Done: "Abdullah Al-Malla, a local media activist, has told the Kurdish news agency ARA News, that the girls were burnt alive after they refused to have sex with the fighters of the group. 'They were punished for refusing to have sex with Isis militants,' Al-Malla said." In "ISIS burns 19 Yazidi girls to death for refusing sex with group’s fighters," Khama Press, Afghan News Agency, 10 June 2017.
Consider the Ayatollah's apology in light of varying views in mere words on The religion of peace
Rainbow'd beams flooding through
My rosiest-colored glasses
Allow one vision, pure and true,
Of unicorns passing gasses;
I know you shall see -- oh! -- too,
You laddies and you lasses,
My rainbow'd dreams in one green hue
To dye the willing masses.
All else is that blinded view
Refusing god-greened classes
Wherein bright courtiers breed and brew
Generations of jackasses.
"Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan said his office has concluded an investigation into the invoices and billing practices of Dr. Jonathan Gruber, an economic consultant who contracted with the state to provide policy expertise, research and economic modeling for Vermont’s abandoned single-payer healthcare system. Former Gov. Peter Shumlin sought to create the single-payer system, known as Green Mountain Care, but eventually walked away from the plan after determining it would cost too much. The attorney general’s office’s began the investigation into Gruber’s billing after receiving a referral by State Auditor Doug Hoffer. Donovan said Thursday his office and Gruber reached an agreement to settle the state’s potential legal claim that Gruber submitted false claims to the state under Vermont’s Civil False Claims Act. Donovan said his office concluded that Gruber’s conduct violated the Vermont Civil False Claims Act. Gruber denied a violation, but in order to resolve the case, he agreed to forgo any further payments from the state that he might be owed." In "Health consultant probe," Vermont Press Bureau, Rutland Herald, 19 August 2017.
One seeks until the costs are known;
Then one no longer seeks.
Such is the nature of man's myths,
And the havoc seeking wreaks.
One seeks with claims to prove,
Though claims oft falsified,
And at the many of our tales
One learn some seekers lied.
One seeks and then the costs betray
Each quest which gleamed like gold,
Until the gold proved leaden
As many oracles foretold.
What works, just works, as one might see,
And all is plain as day,
And what can never, ever work
Simply melts away.
Consider a Myth as Costs Are Being Known: A Countdown Song
Wall, fence, border, gate
Serve to separate;
Tear then down? Much will fail
At a rapid rate.Wall, fence, border, gate,
Criticized of late,
Clearly all of these entail
Safety in some state.Wall, fence, border, gate?
Consternation great
Quickly turns oh so stale
When failings correlate.Wall, fence, border, gate?
Who'd have none of late?
Thieves will cheer and hail
As thefts accumulate.Wall? Fence? Border? Gate?
Passwords? Locks checkmate?
Open all and much will fail,
As idiocies celebrate.Wall, fence, border, gate?
All these, advocate,
As their builders' countervail
Protests to their fate.
Addendum of a Mexican Fence: "Mexicans are calling for the border wall to keep out Guatemalans, Salvadorans and Hondurans fleeing violence in their own countries. They complain 'hordes' of immigrants pass through on their way to the United States -who are then simply deported back to Mexico rather than their home countries by the US. Central American migrants are left stuck in border cities with Mexican officials unable to afford to send them back to their own countries, according to an article by one of the largest newspapers in the border state of Tamaulipas, El Mañana, titled: 'Yes to the Border Wall … but in Mexico's South'." In "Now Mexico wants to build a border wall with Central America to keep out illegal immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala," by Hannah Parry, Daily Mail, 15 September 2016. [ 1 ]
Addendum of a Hungarian Fence: "Hungary is planning to build a second fence on its southern border with Serbia to keep out any major new wave of refugees, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced. A 500km barrier - a razor-wire fence - was built last year along Hungary's border with Serbia and Croatia after the country witnessed an increase of refugees moving up from the Balkans towards northern Europe." In "Hungary to build second border fence to stop refugees," Al Jazeera, 26 August 2016. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Saudi Arabia's Great Wall: "The border zone now includes five layers of fencing with watch towers, night-vision cameras and radar cameras. Riyadh also sent an extra 30,000 troops to the area. It is not the only fence with which Saudi Arabia has chosen to surround itself. Despite the difficulty of access to westerners, the country is relatively open to fellow Muslim nations, particularly during the Haj season when pilgrims from across the world come to Mecca and Medina." In "Revealed: Saudi Arabia's 'Great Wall' to keep out Isil," by Richard Spencer, Telegraph UK, 14 January 2015.
Addendum of Iran's Pakistani Fence: "Iran's building, completing the fence on its border with Pakistan to keep out terrorists." In "Iran Completing Fence On Its Border With Pakistan To Keep Out Terrorists," IRNA, Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies, 13 March 2013.
Addendum for the Bulgarian Fence: "...a tour of a high wire fence along the Bulgaria Turkey border by Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban and his Bulgarian counterpart, Boyko Borissov. 'The future of Europe is decided not in Brussels, but where we stand,' said Orban, reported Bulgarian media outlet novinite.com." In "Hard and virtual borders await migrants to EU," by Nikolaj Nielsen, EU Observer, 15 September 2016. [ 3 ]
Addendum of the Kashmiri Line of Control: "The Line of Control, a de-facto border between the two countries separating Kashmir, is one of the most heavily militarised frontiers in the world and the incident has sparked fears of a military escalation. The incident has come at a time when Indian-administered, Muslim-majority Kashmir is already in the midst of some of the worst unrest seen in years." In "Kashmir attack: What's behind the deadliest militant raid in years?" BBC, 19 September 2016.
Addendum of Turkey's Massive Wall Being Constructed: "Turkey’s Housing Development Administration has begun construction of the remaining 700 kilometers of a massive wall designed to seal its 900-kilometer border with Syria. The first 200 kilometer-long length of the wall has already gone out to tender, and is to be built by the country’s Defense Ministry, together with the governors’ offices of the neighboring provinces. It is expected that the remaining section of the 'security wall' will be completed within the next five months, Housing Development Administration director Ergün Turan told the Turkish Hurriyet Daily News." In "Turkey Builds Huge Security Wall Along Its Syrian Border," by Hana Levi Julian, Jewish Press, 5 October 2016.
Addendum of Turkey's Sealed Borders: "Turkey, which has taken in almost 3 million Syrian refugees in recent years, has sealed off its borders in the wake of the spring 2016 refugee deal with the European Union. Syrians who seek to enter Turkey via airplane or ship from a third country, such as Lebanon or Jordan, require a visa, but officials only rarely issue them. And the overland route is blocked." In "The Death Strip at the Turkish-Syrian Border," by Riham Alkousaa and Maximilian Popp, Spiegel Online, 7 December 2016.
Addendum of Turkey Completing Its Fence: "The wall was designed as a security measure and is made of concrete blocks. Photos from the ministry show the tops of the blocks are covered in barbed wire and there are guard towers placed at intervals. The project was done in cooperation with TOKI, the state-run public housing body. The body said the wall is about three metres high. The full length of the border is 911 kilometres." In "Turkey completes 556-Km border wall with Syria," Gulf Times, 11 April 2017.
Addendum of Thailand and Malaysia Agreeing on a Border Wall: "The leaders of Thailand and Malaysia agreed on Friday to boost security cooperation and consider building a border wall to combat transnational crime and smuggling, an idea that appears to be gaining popularity elsewhere in the world. People- trafficking and the smuggling of contraband, including drugs and petrol, have flourished along the Thai-Malay border for years until a crackdown by Thai officials on human traffickers caused some of the routes to shut down last year. Analysts say separatist insurgents operating in Thailand’s deep south use Malaysia as a base to launch and plan their attacks." In "Thailand and Malaysia discuss building border wall to enhance security and curb trafficking," South China Morning Post, 10 September 2016.
Addendum of Israel's Security Fence: "In Israel, the security fence has done an effective job of keeping Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists outside of Israeli communities, and the fence built to keep African illegal infiltrators from coming into Israel through the Sinai Desert does its job as well – and other countries are learning from Israel's success. The latest is Hungary which, although it does not have the problem of terrorists sneaking over the border to carry out terror attacks in Hungarian supermarkets and coffee shops, is building 13 foot (4 meter) high fence anyway – to keep job-seekers from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Albania and other third world countries out." In "Good Enough for the EU: Hungary to Build Anti-Migrant 'Wall'," by Yaakov Levi, Arutz Sheva, 17 June 2015.
Addendum of the Theater of It: " 'The one thing all these walls have in common is that their main function is theatre,' said Marcello Di Cintio, author of 'Walls: Travels Along the Barricades'. You can't dismiss that illusion, it's important to people, but they provide the sense of security, not real security.' The limits of their effectiveness are visible everywhere - not least, with the migrants and refugees sitting on top of the fence along the border with Morocco and the small Spanish enclave of Mellila, on the North African coast. Even the fearsome Berlin Wall with its trigger-happy sentries still leaked thousands of refugees even in its most forbidding years." In "World of walls: How 65 countries have erected fences on their borders – four times as many as when the Berlin Wall was toppled – as governments try to hold back the tide of migrants," by Simon Tomlinson, Mail Online, 21 August 2015.
Addendum of the Gertrude Stein Definition: "The First Amendment right to protest the government ends when you use a bolt cutter to breach a security fence and enter a restricted area, a federal judge told six people he found guilty Wednesday for their actions during a chaotic protest outside last summer’s Democratic National Convention in South Philadelphia. 'A fence is a fence is a fence,' Senior U.S. District Judge Michael J. Baylson told the six out-of-towners after finding each guilty of trespassing on restricted federal grounds, a misdemeanor. 'As a matter of common sense,' said the judge, 'when an adult sees a fence, it is clear that is a restriction'." In "6 DNC protesters found guilty in federal court," by Mensah M. Dean, Philly.com, 14 June 2017.
Addendum of the French Connection: " 'The terror threat remains high in Paris and the most vulnerable sites, led by the Eiffel Tower, must be the object of special security measures,' Martins said. He added that the glass wall would allow full view of the tower while preventing individuals or vehicles from storming the attraction that draws 6 million visitors a year. Critics said the wall, slated to go up in the fall, could undermine the French capital's tourism industry that is already in a slump after a series of terrorist attacks that killed more than 200 people since 2015." In "Eiffel Tower to be surrounded by $20M bulletproof glass wall by year's end," by Maya Vidon, USA Today, 15 February 2017.
Addendum of the Invasion of De-Fence-Less Europe Discusses Fences: "European Council President Donald Tusk called Friday for U.N. sanctions against migrant smugglers illegally taking people to Europe - notably in Libya, where lawlessness has allowed a lucrative trade in smuggling African migrants northward. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said that would-be migrants should be stopped at the EU's outer borders and sent back to their homelands after being rescued and given any care needed. Kurz has previously suggested that some NGOs rescuing migrants on the high seas might be in collusion with human smugglers." In "Paris evacuates nearly 2,800 migrants as arrivals surge," by Nicolas Garriga and Angela Charlton, Associated Press, 7 July 2017. [ 4 ]
Addendum of Another Wall: "German police placed concrete barriers in front of Cologne's world famous gothic cathedral on Wednesday after reports that Islamist militants sought to target Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia, another icon of ecclesiastical architecture." In "Cologne Cathedral Walled off in Post-Barcelona Security Rethink," USNews and World Report, 23 August 2017.
Addendum of Wall by Other Names: "Barriers and police and army vehicles have been placed around St. Peter's Basilica to make it harder for a vehicle to gather speed in an attack such as the one last week in Barcelona, which killed 13 people." In "Vatican prepared for Barcelona-style terror attack - Swiss Guard," Times of Malta, 25 August 2017.
Addendum of the Turkish-Syrian Wall: "Modular walls are being erected along the Turkish-Syrian borderline with seven-ton mobile blocks, two meters wide and three meters high. The blocks have also been topped with a one-meter-high razor wire. An electronic layer consists of close-up surveillance systems, thermal cameras, land surveillance radar, remote-controlled weapons systems, command-and-control centers, line-length imaging systems and seismic and acoustic sensors." In "Turkey finishes construction of 764-km security wall on Syria border," Daily Sabah, 9 June 2018.
NOTES
[ 1 ] While a defensible border between the United States and Mexico is deemed wrong in much election year debate, the calls in Mexico for a southern border fence between Mexico and Central America continue, making a reality there.
One reads: "Few politicians have made public speeches about such matters. But Deputy Foreign Minister Gerónimo Gutiérrez recently acknowledged that Mexico's immigration laws were 'tougher than those being contemplated by the United States,' where the authorities caught 1.5 million people illegally crossing the Mexican border last year. He spoke before a congressional panel to discuss 'Mexico in the Face of the Migratory Phenomenon'." In "Mexico Worries About Its Own Southern Border," by Ginger Thompson, New York Times, 18 June 2016.
Additionally, one reads: "According to the head of customs for Mexico’s tax administration, Raul Diaz, the Mexican border state of Chiapas is constructing a wall along the country’s southern border with Guatemala, along the river Suchiate which divides the countries. Diaz says the purpose of the wall is to prevent the passage of contraband, but admits, 'It could also prevent the free passage of illegal immigrants'." In "Mexico Building Fence… on Its Southern Border," Fox, 23 September 2010.
As one moves from demarcated debate to a next debate, the imposition of double standards abound. This is particularly true for politicians, almost all of whom live behind defensible gates. There is much irony in this, is there not?
[ 2 ] European Union apparatchiks complain of Hungary: " 'Anyone, like Hungary, who builds fences against war refugees or breaches press freedom and the independence of the justice system should be temporarily, or if needed forever, excluded from the EU'." In "EU should expel Hungary for mistreating migrants, Luxembourg minister says," by Madeline Chambers and Marton Dunai, Reuters, 13 September 2016.
The reply was unequivocal: "Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said his country had defended Europe throughout its history, and described his Luxembourg colleague as 'condescending, uppity, and frustrated'."
[ 3 ] "Wall, fence, border, gate? serve sometimes opposing principles: to keep some in, and to keep some out. One reads of Bulgaria: "Less than two decades after the painstaking removal of a massive border fence designed to keep people in, Bulgarian authorities are just as painstakingly building a new fence along the rugged Turkish border, this time to keep people out. Faced with a surge of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa — and the risk that they include jihadis intent on terrorist attacks — Europe is bolstering its defenses on many fronts, including this formerly Communist country, which little more than a quarter-century ago was more concerned with stanching the outbound flow of its own citizens to freedom. For the past 16 months, Bulgaria has been carrying out a plan that would sound familiar to anyone along the United States-Mexico frontier: more border officers, new surveillance equipment and the first 20-mile section of its border fence, which was finished in September." In "Bulgaria Puts Up a New Wall, but This One Keeps People Out," by Rick Lyman, New York Times, 5 April 2015.
[ 4 ] So many European politicians who espoused and continue to espouse open borders are now finding porous borders as the root of growing problems of demographic consequences and lawlessness. " 'We have evidence that there are direct contacts between certain NGOs [non-governmental organisations] and people traffickers in Libya,' Mr Zuccaro is quoted as saying in La Stampa. ...Mr Zuccaro's comments come amid growing criticism of NGO activity in the Mediterranean, including one leading politician saying it was tantamount to providing a taxi service to Europe." In "Italy migrant crisis: Charities 'colluding' with smugglers," BBC, 23 April 2017.
Therein lies the basic contrast. Fences, borders, walls and other obstacles versus open borders. The tickle becomes a flood and the flood becomes catastrophic. Yet so many immigration activists pretend to morality, standing against borders and for open migrant flows. Consider in the light of Europe's growing problems, just how A politician thinks
Kids parade their Tan Drums
As is the way of things
Which beat and burst and bust
When life delivers stings.
The Tan Drums' bleating oh so loud
Are of our Terrible Toos.
When not getting their own way,
They loudly scream the blues.
The Tan Drums seem so numerous
With amplifications' glare,
Hogging some cameras' tiny lens
With their Tan Drums angry blare.
Who will choose to die in the streets
As professional tests predict?
Violent protests most break out
As Tan Drums so depict.
Putsch your faith in Tan Drums' beat
Because they will it so.
This is today and every day
As was in time not long ago.
There's plenty to see,
so why not look?
There's plenty to learn
from an unread book.
There's that to be gleaned
by hook and crook.
There's that next twist
in the ambling brook.
There's much surprise
after thought things shook.
There's tasty novelty
from the cleverest cook.
There's plenteousness
which awaits your grasp
if but your rigidity
you'd unclasp.
It's nuts to be a student
faced with debts' arrears,
And nuts to be a student
with pronoun errors as fears,
And nuts to be a student
when told that fiction's fact,
And nuts to be a student
when questioning's attacked,
And nuts to be a student
as anxiety floods the schools,
And nuts to be a student
with arbitrary, changing rules,
And nuts to be a student
where standards burn like flags,
And nuts to be a student,
when lectures are just nags,
And nuts to be a student
when sheepskins' prices rise,
And nuts to be a student
when so distant seems the prize.
Therefore in the current milieu,
What's to say? Just nuts to you?
Addendum of the Price: "Through diplomas, increasingly inflated grades and the drumbeat of college self-promotion, these students had been told they had received a great education. The fact that the typical student spent three times as much time socializing and recreating in college as studying and going to class didn’t change that belief. Nor did unsteady employment outcomes and, for the large majority of those surveyed, continued financial dependence on their parents. Students who were interviewed in depth by Mr. Arum and Ms. Roksa put great stock in collegiate social experiences that often came at the expense of academic work, emphasizing the value of the personal relationships they built." In "The Economic Price of Colleges’ Failures," by Kevin Carey, New York Times, 2 September 2014. [ 1 ]
Addendum of Costing Too Much: "College costs too much, both for students and for society as a whole. This year, according to the College Board, average published in-state tuition and fee plus room/board charges exceed $17,000 at four-year public institutions, a 6% increase from only one year earlier. In 2009, spending by Americans for post-secondary education totaled $461 billion, an amount 42% greater than in 2000, after accounting for inflation. This $461 billion is the equivalent of 3.3% of total U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and an amount greater than the total GDP of countries such as Sweden, Norway and Portugal. The public is taking notice." In "Why does college cost so much?" by Richard Vedder and Matthew Denhart, CNN, 2 December 2011. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Collegiate-related Anxieties: "Ohio State has seen a 43% jump in the past five years in the number of students being treated at the university’s counseling center. At the University of Central Florida in Orlando, the increase has been about 12% each year over the past decade. At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, demand for counseling-center services has increased by 36% in the last seven years. Nationwide, 17% of college students were diagnosed with or treated for anxiety problems during the past year, and 13.9% were diagnosed with or treated for depression, according to a spring 2016 survey of 95,761 students by the American College Health Association. That is up from 11.6% for anxiety and 10.7% for depression in the spring 2011 survey." In "Students Flood College Mental-Health Centers," by Andrea Petersen, Wall Street Journal, 10 October 2016. [ 3 ]
Addendum of Assessing Adult Literacy: "Researchers administered the National Assessment of Adult Literacy to collect the data, which revealed that over 75% of 2- year college students and 50% of 4-year college students are incapable of completing everyday tasks. These tasks range from straightforward to complex, and fall into three categories: reading comprehension, critical thinking and analysis, and practical mathematics. Most participants easily carried out simple activities such as utilizing a map or consulting a nutrition label. The latter category –which includes calculating restaurant tips, utility bills, order totals, and supply costs – yielded more surprising results. About 20% of students in 4-year schools demonstrated only basic mathematical ability, while a steeper 30% of community college students could not progress past elementary arithmetic." In "Study Finds College Students Remarkably Incompetent," by Stefi Morisi, New Forum for Lawyers, 21 June 2012.
Addendum of Administrators as a Fast-rising Cost to Students and Taxpayers: "The disproportionate increase in the number of university staffers who neither teach nor conduct research has continued unabated in more recent years, and slowed only slightly since the start of the economic downturn, during which time colleges and universities have contended that a dearth of resources forced them to sharply raise tuition. In all, from 1987 until 2011-12—the most recent academic year for which comparable figures are available—universities and colleges collectively added 517,636 administrators and professional employees, or an average of 87 every working day, according to the analysis of federal figures, by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting in collaboration with the nonprofit, nonpartisan social-science research group the American Institutes for Research. 'There's just a mind-boggling amount of money per student that’s being spent on administration,' said Andrew Gillen, a senior researcher at the institutes. 'It raises a question of priorities'." In "New Analysis Shows Problematic Boom In Higher Ed Administrators,' by Jon Marcus, New England Center for Investigative Reporting via Huffington Post, 6 February 2014.
Addendum of the Free College Conundrum: "Then there is the question of how to buy out tuition in an era of squeezed public budgets, a conundrum that can cause even those open to the concept to think twice. When a free college proposal first surfaced in California in March, a spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown’s Department of Finance dismissed it as a 'noble goal that comes with a very significant price tag'." In " 'Free college' is a new rallying cry in California," by Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee, 5 September 2017. [ 4 ]
Addendum of Competition for Over-Priced, Tuition-Based Universities: "For the first time ever, any student anywhere can take top-quality courses online in every major freshman college subject, taught by professors from the most prestigious universities, that lead to full academic credit at 2,900 traditional colleges, such as Purdue, Penn State, Colorado State and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, all absolutely free. There is no tuition cost. No text book cost. No administrative or connection fees. No taxpayer subsidy or federal Title IV funding required. And this is not a plan for the future, but a working reality available to students now, already built, entirely as a private 501(c)(3) philanthropy, at an exceptionally efficient price." In "Free College Is Now Here … Really," by Steve Klinsky, Real Clear Life, 21 August 2017.
