Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show is a tour de force. Naturally, we could say that every single time, but this time it's 7% truer than usual! Brian and I consider the blistering negativity that now constitutes Dem/progressive rhetoric about Republicans and conservatives. It's no mystery to me: the lower their poll numbers go, and the more they screw up the country, the greater the urge/necessity to "go negative" and turn their opponents into inhuman monsters. Expect a lot more Trump-hatred and Republican bashing in general in the months to come.
In addition to analyzing the Dems' pathological hatred of all opposition, Brian and I also talk about the fate of the reconciliation bill, the struggling economy and the dangers of a recession, the politics of Columbus Day versus "Indigenous People's Day", and the escalating labor force disruptions caused by vaccine mandates.
When the conversation turns to history, Brian and I ponder the foundation of America's first navy and the current state of our naval hegemony, Italy's decision to switch sides in World War II, and more!
Tune in and listen in, folks! Apparently the Newsmaker Show is topping the charts on Rumble these days. Finally, the American people are waking up!
https://wlea.net/newsmaker-october-13-2021-dr-nick-waddy/
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In other news, Captain Kirk has gone into space! It's about time. Now he won't have to skate by on his superlative acting talent alone...
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/shatner-blue-origin-space/2021/10/13/id/1040289/
Did you know that Halloween is -- drumroll, please! -- racist??? Of course it is. Everything is. Everyone is. Frankly, though, I always thought Michael Myers was the epitome of the anti-racist. I mean, he'll chop you up no matter what your race is, am I right?
https://mynorthwest.com/3183712/rantz-seattle-elementary-school-cancels-halloween-equity-concerns/
Lefties are getting seriously worried -- not just that Trump will run again, but that he will win "fair and square", as this article puts it. What's more, progressives consider this an existential threat to American democracy, and they aren't shy about saying so. In other words, there's nothing less democratic, in the eyes of the Democratic Party, than the voters exercising their democratic rights and choosing...wrongly. All this makes me wonder: what if Trump does win in 2024? Would the reigning Democratic president at the time (Biden?) accept Trump's win? Would there be an orderly transfer of power? Or would the Dems cry bloody murder and roll tanks into the streets -- would they stop at nothing to prevent their nemesis DJT from recapturing power? I honestly don't know. Surely, it would be a mistake to underestimate how neurotic/psychotic many leftists have become...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/trump-winning-2024-real-election-nightmare/620368/
Here's an interesting tale about a school district covering up a sexual assault because the assailant was transgender. I can't confirm any of the details, but it sounds as if school officials tried to sweep the incident under the rug, and then they recategorized the transgender perpetrator as a "boy" to avoid offending the forces of wokeness. Stay tuned to this story, folks.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/loudoun-county-father-school-cover-up-bathroom-assault-daughter
Are large numbers of illegal immigrants being released into the general population -- in other words, being rewarded for their lawlessness? You betcha. It could easily get worse, given the great mass of humanity that's currently shambling towards the border.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteI sure want to see Republicans (real ones) take control of Congress again in 2022, but I am beginning to "fret" about a Trump run in 2024. Why can't he decide not to run and endorse someone like DeSantis for example, or better yet, someone like Mike Pompeo. I think we need to get out of this mindset that only Trump can "save" the country. Clearly, it needs to be restored to sanity, but why Trump?
Ray, I agree that the GOP shouldn't be a cult of personality. Trump isn't the only one who can lead us, and he may not be the best choice either. He is, however, the default choice of a majority of the Republican primary electorate, and he's intimidated most of his theoretical challengers into self-marginalization. I mean, who wants to be the next Jeb Bush? What you and I think just doesn't matter much. What Trump thinks matters A LOT! That's because, if Trump runs, Trump will be the candidate. That's not a 100% certainty, mind you. Just a 90% probability (which is pretty darn close to a certainty).
ReplyDeleteNick,
DeleteI know your analysis is correct. However, I hope another Republican challenges him.
Be careful what you wish for, Ray! One way Republicans can lose in 2024 is by exacerbating their own internal divisions. A hard-fought primary could do just that. There isn't much point in resisting Trump if he's irresistible...
