Even weirder, they have no intention of actually suffering for their faith. Instead, they want to make you suffer. Al Gore can buy "green credits" like indulgences because he is worth close to a billion. That means he gets to live like a royal, enjoying your suffering as you try to work the new gas can. His mansion is lit up like Versailles, while you squint in the florescent haze of your eco-friendly CFL. It’s suffering by proxy, where they sacrifice their time to watch you suffer as a result of their policies.
What strikes me about it is the utter pointlessness of it. The endless posing and posturing has no end because it has no end point. A faithful Christian at least has the serenity of his communion with God. The Muslim, at the click of the detonator, knows he will be with Allah. Climate change fanatics have nothing but a hopeless misery. Even if all of their policies are enacted, nothing comes of it.
Don’t discount the smug satisfaction the eco-fascist takes in knowing he’s coerced entire cities to ban shopping bags, begin mandatory composting and in bankrupting entire industries, coupled with the Gnostic belief that he can see the world more clearly than those non-believers, whom he views as the equivalent of Holocaust deniers, if not something even worse. All that crony corporatism means he’s got his -- and all the new laws he’s passed are the equivalent of raising the drawbridge up behind him. Not to mention all the exciting cocktail parties with Leonardo, Al, Barry, and the rest of the (private) jet-set in Paris, Davos, (Hey, what do the Daleks have to do with any of this?)
and Bali. Sure it’s all nihilism -- but nobody said that nihilism couldn’t be awfully swank as well.
Analysis: True, given that EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy certainly never looks happy, despite having far too much influence over the American economy. It's basically an entire leaning tower of corruption and privilege, of the sort that Martin Luther and Adam Smith were both rebelling against, but the conservative commentariat is always quick to tell the displaced, dispossessed workers that they have to put up with this sort of thing, because of Ricardo, or because we demand too much equality-of-outcome.
I'm tired of reading 19th century free market platitudes while the Western equivalent of Milovan Dilas' New Class is trying to turn the Western world into a combination of Medieval China and post-closure-of-the-Grand-Council Venice.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain ||
04/13/2016 12:10 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Commies
Everyone hates the sourpuss who says the party is over. The next president will have to tell the American people that a reckoning is on the horizon--and that it is not going to be pretty.
...An adult president is going to have to tell the American people that a mandated equality-of-result economy is fossilized, entitlements are insolvent, the debt is unsustainable, interest rates are going up, the medical system is pure chaos, and people have to get over expecting to live off government, not because it is unethical, but because it is untenable.
[DAWN] AS the judges, lawyers and others who work at the Anti-Terrorism Court-II in Clifton, Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... , go to work in the coming days, they might be forgiven for thinking privately that no matter what their work environment, there, but by the grace of God, could have lain a scene of destruction.
Thankfully, given that everyone on the premises remained mostly unharmed, and the damage to infrastructure was not significant either, it is possible to make light of an incident that could so easily have turned into a tragedy. As things stand, the story belongs to the genre of comedic fiction.
On Monday, a lawyer and a policeman got into an argument. The former insisted that the latter did not have the expertise to understand how a hand grenade, allegedly recovered from his client, functioned.
The policeman stiffened, informing the court that he was a retired soldier, and, when further goaded by the lawyer about how a detonator worked, proceeded to pull the pin out and set off the charge. It seems the policeman was under the impression that the detonator had been defused.
Obviously, he was proved wrong as the roomful of people who were left cowering in the courtroom would confirm.
Having said that, pause to think of what could have ensued had the part involved not been a detonator but the grenade itself.
It is sobering indeed to think of such explosives in the hands of obviously untrained persons; and worse, those who by the very nature of their jobs are expected to have at least basic working knowledge of dangerous materials.
This is a country that has spent more than a decade fighting on the front line of terror and militancy; moreover, the incident occurred in a city where the rates of violent crime are such that the police force should have by now been honed into a lean, mean force. Clearly, such expectations are wishful thinking.
Citizens can legitimately wonder, what real chances are there of winning this war?
