Friends, the MAGA Revolution is coming to the Smithsonian, and members of the brie-and-chardonnay set are fit to be tied. Expect the venerable experts who run the place to kick and scream like toddlers. It will be most interesting to see if the hostile presentation of "America" that has thus far prevailed at these otherwise fine museums will be adjusted. I'll believe it when I see it. In fact, I anticipate some universal injunctions from district court judges in the very near future mandating exactly what is and isn't included in museum exhibits. I mean, why not?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjy1jmvvwzo
Apparently there's more and more talk in D.C. about defunding PBS and NPR, and I couldn't be happier! This is a step that Republicans should have taken decades ago.
Finally, DJT has withdrawn the nomination of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to be our Ambassdor to the U.N., because her vote is desperately needed in the House of Representatives, where Republicans are clinging to a frightfully narrow majority. I approve. In fact, nominating Stefanik in the first place made little sense. Her talents would be wasted at the United Nations, which is little more than a debating society for internationalist windbags.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/27/trump-elise-stefanik-united-nations.html
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Max dittos on "Public" BS and National "Public "Radio. May their doom be "imminent".
ReplyDeleteI watched some of that action in the House DOGE Committee and it was redeeming to finally see Congressional daylight shone on this presumptuous waste and to see one of their prevaricating officials squirm.
They are logically stripped of their reflexive protest of the necessity of "diversity" by the extensive variety of all manner of subjects and viewpoints readily available now on TV and radio. That reality also KOs their pitiable bleating over being vital and indispensable.
What they amount to is of course an unjust, extraneous and arrogantly presumptuous tax payer supported haven for expression of far left views and the tax payer must be relieved of paying even for their paperclips!
I am confident that these hearings herald an upcoming PUBLIC ordeal for the similarly discreditable National Endowment for the Arts. I hope that we will soon be spared the degradation of being required to pay for the works of radicals who often use our largesse to sneer at America.
I know that there are good willed people who sincerely believe that the views of the American far left are the only ones a decent person person can embrace. But last November's election was a ringing refutation of that position. And its not a free speech issue; those who protest that it is know better; much of the time they are the ones who enthusiastically advocate repression of expression they find politically incorrect. Let radicals finance their hate imbued garbage on their own two cents.
". . . our mandated, involuntary largesse. . . " Jack
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: "But gee Doc, the views of those who think our history and civilization are an unalloyed manifestation of irredeemable evil, requiring expungement of anything to the contrary, why, they must be heard, Sir!"
ReplyDeleteYeah, well, if there is anything we can count on radicals to indulge, its presumptuous overreach and I'm sure the Smithsonian of late has plenty of examples of consequent ongoing process assuring the complete dominance of their doctrine. Good luck finding librarians uncorrupted by the extreme left American Library Association; they exist but they are spurned by their profession overall. I'm not sure if the same bias obtains in museum administrators but can it be that the Smithsonian tends to employ those of a radical cast? I dunno but perhaps it should be investigated by DOGE.
RAY TO DR. WADDY AND JACK
ReplyDeleteIt's not a swamp that's being drained, it's a sewer.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Re Elise: I was wondering when it would come to this: you're very right , we need her in the House , she's formidable - a rising star for us - a possible future Speaker or . . . ?
ReplyDeleteApparently the dems were going to go all out to win her seat and of course our unprincipled dem Governess was playing games with the setting of an election date. They would have had to be real slick about it because she represents much of NY's North Country. Those people are "God's country" and they have a real beef about big gov't because their Adirondack Park, within which many of them live, is regulated to the max by NY state, for which their homeland is just an idealized playground. They can hardly build a dog house without the state has to approve it! But the dems might have swung it with $$$ and a Clinton clone candidate and that might have turned the House in the near future. "Why shore, we'll just let the lawfare machine finish the job; Trump is real busy just now with all the legal horse - - - - we are throwing at him while we can!"
Anyway, why waste a MAGA hombre like Elise in the United Tinhorns Club in that glass menagerie we built for them in NYC?What other country would host as many diplomatically protected haters of the host country as we do here? What are we, wimps?! Frankly, I'd like to have DJT tell them the lease is up and they are personae non gratis and their expeditious departure would be much appreciated ("no offense to those members who wish us well but the organization has worn out its welcome").
