powerlineblog--2020-11-23--School shutdowns border on the irrational

I ’ m not quick to label approaches to dealing with the Wuhan coronavirus irrational .
For example , I don ’ t think it was irrational for Norway to institute a lockdown last Spring or for Sweden not to do so .
Both were rational responses to a novel crisis .
Similarly , I don ’ t think it ’ s irrational now , with the virus spreading again so rapidly , to impose heightened restrictions in some areas for a few months until vaccines become widely available .
Nor is it irrational not to do so .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the case , the worst one usually can say about a choice is that it ’ s misguided , not irrational .
Accordingly , I ’ m reluctant to label school shutdowns irrational .
However , I think that , in general , they so misguided as to come close to defying rationality .
At the beginning of the school year , [ students in the Arlington Public School ( APS ) ] were supposed to return to school with options to accommodate the safety concerns of students , teachers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sits in limbo with a promise to consider options again in Mid-January 2021 .
Nobody is fooled by this promise and parents now see that schools will not be opening anytime soon .
Since one of the criteria for re-opening is teacher buy-in , the plan has no hope .
Currently , only 39 percent of APS teachers are willing to return to the classroom even for hybrid instruction with appropriate safety precautions and safety options for those with special health concerns .
In other words , schools remain shut not because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus vs. the need to educate students in person — but because of a veto by teachers .
The school district points to a set of public health metrics ( a dashboard ) that seem unlikely to be met anytime in the next year ( or perhaps ever ) .
In fact , some of the metrics could not have been met even in the pre-COVID era , such as area hospital capacity .
[ Note : Our reader informs me that after he sent his email to me , the APS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more attainable level . ]
The result is that students are stuck on their computer screens for 7 hours per day without any in-person contact with their teachers or peers .
APS claims this to be a tremendous success because attendance is high , but the fact of the matter is that virtual-only instruction is a poor substitute for in-person instruction or hybrid instruction .
I haven ’ t talked to a single parent of a child doing all of his or her learning online who believes that the education being received is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veto rooted in rational health concerns ?
Seemingly not : The links , a few dozen of them , are collected here .
Our reader points to the experience in Europe , which , in general , has been every bit as inclined as the U.S. to give predominate weight in its decisionmaking to preventing spread of the virus : That ’ s right .
According to this article from NPR : Across Europe , schools and child care centers are staying open even as much of the continent reports rising coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathering places are shut or restricted .
Countries such as France , the United Kingdom , Germany and Italy appear to be following the emerging evidence that schools have not been major centers of transmission of the virus , especially for young children .
And experts say these nations are also demonstrating a commitment to avoiding the worst impacts of the pandemic on children.. .
.
.
Johannes Huebner , the head of the pediatric infectious disease department at the Ludwig-Maximilians University Hospital in Munich , recently told NPR correspondent Rob Schmitz that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of transmission in schools .
“ Most of the infections are brought into the schools by adults , by teachers , and then spread among kids .
But most of the time , it ’ s only single cases .
It ’ s two , three kids , five maybe that get positive.
” The same is true in the U.S. Joe Nocera points out : Moreover , school age children will almost never suffer serious health effects in the very unlikely event they become infected .
The difference between school closure policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with “ the science ” or with reasonable tradeoff decisions .
It has everything to do with the power of teachers ’ unions .
As the father of a high school senior , I see first-hand the social anxiety that has resulted from students being isolated from their peers .
I see the frustration and helplessness that students currently feel from having high school rites of passage denied to them .
From what I see and hear , these growing feelings of despair are widespread among high school seniors in Arlington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not appropriately considering the mental health toll that is resulting from student isolation caused by closed schools .
Moreover , requests to meet counselors one-on-one in the school by appointment and with full safety precautions , have been declined .
The schools are locked down tight .
I know many parents who are eager to help reopen our schools safely .
They would welcome the opportunity to raise money or serve in volunteer roles to ensure safety for students and staff in re-opened schools .
These offers have been rebuffed by the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public school lockdown is a permanent decline in enrollment .
Our reader notes that in Arlington , school enrollments have declined 4.5 percent over the past year even though they were projected to increase this year .
Public school enrollments are also down in Montgomery County , where I live .
Declining enrollment likely means a proportionate decrease in state funding .
Public schools are shooting themselves in the foot by closing down .
More importantly , they are harming their students — permanently .
As the NPR article explains , studies show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child ’ s chances of graduating from high school .
This , in turn , lowers life expectancy because people with less education are more likely to smoke , more likely to drink heavily , more likely to suffer from heart disease , and more likely to perform more hazardous work .
These impacts may well prove to be the most lasting impact of the Wuhan coronavirus in the U.S .

I’m not quick to label approaches to dealing with the Wuhan coronavirus irrational. For example, I don’t think it was irrational for Norway to institute a lockdown last Spring or for Sweden not to do so. Both were rational responses to a novel crisis.
Similarly, I don’t think it’s irrational now, with the virus spreading again so rapidly, to impose heightened restrictions in some areas for a few months until vaccines become widely available. Nor is it irrational not to do so.
These decisions involve tradeoffs. When that’s the case, the worst one usually can say about a choice is that it’s misguided, not irrational.
Accordingly, I’m reluctant to label school shutdowns irrational. However, I think that, in general, they so misguided as to come close to defying rationality.
A reader from Northern Virginia writes:
At the beginning of the school year, [students in the Arlington Public School (APS)] were supposed to return to school with options to accommodate the safety concerns of students, teachers, and school staff. However, the plan sits in limbo with a promise to consider options again in Mid-January 2021. Nobody is fooled by this promise and parents now see that schools will not be opening anytime soon. Since one of the criteria for re-opening is teacher buy-in, the plan has no hope. Currently, only 39 percent of APS teachers are willing to return to the classroom even for hybrid instruction with appropriate safety precautions and safety options for those with special health concerns.
In other words, schools remain shut not because of an analysis of tradeoffs — protection from the virus vs. the need to educate students in person — but because of a veto by teachers.
Our reader continues:
The school district points to a set of public health metrics (a dashboard) that seem unlikely to be met anytime in the next year (or perhaps ever). In fact, some of the metrics could not have been met even in the pre-COVID era, such as area hospital capacity. [Note: Our reader informs me that after he sent his email to me, the APS superintendent changed the hospital-occupancy metric to a more attainable level.] The result is that students are stuck on their computer screens for 7 hours per day without any in-person contact with their teachers or peers. APS claims this to be a tremendous success because attendance is high, but the fact of the matter is that virtual-only instruction is a poor substitute for in-person instruction or hybrid instruction.
I haven’t talked to a single parent of a child doing all of his or her learning online who believes that the education being received is satisfactory.
But is the teachers’ veto rooted in rational health concerns? Seemingly not:
APS claims they are “following the science” but parents are not fooled because they know that APS conveniently ignores peer-reviewed research that fails to support their position. The newly formed advocacy group Arlington Parents for Education provides a list on their website of some of the research the school district chooses to ignore:
The links, a few dozen of them, are collected here.
Our reader points to the experience in Europe, which, in general, has been every bit as inclined as the U.S. to give predominate weight in its decisionmaking to preventing spread of the virus:
[W]hile Britain has recently implemented a “circuit breaker” lockdown due to COVID, they have managed to keep schools open. I understand that the same is true in France.
That’s right. According to this article from NPR:
Across Europe, schools and child care centers are staying open even as much of the continent reports rising coronavirus cases, and even as many businesses and gathering places are shut or restricted. Countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy appear to be following the emerging evidence that schools have not been major centers of transmission of the virus, especially for young children. And experts say these nations are also demonstrating a commitment to avoiding the worst impacts of the pandemic on children.. . . . Johannes Huebner, the head of the pediatric infectious disease department at the Ludwig-Maximilians University Hospital in Munich, recently told NPR correspondent Rob Schmitz that scientific studies have not detected high rates of transmission in schools. “Most of the infections are brought into the schools by adults, by teachers, and then spread among kids. But most of the time, it’s only single cases. It’s two, three kids, five maybe that get positive.”
(Emphasis added)
The same is true in the U.S. Joe Nocera points out:
[In] New York City, which tragically shut down its school system on Thursday after having opened schools to hybrid learning in late September. Did Mayor Bill de Blasio make the decision to close them because they were suddenly COVID-19 hotspots? No. Although the citywide positivity rate has risen above 3%, the rate of infection in the schools was astonishingly low: 0.15%. Kids were not infecting teachers, and teachers weren’t infecting students — just as study after study had suggested would be the case.
Moreover, school age children will almost never suffer serious health effects in the very unlikely event they become infected.
The difference between school closure policy in the U.S. and Europe has nothing to do with “the science” or with reasonable tradeoff decisions. It has everything to do with the power of teachers’ unions.
Our reader adds a personal note:
As the father of a high school senior, I see first-hand the social anxiety that has resulted from students being isolated from their peers. I see the frustration and helplessness that students currently feel from having high school rites of passage denied to them. From what I see and hear, these growing feelings of despair are widespread among high school seniors in Arlington County. I fear that APS is not appropriately considering the mental health toll that is resulting from student isolation caused by closed schools. Moreover, requests to meet counselors one-on-one in the school by appointment and with full safety precautions, have been declined. The schools are locked down tight. I know many parents who are eager to help reopen our schools safely. They would welcome the opportunity to raise money or serve in volunteer roles to ensure safety for students and staff in re-opened schools. These offers have been rebuffed by the school district.
(Emphasis added)
One likely outcome of the public school lockdown is a permanent decline in enrollment. Our reader notes that in Arlington, school enrollments have declined 4.5 percent over the past year even though they were projected to increase this year. Public school enrollments are also down in Montgomery County, where I live.
Declining enrollment likely means a proportionate decrease in state funding. Public schools are shooting themselves in the foot by closing down.
More importantly, they are harming their students — permanently. As the NPR article explains, studies show that missing months of school lowers a child’s chances of graduating from high school. This, in turn, lowers life expectancy because people with less education are more likely to smoke, more likely to drink heavily, more likely to suffer from heart disease, and more likely to perform more hazardous work.
These impacts may well prove to be the most lasting impact of the Wuhan coronavirus in the U.S.


