Sweden 1, Coronavirus 0

Friends, it's time to check in with our socialist pals in Sweden to see if their aversion to lockdowns and masking is working out for them.  Aren't you curious?  Well, it turns out that many of the measures we've been taking to protect ourselves from COVID-19 here in the U.S. are, arguably, irrelevant to the trajectory of the pandemic.  Makes you think!  Speaking of thinking, that's what I tried to do before, during, and after I wrote my latest article.  See if my thoughts and yours are on the same wavelength...

2020's Swedish Surprise: Pandemic Fascism Isn't The Answer

2020 has been a year of firsts: the world faced its first (modern) pandemic, killing hundreds of thousands and shuttering vast swathes of the global economy. Along the way, the political world was turned upside down: for the first time in living memory, leftists found themselves castigating, rather than idolizing, socialist Sweden.

The reason? The Swedes, hard-headed contrarians that they are, had the temerity to buck the global fad for strict lockdowns and obsessive masking. They reasoned that such measures would be unsustainable, economically and socially, so instead of shutting businesses and schools, and harassing or fining anyone caught in public without a mask, they advised people to practice sensible social distancing and to avoid unnecessary outings and exposure.

At first, the mainstream media throughout the Western world gleefully reported the high death rate that Sweden's mild model of pandemic control produced, especially among the elderly and nursing home residents. Sweden's “experiment” with liberty (never a concept beloved of left-wingers) had failed, or so it seemed.

Now, though, Sweden's light touch with respect to coronavirus countermeasures is looking sounder and sounder. Sweden's numbers of new infections are low and trending lower. Daily deaths are approaching the vanishing point. There is speculation that, because the disease was allowed to spread more freely among those least vulnerable, Swedes may already benefit from a degree of herd immunity.

Sweden's successes don't end there, however. The toll of the pandemic, while it is often measured in raw numbers of “COVID deaths”, stretches far beyond mortality. Among the worst aspects of the crisis has been the economic carnage it has visited on the worst affected countries. In the U.S., second quarter GDP is down by almost 33%! Unemployment peaked at almost 15%. These are numbers generally associated with a depression, although economists expect that the downturn, sharp as it is, will be brief.

Sweden, meanwhile, was the only country in Europe in the first quarter of 2020 to see its GDP rise. Sweden's overall economic contraction in 2020 is expected to be modest, compared to the EU as a whole and to badly-hit countries like the U.K., Italy, and Spain. Swedish companies are also outperforming expectations, while Swedish unemployment is lower than ours: most recently, it stands at 9.2%.

Lest we forget, economic pain (and the limitation thereof) also correlates to many other factors that govern a country's degree of suffering during the pandemic. Poor economic performance can and usually does foster a rise in suicides, violent crime, drug use, alcohol abuse, domestic disputes, child abuse, as well as anxiety and depression. Moreover, long and rigid lockdowns, combined with scaremongering in the news media, can even produce more sickness and death, because many people in need of urgent medical care choose to defer it, assuming that it is too dangerous to leave their homes. We can safely assume that all of these problems are less pronounced in Sweden, given the tempered nature of its pandemic response, and the shallowness of its virus-related recession.

There are many ways to measure a country's performance in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, but surely the simplest is this: has a given nation managed to minimize the “pain” (and death) afflicting its citizens, while maximizing the “gain” they seek in terms of employment, economic activity, and the preservation of their freedoms and quality of life?

Sweden, it would appear, has struck this balance remarkably well. After a rocky start, especially in nursing homes, Swedish authorities have managed to wrestle the virus into submission, such that it is now almost unheard of for Swedes to die of COVID-19. Simultaneously, Swedes are going to work, going to school, visiting restaurants and businesses, and enjoying normal human interactions without the constant need to wear facemasks.

That sounds, to a mere layman, like a story of success, not failure. And, if the “socialist Swedes” have found a pandemic strategy that works, we have to ask: why are their “progressive” allies around the world afraid to admit it?

Dr. Nicholas L. Waddy is an Associate Professor of History at SUNY Alfred and blogs at: www.waddyisright.com. He appears weekly on the Newsmaker Show on WLEA 1480/106.9.

