2016: New Year's Eve Reflections

                2016 is behind us now. Good riddance.

                To say that 2016 wasn’t the best of years is like saying a zit isn’t your best facial feature. On an individual level, a startling number of accomplished people passed away in 2016. It was a horrific year for musicians with the deaths of David Bowie, Glen Fry, Paul Kantner, Bobby Vee, Maurice White, Sonny James, Sir George Martin, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Pete Fountain, George Michael, Prince, and Merle Haggard, just to name a few.

                Comedians Bob Elliot and Gary Shandling, among others, were lost. Authors and journalists such as Elie Wiesel, Harper Lee and Morley Safer left us, too. Actors and actresses had a rough year as well, with the passing of Garry Marshall, Ken Howard, Patty Duke, George Kennedy, Florence Henderson, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Gene Wilder, and- within hours of each other- Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds.

                What’s more, a number of the greatest sports figures of all time expired in 2016. Legends and heroes such as Joe Garagiola, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, and Gordy Howe all moved on to an even bigger arena.

                Astronaut John Glenn, once again, “slipped the surly bonds of Earth and touched the face of God,” as Ronald Reagan would’ve said. This time for good. And, speaking of Reagan, his wife Nancy passed on this past year, too. As did Janet Reno, Shimon Peres, and the inestimable Antonin Scalia.

                 On a macro scale, 2016 brought the Louisiana floods, Hurricane Matthew, massive mergers, email server scandals, Russian hacking, and Yahoo security breaches. All of which we talked about on our exploding Samsung Galaxy smart-phones.

                2016 was also a banner year for radical Islamic terror. By one website’s count, there were 1,274 attacks in 50 nations, resulting in 11,774 dead and 14,303 injured. These are difficult numbers to arrive at, and subjective figures, but we can all agree that there were too damn many attacks, resulting in too damn many deaths and injuries. Besides the incessant attacks in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya, Indonesia, and Israel, etc., there were many in the West, as well. Brussels, Orlando, Nice, Columbus (Ohio), and St. Cloud (Minnesota) were hit…as were various other locales.

                As for the U.S., President Obama’s eight-year-long World Apology Tour hasn’t ended well. His exceptional belief in his country’s non-exceptionalism, as well as his sympathy for Palestinians, has left staunch allies, such as Israel, feeling hurt and endangered, and others, such as Britain, puzzled and condescending. Even worse, potential adversaries no longer fear us. Nice job, Mr. President! You didn’t want other countries to think we were arrogant. How’s that working out for us? How about we at least make them believe we’re competent again?

                There were a few good things that happened in 2016, however, such as Brexit and Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton. Indeed, people across much of the globe are getting sick and tired of their leaders- the establishment- telling them what to do and how to think. These arrogant elitists wallow in their own power and goodness, while failing to protect the people they lord over. These Big Government types live in the lap of luxury, frolicking with their friends in Big Business, Big Media, and Big Academia, while mocking the middle classes and country folk who actually grow food and make things.

                This is the hope for the future. These seeds sown in an otherwise repugnant year could- potentially- lead to a new morning, bright with promise. If we can cast off the shackles of shame and break free of the chains of political-correctness, if we refuse to allow those “progressives” in power to label our opinions, beliefs- and, in many cases, simple facts- as “fake news,” there may yet be a Second Renaissance.

                Yes, when all is said and done, 2016 could be a pivotal year. If- in 2017 and beyond- we continue strengthening our resolve to pivot away from rule by global elitists. The world is truly at a crossroads. Things could get dramatically better…or unspeakably worse.

                Stay strong. Never surrender. Raise your glasses with me now, and let’s ring in the New Year with a toast: “Let freedom ring and reason sing!”

                 In closing, a few lines from Longfellow seem applicable to the survival of the United States- and indeed the West- as we head into 2017:

                Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State!

                Sail on, O Union, strong and great!

                Humanity with all its fears,

                With all the hopes of future years,

                Is hanging breathless on thy fate!

                        Happy New Year!

White House Tweets Out Wrong Pic Of Park It Just Created

                On Wednesday (Dec. 28^th), President Obama created the Bears Ears and Gold Butte national monuments, in Utah and Nevada, respectively. Later the same day the White House took to Twitter to tout this taking of territory.

                Unfortunately, the administration’s tweet featured a picture of a completely different national park, the Three Gossips at Arches National Park. (I hate that when that happens!). That park was created in 1929, well before Obama was born, and was re-designated a national park in 1971, so he can’t take credit for its existence. The parks are hours apart by automobile and have distinctly different geological features.

                This federal faux-pas led Utah’s Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, whose staff first noticed the error, to tweet: “If you’re going to take 1.3M acres of land, at least use the right photo…”

                Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a congressman and Chairman of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, joined in the Twitter teasing, stating, “Classic @WhiteHouse pic is Arches not monuments. Couldn’t find a pic of Bears Ears & doesn’t even know where it is. #WorstPresidentEver.”

                Monumental maladroitness.

Muslim Woman Admits Fabricating Attack

                 Yasmin Seweid, the 18-year-old Muslim woman who claimed she had been attacked earlier this month on a Manhattan subway train by three men screaming “Donald Trump,” was charged with filing a false report after admitting she made up the story, according to police. Seweid, a college student from New Hyde Park, was charged with obstructing governmental administration and filing a false report, both of which are misdemeanors. She had originally claimed that the men grabbed her handbag and attempted to pull off her hijab.

                The story of the faux attack was major news. Conversely, the report of her admitting that she made the whole thing up was on page 18A of my local paper, the back page of that section, and received one paragraph of coverage.

                The nydailynews.com, for example, ran the story under the banner headline, “Drunk men screaming Trump’s name try to rip off Muslim student’s hijab as straphangers stand idly by on East Side subway, cops say.” The article goes on to recount how the three “white” men also “hurled” anti-Islam slurs at her- and at one point said, “Oh look, a (expletive) terrorist.” Seweid also claimed the men yelled, “Get out of the country, you don’t belong here” at her.

                “It made me really sad after when I thought about it,” she said at the time. “People were looking at me and looking at what was happening and no one said a thing. They just looked away.” The Daily News post portrayed a “terrified 18-year-old” recounting her “harrowing encounter” with “the hate-spewing trio.” It stated that Seweid got off the train at Grand Central Terminal on E. 42^nd St. and reported the “terrifying incident” to police. The article also stated that she later sat with police officers and tried to help spot the men on surveillance video, but allowed as how “no one has been arrested.”

                “I was very shaken up…I’m definitely traumatized,” Ms. Seweid exclaimed.

                The Daily went on to soberly and somberly state that: “The incident is another in a growing list of bias crimes across the city since Trump’s election. Cops said that from Nov. 8 through Nov. 27, there were 34 reported incidents compared to 13 in the same period in 2015.”

