Back to the Syrian Future

Interesting. Not getting much coverage.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-resumes-large-scale-operations-against-isis-in-northern-syria/ar-BBXhYhN

On the Former Secretary's Firing

Great comments and leadership by the former secretary. It will be difficult to replace him.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-richard-spencer-i-was-fired-as-navy-secretary-here-s-what-i-ve-learned-because-of-it/ar-BBXrcAS?li=BBnb4R5

Kanye, Meet Scott

Scott Peck describes the process of spiritual growth as going from:
-I am the most important thing, to
-There is a being greater than I am, and will do exactly as directed by that being; some folks term this fundamentalism. The person in this phase feels saved, because they are liberated from the tyranny of their own self importance. Then comes
-I can regulate myself and have a more liberal interpretation of the greater being's intent - may not go to church each religion day, may not interpret the holy text literally, will begin to see the application of the greater being's intent as less compliance and more cooperation for a bigger purpose
-Mysticism, which I don't understand fully enough to describe

And here's Kanye:

West has led church services that have attracted thousands of black youths, some of whom said they had never entered a church before. More than 14,000 thousand people jammed Joel Osteen’s megachurch when West confessed to his previous lifestyle of arrogance and self-aggrandizement and acknowledged his bouts with mental illness. Departing from conventional forms of worship, Kanye’s large chorus surrounded him and, hands raised, stepped to the beat of his new album, “Jesus is King,” which he rapped as an enthralled crowd swayed with the beat. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/472091-kanye-west-a-welcomed-disruptive-voice

Those Oh So Important Diplomats

I've been a fan of Atkisson since I was in flight school in the 90s and would see her delivering the news on CNN while eating lunch of the officer's club.

Many will debate the substance of the public impeachment testimony against President Trump. To me, each of the Democrats’ witnesses of the past two weeks appeared to be well-intentioned and hard-working, and seemed genuinely to believe they know what’s best.

But a picture also emerged of U.S. diplomats who appear to believe they, rather than the U.S. president, have the ultimate authority to determine our foreign policy. And if the president doesn’t go along? He clearly must be wrong — in their view. Or, even worse, he’s a traitor. He’s to be obstructed. Taken down. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/471643-impeachment-inquiry-its-a-question-of-who-should-run-the-show

Greta You Should Have Taken the Slow Boat to China

In summary, the paris climate treaty is still the same joke it always was, and the Chinese will make sure it is never worth discussing again. They are going from around 4000 coal plants and adding at least ten percent to that. That's more than the rest of the world could close even if they could do so. 

"The International Energy Agency notes that coal accounts for 46% of global carbon emissions. To meet the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change target of keeping global warming below 1.5°C through 2100, the world much achieve, as Global Energy Monitor puts it, a “58[%] to 70% reduction in global coal power generation by 2030.”"

If the world's most political scientific body, the IPCC's absurdly specious predictions happen to be true, that means we are all going to be toasty warm and all the climate alarmists can say "I told you so" assuming we live to see the day. 

I hate to repeat any of this conjecture, which is being treated as if it has any basis in reality, at all - the point is, even if one bites on the pretense that the IPCC can predict the future of climate based on their paranoia about the ferocious power of CO2 to warm planet earth; and they are right that warming will be worse for humans and not better; and that wealthy, healthy humans cannot adapt; there's nothing the non-Chinese world can do to stop it. Better build your survival strategy around being wealthy and adaptable.

https://nypost.com/2019/11/23/china-going-big-on-coal-guarantees-the-world-wont-meet-its-carbon-cutting-goals/

Well then - what is this impeachment about ....
"Yet Sondland noted that “we did not think we were engaging in improper behavior” — that no one expressed any concerns. And he admitted that Trump never told him of any “preconditions” for aid or a meeting.

Asked outright, “No one on this planet told you that President Trump was tying aid to investigations. Yes or no?”, he answered, “Yes.”

The followup: “So you really have no testimony today that ties President Trump to a scheme to withhold aid from Ukraine in exchange for these investigations.”

Sondland’s answer: “Other than my own presumption.”

Indeed, when he directly asked Trump what he sought from Ukraine, the president responded: “I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing.”

