thestream--2020-07-02--I Have Called You Friends — The Importance of Male Friendship

The ad is almost eight years old , yet it still brings chills .
Even the recent comments on the YouTube page where it appears remain enthusiastic : “ Appears to be the best TV spot on the planet.
” “ I have never given a thumbs up to a commercial .
Until now.
” “ I ’ ve watched it time and time again !
!
Still awesome !
!
” The ad is about Tullamore D.E.W .
Irish Whiskey , using the theme of male friendship as its selling point .
The film finds four young men walking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , wearing their best black suits .
They wind up sitting on a stone wall facing a graveyard by a chapel , toasting with whiskey and singing the Irish folk song “ A Parting Glass.
” It seems like a wake , but then a beautiful wedding bride appears .
The boys are not losing a friend to death , but to marriage .
Coming across the ad again I thought of how crucial male friendships are .
Women tend to make friends more easily than men , and aging men with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As men lose more and more friends , the loneliness that results can cause depression , diabetes and suicide .
I ’ ve managed to stay connected to many of my close male friends over the years , including my best buddy Fletch .
I call him Fletch because he reminds me of a slightly more serious version of the character Fletch from the 1985 movie starring Chevy Chase .
In the movie , Fletch is a sharp-witted investigative journalist who loves sports and is wickedly funny , with a strong moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real-life Fletch is like that , with a tangy coating of libertarian politics .
He loves freedom of expression and distrusts , indeed despises , politicians .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
I met Fletch in high school where we became friends working on extracurriculars like the yearbook and the student newspaper .
Fletch drove me to chemo during my cancer scare of 2008 , and was a faithful mate in the fall of 2018 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that overnight became a national obsession .
My high school friend Brett Kavanaugh was nominated for a position on the Supreme Court of the United States , and at the last minute he was attacked and falsely accused of all kinds of horrible things .
As a close friend of Brett ’ s in high school , politicians and the media tried to drag me into the battle .
In essence they tried to make me — a recovering alcoholic and cancer survivor who believes in free speech and loves crime novels and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian after a somewhat wild youth — the nominee .
Abandoned in the Chaos — By Almost Everybody In the chaos that followed , I was abandoned by almost everybody — understandably so .
Who wants to be standing next to you when the Secret Police kick down your door at 3:00 in the morning ?
When things were at their darkest , I was contacted by Fletch .
Sitting in a motel room to avoid the press , I got a text : “ Mark .
I am your friend.
” It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever called me by my first name .
Like a lot of my high school friends , he usually calls me “ Judge ” or “ Judgey.
” The two times he ever called me Mark were when my father died and when Fletch erroneously thought a relative of mine had died on 9/11 .
Fletch asked me about the things they were saying about me — if there was anything to them .
One important thing about a good male friend is that he will challenge you .
He is fiercely loyal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you come clean about any of your sins .
This was even true of Jesus , who said this in John 15 : “ My command is this : Love each other as I have loved you .
Greater love has no one than this , that he lay down his life for his friends .
You are my friends if you do what I command .
I no longer call you servants , because a servant does not know his master ’ s business .
Instead I have called you friends , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Father , I have made known to you.
” You are my friends if you do what I command .
A good mate will want what is best for you , and that sometimes means having a clean soul and conscience .
I assured Fletch that I had no memory of the accusations against me , and that the indictment of my past writing was nothing more than a Marxist , Darkness at Noon attempt at a freak show .
“ Your Saul days are going to be exhibit A , ” Fletch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total freedom — the kind that isn ’ t allowed in totalitarian countries .
Politicians , the media and the oppo research goons have set up a triangulated kill zone .
You are in the dead center of it.
” A Small Candle of Hope in the Darkness Over the next weeks the media cited my books , picked through our high school yearbook — the same volume Fletch and I had worked on together — resurrected keg parties from the early 1980s and chased down idiotic rumors .
It was an absolute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monster that was equal parts German Stasi and rage mob .
It was Caddyshack meets The Lives of Others .
Fletch called me every day , giving support , advice and getting angry .
We slipped into that comfortable frequency that friends share , a connection that is crucial for men , allowing them to freely talk about depression , politics , art and women with total freedom .
Sex , video games , even parents can not replace it .
Fletch also brought the funny , a small candle of hope in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign that , like Samwise in The Lord of the Rings , he would walk with me to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring .
At one point during the circus some things we had written in our yearbook and underground newspaper became scandalous .
Over the phone I told Fletch that reporters had latched onto something particularly obnoxious that we had written in our underground newspaper as 17-year-old boys almost 40 years ago .
There was a pause .
Then he said it .
“ Is it too late to print a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer and filmmaker in Washington , D.C .

The ad is almost eight years old, yet it still brings chills. Even the recent comments on the YouTube page where it appears remain enthusiastic: “Appears to be the best TV spot on the planet.” “I have never given a thumbs up to a commercial. Until now.” “I’ve watched it time and time again!! Still awesome!!”
The ad is about Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey, using the theme of male friendship as its selling point. The film finds four young men walking across the Irish countryside on a rainy day, wearing their best black suits. They wind up sitting on a stone wall facing a graveyard by a chapel, toasting with whiskey and singing the Irish folk song “A Parting Glass.” It seems like a wake, but then a beautiful wedding bride appears. The boys are not losing a friend to death, but to marriage.
Coming across the ad again I thought of how crucial male friendships are. Women tend to make friends more easily than men, and aging men with few friends has become a social crisis. As men lose more and more friends, the loneliness that results can cause depression, diabetes and suicide.
My Best Buddy Fletch
I’ve managed to stay connected to many of my close male friends over the years, including my best buddy Fletch. I call him Fletch because he reminds me of a slightly more serious version of the character Fletch from the 1985 movie starring Chevy Chase. In the movie, Fletch is a sharp-witted investigative journalist who loves sports and is wickedly funny, with a strong moral core that rebels against injustice. My real-life Fletch is like that, with a tangy coating of libertarian politics. He loves freedom of expression and distrusts, indeed despises, politicians.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I met Fletch in high school where we became friends working on extracurriculars like the yearbook and the student newspaper. Fletch drove me to chemo during my cancer scare of 2008, and was a faithful mate in the fall of 2018 when I was targeted in a political attack that overnight became a national obsession. My high school friend Brett Kavanaugh was nominated for a position on the Supreme Court of the United States, and at the last minute he was attacked and falsely accused of all kinds of horrible things. As a close friend of Brett’s in high school, politicians and the media tried to drag me into the battle. In essence they tried to make me — a recovering alcoholic and cancer survivor who believes in free speech and loves crime novels and beautiful women and who became a serious Christian after a somewhat wild youth — the nominee.
Abandoned in the Chaos — By Almost Everybody
In the chaos that followed, I was abandoned by almost everybody — understandably so. Who wants to be standing next to you when the Secret Police kick down your door at 3:00 in the morning?
When things were at their darkest, I was contacted by Fletch. Sitting in a motel room to avoid the press, I got a text: “Mark. I am your friend.”
Sitting in a motel room to avoid the press, I got a text:
“Mark. I am your friend.”
It was only the third time he had ever called me by my first name. Like a lot of my high school friends, he usually calls me “Judge” or “Judgey.” The two times he ever called me Mark were when my father died and when Fletch erroneously thought a relative of mine had died on 9/11.
Fierce Loyalty
Fletch asked me about the things they were saying about me — if there was anything to them. One important thing about a good male friend is that he will challenge you. He is fiercely loyal but will demand the truth. That you come clean about any of your sins. This was even true of Jesus, who said this in John 15: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you.”
You are my friends if you do what I command. A good mate will want what is best for you, and that sometimes means having a clean soul and conscience.
One important thing about a good male friend is that he will challenge you. He is fiercely loyal but will demand the truth.
I assured Fletch that I had no memory of the accusations against me, and that the indictment of my past writing was nothing more than a Marxist, Darkness at Noon attempt at a freak show.
“Your Saul days are going to be exhibit A,” Fletch said. “You have written with total freedom — the kind that isn’t allowed in totalitarian countries. Politicians, the media and the oppo research goons have set up a triangulated kill zone. You are in the dead center of it.”
A Small Candle of Hope in the Darkness
Over the next weeks the media cited my books, picked through our high school yearbook — the same volume Fletch and I had worked on together — resurrected keg parties from the early 1980s and chased down idiotic rumors. It was an absolute frenzy, the press becoming a Frankenstein monster that was equal parts German Stasi and rage mob. It was Caddyshack meets The Lives of Others.
Fletch called me every day, giving support, advice and getting angry. We slipped into that comfortable frequency that friends share, a connection that is crucial for men, allowing them to freely talk about depression, politics, art and women with total freedom. Sex, video games, even parents cannot replace it.
Fletch also brought the funny, a small candle of hope in the darkness, as well as a sign that, like Samwise in The Lord of the Rings, he would walk with me to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. At one point during the circus some things we had written in our yearbook and underground newspaper became scandalous. Over the phone I told Fletch that reporters had latched onto something particularly obnoxious that we had written in our underground newspaper as 17-year-old boys almost 40 years ago.
There was a pause. Then he said it.
“Is it too late to print a retraction?”
Mark Judge is a writer and filmmaker in Washington, D.C.