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
h/t Instapundit
Why do the angry white poor and working class support the unlikely populist Donald Trump -- a spoiled bully who made and lost fortunes in part by gaming the system, who seems to take gratuitous rudeness and cruelty as a birthright, whose lifestyle is symptomatic of American excess, and who for the last half-century has embraced no ideology other than Trump, Inc.?
Perhaps it’s because Trump is a phantasm. He is not a flesh-and-blood candidate judged as crude or acceptable on the basis of the usual criteria. His attraction rests on about 100 sound bites over the last year that shattered taboos and attacked elite sacred cows, in a manner that no candidate has done in the past -- or is likely to do in the future. Trumpism is nihilism. A reckless Trump had no political career or social capital to lose, unless one thinks that The Apprentice discriminates against the outrageous and crass, or that the New York real-estate industry blackballs prevaricators.
#1
Trumps appeal lies in the fact that the politicians Republicans have sent to Washington for the past thirty years have been pretend conservatives, who've betrayed them as soon as they've unpacked at the Watergate.
Nobody really cares what Trump's politix are now. The important thing is that he's not a politician.
I don't think Republicans are getting happier watching the convolutions the establishment's going through opposing Trump.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2016 9:54 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Maybe because no one has expressed the desire to be the voice and champion of a large group of people who've been abandoned by both parties in words and deeds. You are looking at fundamental tribal affiliations. You are looking at people who actually see they've been screwed over for everybody else's demands. They're not expressing it specifically, but they're testing the system to see if this still is a democracy (a government in the interest of the majority) or something else. These are the people you demand 'die on that hill' for your power and money. You'll find out you're the nihilist when they decide they're not going to make such sacrifices and everything starts to implode.
Also some of it is because Trump is not 'politically correct' and does not dance the tune the media loves to play them to.
People are tired of 2% of the population dictating that women have to share their restroom facilities with potential perverts and rapist simply because a minuscule number of people 'feel like they are women'. Or that 2% of the population can force people to participate in religious ceremonies which they find deeply offensive or lose their livelihood.
And anyone, anyone, who will stand against that kind of bullshit, even Trump, would seem appealing.
#5
I believe Trumps support comes from the fact that both parties pushed for free trade with the knowledge it would guy manufacturing and other blue-collar jobs but then did nothing serious to replace those jobs. Then redifined unemployment to hide the numbers.
Trump went from a joke to a serious candidate when he talked about protecting American jobs. The white poor heard beyond the wall and understood he was standing for them and love him for it.
#6
VDH could've saved a lot of effort and simply gone with this:
In sum, the white lower and middle classes are angry, and they are tired of being blamed for the unhappiness of other tribes. In our world, in which uncouth tribal leaders can say almost anything, these whites wanted their own Sharpton or Ramos, and finally got him with Donald J. Trump. As is true of most revolutionary movements, the aggrieved are not as angry at their perceived opponents as they are contemptuous at the enablers of them.
The irony is that it appeared in the National Review.
#7
I think it's less about free trade per se than people think. The average manufacturing business in the US is subject to a multitude of "backwards tariffs" starting with the various carbon taxes and going on from there, and then the displaced workers are told that it's because of Free Trade and their inferior competitive advantage, while Obama and now Hillary ran or are running on putting more entire industries out of business.
When you've sworn to put coal plants and coke plants out of business you've sworn to put what's left of the steel business out of business, and the knock-on effects put anyone who makes anything out of anything in this country at a severe disadvantage.
#8
It seems to me it's not so much that all those who claimed to be conservative got to Washington and threw off their masks, but that when they got there they were not a moajority even in their own party, and had to make compromises to get anything done. We are in a transition period, as the increased fiscal and somewhat social comservatism of most of the country works its way up from local and state political control to the federal level, which is why so many Republican politicians are so much younger than their Democratic counterparts. Note, this also means the older Democratic and more centrist Republican politicians have experience the conservative youngsters lack, and are therefore better at accomplishing their goals... for a while, at least.
#9
Trump is an idiot. His words prove it out. Anyone voting for or supporting him should be asking themselves why. I have a feeling most of the support is that they want a wrecking ball taken to DC and the eternal insiders there from both parties.
