from Brock Townsend:
Via Billy
Given its track record, one wonders why socialism is gaining in popularity in the U.S. and what appeal it has to a generation that, apparently, knows little about it.
A recent survey from Harvard University has found that 51 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 do not support capitalism. Just 42 percent support the economic system that has allowed even the poorest American to live better and to have more opportunity for advancement than most of the rest of the world. Thirty-three percent of those surveyed support socialism.
Why does socialism receive such strong support among the young? I think it’s partly due to what is being taught in too many public schools and universities and it is partly due to ignorance and human nature, which would rather get a check than earn one.
Three quotes about socialism sum up both its false promise and its danger.
Back-in-the-day, when I was going to college, I paid all my own tuition, bought my own books, and worked full-time. At minimum wage or slightly more than minimum wage jobs. No student loans for me!
This is not to say I wouldn’t have considered a loan – I didn’t think I’d qualify and didn’t know I’d a choice!
What changed, wherein young people cannot work and afford college on their own?
(I suspect the government is involved!)
(In the interest of full disclosure, I barely make it on SSDI today, and sometimes borrow (or am gifted) money to pay my auto insurance, or to make groceries. This is not a bleg, but just a statement-of-fact. What changed, when I could once afford to pay my own way, and now cannot? I suspect the government is involved.)
(With apologies to Sixty Minutes’ Andy Rooney)
Did you ever notice, when a ‘large’ crime, or terrorist act occurs, that The Left immediately (before the ink or blood is even dry) screams to have guns, all guns, some guns, evil-looking guns, ‘high-capacity’ guns, military-styled guns, ‘assault’ weapons, Saturday Night specials, ‘assault clips’ (etc.) BANNED?
Regardless whether or not the aforementioned firearms were even used in the heinous attack?
AND, The Right usually responds by screaming at the Left for their attempts to restrict individual rights, and purchases as many of the potentially banned firearms as possible? And the many gun rights organizations demand request we send letter of protest and as many dollars as possible to their lobbying arm to thwart the Left’s attempts at restrictive legislation?
(Of course, this doesn’t work as well when the gun restrictions are mandated by executive fiat!)
BUT, rarely does such legislation ever see the light of day(!)
While I support efforts by gun rights groups to help us keep our freedoms, I am reminded that many such organizations would cease to exist (or in the least be downsized) if money was not proffered by us.
Not unlike The American Cancer Society, The Jerry Lewis MD Telethon, Party X, Party Y, yatta, yatta. If we didn’t send money, they would dry up.
But gun rights would not be extinguished.
Because we, as individuals, would have to pick up the gauntlet.
And perhaps that’s WHY they exist – our laziness as individual citizens(?)
Please visit the links on my humble sidebar (or, make an effort to find those with whom you agree on your own!) and join, make a contribution (or contributions). Write letters and emails. Call politicians and bureaucrats!
TAKE ACTION to support those causes near-and-dear to your heart!
Because being an ‘armchair adventurer’ is one thing. Being an ‘armchair citizen’ is something altogether different!
Joel posts THIS!:
Here comes a link from Landlady to further damage my calm…
State Supreme Court Finds Dogs Are “ Sentient Beings,” Not Mere Property, In Landmark Ruling
[T]he court granted legal significance to the dog’s “ sentient ”—his capacity to experience feelings, and pain.“It is really a landmark ruling,” says Attorney Lora Dunn of the Animal Legal Defense Fund—which filed an amicus brief in this case, on behalf of the winning side. “In this specific context, the animal sentience matters.”
Find me an animal, from an earthworm to a gorilla, that can’t feel pain.
“A landmark ruling?” That’s a scary ruling. “Feelings and pain?” By that definition, the rabbits currently infesting my yard and the pork currently warming my stomach are or were sentient.
I recognize that the word has such wide meaning as to be essentially meaningless. But as far as I can tell, the Oregon court just outlawed meat-eating. And for that matter, the ownership of all animals.
PETA (and their fellow four-footed travelers) must be dancing!
