thestream--2020-09-13--When the Smart People Trash Capitalism, Bad Things Happen

It ’ s a Thunderdome of cash , where two men enter , but only one leaves … with all the money .
That ’ s how college professors and the mainstream media , the people in charge of educating us , think of capitalism .
They describe it as some sort of greed infested free-for-all with no rules .
This mis-characterization leads not only to unnecessary laws , but damaging ones as well .
Case in point : California assembly ’ s bill AB5 , which took effect on January 1st .
It ’ s a bad law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What inspired the law in the first place was a 2018 court case .
Dynamex provides courier and delivery services across the country .
At the core of its operations were thousands of drivers .
The problem was that Dynamex basically engaged in a “ bait and switch ” maneuver .
They hired drivers as W2 employees .
This means the employer guarantees unemployment benefits , paid time off , sick pay , vacation pay , family leave , and worker ’ s comp .
This “ bait ” can be quite costly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 Dynamex “ switched ” all of its drivers to independent contractors , aka 1099 employees .
These workers are not entitled to said benefits .
Both types of employment have advantages and drawbacks .
Workers have the right to choose the type they wish to engage in .
In this case , the workers sought out and were hired as W2 employees .
By changing their type of employment , Dynamex unlawfully deprived them of their employment protections .
The good news : Dynamex lost the case and its workers won it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s state lawmakers decided to get involved .
They saw it as an opportunity to protect the poor , lowly worker from the evil employer .
The legal system worked , but that wasn ’ t good enough for the legislature .
They wanted to target Lyft and Uber in particular .
The upshot was AB5 .
The justices in the Dynamex case developed a new three-part test to determine whether a worker can be considered an independent contractor .
If a worker can not meet this test , the employer must hire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ABC test ” found its way into AB5 and is now the law of the land in California .
What is the “ ABC ” test ?
The person : 1 ) is free from the control and direction of the business in how he does the work .
2 ) performs work that is outside what the business usually does .
And 3 ) customarily does the same kind of work the company has hired him for .
How Is This Bad ?
With this test , AB5 made it exceedingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California .
It also made it exceedingly hard to hire an independent contractor .
Ultimately , this means both the companies who need independent workers and the workers who want to work independently are hurt by this law .
Free market capitalism holds to the voluntary , non-coercive exchange of goods and services .
That makes it the most free and just system ; as well as , the most effective in creating wealth and equality .
The government ’ s involvement should be limited to laws ensuring the safe and honest transfer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other words , government should stay out of a business ’ s day to day operations .
Both the business and free workers know best how to organize their time and commercial relation .
Most law makers don ’ t understand the businesses they are regulating .
Their laws cause a plethora of unintended consequences , almost all of them bad .
For example : this law managed to hurt the very people it was supposed to be helping .
The legislators also failed to take into account that hundreds of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent contractors .
They are willing to sacrifice the employment protections provided W2 employees for the ability to work the ultimate flex schedule .
There is no dress code .
They can work for ten minutes and stop , or sixteen hours in a row .
They can take one day off or ten .
Independents have a freedom and control W2 employees do not .
A lot of the people who do independent contract work are disabled .
Many others take care of loved ones that require full-time assistance .
Still others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will these people do when they can ’ t work anymore because AB5 discourages businesses from hiring them ?
Don ’ t think this is only affecting a small group of Californians .
Almost immediately after the law went into effect , 70,000 independent truck drivers filed suit against the law .
It will hurt actors , singers , graphic designers , physical therapists , writers ( like myself ) , and a whole host of others .
Additionally , it will not have the desired effect on employers .
Businesses simply can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on as W2 employees , so it will let the majority of them go , or they will shut down their operations completely .
In fact , the two companies this law was meant to target , Uber and Lyft , both threatened to discontinue all operations in California .
They haven ’ t done so yet , but if they decide to stay and comply , the cost of doing business for these companies will skyrocket .
This means they will raise their prices to compensate and everyone who uses their product @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same unintended consequence people don ’ t understand when it comes to raising the minimum wage . )
The only win with this law is the extra tax revenue that would come flowing into California ’ s coffers .
I ’ ve heard rumors that it could be worth as much as $ 8 billion a year .
Personally , I doubt that very much because companies are either going to close , like Uber and Lyft , or just drop a significant portion of the independent contractors they had been using , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue .
The grand irony of this law is it does to independent contractors exactly what Dynamex did to its W2 employees , only in reverse .
AB5 is the quintessence of why government involvement in business is bad .

It’s a Thunderdome of cash, where two men enter, but only one leaves … with all the money. That’s how college professors and the mainstream media, the people in charge of educating us, think of capitalism. They describe it as some sort of greed infested free-for-all with no rules.
This mis-characterization leads not only to unnecessary laws, but damaging ones as well. Case in point: California assembly’s bill AB5, which took effect on January 1st. It’s a bad law, that hurts both employers and employees.
The Court Case
What inspired the law in the first place was a 2018 court case. Dynamex provides courier and delivery services across the country. At the core of its operations were thousands of drivers.
The problem was that Dynamex basically engaged in a “bait and switch” maneuver. They hired drivers as W2 employees. This means the employer guarantees unemployment benefits, paid time off, sick pay, vacation pay, family leave, and worker’s comp. This “bait” can be quite costly to an employer, so, in 2014 Dynamex “switched” all of its drivers to independent contractors, aka 1099 employees. These workers are not entitled to said benefits.
Both types of employment have advantages and drawbacks. Workers have the right to choose the type they wish to engage in. In this case, the workers sought out and were hired as W2 employees. By changing their type of employment, Dynamex unlawfully deprived them of their employment protections.
Good News, Bad News
The good news: Dynamex lost the case and its workers won it. The bad news: California’s state lawmakers decided to get involved. They saw it as an opportunity to protect the poor, lowly worker from the evil employer. The legal system worked, but that wasn’t good enough for the legislature. They wanted to target Lyft and Uber in particular. The upshot was AB5.
The justices in the Dynamex case developed a new three-part test to determine whether a worker can be considered an independent contractor. If a worker cannot meet this test, the employer must hire them as a W2 employee.
This “ABC test” found its way into AB5 and is now the law of the land in California.
What is the “ABC” test? The person: 1) is free from the control and direction of the business in how he does the work. 2) performs work that is outside what the business usually does. And 3) customarily does the same kind of work the company has hired him for.
How Is This Bad?
With this test, AB5 made it exceedingly difficult to be an independent contractor in California. It also made it exceedingly hard to hire an independent contractor. Ultimately, this means both the companies who need independent workers and the workers who want to work independently are hurt by this law.
Free market capitalism holds to the voluntary, non-coercive exchange of goods and services. That makes it the most free and just system; as well as, the most effective in creating wealth and equality. The government’s involvement should be limited to laws ensuring the safe and honest transfer of said goods and services. In other words, government should stay out of a business’s day to day operations. Both the business and free workers know best how to organize their time and commercial relation.
Most law makers don’t understand the businesses they are regulating. Their laws cause a plethora of unintended consequences, almost all of them bad. For example: this law managed to hurt the very people it was supposed to be helping.
The legislators also failed to take into account that hundreds of thousands of Californians made the conscious decision to be independent contractors. They are willing to sacrifice the employment protections provided W2 employees for the ability to work the ultimate flex schedule. There is no dress code. They can work for ten minutes and stop, or sixteen hours in a row. They can take one day off or ten. Independents have a freedom and control W2 employees do not.
A lot of the people who do independent contract work are disabled. Many others take care of loved ones that require full-time assistance. Still others are the parents of newborns. What will these people do when they can’t work anymore because AB5 discourages businesses from hiring them?
A Problem for Everyone
Don’t think this is only affecting a small group of Californians. Almost immediately after the law went into effect, 70,000 independent truck drivers filed suit against the law. It will hurt actors, singers, graphic designers, physical therapists, writers (like myself), and a whole host of others.
Additionally, it will not have the desired effect on employers. Businesses simply can’t afford to take these workers on as W2 employees, so it will let the majority of them go, or they will shut down their operations completely.
In fact, the two companies this law was meant to target, Uber and Lyft, both threatened to discontinue all operations in California. They haven’t done so yet, but if they decide to stay and comply, the cost of doing business for these companies will skyrocket. This means they will raise their prices to compensate and everyone who uses their product loses. (It’s the same unintended consequence people don’t understand when it comes to raising the minimum wage.)
The Grand Irony
The only win with this law is the extra tax revenue that would come flowing into California’s coffers. I’ve heard rumors that it could be worth as much as $8 billion a year. Personally, I doubt that very much because companies are either going to close, like Uber and Lyft, or just drop a significant portion of the independent contractors they had been using, both causing a net loss in tax revenue.
The grand irony of this law is it does to independent contractors exactly what Dynamex did to its W2 employees, only in reverse. AB5 is the quintessence of why government involvement in business is bad.
George Janek is a conservative thinker encamped in Northern California.


thestream--2020-09-13--Will BLM Leaders (and Supporters) Denounce the Attempted Coldblooded Murder of 2 L.A. Deputies?

