Althouse: I thought I saw a pussycat.

January 17, 2021

I thought I saw a pussycat.

But it was just a cat-sized snowperson. In the bleak sunrise.

Open thread.

117 comments:

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Biden, Inc.

Saying Joe's brother and son are "out of bounds" is like saying water can't be wet.; 1/17/21, 2:48 PM
Danno said...: I taht I tah a puttytat?; 1/17/21, 3:01 PM
Michael K said...: National Guard members in Michigan being asked who they voted for before being called up.

Here's to the future.; 1/17/21, 3:03 PM
Sarah from VA said...: I've had enough of bleak winter sunrises, and it's only January 17. (Of course, we have passed through darkmonth, so the battle for the light is coming to an end, at least.) I have spent all today looking at vacation homes in Florida, imagining escaping for a week at the end of April. The prices are insane to me -- I can only assume that because there's so much rental stock in Florida it depresses the off-season prices way down. (Plus COVID, of course, pushing prices down... but by April that will be far less pressing, right?) I could rent 3 bedroom house with a pool and a hot tub for $100/night. I'm very tempted. My kids are stuck in virtual school for the rest of the year, and we can do school from anywhere.; 1/17/21, 3:11 PM
Big Mike said...: No, Althouse. This is a sno-cat.; 1/17/21, 3:20 PM
ALP said...: Am I the only one *not* terribly suprised at recent events? It has been some time since a news items really shocked me. So far my reactions have been: "Well, we ARE just animals with large brains; when we get overly emotional our lizard brain takes over as we have seen in past months. Have you MET our species?"

How much reduction in hysteria would be evident if those in the US really, really internalized the fact that there are 7 billion people on this earth, and those in the US are not that special? I think much of the hand wringing comes from people that are shocked, SHOCKED that those in the US turn out to be...human aka animals with large brains that let their lizard brain take over. I have told so many people to lower their expectations - why are they so high in the first place? I can't be THAT cynical - just realistic.; 1/17/21, 3:40 PM
gspencer said...: Sufferin' succotash!; 1/17/21, 3:41 PM
dreams said...: One of the Capitol building rioters was arrested a couple of days ago in my hometown where I grew up, Cub Run, Ky.

https://www.wdrb.com/news/fbi-arrests-man-from-louisville-who-entered-us-capitol-during-riot/article_9dff8ffc-5863-11eb-b21c-5b982889fe2a.html?fbclid=IwAR36bLbTd-HvtSaVOUdGLNxY4YjnpM-pe7i0_7bIid69AxdF5yE32tA3yJ8; 1/17/21, 3:45 PM
Bob Boyd said...: It's a large snow man the size of a small snow man.; 1/17/21, 3:47 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: You can't go wrong with Florida!; 1/17/21, 3:50 PM
mandrewa said...: Alex Christoforou: Trudeau and Big Tech ready to squash free speech in Canada; 1/17/21, 3:52 PM
mandrewa said...: Seattle Real Estate Podcast: San Francisco Becoming Third World City; 1/17/21, 3:54 PM
Lurker21 said...: If school is virtual does the rationale against students from outside the district attending still apply? Yes, if you pay taxes to the city or town your kids go to school there, and you don't want to have a school flooded with non-paying non-residents who ruin the pupil-teacher ratio, but I see possibilities for school choice opening up. It's likely the unions will plug up each opening as soon as they see it though.; 1/17/21, 3:56 PM
Joe Smith said...: "Amazing how quickly the government can build a wall when it's our ruling class being threatened as opposed to small towns on the southern border"

https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1350534704215318535

I blow my nose at the 'elites.'; 1/17/21, 4:11 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: THE KILLER BEE
https://babylonbee.com/news/trump-praised-for-accepting-election-results-4-years-quicker-than-hillary-clinton-did/; 1/17/21, 4:12 PM
Narr said...: Thufferin' thuccotath?

I'm only here briefly, and haven't checked the earlier Sunday posts or comments, so I'm dragging some things up from last night.

The War of 1812 was a very interesting and little-understood episode. One figure who is little remembered is Peter B. Porter of Buffalo, New York, lawyer, businessman, politician and general of NY state troops (i.e. never a US Army officer).

He had family connections: his mama was a Buell with some Grants back there too; he married Lettie Breckenridge and had ties to the Cabells.

He served with distinction in the Niagara region and was honored by Congress after the war with a gold medal--out of about two dozen honorees the only militia officer AFAIK (people like Jackson, and Scott, and Perry . . . )

His western NY/PA unit included Native American contingents, but he was also at some point a slaveholder and his name has been cleansed from buildings and monuments recently.

Narr
More slavery talk later, maybe . . .; 1/17/21, 4:29 PM
Tommy Duncan said...: How does the snowperson gender identify? Are they a pussycat? Are pussycats that have been spayed considered trans-tomcats? Are there special litter boxes for trans-tomcats?

BTW, the hue of some of those rocks is quite dark. Will they need to be moved?; 1/17/21, 4:30 PM
MadisonMan said...: @BobBoyd: LOL!; 1/17/21, 4:32 PM
rhhardin said...: Misogyny

"Again, Melanie, you are just one tiny piece of the puzzle. That said, you are our inside man ... I should say 'woman.'" He said the last part with a grin and a quick glance down at Melanie's tight Puma jacket.

She ignored his misogyny and said, "So, what has changed? ..." (Tom Clancy)

Apparently the heavy is a misogynist.; 1/17/21, 4:36 PM
h said...: As far as I'm concerned, the Washington Post can do whatever it wants. But it is interesting to me that they have shut down comments on all articles related to Trump, the Biden inaugural, or almost any current political events. I wonder if the comments make Trump opponents look bad. I have a neighbor who is so irrationally anti-Trump that all she wants is revenge. To heck with the covid crisis, to heck with climate change, to heck with racial inequality -- just do something -- anything!!! -- to punish Trump and his supporters. I doubt if this view is widely held among the (pro-Biden) political elite; but I am beginning to think that is widely held among the (pro-Biden, or anti-Trump) non-elite.; 1/17/21, 4:39 PM
Michael K said...: Blogger Sarah from VA said...
I've had enough of bleak winter sunrises, and it's only January 17.

79 in Tucson today. Plus Arizona is open.; 1/17/21, 4:47 PM
Joe Smith said...: "How does the snowperson gender identify?"