Addendum of Expected Defaults: "Half of student loan borrowers haven't paid even $1 toward their debt's principal five years into repayment, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Forty percent of student loan borrowers are expected to default by 2023, according to the Brookings Institution." In "These Americans fled the country to escape their giant student debt," by Annie Nova, CNBC, 27 October 2018. [ 5 ]
NOTES
[ 1 ] The NYT article notes that the eventual workplace -- sometimes called the college of hard knocks -- will sort out what colleges and universities simply have not.
A Fundamental Failure in the Higher Education Market
One reads from that article: "...within the large population of college graduates, those who were poorly taught are paying an economic price. Because they didn’t acquire vital critical thinking skills, they’re less likely to get a job and more likely to lose the jobs they get than students who received a good education. Yet those same students continue to believe they got a great education, even after two years of struggle. This suggests a fundamental failure in the higher education market — while employers can tell the difference between those who learned in college and those who were left academically adrift, the students themselves cannot."
As one mulls over enormous tuition costs in reference to not "acquiring critical thinking skills," the obvious question is one of asking for what a student is paying, if not the acquisition of critical thinking skills. But one sees in the day how easy it has become for students to take their appointed place in line, at the Fa Queue
[ 2 ] One should take notice of the details as "college costs too much" in order to better understand. Watching tuition rise dramatically and heeding the business wisdom that personnel costs are so often the largest cost, one may survey those academic elite who are being supported by "too much." Consider the remuneration details as Doctor Oppression comes to call
In addition to an overpaid academic elite, measured against media incomes in every state, uninformed students sign debt instruments without fully understanding the implications.
Borrowing Trouble
One reads: "In their paper, titled 'Accounting for the Rise in College Tuition,' the two maintain that the combined effect of all policy and nonpolicy factors that they studied generate a $6,300 increase in yearly net tuition. Whereas average net tuition stood at $5,700 in 1987, today it is about $11,000, their study states." In "2 Econ Professors Cite Student Borrowing as Contributor to Rising Tuition," by Jamaal Abdul-Alim, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 12 April 2016.
Colleges Don't Teach Caveat Emptor
Caveat emptor is not among subjects taught to the academic underclass -- most students.
Until now, most students have been blissfully unaware, as one reads: "The Collegiate Learning Assessment is just what it sounds like: a test that measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, and communications skills in college students. Several years ago, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa reported that most students didn't improve much on this test after four years of college, and a full third didn't improve at all. Now they've written a follow-up, which concludes, unsurprisingly, that students with high CLA scores do better in the job market than students with low scores." In "Colleges Don't Teach Much, but College Students Don't Know It," by Kevin Drum, Mother Jones, 4 September 2014.
One finds that some colleges teach failure: "At four-year colleges, just under half of students who received Pell Grants — federal aid awarded to millions of low income families each year — went on to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years, according to a Money analysis of Education Department data released Thursday. That’s compared with 67% of students who did not receive the grant. Even students at top colleges struggled. At colleges that admit less than a third of applicants, graduation rates were much higher, but the overall gap was nearly as wide: Pell Grant recipients had a 71.9% graduation rate, compared with 87.9% for the rest of students. Overall graduation rates, including both students who qualify for Pell Grants and those who do not, were 66% for private colleges and 59% at public colleges, according to the data, which tracked students who enrolled in 2010 through the end of last year." In "The government spends billions to help send low-income students to college. Only half are graduating," by Kaitlin Mulhere, MSN Money, 22 October 2017.
[ 3 ] The leap in anxieties is logical, considering the rapid rise in tuition, swift proliferation of new and often seemingly arbitrary speech and behavior rules, mixed in with a lowering of job prospects upon graduation.
Remarkable Incompetency
Even retraining after college becomes a necessity for potential employers. One reads: "NBC News reported that Fortune 500 companies shell out $3 billion annually to train employees in 'basic English.' Sending workers to 'remedial business writing classes' was common practice at Valor, a former telecommunications company that merged in 2006. Finney and Baldi view the recent study as a profound glimpse into the weaknesses of higher education. Both hope that data will inspire government and university officials to raise graduation requirements and make intellectual rigor the new standard." In "Study Finds College Students Remarkably Incompetent," by Stefi Morisi, New Forum for Lawyers, 21 June 2012.
Conflating phrases above, "remarkably incompetent" graduates who "don't know" of their incompetence is the stuff of anxieties aplenty.
Sadly, there are many options besides the pursuit of Degrees on the wall
Today's students -- and graduates of the various levels of the educational system -- are being proven stupid, and perhaps intentionally so. One reads: "...the essence of our collective stupidity comes out: 'US research has shown that most young, digital-savvy school and college students have difficulties in identifying fake news.' What this means is, if you are not tethered to a smart-device, you are even more susceptible Putin puppets. The study referred to is from brilliant Stanford students who discovered “amazingly” that the same age group that cannot name the first president of the United States or find Canada on a map, also cannot figure the truth from fiction. The Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) released yet another useless report showing how lame American students are these days. Interestingly, one of the most liberal and most anti-Trump publications in the world, The Atlantic also blamed Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump on a lack of civics education. As far back as 2000 education reports revealed that 65 percent of college seniors surveyed failed to pass a high-school level American history test, while this recent National Association of Scholars (NAS) study revealed that college student knowledge of Western Civilization and the so-called 'Big Picture' has practically vanished. Vanished knowledge! And it takes Stanford studies to show young people cannot discern?" In "Get Ready for the World Truth Ministry and the Unimaginable," by Phil Butler, New Eastern Outlook, 14 June 2017.
The scam is complete, for now. Over-paid academics teach unmarketable skill sets and "theory" of one kind or another, generally subsets of anti-capitalist political philosophy, all the while seeking ever larger salaries and perks for themselves in the hunt for money, postmodernist style. And the students dutifully learn that "the so-called 'Big Picture' has practically vanished."
It's nuts to be that sort of student today, given that great books alone available in almost all libraries and online are a wealth of knowledge to those who would learn. For almost no expense except individual effort.
[ 4 ] How might one pay for "free college?" One way to lessen tuition is to require high-paid administrative personnel to enjoy significant reductions in salaries, perhaps pegged to the media income of a state. Consider the payroll numbers documented as Doctor Oppression comes to call
Might those academic, professorial and administrative economic one percenters want to "give back?" Various media reports suggest they will not, for reducing an academic salary to even twice the median income of a surrounding population would be oppression. It's a good game, when all is said and done.
And so, dear students....
Vacuum up future earnings
And pay them as tuition;
This is how universities work,
Their elite savor fruition.
Students, suck your future dry
And pay now for tomorrow.
This is why universities
Urge you on to borrow.
[ 5 ] Defaults? Indeed. One reads further: "Flows of student debt into serious delinquency - of 90 or more days - rose to 9.1 percent in the third quarter from 8.6 percent in the previous quarter, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported on Friday. That propelled the biggest jump in the overall U.S. delinquency rate in seven years." In "Student delinquencies up as U.S. household debt hits another record," by Jonathan Spicer, Reuters, 16 November 2018.
I saw that which was ugly;
someone said to never judge.
I saw something meaningless;
on meaning I would not budge.
I saw something beautiful,
and was lectured for my sin.
I saw someone try to rule
my thoughts which lay within.
I saw something moving
behind scenes, darkened, grim;
I saw and I turned away
on more than just a whim.
I saw something and I thought
a judgment would be apt.
I saw and spoke of what I thought
and thus my path was mapped.
One plus one equals cat,
And if you're fine with that,
Cat plus hat sums up a pipe
As a scrawny sort of fat.Two subtracts from up,
When splashed into its cup,
As two at three will snipe
When together they would sup.Three will argue four;
Windows are shown the door.
Five will fife to earn its stripe
As drums the beating roar.Sixes and sevens are at
When complexity falls flat,
Past eight counts nine who gripe
That ten is racket's bat.Won plus one will lose
Ignoring history's muse.
One will wait until what's ripe
Pervades the evening's news.
Addendum of Hong Kong in South America but Fake News in Macedonia: "Veles used to make porcelain for the whole of Yugoslavia. Now it makes fake news. This sleepy riverside town in Macedonia is home to dozens of website operators who churn out bogus stories designed to attract the attention of Americans. Each click adds cash to their bank accounts." In "The Fake News Machine," by Florence Davey-Attlee and Isa Soares, CNN, 13 September 2017.
Addendum of CNN Complaining about the Term It Uses: " Research by the Columbia Journalism Review shows that people in three other countries increasingly believe that the 'mainstream' media peddle fabricated stories. In countries where a free press is a luxury and free speech is not guaranteed, this phrase is being as an excuse to clamp down on both. Terminology matters, and using it simply 'because everyone else uses it' is no longer good enough." In "Ban the term 'fake news'," by Hossein Derakhshan and Claire Wardle, CNN, 26 November 2017.
Addendum of Nearly Four Decades of a Documented Untruth: "We know that because CNN itself admitted to the world back in 2003 that it routinely suppressed important stories of Saddam Hussein's atrocities and brutality in Iraq. Then-chief news executive Eason Jordan wrote the network wanted to protect the safety of its reporters and other staff in Baghdad. That was his explanation for why CNN didn't report what it knew about Saddam's regime in between the two Gulf wars. At the time it seemed Jordan was expecting to be lauded for his efforts. The result was the opposite. Critics from the right and left pilloried him and the network for keeping a bureau open to continue to pump out sanitized, or as some would even call it, 'fake' news. We'll just have to take Blitzer's word for it now that CNN isn't continuing that self-censoring practice. But we do know that the 'nearly four decades' part of his rebuttal is a documented untruth." In "ABC News blunder helps Trump score a point in his war on 'fake news'," by Jake Novak, CNBC, 4 December 2017. [ 1 ]
Addendum of the Humiliation Orgy: "The humiliation orgy was kicked off by CNN, with MSNBC and CBS close behind, with countless pundits, commentators and operatives joining the party throughout the day. By the end of the day, it was clear that several of the nation’s largest and most influential news outlets had spread an explosive but completely false news story to millions of people, while refusing to provide any explanation of how it happened." In "The U.S. Media Yesterday Suffered its Most Humiliating Debacle in Ages: Now Refuses All Transparency Over What Happened," by Glenn Greenwald, Intercept, 9 December 2017. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Two-Thirds: "Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the mainstream press is full of fake news, a sentiment that is held by a majority of voters across the ideological spectrum. According to data from the latest Harvard-Harris poll, which was provided exclusively to The Hill, 65 percent of voters believe there is a lot of fake news in the mainstream media." In "Poll: Majority says mainstream media publishes fake news," by Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 24 May 2019.
NOTES
[ 1 ] In the "news" media's pursuit for what has been called "advocacy journalism." to purport to be unbiased is foolhardy. The above revisit to CNN's "routinely" suppressing "important stories" which has been criticized by "critics from the right and the left," was written in the context of an ABC report of which Novak, above, notes: "We all saw that in the starkest terms on Friday, as ABC News broke into its regular programming with a special report saying then-presidential candidate Donald Trump had directed Gen. Mike Flynn to make contact with the Russians in 2016. It turned out that report was woefully incorrect. The network had to clarify and then correct the story before suspending the reporter responsible, Brian Ross, for four weeks without pay."
The editorial on CNBC suggests that the media is doing itself a disfavor by rushing to incorrect conclusions. Public sentiment seems to concur, as a populace's distrust of media is growing. Is the public to be blamed, when Hong Kong, as noted in the graphic above, is located in South America? Yet CNN, which still includes "nearly four decades" of a documented untruth in its public stance, publishes a plea to ban a phrase, "fake news." When does politics become word police? Or thought police?
[ 2 ] That "millions" are targeted with actual "fake news" plays into the hands of those now correctly identifying egregious errors. Greenwald's point is clear. After such a large error, these major news organizations are incapable of saying who and how such an error was promulgated.Greenwald asks and answers the clear question: "How did CNN end up aggressively hyping such a spectacularly false story? They refuse to say. Many hours after their story got exposed as false, the journalist who originally presented it, Congressional reporter Manu Raju, finally posted a tweet noting the correction. CNN’s PR Department then claimed that “multiple sources” had provided CNN with the false date. And Raju went on CNN, in muted tones, to note the correction, explicitly claiming that “two sources” had each given him the false date on the email, while also making clear that CNN did not ever even see the email, but only had sources describe its purported contents...."
This suggests that such "news" is now little different from erroneous gossip, amplified into the millions.
"Sources" are cited for news articles and "sources" are indentified as in error. Therefore "news" based on "sources" becomes an inane citation. Journalism, left and right, should check sources, be willing to reveal them when they pass on openly false reports, and to not identify and publicly shame such "sources" simply publicly shame the "fake news" by their own hand and pen. Sources say....was
''Strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood, and you'll find the real tinsel underneath,'' Oscar Levant, that Algonquin wit, once observed. And though the lights do shine brightly for the fabulous here, the back streets of this gritty pocket of Los Angeles hold hidden gems for the everyman." In 36 Hours," by Cindy Price, New York Times, 23 June 2006.
Hollywood's helium was nitrate based,
Before reeled into cellulose;
Now digital's produced on silicon,
Screening carbon-based life, verbose.
Tinsel Town's oxy-hydrogen burned
Through quicklime's Limelight lump;
Carbon arc and tungsten stepped up
Until halogen hurdled that hump.
The big screen, contrasted to clarity,
Was webbed, eyeleted and stretched,
Perforated, then aluminum white,
Glowing with tales far-fetched.
Lithium, alcohol, amphetamines,
Barbiturates, coke and all
Were ups and downs, as actors,
Stunt doubled, played each brawl.
Green screen, virtually layered,
And truly not quite there,
In two and three dimensions,
Is costumed, or quite bare.
Car chases, shoot outs, explosions and gore
Are stuff of nightmarish dreams,
Where all the tricks of the trade are plied
And played for laughs and screams.
Hollywood's helium, lighter than,
Slumps in tinseled drag,
While politics, worn, on its sleeve,
Subtracts with a yearly lag.
Tinsel Town, so an Oscar said,
Is tinsel through and through,
And awards to it, itself it grants,
Gold cheers for what's seen through.
Addendum of the real Hollywood: "The median household income in 2008 dollars was $33,694, considered low for Los Angeles. The average household size of 2.1 people was also lower than the city norm. Renters occupied 92.4% of the housing units, and home- or apartment owners the rest. The percentages of never-married men (55.1%), never-married women (39.8%) and widows (9.6%) were among the county's highest. There were 2,640 families headed by single parents, about average for Los Angeles." In "Hollywood," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Addendum of an Extraordinary Time of Upheaval: "Lucas and Spielberg told USC students that they are learning about the industry at an extraordinary time of upheaval, where even proven talents find it difficult to get movies into theaters. Some ideas from young filmmakers 'are too fringe-y for the movies,' Spielberg said. 'That's the big danger, and there's eventually going to be an implosion — or a big meltdown. There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen megabudget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that's going to change the paradigm.' Lucas lamented the high cost of marketing movies and the urge to make them for the masses while ignoring niche audiences." In "Steven Spielberg Predicts 'Implosion' of Film Industry," by Paul Bond, Hollywood Reporter, 12 June 2013.
Addend of a Warning: " 'Comedy is the lecherous little elf whispering in the king's ear, always telling the truth about human behaviour.' The producer and director said that his iconic western parody Blazing Saddles could not be made in today's political climate." In "'Stupidly politically correct society is the death of comedy', warns veteran comedian Mel Brooks," by Rozina Sabur, Telegraph UK, 21 September 2017.
Addendum from the Writers Guild of America: "A survey of more than 2,000 WGA West members has found that 64% of female writers say they’ve experienced sexual harassment sometime in their careers, and that 'a significant amount of the harassment writers experience occurs in the writers' room.' In a recent communique to members, the guild said survey also found that 11% of male writers said that they too had experienced sexual harassment on the job, and that 'many more writers have witnessed harassment.' Responses to the survey, in which about a fifth of the guild’s active members participated, 'have given us a sobering, first-person insight into the conditions that make addressing the issue both essential and urgent,' the guild said." In "WGA West Survey Finds 64% Of Female Writers Have Been Sexually Harassed On The Job," by David Robb. Deadline Hollywood, 25 July 2018.
Addendum of a Television Production Study: "California's housing crisis has hit entry-level, below-the-line and nonunion workers in the industry particularly hard. A single, childless person needs to make $87,260 to live 'comfortably' in Los Angeles, according to a GoBankingRates study. (Living comfortably, according to GoBankingRates, means living alone in a one-bedroom apartment, having health-care coverage and being able to dedicate some portion of his or her income to non-necessities and savings.) Freelance audio supervisors, production coordinators, associate producers and production assistants all earn a median salary of $50,000 or less, according to a 2016 television production study." In "L.A.'s Housing Crisis Hits Hollywood: The Entertainment Workers Living in Their Cars," by Katie Kilkenny, Hollywood Reporter, 19 December 2018.
Addendum of a Dark Corner: " 'One of the darkest corners of fame is that it becomes addictive,' says Donna Rockwell, a clinical psychologist who specializes in fame and celebrity, 'and then you are so afraid of becoming a has-been or yesterday's news that you might do something desperate'." In " 'I'm About to Break': Jussie Smollett and the Pressure of Hollywood Fame," by Scott Johnson, Michael O'Connell, and Chris Gardner, Hollywood Reporter, 27 February 2019.
Once a paper, a liner now --
A college don pigeons down;
The journal lists hard to port
With red ink soon to drown,
For easy comes to easy goes
Evolves in every town,
And changes, in their constancy,
Come for every clown.
7,700,000,000 for H20 - that's a lot of watery dough
"Nestlé alone sold $7.7 billion worth worldwide, with more than $343 million of it coming from Michigan, where the company bottles Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water and Pure Life, its purified water line. The Michigan operation is only one small part of Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company. But it illuminates how Nestlé has come to dominate a controversial industry, spring by spring, often going into economically depressed municipalities with the promise of jobs and new infrastructure in exchange for tax breaks and access to a resource that’s scarce for millions. Where Nestlé encounters grass-roots resistance against its industrial-strength guzzling, it deploys lawyers; where it’s welcome, it can push the limits of that hospitality, sometimes with the acquiescence of state and local governments that are too cash-strapped or inept to say no. There are the usual costs of doing business, including transportation, infrastructure, and salaries. But Nestlé pays little for the product it bottles—sometimes a municipal rate and other times just a nominal extraction fee. In Michigan, it’s $200." In "Nestlé Makes Billions Bottling Water It Pays Nearly Nothing For," by Caroline Winter, Bloomberg, 21 September 2017.
7,700,000,000 for H20 -
In plastic just to let you know -
Pours on as profits flow,
But I drink from the tap.7,700,000,000 of dollar bills
Tally the sips and gulps and spills
Out their wells and rivers and rills,
But I swig from the tap.7,700,000,000 in plastic stored
Strikes oddly an environmental chord
By the waste of a bottled horde.
I tipple from the tap.
Addendum of Water Rights: "... the state said said it began an investigation after receiving complaints dating back to April 2015. Its investigation found that the company's 'claim to a pre-1914 water right that originates from an 1865 possessory claim by David Noble Smith is limited to riparian uses and is not valid for Nestlé's current appropriative diversion and use of water from the San Bernardino National Forest.' The letter also states, 'while Nestlé may be able to claim a valid basis of right to some water in Strawberry Canyon, a significant portion of the water currently diverted by Nestlé appears to be diverted without a valid basis of right'." In "Nestlé Told It Doesn't Have Permits To Bottle CA Water," by Hoa Quách, Patch, 23 December 2017.
Addendum of $200: "Nestle pays just $200 a year to the state of Michigan to pump more than 130 million gallons (590 million liters) of water." In "Tiny Michigan town in water fight with Nestle," Agence France Presse, 4 February 2018.
Addendum of Plastic: "Plastic was identified in 93 percent of the samples, which included major name brands such as Aqua, Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, Nestle Pure Life and San Pellegrino. The plastic debris included polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used to make bottle caps. 'In this study, 65 percent of the particles we found were actually fragments and not fibers,' Mason told AFP." In "Top bottled water brands contaminated with plastic particles: report," by Kerry Sheridan, Agence France Presse, 15 March 2018.
Do not feed the pigeons and gulls.
Let nature take care of itself.
Heed well that it's nature culls
Each hungry feeding self.
Nature rules both wise and fool,Though charity feeds the heart.
Heed predator cruel and prey's dying mewl.
Seek not to nature outsmart.
Addendum of Brawling for Food: "Gunshots rang out as a group of Eritreans brawled with Afghans on the northern French coast. Four people were critically injured in the shooting, including one who was blasted in the head, with another two also suffering bullet wounds. A further 12 were left injured as the violence raged in front of stunned drivers and onlookers." In "CALAIS RIOT: Six shot as hundreds of migrants brawl in food handout row," by Mark Chandler, Express UK, 2 February 2018.
One day a leopard thought - on consequences' juggernaut
One day a leopard thought,
"Oh, yes, I'll change my spots."