And here it is at Townhall:

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2020/08/01/2020s-swedish-surprise-pandemic-fascism-isnt-the-answer-n2573490

The Shared Struggle...or...Why You Should Avoid Victoria Like The Plague

Friends, the media is working feverishly (pun intended) to create the impression that the chief risk factor for catching the coronavirus is Republican/conservative political leadership.  Well, poppycock!  The surge in cases that is being seen in our Sun Belt is also replicating itself in parts of Europe, as we've seen, and, it appears, in Australia.  Check out this article.  Australians are even dabbling in the sorts of travel bans beloved by New York pandemic warlord Andrew Cuomo.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-53589817

In other news, it's official: the U.S. economy got HAMMERED by the virus-related shutdowns in the second quarter.  GDP fell by almost a third.  We can expect considerable expansion in the third quarter, but not as much as we would have liked, because of the persistence of the pandemic as well as the scattershot, often irrational measures taken to contain it.  To give you a baseline, Germany's economy contracted by only 10% in the second quarter.  Granted, Germany suffered less from the virus than we did, but were not their lockdowns also quite stringent?  It sure looks like Germany handled the coronavirus challenge, economically and medically speaking, better than we did.  Is that Trump's fault?  To a point, sure, but most of the key decisions about the U.S. response to the virus weren't made by Trump, were they?  Federalism is alive and well in this country, at least in matters of public health.  Most of the time that's probably a good thing.  In these circumstances, it's a mixed blessing.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/us-gdp-q2-2020-first-reading.html

Reaching For The Stars

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show with me and Brian O'Neil achieves excellence on an intergalactic scale. 

First, Brian and I talk about the latest developments in the leftist crusade to destroy the Trump administration -- and with it, American democracy itself?  The rhetoric against Attorney General Barr and the Justice Department is getting wildly overheated.  The incessant comparisons to Nazism, fascism, dictatorship, etc. are getting tiresome, on one level, and deeply unsettling, on another.  We could say that the Democrats have "taken the gloves off," but that would still imply that something resembling a fair fight is underway, and in no way are they playing fair.  They intend to destroy Trump, his supporters, and the Republican Party once and for all -- and they are making it clear that they have zero respect for the half of America that disagrees with them.

Brian and I also discuss proposals to send Americans a second round of stimulus checks, Antifa violence in Ireland, and the predicament of the federal authorities in Portland, Oregon.

In our look at "This Day in History", Brian and I cover the early days of the U.S. automotive industry, the creation of NASA in the wake of the Sputnik fiasco in 1957, and the elevation of Adolf Hitler to the leadership of the Nazi Party in 1921.

Don't miss a second of the pulse-pounding action!

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-july-29-2020-dr-nick-waddy/

Europe's Evolving Pandemic

Friends, the media would like to create the impression that Republicans and conservatives love the coronavirus and spread it enthusiastically, while liberals, progressives, and "democratic socialists" advance responsible countermeasures to keep everyone safe.  Well, the picture is a lot more complicated than that.  The same surge in cases that is currently gripping the Sun Belt in this country is showing itself in parts of Europe too, even parts that were already hit hard by the virus back in March, April, and May.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/coronavirus-europe-tourism-hits-reopening

Meanwhile, Sweden, which pursued a measured response to the coronavirus and eschewed lockdowns, has seen cases crater.  Note the part of this story where public health authorities advise AGAINST wearing face masks, even on public transport!

https://www.foxnews.com/world/sweden-sees-coronavirus-cases-drop-after-controversially-avoiding-lockdowns

I think the upshot here is that it's very unclear what measures ultimately protect a country from infections and deaths.  Certain risky behaviors are correlated with, well, risk, sure, but do we know for sure that lockdowns save lives, or that masks are effective versus hand-washing and sensible social distancing?  Is exposure to the virus more a case of inherent vulnerability than it is of behavior?  Will the virus ultimately infect all or most of us -- and only the speed of its spread is within our control?  We just don't know.  Hopefully, one day we will.

Should I Buy a Summer Cottage?

Friends, as many of you know, the weekly revenues from the WaddyIsRight commentating empire easily reach into the billions.  This leaves me with a dilemma: what do I do with these gigantic piles of money???

I could, of course, give it all to the poor...NOT!  Have you met the poor lately?  What a bunch of layabouts!  Any money I gave them would be blown on booze, meth, and weed.  No, sir!

Lately, I've been considering the purchase of a summer cottage, as befits a captain of industry like myself.  In the Gilded Age, the well-to-do would "summer" in Newport, Rhode Island, where they would sail, play tennis, dine sumptuously, and generally congratulate one another on being awesome.  Sounds nice!  So I betook myself to Newport this past weekend to do a little real estate shopping.

