The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (No. 22)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (No. 22)
October 5, 2021
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THE GOOD
I could use a little more of this right now: “Indiana boys hop off their bikes to pay respects after running into military veteran's funeral.”
Turns out the “working class” does pretty well under capitalism: “Amazon will pay full college tuition to lure workers in tight labor market.”
Wait, what? “Big chill for climate doom: Arctic Sea ice is expanding.”
Excellent article from the always excellent Richard Ebeling on something bad: “Infrastructure Bill as Political Plunder and Social Engineering.”
Not sure whether to classify this as good, bad, or ugly, but being a benevolent and hopeful human being, I’ll put it under the good. At least the U.S. government is letting someone take Ivermectin. “CDC recommends ivermectin for most refugees entering U.S.”
Follow the science: “Game-Changer? In Places Where Ivermectin Is Used to Fight Parasites, Medical Group Notices Something Huge.”
Good if only for the humor (H/T Instapundit), and I could use a laugh right about now.
THE BAD
An excellent article from Nick Gillespie on the ugliness of . . . “Self-Cancellation, Deplatforming, and Censorship: A taxonomy of cancel culture.”
Yet these cancellations reveal something profoundly depressing about the state of discourse in our society. It's one thing to cop to mistakes in judgment, behavior, and belief, take your lumps, and disappear for at least a long weekend (as did social media celebrity Chrissy Teigen after being revealed as an online troll who at one point urged a 16-year-old girl to commit suicide). It's another to figuratively don a dunce cap like a victim in China's Cultural Revolution, get pushed down the virtual street by an online throng, and beg forgiveness from total strangers (a lot of people I don't know) while employing intensifier words (to be deeply sorry for serious mistakes) that work only to call into question the speaker's integrity. If you're truly sorry this time around, it suggests you were faking it all those other times you said it before. Such rhetoric smacks of a hostage who will tell captors anything to avoid torture or be set free, of a schoolkid in detention running through every act of contrition he can recall, of a Manson Family member trying to hit the right combination of verbiage and sad-sack visage in front of the parole board. . . .
Contemporary cancel culture can take on left and right flavorings, and it can be enforced by governments, corporations, or individuals. But it all works to reduce our ability not just to talk freely but to live freely. And that is reason enough to contest it at every level.
Read the whole thing here.
Mmmm! Not good. “Federal government using social-media giants to censor Americans.”
On becoming Communist China. This is not good. “Revealed: LAPD officers told to collect social media data on every civilian they stop.”
Very bad idea—and immoral to boot. This is where decent men and women draw a line in the sand: “From Cradle to Grave, Democrats Move to Expand Social Safety Net.” “When congressional committees meet this week to begin formally drafting Democrats’ ambitious social policy plan, they will be undertaking the most significant expansion of the nation’s safety net since the war on poverty in the 1960s, devising legislation that would touch virtually every American’s life, from conception to aged infirmity.” Because, ya know, it worked so well the first time.
Cause: “A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost’.”
Effect: “More College-Educated Women Are Having Babies Outside Marriage.”
From the Clown News Network: “'THIS Is CNN': Dr. Fauci Gets a Complete Pass Following Bombshell Report on Wuhan Research.”
Good article on something bad: “US troops’ rage at their leaders will grow unless there’s deep reform.”
We have the best Ruling Class: “Could China Take Over Bagram Air Base Since Biden Abandoned It?” Fyi: America’s involvement in Afghanistan has long been one mistake after another.
Fascists doing what fascists do: “Biden's $3.5 Trillion 'Infrastructure' Plan Includes Massive Attacks on U.S. Energy Producers.”
Do you see how it works? “CDC tightened masking guidelines after threats from teachers union, emails show.”
This could get ugly—and fast: “Treasury Secretary Comes Forward with the Truth About US Debt: Country on Course for Devastation in October.”
RACISM ALERT—GOOGLE EDITION: “Don’t Be Evil: A Google employee program claims that America is a ‘system of white supremacy’ and that all Americans are ‘raised to be racist’.”
Stay classy, Howard: “Howard Stern ROASTS Anti-Vax Radio Hosts Who Died, Says Make Vaccine Mandatory: ‘F*ck Them, F*ck Their Freedom’.”
THE UGLY
A nation that hates itself cannot stand: “National Archives slaps 'harmful content' warning on Constitution, Declaration of Independence, other founding documents.” “Of note, the task force also recommended that ‘trigger warnings’ be put in place with historical content to ‘forewarn audiences of content that may cause intense physiological and psychological symptoms’.” (H/T Tal Manvel)
Disgusting. Wanna bet this was done by college students or college graduates. “Flags honoring 13 US service members killed in Kabul airport attack vandalized in California.”
BREAKING: THE POLICE STATE COMES TO K-12 EDUCATION:
This is one of the most disturbing abuses of government power that I’ve seen in decades. For an analysis of what this means, see AG Garland Weaponizes FBI Against Parents Protesting Critical Race Theory, Mask Mandates
(Btw, this is how the "common good" argument actually works in practice. Ironically, I'm now seeing some "common good" conservatives horrified by what they've wrought.)
This must be opposed. In the meantime, WALK AWAY.
. . . and THE BEAUTIFUL
BEAUTY COMES IN MANY FORMS: Beautiful sunsets, a beautiful painting, a beautiful piece of music, a beautiful face, etc. And then there is the greatest beauty of all: a beautiful soul. Oh that my life could be always surrounded by people such as this young man. Please watch. You won’t regret it. Promise. (H/T to reader Eric Daniels for sharing this with all of us.)
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