“The war for hearts and minds is lost,” Howard Wolfson, a veteran Democratic strategist, said recently on a podcast. “The reality here is that public opinion is shifting very quickly and very dramatically away from Israel.”
And later in the article:
More Americans now say they sympathize with Palestinians than with Israel in the conflict (37% to 36%), for the first time since the question began to be asked in 2001. And half of Republican or Republican-leaning voters under age 50 now say they have negative views of Israel.
Across Europe, Israel now registers record-low approval ratings. Nearly half of British adults say Israel is treating the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews in the Holocaust, and antisemitic attitudes in the U.K. have doubled in the past five years. The ongoing conflict is leading to a surge in antisemitism across the globe, complicating life for millions of Jews and raising an uncomfortable question about the purpose of Zionism: Should protecting Jews in Israel come at the price of exposing Jews elsewhere to new threats?
Can Israel continue as a pariah state with a single ally in the world? Granted, a very strong one. And we all know how fickle the U.S. can be. If Harris or someone like her were to win the next election Israel could be truly alone.
Someone I respect immensely, Daniel Pipes, who has been highly enthusiastic about the prospect of completely destroying Hamas, thinks it’s time to change course.
I opposed Israeli negotiations with Hamas for its hostages, urging instead a single-minded focus on that organization’s destruction.
But now, I acknowledge, the pursuit of instant victory has failed. It has continued too long, wrought too much devastation, and brought crisis upon Israel.
In his article he lays out a strategy for what he calls “delayed victory”.
Great
If the Kirk assassination was done by Antifa and/or other evildoers (as I suspect to be the case), rather than just a few addled game-boys, what is their strategy, and what will be their next steps?
I harken back to 2020-2021: Covid>lockdowns>Floyd riots>election tampering>January 6, etc.
====
Was the “subject” who was initially arrested part of the plot (to divert and delay law enforcement)? I heard that he has been re-arrested.
In the moments after Charlie Kirk was killed, a 71-year-old man yelled to police officers that he was the shooter, but he later explained that he had falsely confessed in order to help the real assassin escape.
I have read about and watched more Charlie Kirk videos than before his death. I vaguely remember seeing some of his stuff years ago before he was so well known, but didn’t keep up with him till now.
It really bothers me about all the false accusations against Charlie Kirk now that I have spent time looking into him. What a great young man.
And these people trying to make the shooter into a Republican or ” Christian”. So many people are likely falling for the lies.
But there are also many people looking for themselves at Charlie’s old content.
Victor Davis Hanson, on the murder of Iryna Zarutska:
In our post-Daniel Penny world, three young black people, sitting just feet away from Zarutska, witnessed Decarlos Brown slit her throat—and did nothing. Perhaps they were afraid, we were told. Perhaps, we were advised, no first aid could have staunched such horrific wounds. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…
Nonetheless, when Zarutska was staring out at eternity in her death throes, bewildered that someone or something had just ended her life, none of the three lifted a finger to help her—or even console her in her final moments. Instead, the killer, blood dripping from his person, calmly walked off the train unmolested. And even then, in his absence, there was no effort of any of the nearby witnesses to tend to the dying Zarutska. Instead, they sidestepped her and left her behind on the train as she lay gasping her last breaths.
I am puzzled by the Minnesota law that prohibits any form of counseling to youngsters with gender problems and only allows transitioning.
It’s as if a motorist took a car to the garage, complained that it wasn’t running well, and the mechanic says ” Well, let’s replace the engine.” In real life, we would check other, less drastic fixes first: spark plugs, alternator, even air filters, etc.
But not in these situations? We treat our vehicles better than we treat other human beings.
Benny Johnson
BREAKING: Utah County DA reads the full text message exchange between Charlie Kirk’s assassin and his transgender boyfriend/roommate after committing the murder:
ROBINSON: “Drop what you’re doing, look under my keyboard.”
ROOMMATE: “You are joking right?”
ROBINSON: “I am still okay, my love. Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest, I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.”
ROOMMATE: “You weren’t the one who did it, right?”
ROBINSON: “I am, I am, I’m sorry.”
ROOMMATE: “I thought they caught the person.”
ROBINSON: “No, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. It’s quiet, almost enough to get out, but there’s one vehicle lingering.”
