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Roundup — 54 Comments

1. Whether Trump loses or wins it will only enhance his rep. The vast majority of voters do not want males in female sports. I certainly want ALL federal funds cut off. May not win but voters will know Trump is serious.

2. Ukraine corruption precedes Joe and Hunter’s involvement there. It was the corruption that attracted them.

   BTW, men in female sports is a revolting type of societal corruption. Most of us want it eradicated.

3. Corruption in the Russian Federation before Dear Leader Vladdy?inconceivable. Certainly not, and especially not since he came to save the Motherland from the Decadent West!

   Poor FJB and the Smartest Man, trapped by the corrupt evil Nazi Ukranians, is that how it worked Banned Lizzard?

4. RE: Trump and Zelenskyy, I think it goes back even further than what Rubio discusses. The Burisma, Shokin, and Hunter Biden issue helped draw a shadow over Trump’s entire first turn as his lawful request that Ukraine and Zelenskyy investigate Burisma and the firing of Shokin (and if Biden’s demands were in line with US policy) not only saw his enemies in the US impeach and try to railroad him but also apparently so no meaningful investigation on the Ukrainian end (apparently after Zelenskyy said he would and said he did not see anything inappropriate about what Trump and he discussed). That has gone unsaid by Rubio but I think it definitely has helped poison this.

   That said I do think this is going too far and hope both sides get their heads out of their asses, especially on Trump’s side. Ukrainian corruption is nothing new but it being used to help short-circuit the American Republic at base is, but at the same time failing to draw a hard enough line against Putin will just add more salt to the wound of US Credibility.

5. The oligarchs and the bratva in large part is how Russians see democracy

   Mills is another transhumanist prog who sets back her citizens we have seen how other lefty governors have destroyed their state

6. On #5,

   Today all the liberal catholics I monitor are saying Francis is the best pope ever, and hope his replacement will be even more effective in bringing the Church more left.

   I’m definitely not Catholic, but I married one (Italian Irish). Her family fairly quiet on Francis, certainly not as supportive as with John Paul.

7. Oops, I meant #6

8. My Catholic husband, who does not admire Francis, said today he wishes him an easy passage. I wish for Francis some kind of repentance before he see the Lord face to face.

9. Not a Catholic (me that is). Francis has caused a lot of damage. Lets hope the next Pope really is Catholic

10. Weak sauce, re #5.

    Regarding Maine Gov. and the Trump pushback at the Trans madness, I am sickened to see the Governor spouting recycling the fraudulent science that was exposed and oughta bern dispatched 29-25 years ago, as expert evidenced support for “Trans” people.

    Child and adolescent psychiatrist Miriam Grossman gives us an outline of the horror-tale of David Reimer and his identical twin brother’s early deaths and the complete destruction of a innocent family by Johns Hopkins Med School prof Dr John Money https://youtu.be/l2p1HDnXJ_o?si=hfsLPEEPD83STA2T

    Money’s gender ideology held that humans are born neutral; that only hormones and social conditioning environment creates male and female identity. And this wicked liar and sex abusing, tyrannical research academic held out Brenda as proof! When in fact David Reimer’s experience proved the opposite, that hunan gender and sexual identity is hard wired.

    See John Colapinto’s 2000 book, “As Nature Made Him:The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl.”

    And the PBS one hour documentary made based in it .

    Because the lying fraud Money was also a sex and gender radical, he coined the term “intersexed” to medicalize a very rare birth defect which later Leftist opportunists could then turn into a newly discovered minority, instead of another birth defect among thousands — none of which is similarly valorized or exploited. One of the most common birth defects concern the male urethra that results in the misplacement of the opening (which in fact was the initial presenting condition for the baby David Reimer).

    The whole matter strikes directly at the nurture over nature claims if egalitarian — and now “equalitarian” Utopian socialists who would tyrannize ALL of us.

    Consistent with my cri d’cour, rhe OBS documentary from 20 years ago is now scrubbed from the internet. A tear ir si ago, ut was on Youtube and a video at archive.org.

    Now I can’t even find it listed and explained in Wikipedia.