thestream--2020-07-02--Traffickinghub Campaign Video Seeks to Shut Down Pornhub for Profiting From Rape, Sex Trafficking

The Traffickinghub campaign , author of a petition to shut down Pornhub , released a 2-minute video Tuesday .
The video details how the porn site profits from videos of sex trafficking and rape .
Traffickinghub ’ s website says the campaign is an “ effort to hold the largest porn website in the world accountable for enabling and profiting off of the mass sex-trafficking and exploitation of women and minors.
” The video lists several examples of Pornhub ’ s complicity in sexual crimes .
It also says that Pornhub has no reliable method of verifying the age or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first example , a 15-year old girl was missing for a year .
She was found after her mother was told about 58 videos of her daughter ’ s rape on Pornhub .
A screenshot of a cached tweet shows Pornhub considered the girl a “ verified model with a valid ID.
” In another case of Pornhub ’ s complicity cited in the video , 14-year-old Rose Kalemba was kidnapped at knife-point .
Her kidnappers raped and abused her for 12 hours on camera before she convinced them to release her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been posted on Pornhub and was being shared among school mates .
She sent emails to Pornhub pleading with them to take it down .
They ignored her .
The BBC reports : “ I sent Pornhub begging emails .
I pleaded with them .
I wrote , ‘ Please , I ’ m a minor , this was assault , please take it down.
’ ” The site didn ’ t reply and the videos stayed up .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day .
“ Then she had an idea .
She set up a new email address posing as a lawyer , and sent Pornhub an email threatening legal action .
‘ Within 48 hours the videos disappeared . '
” The video offers other evidence .
An investigation by The Sunday Times into Pornhub found images of a toddler being sexually abused .
Internet Watch Foundation ’ s investigation found 118 cases of child sexual abuse on Pornhub .
22 women won $ 12.7 million in a fraud lawsuit against Girls Do Porn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The women said they were deceived and coerced into signing contracts for porn videos that were posted online .
Activist Laila Mickelwait is the founder of Traffickinghub .
The camping is sponsored by anti-trafficking organization Exodus Cry , where Mickelwait is director of abolition .
Mickelwait announced June 9 that the campaign ’ s petition reached 1 million signatures .
The petition has garnered international attention .
Aliya Kuykendall is a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream .
You can follow Aliya on Twitter @ AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg @

Warning: This story contains disturbing content.
The Traffickinghub campaign, author of a petition to shut down Pornhub, released a 2-minute video Tuesday. The video details how the porn site profits from videos of sex trafficking and rape.
Traffickinghub’s website says the campaign is an “effort to hold the largest porn website in the world accountable for enabling and profiting off of the mass sex-trafficking and exploitation of women and minors.”
Pornhub’s Complicity
The video lists several examples of Pornhub’s complicity in sexual crimes. It also says that Pornhub has no reliable method of verifying the age or consent of people in videos.
Watch:
In the first example, a 15-year old girl was missing for a year. She was found after her mother was told about 58 videos of her daughter’s rape on Pornhub. A screenshot of a cached tweet shows Pornhub considered the girl a “verified model with a valid ID.”
In another case of Pornhub’s complicity cited in the video, 14-year-old Rose Kalemba was kidnapped at knife-point. Her kidnappers raped and abused her for 12 hours on camera before she convinced them to release her. She soon found out her rape had been posted on Pornhub and was being shared among school mates.
She sent emails to Pornhub pleading with them to take it down. They ignored her. The BBC reports: “I sent Pornhub begging emails. I pleaded with them. I wrote, ‘Please, I’m a minor, this was assault, please take it down.’” The site didn’t reply and the videos stayed up.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“Then she had an idea. She set up a new email address posing as a lawyer, and sent Pornhub an email threatening legal action. ‘Within 48 hours the videos disappeared.'”
The video offers other evidence. An investigation by The Sunday Times into Pornhub found images of a toddler being sexually abused. Internet Watch Foundation’s investigation found 118 cases of child sexual abuse on Pornhub.
22 women won $12.7 million in a fraud lawsuit against Girls Do Porn, a partner channel with Pornhub. The women said they were deceived and coerced into signing contracts for porn videos that were posted online.
Abolishing Trafficking
Activist Laila Mickelwait is the founder of Traffickinghub. The camping is sponsored by anti-trafficking organization Exodus Cry, where Mickelwait is director of abolition.
THREAD of public evidence that Pornhub profits from & enables the trafficking & rape of women and minors: 1) 15 yr old girl from Florida was trafficked, missing for a year, & found after 58 videos of her rape and abuse were discovered on #Traffickinghub—Pornhub verified her. pic.twitter.com/J0mHKfv7Yt — Laila Mickelwait (@LailaMickelwait) May 12, 2020
Mickelwait announced June 9 that the campaign’s petition reached 1 million signatures. The petition has garnered international attention.
Aliya Kuykendall is a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream. You can follow Aliya on Twitter @AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-07-02--Here Comes Polyamory, Just As We Predicted

Let me totally clear at the outset .
One of the purposes of this article is to say , “ I told you so !
” Or , more precisely , many of us have been predicting this moment for years .
As reported in a New York Times article titled “ A Massachusetts City Decides to Recognize Polyamorous Relationships , ” “ The city of Somerville has broadened the definition of domestic partnership to include relationships between three or more adults , expanding access to health care.
” Is anyone really surprised ?
After all , if the winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement have been “ Love is love ” and “ Love wins ” and “ I have the right to marry the one I love , ” why limit that number to two ?
Isn ’ t that discriminating against love ?
Isn ’ t that simply carrying over the outdated , outmoded , limiting ways of the past ?
To this day , in all my dialogue and debate with LGBTQ activists and their allies , I have yet to hear a reasonable explanation of why marriage should be limited to two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why limit the union to two people ?
Based on what ?
All the solid arguments for limiting marriage to two people are , ultimately , arguments for marriage being the union of a male and a female .
All other arguments fall short .
Very short .
( For a glaring illustration , see here . )
When it comes to polyamory , which can include virtually any combination or number of men and women , on what basis should the government not recognize such relationships ?
Is not love still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
And is not love the only thing that matters ?
So the argument goes .
As I asked in 2015 , “ If Love Is Love , Why Not Three Men ‘ Marrying ’ ?
” Why not ?
Not Hard to See It Coming … and What ’ s to Come Today , we ’ re talking about just one city in Massachusetts extending health benefits to polyamorous families .
But one city is all that is needed to begin a trend .
That ’ s also why this is national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unrelenting , tumultuous news cycle .
As for warning about this for years , polyamory was mentioned frequently in my book A Queer Thing Happened to America , published in 2011 , but with research for the book dating back to 2005 .
In fact , in the book I drew attention to a polyamory seminar hosted by the Metropolitan Community Churches — obviously , pro-LGBT churches — back in 2005 : “ Yes , ‘ polyamory ’ — in other words , having multiple sexual partners ( loving , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of discussion at the MCC conference , and church members were encouraged to come out of the closets with their ongoing , multiple sexual relationships.
” Again , this was at a church conference in 2005 .
And even then , this trend had been building for years .
We told you so !
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
In the book I also quoted polyamorous advocates who marched prominently in gay pride parades , stating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the gay activist movement.
” They probably underestimated the timeline .
( On a different but related front , I could point to articles like , “ Here Come the Polygamists , ” dating back to 2012 . )
In my 2015 book , Outlasting the Gay Revolution , I wrote , “ Perhaps we should change the wedding vows to sound more like this ( with the man speaking here ) : ‘ I take you as my wife , but probably not for life .
I take you as my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I pledge myself to you , and perhaps to others too .
I take you as my bride , although your name is Clyde.
’ “ Is this really so farfetched ?
If you can have a bride and a broom , if ‘ husbands ’ can be women and ‘ wives ’ can be men , if you can be married and dating and swinging and swapping , if you live together before marriage and end the marriage whenever it suits you best , then what does ‘ marriage ’ mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mocked Back in 2015 , Stephen Colbert mocked the idea of a slippery moral slope when it came to redefining marriage .
The reality of the matter , as he likely knew , was that the mocking predictions he made had already come to pass .
I illustrated all that in this video .
You can mock , but you can ’ t deny reality .
( Take a minute to watch .
You ’ ll be shocked . )
In saying all this , I am not saying that gay couples do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couples will inevitably become polyamorous throuples and beyond .
I ’ m simply stating the obvious : if two men or two women can “ marry , ” then there is nothing sacrosanct about the number two .
Any potential number will do , as long as the relationships are based on “ love.
” Already in March , 2016 , Oliver Bateman wrote on Mic.com , “ When it comes to marriage , three is still a crowd .
But that might be changing sooner than we think .
According to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans report that they find the concept of plural marriage ‘ morally acceptable , ’ while polyamorous relationships are increasingly receiving mainstream media coverage .
A 2014 Newsweek article even estimates that there are more than 500,000 openly polyamorous families living in the United States today.
” Did I say we told you so ?
Need I say more ?
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