And so, gussied like a zebra,
Stripes replaced those dots.
But then another leopard
Saw stripes and thought to lunch
By quickly clawing, killing,
In order just to munch.
Some say a leopard cannot
Even change one spot,
Perhaps this is the wisest course,
Given life's onslaught.One day a zebra thought,
"Spots might be just the thing,"
And so, spots covered up the stripes
To learn what life might bring.
Another zebra, amorous,
Saw spots and fled away,
For spots can claw and kill
On any given day.
Some say that change is always good
While others this deny;
Sometimes what changes poorly
Ends with a snubbed goodbye.One day is quite like every day
When contemplating change,
But not all changes turn out well,
And some turn out quite strange.
One could ponder many things,
And things might thunder back,
As best laid plans of mice like men
Collapse from the slightest crack.
Some say that change is always good
While another this denies;
Sometimes what changes drastically
Ends as what's changed just dies.
Team sports, team thwarts - on richly spoiled sports
" 'He knew our team has had the most players protest,' Reid told NBC Sports Bay Area. 'He knew that we were probably going to do to it again. This is what systemic oppression looks like. A man with power comes to a game, he tweets a couple things out and leaves the game with an attempt to thwart our efforts.' Service members at Fleet Week were split on the issue, some saying it's disrespectful and other agreeing with Reid. 'It's their constitutional right. That's what we fight for,' U.S. Marines Sgt. Michael Johnson said. 'So, it's part of the constitution, and they're free to do what they choose'." In "Vice President Pence Leaves 49ers Game After Players Protest During National Anthem," by Brendan Weber, NBC News, 8 October 2017.
Team sports, team thwarts,
And millionaires are oppressed.
Such is American politics,
Where ill logic is so stressed.
Team sports, team thwarts,
And everyone is right,
So that everyone is left to ponder:
Is there any sense in sight?
Team sports, team thwarts,
And thwarters walk away.
Systemic oppression shows itself
And millionaire kneel to play.
Addendum of a Systemic Tax Break: "Well, take the case of fracking billionaire Terry Pegula, who in 2014 paid $1.4 billion for the Buffalo Bills. Pegula is able to deduct $93 million a year — one-fifteenth of the purchase price — against the team’s profits and his income for 15 years. The Bills, according to Forbes, made $53 million last season. If Pegula earned $40 million in 2016, the Bills’ tax deduction could reduce his tax bill to zero." In "NFL owners have made millions off obscure tax break," by Josh Kosman, New York Post, 11 October 2017.
Addendum of Everything Except Football: " 'The problem is, no one is talking about games anymore,' one owner told ESPN this weekend. 'It's about concussions, Jones vs. Goodell, [Ezekiel Elliott's suspension], the anthem. No one is talking about football. It's just killing the game'." In "Sources: Committee to talk Roger Goodell contract; last commish proposal included $49.5M salary, private jet," by Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, ESPN, 12 November 2017.
Consider both Individual and Aggregate Activities as People walk away
Special Squares - with special snares
"Perhaps the most extraordinary popular delusion about violence of the past quarter-century is that caused by low self-esteem. That theory has been endorsed by dozens of prominent experts, has inspired school programs designed to get kids to feel better about themselves, and in the late 19080s loed the California legislature to form a Task Force to Promote Self-Esteem. Yet Baumeister has shown that the theory could not be more spectacularly, hilariously, achingly wrong. Violence is a problem not of too little self-esteem but of too much, particularly when it is unearned. Self-esteem can be measured, and surveys show that it is the psychopaths, street toughs, bullies, abusive husbands, serial rapists, and hate-crime perpetrators who are off the scale." In "The Better Angels of Our Nature," Steven Pinker, Penguin Books, 2011.
Special squares have but three sides,
Or five - or maybe more.
All this because they're special,
And are taught to semaphore.
Special numbers add up odd,
And this is even, so
All answers are never wrong,
Though drowning in life's undertow.
Special loves its echoing self,
And this, especially so,
Because esteem is special, of course,
As specialists say they know.
Special toys with special folks
Using special sorts of words;
But then special is caught unawares,
By eventualities' afterwards.
Special turns quite run-of-the-mill,
When special are we all,
For among us, oh such special us,
Forms idiocy's special sprawl.
Addendum of a Square as a Circle: "It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the people concerned that a square is in fact a circle. They are mere words, and words can be molded until they clothe ideas and disguise." Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945)
I believe in Europe - but not the shifting lines
"I never believed in a federal Europe. I believe strongly in a Europe of joint projects and collaboration. When Europeans agree on a specific project, their cooperation carries enormous weight, but I have never believed in fusing our nation states or in any comparison between the European nations and the United States of America. France and Germany are not North and South Dakota. We need to abandon this utopian vision and concentrate our energies on realistic plans. Ideas of a federal Europe were perhaps a useful corrective in the post-World War II era when they countered fears of irredentist nationalism or an inward-turning of Europeans’ vision. But the notion no longer corresponds to any reality or the will of the people. When presented with this type of structure, the people say no." In "What the New Geopolitical World Really Looks Like," by Hubert Vedrine, The European Institute, 18 July 2008.
I believe in Europe
as geography, you see,
But not believe in Europe
as one thing politically.
I believe in Europe's people
to determine what will be,
But not those distant leaders
who bureaucratically
Believe it is their sacrosanct
and sacred destiny
To rule over this dear Europe,
as Europe's history
Has taught the sordid tales
of repetitive tyranny.
Europe has been tyrannical,
as seen explicitly,
And Europe can be many things
when Europe can remain free.
I believe in Europe
as geography, you see,
But not believe in Europe
as one thing politically.
Addendum of Believing in Nationalism: "...it is becoming clearer in Europe on a daily basis that an EU built on the negation of the nation will not last. It is true that in a globalized, multifaceted world, Europe’s survival will depend on integration and cooperation at a level that goes beyond the national level. But this integration project will be successful only if it is constructed in a way that leaves the national level intact, instead of trying to render it irrelevant or even destroy it. Europe will be built with and alongside nations, or it will not be built." In "Nationalism Destroys Europe—or Does It?," by Jan Techau, Carnegie Europe, 23 February 2016.
Addendum of the Patrons of False Europe: "The patrons of the false Europe are bewitched by superstitions of inevitable progress. They believe that History is on their side, and this faith makes them haughty and disdainful, unable to acknowledge the defects in the post-national, post-cultural world they are constructing. Moreover, they are ignorant of the true sources of the humane decencies they themselves hold dear—as do we. They ignore, even repudiate the Christian roots of Europe. At the same time they take great care not to offend Muslims, who they imagine will cheerfully adopt their secular, multicultural outlook. Sunk in prejudice, superstition and ignorance, and blinded by vain, self-congratulating visions of a utopian future, the false Europe reflexively stifles dissent. This is done, of course, in the name of freedom and tolerance." In "The Paris Statement - A Europe We Can Believe In," by Phillipe Bénéton (France), Rémi Brague (France), Chantal Delsol (France)Roman Joch (Česko), Lánczi András (Magyarország), Ryszard Legutko (Polska), Roger Scruton (United Kingdom), Robert Spaemann (Deutschland), Bart Jan Spruyt (Nederland), Matthias Storme (België), 7 October 2017. [ 1 ] [ 2 ]
Addendum of Cracks in the European Union: "... how long the EU can ignore the crisis in Spain while politicians and seperatist campaigners are being arrested and detained without bail could well determine the future of the bloc. It will, undoubtedly, lead to further questions about the EU's relevance if it tolerates state-sponsored political violence by one of its own members. Amadeu Altafaj, the Catalan government’s Brussels representative, said the EU’s 'credibility and reputation' was being damaged by its solidarity with Spain. And he said the horrific scenes, in which more than 800 people were injured by heavily-armed national guards, showed the EU 'is not able to protect' its citizens." In "End of EU LOOMS: Catalonia independence to SHATTER bloc as Juncker says 'cracks' appearing," by Ross Logn, Express UK, 28 October 2017.
Addendum of Europhiles Being Scared Stiff: "I am convinced that these europhiles, most of the people in Brussels, they are absolutely scared stiff that some other country might get the idea and try to leave the European Union." Hans-Olaf Henkel, Vice Chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, in an interview, "EU Official Calls Out Barnier's 'Enormous Arrogance' And 'Illogical' Position." by Matt Frei, LBC UK, 11 November 2017. [ 3 ]
Addendum of Poland Finding Ideological Censorship in the EU: " 'In a foreign policy speech marking the midpoint of the parliamentary term, Szydlo said Christians in Europe should not need to feel uncomfortable or ashamed about their faith and traditions. We are in favor of (an EU) where Christian traditions are not subject to ideological censorship,' she told a conference organized by the Polish Institute of International Affairs." In "Polish PM calls for an EU where Christianity is not censored," by Lidia Kelly and Pawel Sobczak, Reuters, 9 November 2017.
Addendum of Europe's Contemptuous Elite: "European politics became increasingly dominated by an elite which was contemptuous of the needs and demands of voters. Central to this was the python-style grip in which Brussels held EU member states. Their national sovereignties were eroded in a scandalously undemocratic way. The power to decide on key aspects of everyday life — from their economies to immigration — was held by unelected bureaucrats in the European Commission, instead of by national politicians elected and held accountable by voters. This brought politics into disrepute and resulted in a fracturing of the system that had prevailed for decades when a small number of parties tended to dominate national politics." In "PETER OBORNE: The EU is killing democracy. I'm afraid that 2018 will turn VERY ugly," by Peter Oborne, Daily Mail, 23 December 2017. [ 4 ]
Addendum of Europe Playing Chicken with Europe: "The Visegrád Group countries are second only to the United States in supplying to German exporters, which is vital for the continued competitiveness of the German economy. The V4 countries have a collective GDP equal to that of Turkey; they are economically indispensable to the 'Old Union', including Germany, which is treating Central European countries condescendingly and patronizingly. Brussels' bureaucratic elite and the Western media are depicting Central Europeans as simple-minded fascists, a grave mistake bred from a special kind of bureaucratic arrogance. Before events come to a breakup of the EU from the east, especially now that a new Austrian government under Sebastian Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party has made clear their opposition as well to the Soros-Merkel-Brussels ongoing refugee policies, it might make sense to de-escalate the confrontation on the issue of refugees in the Visegrad 4 countries. If it fails to soften its stance, Germany and the German role in Europe could be the big loser along with the EU itself." In "The Refugee Dilemma–Germany Plays Economic Chicken with Central Europe," by F. William Engdahl, New Eastern Outlook, 21 January 2018. [ 5 ]
Addendum of Allowing No Risky Votes to Leave: "No other European Union country has risked putting membership of the bloc to a public vote since Britain surprised member-states by voting to leave the bloc in 2016, speaking to Andrew Marr on the BBC, Mr Macron admitted that he would lose a French referendum on EU membership. Asked about the Brexit vote, the candid president told Marr: 'I am not the one to judge or comment on the decision of your people. 'But, my interpretation is that a lot of the losers of globalisation suddenly decided it was no more for them'." In "EU BOMBSHELL: Macron admits France would vote to LEAVE EU if country held referendum," by Oli Smith, Express UK, 22 January 2018. [ 6 ]
Addendum of the Need to Cut the EU Budget: "Sampo Terho said it was crucial that the EU cut its budget rather than rely on members to pay more, warning that Finland would use 'whatever tools we can' to ensure costs did not rise. 'When the EU becomes smaller the budget should become smaller. That’s all there is to it. That’s the logic we abide by,' Mr Serho said in an interview with the Telegraph in Helsinki. 'Because your country was so big, and still is at the moment, that will leave a big hole. If that gap were to be filled with other countries’ payments, I see that as an unbearable solution. We must cut the budget'." In "Finland warns EU it will not help fill the €15bn Brexit budget black hole," by James Rothwell, Telegraph UK, 24 January 2018.
Addendum of Massive Tensions: "Like the overwhelming majority of Poles, I am very pro-European. We are pushing, for example, for the development of a joint defense program. We also support working together to close tax loopholes. At the same time, we also believe that Brussels should not create policies that disregard the societal moods in the individual countries. Podemos in Spain, the success of the AfD (Alternative for Germany), Le Pen and Mélenchon in France, Five Star in Italy -- there is lava flowing beneath us, there are massive tensions... ?" In " 'Europe Has Run Out of Gas'," interview with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Der Spiegel, 20 February 2018.
Addendum at the Court of the EU Bubble Kings: "Juncker, a weakened president of the European Commission, owes a lot to Selmayr, who ran his campaign for the office, and runs his daily activities with an iron fist that many in the Berlaymont building say is not even covered by a velvet glove. By elevating Selmayr to the position of secretary general, Juncker rewarded him with a position that gives him the power to run the EU executive's work in the years to come and be an influence on the next commission president. By making the move a political issue, Juncker acknowledged and strengthened the power of Selmayr - a eurocrat turned political gambler. At the same time Juncker also - unwittingly - highlighted how far his team has gone in disconnecting itself from what the commission is supposed to represent: the general interest." In "At the court of the EU bubble kings," by Eric Maurice, EU Observer, 28 February 2018. [ 7 ]
Addendum of Opposition to the Super State Spoken Aloud: "During a visit to Berlin March 3, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte bluntly came out against the recent trend led by Germany, France and other EU states to create a top-down central supranational state along the lines of a United States of Europe. He told press, 'There has been this narrative that there is this inevitability of closer cooperation in a European federal state.' He became blunt: 'This horrible language about 'ever closer Union' I don’t like. In the past 20 or 30 years this has moved from ever closer union of the peoples of the EU working together on collective issues, where member states weren’t able to deal with it themselves, to become an inevitable goal in itself.' Then Rutte declared the unspeakable 'S' word: 'We can never forget that these are sovereign nations. This is not a movement in itself, just when needed in special occasions. It has moved from a collective effort of nations to a goal in itself. It’s totally wrong!' " In "Opposition Grows to Merkel Macron EU Superstate," by F. William Engdahl, New Eastern Outlook, 18 March 2018. [ 8 ]
Addendum of EU Nails in the Air: " 'Europe makes me think of someone that is on the edge of a precipice, even a little bit further along. Its nails are already in the air,' former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer said this week." In "The EU counts its crises as problems mount," by Adam Plowright, France 24, 2 June 2018. [ 9 ]
Addendum of Worrying about State Pickpockets: "In Berlin, Macron’s proposals were met with a combination of skepticism and fear, especially among Merkel’s conservative base. Though no country has benefited more than Germany from the currency union, many Germans remain convinced that much of the rest of Europe — particularly the Mediterranean states — is trying to pick its pockets. In "Angela Merkel dashes Emmanuel Macron’s eurozone dreams," by Matthew Karnitschnig and Pierre Briançon, Politico EU, 4 June 2018.
Addendum of Driving Inequity: "The European Union, as an institution, is one of the prime drivers of this inequity. At the Group of 7, for example, the constituent countries are described as all equals. But in reality, the union puts a thumb on the scales in its members’ favor: It is a highly integrated, well-protected free-trade area that gives a huge leg up to, say, German car manufacturers while essentially punishing American companies who want to trade in the region. The eurozone offers a similar unfair advantage. If it were not for the euro, Germany would long ago have had to appreciate its currency in line with its enormous export surplus." In "What Trump Gets Right About Europe," by Jochen Bittner, New York Times, 19 June 2018. [ 10 ]
Addendum of the Slow Boat to Extinction: "Why should Europeans spend money on arms, when they have no intention of using them? A recent opinion poll found that small minorities in the core European members of NATO were willing to fight for their country under any circumstances. At the bottom of the rankings were the Netherlands and Germany, at 16% and 18% respectively; at the top was Poland, with 48%. ...Today’s Europe is something of a Lockean dystopia: It is composed of individuals concerned mainly about their own hedonic enjoyments, who want the government to protect them from want and disease, but have no desire whatever to defend their nations, which are on a slow boat to extinction in any event." In "NATO’s problem is that Europeans won’t fight," by Spengler, Asia Times, 12 July 2018.
Addendum of a Rage Against the European Elite: "Dominique Moisi, a senior adviser with the Institut Montaigne research group in Paris, said the 'spirit of the times' is going against centrist, rational, pro-European leaders, in part because of a 'rage' against the elite that is deeply felt by many. 'The problem for all the European leaders is the European election for May of next year,' he said. 'What will be the results? Will anti-European forces be the leaders? It’s possible'." In " 'Rage' against elite: Centrist leaders losing Europe’s favor," by Gregpry Katz, Associated Press, 30 October 2018. [ 11 ]
Addendum of Europe, Buying Citizenship and Money Laundering: "...Finnish authorities raided a real-estate firm controlled by a Russian businessperson who had purchased Maltese citizenship following suspicions of massive money laundering. In another example, Hungary issued permits to the family of the Kremlin’s foreign intelligence chief, who is covered by European sanctions. The two anti-corruption organisations looked into practices of four member states that sell passports (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta) and 12 that grant residency rights to foreign investors. Schemes to trade citizenship or residence rights for investment are currently applied in 13 EU countries: Austria, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Greece, Latvia, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Britain, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and France. Hungary, meanwhile, has terminated its programme." In "Europe’s 'golden visa' schemes open doors for criminals, report finds," by Alexandra Brzozowski, Euractiv, 11 October 2018. [ 12 ]
Addendum of European War: " 'You do not negotiate with the EU because the EU does not negotiate with you. It sends a bureaucrat, in this case it was Mr Barnier…they could have sent an android, or an algorithm'." In "Yanis Varoufakis: 'The EU declared war and Theresa May played along'," by George Eaton, New Statesman, 21 November 2018.
Addendum of EU Passports For Sale: "Two billionaire Saudi Arabian families - the Al-Muhaidibs and Al-Agils - bought 62 Maltese and, by default, EU passports for adult and child family members last year, according to the Maltese official gazette, the Times of Malta reports. The golden passport scheme, launched in 2014, was at the centre of corruption allegations against Maltese leader Joseph Muscat's government by murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia." In "Two Saudi families bought 62 EU passports from Malta," by EU Observer, 29 December 2018.
Addendum of Possible Wreckers: "Europe as an idea is falling apart before our eyes. This is the noxious climate in which Europe’s parliamentary elections will take place in May. Unless something changes; unless something comes along to turn back the rising, swelling, insistent tide; unless a new spirit of resistance emerges, these elections promise to be the most calamitous that we have known. They will give a victory to the wreckers." In "Fight for Europe – or the wreckers will destroy it," by Bernard-Henri Lévy, Milan Kundera, Salman Rushdie, Elfriede Jelinek, Orhan Pamuk and 25 others, Guardian UK, 25 January 2019. [ 13 ]
Addendum of an Open Letter's View: "Europe is no longer competitive. It has the worlds most expensive energy and labour laws that are uninviting for employers. Worst of all, it has green taxes that, at best, can be described as foolish as they are having the opposite effect to how they were intended." In "Open Letter to the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker," Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos, 12 February 2019.
Addendum of Stupid Nationalists: " 'These populist, nationalists, stupid nationalists, they are in love with their own countries,' Juncker told CNN in his Brussels office. 'They don't like those coming from far away, I like those coming from far away ... we have to act in solidarity with those who are in a worse situation than we are in,' he said." In "Juncker lashes out at 'stupid nationalists' on eve of European elections," by Frederik Pleitgen and Luke McGee, CNN, 22 May 2019. [ 14 ]
Addendum of Leaving the Mega-rich Man's Club: "All my family are working-class, Irish immigrant stock and Labour supporters for decades. We're not brainwashed, but we all voted Conservative. Why? Because we expect to be ignored by the Conservatives, but we don't expect to be ignored by our own party and that's what has happened. The Labour Party is dominated and controlled by middle-class progressive liberals who don't think like us, speak like us, act like us, who haven't suffered like us. They look down their noses at us like they'd stepped in something. They despise us. They care about us as little as the Conservatives do, but we expect that from the Conservatives. We don't expect it from our party, the party set up to defend us, not sneer at us and think we're thick and racist because we voted to leave the mega-rich man’s club known as the European Union." In "Why Labour's 'Red Wall' Finally Crumbled," by Chris McGlade, The Full Brexit, 17 December 2019.
Addendum of a Post-Brexit European Union: "Budget discussions in Brussels are always rancorous affairs. But this one is of a different order: everyone will have to pay more. No one wants to." In "‘Fighting like ferrets in a bag’ as EU tries to plug Brexit cash hole," by Daniel Boffey, Guardian UK, 16 February 2020. [ 15 ]
Addendum of European Non-solidarity: "Italy has already asked to activate the European Union Mechanism of Civil Protection for the supply of medical equipment for individual protection. But, unfortunately, not a single EU country responded to the Commission’s call." In "Italian ambassador to the EU: Italy needs Europe’s help," by Maurizio Massari, Politico Europe, 10 March 2020. [ 16 ]
NOTES
[ 1 ] These scholars, opposing others, have directly address the question of what Europe is, relying on its history and cultural legacies. While the ardent proponents of the EU seek to erase the Judeo-Christian heritage of many European nations, this group of scholars notices.