The DiAngelo factor

The Washington Free Beacon ’ s Charles Fain Lehman reports on the forum conducted via Zoom by the University of Wisconsin ’ s Division of Diversity , Equity , and Educational Achievement .
Doing the work that the mainstream media refuse to do , Lehman draws on documents obtained from the university in response to a freedom-of-information request for this outstanding report .
Here is the opening : The prominent diversity consultant Robin DiAngelo raked in $ 12,750 for a speaking gig last month at the University of Wisconsin—70 percent more than the other keynote speaker , black female author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin-Madison ’ s Division of Diversity , Equity , and Educational Achievement paid Channing Brown just $ 7,500 for her keynote address at its annual Diversity Forum , receipts obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show .
The payments were negotiated with the Harry Walker Agency , a New York-based speakers bureau that represents both women .
DiAngelo has called such inequitable treatment the racist heart of capitalism , claiming that “ capitalism is dependent on inequality.… If the model is profit over everything else , you ’ re not going to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most racially equitable.
” There are so many absurd elements to the story that one may infer it is impossible to satirize higher education conjoined with the big business of anti-racism .
Much more here .
Quotable quote : “ And while DiAngelo has made her name demanding that white people stop avoiding difficult conversations , she did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Free Beacon .
”

The Washington Free Beacon’s Charles Fain Lehman reports on the forum conducted via Zoom by the University of Wisconsin’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement. Doing the work that the mainstream media refuse to do, Lehman draws on documents obtained from the university in response to a freedom-of-information request for this outstanding report. Here is the opening:
The prominent diversity consultant Robin DiAngelo raked in $12,750 for a speaking gig last month at the University of Wisconsin—70 percent more than the other keynote speaker, black female author Austin Channing Brown. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement paid Channing Brown just $7,500 for her keynote address at its annual Diversity Forum, receipts obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show. The payments were negotiated with the Harry Walker Agency, a New York-based speakers bureau that represents both women. DiAngelo has called such inequitable treatment the racist heart of capitalism, claiming that “capitalism is dependent on inequality.… If the model is profit over everything else, you’re not going to look at your policies to see what is most racially equitable.”
There are so many absurd elements to the story that one may infer it is impossible to satirize higher education conjoined with the big business of anti-racism. Much more here.
Quotable quote: “And while DiAngelo has made her name demanding that white people stop avoiding difficult conversations, she did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Free Beacon.”


powerlineblog--2020-11-23--Reports: Netanyahu met with crown prince [updated]

President Trump is one of the most consequential presidents in American history .
He accomplished great good under constant attack , including from enemies at the FBI , the CIA , and the National Security Council from day 1 of his administration .
I am referring to the Russia hoax , of course , and to the related impeachment hoax , but there is much more .
It turns out that Trump ’ s diplomacy has unleashed previously unthinkable progress toward peace in the Middle East .
The contrast with the Obama administration on this score could not be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the “ Death to America ” folks running the Iranian regime and financing terrorism around the world .
Indeed , Obama chipped in a fortune to support them .
Today comes word “ Netanyahu , Mossad head traveled to Saudi Arabia , met with crown prince — report.
” This is stunning news : In the first visit of its kind , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Saudi Arabia on Sunday , where he met with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , an Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Netanyahu was on the ground in Neom , a Red Sea city , for five hours for the first known high-level meeting between an Israeli and Saudi leader .
He was accompanied by Mossad intelligence chief Yossi Cohen , according to the reports .
Pompeo earlier on Monday said he had held a “ constructive ” meeting with Saudi Arabia ’ s crown prince the night before , as he wrapped up a seven-nation tour that included stops in Israel and Gulf nations .
He made no mention of the reported presence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman .
Our security and economic partnership is strong and we ’ ll continue to harness it to advance efforts to counter malign Iranian influence in the Gulf , economic goals under the Vision 2030 plan , and human rights reform , ” tweeted the top American diplomat , describing the meeting as “ constructive.
” There was no confirmation of the reports from Israel , the US or Saudi Arabia .
However , in a hint at the trip , an aide to Netanyahu tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launching a probe into a naval acquisitions scandal , writing that “ Gantz is playing politics while the prime minister is making peace.
” Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri demanded an explanation from Saudi Arabia , calling the alleged visit “ an insult to the nation and an invitation to attack Palestinian rights.
” The Kan public broadcaster reported that the talks focused on Iran and the incoming Biden administration .
Netanyahu and Cohen traveled to Saudi Arabia on the private plane of businessman Ehud Angel — the same jet that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Oman last year , according to Kan .
The reports came after Twitter users noticed that a private jet had made a rare trip between Tel Aviv and Neom on Sunday evening , sparking speculation of a high-level meeting .
Much more here .
However , it appears the talks did not yield results .
The Wall Street Journal reported that an anonymous “ Saudi government advisor ” said that Netanyahu and bin Salman discussed Iran and normalization , but reached no agreements .
The Saudis ’ position , apparently , still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement between Israel and the Palestinians .
Saudi Arabia ’ s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said Sunday , “ We have supported normalization with Israel for a long time , but one very important thing must happen first : a permanent and full peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.
” One can only hope there is more to come .

President Trump is one of the most consequential presidents in American history. He accomplished great good under constant attack, including from enemies at the FBI, the CIA, and the National Security Council from day 1 of his administration. I am referring to the Russia hoax, of course, and to the related impeachment hoax, but there is much more.
It turns out that Trump’s diplomacy has unleashed previously unthinkable progress toward peace in the Middle East. The contrast with the Obama administration on this score could not be more striking. Obama aligned the United States with the “Death to America” folks running the Iranian regime and financing terrorism around the world. Indeed, Obama chipped in a fortune to support them.
Today comes word “Netanyahu, Mossad head traveled to Saudi Arabia, met with crown prince — report.” This is stunning news:
In the first visit of its kind, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, an Israeli official told Hebrew media on Monday. Netanyahu was on the ground in Neom, a Red Sea city, for five hours for the first known high-level meeting between an Israeli and Saudi leader. He was accompanied by Mossad intelligence chief Yossi Cohen, according to the reports. Pompeo earlier on Monday said he had held a “constructive” meeting with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince the night before, as he wrapped up a seven-nation tour that included stops in Israel and Gulf nations. He made no mention of the reported presence of the Israeli leader. “Pleasure to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Our security and economic partnership is strong and we’ll continue to harness it to advance efforts to counter malign Iranian influence in the Gulf, economic goals under the Vision 2030 plan, and human rights reform,” tweeted the top American diplomat, describing the meeting as “constructive.” There was no confirmation of the reports from Israel, the US or Saudi Arabia. However, in a hint at the trip, an aide to Netanyahu tweeted a report about Defense Minister Benny Gantz launching a probe into a naval acquisitions scandal, writing that “Gantz is playing politics while the prime minister is making peace.” Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri demanded an explanation from Saudi Arabia, calling the alleged visit “an insult to the nation and an invitation to attack Palestinian rights.” The Kan public broadcaster reported that the talks focused on Iran and the incoming Biden administration. Netanyahu and Cohen traveled to Saudi Arabia on the private plane of businessman Ehud Angel — the same jet that the prime minister used for a covert visit to Oman last year, according to Kan. The reports came after Twitter users noticed that a private jet had made a rare trip between Tel Aviv and Neom on Sunday evening, sparking speculation of a high-level meeting.
Much more here.
UPDATE: WorldJewishDaily adds this:
However, it appears the talks did not yield results. The Wall Street Journal reported that an anonymous “Saudi government advisor” said that Netanyahu and bin Salman discussed Iran and normalization, but reached no agreements. The Saudis’ position, apparently, still remains opposed to normalization without a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said Sunday, “We have supported normalization with Israel for a long time, but one very important thing must happen first: a permanent and full peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.”
One can only hope there is more to come.