In homage to this well-thought-out (sarcasm) decision, I bring you the following, courtesy of Tamara:
(Now, if I could only afford a good one… 😦 )
from Bayou Renaissance Man (in part)
Today’s award goes to the journalist(s) and/or editor(s) responsible for this utterly ludicrous headline:
It is, of course, complete and utter bull. Naturally (and I mean that both literally and figuratively) women are, indeed, the only people who menstruate! It can’t possibly be any other way. Those responsible for this absurd headline are stretching reality in such a pretzel-like fashion that it’s grotesque to the point of ridiculousness.
(…)
There’s more at the link.
Look . . . if a woman chooses to self-identify as a man, but chromosomally, genetically and otherwise is female to the point that she still has periods, THEY ARE NOT A MAN. THEY ARE A WOMAN. PERIOD. (Pun intended.) Even if the relevant organs are surgically removed, so that periods are no longer physically possible, that won’t change the reality of the situation.
This is political correctness gone mad, and should be treated as such. To do otherwise would be dishonest – and the hallmark of a doofus. It’s as simple as that.
Peter
I applaud Peter for his directly addressing the complete absurdity of this concept!
Having said that, I commend the company for (ahem) thinking outside the box (sorry!) to gain a larger market share. Capitalism at it’s weirdest.
As stupid though it may seem.
Hard to imagine what is, or could be next…
(I shudder at the prospects!)
(Sorry)
years ago
Kelly McGillis said she plans to apply for a concealed carry gun permit after she was assaulted by an intruder in her North Carolina home Friday, June 17.
The actress, who is best known for playing Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood in “Top Gun,” recalled the scary incident in a recent Facebook post.
“Upon entering the house I notice a pair of girls pink sandals and a black larger pair,” McGillis wrote. At first, she thought it her daughter might be home and she called out several times for her.
“[But then] a stranger, a woman, came barreling down the hallway and began yelling at me. I asked her who she is and why she was in my house and she said ‘you know why you’ve been stalking me in Twitter.’ Not true.”
The 58-year-old wrote that she keeps guns and ammunition in her home and was concerned one of the intruders had gotten a hold of them.
“That’s when I started to panic” and “ran out the front door and called 911.”
McGillis wrote that the intruder ran after her and “began punching and scratching [me] trying to grab the phone out of my hand. I began screaming as loud as I could hoping someone somewhere might hear me.”
It was a Friday night so not many people were around, McGillis explained. She managed to set off her car alarm since she had her car keys in hand. “More fighting ensued.”
McGillis ran to her truck and drove off. She eventually flagged down another driver who called 911 for her.
The intruder, 38-year-old Laurence Marie Dorn, was arrested by the Henderson County police and charged with second-degree burglary, misdemeanor larceny, misdemeanor stalking, assault and battery and interfering with emergency communication. She is being held on $60,000 bond, according to her arrest report.
McGillis wrote that she was left “scratched and bruised” but is “very thankful it turned out well.”
She added, “But who I feel heartache for is the little girl that was with her. Mental illness takes many hostages. I don’t know her name… but I would like to asked that you pray for her and her mother.”
In a separate post, McGillis shared her plans to protect herself from future invaders.
“I have decided to get a conceal and carry permit. And you can be sure I will be setting the alarm from here on out.“
This isn’t the first time McGillis has been the victim of assault; she and her girlfriend at the time were raped in 1982. She has said the experience led her to play the role of attorney Kathryn Murphy in the 1988 film “The Accused,” based on the gang rape of Cheryl Araujo.
O-kay. She owns guns, but left them in her house, and failed to set the alarm!
Just because you no longer live in L.A. doesn’t mean you are safe. Hopefully, she gets proper training and her permit and starts setting the alarm from this day forward…
Some folks don’t get second chances.
aka what’s in a name?
One way those adverse to the American Constitutional Republic Way Of Life keep replicating their cause is they keep changing their name! And adding additional names to the roster.
Not unlike viruses mutating to stay alive.
Remember the Communist Party of Soviet Russia fame? Well, it became CPUSA here. Then morphed into fellow travelers. (The Black Panthers became the NEW Black Panthers, etc.)
(Were the NEW Christy Minstrels significantly different from the original? Inquiring minds want to know.) 🙂
Communists became Socialists. Which became Progressives. Which infected once honorable institutions like the Democratic Party and the NAACP.
And, yes, the Republican Party, as well(!)