The Hubris of the False Europe
They write: "The hubris of the false Europe is now becoming evident, despite the best efforts of its partisans to shore up comfortable illusions. Above all, the false Europe is revealed to be weaker than anyone imagined. Popular entertainment and material consumption do not sustain civic life. Shorn of higher ideals and discouraged from expressing patriotic pride by multiculturalist ideology, our societies now have difficulty summoning the will to defend themselves. Moreover, civic trust and social cohesion are not renewed by inclusive rhetoric or an impersonal economic system dominated by gigantic international corporations. Again, we must be frank: European societies are fraying badly. If we but open our eyes, we see an ever-greater use of government power, social management and educational indoctrination. It is not just Islamic terror that brings heavily armed soldiers into our streets. Riot police are now necessary to quell violent anti-establishment protests and even to manage drunken crowds of football fans. The fanaticism of our football loyalties is a desperate sign of the deeply human need for solidarity, a need that otherwise goes unfulfilled in the false Europe."
European Borders as an Obstacle -- But to What?
One watches as globalists lobby the EU, with the aim of weakening national borders. One reads: "In late 2015 as the inflow of refugees into the EU from Syria and North African war zones exceeded a million people, Soros sent a statement to Bloomberg where he made clear the two opposed views of the contentious issue that has since changed the political map of EU countries from Germany to Austria to Poland and other countries. Soros told Bloomberg, 'Orban´s plan treats the protection of national borders as the objective and the refugees as an obstacle,' Soros added. 'Our plan treats the protection of refugees as the objective and national borders as the obstacle.' No better statement of the opposed views of the refugee or immigration issue can be found. Soros openly declares for open borders and unrestricted inflows of people from the same countries such as Syria or Libya where Soros NGOs are fueling the wars that create the flood of refugees in the first place, including Soros’ NGO roles in Arab Spring destabilizations and in advocating the Libya 'responsibility to protect' intervention against Qaddafi in Libya." In "Hungary New NGO Bill Aims to 'Stop Soros'," by F. William Engdahl, New Eastern Outlook, 22 February 2018.
In the same span of time, one reads from France: "The new legislation includes plans to: Introduce fines of €3,750 ($4,620) or a 1-year jail term for people who illegally cross borders within the EU; Double the time asylum-seekers can be held in detention to 90 days; Halve the amount of the time asylum-seekers have to appeal if their refugee status is denied; Hasten the deportation of those asylum-seekers deemed to be economic migrants; Cut the average waiting time on asylum applications from 11 months to six." In "France presents new immigration bill," Deutsche Welle, 21 February 2018.
Migrants' advocacy groups are politicking against such French "European" values, in favor of supposed other "European" values. That Brussels' elite and advocacy groups for non-Europeans would use media and "educational indoctrination" as noted above, threats against finances and lawfare through the ECJ against member states' governments, it is proven that playing inside national politics for the sake of international politics is the large game afoot.
The possible toppling of local democratic governments and the minimizing of peoples' democratic rights is totalitarian and obviously anti-democratic, plainly said. One finds unflattering precedents across the span of European history.
[ 2 ] It is interesting that these scholars identify with their individual nations, while coming together for this "Paris Statement." One may note in similar fashion that the Maastricht Treaty was at the same time a matter of names associated with nations, and yet wholly undemocratic.
Their European Majesties
The Maastricht Treaty's names -- written all in capital letters, unlike the remainder of the document -- reads: "HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE OF LUXEMBOURG, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND...."
The Fraying of European Societies
From this treaty in 1993, the October of 2017 list of individuals who have created their "Paris Statement" say specifically that "European societies are fraying badly." Given that the people of Europe were not given equal voices through normal democratic procedures shows the "royal" color of the EU, which oddly now brings royalty down to the level of presidents, while all stand above the citizen, which someone happily infected with the notions of liberty and freedom sets as equals to the still existing aristocracy.
One only need survey the historical dream of uniting Europe into its own empire with its one borders, flag, anthem and so on, as those of previous centuries also dreamed. Consider the texts and imagery of You're Up
[ 3 ] The notion that one may enter an association and never be allowed to leave without demand that a substantial fine be paid is absurd. If entry into an association is voluntary, then exit should also be voluntary. The argument as found in current hard-line EU diktats is that of an empire, which threatens a colony from seceding. The implication is that some sort of force will be exercised, and thus the financial demands for leaving a voluntary association are more akin to an imperial empire of even a mafia than to a free association.
One could consider the similarity to another political entity to illustrate the sameness. Hotel Stupidity
Europe is neither a country nor a complete and unchanging political entity, but a organization in transition. As changes occur, arguments ensue, such as the demands for integration of tax policies, monetary union and a unified military, none of which currently exist. Thus members of this current incarnation of the EU, a member has the authority through the treaties themselves. Additionally, if the EU is seen to negotiate unfairly, then abrogation can occur without reference to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
First, the overarching argument is: "A state that exits from a treaty in this way terminates its future obligations under the agreement. It is not, however, released from obligations that occurred, nor excused from violations that existed, prior to the date that its denunciation or withdrawal took effect. See Vienna Convention, supra note 1, art. 70(1), 1155 U.N.T.S. at 349." In "EXITING TREATIES," by Lawrence Helfer, Virginia Law Review, 26 October 2005.
As such, on the EU side there is being sought "obligations" from an exiting Britain. If within two years from the beginning of this process there comes no agreement, then Britain is simply off the hook for future obligations as yet not concluded. Europe would remain Europe, irrespective of the European Union which is not a synonym for "Europe."
If It Ever Comes Into Force
As to treaties, one reads further: "The scope of the Convention is limited. It applies only to treaties concluded between states, so it does not cover agreements between states and international organizations or between international organizations themselves, though if any of its rules are independently binding on such organizations, they remain so. It does apply, however, to treaties between states within an intergovernmental organization. However, agreements between states and international organizations, or between international organizations themselves, will be governed by the 1986 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or Between International Organizations if it ever enters into force." In "Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties," Wikipedia article, n. d.
If ever is not a reality in 2017. "The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or Between International Organizations (VCLTIO) is an extension of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties which deals with treaties between States. It was developed by the International Law Commission and opened for signature on 21 March 1986. Article 85 of the Convention provides that it enters into force after the ratification by 35 states (international organizations may ratify, but their ratification does not count towards the number required for entry into force). As of October 2017, the treaty has been ratified by 32 states and 12 international organizations. As a result, the Convention is not yet in force." In "Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or between International Organizations," Wikipedia article, n. d.
Thus one returns to the now-famous Article 50, under which Britain is exiting the European Union. Its text is plain:
Any Member State May Decide to Withdraw from the Union?
1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.
2. A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council of its intention. In the light of the guidelines provided by the European Council, the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union. That agreement shall be negotiated in accordance with Article 218(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It shall be concluded on behalf of the Union by the Council, acting by a qualified majority, after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament.
3. The Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification referred to in paragraph 2, unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period.
4. For the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 3, the member of the European Council or of the Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or Council or in decisions concerning it. A qualified majority shall be defined in accordance with Article 238(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
5. If a State which has withdrawn from the Union asks to rejoin, its request shall be subject to the procedure referred to in Article 49.The clock ticks. Financial demands are being politicized. "Future obligations" prior to the end of the two year period are being sought. And yet, if those demands are too high, too stringent or too abusive, not only does the two year long period provide a redress, but the overarching Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties also allows for redress.
Next?
One reads moreover of an EU apparatchik's forecast for his own nation: " 'In Brussels there’s still a huge surplus of hope – I’m not saying trust, that unfortunately vanished already – that Poland will nevertheless remain in the EU,' Tusk said." In "Donald Tusk warns Poland could hold a Brexit-style EU referendum," Agence France-Presse, 11 January 2018.
All in all, the EU and its Europhiles as the above quote suggests are "absolutely scared stiff" with reason. A "member state" can in fact decide to "withdraw," and the European Union in its current configuration quakes. Yet Europe will remain a clear and geographic Europe, while another internationalist European-rooted dream of conquest withers.
When was Europe ever united under one government? Which previous governments have attempted such a unification by force? And which by stealth? And which have historically succeeded? The dream of a united Europe has been the path to war. No wonder the EU Europhiles politick for their own "unified" military -- yet again.
No This Wasn't Something Adolf Hitler Said
How to arrive at this? One reads of a dreamed of "orderly" transition to centralized Europe-wide government: "No this wasn’t something Adolf Hitler said many years ago, this is what German Chancellor Angela Merkel told attendants at the event 'Parlamentarismus im Spannungsverhältnis von Globalisierung und nationaler Souveränität' hosted by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin on Wednesday. 'In an orderly fashion of course,' Merkel went on to say. She even went so far as to condemn those in her own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party who think Germany should withdraw from the controversial UN migration pact: 'There were [politicians] who believed that they could decide when these agreements are no longer valid because they are representing The People'." In "Merkel: Countries Must Give Up Their Sovereignty, Join the ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT," European Union Times, 25 November 2018.
"Europe" will be Sovereign and Nationalist?
Oddly, the dream is for a nation to give up its sovereignty to a larger sovereignty, thus changing nothing except the size of the entity ruled. This has been a dream by France and Germany in the past, as wars have proven, and remains the same "European" dream for some European elite of today. One observes: "...aside from the fact that the immigration-wary eastern and financially strapped southern Europeans are increasingly skeptical of northern European imperial ecumenicalism, can Macron cite any 'empire' in the past — Persian, Roman, Ottoman, British — that was not first and foremost 'nationalist'?" In "The Mad, Mad Meditations of Monsieur Macron," Victor Davis Hanson, 22 November 2018.
[ 4 ] From strident argument between Brussels and some the former satellites of the defunct Soviet Union, to threats of legal sanctions or denial of voting rights when member states refuse the EU's demands, the EU -- which is not a geographic but rather a political reality in the moment -- is fracturing. Oborne notes of Brexit: "The truth is that the European Commission — with its contempt for nationhood and the democratic rights of voters — has not only done immeasurable damage to the political system that has worked well since the end of World War II, but now threatens the EU itself. It is no wonder people are in revolt. Only one major European country has had the guts to stand up to the Brussels behemoth, and that is Britain. How telling that since the vote to leave the EU last year, traditional parties are back in the ascendance."
No Deals Without Our Say-So?
The pretense that the European Commission democratically represents 450 million Europeans is proven false, again and again.
Moreover, the voters in Britain are beginning to see their predicament courtesy of "European" politics. One reads of the Vassal State: "The document, obtained by Handelsblatt, lays out the parameters for a second phase of negotiations between the European Union and Britain. That second phase essentially involves what will happen after Britain leaves the European Union in March of next year. European ministers from the 27 EU members are expected to sign off on the guidelines on Monday. The key takeaway: Not only do the EU-27 expect Britain to follow all EU laws during any transition phase, but they also expect to have a veto over any trade deals Britain agrees with other countries." In "EU27 on Brexit: No trade deals without our say-so." by Ruth Berschens and Christopher Cermak, Handelsblatt Global, 25 January 2018.
Thus one sees that leaving "Europe" as a political fantasy of an elite involves the demands of power, nations set against another nation. How like the previous incarnations of "Europe," with geographical descriptions being wholly absent.
[ 5 ] The political pretense that Europe is equivalent to the European Union is playing out as "Europe" is fighting "Europe" in the "European" Court of Justice, all the while the stances of opposing sides are supposed to somehow be "European."
Brussels' Bureaucratic Elite and the Pretense of Democracy
As the lessons of European fascism -- see Everything within
Which Values Hold True?
So what are "European" values? The question is clearly stated: "EU Council President Donald Tusk is absolutely right to say that the system did not work and only divided EU Member States. This was also acknowledged by EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos when the scheme expired back in September. Facts and figures clearly speak against enforcing the quota. Why Avramopoulos is now calling Tusk 'un-European' remains a mystery. The bitter dispute between the national-populist governments from Warsaw to Vienna on the one hand, and Germany, Italy, Greece and the EU Commission on the other, is no longer about quotas, but about principle. How far does solidarity extend among the EU member states? Which values hold true?" In "Opinion: The EU is divided by refugee policy," Bernd Riegert, Deutsche Welle, 15 December 2017.
A parallel question then may be stated. Who dictates what European values are, and from what podium and under what power structure does such a dictate come? Europe's 20th century could easily have been a history of dictates and dictators, after all. If one differs with the dictates, what will a dictator do in response? The lessons of "Europe" have yet to be fully understood, for its history is replete with enforced diktats.
Who Speaks European? What is Its Dictionary?
One reads of an absurd claim, absurdly accepted: "Asked Tuesday by a Danish student on the future of identities in Europe, Mr. Macron had replied, provocatively: 'The real Dane does not exist, it is already European. Even your language is not only Danish, it is part of the European language. It's true also for the French,' he added."
Then what might "victory for France" as a political statement mean, if a "real" French is only part of "the European language?" Victory for whom? Victory for what?
In the original French which is only a small part of "the European language" one reads: "Interpellé mardi par une étudiante danoise sur l’avenir des identités en Europe, M. Macron lui avait répondu, provocateur : « Le vrai Danois n’existe pas, il est déjà européen. Même votre langue n’est pas seulement le danois, elle est part de la langue européenne. » « C’est vrai aussi pour les Français », a-t-il ajouté." In "Emmanuel Macron compare les Français à des « Gaulois réfractaires au changement »" Afrique Midi, 29 August 2018.
If there is, according to some politician, no "real Dane" or "real" Frenchman, can there be a "real" European? If yes, why?
C'est Vrai? Pourquoi?
It becomes time to ask the appropriate, logical questions. What is the language which a French President calls European? If the borders of Europe define Europe, then France is no longer a nation with a unique language, but merely "a part." If logically Europe and the language, European, define European according to some politician(s), then why should Europe be seen to be a nation either. Or a nations of nations? Why should France have a Foreign Minister, much less a President, when France is merely a part of Europe, and a minority part at that.
Then there is the problem of France and Germany dictating values to other "member states," as one reads: "European Union governments that refuse to host refugees could instead pay to be excused from the bloc’s system of sharing out migrants, France and Germany proposed on Thursday as they sought to end a long-running EU feud over migration." In "France and Germany, soften demands on EU hosting refugees: document," by Peter Maushagen, Reuters, 6 December 2018.
Obey or Pay
The article notes the diktat is a lose-lose situation for nations which would balk the Franco-German announcement: "Governments would still be obliged to take asylum-seekers from other EU states, but exceptions could be made if countries made 'alternative measures of solidarity'. That EU language is code for paying into the EU budget or paying towards development projects in Africa, diplomats said, and seeks to end divisions between EU states such as Germany, which are willing to take in refugees, and eastern countries such as Hungary, who reject granting asylum." Either nations disagreeing with Merkel and Macron would pay or obey. So much for European solidarity.
As one examines Merkel's recent rhetoric that Germany would have to give up its sovereignty with the demands that other "member states" pay or obey, one finds more reality to the growing impression of a dictatorial "northern European imperial ecumenicalism." Obey or pay.
When One Feels That One is not Represented
And so a dawning awareness spreads. Left and right alike are concluding: "The socialist party is ruined, the Republicans are divided, the extremes unable to represent more than their electoral base and the presidential movement enjoys a deleterious image of representing the rich against to the poor. When one feels that one is not represented by anything or anyone, and that one cannot reform the system from within, one seeks to free oneself from the established order and create a new system with its own rules." In "MACRON CRISIS: EU may NEVER be able to TRUST President again, experts warn," by Paul Withers, 8 December 2018.
That article observes: "The President’s leadership is hanging by a thread as left-wing groups within the French Parliament discuss launching a no confidence vote against him." A no confidence vote is a statement of non-belief, as are violent protests. Push back against a small elite's demand to "obey or pay" is as well.
Then what does "Europe" mean? "I believe in Europe / as geography, you see, / But not believe in Europe / as one thing politically." To define it otherwise is to hold that whatever "Europe" is for all "Europeans" must be "within" as Mussolini so clarified, with "nothing against the state."
[ 6 ] The repetitively-made point is that some European "democrats" have not allowed citizens of European nations to all democratically express their will to participate in Europe as a political entity. Macron gaffe, for that is what it was, is simple. He pointed to the truth that France, as a nation in Europe, was not and will not be allowed to express its political will democratically until something changes.
The Cosmetics of Democracy in the EU
As noted above in the opening of the Maastricht Treaty, the pretense of the democratic nature of the European Union is cosmetic, while the urges underneath to rule Europe are rooted in the old aristocratic order of an earlier "Europe." But as also seen above, Europe was never united politically, while the dreams of such unification were always the cause of political battles as well as outright war.
Whatever happens, Europe will remain Europe from the perspective of geography, all the while Europe as one political entity can only argue within itself, to the detriment of many citizens and the betterment of many politicians.
One learns of a German politician's view as the Brexit process moves onward: "We should have said to the British: Stay with us. Although Brexit is a national decision, it affects us all immensely. Our silence was a mistake."
The original n German: "Wäre statt demonstrativer Kühle der EU nicht eine herzliche Kampagne angebracht, die die Briten zu bleiben bittet? Wir hätten uns während der Brexit-Kampagne einmischen sollen. Wir hätten den Briten sagen sollen: Bleibt bei uns. Der Brexit ist zwar eine nationale Entscheidung, sie betrifft uns aber alle immens. Unser Schweigen war ein Fehler."In "Unser Schweigen war ein Fehler," by Marina Kormbaki, Frankfurter Rundschau, 30 December 2018.
[ 7 ] A disconnect from "what the commission is supposed to represent: the general interest" -- and indeed democracy -- is identified. As the few in the European Commission amalgamate their political power, the voters throughout Europe are not asked for their participation. Fort his MEPs -- Members of the European Parliament -- are themselves becoming alarmed.
Moving Towards European Authoritarian Centralization
One reads further: "The uproar has attained fever pitch following Selmayr's appointment, personally announced by Juncker at a press conference in Brussels, given contradictory versions by the EU commission on how he landed the job. Matters were made worse by a gaffe in the EU commission's communications service, which published a photo of Selmayr captioned 'secretary general' one week before Juncker's announcement. It later deleted the caption, but not before a journalist had seen and reported the mistake. 'The commission will have to choose what is more important, the career of Mr Selmayr or the credibility of the European Union,' said Dutch liberal Sophia in't Veld on Monday. Green Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts took it further and accused Selmayr of 'moving forward with authoritarian centralisation'. Placing a German national in the top EU commission civil post has also raised tensions given similar top administrative jobs at the EU institutions are are also filled by Germans." In "EU parliament united against Selmayr promotion," by Nikolaj Nielsen, EU Observer, 12 March 2018.
For some it is characterized as a coup. One reads yet further: "The coup began at 9.39 a.m. on 21 February, when 1,000 journalists were sent an email summoning them to a 10.30 a.m. audience with Jean-Claude Juncker. The short notice suggested urgency — and for such a meeting to be happening at all was unusual in itself. Since becoming President of the European Commission, Juncker has held hardly any press conferences. His news was the surprise promotion of Selmayr, his Chief of Staff, to the position of Secretary-General, in charge of the Commission’s 33,000 staff. The reaction from the journalists present was astonishment. No one had been aware of a vacancy. There was no sign that the 61-year-old Alexander Italianer had been thinking of retiring. But as Juncker announced other appointments, it quickly became clear what had happened. Selmayr had taken control, and anyone who resisted him had been unceremoniously fired. Juncker had handed the keys of the European house to his favourite Eurocrat." In "A very EU coup: Martin Selmayr’s astonishing power grab - How a bureaucrat seized power in nine minutes," by Jean Quatremer, Spectator, 10 March 2018.
Europe - Led by the Nose
How was the European Parliament involved? Not at all. One reads yet further: "The Dutch MEP Sophie in ’t Veld, speaking for the liberal group in the chamber led by Guy Verhoftstadt, said her party could not support the Juncker commission if Selmayr stayed in post. She said Oettinger’s comments in defence of the appointment had made the matter worse and he had treated MEPs as stupid. She said: 'I am left speechless at the scene of 28 top politicians, selected for the political leadership of this continent, led by the nose by a civil servant. The commission will have to choose what is more important: the credibility of the commission or the career of Mr Selmayr. The two are irreconcilable.' Friends and colleagues of Selmayr claimed that those criticising the appointment were playing 'nasty political games', 'navel-gazing' and indulging in an 'overdose of House of Cards'." In "Angry MEPs attack Juncker over elevation of his 'monster' Selmayr," by Daniel Boffey, Guardian UK, 12 March 2018.
It is interesting that the pushback from Selmayr's advocates resorted to name-calling, a sign that the debate will not be furthered in provable details, but by sheer hardball politics.
How Like a Politburo or the Chinese Communist Party
One effect of this "European" political move -- a "coup" not involving parliaments nor voters in any direct way -- is to further divide Europe via the "European Commission," which seems ever less European. Oddly more German, as one reads: "Mr. Selmayr’s new role means that three of the four major European bureaucracies are now run by Germans. French lawmakers denounced the Selmayr move as an affront to transparency and a 'mystification worthy of the Chinese Communist Party' that risks undermining the EU commission." In "Rise to power of German 'Lord of Darkness,' Martin Selmayr, polarizes Brussels," by Ruth Berschens, Handelsblatt, 15 March 2018.
All Tax-Free, Let's Not Forget
Some of the venal politics is noticed, as Jean Quatremer, as above, observes: "Why are the European Commissioners not making more of a fuss? Perhaps because Selmayr is preparing to give them a special present. Retiring commissioners are entitled to a generous ‘transition allowance’ of up to two-thirds of their basic salary for roughly two years, up to about €13,500 a month. Selmayr now plans to extend this to three, or perhaps even five, years. On top of the extra cash, they’d enjoy a series of benefits in kind: an office in the Commission headquarters (previously a perk to which only former presidents were entitled), a company car with a driver and two assistants. So thanks to Selmayr, a departing European Commissioner might receive double, if not triple, what he or she currently receives. All tax free, let’s not forget."
