OPEN THREAD: Get the party started.
Original here.
Archive for 2021
December 16, 2021
THE LOCAL NEWS WAS GOING ON ABOUT HOW BADLY THEY’RE DOING, BUT DIDN’T SAY WHY: Salvation Army ditched by donors and volunteers after disastrous release of ‘anti-racism’ guide.
This year the Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission published a discussion guide called “Let’s Talk About Racism.” The document, its authors say, was “designed to stimulate gracious discussion among Salvationists who choose to participate.” But its radical woke overtones against American Christians seem to make such gracious discussion impossible.
“Why is it so difficult to acknowledge the sin of racism and the seeking of God’s forgiveness both individually as believers and corporately as the Church for our complicity in racism?” the document suggests as a conversation starter. It also called on Salvationists to “stop trying to be ‘colorblind’ ” and to “lament, repent and apologize” for their biases against people of color in America. Much time is spent explaining why the U.S. is racist.
“We must stop denying the existence of individual and systemic/institutional racism,” the materials say. “They exist, and are still at work to keep White Americans in power.”
After a torrent of criticism, the document was taken down in November, with a statement that said the “guide led some to believe we think they should apologize for the color of their skin, or that The Salvation Army may have abandoned its Biblical beliefs for another philosophy or ideology. That was never our intention, so the guide has been removed for appropriate review.”
Well, the apology is a lie, since that’s exactly what they said. A friend texts:
In other business … I hate bypassing those good sober souls who man the red buckets. But I’m done with Salvos.
Repudiate woke, I’m back, with the 5s, 10s and 20s it felt so good to drop in that bucket.
And I do mean repudiate.Salvos know what redemption involves. Apologize to me.
Yes. An open honest apology, and the sacking — or reassignment to kettle/bell duty — of those responsible for this debacle. And the statement above was not an apology, since it was neither honest, nor an apology.
Our problem is that even conservative religious institutions are largely run by people who want to fit in with their Gentry Class peers. But the Gentry Class’s values are mostly preening trash.
UPDATE: From the comments:
I’ll bet I can speak pretty well for the millions of white volunteers and donors who previously thought the Salvation Army one of the best.
You didn’t just break our trust. You insulted the very people who support you. But worse, you broke millions of us in what we believed was the true message of the Salvation Army – especially during the Christmas season.
You sullied the message of Christ Himself by rejecting the Gospel message of love and adopting the phoniness of popular worldly virtue.
The only question that remains for millions of us is, “Why? What could have possibly motivated you to be this stupid and repulsive?”
Hatred and contempt — and make no mistake, that’s the basis of the Salvation Army’s woke policy here — is not Christian.
ERASING WOMEN IS A KEY PART OF TRANS ACTIVISM: “This attempt to detach a female author from her own creative achievement is astonishing but it is just the latest episode in a long history of women being erased.”
“It won’t work. Not only is JK Rowling renowned for creating the world of Harry Potter, she is now a hero to women all over the world for speaking up in the face of intimidation and abuse.”
Plus: “I watched the trailer. I was struck by the line of dialogue: ‘The world as we know it is coming apart.'”
ARE RIGHT DONORS BEING FLEECED? American Majority’s Ned Ryun thinks so and he makes his case in this two-part sit-down with Michael Hartman, published by Capital Research Center.
NEW FILINGS CONFIRM ZUCK BUCKS FLOOD FOR BIDEN IN 2020: Capital Research Center’s Parker Thayer and Hayden Ludwig find more IRS 990 returns showing Mark Zuckerberg’s immense spending on campaigns to get out the vote in heavily Democratic areas.
MEADOWS SUIT CHALLENGES JANUARY 6 PANEL’S LEGALITY: Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows poses some very tough questions about the legislative authority and legitimacy of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s January 6 Star Chamber.
“WE SURVIVED A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, WE’LL SURVIVE YOUR EGO:” A Local Kansas City Restaurant Just Put Jackson Mahomes Into A Body Bag.