As I’ve oft stated here, it’s all about control.
I used to use the phrase petty power and control, now I’m convinced it’s no longer petty – it’s grand! (and NOT in a good way!)
Brock Townsend brings us this interesting link. To The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA!
It seems THEY were the folks responsible for printing the protest signs used by the protesters looters criminals present after that Latino dude defended his life against a Black football playing career criminal White guy murdered an innocent Black youth. (links below)
Via Horace “Sent to me by my friend of 20 years now, Bob Conley who retired from active Marine duty in 1969. He served from Iran to Vietnam, among others. He is my idea of a US Serviceman/Veteran, mentally and physically sharp at 84 years. A prostate cancer survivor. A Devil Dog if I ever knew one.”
Grassroots, my A**!
Bet they are connected to those SEIU union folks that bus people around to protests, as well.
‘Workers of the World, Unite’, and all that c**p.
From Alan Korwin’s email this morning, in part…
The Infamous No-Fly No-Buy Gun Bill HR 2578:
“Blatant Rape of the Constitution.”
— Legislators who proposed this should be removed from office —
Has anyone even read the bill that had democrats
staging a sit-in on the floor of Congress?
“No district court of the United States
or court of appeals of the United States
shall have jurisdiction to consider the
lawfulness or constitutionality of this section…”
It gets worse.
Under the excuse of fighting terrorism, these democrats, with republican allies, wanted to deny Americans their individual rights to travel by air — or obtain arms — without probable cause, without due process, and get this — without being able to view the evidence against them or face their accusers. Their accusers and the evidence remains a secret. Your rights would be denied solely by a secret-police list.
You can’t challenge the proposed law’s legality… because it hasn’t got any. It would not pass even the slightest scrutiny, and they know that, hence that clause above in bold. My republican senator from Arizona, Jeff Flake, supports this, smiling when he announced it on TV.
The people proposing this 17-page tyrannical travesty should be removed from office.
And THIS STATIST CLOWN is the more ‘conservative’ of Arizona’a two Senators! (The other being McCain!) Barry Goldwater must be spinning in his grave!
Even if you are not from Arizona, please contact this guy’s office in protest! (link below)
Senator Jeff Flake
(I have – THREE TIMES!)
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(And, now for something completely different – as promised)
22 VETERANS COMMIT SUICIDE DAILY
Even ONE of these heroes making this choice is unacceptable! (Day #22 of 22)
They don’t look age 3 to me…
The Democratic sit-in to protest the Republican-controlled Congress’ inaction on gun control legislation on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives entered its second day Thursday with no end in sight.
The Democrats’ protest began with a speech by Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, who participated in civil rights sit-ins in the 1960s, condemning Republicans for blocking gun control legislation and accusing the GOP of kowtowing to the National Rifle Association.
The Democrats continued to give speeches with frequent pauses to chant “no bill, no break” and “Shame! Shame!” as the House voted to adjourn and start a new legislative day at 2:30 a.m. (International Business Times)
A tantrum? Seriously?
Are they going to hold their respective breaths now, until they turn BLUE?
I have two memories of tantrums (tantra (plural?) 🙂
The first was recounted by my own Father. On numerous occasions, he would share the story on how I had thrown exactly ONE tantrum. He ‘dealt with it’, and I never did it again. (The inference was I received a spanking – this was the 1950’s after all!)
The second was our own daughter, Molly. She was mostly well-behaved, but at one point, in a large, popular shopping mall (Metrocenter – N. Phoenix, before stores closed wholesale and it became a gang meeting place), she decided when the three of us were window shopping (I was married at the time) to throw a serious tantrum. I think she was probably three at the time.
Mary and I looked at each other, while Molly was on her back, flailing, screaming and crying, agreed telepathically that immediate action was needed.
We turned and walked away. No counter-screaming, no histrionics, no beatings.
Molly suddenly noticed our departure, immediately stopped her tantrum, and rushed to rejoin us, now better behaved.
AND, she never did it again.
………………
My point is we have two choices to respond to the anti-rights forces in Congress. One would be brute force, getting in their face and (verbally, at least) spanking them for their childish behavior.
Would this make us feel good? Yes. Superior? Certainly.
Would it solve the larger problem? NO.
