Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show reflects on the centrality of the city of Berlin to the dynamics of the Cold War. Berlin is an amazing place. It was a modern, sophisticated, even debauched city that nevertheless became the capital of the Third Reich. Soon after, it became a thriving capitalist metropolis, alongside a staid Stalinist capital city. Long story short -- if WWIII had ever begun during the Cold War, it's most likely that the fuse would have been lit on the mean streets of either West or East Berlin.
When we turn to current events, Brian and I consider the twisted logic behind the Western obsession with Ukraine, the mixed messages conveyed by the plea deal between the federal government and Julian Assange, the arrest of Tommy Robinson in Canada and the Western assault on free speech, the latest developments in the Trump hush money case, the political predicament of Speaker Mike Johnson, Tucker Carlson's views on parenthood, Louisiana's controversial decision to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms, the likely contours of the Big Debate between DJT and Sleepy Joe, and where the candidacy of RFK, Jr. stands.
We cover all the hot-button topics on the Newsmaker Show, and we promise to press your buttons as we do so!
https://wlea.net/newsmaker-june-26-2024-dr-nick-waddy/
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In other news, the Supreme Court just made what I would regard as one of its most important decisions of all time: it threw out Missouri's case against the federal government, which was designed to establish the principle that the Feds cannot lean on and coordinate with social media companies to limit types of speech that they deem dangerous or "misinformation". SCOTUS decided that Missouri has no standing in the case -- what??? -- and therefore the federal government can continue meddling in Big Tech's policing of speech as much as it likes. Now, in the short term, it appears that social media companies are acting in a more independent way, and are not kowtowing mindlessly to the agenda of the Biden Administration. That's all to the good. But -- and it's a big "but" -- in the future there's now nothing in the law or in the Constitution, according to the Supreme Court, that can stand in the way of governmental/Big Tech collusion to suppress speech. I believe this is a landmark case that could herald very great danger for democracy and for liberty. My hope would be that, at some other time and in some other way, the Supremes will weigh in on both the perils of lawfare and the threat posed by federal coercion of media and social media companies. If they adamantly refuse to do so, then Big Brother may ultimately decide for us what we're allowed to say and to think.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: I agree with your well supported concerns about this decision. Since the plaintiff was denied because it was adjudged as lacking standing for making such a suit, then perhaps the essential issue of appalling protototalitarian cooperation between government and Big Tech in partisan limitation of expression would be best challenged by persons and/or entities which do have standing. I expect this lawful Scotus gave clear explanation of its decision in which it included a definition of "standing" which was the product of creditable legal authority in reasoning.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: I laud Louisiana for requiring display of the Ten Commandments in schools. I would hope it heralds an ever increasingly widespread offensive against antiamerican woke dictation. "Did you really think we would tolerate your relentless onslaught, which you direct even against our children, on the moral foundation of America? What: you actually think we won't defend our religion?THINK AGAIN!!"
ReplyDeleteAmerica is a fundamentally, essentially Christian nation (BTW leftwing dissemblers: because of that it manifests the highest degree of tolerance of all religions, unlike some that you celebrate). Our cultural tradition is that of Christian Europe and the Judaeo-Christianity it gave us. Its treasured benefits are accessed freely by more Americans than any other faith. In almost every neighborhood and even the smallest towns the one most frequently found large building is almost invariably a Christian church.
Woke incipient dictators have organized and directed intensely bigoted attacks on customs hallowed by Christians(eg Christmas) in an umistakeable effort to completely discredit it. At the same time they endorse the appalling recent rise in overt Jew hatred by refraining from any expression of their characteristic presumptuous and insufferable self righteousness against it.
Enough is enough! These people must be resolutely engaged in the political arena in an unapologetic offensive overtly advocating their discreditation, disempowerment and marginalization to the tawdry fringes of our society where they can join their nazi fellows in futility. Louisiana is showing the way in its defense of America's Christian essence. Do we have the faith to support them?
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Freedom of expression has in it the understanding that advocacy of views must be unfettered. Never has it endorsed freedom to express intention of harm. But today's antiamerican left has decided that certain advocacy alone, while not overtly calling for attack, nonetheless AMOUNTS to the same and should therefore be suppressed in justified defense. Of course their behavior clearly shows them to embrace the conviction that their views are by definition (self evident you see!) unassailable and that to disagree with them is not only objectively mistaken but also morally reprehensible and unendurably harmful. Convenient for them: that!
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: They have long since resolved to play rough and for keeps and we must do the same or America is at extreme hazard.