Let me totally clear at the outset. One of the purposes of this article is to say, “I told you so!” Or, more precisely, many of us have been predicting this moment for years. As reported in a New York Times article titled “A Massachusetts City Decides to Recognize Polyamorous Relationships,” “The city of Somerville has broadened the definition of domestic partnership to include relationships between three or more adults, expanding access to health care.” Is anyone really surprised?
After all, if the winning mantras of the same-sex “marriage” movement have been “Love is love” and “Love wins” and “I have the right to marry the one I love,” why limit that number to two? Isn’t that discriminating against love? Isn’t that simply carrying over the outdated, outmoded, limiting ways of the past?
To this day, in all my dialogue and debate with LGBTQ activists and their allies, I have yet to hear a reasonable explanation of why marriage should be limited to two people if any two people can marry. Why limit the union to two people? Based on what? All the solid arguments for limiting marriage to two people are, ultimately, arguments for marriage being the union of a male and a female. All other arguments fall short. Very short. (For a glaring illustration, see here.)
When it comes to polyamory, which can include virtually any combination or number of men and women, on what basis should the government not recognize such relationships? Is not love still love? Does not love still win? And is not love the only thing that matters? So the argument goes.
As I asked in 2015, “If Love Is Love, Why Not Three Men ‘Marrying’?” Why not?
Not Hard to See It Coming … and What’s to Come
Today, we’re talking about just one city in Massachusetts extending health benefits to polyamorous families. But one city is all that is needed to begin a trend. That’s also why this is national news, even in the midst of an unrelenting, tumultuous news cycle.
As for warning about this for years, polyamory was mentioned frequently in my book A Queer Thing Happened to America, published in 2011, but with research for the book dating back to 2005.
In fact, in the book I drew attention to a polyamory seminar hosted by the Metropolitan Community Churches — obviously, pro-LGBT churches — back in 2005: “Yes, ‘polyamory’ — in other words, having multiple sexual partners (loving, of course!) — was also a topic of discussion at the MCC conference, and church members were encouraged to come out of the closets with their ongoing, multiple sexual relationships.”
Again, this was at a church conference in 2005. And even then, this trend had been building for years. We told you so!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In the book I also quoted polyamorous advocates who marched prominently in gay pride parades, stating, “We’re 30 years behind the gay activist movement.” They probably underestimated the timeline. (On a different but related front, I could point to articles like, “Here Come the Polygamists,” dating back to 2012.)
In my 2015 book, Outlasting the Gay Revolution, I wrote, “Perhaps we should change the wedding vows to sound more like this (with the man speaking here): ‘I take you as my wife, but probably not for life. I take you as my own, but not just you alone. I pledge myself to you, and perhaps to others too. I take you as my bride, although your name is Clyde.’
“Is this really so farfetched? If you can have a bride and a broom, if ‘husbands’ can be women and ‘wives’ can be men, if you can be married and dating and swinging and swapping, if you live together before marriage and end the marriage whenever it suits you best, then what does ‘marriage’ mean?”
Stating the Obvious Got Me Mocked
Back in 2015, Stephen Colbert mocked the idea of a slippery moral slope when it came to redefining marriage. The reality of the matter, as he likely knew, was that the mocking predictions he made had already come to pass. I illustrated all that in this video. You can mock, but you can’t deny reality. (Take a minute to watch. You’ll be shocked.)
In saying all this, I am not saying that gay couples do not love each other or that gay couples will inevitably become polyamorous throuples and beyond. I’m simply stating the obvious: if two men or two women can “marry,” then there is nothing sacrosanct about the number two. Any potential number will do, as long as the relationships are based on “love.”
Already in March, 2016, Oliver Bateman wrote on Mic.com, “When it comes to marriage, three is still a crowd. But that might be changing sooner than we think. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, a small-yet-growing percentage of Americans report that they find the concept of plural marriage ‘morally acceptable,’ while polyamorous relationships are increasingly receiving mainstream media coverage. A 2014 Newsweek article even estimates that there are more than 500,000 openly polyamorous families living in the United States today.”
Did I say we told you so? Need I say more?
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--2020-07-02--A July 4 Message for the Next Generation: What Was ‘America’?

Welcome to our time capsule , Forbidden Knowledge .
We ’ re writing this compendium of political , historical , and philosophical wisdom in the vexed year 2020 , AD .
At least , that ’ s the calendar still used as we pen these words .
We hope , of course , that it still will be when you pick up this book , in some ten or twenty years .
But at this point , we can not be sure .
Perhaps it will be the Year of the Revolution ( YR ) 15 or something .
History @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the burning of Manhattan , the Vatican or the Library of Congress .
We hope that you may purchase this book legally , since you live in a society that still welcomes free inquiry and open debate .
One that still learns from its past , and recognizes the value of honoring our fathers and mothers .
But it would be reckless for us to assume that .
A Piece of Samizdat from the Memory Hole You might instead have received this in a heavily encrypted file .
Someone slipped it to you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( That ’ s assuming the survival of functioning computers , and people with the knowledge to repair them . )
Perhaps you ’ re reading a faded Xerox of a dog-eared , coffee-stained printout .
Perhaps the State , as in Soviet Russia , hoards all the copy machines to control information .
Then you might have a copy someone painstakingly recopied on an old-fashioned “ typewriter.
” That would be tragically fitting , since the works of Alexander Solzhenitsyn ( see entry here ) once circulated that way too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you inherit a world as prosperous , free , and open as the one we were born into .
The kind we ’ d hoped to leave behind .
If it turns out we failed at that , our profound apologies on behalf of our generation .
Please accept this document recording the truths and insights which wise men still treasured , in pockets , as of 2020 AD .
We hope that you profit from the knowledge .
That you can use it to find faith , hope , and love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this entry ’ s title seems quaintly obvious to you , since you live in a strong , stable country , one that still treasures a written Constitution and ( at least in theory ) objective courts to interpret it .
If the states are still united as you read this , breathe a prayer of gratitude , dear countrymen .
Because as we write it , that prospect is by no means certain .
So we ’ ll write this as if our worst fears had come to pass , and hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laughing at us for being panicky .
Like any nation in history , America was composed of a body and a soul .
The “ body ” is how we talk about the concrete , cultural elements and historical institutions that sparked it and made it strong .
The DNA that first wove America ’ s cells was mostly English , with a fair admixture of Scottish , Dutch , and other northern European , Protestant settlers .
America ’ s first settlers also added a very significant element of African heritage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African slave-traders , and brought here to work under the whip .
The fact that part of our body was slave , and part was free , would cause America ’ s closest brush with physical death , in the 1860s .
The difficulty of reconciling such disparate DNA , and treating the people of very different ancestries equally , nearly tore us apart again in our own time .
Whether it did or not , you ’ ll know — but we don ’ t .
Just as a human body discards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s material body changed over time — more than most , since we peopled our vast continent with immigrants .
First from Northern , then Eastern and Southern Europe , and then from all over the world .
Most bodies would stagger , perhaps even split up or die , from such a transplant of new , different chromosomes .
But for a long time , America didn ’ t .
There was an excellent reason for that .
America had a soul distinct from most other nations .
Its soul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its body , but something very special .
You see , the cultures and faith that settlers brought here from England contained a unique element .
Within the complex conventions of “ English liberties ” and distinctively English Common Law , at their heart like a burning ember , there nestled a fire from heaven .
Namely , a vision of the human person ( not merely the Englishman or Scot ) as distinctly precious , the earthly image of God .
And as an image of God , the human person deserved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their subjects .
This spark of divine truth , conveyed from many sources ( ancient Greek philosophy , Roman law , both testaments of the Bible , and centuries of the Church pushing back against the State ) carried on in the souls and churches of English settlers .
Even as America ’ s body may have sinned against the Indians or the slaves , its soul stayed fixed on that vision of man as unique and free , even sacred .
The Flame of the Founding The flame of that vision grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more than a century , with little interference from Britain .
It became a roaring fire after 1763 , when Britain ’ s Parliament tried to rein Americans in , and treat them as hapless subjects of a world empire .
Americans , the leaders of Britain began to claim , had no more claim to freedom than landless Irish peasants , or Bengalis subjugated by the East India Company .
They could be regulated and taxed , disarmed and billeted with British troops , at Parliament ’ s absolute whim .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning had fanned the fire of liberty , both personal and religious .
Citizens young and old had marched straight from their churches to drill in local militias , convinced that they served God himself when they defended their rights as persons .
The vision of freedom that formed America ’ s soul was biblical , not “ Enlightened , ” which is why our war of independence against the British never became a bloodbath that pitted rich against poor , believer against freethinker .
That would happen in France , because its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t look to Athens , Jerusalem , or the Church , but ahead to Utopia , some fantasy castle in empty space that set no bounds to their dreams of power .
Our Declaration of Independence laid out , in rational and non-sectarian terms , the deeply Christian vision that formed our soul .
It didn ’ t cite scripture or canon law , but instead drew on the natural law God wrote on the human heart .
And it found in this natural law the rights that Englishmen had treasured , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as distinctively … American .
In time , the same generation would write a Constitution , to discipline their government and make sure that the nation ’ s body would obey its soul — not the other way round .
In writing that Declaration , our Founders took an enormous risk .
They cited principles so pure , demanding , and literally heavenly , that any concrete nation would stagger at living them fully .
Just so , an aspiring saint who seeks to be “ perfect , like your Father in heaven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure , repentance , and struggle .
He willingly accepts the risk of hypocrisy and ridicule , which he could escape by choosing more “ realistic , ” cynical principles .
And so our ancestors struggled and failed .
But it was a noble struggle , like any saint ’ s , since it aimed at something divine .
Our nation made progress , and sometimes slid back .
At times , the body ’ s appetites — the lure of easy conquest or comfortable exploitation — diverted the soul ’ s upward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take land , we left the slaves in chains .
We left the unborn to be cut up and sold by Planned Parenthood .
Still , our very charter as a nation was there to shame us .
At other times , we let the nobility of our founding principles drive us to scrupulosity and pride , to futile wars of international “ liberation ” that left foreign countries in ruins .
Or we mortified ourselves like a misguided monk who starves himself , pushing the soul ’ s agenda too quickly or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration policies , with good intentions , that sickened the nation and tempted it to self-destructive despair .
Our elites got drunk with their own self-righteousness , and decreed that a nation which couldn ’ t live up to all its ideals at once deserved destruction .
Let it die , and something new grow in its place .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
We hope they failed .
And we wish you the best as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God watch over you and inspire you to learn from the past , both its triumphs and its crimes .
You are every bit as human and flawed as we or our ancestors were .
Remember that , and forgive us .
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream .
He is a film producer , author , activist and human rights worker .
You can follow him at @ JasonJonesShow .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
Together , Jones and Zmirak wrote The Race to Save Our Century .
The above is an excerpt from their upcoming book , Forbidden Knowledge .