You put an icicle under its belt, sticking out proudly.

It's a snow-man.

As the icicle begins to melt, it slowly transitions.

When the icicle fully melts, it is a snow-woman.

Of course, at any point along the way the snow-xer may identify as whatever xer wishes.

And this is our modern, fucked up world.; 1/17/21, 5:00 PM
stephen cooper said...: I was rooting for KC, but fact is they got gifted when an illegal helmet hit was missed and a touchback was incompetently called.
Probably they would have won anyway, but still.; 1/17/21, 5:18 PM
stephen cooper said...: Browns would have won if they had not drafted Johnny Manziel, to go back even further in own-goal analysis of the Great Lakes version of the Jets; 1/17/21, 5:20 PM
stevew said...: Why do those that hate cold winters stay in places that have them?; 1/17/21, 5:28 PM
Lawrence Person said...: Austin update.; 1/17/21, 5:39 PM
Jaq said...: "National Guard members in Michigan being asked who they voted for before being called up.”

Authoritarian states always see to it that the people call upon to keep order have antipathy to the demonstrators they are their to suppress.; 1/17/21, 5:39 PM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: Another reason never to move to Canada, besides the anti-free speech/uber-wokeness of Canadians:

North Vancouver councilman is having masculinity issues, so he tries to abuse pickup truck owners. It's not going well for him on comments. Maybe he should move back in with Mama so she can protect him.; 1/17/21, 5:42 PM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: The Biden Crime Family report from the U.S. Senate. How long will he remain in office? Gone by Easter.; 1/17/21, 6:02 PM
Michael K said...: Nice summery of the Biden/Harris future.

Revenge is in the air, as members of Congress and far-left activists demand that airlines, hotels, publishing houses and other businesses shun Trump supporters. Some firms are complying in a craven bid to curry favor that smacks of banana republics where the vanquished are hounded and punished for daring to dissent.

In a move straight out of George Orwell, Dems and the media have twisted the plain meaning of words. “Violence” is speech when committed by Black Lives Matter, and “speech” is violence when it comes from Trumpers.

Political opposition from Republican members of Congress is deemed “sedition” and 74 million Trump voters are blithely smeared as white supremacists.

As the local trolls verify.; 1/17/21, 6:04 PM
Gospace said...: Supposedly American Netizen is reporting Biden’s transition team asked if it’s possible to determine which soldiers voted in GOP primaries or have contributed to GOP candidates so commanders could station them away from the president elect. The request was refused.

I would love to know if that was true or false. It fits so nicely into what you would expect them to do that it seems totally believable. But the fact that it does so also indicates disinformation. This is what I found their Twitter feed-
https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1350842310469234689
But even this is really bad optics if true.; 1/17/21, 6:21 PM
Jaq said...: More Tom Cotton called it:

Tom Cotton: "I suspect that months from now or perhaps even years from now when people look back at this time, coronavirus will be considered the bigger story than impeachment. I hope that's wrong."

https://twitter.com/ComfortablySmug/status/1246167378548985862; 1/17/21, 6:23 PM
J. Farmer said...: @ALP:

"Well, we ARE just animals with large brains; when we get overly emotional our lizard brain takes over as we have seen in past months. Have you MET our species?"

I agree that humans are biological organisms with capacities shaped through a process of evolution. This is as true of the Congolese as it is of the Danes. One of the most distinguishing features of humanity is our ability to cooperate on a scale and range unparalleled in the animal kingdom.; 1/17/21, 6:29 PM
h said...: Replying to one of the Mikes and his readers: Search this comment thread for "revenge" and let us know what you think. In my opinion it is a big part of what we will see for the next months (years??).; 1/17/21, 6:29 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Election security dismantled. That's for sure. Dems lauded it until they ignored it.; 1/17/21, 6:30 PM
Humperdink said...: On a lighter note, the owner of the Muscle Car City museum in Punta Gorda, FL is auctioning off all of his cars this weekend. Mostly GM's and a boatload of vintage Corvettes. Two hundred vehicles in all. I have been there twice.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/worlds-largest-muscle-car-collector-set-auction-200-rare-cars-no-reserve; 1/17/21, 6:32 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: H: could WaPo be disabling comments because they know it is impossible to moderate? And that would be evidence for Parler I it’s suit vs Amazon?; 1/17/21, 6:41 PM
etbass said...: "I agree that humans are biological organisms with capacities shaped through a process of evolution. This is as true of the Congolese as it is of the Danes. One of the most distinguishing features of humanity is our ability to cooperate on a scale and range unparalleled in the animal kingdom."

So, so impressed that Farmer is able to distinguish such differences between animals and human animals! Wow!; 1/17/21, 6:54 PM
J. Farmer said...: @etbass:

So, so impressed that Farmer is able to distinguish such differences between animals and human animals! Wow!

I'm very leery of explanations that invoke human nature, given that we don't understand human nature. The notion that humans "ARE just animals with large brains; when we get overly emotional our lizard brain takes over," is not only a misunderstanding of the brain but doesn't really offer any insight into human behavior.; 1/17/21, 7:12 PM
J. Farmer said...: p.s. I just realized my comment to @ALP wasn't complete before I posted it. Apologies for the confusion. My point was to take exception to his description of human behavior.; 1/17/21, 7:15 PM
Clyde said...: stevew said...
Why do those that hate cold winters stay in places that have them?

We don't. We become Floridians. You'd be surprised how many of the people in the "Florida man" or "Florida woman" stories are originally from Up North. Or maybe you wouldn't.

Living in Florida is truly different than most of the rest of the country, because our winters don't include snow and ice and all that entails. You don't have to get up early to shovel snow or scrape ice off your car. You go out, start your car up and drive away, and you don't have to worry about allowing extra time because of snow and ice on the roads. I guess there are other places that are similar, like Hawaii, southern California and maybe south Texas.

I spent most of my first 29 years in places where it snowed. I don't miss it.; 1/17/21, 7:29 PM
Breezy said...: I hear in Florida you get to be outside only in the very early and late parts of the day, as the rest of the time it’s too fricking hot. That is not ideal, either.; 1/17/21, 7:39 PM
I'm Not Sure said...: "I hear in Florida you get to be outside only in the very early and late parts of the day, as the rest of the time it’s too fricking hot. That is not ideal, either."

