Scattershots – 6oct20 (updated 9oct20)

George Rebane

Trump’s C19 infection and hospital visit is now providing the Democrats and their lamestream lackeys their latest ration of rage.  Everyone of them with access to a mic or website is lambasting the president on why and how his encounter with the virus came about and was then dealt with.  In their eyes it was all wrong and laden with conspiracies.  Everything from when was the last negative test recorded, to super-spreading WH events, to how sick did the president really get, to the Walter Reed physicians are lying or at least prevaricating about his current condition, to … , and even that he took his mask off too soon when he stood on the WH balcony after returning home.  If we didn’t have so many double dummies registered to vote, the whole exercise by the Left would be patently silly, but unfortunately that is not the case.

Fake drivers licenses from China as reported (here) by FN – “In the first six months of 2020, Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly 20,000 counterfeit U.S. driver’s licenses at Chicago’s O’Hare airport alone, according to a report.  The 19,888 licenses and other fake documents were included in 1,513 overseas shipments, mostly from China and Hong Kong, CBP said, according to FOX 5 in New York City. Others were from South Korea and Britain.  Ralph Piccirilli, CBP’s acting area port director in Chicago, called the counterfeits (made mostly for people in their twenties) ‘very realistic.’”  The add-on to this report is that the names on the licenses are phony, and yet all are registered to vote as Democrats.  For some odd reason, this news is not reported on MSNBC or CNN.  [7oct20 - According to a number of news and fact-checking outlets, the names are indeed phony, but there is no substantiating evidence that those phony names are registered to vote.]

'Polling Phollies' was a piece I posted on 4 September 2016 in the throes of the last election season.  It bears reading again in light of the feverish debate we are once more engaged in our Sandboxes.  From this commentary you can download a paper I wrote to clarify the error bounds on poll results.  The overlap of these error bounds are especially relevant when the polls return two-candidate results near the midpoint or 50-50 ratios.  For those who can understand the material, it should really take a lot of steam out of the results constantly reported and debated in the current comment streams.  But I think those comments may satisfy a different purpose than enlightening their readers.

[7oct20 update]  ‘Schools Tackle Racism’  Evanston, IL racist school superintendent Devon Horton is giving a dose of “equity for Black and brown students, for special education students, for our LGBTQ students”, by letting them have first dibs on limited classroom seating.  The rest can attend online.  He’s doing this because “a disproportionate number of Black and Latino students are struggling in school and it is that struggle—not their race—which will get them priority.”  Such an assessment, on its face, is both racist and false.  In Evanston schools these minority students have received the same educational advantages as everyone else.  They are doing poorly only because they are NOT “struggling” as so many minority students struggling to learn have successfully demonstrated across the country.  Horton’s racist claim is that these students need special dispensation because they have a learning deficit apparently due to their skin color or sexual preference (special education kids are a different story).  Upon closer examination, it is again culture that determines kids’ - minority or otherwise - attitude toward education and learning, racist school policies will not. (more here and here)

What is a nation?  Samuel Stone of the Charlemagne Institute takes a good cut at an answer (here) that more than less ties with what I have proposed in Rebane Doctrine.  Stone starts by correctly positing that ‘nation’ is one of the words that today has lost its meaning; not that people can’t point and say ‘that’s a nation’, but because they can’t give it a literal definition.  One of the main determinants that a nation must have is a defined territory with secured borders within which its state (i.e. government) is sovereign.  He then goes on to cite our Founders and their political philosophers about the shared traits of a people which comprise, occupy, and own the nation – traits like a common history, values, beliefs, traditions, language, … .  And under it all is a foundation of justice as “the end of government” (Federalist 51).  However, that view of justice must be held in common by the citizens of a nation; multiple or polarized views of justice in a land cannot hold it together.  In our scripture (Mark 3:25, et al) Jesus said it best, “If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand.”

[9oct20 update]  Today’s Nevada County’s Covid count is reported by the crack journalists at The Union.  From its front page we learn that there have been 20,735 recorded cases of the infection this year, with 18 cases currently active.  Two of these remain hospitalized, with the C19 body count that now stands at eight.  These numbers are mainly worthless, save the number who have died.  Presumably, the dead were correctly diagnosed and counted.  But given the real nature of the disease, and its wholesale misrepresentation that has led to an historical international panic, the recorded and currently active cases are totally unreliable, therefore meaningless.  The number hospitalized speaks only to the misunderstanding by local health officials about susceptibility to and the virality of this latest form of a corona virus, and their consequential draconian measures against our local businesses.  Bottom line, there is even less there to worry about C19 than meets the eye.  More on this later.