This column originally appeared July 2, 2020. We are republishing it to mark Independence Day, 2021.
Welcome to our time capsule, Forbidden Knowledge. We’re writing this compendium of political, historical, and philosophical wisdom in the vexed year 2020, AD. At least, that’s the calendar still used as we pen these words. We hope, of course, that it still will be when you pick up this book, in some ten or twenty years. But at this point, we cannot be sure. Perhaps it will be the Year of the Revolution (YR) 15 or something. History will have hit “reset” with the burning of Manhattan, the Vatican or the Library of Congress.
We hope that you may purchase this book legally, since you live in a society that still welcomes free inquiry and open debate. One that still learns from its past, and recognizes the value of honoring our fathers and mothers. But it would be reckless for us to assume that.
A Piece of Samizdat from the Memory Hole
You might instead have received this in a heavily encrypted file. Someone slipped it to you on an old, battered “thumb-drive.” (That’s assuming the survival of functioning computers, and people with the knowledge to repair them.) Perhaps you’re reading a faded Xerox of a dog-eared, coffee-stained printout.
Perhaps the State, as in Soviet Russia, hoards all the copy machines to control information. Then you might have a copy someone painstakingly recopied on an old-fashioned “typewriter.” That would be tragically fitting, since the works of Alexander Solzhenitsyn (see entry here) once circulated that way too.
We more than hope, we pray that you inherit a world as prosperous, free, and open as the one we were born into. The kind we’d hoped to leave behind. If it turns out we failed at that, our profound apologies on behalf of our generation. Please accept this document recording the truths and insights which wise men still treasured, in pockets, as of 2020 AD. We hope that you profit from the knowledge. That you can use it to find faith, hope, and love among the ruins.
America: A Definition
We hope that this entry’s title seems quaintly obvious to you, since you live in a strong, stable country, one that still treasures a written Constitution and (at least in theory) objective courts to interpret it. If the states are still united as you read this, breathe a prayer of gratitude, dear countrymen. Because as we write it, that prospect is by no means certain. So we’ll write this as if our worst fears had come to pass, and hope that reading this you’re gently laughing at us for being panicky.
If the states are still united as you read this, breathe a prayer of gratitude, dear countrymen. Because as we write it, that prospect is by no means certain.
Like any nation in history, America was composed of a body and a soul. The “body” is how we talk about the concrete, cultural elements and historical institutions that sparked it and made it strong. The DNA that first wove America’s cells was mostly English, with a fair admixture of Scottish, Dutch, and other northern European, Protestant settlers. America’s first settlers also added a very significant element of African heritage, in the form of slaves bought from African slave-traders, and brought here to work under the whip.
The fact that part of our body was slave, and part was free, would cause America’s closest brush with physical death, in the 1860s. The difficulty of reconciling such disparate DNA, and treating the people of very different ancestries equally, nearly tore us apart again in our own time. Whether it did or not, you’ll know — but we don’t.
Just as a human body discards old cells and generates new ones, America’s material body changed over time — more than most, since we peopled our vast continent with immigrants. First from Northern, then Eastern and Southern Europe, and then from all over the world. Most bodies would stagger, perhaps even split up or die, from such a transplant of new, different chromosomes.
Why We Thrived
But for a long time, America didn’t. There was an excellent reason for that. America had a soul distinct from most other nations. Its soul was not just an organic product of its body, but something very special. You see, the cultures and faith that settlers brought here from England contained a unique element.
Within the complex conventions of “English liberties” and distinctively English Common Law, at their heart like a burning ember, there nestled a fire from heaven. Namely, a vision of the human person (not merely the Englishman or Scot) as distinctly precious, the earthly image of God. And as an image of God, the human person deserved better treatment than most regimes historically offered their subjects.
This spark of divine truth, conveyed from many sources (ancient Greek philosophy, Roman law, both testaments of the Bible, and centuries of the Church pushing back against the State) carried on in the souls and churches of English settlers. Even as America’s body may have sinned against the Indians or the slaves, its soul stayed fixed on that vision of man as unique and free, even sacred.
The Flame of the Founding
The flame of that vision grew brighter and warmer as Americans governed themselves for more than a century, with little interference from Britain. It became a roaring fire after 1763, when Britain’s Parliament tried to rein Americans in, and treat them as hapless subjects of a world empire. Americans, the leaders of Britain began to claim, had no more claim to freedom than landless Irish peasants, or Bengalis subjugated by the East India Company. They could be regulated and taxed, disarmed and billeted with British troops, at Parliament’s absolute whim.
But America’s pastors since the beginning had fanned the fire of liberty, both personal and religious. Citizens young and old had marched straight from their churches to drill in local militias, convinced that they served God himself when they defended their rights as persons.
The vision of freedom that formed America’s soul was biblical, not “Enlightened,” which is why our war of independence against the British never became a bloodbath that pitted rich against poor, believer against freethinker. That would happen in France, because its revolutionaries were pagans. They didn’t look to Athens, Jerusalem, or the Church, but ahead to Utopia, some fantasy castle in empty space that set no bounds to their dreams of power.
The Christian Vision
Our Declaration of Independence laid out, in rational and non-sectarian terms, the deeply Christian vision that formed our soul. It didn’t cite scripture or canon law, but instead drew on the natural law God wrote on the human heart. And it found in this natural law the rights that Englishmen had treasured, and which we ourselves would come to see as distinctively … American.
In time, the same generation would write a Constitution, to discipline their government and make sure that the nation’s body would obey its soul — not the other way round. In writing that Declaration, our Founders took an enormous risk. They cited principles so pure, demanding, and literally heavenly, that any concrete nation would stagger at living them fully. Just so, an aspiring saint who seeks to be “perfect, like your Father in heaven” guarantees himself a life of repeated failure, repentance, and struggle. He willingly accepts the risk of hypocrisy and ridicule, which he could escape by choosing more “realistic,” cynical principles.
Neglecting the Soul
And so our ancestors struggled and failed. But it was a noble struggle, like any saint’s, since it aimed at something divine. Our nation made progress, and sometimes slid back. At times, the body’s appetites — the lure of easy conquest or comfortable exploitation — diverted the soul’s upward climb. We fought unjust wars to take land, we left the slaves in chains. We left the unborn to be cut up and sold by Planned Parenthood. Still, our very charter as a nation was there to shame us.
Despising the Body
At other times, we let the nobility of our founding principles drive us to scrupulosity and pride, to futile wars of international “liberation” that left foreign countries in ruins. Or we mortified ourselves like a misguided monk who starves himself, pushing the soul’s agenda too quickly or even wrongly. We adopted welfare and immigration policies, with good intentions, that sickened the nation and tempted it to self-destructive despair. Our elites got drunk with their own self-righteousness, and decreed that a nation which couldn’t live up to all its ideals at once deserved destruction. Let it die, and something new grow in its place.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
We hope they failed. And we wish you the best as you sort through the outcome. May God watch over you and inspire you to learn from the past, both its triumphs and its crimes. You are every bit as human and flawed as we or our ancestors were. Remember that, and forgive us.
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream. He is a film producer, author, activist and human rights worker. You can follow him at @JasonJonesShow.
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.
Together, Jones and Zmirak wrote The Race to Save Our Century. The above is an excerpt from their upcoming book, Forbidden Knowledge.