The second choice would be to let them have their tantrum, and let the world see how un-adult, child-like and emotionally crippled they are.
And continue to block ALL attempts to pass restrictions on the rights of law-abiding citizens!
Have YOU written, emailed and/or called your Congressmen regarding your opinion on all these onerous bills?
I HAVE. MORE THAN ONCE!
You have no right to complain if ‘a backroom deal’ is made, and our rights are further restricted!
DO IT NOW! Click on the link below for contact information!
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(And, now for something completely different – as promised)
22 VETERANS COMMIT SUICIDE DAILY
Even ONE of these heroes making this choice is unacceptable! (Day #21 of 22)
Mr. B (In the Middle of the Right)
posted the following…
That the Gun Massacres were few and far between until the Gun Control folks began their push?
(Even CNN has noted this ) (via Tam)
And there are so many things that make the Conspiracy folks go crazy in every story. Sometimes I wonder if they are right.
Ferinstance, this guy’s story has a lot of holes in it (starting about 2:40) (“The bullet was as big as my finger and it was sticking out of his leg (shows 6 inches)”)…. Makes one wonder. (Plus admitting that you might have trapped others to die?)
It would seem that the incident of gun massacres are increasing. I am beginning to wonder if they are all real whackjobs (as opposed to staged things) especially when I see “witnesses” like the above…It is odd that we had so few until a few years ago….Almost as if the farther behind the gun grabbers get, the harder they try the murderous gun whackos grow bolder….
Odd that.
I used to know a psychologist (NOT as a patient) with whom I was discussing the PROGRAMMING OF HUMAN BEINGS. The discussion came about not because of the excellent film The Manchurian Candidate (the original, not the poor remake), but because of accusations Sirhan Sirhan (the poor bastard who was convicted of shooting Robert Kennedy from behind, even though he was never behind him!) had been programmed by folks wanting Kennedy dead for his pro-Israeli stance. (Of course, Sirhan DID shoot many around Kennedy).
I had been reading a sketchy book regarding the assassination, and had questions, thinking I would be laughed at for bringing programming up.
The shrink told me we had been involved in programming since the 50’s, and had picked up much of it from the Soviets (this conversation was in the 80’s), who had begun research in the 40’s!!
YES. There are lone nut-jobs out there. And YES, conspiracy theories abound.
But it IS interesting that while any kind of mass shooting now gets increased media attention, that more seem to happen when there is an election looming. And, of course, The Left is there at-the-ready with numerous, poorly-written screeds in an effort to pass more anti-rights legislation (also pre-prepared, well in advance).
Directed against the law-abiding citizen.
Odd that.
“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” – Rahm Emanuel (now Chicago Mayor)
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(And, now for something completely different – as promised)
22 VETERANS COMMIT SUICIDE DAILY
Even ONE of these heroes making this choice is unacceptable! (Day #21 of 22)
(aka Reparations to Ireland?)
from Brock Townsend:
More links on both NamSouth and FNC
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Did you know that more Irish slaves were sold in the 17th century than black slaves? With a staggering death rate between 37% to 50%, this is the story the history books will not tell you.
White and Black Slaves in the Sugar Plantations of Barbados. None of the Irish victims ever made it back to their homeland to describe their ordeal. These are the lost slaves; the ones that time and biased history books conveniently forgot.
The first slaves imported into the American colonies were 100 White children. They arrived during Easter, 1619, four months before the arrival of a the first shipment of Black slaves.Mainstream histories refer to these laborers as indentured servants, not slaves, because many agreed to work for a set period of time in exchange for land and rights.
Yet in reality, indenture was enslavement, since slavery applies to any person who is bought and sold, chained and abused, whether for a decade or a lifetime.
More on revisionist history.
Believe me, I am not condoning or excusing Black slavery by mentioning there were White slaves, as well. Slavery is wrong. Period. But we should know all history, not just that fitting an agenda.
Camps for Germans and Italians during WWII, as well? Yep. Certainly not as many, but…
It wasn’t just the Japanese.
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(And, now for something completely different – as promised)
22 VETERANS COMMIT SUICIDE DAILY
Even ONE of these heroes making this choice is unacceptable! (Day #20 of 22)
