ABOUT THAT JEEP SUPER BOWL AD: The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway dissects the political porn that passes for corporate creativity.

TIME MAG ARTICLE ON OUR PHILOSOPHER-KINGS: Lots of Right-Buzz about that Time Magazine article that details how the Left manipulated the voting process in 2020. Some here on Instapundit and elsewhere argue the article is proof of a massive conspiracy that stole the election from Trump. Others that it minimized alleged voter suppression, thereby allowing what the Left defines as the true will of the people to emerge.

Here’s my take, for what it’s worth: You can make either of the preceding cases in a way worth considering, but the more important point I come away with is seen in this key explanatory paragraph from the article:

“This is the inside story of the conspiracy to save the 2020 election, based on access to the group’s inner workings, never-before-seen documents and interviews with dozens of those involved from across the political spectrum. It is the story of an unprecedented, creative and determined campaign whose success also reveals how close the nation came to disaster. ‘Every attempt to interfere with the proper outcome of the election was defeated,’ says Ian Bassin, co-founder of Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan rule-of-law advocacy group. ‘But it’s massively important for the country to understand that it didn’t happen accidentally. The system didn’t work magically. Democracy is not self-executing.’” (emphasis added)

Note the two most important phrases: The participants in the “conspiracy to save the 2020 election” presumed to know what was the “proper outcome of the election” and they had to do what they did because “Democracy is not self-executing,” that is, it cannot be trusted to produce the “proper outcome.”

Most readers here have heard the metaphor of “the ship of state.” Less well-known is that the source of that metaphor is Plato’s “Republic,” in which the case for the rule of philosopher-kings is made. To ensure the safety of the ship of state, the “true pilot must of necessity pay attention to the seasons, the heavens, the stars, the winds, and everything proper to the craft if he is really to rule a ship.”

What the Time Magazine article demonstrates is that the participants in the “conspiracy” actually do believe themselves to be philosopher-kings, though that is undoubtedly the last term they would use to describe themselves. But they clearly believe that they rightfully should steer the ship of state because they know better than the rest of us and because they know better, whatever they do to ensure the “proper outcome” is morally justified. They are, in short, the law.

FOUR SUPER BOWL BACK STORIES: These four guys want to win, of course, but there is one something that is vastly more important to each one of them.

SUPREME COURT ENDS SOME OF NEWSOM’S WORSHIP BAN: But leaves the rest in place for now, including the ban on singing and chanting in worship services, as well as the building capacity percentage limits that are designed to enforce social distancing.

Biggest surprise in the decision is probably the fact the High Court’s newest Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative Catholic who foaming-at-the-mouth detractors predicted would use her position to force every American to attend Latin Mass daily, joined Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a middle-ground position.

THIRTY TYRANTS, HUNTER BIDEN, THE END OF AMERICA: Lee Smith’s long and detailed piece on Tablet makes clear how the American Elite became captive to Chinese money. As Glenn says, just keep scrolling. HT to Thom McKee’s Daily Gouge for pointing it out.

‘MADE IN CHINA’ MASKS MAY BE FAKES: The Epoch Times’ Frank Fang reports that U.S. Customs data indicates China shipped millions of counterfeit masks and Covid test kits are counterfeits.

MAKE BIG TECH PAY ROYALTIES TO USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA: Here’s a modest proposal for taming the social media giants.

WHY, NO, THE GOP HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN OVER BY Q-ANON: House Democrats, as this post is being typed, are preparing to strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) of her committee assignments.

Has to be done, you see, because she represents the radical extremists who control the GOP, who launched a failed coup d’tat on January 6 and who will wreak lethal havoc in every city, town and village across America if Greene isn’t punished.

John Daniel Davidson takes on this fairy tale and subjects it to a thorough dose of reality.

HERE COMES $2 TRILLION WORTH OF PAIN: Hans Bader at Liberty Unyielding explains why the national response to the vastly more lethal Spanish Flu of 1918 was superior to the current lockdowns and multi-Trillion-dollar relief packages.

Or, to put it another way, when government says the solution to a problem is A, you know it’s almost invariably actually the precise opposite of A.

THE PURE EVIL OF SEX TRAFFICKING CHILDREN: It should be impossible for anybody to read this blunt and detailed column by John and Nisha Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute without being saddened and angered. Especially when you realize how widespread this evil has become, not just in America but around the world.

CANCEL CULTURE CENSORS THE EPOCH TIMES, AGAIN: Youtube has demonetized The Epoch Times’ channel. Censorship, once started, has a way of consuming everything even remotely threatening to the censors.