Exit Sidney Powell

When Rudy Giuliani took the lectern at his 90-minute press conference last week ( video below ) , he was accompanied by five members of the Trump campaign ’ s legal team including Sidney Powell .
Indeed , the press conference was billed as that of the Trump legal team .
After greeting the assembled reporters , Giuliani stated : “ This is representative of our legal team .
We ’ re representing President Trump and we ’ re representing the Trump campaign.
” To be clear , Sidney Powell was not presented as a guest star or independent contractor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the team representing the Trump campaign or President Trump .
Last night in a statement attributed to Giuliani and fellow campaign attorney Jenna Ellis , Powell was cut loose with this statement : “ Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own .
She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team .
She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.
” In a statement of her own , Powell acknowledged that she “ underst [ ood ] today ’ s press release ” and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ # WeThePeople who had their votes for Trump and other Republicans stolen by massive fraud… ” Powell ’ s performance on Trump ’ s legal team reflected poorly on it .
It might have been laughable under other circumstances .
One can only wonder what they thought she was going to say .
It can ’ t have come as a shock to them that she would school us in “ a conspiracy so immense.
” Her performance came off as unhinged .
Among the publications with a conservative orientation reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team are the Washington Examiner ( Jerry Dunleavy ) and Breitbart ( Joel Pollak ) .
If you want to understand why Powell is now off on her own , read Dunleavy and Pollak .
Powell has been interviewed by a bunch of high-profile right-wing media figures over the last two weeks , all of whom credited her .
Do any of them mind that she evidently misled them ?
If so , it ’ d be good to hear it .
Someone who didn ’ t fail his audience was Tucker Carlson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post ] , who told his viewers exactly what they needed to hear and caught a lot of flak for it from hard-core Trumpists — that Powell wasn ’ t able or willing to provide any evidence for her ever-more outlandish charges .
It ’ s good that Powell ’ s cashiering will presumably take some wind out of her sails , but it ’ s a disgrace that she ever got within a hundred miles of a president ’ s legal team , let alone that she was given such a platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is time for ardent conservative supporters of President Trump , of whom I am one , to let the reality principle intrude .

When Rudy Giuliani took the lectern at his 90-minute press conference last week (video below), he was accompanied by five members of the Trump campaign’s legal team including Sidney Powell. Indeed, the press conference was billed as that of the Trump legal team. After greeting the assembled reporters, Giuliani stated: “This is representative of our legal team. We’re representing President Trump and we’re representing the Trump campaign.”
To be clear, Sidney Powell was not presented as a guest star or independent contractor. She was presented as a member of the team representing the Trump campaign or President Trump. Last night in a statement attributed to Giuliani and fellow campaign attorney Jenna Ellis, Powell was cut loose with this statement: “Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own. She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.”
In a statement of her own, Powell acknowledged that she “underst[ood] today’s press release” and that she would continue her work on behalf of “#WeThePeople who had their votes for Trump and other Republicans stolen by massive fraud…”
Powell’s performance on Trump’s legal team reflected poorly on it. It might have been laughable under other circumstances. One can only wonder what they thought she was going to say. It can’t have come as a shock to them that she would school us in “a conspiracy so immense.” Her performance came off as unhinged.
Among the publications with a conservative orientation reporting Powell’s departure from the Trump team are the Washington Examiner (Jerry Dunleavy) and Breitbart (Joel Pollak). If you want to understand why Powell is now off on her own, read Dunleavy and Pollak.
Rich Lowry observes:
Powell has been interviewed by a bunch of high-profile right-wing media figures over the last two weeks, all of whom credited her. Do any of them mind that she evidently misled them? If so, it’d be good to hear it. Someone who didn’t fail his audience was Tucker Carlson [quoted in my “Conspiracy” post], who told his viewers exactly what they needed to hear and caught a lot of flak for it from hard-core Trumpists — that Powell wasn’t able or willing to provide any evidence for her ever-more outlandish charges. It’s good that Powell’s cashiering will presumably take some wind out of her sails, but it’s a disgrace that she ever got within a hundred miles of a president’s legal team, let alone that she was given such a platform to spout her disgraceful nonsense.
It is time for ardent conservative supporters of President Trump, of whom I am one, to let the reality principle intrude.


powerlineblog--2020-11-24--Democrats confront a new reality — a tiny majority in the House

When the dust settles from the 2020 election , House Democrats will find themselves with a very slender majority , possibly just four seats more than the majority threshold of 218 .
Whatever the precise number , the margin will be the smallest in the House in two decades .
Thus , just a few defections on any legislation will prevent the Democrats from passing it , unless some Republicans join them .
Few if any Republican are likely to help the Dems pass anything controversial .
The Washington Post tries to think through the new reality in this piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of inside baseball , but will be of interest to some of our readers .
I suspect that the approach of House Democrats may depend to some extent on what happens in the Georgia runoff races .
Unless the Democrats win both races , they will be a minority in the Senate .
In that case , there won ’ t be much incentive for House Dems to try to pass anything controversial .
Doing very little legislatively , while holding plenty of hearings especially ones about the Trump administration , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why twist the arms of potentially vulnerable Democrats if the product of the arm twisting will be dead on arrival in the Senate ?
The downside of legislative passivity would be a frustrated base , fired up by left-wing House members like Ocasio-Cortez .
This might result in a few new challenges to incumbents by “ squad ” wannabes .
But that ’ s a risk that Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer would probably be willing to take .
However , if the Democrats get to 50 seats in the Senate , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compelled to fight to pass meaningful legislation .
This , despite the fact that the legislation will likely die in the Senate .
With 50 seats , the legislative filibuster probably isn ’ t going to be abolished .
But with 50 seats , Senate Democrats could take up legislation passed by the House .
So the dead-on-arrival excuse wouldn ’ t fly .
And passing legislation in this scenario might cause Senate Republicans to cast votes they rather would not .
Keep in mind that , just as Democratic control of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , control of the Senate will be very much up for grabs in that election , too .
Still , there are limits to how hard House leaders will be able to push Democratic members .
According to the Post , Hoyer has instructed committee chairmen to ensure that the bills they advance are bipartisan or can win the support of a broad spectrum of Democrats .
And as a means of obtaining support for must-pass spending bill , Hoyer hopes to reinstitute what the Post calls “ an altered system of appropriations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be the signature accomplishment of the House during the next two years .
The lesson may be that wasteful , abusive spending practices never die .
They just wait for Democrats to keep them alive .

When the dust settles from the 2020 election, House Democrats will find themselves with a very slender majority, possibly just four seats more than the majority threshold of 218. Whatever the precise number, the margin will be the smallest in the House in two decades.
Thus, just a few defections on any legislation will prevent the Democrats from passing it, unless some Republicans join them. Few if any Republican are likely to help the Dems pass anything controversial.
The Washington Post tries to think through the new reality in this piece by Mike DeBonis. The article contains plenty of inside baseball, but will be of interest to some of our readers.
I suspect that the approach of House Democrats may depend to some extent on what happens in the Georgia runoff races. Unless the Democrats win both races, they will be a minority in the Senate.
In that case, there won’t be much incentive for House Dems to try to pass anything controversial. Doing very little legislatively, while holding plenty of hearings especially ones about the Trump administration, would seem to be the optimal strategy. Why twist the arms of potentially vulnerable Democrats if the product of the arm twisting will be dead on arrival in the Senate?
The downside of legislative passivity would be a frustrated base, fired up by left-wing House members like Ocasio-Cortez. This might result in a few new challenges to incumbents by “squad” wannabes. But that’s a risk that Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer would probably be willing to take.
However, if the Democrats get to 50 seats in the Senate, I suspect that Pelosi and Hoyer will feel compelled to fight to pass meaningful legislation. This, despite the fact that the legislation will likely die in the Senate. With 50 seats, the legislative filibuster probably isn’t going to be abolished.
But with 50 seats, Senate Democrats could take up legislation passed by the House. So the dead-on-arrival excuse wouldn’t fly.
And passing legislation in this scenario might cause Senate Republicans to cast votes they rather would not. Keep in mind that, just as Democratic control of the House will be in jeopardy in 2022, control of the Senate will be very much up for grabs in that election, too.
Still, there are limits to how hard House leaders will be able to push Democratic members. According to the Post, Hoyer has instructed committee chairmen to ensure that the bills they advance are bipartisan or can win the support of a broad spectrum of Democrats.
And as a means of obtaining support for must-pass spending bill, Hoyer hopes to reinstitute what the Post calls “an altered system of appropriations earmarks.” Perhaps the revival of earmarks will be the signature accomplishment of the House during the next two years.
The lesson may be that wasteful, abusive spending practices never die. They just wait for Democrats to keep them alive.