    .

11. I will now lay off the “Is the Pope Catholic?” jokes. Still not an admirer of the man who seems to be a tool of the global left. If he passes it will be interesting to see what direction they go in replacing him.

12. Regarding the Maine scofflaws, IANAL but title IX violations might be enforceable

    Maine’s Trans Sports Policy Could Cost State $100M In USDA Money, Trump Admin Warns
    Trump’s Department of Agriculture is investigating Maine for Title IX violations.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Saturday announced that it has initiated a “compliance review” of the University of Maine, and the state could be in jeopardy of losing $100 million in federal USDA funding over noncompliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep males out of female sports.

    The [United States Department of Agriculture] has initiated a compliance review of the University of Maine following the state’s disregard for [President Donald Trump’s]’ EO, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,’” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Saturday.
    “Let me be clear: Any institution that chooses to disregard it can count on losing future funding,” she added. 

    https://www.dailywire.com/news/maines-trans-sports-policy-could-cost-state-100m-in-usda-money-trump-admin-warns?topStoryPosition=undefined

13. (5) I’m really angry at the governor and AG of Washington state. They are spending a lot of time and money “Trump-proofing” the state.

    They proclaim that Trump does not represent our “values.” BS!

    Mostly they’re trying to protect illegals from deportation. I hope AG Pam Bondi will send them a letter like she sent to New York and Illinois.

    We have too many drugs, too many drug dealers, too many addicts, and too few police. All thanks to illegals and the drugs they bring in coupled with the “Defund the Police” movement.

    It would please me no end to see the guv and his AG prosecuted for violation of federal law for aiding and abetting illegal aliens to elude ICE.

14. Governor Jay speaks for voters in a geographical minority of his state. He and Governor HairGel like to pretend that the large red areas of their states don’t exist.

15. Who is this Governor Jay?

    King Jay Inslee of WA was replaced by his selected vassal, Bob Furgueson (D of the Sound). How do you like them values? Not. The rot in Olympia is deep and entrenched. Akin to white rot fungus.

16. Correction:

    Bob Ferguson is the soundly elected Governor of WA.

17. (3) President Trump announces that Tim Cook and Apple will invest hundreds of billion of dollars into manufacturing in America to take advantage of tax incentives and to avoid tariffs.

    I find mixed messages from Apple. This from last October:
    _____________________________________

    Apple CEO Cook says company will increase investment in China

    “Apple is keen to seize the opportunities presented by China’s opening up and will continue to increase its investment in the country, thus contributing to the high-quality development of the industrial and supply chains,” Cook was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

    https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/apple-ceo-says-company-increase-investment-china-reports-xinhua-2024-10-24/
    _____________________________________

    I’m not sure if that’s real or happy talk on Cook’s part. Apple had already started to move factories out of China.
    _____________________________________

    In February [2024], Apple’s largest manufacturer Foxconn announced that it would open a new factory in India. Apple has manufactured its products almost exclusively in China since 2001, but over the last few years, it has poured nearly $16 billion into moving its factories elsewhere.

    Apple’s move to diversify its production from China is part of a broader trend of “friend-shoring,” where American businesses move toward friendlier, more stable environments.

    https://rdi.org/articles/american-companies-are-rethinking-china/
    _____________________________________

    Make no mistake. Western companies are leaving China and it’s another challenge to China’s economic future.

18. J.J. wrote We have too many drugs, too many drug dealers, too many addicts, and too few police. All thanks to illegals and the drugs they bring in coupled with the “Defund the Police” movement.

    I take your points, but the American drug users are also responsible. If there was no demand, there would be no supply.

19. No one can be surprised reading the BBC article. The government and its Propaganda Ministry are fully invested to assist Gaza no matter what crimes they commit.

20. By definition, oppressed peoples CANNOT commit crimes.

    (That’s the reason why they can’t be touched—or policed—by anyone considered a colonialist oppressor BUT they CAN slaughter one another with impunity…)

21. I remember Lenovo was going to build a large production plant in Kenosha, WI area back in the first Trump term. I don’t think anything ever came out of it.