The Top Civil Servant and His Secretive and Sudden Elevation
Months after such remarks as above, one reads: "Martin Selmayr, the European Commission's top civil servant, 'must resign' due to irregularities in his appointment procedure MEPs said in a non-binding resolution adopted on Thursday. 'Selmayr must resign as secretary-general' and the commission must choose his replacement 'ensuring that the highest standards of transparency, ethics and the rule of law are upheld', they said, after the EU Ombudsman criticised the German lawyer's secretive and sudden elevation to his post." In "EU commission's Selmayr 'must resign', MEPs say," EU Observer Editorial, 14 December 2018.
What then to make of Europe -- defining a land mass -- and the adjective, "European," defining an "astonishing power grab" and a move towards "authoritarian centralisation?"
The New Aristocrats Reward Themselves
Months later, this European political elite rewarded themselves, as one reads: "The European Union’s highest grade of civil servants will be paid more than €20,000 euros (£18,000) a month for the first time, after EU salaries and pensions were increased retroactively from July 1 this year. The increase means that Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, will earn about €32,700 euros a month, about €550 more than previously. The increase, meant to cover the cost of living, is equivalent to €6,600 a year." "Top EU civil servants to pocket salaries over €20,000 a month for the first time," by James Crisp, Telegraph UK, 17 December 2018.
One may observe European history from only decades ago to inform on previous "European" power grabs and previous forms of "European" authoritarian centralization.
[ 8 ] In a follow on editorial, Engdahl notes the ticking "time bomb" which is political Europe's growing political problem. One reads: "It’s remarkable that the Euro and the Eurozone currency grouping hasn’t fallen apart until now. Greece could have done it in 2010 but it was avoided by extraordinary acts of the Euro governments and European Central Bank. Now those actions are coming back to haunt especially Germany who stands poised to become the 'sugar daddy' of the debt-bloated southern Euro states such as Italy or Spain. This is one major reason that the anti-Brussels parties that triumphed in recent Italian elections—5-Star and Lega, suddenly dropped talk about leaving the Euro. They are betting that Macron and Markel and their proposed new EU architecture will pull their debt chestnuts out of the fire at expense of German taxpayers. It's a timebomb ticking ever louder." In "Is the Eurozone in a Dead End?" by W. Willian Engdahl, New Eastern Outlook, 4 April 2018.
When indebted nations become welfare clients of other indebted nations, the illogic of national and international debt (supranational in the case of the EuroZone dreams) becomes glaringly obvious.
Gimme Emerges Alongside Attempted Diktats from Above
Moreover, that "poor" nations now expect "rich" nations to subsidize them becomes obvious, and within the scope of political play in the European Union itself. So enacted on an international stage is the same old dissonance between freedom and socialism. But the "rich" nations balk at being asked to continually loan to the corrupt and soon insolvent nations, meaning governments.
One reads: "Even more cold water poured onto the eurozone plan from Jens Weidmann, the head of the Bundesbank, and a top candidate to replace Mario Draghi as the chief of the European Central Bank (ECB) next year. Replacing the ESM with an EMF would not fly because it would give EU officials the power to levy national funds for future bailouts, he said. 'If this step would undermine the member states' existing right to have a say, it would have to be rejected because then liability and action would diverge - because it's the member states that are providing the guarantees for the risks taken by the ESM,' Weidmann said in Berlin on Thursday, according to the Reuters news agency." In "Germany pours cold water on euro," by Andrew Rettman, EU Observer, 13 April 2018.
One sees the politics openly. It is about seeking "free money," a specialty of the socialists around the world, whose belief system includes some form of thinking that they are victims of others. Now this is being played out on a Europe-wide scale, as the cry, Gimme
Europe as a geographic entity will endure. I believe in Europe, but not "as one thing politically." Time will tell.
[ 9 ] The article quotes a Brit, to telling effect, which heightens the various sourced quotes above. What began as a high-minded notion of democratic unity within a trade association has, step by step, devolved into the old European dream of political unification which can only be accomplished by various forms of force. Thus the current strife between "member" nations in the super state which pretends not to be a super state, that a liberal German politician, Fischer, would see the EU -- though conflating it with a geographic name, Europe -- as "on the edge of a precipice." Of course, for each time in the past that a unification was attempted, someone lost much.
Plowright sums his short article with a quote: "Timothy Garton Ash, a British historian and author, depicted Macron as the only hope for Europe in a column published by the Guardian newspaper on Thursday -- but he was pessimistic about his chances. 'Italy is having a nervous breakdown, Spain weighed down by trouble at home, Poland throwing a massive wobbly, Britain hovering near the exit, and Germany slumped on the sofa. Talk about a dysfunctional family,' he wrote."
Who shall rule Europe? This old question should be retired, for it has led to war and dissolution of citizens' assets and freedoms. Today, the EU Commission -- operates as a closed system.
The Dysfunctional Family Bound by Their Oath of Office
One reads: "The Commission operates as a cabinet government, with 28 members of the Commission (informally known as 'commissioners'). There is one member per member state, but members are bound by their oath of office to represent the general interest of the EU as a whole rather than their home state. One of the 28 is the Commission President (currently Jean-Claude Juncker) proposed by the European Council and elected by the European Parliament. The Council of the European Union then nominates the other 27 members of the Commission in agreement with the nominated President, and the 28 members as a single body are then subject to a vote of approval by the European Parliament. The current Commission is the Juncker Commission, which took office in late 2014." Wikipedia, n. d..
Thus, while there are "Euro skeptics" seated alongside ":Europhiles" as MEPs in the European parliament, none may become commissioners without renouncing their political stance. Such is the nature of the EU, which is not a synonym for Europe, though the effort continues to conflate the words.
This and the assembled quotes above clarify the Paris Statement of 2017 which addresses the "patrons of the false Europe," "blinded by vain, self-congratulating visions of a utopian future, the false Europe reflexively stifles dissent. This is done, of course, in the name of freedom and tolerance." That oath of office which requires greater loyalty to the greater state -- the US -- is de facto and reflexively a stifling of dissent. Such is the nature of the velvet-gloved totalitarian as well as the iron-fisted sort.
It is, therefore, no wonder why various European nations within the EU in the moment are pushing back at parts -- and the whole, in the case of Britain -- of the "EU as a whole." It is a question of enforcing of a certain loyalty and the stifling of dissent.
"As a whole" is losing its status. A "nation state" made up of "member states?" One reads: "The downgrade from nation state to international organisation status reverses an Obama administration decision in 2016 to grant the EU an enhanced diplomatic role in Washington, and is being seen in Brussels as a snub reflecting a general antipathy to the EU in the Trump administration." In "Trump administration downgrades EU's status in US, without informing Brussels," by Julian Borger, Guardian UK,8 January 2019.
[ 10 ] Bittner correctly notices: "The Europeans have basically been free riders on the voyage, spending almost nothing on defense, and instead building vast social welfare systems at home and robust, well-protected export industries abroad."
Government-made Free Riders
It would be more accurate to state that "some" Europeans have been "free riders" expecting an ally to protect them while they offer to do less for defense themselves. The "free rider" concept, from the 20th century, well contradicts the 19th century socialist dream of Marx and others, as free riders can be associated in nature with parasites, and natural solutions to this involve evolving to conquer (kill off) the free rider. Harsh as that sounds, one reads: "Free riding is a problem of economic inefficiency when it leads to the under-production or over-consumption of a good. For example, when people are asked how much they value a particular public good, with that value measured in terms of how much money they would be willing to pay, their tendency is to under report their valuations." From "Free-rider problem," Wikipedia, n. d.
As trade "partners" identify inequities caused by regulations as well as subsidies and tariffs, a usual solution is to involve greater rather than lesser freedom, though this can be an anathema to the free rider(s). Europe is not a free rider, for it is a geographic location and identifier, while the European Union has been tagged as a free rider. How will the politicians respond?
[ 11 ] The whole of the "European" problem is political, and the shift in political winds changes the equation especially as regards the "elite." One reads that a commentator "...cites the troubles facing Germany’s main center-left party, the Social Democrats, as an example of the problems plaguing centrist groups throughout Europe. The party’s traditional working class voters are “fleeing” toward to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party, he said, while its bourgeois, intellectual followers are joining the ecology-minded Greens. 'I wouldn’t say the center is disappearing,' Menon said. 'I would say the centrist parties are finding it hard to come up with a narrative or a message that appeals to a sufficient number of people'."
Confounding Traditional Political Divisions
In 2018, one sees protests turning into riots for a variety of reasons and from even seemingly opposing political positions. As example: "...the gilets jaunes confound traditional political divisions and have appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Its adherents are old and young, male and female (even if women were conspicuously underrepresented among the rampaging crowds in Paris), apolitical and activist, nonviolent and nihilistic." In "The Gilets Jaunes and a Surprise Crisis in France," by Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 4 December 2018.
Is this a failure of "narratives?" Or a dawning by citizens that the political leadership has grown so distant from its citizens' real concerns as to be seen as the real opposition to the masses?
As proves the case, it comes down to which "narrative" is fashioned. Europe throughout the last two centuries has heeded many murderous narratives. The notion that some next narrative might somehow be a solution seems naive, especially given the demonstrable fact that Europe, a geographical entity, is not synonymous with "Europe" as "narrated" by the last, current or next crop of leaders.
Even whatever it means to be "centrist" is an amorphous and changing concept, such that individuals and parties like must navigate shifting tides. No amount of robbing one Peter to pay a Paul can be disguised as a "unifying" act, especially as politicians live as that "elite."
[ 12 ] Europe, as geography, is not susceptible to political corruption. Europe as multiple nations is, and Europe as a political association is even more susceptible. One may easily believe in Europe, a geographical identification. But it is not geography which has warred with its neighbors and other geographical entities, and it is not to a geographical location corrupt individuals are lured.
A Scam among Scams
One reads of the smaller forms of corruption like unto the "big" investors likely involved in money laundering: "Under the scam, prosecutors say applicants paid up to €5,000 to obtain a fake certificate of Bulgarian origin. Thousands of people reportedly took advantage of the scheme, with press reports claiming the agency was issuing around 30 fake certificates per week. The agency chief is normally appointed by the government, and the current head Haralampiev is seen as being close to the nationalist VMRO party, a junior partner in the government of conservative premier Boyko Borissov." In "Thousands obtained EU citizenship for €5000 in Bulgarian scam," by Georgi Gotev, Euractiv with Agence France Presse, 30 October 2018.
When a political elite sells access, at the level of minor bureaucrats or governmental leadership, one finds the politics of it all, and nothing about that is particularly European except for the locale.
One need keep an awareness that Corruption has a middle name
[ 13 ] In a most interesting intellectual sleight of hand, the options presented by a collection of public intellectuals, an election in which their position does not triumph is deemed in advance to be a tragedy, as "these elections promise to be the most calamitous that we have known." This is an interesting argument in which democratic elections are promised to be a calamity if one side wins and another side loses. So much for democracy. So much for a "will of the people" as any kind of sacrosanct notion. The will of a group of public intellectuals should be heeded.
Europe Can Only Be the European Union?
If Europe as a single political entity may only have the political point-of-view of one side in a debate or be deemed somehow inauthentic, then democracy has already died in the land mass known as Europe, and perhaps been murdered by the intellectuals and politicians who fantasize that they will rule over others, when others do not wish it so.
The reports are however accurate, for when an elite deems what is best for a population, and which political stance is approved and which is not, then the land mass which is Europe survives while this current unification of Europe under the European Union may not. Conflating the geography with a political union which validates only its own power over an electorate whether or not the electorate approves is condemnation enough for "Europe," for the historical antecedents to the European Union all behaved quite like this. The individual citizen had one option, and that was to agree with their betters. To not agree brought retribution. When this current crop of intellectuals characterizes a "noxious climate," it has ceased to be self-critical. Or perhaps even self-aware.
A New Spirit of Resistance -- But Whose?
The collection of public intellectuals speaks of "a new spirit of resistance" which would validate, not resist the European Union. A less important thinker reminds of what "resistance" really means.
One reads: "...the final battle in the war is known to history as the 'Warsaw Rising'. The goal was simple: to liberate Poland from Nazi occupation. While the Poles had, quite literally 'lost the war' and were an occupied nation, they had not lost their identity, and they had not lost their Army. On Aug 1,1944 they rose as a force and drove the Nazi's out of central Warsaw. Fierce fighting continued, the allies of the Polish failed to come to their aid. The Russians sat across a river a few miles away and watched. The American Army followed the wishes of Stalin, and stayed out of the fight. Only Churchill sent an air-drop, by a combined British, Polish and Italian Air Force. Too little, too late. This was the largest resistance operation of WW2, and one of the largest military resistance battles by an occupied people in history. It involved hundreds of thousands of patriotic Poles. The Polish Boy Scouts captured a Nazi tank in the opening days of the battle, painted the Boy Scouts fleur-de-lis on it, and campaigned it for the remainder of the battle. The fighting was savage. During the urban combat 1/4 of Warsaw's buildings were destroyed. It was not enough. The cost in lives was huge. An estimated 16,000 members of the Polish resistance were killed and about 6,000 badly wounded. In addition, between 150,000 and 200,000 Polish civilians died, mostly from mass executions. The ultimate cost to Poland would be another 40 years of occupation, this time by their Russian Soviet 'allies' who came as the new foreign occupiers to replace the withdrawing German Nazis. It’s worthwhile to put our problems in perspective, and not appropriate the terms of real heroes for our own pathetic political dust-ups...." "What is Resistance?" a blog entry posted by xeroxero, Cascade Free Zone, 5 December 2017.
Calamitous But For Whom?
Is there an occupation of Europe today? The only possible "occupier" to be indentified would be the current elite which rules as of 2019, and their intellectual supporters urge support for this current crop of rulers. To resist a resistance to those who would not be ruled by the current European Union is to play with words, turning meanings on their heads. Resisting a resistance becomes the logic. But who resists who? And which resistance is the authentic resistance? If an election overturns a sitting political elite, is this to be resisted? Is it calamitous?The logical answers are clear -- yes. Overturning an entrenched elite would be calamitous -- for the entrenched elite. This have ever been true. As with the end of WW2, Europe survived. Geography does not fade away. Political elites do, as they always have and always will.
Destined to Fail From the Start
One view of the formation and perhaps malformation of the European Union over time is controversial. One reads: "The Maastricht Treaty, a construct of Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand in order to put France and Germany into the driver’s seat of all Europe, was destined to fail from the start. Kohl, the figurehead of the CDU that’s dominated Germany, and Mitterrand, who was alleged to have been a Nazi collaborator during World War II, they ushered in what amounts to a Fourth Nazi Reich. At least, this is my view. What better way to ensure the Germans rule all of Europe than to put “Vichy France” and a reunified Fatherland at the top of the pile. This statement will be controversial for some, but I know I am not alone in this assessment." In "France and Italy Set at Odds by Failed EU Elites," by Phil Butler, New Eastern Outlook, 13 February 2019.
As to France and Germany, in 2019 it is there two nations' leaders who "lead" the call for a "European" army, united in command under the European Commission. It is also worth observing anew that the elite of the European Commission are appointed, not elected. Such an elite echoes elite from earlier ages in European history, long before there was a European Union.
The Promise of the EU Was a Lie?
Of said elite today, Butler writes: "The elites took too much this time, and they know it. By definition, anti-elitism is the central characteristic of populism, and from Athens to Kiev and the borders of Russia the ultra-wealthy puppeteers have robbed the populace blind for decades now. Everybody on the streets knows this, but violence or any other way out have seemed 'extreme' for most. In Romania, my mother-in-law lives off €250 euro per month after teaching school 45 years. Here in Greece, my shopkeeper friends pay 80 percent of what they make back to the government. Greece, Romania, Portugal, Bulgaria, Albanian, and the rest of the marginalized countries lose their best and brightest young brain trust to Germany and other northern European countries. The situation is dire, let me assure you. The promise of the EU was a lie, all along, and the taxi driver here in Heraklion will instruct you as to why. In Brussels, at the IMF, at the World Bank, in Washington, and on Wall Street the perpetrators of this world takeover know I am voicing the truth here. And therein lies the danger. The liberal world order will down without a fight."
And what form with that "fight" take, given the political protests in capitals like Paris?
So, the old question new again: who speaks for Europe? Who dictates to Europe? Who resists, and what shall be done to those who dare resist? Tick. Tock.
[ 14 ] The irony of an ex-prime minister of Luxembourg calling nationalists "stupid" is first class nonsense. If a "nation" in Europe -- which explains the preference for the European Union term, "member state" -- is "stupid," then the supranational state is as "stupid."
Giving up sovereignty from nation to supranational entity is still to assign sovereignty to some government at some level. Recent secessionist movements within Europe, such as the Catalan movement seeking to break from the "nation" of Spain, may use the same argument, for all lies on a spectrum of government at some level. Some seek governance in a very local authority, while others seek a governance at a larger scale, whether it be the nation or the current dream of "Europe," a dream if unification with many tragedies in its past.
Ironic it is. Government of one size demands the subservience of government of another size, with the logical conclusion of one government over all. And that means even the "Europe" of the European Union may be said to be "stupid" from the perspective of an even larger scale of government.
That dream was, in the stance of ex-President George Bush, a "new world order." From the stance of the international socialists, a one world government. From the stance of international Islam, a one world umma. In each case, the only sticking point is which power group will be the new masters. Schism will always lie in the shoals of the future, just our of sight, just as the dreams of power and wealth fuel those policies of government which inevitably restrain individuality and liberty.
Is the European Union "stupid?" From the perspective of the new world order, yes. From the perspective of international socialism, yes. From the perspective of the Islamic dream on a single umma, yes. But then, from a popular film in the past, an oft quoted line from the script reminds us: "Stupid is as stupid does."
[ 15 ] Everyone -- in the European Union -- will have to pay more and no one wants to. This links directly to the pompous quote of Juncker less than a year before: "'These populist, nationalists, stupid nationalists, they are in love with their own countries,' Nations, which the EU wants to call "member states" and move to fold into a supranational entity with its own government, flag and anthem and so on, are "stupid" unless they no longer "love" their countries, but rather the super state, the European Union. So the EU -- which is not synonymous with Europe as a geographic descriptor -- is demanding loyalty and "love," and yet "members" in a post-Brexit time don't want to pay for it.
Post-Brexit EU Leaders Complain? "Fighting like ferrets in a bag"
One reads an opinion: "Europe's problem is that their fat, happy citizens don't want to spend any more on defense and will follow the politicians that promise the least. Even if it means fatally weakening their defenses, they wouldn't care as long as the politicians came up with more innovative ways to spend their money." In "EU Leaders Complain About Spending More on Defense Due to Trump's 'America First' Policy," by Rick Moran, PJ Media, 16 February 2020.
The opinion is harsh, but mirrors Juncker's harsh words. "Stupid" means in this era being skeptical of ever more expensive government, and "smart" means paying to a large and growing bureaucracy, intent on absorbing "stupid" nations into a supra-national entity. "Stupid" Brexit has thrown a wrench into the European Union, and its elite will work to see other "stupid" nations cannot follow.
This is not new.
And so money was, is and will remain the issue. One follows the comedy: "Net payers dubbed the 'Frugal Four' - Austria, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands - dug in their heels, demanding that the budget is capped at 1 per cent of the bloc's economic output. Beneficiaries of the generous handouts opposed deep cuts in development aid and farming subsidies compared to those they get under the current 2014 to 2020 plan." In "Meanwhile in Brussels... EU budget talks end WITHOUT an agreement as Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden REFUSE to pay more to plug the 75bn euro hole left by Brexit and increase spending on climate change," by Jemma Carr, Mail Online, 22 February 2020.
The Dream of Unifying Europe
The dream of unifying Europe into a "European union" has a historical lineage, as Boris Johnson in a pre-Brexit moment observed.
" 'Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically,' he says. 'The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods. But fundamentally what is lacking is the eternal problem, which is that there is no underlying loyalty to the idea of Europe. There is no single authority that anybody respects or understands. That is causing this massive democratic void'." In "Boris Johnson: The EU wants a superstate, just as Hitler did," quote of Boris Johnson, article by Tim Ross, Telegraph UK, 15 May 2016.
Such a view, opined an arrogant EU elite, was "stupid." Yet, the EU Commission is appointed, and member-states' citizens may not vote for or against them, by design.
Looking back at attempts at a prior European "union," one reads: "Napoleon came closer to unifying the European continent than any one person. An avid student of history, he kept previous stabs at unification in mind during his conquests across Europe and beyond. In 1799 he declared himself 'first consul,' a reference to the dual elected leaders of the Roman Republic. In 1804 he took the next logical step, inviting Pope Pious VII to crown him emperor at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. At the coronation, Napoleon was surrounded by statues and tapestries depicting Charlemagne and was presented with a Roman-style laurel wreath crown, sword and scepter, which all supposedly once belonged to the long-dead Frankish ruler. Napoleon’s reign ended in 1815 at Waterloo, but his specter continues to haunt opponents of the European Union." In "European Unions Throughout History," Staff, History.com, updated 22 August 2018.
