Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Death by a Thousand Cuts
Are you familiar with the phrase used in the title? It comes from an ancient Chinese method used against criminals called Lingchi. It describes a kind of torture, actions that slowly and painfully lead eventually to the death of the victim.
Over the last several months, as I study the suffering that has been spreading across this country, I live in a personal state that shifts from bewilderment to dismay. There seems to be no end to the misery that has been inflicted on U.S. citizens, and to bring sanity to my perspective, I decided to tally several of the destructive policy actions taken by Biden’s administration and also note how their inaction has been just as damaging.
The despair of the American people has reached a new low, and there’s no sign of recovery in the near future. The actions (or inaction, as the case may be) of the Biden Administration demonstrate a widespread indifference to the impact of their actions on the populace. I think many of us choose to deal with the situations by looking at them as they occur, one instance at a time. I think the way the media broadcasts current events is designed to make sure that at no given time are we bombarded with an onslaught of bad news. That strategy is not new, but due to the multitude of attacks on our way of life, we are not inured to the growing pain. I don’t intend to increase the pain of our citizens by my observations, but if we are going to face the state of the country and seemingly endless suffering, it makes sense to take a good, hard look at the comprehensive effects on our lives.
It’s difficult to separate some of the devastating impacts because they are interrelated. But here is one way to look at the ongoing state of affairs:
Crime—on our streets, gun deaths (thus, gun control continues to raise its ugly head); border crime with the cartels and gangs; deaths from fentanyl; lawless prosecutors who release criminals onto the streets; raiding stores with little to no penalties . . .
Censorship—social media attacks; refusal to broadcast COVID and vaccine information; refusal to allow conservative ideas; ignoring most recent data on wearing masks; ramping up fear every time there is a rise in the cases; refusal to publicize reduced deaths and hospitalizations; ignoring the science. . .
Education—corrupting U.S. history at all levels; dumbing down student requirements for learning; still promoting Critical Race Theory; tarring parents of students as terrorists; demands of teachers’ unions; decisions of unions that have harmed students psychologically, physically, and educationally; demanding vaccines and masks for students (even though children are barely affected by COVID) . . .
Employment—small businesses’ difficulties in having a steady workforce; government paying people to stay home; effects of inflation on supplies, salaries, and the customer base . . .
Inflation—everything costs more—food, energy, housing, and costs continue to rise . . .
Damage to social mores—religion continues to be condemned and removed from everyday life; socialism and Marxist ideas are actively promoted; traditions are ridiculed; gender issues, including transgender issues, are corrupting our children. . .
Destruction of energy sources—shutting down pipelines; encouraging the opening of refineries with no guarantees for maintaining start-ups; regulations; heating prices escalating; brown-out occurrences; shortages of different types of energy sources . . .
* * * *
I could list several more issues; feel free to add your own. When we look at this small list, though, we can see that there is no aspect of our lives that is not touched. All the areas of our lives that provide us sustenance and comfort—food, shelter, safety and security, learning, religion—have been damaged or limited. Slowly but surely, our lives are being altered by events that are no longer in our control.
The true tragedy is that there are no indications that the Biden Administration is sympathetic to the wounds they are inflicting on our lives. We are essentially told that these outcomes will lead to better lives, a better planet, a safer environment. We will in some unpredictable future appreciate the sacrifices we are making.
Even though we are dying the death of a thousand cuts.
You may also have noticed the irony that the torture method is Chinese and is used against criminals.
Published in Culture
It may have been a funding thing, and he’ll start them again before November. We’ll see.
It is really scary to look at the background of the members of the president’s cabinet, isn’t it? Most of them would be over their heads in county government.
Yes, it’s basically just “We’re going to do it better.” Never any plans to cut spending or eliminate programs.
Not impossible; it’s just not going to happen.
This is Obama’s 3rd term, and today I heard that Michelle is gearing up for terms 4 and 5 to complete the fundamental transformation.,
Don’t forget the Admiral of the Ocean Sea and the dog fetish nuclear waste guy.
I think the red wave may only be a ripple.
The recent Econ Talk, with Nicholas Taleb, discusses the need to down size. While the US is basically the only place that does not have a dominant nationality, that functioned spectacularly well, it is still far too big and if we can’t return to bottom up in some modern way, must split up to become healthy again. Taleb is the first person I’ve heard who has real credentials discuss essential downsizing. What we’re seeing is the ungovernability of the US from the top and yet powerful players want everything centralized. Centralization works for small places, Switzerland, but even Switzerland roots almost everything in communities and individuals. The issue is national defense, but since these folks are systematically destroying our ability to defend ourselves there is only benefit to pulling out and starting over. What is key is that pieces of states have to join pieces of other states. All of the pieces have to be smaller as states are themselves too big. The issues are two. Special interests want protection from competition no matter the size of the place and that is as destructive as being too big. Secondly, we have to be big enough to defend ourselves from giant evil states like China who seek our destruction. The original design worked just fine, but a military big enough to defend us from China, is innately corruptible. The original design worked but in our complex technologically complex world, its hard to see how that could work. We’re still far enough away from China to survive their aggression unless we continue to let them control our President and our mindless global corporations. We have one election to see if we can survive. If we can take Congress we might survive. If not we do not have any other choice.
