Never a Kind Word

Friends, we don't always agree with one another here at WaddyIsRight, but we express ourselves respectfully, we listen to alternative points of view, and we don't descend to name-calling and ad hominem attacks.  This is, in other words, a forum for mature adults who believe in the basic precepts of American democracy.  Unfortunately, those precepts have never been less secure in American culture than they are today.  Civility is -- how shall I put it? -- circling the bowl, and in a few years there may not be much good will left in this country. 

The campaign to smear our President as a criminal and a traitor, which is just now winding down, will be replaced, it seems, by a campaign to label him, and everyone who supports him, as a racist, a white supremacist, even a terrorist.  The inflation of our rhetoric is getting out of control.  Granted, we conservatives are not immune from this baleful habit.  We too use outrageous rhetoric at times to tarnish the image of our enemies, and we express intolerance as well.  The point is that this explosion of hatred and of vitriol in America is fundamentally un-American, and if it continues it will be the undoing of our constitutional system, of the rule of law, and of democracy itself.  These things simply can't endure if people have no respect for one another.  The orderly transfer of power from one leader to another, or from one party to another, just won't happen if red and blue America see each other as despicable.

What can be done?  We happy few with a grip on sanity can model maturity and civility, to the best of our ability.  We can switch off the worst manifestations of toxic and irresponsible "journalism".  We can also make a point of listening to and pondering the merits of alternative viewpoints, no matter how silly they may appear at first blush. 

In the end, though, we have to acknowledge that a tidal wave of lunacy and narrow-mindedness is sweeping over not just America, but the Western world.  We may not be able to keep the barbarians on the other side of the gate forever.  We frankly may not live in a democracy much longer.  The freedoms that our ancestors took for granted -- we may have to struggle to preserve, or even to recapture, them.  These are sobering thoughts, but they are, I'm afraid, the honest truth.

Am I being alarmist?  You tell me.  I would love to be proven wrong.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2019/08/17/cancel-culture-spreading-left-right-perpetually-offended/2009132001/

"Racism" is the New "Russia"

Friends, today I bring you an article that artfully demonstrates what you and I have long known: that the agenda of the mainstream media is to defeat President Trump.  For three years they seemed to believe that Russia-gate would be the sword with which they would slay the dragon of Trumpism.  Those false hopes have evaporated, so it's only natural that the Left would go back to the deepest well they have: racism!  If you can't beat Trump with allegations of corruption, or sexual harassment/assault, or collusion, or obstruction of justice, well, why not just call him a racist, oh, a thousand times a day until the American people believe it?  It's not a subtle plan, but, by sheer repetition, the liberals and the Democrats might just get their wish.  Time will tell.  Anyway, read on, and never underestimate how utterly deluded the Left has become on the issue of race -- to the point that they believe their own vicious propaganda about conservatives, Republicans, and white people.  As Trump would say, SAD!  Just sad.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/08/19/stoking_racial_division_msnbc_does_the_dems_work_141036.html

In other news, Britain is continuing its descent into PC madness by implementing its ban on advertisements containing "harmful gender stereotypes".  I hate to see fair Albion degraded by such nonsense, but it's a sign of the times, and in many ways the Europeans are afflicted with a worse case of political correctness than we Americans are -- and that's saying something!

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49332640

When the Police Need Help, Will You Answer The Call?

Friends, in countless ways the Thin Blue Line, which endures tremendous sacrifice and risk on the public's behalf, is under continuous assault.  Sometimes those attacks are literal, like the recent shooting in San Antonio that targeted ICE officers.  Sometimes the slings and arrows suffered by law enforcement are more political in nature, like in the case of Elizabeth Warren's recent slander against Darren Wilson, the unfortunate officer who was involved in the Ferguson, Missouri debacle in 2014.  However you slice it, being a police officer isn't easy, and it's getting less so all the time.  We need to ask ourselves, therefore, how can we, as ordinary citizens, pitch in and come to the assistance of the police?  The maintenance of law and order, I would argue, takes more than a well-trained and well-equipped police force.  It also takes a citizenry eager to help the police, to report instances of criminality, to visit harsh justice on evildoers, and to support candidates and causes that enhance rather than degrade public order.  That, my friends, rules out voting for Democrats, at least in the present climate.  Those of us who value law and order, and who cherish the brave men and women of law enforcement, therefore, need to circle the wagons.  As the old saying goes, "All that is required for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." My advice, then, is: do SOMETHING!  Do whatever you can to show that, in the war between criminals and lawmen, your loyalties are clear.

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2019/08/16/its-time-to-embrace-the-police-n2551786

The China Syndrome: Could the PRC Have a Meltdown?

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show covers a lot of important ground.  Most importantly, Brian and I talk about the unrest in Hong Kong and the ongoing US-China trade war, and how these developments might play out.  The Chinese autocracy is playing with fire!  Let's hope the whole world doesn't get burned.

In addition, Brian and I talk about the Jeffrey Epstein suicide debacle, plus Elizabeth Warren's racial incitement.  In terms of history, Brian and I cover the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, China's belligerence in World War I, the massive blackout in 2003, and the historic announcement of Japan's surrender by Emperor Hirohito in August 1945.  This show is action-packed!  Don't miss it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdJfaYG-wlE&feature=youtu.be

Elizabeth Warren Joins The Black Panthers?