ROOMMATE: “Why?”
ROBINSON: “Why did I do it? I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again. Hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.”
ROOMMATE: “How long have you been planning this?”
ROBINSON: “A bit over a week, I believe. I can get close to it, but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t want to chance it. I’m wishing I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle. I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back Grandpa’s rifle. IDEK if it had a serial number, but it wouldn’t trace to me. I worry about prints. I had to leave it in a bush where I changed outfits. I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints.”
“How the F will I explain losing it to my old man? Only thing I left was the rifle wrapped in a towel. Remember how he was engraving bullets? The F in messages are mostly a big meme. If I see notice bulge U-W-U on Fox News, I might have a stroke, all right, I’m gonna have to leave it. That really F in sucks. Judging from today, I’d say grandpa’s gun does just fine IDK. I think that was a 2K dollar scope.”
“Delete this exchange. My dad wants photos of the rifle. He says, Grandpa wants to know who has what. The feds released a photo of the rifle and it is very unique. He’s calling me, RN. Not answering. Since Trump got into office, my dad has been pretty diehard MAGA. I’m gonna turn myself in willingly. One of my neighbors here is a deputy for the sheriff. Again, you are all I worry about love. Don’t take any interviews or make any comments. If any police ask you questions, ask for a lawyer and stay silent.”
I have no idea what it feels like to make those moves, much less what it takes to be able to make them with such grace.
Does it feel awkward?
In any event, the dancer is confident that the audience will be spellbound.
Difficult/awkward leads to “spellbound”.
Richard,
I think you’ve written that you are a fairly capable marksman. I imagine it’s similar to that. When you first began training your weapon felt awkward, you weren’t comfortable with how it worked, etc… You practiced and practiced and mastered iterative steps. Shooting this particular gun at a stationary target x feet away. Over and over until that feels innate. Then different guns, different ammo, different targets. Wind speed, wind direction… You’re unsure and, perhaps nervous, or not confident when attempting each new challenge, but the more time you put into it, the more comfortable it gets. Until it’s graceful. Until an observer would watch you and see you as someone completely in control of what you are doing.
So that text message reveals whose gun it was. Grandpa’s. I grieve for the shooter’s family.
Rufus
Sort of a good analogy. But shooting never felt awkward. The weapons are built with at least some ergonomics included. If you’ve handled, say, a rake, lawnmower, sledge hammer, crowbar, baseball bat, various other items, the muscle mem to achieve balance is there.
And the adjustments are, from the observer’s point of view, microscopic.
My point is forcing the entire body to do something it’s not designed to do, which might hurt when you start, and feel so divorced from the activities it’s built for over a bazillion years of evolution against completely different difficulties might feel strange. And awkward. But you’re assured that if you get it right, the audience will gasp and remember forever. But you have to really believe when you start.
Jon baker on September 16, 2025 at 2:22 pm:
“But there are also many people looking for themselves at Charlie’s old content.”
And maybe some of the them are also looking for themselves IN Kirk’s old content.
To be or become the better person he is lauded as being. I wish them well in that endeavor – perhaps a new “greater generation”?
Maybe there are a few suitably qualified in this mode as current members of Congress, or there will be more such members in the future. I think it is clear that the bulk of our problems are derived from the flaws and mistakes and aims of “our” Congress. It is not now the vehicle the founders had envisioned as the first among equal branches. And the body closest to “the people”.
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Bee Forum News: Scientists Discover A New Mental Illness Called Evil
https://notthebee.com/article/bee-forum-news-scientists-discover-a-new-mental-illness-called-evil
Another amazing video disguised as an open forum. This kind of post is one of the reasons I regularly visit your site (as well as the writing).
Another thing that has been on my mind lately, and this one has really been bugging me.
Israel Is Winning the War but Losing the World
https://archive.md/mmikK
And later in the article:
Can Israel continue as a pariah state with a single ally in the world? Granted, a very strong one. And we all know how fickle the U.S. can be. If Harris or someone like her were to win the next election Israel could be truly alone.
Someone I respect immensely, Daniel Pipes, who has been highly enthusiastic about the prospect of completely destroying Hamas, thinks it’s time to change course.
https://www.danielpipes.org/22646/how-israel-became-a-leper-state-and-how-it-can
In his article he lays out a strategy for what he calls “delayed victory”.