As of this writing ( 1 PM , ET , Sunday , September 13 ) , two young Los Angeles sheriff deputies are fighting for their lives after being shot in the head and face .
One is just 31 years-old and a married mother ; the other is only 24 .
They were ambushed and shot in cold blood by a single suspect last night , but as of now , there has been no official statement from BLM leaders condemning the shooting .
Why ?
We have no idea who the shooter was .
But we do know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were racing the downed officers to an LA hospital that protesters showed up to block the emergency room exits and entrances .
We do know they were heard shouting , “ We hope they die.
” And , “ Death to the police.
” And , “ Kill the police.
” And , “ I hope they [ expletive ] die.
” And , “ Y ’ all gon na die one by one.
’ ” This is evil , sick , and demented .
And at this moment , these sentiments are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time for BLM leaders , both nationally and locally , to issue clear and unequivocal statements declaring , “ We deplore the coldblooded shooting of these two officers of the law .
We condemn this without qualification .
This is antithetical to our values or our goals , and our cause is not advanced by the attempted murder of these two police officers.
” In the past , when misguided anti-abortion activists have shot and killed abortion doctors , pro-life leaders around the nation immediately said , “ We denounce this killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not murderers .
We condemn this act of violence without equivocation or caveat.
” At such times , you don ’ t dance around the issue .
You don ’ t even talk about the horror of abortion at that moment .
You simply say , “ This killing was wrong , and it does not reflect our values or goals.
” That ’ s what BLM leaders and their supporters need to do right now , especially when the main picture we are getting is the one of alleged BLM supporters hoping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headline story on conservative news outlets all over the Internet today .
And tweets like this are going viral : “ This video shows 2 police in Compton being ambushed and shot while they sat in their car .
BLM activists then blocked the ambulance entrance of the Hospital ER shouting ‘ We hope they die ’ .
“ If you ’ re an undecided voter , I hope you just made your decision.
” BLM leaders , where are you ?
Prominent BLM supporters , where are you ?
Where are your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were sickened by the video of death of George Floyd to the point that staunchly conservative , pro-police voices like Dan Bongino spoke out against the actions of Derek Chauvin .
Yet I don ’ t believe for a second that Chauvin set out that day to kill a Black man .
And I don ’ t believe that the vast majority of police officers are looking for opportunities to engage in acts of brutality against unarmed Black suspects .
Even so , when we see something horrible like the death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arbery ( which I wrote about immediately upon seeing the video ) , we raise our voices and say , “ This is terribly wrong , and those involved must face justice.
” Even President Trump called for an immediate investigation into Floyd ’ s death , while around the nation , we were saying Floyd ’ s name .
Yet , to repeat , as reprehensible as Chauvin ’ s actions were , I don ’ t believe he saw George Floyd that day and said , “ I want to kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s shooter clearly had one goal : to murder those two officers as they sat in their car .
Where is the condemnation ?
Where is the acknowledgement that the life of a young mother and a young man also matter ?
I ’ m looking right now at headlines on CNN and MSNBC and Huffington Post .
None of them mention the protesters outside the hospital trying to block the doors or shouting for the death of the wounded officers .
In fact , none of the stories mention this at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times homepage , I do not see a single headline about the shooting , let alone about the ugly , death-desiring protests .
Not one .
Why ?
Back in June , the heartbroken 16-year-old daughter of a slain cop — also ambushed and murdered — posted this moving tribute to her dad : “ Words can not describe the pain I ’ m in , but I ’ m glad my dad is at peace .
You were an amazing man and anyone who ever came across you knew that .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much .
you died doing what you loved most , you died a hero .
i love you daddy , see you soon .
# bluelivesmatter.
” In response , she was savaged by critics and mockers on social media .
“ Multiple users declared that ‘ blue lives don ’ t exist , ’ while others posted laughing emojis and messages such as , ‘ [ expletive ] you and your dead daddy.
’ ” It got so bad that this grieving teen deleted the tribute to her dad .
What kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The fact is , by condemning the attempted murder of these two officers , the BLM movement can show its humanity , its concern for justice , its desire for equal treatment for all under the law .
And by condemning this horrible , cowardly act , the leaders can reiterate that saying “ Black Lives Matter ” does not mean that other lives do not matter .
Right now , however , many of us honestly do not know where the radical leaders of this radical group stand .
( For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely affirm that Black lives do matter and call for equal treatment of all in our society .
But I reject the BLM movement . )
BLM leaders and major supporters , where are you ?
Or is there so much hatred for the police that you can not bring yourselves to condemn this murderous attack on these officers of the law ?
Your responses ( or lack thereof ) will be very telling .
For the moment though , let us not forget the victims .
May God grant them a complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought to justice .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We Pass the Trump Test ?
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

As of this writing (1 PM, ET, Sunday, September 13), two young Los Angeles sheriff deputies are fighting for their lives after being shot in the head and face. One is just 31 years old and a married mother; the other is only 24. They were ambushed and shot in cold blood by a single suspect last night, but as of now, there has been no official statement from BLM leaders condemning the shooting. Why?
We have no idea who the shooter was. But we do know that when word got out that ambulances were racing the downed officers to an LA hospital that protesters showed up to block the emergency room exits and entrances.
We do know they were heard shouting, “We hope they die.” And, “Death to the police.” And, “Kill the police.” And, “I hope they [expletive] die.” And, “Y’all gonna die one by one.’”
This is evil, sick, and demented. And at this moment, these sentiments are being associated with BLM.
Will BLM Leaders Step Up?
Now is the time for BLM leaders, both nationally and locally, to issue clear and unequivocal statements declaring, “We deplore the coldblooded shooting of these two officers of the law. We condemn this without qualification. This is antithetical to our values or our goals, and our cause is not advanced by the attempted murder of these two police officers.”
In the past, when misguided anti-abortion activists have shot and killed abortion doctors, pro-life leaders around the nation immediately said, “We denounce this killing. We are pro-life. We are not murderers. We condemn this act of violence without equivocation or caveat.”
At such times, you don’t dance around the issue. You don’t even talk about the horror of abortion at that moment. You simply say, “This killing was wrong, and it does not reflect our values or goals.”
That’s what BLM leaders and their supporters need to do right now, especially when the main picture we are getting is the one of alleged BLM supporters hoping these officers die.
That is the headline story on conservative news outlets all over the Internet today. And tweets like this are going viral: “This video shows 2 police in Compton being ambushed and shot while they sat in their car. BLM activists then blocked the ambulance entrance of the Hospital ER shouting ‘We hope they die’.
“If you’re an undecided voter, I hope you just made your decision.”
BLM leaders, where are you? Prominent BLM supporters, where are you? Where are your voices now?
We Speak Out
As a nation, we were sickened by the video of death of George Floyd to the point that staunchly conservative, pro-police voices like Dan Bongino spoke out against the actions of Derek Chauvin.
Yet I don’t believe for a second that Chauvin set out that day to kill a Black man. And I don’t believe that the vast majority of police officers are looking for opportunities to engage in acts of brutality against unarmed Black suspects.
Even so, when we see something horrible like the death of George Floyd or the death of Ahmaud Arbery (which I wrote about immediately upon seeing the video), we raise our voices and say, “This is terribly wrong, and those involved must face justice.”
Even President Trump called for an immediate investigation into Floyd’s death, while around the nation, we were saying Floyd’s name.
Yet, to repeat, as reprehensible as Chauvin’s actions were, I don’t believe he saw George Floyd that day and said, “I want to kill him.” In contrast, last night’s shooter clearly had one goal: to murder those two officers as they sat in their car.
Where is the condemnation? Where is the acknowledgement that the life of a young mother and a young man also matter?
Mainstream Media Ignores the Story
I’m looking right now at headlines on CNN and MSNBC and Huffington Post. None of them mention the protesters outside the hospital trying to block the doors or shouting for the death of the wounded officers. In fact, none of the stories mention this at all.
Over at the New York Times homepage, I do not see a single headline about the shooting, let alone about the ugly, death-desiring protests. Not one. Why?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Back in June, the heartbroken 16-year-old daughter of a slain cop — also ambushed and murdered — posted this moving tribute to her dad: “Words cannot describe the pain I’m in, but I’m glad my dad is at peace. You were an amazing man and anyone who ever came across you knew that. I’m going to miss you so much. you died doing what you loved most, you died a hero. i love you daddy, see you soon. #bluelivesmatter.”
In response, she was savaged by critics and mockers on social media. “Multiple users declared that ‘blue lives don’t exist,’ while others posted laughing emojis and messages such as, ‘[expletive] you and your dead daddy.’”
It got so bad that this grieving teen deleted the tribute to her dad. What kind of sick world are we living in?
The fact is, by condemning the attempted murder of these two officers, the BLM movement can show its humanity, its concern for justice, its desire for equal treatment for all under the law.
And by condemning this horrible, cowardly act, the leaders can reiterate that saying “Black Lives Matter” does not mean that other lives do not matter.
Right now, however, many of us honestly do not know where the radical leaders of this radical group stand. (For those unfamiliar with my viewpoints, I absolutely affirm that Black lives do matter and call for equal treatment of all in our society. But I reject the BLM movement.)
BLM leaders and major supporters, where are you? Or is there so much hatred for the police that you cannot bring yourselves to condemn this murderous attack on these officers of the law? Your responses (or lack thereof) will be very telling.
For the moment though, let us not forget the victims. May God grant them a complete recovery, and may the shooter be brought to justice.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-09-13--On Jeffrey Goldberg: Who Needs Foreign Collusion, When Domestic Lies Can Do the Job Just as Well?