Friends, if you want to learn just how far down the rabbit hole of reverse racism the Democratic Party has traveled, read the story below.  On the 5-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown at the hands of a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, numerous Democratic candidates for President are blaming the police officer who acted in self-defense (according to the Obama Justice Department!).  But that's not all.  Left-wing loony Elizabeth Warren even flatly accused the policeman of "murder"!  I say: keep it up, Liz!  Loose talk like that will win you the Democratic nomination, but it will also torpedo your chances in 2020 against President Trump.  Sounds perfect to me.

https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/457049-time-to-retire-ferguson-narrative

In other news, the Left is decrying President Trump's new regulations for immigrants, which are designed to penalize them for using public assistance.  The law already says that immigrants should be denied welfare, but for years they have skirted these requirements.  Keep in mind that U.S. law, despite the idealistic pronouncements on the Statue of Liberty's tablet, has always sought to encourage desirable immigration and discourage immigrants who would be a burden on the country.  That's just common sense.  No wonder Democrats are offended by it!

http://www.foxnews.com/media/ken-cuccinelli-is-asked-if-lady-libertys-plaque-should-come-down-amid-immigration-changes

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/aug/12/dhs-approves-policy-deter-immigrants-use-welfare/

Lastly, consider the dilemma of a parent whose child wants to become "transgender," but the parent is concerned that this may not be in the child's interest.  The Left's position, and therefore the education establishment's position, is that any person, even a minor, can change their gender instantaneously and on request.  Moreover, in blue states, it is perfectly legal, and very PC, to help a child change his or her gender -- but it is ILLEGAL to try to convince a child that transgenderism is not the answer.  This, after all, would be "conversion therapy," which offends the Left because it suggests that being trans, or gay, might be in some way less than ideal.  My heart goes out to parents facing this predicament!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2019/08/12/transgender-daughter-school-undermines-parents-column/1546527001/

The Campaign Against "Hate": Nothing Makes Liberals More Sanctimonious...And More Self-Deluded

Friends, my latest article concerns a topic of burning interest to the mainstream media: "hate" and whether or not it thrives on the political right.  You can guess my point of view: "hate" exists everywhere on the political spectrum, but if anything conservatives and Republicans are less guilty of indulging in hateful violence than liberals and Democrats.  See if you agree...

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2019/08/07/the-merchants-of-hate-n2551314

How LBJ Got His Way

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show is the usual tour de force. In our "This Day in History" segment, Brian and I talk about the Battle of Guadalcanal in WWII, Operation Desert Shield in 1990, and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964 that laid the groundwork for U.S. belligerence in the Vietnam War. I give old LBJ his due: he was crude and dishonest, but he had a peculiar knack for getting his way politically, and in the process he changed the world -- for better or worse.

In terms of current events, Brian and I discuss the horrific mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, the state of play of the British-EU negotiations over Brexit, the controversy over the alleged murder of an Italian Carabinieri officer by two American teenagers, the issue of police/community relations, and more!  Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ03gk5xWMU&feature=youtu.be

The Best of Times

Friends, I recommend to you this great article that parallels what I've been saying for a long time: in an objective sense, there has never been a better time to be human than right now.  War, hunger, disease, and tyranny are all at a low ebb.  Life expectancies have surged.  Life in the developing world has made huge strides in the last few decades.  None of this is in dispute.  And yet we feel sorrier for ourselves than ever before, and we overwhelmingly seem to believe that civilization is going off the rails.  Why?  This article gets to the heart of it: the media misleads us, and, to an extent, we mislead ourselves.  Give it a read and see if you agree.

https://reason.com/2019/08/03/impending-defeat-for-the-four-horsemen-of-the-apocalypse/

In other news, I naturally condemn the horrific mass shootings that occurred recently in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.  Nonetheless, I believe that Americans' Second Amendment rights are inviolable, and we must resist the urge to solve every problem by granting even more authority to the federal government.  Better law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels, and better detection and treatment of extreme mental illness, are the best solutions to the problem of mass shootings.  We should not lose sight of the fact, moreover, that such shootings are rare, and far more Americans are killed by the drug-related and gang-related violence that plagues many inner city neighborhoods.  The media may not care about this kind of violence, because it can't be weaponized against Trump, Republicans, or whites, but it is infinitely more prevalent than anything that white supremacists inflict on innocent Americans.  We should keep a sense of proportion, therefore, and attack the problem of violence rationally rather than hysterically.  Easier said than done, perhaps.

Keep Calm and Carry On, Boris!

Friends, it's no secret that many Britons and Europeans are rooting for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to fail in his quest to make Brexit a reality.  He will need everything in his bag of tricks to drag an unwilling Parliament and Euro-elite over the finish line.  My latest article gives him some helpful advice on how he might be able to manipulate Parliament and the EU.  Essentially, I recommend breaking Brexit into pieces, and deferring action on the most contentious elements until after Brexit, in a legal sense, is a fact.  See what you make of it.

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2019/07/31/boris-johnson-if-parliament-wont-swallow-the-brexit-pill-try-breaking-it-in-half-n2550909

Listening In to Nixon

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show with me and Brian O'Neil is a humdinger!  We cover the controversy over the President's Baltimore tweets, the constant refrain on the Left that Trump and Republicans are "racist," the state of the Democratic primary race, and prospects for Brexit now that Boris Johnson is at the helm.  Historically, we cover the importance of the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, generational politics on the Left, and the complex historical legacy of Presidents Kennedy and Nixon, including Nixon's culpability in the Watergate Scandal and the wisdom (or lack thereof) of his taping system in the Oval Office.  Don't miss it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58jkNXDHB0Y&feature=youtu.be