wnd--2020-08-11--The irony of Bible burning on behalf of Black Lives Matter

Bible burning on the streets of Portland may be old news by now , but there is an irony lost to many in burning the Scriptures .
All these protests are presumably part of the Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) movement .
But if one truly believed that black lives matter ( or all lives , really ) , the last book you would want to burn is the Bible .
Slavery has been around since the dawn of time .
However , as African American scholar Dr. Walter Williams , professor of economics at George Mason University , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant thing about the Western world is that we have spent so many resources to uproot slavery and abolish it .
And the Bible played a key role in that abolition .
One man in particular , converted by the Bible , played the vital role in abolishing slavery .
William Wilberforce ( 1759-1833 ) was a longtime member of Parliament , who spent the last 50 years of life fighting against slavery in the British Empire .
Wilberforce grew up in the lap of luxury and wealth .
He became a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 , a position he held for 45 years .
At first , his life in politics was just a cushy job with lots of perks .
But about five years into his service in Parliament , Wilberforce became a devout Christian , and he became much more serious about trying to have a positive impact on the world .
Soon after his conversion in 1787 , this young member of Parliament wrote in his diary , `` Almighty God has set before me two great objectives , the abolition of the slave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' And so he formed two societies : The Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade , and The Society for the Reformation of Manners ( what we would call today morals ) .
Wilberforce gathered around him like-minded men and even one woman ( Christian tract writer Hannah More ) in order to gather research and to influence society about the evils of slavery .
Much of this is captured in the movie , `` Amazing Grace . ''
His anti-slavery campaign had two successive goals .
First , to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to free all the slaves .
Together these efforts took many decades ( roughly 25 years for each ) .
He finally received word on his death bed , in 1833 , that the slaves were free .
In 1791 , after Wilberforce 's campaign to end slavery began in earnest , John Wesley , the great preacher and founder of the Methodist Church , wrote to Wilberforce to encourage him .
His letter is a classic : '' MY DEAR SIR , Unless the Divine Power has raised you up to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ] , I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion , of England , and of human nature .
Unless God has raised you up for this very thing , you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils ; but if God be for you , who can be against you ?
Are all of them stronger than God ?
Oh , be not weary of well-doing .
Go on in the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of His might , till even American slavery , the vilest that ever saw the sun , shall vanish away before it .
That He who has guided you from your youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things , is the prayer of , dear sir , Your affectionate servant , JOHN WESLEY . ''
Wilberforce persisted in his half-century of work because of the Bible .
In a 2015 prayer breakfast , President Obama said , `` Remember William Wilberforce , whose Christian faith led him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was vilified , derided , attacked ; but he called for 'lessening prejudices [ and ] conciliating good-will , and thereby making way for the less obstructed progress of truth . '
'' Although some people have used the Bible to justify slavery , the important point is that the Bible provided the death-knell against slavery .
For example , the Underground Railroad , which provided a lifeline for runaway slaves , was run by people who believed and taught the Bible .
For Christian television I have interviewed many times Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Western Michigan University .
After discussing Wilberforce , Maier once told me , `` And then we also in our country on the basis of Christian principles , Abraham Lincoln and others , were able to do the same thing . ''
Lincoln believed that apart from the Bible we would not know right from wrong .
Those burning the Bible , supposedly because Black Lives Matter , are just as ignorant as those `` social justice warriors '' who tore down the statue of another famous Bible reader , the abolitionist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bible burning and statue toppling .
We should learn from history , not rewrite or abolish it .
British poet Steve Turner once said , `` History repeats itself .
It has to .
No one is listening . ''

Bible burning on the streets of Portland may be old news by now, but there is an irony lost to many in burning the Scriptures.
All these protests are presumably part of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. But if one truly believed that black lives matter (or all lives, really), the last book you would want to burn is the Bible.
Slavery has been around since the dawn of time. However, as African American scholar Dr. Walter Williams, professor of economics at George Mason University, told me in an interview: The significant thing about the Western world is that we have spent so many resources to uproot slavery and abolish it.
And the Bible played a key role in that abolition.
One man in particular, converted by the Bible, played the vital role in abolishing slavery. William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was a longtime member of Parliament, who spent the last 50 years of life fighting against slavery in the British Empire.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Wilberforce grew up in the lap of luxury and wealth. He became a member of the House of Commons at age 21, a position he held for 45 years. At first, his life in politics was just a cushy job with lots of perks.
But about five years into his service in Parliament, Wilberforce became a devout Christian, and he became much more serious about trying to have a positive impact on the world.
Soon after his conversion in 1787, this young member of Parliament wrote in his diary, "Almighty God has set before me two great objectives, the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of morals." And so he formed two societies: The Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and The Society for the Reformation of Manners (what we would call today morals).
Wilberforce gathered around him like-minded men and even one woman (Christian tract writer Hannah More) in order to gather research and to influence society about the evils of slavery. Much of this is captured in the movie, "Amazing Grace."
His anti-slavery campaign had two successive goals. First, to get the slave trade abolished. Second, to free all the slaves. Together these efforts took many decades (roughly 25 years for each). He finally received word on his death bed, in 1833, that the slaves were free.
In 1791, after Wilberforce's campaign to end slavery began in earnest, John Wesley, the great preacher and founder of the Methodist Church, wrote to Wilberforce to encourage him. His letter is a classic:
"MY DEAR SIR, Unless the Divine Power has raised you up to be as Athanasius contra mundum [Athanasius against the world], I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils; but if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might, till even American slavery, the vilest that ever saw the sun, shall vanish away before it. That He who has guided you from your youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things, is the prayer of, dear sir, Your affectionate servant, JOHN WESLEY."
Wilberforce persisted in his half-century of work because of the Bible. In a 2015 prayer breakfast, President Obama said, "Remember William Wilberforce, whose Christian faith led him to seek slavery's abolition in Britain; he was vilified, derided, attacked; but he called for 'lessening prejudices [and] conciliating good-will, and thereby making way for the less obstructed progress of truth.'"
Although some people have used the Bible to justify slavery, the important point is that the Bible provided the death-knell against slavery. For example, the Underground Railroad, which provided a lifeline for runaway slaves, was run by people who believed and taught the Bible.
For Christian television I have interviewed many times Dr. Paul L. Maier, history professor emeritus at Western Michigan University. After discussing Wilberforce, Maier once told me, "And then we also in our country on the basis of Christian principles, Abraham Lincoln and others, were able to do the same thing." Lincoln believed that apart from the Bible we would not know right from wrong.
Those burning the Bible, supposedly because Black Lives Matter, are just as ignorant as those "social justice warriors" who tore down the statue of another famous Bible reader, the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Enough with cancel culture, Bible burning and statue toppling.
We should learn from history, not rewrite or abolish it. British poet Steve Turner once said, "History repeats itself. It has to. No one is listening."


wnd--2020-08-11--U.S. senator sanctioned by China to regime: Just wait

A lawmaker who has been `` sanctioned '' by China is responding with a warning to the communist regime : `` Just wait . ''
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton , R-Ark.
, was one of 11 U.S. officials targeted by the Chinese Communist Party recently .
He explained in a commentary at FoxNews.com that the 11 supposedly were `` behav [ ing ] badly on Hong Kong-related issues . ''
The sanctions wo n't affect him , Cotton wrote , because they never were about him or his actions .
`` They 're meant to scare potential critics of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even complicity .
The message is clear : the party is always watching and ready to punish its enemies , '' he wrote .
He pointed out that such scare tactics silence `` even powerful people . ''
`` That ’ s why you won ’ t see supposedly 'progressive ' executives and superstars in the NBA denouncing China ’ s forced labor and other human-rights abuses , '' he wrote , noting the league 's financial ties with China .
Others , he said , are not so `` craven . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend the many victims of Chinese Communism , '' he said .
The victims include Jimmy Lai , a pro-democracy media entrepreneur in Hong Kong who was arrested recently .
`` Lai and the journalists at his publication , Apply Daily , reported honestly on the CCP ’ s takeover of the city , under the pretext of national security .
Now they ’ re paying the price , as the CCP locks them up alongside countless other political prisoners , '' Cotton wrote .
Other victims are the Uighurs in Xinjiang , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentration camps for 're-education ' and subjected to forced sterilization and abortions in order to suppress minority birthrates . ''
Also , he said , `` the CCP ’ s victims include hundreds of thousands of dead Americans who overdosed on fentanyl made in loosely regulated Chinese superlabs ; their fatal doses , and the grief of their loved ones , can be traced back to China and its cynical leaders who allow these drug rings and the carnage they cause to continue . ''
And not forgotten are the hundreds of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and died from the Wuhan virus that it unleashed on the world after a massive coverup .
And they include the millions of workers who were laid off after their factories shut down , either because they were moving to China or because they were bankrupted by China ’ s predatory trade practices and technology theft . ''
The CCP ultimately wants to crush competitors and tyrannize globally , he said .
`` That ’ s why the party is lashing out now to suppress its critics .
But these scare tactics are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s crimes are too great , and the friends of freedom too many , to be suppressed for long .
`` If the Chinese Communists think we ’ ve 'behaved badly ' so far by opposing their tyranny , I have two words for them : just wait , '' Cotton wrote .