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack:Shatner is an interesting character. I like those early episodes of Star Trek which were graced in large part by him and Leonard Nimoy and am so glad, for both him and fans of his seminal series, that he went to near space, as I rejoiced when John Glenn returned on the Shuttle!As an attendee of the Stratford (Canada)Shakespeare Festival I note that Shatner was classically trained and appeared at that Festival, where he gained high praise from Christopher Plummer,a great Canadian Shakespearean, for whom he understudied Henry V. I expect he also worked at Stratford with the superlative adopted Canadian Douglas Campbell and of course under the guidance of the superb Tyrone Guthrie. We are so lucky still to be within an easy day's drive of Stratford, Ontario. The Captain of the Enterprise was also portrayed by the able Shakespearean Patrick Stewart!
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: I take note of your creditable argument that opposition to the national celebration of Columbus is motivated in large part by leftist determination to see it as an endorsement of the existence of America itself, which the left consistently execrates! I offer a proposal beyond what I suggested before: let us commend the celebration of each ethnic group vital to our country (the Irish, the Germans,the Swedes, the Hispanic, the Chinese and more)to each group itself, for its private recognition.
ReplyDeleteDr. WaddyfromJack: Then: let us establish as a national holiday, replacing Columbus Day orIndigenous Peoples Day, November 19th, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. The Civil War is widely viewed as the event which transformed "these United States into "THIS United States"with existential consequences for world history in that a united America led the fight against the terrible, inhuman dictatorships of thd 20th century. Perhaps its pivotal expression of the eventually triumphant Union cause came in Lincoln's immortal address, in which he, with unparalleled eloquence and perception,defined that cause as "a new birth of freedom" and in doing so, hallowed it both before and after his speech! This promise has painfully motivated the social history of America from thereon and is a very plausible summation of America's painfully realized promise to ALL! It is an apt date for celebration save by those who mean the destruction of our country.
ReplyDeletes
testvfrom jack
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: Perhaps my idea would advance the balanced appraisal of what America is, which you proposed (?)
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: Let us again thank good old Mitch for keeping Obama's thwarted legacy, totalitarian Garland, off Scotus!
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: Glad you noted the demonstrated present unity of GOP Senators! Agree with you, thanx again Mitch! Does either of the pair appear to be the more aggressive in the conflict between President Trump and yeoman Mitch? Perhaps DJT. Ah but this can be remedied and the smell of sweet victory in 2022 in the air could do it! I hope DJT realizes that he and Mitch are on the same page. Think of Lincoln and Seward (?).
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: A global Naval realignment? I think maybe not. The Brits, after decades of retreat from large carrier production, have recently commissioned super carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales ( an unfortunate choice of name perhaps; the battleship Prince of Wales was an unlucky ship). These are the BRITS,the greatest sailors of all. More. . .
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: This is a ringing endorsement of the continued right mindedness of the maintenance of theAmerican carrier force and the fact that the Brits would probably be our allies in any global conflict lends it even more credibility. The Japanese, South Koreans and perhaps the Aussies and Indians have 'em too. And they share a fear of China resurgent. Bottom line: China has two fault ridden Russian originated carriers. The Japanese could assure them: it ain't enough against the US. China cannot hope to equal the carrier force potentially arrayed against it and without it they cannot effect a world wide naval realignment. Do they have something else up their sleeve to effect this? 15 year old hackers immolating carriers with death beams? Those Brits didn't think so or they wouldn't have splurged.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: That said: Chinese ability to dominate the East and South China seas is very possible. They have placed a great emphasis on antiship missiles launched from the unsinkable Chinese mainland (and an airstrike on those launchers, let alone a nuclear one, might precipitate war beyond a containable war at sea) (perhaps China is developing enhanced sea launched capabilities, including of course from subs and those might be its first response to a perceived assault). The Okinawa campaign in 1945, in which the American fleet was so terribly savaged by the Kamikaze(guided missiles after all) traumatized US leadership. It probably played a role in enabling the atomic drop on two Japanese cities. The Japanese had an estimated 2000 Kamikaze ready for the US naval investment of Japan itself. Okinawa had predicted of this mayhem unprecedented. Similarly, China might if it is motivated to do so, savage any decisively intended incursion into its neighboring waters. But global dominance? Given present technology, I think them incapable of it and doubt any conviction they may have to seek it.
ReplyDeleteJack, I had no idea that Shatner and the Bard were so close... Drama makes strange bedfellows?