Stupid to Love a Nation? Smart to Love a Super State?
Nations which resisted such a union in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were not "stupid" to "love" their nation more than a super state, a "union." Now they are?
"An attempt to do this by different methods" is still an attempt to "unify," and when a "stupid" nation rejects this, the politics is viciously hard. Why? Because coercion is coercion, and when the coerced are unwilling to comply, the usual human behavior is to "up the ante" with ever greater coercion. This was and remains what Johnson, in 2016, called "the eternal problem" of Europe. Attempts at "unification" result in fracture and schism, and all the more so when force and confiscation of wealth are involved.
The portrait is detailed: You're Up
[ 16 ] Massari observes as a pandemic sweeps a teetering socialized healthcare system: "This is a battle in which we are facing two terrible enemies: panic and selfishness. ...We are facing exactly the type of emergency in which a 'Europe that protects' must show it can deliver. Unless we wake up immediately, we run the risk of going down in history like the leaders in 1914 who sleepwalked into World War I. The virus will pass, but any rotten seeds of complacency or selfishness will stay."
The reason the rotten seeds of complacency will stay is because these seeds have always been there, covered over by the veneer of European politics.
The politics of the European Commission is coming unglued. One reads of the Italians, "Conte said he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had 'not just a disagreement but a hard a frank confrontation' Thursday about how to proceed. 'If Europe does not rise to this unprecedented challenge, the whole European structure loses its raison d'etre (reason for existing) to the people,' Conte told Saturday's edition of the Il Sole 24 Ore financial newspaper. 'Very different from 2008' The entire eurozone is expected to slip into a recession over the coming months. But Italy is facing the threat of a near economic collapse after being the first European country to shutter almost all its businesses on March 12." In "Italy says virus response fateful for EU," France 24, 29 March 2020.
The answer for massively indebted nations? Go deeper into debt.But thankfully the elite of Europe have managed -- until the pandemic -- to Use a kid for politics, part two
Those proposing answers
Made problems from the start.
When one thinks of this,
It's really quite an art.
Everything is terrible,
So everyone follow me
Over the highest cliff
And into the deepest sea.
Everyone is guilty of something,
Quite like this and that,
Excepting little political me
And my party's caveat.
Everywhere is burning,
Or maybe it is not,
So send off much more money
For a lot more tommyrot.
Those proposing answers
Propose problems, over time.
When one ponder this,
Politics seems sublime....
What if many
any as but
When then why there
opened shut?
Choosing races
losing spree,
Anyone else,
you to me.
Who knew it now,
which once was?
All of this is
simply because.
" 'New York City can be a hub of opportunity, and not just for aspiring Broadway stars. All sorts of city workers earn big bucks,” said Adam Andrzejewski, CEO of the government watchdog OpenTheBooks.com, which conducted the study. About 37,000 of 295,455 full-time city workers receive a salary that tops $100,000. But the number jumps to 76,166 when factoring in overtime and other extra pay, the group said." In "One in four government workers makes $100K thanks to overtime," by Carl Campanile, New York Post, 10 October 2017.
Over time the piggy banks
in piggy banks, and banks a lot, one learns;
thankfully they bank lots better
than the average schlub. Concerns?
Pigs known for their bacon
bring fattened bacon home;
such is the nature of government
and its porcine-esque syndrome.
Over time pigs will give thanks
as watchdogs bark and bay;
such is the nature of the game
as politics forks its way
Through all pork slings and arrows
of that rich numbers game
which games the willing system
yet never accepts the blame.Far, far more than twenty pigs
are baked into that pie
which lards itself with plenty,
more than the average guy.
"The median household income across New York City stands at $50,711, according to 2010-2012 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. That's down from $54,057 in inflation-adjusted dollars for the 2007-2009 period." In :Median income | NYC Neighborhoods," WNYC, n. d.
Consider the demonstrable reality of Fat, fat government
"If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle." Hillary Rodham Clinton, in "Hillary's hair: She's in on the joke," by Annie Karni, Politico, 28 May 2016.
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, and say no more, please.
There never was a quid pro quo, but only guarantees.
Everyone should move along, and take no note of these
For then, one might conclude there was some smoky sleaze.
Donations nations donate are clever congruencies
Which never rise to the legal bait of abnormalities.
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, and say no more, please.
Argue there's never a quid pro quo, just parallel indices.
Addendum of That Nuclear Deal With Moscow: "Before the Obama administration approved a controversial deal in 2010 giving Moscow control of a large swath of American uranium, the FBI had gathered substantial evidence that Russian nuclear industry officials were engaged in bribery, kickbacks, extortion and money laundering designed to grow Vladimir Putin’s atomic energy business inside the United States, according to government documents and interviews. Federal agents used a confidential U.S. witness working inside the Russian nuclear industry to gather extensive financial records, make secret recordings and intercept emails as early as 2009 that showed Moscow had compromised an American uranium trucking firm with bribes and kickbacks in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, FBI and court documents show. They also obtained an eyewitness account — backed by documents — indicating Russian nuclear officials had routed millions of dollars to the U.S. designed to benefit former President Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation during the time Secretary of State Hillary Clinton served on a government body that provided a favorable decision to Moscow, sources told The Hill." In "FBI uncovered Russian bribery plot before Obama administration approved controversial nuclear deal with Moscow," by John Solomon and Alison Spann, The Hill, 17 October 2017.
Addendum of an Exploding Clinton-Russia-FBI Scandal: "...while top Obama administration officials were deciding whether to hand over control of one-fifth of the nation's uranium supplies to Russia, the FBI had piles of evidence that officials at Rosatom were flagrantly violating U.S. laws and possibly compromising national security. The FBI also had evidence that officials had directed millions of dollars to Hillary Clinton's family charity, creating a clear conflict of interest. But as the Hill notes, none of this information was made public before the Obama administration approved the sale." In "Why Is The Press Ignoring The Exploding Clinton-Russia-FBI Scandal?" by Post Editorial Board, New York Post, 22 October 2017.
Addendum of the Cash Flow: "As the Russians gradually assumed control of Uranium One in three separate transactions from 2009 to 2013, Canadian records show, a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation. Uranium One’s chairman used his family foundation to make four donations totaling $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the Obama White House to publicly identify all donors. Other people with ties to the company made donations as well. And shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Mr. Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin that was promoting Uranium One stock." In "Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal," by Jo Becker and Mike McIntire, New York Times 23 April 2015. [ 1 ]
Addendum of the Cash Ties: "In 2016, Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, where Joule board member Reuben Vardanyan formerly served as head of its investment banking division, had a $170,000 lobbying contract with the Podesta Group — which is owned by John Podesta’s brother, Tony Podesta. In short, Clinton’s top campaign chief and a senior counselor to Obama sat on Joule’s board alongside top Russian officials as Putin’s Kremlin- backed investment fund funneled $35 million into Joule. No one looking at the Podesta fact pattern can claim to care about rooting out Russian collusion and not rigorously investigate the tangle of relationships." In "Uncovering the Russia ties of Hillary’s campaign chief," by Peter Schweizer, New York Post, 5 June 2017. [ 2 ]
Addendum of a Good Question: "...using the very standards Democrats have constructed over the past year, the Fusion GPS story is now the most tangible evidence we possess of Russian interference in the American election. And at some point, Democrats will have to decide whether it’s wrong for a political campaign to work with foreigners when obtaining opposition research or whether it’s acceptable. We can’t have different standards for Democrats and Republicans. Otherwise people might start to get the idea that all the histrionics over the past year weren’t really about Russian interference at all, but rather about Hillary losing an election that they assumed she’d win." In "Why doesn’t Hillary’s 'dossier' trick count as treason?" by David Harsanyi, New York Post, 25 October 2017. [ 3 ]
Addendum in Plain Speech: "My position continues to be that Hillary, with her supercilious, Marie Antoinette-style entitlement, was a disastrously wrong candidate for 2016 and that she secured the nomination only through overt chicanery by the Democratic National Committee, assisted by a corrupt national media who, for over a year, imposed a virtual blackout on potential primary rivals. Bernie Sanders had the populist passion, economic message, government record, and personal warmth to counter Trump. It was Sanders, for example, who addressed the crisis of crippling student debt, an issue that other candidates (including Hillary) then took up. Despite his history of embarrassing gaffes, the affable, plain-spoken Joe Biden, in my view, could also have defeated Trump, but he was blocked from running at literally the last moment by President Barack Obama, for reasons that the major media refused to explore." In "Camille Paglia: On Trump, Democrats, Transgenderism, and Islamist Terror," by Jonathan V. Last, Weekly Standard, 15 June 2017. [ 4 ]
Addendum in Plain Speech from Britain: "Clinton was a known quantity. And what a quantity it was… Her record as a Senator and later as Secretary of State showed she was a clear and present danger to the peace of the world. That she and the Clinton Foundation (now defunct) had spent years in a wholly corrupt relationship with the worst people in the world. The kind of people whose mindset is to throw gays of tall buildings, subject women to remorseless misogynistic control, and crush all liberties. The kind of people who provided the likes of ISIS, Al Qaeda and the alphabet soup of fanaticism with all the money materiel and weapons they required, to press Iran in Iraq and to overthrow the secular authoritarian government in Syria. That she 'came, saw' and laughed at the sodomy torture and murder of the Libyan ruler Ghaddafi was well enough known. We saw her put her lips together, and guffaw. That she and her boss President Obama were up to their necks in the terrorist coup which overthrew the President and government of the Ukraine was equally well-known, even to Russia! That she, and her boss President Obama had rammed through ever more draconian sanctions against Russia, unaccountably would have encouraged Putin to prefer she didn’t have another go, this time as President, to step up the war in Syria (which is instead now coming to its end), to continue moving NATO tanks onto Russia’s lawn, and to enter into full spectrum efforts to confront Russia up to and quite possibly involving war. What is hard to understand about any of this?" In "Galloway: I’m not happy Trump is President, but I’m very happy Hillary Clinton isn’t," by George Galloway, Westmonster, 31 October 2017.
Addendum of the Obama Administration's Uranium One Approval: "In 2011, the administration gave approval for Rosatom's Tenex subsidiary to sell commercial uranium to U.S. nuclear power plants in a partnership with the United States Enrichment Corp. Before then, Tenex had been limited to selling U.S. nuclear power plants reprocessed uranium recovered from dismantled Soviet nuclear weapons under the 1990s Megatons to Megawatts peace program. 'The Russians were compromising American contractors in the nuclear industry with kickbacks and extortion threats, all of which raised legitimate national security concerns. And none of that evidence got aired before the Obama administration made those decisions,' a person who worked on the case told The Hill, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution by U.S. or Russian officials. The Obama administration's decision to approve Rosatom’s purchase of Uranium One has been a source of political controversy since 2015." In "FBI uncovered Russian bribery plot before Obama administration approved controversial nuclear deal with Moscow," by John Solomon and Alison Spann, The Hill, 17 November 2017.
Addendum of the Heckling of a Warmonger: "The award of the degree came against the backdrop of two protests outside the college against Clinton receiving the honour. Councillor Éilis Ryan of The Workers' Party said that Clinton’s role in 'promoting war should be reason enough to deny her this honour'. 'She advocated a war in Iraq which cost half a million lives, led the bombing of Libya which left a chaotic vacuum behind that has been filled by a return to human slavery, and promoted and facilitated a coup in Honduras which led to the murder of many progressive, female political activists'." In " 'Warmongers not welcome': Hillary Clinton heckled as she's given honorary doctorate by Trinity College," The Journal, Ireland, 23 June 2018.
Addendum of One Woman's Perspective about Citizens: " 'The whole American system was designed so that you would eliminate the threat from a strong, authoritarian king or other leader and maybe people are just tired of it. They don’t want that much responsibility and freedom. They want to be told what to do and where to go and how to live … and only given one version of reality'." In "Hillary Clinton: Europe must curb immigration to stop rightwing populists," by Patrick Wintour, Guardian UK, 22 November 2018. [ 5 ]
NOTES
[ 1 ] The NY Times noted: "When the Uranium One deal was approved, the geopolitical backdrop was far different from today’s. The Obama administration was seeking to 'reset' strained relations with Russia. The deal was strategically important to Mr. Putin, who shortly after the Americans gave their blessing sat down for a staged interview with Rosatom’s chief executive, Sergei Kiriyenko. 'Few could have imagined in the past that we would own 20 percent of U.S. reserves,' Mr. Kiriyenko told Mr. Putin."
How it apparently worked is reported: "Rosatom began its purchase of Uranium One, a Canadian mining firm that has licenses to mine American uranium deposits in Kazakhstan, in 2009. The sale ended in 2013 and transferred the uranium—which made up 20 percent of American reserves—into Russian hands. In several letters dated October 12 to various departments and agencies that either helped approve the deal or investigate the players, Grassley points out that 'in 2009, when the validity of the mining licenses was at issue, the Chairman of Uranium One, Mr. Ian Telfer, donated $1 million to the Clinton Foundation via his family charity called the Fernwood Foundation'." In "Russia Uranium Investigation: Why Obama, Clinton, Mueller and Holder Are at the Center of a New Probe," by Graham Lanktree, Newsweek, 19 October 2017.
The Transfer of Highly Enriched Uranium to Russia
More details emerge: "As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton facilitated the transfer a highly enriched uranium (HEU) previously confiscated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) during a 2006 'nuclear smuggling sting operation involving one Russian national and several Georgian accomplices,' a newly leaked classified cable shows. So-called 'background' information was provided in the cable which gave vague details on a 2006 nuclear smuggling sting operation in which the U.S. government took possession of some HEU previously owned by the Russians. The secret 'action request,' dated Aug. 17, 2009, was sent out by Secretary of State Clinton and was addressed to the United States Ambassador to Georgia Embassy Tbilisi, the Russian Embassy, and Ambassador John Beyrle. It proposed that FBI Director Robert Mueller be the one that personally conduct the transfer a 10-gram sample of HEU to Russian law enforcement sources during a secret 'plane-side' meeting on a 'tarmac' in the early fall of 2009." In "Hillary Clinton Requested FBI Director Mueller Deliver Highly Enriched Uranium To Russians In 2009," Common Sense Evaluation Blog, 21 June 2017.
No National Security Issues, They Said
The narrative is filled out: " 'The Russians were compromising American contractors in the nuclear industry with kickbacks and extortion threats, all of which raised legitimate national-security concerns,' one veteran of the case told The Hill. Yet the administration let Moscow move ahead — publicly insisting that there were no national-security worries — and no evidence of Russian interference, despite many lawmakers’ concern at the time. There’s more: Until September 2013, the FBI director was Robert Mueller — who’s now the special counsel probing Russian meddling in the 2016 election. It’s hard to see how he can be trusted in that job unless he explains what he knew about this Obama-era coverup." In "Team Obama’s stunning cover-up of Russian crimes," by Post Editorial Board, New York Post, 17 October 2017.
However the tale plays out, the Russian CEO said to Putin simply: "Few could have imagined in the past that we would own 20 percent of U.S. reserves."
A supposed "fact check" responding to opposition to the vote mentioned the federal government departments by title, but not the names of the individuals. One reads: "... Clinton was one of nine voting members on the foreign investments committee, which also includes the secretaries of the Treasury, Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce and Energy, the attorney general, and representatives from two White House offices — the United States Trade Representative and the Office of Science and Technology Policy." In "No ‘Veto Power’ for Clinton on Uranium Deal," by Eugene Kiely, FactCheck, 28 April 2015.
To fact check the fact checker which omitted the names of those individuals, the nine members of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States at that time: 1) Department of the Treasury (Timothy Geithner) 2) Department of Justice (Eric Holder), 3) Department of Homeland Security (Janet Napolitano), 4) Department of Commerce (Penny Pritzker), 5) Department of Defense (Robert Gates), 6) Department of State (Hillary Clinton), 7) Department of Energy (Steven Chu), 8) Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (Ron Kirk), and 9) Office of Science & Technology Policy (John Holden).
Thus one learns that Democrats in power in 2015 supported titling 20 percent of U.S. reserves through a Canadian company to, as Putin notes above, Russia. So while in the aftermath of the 2017 election which the Democrat candidate lost, "collusion with Russia" has been alleged but not proven. Is then "collusion with Russia" proven in a CFIUS partisan vote by Democrats to sell access to reserves to Russia without "national security issues?"
What is now a historical fact is that nine Democrats voted for the transfer in 2015, and their party now insists that "collusion" is with the opposition party. The vote is not explained further, though fact checking it often fails to mention individual names, an odd omission for fact checkers.
[ 2 ] The cash ties are being examined: "The sources said the investigation into Podesta and his company began as more of a fact-finding mission about the ECMU and Manafort's role in the campaign, but has now morphed into a criminal inquiry into whether the firm violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act, known as FARA. Under FARA, people who lobby on behalf of foreign governments, leaders or political parties must file detailed disclosures about their spending and activities with the Justice Department. Willful failure to file the forms is a felony and can result in up to five years in prison, though such prosecutions are rare. The Podesta Group filed a FARA registration for its work with ECMU only after the payments were reported by the media. Manafort's firm also filed a FARA registration after media reports in June disclosed its work in Ukraine from 2012 through 2014." In "Mueller Now Investigating Democratic Lobbyist Tony Podesta," by Tom Winter and Julia Ainsley, NBC News,23 October 2017.
Steering Millions
Designed to benefit? "An eyewitness and other documentation indicate Russian nuclear officials steered millions to the U.S. that were 'designed to benefit' the Clinton Foundation then being overseen by former President Bill Clinton, according to the report. Hillary Clinton also sat on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which signed off on the deal. 'The Russians were compromising American contractors in the nuclear industry with kickbacks and extortion threats, all of which raised legitimate national security concerns. And none of that evidence got aired before the Obama administration made those decisions,' a person who worked the case told the paper." In "New Clinton Foundation scandal: Now Russians revealed to have routed millions of dollars to it while Hillary was Secretary of State to boost Moscow's nuclear ambitions," by Geoff Earle, Deputy U.s. Political Editor, Daily Mail, 17 October 2017.
[ 3 ] A damn good question: if a current president can be accused ot treason because of alleged "collusion" and "interference" in US government, can a past administration be accused of the same? After all, it is a demonstrable fact that the previous US administration and its State Department approved of transferring rights of "20 percent of US reserves" of uranium to Russia.
A Dirty Trick is Backfiring
As to what underlies accusations, one reads: "Because Clinton’s team paid for the dossier, it's likely that she gave it to the FBI, where James Comey planned to hire the former British agent who had compiled it to keep digging dirt on Trump. The finding also raises the possibility that the dossier is what led the Obama White House to snoop on members of Trump’s team, and leak the 'unmasked' names to the anti-Trump media in a bid to help Clinton. In short, we now have compelling evidence that the dossier was the largest and dirtiest dirty trick of the 2016 campaign. And Clinton, who has played the victim card ever since her loss, was behind it the whole time." In "The Trump dossier was Clinton’s dirtiest political trick," by Michael Goodwin, New York Post, 24 October 2017.
Sanctimonious Liars
Additionally, one learns this "trick" was defended by partisan allies of Clinton: " 'Folks involved in funding this lied about it, and with sanctimony, for a year,' Times reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted after The Washington Post linked the dossier to Elias and his law firm Perkins Coie. Kennth Vogel, another Times journalist, tweeted: 'When I tried to report this story, Clinton campaign lawyer @marceelias pushed back vigorously, saying 'You (or your sources) are wrong'." In "A YEAR of Clinton lies about the 'golden showers' dossier exposed as Hillary's lawyer is under fire for falsely denying paying for it," by David Martosko, Daily Mail, 25 October 2017.
Faked opposition research is used to justify FISA investigations, such that the first step in this tale some as a political dirty trick turned into accusations of treasonous behavior. "The Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) helped fund research that resulted in a now-famous dossier containing allegations about Donald Trump’s connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the Kremlin, people familiar with the matter said. Marc Elias, a lawyer representing the Clinton campaign and the DNC, retained Fusion GPS, a Washington, D.C., firm, to conduct the research. Fusion GPS hired dossier author Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer with ties to the FBI and the U.S. intelligence community. Elias and his law firm, Seattle-based Perkins Coie, retained the firm in April 2016 on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the DNC. Before that agreement, Fusion GPS’ research into Trump was funded by a still unknown Republican client during the GOP primary. The Clinton campaign and the DNC, through the law firm, continued to fund Fusion GPS’ research through the end of October 2016, days before Election Day." In "Clinton campaign, DNC helped pay for work on dossier about Russia and Trump," by Adam Entous, Devlin Barrett and Rosalind S. Helderman, Seattle Times, 24 October 2017.
Evidence Solidifying
And so, the questions become heightened, more for having been ignored by media for years: "That the Clintons and their eponymous foundation got away with their corrupt arrangement for so many years without interference or censure speaks to a deep political corruption in the Obama administration. It's strange that an investigation continues into the inconsequential ties between the Donald Trump campaign and Russian officials, while solid evidence of bribery of the Clinton family by the Russians and many others is completely ignored." In "Yes, The Russia Scandal Is Real — And It Involves Hillary Clinton," Investor's Business Daily, 18 October 2017.