There ’ s still more to be said about Jeffrey Goldberg ’ s September 3 attack on Donald Trump in The Atlantic .
By way of quick reminder , Goldberg claimed that Trump had repeatedly shown serious disrespect to fallen American military men and women .
I don ’ t expect this will going to change November ’ s election outcome .
Most Americans know it ’ s just too unlikely on the face of it : Presidents just don ’ t say what Goldberg claims he said .
Anyone who hates Trump enough to think he ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided not to vote for him anyway .
Let ’ s suppose it did change the election , though .
Certainly that ’ s what Goldberg would want ; so suppose it succeeded for him .
What would that signify ?
Just this : That the course of this election was turned by “ four people with firsthand knowledge , ” plus “ witnesses , ” plus “ sources with knowledge , ” plus “ three sources with direct knowledge , ” plus a slain Marine ’ s father who only later reinterpreted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at his son ’ s grave .
We have no names , no accountability .
No way to assess whether they , too , like Goldberg and his magazine , hold Trump in contempt .
And no way to know whether they had an ax to grind .
But why talk about them as if we know they even exist ?
Goldberg himself wrote this free of all accountability to facts .
Is there any reason we have to believe it isn ’ t just a long series of lies ?
If the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s that he hates Donald Trump .
So try reading it this way : Trump ’ s momentum is growing , Goldberg ’ s willing to stop it at all costs , so he publishes an eruption of lies .
Do you think he didn ’ t do that ?
How do you know ?
How could you know ?
You could know if his sources identified themselves , if indeed they exist , or if some clearly unbiased source corroborated the story .
Otherwise , though ?
Then this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inflammatory , biased , manipulative , even hateful , and without the slightest reason for confidence that it ’ s true .
And please don ’ t tell me , “ You don ’ t know these are lies , Tom.
” Actually , I have evidence from nearly a dozen people who are willing to put their names to it — including Trump enemy John Bolton , who ’ s said that if it were true , he ’ d have given it a whole chapter in his book .
Sure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump people .
Yours , though ?
All you ’ ve got is your trust ( for whatever reason ) in the unbiased honesty and goodwill of a publication whose bias is overt , and whose goodwill only extends to anyone who hates Trump as they do .
Yet there ’ s something about it that even transcends the question of whether these are lies .
This article represents an unprincipled and unjustifiable abuse of power against the American people .
Goldberg runs an unsourced article that , as far as anyone can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as easily be false as true .
Who needs Russian or even Chinese collusion to steal an election , when domestic lies can do the job just as well ?
I ’ m old enough to remember the archaic phrase , “ journalistic responsibility.
” Maybe it ’ s no more than an old quaint notion these days .
The idea was that you should be sure you ’ re telling the truth .
The more impact your story might have , the more certain you should be .
When the effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the journalist owes it to the reader to show it must be true : that the sources are truly credible , that opposing views have been represented well , and that the writer ’ s own bias isn ’ t adding undue distortion .
Goldberg ’ s piece does none of that .
At best that makes it irresponsible ; but more than that , this piece represents a rank abuse of the magazine ’ s considerable power with respect to public opinion .
Like a mortar aimed at the West Wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take Trump out — and it doesn ’ t even have to contain live explosives to do its damage .
It only needs to look like it .
That ’ s the kind of power it has .
Trump ’ s best defense against such attacks comes from people who will go on record against them .
But let ’ s not think he ’ s the only target here .
Goldberg is wielding the same unprincipled , unaccountable power upon you and me , too .
Our best defense is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe .
Watch for bias .
Check whether a report can be corroborated .
If it ’ s an opinion piece like the one I ’ m writing here , examine its arguments and see if they hold up .
Form conclusions cautiously .
You can see my conclusions clearly enough : Don ’ t trust Jeff Goldberg .
If he ’ s not lying , he ’ s at least engaging in journalistic malpractice .
He ’ s using his considerable power to manipulate you , me , and a crucial American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cares about doing it responsibly .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books , including the recently released Too Good To Be False : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

There’s still more to be said about Jeffrey Goldberg’s September 3 attack on Donald Trump in The Atlantic. By way of quick reminder, Goldberg claimed that Trump had repeatedly shown serious disrespect to fallen American military men and women. I don’t expect this will going to change November’s election outcome. Most Americans know it’s just too unlikely on the face of it: Presidents just don’t say what Goldberg claims he said. Anyone who hates Trump enough to think he’s a likely exception to that rule has already decided not to vote for him anyway.
Let’s suppose it did change the election, though. Certainly that’s what Goldberg would want; so suppose it succeeded for him. What would that signify?
Just this: That the course of this election was turned by “four people with firsthand knowledge,” plus “witnesses,” plus “sources with knowledge,” plus “three sources with direct knowledge,” plus a slain Marine’s father who only later reinterpreted a remark Trump made while paying respects at his son’s grave.
No Names, No Accountability
We have no names, no accountability. No way to assess whether they, too, like Goldberg and his magazine, hold Trump in contempt. And no way to know whether they had an ax to grind.
But why talk about them as if we know they even exist? Goldberg himself wrote this free of all accountability to facts. Is there any reason we have to believe it isn’t just a long series of lies? If the magazine he edits tells us anything, it’s that he hates Donald Trump. So try reading it this way: Trump’s momentum is growing, Goldberg’s willing to stop it at all costs, so he publishes an eruption of lies.
Do you think he didn’t do that? How do you know? How could you know?
Who needs Russian or even Chinese collusion to steal an election, when domestic lies can do the job just as well?
You could know if his sources identified themselves, if indeed they exist, or if some clearly unbiased source corroborated the story. Otherwise, though? Then this is exactly what journalism should never be: Inflammatory, biased, manipulative, even hateful, and without the slightest reason for confidence that it’s true.
And please don’t tell me, “You don’t know these are lies, Tom.” Actually, I have evidence from nearly a dozen people who are willing to put their names to it — including Trump enemy John Bolton, who’s said that if it were true, he’d have given it a whole chapter in his book.
Sure, most of my evidence still comes from Trump people. Yours, though? All you’ve got is your trust (for whatever reason) in the unbiased honesty and goodwill of a publication whose bias is overt, and whose goodwill only extends to anyone who hates Trump as they do.
Unprincipled Abuse of Power
Yet there’s something about it that even transcends the question of whether these are lies. This article represents an unprincipled and unjustifiable abuse of power against the American people. Goldberg runs an unsourced article that, as far as anyone can tell just by reading it, could just as easily be false as true.
Who needs Russian or even Chinese collusion to steal an election, when domestic lies can do the job just as well?
I’m old enough to remember the archaic phrase, “journalistic responsibility.” Maybe it’s no more than an old quaint notion these days. The idea was that you should be sure you’re telling the truth. The more impact your story might have, the more certain you should be.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
When the effect reaches the level that this one has, the journalist owes it to the reader to show it must be true: that the sources are truly credible, that opposing views have been represented well, and that the writer’s own bias isn’t adding undue distortion.
Goldberg’s piece does none of that. At best that makes it irresponsible; but more than that, this piece represents a rank abuse of the magazine’s considerable power with respect to public opinion. Like a mortar aimed at the West Wing, this story’s purpose is to take Trump out — and it doesn’t even have to contain live explosives to do its damage. It only needs to look like it. That’s the kind of power it has.
Defend Yourself Against Domestic Lies
Trump’s best defense against such attacks comes from people who will go on record against them. But let’s not think he’s the only target here. Goldberg is wielding the same unprincipled, unaccountable power upon you and me, too.
Our best defense is to use discernment in what we choose to believe. Watch for bias. Check whether a report can be corroborated. If it’s an opinion piece like the one I’m writing here, examine its arguments and see if they hold up. Form conclusions cautiously.
You can see my conclusions clearly enough: Don’t trust Jeff Goldberg. If he’s not lying, he’s at least engaging in journalistic malpractice. He’s using his considerable power to manipulate you, me, and a crucial American election, without the slightest sign he cares about doing it responsibly.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the recently released Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-09-13--Titus, Trump and the Triumph of Israel: New Book Shows How a Biblical Lens is Important to Understan

Titus, Trump and the Triumph of Israel: New Book Shows How a Biblical Lens is Important to Understanding What’s Happening in Israel