Great
If the Kirk assassination was done by Antifa and/or other evildoers (as I suspect to be the case), rather than just a few addled game-boys, what is their strategy, and what will be their next steps?
I harken back to 2020-2021: Covid>lockdowns>Floyd riots>election tampering>January 6, etc.
====
Was the “subject” who was initially arrested part of the plot (to divert and delay law enforcement)? I heard that he has been re-arrested.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/us/politics/false-confession-kirk-shooting-suspect-escape.html
I have read about and watched more Charlie Kirk videos than before his death. I vaguely remember seeing some of his stuff years ago before he was so well known, but didn’t keep up with him till now.
It really bothers me about all the false accusations against Charlie Kirk now that I have spent time looking into him. What a great young man.
And these people trying to make the shooter into a Republican or ” Christian”. So many people are likely falling for the lies.
But there are also many people looking for themselves at Charlie’s old content.
Victor Davis Hanson, on the murder of Iryna Zarutska:
In our post-Daniel Penny world, three young black people, sitting just feet away from Zarutska, witnessed Decarlos Brown slit her throat—and did nothing. Perhaps they were afraid, we were told. Perhaps, we were advised, no first aid could have staunched such horrific wounds. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…
Nonetheless, when Zarutska was staring out at eternity in her death throes, bewildered that someone or something had just ended her life, none of the three lifted a finger to help her—or even console her in her final moments. Instead, the killer, blood dripping from his person, calmly walked off the train unmolested. And even then, in his absence, there was no effort of any of the nearby witnesses to tend to the dying Zarutska. Instead, they sidestepped her and left her behind on the train as she lay gasping her last breaths.
https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/15/was-the-current-madness-birthed-in-the-university/
I am puzzled by the Minnesota law that prohibits any form of counseling to youngsters with gender problems and only allows transitioning.
It’s as if a motorist took a car to the garage, complained that it wasn’t running well, and the mechanic says ” Well, let’s replace the engine.” In real life, we would check other, less drastic fixes first: spark plugs, alternator, even air filters, etc.
But not in these situations? We treat our vehicles better than we treat other human beings.
Benny Johnson
https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1968027527273718104
I have no idea what it feels like to make those moves, much less what it takes to be able to make them with such grace.
Does it feel awkward?
In any event, the dancer is confident that the audience will be spellbound.
Difficult/awkward leads to “spellbound”.
Richard,
I think you’ve written that you are a fairly capable marksman. I imagine it’s similar to that. When you first began training your weapon felt awkward, you weren’t comfortable with how it worked, etc… You practiced and practiced and mastered iterative steps. Shooting this particular gun at a stationary target x feet away. Over and over until that feels innate. Then different guns, different ammo, different targets. Wind speed, wind direction… You’re unsure and, perhaps nervous, or not confident when attempting each new challenge, but the more time you put into it, the more comfortable it gets. Until it’s graceful. Until an observer would watch you and see you as someone completely in control of what you are doing.
So that text message reveals whose gun it was. Grandpa’s. I grieve for the shooter’s family.
Rufus
Sort of a good analogy. But shooting never felt awkward. The weapons are built with at least some ergonomics included. If you’ve handled, say, a rake, lawnmower, sledge hammer, crowbar, baseball bat, various other items, the muscle mem to achieve balance is there.
And the adjustments are, from the observer’s point of view, microscopic.
My point is forcing the entire body to do something it’s not designed to do, which might hurt when you start, and feel so divorced from the activities it’s built for over a bazillion years of evolution against completely different difficulties might feel strange. And awkward. But you’re assured that if you get it right, the audience will gasp and remember forever. But you have to really believe when you start.
Jon baker on September 16, 2025 at 2:22 pm:
“But there are also many people looking for themselves at Charlie’s old content.”
And maybe some of the them are also looking for themselves IN Kirk’s old content.
To be or become the better person he is lauded as being. I wish them well in that endeavor – perhaps a new “greater generation”?
Maybe there are a few suitably qualified in this mode as current members of Congress, or there will be more such members in the future. I think it is clear that the bulk of our problems are derived from the flaws and mistakes and aims of “our” Congress. It is not now the vehicle the founders had envisioned as the first among equal branches. And the body closest to “the people”.