                Afaf Nasher, executive director of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the absurdly-acronymed CAIR, trumpeted, “American Muslims, and particularly men and women who wear religious attire, are being increasingly targeted by hate nationwide in the wake of the Nov. 8 election.”

                What of those 34 “bias” crimes? 18 were anti-Semitic in nature, compared to only 5 in the same period last year. Five of the incidents were anti-white. Two targeted Muslims.

                And this one was completely fabricated.

                Is Trump responsible for the sharp spike in anti-Jewish sentiment? Or could there be something else at work here?

                There is an epidemic of false rape claims being leveled on college campuses, and spurious claims of police brutality are legion.

                Ms. Seweid’s claim, and the mainstream media’s reaction to it- both when first reported and then when it was proven to be a lie- are textbook examples of actual “fake news” reporting. 

                

Bill Clinton: Angry White Man

                Former president and past and present philanderer Bill Clinton recently told The Record Review, a weekly newspaper serving the towns of Bedford and Pound Ridge, New York- not far from the Clinton’s home in Chappaqua- that President-elect Donald trump “doesn’t know much.” He allowed, however, that Trump does know how to connect with “angry white voters.”

                He went on to blame Russia, James Comey and the FBI, and various other actors and entities for his wife’s loss in the recent presidential election.

                He has, on numerous occasions of late, worked himself up into spasms of indignity and hatred, revealing himself to be a truly angry white male voter. Ironic, as he and his wife are millionaires, firmly ensconced in the establishment, and espouse policies that would further decimate the white working class.

"If You Voted For Trump You Cannot Eat Here"

                “If you voted for Trump you cannot eat here! No Nazis.”

                So reads the bright yellow, handmade sign on the front door of Honolulu’s Café 8 ½.  That doesn’t seem very inclusive or welcoming. A photo of the sign also graces the restaurant’s Facebook page, just to cover all the bases. It is an utterly unsurprising revelation that, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, café founder Robert Warner is a former hairstylist who worked for Vidal Sassoon in San Francisco.

                Jali, Warner’s wife, told FoxNews.com that, “Robert just wants to express how much he doesn’t like Trump. If people take it personally or it hurts them, we cannot help. That’s why we say they have [a] choice if they want to come or not come. We don’t force them.” Jali added that, even if they see a customer wearing a Trump shirt, “we don’t put anything different [in] your food.” Talk about big-hearted!
                Can you imagine if the sign read, “If you voted for Clinton you cannot eat here! No Communists.”? How about if it exclaimed: “If you are pro-choice you cannot eat here! No murderers.”? Think the media would make more of those stories, rather than ignoring them completely or treating them as misguided- but frankly kind of cute- attempts at free speech?

                What if a restaurant hangs a sign on its entrance proclaiming: “Blacks cannot eat here.”? Or even, “Italians unwelcome.”? I mean, if those groups take it personally or it hurts them, that can’t be helped, right?

                I’m guessing there’s a “Republicans need not apply sign” hanging somewhere in the café, as well.

                Sadly, the sign may not hurt- might even help- the restaurant’s business in a state that voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton and that has long supported Democrats in both local and national races. Only six Republicans serve in Hawaii’s 51-member House and not a single Republican sits in the People’s Republic’s Senate. East Germany was a comparative bastion of political tolerance.

                Whether it’s a single local restaurant like this one, or a gigantic national chain like Starbucks, it is clear that purveyors of food and drink now believe we want a side of political-correctness with our orders. There have been many trends in the food industry of late. Fat-free, sugar-free, caffeine-free, and gluten-free items, among them.

                I have a novel idea. Let’s go back to serving PC-free food.

                If I’m hungry for leftist opinion, I can always read the New York Times.

Secretary Of State Kerry Says Israel Can't Be Both Jewish And Democratic

                Secretary of State John Kerry gave a speech today in Washington, D.C., in which he addressed Israel, the Palestinians and “one-state” or “two-state” options for both parties. He said: “They can choose to live together in one state or they can separate into two states. If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic. It cannot be both.”

                This is a preposterous statement, showing a stupefying lack of awareness and recognition, insofar as Israel is currently Jewish and democratic…and has been for nearly 70 years. These are the types of subtleties that one would think a Secretary of State would pick up on.

                But the Silver Fox wasn’t done.

                Kerry also opined: "In fact, this administration has been Israel's greatest friend and supporter with an absolutely unwavering commitment to advancing Israel's security and protecting its legitimacy. On this point, I want to be very clear. No American administration has done more for Israel’s security than Barack Obama's.”

                He should be appearing at a comedy club near you soon.

                In light of the continually heightening animosity between the Obama and Netanyahu governments, I post here a truncated list of American Presidents the jewishpress.com considers to have been the most supportive of Israel. (But what would they know?).

1)      Richard Nixon: “His support for Israel was not as sentimental as that of Lyndon Johnson or as heartfelt as that of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, but the bottom line is he saved the state from catastrophe in the 1973 Yom Kippur War with a massive month-long arms airlift in the face of European non-cooperation and a retaliatory oil embargo imposed on the U.S. by Arab states (emphasis mine). That alone qualifies him for the number one spot on a list of this kind.”

2)      George W. Bush: “Despite being the first U.S. president to call unambiguously for an independent Palestinian state, he had a visceral affection for Israel. Former treasury secretary Paul O’Neill disclosed that just ten days after his inauguration Bush met with his national security team and declared: ‘We’re going to correct the imbalances of the [Clinton] administration on the Mideast conflict. We’re going to tilt back towards Israel.’”

3)      Lyndon Johnson: “Dramatically increased economic aid and upgraded military sales to Israel.”

4)      Ronald Reagan: “Probably felt personally closer to Israel than any other president save George W. Bush… U.S.-Israel ties grew immeasurably stronger during his two terms in office.”
                                                             ********************
(What is inarguable, is that no nation can observe Sharia law and be democratic. Don't wait for the Obama administration to mention that, however).

MTV Airs "2017 Resolutions For White Guys"

                 MTV News, haven of cultural rationality and responsibility that it is, recently released a helpful video on Twitter, suggesting some New Year’s resolutions for “white guys.” The thoughtful video, dubbed “2017 Resolutions for White Guys,” offered up such constructive advice as, “learn what mansplaining is, then stop doing it.” The video, a veritable treasure-trove of tolerant trope and cogent thinking, also warned pale men against uttering the phrases “All Lives Matter” and/or “Blue Lives matter,” as “Black Lives Matter” is the only one of these expressions that is not overtly racist.