“ You can ’ t understand what ’ s happening in Israel if you don ’ t know the Bible , ” said Josh Reinstein , author of the new book Titus , Trump and the Triumph of Israel .
He added that Christians who read the Bible are “ uniquely positioned to understand really what ’ s happening in Israel.
” Reinstein is the director of Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and the president of Israeli Allies Foundation .
Those organizations encourage and mobilize Jews and Christians to work together for the good of Israel .
He also is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online news show .
Reinstein told The Stream that , in order to really understand the news in Israel , people need to view it through a biblical lens .
This is important because a biblical lens allows people to come up with biblical solutions rather than political solutions .
“ That ’ s what works in the Middle East.
” Titus , Trump and the Triumph of Israel outlines the historical aspects of Israel , biblical prophecy and the Trump administration .
Much of the book is dedicated to historical events that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of Israel .
However , Jews who lived during the time of Titus ( when the second temple was destroyed ) understood that it was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy , and they would eventually be back in the land of Israel .
What Trump Has Done for Israel Reinstein also sees prophecies being fulfilled through President Trump ’ s foreign policies .
The Trump administration has done more for Israel than any other president .
“ What ’ s impressive about Donald Trump is that when he makes a deal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal with the Bible-believing Christians who voted for him .
He was going to do certain things vis à vis Israel .
And so , he followed through on those things when no one else would.
” He continued : Now , everyone along the way told him he shouldn ’ t do it .
He ’ s making a mistake .
It ’ s going to lead to war .
It ’ s going to lead to death and destruction , third intifada , but he did it anyway .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is that it actually , it didn ’ t lead to war … it led to peace .
In fact , he was just nominated for a peace prize because of what he ’ s been able to do , because in Israel it ’ s better to be biblically correct than politically correct .
That ’ s what brings the results here .
I think Donald Trump ’ s administration understood that .
And because of that , they ’ ve seen incredible success in the Middle East where everyone else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know what President Trump has done for Israel , in part because the mainstream news media won ’ t report it .
In addition to moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 and brokering two historic peace deals in the Middle East , Donald Trump has signed the Taylor Force Act , which prohibited Palestine to fund terrorists with American tax dollars .
“ It ’ s fascinating .
… In 2015 , [ the Israel Allies Foundation ] made a list of the top 10 things that America could do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And our goal as an organization was to get one of them done in the next five years.
” But in the last three and a half years , Trump has done nine of them .
He scrapped the Iran Deal that allowed Iran to get nuclear weapons .
He recognized the sovereignty in the Golan Heights area .
“ That ’ s a battle that ’ s been going on since 1967 .
We ’ ve been fighting for that .
And once and for all [ it ] makes our border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ brought an incredible sense of peace ” to the Middle East amid confusion and war .
President Trump recognized that the problem was Iran , not the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that Israel is the solution to the Middle East .
The Obama administration said just the opposite .
“ And now it ’ s very clear that the Trump administration was 100 % right and the Obama administration was 100 % wrong .
But you ’ re not hearing that story.
” President Trump has done much for Israel because of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-Israel changes .
It ’ s important for Israel that Christians stand together to defend the values both Jews and American Christians hold .
“ Because at the same time that we ’ re working together and coming together and doing all these important initiatives together , the people who hate the God of Israel and the Bible are also coming together , ” creating a “ clash of civilizations.
” Reinstein asks for prayers for Israel .
He believes that God wants prayers for Jerusalem because He wants the focus on Jerusalem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s unfolding His prophecy .
That ’ s where the real story is happening.
” In addition to prayer , people can take action .
“ I just encourage people to get out and make their opinions heard .
Go out and vote .
Go out and … do something that puts action behind their belief system.
” When Christians take action , incredible things happen .
“ It wasn ’ t until Christians got involved and said , ‘ I want the us embassy in Jerusalem ’ did that actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incredible success of faith-based diplomacy.
” Reinstein hopes that his book will inspire people .
“ I hope people read this book and say , ‘ Okay , what can I do ?
How can I be involved ?
What is my role to play in the fulfillment of biblical prophesy ?
’ I hope that this inspires people to take a stand for Israel and do something , do a concrete action on behalf of Israel.
” Note : Israel and United Arab Emirates will meet at the White House Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace agreement .
Israel and Bahrain will also meet this week at the White House to sign their historic agreement .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

“You can’t understand what’s happening in Israel if you don’t know the Bible,” said Josh Reinstein, author of the new book Titus, Trump and the Triumph of Israel. He added that Christians who read the Bible are “uniquely positioned to understand really what’s happening in Israel.”
That’s What Works
Reinstein is the director of Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and the president of Israeli Allies Foundation. Those organizations encourage and mobilize Jews and Christians to work together for the good of Israel. He also is the founder of Israel Now News, an online news show.
Reinstein told The Stream that, in order to really understand the news in Israel, people need to view it through a biblical lens. This is important because a biblical lens allows people to come up with biblical solutions rather than political solutions. “That’s what works in the Middle East.”
Titus, Trump and the Triumph of Israel outlines the historical aspects of Israel, biblical prophecy and the Trump administration. Much of the book is dedicated to historical events that led to the Jewish people being kicked out of Israel. However, Jews who lived during the time of Titus (when the second temple was destroyed) understood that it was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, and they would eventually be back in the land of Israel.
What Trump Has Done for Israel
Reinstein also sees prophecies being fulfilled through President Trump’s foreign policies. The Trump administration has done more for Israel than any other president. “What’s impressive about Donald Trump is that when he makes a deal, he keeps it. And he made a deal with the Bible-believing Christians who voted for him. He was going to do certain things vis à vis Israel. And so, he followed through on those things when no one else would.” He continued:
Now, everyone along the way told him he shouldn’t do it. He’s making a mistake. It’s going to lead to war. It’s going to lead to death and destruction, third intifada, but he did it anyway. And what everyone was surprised to find out, is that it actually, it didn’t lead to war … it led to peace. In fact, he was just nominated for a peace prize because of what he’s been able to do, because in Israel it’s better to be biblically correct than politically correct. That’s what brings the results here. I think Donald Trump’s administration understood that. And because of that, they’ve seen incredible success in the Middle East where everyone else has failed.
Most people don’t know what President Trump has done for Israel, in part because the mainstream news media won’t report it. In addition to moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 and brokering two historic peace deals in the Middle East, Donald Trump has signed the Taylor Force Act, which prohibited Palestine to fund terrorists with American tax dollars.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“It’s fascinating. … In 2015, [the Israel Allies Foundation] made a list of the top 10 things that America could do for Israel in our wildest dreams. And our goal as an organization was to get one of them done in the next five years.” But in the last three and a half years, Trump has done nine of them. He scrapped the Iran Deal that allowed Iran to get nuclear weapons. He recognized the sovereignty in the Golan Heights area. “That’s a battle that’s been going on since 1967. We’ve been fighting for that. And once and for all [it] makes our border with Syria secure.”
An Incredible Sense of Peace
President Trump has “brought an incredible sense of peace” to the Middle East amid confusion and war. President Trump recognized that the problem was Iran, not the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that Israel is the solution to the Middle East. The Obama administration said just the opposite. “And now it’s very clear that the Trump administration was 100% right and the Obama administration was 100% wrong. But you’re not hearing that story.”
President Trump has done much for Israel because of his promises to Bible-believing Christians who pushed for pro-Israel changes. It’s important for Israel that Christians stand together to defend the values both Jews and American Christians hold. “Because at the same time that we’re working together and coming together and doing all these important initiatives together, the people who hate the God of Israel and the Bible are also coming together,” creating a “clash of civilizations.”
Prayers and Action
Reinstein asks for prayers for Israel. He believes that God wants prayers for Jerusalem because He wants the focus on Jerusalem, “because that’s where He’s unfolding His prophecy. That’s where the real story is happening.”
In addition to prayer, people can take action. “I just encourage people to get out and make their opinions heard. Go out and vote. Go out and … do something that puts action behind their belief system.”
When Christians take action, incredible things happen. “It wasn’t until Christians got involved and said, ‘I want the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem’ did that actually happen. And so, we see the incredible success of faith-based diplomacy.”
Reinstein hopes that his book will inspire people. “I hope people read this book and say, ‘Okay, what can I do? How can I be involved? What is my role to play in the fulfillment of biblical prophesy?’ I hope that this inspires people to take a stand for Israel and do something, do a concrete action on behalf of Israel.”
Note: Israel and United Arab Emirates will meet at the White House Tuesday, September 15 to sign their historic peace agreement.
Israel and Bahrain will also meet this week at the White House to sign their historic agreement.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-09-13--Trafficking Children: How Did We Get Here?