powerlineblog--2020-11-24--Biden’s Foreign Policy Retreads

Biden’s Foreign Policy Retreads

Today Joe Biden announced several key members of his foreign policy team , assuming he takes office in January .
His selections are all long-time Democratic Party mediocrities , suggesting that he has learned nothing from President Trump ’ s foreign policy successes .
In fact , Biden made that clear in today ’ s announcement : The idea that America ’ s “ seat at the head of the table ” has been lost during the last four years is preposterous to anyone who has paid attention , but what Biden means is that he will go back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ characterized the Obama years .
Likewise , the last thing Biden intends is for his policies to “ advance our security , prosperity , and values.
” That would mean putting America First .
So who are Biden ’ s prospective appointees ?
Jake Sullivan is slated to be Secretary of State .
Sullivan was Hillary Clinton ’ s deputy chief of staff when she held that office .
He later served as Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s top national security aide , and was said to be “ instrumental in shaping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he still defends against all evidence .
Sullivan has figured in quite a few Power Line posts over the years .
He was up to his eyeballs in the Benghazi scandal , as this post reflects : Following Susan Rice ’ s infamous talk show appearances in which she claimed that the Benghazi attack was a spontaneous eruption of violence , triggered by an offensive anti-Muslim video , Clinton aide Jake Sullivan told his boss that Rice “ ma [ d ] e clear our view that this started spontaneously then evolved.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s story at the time .
However , it was inconsistent with the facts as Clinton ’ s staff knew them to be .
Documents obtained by Judicial Watch show that top aides for Clinton , including Sullivan and chief of staff Cheryl Mills , knew from the outset that the Benghazi compound was under attack by armed assailants and that there was good reason to believe the assailants were tied to a terrorist group .
[ T ] he FBI reportedly has been able to develop a list of individuals who will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emails in order to get at the issue of how classified information “ jumped the gap.
” The list of individuals is said to be relatively small — about a dozen .
The pivotal figure is probably Clinton aide Jake Sullivan because he forwarded so many emails containing highly classified information to Clinton , including one that referred to human spying .
It sounds like prospective U.N .
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield will fit right in at the U.N. , which is about the worst insult one can hurl at someone in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times : A Joe Biden administration will include Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations , according to various reports .
If true , that means goodbye America First global diplomacy ; hello social justice .
It also means a return to Barack Obama days when America was bowing to foreign heads of states , expressing disgust with the concept of American Exceptionalism and practically begging , practically please , please , pretty please begging other nations not to , say , kidnap our sailors and splash their frightened kidnapped faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America to see .
Is that too harsh ?
This is what Thomas-Greenfield wrote in Foreign Policy : Wilting power ?
Well , to be fair , it certainly was wilting when Thomas-Greenfield served in the Obama administration , before Trump fired her in 2017 .
And diminishing America ’ s role in the world is what Democrats are best at .
Then there is John Kerry , who is in line for a position as “ climate czar.
” As Steve noted earlier today , “ if you want nothing done , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the job.
” I will hazard a wild guess that if Kerry serves as climate czar for four years , average global temperatures will be precisely the same at the end of that time as if there were no such position , to as many decimal places as you choose .
Kerry , meanwhile , will feed lavishly at the multilateral global warming trough .
What these prospective appointees have in common is that they are retreads .
Joe Biden wants to bring us back to the perverse foreign policy era of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As many have pointed out , whether you think Obama ’ s policies were a failure depends on what you think he was trying to achieve .

Today Joe Biden announced several key members of his foreign policy team, assuming he takes office in January. His selections are all long-time Democratic Party mediocrities, suggesting that he has learned nothing from President Trump’s foreign policy successes.
In fact, Biden made that clear in today’s announcement:
We have no time to lose when it comes to our national security and foreign policy. I need a team ready on Day One to help me reclaim America’s seat at the head of the table, rally the world to meet the biggest challenges we face, and advance our security, prosperity, and values.
The idea that America’s “seat at the head of the table” has been lost during the last four years is preposterous to anyone who has paid attention, but what Biden means is that he will go back to the pointless yammering at global confabs that characterized the Obama years. Likewise, the last thing Biden intends is for his policies to “advance our security, prosperity, and values.” That would mean putting America First.
So who are Biden’s prospective appointees? Jake Sullivan is slated to be Secretary of State. Sullivan was Hillary Clinton’s deputy chief of staff when she held that office. He later served as Vice-President Joe Biden’s top national security aide, and was said to be “instrumental in shaping the 2015 Iran nuclear deal,” which he still defends against all evidence.
Sullivan has figured in quite a few Power Line posts over the years. He was up to his eyeballs in the Benghazi scandal, as this post reflects:
Following Susan Rice’s infamous talk show appearances in which she claimed that the Benghazi attack was a spontaneous eruption of violence, triggered by an offensive anti-Muslim video, Clinton aide Jake Sullivan told his boss that Rice “ma[d]e clear our view that this started spontaneously then evolved.” This “view” was Clinton’s story at the time. However, it was inconsistent with the facts as Clinton’s staff knew them to be. Documents obtained by Judicial Watch show that top aides for Clinton, including Sullivan and chief of staff Cheryl Mills, knew from the outset that the Benghazi compound was under attack by armed assailants and that there was good reason to believe the assailants were tied to a terrorist group.
Sullivan likewise figured prominently in Hillary’s off-the-books email scandal. See, e.g.:
[T]he FBI reportedly has been able to develop a list of individuals who will be questioned about their direct handling of the emails in order to get at the issue of how classified information “jumped the gap.” The list of individuals is said to be relatively small — about a dozen. The pivotal figure is probably Clinton aide Jake Sullivan because he forwarded so many emails containing highly classified information to Clinton, including one that referred to human spying.
It sounds like prospective U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield will fit right in at the U.N., which is about the worst insult one can hurl at someone in the foreign policy establishment. From the Washington Times:
A Joe Biden administration will include Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, according to various reports. If true, that means goodbye America First global diplomacy; hello social justice. It also means a return to Barack Obama days when America was bowing to foreign heads of states, expressing disgust with the concept of American Exceptionalism and practically begging, practically please, please, pretty please begging other nations not to, say, kidnap our sailors and splash their frightened kidnapped faces on billboards for all the haters of America to see.
Is that too harsh? This is what Thomas-Greenfield wrote in Foreign Policy:
The contours of a new agenda for diplomatic reform have to flow from a sensible reinvention of the United States’ role in the world. … U.S. diplomacy has to accept [this] country’s diminished, but still pivotal, role in global affairs. It has to apply greater restraint and discipline; it must develop a greater awareness of the United States’ position and more humility about the wilting power of the American example.
Wilting power? Well, to be fair, it certainly was wilting when Thomas-Greenfield served in the Obama administration, before Trump fired her in 2017. And diminishing America’s role in the world is what Democrats are best at.
Then there is John Kerry, who is in line for a position as “climate czar.” As Steve noted earlier today, “if you want nothing done, John Kerry is just the man for the job.” I will hazard a wild guess that if Kerry serves as climate czar for four years, average global temperatures will be precisely the same at the end of that time as if there were no such position, to as many decimal places as you choose. Kerry, meanwhile, will feed lavishly at the multilateral global warming trough.
What these prospective appointees have in common is that they are retreads. Joe Biden wants to bring us back to the perverse foreign policy era of the Obama administration–perverse because it was anti-American. As many have pointed out, whether you think Obama’s policies were a failure depends on what you think he was trying to achieve.


powerlineblog--2020-11-24--Electing radical judges, the new frontier in wrecking our justice system

We have written often about the Soros-funded campaign to elect radical prosecutors .
Its success has helped undermine the criminal justice system in St. Louis , for example .
The next step for the same hard-left crowd might well be to elect radical judges .
Doing so can erect a second barrier — a backup — to punishing criminals .
In Maryland , four outside challengers won election to circuit courts this month .
It ’ s extremely rare for an incumbent circuit judge to lose in Maryland .
There ’ s nothing wrong with outsiders winning elections , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The key questions are always the quality of the outsiders , compared to the incumbents , and what the outsiders stand for .
In Maryland , it appears from the Washington Post ’ s account that most , if not all , of the victorious outsiders are pro-criminal defendant and sympathetic to the BLM critique of the judicial system .
The two outsiders who won in Prince George ’ s County certainly fit this description .
Gladys Weatherspoon is a longtime criminal defense attorney .
She campaigned on the promise to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incarceration .
This , of course , will exacerbate America ’ s under-incarceration problem , which is responsible for many a bloody crime .
The other outsider , April Ademiluyi , seems cut from the same cloth .
She blames the coronavirus pandemic for “ spurring people to crime.
” Defense attorneys in the county must already be preparing their the-virus-made-him-do-it pleas for lenient sentencing .
The Prince George ’ s County police department is 63 percent African-American and only 14 percent White .
The interim police chief is Latino .
The County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast majority incumbent circuit judges .
I doubt that racism or lack of sympathy for Blacks is a problem in the Prince George ’ s circuit courts or its criminal justice system generally .
But crime is a serious problem in Prince George ’ s County .
Three towns in the county are considered among ten most dangerous places in Maryland .
In 2018 , Prince George ’ s County ’ s violent crime rate was 218 per 100,000 residents .
In neighboring Montgomery County , the number was 165 .
In nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern Virginia , Fairfax County ’ s violent crime rate was 81 .
So far this year , there have been 83 homicides in Prince George ’ s County .
In Montgomery County , there have been 15 .
Wisely , Montgomery County voters rejected a BLM-type candidate for a circuit court judgeship .
I feel sorry for those PG County voters who were equally wise , but outvoted .

