Democratism: When Democracy Becomes an Idol

 

Democratism: Democracy as Religion*

I employed an exercise with students in high school to compare the French Declaration of the Rights of Man (1787) and the American Declaration of Independence (1776). Side by side, it is easy to see the differences. The American Declaration includes references to a transcendent being as the source of freedoms. The French Declaration repeats the phrase “the will of the people” fifteen times. Even in revolt against tyranny, the origin of authority matters.

What does the Constitution mean to an elected official? Or to the United States Attorney General? Why should we respect, and perhaps even revere, the United States Constitution, and can this 18th Century document still hold together a diverse, often fractious republic in the 21st Century?

#constitution #americanhistory

Am I Racist? Is My Grandma?

 

My Grandma Ruby (Mother’s side) was a racist. 

I remember her teaching me “Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo,” and it wasn’t a “tiger” that caught us by the toe. More seriously, I remember her talking about Los Angeles being overrun by “black people” (again, another word was used), and suggesting they were all criminals.

Even so, my primary memories about my grandma don’t center on her views on race. I remember her teaching my brother and me how to play canasta when we stayed overnight. And the chicken she fried and the biscuits she baked. And her teaching us Psalm 23, the Shepherd’s Prayer that she recited every night.

Quote of the Day: Some People Don’t Deserve Your Respect

 

I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect–Edward Gibbon
When people do not respect us we are sharply offended; yet in his private heart no man much respects himself. –Mark Twain

These quotations were so powerful that I refused to pick one over the other. But both have to do with a greatly misunderstood and underappreciated value: respect.

The Large-Scale War in Lebanon May Have Begun

 

Israel blew up the pagers of hundreds of senior Hezbollah officers, apparently seriously wounding quite a few. Although the method is unorthodox, I imagine this sort of attack on communications would normally be followed up with a large-scale assault.

I hope the effect on Lebanon is as minimal as it can be while Hezbollah is eradicated from amongst them. This sort of extremely targeted attack bodes well. And, of course, I pray for the safety of our soldiers and the residents of our cities – all of whom are in range of Hezbollah rockets.

Top Movie-Making Blunders

 

1. Switching out actors: I was watching some period mini-series a few years ago—I can’t recall which one (it’s probably not worth being recalled)—and at the start of a new episode, I was startled to find the set populated with different actors. I think I dropped the series within minutes of that realization, as my motivation to stick with the story had disappeared. I know that the writers wanted to convey the passing of time, but couldn’t they have found some way other than swapping out characters I had come to care for, even a little? Did they think viewers wouldn’t notice?

2. Sloppy old people makeup jobs: Although switching actors is a no-go, movies trying to get by with bad makeup jobs is also a bad option. With all the technology available, why do some flicks try to pass off a hunched figure caked with high school stage makeup as the character we know and love?

Joe Selvaggi speaks with Tim Anaya of the Pacific Research Institute about his new book, The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide, exploring insights and lessons on how Massachusetts can stay competitive.

I Was (Briefly) Suspended on X.com

 

I have been recently active on X.com. It is my personal attempt to support and contribute to Elon Musk’s venture. (I admire Musk’s attempts to maintain one of the few free speech platforms in the world.)

So it came as a surprise to have my account suspended:

Quote of the Day: ‘Good and Hard’

 

‘“When you break rules, break ’em good and hard,’ said Nanny, and grinned a set of gums that were more menacing than teeth.” – Wyrd Sisters, by Terry Pratchett.

“Nobody ever told me it was hard” – Terry Pratchett, (possibly slightly paraphrased from an interview).

“I’ve Seen Things You People Wouldn’t Believe.”

 

Well okay, my guess is you probably would believe them. I haven’t seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion or sea beams* glitter in the dark near the Tannhaüser Gate. My guess is also that you’ve seen some pretty awesome things in your life and your travels that some of us either wouldn’t believe or would feel very envious for not having seen – even if you weren’t a replicant who escaped from an off-world colony.

Speaking for myself, I have been so very lucky in my life to have traveled extensively for business and for pleasure – England, Spain, The Netherlands, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, China, Israel, Germany and all over America. I have hiked with family in the Olympics in Washington State and hiked and camped in the Sierra. I took the road to Hana on Maui and paid my respects at Charles Lindbergh’s gravesite. I have wandered through Yosemite and camped close to 10,000 feet at Tuolumne Meadows. I’ve wandered like Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak through the redwood forests of Marin County. I have swum with giant sea turtles and whitetip sharks in Hanalei Bay on the island of Kauai. I have wandered through the Cotswolds and the Lake District in England at the magic hour, chatted with the locals and felt quite at home.