    Charlie Kirk had shot himself in the foot when he decided not to get any systematic higher education. A bright brain wasted to ignorance.

22. LL: “Charlie Kirk had shot himself in the foot when he decided not to get any systematic higher education. A bright brain wasted to ignorance.”
    Because he points out Apple’s re-shoring move without mentioning past failed attempts like Lenovo? If that remark was meant as sarcasm, OK. Otherwise…see that “bright brain wasted to ignorance” couple Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Such a damn shame they were college drop outs who had to satisfy themselves with creating the digital revolution.

23. “If there was no demand, there would be no supply.” – Dax

    Unfortunately, addiction is a disease that will always be with us. I have had several surgeries where I was given oxycontin for pain. The drug never affected me in the way that it affects those who became addicts.

    Michael Medved had a surgery where he was given oxycontin for pain. He was honest enough to admit that the drug affected him in such a way that he craved it and could not wait for his next pill. He was also smart enough to realize that he had a biological makeup that could lead to addiction. A lot of people who have the biological tendency to addiction don’t recognize it and/or don’t have the strength of character to resist the cravings for the feelings that the drugs provide. Michael Medved is an exception.

    Drug addicts and alcoholics can be treated and cured. If they elect treatment, it’s more likely to be a lasting change. However, I have heard many reformed addicts say that the best thing that ever happened to them was being arrested and forced into treatment.

    Society can’t reform all addicts and alcoholics, but at the present time, the state of Washington is aiding and abetting addiction by not enforcing drug laws and not forcing addicts into treatment.

    We are, as a society, condemning addicts as morally weak citizens, when they have succumbed to a disease that affects a certain segment of our society. Without a source of supply, there is less addiction.

    There are nations where there is little addiction. China and Singapore come to mind. Why is that? Well, drug dealing carries the death penalty, and addicts are forced into treatment. Heavy handed? Yes, but it works.

24. First:

    There has not been a clean “soundly elected” election in WA state for at least 100 years! The daughters and granddaughters and great grandaughters of great wealth, i.e Nordstrom, Wyerheuser, Boeing, Westin Hotels,etc. These women became enchanged with the communist party in Oregon at least 70 years ago. They are now and have been for the past 50 years the leading edge of the “feminist movement”. They truly believe, train, and fund any female they will be able to manipulate in the future. Never forget that Melinda Gates believes “women will run the world better.”

    Having reminded you of that I have a favor to ask. I have been under the impression that wildland firefighters will not be removed from their various agencies, ie. USFS, National Parks, State Parks, etc. Here in MT the bad girls are screaming that all of our wildland firefighters have been fired from their jobs. If you can find anything that will clarify this for me would you please post the link here. Thank you,

    For your reading pleasure I offer this little side note to the wealth of Seattle’s old families.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Hotels_%26_Resorts

25. J.J.

    However, I have heard many reformed addicts say that the best thing that ever happened to them was being arrested…

    A few days in a solitary jail cell can cure a heroin addiction. Before that I had gone thru a Methadone treatment that made the addiction worse. Never did Oxycontin so have no clue about it.

    Am against Vice Crime laws – especially ones that make act a felony.

    Am definitely against having Government murdering those who break Vice Crime laws…geez!?!

26. flip the script, has legalization really improved the condition of the people, certainly it has induced a lethargic disdain for most proper behavior in states where it has been promoted, take California, Oregon and New York for three examples

    when the culture encourages illicit behavior as it certainly has done since the 60s, well you will get more of it,

    Certainly the Chinese understand how opium was used as a weapon against their people, and they have paid us back in spades with the fentanyl epidemic,

    yes one jokes about ‘reefer madness’ but that narrative held in place for about 30 years, till the Haight Ashberry days

    this is apart from the supply issues that arose from the French Connection and other matters,

27. Re: Addiction

    I come from a family of seven. All but myself were alcoholics or drug addicts or both. Five of us died early.

    It was pretty horrible to watch.