Parts of AZ are kind of like that, too. The only difference is the "too fricking hot" part is very early and late. The rest of the time, it's even hotter.; 1/17/21, 7:43 PM
7.62x54 R said...: Said cat is wearing his (xr) mask wrong.; 1/17/21, 7:45 PM
alan markus said...: @ Gospace:
Supposedly American Netizen is reporting Biden’s transition team asked if it’s possible to determine which soldiers voted in GOP primaries or have contributed to GOP candidates so commanders could station them away from the president elect. The request was refused.

Should not be a problem with pro-Trump soldiers in a few years. Recently I asked my daughter (she is early 20's) if any of her peers on Facebook were expressing anything political. The usual suspects were pro-Biden/strongly Anti-Trump - the young, white, "teacher suck-ups", SJW, BLM marchers (in a safe white suburb). She noted that all of the guys who enlisted in the service were extremely pro-Trump, as well as the ones who do a lot of hunting and/or are in technical college or already working in the trades.

An unarmed female veteran got killed in the Capitol. A female army soldier is getting investigated for leading a group that attended the rally. Anyone for Trump is considered a "deplorable" that needs to be cancelled - that group includes current and future military personnel.

Glad that it will only be the sons and daughters of Democrats that will be stepping up to any military adventures that this crew may embark upon. I suspect the pro-Trumpers will say "FU".

I have a pro-Trump nephew that recently left the Army after 4 years. He could reup if he wants to - I am hearing that he will not - going to stay local and protect his mom and dad and rest of family (including this uncle).

Anyone here (besides Ingabird) who has no problem with their sons, daughters, grandchildren engaging in combat for Biden?; 1/17/21, 7:50 PM
stephen cooper said...: Is it true that the person who shot Ashli Babbitt had posted on Youtube that he wanted to kill MAGA people?

I hope it is not true, but if it is true, and if it is not being reported, that is very very bad.; 1/17/21, 7:55 PM
DavidUW said...: I cannot recommend more strongly that those of you worried about the imminent demise of our country develop an escape plan.

Get a residence in FL or TX to start.
Get a place to store your guns, cash (non dollars, gold).
Get an offshore bank account. There's nothing wrong with it, you can even report it to the IRS.

When Slow Joe and the Ho come for you, you'll be happy you have the above.

Seriously.

Even if you are of modest means, you can do it.; 1/17/21, 8:03 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: The only ad server that knows me well is Audible. All others are surprisingly bad. Bravo, Audible.; 1/17/21, 8:04 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: A funny change in Facebook ads. Facebook seemed to think I was a rich, Asian, doctor who needed expensive specialty food machines, doctor's office equipment, luxury hotel stays in China, and helicopter rides to the Hamptons. Lately, there was an over-correcting swerve by the ad server, and I received an ad for adding inexpensive neon lighting to the bottom of my bed and other furniture. Ha ha ha!; 1/17/21, 8:10 PM
I'm Not Sure said...: Facebook seems to think I need a belt.; 1/17/21, 8:12 PM
MadisonMan said...: National Guard members in Michigan being asked who they voted for before being called up
I would just say "I voted for the Old White Guy"; 1/17/21, 8:13 PM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: Jeff Dunetz at the The Lid, the Capitol Riots were preplanned, not a result of Trump's speech. Just as the Benghazi attacks were preplanned, not the result of some poor sap's trailer. It's always the same playbook, "XXX incited a riot. Never mind that it was preplanned , XXX is guilty of incitement of [yyy]. Burn XXX at the stake. It's only fair."; 1/17/21, 8:26 PM
n.n said...: I would just say "I voted for the Old White Guy"

Old as in not young, an illusion (as in age is just), or NNN (self-identified)?

White as in White White, Orange White, a Rainbow White (exclusive of Black and Brown), or NNN (self-identified)?

Guy as in Guy, Gal, Merry, or NNN (self-identified)?

Diversity [dogma] matters.

Vote as in cast, think, believe, told, assumed, asserted, or assured?

For? The? I? I guess -it- depends on what -it- means.; 1/17/21, 8:48 PM
Ken B said...: Freeman Hunt
Facebook actually thinks you need a muzzle. I do not infer that from what ads they show!; 1/17/21, 8:52 PM
walter said...: Blogger I'm Not Sure said...
Facebook seems to think I need a belt.
--
They themselves are suspenders.; 1/17/21, 8:54 PM
Michael K said...: Blogger Mike of Snoqualmie said...
Jeff Dunetz at the The Lid, the Capitol Riots were preplanned, not a result of Trump's speech.

Of course they were. This is theater for the idiots like Inga, and Freder and the rest. I expect a false flag attempt on Wednesday but they are are not as certain as 1939 Germans were at the Polish border. They wont kill them ahead of time but they will do it like the 6th. What was that policemen's name again? Brazilian immigrant. BLM supporter. Trump hater. Threatened to kill Trump supporters. Perfect.; 1/17/21, 9:01 PM
boatbuilder said...: Golf clap for Walter at 8:54. Heh.; 1/17/21, 9:08 PM
Temujin said...: Bucs are coming up to Wisconsin. Buckle up, mates.; 1/17/21, 9:14 PM
stephen cooper said...: I know lots of people post here out of the kindness of their hearts, hoping, perhaps, to convince others of the errors of their thinking, I also know this

(and I include everyone who has tried their best to hurt my feelings --- AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK IF YOU ARE HUMAN OR EVEN MORE THAN HUMAN BUT STILL A CREATURE OF GOD'S...").

I am gonna tell two stories, quick. Story One. When Will Durant, who went on to be a rich guy who had written numerous historical bestsellers, used to show up on Thursday nights to give lectures at the New Socialist School, there was this one time when one of his pals asked him, after the lecture, at a bar on 62d street (no joke - I was at that bar 3 years ago, and I told the bartender that I knew ALOT about the bar ---- she smiled, and did not say anything --- I left a huge tip, as I almost always do, she was studying at some Fashion Institute, and my 50 dollar tip made a difference in her life ,,,, but I digress) --- one of Durant's pals asked him, DO YOU KNOW, WILL, that almost everyone in your audience tonight is someone their parents are very worried about???? Will, in his autobiography years later, did not say what his reply was.