Now, the grandest and most opulent of the "cottages" in Newport is this one: The Breakers.  Currently it's being run as a museum by the Newport Preservation Society, but for the right price, well...  What do you think?  It's nice, I suppose, but the exterior seems a little bland to me.  Why couldn't they have used colored stone?  Meh.  And I have to wonder: would 62,000 square feet be enough for me AND my entourage?  Hmm.  Some of you might want to stay in a separate guest cottage, and The Breakers can't accommodate that request, at least not yet.  I'm torn.  Maybe if the Preservation Society is MOTIVATED to sell we can work something out, but otherwise...I dunno.

Naturally, I will keep you apprised as I consider all my palatial needs.

Thanks, as always, for your continuing support, and for buying all that WaddyIsRight merchandise, for patronizing Waddy-themed tv shows and movies, and for donating regularly to the cause!

Neither Gone Nor Forgotten

Friends, some of you are probably wondering what has become of the one and only "Jack", who frequently favors this blog with his witty and insightful commentary, but of late has been MIA.  Well, fear not -- the thought police haven't dragged him away (yet).  Jack is experiencing technical problems, so...please stand by.  His regularly scheduled pontifications will resume in short order.  :)

We miss you, Jack!

A Surefire Solution to "Systemic Racism" -- the Letter "B"!

Friends, as you know, America is and always has been a racist hellhole, completely unworthy of the princely people of color who grace it with their presence.  Not to worry -- the Left is riding to the rescue once again with a simple solution: turn "black" people into "Black" people!  Why, I can see their frowns turning upside down already!  Check out my latest article, which explores this surreal turn in the language of race.  See if you agree or disagree with my eccentric point of view...

Could the Failure to Capitalize “Black” Get You Fired? Don't Scoff!

Recently, numerous news organizations, including the powerful Associated Press, made the decision to capitalize “Black” when referring to matters of race and culture. Most such news companies won't be capitalizing “white”, however, because this suggests an equivalency between “Black” and “white”, which would, in turn, give aid and comfort to white supremacists, who increasingly use the language of leftist identity politics to suggest that whites, like “Blacks”, should be treated as a minority group and as a protected class. The attitude of the news media, however, is that whites should be seen as culturally disparate, but as privileged and dominant in racial terms. “Blacks”, on the other hand, are thought to share a common culture defined, in large part, by their shared experience of discrimination and oppression.

If we unpack these broad assumptions on the media's part, what we are left with is the realization that, for these “news organizations”, going forward the “news” itself, and even the terminology used to describe it, will be forced into alignment with progressive ideology. Indeed, the capitalization of “Black” is a nod to “critical race theory” and allied academic models, rooted in Manichean Marxism, which essentially propound a new version of racism that positions “Blacks” as permanent victims and heroes, and “whites” as archetypal oppressors and villains. 

From this perspective, the study of “Blackness” is invariably about resistance, coping, defiance, poverty, violence, injustice, trauma, and, of course, glorious achievement in the face of adversity, whereas the study of “whiteness” is about ignorance, prejudice, entitlement, arrogance, brutality, and coercion. “Blackness” is a rich vein of human potential to be mined and treasured, while “whiteness” is a curse to be lamented and, if possible, expunged. 

 

That the “news” itself should be subordinated to such ideological constructs and misleading generalizations is distressing, to say the least. It hardly needs to be said that not every “Black” person is a noble victim, and not every “white” person is a sadistic brute...but, from now on, to make that point in the pages of most newspapers, or in most news broadcasts, will be tantamount to “hate speech”. Indeed, to speak of “Blacks” in any negative sense, or “whites” in any positive sense, might even become a non sequitur, because, for leftist journalists, the English language has been effectively purged of the terminology one would use to express such (odious) ideas.

We can rail against these Orwellian reconstructions of our language and our culture as much as we like, but the question is: how far-reaching will this redefinition of race be? Will the use of the term “African-American”, so recently considered progressive, now be viewed as patronizing and old-fashioned — even derogatory? 

Lest we forget, once upon a time terms such as “colored” and “Negro” were considered avant garde and culturally sensitive. Now they can only be used by “critical race theorists” themselves — critically, of course — and by organizations like the United Negro College Fund. 