Comments

[Bill Tozer]

You have nothing to fear but fear itself.

‘Left’s Response To Trump’s ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ Tweet Emphasizes How Very Much They Want Fear’

We can't have people prudent about COVID, or rational about COVID, or thoughtful, or courageous about COVID. That does not produce the social outcomes that these people want. Being scared of COVID does

“First of all, this stance is factually questionable. Being afraid of COVID does not kill or retard it. Taking reasonable and prudent measures does. One does not need to be afraid to oppose coronavirus. In fact, excessive fear will cripple the critical thinking necessary for responding appropriately to this threat.

And that is the subtext at play here. The subtext is that if people simply follow their reason, and pay close attention to the objective facts about COVID-19, perhaps they would make different choices than when scared out of their minds about it. So we can’t have people prudent about COVID, or rational about COVID, or thoughtful, or courageous about COVID. That does not produce the social outcomes that these people want. Being scared of COVID does.

Fear seems to motivate different behaviors related to COVID than does information, facts, and rationality. If Americans were less afraid, then more schools would be open for more effective in-person instruction, for one thing.

@drsimonegold

Out of 70,000+ positive reported COVID-19 cases on Universities:

3 hospitalizations
0 deaths

Fear is the enemy of a free people because fear makes self-government impossible. It clouds our judgment and makes it even more difficult to do what has to be done.

Note well those who encourage it. Consider their ultimate goals, and the effects of listening to them. Then stop up your ears (or lash yourself to the mast), keep calm, and carry on.“

https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/06/lefts-response-to-trumps-dont-be-afraid-tweet-emphasizes-how-very-much-they-want-fear/

[Bill Tozer]

@BuckSexton

So everyone is clear: the lib media response to “don’t let covid dominate your life” is shrill outrage and objection

They absolutely want it to dominate your life. They demand it. They will force their fear onto you.

https://mobile.twitter.com/BuckSexton/status/1313525928404942851?

[D]

Another victim of right wing RussianBot propaganda. Sorry George, but you have to remember the old adage, if is sounds too juicy to be true, it probably isn't.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-fake-licenses-chicago-not-l/fact-check-20000-fake-driving-licenses-seized-at-ohare-airport-not-linked-to-voter-fraud-idUSKBN2612WF

[George Rebane]

D 1141am - don't know what literary defect or "RussianBot propaganda" you may be suffering from, but no one here claimed that the fake licenses were yet linked to voter fraud.

[scenes]

"traits like a common history, values, beliefs, traditions, language,"

I always try to use the word 'nation' in that sense rather than the concept of physical boundaries (a 'state' or 'country') but have always found that a subtle distinction for people to make. Both ideas can coexist of course, but I'm afraid that the diversity religion will blow up any concept of 'nation' throughout the West.

It works out pretty well for the proponents of central government though. Pack an area full of warring tribes and then you get to bring in increasing numbers of federales to keep the peace. It's worked before in other times and places but it sure takes a lot of aggressive pressure from on high to keep it going.

[D]

Posted by: George Rebane | 07 October 2020 at 11:48 AM

"The add-on to this report is that the names on the licenses are phony, and yet all are registered to vote as Democrats"

Lies,lies, and more lies.

[fish]

Posted by: D | 07 October 2020 at 02:19 PM

Oh (D)ugsKKKi….what vexes thee?

[Bill Tozer]

re: schools tackle racism. Virginia and IL are reading from the exact same paid for script:

'VA Public School District Wants Teachers to Enforce ‘Woke’ Revolution, or Else'

According to a draft of a policy, “Any comments that are not in alignment with the school division’s commitment to action-oriented equity practices” will be subject to punishment.

“The proposed change would cover all communication by Loudoun County Schools’ employees, on campus or off, by telephone, in person, or on social media,” according to a report from West Nova News.

In addition, any kind of speech perceived as “undermining the views, positions, goals, policies or public statements” of Superintendent Eric Williams or the school board will not be tolerated.