In just the past two months , authorities in Michigan , Ohio , and Georgia rescued 58 children , ranging in age from three to seventeen , who were either missing or were victims of sex trafficking .
In Ohio and Georgia , United States Marshals led the rescue missions .
In 2005 , a partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children launched operations like these all across the country .
In addition to the children who were rescued , more than two dozen predators were arrested .
Terms such as “ sex trafficking ” or “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image , of high-tech cartels in big cities run by wealthy criminal masterminds .
While those operations exist , the truth is often less flashy and more common .
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children , child sex trafficking includes the “ recruitment , harboring , transportation , provision , obtaining or advertising of a minor child for the purpose of a commercial sex act.
” Of the roughly 24-thousand endangered runaways reported last year , estimates are that one in six were victims of sex trafficking .
Traffickers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nabbing girls in an airport or shopping mall .
Often , they are family members or family friends , such as parents who ’ ve lost custody or guardians looking to profit .
Runaways are particularly vulnerable to people who are willing to take them in with intent to use them .
In other words , trafficking in some form or another could be happening in most of our communities .
That ’ s what is happening .
The question is , how did we get here ?
A few weeks ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a scandal over a French movie released last week .
Cuties tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who joins a “ twerking dance crew ” to “ explore her femininity ” and gain independence .
Those are Netflix ’ s words , not mine .
When Netflix ran an ad for the film showing young girls with bare legs and midriffs , a widely circulated petition demanded they remove the movie .
Instead , they removed the ad .
The movie ’ s still a go .
In other words , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexualization of young children and sex trafficking .
The same culture that celebrates when kids are rescued from sex slavery promotes a movie about young girls twerking .
A few years back , just two weeks after we celebrated the greatest exploiter of young women in our lifetime , Hugh Hefner , we arrested Harvey Weinstein for exploiting young women .
We agree , at least for now , that young kids can ’ t actually consent to sex , while the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children barely out of toddlerhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could go on and on .
The inconsistency is dizzying .
Still , these things are examples of one of our culture ’ s most insidious evils : How we steal childhood in the name of sexual progress .
Allowing teenagers to get abortions during school hours without notifying parents steals childhood .
Fetishizing adolescence by idolizing teenaged political activists or pre-pubescent movie and music stars steals childhood .
I ’ ve long thought that the jump to pedophilia is smaller than we think .
In a world where sexual autonomy is dignity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are encouraged to determine their gender identity regardless of DNA , chromosomes , or bodily realities — it ’ s a short jump to suggesting , as some on the cultural margins already have , that kids can consent to sexual relationships .
Two years ago at Buzzfeed News , a couple of reporters suggested that our culture ’ s obsession with ending child sex trafficking is overblown and “ based on myths.
” Some young teens , they wrote , are simply searching for independence and are able to find it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , can never bring freedom .
No young person , even at 17 years old , can consent to a sexual encounter that they ’ ve been told , ironically , will offer them some sort of safety or independence .
There is no freedom in lost childhood , just as there ’ s no freedom in being ruled by twisted sexual desires .
The success of these rescue missions in Ohio , Georgia , and Michigan are worth celebrating .
If we ever hope to end sex trafficking , however , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more holistic in our approach to the problem .
Editor ’ s Note : The Stream ‘ s parent organization , Life Outreach International , is fighting human trafficking around the world with their Mission : RescueLIFE .
Click here to help .
Originally published on Breakpoint.org : BreakPoint Commentaries .
Republished with permission of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview .

In just the past two months, authorities in Michigan, Ohio, and Georgia rescued 58 children, ranging in age from three to seventeen, who were either missing or were victims of sex trafficking. In Ohio and Georgia, United States Marshals led the rescue missions. In 2005, a partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children launched operations like these all across the country. In addition to the children who were rescued, more than two dozen predators were arrested.
Terms such as “sex trafficking” or “human trafficking” evoke a certain made-for-Hollywood image, of high-tech cartels in big cities run by wealthy criminal masterminds. While those operations exist, the truth is often less flashy and more common. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, child sex trafficking includes the “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining or advertising of a minor child for the purpose of a commercial sex act.” Of the roughly 24-thousand endangered runaways reported last year, estimates are that one in six were victims of sex trafficking.
Traffickers aren’t always the shadowy strangers nabbing girls in an airport or shopping mall. Often, they are family members or family friends, such as parents who’ve lost custody or guardians looking to profit. Runaways are particularly vulnerable to people who are willing to take them in with intent to use them.
In other words, trafficking in some form or another could be happening in most of our communities.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
That’s what is happening. The question is, how did we get here?
A few weeks ago, Netflix found itself at the center of a scandal over a French movie released last week. Cuties tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who joins a “twerking dance crew” to “explore her femininity” and gain independence. Those are Netflix’s words, not mine. When Netflix ran an ad for the film showing young girls with bare legs and midriffs, a widely circulated petition demanded they remove the movie. Instead, they removed the ad. The movie’s still a go.
In other words, there is a culture-wide disconnect between the overt sexualization of young children and sex trafficking. The same culture that celebrates when kids are rescued from sex slavery promotes a movie about young girls twerking. A few years back, just two weeks after we celebrated the greatest exploiter of young women in our lifetime, Hugh Hefner, we arrested Harvey Weinstein for exploiting young women. We agree, at least for now, that young kids can’t actually consent to sex, while the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children barely out of toddlerhood should determine their own gender.
I could go on and on. The inconsistency is dizzying.
Still, these things are examples of one of our culture’s most insidious evils: How we steal childhood in the name of sexual progress. Allowing teenagers to get abortions during school hours without notifying parents steals childhood. Fetishizing adolescence by idolizing teenaged political activists or pre-pubescent movie and music stars steals childhood. I’ve long thought that the jump to pedophilia is smaller than we think. In a world where sexual autonomy is dignity, consent is morality, and kids are encouraged to determine their gender identity regardless of DNA, chromosomes, or bodily realities — it’s a short jump to suggesting, as some on the cultural margins already have, that kids can consent to sexual relationships.
These things are examples of one of our culture’s most insidious evils: How we steal childhood in the name of sexual progress.
Two years ago at Buzzfeed News, a couple of reporters suggested that our culture’s obsession with ending child sex trafficking is overblown and “based on myths.” Some young teens, they wrote, are simply searching for independence and are able to find it in sex work.
Sexual exploitation, however, can never bring freedom. No young person, even at 17 years old, can consent to a sexual encounter that they’ve been told, ironically, will offer them some sort of safety or independence. There is no freedom in lost childhood, just as there’s no freedom in being ruled by twisted sexual desires.
The success of these rescue missions in Ohio, Georgia, and Michigan are worth celebrating. If we ever hope to end sex trafficking, however, we’ll need to be more honest and more holistic in our approach to the problem.
Editor’s Note: The Stream’s parent organization, Life Outreach International, is fighting human trafficking around the world with their Mission: RescueLIFE. Click here to help.
Originally published on Breakpoint.org: BreakPoint Commentaries. Republished with permission of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview.


thestream--2020-09-14--Can a Pro-Life Christian Vote for Joe Biden?

All Christians should be grateful for the Catholics because we have an aspect of our religion that is more developed than most other Christian groups .
It ’ s called “ moral theology.
” Moral theology ( or Christian ethics ) is the discipline of discussing and deciding about moral issues in the light of the Bible and church tradition .
There are good non-Catholic moral theologians , but the Catholics have a long history of puzzling over the application of God ’ s revelation to particular circumstances and issues .
“ Is the death penalty acceptable ?
If so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Was it sinful to drop the atom bomb to end World War II ?
” “ Is slavery permissible ?
” “ What about abortion ?
Artificial contraception ?
Same sex marriage ?
” In our modern day the moral problems are increasingly complex and ordinary people are expected to decide on extraordinarily complicated moral issues .
It sounds fine to ask , “ What does the Bible say ?
” But in the case of issues of modern technology , science and medical advances , the Bible doesn ’ t tell us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help us ask the right questions so we can discern the right answers .
How to vote in 2020 is an important moral decision for every Christian .
Many Christians have jumped on the Trump bandwagon without pause .
Others draw back .
They dislike his playboy background , his shady business deals , his questionable friendships and multiple marriages .
Some have held their nose and voted for Trump anyway saying , “ I ’ m voting for a president not a pastor.
” Other Christians declined to vote for Trump last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done a pretty good job so far .
They like the judges he has appointed , think his foreign policy is going in the right direction , and they ’ re convinced he is “ the most pro-life president we ’ ve every had.
” They still don ’ t like him as a person , but they ’ re going to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best .
Other Christians are not going to vote for Donald J.Trump not now never no way .
They may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they not only don ’ t like him , they don ’ t trust him .
They worry that if he is not already a tyrant and dictator , that he has the makings of one and they aren ’ t ready to give him an inch , much less their vote .
Is It the Kamala and Joe Show ?
Those who can ’ t vote for Donald Trump are therefore confronted with the only other realistic choice : Biden and Harris .
But how can a Christian vote for two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How can Catholics , for example , vote for Joe Biden , who claims to be a Catholic but is in favor of abortion and has officiated at same sex marriages ?
Father Thomas Reese SJ is a Catholic priest who has made a case for Christians casting their vote for Biden .
In this article in America magazine he admits that politics is a messy business .
A Christian may not agree with a candidate ’ s views or every item on a party platform , but Fr .
Reese maintains that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or party as long as you are not supporting whatever position they hold which is contrary to Christian teaching .
He quotes the advice given by the American Catholic bishops — advice which any Christian might want to heed : Fr Reese comments on this saying : First , it is noteworthy that besides abortion , euthanasia , assisted suicide and gay marriage , the bishops also list as “ intrinsically evil , ” policies “ deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions ” as well as policies promoting “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this text opens the door to a wider range of Catholic social teaching than just abortion and gay marriage .
Second , the ‘ if ’ clause is very important .
A Catholic is in trouble only ‘ if the voter ’ s intent is to support that position.
’ ” So , a Catholic Republican can vote for Trump , even if his policies promote racism or subject immigrants to subhuman living conditions , as long as the voter ’ s intent is not to support those positions .
And a Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if his policies promote abortions and gay marriage , as long as the voter ’ s intent is not to support those positions .
Fr Reese ’ s article sounds plausible , but we should think it through further .
There are three problems with his analysis .
First is the definition of “ intrinsic evil.
” In moral theology something is an “ intrinsic evil ” if the action is evil in and of itself .
In other words that action , standing alone , is objectively and indisputably evil .
Abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
So is murder and euthanasia .
Policies that deliberately subject the poor to subhuman living conditions and promote racist behavior are wrong and should be opposed , but those policies , in and of themselves are not evil .
The consequences of those policies might be bad , but the policies themselves are not intrinsically evil .
Saying those policies are as intrinsically evil as abortion and euthanasia is a logical fallacy called “ false equivalence ” The Catholic bishops and Fr Reese should know better .
The second problem is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bishops ’ statement that Fr Reese quotes refers to “ policies that [ deliberately subject ] workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions as well as policies [ that promote ] racist behavior.
” This sounds good at first , but for this to make any sense a political party or candidate would have to state openly , deliberately and specifically that they are in favor of subhuman living conditions for the poor and are openly , deliberately and specifically in favor of racism .
That ’ s what “ deliberately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would do that ?
There are no policies promoted by either party or candidate that deliberately promote poverty and racism .
All parties and candidates would promote exactly the opposite : concern for the poor and opposition to racism .
It is arguable that certain policies in both parties may , in some way or other , lead to increased poverty among the poor and increased racism , but that is not the point .
We ’ re talking about deliberate , intentional policies in favor of subhuman living conditions and racism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism as a side effect but that is not their intention .
However , when it comes to intrinsic evils , the Democratic policies specifically and pointedly support , promote and fund abortion up to the point of birth .
This is not the side effect of one of their policies .
It is their policy .
Finally , we need to ask whether abortion and euthanasia are of equal importance to poverty and racism .
The bishops ’ statement and Fr Reese put abortion and euthanasia on the same level as poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious concerns , to be sure .
We should do everything we can to eradicate these evils .
However , these are questions of quality of life .
Abortion and euthanasia are question of life and death itself .
It is shocking to find that leaders like Fr Reese and our Catholic bishops are unable to see that the taking of the innocent life of an unborn child by dismemberment in his mother ’ s womb is a greater moral obscenity than poor living conditions and racism .
Did I say Catholics were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misspoke .
Fr Dwight Longenecker is a Catholic priest working in South Carolina .
His new book is Immortal Combat : Confronting the Heart of Darkness .