thestream--2020-07-02--Start the Suicide Watch … I Mean a Real One This Time. Epstein’s Alleged Partner in Pedophilia Ghisl

Start the Suicide Watch … I Mean a Real One This Time. Epstein’s Alleged Partner in Pedophilia Ghislaine Maxwell Charged

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested in New Hampshire on charges connected to Epstein ’ s sex-trafficking operation .
Maxwell was partner of — and pimp for — convicted child molester Jeffrey Epstein , who “ committed suicide ” last August under very mysterious circumstances shortly after he was arrested .
Let the # GhislaineDidntCommitSuicide hashtags commence .
The question now is how much will Maxwell talk .
The indictment unsealed by the Southern District Court of New York lists five counts , including : • Conspiracy to entice minors to engage in illegal sex acts .
• Conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex acts .
• Transportation of a minor to engage in illegal sex acts .
She ’ s also charged with perjury for lying about her knowledge of Epstein ’ s illegal activities with underage girls .
Maxwell allegedly helped Epstein “ recruit , groom and ultimately abuse ” his victims by befriending them and taking them on outings prior to the assaults .
Said Acting US Attorney Audrey Strauss , Maxwell “ helped him exploit girls who were as young as 14.
” In some cases , she “ participated in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full indictment here .
Will She Talk ?
Who Will She Expose ?
Will she talk ?
Epstein was , as NBC 4 in New York puts it , “ friend to presidents and captains of industry.
” To say nothing of English princes like Prince Andrew .
Thanks to Maxwell .
She ’ s the daughter of one-time British publishing magnate Robert Maxwell .
As The New York Times reports , she introduced Epstein “ to the high-profile celebrities and business executives who would form his social circle.
” Please Support The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
His plane logs and social calendar included some of the most famous names in entertainment and world affairs , from Kevin Spacey to pal Bill Gates .
As Harry Litman tweeted , “ Lots and lots of social elite have to be terrified : if she opts to cooperate , her little black book could inculpate a who ’ s who of bigwig assailants.
” Top on that list of people needing to be nervous is former President Bill Clinton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a regular passenger on the plane known as the Lolita Express , and witnesses put him at the infamous Epstein Island .
( There ’ s even a bizarre painting of Bill Clinton in a blue dress hung in Epstein ’ s house . )
And in a new book out last month , it was revealed that Clinton carried on a long-lasting affair with Maxwell .
Still , Clinton claims to have zero knowledge of Epstein ( and Maxwell ’ s ) crimes against children .
Then there ’ s Prince @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia Roberts Giuffre of having sex with her when she was just 17 at Maxwell ’ s London townhouse .
( Here ’ s the photo allegedly from that night . )
The US formally asked Britain for help in questioning the prince .
Andrew has been fighting the request .
Attorney Gloria Allred , who represents 16 of Epstein ’ s accusers , says Maxwell ’ s arrest puts more pressure on the prince to talk .
“ It is long overdue for Prince Andrew to stop making excuses and to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI immediately and agree to appear for an interview.
” US Attorney Strauss agreed .
She would “ welcome Prince Andrew coming in to talk with us to have the benefit of his statement.
” After Epstein ’ s death , Attorney General William Barr warned , “ Any co-conspirators should not rest easy .
The victims deserve justice and they will get it.
” Today ’ s arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell is a start .
Assuming she isn ’ t “ suicided.
” Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .
You can follow him at @ StreamingAl .
And if you aren ’ t already , please follow The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested in New Hampshire on charges connected to Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation. Maxwell was partner of — and pimp for — convicted child molester Jeffrey Epstein, who “committed suicide” last August under very mysterious circumstances shortly after he was arrested. Let the #GhislaineDidntCommitSuicide hashtags commence.
The question now is how much will Maxwell talk.
The Indictment
The indictment unsealed by the Southern District Court of New York lists five counts, including:
Conspiracy to entice minors to engage in illegal sex acts. Conspiracy to transport minors to engage in illegal sex acts. Transportation of a minor to engage in illegal sex acts.
She’s also charged with perjury for lying about her knowledge of Epstein’s illegal activities with underage girls.
Maxwell allegedly helped Epstein “recruit, groom and ultimately abuse” his victims by befriending them and taking them on outings prior to the assaults. Said Acting US Attorney Audrey Strauss, Maxwell “helped him exploit girls who were as young as 14.” In some cases, she “participated in the abuse herself.”
You can read the full indictment here.
Will She Talk? Who Will She Expose?
Will she talk? Epstein was, as NBC 4 in New York puts it, “friend to presidents and captains of industry.” To say nothing of English princes like Prince Andrew. Thanks to Maxwell. She’s the daughter of one-time British publishing magnate Robert Maxwell. As The New York Times reports, she introduced Epstein “to the high-profile celebrities and business executives who would form his social circle.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
His plane logs and social calendar included some of the most famous names in entertainment and world affairs, from Kevin Spacey to pal Bill Gates. As Harry Litman tweeted, “Lots and lots of social elite have to be terrified: if she opts to cooperate, her little black book could inculpate a who’s who of bigwig assailants.”
Top on that list of people needing to be nervous is former President Bill Clinton. Clinton was tight with Epstein. He was a regular passenger on the plane known as the Lolita Express, and witnesses put him at the infamous Epstein Island. (There’s even a bizarre painting of Bill Clinton in a blue dress hung in Epstein’s house.)
And in a new book out last month, it was revealed that Clinton carried on a long-lasting affair with Maxwell. Still, Clinton claims to have zero knowledge of Epstein (and Maxwell’s) crimes against children.
Will She Expose Prince Andrew?
Then there’s Prince Andrew. He’s accused by Virginia Roberts Giuffre of having sex with her when she was just 17 at Maxwell’s London townhouse. (Here’s the photo allegedly from that night.) The US formally asked Britain for help in questioning the prince. Andrew has been fighting the request.
Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents 16 of Epstein’s accusers, says Maxwell’s arrest puts more pressure on the prince to talk. “It is long overdue for Prince Andrew to stop making excuses and to stop playing the victim. He should contact the FBI immediately and agree to appear for an interview.”
US Attorney Strauss agreed. She would “welcome Prince Andrew coming in to talk with us to have the benefit of his statement.”
After Epstein’s death, Attorney General William Barr warned, “Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice and they will get it.”
Today’s arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell is a start. Assuming she isn’t “suicided.”
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-07-02--Contain the Madness, Limit the Damage — Especially This November