I have lived in a few very scenic areas and sometimes have found moments where my mind was free of the stresses of everyday life, as when I would read a book near a mountain stream; or stand at the edge of an intoxicatingly fragrant pine forest and look westward out toward the Sierra foothills to take in a blazing red sunset that spanned across the sky; or pour myself a snifter of brandy, put on some classical music by Delius or Debussy, and read a book while occasionally watching the snow fall outside my window.

Bipartisan Naivete on Economic Growth

 

The recent debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump revealed the worst sides of both candidates. As Heather Mac Donald wrote, the egregious partisanship of the ABC pair David Muir and Linsey Davis aside, there was no excuse for Trump’s unforced whoppers and his random asides on stage. The more serious problem, however, deals with substance.

On this point, Trump’s major shortfall was instantly evident. His opening remarks reaffirmed his view that tariffs on foreign imports could raise billions of American dollars from the Chinese and other outsiders, without once considering whether or not those increased taxes would in part be passed forward both to American consumers and to American manufacturers. The former would find it harder to put food on the table, and the latter would be less able to compete in global markets if the higher price on key foreign inputs raises the costs of exports destined to these same foreign markets. It would have helped if Harris had denounced these tariffs, but she is on the same page: the Biden administration recently announced huge tariff increases up to 100 percent on electric vehicles (EVs), as well as hikes on chips and steel. These tariffs will not clean up the air by making the shift to EVs more expensive, but they will endanger public health by increasing the costs of vital medical equipment. Another foolish economic move is the potential blocking of a purchase of struggling US Steel by Nippon Steel, a decision that has now been deferred until after the presidential election. Congratulations for a bipartisan mindset that is lose, lose, lose all around.

Media Bias? What Media Bias?

 

I have just watched the most blatant, audacious illustration of open and obvious media bias — a 16-minute “interview” of JD Vance by the fair, balanced, totally objective Dana Bash of CNN. She fits right in with the modern journalistic mold to always give the other side plenty of opportunity to state their position—unless they happen to have an R behind their name. As if anyone with a sentient mind who has seen the major networks lately, or who saw the “debate” wherein President Trump had to contend with three argumentative liberal loons needs another example, here it is. This person, anchoring “State of the Union,” refused to let the current Senator from Ohio (and the likely next vice president of the United States) answer questions and state his positions, choosing, instead, to argue with him. I don’t mean to spoil your afternoon, but those who would like to have ready answers for those Democrats who try to tell you there is no such thing as media bias should watch every minute of this disgusting—JD Vance’s word for one of her statements—display of rank hatred of the Republican ticket, all dressed up in a nice Sunday suit. It’s probably better with a nice shot (or two) of Mr. Daniel’s finest to help you get through the experience. Here it is:

Inching Towards Empathy

 

It didn’t matter what was happening to people or towns on this US side of the border until rascally “traffickers” like DeSantis and Abbot started sending illegals to progressive burgs. Pleas to be treated as citizens rather than outlaws by people in Arizona, Texas, etc. were ignored. There was a protected class of lawbreakers, and their wants and needs were superior to — forgive the repetition of the word — citizens.

Crime and harassment didn’t move anybody in a narrative-shaping position because it didn’t affect them. We’re trending away from Christianity; not something I’m happy about, but religion is a matter of personal choice and not something Duns Scotus or I want imposed on people. That said, we are disastrously moving away from the habits of Christianity. The centrality of the individual is fading. Our language and, per advertising, fetishes tend towards a celebration of personal autonomy, but that’s all about sneakers and choosing prefab emojis as a mode of expression. We group people.

Once horrible red state governors started putting opportunity seekers on blue state-bound buses, downsides to unhindered immigration were discovered. There were stories of crime and jobs lost because of cheap labor, but that wasn’t the lede. Services were overwhelmed. State-funded housing was insufficient, schools were ill-equipped, and emergency services worried about the response. There were always people hurting, like in Arizona and Texas, and it’s tempting to say that journalists at ABC, CNN, etc. saw up close, right there in New York City, what had been equivalent to a civil war in Africa for all the distance between them and the actual contested border. I doubt that.

