PETE BUTTIGIEG’S HIGH CLASS PROBLEMS:

It’s time for Pete Buttigieg to truck off down the road from the Department of Transportation — if, that is, he turns up for work again and can find a driver. It’s shameful even by the standards of the federal government for the head of a department to disappear during an emergency. It’s ludicrous for a technocratic Democrat in a technocratic administration.

The smart set are explaining away the supply-chain fiasco as middle-class false consciousness. ‘Most of the economic problems we’re facing (inflation, supply chains, etc.) are high class problems,’ says Ron Klain, Biden’s chief of staff.

That’s right, Ron: if the peasants can’t find vegetables on the shelves, let them eat the rich. Because only the rich worry about commodity prices rising faster than at any time since 2008. Only the rich notice when the price of gasoline, vegetables and baby formula rises and rises. And only the rich — or at least the expensively-educated, which tends to mean the same thing these days — are literate enough to worry about the increasingly probable knock-on effect on inflation.

Everything’s fine though: Jen Psaki Defends Rising Prices: ‘Good Thing’ Because it Means ‘More People are Buying Goods.’

Welcome Back, Carter (and LBJ). As Amity Shlaes wrote in her 2019 book, Great Society, “What the 1960s experiment and its 1970s results suggest is that social democratic compromise comes close enough to socialism to cause economic tragedy…In the pain of the 1970s and early 1980s, many Americans came to recognize that the ultimate executive-led expert-driven social project of the 1960s, the White House application of Keynesian economic doctrine, was also the ultimate domestic failure. In retrospect, citizens finally saw Keynesianism for what it was, mere window dressing for political expedience. The popular expression of these new insights was the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan.”

This administration has of course, forgotten those lessons: Milton Friedman’s Revenge.

Related: Buttigieg Pressed by Fox News Anchor Over Supply Chain Chaos: Not surprisingly for somebody with apparently zero experience in the transportation sector being tapped by Biden, “Buttigieg seemed as or more interested in discussing the “comprehensive infrastructure bill” in Congress, health care, weather patterns, and child care than the two vital ports he admitted represent 40 percent of the country’s incoming container traffic.

BRETIGNE SHAFFER: Change in the Weather: “I don’t celebrate anything that the Federal government, or the government of California, has done over these past two years. Their actions have been devastating to millions of people’s lives, and literally deadly for millions of others. Much of what they have done is criminal, and I in no way endorse any of it. But there is a silver lining, and it is this: These governments, and many more around the world, have taken a torch to their own credibility, to their own legitimacy.”

OPEN THREAD: Step on to the astroturf, get yourself a koozie let’s go. You can climb the ladder, just don’t rock the boat while I barbecue.

WEIRDLY, I MISSED THIS: Former South Philly Judge of Elections Charged in Massive 4-Year Voter Fraud Scheme. “Since the 2020 presidential election, Democrats have demonized Republicans who raise concerns about election integrity. But a new report Wednesday said a staffer of one Philadelphia politician had been engaging in voter fraud as far back as 2015. According to Philadelphia magazine, Marie Beren, 67, faces federal charges for participating in a voter fraud scheme from 2015-2019. The outlet said Beren faces four charges related to voter fraud, one of which is conspiracy.”

Surely it was all over the news.

I BLAME CHINESE HACKERS: Surprise Russian Thruster Firing Prompts Space Station Emergency. “The Russian space agency said in a statement on its website that the crew and station were never in any danger. But it was the second such emergency on the station since July, when an unexpected firing of thrusters on a new Russian module briefly inverted the outpost.”

BETTER PUT UP MY UMBRELLA: Meteorite crash-lands in woman’s bed in Canada. “You’re sound asleep, safe, you think, in your bed, and you can get taken out by a meteorite, apparently.”

As my grandmother used to say, no safety this side of the grave.

LET’S GO BRANDON! Why we need it now:

In the spirit of Dave Chapelle cutting through the cant, defying his LGBTQMYNAMEISLEGION critics, Brandon zeroes in on the truth. The phony media spin on that NASCAR chant is exactly, exquisitely our current moment. It nails the vast, yawning gap that separates the Bidenist fantasy world from the real one we’re living in.