The country is falling into insanity .
It ’ s no longer hyperbole , not merely metaphor .
Large swaths of our population are losing touch with reality .
We ’ ve got to fight the madness down again — but first we ’ ve got to contain the damage .
Recovering our sanity is going to take a long , protracted campaign on multiple fronts .
In the meantime we ’ ve got to stop the bleeding .
The best , perhaps the only way to do that this year , is by not letting the lunacy win in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words “ insanity ” and “ lunacy ” as literally as I can here .
Large portions of our population think a moral life means being ashamed of your skin color , unless it ’ s black or brown .
It means letting others mind-control you into not only calling them but actually seeing them as the gender they ’ ve chosen .
It means killing babies in the womb for convenience .
It means throwing the family system away .
It means promising people the government will take care of their every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious freedom .
And that ’ s just for starters .
I could have written that before people started calling for a total overthrow of our country ’ s history , laws , economy , and justice system .
If we hadn ’ t reached insanity as of six weeks ago , we certainly have now .
Thinking Long-Term and Thinking Right Now We ’ ve got to beat back the insanity .
In the short term we have to protect our loved ones ; in the long term we ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populace to think straight again ; but in the meantime , right now , we can ’ t give it any more control over us than it already has .
That was already a priority four years ago .
A Hillary Clinton victory then would have been disastrous .
A Democratic victory this year , though , could mean complete catastrophe .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Besides being the party of sexual license and baby-killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone full-on socialist .
Joe Biden may be on the moderate side of it , but the party is set to overrun any moderating influence , even their own president , if he ’ s elected .
Especially when that elected president is in doubtful mental health .
Democrat-controlled cities and states show us some of what we can expect .
High crime , for one .
High taxes .
High cost of living .
There ’ s a reason Californians are moving to Texas .
But the damage is at least somewhat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We have our president to thank for that , imperfections and all .
I still wince at some of Donald Trump ’ s boasting , not to mention his indelicate tweets and outright insults .
Yet I certainly support his re-election .
Every believer should .
We should pray and work not only toward that , but for a victory for sanity that ’ s echoed in both houses of Congress , and in every state capitol .
Why ?
Because the Republican Party is perfect ?
Heavens , no ; there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too .
No , it ’ s because in a world going mad , they ’ re at least somewhat still connected to reality .
Donald Trump has done more to contain the madness than I ever expected he would .
We need four more years of the same .
Otherwise , think of a party unleashed to duplicate California ’ s social , moral , and economic failures across the whole rest of the country .
Don ’ t be fooled , though : This election is only about containing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot more than that to defeat it .
Indeed , a Trump victory this fall is likely to spark even more violent “ protest ” than we ’ ve seen the past few weeks .
It ’ s still better than the alternative .
We must be realistic , though .
And courageous .
And patient .
It ’ s only one step in a long campaign toward getting our country thinking clearly again .
But it ’ s crucial .
It will help keep us at least that much more sane for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows ?
Maybe by then the turnaround will have begun .
Maybe we ’ ll start recovering from this madness .
Part of a series on Strategy Against the Lunacy .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books , including the forthcoming Too Good To Be False : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

The country is falling into insanity. It’s no longer hyperbole, not merely metaphor. Large swaths of our population are losing touch with reality. We’ve got to fight the madness down again — but first we’ve got to contain the damage.
Recovering our sanity is going to take a long, protracted campaign on multiple fronts. In the meantime we’ve got to stop the bleeding. The best, perhaps the only way to do that this year, is by not letting the lunacy win in November.
I’m using the words “insanity” and “lunacy” as literally as I can here. Large portions of our population think a moral life means being ashamed of your skin color, unless it’s black or brown. It means letting others mind-control you into not only calling them but actually seeing them as the gender they’ve chosen.
It means killing babies in the womb for convenience. It means throwing the family system away. It means promising people the government will take care of their every need. It means sexual freedom overrules religious freedom.
And that’s just for starters. I could have written that before people started calling for a total overthrow of our country’s history, laws, economy, and justice system. If we hadn’t reached insanity as of six weeks ago, we certainly have now.
Thinking Long-Term and Thinking Right Now
We’ve got to beat back the insanity. In the short term we have to protect our loved ones; in the long term we’re going to have to strategize to re-persuade the populace to think straight again; but in the meantime, right now, we can’t give it any more control over us than it already has.
That was already a priority four years ago. A Hillary Clinton victory then would have been disastrous. A Democratic victory this year, though, could mean complete catastrophe.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Besides being the party of sexual license and baby-killing on demand, the Democrats have now gone full-on socialist. Joe Biden may be on the moderate side of it, but the party is set to overrun any moderating influence, even their own president, if he’s elected. Especially when that elected president is in doubtful mental health.
Democrat-controlled cities and states show us some of what we can expect. High crime, for one. High taxes. High cost of living. There’s a reason Californians are moving to Texas.
But the damage is at least somewhat contained there, at least for now. We have our president to thank for that, imperfections and all.
Choose Sanity
I still wince at some of Donald Trump’s boasting, not to mention his indelicate tweets and outright insults. Yet I certainly support his re-election. Every believer should. We should pray and work not only toward that, but for a victory for sanity that’s echoed in both houses of Congress, and in every state capitol.
Why? Because the Republican Party is perfect? Heavens, no; there’s plenty to worry about there, too. No, it’s because in a world going mad, they’re at least somewhat still connected to reality.
Donald Trump has done more to contain the madness than I ever expected he would. We need four more years of the same. Otherwise, think of a party unleashed to duplicate California’s social, moral, and economic failures across the whole rest of the country.
Contain the Madness
Don’t be fooled, though: This election is only about containing the lunacy. It’ll take a lot more than that to defeat it. Indeed, a Trump victory this fall is likely to spark even more violent “protest” than we’ve seen the past few weeks. It’s still better than the alternative.
We must be realistic, though. And courageous. And patient. It’s only one step in a long campaign toward getting our country thinking clearly again.
But it’s crucial. It will help keep us at least that much more sane for a few years longer. And who knows? Maybe by then the turnaround will have begun. Maybe we’ll start recovering from this madness.
Part of a series on Strategy Against the Lunacy.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the forthcoming Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-07-02--Jobs Increased and Unemployment Decreased in June

The U.S. added 4.8 million jobs in June , while the unemployment declined to 11.1 % , according to Department of Labor data released Thursday .
Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 4.8 million in June , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report , and the number of unemployed persons fell by 3.2 million to 17.8 million .
These numbers mark the second month of both increasing jobs and dropping unemployment since the country lost a record 20.5 million jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic closures .
May ’ s unemployment rate had declined by 1.4 percentage points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was the largest over-the-month increase and highest unemployment rate since at least 1948 .
“ These improvements in the labor market reflected the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic and efforts to contain it , ” the report said .
“ In June , employment in leisure and hospitality rose sharply .
Notable job gains also occurred in retail trade , education and health services , other services , manufacturing , and professional and business services.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ This record jobs report , with especially strong gains in manufacturing employment , is a big step in the right direction as America overcomes the worst public health emergency in over a century , ” Job Creators Network president Alfredo Ortiz told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement .
“ The number vindicates President Trump ’ s prediction that the recovery will be swift and ‘ V ’ -shaped.
” Economists predicted that the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the unemployment rate would decline to 12.5 % , according to Business Insider .
“ We are in a whole new world of trying to model what data is going to be , because there ’ s not an economist in the world that ’ s ever gone through a forced economic shutdown , ” Tom Essaye , Sevens Report Research founder , told Yahoo Finance ahead of the jobs report .
“ And that ’ s why a lot of these numbers are completely blowing past what the expectation is.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. investment firm Baird , told the Wall Street Journal that “ this is the beginning of a new bull market.
” “ Aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus is going to continue and that ’ s going to support the market , ” Spencer told the WSJ , “ and recent economic data suggests a recovery is starting to emerge.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , @ @ @ @ @ @

The U.S. added 4.8 million jobs in June, while the unemployment declined to 11.1%, according to Department of Labor data released Thursday.
Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 4.8 million in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, and the number of unemployed persons fell by 3.2 million to 17.8 million. These numbers mark the second month of both increasing jobs and dropping unemployment since the country lost a record 20.5 million jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic closures.
May’s unemployment rate had declined by 1.4 percentage points from April’s 14.7%, which was the largest over-the-month increase and highest unemployment rate since at least 1948.
“These improvements in the labor market reflected the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it,” the report said. “In June, employment in leisure and hospitality rose sharply. Notable job gains also occurred in retail trade, education and health services, other services, manufacturing, and professional and business services.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“This record jobs report, with especially strong gains in manufacturing employment, is a big step in the right direction as America overcomes the worst public health emergency in over a century,” Job Creators Network president Alfredo Ortiz told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “The number vindicates President Trump’s prediction that the recovery will be swift and ‘V’-shaped.”
Economists predicted that the economy gained 3 million jobs in June and that the unemployment rate would decline to 12.5%, according to Business Insider.
“We are in a whole new world of trying to model what data is going to be, because there’s not an economist in the world that’s ever gone through a forced economic shutdown,” Tom Essaye, Sevens Report Research founder, told Yahoo Finance ahead of the jobs report. “And that’s why a lot of these numbers are completely blowing past what the expectation is.”
Patrick Spencer, managing director of the U.S. investment firm Baird, told the Wall Street Journal that “this is the beginning of a new bull market.”
“Aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus is going to continue and that’s going to support the market,” Spencer told the WSJ, “and recent economic data suggests a recovery is starting to emerge.”
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
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thestream--2020-07-02--How Trump is Standing Up for US Workers