A lawmaker who has been "sanctioned" by China is responding with a warning to the communist regime: "Just wait."
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was one of 11 U.S. officials targeted by the Chinese Communist Party recently.
He explained in a commentary at FoxNews.com that the 11 supposedly were "behav[ing] badly on Hong Kong-related issues."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The sanctions won't affect him, Cotton wrote, because they never were about him or his actions.
"They're meant to scare potential critics of the Chinese Communist Party into shameful silence and even complicity. The message is clear: the party is always watching and ready to punish its enemies," he wrote.
He pointed out that such scare tactics silence "even powerful people."
"That’s why you won’t see supposedly 'progressive' executives and superstars in the NBA denouncing China’s forced labor and other human-rights abuses," he wrote, noting the league's financial ties with China.
Others, he said, are not so "craven."
"We'll never stop fighting to defend the many victims of Chinese Communism," he said.
The victims include Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy media entrepreneur in Hong Kong who was arrested recently.
"Lai and the journalists at his publication, Apply Daily, reported honestly on the CCP’s takeover of the city, under the pretext of national security. Now they’re paying the price, as the CCP locks them up alongside countless other political prisoners," Cotton wrote.
Other victims are the Uighurs in Xinjiang, "who’ve been herded into concentration camps for 're-education' and subjected to forced sterilization and abortions in order to suppress minority birthrates."
Also, he said, "the CCP’s victims include hundreds of thousands of dead Americans who overdosed on fentanyl made in loosely regulated Chinese superlabs; their fatal doses, and the grief of their loved ones, can be traced back to China and its cynical leaders who allow these drug rings and the carnage they cause to continue."
And not forgotten are the hundreds of thousands of Americans "who’ve suffered and died from the Wuhan virus that it unleashed on the world after a massive coverup. And they include the millions of workers who were laid off after their factories shut down, either because they were moving to China or because they were bankrupted by China’s predatory trade practices and technology theft."
The CCP ultimately wants to crush competitors and tyrannize globally, he said.
"That’s why the party is lashing out now to suppress its critics. But these scare tactics are doomed to fail. The CCP’s crimes are too great, and the friends of freedom too many, to be suppressed for long.
"If the Chinese Communists think we’ve 'behaved badly' so far by opposing their tyranny, I have two words for them: just wait," Cotton wrote.


wnd--2020-08-11--Historical foundations the woke minority hopes to 'cancel'

Editor 's note : This is Part 2 of a three-part series featured this week on WND 's Commentary page .
Read Part 1 , `` Before we lose this nation , here 's a reminder of our values . ''
How did the United States rise to be a world power , with an exceptional economic and political status ?
One definite explanation , in addition to the freedom of development given to a variety of peoples , is that our founding principles and structures were based on the highest thinking of that time .
Western civilization has advanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be true – first from the Middle Ages ( faith and revelation ) through the Renaissance ( rediscovery of Aristotle and inductive reason ) to the Scientific Revolution of Copernicus , Newton and others ( 1450-1650 ) .
Having mastered the understanding of nature , thinkers then turned their critical investigation on to what had not been addressed – human nature and society .
This Age of Reason ( 1650-1800 ) striped away all preconceived ideas and provincial eccentricities and looked for universal truths or laws .
The assumption was that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around these universal laws , then our societies will be more efficient and enduring , with `` the greatest good for the greatest number . ''
The impact of John Locke and others was like turning on a light , hence the name `` the Enlightenment . ''
Starting from scratch they agreed upon the Natural Rights of Man to include life , liberty and property , the social contract between the people and the authorities they set up to oversee the rules agreed upon and the right to rebel if the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrupts absolutely , '' it would be wise to separate the powers of government with checks and balances ( Montesquieu ) .
In addition to their nascent Christian faith , Franklin , Jefferson , Madison and most founders were steeped in this thinking .
But , few other countries had the opportunity to start almost from scratch with these ideas .
Can you not see this thinking at the heart of our founding document ?
`` We hold these truths to be self-evident that all Men are created equal , that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights , that among these are Life , Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness , that to secure these Rights Governments are instituted among Men , deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed , that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends , it is the Right of the people to alter or abolish it , and to institute new Government . ''
Unfortunately , the different interests of the separate colonies frustrated our war efforts against Britain and became a state-dominated structure in the Articles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country after a decade .
Fortunately , wiser minds prevailed in a Constitutional Convention in 1787 that allowed a structure closer to the Enlightenment ideals , separating the powers and even dividing the responsibilities between national and local authorities with the national having the supreme word .
All that was left to complete the basic model was a Bill of Rights ( the first 10 amendments ) .
That foundation could support the addition of 37 new states and over 300 million new people with modifications made by amendment and court interpretation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in economics agreed upon the basic instinct in human nature as `` self-interest . ''
Blind self-interest could be destructive , but enlightened self-interest recognized the profit motive as incentivizing cooperation and mutual advance to secure property or capital .
Transactions of exchange in labor or currency could only be completed if both parties were satisfied .
Government intervention in the negotiations could mess up the natural order permanently , hence `` free enterprise . ''
The principles discovered include the Laws of Supply and Demand , Iron Law of wages , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these principles in a land of abundant resources has produced the greatest economy in the history of the world .
Amazingly , it has also become the most generous economy as well , giving hundreds of billions annually to the less developed world , not to mentioned most of the international agencies .
Clearly , humans are flawed , and their institutions can be twisted to serve their motives , but on the whole the American system of a constitutional republic and compassionate capitalism has served us well .
Why should the minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the good that continues to be done ?
Can rewriting our history and canceling our culture to satisfy a radicalized woke generation not destroy the entire civilization ?
Now , we are at a tipping point when a majority of millennials think socialism might be a better option .
We must all resist this affront and speak out against the intimidation they employ to silence the truth .
How have we come to this critical moment that threatens to end America as we have known her ?
That we will address in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , share these thoughts with those you think need to be alerted to the danger we face .

By Dorsey M. Deaton, Ph.D.
Editor's note: This is Part 2 of a three-part series featured this week on WND's Commentary page. Read Part 1, "Before we lose this nation, here's a reminder of our values."
How did the United States rise to be a world power, with an exceptional economic and political status? One definite explanation, in addition to the freedom of development given to a variety of peoples, is that our founding principles and structures were based on the highest thinking of that time.
Western civilization has advanced through shifts in how we know what to be true – first from the Middle Ages (faith and revelation) through the Renaissance (rediscovery of Aristotle and inductive reason) to the Scientific Revolution of Copernicus, Newton and others (1450-1650). Having mastered the understanding of nature, thinkers then turned their critical investigation on to what had not been addressed – human nature and society. This Age of Reason (1650-1800) striped away all preconceived ideas and provincial eccentricities and looked for universal truths or laws. The assumption was that if we can plan our societies and governments around these universal laws, then our societies will be more efficient and enduring, with "the greatest good for the greatest number."
The impact of John Locke and others was like turning on a light, hence the name "the Enlightenment." Starting from scratch they agreed upon the Natural Rights of Man to include life, liberty and property, the social contract between the people and the authorities they set up to oversee the rules agreed upon and the right to rebel if the government becomes corrupted. Since "absolute power corrupts absolutely," it would be wise to separate the powers of government with checks and balances (Montesquieu). In addition to their nascent Christian faith, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison and most founders were steeped in this thinking. But, few other countries had the opportunity to start almost from scratch with these ideas. Can you not see this thinking at the heart of our founding document?
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness, that to secure these Rights Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government."
Unfortunately, the different interests of the separate colonies frustrated our war efforts against Britain and became a state-dominated structure in the Articles of Confederation, which almost destroyed the new country after a decade. Fortunately, wiser minds prevailed in a Constitutional Convention in 1787 that allowed a structure closer to the Enlightenment ideals, separating the powers and even dividing the responsibilities between national and local authorities with the national having the supreme word. All that was left to complete the basic model was a Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments). That foundation could support the addition of 37 new states and over 300 million new people with modifications made by amendment and court interpretation.
At the same time, Enlightenment thinkers in economics agreed upon the basic instinct in human nature as "self-interest." Blind self-interest could be destructive, but enlightened self-interest recognized the profit motive as incentivizing cooperation and mutual advance to secure property or capital. Transactions of exchange in labor or currency could only be completed if both parties were satisfied. Government intervention in the negotiations could mess up the natural order permanently, hence "free enterprise." The principles discovered include the Laws of Supply and Demand, Iron Law of wages, the laws of currency and others. Following these principles in a land of abundant resources has produced the greatest economy in the history of the world. Amazingly, it has also become the most generous economy as well, giving hundreds of billions annually to the less developed world, not to mentioned most of the international agencies.
Clearly, humans are flawed, and their institutions can be twisted to serve their motives, but on the whole the American system of a constitutional republic and compassionate capitalism has served us well. Why should the minority with perceived injustices and their insurrection jeopardize all the good that continues to be done? Can rewriting our history and canceling our culture to satisfy a radicalized woke generation not destroy the entire civilization? Now, we are at a tipping point when a majority of millennials think socialism might be a better option. We must all resist this affront and speak out against the intimidation they employ to silence the truth.
How have we come to this critical moment that threatens to end America as we have known her? That we will address in our next installment. In the meantime, share these thoughts with those you think need to be alerted to the danger we face.