 

Now, the language of race is evolving once more, but with a twist: at this fraught moment it is not words themselves which are changing, but capitalizations and usages. This introduces a measure of subtlety into our “conversation” (that is, our leftist monologue) about race that many ordinary people will find difficult to handle. 

 

Soon, the failure to capitalize “Black”, even if it was an innocent mistake caused by ignorance of the new stylistic conventions, could result in the severest sanctions, including dismissal from one's job, social ostracism, and — who knows? — even physical assault, or worse. And, if the harshest penalties await those who merely forget to capitalize “Black”, then how much worse will be the fate of anyone who, for whatever reason, makes the egregious error of capitalizing “White”? The mind recoils at the very thought of it.

The point of all this linguistic silliness is, of course, to tie ordinary people in knots — to inspire in them real fear, lest their reputations, careers, and even their personal safety be jeopardized by a mere slip of the tongue, or by a failure to use the SHIFT key as the Left demands.

Our dialogue on matters of race was already uncomfortable, even tortuous, in this country. Liberals are trying their best to make it even worse.

Dr. Nicholas L. Waddy is an Associate Professor of History at SUNY Alfred and blogs at: www.waddyisright.com. He appears weekly on the Newsmaker Show on WLEA 1480.

And here it is at WND:

https://www.wnd.com/2020/07/failure-capitalize-black-get-fired-dont-scoff/ 

While you're at it, poor Mitch McConnell takes a lot of abuse, from left and right, but he's 100% correct about the stifling atmosphere of "wokeness" that has descended on classrooms, boardrooms, and break rooms alike.

https://nypost.com/2020/07/22/the-lawless-lefts-attack-on-americas-bedrock-beliefs/

Totalitarianism Unleashed

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show covers more ground than the pony express.

In terms of current events, Brian and I consider the troubling developments in Portland and how the media is deliberately misconstruing who is responsible for the violence there; the proposed new $1 trillion coronavirus relief bill, and the fiscal hole we're digging for ourselves; Kanye West's improvisational, but highly consequential, bid for the presidency; the state of the polls; and President Trump's recent order mandating that Congressional redistricting be undertaken without reference to the numbers of illegal aliens in a given district.

The news is coming thick and fast these days!  You can count on the dynamic duo of me and Brian to keep you up-to-date.

In "This Day in History", Brian and I talk about the abolition of intermediate range nuclear missiles by the U.S. and the Soviet Union in 1987, and how this heralded a turning point in the Cold War.  We also talk about the Nazi death camp at Treblinka, and what it tells us about the dangers of the modern state.

It's all sobering stuff!  You won't want to miss it.

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-july-22-2020-dr-nick-waddy/

And, when you've soaked up all that broadcasting excellence, check out this article about Joe Biden's spending plans, which, as usual for Democrats, defy gravity and common sense:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-plans-addressing-issues-from-climate-to-elder-care-approach-10-trillion-price-tag

It's the Little Things

Friends, as you can see, today I did my part to keep Goya in business.  "Cancel culture" has gotten out of hand, as we all know, and the voices of inclusion need to be heard once in a while -- not that we can compete with the voices of exclusion, which are always howling at maximum volume, but it's still worth a try...  I encourage all of you to partake in the Goya buycott, and to do whatever you can to steer your purchases towards companies and institutions that support America rather than undermining it.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Left's crusade against Goya, this should explain matters:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-goya-boycott-backfired-people-are-buying-like-crazy

https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-nyt-trump-goya-beans-20200719-hk2npdkv25ac7lb5vqkvgaxany-story.html

Through the Looking Glass

Friends, this country's "conversation" about race isn't just unhealthy -- it's getting downright bizarre.  Check out this article about the AP's decision to capitalize "Black" but not "white".  Their reasoning (to the extent that it can be called that): "Black" people have a shared culture (of victimization).  "White" people (sorry I capitalized that -- it was at the beginning of a sentence, so I had no grammatical choice in the matter) do not.  Well, let's reconsider that.  Actually "white" people do share a culture, as the media never tires of telling us: it's the culture of white supremacy, white privilege, white guilt, yadda yadda yadda.  So, we "white" folks are coherent enough as a group to be described as an inveterate curse on America, and as the fount of all oppression and prejudice, but we're not coherent enough to merit respect in the form of...capitalization.  Because, let's face it, capitalizing both groups might give rise to the view that "white" identity should be protected or valued in the same way as "Black" identity, and it's thinking like that that the Left finds most abhorrent of all.  So, in a nutshell, "Black" people are to be pitied/admired, while "white" people are to be, as per usual, despised.  And the AP is a "news" organization?  Or maybe we should revise that.  It's actually a "News" organization, because its mission is sacred and profound: to teach us poor rubes how to think in a more "woke" fashion.  Or is it "Woke" now?  Who can keep track...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ap-says-capitalize-black-not-135815240.html