                The video lasts one minute and 21 seconds, and begins with an African-American male, one of three non-Caucasians in view, telling white viewers to listen up because, “there’s a few things we think you could do a little better in 2017.” (You’ve piqued my curiosity, I must say. Do tell!). At which point a female minority states: “First off, try to recognize that America was never great for anyone who wasn’t a white guy.” (No, it wasn’t Michelle Obama). Really? That is an absolutist statement and a massive generalization…besides being preposterous in the extreme.

                MTV News probably noticed that the President of the United States himself is black. (And he has done a Great job of Making America Weak Again). Minorities sit on the Supreme Court, hold various governorships, run companies, are truly beloved entertainers…and make countless millions of dollars for playing basketball, baseball and football. And, it should be noted, the minimum wage in this country equates to a higher annual salary than virtually any country in, say, Africa, can claim. As for women, a pathologically lying, serial-rapist abetting, carelessly acting with regard to America’s national security, “I hate everyday Americans” spouting…elderly female in frail health nearly became President of the United States.

                The video also cleverly allowed as to how, even if white people have black friends, it doesn’t mean they aren’t racist. At its climax, it humbly concluded that, while “nobody’s perfect,” it is white men who are the problem in this country, and that they “can do a little better in 2017,” especially in light of the fact that “2016 was bad.”

                In light of the incessant attacks, slander, hate speech, etc., etc., directed at white males (most of whom have jobs), and the Democratic Party’s demonizing of the white working class in general, I hereby issue a call for all white males to quit work, leave the country, or both. All of us. Period. I don’t care to hear of any reasons this might be inconvenient for you. Let this not be like the vapid Hollywood celebs threatening to leave the country after Trump was elected, but then refusing to do so. You harbor a responsibility to political correctness to take a hike. You owe it to reason, yourselves, posterity, your nation, and the fate of the world. Just quit. Just go. Stop being so offensive. Stop working. Let’s see how it goes for the rest of the country, the enlightened ones, after we drop out.

                It is about damn time for Atlas to shrug.

North Carolina Public School Students Banned From Caroling At Nativity Celebration

                School children in Wake County, North Carolina will no longer be allowed to sing Christmas carols at an annual Nativity celebration after they were the victims of a complaint from the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The execrable FFRF claimed that the performances at the annual Apex Christmas Nativity Celebration were unconstitutional and could not continue.

                “The whole purpose of the event is to display and honor nativity scenes, which highlight an exclusively Christian aspect of the holiday season, rather than a secular Christmas celebration,” FFRF attorney Patrick Elliot wrote in a complaint to the district last year. Elliot was gob-smacked that “students are intentionally brought to the church to be exposed to hundreds of depictions of the Christian legend of Jesus’ birth.” (Sounds like he couldn’t be more upset if the kids were being intentionally exposed to the Zika Virus. A Christian “aspect” to the “holiday season” is intolerable? There wouldn’t be a holiday season if not for the Christian aspect, and a secular Christmas celebration is, in a sense, an oxymoron, is it not?).

                Naturally, the school district decided it would be best to ban all student choirs from participating in this year’s celebration.

                The Freedom from Religion Foundation said it sprang into action only after a complaint from a “concerned parent.” One? One. Elliot told the Raleigh News and Observer, “Public schools are a place for all students regardless of religious belief or non-belief. To have public schools involved in a Christian event celebrating the birth of Jesus is a problem.”

                Then why is it okay for Muslim students to wear hijabs to school (and this even as other students have to remove their hats!). Glad you asked. Well, Tracy Flynn Bowe, executive director of human resources for the St. Cloud, Minnesota school district, says that that right is protected by federal law. She avers that students across the nation have a right to religious accommodations for a sincerely held belief, observance or practice consistent with their faith tradition.

                Apparently, Christian kids celebrating the birth of Christ…at Christmastime…don’t qualify as having a sincerely held belief, observance or practice consistent with their faith tradition.

"A Christmas Carol" Is No More

                Fifth grade students at Centerville Elementary School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania have performed Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol” for over 40 years. They will perform it no more. Parents say someone complained about the words uttered by Tiny Tim, “God bless us, everyone.” (This must be as offensive as “All lives matter”).

                The school’s principal declined to confirm or deny that allegation, but did say that the school wants to be respectful to “other cultural and religious backgrounds.”

                Why is it that one person can complain about a Christian symbol and get it removed? The examples of this are legion. I am well versed on the separation of church and state, and “if it’s in the public square” arguments, thank you, but those same arguments simply don’t apply when it comes to secularism or other religions. This is obvious injustice, intolerance, and hate-mongering.

                If one person is offended when they see a Mosque spring up near Ground Zero in Manhattan, for example, they don’t successfully enlist the ACLU to force the people responsible for the existence of the Mosque to tear it down. I myself- and a many people I know- am/are extremely offended that Planned Parenthood receives tax-payer dollars to exterminate the unborn. Well, screw us- and the unborn- we don’t get to defund them.

                I am routinely offended by much of the effluvium that emanates from public television and radio, but good luck to me in my attempt to stop them from using my money to promulgate values that are anathema to a successful, free, democratic republic.

               But, Heaven forbid, if so much as a single minority is offended, the hell with the offensive ways of the majority.

Indiana Town Forced To Remove Cross From Its Christmas Tree

                Knightstown, Indiana is a bucolic little village of just over 2,100 folks, proudly situated in Middle America. It is where the iconic movie “Hoosiers” was made, the movie itself chronicling the remarkable story of the Milan Indians, another small Indiana town’s basketball team that somehow overcame all odds to win the state’s high school basketball championship in 1954.

                At first glance, Knightstown would seem an unlikely place to be the victim of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit, but that is precisely the case. The ACLU filed a suit demanding that the town remove a lighted cross from atop its annual Christmas tree. The suit was filed on behalf of Knightstown resident Joseph Tompkins, who was appalled at being “forced to come into unwelcome contact” with the display, which, he said, caused him “irreparable harm.” Tompkins also stated in the suit that he didn’t want his tax dollars used to light and maintain the cross. (I’m guessing he’s good with his tax dollars going to Planned Parenthood. And, when one considers the number of tax payers in town- or the county, etc.- against the cost of lighting one small cross for a few weeks, he’s actually saying he doesn’t want his tax cent(s) used in that manner. But, it’s the principle of the thing, I know).

                The town council issued the following statement: “It is with regret and sadness that the Knightstown Town Council has had the cross removed from the Christmas tree on the town square and is expected to approve a resolution at the next council meeting stating they will not return the cross to the tree.” The council’s decision was based on advice from its legal counsel and the concern over finances should it lose in court, according to a local Fox television station. After all, tiny Knightstown certainly would be no match for the ACLU of Indiana.