BIDEN’S IMMIGRATION POLICY IS ‘RELEASE, PROTECT, REWARD:’ That’s the view of former Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan, who tells The Epoch Times’ Charlotte Culbertson:

“That’s release, protect, reward. That’s an open border. You might as well put billboards in the Central American countries saying ‘Come to the United States, our borders are open.’ There’s an interview of a migrant himself who said, ‘Biden has given us 100 days to get to the U.S. border.'”

KING SOLOMON-ERA ROYAL PURPLE CLOTH FOUND: In Southern Israel, carbon-dated to around 1,000 BC, which puts it in the time of King Solomon.

TANDEN’S OMB APPOINTMENT CAUSING FRICTION WITH BERNIE BROS: When then-President-elect Joe Biden announced last November his intention to nominate Center for American Progress (CAP) chief Neera Tanden, the Democratic-Socialist wing of the party was angered. Capital Research Center’s Shane Devine explains why.

MARK ZUCKERBERG WANTS TO GET INSIDE YOUR BRAIN: No, really, he does and Facebook’s researchers are making progress on the mind-control front. This ain’t sci-fi, this is all-too-real-world, friends.

DDT IS BACK: Just not as the insecticide banned by the U.S. in 1972. This time, DDT stands for “Defending Democracy Together.” According to Hayden Ludwig, writing for The Federalist, DDT is the creation of former-conservative-turned-Democrat Bill Kristol, and the group spent millions of dollars in dark money against Donald Trump and for Joe Biden in the 2020 campaign.

Ludwig makes clear that DDT is not some fly-by-night screeching backbencher that’s here today and gone tomorrow:

“DDT was the biggest outside political spender in the 2020 election, according to OpenSecrets, dropping a stunning $15.6 million in independent expenditures savaging Trump and aiding Democratic nominee Joe Biden. DDT beat out heavyweights such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Realtors Association, which typically dominate outside spending lists.”

The group also has a front, the Republican Accountability Project, that is devoted to, surprise!, ridding the GOP of every last little bit of Trumpism. But Ludwig says don’t bother trying to find out who is funding this agit-prop operation:

“We may never know the complete truth about who funds DDT, which is strange for a group that has aligned themselves so completely with a political ideology that demonizes ‘dark money’ on the right.” Indeed, Mr. Ludwig.

BIDEN IS UNLEASHING THE REGULATORY HOUNDS FROM HELL: If you doubt that, just read this.

BILLY GRAHAM IS SPINNING IN HIS GRAVE: A piece published by Christianity Today and written by Anglican priest Tish Harrison Warren claims the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot “was in large part brought to us by the white, evangelical church.” Sooner or later, it always comes down to race with these people.

One can only imagine what Graham, who founded CT in the 1950s to be the formidable voice of conservative biblical Christianity, would say were he alive to read such nonsense as appears in his magazine today. It’s no coincidence that the same mentality that produces analyses like Warren’s is also pushing for the ouster of Franklin Graham as the chief of the Graham Crusade and Samaritan’s Purse.

No need to imagine what I have to say about Warren’s ravings, however, as my VIP column on it can be found in the Culture section of PJ Media. If you haven’t yet opened your VIP account, this particular column would be a good reason to do so, and you will find many, many more reasons in the days ahead to be glad you did, thanks to PJM’s masterful stable of writers. Just be sure to use the TAPSCOTT coupon code for a nice discount.

WOKE POLITICS ARE DISASTROUS FOR MINORITIES: This one by the esteemed Joel Kotkin is on the must-read list for today.

DEMS WANT BIDEN TO BE EL JEFE: Issues & Insights always wondered how Trump could be the tyrant and dictator Democrats repeatedly accused him of being even as he did everything he could to reduce the size and power of the federal Leviathan.

Now along comes Joe Biden signing Executive Orders left and right that greatly augment Leviathan. So who is the real authoritarian here?

HEY, DID YOU NOTICE: How the Blue State Covid lockdowns are killing jobs and spirits, but not the virus? Issues & Insights noticed.

THINK THE NATIONAL DEBT IS BAD? JUST WAIT: Hans Bader at Liberty Unyielding sees soaring deficits and debt as far as the eye can see and beyond. Plus inflation. And recession. Maybe worse. Other than that, Mr. President, what’s in your plans for us?

THOSE 70K KEYSTONE JOBS BIDEN KILLED WERE JUST THE START: The Lid’s Jeff Dunetz says a new study from the American Petroleum Institute (API) expects millions to be lost.

HE HAS TO WORK BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH: So no wonder Dr. Anthony Fauci is the highest-paid federal employee. Open The Books strikes again.

WATERGATE? RUSSIAGATE? NOW PAGERGATE? Austin, Texas, is likely not the only jurisdiction in America in which taxpayers are still paying for pagers that are almost never used. If you aren’t following the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), you should be, even if you don’t live in the Lone Star State. It may be liberty’s last safehouse.