    Yes, they played a part in their self-destruction. But as J.J. noted, the dangers of addiction aren’t so obvious and for some it’s very easy to take the high side of that curve too fast.

28. not having learned any lesson

    https://x.com/JMichaelWaller/status/1893725163310420078

    except how to humiliate the citizens of her state, she’s actually from Buffalo, not the Big Apple

    another example of category error from
    Brennan, by contrast

    https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1893653103691346422

29. huxley, thanks be to God for your not having sunk into addiction like your family. And, perhaps, you may have been a bit luckier in what genes you got. You have been blessed, and if I recall your posts correctly, you are trying to be a help to your niece, in the hope that she also will avoid the family troubles. Carry on, and may God be with you.

    If we knew how to help our neighbors and their children to avoid falling into the pit of addiction, we’d do it, wouldn’t we? Or not?

30. “Am against Vice Crime laws – especially ones that make act a felony.” – Karmi

    You call using hard drugs a vice. I call it an addiction that leads to prison, and/or premature death.

    Would you give a family member a substance that leads to addiction, homelessness, and an early death?
    If so, you fit right in with the progressive politicians that like open borders, lax law enforcement, and an ever-growing cohort of people living inn misery on the streets of their cities.

    Vice = “criminal activities involving prostitution, pornography, or drugs:”

    Would you sell your sister or daughter into prostitution or porn? Do you think those things are harmless fun? If so, I’m not with you. I’m no saint, but I believe we should try to help those who, because they are prone to addiction, have become slaves to their drug/alcohol/sexual addictions. If that means forcing them into treatment, how are they harmed?

    I realize that treatment doesn’t work 100% of the time, just like many diseases can’t be cured 100% of the time. That should not stop us from trying.

31. J.J.

    Some laws are unjust. Vice crime laws fall into that category. Vice crimes are things that people want to do.

    You bring up family…OK, would you have the Government murder your sister or daughter for dealing Oxycontin?

32. Karmi conflates murder with capital punishment by any government, because, Rule of Law and Law of Man?

    His dog don’t hunt.

    Legalize pot and what do you get more addled potheads and criminals selling ever more potent weed and skipping all that tax and regulation stuff. Because the dread Rule of Law and Law of Man.

    Arrested development.

33. Also, legalize pot and you get a large percentage increase in the number of schizophrenia cases. Anyone can look at drug use, prostitution, and alcoholism and see that many people who are NOT the ones directly involved get hurt, sometimes even fatally.

34. quality of life, broken windows thesis, we used to understand this in the 90s, but thanks to Soros. and other parties, like an infusion of lethe, many communities forgot, what are the guard rails of a stable society

35. Yes, most know that the GOP and its supporters support unjust laws – unless those unjust laws effect (?) affect (?) them personally…

    GOP supports BIG Government enforcing those unjust laws…

36. “Some laws are unjust. Vice crime laws fall into that category. ” – Karmi

    You knew when you used drugs or dealt them, it was against the law. Your opinion is that that law is unjust. Because you LIKE to do the drugs. Therefore, your likes and opinions take precedence over the opinions of those who make and enforce our laws. How hard have you worked to change those laws? Were you ever exposed to the fact that if you break the law, there might be consequences?

    If I get my kicks from burning houses and buildings should that be allowed? If sexually assaulting women is where I get my pleasure, should that be allowed? If I get my kicks from stealing merchandise from retail stores, should that be legal? If I want to commit suicide by taking drugs and living on the streets as a homeless addict, should it be legal and encouraged?
    If I’m selling a nutritional supplement that makes people feel good but will actually kill them, should that be legal?

    Unfortunately, society is moving in your direction. I don’t know why but about 60% of Americans think all drug use should be legal. When that actually happens, IMO, the U.S will cease to be a powerful, wealthy nation. The numbers of addicts living on our streets, and the daily number of overdose deaths will become THE problem in our cities. It makes me very sad to see fellow human beings living such wretched lives and dying premature deaths. It’s a tragedy.

    “…..would you have the Government murder your sister or daughter for dealing Oxycontin?”