This is a thought-provoking article.  Ben Shapiro is right: if a large percentage of Americans reject the Founders, and the basic goodness of America, what future do we have as a people?  The good news is that most people don't share these toxic attitudes...but will enough of the Silent Majority unite behind Trump to stop the cultural bleeding?  We shall see.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/ben-shapiro-fox-news-poll-nations-founders

Lastly, this is an excellent article about how blind and arrogant many leftists have been.  They genuinely believe that they can dispense with white working class voters, because the flood tide of voters of color will soon wash whitey away once and for all.  Biden, to his credit, is not as myopic as many of his leftist peers.  He may have enough "juice" with white voters to win in 2020.  And Biden himself may not be so bad, but the people who will actually run the country in a Biden administration -- yikes!

https://www.persuasion.community/p/demography-is-not-destiny

Are Trump Haters Merely Unhinged...or Are They Criminals? Durham Weighs In

Friends, we all know that the Dems and leftists have clung on to their Trump-Russia delusions with fanatical devotion.  Never never never will they admit that Trump didn't collude with his "master" Putin to steal the 2016 election.  The great unanswered question, though, is this: were the Dems merely naive in accepting the flimsy "evidence" in the Steele dossier, and believing in the guilt of Trump and his associates because they desperately wanted to...or were they fully aware, in many cases, that the case against Trump was bogus, but they kept the investigations going anyway as a means to damage him politically?

The likelihood, in my opinion, is that a definitive answer to this question will never be obtainable.  At best, a few FBI agents and officials might go to jail for "process crimes," but uncovering a wide-ranging conspiracy to frame Donald Trump will be virtually impossible, whether or not such a conspiracy ever existed, or needed to exist to achieve the same result.  My expectations for John Durham and his inquiry are low, therefore, but it sure would be nice to see someone held accountable for foisting the Trump-Russia farce on the American people, wouldn't it?  Fingers crossed.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/meadows-previews-school-reopening-plans-durham-probe-results-i-expect-indictments

Check out the latest Fox poll, which shows Biden's lead over Trump narrowing.  Keep in mind that this is also a poll of registered voters, not likely voters, so it probably overstates the Biden advantage.  Keep in mind also that the national numbers are only vaguely relevant to what happens in the battleground states.  The upshot?  Biden shouldn't count his chickens!

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-biden-holds-lead-over-trump-as-coronavirus-concerns-grip-nation

Lastly, this is quite a story!  A black woman vandalizing a BLM mural painted by a white mayor.  Only in America!  Naturally, I don't condone vandalism of any kind, but you have to admire the lady's pluck...  Personally, I wonder what our streets will look like if Biden and Co. win in November.  By the time the neo-Marxists are done with us, every thoroughfare will look like a technicolor tribute to the pantheon of leftist heroes and heroines (and whatever the gender neutral version of that word is)...  At least untalented artists will be fully employed in the workers' paradise, eh?

https://www.foxnews.com/us/nypd-officer-injured-arrest-paint-black-lives-matter-mural-trump-tower

Go, Kanye, Go!

Friends, don't fret -- I haven't evaporated in this heat.  I'll be posting more soon.

In the meantime, ponder this article about the incredible shrinking Democratic National Convention.  It seems like the Dems are content to go into hiding in 2020 and assume that Trump will self-destruct.  A novel strategy, to be sure!