How Trump is Standing Up for US Workers

No sooner had the ink dried on President Trump ’ s executive order that broadened his original April 22 immigration pause to include several categories of temporary , employment-based visas than globalists put up a collective howl .
To powerful elitists like corporate lobbyists , immigration lawyers , the donor class and some in Congress , the concept that available jobs in the United States should go to American citizens or legally present immigrants is distasteful .
The visas that President Trump put on hold until the year ’ s end — the H-1B , the H-2B , the J-1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lost job that an American would do or a missed opportunity for a citizen to get a job because of the ready availability of cheaper foreign-born labor .
President Trump ’ s Executive Order means that regardless of an American workers skill level , he ’ ll have a better chance to get hired .
Tech companies that heavily rely on the H-1B visa decried the president ’ s action as one that will shut out “ high-skilled talent , ” and “ is short-sighted and deeply damaging to the economic strength @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made argument disregards U.S. tech workers who H-1B holders have steadily displaced , and also harms recent U.S. college graduates , some of whom have amassed substantial debt to earn their degrees .
For three decades since the Immigration Act of 1990 , the H-1B has because of corporate greed and a donor-dependent Congress , relentlessly displaced skilled U.S. tech workers .
As a result , about 70 % of Silicon Valley tech workers are foreign-born and doing white-collar jobs that Americans once held .
Pausing the H-2B visa represents a great chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
Supposedly , the visa ’ s intent is to fill a void in “ jobs Americans won ’ t do.
” The truth , however , is that the H-2B facilitates the entry of cheap , pliant labor that employers can mistreat .
According to 2017 Justice Department press release , the H-2B discriminates against American workers .
Even the anti-Trump , expansionist New York Times conceded that guest workers are easily exploited , and that employers ’ worker shortage claims don ’ t stand up .
The J-1 , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is another visa that has strayed from its original mission as goodwill program to foster improved international relationships into a cheap labor vehicle .
The Economic Policy Institute , a liberal-leaning , pro-immigration , Washington D.C. think tank , wrote that hundreds of thousands of workers arrive in the U. S. annually on J-1 visas without adequate protections , and thereby put at a disadvantage the countless U.S. workers struggling to find jobs in the same industries .
The jobs are often in leisure categories that young Americans would eagerly do on resorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Finally , the L-1 visa allows corporations to transfer its international employees and their families from aboard to its U.S.-based offices .
The domestic jobs are rarely posted .
From day one , American workers are shut out even though there may be an abundance of qualified , local talent .
Moreover , the L-1 has no cap , and its holders can be fast-tracked into permanent residency .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 companies , and the elite class , Americans support President Trump ’ s Executive Order .
The Federation for American Immigration Reform commissioned a Zogby Analytics poll in swing states Arizona , Florida , Georgia , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , North Carolina , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .
The results showed that the majority of registered voters , about 60 % , said they favor less immigration during this period when nearly 45 million Americans seek productive employment .
For those 45 million unemployed U.S. workers , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Order , President Trump made about 525,000 jobs available so that the millions of unemployed Americans will have a better opportunity to return to the payroll , and to earn a fair wage so that they can support their families .
Ken Blackwell is the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights .

No sooner had the ink dried on President Trump’s executive order that broadened his original April 22 immigration pause to include several categories of temporary, employment-based visas than globalists put up a collective howl. To powerful elitists like corporate lobbyists, immigration lawyers, the donor class and some in Congress, the concept that available jobs in the United States should go to American citizens or legally present immigrants is distasteful.
The visas that President Trump put on hold until the year’s end — the H-1B, the H-2B, the J-1, and the L-1 — represent either a lost job that an American would do or a missed opportunity for a citizen to get a job because of the ready availability of cheaper foreign-born labor. President Trump’s Executive Order means that regardless of an American workers skill level, he’ll have a better chance to get hired.
H-1B
Tech companies that heavily rely on the H-1B visa decried the president’s action as one that will shut out “high-skilled talent,” and “is short-sighted and deeply damaging to the economic strength of the United States.” This commonly made argument disregards U.S. tech workers who H-1B holders have steadily displaced, and also harms recent U.S. college graduates, some of whom have amassed substantial debt to earn their degrees. For three decades since the Immigration Act of 1990, the H-1B has because of corporate greed and a donor-dependent Congress, relentlessly displaced skilled U.S. tech workers. As a result, about 70% of Silicon Valley tech workers are foreign-born and doing white-collar jobs that Americans once held.
H-2B
Pausing the H-2B visa represents a great chance for lower-skilled workers to get back to work. Supposedly, the visa’s intent is to fill a void in “jobs Americans won’t do.” The truth, however, is that the H-2B facilitates the entry of cheap, pliant labor that employers can mistreat. According to 2017 Justice Department press release, the H-2B discriminates against American workers. Even the anti-Trump, expansionist New York Times conceded that guest workers are easily exploited, and that employers’ worker shortage claims don’t stand up.
J-1
The J-1, also known as the Exchange Visitor Program, is another visa that has strayed from its original mission as goodwill program to foster improved international relationships into a cheap labor vehicle. The Economic Policy Institute, a liberal-leaning, pro-immigration, Washington D.C. think tank, wrote that hundreds of thousands of workers arrive in the U. S. annually on J-1 visas without adequate protections, and thereby put at a disadvantage the countless U.S. workers struggling to find jobs in the same industries. The jobs are often in leisure categories that young Americans would eagerly do on resorts like Martha’s Vineyard Bar Harbor.
L-1
Finally, the L-1 visa allows corporations to transfer its international employees and their families from aboard to its U.S.-based offices. The domestic jobs are rarely posted. From day one, American workers are shut out even though there may be an abundance of qualified, local talent. Moreover, the L-1 has no cap, and its holders can be fast-tracked into permanent residency.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
While temporarily restricting immigration is unpopular with Fortune 500 companies, and the elite class, Americans support President Trump’s Executive Order. The Federation for American Immigration Reform commissioned a Zogby Analytics poll in swing states Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The results showed that the majority of registered voters, about 60%, said they favor less immigration during this period when nearly 45 million Americans seek productive employment.
For those 45 million unemployed U.S. workers, the stakes are high. With his Executive Order, President Trump made about 525,000 jobs available so that the millions of unemployed Americans will have a better opportunity to return to the payroll, and to earn a fair wage so that they can support their families.
Ken Blackwell is the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.


thestream--2020-07-02--Epstein Confidante and Enabler Ghislaine Maxwell Arrested by the FBI

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ’ s confidante Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested , according to multiple sources .
Manhattan prosecutors are expected to hold a press conference this afternoon with the details .
The British socialite and heiress , who has been accused of involvement in Epstein ’ s crimes against young women , was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Hampshire on Epstein-related charges , law enforcement sources told News 4 New York .
Epstein died of apparent suicide in a New York City jail in August 2019 .
Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of allegedly helping Epstein groom teenaged girls as sex partners for rich and powerful men , the publication reports .
A recently published book by conservative authors Alana Goodman and Daniel Halper also claims former President Bill Clinton had a years-long affair with Maxwell .
A source reportedly told the authors that the two “ were getting it on , ” and that Clinton “ used ” Epstein to carry on the affair .
“ The source explained that reporters have been missing the point about the Clinton-Epstein relationship by focusing on Epstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton ’ s ] stupid but not an idiot , ” the source , who reportedly witnessed the affair , told Goodman and Halper , according to an excerpt of the book published in the New York Post .