For weeks, Sondland testified, he saw no link between investigations and aid or a Trump-Zelensky meeting. And, he stressed repeatedly, he had no clue at all, ’til “late in the game,” that Joe or Hunter Biden was remotely tied to any of this."

https://nypost.com/2019/11/20/sondlands-bombshell-turns-out-to-be-merely-his-presumption/

The Mental and Moral Health of "Royalty"

Weird about royalty now - they need not do a single thing to be alive. Their lives are never in their own hands. They live an entire celebrity life without having to do a thing to earn it, or be worth it. How can the Brits stand to be associated with these people? Powers corrupts etcetera.

https://spectator.us/prince-andrew-bbc-interview-jeffrey-epstein/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/17/the-guardian-view-on-prince-andrew-entitled-obtuse-and-shamefully-silent-over-epstein-victims

 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/17/prince-andrew-abuse-emily-maitlis-queen

Big Ole Crazy World

"I've had the story for three years. I've had this interview with Virginia Roberts [Giuffre]. We would not put it on the air,” Robach said. "First of all, I was told, 'Who is Jeffrey Epstein? No one knows who that is. This is a stupid story.' Then [Buckingham] Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways. We were so afraid we wouldn't be able to interview Kate and Will that we, that also quashed the story."

"It was unbelievable what we had. Clinton, we had everything," she continued. "I tried for three years to get it on to no avail. And now it's all coming out, and it's like these new revelations, and I freaking had all of it."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-media-protected-jeffrey-epstein-and-crucified-brett-kavanaugh

This is a thoughtful read. I remember when NICS was passed and we the gun owners knew it would just be a boon doggle, as it has been. However, if the money's going to be spend by we the people to do NICS, it should be done well. 

Taxpayers should be able to sue criminally ineffective governments. If only ...

Take universal background checks as an example. Although these could probably be legislated in a way that respects gun owners’ privacy and the Second Amendment, there is no evidence that any significant amount of crime is committed using the very small minority of guns whose sale would be affected — i.e., intrastate purchases in the 31 states that do not already require a background check. We are not aware of even one mass shooting committed with such a gun, and we doubt that many such guns are used in common crimes either. In short, universal background checks are an attainable but not very useful idea. They wouldn’t prevent much violence.

As another example, take prohibitions on the sale of so-called “assault weapons.” Although there is a campaign underway lately to rewrite history and pretend that the assault weapons ban of the 1990s was effective in preventing shootings, its failure has been statistically demonstrated, and it was universally acknowledged at the time Congress allowed it to expire. Moreover, gun violence has rapidly declined in the time since.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/congress-did-something-about-gun-sales-and-its-helping

Hypocrisy Much?

James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas, a group that has often infiltrated news organizations to uncover liberal bias, has released an explosive “hot mic” video of Good Morning America co-host Amy Robach venting about ABC’s decision to spike a story about Jeffrey Epstein’s nefarious activities three years ago.

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/abcs-excuse-for-failing-to-report-on-jeffrey-epstein-makes-absolutely-no-sense/

ABC News anchor Amy Robach was recorded on a hot mic claiming the network spiked a story exposing Jeffrey Epstein three years ago. The hot mic outburst was published by Project Veritas, a controversial conservative watchdog group that claimed the tape was leaked by an ABC News insider.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/abc-news-epstein-clinton-george-stephanopoulos

This week, Project Veritas released a video featuring ABC News anchor Amy Robach on set, speaking in August with a running camera and a hot mic. In her conversation with others off-camera, apparently during a setup or commercial break, Robach noted with some frustration that she had the story about the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein all to herself three years ago and with about as much detail as anyone could expect. But her network, she added, inexplicably refused to air it.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-media-protected-jeffrey-epstein-and-crucified-brett-kavanaugh

Sure, We Could Do That

"On another, more important level, the idea is ludicrous in terms of the tax code and basic common sense. After adding in the ultra-millionaire’s tax and factoring in the other capital taxes Warren wants to levy — on financial transactions, on unrealized capital gains, on corporations — we’d be asking every billionaire to hand over more than two-thirds of their total wealth over a 10-year period. If the government actually managed to collect it, their fortunes would rapidly erode — and so would tax collections. The plan might be a good way to smash wealth, but it’s a terrible way to fund the nation’s health-care system."

What could possibly go wrong?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-the-math-for-warrens-health-care-plan-adds-up-if-you-accept-its-ludicrous-premise/ar-AAJKSLw

Fascinating Story, I Wish Her Well in Her Journey

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/how-mattress-girl-changed-her-mind

Dirt from the Ivory Towers

Can universities survive themselves?

https://www.realcleareducation.com/articles/2019/10/02/university_admissions_scandals_go_deeper_than_you_think_110363.html