ReplyDeleteJack, remember when SCOTUS threw out the challenges to the 2020 election because no red state supposedly had "standing" to challenge the illegality of the election processes in so many blue and purple states? Nonsense!!! "Standing" is usually an excuse, if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteJack, I'm not sure how the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms secures the future of Judeo-Christian civilization, unless irking leftists is the end goal of said civilization. Far more important is the ideology filling the heads of our public school teachers...which is so far removed from "Judeo-Christian" that a mere poster isn't going to help.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Berlin: WWIII was risked two times in Berlin: during the airlift and in the '61 crisis. Apparently we came much closer during the Cuban Missile Crisis. That may suggest that the spark for WWIII might have come anywhere; perhaps at sea, where the only combat during the Cuban Crisis occured (the potential dance of death between a US destroyer and a nuclear armed Russian sub in which the Russian commander was incongruously willing to launch - a sub didn't need a nuclear torpedo to engage a destroyer and I don't think an American carrier was within torpedo range).
ReplyDeleteThe Allied Berlin garrison posed no threat to the Soviets though its presence incensed Russian hardliners.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Fla.Gov. DeSantis has shown the way to confront the incipient totalitarians who wish to prepare our kids for lives of thralldom, by enacting legislation forbidding the teaching of woke doctrine to small children. I think the prominent display of the Ten Commandments, the essential expression of the Judaeo-Christian morality which permeates our civilization, is as justifiable as the display of the flag and the recitation of the Oath of Allegiance ( if the latter is still "allowed" and even if it isn't). No amount of "tolerance", "inclusiveness" , conciliation, deference or trust on America's part would for one moment divert the antiamerican left from its ever purposed goal of comprehensive subjugation of America.Disempowering them will be a cumulative process some of the steps of which could well be to irk the protototalitarians in order to move them to emotional miscalculation (eg. the very possibly counterproductive insanity of their antipathy to DJT as he relentlessly scorns them).
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: I agree that we must confront the far leftist views held by far too many teachers. Since there are no doubt many teachers who do not believe in "die" but are wary of professional "disadvantage" from displaying any doubt of its unassailable justice: perhaps the first step would be to overtly assure them, through training to this effect,that "die", though well intended, is no longer mandatory. Make it clear that tolerance of free expression is mandatory. Second: legislate the same for Education majors and punish those students, administrators and faculty who seek to continue exercising characteristicly vicious far left assault on opposing views. Also legislate and carry out if necessary, deep defunding, including Federal funding, of "universities "which maintain antiintellectual repression of ideas inimical to totalitarian far left ideology.
ReplyDeleteSuch measures are of course only possible in common sense red states and in a GOP Congress, but let them be aggressively exemplary and let them lead a resolute effort to isolate and discredit pariah states like NY and CA in which academic freedom is honored only in the breach. Parents and prospective bright students may well consequently perceive disadvantages to their academic and professional future inherent in attending those institutions of the American academy which persist in conducting doctrinal dictation.
Florida's courageous example in relaxing the influence of "die" in public principles in public schools must inspire us in this at grassroots levels in communities plagued by presumptuous antiamerican left cadre corrupting our children with hatred for American civilization and excoriating those who do not "get with the program". I confronted an atypical example of this in my children's otherwise exemplary school and was nonetheless admonished by the Principal to refrain from any "brash" follow through. Perhaps he feared retribution from the far left captured NY State Education Dep't. Anyway I heard no more about attempted "struggle sessions" in our school.
Of course the antiamerican left would fight this with customary amoral expeditiousness and desperately emotional fanatic determination. The price of freedom often amounts to meeting the totalitarian challenge foresquare.
Jack, the main reason Berlin was such a powder keg is the Russians' pathological fear of the Germans, which, when one considers their history, was an understandable foible.
ReplyDeleteJack, if posting the Ten Commandments convinces even a few woke teachers to resign, then I'm for it!
Since you mentioned schools of education, probably the best thing that could be done for public education would to CLOSE those schools, once and for all, and to find a different way of preparing teachers to teach. Apprenticeship, perhaps?
As for what Florida has accomplished in suppressing wokeness, I wonder how much the tone of instruction in the typical classroom has actually changed... Directives from the top can only achieve so much, after all. Again, in my view, only changing the personnel in teaching and administration will or could transform the experience for students in a fundamental way.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Yes, I'd agree with closing "Schools of Education". At the very least NY State ought to drop their burdensome and unproductive requirement that teachers get Masters. A Bachelor's in the subject one wishes to teach is reasonable for the arts and sciences, For secondary technical classes prolonged experience in the relevant vocation should be sufficient. Teaching is mostly attitude, inclination, maturity and common sense I think. Methods can be discussed between peers and administrators in inschool training sessions. Perhaps an extended probation period for teachers would serve both teachers, administrators and parents well. The presumptuous imposition of ideas inimical to local communities could be identified and mitigated thereby.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: A BA in childhood psychology should be a sufficient prerequisite for elementary school teaching.
ReplyDeleteJack, I'm not sure a BA is all that necessary to teach either, or all that relevant. And "psychology"? Ick! It's hard to think of a discipline more thoroughly corrupted by leftism, at least historically. I say: start anew and totally rethink what we want out of a (patriotic, common sense) schoolteacher. Or, better yet, institute school choice everywhere, close the public schools, and let the market decide.
ReplyDelete