STORY TWO. This is autobiographical. I have my faults ---- laziness, procrastination, and I DO NOT CONCENTRATE ENOUGH when I am eating a gourmet meal, or smoking a WONDERFUL CIGAR A GREAT PRODUCTION OF OUR CIVILIZATION, sometimes. But there is one fault I do not have. I have palled around with very very bad people, murderers, and even worse, from time to time, but I have rarely given compliments ---- the murderers who I was a friend to CANNOT SAY I TOLD THEM THEY DID NOT NEED TO REPENT ---- of course I WANTED THEM TO REPENT, THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF TREATING THEM AS FRIENDS ---- remember, God loves us, and there is nothing we can do that is better than being grateful to God for loving us, and KNOWING THAT we only need to say to God, WE ARE FRIENDS AND I WISH WE HAD ALWAYS BEEN FRIENDS, and having said that, all will be well, and all manner of things will be well, well, please follow along, trust me, you won't regret it .....
This is my second story.
I know, I wish I did not know, but I know how far from God almost everyone feels.

Last night I had a dream. In that dream, I was talking to someone, and I said, I am gonna wake up soon, could you please repeat what you just said (perhaps you too have had a similar dream) and the person who was talking to me said :
The ability to remember what we were, years ago, to remember how much we tried to be good friends in those long gone years, to people we have forgotten, that is important.
WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS TO REMEMBER THAT tomorrow, if tomorrow is a day when you care more about people you used to love and have forgotten, or if tomorrow is a day when you care more about people you used to love and have never forgotten, is gonna be a day closer to heaven than yesterday, IF YOU JUST REMEMBER that not only does God love us all (AND THAT MAKES GOD HAPPY) but if you also remember that you too, no matter what you might remember about your failures, but that you too remembered ONCE OR TWICE or more than that what it means to WANT THE BEST FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CROSSED YOUR PATH WITH KINDNESS IN THEIR HEART.

Don't think, tonight, about people with no love in their heart who year after year get worse. For now, they are my problem, not yours. I like them too, but I do not want them to know what forgiveness is until they repent and understand what they lost by not having love in their heart .....Maybe some day you will work on those problems, but trust me, that day is likely not today...... I could be wrong about that, but it is not likely ....

Just remember how many people you have met who were not as bad as they could be, who no matter what, were better than they would have been if they were worse than they were.
REMEMBER THAT GOD LOVES YOU AND GOD LOVES EVERYONE WHO LOVES YOU OR WOULD LOVE YOU IF THEY KNEW YOU.; 1/17/21, 9:16 PM
stephen cooper said...: Tell me I am a fraud.

If it makes you feel better.

By the way, I am not a fraud. I get ZERO cash, ZERO admiration, ZERO gratitude for my efforts to tell you (a) God loves everyone who loves you or who would love you if they knew you and (b) don't worry about the evil people of this world, I will talk to them. AND TELL THEM THEY NEED TO GET BETTER. Trust me, I know what I am doing. Pray to God that my prayers are abundant in REPENTANCE for those who really really need to repent.
Thx; 1/17/21, 9:22 PM
wildswan said...: The only country which has met the Paris Climate Accord goals is the US under President Trump due to increased use of natural gas from fracking. Now if the US rejoins the climate accords doesn't that mean that the US can't order cut-backs on fracking. Because, if it does, then carbon emissions will increase, violating the Paris accords. Surely Biden isn't going to hurry-scurry-flurry and issue orders to increase carbon emissions. He'd be aware enough not to do that.; 1/17/21, 9:22 PM
Mark said...: I'm a little late -- and this open thread was early.

Who killed the unarmed Ashli Babbitt?; 1/17/21, 9:23 PM
J. Farmer said...: Get a residence in FL or TX to start.

If you do choose Florida, please bear in mind a few important points:

(1) Nobody gives a fuck what you don't like about Florida.
(2) Nobody gives a fuck how much better anything is where you come from.
(3) Nobody gives a fuck if you think it's cold or not.

Help yourself to anywhere on the east coast. If you insist on the Gulf coast, please stay either north of Tarpon Springs or south of Punta Gorda.; 1/17/21, 9:32 PM
The Godfather said...: If there's reason to think that the Capitol riot was preplanned, shouldn't Trump's defense team have a right to discovery on that issue and an opportunity to present evidence about it at the Senate trial? Shouldn't the House Managers be required to produce any evidence the House has or explain why the House didn't investigate that issue before the impeachment?; 1/17/21, 9:34 PM
stephen cooper said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/17/21, 9:35 PM
stephen cooper said...: Let someone else worry about your problems for a while, relax.
Spend some time being IMMENSELY HAPPY THAT YOU LIVE IN THIS WONDERFUL WORLD.
Proverbs 8.
You must know how fortunate you are to know the people you know!
and if you don't have people like that in your life, trust me, you are one of God's chosen, WAKE UP.
We need you on our team (the Proverbs 8 team - you have no idea how much I hope you have not gotten this far, but if you have, well, God loves YOU more than God loves me.
Trust me on that, I have my faults, but lack of honesty is not one of them).; 1/17/21, 9:52 PM
J. Farmer said...: Don't worry so much, Mark, about whether justice is achieved here and now.
It hasn't been for a long time and probably won't be in the near future.

I agree that justice is something that can never be obtained, only strived for. I think one of the most important aspects of religion is the hope for ultimate justice, especially in a world as obviously callous, capricious, and unjust as our own.; 1/17/21, 10:00 PM
Rt41Rebel said...: @ J Farmer

If I may add to your last post...