We have written often about the Soros-funded campaign to elect radical prosecutors. Its success has helped undermine the criminal justice system in St. Louis, for example.
The next step for the same hard-left crowd might well be to elect radical judges. Doing so can erect a second barrier — a backup — to punishing criminals.
In Maryland, four outside challengers won election to circuit courts this month. It’s extremely rare for an incumbent circuit judge to lose in Maryland.
There’s nothing wrong with outsiders winning elections, of course. It can be healthy thing.
The key questions are always the quality of the outsiders, compared to the incumbents, and what the outsiders stand for. In Maryland, it appears from the Washington Post’s account that most, if not all, of the victorious outsiders are pro-criminal defendant and sympathetic to the BLM critique of the judicial system.
The two outsiders who won in Prince George’s County certainly fit this description. Gladys Weatherspoon is a longtime criminal defense attorney. She campaigned on the promise to push for “creative sentences” instead of incarceration. This, of course, will exacerbate America’s under-incarceration problem, which is responsible for many a bloody crime.
The other outsider, April Ademiluyi, seems cut from the same cloth. She blames the coronavirus pandemic for “spurring people to crime.” Defense attorneys in the county must already be preparing their the-virus-made-him-do-it pleas for lenient sentencing.
The Prince George’s County police department is 63 percent African-American and only 14 percent White. The interim police chief is Latino. The County Executive is African-American. So are the vast majority incumbent circuit judges.
I doubt that racism or lack of sympathy for Blacks is a problem in the Prince George’s circuit courts or its criminal justice system generally. But crime is a serious problem in Prince George’s County. Three towns in the county are considered among ten most dangerous places in Maryland.
In 2018, Prince George’s County’s violent crime rate was 218 per 100,000 residents. In neighboring Montgomery County, the number was 165. In nearby Frederick County it was 68. In Northern Virginia, Fairfax County’s violent crime rate was 81.
So far this year, there have been 83 homicides in Prince George’s County. In Montgomery County, there have been 15.
Wisely, Montgomery County voters rejected a BLM-type candidate for a circuit court judgeship. I feel sorry for those PG County voters who were equally wise, but outvoted.


powerlineblog--2020-11-25--Biden turns to “polite and orderly caretakers of America’s decline”

I wanted to write a hard-hitting post about Joe Biden ’ s selections for key foreign policy jobs — Antony Blinken ( Secretary of State ) , Alejandro Mayorkas ( Secretary of Homeland Security ) , and Avril Haines ( Director of National Intelligence ) .
Then I found out that three Republican Senators have already done the work .
According to the Washington Post , Sen. Tom Cotton called this collection “ panda huggers who will only reinforce [ Biden ’ s ] instincts to go soft on China.
” Sen. Josh Hawley calls the three “ a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # BigTech sellouts.
” Sen. Marco Rubio gets the prize .
He describes them “ polite and orderly caretakers of America ’ s decline.
” All three nominees will be confirmed , however , unless they have skeletons in the closet .
Sens .
Mitt Romney and Susan Collins have already indicated they will vote to confirm Biden ’ s nominees if they are “ mainstream.
” And in my view , the three probably should be confirmed .
A president has the right to be served by those who share his views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s how it should work in a democracy .
However , because Democrats didn ’ t follow this principle in considering Trump ’ s cabinet nominees , I have no problem with any GOP Senator who votes against confirming a Biden nominee for reasons of ideology .
Finally , a few points in the Washington Post ’ s article deserve comment .
Mike DeBonis , the partisan hack who wrote the story , says of Cotton , Hawley , and Rubio , that they “ rarely , if ever , criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of administration officials.
” I suppose that ’ s because they rarely , if ever , found Trump ’ s nominees objectionable .
DeBonis points to no reason why any were objectionable ( or appeared to be at the time of their nomination ) from a conservative perspective .
The best DeBonis can do is to call Trump “ norm-shattering.
” Depending on what DeBonis means by that , the three Senators might well have considered it a feature , not a bug .
DeBonis also says this in the opening of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no inconsistency between Senators criticizing Biden ’ s and Trump disputing the outcome of the election .
Indeed , there would be no inconsistency between Senators simultaneously criticizing Biden ’ s picks and disputing the election outcome .
Two things can be true : ( 1 ) Biden didn ’ t really win the election and ( 2 ) Biden is making bad cabinet selections .
Unfortunately , the evidence hasn ’ t established that Biden didn ’ t really win the election .

I wanted to write a hard-hitting post about Joe Biden’s selections for key foreign policy jobs — Antony Blinken (Secretary of State), Alejandro Mayorkas (Secretary of Homeland Security), and Avril Haines (Director of National Intelligence). Then I found out that three Republican Senators have already done the work.
According to the Washington Post, Sen. Tom Cotton called this collection “panda huggers who will only reinforce [Biden’s] instincts to go soft on China.”
Sen. Josh Hawley calls the three “a group of corporatists and war enthusiasts — and #BigTech sellouts.”
Sen. Marco Rubio gets the prize. He describes them “polite and orderly caretakers of America’s decline.”
All three nominees will be confirmed, however, unless they have skeletons in the closet. Sens. Mitt Romney and Susan Collins have already indicated they will vote to confirm Biden’s nominees if they are “mainstream.”
Sadly, Blinken, Mayorkas, and Haines swim in America’s contaminated foreign policy mainstream.
And in my view, the three probably should be confirmed. A president has the right to be served by those who share his views, however misguided those views are. That’s how it should work in a democracy.
However, because Democrats didn’t follow this principle in considering Trump’s cabinet nominees, I have no problem with any GOP Senator who votes against confirming a Biden nominee for reasons of ideology.
Finally, a few points in the Washington Post’s article deserve comment. Mike DeBonis, the partisan hack who wrote the story, says of Cotton, Hawley, and Rubio, that they “rarely, if ever, criticized the norm-shattering Trump and his revolving door of administration officials.”
I suppose that’s because they rarely, if ever, found Trump’s nominees objectionable. DeBonis points to no reason why any were objectionable (or appeared to be at the time of their nomination) from a conservative perspective.
The best DeBonis can do is to call Trump “norm-shattering.” Depending on what DeBonis means by that, the three Senators might well have considered it a feature, not a bug.
DeBonis also says this in the opening of his report:
Some Republican senators have publicly acknowledged Democrat Joe Biden is the president-elect. Others have moved straight to criticizing his early Cabinet picks, even as President Trump continues to dispute the outcome of the Nov. 3 election.
This passage is mindless. There is no inconsistency between Senators criticizing Biden’s and Trump disputing the outcome of the election. Indeed, there would be no inconsistency between Senators simultaneously criticizing Biden’s picks and disputing the election outcome.
Two things can be true: (1) Biden didn’t really win the election and (2) Biden is making bad cabinet selections.
Unfortunately, the evidence hasn’t established that Biden didn’t really win the election.


Live from Dubai

“ Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.
” Winston Churchill “ Proclaim Liberty throughout @ @ @ @ @ the Inhabitants Thereof.
” Inscription on the Liberty Bell

“Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.” Winston Churchill
“Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.” Inscription on the Liberty Bell


powerlineblog--2020-11-25--Amazon versus Alex Berenson (& me)

Amazon versus Alex Berenson (& me)

Alex Berenson brings an independent mind and a formidable set of skills to his heterodox coverage of the COVID-19 epidemic .
He is a former New York Times investigative reporter and a writer of spy thrillers .
He has just released his third pamphlet in the series Unreported Truths About COVID-19 and Lockdowns .
When the first pamphlet in his series was published this past June Berenson had a close encounter with Amazon of the kind with which we have become all too familiar .
His pamphlet was rejected by Kindle Direct Publishing .
And then ensued the familiar dance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized Amazon ’ s decision in a tweet that said , “ This is [ email protected ] ” Amazon later said in a statement that “ the book was removed in error.
” On Friday [ June 5 ] , the self-published booklet was No .
2 on Amazon ’ s Kindle Store bestseller list .
Berenson published the third pamphlet in his Unreported Truths series this week and went through the same routine with Amazon .
One had to follow the story via Berenson ’ s Twitter feed .
This was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pamphlet .
And his theory of the case .
Here is the resolution .
It must be good .
Readers may recall that I had my own small issue with Amazon ( more here ) when it rejected my review of the the Amanda Milius documentary The Plot Against the President ( available on Amazon Prime Video ) .
Following Amazon ’ s instructions , I sought information on the rejection .
Below is a screenshot of the mystifying response I received .
I have no idea what they are talking about and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Alex Berenson brings an independent mind and a formidable set of skills to his heterodox coverage of the COVID-19 epidemic. He is a former New York Times investigative reporter and a writer of spy thrillers. He has just released his third pamphlet in the series Unreported Truths About COVID-19 and Lockdowns.
When the first pamphlet in his series was published this past June Berenson had a close encounter with Amazon of the kind with which we have become all too familiar. His pamphlet was rejected by Kindle Direct Publishing. And then ensued the familiar dance:
Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk criticized Amazon’s decision in a tweet that said, “This is insane@JeffBezos.” Amazon later said in a statement that “the book was removed in error.” On Friday [June 5], the self-published booklet was No. 2 on Amazon’s Kindle Store bestseller list.
Berenson published the third pamphlet in his Unreported Truths series this week and went through the same routine with Amazon. One had to follow the story via Berenson’s Twitter feed. This was my favorite tweet after Amazon pulled his pamphlet.
I'd ask the people I know @nytimes @washingtonpost etc to stand up for me and to Amazon's censorship, but experience suggests they won't bother. — Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) November 24, 2020
I also enjoyed this installment.
And this is what it looks like when censorship fails: three hours after @apple started selling it, Unreported Truths cracked the top 10 on the @applebooks chart (Hi Barack!). Thank you to everyone who’s standing up to @amazon. pic.twitter.com/L5PWfgcXOG — Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) November 25, 2020
And his theory of the case.
Do you think it's a coincidence that @apple – which has much less to gain from lockdowns and arguably does better in a normal environment because phone use may rise with mobility – is far more willing to sell my books than @amazon? Yeah, me neither. — Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) November 25, 2020
Here is the resolution.
And @amazin backed down – the ebook is LIVE again. The note makes no reference to them pulling it. I assume the booklet will be up too. THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING BEAT THE CENSORSHIP. We shouldn’t have to keep doing this. pic.twitter.com/jp207eV1B7 — Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) November 25, 2020
It must be good.
Wondering if your mask protects you? It doesn't.
Wondering if it protects me? It (almost certainly) doesn't. Want proof? It's here. Part 3 is live on Kindle (the paperback and Apple/B&N versions are coming soon).https://t.co/spc2fE9AtF — Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) November 24, 2020
Readers may recall that I had my own small issue with Amazon (more here) when it rejected my review of the the Amanda Milius documentary The Plot Against the President (available on Amazon Prime Video). Following Amazon’s instructions, I sought information on the rejection. Below is a screenshot of the mystifying response I received. I have no idea what they are talking about and I seriously doubt that they do either.