Celebrities are frequently garbage people, and deserve to be put in their places when they are unreasonable and entitled.
NEWS YOU CAN USE, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR LAST NAME IS KRUGMAN, KLAIN, OR BRANDON: Understanding Inflation, the ‘Mugger.’
“The Labor Department reported Friday that consumer prices in November rose 6.8 percent in the last 12 months, the most since 1982.”
I was told that there would be no math, but “since 1982” means we are talking about 40 years.
“This,” the unnamed editorialist wrote, “should be all the warning Democratic doubters need to shelve President Biden’s Build Back Better Act that could fuel more inflation.”
They like to keep things understated at the Journal.
Still, mention of “fuel” reminds me of the Biden administration’s war on energy.
About the first thing Biden did on coming to office was kill the Keystone pipeline.
That cost tens of thousands of jobs and overnight assured that America would go from being energy independent to begging OPEC to pump more oil.
It also assured that Americans would being paying a lot more to run their cars and heat (or cool) their houses.
And let’s not forget Suale Omarova, the Russian-born Communist-sympathizing academic whom Joe Biden nominated to be head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Among much else, Omarova was looking forward to bankrupting major swaths of the oil, coal, and gas industries in order to “tackle climate change.”
Reality crept in, just a little bit, to Omarova’s confirmation hearings, so she had to withdraw her nomination.
But the fact that Biden could even think of nominating someone like her—someone, that is to say, who is both ostentatiously anti-prosperity and anti-American—tells us all we need to know about his priorities.
No, when it comes to inflation, most people agree with Ronald Reagan, not Jen Psaki.
“Inflation,” Reagan said, “is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber, and as deadly as a hitman.”
Exactly right.
Earlier: Joe Biden, Milton Friedman, and the Tyranny of Tiny Minds.
GOT WOKE, WENT BROKE: Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign falling thousands short of goal.
The Salvation Army could use some help of its own this holiday season — its Red Kettle Campaign is falling far short of the nonprofit’s goal.
Capt. Stephen Wildish, corps officer for The Salvation Army, said Thursday that with only one week left in the annual fundraiser, contributions totaled nearly $114,000. That’s more than $50,000 shy of its $166,000 goal, which Wildish said must be met to maintain current programs.
“With the increased need for assistance with financial needs such as utilities and rental help due to the pandemic impact, the Red Kettle funding is extremely important,” he said. “We don’t want our programs and services to suffer, and we are asking our community to step up one more time.”
Curiously, no reasons are given by the Tallahassee Democrat as to why the Salvation Army isn’t reaching its goals this year. As Glenn noted on Tuesday, “From the comments: ‘We’re seeing Irish Democracy break out against the Woke would be rulers.’ Like America has never seen it, except maybe during Prohibition which lasted a little more than a decade before being reversed.”
Just think of the media as Democratic Party operatives with bylines, and its absence makes sense.
Evergreen:
SOME SAY WE’RE RECAPPING THE MEDIEVAL WARM PERIOD, AND YOU KNOW WHAT CAME NEXT: Scientists discover ‘surprising’ cause of Europe’s little ice age in late medieval era: Change in ocean currents – similar to phenomena seen today – likely cause behind substantial cooling, US scientists say.
Prediction: When we flip to global cooling the same remedies — increased taxes and regulation, worse lives for ordinary people — will be presented again as remedies for this new problem. Because the crises change regularly, but the responses never do.
MORE LIKE THIS, PLEASE: Senate passes Uyghur forced labor bill.
Why it matters: Human rights activists say the bill will impose the first substantive costs the Chinese government has ever faced for its atrocities in Xinjiang — and could set a precedent for other countries to follow suit.
- Major corporations like Nike and Coca Cola had lobbied against the bill, which has far-reaching consequences for U.S. supply chains deeply integrated with Chinese industry.