"Team Hillary has long denied that she was a target of the spy ring, but an FBI source told The Hill: 'There is not one shred of doubt from the evidence that we had that the Russians had set their sights on Clinton’s inner circle.' All this, of course, follows reports the Obama administration knew Russia was engaged in a campaign of bribery and extortion — yet allowed a deal to go through giving Moscow control of one-fifth of America’s uranium. Yes, there’s something to investigate here. But it goes way beyond Donald Trump." In "Now Democrats have a Russia problem," by Post Editorial Board, New York Post, 23 October 2017.
The Cast of Characters in this Drama are Named
The tale's details are filled in: "Circa reported Tuesday that 15 months before the 13 members of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, approved the sale of Uranium One to Russia’s nuclear arm giant Rosatom, the FBI had already began investigating persons who were connected to the Russian state corporation. The FBI said in court documents and in interviews conducted by Circa that by 2010 they had gathered enough evidence to prove that Rosatom-connected officials were engaged in a global bribery schedule that included kickbacks and money laundering. Despite that, the U.S. government approved the sale. FBI officials told Circa the investigation could have prevented the sale of Uranium One, which controlled 20 percent of U.S. uranium supply under U.S. law. The deal which required approval by CFIUS, an inter-agency committee who reviews transactions that leads to a change of control of a U.S. business to a foreign person or entity that may have an impact on the national security of the United States. At the time of the Uranium One deal the panel was chaired by then-Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and included then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-Attorney General Eric Holder." In "Judiciary Committee calls on former FBI Informant to testify about Uranium One," by Sara A. Carter, Circa, 18 October 2017.
A potential witness had been blocked by the Obama administration, according to the Circa report: "Toensing said he was blocked by the Obama Justice Department, under then Attorney General Loretta Lynch, about testifying to Congress about his time as an informant for the FBI. He contends that he has pertinent information that the Russian's were attempting to gain access to former President Bill Clinton and his wife, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to influence the Obama administration's decision on the purchase of Uranium One, Toensing said. 'Reporting indicates that 'the informant’s work was crucial to the government’s ability to crack a multimillion dollar racketeering scheme by Russian nuclear officials on U.S. soil' and that the scheme involved 'bribery, kickbacks, money laundering, and extortion,' Grassley states in his letter."
Questions mount up. One asks if the Obama administration paid for a bogus dossier and political trick. One reads: "...the Post reported that the FBI agreed to continue paying a former British spy, Christopher Steele, to keep gathering dirt on Trump after Trump won the election, 'but the bureau pulled out of the arrangement after Steele was publicly identified,' the newspaper said." In "Nunes: Did FBI Pay For 'Unverified Information to Open Up Inquiries Into American Citizens?' " by Susan Jones, Cybercast News, 26 October 2017. Ouch.
Casting the Star of the Comedy
More ouch, this time about the losing candidate: "What's so wrong with Clinton’s letting off a little steam? For starters, she’s bad at it—by which I mean she too often winds up making herself look bad. Whenever she talks about 'What Happened', her recent book recounting her experience as a presidential candidate, Clinton comes across as self-pitying and self-justifying, in large part because she cannot resist bringing up all the other folks and forces she considers at fault. This has reached the level of bad political joke. (In October, Newsweek compiled a handy list of 'Every Excuse Hillary Clinton Has Given for Her 2016 Election Loss.') Yes, now and again she'll make some comment about how, as the Democratic candidate, she takes 'absolute personal responsibility' for everything that happened. But such vague, half-hearted blame-shouldering simply cannot compete with her detailed, heartfelt, perpetual blame-throwing." In "Hillary Clinton's High Profile Is Hurting the Democrats," by Michelle Cottle, Atlantic, 1 May 2018.
After some time, the Clinton image loose luster. One reads: "A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 40% of Likely U.S. Voters believe America would be better off today if Hillary Clinton had been elected president instead of Donald Trump. A plurality (47%) disagrees and says the country would not be better off. Thirteen percent (13%) are undecided." In "Voters Don’t Regret Hillary’s Loss," Rasmussen Reports, 25 June 2018.
Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Perhaps Clinton will plead: I do recall I don't recall
[ 4 ] Paglia addressed the Democrat Party directly: "...to have any hope of retaking the White House, Democrats must get off their high horse, lose the rabid rhetoric, and reorient themselves toward practical reality and the free country they are damned lucky to live in."
Therein lies her seeming weakness for some, for whom a "free country they are damned lucky to live in" is a false reality, best answered in the "rabid rhetoric" by some version of uni-party Totalitarian
[ 5 ] The assertion that people "don’t want that much responsibility and freedom" was intended to apply to one side of a political divide, but if accurate applies to both sides.
If indeed, as Clinton asserts, that people "don't want that much freedom and responsibility," the statement may be clarified by this: Clinton asserts that people [read the political right wing] "want to be told what to do and where to go and how to live," in her own words, and all one need do is then identify which of our elite busy themselves with telling people where to go and how to live. Certainly the opposing side to her vision of a right-wing also wants to be told what and where. And they, along with their opposition, are characterized by telling other people "what to do" and "where to go." Thus her words are both instructive of her own political persona, as one who will tell others "what to do," and identifies her as among our betters who see those who might espouse greater freedom as not wanting "that much responsibility and freedom."
The great flaw in her public statements -- plural -- is her condemnation of those who would disagree with her. And yet, "responsibility and freedom" are the true opposition to governments which purport to tell citizenries what to do. Such is the nature of the modern political discourse, in which two seemingly opposing sides cluster together in one simple element. Telling others "what to do" is the province of governments and political parties, and all such "telling" is in direct opposition to the clear stance that Freedom is freedom is freedom
Mrs. Clinton is not advocating for freedom, though her pretense is that she does by seeming to criticize others who would also not support freedom. Freedom is well defined as freedom from being ruled by others. Thus the least rule by governments offers the greatest freedom, and the most rule by governments is its antithesis. Mrs. Clinton has thereby proved that she is among those who would rule, and that she is merely opposed to others who might rule, as she opined that people "don't want that much freedom and responsibility." Which people? The people?
"The Soviet Union has an economic system different from our own. But Soviet aims and achievements make it clear that there exists a sound and permanent basis in mutual ideals for cooperation between the U.S.A. and the USSR on behalf of world peace and the security and freedom of all nations. Accordingly, the signers of this letter urge Americans of whatever political persuasion to stand firmly for close cooperation in this sphere between the United States and Soviet Russia, and to be on guard against any and all attempts to prevent such cooperation in this critical period in the affairs of mankind." In "To All Active Supporters of Democracy and Peace: The text of an Open Letter calling for greater unity of the anti-fascist forces and strengthening of the front against aggression through closer cooperation with the Soviet Union, released on August 14 by 400 leading Americans." Soviet Russia Today, v. 8, no. 5, September 1939. [ 1 ]
O pen a letter for all time,
from tunesmiths and wordsmiths, a word
That mistakes for truth empty hope
as much is proven absurd.
O pen a letter for all to read,
which speaks with troubled tongue
When later much later it is read,
other lessons than its are wrung.
O pen a letter of understanding
that spoke what seemed so wise,
When understanding history now provides
to what each tyranny testifies.
O pen a letter for all time,
as time ticks off one's timely lies.A scrap of paper means little or much
but not for its signers and not by its size. [ 2 ]
Addendum of a Cultivated Nation: "...I should say that what there is in Russia is an experiment having two purposes. The first and more immediate aim is to see whether human beings can have such guarantees of security against want, illness, old-age, and for health, recreation, reasonable degree of material ease and comfort that they will not have to struggle for purely personal acquisition and accumulation, without, in short, being forced to undergo the strain of competitive struggle for personal profit. In its ulterior reaches, it is an experiment to discover whether the familiar democratic ideals—familiar in words, at least—of liberty, equality and brotherhood will not be most completely realized in a social régime based on voluntary coöperation, on conjoint workers’ control and management of industry, with an accompanying abolition of private property as a fixed institution—a somewhat different matter, of course, than the abolition of private possessions as such. The first aim is the distinctly economic one. But the farther idea is that when economic security for all is secured, and when workers control industry and politics, there will be the opportunity for all to participate freely and fully in a cultivated life. That a nation that strives for a private culture from which many are excluded by economic stress cannot be a cultivated nation was an idea frequently heard from the mouths of both educators and working people." In "Impressions of Soviet Russia and the Revolutionary World," by John Dewey, New Republic, 1929. [ 3 ]
Addendum of People Having Been Excited: "...one of the worst mistakes ever made: the Communist revolution in Russia. Communist regimes went on to kill about 100 million people. Most died in famines after socialist tyrants forced people to practice inefficient collective farming. Millions of others were executed in political purges. Yet when the Russian Revolution happened, people both inside and outside Russia were excited. Crowds cheered Lenin. No longer would nobles rule; no longer would capitalists exploit workers. Now the people would prosper together. British journalist Theodore Rothstein wrote, 'The undivided sway of the Imperialist nightmare is at an end ...(there will be) rule of the labouring classes'." In "Communism Turns 100," by John Stossel, Townhall, 1 November 2017. [ 4 ]
Addendum Looking Back: "The peace conference has assembled. It will make the most momentous decisions in history, and upon these decisions will rest the stability of the new world order and the future peace of the world." Letter from Association President M. C. Alexander in the journal, International Conciliation (January 1919). [ 5 ]
NOTES
[ 1 ] In September of 1939, "400 leading Americans," including composers Mark Blitzstein and Harold J. Rome, and poets Stirling Bowen, Kenneth Fearing, Langston Hughes, Orrick Johns, Alfred Kreymborg, Jean Starr Untermeyer, and Louis Untermeyer, signed their "open letter" which was proudly against anti-fascism as understood then by them.
Joachim von Ribbentrop with Joseph Stalin in 1939
Alas, they were unaware of many things, including what has become known as the Gulag under Stalin's Chekka. One month before that open letter signed by "leading Americans," one learns with hindsight of this"
Secret Protocols and Political Rearrangements
"The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, also known as the Nazi–Soviet Pact, the German–Soviet Non-aggression Pact or the Nazi German-Soviet Pact of Aggression (officially: Treaty of Non-aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), was a neutrality pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by foreign ministers Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vyacheslav Molotov, respectively. The pact was followed by the German-Soviet Commercial Agreement in February 1940. The pact delineated the spheres of interest between the two powers, confirmed by the supplementary protocol of the German–Soviet Frontier Treaty amended after the joint invasion of Poland. It remained in force for nearly two years, until the German government of Adolf Hitler ended the pact by launching an attack on the Soviet positions in Eastern Poland during Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941. The clauses of the Nazi-Soviet Pact provided a written guarantee of non-belligerence by each party towards the other, and a declared commitment that neither government would ally itself to, or aid, an enemy of the other party. In addition to stipulations of non-aggression, the treaty included a secret protocol that divided territories of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Romania, into German and Soviet 'spheres of influence', anticipating 'territorial and political rearrangements' of these countries." In "Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact," Wikipedia article, n. d.
The carving up of "divided territories" was done in parallel with the stunning naïveté which was and remains on display in an "Open Letter."
[ 2 ] "400 leading Americans" led a public exercise in political rhetoric, proven to have been in error. As to a "scrap of paper," their open letter, lost in the myriad details of history is just another scrap.
Goering, Chamberlain, Mussolini, von Ribbentrop, Hitler in 1938.
One reads: "Adolf Hitler did not keep to the promises he made to Neville Chamberlain in September 1938. A year later the German leader derided the agreement as just a "scrap of paper" and invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany two days later and the Second World War began. The Prime Minister's policy of 'appeasement' towards Germany in the 1930s is often criticised, but at the time many British people were terrified at the thought of another conflict engulfing Europe." In "1938: 'Peace for our time' - Chamberlain," BBC, On This Day, n. d.
Murder Numbered in the Millions by National Socialism and More So Under Soviet Communism
While the "Open Letter" from "400 leading Americans" spoke of "mutual ideals," the history gathered since has proven horrid facts not only of the National Socialists and Italian Fascists, but also the Soviet Communists. Professor Rummel has published estimates in his "20th Century Democide" that from 1917 to 1987, almost 62 million were state murdered under Soviet Communism, dwarfing the still horrid statistics of almost 21 million victims of National Socialism from 1933-1945.
"Soviet aims and achievements" as the 400 signatories to that open letter proved to be horrific.
[ 3 ] Dewey, as apologist for Soviet Communism, made an interesting prophecy. After the quote above, he ended that chapter with this: "I left Russia with a stronger feeling than I had ever had before of the criminal ineptitude of those statesmen who still play with the forces that generate wars. There is one prediction to which I am willing to commit myself. If there is another European war, under present conditions, civil war will add to the horrors of foreign war in every continental country, and every capital in Europe will be a shambles in which the worst horrors of the days of revolution will be outdone."
The Forces That Generate War
His prophecy was partially correct, though oddly Dewey also had at one time advocated for the United States to enter World War One, and then after this publication in 1929, ended up advocating the United States' entry into World War Two. But as to what was "outdone" was that, as above, the Soviet Union across its history was barbarous and the second most murderous political regime in the twentieth century. The "criminal ineptitude of those statesmen who still play with the forces that generate war" continues to the present.
But between Dewey's 1929 pro-Soviet statements and the "Open Letter" published in 1939, a massive famine decimated, as one reads: "Early estimates of the death toll by scholars and government officials varied greatly; anywhere from 1.8 to 12 million ethnic Ukrainians were said to have perished as a result of the famine. Recent research has since narrowed the estimates to between 2.4 and 7.5 million. The exact number of deaths is hard to determine, due to a lack of records, but the number increases significantly when the deaths in heavily Ukrainian-populated Kuban are included. Older estimates are still often cited in political commentary. According to the findings of the Court of Appeal of Kiev in 2010, the demographic losses due to the famine amounted to 10 million, with 3.9 million direct famine deaths, and a further 6.1 million birth deficit. Stalin and other party members had ordered that kulaks were 'to be liquidated as a class' and so became a target of the state. The richer, land-owning peasants were labeled 'kulaks' and were protrayed [ sic ] by the Bolsheviks as class enemies, which culminated Soviet campaign of political repressions, including arrests, deportations, and executions of large numbers of the better-off peasants and their families in 1929–1932." In "Soviet famine of 1932–33," Wikipedia article, n. d.
The echoes of the horrors of Soviet "planning" continued until the USSR collapsed. Of one of Stalin's close associates one finds: "Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich (Russian: Ла́зарь Моисе́евич Кагано́вич; 22 November [O.S. 10 November] 1893 – 25 July 1991) was a Soviet politician and administrator and one of the main associates of Joseph Stalin. He is known for helping Stalin seize power, for his role in the Soviet famine of 1932-33 in Ukraine, and for his harsh treatment and execution of those deemed threats to Stalin's regime. At his death in 1991, he was the last surviving Old Bolshevik. The Soviet Union itself outlived him by a mere five months." In "Lazar Kaganovich," Wikipedia article, n. d.
"400 leading Americans" and this seemingly seminal early 20th century thinker all got it wrong, and yet in their time were filled with that hubris which declared themselves to be right.
[ 4 ] Stossel notes murderous facts in which to wrap Western ideologues for whom democide, Rummel's term, was unimportant and perhaps even thought of as necessary. "Even as the Russian regime killed millions, some journalists and intellectuals covered up the crimes. Stalin kept most media out, so few Americans knew that millions were starving, but New York Times writer Walter Duranty saw it first-hand. Yet he 'covered up Stalin's crimes,' says Tom Palmer of the Atlas Network, a group that promotes free-market ideas around the world. Because Duranty wanted to support 'the cause,' he wrote that 'report of a famine in Russia is today an exaggeration or malignant propaganda'. Duranty 'saw the truckloads of bodies,' says Palmer, yet, 'he wrote on the front page of The New York Times how wonderful everything was.' He even got a Pulitzer Prize for it." Consider what Lenin Called Sheer Ignorance
As to the notion that "rule of the labouring classes" could even happen, one notes that the elite in Communist governments have played that elite role to the hilt. Consider the up-to-date fact of Capital for Communists
[ 5 ] How many times have statements about "the most momentous decisions in history" been washed away by history? One might consider another "peace for all time" stance of the now well-forgotten Kellogg-Briand - 1928
Assurances by Conquest or Consent
Throughout this urge by "important" people to declare the next "momentous decisions in history," these statements speak more about the people making them for an entire world which, when held up to the glaring light of historical occurrences, prove so fallacious while sounding so high-minded. If Alexander's assertion that on "these decisions will rest the stability of the new world order and the future peace of the world" suggests the obvious. Those decisions from 1919 were demonstrably incorrect.
Dewey's 1929 stance was demonstrably incorrect. The "400 leading Americans" of 1939 were demonstrably incorrect. Moreover, it is important to note that this very human urge to tell the future while self-congratulating fails to note clearly that some foreseeing a future see a future which is quite like the realities of the 20th century.
As one example among many potential examples, "We are not going to achieve a New World Order without paying for it in blood as well as in words and money."Arthur Schlesinger Jr., ‘The Council on Foreign Relations Journal Foreign Affairs’, August 1975. A second to bolster the controlling mentality of the former: "We shall have world government whether or not you like it, by conquest or consent." Statement by Council on Foreign Relations member James Warburg to The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 17 February 1950.
How serious is such a threat to individuality and simple freedom? One reads a summation from an article: "The road to world order will still be a long and hard one, but since the short cuts do not lead anywhere we have no choice but to take it." In "The Hard Road to World Order," by Richard N. Gardner, Foreign Affairs, Volume 52, No. 3, 1974.
Another approach and another choice was and remains available. Resist a "world order." It is a dream on "conquest" if not "consent."
I've got a one-trick pony - a mascot for the phony
I've got a one-trick pony
That only does one trick.
Because of this, I really must
Lay it on so thick.
If my wee pony up and dies,
For being oh so sick,
I'll have its no-trick carcass
That's stinks, right double-quick.
Until it's dead and deadly gone
My one-trick pony's shtick
Will try to trick you, one and all,
With nagging buck and kick.
For want of inspiration,
perspiration works
with piles of liberation
brushed with little quirks
to flush exasperation
up from just where it lurks....
For want of want wants
what want will also have
when liberation blunts,
applying freely salve,
to flush with fleshy substance
as inspired ideas calve....
Out of control - crime takes its toll
Sorry, friend, we're all fresh out
of control, as it happens to be.
Shall we order another batch
and await delivery?
Or shall we peddle the same soft soap
which we've peddled quite well for years?
Although it's soft and softer yet
it lathers and stokes folks' fears.
Bring 'em in and let 'em out,
and bring 'em in again;
The same old, same old runabout
right out of the copout den.
Sorry, friend, we're all fresh out
of control, as it happens to be.
Shall we order a fresh, new batch
and await delivery?When 'in charge' confesses it has lost control,
assume it's no longer in charge.
When authority states it's authority's lost,
conclude what's now small is no longer large.The urge to rule while not ruling the roost
demands another its duties discharge.Sorry, friend, we're all fresh out
of control, as it happens to be.
Shall we order another batch
and await delivery?
Addendum of Being Out of Control: "...police see the same youths committing crimes time and time again. He said he knows of one 16-year-old boy who has been arrested ten times since 2014 — for larceny, attempted robbery, burglary, carjacking, assault, two theft charges and three car theft charges — but keeps being released. He said many juveniles have similar records. 'We know who they are,' Davis said. 'And if we know who they are — and the reason why we know who they are is because we lock them up again and again and again — then I’m pretty damned certain that their parents and guardians and grandparents and neighbors know who the hell they are as well. Step up. Step forward. Get a hold of these violent kids. It’s absolutely unacceptable that I have to stand up here and talk about 13- and 14-year-olds that we have to arrest again and again because our criminal justice system and our society isn’t doing what we need to be doing with these kids'." In "Baltimore Mayor Pugh says crime 'out of control,' orders agencies to meet with police every morning," by Luke Broadwater and Kevin Rector, Baltimore Sun, 9 November 2017.
Addendum from Ten Months Earlier: "The consent decree discourages the arrests of citizens for offenses like loitering or littering, requiring a supervisor to sign off on any request to take someone into custody for a minor infraction, and also mandates basic training for making stops and searches. In addition, it commands officers to use de-escalation techniques, thoroughly investigate sexual assault claims and send specially trained units to distress calls involving people with mental illness. Police will not be able to stop someone just because the person is in a high-crime area, or just because the person is trying to avoid contact with an officer, according to the document." In "Baltimore reaches agreement with US to reform policing," Associated Press, 12 January 2017.
Protest against Crime by Destroying a Police Car? Protest through Crime by Destroying a Police Car? Or Just Crime?
Addendum of the Previous Mayor of Baltimore: "...the mayor’s office sent out clarification for Rawlings-Blake’s statement: 'What she is saying within this statement was that there was an effort to give the peaceful demonstrators room to conduct their peaceful protests on Saturday. Unfortunately, as a result of providing the peaceful demonstrators with the space to share their message, that also meant that those seeking to incite violence also had the space to operate'." In "Baltimore Mayor: 'Gave Those Who Wished to Destroy Space to Do That'," CBS Baltimore, 25 April 2015. [ 1 ]
Addendum of Third World Status: "Hoping to reach African-American voters nationally in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday toured the West Baltimore neighborhood where Freddie Gray was arrested — and likened the poverty he observed to that of the Third World." In "Bernie Sanders likens West Baltimore to 'Third World' country," by John Fritze, Baltimore Sun, 8 December 2015.