All Christians should be grateful for the Catholics because we have an aspect of our religion that is more developed than most other Christian groups. It’s called “moral theology.” Moral theology (or Christian ethics) is the discipline of discussing and deciding about moral issues in the light of the Bible and church tradition.
There are good non-Catholic moral theologians, but the Catholics have a long history of puzzling over the application of God’s revelation to particular circumstances and issues. “Is the death penalty acceptable? If so, when and how?” “Was it sinful to drop the atom bomb to end World War II?” “Is slavery permissible?” “What about abortion? Artificial contraception? Same sex marriage?”
In our modern day the moral problems are increasingly complex and ordinary people are expected to decide on extraordinarily complicated moral issues. It sounds fine to ask, “What does the Bible say?” But in the case of issues of modern technology, science and medical advances, the Bible doesn’t tell us anything. We need moral theologians to help us ask the right questions so we can discern the right answers.
Never Trump?
How to vote in 2020 is an important moral decision for every Christian. Many Christians have jumped on the Trump bandwagon without pause. Others draw back. They dislike his playboy background, his shady business deals, his questionable friendships and multiple marriages. Some have held their nose and voted for Trump anyway saying, “I’m voting for a president not a pastor.”
Other Christians declined to vote for Trump last time, but believe he’s done a pretty good job so far. They like the judges he has appointed, think his foreign policy is going in the right direction, and they’re convinced he is “the most pro-life president we’ve every had.” They still don’t like him as a person, but they’re going to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best.
Other Christians are not going to vote for Donald J.Trump not now never no way. They may agree with some of his policies, but they not only don’t like him, they don’t trust him. They worry that if he is not already a tyrant and dictator, that he has the makings of one and they aren’t ready to give him an inch, much less their vote.
Is It the Kamala and Joe Show?
Those who can’t vote for Donald Trump are therefore confronted with the only other realistic choice: Biden and Harris. But how can a Christian vote for two candidates that are so openly pro-abortion? How can Catholics, for example, vote for Joe Biden, who claims to be a Catholic but is in favor of abortion and has officiated at same sex marriages?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Father Thomas Reese SJ is a Catholic priest who has made a case for Christians casting their vote for Biden. In this article in America magazine he admits that politics is a messy business. A Christian may not agree with a candidate’s views or every item on a party platform, but Fr. Reese maintains that you can still vote for that person or party as long as you are not supporting whatever position they hold which is contrary to Christian teaching.
He quotes the advice given by the American Catholic bishops — advice which any Christian might want to heed:
A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate its essential meaning, or racist behavior, if the voter’s intent is to support that position. In such cases, a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil. At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate’s opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity.
Fr Reese comments on this saying:
First, it is noteworthy that besides abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide and gay marriage, the bishops also list as “intrinsically evil,” policies “deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions” as well as policies promoting “racist behavior.” A liberal interpretation of this text opens the door to a wider range of Catholic social teaching than just abortion and gay marriage. Second, the ‘if’ clause is very important. A Catholic is in trouble only ‘if the voter’s intent is to support that position.’” So, a Catholic Republican can vote for Trump, even if his policies promote racism or subject immigrants to subhuman living conditions, as long as the voter’s intent is not to support those positions. And a Catholic Democrat can vote for Biden, even if his policies promote abortions and gay marriage, as long as the voter’s intent is not to support those positions.
Three Problems
Fr Reese’s article sounds plausible, but we should think it through further. There are three problems with his analysis.
First is the definition of “intrinsic evil.” In moral theology something is an “intrinsic evil” if the action is evil in and of itself. In other words that action, standing alone, is objectively and indisputably evil. Abortion is the intentional taking of an innocent life. So is murder and euthanasia. Policies that deliberately subject the poor to subhuman living conditions and promote racist behavior are wrong and should be opposed, but those policies, in and of themselves are not evil. The consequences of those policies might be bad, but the policies themselves are not intrinsically evil.
Saying those policies are as intrinsically evil as abortion and euthanasia is a logical fallacy called “false equivalence” The Catholic bishops and Fr Reese should know better.
Pinning it Down
The second problem is one of vague and sentimental thinking. The bishops’ statement that Fr Reese quotes refers to “policies that [deliberately subject] workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions as well as policies [that promote] racist behavior.”
This sounds good at first, but for this to make any sense a political party or candidate would have to state openly, deliberately and specifically that they are in favor of subhuman living conditions for the poor and are openly, deliberately and specifically in favor of racism. That’s what “deliberately” means.
What candidate or party would do that? There are no policies promoted by either party or candidate that deliberately promote poverty and racism. All parties and candidates would promote exactly the opposite: concern for the poor and opposition to racism.
It is arguable that certain policies in both parties may, in some way or other, lead to increased poverty among the poor and increased racism, but that is not the point. We’re talking about deliberate, intentional policies in favor of subhuman living conditions and racism.
Certain policies may produce poverty and promote racism as a side effect but that is not their intention. However, when it comes to intrinsic evils, the Democratic policies specifically and pointedly support, promote and fund abortion up to the point of birth. This is not the side effect of one of their policies. It is their policy.
A Question of Degree
Finally, we need to ask whether abortion and euthanasia are of equal importance to poverty and racism. The bishops’ statement and Fr Reese put abortion and euthanasia on the same level as poverty and racism.
Poverty and racism are serious concerns, to be sure. We should do everything we can to eradicate these evils. However, these are questions of quality of life. Abortion and euthanasia are question of life and death itself.
It is shocking to find that leaders like Fr Reese and our Catholic bishops are unable to see that the taking of the innocent life of an unborn child by dismemberment in his mother’s womb is a greater moral obscenity than poor living conditions and racism.
Did I say Catholics were better at moral theology? Maybe I misspoke.
Fr Dwight Longenecker is a Catholic priest working in South Carolina. His new book is Immortal Combat: Confronting the Heart of Darkness.


thestream--2020-09-14--If Progressive Christians Were Right, the Gospel Would Be a Cancer

