WELL, YES. Sarah Jeong Is A Warning Sign Of Something Wrong With The Left.

That really sums up what bothers me about this whole story. It’s the assumption that a public comment like “White men are bullshit” would get a shrug if not for conservatives seizing on it. It’s an admission from the Post that there is almost nothing you can say about white men that anyone on the left would deem problematic (to borrow a popular SJW term of art).

The reason why Jeong’s tweets didn’t really matter to anyone on the left is that they’ve nearly all accepted the idea that racism doesn’t mean what most people think it means. Andrew Sullivan points out how the left has redefined it. . . .

Jeong was just exploring the space of this privileged position, secure that she could say just about anything without fear of blowback. Indeed, she had many defenders who refused to even acknowledge the possibility of another point of view about what she’d said. When you start from the premise that one group of people can’t be offended, you naturally wind up at the conclusion that anyone who says otherwise is being dishonest.

I hope that Donald Trump reads her tweets aloud at rallies.

Plus: “That’s what really bothers me about this. It’s that one form of blatant bigotry gets a pass on the grounds that it won’t really hurt anyone. If the left thinks that’s true, I think they’re not paying attention.” Yep.

SAN FRANCISCO BANS EVERYTHING: “If you can think of something, San Francisco has already banned it. Or will be banning it soon.”

Why ban straws? Because straws, according to the San Francisco ordinance, “may threaten public health” and are bad for the environment? Piles of human waste in the street are great for public health and the environment. But a Chicago medical association disagreed and cancelled its planned conference.

When Chicago thinks your city is dirty and dangerous hellhole, you really have a problem.

Heh, indeed. Read the whole thing.™

(Via Maggie’s Farm.)

AMERICA IS AWFUL, BUT THEY KEEP COMING: Statue of Liberty climber spews anti-American chant outside court.

The immigrant rights activist who ruined July 4 for tourists visiting the Statue of Liberty when she scaled the green lady and forced the icon’s evacuation, was in Manhattan federal on Friday pushing for a no-jail guarantee from a judge — and then promptly spewed an anti-American message outside court.

Therese “Patricia” Okoumou climbed onto Lady Liberty’s right foot, causing an emergency evacuation of the monument on one of the busiest days of the year. . . .

Outside court dozens of supporters cheered on the Republic of Congo born woman – who is a naturalized citizen — and she chanted to the crowd, “America you mother f–kers! You drug addicts! You KKK! You fascist USA.”

Maybe Trump can use her in an ad.

STEVEN HAYWARD: THE VINDICATION OF CLARENCE THOMAS—AND THE LEFT’S FREAKOUT.

I’m gaining weight and running out of popcorn watching the left freak out about the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy. But beyond just the theatrics of the left’s primal screams and desperation tactics it is delightful to see the left begin to reckon with something more fundamental going on, which in one sentence I’ll assert is the growing vindication of the constitutional originalism of Justice Clarence Thomas.

It should be noted, as a placeholder, that constitutional originalism comes in several forms which differ considerably, but I won’t go into these myriad distinctions because it would take a long time. Interested readers might check out some of the helpful work on this by Lawrence Solum of Georgetown Law School. Some conservative jurists—one thinks of Rehnquist and Scalia in particular—were highly inconsistent in their originalist jurisprudence, but Thomas has been consistent from Day One on the Court. If the principles and reasoning of Thomas’s opinions are to be compared with a particular jurist of our past, it would have to be John Marshall.

Liberals have always dismissed Thomas as simply Scalia’s wingman, though no one who actually read with any care their separate opinions, concurrences, and dissents would think so. But the great thing about being a liberal is that you can just go with a cliche and skip the careful thinking part.

But now that the whole scene is in flux with the arrival of Justice Gorsuch—who, like Justice Thomas, believes that the natural law tradition in legal history stretching back to Roman times still has today what social scientists call “normative” value—the left is taking stock of things, and realizing that they are in a heap of trouble.

Read the whole thing.

FROM BLAKE SMITH:  In Pursuit of Justice (A novel of the Garia cycle.)

Garia and the East Morlans have been on increasingly rocky terms for years, and when Téo and Zara ran away together, they touched off the powder keg of war between their kingdoms. Now they have to fight for their lives while learning to live in a foreign land.
In the Morlans, Hanri and Alia are facing their own sets of problems. He must control and divert the single-minded vengeance of his father King Reynard, and she must sort the gold of information from the dross of gossip in a palace swarming with rumors. It could mean the difference between life and death for all of them.

BUT BUT BUT, AFFIRMATION AND NON-JUDGEMENT:  Excessive tattoos and mental health: Zombie Boy dies.

THIEVES THINK EVERYONE STEALS. VIOLENT PEOPLE THINK EVERYONE IS VIOLENT.  THE MALICIOUS SEE MALICE EVERYWHERE:  Malice Aforethought or Just Otto Correct?

WHAT IS MORE, WE’VE KNOWN THAT FOR SOME TIME NOW, BUT I STILL RUN INTO THE ALARMIST THEORIES IN THE POPULAR PRESS:  Bees are not in Danger.

