THIS IS HOW TOTAL DECAY STARTS: Jeremy Corbyn urges people to ‘occupy’ empty homes as supporters plan ‘Day of Rage’

Corbyn said: “There are a large number of deliberately kept vacant flats and properties all over London – it’s called land banking. People with a lot of money buy a house, buy a flat, keep it empty…Occupy, compulsory purchase it, requisition it, there’s a lot of things you can do.”

When Bob Geldof, J.K. Rowling and Elton John turn over the keys to their London apartments and mansions, then — and only then — can I take any of the far-left in the UK seriously. It’s like Bernie Sanders meets Benny Hill meets Abbie Hoffman, with a big side dish of smug virtue-signalling.

ADD IT TO THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WILL KILL YOU: “Garlic: One of the most dangerous ingredients in your kitchen.” Hey, what’s a little botulism between friends?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Using Texts as Lures, Government Spyware Targets Mexican Journalists and Their Families.

Human rights advocates and journalists tell The New York Times that Mexican officials are using malware called “Pegasus” designed to track terrorists to instead follow the movements and surveil the communications of reporters:

“Mexican security agencies wouldn’t ask for a court order, because they know they wouldn’t get one,” said Eduardo Guerrero, a former analyst at the Center for Investigation and National Security, Mexico’s intelligence agency and one of the government agencies that use the Pegasus spyware. “I mean, how could a judge authorize surveillance of someone dedicated to the protection of human rights?”

Better to ask forgiveness than permission, I suppose. The unanswered question: If any of these journalists worked for US news organizations, and US-based computer systems were targeted, isn’t this as much or more of an “act of war” as what Julian Assange’s people (and allegedly the Russians) did to Clinton’s homebrew server? Or is the “hacking of our democracy” just an excuse to get Trump’s head on a stick?

Humblebrag: I worked with Bloomberg reporter Vernon Silver five years ago, exposing the use of a similar malware called “Finfisher” employed by Bahrain and Egypt to make dissidents “disappear.”

SLANTING AN OPINION IN FAVOR OF FREE SPEECH: The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal trademarks can be registered in most cases even if they are considered derogatory. The case involved an Asian rock band who tried to register the name “The Slants.” SJW’s lost their minds, but Justice Alito wrote for a unanimous Court that “It offends a bedrock First Amendment principle: Speech may not be banned on the ground that it expresses ideas that offend.” This bodes well for the Washington Redskins.

THE GUARDIAN DISCOVERS “FLYOVER COUNTRY:” It’s almost as if the reporter looked at this assignment as if it were an adventure into the deep jungle. Note the unnamed “observer” who editorializes:

“Observers wonder when “these people” will wake up and realize that Trump does not have their interests at heart. But rural folks have gotten used to a system that does not have their interests at heart.”

Well, gosh, when the political establishment keeps calling half the country stupid or “deplorable” it’s little wonder they’ll vote for any alternative. And it’s a safe bet if a writer referred to “these people” in the context of discussing LGBT or race issues, there’d be hell to pay. Lesson to be learned: this is why there is an Electoral College, though these days the Democrats would prefer that elections were held only in DC, NYC and Malibu. Read it here.

SHARYL ATTKISSON: Asking Chaffetz if Congress is Broken. Why hasn’t Congress done anything about IRS Commissioner John Koskinen? “Congress doesn’t stand up for itself. I think it’s, it’s really lost its way,” says Chaffetz.

Read the interview here.

FROM JACK SHAFER AT POLITICO: “MEGYN KELLY PANTSES ALEX JONES:”

“The censorious powers of the heckler’s veto have evolved now to the point that people are willing to call for the banning and shunning of works of journalism not yet published. Former Fox News Channel and current NBC News anchor Megyn Kelly got the treatment this week as news of her Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly interview with InfoWars mainspring Alex Jones, well before it was scheduled to air July 18, made the rounds. At least the Ayatollah Khomeini waited for the publication of Satanic Verses before he issued a fatwa ordering the murder of its author, Salman Rushdie.”

Heh, indeed.™

I’m LOOKING FORWARD TO GUEST-BLOGGING while Glenn and Helen are m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶d̶e̶a̶l̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶P̶u̶t̶i̶n̶ on vacation and contributing some thoughtful or at least interesting stuff! www.charlesglasser.net