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s confidante Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested, according to multiple sources. Manhattan prosecutors are expected to hold a press conference this afternoon with the details.
The British socialite and heiress, who has been accused of involvement in Epstein’s crimes against young women, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Hampshire on Epstein-related charges, law enforcement sources told News 4 New York. Epstein died of apparent suicide in a New York City jail in August 2019.
Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre has accused Maxwell in a 2015 defamation suit of allegedly helping Epstein groom teenaged girls as sex partners for rich and powerful men, the publication reports.
A recently published book by conservative authors Alana Goodman and Daniel Halper also claims former President Bill Clinton had a years-long affair with Maxwell. A source reportedly told the authors that the two “were getting it on,”and that Clinton “used” Epstein to carry on the affair.
“The source explained that reporters have been missing the point about the Clinton-Epstein relationship by focusing on Epstein’s sex crimes. ‘[Clinton’s] stupid but not an idiot,” the source, who reportedly witnessed the affair, told Goodman and Halper, according to an excerpt of the book published in the New York Post.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-07-03--Harvard’s ‘Joan of Arc,’ Claira Janover, Burns Herself at the Stake

As Oscar Wilde once quipped , “ Only a man with a heart of stone could read of the fate of Claira Janover without laughing.
” Well … he said most of that .
Enough of it that the line above could elude the fact-checkers at the newly lobotomized New York Times .
They wouldn ’ t see how it advanced transgender rights , or dispossessed our “ white settler ” nation , to find out that Wilde had in fact cited “ Little Nell ” instead .
Or that Wilde had died more than 100 years before Ms. Janover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the saccharine “ saint ” in Charles Dickens ’ The Old Curiosity Shop .
Her drawn-out , fictional death had sent thousands of easily manipulated readers into real-life mourning .
Wilde saw such counterfeit sentiment as cynical and dangerous , and made that point with his customary wit .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Claira Janover ’ s story is real enough .
And to those with healthy sentiments , it ’ s hilarious .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ us some very dangerous aspects of our culture and politics .
And it ain ’ t over yet .
The New York Post reports : Claira Janover , who graduated in May with a degree in government and psychology , went viral after posting a short clip in which she attacked anyone with “ the nerve , the sheer entitled caucasity to say ‘ all lives matter.
’ ” “ I ’ ma stab you , ” the Connecticut native said , zooming in close on her face .
“ I ’ ma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re struggling and bleeding out , I ’ ma show you my paper cut and say , ‘ My cut matters too , ’ ” she added .
Janover was clearly pleased with herself .
She posted the video to Tik-Tok .
This is the kind of moral analysis that passes for profound at schools like Harvard .
And I guess for humor among our elites .
She wasn ’ t so happy at the backlash .
Again , the Post : Ann Coulter was one of those who shared the clip , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” while many others called for the student ’ s arrest .
“ This woman is threatening people , who knows what she is capable of , ” someone called Mr. Len wrote in reply .
“ Does this not count as violent speech ?
I guess it only counts when it fits the narrative , ” another follower asked on Twitter .
By Tuesday , Janover had posted updates responding to the “ insane ” reaction that included numerous death threats , she said .
Janover was the president of Harvard ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonprofit that teaches high school students about the American government and international politics .
She previously worked at Planned Parenthood Action in Connecticut , her Facebook says .
This video shows , in Janover ’ s own words and images , how she rode the backlash to try to make herself a cultural martyr .
She ’ s the Little Nell for 2020 [ WARNING : profanity … and stupidity ] .
Off Harvard ’ s campus now , Janover seemed shocked that a video death threat might provoke … reactive death threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just line up , take the knee , and march to take their punishment ?
In case you didn ’ t watch the video , it shows Janover making a “ humorous ” death threat on behalf of a Marxist organization ( Black Lives Matter ) .
Next Janover lost a job she ’ d been offered by the capitalist accounting firm Deloitte .
So she went online again to keen about that hysterically , like a two-year-old deprived of the mothballs she ’ d been eating .
Now the Post reports that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is goading her supporters to badger Deloitte about its decision .
Given how desperate most capitalists are proving to sell the rope to their hangmen , I predict Deloitte will cave .
Janover will be rehired , at a higher salary than before .
And the poor , sane executive who cut this unhinged SJW loose ?
He will lose his job and pension .
That won ’ t be enough , any more than Derek Chauvin ’ s arrest was enough .
Mobs will be summoned to attack Deloitte ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deloitte will give in to the shakedown .
It will make a multi-million payoff to Black Lives Matter , in the hope that it calls off the dogs .
I hope I ’ m proved wrong .
But so far from the Minnesota state house to the White House , we haven ’ t seen much sign of vertebrate life during this crisis .
If President Trump really wants to get re-elected , he needs to do more .
He ought to issue an executive order expanding the Second Amendment in blue cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leftist courts seem likely to throw it out . )
He should direct the DoJ to defend Americans who flout unconstitutional local gun laws .
Citizens should claim their right to defend themselves , in militias if need be , where local police stand down .
And Trump should give the Medal of Freedom to Mark and Patricia McCloskey .
Then , and only then , will I really feel like laughing .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .

As Oscar Wilde once quipped, “Only a man with a heart of stone could read of the fate of Claira Janover without laughing.”
Well … he said most of that. Enough of it that the line above could elude the fact-checkers at the newly lobotomized New York Times. They wouldn’t see how it advanced transgender rights, or dispossessed our “white settler” nation, to find out that Wilde had in fact cited “Little Nell” instead.
Counterfeit Sentiment
Or that Wilde had died more than 100 years before Ms. Janover entered Harvard. “Little Nell” was the saccharine “saint” in Charles Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop. Her drawn-out, fictional death had sent thousands of easily manipulated readers into real-life mourning. Wilde saw such counterfeit sentiment as cynical and dangerous, and made that point with his customary wit.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Real Political Terror
Claira Janover’s story is real enough. And to those with healthy sentiments, it’s hilarious. Up to point. Because it exposes us some very dangerous aspects of our culture and politics. And it ain’t over yet. The New York Post reports:
Claira Janover, who graduated in May with a degree in government and psychology, went viral after posting a short clip in which she attacked anyone with “the nerve, the sheer entitled caucasity to say ‘all lives matter.’” “I’ma stab you,” the Connecticut native said, zooming in close on her face. “I’ma stab you, and while you’re struggling and bleeding out, I’ma show you my paper cut and say, ‘My cut matters too,’” she added.
Janover was clearly pleased with herself. She posted the video to Tik-Tok. This is the kind of moral analysis that passes for profound at schools like Harvard. And I guess for humor among our elites. She wasn’t so happy at the backlash. Again, the Post:
Ann Coulter was one of those who shared the clip, calling Janover an “Asian Karen,” while many others called for the student’s arrest. “This woman is threatening people, who knows what she is capable of,” someone called Mr. Len wrote in reply. “Does this not count as violent speech? I guess it only counts when it fits the narrative,” another follower asked on Twitter. By Tuesday, Janover had posted updates responding to the “insane” reaction that included numerous death threats, she said. … Janover was the president of Harvard’s Model Congress Middle East, a nonprofit that teaches high school students about the American government and international politics. She previously worked at Planned Parenthood Action in Connecticut, her Facebook says.
Poor Widdle Girl
This video shows, in Janover’s own words and images, how she rode the backlash to try to make herself a cultural martyr. She’s the Little Nell for 2020 [WARNING: profanity … and stupidity].
Off Harvard’s campus now, Janover seemed shocked that a video death threat might provoke … reactive death threats. Aren’t Americans supposed to just line up, take the knee, and march to take their punishment?
This is the kind of moral analysis that passes for profound at schools like Harvard. And I guess for humor among our elites.
In case you didn’t watch the video, it shows Janover making a “humorous” death threat on behalf of a Marxist organization (Black Lives Matter). Next Janover lost a job she’d been offered by the capitalist accounting firm Deloitte. So she went online again to keen about that hysterically, like a two-year-old deprived of the mothballs she’d been eating.
How Long Till Deloitte Caves? Let’s Start a Pool.
Now the Post reports that Janover has her very own GoFundMe, and is goading her supporters to badger Deloitte about its decision.
Given how desperate most capitalists are proving to sell the rope to their hangmen, I predict Deloitte will cave. Janover will be rehired, at a higher salary than before. And the poor, sane executive who cut this unhinged SJW loose? He will lose his job and pension. That won’t be enough, any more than Derek Chauvin’s arrest was enough. Mobs will be summoned to attack Deloitte’s headquarters and intimidate its employees. And Deloitte will give in to the shakedown. It will make a multi-million payoff to Black Lives Matter, in the hope that it calls off the dogs.
Spineless Surrender
I hope I’m proved wrong. But so far from the Minnesota state house to the White House, we haven’t seen much sign of vertebrate life during this crisis. If President Trump really wants to get re-elected, he needs to do more. He ought to issue an executive order expanding the Second Amendment in blue cities and states. (Even if packed leftist courts seem likely to throw it out.) He should direct the DoJ to defend Americans who flout unconstitutional local gun laws. Citizens should claim their right to defend themselves, in militias if need be, where local police stand down.
And Trump should give the Medal of Freedom to Mark and Patricia McCloskey.
Then, and only then, will I really feel like laughing.
UPDATE: It appears that Ms. Janover did not even have a job at Deloitte, just a two-week internship. On the strength of losing that, she has already raised almost $10,000 via crowdsourcing.
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.