Why is cancer usually worse than some foreign infection ?
Because it takes our body ’ s own cells and turns them against us .
Cancer is a mutation of our very own chromosomes , which often can mask itself so our immune system can ’ t spot it , much less kill it .
And that ’ s the kind of threat the Christian West faces from the Woke frenzy wrecking our cities : A home-grown tumor , with hijacked DNA from the New Testament itself .
Think about it : In which Muslim land are mobs destroying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
How many Buddhists are claiming that the real “ essence ” of their faith entails repressing Buddhist history and culture , and welcoming millions of strangers with other intolerant creeds ?
How many Hindus are apologizing for trying to reverse brutal Muslim conquests in past centuries , as Christians now cringe about the Crusades ?
Confucianism never turned against itself .
The Cultural Revolution in China , which tried to uproot that nation ’ s whole cultural past , was a vandalism project of the nation ’ s Marxist elite .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The same with the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia .
The Vulnerability of the Gospel No , we have to face it squarely .
Our very own churches get hijacked by social justice warriors , precisely because it ’ s easy to misread the very essence of Christianity .
And the Enemy is ever ready at our elbow to help us do that .
I ’ m no biblical scholar or theologian .
But as student of history , I can diagnose our symptoms .
Our civilizational immune system has turned against itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack cancer cells , but it goes after healthy tissue and vital organs .
That ’ s why the West is failing .
The Church which built up its limbs and formed its brain has been replaced by an ape church that ’ s trying to kill it .
I could point to a hundred headlines .
But one jumps out at me : the left ’ s effort to impose on us the term “ womxn ” instead of “ women.
” The made-up word “ Latinx ” was bad enough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word endings , while pretending to honor Hispanics .
But “ womxn ” is different .
It ’ s special .
It ’ s so completely insane that its origin could only lie in a hysterical , false religion , akin to the cult of Cybele that drove men to castrate themselves .
The Urban Dictionary explains the mystery of “ womxn ” this way : The Woke left really expects half the human race to start calling themselves by a neologism that is impossible to pronounce , as useless as the glyph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name to torture the record company he hated .
Like the name of God in ancient Israel , the word can not be spoken .
Not because it ’ s genuinely sacred , but because it swaps out a crucial vowel ( the one that marks off a singular “ woman ” from plural “ women ” ) for a consonant .
Suddenly an honest , ancient English term looks like some loan-word from Albanian .
All this to accommodate the demands of biological men whose psychological issues ( ranging from genuine mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) drive them to dress up in drag , pop female hormones , or mutilate their bodies .
Women who object to their locker rooms , bath rooms , sports competitions , and their sex as a whole being invaded have been designated a hate group .
Woke-ists now call them “ TERFs , ” or “ transgender-excluding radical feminists.
” The word is a term of abuse .
What most of us don ’ t realize is how this phenomenon is a direct perversion of Christianity .
But indeed it is .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ asserts His divine authority over against the Pharisees by inverting their expectations .
He violates the Sabbath , to show that He owns the thing because He decreed it .
He mixes with penitent prostitutes and tax collectors and scorns the self-righteous , to emphasize His own centrality , above human customs .
He speaks of leaving the 99 “ found ” sheep to seek the “ lost ” one .
He tells the story of the Prodigal Son , to encourage penitent sinners , and warn the self-satisfied , like the elder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sense , and point to genuine orthodox Christianity , if we understand them properly .
That is , as Christ insisting on His divine authority , and offering mercy from the Father .
To keep that meaning , we need to remember some other things Jesus said .
For instance , that He had come “ not to abolish the Law , but fulfill it.
” That is , He spoke in perfect continuity with the Hebrew scriptures ( the only ones in existence at the time ) .
He came first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel .
The Gospel must be preached first to the Jews .
The vision of life in the Hebrew Bible which God offers as a reward for faithfulness can not be evil , as some theologians like David Bentley Hart suggest .
That vision includes economic prosperity , secure property rights , firm national borders , and hierarchical differences as the result of different levels of talent .
Any version of Christianity which claims that Jesus pronounced such things as damnable sets Him as hopelessly opposed to His own Father .
The Son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we cut the New Testament off from the Old ?
If we treat Jesus almost as a new God who ’ d come to rescue us from the “ judgmentalism ” and “ wrath ” of the Father ?
The first major Christian heresy , Marcionism , taught that .
And that Marcionite temptation has popped up again and again ever since .
What better way , some Christians seem to think , to emphasize Jesus ’ uniqueness than to push their interpretation of His words and deeds to the wildest extreme ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Judaism , by refusing even to see His works in their Jewish context .
Instead interpret them “ radically , ” and make them an ideology .
Embrace the most counter-intuitive and even irrational implications we can draw , to prove that we honor faith over reason .
Invite “ Sex Workers ” in to Eat with Your Kids My friend , the brilliant Baptist writer Robert Lopez , reports a particularly stunning instance of this “ radicalism ” in practice .
Destroying Mankind in Order to Save It When anyone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , inhuman , destructive logic of such “ radical ” Christianity , call him “ worldly.
” Compare him to the Pharisees .
If he points out that your pet project of pacifism , socialism , open borders and “ radical hospitality , ” or universal celibacy would devastate the human race , say that maybe humanity must lose its life in order to save it .
And abracadabra , presto-changeo , you ’ ve transformed the Savior of mankind into its enemy .
Suddenly , the Prodigal Son doesn ’ t just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No , the father expels the faithful son from the home and hands his inheritance to the prodigal .
When the “ lost sheep ” returns to the flock , he is so much more beloved than the 99 that he ’ s permitted to eat them — and promptly does .
That ’ s the kind of deranged post-Christianity at work when a tiny contingent of sexually confused men get to redefine what it means to be a woman , and the 99.999999 percent of real women must grin and bear it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by law to accommodate homosexuals .
Or when the culture starts preparing itself to accommodate the pedophiles , as it ’ s clearly doing now .
The impulse to scorn the normal , spit on the virtuous , and embrace any oddball or rebel as somehow inherently holy ?
That ’ s a Christian heresy , and a deadly one .
If Christianity really , truly led to Wokeness it would be false — and instead of following it down the Gadarene slope to the sea , we should instead rend our garments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Antichrist is worse than any paganism the world has known .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He is co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

Why is cancer usually worse than some foreign infection? Because it takes our body’s own cells and turns them against us. Cancer is a mutation of our very own chromosomes, which often can mask itself so our immune system can’t spot it, much less kill it. And that’s the kind of threat the Christian West faces from the Woke frenzy wrecking our cities: A home-grown tumor, with hijacked DNA from the New Testament itself.
Think about it: In which Muslim land are mobs destroying the memorials of the founders of their country? How many Buddhists are claiming that the real “essence” of their faith entails repressing Buddhist history and culture, and welcoming millions of strangers with other intolerant creeds? How many Hindus are apologizing for trying to reverse brutal Muslim conquests in past centuries, as Christians now cringe about the Crusades?
Confucianism never turned against itself. The Cultural Revolution in China, which tried to uproot that nation’s whole cultural past, was a vandalism project of the nation’s Marxist elite. They preached a foreign, Western post-Christian heresy. The same with the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
The Vulnerability of the Gospel
No, we have to face it squarely. Our very own churches get hijacked by social justice warriors, precisely because it’s easy to misread the very essence of Christianity. And the Enemy is ever ready at our elbow to help us do that.
I’m no biblical scholar or theologian. But as student of history, I can diagnose our symptoms. Our civilizational immune system has turned against itself. Not only won’t it attack cancer cells, but it goes after healthy tissue and vital organs. That’s why the West is failing. The Church which built up its limbs and formed its brain has been replaced by an ape church that’s trying to kill it.
I could point to a hundred headlines. But one jumps out at me: the left’s effort to impose on us the term “womxn” instead of “women.” The made-up word “Latinx” was bad enough, mutilating the Spanish language with its gendered word endings, while pretending to honor Hispanics. But “womxn” is different. It’s special. It’s so completely insane that its origin could only lie in a hysterical, false religion, akin to the cult of Cybele that drove men to castrate themselves.
The Mystery of Womxn
The Urban Dictionary explains the mystery of “womxn” this way:
a spelling of “women” that is a more progressive term that not only sheds light on the prejudice, discrimination, and institutional barriers womxn have faced, but to also show that womxn are not the extension of men (as hinted by the classic Bible story of ) but their own free and separate entities. More intersectional than because it includes trans-women and women of colour.
The Woke left really expects half the human race to start calling themselves by a neologism that is impossible to pronounce, as useless as the glyph the singer Prince adopted instead of his name to torture the record company he hated. Like the name of God in ancient Israel, the word cannot be spoken. Not because it’s genuinely sacred, but because it swaps out a crucial vowel (the one that marks off a singular “woman” from plural “women”) for a consonant. Suddenly an honest, ancient English term looks like some loan-word from Albanian.
Embracing the “Excluded,” Punishing the Normal
All this to accommodate the demands of biological men whose psychological issues (ranging from genuine mental illness to the creepy fetish of autogynephilia) drive them to dress up in drag, pop female hormones, or mutilate their bodies. Women who object to their locker rooms, bath rooms, sports competitions, and their sex as a whole being invaded have been designated a hate group. Woke-ists now call them “TERFs,” or “transgender-excluding radical feminists.” The word is a term of abuse.
The Prodigal Son doesn’t just get welcomed back by his father. No, the father expels the faithful son from the home and hands his inheritance to the prodigal. When the “lost sheep” returns to the flock, he is so much more beloved than the 99 that he’s permitted to eat them.
Taking Jesus Hostage
What most of us don’t realize is how this phenomenon is a direct perversion of Christianity. But indeed it is. In one passage after another, Jesus asserts His divine authority over against the Pharisees by inverting their expectations. He violates the Sabbath, to show that He owns the thing because He decreed it. He mixes with penitent prostitutes and tax collectors and scorns the self-righteous, to emphasize His own centrality, above human customs. He speaks of leaving the 99 “found” sheep to seek the “lost” one. He tells the story of the Prodigal Son, to encourage penitent sinners, and warn the self-satisfied, like the elder brother.
And all of these stories make sense, and point to genuine orthodox Christianity, if we understand them properly. That is, as Christ insisting on His divine authority, and offering mercy from the Father. To keep that meaning, we need to remember some other things Jesus said. For instance, that He had come “not to abolish the Law, but fulfill it.” That is, He spoke in perfect continuity with the Hebrew scriptures (the only ones in existence at the time). He came first to the “lost sheep” of Israel. The Gospel must be preached first to the Jews.
The vision of life in the Hebrew Bible which God offers as a reward for faithfulness cannot be evil, as some theologians like David Bentley Hart suggest. That vision includes economic prosperity, secure property rights, firm national borders, and hierarchical differences as the result of different levels of talent. Any version of Christianity which claims that Jesus pronounced such things as damnable sets Him as hopelessly opposed to His own Father.
The Son Against the Father?
But what if we cut the New Testament off from the Old? If we treat Jesus almost as a new God who’d come to rescue us from the “judgmentalism” and “wrath” of the Father? The first major Christian heresy, Marcionism, taught that.
And that Marcionite temptation has popped up again and again ever since. What better way, some Christians seem to think, to emphasize Jesus’ uniqueness than to push their interpretation of His words and deeds to the wildest extreme? Highlight and celebrate Christianity’s differences from Judaism, by refusing even to see His works in their Jewish context. Instead interpret them “radically,” and make them an ideology. Embrace the most counter-intuitive and even irrational implications we can draw, to prove that we honor faith over reason.
Destroying Mankind in Order to Save It
When anyone in the Church tries to mitigate the irrational, inhuman, destructive logic of such “radical” Christianity, call him “worldly.” Compare him to the Pharisees. If he points out that your pet project of pacifism, socialism, open borders and “radical hospitality,” or universal celibacy would devastate the human race, say that maybe humanity must lose its life in order to save it. And abracadabra, presto-changeo, you’ve transformed the Savior of mankind into its enemy.
Suddenly, the Prodigal Son doesn’t just get welcomed back by his father. No, the father expels the faithful son from the home and hands his inheritance to the prodigal. When the “lost sheep” returns to the flock, he is so much more beloved than the 99 that he’s permitted to eat them — and promptly does.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
That’s the kind of deranged post-Christianity at work when a tiny contingent of sexually confused men get to redefine what it means to be a woman, and the 99.999999 percent of real women must grin and bear it. Or when marriage itself gets redefined by law to accommodate homosexuals. Or when the culture starts preparing itself to accommodate the pedophiles, as it’s clearly doing now.
The impulse to scorn the normal, spit on the virtuous, and embrace any oddball or rebel as somehow inherently holy? That’s a Christian heresy, and a deadly one. If Christianity really, truly led to Wokeness it would be false — and instead of following it down the Gadarene slope to the sea, we should instead rend our garments at its blasphemy. The creed of the Antichrist is worse than any paganism the world has known.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-09-14--Make It Stop! Maine Newlyweds are Latest Victims of COVID-Shaming