    It’s a death penalty. It’s not considered “murder.” And yes, if that was the penalty and my sister or daughter did the crime, they would have to pay the penalty. I would be very sad, but what you consider to be harmless fun, I consider to be selling poison.

    So, we will have to agree to disagree.

37. Kate:

    Thank you so much. I do feel blessed. I’m not sure why I did better. The luck of the genetic draw was part of it. I also worked hard not to go down that road.

    My niece is similar. She’s seen enough of that life and wants nothing to do with it. She’s now staying with her aunt and uncle on the Armenian side of the family. They are strong, good people.

38. You say such hurtful things, Karmi. I wish you’d stop.

    Meanwhile,
    Zelensky Pushes Back Against U.S. Mineral Deal and Announces European Summit

    We’ll get our minerals, and the little s**t will like it.

39. Yes, Truth can be often be very painful – and seem hurtful to one’s ego.

    Creating unjust Vice laws has never worked – prohibition taught America nothing.

    Using BIG Government to force fellow citizens to follow your beliefs is…

40. Because of arrested development Karmi can’t recognize the difference between the harms done by alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin, oxycontyn, fentanyl, ….

    Yep, they are all the same; the dread Rule of Law, Rule of Man. Nobody expects it.

    Liberty vs license. Responsibility and consequences. The God of the Copybook Headings.

41. om,

    It is you that is unable to see that ‘alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin, oxycontyn, fentanyl, ….’ are all Vice Crimes when they become unjust laws.

    It is you that helps to empower *BIG* Government to enforce what Vices you want to allow other American Citizens to have and/or choose from.

    That is not Freedom – that is Tyranny…

42. Vices Are Not Crimes: A Vindication of Moral Liberty

    VICES are those acts by which a man harms himself or his property.

    Crimes are those acts by which one man harms the person or property of another.

    Vices are simply the errors which a man makes in his search after his own happiness. Unlike crimes, they imply no malice toward others, and no interference with their persons or property.

    In vices, the very essence of crime—that is, the design to injure the person or property of another—is wanting.

    It is a maxim of the law that there can be no crime without a criminal intent; that is, without the intent to invade the person or property of another. But no one ever practices a vice with any such criminal intent. He practices his vice for his own happiness solely, and not from any malice toward others.

    When one group of Citizens choose to make another group of Citizen’s Vice a crime, then that is unjust Citizens creating an unjust Law.

    ‘An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so.’ – Mahatma Gandhi

43. Karmi:

    Even the morons in Oregon have realized that the “anything goes” approach to legalizing hard drugs (those things to the right of marijuana (alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, … (the om vice scale)) is a bad idea for people and society. But having thrown up a Strawman (no restrictions) of ultimate license you throw out the “I’m being repressed by Big Government Vice Laws.

    Not too clever.

44. ”We’ll get our minerals, and the little s**t will like it.”

    “Our minerals”?

    Somehow I doubt this guy is Ukrainian.

45. Karmi, you incorrectly vices as VICES are those acts by which a man harms himself or his property.

    But it’s far from that. Addictive drugs harm everyone the person comes into contact with. That goes for other vices as well.

    We treat the individual user trapped in their addiction differently than the manufacturer/distributor/seller that profits on other peoples weakness.

    Many of the homeless in our town are drug addicts. For some reason it’s considered more moral/humane to install a Narcan dispenser in the public library than it is to help the person/involuntary incarceration to break the addiction.

    Yes the recidivism is high because it’s very hard to diagnose the internal pain/emotional trauma that makes living in a stupor preferable to living life.

46. The legal maxim actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea means “an act does not make a person guilty unless there is a guilty intent“. It’s a fundamental principle of criminal law.

    Of course the ‘Lack of Morality‘ GOP party prefers to twist Law ‘n Facts to suit their “species of violence.”

    Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea is a Latin phrase that emphasizes that a guilty state of mind, or mens rea, must accompany an action to establish guilt. In other words, the act itself isn’t enough to establish guilt.

    However, the ‘Lack of Morality‘ GOP party would rather ignore even the Declaration of Independence when it suits their “species of violence.”:

    We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

    Brian E

    Addictive drugs harm everyone the person comes into contact with. That goes for other vices as well.

