Friends, of all the depressing changes washing over this country, none is more mortifying than the Left's blithe abandonment of our traditional commitment to free speech. The idea that the public sphere must be cleansed of "hate" and "lies" and "disinformation", while well-meaning, is completely inimical to the maintenance of free speech. Few on the Left seem to understand this. Some do understand it, but clearly don't care. They view the sacrifice of our freedoms as the price we must pay to achieve a neo-Marxist utopia. Anyway, I suggest you read this piece. It talks about the stakes of this battle. The central point is a simple one: freedoms are easy to lose, and tough to regain. So buckle up!
When we talk about the censorship and bias in Big Tech, we usually focus on Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple, etc etc. Fair enough, but Wikipedia is also a very influential clearinghouse for information. I use it constantly. This article says it's the 13th most visited site on the internet. My information is that it's the 5th most visited site. In any case, it outpaces even porn! That's saying something. Ergo, when Wikipedia decides to start curating the sum of human knowledge in order to protect lefty snowflakes from the mental anguish that evenhandedness causes, we're all in a heap of trouble!
In this piece Tucker Carlson exposes the utter absurdity of the Left's narrative on "oppression". In essence, they view the most privileged people in America as victims, and ordinary working class folk as black-hearted overlords. The sheer cognitive dissonance is amazing!
Finally, this article explores the fact that two of our leading candidates for the presidency in 2024 (three, if you count Marco Rubio) hail from Florida. That could make them bitter rivals. I hope it will make them close allies. My ideal scenario for 2024 is that a still-strong DJT will throw his weight behind Ron DeSantis. Maybe Don, Jr. as VEEP? Hey, let's make a deal... Why not?
Comrade Dr. Waddy,
ReplyDeleteI want to know if you have an officially approved oil portrait of our great leader in DC (you know who) placed in a prominent position in your home? If not, you need to get one very soon. Otherwise, your attitude will be noticed, and you will receive a visit from some interesting people in the near future, usually between 2 and 3 a.m. At that time, it will be too late to get a portrait.
Thanks Ray...lololol...about spat out my coffee.
DeleteComrade Linda
DeleteThis means that you and your husband also need to have a portrait of our great leader prominently displayed in your home. Your attitude has been noticed, and failure to comply could result in your "liquidation" which is another name for cancel culture.
LOLOLOL. Thanks Ray. Nope...don't have any portraits. I keep thinking I ought to adopt the many paintings or art work of the 'lonely left behind' when I visit Antique stores. That way, when we do have visitors over, I can brag about my "great great so and so." LOLOLOL
DeleteThis cancel culture is darn right scary. I think DeSantis is a real contender for 2024 (if he keeps his nose clean). My folks claim he is a charlatan and is ruining Fl with his conservative values...but you can't believe them, they are misguided Dems who fully support Biden and the cancel culture.
ReplyDeleteThe Left abandoned free speech as we know it, decades ago. Beginning in the 1960s, most colleges and universities adopted a Marxist oriented globalist worldview approach, and especially in schools that certified graduating students to teach in high schools. In other words, at least two generations have been indoctrinated with a Leftist (anti-Christian) world view.
ReplyDeleteAdded to this, are Critical Race Theory, and Cancel Culture, and so on, you name it. All of this ably assisted, aided and abetted by Big Tech. Realistically, the Trump years did next to NOTHING
to effectively stop the spread of Neo-Marxism, BECAUSE his administration NEVER had, or gained CONTROL of the media and higher education.
Until, the Right gains complete control of our cultural as well as our political system, don't expect any real changes. Talk about Cancel Culture. Look at how very quickly Biden changed a great many things at the stroke of a pen.
A major stumbling block to the above is that a great many Americans still believe that our system is still the same with parties drifting to the left and right of the traditional spectrum, when in fact our entire system is now dominated by the radical Left both politically and culturally.