wnd--2020-08-12--Ilhan Omar survives competitive primary challenge

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar won her primary in the state ’ s 5th Congressional District Tuesday , defeating mediation lawyer Antone Melton-Meaux .
Omar won with 57.1 % of the vote , according to The New York Times , ensuring that she will be reelected to Congress in November in the safe Democratic district .
Omar , who represents Minneapolis and a few surrounding suburbs west of the city , emerged onto the political scene in 2018 when she , along with Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib , became the first two Muslim women elected to Congress .
She succeeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to run for Minnesota ’ s Attorney General , becoming the first woman to represent the district since it was created .
Along with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley , Omar and Tlaib formed the “ squad , ” a group of progressive women of color who have clashed with President Donald Trump and , at times , with members of their own party .
Throughout her term in Congress , Omar had at times faced widespread criticism from members of both parties over comments that were deemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questioned the legitimacy of Israel ’ s democracy and weeks later issued a statement apologizing for a remark accusing AIPAC of buying lawmakers ’ s support for Israel .
Throughout the 2020 primary , some prominent Democrats opposed Omar ’ s reelection , opting instead to support Melton-Meaux .
In July Democratic Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis , who is Jewish , donated to the Melton-Meaux campaign , according to Federal Election Commission data .
Omar now faces Republican Lacy Johnson in the general election .
Johnson won the GOP primary with 77 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ email protected ]

By Andrew Trunsky
Daily Caller News Foundation
Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar won her primary in the state’s 5th Congressional District Tuesday, defeating mediation lawyer Antone Melton-Meaux.
Omar won with 57.1% of the vote, according to The New York Times, ensuring that she will be reelected to Congress in November in the safe Democratic district.
Omar, who represents Minneapolis and a few surrounding suburbs west of the city, emerged onto the political scene in 2018 when she, along with Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, became the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
I’ve seen enough: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) wins renomination in #MN05, defeating Antone Melton-Meaux (D). — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) August 12, 2020
She succeeded Rep. Keith Ellison, who had retired to run for Minnesota’s Attorney General, becoming the first woman to represent the district since it was created.
Along with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Omar and Tlaib formed the “squad,” a group of progressive women of color who have clashed with President Donald Trump and, at times, with members of their own party.
Throughout her term in Congress, Omar had at times faced widespread criticism from members of both parties over comments that were deemed anti-Semitic.
Does Ilhan Omar have the best interests of the United States at heart? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 0% (0 Votes) 100% (40 Votes)
In January 2019, Omar questioned the legitimacy of Israel’s democracy and weeks later issued a statement apologizing for a remark accusing AIPAC of buying lawmakers’s support for Israel.
Throughout the 2020 primary, some prominent Democrats opposed Omar’s reelection, opting instead to support Melton-Meaux. In July Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is Jewish, donated to the Melton-Meaux campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Omar now faces Republican Lacy Johnson in the general election. Johnson won the GOP primary with 77% of the vote.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


wnd--2020-08-12--Joe Biden's awful vice presidential pick

For well over a year , former Vice President Joe Biden has carried forth a simple strategy : Be nonthreatening .
Facing a volatile , mistake-prone incumbent , Biden merely had to mimic vital signs , stay out of the spotlight and avoid looking off-putting or radical .
And he accomplished those objectives , to great effect .
He barely stumbled his way through the Democratic primaries , representing the nonradical voting repository for those alienated by the extremism of Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren ; he refused to kowtow to the Twitter blue checkmarks calling for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shied away from insane slogans about defunding the police .
He stayed in the basement , playing prevent defense against President Donald Trump .
All he had before him was one final hurdle : picking a vice president .
Usually , the vice presidential pick means little or nothing .
The vice presidency is a uniquely powerless office , and presidents rarely hand over power to their vice presidents .
But Joe Biden will be 78 in November and appears to be slipping significantly mentally – despite CNN 's protestations that he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reason nearly 6 in 10 Americans , according to a new Rasmussen poll , think Biden 's vice president will finish his first term .
So Biden had one task : to pick a vice president who would appear nonthreatening , mainstream and generally normal .
The onus would then lie with President Trump to shift the spotlight from his own campaign .
He made an early error on that score when he declared publicly that he would pick a woman .
This made it obvious that Biden was seeking a token @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his base .
And that sop opened the door to further demands : the demand , for example , that he pick not merely a woman ( or , as the woke left might have it , an individual with a cervix ) but a black woman .
And so Biden was trapped into a limited selection of politicians , ranging from the unknown ( Rep. Val Demings of Florida ) to the communist ( Rep. Karen Bass of California ) , from the quietly sinister ( former President Obama 's national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loudly ridiculous ( Georgia non-governor Stacey Abrams ) .
None of these picks would be great ; some would be far worse than others .
But there was one pick who would prove far worse than all the others : Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. Harris is deeply radical .
She endorsed `` Medicare for All '' while announcing that she would move Americans away from their private health care plans ; she announced in open debate that she would use executive orders to ban `` assault weapons '' ; she said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brett Kavanaugh as a purported rapist and Judge Brian Buescher for his Catholicism .
Harris is unpopular with many black Americans : As a prosecutor , she was fond of pursuing heavy sentences for light charges , as well as civil asset forfeiture – and then she bragged about smoking marijuana during her campaign .
Harris has similarly alienated moderates , attacking Biden himself as a vicious racist for his unwillingness to support forced school busing in the 1970s , and suggesting that she believed Biden 's sexual harassment accusers .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primaries , aside from her bizarre habit of breaking into a Joker-esque whoop when asked difficult questions .
Nothing about Harris screams nonthreatening .
In fact , in her Machiavellian campaign manipulations , she appeared deeply threatening – threatening enough that Biden campaign adviser Chris Dodd reportedly wondered why Harris `` had no remorse '' for her opportunistic and dishonest attacks on Biden .
At the very least , Biden should hire a food taster .
In selecting Harris , Biden has opened the door to the Trump campaign .
And Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged moderation means nothing if he is willing to place Kamala Harris one heartbeat from the presidency .
Biden 's entire campaign strategy has now been undercut – all in a vain attempt to please the Twitterati , who will remain pleased for precisely seven seconds .
Trump should be ecstatic .
The race is on .
And that 's all on Biden .

For well over a year, former Vice President Joe Biden has carried forth a simple strategy: Be nonthreatening. Facing a volatile, mistake-prone incumbent, Biden merely had to mimic vital signs, stay out of the spotlight and avoid looking off-putting or radical. And he accomplished those objectives, to great effect. He barely stumbled his way through the Democratic primaries, representing the nonradical voting repository for those alienated by the extremism of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren; he refused to kowtow to the Twitter blue checkmarks calling for him to endorse rioting and looting; he shied away from insane slogans about defunding the police. He stayed in the basement, playing prevent defense against President Donald Trump.
All he had before him was one final hurdle: picking a vice president.
Usually, the vice presidential pick means little or nothing. The vice presidency is a uniquely powerless office, and presidents rarely hand over power to their vice presidents. But Joe Biden will be 78 in November and appears to be slipping significantly mentally – despite CNN's protestations that he can still ride a bicycle. There is a reason nearly 6 in 10 Americans, according to a new Rasmussen poll, think Biden's vice president will finish his first term.
So Biden had one task: to pick a vice president who would appear nonthreatening, mainstream and generally normal. The onus would then lie with President Trump to shift the spotlight from his own campaign.
Biden couldn't do it.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
He made an early error on that score when he declared publicly that he would pick a woman. This made it obvious that Biden was seeking a token – some sop for the woke progressives in his base. And that sop opened the door to further demands: the demand, for example, that he pick not merely a woman (or, as the woke left might have it, an individual with a cervix) but a black woman. And so Biden was trapped into a limited selection of politicians, ranging from the unknown (Rep. Val Demings of Florida) to the communist (Rep. Karen Bass of California), from the quietly sinister (former President Obama's national security adviser Susan Rice) to the loudly ridiculous (Georgia non-governor Stacey Abrams).
None of these picks would be great; some would be far worse than others. But there was one pick who would prove far worse than all the others: Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. Harris is deeply radical. She endorsed "Medicare for All" while announcing that she would move Americans away from their private health care plans; she announced in open debate that she would use executive orders to ban "assault weapons"; she said she would ban fracking; she attacked Justice Brett Kavanaugh as a purported rapist and Judge Brian Buescher for his Catholicism. Harris is unpopular with many black Americans: As a prosecutor, she was fond of pursuing heavy sentences for light charges, as well as civil asset forfeiture – and then she bragged about smoking marijuana during her campaign. Harris has similarly alienated moderates, attacking Biden himself as a vicious racist for his unwillingness to support forced school busing in the 1970s, and suggesting that she believed Biden's sexual harassment accusers. There is a reason Harris utterly flamed out in the primaries, aside from her bizarre habit of breaking into a Joker-esque whoop when asked difficult questions.
Nothing about Harris screams nonthreatening. In fact, in her Machiavellian campaign manipulations, she appeared deeply threatening – threatening enough that Biden campaign adviser Chris Dodd reportedly wondered why Harris "had no remorse" for her opportunistic and dishonest attacks on Biden. At the very least, Biden should hire a food taster.
In selecting Harris, Biden has opened the door to the Trump campaign. And Trump should take full advantage. Biden's alleged moderation means nothing if he is willing to place Kamala Harris one heartbeat from the presidency. Biden's entire campaign strategy has now been undercut – all in a vain attempt to please the Twitterati, who will remain pleased for precisely seven seconds. Trump should be ecstatic. The race is on. And that's all on Biden.