Addendum of a Possible Explanation: "...when asked about the prison-industrial complex, the 'Malcolm X' star offered a surprising take. 'It starts at the home,' he told reporters at the film’s downtown New York premiere. 'It starts at home.' When prodded to expand on his answer, the 62-year-old Mount Vernon native replied: “It starts with how you raise your children. If a young man doesn’t have a father figure, he’ll go find a father figure. So you know I can’t blame the system,' he continued. 'It’s unfortunate that we make such easy work for them'." In "Denzel Washington: Don't blame the prison system, 'It starts at the home'," by , New York Daily News, 23 November 2017. [ 2 ]
Addendum of Acquittals for Baltimore Police Officers: "Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby brought criminal charges against the six officers ranging from misconduct in office to second-degree murder. Three officers were acquitted, and Mosby dropped all remaining charges against the other three. Five of the officers then faced administrative charges within the police department for allegedly violating department rules and policies and neglecting their duties. Two accepted minor discipline and returned to duty. Two fought the charges and were acquitted by police trial boards. Police Commissioner Kevin Davis then dropped charges against the last of the five." In "With prosecutions over, six Baltimore officers back at work after death of Freddie Gray ," by Tim Prudente, Baltimore Sun, 3 December 2017. [ 3 ]
Addendum of the Most Dangerous City in the Country: "USA Today has named Baltimore the most dangerous city in the country. The paper analyzed police crime data in the nation’s 50 biggest cities, which revealed Baltimore had the highest per capita murder rate in the nation with nearly 56 murders per 100,000 people — a record for the city. The rate outpaced New Orleans and Detroit, with a rate of 40 and 39 killings per 100,000 people, respectively. Baltimore’s 342 murders in 2017 was an increase from 318 in 2016." In "Baltimore Named Nation’s Most Dangerous City By USA Today," by CBS News, 19 February 2018.
Addendum of Rising Commercial Robberies: "While the three-year spike in violent crime in Baltimore draws most of the attention, business owners across the city have suffered a similar increase in commercial robberies. Such crime has risen 88 percent in the last five years, from 560 commercial robberies in 2013 to more than 1,000 last year. Business owners are also complaining of threats outside their stores: drug dealing, intimidation, stabbings and shootings." In "It's not just homicides that have increased in Baltimore — commercial robberies are up 88 percent," by Jessica Anderson, Baltimore Sun, 22 February 2018.
Addendum of Baltimore's Message to Citizens: "The city’s tax message is clear: Move here and pay higher taxes. People have figured out how to avoid the city’s taxes and still enjoy the city. They live in surrounding counties and take reasonably priced ridesharing services into the city. The city’s public school system is a disaster. Last year, some of the schools had zero students who were proficient in math. A couple of months ago, a few city public schools had to temporarily close because of heating problems. If anyone thinks a family would move to the city or stay in the city because of its public school system, then they have another thing coming. The city’s public school enrollment is on the decline. Families are moving to the surrounding counties so they can send their children to decent schools." In "What's causing Baltimore's population loss? It's no mystery," by David Placher, Baltimore Sun, 2 April 2018.
Addendum of Baltimore's Political Message to Citizens: "When Baltimore's mayor hand-picked Darryl De Sousa as her choice for police commissioner, heralding his experience and the respect he commanded in the city's force, he proudly described himself as a chess player who uses strategic thinking to avoid pitfalls. Now just a few months later, De Sousa is out of the game, resigning in embarrassment for failing to file his taxes, a key test of Adulthood 101. De Sousa's path from the corner office to the revolving door was speedy, even for a city accustomed to leadership instability in a scandal-plagued police force. De Sousa resigned on Tuesday, less than four months into the job, after being charged with failing to file three years of taxes." In "Baltimore police commissioner resigns after federal tax charges," Associated Press, 15 May 2018.
Addendum of the Charm of Rats: "Charm City is once again among America's "Rattiest Cities," according to a new report from pest control company Orkin, although it has shown progress in each of the past two years. Baltimore comes in at No. 9 on the company's 2018 rankings released Monday." In "Baltimore On Most Rat-Infested Cities List Again: Orkin," by Deb Belt, Patch, 16 October 2018.
Addendum of a Rat Film about Baltimore: "A longer version of Anthony's film played festival, as well as at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway in September. In chronicling Baltimore’s decades-long battle against its unwelcome rodent population, Anthony details some disturbing parallels with the ways city leaders have tried to deal with various urban situations." In " 'Rat Film' documentary about Baltimore's rodent fight to air on PBS tonight," by Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun, 1 February 2018.
Addendum II of Baltimore's Political Message to Citizens: "On a financial disclosure form, Pugh listed a $100,000 profit for one year from selling 20,000 copies of her self-published children’s book series 'Healthy Holly' to the University of Maryland health system, which runs 13 hospitals including the state’s trauma unit in Baltimore and has connections with the state’s dental and medical schools. Hogan described the financial contracts, which are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, as 'appalling' and 'unseemly.' Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) called them 'self-dealing' and 'a huge disaster'." In "Baltimore mayor resigns from board of U.-Md. Medical System," by Dana Hedgpeth and Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post, 18 March 2019. [ 4 ]
Addendum Seeking a Perpetual Trash Problem: "...a cultural shift in the city needs to take place if Baltimore is to become home to clean streets and alleys. A change where people say it’s not OK to throw that hamburger wrapper out of my window because I have pride in my city. Those who don’t live in the city need to think about how they’d feel if somebody threw trash in their backyard as if it were the community landfill. To put it simply, too many people need a lesson in basic decency. And it’s people of all races, ages and socioeconomic backgrounds who are culprits of the widespread littering, which, by the way, is against the law." In "Baltimore's perpetual trash problem," Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 11 April 2019. [ 5 ]
Addendum of Ranking at the Bottom: "Baltimore drivers went an average of 4.2 years between claims, less than half of the national average of 10 years, according to the insurer. They had an average 30.6 'hard-braking events' per 1,000 miles, far more than the national average of 19 per 1,000 miles, Allstate said. Baltimore drivers have never fared well in the rankings. They have consistently ranked in the bottom 10 during the last decade." In "Baltimore drivers ranked worst in America by Allstate for second straight year," by Colin Campbell, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2019.
Addendum of Out of Control in Charm City: "By any measure of systemic urban collapse, Baltimore is, as Trump said, “very dangerous & filthy.” Among the largest 30 American cities, Baltimore has the highest crime rate, and is a close second to Detroit for the highest rate of violent crime. But for murders, Baltimore is second to no other city, with more than 50 homicides per 100,000 people. That puts Charm City in the ranks of Jamaica, Venezuela and El Salvador in terms of lethality." In" Trump is right about Baltimore — and the Democrats know it," by Seth Barron, New York Post, 28 July 2019.
Addendum of Unaccountable Baltimore: "According to the 2018 city audit, millions of the dollars supposedly invested here are unaccounted for. The audit notes numerous 'significant deficiencies' and 'material weaknesses' across almost every department and found a consistent lack of any internal tracking of funds. The accounting for some departments was found to be so lacking that the sum of questioned funds is simply labeled 'Unknown.' City Auditor Audrey Askew resigned from her post in February of this year amid rumors that she had been pressured to 'write off' sums of money that were otherwise unaccounted for." In "EXCLUSIVE: Where HAS all the money gone? The truth is Baltimore can't account for millions while poverty is rampant and drugs, danger and yes, rats lurk around every corner of the 7th District, a DailyMail.com investigation reveals," by Laura Collins, Chief Investigative Reporter In Baltimore, Daily Mail, 2 August 2019.
Addendum of Baltimore Mired in Interpretation: "Reasons for the upward trend vary and are subject to interpretation. Many accuse police of taking a hands-off approach to crime-fighting since six of their own were charged in connection with Gray’s death. Others attribute it to the apparent free flow of illegal guns, the effects of a punishing opioid epidemic, social inequalities and a lack of decent jobs for many in disenfranchised neighborhoods. Some say political incompetence at City Hall also contributed." In " Nonstop violence as Baltimore nears record homicide rate," Associated Press, 25 December 2019.
Addendum of Baltimore's Record Breaking Year: "With just over 600,000 residents, the city hit a historically high homicide rate of about 57 per 100,000 people after recent relentless gunfire saw eight people shot — three fatally — in one day and nine others — one fatally — another day. The new rate eclipses that of 1993, when the city had a record 353 killings but was much more populous before years of population exodus." In "Baltimore breaks city record for killings per capita in 2019," Associated Press,
27 December 2019.
Addendum of More Baltimore Corruption: "A Baltimore businessman pleaded guilty Monday to two federal charges stemming from bribes totaling $42,500 that he paid to a former state lawmaker while she was still in office. Lance Andre Lucas pleaded guilty to federal honest services wire fraud and a travel act violation, admitting to bribing former state Del. Cheryl Diane Glenn. The veteran Democratic lawmaker and leading advocate of marijuana legalization pleaded guilty in January to accepting more than $33,000 in bribes from people other than Lucas." In "Baltimore businessman admits to bribing former lawmaker," by Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press, 9 March 2020.
Addendum of Baltimore Being Even More Out of Control: "He urged people to put down their guns because 'we cannot clog up our hospitals and their beds with people that are being shot senselessly because we're going to need those beds for people infected with the coronavirus. And it could be your mother, your grandmother or one of your relatives. So take that into consideration.' Commissioner Michael Harrison said the city has seen an uptick in violent crimes since Friday, including a mass shooting Tuesday night — where seven people were shot. Five people were transported to area hospitals via medics and two took private cars to the hospitals for treatment. All seven are in serious but stable condition." In "Baltimore Mayor Begs Residents To Stop Shooting Each Other So Hospital Beds Can Be Used For Coronavirus Patients," by CBS News, 18 March 2020.
Consider the Likelihood Like Unto So Many: Serve the poor
Addendum of Out of Control Elsewhere: "... the situation quickly deteriorated. Local police spokesman Olivier Slosse said a police team tried to approach the rapper in the square, but the crowd turned on officers and began throwing rocks at them. The police were forced to withdraw from the scene amid the violence. Riot police later attended the scene to calm the disturbance. The star took to Snapchat to plead with fans to stay calm, but the angry mob began throwing gates as well as stones." In "Brussels RIOT: Hundreds of angry youths take to the streets as police flee," by Chloe Kerr, Express UK, 15 November 2017.
Addendum of Out of Control Elsewhere II: "A survey by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention showed that 15.6 percent of people suffered one or more offences against the person (defined in the survey as assault, threats, sexual offences, robbery, fraud or harassment) last year. That’s up from 13.3 percent in 2015 and the highest number recorded since the annual Swedish Crime Survey started in 2006." In "Crime Wave Engulfs Sweden as Fraud, Sexual Offenses Reach Record," by Niklas Magnusson, Bloomberg, 16 November 2017.
NOTES
[ 1 ] "Those who wished to destroy," in the CBS article, is worth noting. One finds an opinion with clear hindsight, and reads: "It is now clear that Baltimore’s left-wing political establishment attacked the police for no better reason than to show thugs that, in the infamous words of grandstanding prosecutor Mosby, 'I heard your call for 'No justice, no peace.' ' At the end of their ordeal, the police officers received justice, but for Baltimore there is no peace. Left-wing governance tends to gnaw at the moral, social, and economic fabric of whatever jurisdiction it inflicts. The phenomenon is most pronounced at the local level. Nowhere I know of is it more pronounced than in Baltimore." In "The Freddie Gray scorecard," by Paul Miregoff, Power Line, 25 November 2017.
To Gnaw at the Moral, Social and Economic Fabric
While the modern political Left with howl against such a stance, one reads above from the New York Times of Venezuela's "leftist" in Left to their own devices
What is the social cost? In the case of rushed civil suit settlement in Baltimore, one learns: "The Gray settlement exceeds the combined total of more than 120 other lawsuits brought against Baltimore police for alleged brutality and misconduct since 2011." In "Baltimore to pay Freddie Gray's family $6.4 million to settle civil claims," by Yvonne Wenger and Mark Puente, Baltimore Sun, 8 September 2015. Two years later, violence in the city is "out of control," as says a current mayor.
Allegations in Black and White
Miregoff writes of the six police charged during the previous municipal administration, "...we can tally up the results. None was found guilty of criminal conduct. In one case, a jury could not reach a jury verdict. In two cases, the judge, an African-American, found the defendant not guilty. Realizing it could not get a conviction, the city dropped charges against the other officers. The Justice Department declined to bring federal charges against any of the officers."
Increasing violence alongside a payout for "alleged brutality and misconduct" of $6.4 million suggests that neither failed prosecutions nor massive payouts have worked. Rather these seem to have emboldened "those who wished to destroy." The Left in Baltimore has not found a solution, but it has exacerbated the problem. This is why the naive model of political jargon fails.
Left and Right
[ 2 ] Denzel Washington's observation, "It starts with how you raise your children," reflects on an interview with a black teacher working in a primarily black school in San Francisco's Bayside. She states clearly and sadly: "The students and their behaviors make this job harder—for sure. We can’t blame them, though. Many of our students come from homes that are loud, confusing, empty and unstable. There’s no one there guiding them, asking to see their homework, telling them to take a bath, asking them to wash their clothes, telling them, 'Come here, let me hold you, let me kiss you, let me touch you.' These kids don’t have that. We call it a broken home. I call it an absent home. And that lead to fights. The other day, we had eight fights in two hours." In "Teacher at a tough school: 'I’ve ended many school days crying in my car'," by Jessica Calefati, Open Reporting: Education, CALMatters, 5 December 2017.
The anecdotal evidence mounts. Culture itself is failing. The antidote to this is to set aside accusations, and work towards strengthening the culture, that society lessen the number of "absent" homes. Simply using charges of racism, individual, institutional or societal, as a political ploy explains all too well why it is too easy to argue Everything's about my colored skin
[ 3 ] What is not over is the long arch of this tale. The State attorney who brought charges which resulted in no prosecutions is being sued. One reads from the article: "Left to litigate is the federal lawsuit filed by five of the officers accusing Mosby of malicious prosecution and defamation. Rice, Miller, Nero, Porter and White say Mosby knowingly filed false charges against them."
Malicious Prosecution
There is irony in this, because that State Attorney is now arguing that her position should protect her against the federal law suit, all the while the police officers charged did not have that same "protection." Additionally, as the new mayor of Baltimore states clearly in the aftermath -- criminal and political -- of this incident is that the city is experiencing crime which she declares to be "out of control." Are the thugs to blame? The previous city administration? The current administration? The State Attorney and her office? The culture and social "responsibility "of the city itself? The state? The nation? Society in general? By being unwilling or unable to cobble some solution to the problem admitted by the city's mayor, one sees that the politics of it all is not helping, but has served to exacerbate. Tick tock.
[ 4 ] So as the politics of the poor and needy is played out in Baltimore, yet again the politicians are proven to be self-serving first. One reads of Pugh and others: "Nine members of the University of Maryland Medical System’s Board of Directors — including Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh — have business deals with the hospital network that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each, a review by The Baltimore Sun has found." In "University of Maryland Medical System pays members of volunteer board hundreds of thousands in business deals," by Luke Broadwater, Baltimore Sun, 13 March 2019.
Corruption to Fund a Corrupt Elite?
Given the allegation worded as "crime is out of control," it seems crime in Baltimore has indeed been out of control. One learns of Pugh: "Pugh’s downfall is rooted in her now-infamous 'Healthy Holly' books, which feature renderings of African American children and parents and promote healthy eating and exercise. She reportedly was paid nearly $800,000 for the series — an enormous amount in the world of children’s books — by entities that included the University of Maryland Medical System, on whose board she sat. As the Baltimore Sun and other outlets revealed details about the 'Healthy Holly' deal in March and April, state prosecutors opened an investigation into her earnings from the books, including at least $100,000 she was paid by Kaiser Permanente as the company sought a $48 million city contract." In "Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigns amid book scandal, health problems," by Paul Schwartzman and Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 2 May 2019.
The impact echoes through the community: "The resignations come as Nygren Consulting of Santa Barbara, Calif., works to finish its examination of deals worth millions of dollars that led UMMS CEO Robert Chrencik and Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh to resign from their jobs. The consulting firm was hired in April by the UMMS board of directors to document, review and determine 'the legality' of the contracts awarded to board members, including the $500,000 UMMS paid Pugh for 100,000 of her self-published 'Healthy Holly' books. The system’s payments to Pugh are the subject of criminal investigations by the FBI and Maryland state prosecutor." In "Four top executives resign at UMMS amid controversy over board member contracts," by Luke Broadwater and Kevin Rector, Baltimore Sun, 9 June 2019.
The Story of Baltimore Crime Continues
The story continues: "An 11-count federal indictment against former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh was made public Wednesday morning. Pugh, 69, is federally charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and two counts of tax evasion. Pugh was charged on Nov. 14 and the charges were made public Wednesday." In "Former Mayor Pugh federally charged on 11 counts of fraud, tax-related charges," by Jayne Miller and Jenny Fulginiti, WBAL/NBC, 20 November 2019.
As a part of this, one learns of Pugh associates: "The guilty pleas of former Baltimore City employees Gary Brown, Jr., 38, of Baltimore, and Roslyn Wedington, 50, of Rosedale, were also unsealed Wednesday. On Nov. 13, Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to filing a false tax return. That same day, Wedington pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and five counts of filing a false tax return."More detail: "In 2016 when she was a state senator and ran for mayor, she told the Internal Revenue Service she had made just $31,000. In fact, her income was more than $322,000 that year ― meaning she shorted the federal government of about $100,000 in taxes, according to the U.S. attorney’s office." In "Former Baltimore Mayor Pugh indicted on 11 counts of fraud, tax evasion in ‘Healthy Holly’ book scandal," by Luke Broadwater and Kevin Rector, Baltimore Sun, 20 November 2019.
"Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh pleaded guilty on Thursday to tax evasion and other federal charges related to sales of a self-published children’s book as part of an illegal scheme to fund her election campaign. Pugh entered the plea on two counts of tax evasion, and one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States." In "Former Baltimore mayor pleads guilty to charges related to book sales,' by Donna Owens, Reuters, 21 November 2019.
Baltimore Mayor Pugh said crime was "out of control?"
In the Sun article, Robert K. Hur, U.S. attorney, stated, "Our elected officials must place the interests of the citizens above their own. Corrupt public employees rip off the taxpayers and undermine everyone’s faith in government."
To review: Mayor Pugh said "crime was out of control." Alongside unethical dealings, how does one expect such basic challenges to municipal governance and civil society when "crime is out of control" on the streets and in the halls of government as well? One should consider the larger and sordid evidence of political crime and government Corruption
Out of Control and Guilty
To end this one tale among the many like it: "Federal authorities accused Pugh, 69, of double selling the books, keeping many for self-promotion purposes and failing to deliver them to institutions they were purchased for, including the Baltimore City Public Schools. Pugh used the proceeds to fund straw donations to her mayoral campaign and buy a new house. Pugh was also sentenced on Thursday to serve three years of supervised release after getting out of prison and was ordered to pay more than $411,000 in restitution and to forfeit more than $669,000 to the government. She pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and tax evasion charges in November." In "Former Baltimore mayor sentenced to 3 years in book scheme," by Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press, 27 February 2020.
[ 5 ] Given decades of one party's political domination of the city alongside decades of inept politicos with empty promises, perhaps the "cultural shift" has more to do with the public's leadership than the public leadership wishes to hear. A "perpetual trash problem" is a symptom. But how shall a "cultural shift" for the better be achieved amid high crime rates and political corruption. Criticizing the local political system and its leadership is become "racist," that ever useful method for avoiding accountability.
Too Easy a Joke: Rats and Baltimore Democrats
And as to any notion that Baltimore is rat-infested, one reads from years ago: "Baltimore is a place where the rats — and I’m not being metaphorical here, referring to the ones at City Hall who mismanage local affairs or the ex-mayor, convicted a few years back for taking gift cards donated for the poor and giving them to her own children — truly have their run of the city. Baltimore gives the rats free housing, free food, free rein. “Have at!” we tell them, putting our overflowing garbage cans in the dark back alleys unlike say, in New York City, where trash cans are typically placed for pickup on the sidewalks, subject to the streetlights, pedestrians and regular sanitation inspectors that keep rodents in check." In "Oh, rats. There’s one aspect of Baltimore she can’t get used to," by Karen Houppert, Washington Post, 19 June 2013.
Rats. And the run of the city. Such is venal Politics
Another Model City of Corruption and Failure?
"Is Baltimore now the model city they will present to the country as the representative product of Democratic social and economic policies in action? Good luck with that. Critics can continue to shout about racism, but that is no replacement for a rational discussion about the problems of poverty, crime, drug abuse, family breakdown and lack of educational attainment." In "The president is right about Baltimore. Are Democrats really prepared to defend failure?" by James S. Robbins, USA Today, 30 July 2019.
A corrupt ex-mayor said the city is "out of control." It seems it has been so and it seems so. But of course, to take notice has morphed in the hands of politicians is to be evidence that one is a racist. Consider the rhyme and sourced addenda: Everything's about your colored skin
Climb a mountain of ignorance,
A mole-hill high is it.
Once atop, survey the scene
But never once admit
That from its lofty vista
So little may be seen;
Then find another like it
To climb and there to preen.
Ignorance aplenty mountainous
Ranges round this world
And from each little hilltop
Waves ignorance, unfurled.