    Right, ignore one’s unalienable Rights to ‘the pursuit of Happiness‘ – ignore that same one’s lack of ‘criminal intent‘ and then twist the Law to suit your evil beliefs. Focus on your beliefs and the imaginary “harm” that maybe causes “harm” to “everyone the person comes into contact with.” Then use the power of *BIG* Government to enforce your evil beliefs. That sounds worse than Lawfare.

    Real *HARM* comes in making such Vices illegal—creating unjust Laws that turn innocent people into criminals, and not allowing them their pursuit of Happiness. Creating underground economies that go untaxed, etc. Create unjust Vice Laws that have historically been proven unenforceable – adding to massive costs for the American Taxpayer, etc.

47. “The Needle and The Damage Done”

    Not rocket surgery, no matter how much or for how long the reality is denied.

48. This discussion illustrates the dangers of libertarianism carried too far. Some limits are necessary. The key is deciding where the line is, and that’s often hard.

49. I see that President Trump has appointed Dan Bongino as the new Deputy Director of the FBI.

    While those on the Left are trying to dismiss Bongino as just a podcaster, he has decades of experience, first, as a NYC policeman and, then, as a Secret Service agent, he’s been around the block a few times, he knows Washington, the players and their games, is well-informed, probably knows where a lot of the bodies are buried, and has a realistic, hard-charging, no-nonsense attitude.

    I expect that many leftist/Obama-Biden/rogue FBI agents are terrified of the combination of Kash Patel as Director and Dan Bongino as Deputy Director .

    I’m expecting great things from the triumvirate of Pam Bondi as head of the Department of Justice, and Kash Patel and Dan Bongino at the FBI.

50. I am not clear about what the status of someone who “retires” or resigns a government position is, with regard to whatever they did as a government employee.

    Doss their resignation/retirement insulate them somewhat from being hauled before Congress to testify, and to be charged with whatever crimes they might have committed as government employees?

    Is seems that way.

51. This discussion illustrates the dangers of libertarianism carried too far. Some limits are necessary. The key is deciding where the line is, and that’s often hard.
    ==
    There’s a reason Mr. Sailer has christened libertarianism ‘applied autism’. (He was doubtlessly thinking of Bryan Caplan).
    ==
    I used to follow a Catholic blogger who had once been employed by a libertarian policy shop. He said he began to walk away from the movement when he realized that the leading lights of libertarianism were all childless.

52. there is a distinction between classical liberalism, which was the default setting not only in the Northern Hemisphere but in sections of the South, the regimes in Mexico and Argentina, to cite two examples, and the Conservative regimes of Santa Ana, and Roca, on the other end,

    they have tried demand reduction regimes in Switzerland and the Netherlands, they had to discontinue them, they were largely influenced by Soros networks,
    including his Johnny Appleseed, Ethan Nadelman,

53. In view of our ongoing general population decline— births dropping below replacement rates— in virtually every country in the West, including the U.S., the Trump Administration needs to come up with a plan to stimulate early family formations, and to encourage many more children to be born by those young families.

    A talk on demographics I referred to here concluded that population decline was caused by the average age of having a child increasing from 24 to 35, and that those 35 year olds are nowhere near as vital as 24 year olds, and tend not to have as many children, or perhaps no children after all.

    Governments all over the world have tried to get their citizens to have more children with no real success, so this is a hard thing to accomplish, and mere monetary incentives apparently won’t do it.

    So, apparently some sort of wide ranging program of all sorts of benefits will have to be created to stimulate such births.

54. P.S. Realistically, our society’s economic system has changed since the 70s in ways which make marrying and starting a family at 24 a lot less doable and attractive than it was 50 plus years ago.

    Mentalities, the general tenor of our times, have also changed as well, with ideas like “toxic masculinity,” “boss girls,” and “living your best life” floating around, and permeating, perhaps even dominating and directing a lot of young people’s thoughts, apparently making marrying young and starting a family a lot less expected and palatable than it once was.

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