As prices shoot up and store shelves empty, half of Haiti somehow appears on the Rio Grande, and China prepares its next war of conquest, our elite fritters and squanders America’s legacy. People who’ve been triple-vaccinated cower in fear of those of us who won’t take it—wait, shouldn’t they be the ones feeling safe? But cower they will, and I say we should pretend to sneeze on such people. Maybe those groundhogs will go back into their homes for another six months.

Indeed.

THE ARLINGTON TEXAS GUITAR SHOW RETURNS THIS WEEKEND: “From 10am to 5pm Sat-Sun, one of the country’s leading guitar shows — GuitArlington — will be returning to the Arlington Convention Center, which will be its permanent home for future events. Suppose you have guitars, amplifiers, effects, guitars, parts, or other musical items to sell or trade. In that case, you are allowed to bring anything you can carry into the show at no extra charge for potential buyers/dealers to check out. Masks may be required, so please bring one. Tickets are $20 per person at AmigoGuitarShows.com.”

Here’s my wrap-up of the 2016 show, and a video I shot at the 2007 Arlington guitar show:

INFINITE BOOST: FDA advisory panel to consider Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster dose.

Poor J&J. Any other time this vaccine would have been a world-beating triumph, but this time it’s been an also-ran, and now it’s losing its major selling point, one-and-done dosing.

IN FRANCE, ACTIVISTS FOR WESTERN CIVILIZATION: “A polarising figure who has made a TV and writing career testing the boundaries of political correctness, [Eric] Zemmour accuses the political class of allowing a steady erosion of traditional Christian values and national identity in France. Born in Paris to Jewish Algerians who emigrated to metropolitan France in the 1950s, Zemmour points to himself as an example of how France once successfully assimilated its migrant population. Now, he says, waves of immigrants have been allowed to loathe France and push back against its core values.”

Plus, from the comments: “Is Zemmour wrong? Doesn’t seem that way from where I sit, but I’m not sitting in Paris or anywhere else in France. The French young people think he’s right and that’s important. The first step in fixing anything is admitting that there is a problem, so if he’s right, then he’s doing his country an enormous service.”

Also: “Shorter Reuters: It’s now ‘right-wing’ to want to protect your country.” Well, when it’s left-wing to want to destroy it . . .

FIRE THEM AND BRING IN NEW EMPLOYEES: Netflix Dealing with ‘Unprecedented’ Internal Revolt as Employees Threaten Walkout over Dave Chappelle.

The other co-CEO, Reed Hastings, wrote on a company message board, “We will continue to work with Dave Chappelle in the future. We see him as a unique voice, but can understand if you or others never want to watch his shows.”

No doubt Netflix would prefer the employee unrest simply goes away, but it would be wiser to state clearly that it won’t be bullied by mobs, even internal ones.

Indeed.

UPDATE: Netflix fires trans activist who organized walkout over Dave Chappelle special.

The employee was terminated on suspicion of leaking metrics to the press related to the Dave Chappelle special. Those metrics — about how much Netflix paid for The Closer and how many people it reached — subsequently ended up in a report on Bloomberg. While the employee had shared the metrics internally, they spoke out against the leaks to colleagues, worried they might hurt the walkout movement.

The leaking of internal data is highly unusual at Netflix. While the company prides itself on transparency, employees are told that the culture can only thrive when Netflix data remains internal.

A Netflix spokesperson confirmed the employees’ dismissal. “We have let go of an employee for sharing confidential, commercially sensitive information outside the company,” they said. “We understand this employee may have been motivated by disappointment and hurt with Netflix, but maintaining a culture of trust and transparency is core to our company.”

Instapundit gets results!

(Updated and bumped.)

FLASHBACK: Milley’s perfidy is more proof the ruling class couldn’t care less about democracy.

THERE’S LOTS OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: Elon Musk says Starlink will provide faster internet speeds on airlines.

My Starlink service continues to be unspectacularly trouble-free, excellent speeds up and down and virtually no downtime.

NOW SHE NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP ON CHARGES: Loudoun County School Board Member Resigns Following Daily Wire Investigation. “Beth Barts, a far-left member of the Loudoun County School Board, has resigned from her position. . . . Barts’ resignation comes amidst criticism of the Loudoun County School system, and a recent Daily Wire report that the superintendent of the school district misled the public when he claimed at a June 22 meeting that, to his knowledge, there were no records of assaults in school bathrooms.”