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/politics/democratic-convention-milwaukee.html

And, in other news, Kanye West continues his bid for the presidency.  How serious is he?  How many ballots will he appear on?  How many black voters may be tempted to forsake Uncle Joe for "Yeezy"?  These questions may seem arcane, even ridiculous, but on Kanye's faux campaign may hinge the fate of the nation, and I mean it!

https://nypost.com/2020/07/17/kanye-west-tweets-photo-of-his-face-on-mount-rushmore/

Sessions' Swansong

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show is positively bursting with topical analysis.  Brian and I talk about Jeff Sessions' ill-fated bid to rejoin the U.S. Senate, after his even more ill-fated stint as U.S. Attorney General.  Sessions was a great Senator, once upon a time, and he showed courage as the first member of that august body to endorse Donald Trump in 2016.  Nonetheless, his decision to recuse himself, and thus allow the creation of a special counsel overseeing the Trump-Russia farce, did tremendous harm to the President and to the country.  He was kidding himself if he thought the good people of Alabama would reward his disloyalty.  Fare thee well, Jeff!

Brian and I also talk about the renaming of the Washington Redskins and the steady advance of cancel culture, the recent resignation of a New York Times editor because of the Twitter mob that now decides which opinions are out of bounds, and the question of whether children should return to the classroom in August/September.

Historically, we cover scintillating topics like the historical significance of President Nixon's overtures to China, and the personal and political strengths and weaknesses of Jimmy Carter.

Tune in, why don't ya?

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-july-15-2020-dr-nick-waddy/

What I Learned From Watching "The Wild Geese" (1978)

Friends, you just can't go wrong doing whatever Ray tells you to.  Seriously!  Let's name him King-Emperor of Western Civilization, shall we?  There -- my vote is cast...  (I may write my own name in for "Pope".  I feel like I'd get more chicks that way...)

Following Ray's sage counsel, I watched a great 70s adventure film set in southern Africa, "The Wild Geese".  Here's what I took away from it:

1.  Roger Moore + Richard Burton = Excitement!

2.  Never jump into bed with a merchant banker.

3.  Heroin is not the same as pop rocks.  Don't confuse them.

4.  Africans soldiers are brave.  Unfortunately, that concludes their list of virtues.

5.  Africa's best possible future in the 70s would have relied on teamwork between whites and blacks.  Africa's nightmare in the 70s and 80s was its failure to achieve such teamwork, and its eviction of most whites and Asians instead.

6.  Rhodesian airports were extremely hospitable.

7.  Sometimes it's better to be shot by your own commander than it is to be captured by the enemy.

8.  People with advanced heart failure are easy to beat in a footrace.

9.  If you're visiting southern Africa, don't forget to pack your sunscreen.

10.  And finally...no one, and I mean no one, has more panache than Roger Moore!

All in all, it's a neat film.  I also enjoyed the fact that parts were set in London circa the early years of the Nick Waddy epoch.  It brought back fond memories of when I'd visit the Old Country as a wee lad.  Check it out!

Charging Into the Gaping Maw of "Cancel Culture"

Friends, those of us who (bravely) stand in opposition to the agenda of the Left must live with the fact that, at any moment, something we say or do could go viral, and we could be subject to harassment, dismissal from our jobs, death threats, and worse.  The left-wing mob is ornery, to say the least, and it takes pleasure -- undisguised pleasure -- in causing us pain.  Its actions are also strategic, however.  They are designed to intimidate and thus silence us.  Will it work?  Bravado might lead us to reply "No way!", but the truth is that no one can say for sure.  Bullying is a human universal.  That is, it exists in all cultures and sub-cultures.  Why?  Because it fills an inner need, and it often achieves practical aims.  It can only be defeated by stout hearts and granite resolve.  Do we have both, and in ample enough quantities?  We shall find out in the next few years.

My latest article, soon to appear at American Greatness, examines some of the recent developments in the battle against cancel culture:

Bill Barr's Offensive Against Antifa Extremists is Good News, but “Cancel Culture” is Still On the Rise

Of late, it has often seemed as though rioting militants and statue-destroyers have been given the green light by blue state and big city governors, mayors, prosecutors, and (shell-shocked) police chiefs to terrorize ordinary Americans, to deface and destroy public property, and to extort public officials into making further concessions to left-wing ideologues. 

This week, though, the Empire struck back. Attorney General Bill Barr announced that 150 extremists have been arrested for their roles in the recent unrest. Meanwhile, more than 500 investigations are ongoing that will inevitably produce an even broader crackdown. 

 

Finally, Antifa and other similarly violent and radical organizations are being treated as the font of domestic terrorism that they are.