Employees will be directed to report anyone who does not follow the guidelines.

Remarkably, the document says the new policy shouldn’t be “interpreted as abridging an employee’s First Amendment right to engage in protected speech.”

What a relief.

Oh wait, there’s more: “ … however, based upon an individualized inquiry, speech, including but not limited to via social media, on matters of public concern may be outweighed by the school division’s interest in the following.”

The following includes: “Achieving consistent application of the board’s and superintendent’s stated mission, goals, policies and directives, including protected class equity, racial equity, and the goal to root out systemic racism.”

Again, this does not just apply when staff are working in an official capacity at school, but whenever they say or do anything on campus or off.

Oh, but don’t worry, your right to free speech is perfectly safe as long as you follow the party line at all times.

https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/va-public-school-district-wants-teachers-to-enforce--woke--revolution--or-else/

[George Rebane]

re BillT 828pm - Now these issues are seminal to the survival and prosperity of our country; why are there no liberals here who can talk to these issues and tell us why they support them.

[scenes]

My, that is a wonderful policy.

original draft: https://s3.amazonaws.com/jnswire/jns-media/0e/61/11477272/policydraft.pdf

"why are there no liberals here who can talk to these issues and tell us why they support them."

Because they are formed of a coalition held together by what they are against. Like Paul's 24/7 TDS, all that is expressed is a need to rid themselves of century and millenia old social norms, culture, achievement, mythos. If you can pin down a single person to mob up on (Trump is a good but not only example), so much the better.

Destruction is always easier than building and I doubt they could agree on the design of the hut in any case.

[Gregory]

scenes 717am

"I don't know what they have to say
It makes no difference anyway
Whatever it is, I'm against it
No matter what it is or who commenced it
I'm against it

Your proposition may be good
But let's have one thing understood:
Whatever it is, I'm against it
And even when you've changed it or condensed it
I'm against it

I'm opposed to it
On general principles, I'm opposed to it

(He's opposed to it
In fact, indeed, he's opposed to it)

For months before my son was born
I used to yell from night till morn
"Whatever it is, I'm against it."
And I've been yelling since I first commenced it
I'm against it"

from "Horse Feathers"

[scenes]

re: Gregory@9:34AM

Those Marxists are everywhere.

[The Estonian Fox]

Duquesne University (Pittsburgh PA) on Wednesday fired an education professor for “serious misconduct” less than a month after suspending him for his use of a racial slur in a virtual lecture related to race.

Prof. Shank — who’s been teaching for nearly three decades and a faculty member at Duquesne since 1997 — had been on paid leave since Sept. 11, when video was posted to Twitter of the portion of his Sept. 9 virtual class that drew backlash from some students, alumni and community members. University officials placed Shank on paid leave “moments after” learning of Shank’s use of the slur multiple times during a presentation in his course on educational psychology.

Shank, who is white, gave participants of the online class in question “permission” to use the N-word “in a pedagogical sense,” though no students did so during the two minutes of video posted to social media. The professor then repeatedly said the word while explaining he was demonstrating a point about how when he was younger, it was “a very commonly used word.”

The same day of the Sept. 9 course, after learning about student concerns, Shank emailed the entire class an apology statement... He then spent much of his Sept. 11 class apologizing before learning of his suspension hours later.

Apologies were not accepted. But - why is an apology ever required for free speech?

[George Rebane]

EFox 957am - Apologies are not required for free speech. Unfortunately, today in an America going Marxist, free speech has become a sometime thing. Apparently for Prof Shank this was not one of the times.

[D]

President Trump's reelection bid received a vote of support Friday from an entity most in his party would reject: the Taliban.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News in a phone interview, "We hope he will win the election and wind up U.S. military presence in Afghanistan." The militant group expressed some concern about Mr. Trump's bout with the coronavirus. "When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better," another Taliban senior leader told CBS News."

[Bill Tozer]

Duh

Of course the Taliban would endorse Trump. He is the only one fighting to bring our troops home from that shithole...against a lot of the top brass. Trump is looking for a solution in that tribal country.

most in his party would reject: the Taliban.

"Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News in a phone interview, "We hope he will win the election and wind up U.S. military presence in Afghanistan."

Wind it up. Our longest war.Pull the tent stakes,dud.

That one gets a double Duh.