THE DEMOCRATS TELL THEMSELVES FAIRYTALES, LIKE THAT REAGAN’S BOOM WAS THE RESULT OF CARTER’S PRESIDENCY.  BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? IF WE KEEP THE DEMS IN POWER THE BOOM NEVER MATERIALIZES.  AFTER ALL, WE WERE ON THE VERGE OF RECOVERY FOR 8 YEARS UNDER OBAMA.  AND NO, DON’T TELL US THE RECOVERY HAS BEEN GOING ON THAT LONG, BECAUSE WE DON’T CARE FOR DOCTORED NUMBERS.  WE’RE GOING TO GO WITH OUR LYING EYES:  Evaluating a president—any president.

OF COURSE THEY DID:  FBI continued to get info from Steele after terminating formal relationship.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON:  In general, I am not a fan of royalty (being an American and all).  But I am willing to make a tiny exception for Elizabeth, the late queen mum.  Today, August 4 (at least it’s still August 4 here on the West Coast), would be her 118th birthday.

The reason for my willingness to make an exception is her statement during the London Blitz.  Asked whether she was going to have the princesses removed from London for their safety, she is said to have replied:  “The girls will not leave unless I do. I will not leave unless the King does. And the King will not leave under any circumstances whatsoever.“

AT THIS RATE, I’M GOING TO WISH I’D BOUGHT POPCORN FUTURES:  The Vindication of Clarence Thomas—and the Left’s Freakout.

THE LITIGIOUS LEFT: Transgender employee sues the University of Georgia, because insurance doesn’t cover “gender affirmation” surgery.

FROM RICHARD BLEDSOE:  The Cthulhu Blues and Other Stories.

The sinister legend of a mysterious blues man. A fateful encounter with a dangerous work of art. A horrible visitor enters a humble pub. In the spirit of H.P. Lovecraft, comes this morbid collection of short stories; a terrifying trio of Eldritch tales.

And he made a blog post about it, too.

ONLY A MARXIST OR SOMEONE VIRGINAL OF ANY KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY WOULD THINK THEY ARE:  Opinion: 3D printable guns aren’t the end of life as we know it.

PEOPLE WHO CAN EVEN THINK OF THIS ARE NOT JUST IGNORANT, THEY’RE EVIL.  THEIR DISGUSTING PARODY OF ART CHEAPENS BOTH HORROR AND CIVILIZATION SPLINTERED BY THAT HORROR:  Anne Frank Reimagined: Repulsive in Every Way.  They are also the ones paving the way for the repetition of these horrors.

SURE.  FOUR YEARS AGO I FOUND BLOCKING RUSSIAN IPS ON MY BLOG GOT RID OF MOST OF THE CRAZY TROLLS FROM THE ALLEGED RIGHT AND FROM THE CRAZY LEFT.  IT WAS EDUCATIONAL:  Russia: Active Measures Continue to Target and Threaten America.

THE DOGS ARE FINDING THEIR OWN FOOD.  ALL THE TRAD MEDIA CAN DO IS HURT THEMSELVES.  AND MOST OF US DON’T CARE, ANYMORE:  The Dogs Don’t Like It.

AT AMAZON, bestsellers in Toys & Games.

WELL, YES: Twitter is run by Democratic donors and activists.

THE BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE: Acosta faces down Granny in near death experience. Hey, she might be packing Werther’s Originals, and that’s ASSAULT CANDY.

Do. Not. Mess. With. Granny.

Related (From Ed): CNN’s April Ryan Is Shown to Lie About Trump’s Tampa Rally By a Most Amazing Person — Jim Acosta.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG: New FBI Docs Reveal Agency Paid Steele, Admonished Him, And Strzok Sat On Weiner Probe.

LATE STAGE SOCIALISM: VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO SURVIVES DRONE ASSASSINATION ATTACK.

Well, these things tend to happen when your inflation rate is approaching one meeeeeelllllion percent.

I blame Fielding Mellish for the assassination attempt.

OPEN THREAD: You know what to do.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: EUROPE ADRIFT.

We often refer to the “West” of nearly 1.5 billion people without really defining it or appreciating just how predominant Europe should be in all matters Western. In terms of population, the contemporary West consists of mainland Europe (circa 500 million — depending on how the borders of Europe are defined), the United States (325 million), the Anglosphere of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (130 million), and major Westernized, industrial, and democratic countries in Asia, most notably Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea (200 million), along perhaps with South American nations such as Argentina, Chile, and Brazil (265 million).

Of all these kindred regions, Europe logically should be the cornerstone of the West, given its vast population and size. It is home to both NATO and the European Union. The euro was birthed as a rival to the dollar for international primacy. The Mediterranean connects three continents. Rome remains the center of Christianity. Historically, Europe has been the font of international humanitarian work from the Red Cross to the Geneva Conventions. Europe was the birthplace of the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the industrial revolution — and the igniter of the two most destructive wars in human history.

Yet the global influence of Europe continues to wane, at least as defined by demographic robustness, technological innovation, the quality of higher education, and the ability to defend its interests.

This is what happen when countries are ruled by people who don’t much like the people they rule over.