wnd--2020-08-12--Is Biden-loving Comcast meddling in Loomer's campaign?

There 's bad blood between President Donald Trump and Comcast .
It 's no secret .
The commander in chief nicknamed the telecom giant `` Concast '' for presiding over incessantly skewed media coverage of his campaign and administration .
Comcast is the parent company of NBC News and MSNBC , whose notorious fake news media execs are `` trying to poison the mind of the American voter '' in President Trump 's view .
On Twitter , he has called on supporters to drop the cable conglomerate for its `` terrible service '' and `` go to a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , top Comcast execs and employees have forked over a whopping $ 213,974 in contributions to the Biden for President campaign .
The Democratic presidential candidate held his first mega-fundraiser last April at the Philadelphia home of Comcast executive David Cohen , who oversees the firm 's corporate lobbying ( which totaled more than $ 13 million last year ) .
The very next day , after Cohen 's posh kickoff ( which raked in more than $ 500,000 ) , Comcast-owned NBC News communications director T.J. Ducklo left his position to serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Against that backdrop , let us now consider what happened this week to Laura Loomer , the Trump-supporting conservative investigative journalist and fierce critic of big tech bias who is the GOP front-runner in Florida 's 21st congressional district – home to Mar-A-Lago and the Trumps ' official legal residence since last fall .
If Loomer prevails in her Aug. 18 primary as widely expected , she will face four-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel and win an extraordinary opportunity to turn Trump 's long-blue home district red .
On Monday , Loomer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving her campaign texts and emails .
Customers instead received an ominous warning that read : `` Hold On !
We blocked access '' to Loomer 's messages because they were alleged to pose a threat to users ' devices `` or contain dangerous content . ''
The company claims it was a `` technical '' glitch .
One corporate spokesman in charge of engineering issues told me Monday afternoon that `` the security alert had nothing to do with the content or sender of any communication . ''
Instead , he blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for flagging Loomer 's texting provider .
When I asked which third-party intelligence services Comcast uses to determine what is and is n't `` dangerous , '' the company would not specify .
When I asked what new information led to the security red flag , the company could not or would not say , but suggested that a `` phishing '' scheme may have led to the warning .
Curiously , Comcast decided in the wake of Loomer 's whistleblowing that it would override the third-party threat-intelligence services and generously `` fix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by unblocking her messages .
Here 's the thing : Loomer 's campaign has used the same texting provider all year without any problems until now .
What changed ?
One spokesman shrugged the question off : `` I do n't know why the timing issue is what it is , '' he told me .
Another D.C.-based Comcast communications official blithely dismissed any suggestion of political interference , emphasizing to me that Loomer `` has n't won her primary yet '' and that these types of incidents have happened before .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such glitches affecting political campaigns , she came up empty .
The posture of disinterest is unconvincing .
It 's hard to accept the curious technical glitch that blocked Loomer from voters at a critical juncture in her high-profile upstart campaign – just one week before primary Election Day – at face value coming from a company that not only sides so overwhelmingly with Biden but has donated nearly $ 15,000 to Rep. Frankel ( who is also a Comcast stockholder ) since 2012 .
The curious technical glitch robbing Loomer temporarily of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her campaign was endorsed by GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and former Nixon aide and veteran GOP operative Roger Stone .
The technical system also just happened to glitch as Loomer made national news for her astonishing fund-raising haul – more than $ 1.1 million this cycle , despite being the most-banned woman in America , if not the planet .
You may recall that in 2018 , the 27-year-old independent reporter was suspended permanently from Twitter ( where she had built up a formidable following of more than 250,000 users ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blasting Shariah-adherent Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn. Paypal , Instagram , TeeSpring , Facebook , Uber , Uber Eats , Lyft , Venmo , GoFundMe and Medium all followed suit as Loomer exposed systemic tech censorship .
China 's got nothing on America 's big tech overlords when it comes to silencing dissent and criticism .
Why is Loomer `` dangerous '' ?
It 's because she has almost singlehandedly unmasked Silicon Valley 's social credit system and its anti-American , free speech-squelching collaborators led by the Southern Poverty Law Center , Anti-Defamation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She is the canary in the de-platforming coal mine .
Her enemies are President Trump 's enemies , who 've done everything in their coordinated power to crush him .
It strains credulity not to believe the corporate dirty tricksters and social justice handmaidens are doing everything between now and Aug. 18 – including , yes , election meddling– to stop Laura Loomer from disrupting the powers that be .
Question the timing ?
Hell , yes .

There's bad blood between President Donald Trump and Comcast. It's no secret.
The commander in chief nicknamed the telecom giant "Concast" for presiding over incessantly skewed media coverage of his campaign and administration. Comcast is the parent company of NBC News and MSNBC, whose notorious fake news media execs are "trying to poison the mind of the American voter" in President Trump's view. On Twitter, he has called on supporters to drop the cable conglomerate for its "terrible service" and "go to a good provider" instead.
For their part, top Comcast execs and employees have forked over a whopping $213,974 in contributions to the Biden for President campaign. The Democratic presidential candidate held his first mega-fundraiser last April at the Philadelphia home of Comcast executive David Cohen, who oversees the firm's corporate lobbying (which totaled more than $13 million last year). The very next day, after Cohen's posh kickoff (which raked in more than $500,000), Comcast-owned NBC News communications director T.J. Ducklo left his position to serve as Biden's national press secretary.
Against that backdrop, let us now consider what happened this week to Laura Loomer, the Trump-supporting conservative investigative journalist and fierce critic of big tech bias who is the GOP front-runner in Florida's 21st congressional district – home to Mar-A-Lago and the Trumps' official legal residence since last fall. If Loomer prevails in her Aug. 18 primary as widely expected, she will face four-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel and win an extraordinary opportunity to turn Trump's long-blue home district red.
On Monday, Loomer discovered that Xfinity/Comcast had blocked voters from receiving her campaign texts and emails. Customers instead received an ominous warning that read: "Hold On! We blocked access" to Loomer's messages because they were alleged to pose a threat to users' devices "or contain dangerous content." The company claims it was a "technical" glitch. One corporate spokesman in charge of engineering issues told me Monday afternoon that "the security alert had nothing to do with the content or sender of any communication." Instead, he blamed "widely used third-party threat-intelligence services" for flagging Loomer's texting provider.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
When I asked which third-party intelligence services Comcast uses to determine what is and isn't "dangerous," the company would not specify. When I asked what new information led to the security red flag, the company could not or would not say, but suggested that a "phishing" scheme may have led to the warning. Curiously, Comcast decided in the wake of Loomer's whistleblowing that it would override the third-party threat-intelligence services and generously "fix" and "resolve" the issue by unblocking her messages.
Here's the thing: Loomer's campaign has used the same texting provider all year without any problems until now. What changed? One spokesman shrugged the question off: "I don't know why the timing issue is what it is," he told me. Another D.C.-based Comcast communications official blithely dismissed any suggestion of political interference, emphasizing to me that Loomer "hasn't won her primary yet" and that these types of incidents have happened before. When I asked for any other example of such glitches affecting political campaigns, she came up empty.
The posture of disinterest is unconvincing. It's hard to accept the curious technical glitch that blocked Loomer from voters at a critical juncture in her high-profile upstart campaign – just one week before primary Election Day – at face value coming from a company that not only sides so overwhelmingly with Biden but has donated nearly $15,000 to Rep. Frankel (who is also a Comcast stockholder) since 2012.
The curious technical glitch robbing Loomer temporarily of her ability to communicate came just as her campaign was endorsed by GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and former Nixon aide and veteran GOP operative Roger Stone. The technical system also just happened to glitch as Loomer made national news for her astonishing fund-raising haul – more than $1.1 million this cycle, despite being the most-banned woman in America, if not the planet.
You may recall that in 2018, the 27-year-old independent reporter was suspended permanently from Twitter (where she had built up a formidable following of more than 250,000 users) during the crucial midterm election season for blasting Shariah-adherent Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. Paypal, Instagram, TeeSpring, Facebook, Uber, Uber Eats, Lyft, Venmo, GoFundMe and Medium all followed suit as Loomer exposed systemic tech censorship. China's got nothing on America's big tech overlords when it comes to silencing dissent and criticism.
Why is Loomer "dangerous"? It's because she has almost singlehandedly unmasked Silicon Valley's social credit system and its anti-American, free speech-squelching collaborators led by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Anti-Defamation League and the Council on Islamic-American Relations. She is the canary in the de-platforming coal mine. Her enemies are President Trump's enemies, who've done everything in their coordinated power to crush him.
It strains credulity not to believe the corporate dirty tricksters and social justice handmaidens are doing everything between now and Aug. 18 – including, yes, election meddling– to stop Laura Loomer from disrupting the powers that be. Question the timing? Hell, yes.


wnd--2020-08-13--Sheriff bans mask-wearing for employees amid pandemic

( ABC7 ) -- MARION COUNTY , Fla. -- A Florida sheriff is banning mask-wearing for all police officers and @ @ @ @ @ despite the coronavirus pandemic and its devastating effect on the state .
Marion County Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ masks will not be worn '' by on-duty employees , according to an email obtained @ @ @ @ @ include at courthouses , jails , schools and hospitals .
`` Now , I can @ @ @ @ @ just so you know I did not make this decision easily and I have weighed @ @ @ @ @ two weeks .
...
This is no longer a debate nor is it up for @ @ @ @ @ .

(ABC7) -- MARION COUNTY, Fla. -- A Florida sheriff is banning mask-wearing for all police officers and anyone visiting his offices -- despite the coronavirus pandemic and its devastating effect on the state.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods wrote that "masks will not be worn" by on-duty employees, according to an email obtained by ABC News. Exceptions include at courthouses, jails, schools and hospitals.
"Now, I can already hear the whining and just so you know I did not make this decision easily and I have weighed it out for the past two weeks. ... This is no longer a debate nor is it up for discussion," he wrote.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-08-13--Voter fraud more likely to impact election than foreign meddling

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by the Daily Signal . ]
Washington used to abide by the maxim : “ Politics stops at the water ’ s edge.
” Those days are gone .
Consider the reaction to a recent unclassified overview of foreign threats to the 2020 elections delivered by National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina .
It should have sparked sober discussions of how to safeguard our electoral process .
Instead , it triggered a fusillade of partisan screeds , each aimed primarily at knocking one ’ s political opponents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , whose main interest is in seeing their vote count .
The apoplectic pundits would have us believe that foreign efforts to influence the elections have everything to do with helping one candidate or another win .
They don ’ t .
Foreign powers have tried to meddle in our elections—through overt action and covert manipulation—since we started having elections .
Election meddling is part of foreign statecraft .
Perhaps the most expansive foreign effort to bend the American electorate came in the years leading up to Pearl Harbor .
Our British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America their way in the battle against the Axis powers .
Jennet Conant presents the story beautifully in “ The Irregulars ” ( 2008 ) .
It might surprise some to know that FDR knew about this at the time .
On occasion , he used it to his benefit .
Then , as now , the appropriate response to any activity that threatens election integrity is not to ask : “ How can I use this to bash my political opponents ?
” Rather , the question to ask is : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible way to deal with this threat ?
” So much of the reporting and commentary surrounding the release of Evanina ’ s unclassified intelligence assessment was so wrong , it is hard to know where to start .
Few reports bothered to parse the nature of the threats .
Generally , there are two : efforts to actually manipulate and change voting outcomes and efforts to influence voters .
Efforts to actually change votes are an issue that the government already takes very seriously .
There is no proof that the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other foreign government changed or interfered with balloting during the 2016 election .
Even so , allegations of wrongdoing led federal and state governments to significantly beef up their ballot protection efforts for the 2018 elections .
That effort has continued as we head toward this November ’ s elections .
In gauging threats , Americans ought to be far more concerned about domestic voter fraud and the integrity of state-managed election efforts .
The Heritage Foundation maintains a database , a sampling of recent cases of voter fraud around the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all too real and all too common .
Every vote cast illegally undermines the integrity of the system and the rights of legitimate voters .
In close elections , fraud could undermine our democratic will .
Those wishing to preserve the integrity of our elections should worry less about foreign interference and concentrate on pressing state and local election authorities to adopt practices and provide oversight to assure that every legitimate vote is counted , and every bogus vote gets spotted and tossed out .
But what about that other phenomenon : foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these efforts are being made .
But how much of an impact do they have ?
Politicians , parties , and PACs already spend tens of billions of dollars trying to influence our decisions as to who gets our votes .
Influence spending by foreign powers is but a drop in the bucket .
Nor are American voters hopelessly naïve .
Knowing that some of the voices they hear are not legit makes voters warier , making them a harder target for foreign influencers .
The American electorate is deeply divided .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have nothing to with foreign manipulation and , in most cases , are impervious to it .
Foreign policy issues typically take a backseat to domestic policy considerations in U.S. elections , and that certainly appears to be the case this year .
It ’ s hard to believe many Americans will be led to switch their votes because they believe Beijing or Moscow loves or hates their candidate .
Furthermore , however folks feel about “ Big Tech ” there is no question that America ’ s social media giants have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influences or make customers more aware of their presence .
Twitter , for example , recently started labeling Chinese news sources as government-sponsored media .
Social networks routinely try to cull trolls from their ranks .
Is there more we can do to tell Beijing , Moscow , and Tehran to get lost this election season ?
Sure .
The government can punish illegal activity .
We can use our intelligence services to understand and undermine their actions .
Civil society can help bring transparency to foreign influences .
All this will mitigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not help is we do our enemies ’ work for them and use their ill-intended behavior to bash each other .
[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by the Daily Signal . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by the Daily Signal.]
By James Carafano
Daily Signal
Washington used to abide by the maxim: “Politics stops at the water’s edge.” Those days are gone.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Consider the reaction to a recent unclassified overview of foreign threats to the 2020 elections delivered by National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina. It should have sparked sober discussions of how to safeguard our electoral process. Instead, it triggered a fusillade of partisan screeds, each aimed primarily at knocking one’s political opponents.
What a massive disservice to the American people, whose main interest is in seeing their vote count.
The apoplectic pundits would have us believe that foreign efforts to influence the elections have everything to do with helping one candidate or another win. They don’t. Foreign powers have tried to meddle in our elections—through overt action and covert manipulation—since we started having elections.
Election meddling is part of foreign statecraft. Perhaps the most expansive foreign effort to bend the American electorate came in the years leading up to Pearl Harbor. Our British cousins really wanted to tilt a neutral America their way in the battle against the Axis powers. Jennet Conant presents the story beautifully in “The Irregulars” (2008). It might surprise some to know that FDR knew about this at the time. On occasion, he used it to his benefit.
Is vote fraud a major concern of yours in this presidential election? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 97% (30 Votes) 3% (1 Votes)
Then, as now, the appropriate response to any activity that threatens election integrity is not to ask: “How can I use this to bash my political opponents?” Rather, the question to ask is: “What is the appropriate, proportional and responsible way to deal with this threat?”
So much of the reporting and commentary surrounding the release of Evanina’s unclassified intelligence assessment was so wrong, it is hard to know where to start.
Few reports bothered to parse the nature of the threats. Generally, there are two: efforts to actually manipulate and change voting outcomes and efforts to influence voters.
Efforts to actually change votes are an issue that the government already takes very seriously. There is no proof that the Chinese, Russian, Iranian, or any other foreign government changed or interfered with balloting during the 2016 election. Even so, allegations of wrongdoing led federal and state governments to significantly beef up their ballot protection efforts for the 2018 elections. That effort has continued as we head toward this November’s elections.
In gauging threats, Americans ought to be far more concerned about domestic voter fraud and the integrity of state-managed election efforts. The Heritage Foundation maintains a database, a sampling of recent cases of voter fraud around the country. It shows that domestic voter fraud is all too real and all too common.
Every vote cast illegally undermines the integrity of the system and the rights of legitimate voters. In close elections, fraud could undermine our democratic will.
Those wishing to preserve the integrity of our elections should worry less about foreign interference and concentrate on pressing state and local election authorities to adopt practices and provide oversight to assure that every legitimate vote is counted, and every bogus vote gets spotted and tossed out.
But what about that other phenomenon: foreign efforts to influence American voters? Certainly these efforts are being made. But how much of an impact do they have?
Politicians, parties, and PACs already spend tens of billions of dollars trying to influence our decisions as to who gets our votes. Influence spending by foreign powers is but a drop in the bucket.
Nor are American voters hopelessly naïve. Knowing that some of the voices they hear are not legit makes voters warier, making them a harder target for foreign influencers.
The American electorate is deeply divided. But it’s divided for many reasons—reasons that have nothing to with foreign manipulation and, in most cases, are impervious to it.
Foreign policy issues typically take a backseat to domestic policy considerations in U.S. elections, and that certainly appears to be the case this year. It’s hard to believe many Americans will be led to switch their votes because they believe Beijing or Moscow loves or hates their candidate.
Furthermore, however folks feel about “Big Tech” there is no question that America’s social media giants have made an effort to either block foreign influences or make customers more aware of their presence.
Twitter, for example, recently started labeling Chinese news sources as government-sponsored media. Social networks routinely try to cull trolls from their ranks.
Is there more we can do to tell Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran to get lost this election season? Sure. The government can punish illegal activity. We can use our intelligence services to understand and undermine their actions. Civil society can help bring transparency to foreign influences. All this will mitigate the threat even further.
What does not help is we do our enemies’ work for them and use their ill-intended behavior to bash each other.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by the Daily Signal.]