Move over Bonnie and Clyde .
The most famous outlaw couple in America is now the pair who married on August 7 in Millinocket , Maine .
They had the audacity to gather 65 people for their reception — 15 over the current legal limit .
That may not sound like much of a criminal rampage , but it doesn ’ t take much these days to set off the media .
Scads of reports over Labor Day weekend made the wedding crime sound like a fact : 1 non-compliant reception = 147 infections + 3 deaths .
Conclusion : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state rules .
Maine ’ s COVID sheriff is Nirav Shah , director of the state ’ s CDC .
He left a similar position in Illinois amid controversy after his lax handling of an outbreak of Legionnaires ’ disease in 2018 .
Two US senators drove him out of the Prairie State .
You can imagine how that might inspire hypervigilance in his new role .
According to Shah , COVID-19 spreads like glitter .
“ You open up glitter in Millinocket , ” he explained in a story for CNN , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are finding traces of it at a jail complex in York County .
It ’ s just emblematic of how quickly , silently and efficiently it can spread.
” But is it really so simple ?
Glitter is a striking symbol .
In this case , however , it ’ s symbolism over science .
In reality , human behavior is so complex that modelling it on large scales is well-nigh impossible .
As a result , modelers simplify .
If they do this well , they may capture part of reality .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ left with vast uncertainty .
After decades of flu research , for instance , experts acknowledge that “ data are scarce on the effectiveness of simple personal protective measures , such as facemasks and hand hygiene … and on the modes of influenza virus transmission among people.
” Are we to believe that scientists overcame these challenges in a few months for the coronavirus ?
Can public health officials really establish that COVID-19 cases in a prison and nursing home are due to wedding reception a hundred miles away ?
Or is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given public-health officials strong incentives to pretend they know more than they do about this new coronavirus ?
The charge that a 15-person excess in Millinocket caused three deaths fits Shah ’ s story far better than it fits the facts .
These deaths involved people who didn ’ t attend the reception but had some form of contact with people who had some form of contact with people who attended .
How likely is it that the three deceased would be alive today if two fewer reception tables had been set ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ contact , ” officials can easily connect a large fraction of Maine ’ s population to this wedding reception .
That seems to be the game with this story .
Infected people who become symptomatic tend to see signs about six days after infection .
Most would be contagious one or two days earlier .
This means it would take about eight days for someone who became infected at the reception to infect someone who then infected someone else .
Add a few days for symptoms to develop , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of Maine , with a population 1.3 million , seven deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 since that date .
Are we to believe that nearly half of the COVID deaths in Maine over the past month were caused by a minor infraction in Millinocket ?
So nowhere else in that great state did anyone break the rules except at tables seven and eight at the Big Moose Inn ?
That ’ s the full extent of depravity in Maine ?
There were no other gatherings , no protests , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Really ?
For that matter , in a state where over a thousand people die of something in an ordinary month , why should we believe those rules make much difference in the first place ?
At some point , public health officials must quit using sketchy science to blame people for living their lives .
Unfortunately , this COVID-shaming won ’ t stop until the press stops amplifying their efforts .
Douglas Axe , William Briggs , and Jay Richards are the authors of the forthcoming book The Price of Panic : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pandemic into a Catastrophe .

Move over Bonnie and Clyde. The most famous outlaw couple in America is now the pair who married on August 7 in Millinocket, Maine. They had the audacity to gather 65 people for their reception — 15 over the current legal limit. That may not sound like much of a criminal rampage, but it doesn’t take much these days to set off the media.
Scads of reports over Labor Day weekend made the wedding crime sound like a fact: 1 non-compliant reception = 147 infections + 3 deaths. Conclusion: don’t even think of violating state rules.
Maine’s COVID sheriff is Nirav Shah, director of the state’s CDC. He left a similar position in Illinois amid controversy after his lax handling of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2018. Two US senators drove him out of the Prairie State. You can imagine how that might inspire hypervigilance in his new role.
According to Shah, COVID-19 spreads like glitter. “You open up glitter in Millinocket,” he explained in a story for CNN, “and next thing you know you are finding traces of it at a jail complex in York County. It’s just emblematic of how quickly, silently and efficiently it can spread.”
But is it really so simple? Glitter is a striking symbol. In this case, however, it’s symbolism over science.
Rotten Science
In reality, human behavior is so complex that modelling it on large scales is well-nigh impossible. As a result, modelers simplify. If they do this well, they may capture part of reality. But even then, they’re left with vast uncertainty.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
After decades of flu research, for instance, experts acknowledge that “data are scarce on the effectiveness of simple personal protective measures, such as facemasks and hand hygiene … and on the modes of influenza virus transmission among people.” Are we to believe that scientists overcame these challenges in a few months for the coronavirus? Can public health officials really establish that COVID-19 cases in a prison and nursing home are due to wedding reception a hundred miles away?
Or is it more likely that a media-induced panic has given public-health officials strong incentives to pretend they know more than they do about this new coronavirus?
Two Tables in Maine
The charge that a 15-person excess in Millinocket caused three deaths fits Shah’s story far better than it fits the facts. These deaths involved people who didn’t attend the reception but had some form of contact with people who had some form of contact with people who attended. How likely is it that the three deceased would be alive today if two fewer reception tables had been set? After all, with a vague notion of “contact,” officials can easily connect a large fraction of Maine’s population to this wedding reception.
That seems to be the game with this story. Infected people who become symptomatic tend to see signs about six days after infection. Most would be contagious one or two days earlier. This means it would take about eight days for someone who became infected at the reception to infect someone who then infected someone else. Add a few days for symptoms to develop, and we’re at August 18. In all of Maine, with a population 1.3 million, seven deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 since that date.
So nowhere else in that great state did anyone break the rules except at tables seven and eight at the Big Moose Inn?
Too Simple
Are we to believe that nearly half of the COVID deaths in Maine over the past month were caused by a minor infraction in Millinocket? So nowhere else in that great state did anyone break the rules except at tables seven and eight at the Big Moose Inn? That’s the full extent of depravity in Maine? There were no other gatherings, no protests, in the state on the days in question? Really?
For that matter, in a state where over a thousand people die of something in an ordinary month, why should we believe those rules make much difference in the first place?
At some point, public health officials must quit using sketchy science to blame people for living their lives. Unfortunately, this COVID-shaming won’t stop until the press stops amplifying their efforts.
Douglas Axe, William Briggs, and Jay Richards are the authors of the forthcoming book The Price of Panic: How the Tyranny of Experts Turned a Pandemic into a Catastrophe.


thestream--2020-09-14--Military Photo of the Day: Streaking Over Denali National Park

Four F-35A Lightning II fighter jets fly in formation over Denali National Park in Alaska on August 17 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ happy week , everyone !

Four F-35A Lightning II fighter jets fly in formation over Denali National Park in Alaska on August 17, 2020.
Have a safe and happy week, everyone!
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