Friends, as you know, I approve of friendly relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. I mean, we lost the Shah, so cuddling up to some Saudi royals is a simple necessity these days. There's an argument to be made, though, that Biden's fist bump with the Saudi crown prince, who is widely believed to have authorized a brutal murder in 2018, was an excessive demonstration of bonhomie. That is, why not show a little dignity and reserve and shake the man's hand instead? Maybe because Biden is so "hip"? Maybe because hand-shaking spreads COVID? Maybe because Biden has the manual grip strength of a malnourished toddler? I don't know the answer, but I do question Biden's judgement. Let's face it: even FDR had the good sense not to fist bump Uncle Joe Stalin. Think before you bump, Sleepy Joe!
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/joe-biden-mohammed-bin-salman-fist-bump/2022/07/15/id/1078968/
In other news, want to "save democracy"? Who doesn't. Consider that the foundation of democracy is pluralism, and you can't have pluralism without respectful and lawful dialogue between people of varying views. In other words, try talking to someone who thinks differently than you do, and, as this article suggests, try listening to them rather than berating them. You might learn something!
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/politics-discussions-students-democracy-20220714.html
Speaking of democracy, I mentioned yesterday that there was lots of good news on that front, with many states taking steps to improve election integrity. Pennsylvania's new law that criminalizes the private funding of elections is a giant leap forward, and I'm especially heartened by the fact that it was signed by the state's Democratic Governor. Even he sees the writing on the wall.
https://thefederalist.com/2022/07/14/pennsylvania-outlaws-zuckbucks-ahead-of-midterm-elections/
Does climate change, which used to be called "global warming", portend the death of us all? I mean, it could, assuming you find an 80 degree day comfortable, but an 82 degree day causes instant, agonizing death 100% of the time... Climate anxiety is largely a question of perception, and there are a lot of people trying to alter your perceptions on a constant basis, as we all know. Be on guard!
https://raheemkassam.substack.com/p/red-is-the-new-yellow
What would America be like if it became one big progressive utopia, like, say, California? Well, one thing's for sure: housing, which is already expensive, would be even more so. Lefties love to make it hard to build houses (think of the spotted owls, people!), and they invariably drive up housing prices, which benefits the wealthy, who already have masses of housing equity, and hurts the poor and the working class. But don't worry: the Dems have a plan for that... Print more money! Voila! Problem solved.
Dr.Waddy from Jack: Though we knew it was coming, in'72 the sight of President Nixon shaking hands with Mao was astonishing. You make a good argument that we need a strong working relationship with the Saudis . Just the thought of begging them for oil though, if it happened, is beyond disgusting when we know production of our abundant supplies is arrogantly and purposefully suppressed by totalitarian dreamers for whom Pino Biden is a marionette! Nevertheless, as you maintain, we must live in the real world. Yeah, the fist bump was unseemly.
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: In considering the undoubtable and intense political division in the US, let us first consider its origin. That is in the radical seduction of the naive and multitudinous boomers, who flocked to college in the '60s. Seeking conflict and decisive and unreconcilable ideological contradiction leading to to national dissolution and reorganization on Marxist principles, cynical radicals promoted far reaching hatred for America in the far too many in the credulous horde within the teeming boomers. And the legacy of this ingratitude and just plain silly embrace of the grimly devoted professional left is the direct antecedent of CRT, cancel culture and ruthlessly enforced political correctness today (No , not nearly all of the boomers were so compomised but enough were so shamed). Eventually the real America woke up to this and fought back in defense of our ON BALANCE just society and polity.Any cessation of the present close to irreparable civil conflict makes it incumbent on the American left to STEP OFF and cease their pursuit of "fundamental transformation"
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: But, based on past and present performance, it would be unwise to trust the left to compromise .They must be politically disgraced,defeated, disempowered and marginalized into irrelevance before the profound division in our country can be healed. There is plenty of room in a real America which does not seek the destruction of America, for principled argument and resolution of conflict. But this is anathema to the totalitarian left; therefore they must be democratically discredited and denied power.
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: The left would participate in the very positive dialogue you advocate solely with intent to subvert, I fear.
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: Obama's smarmy beer meeting promoted a disingenuous conviction that the blame forAmerican political antipathy is equally shared and that solution must come from mutual recognition of equal blame. Nah! The left started it in the '60s and they must back down. But they won't and it therefore comes down to a power struggle!
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: We of the America supporting majority have a real chance to strike a hammer blow against the America hating left in Nov. Let us all turn out at the election booths and reject ALL dem party candidates!!!
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: I do not mind discussing current issues in a courteous manner with any of leftist persuasion. But do I think it can be enacted in any meaningful manner?. Nah!
ReplyDeleteDr.Wadry from Jack: "Newsome = California in your pocket, your yard, your schools, your gas tank and ANYWHERE he pleases!"
ReplyDeleteYes, we need the Saudis, like it or not -- or, more accurately, the world needs the Saudis, which amounts to the same thing.
ReplyDeleteJack, that's a good point: it was the Left that first espoused TOTAL REJECTION of the key institutions of Western Civilization. Now that they've subsumed those institutions into their neo-Marxist crusade, they like to get pious about how it's abhorrent to question them. Well, come on -- which is it, lefties? Do you hate the establishment, or have you become it?
Jack, you're right that many leftists would only participate in "dialogue" if they believed the deck was stacked in their favor, which it is, in most dialogues moderated by the media or by academia. For instance, the January 6th committee is a "dialogue", but it's a conversation that excludes anyone who disagrees with the premise. That's the kind of dialogue the Left enjoys!
Dr.Waddy from Jack: After his snidely disingenuous public praise for Caesar's assassins, Mark Antony exclaims, yet sotto voce, " now let it work! " as the mob now incensed against the killers seeks them out. That is just what the practiced far left does so effectively in its latest power grab as it manipulates public opinion. Its purpose? The destruction of our economy and democracy so that it may assume complete, arbitrary, incidental power to enact its surely just and irrefutable totalitarian will in ALL situations.Having catastrophically failed in political, military and economic efforts at this, they smell climate change as the latest vehicle for the imposition of a perfect world dictated by them.
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: Remember the playground jibe "heads we win, tails you lose"? That is essential far left thinking. We must not waste time and effort seeking principled discourse (except for courtesy with certain honorable individuals on the left whose influence on that left is nonetheless negligible) with the decision making left. They have NO respect! Defeat them politically and finally. We will never be able to shame them since they are resolutely and amorally expeditious only!
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack:In my comment above I neglected to not e the very powerful influence such perhaps inexplicably dems as Sens. Manchin and Sinema do most certainly have and the great good they have done with it. I must not dismiss their principled courage in the face of demonstrated dem/far left excoriation!
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