                But then, dozens of townsfolk gathered at the display to pray. Residents started putting up crosses all around the town. The council voted to table the resolution. It hopes to negotiate with the ACLU to come to another decision.

                There is a tough road ahead for little Knightstown. The fight against the ACLU will be a difficult one. Let’s hope they channel the will and pluck of the ’54 Milan Indians, and emerge victorious as champions of sanity and light.
                                               *****************************

                P.S.- I wrote the above piece a week ago and hadn’t published it yet. It is a fitting story to post on Christmas Day, especially now that the cross is back on the Knightstown tree! After lengthy negotiations with the ACLU, the town was, at least temporarily, “allowed” to return the cross to the tree, if it wasn’t placed at the top and would not be its most prominent feature. However, Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, noted that the display will be re-evaluated and further legal action will be taken if it is deemed unconstitutional. On this Christmas morning we’ll take this small victory as a ray of hope, though the struggle for Christians will be a long and arduous one. 

             Merry Christmas To All!

Italian Priest Decides Against Nativity Scene

                Father Sante Braggie, chaplain of the Municipal Cemetery of Cremona and curate of the local parish in northern Italy, has decided not to set up a Nativity scene in his town’s cemetery this Christmas. Why, you ask? The Italian priest is breaking with long-standing tradition to avoid offending Muslims, of course.

                The chaplain said that the display was typically set up within eyesight of a small corner of the cemetery reserved for Muslim graves.  “A crib positioned within sight of them could be seen as a lack of respect for followers of other faiths, hurt the sensibilities of Muslims, as well as Indians and even atheists,” Braggie stated, according to reports. “In short, it would be a mess.”

                Father Braggie’s pronouncement left his predecessor, Father Oreste Mori, in shock. “Seriously? I can’t believe it. We cannot renounce our culture and traditions. That would be an unpardonable weakness,” Father Mori said.

                Father Mori, we in the West are- rapidly- renouncing our culture and traditions. There are simple reasons for this, above and beyond the secular elites putting intense pressure on us to do so. And one is that religious leaders like Pope Francis and yourself are so willing to sell out your own supposed beliefs in order to accommodate ones that are anathema to Christianity and a free society based on the rule of law, in order to appear benevolent and tolerant.

                How have Muslims reciprocated? Have they proactively tried to avoid offending Christians? No. They’ve pretty much stuck to the doctrine of convert, enslave or kill. 

Whoopi Goldberg Equates Right To Celebrate Christmas To Abortion Rights

                Whoopi Goldberg, while engaged in a recent debate with her co-hosts on the “View,” compared a woman’s right to get an abortion to a Christian’s right to celebrate Christmas. While opining on   separation between church and state, in regards to the permissability of public Nativity scenes in the celebration of Christmas, Goldberg said that it is “the same conversation with a woman’s right to choose.”

                She added, “What I do with my body is my right. It is not your right to tell me. The same thing is it’s—if you believe in Christmas, it’s not my right…and, you know, kids who didn’t go to Catholic school had Christmas and they-- we never knew what their religions were, but we hung ‘cause it was Christmas holiday.”

                On one level, I appreciate her apparent attempt to defend public displays observing Christmas. But it is a breathtakingly bad- indeed heinous- analogy. As a writer I am tempted to find/use an analogy to make a point about her analogy, but, in this case, it is impossible to do so.

                The utter lack of logic and reason beggars description. The cumbersome and insensitive attempt at comparing people’s right to celebrate the birth of our Savior, who was later sacrificed so all of us could have the opportunity for eternal life, to a woman’s “right” to abort her baby literally boggles the mind.

President Obama Proactively Obstructing President-Elect Trump

                President Obama is going out of his way to pee in the pool before the new owners can jump in.

                The president is doing everything possible to make things more difficult for President-elect Trump to enact his agenda. He is setting records for the number of criminals whose sentences he’s commuting, and for the number of illegal immigrants his administration is allowing into the country. Moreover, he recently decreed that hundreds of millions of acres of federally owned land in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans are off limits to oil and gas exploration and drilling.

                 He also recently announced that a once-mandatory program for registering immigrant men from predominately Muslim countries, which he previously suspended, has been formally scrapped. The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), launched after 9/11, required men from Middle Eastern countries- and North Korea- to register with the federal government upon their arrival in the U.S. The process also included fingerprinting and photographs, as well as a requirement to notify the government of any address changes. Why would we want to know who’s here from Syria or Libya for example? Or where they might be? They’re probably just hanging around Christmas markets right now, anyway.

                Back to the clemency issue for a moment: On December 19^th alone, the president granted clemency to 231 felons, the highest number of clemencies granted in a single day in the history of the nation. Since he took office, Obama has commuted the sentences of 1,176 individuals, 395 of whom were serving life sentences. His recent one day total of 231 is more than some presidents have totaled in their entire time in the White House. In addition, he has pardoned another 148 people.

                And now we learn of a new report alleging that a recent congressional investigation “has determined that the Obama administration fired a top scientist and intimidated staff at the Department of Energy in order to further its climate change agenda,” according to the Washington Free Beacon and other news outlets. The report further claims that the administration ordered top officials to obstruct Congress in order to forward this agenda. The chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Rep. Lamar Smith (R. Texas), issued the report which also illustrates how senior administration officials retaliated against a leading scientist and plotted ways to block a congressional inquiry regarding research into the impact of radiation. The dismissed DOE scientist was pink-slipped for “being too forthright with lawmakers,” according to the Beacon’s article. Can’t have that!

                “Instead of providing the type of scientific information needed by Congress to legislate effectively, senior departmental officials sought to hide information, lobbied against legislation, and retaliated against a scientist for being forthcoming,” Smith said in a statement.

                The investigation concluded that “DoE placed its own priorities to further the president’s Climate Action Plan before its constitutional obligations to be candid with Congress,” states the report, which went on to say, “The committee further concludes that DoE’s disregard for separation of powers is not limited to a small group of employees, but rather is an institutional problem that must be corrected by overhauling its management practices with respect to its relationship with the Congress.”

                Drain the swamp! (And the pool).

Electoral College Fueling Global Warming!

                The Founders came up with the Electoral College so that people in lesser populated states didn’t get run over roughshod by those in the most populous states, and because a pure democracy has always led to chaos and the abuse of the minority by the majority. The Electoral College is an integral part of the most just, dynamic and intricately balanced system of representative government ever known to man. (Imagine that, the Electoral College was instituted to protect minorities, liberals).

                But it is under ferocious attack by “progressives” because it didn’t lead to a progressive candidate winning the latest presidential election.

                And because it is making global warming worse.

                Yes, you read that right. How does it manage to exacerbate global warming, you ask? Simple. There have been four American elections in which the person elected president lost the popular vote: in 1876, 1888, 2000 and now 2016. Progressives say that, in the latter two cases, because George W. Bush and now Donald trump were/are skeptical of man-caused global warming (are “Deniers”), their policies and influence have/will significantly and adversely affect our fight against climate change, leading to an ever worsening global climate problem. Therefore, the liberal logic is: “Electoral College causing global warming. Electoral College bad. Must go.”

                Alrighty, then.

                This is like saying that the Emancipation Proclamation led to violent, misogynistic rap music. Sorry, progressive crackpots, but Abraham Lincoln couldn’t have anticipated that, nor would it have kept him from doing the right thing…by protecting minorities.

                There is no level to which the left won’t stoop, no tactic they will not try in their attempt to gain, keep, or wield power. Even if it means putting us all back in chains in their fight against a “fake” enemy.

President Obama Warns Russia: U.S. Could Use Offensive Cyber Muscle To Retaliate

                 According to a recent Associated Press report, “President Obama put Russia’s Vladimir Putin on notice Friday that the U.S. could use offensive cyber muscle to retaliate for interference in the U.S. presidential election.”

                “Whatever they do to us, we can potentially do to them,” declared the president. “Our goal continues to be to send a clear message to Russia or others not to do this to us because we can do stuff to you.” He also made clear that he confronted Putin back in September, telling the Russian leader to “cut it out!” What is he, 9-years-old?  Obama claimed that the U.S. “did not see further tampering” after that muscular threat was made.

                Yet, here he and Hillary are, after the election, whining about Russian interference in our democratic processes, and hinting that it may have cost them the election! If the President had properly confronted the Russians immediately after he first heard of the alleged attacks on the Democratic National Committee, he may have prevented any further possible malfeasance by the Russkies.

                Furthermore, Hillary Clinton fairly begged for hacking and intrusion into her illegal, ad-hoc, private email server. And we now know the DNC had virtually no protections for its electronic systems. Moreover, Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, failed to sign up for “two-factor authentication” on his own g-mail account. Had he done so, this intrusion that Obama himself characterized as a fairly primitive attack would likely have been prevented.

                White House press secretary Josh Earnest accused Donald Trump of being in on Putin’s alleged hacking. The truth is, the only presidential nominee who knew of it was Barack Hussein Obama, who in reality had it brought to his attention more than a year ago.

                As political commentator and best-selling author Mark Steyn said, “Earnest’s evidence that Trump was in on the shadowy ‘conspiracy’ is that a few months back Trump publicly invited Putin to release Hillary’s unseen emails. So Trump and Putin’s secret plan to subvert American democracy was so sophisticated they announced it to the whole world.”

                President Obama, on October 18^th, averred that “There is no serious person out there who would suggest that you could even rig America’s elections.” This is because our elections are decentralized, run by state and local officials. In order for some entity to hack our elections, it would have to get into literally thousands and thousands of different county and municipal voting systems.

                If we were truly concerned about bad actors hacking and influencing our elections and overturning the will of the people, we should have been taking aggressive legal action against those attempting to bribe, coerce and threaten members of the Electoral College to disavow their responsibility to cast their vote for Trump.  

German Christmas Market Attacked

                 Another deadly terror attack in Germany. At least a dozen dead, dozens more injured. It appears ISIS delivered on their recent promise to attack Western Christmas Markets during the Christmas season. At least 12 people lost their lives and hundreds of families have had their lives turned upside down in mere moments. Earlier today, their loved ones were strolling the marketplace, enjoying the bright lights and decorations, basking in the warmth and good feeling of the season, perhaps purchasing a few last gifts for their loved ones. Now they are dead or maimed- physically and mentally.

                When is enough enough? Under attack by secularists and radical Islamists, the hyper-tolerant Christian faith will soon be in danger of letting itself be marginalized to the point of near irrelevancy. Let those of us who still believe… commit ourselves- here, today, now- to stop hiding and apologizing for our own faith. The Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles J. Chaput, once said, “Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it tries to silence good.”

                We have reached that point. Good (or at least, mostly decent) is afraid to speak up- and stand up- for itself, in case the extreme secularists and Islamists accuse it of being intolerant. To paraphrase Lincoln: Let us here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.

                                Isaiah 40:31

                                But those who hope in the Lord

                                Will renew their strength

                                They will soar on wings like eagles;

                                They will run and not grow weary

                                They will walk and not be faint

                So we softly sing to those who have so recently slipped the surly bonds of Earth:

                                “Silent night, holy night

                                All is calm, all is bright

                                Sleep in heavenly peace

                                Sleep in heavenly peace

                                Stille Nacht, heilige nacht

                                Alles schläft, einsam wacht

                                Schlaf in himmlischer ruh

                                Schlaf in himmlischer ruh”

Michelle Obama Says Americans Entering A Time Of Hopelessness

                 Michelle Obama, her days as First Lady coming to an end, is reflecting on the legacy she and her husband will leave after eight years in the White House. In a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, she graciously acknowledged that the country is entering a time of hopelessness.

                “We are feeling what not having hope feels like,” the First Lady told Winfrey in response to a question about whether President Obama had achieved the ‘hope and change’ he promised while campaigning back in 2008. (I am feeling like throwing up).

                According to the New York Times account, “she alluded to the contrast many in the country are feeling” since the November 8^th election: “’We feel the difference now,’ she said, noting that her husband had succeeded in keeping his campaign promise of fostering hope. ‘Hope is necessary. It’s a necessary concept,’ she elaborated. What else do you have if you don’t have hope? What do you give your kids if you can’t give them hope?’”

                The Times account continued, “Those are philosophical questions that the nation will no doubt begin to grapple with in earnest over the coming months. And they’re not the first contemplative remarks the first lady, who has earned a special place in Americans’ hearts, has made recently. Last week, she reportedly left White House staffers in tears after a heartfelt thank you speech at a holiday party.”

                That is the kind of unbiased, hard-hitting, objective reporting the paper is known for, is it not?

                Those are philosophical questions that the nation will no doubt begin to grapple with in earnest over the coming months? No, the country just chose change of a different sort, and will be too busy celebrating a renewed sense of hope… for the economy, American values, the middle class, Middle America, and America’s role in the world.

                Michelle Obama told us that the first time she was ever proud of her country was when her husband was elected. Now, after spending two terms in the White House, and just a few days before Christmas, she tells the nation that, since she and President Obama are leaving, the country is entering a period of hopelessness. Perhaps I’ve missed something in my studies, but, has any other outgoing First Lady made a point of telling her countrymen that they have no hope once she and the President leave office? Classy, elegant, uplifting.

                Barack and Michelle Obama are to unbridled arrogance as Marx and Lenin were to collectivism.

                

Shakespeare's Portrait Removed From English Department

                University of Pennsylvania students tore down a portrait of William Shakespeare from the spot in the English department where it has long reposed, and unceremoniously delivered it to the department chair’s office. What was the reason for this action and how did the chair respond you ask? Well, the world’s most accomplished and famous bard and playwright doesn’t reflect enough diversity, you see, and department chair Jed Esty actually supported the students act of vandalism.

                Esty said, “Students removed the Shakespeare portrait and delivered it to my office as a way of affirming their commitment to a more inclusive mission for the English department.” Well, apparently not inclusive of the greatest English wordsmith of all time. You can’t make it up.

                Students replaced the Shakespeare portrait with a photo of Audre Lorde, a writer who has described herself as, “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet.”

                Mike Benz, a junior at Penn, describing the student’s action, said: “It is a cool example of culture jamming.” Others on campus agreed.

                This is what happens when you buy into the progressive’s politically-correct dogma that values diversity over excellence. You end up with neither.

Trump Too Cozy With Russia, Too Hard On China?

                There are constant mainstream media reports of Donald Trump being too cozy with the Russians, even of a Putin-Trump “bromance.” I am no fan of Russian leaders, but do they not remember Obama famously getting caught saying to then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev before Obama’s 2012 re-election, “After my election I have more flexibility?” He requested that Medvedev ask Putin to give him more “space” until then, all but promising to be Putin’s pal after that fait accompli.

                And what about President Obama cow-towing to Iran, and john Kerry thanking the Iranians for being kind enough to return our sailors to us after capturing them illegally? So what if they are constantly taunting and belittling us, calling us the Great Satan and threatening to wipe one of our closest allies off the map? That’s no reason not to be neighborly and let them get The Bomb!

                The President hasn’t exactly taken a hard line with China either, letting it, too, threaten us with impunity, build artificial islands (since stockpiled with weapons systems), and essentially claim the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii as Chinese territorial waters.

                Oh, and now they’ve stolen one of our unmanned submarine drones.

                Obama’s response? He warned Trump, telling him to carefully consider his actions and any policy changes vis-à-vis China, lest he provoke a significant response from Beijing.

                You can’t make it up.

                Moreover, many on the left are upset that Trump had a phone conversation with Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan, angering already irritable Chinese officials who view the island as a breakaway province. Remarkably, Pentagon officials stated recently that they were trying to determine if the seizure of the underwater drone had anything to do with Mr. Trump’s actions or comments.

                To liberals, Mr. Trump- still over a month away from taking office- is somehow to blame for simultaneously being too soft on the Russians and too belligerent to the Chinese. But blaming Citizen Trump for China stealing our sub drone? And I thought Bush Derangement Syndrome was appalling!

                Early-onset Trump Dementia Disorder may be fatal.

                

Reindeer Are Shrinking, Scientists Say

                Our reindeer are shrinking! Due to global warming, of course.

                At least, that’s what some scientists from Britain and Norway surmise. And what a terrible time to break the news to us…right before Christmas. Couldn’t they have waited a couple of weeks and told us after New Years? What if Rudolph and crew are too weak to fly?

                The scientists have discovered that adult reindeer living on the Arctic island of Svalbard are getting smaller, and naturally they think climate change is the culprit. They say that adult reindeer born here in 2010 weigh- on average- 12 percent less than those born in 1994. Their findings were presented recently at a meeting of the British Ecological Society.

                According to an Associated Press report, an ecologist from Scotland’s James Hutton Institute stated that rising temperatures in the Arctic mean Svalbard is getting more rain, creating a hard ice sheet that the island’s reindeer can’t easily break through to reach the lichen which comprises the bulk of their winter food. (They have no trouble getting through a deep snow-pack?). The B.E.S. says, “The reindeer starve, aborting their calves or giving birth to much lighter young.”  Scientists claim land surface temperatures in the Arctic were about five degrees Fahrenheit higher last year than when records began about a century earlier. The average winter temperature in the Arctic is -30°F. It doesn’t rain at any temperature close to that. And I doubt any reindeer are despondent at -25°F.

                Bizarrely, the scientists believe that reindeer populations are also increasing because of warmer summers, therefore resulting in more competition for food. Are more of them starving after giving birth or before aborting? My head hurts. Methinks this is textbook “fake news.”

                So, to recap, global warming has been a boon to the reindeer population, but is also threatening to starve them into extinction? Does this even make sense to the British Eco-illogical Society? Also, I must point out, where I live, rain melts ice. And, wouldn’t there be more food the longer it stays warmer in the Arctic region? Additionally, essentially all species go through natural population cycles. When populations are high, the competition for food eventually does lead to more starvation and/or fewer births, returning the ecosystem to its equilibrium, even in less harsh environments.

                Global warming is killing off species. Global warming is causing sea levels to rise, which may result in humans having webbed feet someday. Climate change is responsible for changing weather patterns (duh!). Global warming is causing more severe rainstorms and flooding. Oh, and also drought on an unprecedented scale! And poverty, famine, racism, terrorism, disenfranchisement, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.

                Is there anything “bad” happening on the planet that experts don’t blame on global warming?

Democrats, Experts Divided As To What Caused Trump Victory

                Top Democrats are divided as to what caused the election of Donald Trump. Some blame James Comey and the FBI, some pin it on the Russians, some fault Fox News, some think voting machines were hacked, some attribute it to “fake news,” and Jill Stein demanded a recount. (Since said recounts were trending to pad Trump’s margin, it seems that if votes were originally miscounted they were done so in favor of Mrs. Clinton).

                Now we have additional theories added to the mix. Many top scientists are now convinced that global warming led previously reasonable people to fall into the “basket of deplorables.” They believe that years of  continued exposure to temperatures as much as 2.8 degrees fahrenheit warmer than “normal” in  battleground states recently caused many of these state’s citizen’s vital synapses to overheat and falter,  seriously impairing their decision-making abilities- and, ultimately- leading to incorrect choices… and Donald Trump. (See Bunkum State Universities study findings in the December edition of Nature’s Ledger. Please note, B.S.U. is still accepting donations for fiscal year 2016, 10% of which they will re-donate to groups fighting global warming).

                Other experts polled believe poltergeists were “in some way or other” responsible for the inexplicable election result. At least 10 claimed it was the “Zionists fault.” Four attributed the President-elect’s victory to the rise of Satanism/witchcraft, two thought it was George W. Bush’s fault, and one blamed it on the Albanian Mafia.

                Of course, there are those unscientific types, mostly Republicans, that believe the Clinton campaign had become overconfident and didn’t spend enough time in the “battleground states.” Many in this camp also believe that Hillary’s referring to a significant portion of the American people as belonging to the “basket of deplorables” could have been off-putting to some voters. Moreover, they say, emails from key Clinton team members revealing that she “hated everyday Americans” may have been offensive to everyday Americans. Additionally, they surmise, the fact that she completely ignored white working class voters, except when proclaiming her desire to eliminate mining and extraction jobs in places such as Kentucky and West Virginia, probably worked against her as well.

                These opinions, however, have come almost solely from outlets known by the mainstream media to be purveyors of “fake news,” and, as such, should be thoroughly and immediately discredited.

                 The top scientists say that the preponderance of evidence is now so overwhelming that it was global warming that led to Trump’s triumph, that the debate is now over, and “Deniers” should be imprisoned.

Russia's Efforts Aimed At Hurting Hillary, Not Helping Trump?

                 Liz Peek, a Fox News contributor, had an interesting, informative, and- to me at least- convincing opinion piece recently on FoxNews.com. She believes that President Obama is ordering an investigation into possible Russian interference in the election of Donald Trump to get revenge on him for the years he spent publicly questioning Obama’s citizenship, in an attempt to create doubt over the legitimacy of his presidency. In this way, he believes he may be able to delegitimize Trump’s presidency before it even begins. Payback, they say, is a bitch. But it isn’t presidential. Liberals, though, as they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt after this election, are incredibly sore losers. (See also, ‘rioting,’ ‘threats to leave the country,’ ‘Jill Stein,’ etc.).

                Wrap your mind around this: according to the Associated Press, the President’s party won 487 counties nationwide, while Donald Trump won 2,626, including many that voted for Obama in either 2008 or 2012. Having your hand-picked successor lose 84+% of all the counties in the nation doesn’t bode well for a President’s legacy.

                Ms. Peek speculates, “Moscow’s possible hacking of DNC and Podesta’s emails were retaliation for Hillary Clinton’s assertions that Russian elections in 2011 were ‘rigged’- an accusation that infuriated Putin. When protests erupted in Russia over the election outcome, Putin blamed Clinton. ‘She said they were dishonest and unfair,’ Putin said at the time. He accused then Secretary of State Clinton for giving ‘a signal’ to demonstrators organized ‘with the support of the U.S. State Department…We need to safeguard ourselves from this interference in our internal affairs,’ Putin said. Does this sound familiar? Turnabout is fair play…” She went on to say that, “Obama knows this. Politico reported in a July piece entitled “Why Putin Hates Hillary” that the Russian leader’s anger about Clinton’s interference was “communicated directly to President Barack Obama.”

                Ms. Peek believes this is the reason why the Russians may have tried to undermine Clinton, not because they see Trump as an ally. She posits: “Like most of the world, Moscow no doubt expected Clinton to win. Coming into office weakened by Putin’s meddling would have undoubtedly pleased Moscow no end.” And, as I myself have alluded to, when you look closely at who Trump has chosen for the top defense and security positions in his administration, it is obvious that they will defend the country against all adversaries and potential adversaries, Russia included. Peek points out that, retired General James Mattis, Trump’s nominee to head Defense, “has described Russia’s annexation of Crimea as a ‘severe’ threat,” and is not to be trifled with.

                She goes on to say that, “Obama’s call for an investigation is transparently bogus,” citing the fact that the CIA has only provided “scant circumstantial evidence” that even the New York Times admitted “does not support firm judgments.” The FBI is also highly skeptical of the CIA’s professed conclusion. Moreover, she reminds folks “that no serious inquiry could possibly be completed by January 20, when Trump will be sworn in.” She avers that the President himself “knows the report will likely never be completed, and so the issue of Russian hacking will hang like a cloud- like the ‘birther’ rumors- over the Trump White House.”

                It is obviously painful for Obama, who made the election of Hillary Clinton into a referendum on his presidency, to experience rejection of this magnitude. This most arrogant and undemocratic of American presidents, a man who- for eight years- imposed his will on the citizens of his nation through executive fiat and overreach, now potentially stands to see many of his dictates dismantled, repealed or neutered.

                Ms. Peek’s article has helped me “square the circle” of the seemingly ironic possible Russian fondness for a Trump administration. Hers is an infinitely more logical explanation of an otherwise enigmatic portrayal of Russia’s alleged actions in this election cycle than one would come across in the mainstream media.

                Perhaps she has solved this latest mystery-wrapped riddle.

Breaking News: Urgent Statement From Saint Nicholas

North Pole

90° True North, Any/All Longitude(s)

December 13, 2016

News Services-

                In a stunning communiqué released earlier this morning, Saint Nicholas announced that, for the first time in many centuries, he will not be bringing toys to boys and girls around the world this Christmas. The message and wording of the announcement seemed distinctly out of character for the Jolly One, leading some experts to believe that he had been drinking heavily prior to composing it. The communiqué started off with the following statement:

                “I, Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Clause, regret to announce that I will not be bringing gifts to all the good little boys and girls this Christmas. The elves and I are so pissed off and depressed about Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidential election, we just can’t find the will to go through with it again.

                Plus, I’m not getting any f**ki%! younger, and now I’m getting tons of flack for deciding which toys should go to boys and which to girls. Parents are telling me there are like 63 bleeping genders now, or some shit. I mean, WTF?! How are the elves and I supposed to deal with that?”

                Santa continued, “Speaking of the elves, they’re demanding better retirement plans and working conditions. They say they’re tired of freezing their little red butts off, and if they don’t get what they want, they’ll move to the South Pole. I mean, like it’s any f**k@&g warmer there! Their brain size must be prorated to their bodies! And- hello!- where are they going to find work? Do they want to clean toilets at a f**k#ng research station? The nerve of the little pukes!

                “And, as if that’s not enough, I’ve been getting pressure from special-interest groups about the names of my reindeer sounding ‘too white.’ Everything up here is white, for f**k’s sake! Then Rudolph comes to me and tells me he now identifies as a gay mule deer. Maybe I should rename the whole damn lot of them. ‘Rudolph’ and ‘Comet’ and ‘Dasher’ and ‘Cupid?’ ‘Dancer’ and ‘Prancer’ and ‘Vixen?’” I mean they all sound a little light in the hooves, if you ask me! Hell, they can all fly, right? Maybe I should’ve named Donner and Blitzen ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Tinker Bell,’ instead.

                “What’s more, Mrs. Clause is taking an online Women’s Studies class, and telling me she doesn’t have time to cook anymore. She’s been making ‘fat jokes’ at my expense and telling me I need to go on a diet, anyway. What a year it’s been! And, just to top it all off, Playboy decides to stop featuring pictures of nude women on its pages! WTF? Who’s dumb-ass business decision was that? Did Heff go gay, too? That was the only reason for the magazine! It’s like non-alcoholic beer or decaffeinated coffee…what’s the bleeping point?!

                “In conclusion: again, I’m sorry, but—hey, you little red piss ant, bring back Santa’s grog or I swear I’ll—oops, sorry, I’ll try to get Cortana to delete that last, although, like everything else around here, ‘she’s’ been on the fritz lately. Anyway, let’s see how you all get on without me for once. Check back with Santa at this same time next year and we’ll see how I feel. Maybe you all won’t take Jolly Old Saint Nick for granted anymore. So ‘Ho, ho, ho,’ Santa’s off to the Turks and Caicos.”

Whither Russia

                  I don’t claim to know if Russia deliberately attempted to interfere in the recent U.S. election. As Winston Churchill famously observed, “I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russia’s national interest.” Of the latter there is no doubt. Yet, it appears that Russia did take- or sanction- actions that could be seen as benefitting Donald Trump. That is what confuses me as regards this issue. I highly doubt that a resurgent United States would be seen as in Russia’s national interest by those in the large halls and dark recesses of the Kremlin. “Making America Great Again” wouldn’t seem to be a priority for a nation trying to reassert itself around the globe, a nation that has- for eight consecutive years- been able to push around a weak and feckless American leader. A (Trump-induced) growing U.S. economy and military isn’t a result for which a logical person would believe the Russians would strive. So, what animus is really afoot here? I am beginning to formulate my own ideas. Let me know via your comments what you believe.

                Here’s what we do know of Russia:

                Russia is, physically, far and away the largest nation on earth. It is also one of the world’s chronic underachievers. At over 6.6 million square miles, it is approximately as large as the United States and Australia combined, and the U.S. is the fourth largest nation on the planet…and Australia is a continent.

                That said, how can we account for the fact that Russia’s economy is only the 12^th largest in the world, while relatively tiny Japan’s is third? Russia has a GDP equating to $1.267 trillion dollars as compared to Japan’s $4.73 trillion. (The United States leads the world at $18.56 trillion). Yet Japan encompasses only around 146 thousand square miles. Another way to look at this is: Japan generates roughly $32.42 million dollars of output annually per square mile, whereas Russia produces just under 192 thousand dollars of output per square mile. By that admittedly obscure measure, Japan is nearly 169 times more productive than the giant Russian bear. What’s more, Russia’s economy is significantly smaller than Italy’s.

                Why is this?

                This sad state of affairs results from…a sad State of affairs. Controlled for ages by Czars and- worse yet- communists, Russia is now essentially run by a dictator and a few of his oligarch comrades. Russia’s government has therefore never allowed its people true freedom- and responsibility. Tragically, this has resulted in citizens too willing to follow their leaders and likely now unable to function effectively if that freedom were somehow granted to them.

                Of course, Russia’s leaders believe that reabsorbing countries formally under their control will be the answer, but that is akin to an obese man believing that everything will be okay if he just swallows a few more pizzas. Obviously, Japan, Italy, Hong Kong, etc., give the lie to that line of “reasoning.”

                The only viable way forward for Russia is the route it is least likely to take: gradual transition to a free and open society with free markets, freedom of speech and ideas, and an economy not driven by nepotism and oligarchs. Even if its citizens aren’t ready for the change, it is better than what they’ve got now.

                We’ve recently seen an “Arab Spring,” Brexit, a Trump victory, and the rise of populism around the Western world. There once was a “Prague Spring,” in 1968, during which the Czechs attempted to throw off Russian rule.  Look it up. The Czech Republic is an independent nation now, and has had the likes of the brilliant and brave Vaclav Havel as its leader.

                If Russia is to have a viable future, there must be a “Moscow Spring” in the near term. There are only two likely alternatives to this: either the country continues to flounder, or it becomes ever more aggressive, rogue and unstable. It may, figuratively and literally, go ballistic and risk causing a global thermonuclear war. One would hope it realizes that the latter option is unthinkable and intolerable, and that the former is not optimal or even feasible in the long term.

                So, whither Russia?

                We must make America great again before we find out.
                                ***************************************************
                We know that a Moscow-based technology initiative, partially funded by the Russian government,  funneled tens of millions of dollars into the Clinton Foundation while Hillary Clinton was "serving" as Secretary of State. This bears all of the hallmarks of a "false-flag" operation. As Warren Zevon said, "How was I to know she was with the Russians too."

Clinton Camp Apparently Called Network To Get Co-Host Pulled

                During a recent episode of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” co-host Mika Brzezinski claimed that, during the latest presidential election campaign, Team Clinton tried to get her removed from the airwaves. Brzezinski said the incident took place after she implied that Clinton didn’t necessarily have the presidential election wrapped up, as many thought.

                “I was concerned the campaign was not understanding that perhaps there was an arrogance. They needed to sort of get off their high horse and understand that this isn’t over,” Brzezinski recalled recently.

                “I’ll just say it: NBC got a call from the [Clinton] campaign. Like I had done something that was journalistically inappropriate or something and needed to be pulled off the air.”

                Brzezinski professed shock at the reaction from the Democratic nominee’s camp. “I mean, think about that. That’s just… shooting the wrong messenger.”

                Reflecting on Donald Trump’s win, Brzezinski added, “And here we are.” 

                Brzezinski was actually empathetic toward Clinton’s campaign, and was, as she worded it, “concerned” that her campaign team, like many experts, might be taking her victory for granted. And people think Trump is thin-skinned? Okay, Trump is thin-skinned, but this is taking thin-skinnedness to an entirely different level.

                Think about this act and its potential ramifications. The American Moses and her staff apparently tried to get someone yanked from her broadcast, even though she was trying to help them by giving them a heads up. Ms. Brzezinski never called them names, publicly disagreed with them or called into question any of her policy positions. She didn’t bring up the email controversy or any past or current Clinton scandal, nor did she touch on Hillary’s health issues. Compare that to the near-constant vitriol hurled Donald Trump’s way from all quarters of the Fourth Estate.

                It’s not enough to not cross these progressives in any way. It’s not enough, in fact, to agree with their policy provisions, treat them nice, and even vote for them (I don’t know if Brzezinski voted for Hillary). At least in the case of Clinton, one must believe everything she and her team says, no matter how trivial the matter, or risk having them subtly attempt to take your reputation and livelihood away. So next time, Mika, just keep your mouth shut, smile prettily, and nod your head.

                The incestuous relationship the Clinton campaign had with the media in the latest American presidential election season was repulsive and unprecedented. Their disdain for the First Amendment is palpable. Their attempts to mold, cow and control anyone in the media who had the temerity to not simply parrot everything their camp wanted people to believe, would have been more fitting had they occurred in the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany.

                And they are scarily antithetical to the continued existence of a free and representative republic.