She currently faces a special prosecutor over her efforts to organize harassment of parents criticizing the Board.

YES: The Real ‘High Class Problem’ Is How Out Of Touch The ‘High Class’ Is From Everyone Else.

The truth is that this tweet is not some explosive new insight into what the Democrats in charge think about the economic catastrophe lawmakers have created. They remind you every day how little they think of the plight they’ve put you in. They’ve been reinforcing the hierarchy for as long as COVID-19 has been a thought in our minds.

Klain’s “high class problems” attitude is basically a repeat of the Mayor Lori Lightfoot scandal in April 2020. All the Chicago Democrat’s constituents were under a strict stay-at-home order. But even after posting a cringey “Stay home, save lives” PSA video — complete with the line that “getting your roots done is not essential” — Lightfoot sneaked off to get a trim.

It got worse. After she was caught, she defended her haircut by saying she was an exception to the rule because she needs to look good on television.

“I’m the public face of this city. I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye,” she said at a press conference with real Ron Klain energy.

Or take an example from our president just this week. After ordering health-care providers, full-time federal workers, government contractors, and private companies with 100 employees or more (the latter of which is still just a toothless press release, by the way) to get injected or potentially lose their jobs, Biden had the audacity to say that vaccine mandates shouldn’t be divisive.

When the people in charge of fixing problems are immune from the problems themselves or from the costs of the solutions, they aren’t exactly incentivized to get it right.

Or even to demonstrate some basic decency.

WELL, THAT WILL RUIN YOUR SLEEP: A meteorite landed inches away from a Canadian woman’s pillow as she slept.

AMNESTY BECAME A JOKE LONG AGO, BUT THIS IS SPECIAL EVEN FOR THEM: Amnesty International: Allowing New Yorkers to Carry Firearms Would Violate International Law.

An idiotic argument, and at any rate, international law, such as it is, is trumped by the Constitution.

THREAD:

Plus: “However much contempt you harbor for these media corporations — and I know it’s a lot — it’s still not enough. They deserve more. No institution does more damage to political and cultural life than employees of media corporations.”

THE NEW DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS LOOK AN AWFUL LOT LIKE THE OLD CONFORMITY: Teaching while pro-Trump: Educator in training alleges political views led to his firing.

REPUBLICANS DEMAND ‘COMPLETELY UNQUALIFIED’ BUTTIGIEG ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS.

Which, predictably, will lead to responses like this from the palace guard DNC-MSM: The View Goes OFF on Tucker Carlson Mocking Pete Buttigieg’s Paternity Leave: ‘Couldn’t Resist Going Full Bigot.’

Evergreen:

MAKE UP YOUR MINDS: Aspirin has long been prescribed to prevent heart attacks. Now experts say it shouldn’t.

JIM TREACHER: Whew, Occupying Government Buildings Is Good Again. “It’s different when we do it:”

So we’re back to this being a legitimate form of protest now? Huh.

Ellie Silverman, WaPo:

Climate protesters attempted to occupy the Department of the Interior on Thursday, with dozens holding a sit-in inside as those remaining outside clashed with the police who were blocking the entrance.

Protesters and security personnel were injured as climate activists crowded an entrance to the Stewart Lee Udall Main Interior Building on C St NW. Melissa Schwartz, a department spokesperson, said in a statement that security personnel sustained “multiple injuries,” and one officer was transported to a hospital.

Yeah, but it was for a good cause. Everybody knows the weather is going to kill us all, so it’s okay to break into a government building and hurt people. That’s only bad when the rioters are wearing MAGA hats.

Via the great @MidnightMitch:

I look forward to Brian Stelter defending the climate protestors’ moral imperative to riot because the earth is coming to end in [12 months, five years/ten years/insert preferred time period here], in between tweets promoting binge-travel such as this:

GOOD: Monitoring glucose levels, no needles required.

FLASHBACK: Biden blamed food shortages under Trump in 2020 on ‘lack of leadership.’

HMM: Conservative British MP stabbed to death in church by “a 25-year-old man” on whom no other details are offered.