The problem is, supporting Trump is akin to throwing a tantrum, not thinking and acting rationally. Its a purely emotional response, all about your feelings, your anger.
Isnt this what people criticized Obama voters for - voting emotionally, failing to examine thoroughly the candidate and his obvious flaws? Doing things like doxxing delegates and sending the death threats because Trump's henchmen called them Gestapo?
If you support Trump, you are part of the problem. You're stuck on stupid. You need to examine the real stances fo the remaining candidates, the performance of these candidates in office, and on the campaign trail, and actually use your brain.
Don't do stupid things because you are so angry that it clouds your judgement.
#10
Fed, don't drag this place into the sewers of Trumpkin land. Do you truly support a man who likes political opponents to the Gestapo, who killed millions? Who consistently attracts and tacitly condones threats of violence against political opponents? Who whines about a delegate system whose rules were open for all to see - and then whines about being out thought and out hustled by his opponent when its Trumps own failure to do the same that cause him to lose delegates?
#11
Both parties are in revolt. This is a test, absolutely. It this was any other country but America there would be a violent revolution. For the moment, our revolution is through the democratic process. If the republican party is dumb enough to play with the rules and remove the guy who has the popular vote by the people and play the delegate game all bets are off. I am tired of being called the problem in America. I served this nation for almost 30 years. Payed all my taxes without shelters and other dodging crap. Now I'm a bigot because of the color of my skin and no matter what I do I can't change that. I also seem to need to pay reparations for slaves. Wake the hell up, I'll have no part of that. My Irish relative came to the USA as indentured servants, white slaves baby, where the men in my family served, fought and some died fighting in he Penn artillary, so I owe no one! My Republican Party has approved every Obama agenda item. They are traitors. They all need to go and the folks inside the beltway need to come visit those that are paying for their greed and corrupt deals. Yes I'm pissed and DC needs a full housecleaning, to include the staffs and the rest of those that don't seem to realize they are destroying our nation. Most third world countries have more integrity than the whole of DC combined. And all the 300 pound brains in DC need to realize I am a moderate out here in the flyover states. It will get very ugly if they play too many more games.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
04/13/2016 14:02 Comments ||
Top||
#12
#10 In short, Trump runs his compaign exactly as Dems do?
#13
Jeb Bush, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Baraq Obama, Lindsey Graham, Xi Jinping, Vicente Fox, Whoopi Goldberg and on and on and on.
He's pissing off all the right people. I can't think of any better reason to vote for the guy.
When I read to the bottom of the article there was a little pop up window in which the National Review says "We need your help." Sorry. I think I'll save the money for Rantburg!
#16
VDH's comparison of Trump and Sharpton is spot on - they're both obnoxious grievance hustlers. And the fact that both of their respective supporters care less about their irrational policies and more about their inflammatory comments is testament. Or maybe it's just because their both a couple of big goverment A-holes from NYC?
#17
Actually I am comfortably middle class (arguably upper middle class) and I like Trump a lot, simply because he likes America and wants to make it great again. Can the same be said of Crash and Bern?
Posted by: regular joe ||
04/13/2016 14:59 Comments ||
Top||
#18
Varmint Poodle8489, your so called "adults" have been doing the work for several decades now. That's why we have $20 trillion federal debt, an epidemic of heroin addiction, a culture that thinks our Mexican border should be left undefended, political correctness that is really an effort to curb free speech, outsourcing, H1Bs, unemployment that is so high the government doesn't dare report it accurately, a Middle East in chaos, an Arab invasion of Europe, terror attacks in Europe, terror attacks in America. Your so called adults are killing us. When something is so obviously not working it's time to try something else.