powerlineblog--2020-11-25--Coronavirus in one state (131)

Coronavirus in one state (131)

Governor Walz has preempted the regular Department of Health press briefings over the past 10 days .
Yesterday ’ s briefing ( audio below ) was the first since November 13 , covered in part 125 of this series .
The catastrophe that has befallen our nursing homes due to the epidemic was addressed only indirectly , in terms of staffing , but the Star Tribune ’ s Chris Serres and Glenn Howatt cover it in a manner that is entirely missing from the MDH briefings .
They write : The coronavirus is surging back into Minnesota ’ s senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the one resource they can not go without — staff .
Across the state , a second wave of coronavirus cases is raging through nursing homes and assisted-living facilities that escaped the first wave of outbreaks this spring , once again threatening older adults who are most at risk of dying from COVID-19 , the respiratory disease caused by the virus .
Nearly 11,000 residents have tested positive for the new coronavirus , with one out of five dying from COVID-19 complications .
This time , the virus is infiltrating many facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more severe and residents have fewer options .
Facilities in counties such as Aitkin and Mille Lacs that largely avoided the virus during the spring are now reporting explosive new outbreaks .
An alarming 90 % of Minnesota ’ s nursing homes and 58 % of the state ’ s assisted-living facilities have active outbreaks of the virus , according to new data from the Minnesota Department of Health .
That includes more than 70 senior care homes that didn ’ t have any COVID-19 infected residents one month ago… .
Serres and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their story .
Having raised the issue of nursing home deaths since the beginning of this series , I can only say it is about time .
This is an important story .
Following the settlement of my lawsuit with department officials , I emailed the first three questions I am entitled to submit each week that Walz continues to exercise dictatorial powers under his original March emergency order .
Yesterday afternoon I received the department ’ s answers to the first set of questions .
Here are the questions and answers : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data detailing the co-morbidities present in all MN Covid deaths since April , including counts , by date , of deaths identified as Covid with no other conditions , one other condition ( identified ) , two other conditions ( identified ) , three other conditions ( identified ) , and four or more other conditions ?
Answer : MDH has not analyzed the data in this way and is not providing customized analysis of death records for reporters .
However , death records are public ; if you would like to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your own analysis , it can be provided .
That is how we have helped other media outlets that have asked for this kind of analysis .
Our definition of deaths , as explained on the Situation Update page , is : · Total deaths with laboratory testing are deaths due to COVID-19 with : A positive PCR test ( confirmed case ) or antigen test ( probable case ) for SARS-CoV-2 AND COVID-19 is listed on the death certificate Clinical history/autopsy findings that provide evidence that the death is related to COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drowning , homicide , trauma , etc. )
.
This is consistent with the CDC definition : Other than what ’ s on the death certificate , we would only know about co-morbidities if the person had been hospitalized prior to death and was part of a subset of hospitalized cases that is part of a special study where we collect such information .
Otherwise we don ’ t collect such information on hospitalized cases , persons who died in long term care facilities , or persons who die elsewhere .
We don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their prior medical history .
Of course , some persons will have underlying undiagnosed health conditions that go undetected unless an autopsy is performed .
There are multiple articles published in the medical literature describing co-morbidities and risk factors for mortality , so we do not have to replicate such studies .
Question 2 : The mask mandate began July 25 .
You recently said it takes two full incubation periods or about four weeks for a new measure to be fully effective .
For the roughly 8 weeks before that date cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks since the mask mandate , cases have averaged 8860 per week and are obviously still rising rapidly .
What evidence do you have that the mask mandate has made any difference in the number of cases or case growth ?
Answer : The short answer to this question is that it is clear from the evidence that not enough Minnesotans have been wearing masks or social distancing .
We know this from the outbreaks we ’ ve investigated , from the complaints we ’ ve received , as well as from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We know that masks are effective at preventing transmission of the SARS CoV 2 virus .
There is extensive information on the CDC website on the efficacy of face masks , including multiple references to other published articles on the efficacy of wearing masks .
Similarly there is information on the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the World Health Organization websites on the efficacy of masks with many references to articles published in the medical literature .
All three public health or medical organizations have had numerous experts carefully review the scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of face masks to reduce community transmission .
Furthermore , CDC last week presented evidence that face mask use also reduces the risk for the wearer .
New research articles are published every day , with one as recent as Friday in the CDC MMWR on masks in Kansas .
See this story : Mask mandates work to slow spread of coronavirus , Kansas study finds .
Also , this CDC scientific brief contains a good summary of community impacts of wearing face masks .
Just a quick note about the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team , the weekly average in the 8 weeks prior to the mask mandate ( 7/25 ) was 3,434 cases .
Weekly average post mask mandate : 13,451 cases .
Our numbers include the last few weeks , when cases skyrocketed .
It wasn ’ t clear what your cut off point was for the latter , but just wanted to be clear on the data .
You might want to check your numbers again or clarify your cut-off dates .
The data by date is available in a CSV file on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottom of the Situation Update page .
Question 3 : Since March , MDH has consistently asserted that cases are a leading indicator of hospitalizations and deaths .
I believe that the relationship between cases and deaths has varied widely through the year and is now more than 10x wider than it was in June .
Given that the relationship between cases and deaths has varied so widely , can you specify the precise nature of the relationship between cases and hospitalizations/deaths ?
Answer : Comparisons over time to hospitalizations and death are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have occurred .
One should not make such comparisons , as the difference in treating patients in June is markedly different than it is now .
Physicians have gained knowledge in treating patients and more aggressive early treatment has improved outcomes .
Medications such as dexamethasone and remdesivir , and now monoclonal antibody , have either proven to be effective or become available .
But generally speaking , it is still true that when we see increases in cases , we see increases in hospitalizations , followed by increases in deaths .
Over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions and answers will deepen our understanding of the thinking behind the government mandates to which we are subject .
In this batch I would draw attention to the second question and answer which starkly clarifies the attribution of blame to us for the current surge .
We nevertheless have reason to hope that this wave of the epidemic is peaking .
Note : On the question of blame and masks , Kevin Roche has asked me to point out that en point out that the mask wearing surveys don ’ t support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s MDH press briefing was it for the week .
It focused on testing with an excursion on the issue of staffing in nursing homes that is covered in the Star Tribune story linked above .
The briefing ran 35 minutes or so and department officials took only four or five questions , none of which raised the question whether the department ’ s “ 5-point battle plan ” to combat the epidemic in nursing homes might need a tweak or two .