4) Nobody gives a fuck about your society-ruining ideologies that caused you to have to move here in the first place.; 1/17/21, 10:04 PM
wildswan said...: The issues facing the black community don't look very different from those faced by the Irish in the past. But that's the problem - the Irish had problems in this country for three generation and then became part of the community. And after World War II they rose along with all the other excluded ethnic groups whose sons fought the war. But after ten generations the black community is still struggling with poverty and exclusion though they were here before the Irish came in large numbers. Moreover, the greatest Irish social traumas happened in Ireland - the taking of the land in the 1600s, the Famine, the evictions, the Black and Tans while the greatest historic trauma the black community faced happened within this country - slavery. I maintain that huge disproportion between the percentage of blacks within this country 12% and the percentage of babies being aborted who are black 34% indicates a wrong and I maintain that the family must be strengthened. I maintain that black children should be allowed to us their own tax dollars to go charter or private schools in those areas of big cities where the public schools are a ghastly, almost criminal, failure. I see that within most big cities 40% of the young black men are not graduating from high school and I think the US should have an industrial policy to build up the manufacturing sector so that these young men can have a job, a family and a future. I see that crime in the cities where these young men live is very high and rising and is disproportionately black on black so that if the police are ordered not make a number of arrests disproportionate to the number of black citizens in the US as a whole then the police must ignore most of the crimes and calls for help within the black community. I think this dilemma should be confronted and resolved, short term, in terms of community safety but long term, in terms of actual education and actual jobs. Others have other programs which are presently more popular but I think the "woke proposals" won't work without these policies I've been mentioning. Why can't these Republican policies get a respectful hearing at least, in the name of unity.; 1/17/21, 10:04 PM
rhhardin said...: The point of the fences and razor wire is to affirm how dangerous Trump supporters are. Any crowd that cleans up after itself is bound to be violent.; 1/17/21, 10:15 PM
William said...: There's a bleak, spare beauty about winter days. I'm to sunset what Althouse is to sunrise. I walk around the reservoir in Central Park just at sunset. Across the water and through the barren trees, you can see the NY skyline. The buildings are tall and the new ones are taller and uglier.. The air is cold and feels clean. It feels good to be active. I used to jog there but now I just walk. Briskly though... The Central Park Conservancy has something in bloom for most of the year, but now every plant is brown and dead or dormant. I don't regret living in NYC on these walks....In a few months, the earth will turn towards the sun and life will quicken again. Those that have lived through winter will feel the lightness and get a rush...I guess that's the good thing about winter here. It doesn't last forever.; 1/17/21, 10:19 PM
Ken B said...: The Maginot Line to defend against Viking Horn Dude and Podium Man.

It’s disgraceful theatre meant to demonize and imply dissent is a threat.; 1/17/21, 10:28 PM
narciso said...: Hey farmer i have lived in florida longer than youve been alive.; 1/17/21, 10:33 PM
effinayright said...: stephen cooper said...
Tell me I am a fraud.

If it makes you feel better.

By the way, I am not a fraud. I get ZERO cash, ZERO admiration, ZERO gratitude for my efforts to tell you (a) God loves everyone who loves you or who would love you if they knew you and (b) don't worry about the evil people of this world, I will talk to them. AND TELL THEM THEY NEED TO GET BETTER. Trust me, I know what I am doing. Pray to God that my prayers are abundant in REPENTANCE for those who really really need to repent.
Thx
**************************

THIS is virtue Signaling to the 23rd power!!!!; 1/17/21, 10:34 PM
stephen cooper said...: not virtue signaling ---- CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR.

seriously, just saying ----- there are people who care about you.

I really really love the people here who have called me the worst names they can think of.

Why? Because once, long ago, someone told me that they had a very hard life, that they had vicious parents and vicious friends, and they told me, when I stood up for them when guns were pulled, that they understood for the first time in their life that someone cared about them, someone who had nothing to gain cared about them.

THAT IS REAL VIRTUE SIGNALLING, way beyond whatever you think a little 23 power is.

I could do better if you want.; 1/17/21, 10:40 PM
stephen cooper said...: You have no idea of how many times I have been told by people that I am a liar who deserves to be hated, WHILE ALL THE TIME I WAS A GUY WHO STOOD UP FOR A FRIEND WHEN GUNS WERE PULLED> seriously you can't insult someone who has been through what I have been through, so stop trying.

If I wanted to be a phony, I would be a lot better at it.

I don't want that.; 1/17/21, 10:43 PM
Ken B said...: Looking like Trump will not pardon Assange or Snowden. Used up the ink in his pardon pen pardoning crooks instead.; 1/17/21, 10:44 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "I'm Not Sure said...
Facebook seems to think I need a belt."

Your name isn't Chuck, is it?; 1/17/21, 10:51 PM
Mr. Forward said...: "ZERO cash, ZERO admiration, ZERO gratitude" stephen cooper

"Not a Fraud' but this is fake news. Well maybe not the cash part. When I first read cooper I imagined him living in his car in front of the library. He may be but it's probably a nice car and his library. You have admirers with gratitude, at least this one. And angels, don't forget the angels.; 1/17/21, 11:00 PM
Butkus51 said...: Don't forget, Re-education camp starts a week from now. 8 Am sharp.

Or not.; 1/17/21, 11:02 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: Don't forget, Re-education camp starts a week from now. 8 Am sharp.

I second the recommendation from an earlier thread for Saturday's Scott Adams coffee talk: Where are we headed? The F*****g Holocaust. He says that's a warning. I hope someone is listening.; 1/17/21, 11:10 PM
J. Farmer said...: @narciso:

Hey farmer i have lived in florida longer than youve been alive.

And in that time, Fidel died of old age, Raúl became the First Secretary, and Miami-Dade became a third-world country. Congratulations!; 1/17/21, 11:28 PM
pacwest said...: It looks like one of the first things Biden/Harris is set to do is enact liberal immigration policy by creating a "path to citizenship", creating an immediate draw to the southern border. Wage disparity, downward pressure on wages, and added stress on the economy, medical resources, and law enforcement will result. CV entries will add to the current medical load if that is a consideration. It's also contradictory to the goal of reducing family seperations.

I don't see how this is a good plan for the majority of American citizens. Inga or readering or anyone backing this plan want to enlighten me?; 1/17/21, 11:36 PM
Original Mike said...: "I second the recommendation from an earlier thread for Saturday's Scott Adams coffee talk: Where are we headed? The F*****g Holocaust. He says that's a warning. I hope someone is listening."

I was sure ST said "today", so I listened to Sunday's and heard nothing that matched his description. I'll listen to Saturday's tomorrow. Thanks.; 1/17/21, 11:36 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: I was sure ST said "today", so I listened to Sunday's and heard nothing that matched his description. I'll listen to Saturday's tomorrow. Thanks.

Actually I'm not sure what day it was: I have Monday off, so I spent part of today thinking it was Saturday. Anyway, it't the one I linked; 1/17/21, 11:43 PM
Owen said...: wildswan @ 10:04: well said. I think I agree with much of what you said. It's not flashy but it's solid stuff. Thanks.; 1/17/21, 11:52 PM
Joe Smith said...: "Wage disparity, downward pressure on wages...I don't see how this is a good plan for the majority of American citizens. Inga or readering or anyone backing this plan want to enlighten me?"