Sorry to break it to ya, Sue, but without having POTUS the only consequential things one can do with both houses is hold up appointments and conduct investigations. See, 1998, 2014.
Given the records of 2002, 2004 and 2016, there must have been some major hissy fits at your home…
There would have been, except I didn’t care so much back then. And you make an excellent point about our majorities–Biden will just use the veto. So should we focus on investigations after all?
Which is all that needs to be done but we need positive legislation to provoke vetos because if we can’t win the White House the country is over. Simple stuff that folks who still read can understand.
This is an important point. The Rethugs need to present one bill after another for POTUS to veto, always proposing common-sense measures that would benefit the middle and lower classes.
Unless they leave the Democrat Plantation. I’m waiting for Tulsi Gabbard to be charged with something as a warning to Manchin and Senema . . .
Where are all those Dems who supposedly silently agreed with Manchin?? Are they ever going to show themselves?
I doubt it. When the tallest blade of grass gets cut first, the rest of the yard keeps their shoots down . . .
First thing this morning I got an email from National Review stating that Biden had reversed the constitutional protections Betsy Devos had reinstituted under Chapter IX, protecting young men from kangaroo courts on campuses. I don’t think it is even ideological, just his insane desire to undo anything Trump did, good or bad, though most of Trump’s stuff was good for the country. It does feel a lot like the death of a thousand cuts. He is very quickly and mindlessly demolishing this country’s freedoms, and, in the process, demoralizing those of us who still love the Constitution. I thought that Obama was the worst president in my lifetime based on actions he took. Carter’s deficits were mostly inactions, but Biden seems almost demonic in his drive to stamp out all that was accomplished in the four years that preceded his election.
I am outraged by the reversal. Basically it is an attack on men who are accused of these actions, and on men in general. We’re back to the ridiculous premise that if a woman accuses, she must be telling the truth. Reminds me of the Kavanaugh hearings.
The country won’t be over. The 50-state country will be reduced to a workable size of morally, spiritually, and ideologically compatible union of states…but only if lesser men today don’t try to alter the founding documents given to us by greater men. Sadly, I fear we are a collective of lesser men.
They get worse with each victory.
This is why we need strong governors and atty. generals..
A light moment–I thought you wrote atty. genitals. Makes sense to me.
The way my Apple Pencil and I get along, that is a realistic possibility.
Both are options. If we can win and decentralize great. if not we have to break up. China is the only reason not to do that immediately, and in as many small pieces as possible.. But few understand where w’ere headed if the Democrats are allowed to steal the next election, or win it fraudulently as they did last time. We’ll know in November.
I’m intrigued by this premise and have saved the link. For anyone else interested, here’s the link:
https://www.econtalk.org/nassim-nicholas-taleb-on-the-nations-states-and-scale/
Consider the silver lining. If instead of the inept malignant buffoon from Brandon Falls, DE as POTUS imagine this was Hillary’s second term. [Sorry, I should have inserted a trigger warning. I felt a touch of vomit coming up just typing that.]
There would be far more competent villains doing their mischief instead of the current clownshow. President Clinton II would pretend to speak for the normals and pretend to push back against the culture war nutballs (a la her husband’s Sister Souljah moment) while actually undercutting families and traditionalists at every turn.
She would have entrenched the deep state, surrendered American sovereignty to international bureaucracies (who really answer only to NGOs owned by the elite rich), and made vote fraud permanent. She would have a 6-3 lefty Supreme Court so gun ownership, freedom of speech, and property rights would shrink and mutate into privileges issued at the whim of the government. Not just the Silicon Valley tech giants but all other large corporations would be forced into unity with the government and ruling elite, a level of public-private integration that would make Mussolini drool.
The fact that Biden’s disasters are occurring against the backdrop of the previous conditions under Trump, the fact that the victory in 2016 let people know they can still fight back, the fact that Trump made the left crazy enough to drop the mask and rage against all that is good and normal, and the fact that we have a backstop in SCOTUS means that the current pain is likely to energize a corrective action on a large scale with all three branches mobilized against the rot by 2025.
That might make her into a pop culture hero.
If we had to settle for a Democrat as President, I’d far prefer Tulsi over Pete.
The left went crazy because Trump was reversing the insanity. I don’t think Hillary would just be a front for the Chinese as Biden is. She’s mostly just a crook and would be seen as such. Biden is seen as a senile fool, which of course he is, which is Good cover for the idiots running the place who don’t even know they’re doing it for the Chinese.
Wow. I hadn’t considered that if more competent Lefties had backed someone, it could have been worse?! It would be interesting to speculate on the reasons the Progs are showing their stripes so blatantly at this point. I hope they continue in that vein (it couldn’t get much worse) so that everyone hates them and wants them out. Works for me!
Well, Brandon can’t veto impeachment/removal.
I just read that as “Death By A Thousand Cats”. It may be time to turn off the screen.