Governor Walz has preempted the regular Department of Health press briefings over the past 10 days. Yesterday’s briefing (audio below) was the first since November 13, covered in part 125 of this series. The catastrophe that has befallen our nursing homes due to the epidemic was addressed only indirectly, in terms of staffing, but the Star Tribune’s Chris Serres and Glenn Howatt cover it in a manner that is entirely missing from the MDH briefings. They write:
The coronavirus is surging back into Minnesota’s senior homes, with facilities running desperately short of the one resource they cannot go without — staff. Across the state, a second wave of coronavirus cases is raging through nursing homes and assisted-living facilities that escaped the first wave of outbreaks this spring, once again threatening older adults who are most at risk of dying from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. Nearly 11,000 residents have tested positive for the new coronavirus, with one out of five dying from COVID-19 complications. This time, the virus is infiltrating many facilities in rural communities where staffing shortages are more severe and residents have fewer options. Facilities in counties such as Aitkin and Mille Lacs that largely avoided the virus during the spring are now reporting explosive new outbreaks. An alarming 90% of Minnesota’s nursing homes and 58% of the state’s assisted-living facilities have active outbreaks of the virus, according to new data from the Minnesota Department of Health. That includes more than 70 senior care homes that didn’t have any COVID-19 infected residents one month ago….
Serres and Howatt have much, much more in their story. Having raised the issue of nursing home deaths since the beginning of this series, I can only say it is about time. This is an important story.
Following the settlement of my lawsuit with department officials, I emailed the first three questions I am entitled to submit each week that Walz continues to exercise dictatorial powers under his original March emergency order. Yesterday afternoon I received the department’s answers to the first set of questions. Here are the questions and answers:
Question 1: Will you please provide data detailing the co-morbidities present in all MN Covid deaths since April, including counts, by date, of deaths identified as Covid with no other conditions, one other condition (identified), two other conditions (identified), three other conditions (identified), and four or more other conditions? Answer: MDH has not analyzed the data in this way and is not providing customized analysis of death records for reporters. However, death records are public; if you would like to have the comprehensive death database file to do your own analysis, it can be provided. That is how we have helped other media outlets that have asked for this kind of analysis. Our definition of deaths, as explained on the Situation Update page, is: · Total deaths with laboratory testing are deaths due to COVID-19 with: A positive PCR test (confirmed case) or antigen test (probable case) for SARS-CoV-2 AND COVID-19 is listed on the death certificate OR Clinical history/autopsy findings that provide evidence that the death is related to COVID-19 without an alternative cause (i.e. drowning, homicide, trauma, etc.). This is consistent with the CDC definition: · CDC: NNDSS Surveillance Case Definitions: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Other than what’s on the death certificate, we would only know about co-morbidities if the person had been hospitalized prior to death and was part of a subset of hospitalized cases that is part of a special study where we collect such information. Otherwise we don’t collect such information on hospitalized cases, persons who died in long term care facilities, or persons who die elsewhere. We don’t do a search of all their prior medical history. Of course, some persons will have underlying undiagnosed health conditions that go undetected unless an autopsy is performed. There are multiple articles published in the medical literature describing co-morbidities and risk factors for mortality, so we do not have to replicate such studies. Question 2: The mask mandate began July 25. You recently said it takes two full incubation periods or about four weeks for a new measure to be fully effective. For the roughly 8 weeks before that date cases averaged 4148 per week. In the weeks since the mask mandate, cases have averaged 8860 per week and are obviously still rising rapidly. What evidence do you have that the mask mandate has made any difference in the number of cases or case growth? Answer: The short answer to this question is that it is clear from the evidence that not enough Minnesotans have been wearing masks or social distancing. We know this from the outbreaks we’ve investigated, from the complaints we’ve received, as well as from the trend lines you’re seeing. We know that masks are effective at preventing transmission of the SARS CoV 2 virus. There is extensive information on the CDC website on the efficacy of face masks, including multiple references to other published articles on the efficacy of wearing masks. Similarly there is information on the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the World Health Organization websites on the efficacy of masks with many references to articles published in the medical literature. All three public health or medical organizations have had numerous experts carefully review the scientific data and all three strongly advocate the use of face masks to reduce community transmission. Furthermore, CDC last week presented evidence that face mask use also reduces the risk for the wearer. New research articles are published every day, with one as recent as Friday in the CDC MMWR on masks in Kansas. See this story: Mask mandates work to slow spread of coronavirus, Kansas study finds. Also, this CDC scientific brief contains a good summary of community impacts of wearing face masks. Just a quick note about the data you cite: According to our data team, the weekly average in the 8 weeks prior to the mask mandate (7/25) was 3,434 cases. Weekly average post mask mandate: 13,451 cases. Our numbers include the last few weeks, when cases skyrocketed. It wasn’t clear what your cut off point was for the latter, but just wanted to be clear on the data. You might want to check your numbers again or clarify your cut-off dates. The data by date is available in a CSV file on the weekly report page, linked at the bottom of the Situation Update page. Question 3: Since March, MDH has consistently asserted that cases are a leading indicator of hospitalizations and deaths. I believe that the relationship between cases and deaths has varied widely through the year and is now more than 10x wider than it was in June. Given that the relationship between cases and deaths has varied so widely, can you specify the precise nature of the relationship between cases and hospitalizations/deaths? Answer: Comparisons over time to hospitalizations and death are difficult since many changes in treating patients have occurred. One should not make such comparisons, as the difference in treating patients in June is markedly different than it is now. Physicians have gained knowledge in treating patients and more aggressive early treatment has improved outcomes. Medications such as dexamethasone and remdesivir, and now monoclonal antibody, have either proven to be effective or become available. But generally speaking, it is still true that when we see increases in cases, we see increases in hospitalizations, followed by increases in deaths.
Over time I trust that the accumulation of questions and answers will deepen our understanding of the thinking behind the government mandates to which we are subject. In this batch I would draw attention to the second question and answer which starkly clarifies the attribution of blame to us for the current surge. We nevertheless have reason to hope that this wave of the epidemic is peaking. Note: On the question of blame and masks, Kevin Roche has asked me to point out that the mask wearing surveys don’t support the department’s statement.
Yesterday’s MDH press briefing was it for the week. It focused on testing with an excursion on the issue of staffing in nursing homes that is covered in the Star Tribune story linked above. The briefing ran 35 minutes or so and department officials took only four or five questions, none of which raised the question whether the department’s “5-point battle plan” to combat the epidemic in nursing homes might need a tweak or two.


powerlineblog--2020-11-25--School closings are harming academic performance

Yesterday , I wrote a post criticizing the closing of public schools in response to the pandemic .
Much of the post consisted of quotations from an email I received from a reader regarding the situation in Arlington , Virginia .
Today , the Washington Post has an article about the situation in Fairfax County , another Northern Virginia suburb of Washington , D.C .
The article documents the “ learning gap ” produced by substituting online for in-person instruction in the county .
A report on student grades from one of the nation ’ s largest school districts offers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online learning is forcing a striking drop in students ’ academic performance , and that the most vulnerable students — children with disabilities and English-language learners — are suffering the most .
Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia , which has been mostly online since March , published an internal analysis this week showing that , between the last academic year and this one , the percentage of middle school and high school students earning F ’ s in at least two classes jumped by 83 percent : from 6 percent to 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first quarter of 2020-2021 , nearly 10,000 Fairfax students had scored F ’ s in two or more classes — an increase of more than 4,300 students as compared with the group who received F ’ s by the same time last year .
These results are dramatic , but not surprising .
If anything , they probably understate the impact of resorting to online education .
There ’ s a good chance that teachers would be issuing even more failing grades if they adhered to the same standards they applied pre-pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their students for being forced to learn online , and therefore are probably inclined to grade on a curve .
In fact , the Post ’ s article indicates that this is occurring .
One Fairfax County teacher who is making allowances for the pandemic says that , even with them , “ 50 to 70 percent of his 150 students are achieving D ’ s and F ’ s , whereas before they had earned B ’ s and C ’ s. ” For another thing , teachers have been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they may have an interest in making it seem like online learning is an adequate substitute , and in grading accordingly .
The Fairfax County experience is not an outlier .
According to the Post , in the Independent School District in Houston , more than 40 percent of students are earning failing grades in at least two of their classes .
And in St. Paul , Minn. , the superintendent recently reported that nearly 40 percent of public high-schoolers have failing marks .
The Post , as is its habit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equity.
” It states : I don ’ t doubt that there ’ s some truth to this .
However , I would be surprised if even students “ who are engaged ” aren ’ t experiencing adverse academic effects as a result of not receiving traditional classroom education .
Stated differently , how many students “ care deeply ” enough about school so as not to be distracted from instruction when they are at home ?
Not that many , I suspect — even in “ stable home situations ” where parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations that haven ’ t been shy about imposing lockdowns are keeping schools open .
These countries aren ’ t experiencing adverse health effects as a result of this decision .
Is it too much to ask that liberal leaders in America make decisions that are as sound as those made by liberal leaders abroad ?

Yesterday, I wrote a post criticizing the closing of public schools in response to the pandemic. Much of the post consisted of quotations from an email I received from a reader regarding the situation in Arlington, Virginia.
Today, the Washington Post has an article about the situation in Fairfax County, another Northern Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. The article documents the “learning gap” produced by substituting online for in-person instruction in the county.
The Post’s article states:
A report on student grades from one of the nation’s largest school districts offers some of the first concrete evidence that online learning is forcing a striking drop in students’ academic performance, and that the most vulnerable students — children with disabilities and English-language learners — are suffering the most. Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, which has been mostly online since March, published an internal analysis this week showing that, between the last academic year and this one, the percentage of middle school and high school students earning F’s in at least two classes jumped by 83 percent: from 6 percent to 11 percent. By the end of the first quarter of 2020-2021, nearly 10,000 Fairfax students had scored F’s in two or more classes — an increase of more than 4,300 students as compared with the group who received F’s by the same time last year.
These results are dramatic, but not surprising. If anything, they probably understate the impact of resorting to online education.
There’s a good chance that teachers would be issuing even more failing grades if they adhered to the same standards they applied pre-pandemic. For one thing, teachers likely sympathize with their students for being forced to learn online, and therefore are probably inclined to grade on a curve.
In fact, the Post’s article indicates that this is occurring. One Fairfax County teacher who is making allowances for the pandemic says that, even with them, “50 to 70 percent of his 150 students are achieving D’s and F’s, whereas before they had earned B’s and C’s.”
For another thing, teachers have been the driving force behind school shutdowns. Thus, they may have an interest in making it seem like online learning is an adequate substitute, and in grading accordingly.
The Fairfax County experience is not an outlier. According to the Post, in the Independent School District in Houston, more than 40 percent of students are earning failing grades in at least two of their classes. And in St. Paul, Minn., the superintendent recently reported that nearly 40 percent of public high-schoolers have failing marks.
The Post, as is its habit, paints the problem in terms of “equity.” It states:
Fairfax’s data shows that children who are engaged and care deeply about school — children in stable home situations, whose parents have sufficient resources — will stay engaged in an online environment, while children whose temperament, socioeconomic status or home situation have historically barred them from academic achievement will slip further and further behind.
I don’t doubt that there’s some truth to this. However, I would be surprised if even students “who are engaged” aren’t experiencing adverse academic effects as a result of not receiving traditional classroom education.
Stated differently, how many students “care deeply” enough about school so as not to be distracted from instruction when they are at home? Not that many, I suspect — even in “stable home situations” where parents have plenty of “resources.”
European nations that haven’t been shy about imposing lockdowns are keeping schools open. These countries aren’t experiencing adverse health effects as a result of this decision.
Is it too much to ask that liberal leaders in America make decisions that are as sound as those made by liberal leaders abroad?


powerlineblog--2020-11-26--America’s first socialist republic

America’s first socialist republic

Paul A. Rahe holds the Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in the Western Heritage at Hillsdale College and is one of the country ’ s most distinguished scholars of history and politics .
In view of his study of Republics Ancient and Modern , Professor Rahe is the academy ’ s foremost authority on the history of republics .
Although his subsequent work on Soft Despotism was not far from his Thanksgiving reflections when he wrote this column for us in 2009 , neither was his older work on republics .
Professor Rahe wrote this column for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era .
Posted here annually on Thanksgiving since 2009 , it bears directly on the socialist temptation that confronts us yet : On Thanksgiving , it is customary that Americans recall to mind the experience of the Pilgrim Fathers .
We have much to learn from the history of the Plymouth Plantation .
For , in their first year in the New World , the Pilgrims conducted an experiment in social engineering akin to what is now contemplated ; and , after an abortive attempt at cultivating the land in common , their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manner that Americans today should find instructive .
William Bradford , Governor of the Plymouth Colony , reports that , at that time , he and his advisers considered “ how they might raise as much corn as they could , and obtain a better crop than they had done , that they might not still thus languish in misery.
” And “ after much debate of things , ” he then adds , they chose to abandon communal property , deciding that “ they should set corn every man for his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family a parcel of land , according to the proportion of their number , for that end.
” The results , he tells us , were gratifying in the extreme , “ for it made all hands very industrious ” and “ much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.
” Even “ the women now went willingly into the field , and took their little ones with them to set corn ; which before would allege weakness and inability ; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ the experience that was had in this common course and condition , tried sundry years .
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amongst godly and sober men , may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato ’ s and other ancients applauded by some of later times .
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that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing.
” In practice , America ’ s first socialist experiment “ was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfort.
” In practice , “ the young men , that were most able and fit for labor and service , did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men ’ s wives and children without any recompense .
The strong , or man of parts , had no more in division of victuals and clothes than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could ; this was thought injustice .
The aged and graver men to be ranked and equalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the meaner and younger sort , thought it some indignity and disrespect unto them .
And for men ’ s wives to be commanded to do service for other men , as dressing their meat , washing their clothes , etc.
, they deemed it a kind of slavery , neither could many husbands well brook it.
” Naturally enough , quarrels ensued .
“ If it did not cut off those relations that God hath set amongst men , ” Bradford notes , “ yet it did at least much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that should be preserved amongst them .
And [ it ] would have been worse if they had been men of another condition ” less given to the fear of God .
“ Let none object , ” he concludes , that “ this is men ’ s corruption , and nothing to the course itself .
I answer , seeing all men have this corruption in them , God in His wisdom saw another course fitter for them.
” The moral is perfectly clear .
Self-interest can not be expunged .
Where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and acquisition are protected and treated with respect , self-interest and jealousy can be deployed against laziness and the desire for that which is not one ’ s own , and there tends to be plenty as a consequence .
But where one takes from those who join talent with industry to provide for those lacking either or both , where the fruits of one man ’ s labor are appropriated to benefit another who is less productive , self-interest reinforces laziness , jealousy engenders covetousness , and these combine in a bitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Paul A. Rahe holds the Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in the Western Heritage at Hillsdale College and is one of the country’s most distinguished scholars of history and politics. In view of his study of Republics Ancient and Modern, Professor Rahe is the academy’s foremost authority on the history of republics. Although his subsequent work on Soft Despotism was not far from his Thanksgiving reflections when he wrote this column for us in 2009, neither was his older work on republics. Professor Rahe wrote this column for us at the dawn of the Obama era. Posted here annually on Thanksgiving since 2009, it bears directly on the socialist temptation that confronts us yet:
On Thanksgiving, it is customary that Americans recall to mind the experience of the Pilgrim Fathers. We have much to learn from the history of the Plymouth Plantation. For, in their first year in the New World, the Pilgrims conducted an experiment in social engineering akin to what is now contemplated; and, after an abortive attempt at cultivating the land in common, their leaders reflected on the results in a manner that Americans today should find instructive.
William Bradford, Governor of the Plymouth Colony, reports that, at that time, he and his advisers considered “how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop than they had done, that they might not still thus languish in misery.” And “after much debate of things,” he then adds, they chose to abandon communal property, deciding that “they should set corn every man for his own particular” and assign “to every family a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number, for that end.”
The results, he tells us, were gratifying in the extreme, “for it made all hands very industrious” and “much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.” Even “the women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression.”
Moreover, he observes, “the experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years . . . amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato’s and other ancients applauded by some of later times . . . that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing.” In practice, America’s first socialist experiment “was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort.”
In practice, “the young men, that were most able and fit for labor and service, did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense. The strong, or man of parts, had no more in division of victuals and clothes than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could; this was thought injustice. The aged and graver men to be ranked and equalized in labors and victuals, clothes etc., with the meaner and younger sort, thought it some indignity and disrespect unto them. And for men’s wives to be commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meat, washing their clothes, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brook it.”
Naturally enough, quarrels ensued. “If it did not cut off those relations that God hath set amongst men,” Bradford notes, “yet it did at least much diminish and take off the mutual respects that should be preserved amongst them. And [it] would have been worse if they had been men of another condition” less given to the fear of God. “Let none object,” he concludes, that “this is men’s corruption, and nothing to the course itself. I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in His wisdom saw another course fitter for them.”
The moral is perfectly clear. Self-interest cannot be expunged. Where there is private property and its possession and acquisition are protected and treated with respect, self-interest and jealousy can be deployed against laziness and the desire for that which is not one’s own, and there tends to be plenty as a consequence.
But where one takes from those who join talent with industry to provide for those lacking either or both, where the fruits of one man’s labor are appropriated to benefit another who is less productive, self-interest reinforces laziness, jealousy engenders covetousness, and these combine in a bitter stew to produce both conflict and dearth.


powerlineblog--2020-11-26--Thanksgiving Day in Pictures: Special COVID Edition


Orwell’s America

Scott has written this morning of Amazon ’ s erratic censorship of Alex Berenson ’ s contrarian work on COVID , as well as his own reviews , but this is just one instance of a leftist censoriousness and authoritarianism that is accelerating .
Let ’ s continue with COVID authoritarianism , with these headlines : NYC Will Have Covid Checkpoints at Key Bridges and Crossings New York City will have vehicle checkpoints at key bridges and crossings , and will strictly enforce the travel quarantine , Sheriff Joseph Fucito said .
The sheriff ’ s office will conduct spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the curb .
Test and tracing teams will be on the ground to direct individuals to testing sites and provide education on quarantine , Fucito said .
I can hear it now : “ Your papers are not in order.
” This one is a little old , but likely coming back to any establishment not named “ The French Laundry ” that defies the new lockdown orders : Los Angeles to shut off water and power to homes hosting large parties or gatherings Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut off utility service to properties where large parties and gatherings are held , CBS Los Angeles reports .
Garcetti said that , starting Friday , the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will cut off water and power service in “ egregious ” cases where unpermitted large parties and gatherings take place .
Meanwhile , business news out today that Random House may acquire Simon & Schuster , which would represent a massive consolidation of leading trade publishing .
What effect might this have on the breadth of expression ?
Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has caused a “ cry-in ” among the millennial staff at Random House : Several Penguin Random House Canada employees confronted management about the company ’ s decision to publish a new book by controversial Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson at an emotional town hall Monday , and dozens more have filed anonymous complaints .
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The company held a town hall about the book Monday , during which executives defended the decision to publish Peterson while employees cited their concerns about platforming someone who is popular in far-right circles .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transphobia and the fact that he ’ s an icon of white supremacy , regardless of the content of his book , I ’ m not proud to work for a company that publishes him , ” a junior employee who is a member of the LGBTQ community and who attended the town hall told VICE World News .

Scott has written this morning of Amazon’s erratic censorship of Alex Berenson’s contrarian work on COVID, as well as his own reviews, but this is just one instance of a leftist censoriousness and authoritarianism that is accelerating.
Let’s continue with COVID authoritarianism, with these headlines:
NYC Will Have Covid Checkpoints at Key Bridges and Crossings New York City will have vehicle checkpoints at key bridges and crossings, and will strictly enforce the travel quarantine, Sheriff Joseph Fucito said. The sheriff’s office will conduct spot checks when out-of-state buses drop riders off at the curb. Test and tracing teams will be on the ground to direct individuals to testing sites and provide education on quarantine, Fucito said.
I can hear it now: “Your papers are not in order.”
This one is a little old, but likely coming back to any establishment not named “The French Laundry” that defies the new lockdown orders:
Los Angeles to shut off water and power to homes hosting large parties or gatherings Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday that he is authorizing the city to shut off utility service to properties where large parties and gatherings are held, CBS Los Angeles reports. Garcetti said that, starting Friday, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will cut off water and power service in “egregious” cases where unpermitted large parties and gatherings take place.
Meanwhile, business news out today that Random House may acquire Simon & Schuster, which would represent a massive consolidation of leading trade publishing. What effect might this have on the breadth of expression? Well, Jordan Peterson’s new book has caused a “cry-in” among the millennial staff at Random House:
Penguin Random House Staff Confront Publisher About New Jordan Peterson Book Several Penguin Random House Canada employees confronted management about the company’s decision to publish a new book by controversial Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson at an emotional town hall Monday, and dozens more have filed anonymous complaints. . . The company held a town hall about the book Monday, during which executives defended the decision to publish Peterson while employees cited their concerns about platforming someone who is popular in far-right circles. “He is an icon of hate speech and transphobia and the fact that he’s an icon of white supremacy, regardless of the content of his book, I’m not proud to work for a company that publishes him,” a junior employee who is a member of the LGBTQ community and who attended the town hall told VICE World News.