Blacks hardest hit.

The Mexicans are going to take every unskilled and blue collar skilled job, and leave nothing for African Americans.

I thought the Dems loved their black brothers and sisters.

Apparently not...; 1/17/21, 11:59 PM
Rt41Rebel said...: "Miami-Dade became a third-world country."

As someone who spent most of his life working and living in Baltimore and DC, and a year and a half working and living in Miami more recently, I will say Miami-Dade is by far the most dystopic of FL cities, but it is not nearly as bad as the other two cities I mentioned, and I would bet it's also far better than Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, San Francisco, St Louis, and NYC.; 1/18/21, 12:08 AM
Gospace said...: wildswan said...
The issues facing the black community don't look very different from those faced by the Irish in the past. But that's the problem - the Irish had problems in this country for three generation and then became part of the community. And after World War II they rose along with all the other excluded ethnic groups whose sons fought the war. But after ten generations the black community is still struggling with poverty and exclusion though they were here before the Irish came in large numbers. Moreover, the greatest Irish social traumas happened in Ireland - the taking of the land in the 1600s, the Famine, the evictions, the Black and Tans while the greatest historic trauma the black community faced happened within this country - slavery.

Oh, I disagree heartily. The greatest trauma that first generation black slaves in America faced was when they were captured by fellow blacks in Africa, not knowing if they would live or die, marched to the slave markets, then loaded aboard ships for unknown destinations. Far far more traumatic than anything they faced here. And slavery was practiced by every tribe in Africa. Including by the slaves who ended up here- but at one point- they lost. Everything that happened in America pales next to that. But- the ones that made it to slavery here were much luckier than slaves sold to Sharialand or Spanish colonies in the Americas. They have living descendants, their bloodlines still exist. Bloodlines of the others are extinct.

The blacks in the USA descended from slaves ought thank their lucky stars (or God or gods, whatever they want to thank) that they were sold to a place that wasn't going to work them to death or castrate the males and kill the babies the woman had. And if freed, enact policies to commit silent genocide. It was Uruguay or Paraguay, I forget which, (or could have been Peru) where the only employment available for newly freed slaves was the Army- and they enlisted as many as they could and sent them off to border wars to be killed. A quick easy solution to get rid of excess population you neither want nor need- send them to fight a war. Whites don't owe slave descendants reparations, they owe whites thanks, especially those who lost relatives in the war that ended slavery here. Me? I lost distant relatives on both sides, and had direct ancestors on both sides. 2 sets of great grandparents immigrated here in the 1880 time frame. Every other line has been in North America since before the revolution.; 1/18/21, 12:11 AM
Gospace said...: Oh, my Irish great-grandparents who came here to Boston in the 1880 time frame? All died before 1900. None of their children who lived to adulthood died in Boston or even nearby. They moved and were already part of the American mainstream. Didn't take 3 generations. My English ancestors who arrived then? Came here with jobs already waiting in CNY.; 1/18/21, 12:18 AM
Owen said...: Prof A: can we set up a thread for "family remembrances"? I rather think it will attract a lot of very real and very (personally) important history. So many of us are immigrants and have stories we've carried for a long, long time.; 1/18/21, 12:26 AM
Gospace said...: stephen cooper asks : Is it true that the person who shot Ashli Babbitt had posted on Youtube that he wanted to kill MAGA people?

Markasks: I'm a little late -- and this open thread was early.

Who killed the unarmed Ashli Babbitt?

This should be public info by now- and isn't. I can guarantee every MSM outlet has that information, and isn't publishing it. The only thing I've seen is this this link, and this other link claims to have fact checked the first link's claim, and says it isn't true. But- they didn't do so by asking the Capitol Police, "Hey, did David Bailey do it?" All they did was claim redpilleddotca is a disinformation site, and therefore, the claim is false. David Bailey is apparently a real person. I would think the Capitol Police would very quickly deny he did it if he didn't. They haven't. They also haven't said who did it. Draw your own conclusion.

Stephen Cooper- where did you read the killer posted in youtube? The first link doesn't mention that, it says Facebook. Links are nice.

Whoever shot Ashli, their social media had by now been taken away from public view. As I said before- if the killer did post he wanted to kill a Trump supporter- that brings a charge of premeditated murder no matter who he is and whether he was on duty or not. That's prima facie evidence the killing was targeted. If he's going to claim he was defending someone else's life or in fear for his own, he'll have to prove it- since he did what he said he wanted to do. His guilt of murder is evidenced by his own words, and it's overwhelming proof. Show his statements, show him firing the weapon, show Ashli was a Trump supporter and was killed by him, slam dunk. And it's in federal court with a death penalty possible, not a DC Court. It's a long uphill drive to prove that an unarmed woman was a deadly threat to a trained male police officer. And that's what the defense would have to do- prove he realistically saw her as a threat.

MSM and the Capitol Police aren't telling us who shot Ashli Babbitt because they have something to hide. They're waiting for Biden's AG to be appointed so they can hide it, forever. Two sets of rules- Republicans are accountable under the law, and can be prosecuted when they're innocent, investigated with the flimsiest of excuses, and banned from social media because they question the narrative. Democrats can't be investigated, can't be prosecuted for obvious crimes because "no reasonable prosecutor" would prosecute (a phrase that will be forever remembered), and can call for violence and killing on social media because it's the right people they're calling for violence against. Oh- and it looks like they kill with impunity, whereas 17 year olds actually killing in self defense are charged and prosecuted.; 1/18/21, 12:52 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Rt41Rebel:

As someone who spent most of his life working and living in Baltimore and DC, and a year and a half working and living in Miami more recently, I will say Miami-Dade is by far the most dystopic of FL cities, but it is not nearly as bad as the other two cities I mentioned, and I would bet it's also far better than Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, San Francisco, St Louis, and NYC.

Miami-Dade County is more than just the City of Miami. I'm not sure where you live in Miami, but have you spent much time in Florida City or Miami Gardens or Opa-Locka?; 1/18/21, 12:53 AM
J. Farmer said...: @wildswan:

The issues facing the black community don't look very different from those faced by the Irish in the past. But that's the problem - the Irish had problems in this country for three generation and then became part of the community. And after World War II they rose along with all the other excluded ethnic groups whose sons fought the war. But after ten generations the black community is still struggling with poverty and exclusion though they were here before the Irish came in large numbers.