ReplyDeleteJack, I'm not crazy about a federal or national endorsement of ANY holiday that focuses only on one ethnic group. Privately, of course, people can celebrate what they like. The beauty of Columbus Day, it seems to me, is that it knits the story of Italian-Americans together with the foundation of the country itself -- not an easy task, when you consider there were no Italians present for the latter. I personally would keep Columbus Day and ditch all the newfangled ethnic and gender "history months" that are cluttering up the calendar. But what do I know? Precious little, as far as the cultural masters of the universe are concerned. All that said, I like the idea of a national holiday inspired by the Gettysburg Address! There are few statements of America's purpose more universally embraced, after all.
There's no doubt that Trump is the aggressor in the current tiff, BUT Mitch was arguably the instigator, in laying the blame (publicly and repeatedly) for the January "insurrection" at the feet of DJT. That ignores the fact that those of us who are mad about the last election have good reason to be, and all DJT ever did was encourage us to be mad -- not to break any law.
You're right: the Chinese don't presently have anything like the capacity to project power globally, which we've had (in spades) for several generations. BUT, as you point out, they do have the capacity, or the plausible facsimile of a capacity, to DENY us control of the Western Pacific, which is arguably the most strategically important chokepoint for maritime trade. The other big unknown is how useful carriers are against modern anti-ship missiles. Most of our carrier fleet could be at the bottom of the sea a half hour into the next major war. I hope not, but we just don't know -- and, since we don't know, there's a good chance we would concede the Chinese almost anything to avoid finding out.
Dr. Waddy fromJack: The Italians in WWII: they consistently fought, both on land and sea, with a marked reluctance. Perhaps they were traumatized by WWI.Maybe Mussolini did not inspire them. They were probably very glad to free of the Boche. Their agony was prolonged by Hitler's wrongheaded defense of Italy. Apparently he never quite gave up on Mussolini, who he had at one time looked up to.Great point that Italy avoided much of the humiliation Germany experienced ( perhaps even partial Soviet occupation, warm water port right on the Med and all).
ReplyDeleteDr Waddy from Jack : So many of us value DJT's feistiness. His resentment of Mitch's public misinterpretation of his role in Jan.6 is understandable, yes. Still, I hope they can find a way to get along. We need them both! Perhaps Mitch, a master legislator, has acquired more ability to effect a reconciliation and I would hope he would use it, though it may mean some self effacement on his part .
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: In an allout naval battle to the death worldwide, the carriers COULD be swept away, presumbably by subs;( don't think any country has yet the space power to do it);IF the sub truly has gained the capital status that the carrier demonstrated over the battleship in WWII. What then? It would be sub against sub and I have little doubt that our long practiced sub and antisub technology is the best in the world. The Chinese would not have established world naval dominance thereby .What are subs good for? Strangling commerce yes but the Chinese are relative newcomers to subs whereas we have two World Wars (in which subs presented the UK and eventually us with existential supply threat) plus an intense Cold War with a sub happy USSR. We learned alot! Subs have limited physical capacity for nonnukes so their land attack capability is decisive only if they use nukes. That might make a perhaps navally limited war into a general intercontinental exchange. The Russkies tried to best us navally and but bankrupted themselves and fatally undermined their already untenable economic and political structure. The Chinese have to know this. So, they could try to sink all allied carriers but aside from local dominance, what would it avail them?Why not settle for regional Naval dominance much enhancing their understandably craved national physical security? If they seek more: they probably cannot achieve it through attempted global naval dominance. They are perhaps always, as so many consider them, a predominantly continental power comparable to Imperial Germany and the USSR, both of which futiley sought to counter US and Brit power at sea!
ReplyDeleteJack, I've never entirely understood why Italians fought so poorly in WWI and WWII. Some of them fought brilliantly, of course, but in the main they were, as Mussolini said, "sheep" rather than wolves. Perche?
ReplyDeleteInteresting analysis of the naval situation, Jack. I hadn't considered that subs may be masters of the seas nowadays. Depends how detectable and vulnerable they are, I suppose. But you're right that we have masses of sub experience that the Chinese lack. I say the easiest way for the Chicoms to win naval hegemony is to wait for us to spend ourselves into oblivion and then to sell the USN for scrap. Shouldn't take long.