Dr. Waddy from Jack: You are not far off in suggesting that some singular (for the time only )all powerful lower level courts might dictate, display for display, the contents of the Smithsonian and even, I'd suggest , the discard of politically incorrect items, like, say, anything crediting the Founding Fathers. No doubt they would, in obsequious subordination to the far left, order the bowdlerization of the Declaration of Independence to fit their opinion of it if they could but escape their due.
ReplyDeleteI saw this on a state (albeit an "Empire State" like self exalted NY state) level when I was a state prison law librarian in NY. Much , though not all, of our collections were mandated by left wing judges, sometimes title for title. NY, in the opinion I heard in person, of an Attorney who had taught legal research to prison inmates in 48 states, generously provided NY cons with the best law libraries in the 48 states. And it turned them into litigating engines and not at the cons' expense at all. When eventually Scotus told the states they were free to limit their prison law libraries , NY spurned their opinion. Law books are very expensive to update and inmates use outdated law books as an excuse for their often absurd and bad willed misuse of our justice system. Those left wing judges gave NY thugs the gift which keeps on giving and gave crime victims and tax payers the middle digit! And that is only an example of how the America hating far left uses tax payer funding to advance its destruction of America.
Even if NPR and PBS were unbiased (they are not) and did not compete with private media sources (they are), there is still a strong case for defunding them.
ReplyDeleteAs the article points out, these dinosaur broadcasters receive primary funding through the $500 Million the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provides. Federal funding accounts for 15% of their revenue, which could be the difference between the life and death of both NPR and PBS.
Though their viewership and listenership are reasonably significant (oddly), they are declining if for no other reason than more and more households are unplugging traditional entertainment and news delivery methods.
Regardless, the Cable TV and Radio medium warrants review and potential defunding if only for the reasons posted in Victoria Taft's article. The demographic served by NPR and PBS is not in the Republican Camp:
- Mostly 50ish years old
- Predominantly White (80%ish)
- Median household income is upper middle class
- 3-4x's left-leaning vs conservative viewers
In the recent congressional hearing, Katherine Maher's smug demeanor mirrors the audience they attract.
Those on the other side of the argument could make this about axing Sesame Street and less connected viewers (lie), which may have some legs. Regardless, I wonder if DOGE and President Trump will see the mere $500 Million potential savings as small potatoes and hunt for bigger birds to fry. :)
Sorry... the above is from Richie. :)
DeleteRichie from Jack: I certainly agree with you. I think MAGA, DOGE, DJT and common sense opinion outlets have all demonstrated that they believe "it all adds up". I've seen public derision expressed about amounts much less than $500,000,000. Its why I think the time is ripe to challenge the National Endowment for the Arts too with its $207, 000, 000 budget last year. You are right; compared to billions, these amounts seem relatively small and the political will to attack them did not obtain. We'll see how effective it can be but I am hopeful that that political will has been aroused by the ascension of the Trump admin istration.
ReplyDeleteWith you Jack! I too would like to see the "political will" flex and rip the band aid straight off.
DeleteElmo can find another platform on which to entertain the chillins!
Ray from Jack: You are right. A swamp can be very scenic ( eg. the Okefenokee). A sewer never so redeeming unless it is part of an archaeological dig.
ReplyDeleteTo compare the far leftist effluent which so pollutes our civilization to a swamp does invite a different analog and "sewer" fits well. Besides, the environmental left is not stung by comparison to a by definition virtuous and inalienable "natural" phenomenom like a swamp.
Richie, you're right that the amounts of money that flow to PBS and NPR are small, but I would say that PBS and NPR's cultural impact, especially among the leftist intelligencia, is huge. Defunding these abominations won't lead to their demise, but it will remove a stain on the dignity and honor of the U.S. government, which is something!
ReplyDeleteThere is an argument to be made that the whole concept of "judicial review" is inherently undemocratic and we erred as a nation in empowering judges as much as we have, including the Supreme Court. I incline to this view myself. I see no evidence that the Founders intended for the judiciary to be the dominant (omnipotent?) branch of government.