The entire comparison between the African-American and Irish-American is very inapt. Being an indentured servant is not comparable to being chattel. Anti-Irish sentiment in 19th century America did not significantly inhibit Irish progress, only assimilation. Irish immigrants were able to rely on preexisting Irish communities for support in cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. While Irish immigrants were developing the political machines that would later become a dominant force in American politics, blacks were socially segregated, legally subjugated, and democratically disenfranchised.

That said, the most important distinction between Irish-Americans and African-Americans is racial, which is a biological distinction. A large component of human behavior is driven by genetic inheritance, and differences in outcomes between groups is partly attributable to average genetic differences. The breakdown of the black family is much more a symptom of the problem than the cause of the problem. The most obvious parallel is in professional sports. The reason black men occupy such a dominant position is not because they have a culture of athleticism.; 1/18/21, 1:52 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Gospace:

Everything that happened in America pales next to that. But- the ones that made it to slavery here were much luckier than slaves sold to Sharialand or Spanish colonies in the Americas. They have living descendants, their bloodlines still exist. Bloodlines of the others are extinct.

The "bloodlines" of African slaves sold to the Spanish colonies are not "extinct." They are dispersed throughout the Latin American population. Because of differences in how colonialism was practiced, there was much more intermarriage between Iberians, Native Americans, and Africans compared to the North American colonies. The contemporary Latin American population is a hybrid of these three racial groups with significant regional variation in their distribution. Generally, as you move from north to south in Latin America, European ancestry becomes more dominant. Cuba, Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Venezuela all have large mulatto populations, and there are substantial populations in other Latin American countries. The average Brazilian has about 20% African ancestry.; 1/18/21, 2:50 AM
gadfly said...: Lawyers, Guns & Money reports that Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, is selling his help in securing presidential pardons for $2 million a pop.

The funniest current development . . . is that Rudy is going to be Trump’s lead lawyer in the second impeachment trial, even though Trump has already told him he’s not going to pay for the legal bills Giuliani has already incurred and indeed may not even reimburse him for travel expenses.

Of course Rudy expects to get paid in a different form of currency [perhaps his own pardon]. The pardons issued over the next 71 hours are going to be something to see.

So does this mean that Crimeboy is avoiding payments amounting to millions upon millions in backpay (for fake election lawsuits plus Biden bullshit claims) and future impeachment invoices from Rudy - claimed by Giuliani to be $20K per day? The IRS certainly has reason to investigate Trump's 1099 Miscellaneous forms issued for 2020.; 1/18/21, 5:25 AM
Humperdink said...: What's with the Florida bashing? Other than the bugs, humidity, hot asphalt, ridiculous traffic, and northern transplants, it's a great place to live.

Florida bumper sticker from the 80's: "We don't care how you did it up north".; 1/18/21, 5:34 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Churchy LaFemme:

I second the recommendation from an earlier thread for Saturday's Scott Adams coffee talk: Where are we headed? The F*****g Holocaust. He says that's a warning. I hope someone is listening.

Oh brother. Is Adams angling to be the Glen Beck of the Biden era? First a morning zoo disc jockey and now the guy who wrote and drew Dilbert. Why must the right indulge these pandering bullshit artists.

Scott Adams perfectly exemplifies why "critical thinking skills" are a myth. There are is no discreet set of skills that can be independently mastered and then generalized across a variety of contexts. The nature of expertise is not in possessing some kind of general analytic ability or using any kind of decontextualized "rational" strategies. It's the ability to efficiently retrieve information form a large body of formal and experiential knowledge. Rather than making you a more sophisticated thinker, a reliance on "critical thinking skills" is a path to ignorance and shallowness.; 1/18/21, 5:52 AM
Humperdink said...: Well, my former hometown newspaper has hopped onboard, printing an AP story that the National Guard troops may have some Trump loyalists in their ranks. No kidding. The FBI is investigating.

But one line in the story caught my eye: "Many believe Trump’s baseless accusations that the election was stolen from him .."

Baseless? Remember when Trump said the Obama administration was spying on him? Also baseless screamed the media (Morning Joe was the loudest). Remember when Trump called Russia investigation a hoax? Also baseless cried the media. Mystifies me as to why no one trusts the media *cough*.; 1/18/21, 5:53 AM
Humperdink said...: "Oh brother. Is Adams angling to be the Glen Beck of the Biden era? First a morning zoo disc jockey and now the guy who wrote and drew Dilbert. Why must the right indulge these pandering bullshit artists."

Reminds me of the criticism(s) of Rush Limbaugh when he took to the airwaves.; 1/18/21, 5:55 AM
Rusty said...: Blogger stevew said...
"Why do those that hate cold winters stay in places that have them?"
Economics.; 1/18/21, 5:59 AM
Humperdink said...: ""Why do those that hate cold winters stay in places that have them?"

True on economics. I have a small businesses here. Plus two daughters are local. And archery hunting. If I could sell the one business, I could easily become a snow bird from January 1 to April.; 1/18/21, 6:19 AM
Mr. Forward said...: ""Why do those that hate cold winters stay in places that have them?"

I wouldn’t know.; 1/18/21, 7:06 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Humperdink:

Reminds me of the criticism(s) of Rush Limbaugh when he took to the airwaves.

It wouldn't be that far off. Rush is a good example of a kind of conservatism that is almost entirely defined by its opposition to the New Left. He was an evangelist of Reaganism and devoted a tremendous degree of rhetorical skill to that end. Unfortunately, there isn't much use to being persuasive about bad ideas. Rush, like Reagan, did not understand why you cannot have cultural traditionalism and economic neoliberalism.; 1/18/21, 7:09 AM
J. Farmer said...: "Why do those that hate cold winters stay in places that have them?"

Often because those same "places" also have their family, friends, colleagues, civic associations, familiar social spots, and a sense of familiarity and predictability.; 1/18/21, 7:13 AM
Mr. Forward said...: Some people are misinformed about slush. Slush means it’s warm.; 1/18/21, 7:21 AM
Fernandinande said...: T[Expertise is the ability to efficiently retrieve information form a large body of formal and experiential knowledge.

For political issues, at least, that expert knowledge doesn't help much:

"In detailed studies, in which "experts" were asked to make forecasts about the future (predicting which of three possible futures would occur), it was found that the "experts" did no better than well-informed non-experts! As Tetlock says, “We reach the point of diminishing marginal predictive returns for knowledge disconcertingly quickly,” he reports. “In this age of academic hyperspecialization, there is no reason for supposing that contributors to top journals—distinguished political scientists, area study specialists, economists, and so on—are any better than journalists or attentive readers of the New York Times[sic] in ‘reading’ emerging situations.”"; 1/18/21, 7:33 AM
Rusty said...: . And archery hunting.
Hell, yeah. Largest whitetails in the country. Western Illinois. Also consistently record breaking bucks.; 1/18/21, 7:37 AM
John henry said...: Ot but

Parler seems to be coming back.

Since last Sunday midnight "parler.com has given a" dns not found" error.

This morning it resolves and there is a message from the ceo asking for patience.

Getting new servers, which they now seem to have, seems like a huge step in the right direction.

Faster, please.

John Henry; 1/18/21, 7:59 AM
Largo said...: @J. Farmer

//The notion that humans "ARE just animals with large brains; when we get overly emotional our lizard brain takes over," is not only a misunderstanding of the brain but doesn't really offer any insight into human behavior.//

Indeed. Saying humans 'are just animals with large brains' is tantamount to saying 'humans are just whales'.; 1/18/21, 8:36 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Fernandinande:

For political issues, at least, that expert knowledge doesn't help much:

Totally unsurprising findings. We have very little understanding of how the mind works and even less understanding of how agency and social structure interact to produce human behavior. There is no reason to expect that we can reliably predict complex social behavior. Economic forecasting is a catastrophe. Even in a more "scientific" field like biology, there are huge gaps in our understanding of ethology, even with much less complex organisms and much more intrusive experimentation and investigation.; 1/18/21, 8:50 AM
Michael K said...: The breakdown of the black family is much more a symptom of the problem than the cause of the problem. The most obvious parallel is in professional sports. The reason black men occupy such a dominant position is not because they have a culture of athleticism.

The black family was holding together until 1965. What happened then? Look at rates of out of wedlock births. Yes, 50% of adult behavior is genetic and "The Bell Curve" is true but there was a behavior change after 1965. Read "The Great Society."

A better argument is the change in the economy but then you have to discuss illegal immigration. That discussion is now off the table.; 1/18/21, 8:56 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Michael K:

The black family was holding together until 1965. What happened then? Look at rates of out of wedlock births. Yes, 50% of adult behavior is genetic and "The Bell Curve" is true but there was a behavior change after 1965. Read "The Great Society."

While I think Amity Shlaes is a good writer, I don't think she offers anything of use as an analyst or social theorist. I think she's a pretty glib libertarian who has dogmatically accepted ideas that she does not fully understand.

The Johns Hopkins economist Robert Moffitt has produced a lot of good work on the relationship between welfare, marriage, and childrearing. The evidence is quite mixed, but at best suggests an effect that is real but pretty small in magnitude. Recall, even before 1965, nearly one in four black births were out-of-wedlock. The black-white gap in criminal offending was substantial even before the Great Society programs.

A better argument is the change in the economy but then you have to discuss illegal immigration. That discussion is now off the table.

I definitely agree with that. In fact, working class blacks are most disadvantaged by illegal migrant labor. A supply of low-skilled migrant labor insures that workers cannot bid their wages up. And the Amity Shlaes' worldview is just fine with that.; 1/18/21, 9:53 AM
Narayanan said...: J. Farmer said...

The nature of expertise is not in possessing some kind of general analytic ability or using any kind of decontextualized "rational" strategies. It's the ability to efficiently retrieve information form a large body of formal and experiential knowledge
------------------
in your formulation >>>
it is not clear if you are addressing individual capabilities/responsibilities
how is the body of formal knowledge accumulated/accreted? - who does it?

for comparison - focused on individual >>>
Induction and Deduction

Induction and Deduction. The process of forming and applying concepts contains the essential pattern oftwo fundamental methods of cognition: inductionand deduction. The process of observing the facts of reality and of integrating them intoconcepts is, in essence, a process of induction. The process of subsuming newinstances under a known concept is, in essence, a process of deduction.; 1/18/21, 10:29 AM
Michael K said...: Recall, even before 1965, nearly one in four black births were out-of-wedlock. The black-white gap in criminal offending was substantial even before the Great Society programs.

I am reading Bob Novak's "The Dark Prince" and just read the section on his luncheon with Moynahan where he had quit the Johnson administration because they rejected his "the Black Family" report. He gave a copy to Novak who did a column about it and was immediately accused of racism. The was the 1965 equivalent of Global Warming. You could not report honestly about it. Now, of course, it is worse and I doubt any honest researcher would try to study it.; 1/18/21, 11:13 AM
Humperdink said...: @Farmer:

I said: "Reminds me of the criticism(s) of Rush Limbaugh when he took to the airwaves."

You responded: "It wouldn't be that far off. Rush is a good example of a kind of conservatism that is almost entirely defined by its opposition to the New Left. He was an evangelist of Reaganism and devoted a tremendous degree of rhetorical skill to that end. Unfortunately, there isn't much use to being persuasive about bad ideas. Rush, like Reagan, did not understand why you cannot have cultural traditionalism and economic neoliberalism.".

Good grief Farmer, you were doing good with your first sentence. After that, you lost me. Limbaugh educated more people than any talk show host in history. By far. His message was the constitution and freedom. Listen to his young callers and you know that. The left is eroding our freedoms by the moment. That's why he fought it tooth and claw. Do you not get that?; 1/18/21, 1:06 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Humperdink:

The left is eroding our freedoms by the moment. That's why he fought it tooth and claw. Do you not get that?

Thank you for proving my point. The right has been losing the culture war for 40 years. Maybe listening to Rush hasn't been the best strategy. Consider what has happened to the working class over that period. The big issues they faced were not a loss of freedom or civil rights but deindustrialization, mass immigration, globalization, and inequality. In 1992, while everyone was laughing at Ross Perot, Rush was supporting NAFTA and GATT.; 1/18/21, 7:27 PM