- Xinjiang, the region where more than 1 million ethnic minorities have reportedly passed through mass internment camps, accounts for nearly 50% of the world’s polysilicon, a raw material used to manufacture solar panels.
Between the lines: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) agreed to lift his hold on Burns’ nomination after Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) argued that the ambassador to China and two other State Department roles would need to be in place to help implement the new law.
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Rubio and Murphy had sought to pass their compromise via unanimous consent on Wednesday, but Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) objected in order to propose a year-long extension to the expiring child tax credit.
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Wyden stressed that he still supports the Uyghur bill, and did not object again on Thursday.
John Kerry hardest hit: John Kerry Remains Committed to Enabling Evil. “Kerry has been lobbying Democrats to oppose a [Marco Rubio] amendment to the #NDAA that would ban Uyghur slave labor imports, because Kerry fears it could threaten climate negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party.”
Because the ChiComs are so trustworthy on this (or any topic). Or as Sarah spotted last night: China Walks Back COP26 Carbon Emission Pledges.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? The Washington Post is looking for an enterprising reporter to cover the political right in the United States.
This reporter will be expected to break news and produce distinctive stories that explore the forces and personalities driving the Republican Party at every level of government and culture. This includes writing with clarity about the pro-Trump movement and its supporters, as well as the broader constellation of elected officials, activists, donors and media figures who embrace and echo its brand of politics.
The ideal candidate is someone with a track record of producing revelatory stories. This reporter will play a leading role in our coverage of the 2022 and 2024 elections, collaborating with colleagues across the Politics team as well as visual journalism teams such as Graphics, Photo and Video. This reporter will be expected to travel frequently and often on short notice.
This position is based in our Washington newsroom. Once we resume normal operations, it will not be eligible for remote work.
The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed.
Given what happened with Dave Weigel and then Jennifer Rubin, I’ve got a bad feeling about this…
I HAVE AN ALIBI: Man Banned From Airline After Wearing Thong for a Face Mask.
BE PREPARED: HULKMAN Alpha85 Jump Starter 2000 Amp 20000mAh Car Starter. #CommissionEarned
LIVE AT 3:30PM EASTERN: ‘Five O’Clock Somewhere’ with Kruiser, VodkaPundit, Special Guest.
NO ENEMIES TO THE LEFT: White House Hung Up on Sen. Rick Scott When He Called About Tortured Cuban Activist.
NOW THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY I’D BEEN HOPING FOR: USS Portland Uses Its Experimental Laser To Fry A Floating Target In The Middle East.
PAUL KRUGMAN EATS CROW: ‘Warnings About Inflation Have Proved Right.’
A tectonic shift in the world of economics has taken place: New York Times economist Paul Krugman finally admitted that his detractors on inflation were right all along.
The leftist economist surprisingly conceded in a new op-ed that others have warned “that we may face something comparable to the stagflation of the 1970s. And credit where credit is due.” Then came the sticker shock: “So far, warnings about inflation have proved right, while Team Transitory’s predictions that inflation would quickly fade have been wrong.” Talk about eating crow. Krugman recently conceded Nov. 14 that he “got inflation wrong” even though he tried to hedge by claiming he thought blindly believing the false “transitory” inflation narrative was “still the best bet.” His latest concession puts him even further at odds with his Nov. 11 column: “History Says Don’t Panic About Inflation.” National Review senior political correspondent Jim Geraghty documented at least six times throughout 2021 where Krugman has tried to downplay or dismiss the threat of spiking inflation.
Flashback to Krugman in May: The Economy Is Spinning Its Wheels, and About to Take Off.
And the obligatory flashback to Krugman On Election Night 2016: “If the question is when markets will recover, a first-pass answer is never.”
IF A PILL DID WHAT EXERCISE DOES, EVERYONE WOULD TAKE IT: Uncovered: Key to how exercise protects against consequences of ageing.