Ha! I've got a lovely portrait of Simon Bolivar in my living room, but that probably won't avail me much with the Bidenist thugs. Do you know a good artist, Ray -- someone who can render a wrinkle exquisitely? Linda and I will pay good money to someone who can glorify Sleepy Joe in the approved fashion in artistic form. I was thinking a nude heroic sculpture, though, instead of an oil painting. I'm picturing Joe hurling a discus, his muscles rippling? What do you think?
ReplyDeleteLinda, the fact that the left-wing media is working around the clock to demean DeSantis means that they take him very seriously. I'm actually surprised that they haven't done a better job of blackening his name. His approval rating in FL is north of 60%! That speaks volumes about his ability to connect with (diverse) voters DESPITE the media's lies. If I was the Left, I'd be afraid of Ron -- very afraid!
Ray, you are right that the ideological needle has moved steadily to the left, and Trump did little to change that. It's important to remember, though, that back in the 60s and 70s the Marxists on campus were the ones crying out for free speech, because they wanted free rein to spread their poison, and they also knew that they were the cultural outliers. Now, the Left is brimming with confidence, since it dominates our cultural institutions and IT makes the rules. The landscape has changed sufficiently that the prospect of censorship and thought control no longer scares them -- it exhilarates them! Trump didn't reverse the decline, but he did it slow it. You can tell that much from the explosion of censorship and deplatforming that followed his "defeat". Ergo, we were fighting a losing battle before, and now the odds against us just got a little longer.
Blasphemy! How dare you compare Simon Bolivar with Joe Biden.
DeleteLOL Ray.
DeleteEWWWWWWWWWW perish the thought of creepy Joe nude, LOL. NOONE and I mean NOONE wants to see that. LOLOL
ReplyDeleteAfter watching a chunk of CPAC, including Trump's overplayed rerun of his "greatest hits," the Dems are in fine shape going into 2022. Had Trump kept his comments to 30 minutes and focused on the Biden administration, that would have been one thing. But, the hour-long replay of the Big Lie just crushed Trump's effectiveness and (if he had any left) credibility.
ReplyDeleteThe whole conference was a whine session on how conservatives are "victims." ROTFLMAO
To The Critic,
Delete"In Poets as true genius is but rare,
True Taste as seldom is the Critic's share;
...
Authors are partial to their wit, 'tis true
But are not Critics to their judgement too?"
Please fair critic, recall that, "...less dang'rous the offence, to tire our patience than mislead our sense."
As with all fashionable outbursts, the popular practice of victimhood scorns it's late adopters, irrespective of the Truth of such late claims.
May your knife chip and shatter.
- Lee
Ray, you're right -- Joe Biden is A THOUSAND TIMES more heroic (and macho) than Simon Bolivar. What was I thinking?
ReplyDeleteLinda, it takes all the cognitive dissonance a lefty can muster to imagine Sleepy Joe naked (and not expire from mortification), I agree.
Rod, you're right that Trump is long-winded. Not super-punctual either. Trump is Trump -- what else can we expect at this stage? And most of the country may not agree that the election was "stolen", but if you asked whether the Left, the Democrats, social media, the MSM, corporate bigwigs, etc. TRIED to steal it, they wouldn't be in any doubt.
Rod, I'm not 100% sure, but I think Lee just insulted you! You might want to attempt a rebuttal. ;)
Nick, I just ignored Lee. I hate punching down.
DeleteDr.Waddy et al from Jack: To Anonymous:I very much agree with your comments and admire the elegant language in which they are couched and supported!
ReplyDeleteBut Rod, surely, if you don't punch down, there will be no one to punch! I can't imagine that you regard any of us as your EQUALS... Isn't that the essence of leftism? The assumption that you're among God's (or nature's) Elect, and the rest of us are mere rubes? For my part, I just punch everybody. Seems like the democratic thing to do...
ReplyDeleteNick, I would absolutely punch you. LOL
ReplyDeleteSeriously, while I don't agree with you most of the time, you do back up your arguments with research and evidence.
Others don't and would rather engage in ad hominem attacks.
So, from my perspective, I would be punching you on an equal level. Lee, on the other hand, not so much.