#19
SG, so I'm stuck on stupid? My first comment is fuck you. But that would be inappropriate. So I am a 55 year old veteran, stuck on stupid. I raised a wonderful family, stuck on stupid, paid my bills, taxes, ran an orphanage, stuck on stupid. Served in three different combat zones, stuck on stupid. And what I want is my vote to count, not some prearranged rule designed to end run the voter who is stuck on stupid. I want my government to act responsibility, balance the budget, and provide for the defense of our great nation. But I guess I am stuck on stupid for choosing the only candidate that wants the same thing. Next time you decide to call me a fucking idiot you should get past your tantrum and emotions and understand who you are calling fucking stupid, you attitude IS the problem. Just because we disagree does not mean one of us is stupid, I don't know you, I disagree with you, but I would never be as arrogant to as to call you stuck on stupid
Posted by: 49 pan ||
04/13/2016 16:05 Comments ||
Top||
#20
TW, before I get the ok don note. I went and had a snickers bar and I feel better now. Sorry.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
04/13/2016 16:41 Comments ||
Top||
#21
Think you two are yelling at the same macro-bot. Except could not spell Fred correctly this time.
Fred, did you sell out to Mistress Peterson, you sunovabich!
Personally, I don't think it was either Trump or Cruz's group which snuck into the other's camp and doused the fire with gasoline..not initially at least. I think the establishment knew they would have to be even more obviously voting along D lines then now with either of these two fellows, so they tried to get them to knock each other out while a good ole boy was still in the race.
Don't laugh; did something like that out here Milton Wolf vs. Pat Roberts.
#22
49 Pan, "I want my government to act responsibility, balance the budget, and provide for the defense of our great nation. But I guess I am stuck on stupid for choosing the only candidate that wants the same thing."
#23
Rj, you might be right. Im not sure about Cruz. Might be just me. He seems to pander to the far right. Might be just a little to far for me. I like the tea party, but I'll admit I just can't pin what it is about him I don't like. If he were to win the convention with the popular vote supporting him I would support him. If he gets it without that I can not support him. America will be just like every other soviet nation. Vote how you want but we will tell you who to vote for and will change the rules to get what party leaders want in spite of the voters.
On the dem side I see the same thing. The deme are so tired of the clintons that they will support a socialist/communist. People are tired of business as usual in DC. Maybe 4 years of trump will get congress to realize our opinions matter.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
04/13/2016 17:41 Comments ||
Top||
#24
Isnt this what people criticized Obama voters for - voting emotionally, failing to examine thoroughly the candidate and his obvious flaws?
Obama has succeeded quite handsomely in his attempt to "fundamentally transform" America, thanks in no small part to that emotional support.
Perhaps the GOP rank and file has come to the conclusion that sweet reason and Marquess of Queensberry rules aren't the best way to fight back.
#26
went and had a snickers bar and I feel better now. Sorry.
Forgiven, dear 49 Pan. If it helps, swksvolFF correctly noted that Varmint Poodle8489 and Sheba Glirong2372 are the same person, and he is definitely trying to get your goat. I've been away from the computer, or I would have deleted his posts. But y'all have been chewing on him, so perhaps it's just as well.
#29
This is my humble, but semi scientific opinion, for what it is worth.
The whole election has evolved to Kabuki Theater. Donald Trump, whether you like him, disdain him, or hate him, superman or fraud, is the only person that is shaking up the establishment parties.
These parties dem and pub, want the status quo. They will maintain power and control of the money by ANY MEANS necessary. Whether to smear Trump, play their insane rules, fix the election, cancel the election, go after the threat with prejudice. Trump's candidacy is an existential threat to their position of power. We are talking TRILLIONS of dollars here.
On top of that NOBODY talks about the runaway government debt, and the existential threat it poses to our existence as a country. Many great nations and empires have collapsed just the same way. Axe Ask Louis XVI about how overbearing taxation worked out for him.
This country, with few exceptions, has transitioned power without bloodshed. Now you have an electorate that feels used, betrayed, and robbed. How polite for how long will they remain?
We have one last chance to do it right. If we do not, then all bets are off. The government will go bankrupt and collapse, but on the way they will do and take anything to keep the status quo---for them.
What will you do when that happens? Do you have a plan B? This country is in an existential crisis. The crisis will be resolved one way or another. It may or may not be to your liking.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/13/2016 21:24 Comments ||
Top||
#30
And my opinion as well AP, and my opinion as well.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