wnd--2020-08-13--Kamala Harris rated most left-wing senator – even more than Bernie!

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden 's newly announced running mate was rated the most left-wing senator in 2019 by the non-partisan GovTrak , putting her to the left of Sen. Bernie Sanders , a self-declared democratic socialist .
Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. , moved from the fourth most left-wing senator in 2018 to the most extreme in 2019 when she was running for president , noted Breitbart News .
In its coverage of Biden 's announcement Tuesday , the New York Times called Harris a `` pragmatic moderate . ''
But she was one of the first co-sponsors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Green New Deal '' of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. And she backed the `` Medicare for All '' bill introduced by Sanders that would eliminated all private health insurance .
She also supports free health care to illegal aliens and slashing military budgets .
GovTrack explains its `` unique ideology analysis assigns a score to Members of Congress according to their legislative behavior by how similar the pattern of bills and resolutions they cosponsor are to other Members of Congress . ''
`` The score can be interpreted as a conservative—liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes into account a small aspect of reality . ''
GovTrak 's most conservative score is 1.00 and its most liberal score is 0.00 .
Here are the most liberal senators on GovTrak 's 2019 list : No .
90 0.16 Sen. Chris Van Hollen , D-Md .
No .
91 0.15 Sen. Richard Durbin , D-Il .
No .
92 0.14 Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. No .
93 0.12 Sen. Richard Blumenthal , D-Conn. No .
94 0.10 Sen. Edward “ Ed ” Markey , D-Mass .
No .
95 0.09 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 96 0.07 Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.J. No .
97 0.07 Sen. Jeff Merkley , D-Ore. No .
98 0.03 Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , D-N.Y. No .
99 0.02 Sen. Bernard “ Bernie ” Sanders , I-Vt. No .
100 0.00 Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif .

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's newly announced running mate was rated the most left-wing senator in 2019 by the non-partisan GovTrak, putting her to the left of Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., moved from the fourth most left-wing senator in 2018 to the most extreme in 2019 when she was running for president, noted Breitbart News.
In its coverage of Biden's announcement Tuesday, the New York Times called Harris a "pragmatic moderate."
But she was one of the first co-sponsors of the Senate version of the radical "Green New Deal" of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
And she backed the "Medicare for All" bill introduced by Sanders that would eliminated all private health insurance.
She also supports free health care to illegal aliens and slashing military budgets.
GovTrack explains its "unique ideology analysis assigns a score to Members of Congress according to their legislative behavior by how similar the pattern of bills and resolutions they cosponsor are to other Members of Congress."
"The score can be interpreted as a conservative—liberal scale, although of course it only takes into account a small aspect of reality."
GovTrak's most conservative score is 1.00 and its most liberal score is 0.00.
Here are the most liberal senators on GovTrak's 2019 list:
No. 90 0.16 Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
No. 91 0.15 Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Il.
No. 92 0.14 Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
No. 93 0.12 Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
No. 94 0.10 Sen. Edward “Ed” Markey, D-Mass.
No. 95 0.09 Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii
No. 96 0.07 Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
No. 97 0.07 Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
No. 98 0.03 Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.
No. 99 0.02 Sen. Bernard “Bernie” Sanders, I-Vt.
No. 100 0.00 Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.


wnd--2020-08-12--Today's 'firemen' in media are desperate to incinerate Trump

`` It is no surprise that his Wikipedia entry refers to him as a white nationalist without the slightest hint of evidence to justify that slur , '' Frank Miele writes of me in his very kind review of my new book , `` Unmasking Obama . ''
Upon reading that , I laughed and said to myself , `` Well that 's an improvement . ''
The last time I checked my Wikipedia entry I was listed as a `` pornographer . ''
Nothing against Wikipedia .
It 's a brilliant service .
I donate from time to time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem all internet sites face : leftist trolls who have nothing better to do with their lives than mess with the lives of others .
Watching these clowns go about their business , amateur and professional , I am reminded of a scene in Ray Bradbury 's 1951 dystopian sci-fi classic , `` Fahrenheit 451 . ''
In the way of background , 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper burns .
In the novel , the state employs `` firemen '' to burn paper lest the few civilians who care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state does not want them to have .
`` Is it true that long ago firemen put fires out instead of going to start them ? ''
a young woman asks her friend .
The friend tells her she has been misinformed .
`` Strange , '' she answers .
`` I heard once that a long time ago houses used to burn by accident and they needed firemen to stop the flames . ''
Years ago , young journalists aspired to gather information and spread it .
Today , however , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Bradbury 's novel , aspire to destroy inconvenient information before it can spread .
At the risk of sounding sexist , I will use the term `` firemen '' both in homage to Bradbury and in recognition that men take to this dirty work with more relish than women .
The firemen have numerous ways of messing with the news : defaming opposition journalists , mocking their work , exposing their past sins , trivializing their information and twisting their facts , among others .
At the amateur level , firemen routinely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , write one-star book reviews of their work on Amazon , and troll the `` comment '' sections of conservative journals .
Former CBS journalist Sharyl Attkisson saw the mission shift up close .
`` After Watergate , '' she writes , `` few would have predicted today 's dynamic in which some journalists view their job not as questioning the powers that be , but undermining those who report on the powers that be . ''
For the next three months , the firemen have no greater goal than incinerating news that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burying the ashes .
Like Bradbury 's firemen , they do not want people to know what they are not supposed to know .
Two recent examples help clarify the role of the firemen .
When a group of doctors spoke positively about hydroxychloroquine a couple weeks back , the professional firemen smeared the doctors in print , the amateurs reposted and retweeted the smears , and then their pals in the social media kicked the docs off their respective platforms .
Ca n't have a cure before election .
Early Sunday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took aim at a large crowd gathered for a block party , killing one , critically injuring a D.C. cop and wounding at least 20 others .
Although this was the largest mass shooting of 2020 , the major media did a heroic job of ignoring the story .
The fact that all the victims were black should have earned it added attention in an era when black lives are alleged to matter .
In America 's newsrooms , however , black lives only matter when a white male , preferably a cop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So Christopher Brown , the unarmed 17-year-old killed in the melee , will be forgotten by all but his family before the week is out .
The amateur firemen will spread no hectoring , self-righteous memes in his honor .
And the reasons for the catastrophically high crime rates in black neighborhoods will continue to go unexamined .
For the big-time firemen , these stories are all just practice runs , dumpster fires .
The test will come if , hopefully when , U. S. Attorney John Durham drops his Obamagate report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ already rushing to the scene , matches in hand .
`` Barr may try to spin his 'investigation ' before the election , '' claimed a Post headline a week ago .
`` Do n't believe him . ''
No , of course not .
We 'll believe the Post .
After all , the Post won the Pulitzer in 2018 `` for its revelatory examination of Russian interference in the 2016 election , possible links between the Trump campaign and Kremlin agents , and the U.S .
response . ''
And no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a joke .
Note : @ jackcashill 's forthcoming book , `` Unmasking Obama : The Fight to Tell the True Story of a Failed Presidency , '' is available for pre-order at Amazon .