The problem, however, is that, even if the Trump administration succeeds in stifling the “armed wing” of the Democratic Party — for now — and thus restores order and calm to our streets, left-wing radicals will remain in a dominant position in most of our key institutions. Moreover, the Marxist firebrands who hold sway over many of our corporations, over every level of U.S. education, over our popular culture, over social media, and over the news media, are increasingly taking the gloves off as they sense an opportunity to expunge conservatives and patriots from the public sphere, and even from private sector employment, once and for all.

Progressives have long possessed a louder, more robust voice than conservatives in debates over public policy and social-cultural values. If the proponents of “cancel culture” have their way, however, the now-timid voices of the right might be silenced for good.

Consider the recent firing of a Vice-President at Michigan State University. His offense? Sharing on his blog an objective, scientific study that found no evidence of a racial disparity in the incidence of police shootings. 

 

The administrator in question is not, in fact, a conservative. He is, more accurately, a liberal who accepts most of the “diversity and inclusion” dogmas of the dominant crypto-Marxist culture of academia. 

 

He failed, however, to understand that, in the fraught context of the George Floyd era, there is only one perspective on police brutality and racism that is welcome among progressives. The propagation of any other narrative, even if it is backed by unimpeachable data, is inadmissible. 

 

As the fired administrator commented, the consequences for “academic freedom and freedom of inquiry” will be dire. In effect, there is now a litmus test for all academic and scientific research: does it advance “the cause” — that is, the agenda of the Left? If not, it serves no purpose, at best, and it embodies “white supremacy”, at worst.

Speaking of “whiteness”, the City of Seattle recently subjected its white employees to a bizarre form of training designed to help them “examine [their] complicity in the system of white supremacy”. City workers were encouraged to “[undo] your own whiteness” and to accept that social justice requires them to give up “physical safety”, “expectations or presumptions of emotional safety”, “the certainty of your job”, and “control over other people and over the land”. They were further reminded that even seemingly innocuous concepts such as “individualism”, “silence”, “intellectualization”, “comfort”, and “objectivity” are pillars of white domination.

Journalist Christopher Rufo, who exposed Seattle's misguided attempt at the racial deprogramming of its white employees, says it best: “...this is exactly the kind of thought-policing they want to implement everywhere... The new cultural revolution is being fought via corporate HR, city diversity training, and public school curriculums. When you find something like this in your community, expose it, criticize it, mock it, and reject it.” In Seattle's case, there has been public pushback to the shaming of whites, but in all too many companies and institutions a training session like this would be just another day at the office.

Remember, academics and public employees have far more protection from coercive employers, and from outright dismissal, than do most American workers. If even they feel intimidated in the present climate, therefore, what chance do the rest of us have of preserving our right to free speech and our freedom of conscience?

Conservatives had better wake up soon. They need, in the words of Rufo, to “expose” and “reject” the Left's reverse racism and thought control while they still can. 

Otherwise, in the near future, the leftists won't need to riot in order to exert control over the American people. They will simply tell us to jump through whatever “anti-racist” hoops they choose, and, if we know what's good for us, we'll ask meekly, “How high?”

Dr. Nicholas L. Waddy is an Associate Professor of History at SUNY Alfred and blogs at: www.waddyisright.com. He appears weekly on the Newsmaker Show on WLEA 1480/106.9.

And here it is at American Greatness:

https://amgreatness.com/2020/07/12/welcome-barrs-offensive-against-antifa-but-it-wont-stop-cancel-culture/ 

Here's more evidence of the rise of cancel culture and left-wing wackiness:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-army-investigating-handout-white-supremacy 

https://www.foxnews.com/media/goya-boycott-trump-praise-ceo-fox-friends 

Will President Trump make higher ed pay for its attempts to undermine America?  You'd think he would, but his threats are often empty, sadly:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-threatens-to-remove-tax-exempt-status-of-universities-and-school-systems 

Finally, whenever the Left praises lockdowns as a simple way to protect Americans from COVID-19, keep in mind that such policies also have costs and also take lives:

https://www.city-journal.org/deadly-cost-of-lockdown-policies 

Forget the Red, White, and Blue -- It's Hip-Hip-Hooray for the Red, Red, and Red!

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show is -- you guessed it -- a tour de force certain to induce fits of ecstasy.

Historically, Brian and I talk about "North Korean exceptionalism" and the incredible career of "Great Leader" Kim Il-Sung; the role of General Douglas MacArthur in WWII and the Korean War, and whether he could have become U.S. President; Ernest Hemingway and why leftism was en vogue for most of the 20th century; and the relevance of the Liberty Bell in this age of America-hating "progressivism".

In terms of current events, we cover the Supreme Court's rebuke to faithless electors, the myth of a "worsening" coronavirus pandemic, President Trump's brilliant patriotic speech at Mount Rushmore, and the crime wave that is washing over our big cities.

Don't miss even a second of our hard-hitting commentary!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I7baR7g7BE&feature=youtu.be

Mount Trumpmore

Friends, I haven't yet watched the speech, but it looks like the President really let the Left have it yesterday at Mount Rushmore.  His remarks were a brilliant indictment of their "totalitarianism", and a spirited defense of America's heritage and exceptionalism.  The media responded with its usual sneering contempt, needless to say.  No matter -- that just means he struck a nerve!

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-in-fiery-mount-rushmore-address-decries-rise-of-far-left-fascism-calls-on-americans-to-rise-up

One thing is for sure: we conservatives love this country, and increasingly our enemies and adversaries hate it.  If Trump can make the 2020 election a referendum on America and its essential goodness, I haven't any doubt that he can and will win.  Luckily, the Dems are playing right into our hands.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-pride-falls-record-low-152516328.html

In other news, there are two new studies that suggest that coronavirus herd immunity could be closer than we think.

https://reason.com/2020/07/01/covid-19-herd-immunity-is-much-closer-than-antibody-tests-suggest-say-2-new-studies/

This a fantastic graphic that underlines many of the points that I made in my most recent article: the toll of COVID-19 is falling, even as the case count rises.  You would think this would matter to the talking heads, but alas it doesn't.

https://www.ftportfolios.com/Common/ContentFileLoader.aspx?ContentGUID=a9e49836-abc7-41cf-8949-4497ddee0018

Pandemic Mythology

Friends, COVID-19 is real.  So, however, are a lot of other threats to our health and well-being.  My latest article exposes a critical truth that the media is successfully concealing: the pandemic's impact on overall mortality, once frightful, is now negligible.  That's right: we're panicking and turning our lives upside down over a disease that, when sensibly managed, kills no more people than would die otherwise.  Think that over...and ask yourself why the mainstream media is stoking fear.  They have much to gain from it, and so does Joe Biden, their Great White Hope.

Check out my article at WND:

https://www.wnd.com/2020/07/pandemic-2020-dont-expect-media-cover/

What I Learned From Watching "Play Dirty" (1969)

Friends, the WaddyIsRight movie club lives on!  Yesterday I watched "Play Dirty", a WWII adventure film starring Michael Caine.  You can't go wrong with Michael Caine, am I right?  The movie is about an operation behind enemy lines in the North African theater.  Caine and his compadres spend most of it dressed in either Italian or German uniforms, which is all to the good, because those fascists had style!  Here's what I took away from the film:

1. Wind is almost as unpleasant in the desert heat as it is in the dead of winter.

2.  When you're surrendering, hold that white flag extra high.  It's no time to slouch.

3.  German nurses are not to trifled with.

4.  An army may march on its stomach, but it moves, in this day and age, via petroleum.  Good luck winning WWIII with windmills and solar panels!

5.  On the battlefield, the chain of command is more of a suggestion than a hard and fast rule.

6.  Whoever puts on the uniform of the enemy instantaneously has twice as many enemies!

7.  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

8.  Don't forget your goggles.

And, finally...

9.  Heroism and survival are rarely compatible.

I look forward to following up on more of your cinematic suggestions.  Keep them coming!

Hooray for Canada!

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show is a cavalcade of Yankeeisms, but we do make time to congratulate our neighbors to the north on "Canada Day".  Way to go, Canada!

In historical terms, I discuss Canada's independence and its significance to the gradual devolution of the British Empire.  Brian and I also cover Britain's surrender of Hong Kong to Red China in 1997; the Battle of El Alamein and the turning of the tide in WWII; the Battle of Gettysburg and whether the South could have won the Civil War (and whether Civil War II is around the corner); the Battle of San Juan Hill and the U.S. flirtation with imperialism; and more!

When the conversation turns to current events, Brian and I talk about the media narrative that Trump is so far behind in the polls that he can't possibly win (he can); the social media crackdown on "hate" and why conservatives may find themselves voiceless; and the state of the Supreme Court and why conservatives shouldn't despair just yet.

Check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTEYDnAyiH8&feature=youtu.be