I toyed with the idea of how the Ricochetti could craft a new “Declaration” modeled on the Declaration of Independence. It wouldn’t be a declaration for “independence”– that would be a credible claim of “insurrection”. It would be a declaration of renewed fidelity to the US Constitution. Recall that the Declaration states some overarching principles (that are not in need of updating) and a list of grievances against the then-prevailing power. And it is this section that would be interesting to “update” because of the similarities between the type of abuses then and the type of abuses now.

But as I considered it, I came back to a different parallel between then and now: slavery. That was not a topic directly addressed by the Declaration of Independence, but certainly at issue due to a proper understanding of natural rights. If the Declaration is true, then slavery cannot be countenanced. And that was the animating thought of the Abolition Movement of the 19th Century. (You could have indentured servitude as an element of contract, but not chattel slavery.) The only logical way to square chattel slavery with the Declaration of Independence was to deny humanity to the slave.

“The most favorable posthumous history the stay-at-home traitor can hope for is — oblivion.” –- The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, p. 43

Understanding the Anti-Trump movement here to mean specifically those active beyond the legitimate election and oversight processes in both 2016 and 2020 (and all points in between) in attempts to keep Mr. Trump from holding and executing the office per the wishes of We the People, there is an applicable adaptation to the above quote for those who conspired against the very essence of this experiment in republican governance. We must not let these traitors off the hook with the oblivion (or historical anonymity) they desire.

The lesson here is that a fake right that doesn’t stand up for its constituents and allows leftist policies during its reign is a right that ultimately demoralizes its base and sews its own defeat. The right in Australia stood by as the harshest Covid policies were implemented. Right-wing politicians who could have done something sat on their hands for fear of being called a “grandma killer” or some such slur.

Australia had the harshest lockdowns and punishments we have seen during Covid barring China. The right allowed the country to drift leftward and stood for nothing there. This seems to be a particular feature of Western right-wing parties, including in this country. The right talks about lower taxes, markets, and more personal liberty, but ultimately delivers left-wing initiatives and then left-wing victories due to their base being demoralized. The left in Australia will eventually sicken the country and the right will be pushed back in to fail again as the leftward drift continues.

Elon Musk has made several moves that has put him at odds with Progressives that previously praised him for his leadership in “green” industries: solar power and electric vehicles. He made a tender offer for Twitter with the express intent of ending viewpoint censorship that was crippling conservative voices; he has been critical of Biden; he has defended capitalism, etc. And now he is assembling a legal team to prepare for the coming conflict with Progressives.

This announcement is bookended by Elon Musk’s deal to purchase the Twitter social media platform, a resistant internal company ideological adversary, and a warning from the political left with Business Insider publishing an alleged sexual misconduct story.  Indeed, it does appear that Elon Musk is preparing for a war that will likely include the Fourth Branch of Government as an adversary.

Oregon is much more than Portland’s political center. Within about half an hour, I can be in Oregon wine country, and in about two hours I can be in the Columbia River Gorge, well on my way to Eastern Oregon, the Big Nowhere. The Ohwyee River is about 280 miles long.

The Ohwyees and the Ohwyee River, think Hawaii, is still an isolated part of Nevada. Oregon, and Idaho.

A stunning headline from the Daily Caller: Biden Admin Quietly Admits Math Error Is Causing Massive Oil, Gas Permitting Delays. Apparently, the computer model used by the government to predict environmental impacts is badly flawed so all drilling licenses were erroneously denied. This is like a Dilbert cartoon or Babylon Bee story come to life. We are in the very best of hands and can totally trust government experts across the board. Right?

At least they admitted this one.

Am I the only person on planet Earth who finds the alleged proffering, by Elon Musk to his contract employee, of…umm…a horse in return for doubling down on her sexual favors towards him, more than a little ridiculous?

Good.  I hoped not.

On the other hand, perhaps not so ridiculous (I always try to pay attention and learn from my mistakes when I can), but more about that in a moment.

I was recently re-introduced to the game of dominoes. (Actually, there is no one game, as those who are fans know well.) But all of the games I have been introduced to share the same feature: you match one side and then send the “train” off in a different direction numerically or physically. And it is this feature that makes it fascinating (and frustrating when a plan is blocked) because of uncertainty and unanticipated opportunity.

This is what the best posts and commentary share in common: being a jumping-off point for thought and elaboration conducted cooperatively from many minds. Don’t be frustrated by the blocking moves by certain commenters. Exploit openings elsewhere in the post or commentary to pursue your line of thought. Leave the antagonists behind to stew in their own juices if they must. Just post a 😀 and move on.

If you don’t see a relevant opening for your thoughts just create your own post. And if no one plays off your thought, that’s OK. Just draw again and put another post down. Eventually, someone will engage and the “train” will begin.