"It is no surprise that his Wikipedia entry refers to him as a white nationalist without the slightest hint of evidence to justify that slur," Frank Miele writes of me in his very kind review of my new book, "Unmasking Obama."
Upon reading that, I laughed and said to myself, "Well that's an improvement." The last time I checked my Wikipedia entry I was listed as a "pornographer."
Nothing against Wikipedia. It's a brilliant service. I donate from time to time. The problem Wikipedia faces is the problem all internet sites face: leftist trolls who have nothing better to do with their lives than mess with the lives of others.
Watching these clowns go about their business, amateur and professional, I am reminded of a scene in Ray Bradbury's 1951 dystopian sci-fi classic, "Fahrenheit 451."
In the way of background, 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper burns. In the novel, the state employs "firemen" to burn paper lest the few civilians who care about books avail themselves of information the state does not want them to have.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"Is it true that long ago firemen put fires out instead of going to start them?" a young woman asks her friend. The friend tells her she has been misinformed. "Strange," she answers. "I heard once that a long time ago houses used to burn by accident and they needed firemen to stop the flames."
Years ago, young journalists aspired to gather information and spread it. Today, however, the firemen on the left, like those in Bradbury's novel, aspire to destroy inconvenient information before it can spread.
At the risk of sounding sexist, I will use the term "firemen" both in homage to Bradbury and in recognition that men take to this dirty work with more relish than women.
The firemen have numerous ways of messing with the news: defaming opposition journalists, mocking their work, exposing their past sins, trivializing their information and twisting their facts, among others.
At the amateur level, firemen routinely subvert the Wikipedia pages of perceived opponents, write one-star book reviews of their work on Amazon, and troll the "comment" sections of conservative journals.
Former CBS journalist Sharyl Attkisson saw the mission shift up close. "After Watergate," she writes, "few would have predicted today's dynamic in which some journalists view their job not as questioning the powers that be, but undermining those who report on the powers that be."
For the next three months, the firemen have no greater goal than incinerating news that is unflattering to the Democratic cause and burying the ashes. Like Bradbury's firemen, they do not want people to know what they are not supposed to know.
Two recent examples help clarify the role of the firemen. When a group of doctors spoke positively about hydroxychloroquine a couple weeks back, the professional firemen smeared the doctors in print, the amateurs reposted and retweeted the smears, and then their pals in the social media kicked the docs off their respective platforms. Can't have a cure before election.
Early Sunday morning in Washington, D.C., three shooters took aim at a large crowd gathered for a block party, killing one, critically injuring a D.C. cop and wounding at least 20 others.
Although this was the largest mass shooting of 2020, the major media did a heroic job of ignoring the story. The fact that all the victims were black should have earned it added attention in an era when black lives are alleged to matter.
In America's newsrooms, however, black lives only matter when a white male, preferably a cop, is responsible for the death.
So Christopher Brown, the unarmed 17-year-old killed in the melee, will be forgotten by all but his family before the week is out. The amateur firemen will spread no hectoring, self-righteous memes in his honor. And the reasons for the catastrophically high crime rates in black neighborhoods will continue to go unexamined.
For the big-time firemen, these stories are all just practice runs, dumpster fires. The test will come if, hopefully when, U. S. Attorney John Durham drops his Obamagate report.
The firemen at the Washington Post are already rushing to the scene, matches in hand. "Barr may try to spin his 'investigation' before the election," claimed a Post headline a week ago. "Don't believe him."
No, of course not. We'll believe the Post. After all, the Post won the Pulitzer in 2018 "for its revelatory examination of Russian interference in the 2016 election, possible links between the Trump campaign and Kremlin agents, and the U.S. response."
And no, that's not a punch line to a joke.
Note: @jackcashill's forthcoming book, "Unmasking Obama: The Fight to Tell the True Story of a Failed Presidency," is available for pre-order at Amazon.


wnd--2020-08-12--Newt Gingrich: Biden adopting bizarre Dem plan that will destroy American dream

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is sliding even further to the left , warns former House Speaker Newt Gingrich , with the adoption of a `` diversity '' plan that would `` destroy '' American suburbs .
In a column for FoxNews.com , Gingrich noted Biden 's endorsement of the plan by Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.J. , and Rep. James Clyburn , D-S.C. , to `` seek to diversify American suburbs by withholding federal dollars from communities that do not change local zoning ordinances to accommodate denser housing . ''
`` The fight over the suburbs is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Washington bureaucrats can dictate how to change every neighborhood in America without regard to the wishes of the people living there , '' he wrote .
The policy is opposed by 65 % of Americans , with just 23 % favoring government playing a role in diversifying neighborhoods , according to Rasmussen Reports .
Even 56 % of Democrats say it 's not the government 's job to dictate local community plans , the poll found , along with 73 % of Republicans and 68 % of independents .
Gingrich pointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states `` could choose to reduce restrictions on lot size , eliminate parking requirements , or allow accessory dwelling units and multifamily homes .
These actions would allow for the construction of greater housing density .
...
Municipalities could also institute a 'density bonus , ’ which allows developers to build more units if a portion of them are maintained as affordable housing units . ''
Biden showed his support for the government-imposed change on his campaign website , saying it would `` eliminate local and state housing regulations that perpetuate discrimination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been strategically used to keep people of color and low-income families out of certain communities , '' he claimed .
`` As President , Biden will enact legislation requiring any state receiving federal dollars through the Community Development Block Grants or Surface Transportation Block Grants to develop a strategy for inclusionary zoning , as proposed in the HOME Act of 2019 by Majority Whip Clyburn and Senator Cory Booker . ''
Gingrich pointed out that President Trump rescinded a similar diversity rule from the Obama era , when Biden was vice president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by calling Trump `` a proud , vocal segregationist . ''
However , as economist and policy analyst Rupert Darwall wrote , `` Somehow , Democrats still see the suburbs as racially homogenized , lily-white enclaves — something they haven ’ t been for a long time . ''
A study by Joel Kotkin and professor Alan Berger , Darwall pointed out , showed 151 million Americans live in suburbs while just 25 million live in city centers .
And a majority of African-Americans in the nation 's 100 largest metropolitan areas live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been moving to the suburbs than whites , and the Asian population in suburban areas is growing nearly twice as fast as that of Asians living in inner-city cores , '' Darwell wrote .
Gingrich said the policy comes from the `` real belief held by many elitist Democrats that most Americans are misguided or ignorant and must be guided and directed by their enlightened leaders in Washington , D.C. '' He noted the Obama-Biden administration tried to use Westchester County , New York -- the fourth most diverse county in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its community-building scheme . ''
The county 's executive at the time , Rob Astorino , recounted in a 2013 speech the Obama-Biden administration 's `` bullying '' of local leaders to enact the federal plan .
`` The federal government has a very different agenda and vision for Westchester .
In fact , HUD calls us its 'grand experiment , ' '' he said .
`` That means Washington bureaucrats , who you will never see or meet , want the power to determine who will live where , and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that what 's at stake `` is the fundamental right of our cities , towns and villages to plan and zone for themselves . ''
`` This 'home rule ' is guaranteed by the New York State Constitution .
HUD thinks it can trample on Westchester , because it has the misguided notion that zoning and discrimination are the same thing .
They are not .
Zoning restricts what can be built , not who lives there , '' he said .
Astorino asserted `` nothing gives HUD the right to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gingrich said the policy proposal is another indicator the November election `` will be a decisive choice between a Washington-based bureaucratic dictatorship and local freedom . ''

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is sliding even further to the left, warns former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with the adoption of a "diversity" plan that would "destroy" American suburbs.
In a column for FoxNews.com, Gingrich noted Biden's endorsement of the plan by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., to "seek to diversify American suburbs by withholding federal dollars from communities that do not change local zoning ordinances to accommodate denser housing."
"The fight over the suburbs is going to be a fight over whether Biden's Washington bureaucrats can dictate how to change every neighborhood in America without regard to the wishes of the people living there," he wrote.
The policy is opposed by 65% of Americans, with just 23% favoring government playing a role in diversifying neighborhoods, according to Rasmussen Reports.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Even 56% of Democrats say it's not the government's job to dictate local community plans, the poll found, along with 73% of Republicans and 68% of independents.
Gingrich pointed to Booker's website, which explains the states "could choose to reduce restrictions on lot size, eliminate parking requirements, or allow accessory dwelling units and multifamily homes. These actions would allow for the construction of greater housing density. ... Municipalities could also institute a 'density bonus,’ which allows developers to build more units if a portion of them are maintained as affordable housing units."
Biden showed his support for the government-imposed change on his campaign website, saying it would "eliminate local and state housing regulations that perpetuate discrimination."
"Exclusionary zoning has for decades been strategically used to keep people of color and low-income families out of certain communities," he claimed. "As President, Biden will enact legislation requiring any state receiving federal dollars through the Community Development Block Grants or Surface Transportation Block Grants to develop a strategy for inclusionary zoning, as proposed in the HOME Act of 2019 by Majority Whip Clyburn and Senator Cory Booker."
Do you agree with Newt Gingrich on this issue? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 98% (215 Votes) 2% (4 Votes)
Gingrich pointed out that President Trump rescinded a similar diversity rule from the Obama era, when Biden was vice president. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., reacted by calling Trump "a proud, vocal segregationist."
However, as economist and policy analyst Rupert Darwall wrote, "Somehow, Democrats still see the suburbs as racially homogenized, lily-white enclaves — something they haven’t been for a long time."
A study by Joel Kotkin and professor Alan Berger, Darwall pointed out, showed 151 million Americans live in suburbs while just 25 million live in city centers. And a majority of African-Americans in the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas live in the suburbs.
"More Hispanics have been moving to the suburbs than whites, and the Asian population in suburban areas is growing nearly twice as fast as that of Asians living in inner-city cores," Darwell wrote.
Gingrich said the policy comes from the "real belief held by many elitist Democrats that most Americans are misguided or ignorant and must be guided and directed by their enlightened leaders in Washington, D.C."
He noted the Obama-Biden administration tried to use Westchester County, New York -- the fourth most diverse county in the state -- "as a petri dish for its community-building scheme."
The county's executive at the time, Rob Astorino, recounted in a 2013 speech the Obama-Biden administration's "bullying" of local leaders to enact the federal plan.
"The federal government has a very different agenda and vision for Westchester. In fact, HUD calls us its 'grand experiment,'" he said. "That means Washington bureaucrats, who you will never see or meet, want the power to determine who will live where, and how each neighborhood will look."
Astorino said that what's at stake "is the fundamental right of our cities, towns and villages to plan and zone for themselves."
"This 'home rule' is guaranteed by the New York State Constitution. HUD thinks it can trample on Westchester, because it has the misguided notion that zoning and discrimination are the same thing. They are not. Zoning restricts what can be built, not who lives there," he said.
Astorino asserted "nothing gives HUD the right to turn the American Dream upside down."
Gingrich said the policy proposal is another indicator the November election "will be a decisive choice between a Washington-based bureaucratic dictatorship and local freedom."


wnd--2020-08-12--Democrats' emotional blackmail on a massive scale

At this juncture , I simply must take a moment to acknowledge the unswerving loyalty of an unsung group of stalwarts among us .
I mean , who would have suspected that nearly three months after the fact , thousands of George Floyd 's closest friends would still be sufficiently enraged over his tragic death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer that they would persist in carrying on violent demonstrations all over the country ?
Sarcasm aside , of course it 's clear that these demonstrations are being organized and incited by the unabashedly Marxist Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take is that their objective lies in one of two areas : One would be to touch off a degree of civil unrest sufficient to bring about a socialist revolution in the United States .
Another possibility is that these organizations may be engaging in a form of emotional blackmail .
To wit , their intent may be to continue the violent demonstrations all the way up to November 's general election in the hope that voters will perceive a Democratic victory as an end to the chaos , particularly with a black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s , most black people did not favor the methods of the Black Panther Party , the radical paramilitary group that espoused violence ( particularly against police ) in its quest for political , social and economic equality for black Americans .
Nor did they think much of the `` by any means necessary '' politics of civil rights leader Malcolm X before he determined that the Nation of Islam was full of crap and decided to split off from it .
At that time , most blacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter – preferred the rhetoric and methods put forth by Rev .
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , who advocated civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance to institutional racism .
Now , given their voting history , it 's a foregone conclusion that most blacks will vote Democrat in November .
Due to their deep indoctrination into leftist racialist orthodoxy , most blacks believe that anything with the name `` black '' attached to it or coming from the mouths of black activists is completely righteous .
Thus , the phenomenon of prolonged rioting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some study relative to how likely voters are interpreting the mayhem .
As we know , most people who vote in this country are not ideological conservatives nor liberals .
So , apart from voters of good conscience who succumb to establishment press propaganda , we 're left with a likely majority who have witnessed months of civil unrest catalyzed on a fairly weak pretext , and which do n't seem to represent aggrieved parties in any way .
They 've heard the same juvenile and quite frightening public policy proposals being advanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and seen the senseless unrelated violence and sundry crimes committed by people who 've taken the widespread unrest as license to act out antisocially .
Despite the abysmal deportment of liberal politicians attendant to the COVID-19 pandemic and their attempts to lay each and every pandemic death at the feet of President Donald Trump , it 's probably pretty clear to these likely voters that our president has made as good of a horrible situation as he possibly could .
They 've seen the press running interference for rioters in cities like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard the preposterous reports of federal agents causing riots by virtue of their presence , or violating the rights of protesters who actively tried to cause them bodily harm .
They 've been exposed to the draconian measures enacted by liberal leaders addressing the coronavirus pandemic , and read about the Mafia-like tactics of Black Lives Matter , which has even taken to shaking down minority business owners for protection money .
Finally , they 've seen the crop of Affirmative Action-era black elected officials , police chiefs and sheriffs bumbling through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminals while trying to fulfill their sworn duties – which they 've effectively abdicated by virtue of their actions .
In a way , I find the latter to be one of the more piteous factors attendant to all of this nonsense .
While we do have black leaders of conscience in some of these positions , as someone who witnessed a lot of the civil rights struggles unfold in my youth , it 's truly heartbreaking to see how low the bar has been set for blacks in this country .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America and children learning about our political system turn on the TV and see these inarticulate , craven losers jabbering about systemic racism , reparations and their victimhood , and they 're led to believe that this is representative of blacks in America – which is profoundly sad .
For all our sakes , I just hope and pray that enough unaffiliated voters perceive the gravity of our situation , and that this will overcome the left 's emotional blackmail and the familiar `` feel good '' factor that 's sure to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's running mate .

At this juncture, I simply must take a moment to acknowledge the unswerving loyalty of an unsung group of stalwarts among us. I mean, who would have suspected that nearly three months after the fact, thousands of George Floyd's closest friends would still be sufficiently enraged over his tragic death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer that they would persist in carrying on violent demonstrations all over the country?
Sarcasm aside, of course it's clear that these demonstrations are being organized and incited by the unabashedly Marxist Black Lives Matter, Antifa and other radicals. My take is that their objective lies in one of two areas: One would be to touch off a degree of civil unrest sufficient to bring about a socialist revolution in the United States.
Another possibility is that these organizations may be engaging in a form of emotional blackmail. To wit, their intent may be to continue the violent demonstrations all the way up to November's general election in the hope that voters will perceive a Democratic victory as an end to the chaos, particularly with a black woman on the ticket.
During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, most black people did not favor the methods of the Black Panther Party, the radical paramilitary group that espoused violence (particularly against police) in its quest for political, social and economic equality for black Americans. Nor did they think much of the "by any means necessary" politics of civil rights leader Malcolm X before he determined that the Nation of Islam was full of crap and decided to split off from it. At that time, most blacks – and everyone else, for that matter – preferred the rhetoric and methods put forth by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who advocated civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance to institutional racism.
Now, given their voting history, it's a foregone conclusion that most blacks will vote Democrat in November. Due to their deep indoctrination into leftist racialist orthodoxy, most blacks believe that anything with the name "black" attached to it or coming from the mouths of black activists is completely righteous.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Thus, the phenomenon of prolonged rioting in our major urban areas does merit some study relative to how likely voters are interpreting the mayhem.
As we know, most people who vote in this country are not ideological conservatives nor liberals. So, apart from voters of good conscience who succumb to establishment press propaganda, we're left with a likely majority who have witnessed months of civil unrest catalyzed on a fairly weak pretext, and which don't seem to represent aggrieved parties in any way. They've heard the same juvenile and quite frightening public policy proposals being advanced by inarticulate protesters and elected Democrats alike, and seen the senseless unrelated violence and sundry crimes committed by people who've taken the widespread unrest as license to act out antisocially.
Despite the abysmal deportment of liberal politicians attendant to the COVID-19 pandemic and their attempts to lay each and every pandemic death at the feet of President Donald Trump, it's probably pretty clear to these likely voters that our president has made as good of a horrible situation as he possibly could.
They've seen the press running interference for rioters in cities like Portland and Seattle for weeks, and heard the preposterous reports of federal agents causing riots by virtue of their presence, or violating the rights of protesters who actively tried to cause them bodily harm. They've been exposed to the draconian measures enacted by liberal leaders addressing the coronavirus pandemic, and read about the Mafia-like tactics of Black Lives Matter, which has even taken to shaking down minority business owners for protection money.
Finally, they've seen the crop of Affirmative Action-era black elected officials, police chiefs and sheriffs bumbling through the impossible undertaking of showing solidarity with violent criminals while trying to fulfill their sworn duties – which they've effectively abdicated by virtue of their actions.
In a way, I find the latter to be one of the more piteous factors attendant to all of this nonsense. While we do have black leaders of conscience in some of these positions, as someone who witnessed a lot of the civil rights struggles unfold in my youth, it's truly heartbreaking to see how low the bar has been set for blacks in this country. People from other nations, whites in rural America and children learning about our political system turn on the TV and see these inarticulate, craven losers jabbering about systemic racism, reparations and their victimhood, and they're led to believe that this is representative of blacks in America – which is profoundly sad.
For all our sakes, I just hope and pray that enough unaffiliated voters perceive the gravity of our situation, and that this will overcome the left's emotional blackmail and the familiar "feel good" factor that's sure to be advanced with Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate.