Roundup
There’s really too much news these days to cover fairly, even in a roundup. But here’s some of it:
(1) One less hostage body for Hamas to use as a cynical bargaining chip; one more Israeli dead on 10/7. RIP.
Dolev Yehud was a paramedic and was murdered by Hamas during the October 7 massacre, when he left his house in order to try to save lives. His body was located in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Following an identification process that was carried out by medical officials from the National… pic.twitter.com/91bJTY6bvS
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 3, 2024
(2) Biden, that stalwart democracy defender, is readying an executive order about people entering over the southern border and claiming asylum. If I”m not mistaken, this is the sort of thing he said he couldn’t do without Congress, but that was a ploy to be able to label the GOP members of Congress as not cooperating with limiting the flow of people across the border. The AP covers this with an article headlined: “Biden prepares a tough executive order that would shut down asylum after 2,500 migrants arrive a day.” Biden, so “tough” on those “migrants.” This is obviously announced that way with a keen eye to the 2024 election and anger at Biden’s previous policy on illegal aliens. The order concerns those claiming asylum only, which as far as I know used to be a fairly small percentage of entrants across the southern border but in recent years is claimed by just about everyone who is apprehended coming in that way. The rules for asylum have relaxed, and the courts are so overwhelmed that claimants can be here years before their cases are heard (if they appear at all at that point).
(3) The pandemic was big business not just for the pharmaceutical companies, which one would expect, but also for the NIH:
New data from the National Institutes of Health reveal the agency and its scientists collected $710 million in royalties during the pandemic, from late 2021 through 2023. These are payments made by private companies, like pharmaceuticals, to license medical innovations from government scientists.
Almost all that cash — $690 million — went to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the subagency led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, and 260 of its scientists.
This was double the amount typical of pre-COVID times.
And there’s also this.
(4) The Hunter Biden gun trial is in the jury selection phase. Note that Hunter is being tried for something that has nothing to do with Joe. Note that he is being tried in Delaware, a solidly Democrat state and one in which the Bidens have had enormous influence for many many decades. This is IMHO a show trial, but a show trial of the opposite kind from the ones to which Trump is being subjected. This trial is going forward in order to give the appearance of even-handedness – “see, even the president’s son is not above the law.” But I predict Hunter will get the equivalent of a wrist slap. What’s more, Hunter almost certainly did commit a bona fide crime, and not just one, either.
(5) Eric Clapton put down his copy of The Protocols long enough to opine:
British rock guitar legend Eric Clapton moved one step closer to Roger Waters territory last week, telling an interviewer that “Israel is running the world, Israel is running the show.”
The 79-year-old musician, who has recently performed playing a guitar painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag, was interviewed on May 22 by David Spuria, an American Youtuber who hosts the popular Real Music Observer show.
Talking about the recent campus protests in the US against Israel, Clapton criticized the Senate hearings in which university presidents were asked about antisemitism on campus.
“I was so enthused about what was going on at Columbia [University] and elsewhere. And then what I couldn’t believe, because it freaked me out, were the Senate hearings, which were like the Nuremberg trials, you know?” he said.
Indeed, oh brilliant one. Just like the Nuremberg trials.
(6) Dershowitz has suggestions for the Trump appeal.
Isn’t it interesting how people flip out when a little league baseball team brings in ringers to try to get gain an unfair advantage. But when a political party brings in ringers to tilt elections their way…crickets.
The AP says it’s a “tough executive order,” and expects us to believe that. They live in some other world.
@ (4): Yeah, Democrats have been in the process of giving Republicans a lesson in what the Rule of law is really about.
This case is sorta a Catch-22 for the DEMs, so it will be interesting watching both their prosecutorial & defensive tactics—testing tactics. DEMs have big plans for firearm owners in the not so distant future, so like the recent Coronavirus Pandemic ‘Testing Grounds’, this case brings up another ‘Testing Ground’ for them to Tinker wid…
the AP are like the funny papers, at this point,
https://www.dossier.today/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile&hide_intro_popup=true
#2 5000 a day invad Rd and nothing will change, they are not tossing anyone out
#3 Obviously see why the simple remedies were shut down with extreme prejudice
#4 I don’t expect Hunter to be found guilty for anything. Lawfare works two ways, goes after Conservatives and protects the Leftists.
# 5 I mentioned Eric must be hanging around Rodger, amazing how a country the size of New Jersey runs the world
# 1 reading about the hostages and murdered Israelis, and a few other foreign citizens breaks my heart. But I watched many videos and read stories of them and will continue.
Have you noticed that it would not be possible to have Hunter Biden tried in as hostile a jurisdiction as Trump was tried? That’s because there are no jurisdictions where Trump won 95% of the vote! The Democrats, those lovers of diversity and toleration, live in bubbles where only 1 in 20 might disagree with them, and those few are almost certainly too intimidated to speak out. But the opposite is not true; Republicans live in areas where 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 will openly (and volubly) disagree. So Hunter, if shipped to, say, Oklahoma for his trial, would still find ~25% of more of his peers in the jury would be Democrats.
Eric Clapton
Someone who doesn’t like the Nuremberg trials also likes what has been happening on the Columbia campus. Interesting.
Most people would consider it praise to compare hearings to the Nuremberg trials. But not Eric Clapton. Hearings that freak him out remind him of the Nuremberg trials.
(Which reminds me that the addition to the (then West) German constitution was spearheaded by a far-right party that didn’t like the executions of all those Nazis. Think of that when you get lectured by a German about abolition of the death penalty.)
Oh well, great artists are not necessarily great political thinkers or good people. A family friend talked with William Faulkner at a reception after a Faulkner speech. William Faulkner was a fall-down drunk, he said.
actually the AFD is the more pro Israeli party, the Greens which are the Stasi influence op, gone viral, and the Social Democrats, are decidedly less so,
just like the good news about South Africa, is both the ANC and Malema’s EFP did flop in local elections, however, Zuma’s MK(named after the Armed Wing of the ANC) did advance, and they are for nationalization but not apparently killing the Boers, (didn’t check the footnotes) so perhaps their ICC gambit was not that swift,
I already heard on the news today that the judge has rejected one of Hunter’s witnesses, as well as a piece of evidence that Hunter’s team wanted to present. No word on *why* they were rejected. But the news made sure that I knew about that.
The news media still seems to think that none of Trump’s witnesses were blocked by the judge.
I don’t see how Hunter could have been tried outside of Delaware, where he allegedly committed the gun offense.
Good news if the Delaware judge is trying to do an honest job.
Like Faulkner, Clapton had plenty of experience of being a “fall down drunk”.
https://x.com/sentdefender/status/1797708431907815925?t=J0h8qLqfUXMH_TrQybY_bQ&s=19
ObamaMalleyBidenBlinkenSullivan takes up Iran’s interests, as always. They hate you.
With the passage of time, Dersh has gotten to be quite a political cryptozoology specimen. The more bizarre Democrats become, the more odd his affiliation with them appears.
Yep, as they say “The Fix Is In”, Hunter won’t even get a slap on the wrist. All those that were convicted of a gun crime that was like Hunter’s will be a bit upset. So many were, I imagine, Blacks and Hispanics.
As for Clapton, he has plucked too many strings.
Banned Lizard:
Dershowitz has recently said several times that he does not know who he’ll be voting for in 2024.
I also recall him saying several years ago that he thinks he has more leverage with the left as an identified Democrat. However, I think that recently he realizes they don’t care what he says. They have canceled him.
He also lives in Massachusetts, so even were he to vote for Republicans it wouldn’t matter in terms of outcome. He has never said that, but it’s pretty obvious.
LeClerc:
Clapton was a heroin addict for quite some time, although I think he quit that many years ago.
Just broke contact with a friend of over 50 years. Generally a good person, but since last week it’s been non-stop Trump is a felon. And all his circle of friends were piling on. I couldn’t take it anymore.
And yes, Hunter on trial is to him and his cronies about how fair minded they all are. Enough to make one puke.
I guess we are dividing ourselves into the camps for the upcoming, and in my view, inevitable conflict. If Trump is elected the left will run riot everywhere and we will be forced to respond.
So sad.
physicsguy:
You might try this with your erstwhile friend.
Gandhi was a felon.
Mandela was a felon.
Etc.
I have the advantage of not using Facebook and of avoiding political talk in emails with my Left Coast family. There are some old friends of mine who are probably like yours, physicsguy, but since I don’t see their commentary at the moment I can still be in touch with them for holidays.
I love Clapton’s music. If only they’d all just shut up and sing.
I loved Pink Floyd, saw The Wall live in London
Waters has been dead to me for decades
Many up arrows for Erasmus.
Some of my favorite songs to play on the guitar are Let it Rain, and Badge. I’m just now learning If I Don’t be there by Morning.
Celebrities seem to have an inflated opinion of their critical thinking. They seem to forget that it’s their basic artistic talent which makes them famous….nothing else.
Neo, thanks…might be worth a shot.
Sure why not
https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/06/03/embattled-senator-bob-menendez-ditches-dems-will-run-as-independent/
Most artists are too busy doing things other than consuming information — save for the headlines.
And it shows. Exceptions? David Mamet. And Winston Marshall (ex lead guitarist for Mumford and sons).
Theres a ringer in the hunter jury a family acquaintance
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13488659/hunter-biden-gun-trial-live-case-president-son.html
“Oh well, great artists are not necessarily great political thinkers or good people.” Gringo
Rhetorical question; has there ever been a great artist who was also a great political thinker?
“Celebrities seem to have an inflated opinion of their critical thinking.” physicsguy
Most celebrities have an inflated opinion… of their opinions.
“The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. After all, if an athlete is paid a million or more a year, he knows he is important … so his opinions of foreign affairs and domestic policies must be important, too, even though he proves himself to be ignorant and sub-literate every time he opens his mouth.” Robert A. Heinlein, 1987
https://aapsonline.org/physicians-right-to-free-speech-upheld-in-aaps-v-abim/
Clapton was right about nurenberg he think thats a bad thing
https://x.com/amuse/status/1797791730487484814
Its like that gif from a british sitcom
‘Are we the baddies now
Geoffrey Britain:
Ronald Reagan:
Maybe not a John Wayne, but better than a lot of Hollywood actors who went WOKE later on…
I saw the Clapton claptrap yesterday and I was very disappointed in him. He always seemed in interviews to be an intelligent fellow but then I remember he had a meltdown in the mid 1970s saying some very racist things. He was an alcoholic and womanizer who stole George Harrison’s wife (Patti Boyd) and then cheated on her before dumping her. I am sure he and Roger Waters can team up. As someone whom I once met in a bar who worked in the entertainment/sports industry told me 22 years ago “Admire the talent and leave it at that. You think you know these people but you don’t”. Clapton also seems to be a Putin-fanboy.
Re. #2, in addition to once claiming that he couldn’t reactivate Trump’s border policy without congressional approval, he also accused Trump of being racist over that same policy. Admittedly the Biden border policy will be a very much watered down version so maybe he’s just a bigoted demented old man. Still, it would be nice if his handlers could remember what the big guy has said and done over the years; some of us certainly do. But I suppose his handlers would rather forget most of what he has ever said, and wish we all would too.
The Big Brother approach and the Memory Hole in action.
Neo @5:33, “He also lives in Massachusetts, so …”
I have lived in upstate NY for 50 years and have always thought the same: that my conservative vote would have zero impact on the state’s election results. This time I’m not so sure. I think NY might be in play, not just the presidential election but also Gillibrand’s US Senate re-election contest and a lot of down ballot contests, if the GOP can come up with some viable candidates and enough money to swing the state. But they have not done any of those in the five decades I’ve been paying attention. I just hope they can see the state is ripe for plucking. I personally am becoming an activist this time around and will be donating both time and money and am looking into becoming an election observer.
But I could be wrong.
The right of freedom of speech means saying what you feel, never means you’re smart/ intelligent or worth listening to!
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/06/04/prosecutor-hallie-biden-to-testify-about-embarrassing-use-of-crack-with-hunter-biden/