On this episode of The Report Card, Nat Malkus speaks with Brian Jacob about the ways in which the pandemic changed the grammar of schooling. Nat and Brian discuss the pandemic’s effects on student technology use, parent-teacher communication, and individualized instruction; why pandemic-era changes seem more durable in high schools and middle schools than in elementary schools; whether charter schools changed as much during the pandemic as conventional public schools did; what the pandemic’s effects on schools can teach us about how schools will use AI; whether changes to schooling are driven by students’ needs or by other factors; whether teachers are optimistic about the state of schooling; hybrid education, ESSA, and the juvenile detention system; and more.

Brian Jacob is the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy and Professor of Economics at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

A dissenting view

 

As my avatar will show, I am no TDS victim.  But I have a dissenting view on the September 15 assassination attempt.  This is based on my synthesis of reporting on Drudge and NRO, and the fact that, although a physician, I am not a golfer.

I think the USSS functioned admirably.

Question About Communism

 

I am reading (for the first time) Whittaker Chambers’ Witness. It is a fascinating and extremely engaging book.

That said, the Communists in his world are very concerned about advancing humanity. Communism seems to be awfully focused on people. And I genuinely do not understand why this is so.

The stories to watch this week:

  • The New York Times rediscovers the Gender Gap
  • The Nature of Haitian Voudo
  • Race Discrimination Continues
  • Testosterone update: Manly Crisis at NPR
  • Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) defends Haitian immigration in Springfield

The Acolyte

 

“Star Wars: The Acolyte” has been canceled.  Turns out the audience for a show with an openly sociopathic plot energetically defended by a deranged production staff is close to zero.

The plot of the Acolyte is simple.  Female twins are separated at birth.  One (May) is raised by a dark lord of the Sith, the other (Osha) by the Jedi.  The Sith kills Osha’s Jedi friends from childhood and her female love interest.  But she takes one look at his naked body and all is forgiven.  She joins him, but not before killing the Jedi who raised her.  The two mind-wipe May and leave her to be found by the Jedi before running off into the sunset.  Along the way, about 30 lesbian space witches are accidentally killed by a female Jedi Master, played by Carrie-Anne Moss.

A Second Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump

 

Shots were fired between Secret Service agents and an apparent would-be assassin at Trump International Golf Course, where the former president and nominee was golfing Sunday afternoon.

The suspect is now in custody and has been identified; he left behind a rifle at the scene after exchanging fire with agents before fleeing. According to a Secret Service official, the gunman was within 300 to 500 yards of the former president before being spotted.

How Vietnamese Refugees Gardened to Become Vietnamese-Americans

 

Meet an immigrant from Vietnam in the US—especially one who arrived as a refugee after the Vietnam War—and the odds are good they have a home garden. It may be a simple planter box in an apartment balcony or an elaborate several-acre microfarm. Not all of them, but enough that if you bet even money on it, you would come out ahead long-term.

Farm to Freedom: Vietnamese-Americans and Their Food Gardens, by Roy Vu explains why. Vu is well-placed to explain. The son of Vietnamese refugees, he arrived in the US as an infant.

Vietnam was (and remains) a largely green-thumbed culture. Even in its cities, inhabitants garden and raise chickens and rabbits. They are also hardworking. Visit Vietnam today and it seems every other person has a side hustle on top of the day job.

They’re Eating the Cats and the Dogs and the Pets!

 

No, the Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are not eating the cats and the dogs and the pets, according to the local police chief. As a matter of fact, they have committed no crimes at all.

No, the rumor started from a psycho-lady in nearby Canton, who was arrested for eating a cat. The story actually has nothing to do with Haitians.

The whole gang is back together this week with a rousing review of the week’s highlights, including a post-modern take on the Trump-Harris debate, and the dogs-and-cats-living-togther-before-being-eaten memestorm out of Ohio that is driving the left out of its mind (or what little mind they have left). Trump may not have won the debate on any of the usual scoring metrics, but maybe it isn’t simple as that.

But the heart of the episode is the serious business of Merrickl Garland’s tone-deaf speech (even John thinks so) claiming politics never enters into Justice Department decisions, which wouldn’t even convince his own mother.

Christianity and Guns

 

This post is prompted by a post suggested to me by a friend.

The post is titled “The Kingdom of God Has No Guns,” which for Catholics and at least LCMS Lutherans, seems to be starting with an error. We believe that the Kingdom of God is here, present today and has been since Christ’s coming to die for our sins. Not completely here, but through the coming of Christ, it is present, and as Colossians 1:16-18 states: