There’s a new idea that’s being thrown around these days — the science of reading. I cringe at the phrase because it sounds like just another gimmick to fix things in schools, but the research actually seems to be pretty good.

There’s a great podcast series that explains what’s been going on over the last few decades and what research (“science”) has shown to work. It’s called Sold A Story. I highly recommend it.

The problem (as if there’s only one problem) is that most teachers are trained in college to use an approach to teaching reading called the cueing method. Not phonics. Emphatically not phonics.

The idea behind cueing theory is that it’s easier for children to learn to read if they start with whole stories and whole sentences and not try to read individual words. Teachers cover up words in a story and tell students to look at the picture and think of a word that makes sense, to look for clues about what the word is. The theory says that by practicing this approach, children can figure out how to read on their own. Research indicates that this isn’t how good readers learn to read but rather how poor readers try to compensate for not being able to read. It doesn’t work.

The science of reading says that while some kids can learn to read from cueing, the vast majority of students need direct instruction about the sounds letters make and how to sound out words. In other words, phonics. And when kids don’t learn to read in school, families with means hire tutors. (Some kids learn to read at home, of course.)

There’s a screening of a documentary called “The Right to Read” playing this Tuesday, August 8, at 11 am at Nashua High School South. They mention the science of reading in the trailer, and I am hopeful that it will be enlightening. There’s nothing more important than exposing schools’ failure to teach kids to read. Please tell all your friends about the screening. It’d be great to get a good turnout.

Keep in mind that they try new things every few years, and nothing seems to work. Will the science of reading bring new life to how schools teach reading? Maybe.

But there’s a deeper cultural problem, which is that most people have been raised to think it’s the responsibility of the schools, and not their own responsibility, to teach their kids to read. The idea that the government will solve your problems always reminds Ian of this humorous clip. The narrative has to change.

 

 

 

 

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RNC Research doesn’t get a lot right, in my opinion, but even a blind squirrel finds the occasional nut. This nut, it’s actually a bunch of nuts, makes for a great share when confronted with anyone who accuses you of being an election denier. It’s not just a keeper; it is meant to be shared.

Twenty-four minutes of liberals denying elections. Something you might want to play on the TV at Thanksgiving or share with one of your Democrat “friends” on Facebook.

Election deniers. Lots of them. And here’s a non-Twitter copy for the folks who deny Twitter their time, clicks, and attention (also embedded below the tweet).

Here are 24 STRAIGHT MINUTES of Democrats denying election resultspic.twitter.com/gDnNqfruWD

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 2, 2023

 

 

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After reading Skip’s post about xenopronouns, it occurs to me that a lot of people seem to be missing the point of pronouns.

The essential function of a pronoun is to make it possible to talk about someone that you don’t know anything about, e.g., Whoever wrote this didn’t know what he was talking about, or If a friend has been drinking, take his car keys away and send him home in a cab, or Who wants to donate ten percent of his salary to GraniteGrok?

(There are other uses for pronouns, but they are largely for convenience and style. You don’t want to always have to say things like Christopher left Christopher’s wallet in Christopher’s car, so Christopher needs to borrow twenty bucks to pay for Christopher’s drinks.)

It’s kind of like a variable in algebra, which lets you speak and reason about a quantity without knowing what the quantity is.

All of which is to say, if you have to know someone’s personal pronouns, they’re not really pronouns anymore. They’re labels, or titles, or nicknames — attached to the person instead of to the role the person plays in a sentence.

The simplest (and easiest) solution to all of this mishegoss would be, rather than making up new pronouns all the time, to just drop ‘she’ and always use ‘he.’   It was William of Occam who famously said that Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.  That certainly applies here.

Applying Occam’s Razor to pronouns has the advantage of being backward compatible with hundreds of years of written materials — literary, technical, educational, and so on.  All you’d have to do is admit that back when we were less enlightened, we thought we needed two sets of pronouns — ‘he’ and ‘she,’ ‘him’ and ‘her’ — where one set would suffice.

This is also consistent with the long-term trend in English towards making things simpler rather than more complex by streamlining things like verb conjugations, noun declensions, moods, cases, and so on.  When in doubt, throw it out.  If ‘she’ and ‘her’ are causing more problems than they’re solving, let them go the way of ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ and the subjunctive mood.

Anyway, if you think that this will all blow over — or if you just find it difficult to change old habits — then keep using masculine and feminine pronouns the way you were taught, and hope for the best.

But if you think that this is one of those situations where something has to change, and you’d like to exert some control over the direction of that change, one way to do it is to embrace the simpler, sleeker, more natural future that English has been moving towards for centuries.

Just use ‘he,’ ‘him,’ ‘himself,’ and ‘his’ for all singular persons — but whatever you do, don’t call them masculine!  Just call them simplified.  Or say that you’re using Occam’s pronouns.

 

 

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According to this CNN poll, there has been a seismic shift in American support for funding Zelensky, Inc. and the military-industrial complex … oops, sorry, I, of course, meant Vlodymyr George Washington Zelensky’s epic defense of his country against the evil, sinister, really, really, bad Vladimir Adolph Hitler Putin.

Hopefully, Americans are finally realizing that the Regime-media has been gaslighting us about Ukraine just like they gaslighted us about Russia collusion and so many other things.

The GOP candidates for President have a choice. They can talk about real solutions to the border that actually matters to Americans, our border with Mexico … as opposed to the pablum intended to appeal to voters without alienating the donor class… or they can continue to regurgitate the Putin-is-Hitler shtick that voters apparently have had enough of.

 

New CNN poll: Majority of Americans oppose additional US funding to support Ukraine in war with Russia. Think US has already done enough. Big shift from last year. https://t.co/m4IRrtDZSG pic.twitter.com/NPB3Tirchp

— Byron York (@ByronYork) August 4, 2023

 

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Nobody on earth knows how long they will live in this world. We know that life expectancy has been growing for generations but has dipped in the last decade. This dip can be attributed to increased suicides and drug/alcohol-related early deaths. Losing 100,000 people in the 18-43 age group yearly to Fentanyl poisoning does not help the average. When we start seeing our young dying long before their time, we need to know why. A recent situation has arisen that should cause many to step back and reevaluate what we put into our bodies. Young, healthy, athletic men are experiencing heart-related trauma or death at an alarming rate. These young victims are soccer players, basketball or football players. They are athletes in prime condition. These young men should not become statistics when their lives are just hitting strides. These unfortunate deaths and maladies may have been occurring for some time, but have certainly become more frequent and drawing more attention since the end of the Pandemic. I have not heard anyone draw a correlation to any particular cause or find a common denominator linking individual deaths or setbacks. I think the reason may still be the third rail of the Pandemic- the vaccines. The vaccines and the government initiative called Warp Speed were credited with saving lives and bringing a swift conclusion to the Pandemic. The CDC and White House, under Donald Trump and Joe Biden, felt so strongly about the vaccine that they enforced vaccine mandates as criteria for school, work, and travel. Warp Speed may have saved lives, but unfortunately, it also divided the country into the jabbed and the unjabbed. People were discharged from the active military for refusing to get the shot. Professional athletes were benched, foreign travelers were denied access to America, and people had no choice-take the shot or be ostracized by society. The one thing that Warp Speed did not allow was extensive testing of the vaccine and its long-term impact on the young and healthy. We may now be paying the price and feeling the impact of the lack of testing. That impact may be deadly and yet to be uncovered. If we can trust the CDC, some initial concerns were heart issues with young men and possible reproductive issues with young women. Neither of these risks were publicized as the CDC pushed for vaccines and boosters. Even today, long after the end of the Pandemic, the U.S. government denied access to the country for Novak Djokovic. The best tennis player in the world did not play at the Miami Open or U.S. Open after the world No. 1 was denied an exemption that would have allowed him to enter the U.S. despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19. At the same time the government is still enforcing COVID vaccinations, healthy young men are suffering severe or fatal heart attacks. There is no definitive link, but there is too much coincidence not to investigate the possibility. The government does not want to touch the situation, for if the connection were confirmed, the mandate for the shot would be challenged beyond what has already happened. This is happening when confidence in our government is at an all-time low, which makes it all the more essential that we insist on answers. We need the truth, and it is up to us to pressure the government for nothing less. You will not see answers forthcoming voluntarily.

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Economic exchange stands as the defining essence of any economy, epitomizing the intricate web of interconnected transactions that shape its very existence. In essence, an economy derives its essence from the culmination of individual exchanges.

However, the profound impact of the crucial distinction between voluntary choice and coercion often goes unnoticed by many outside the realm of economic study. In this article, we delve deeper into the dynamics of economic exchange, shining a light on the transformative power of voluntary exchanges and the far-reaching repercussions of coercion on societal well-being.

Economic exchange operates along a spectrum, with voluntary choice on one end and coercion on the other. Voluntary exchanges occur when individuals willingly engage in transactions driven by self-interest and the pursuit of personal satisfaction. Both parties involved in these exchanges stand to benefit as they value what they receive more than what they give up. Voluntary exchanges form the foundation of a prosperous market economy, fostering trust, cooperation, and mutually advantageous outcomes.

On the contrary, coercion represents a departure from voluntary choice. Coercive exchanges occur when individuals are compelled to engage in transactions against their will. Coercion can take various forms, such as government taxation, regulations, prohibitions, price controls, or criminal activities. Such coercion disrupts the natural dynamics of market interactions, hindering effective economic activity, stifling innovation, and compromising individual freedom.

Voluntary exchanges serve as the lifeblood of a thriving, unencumbered market economy, propelling it toward prosperity, fostering innovation, and driving societal progress. When individuals engage in voluntary trade, they have the freedom to specialize in areas where they possess a comparative advantage, leading to heightened productivity and enhanced profitability. The beauty of specialization lies in its ability to unlock untapped potential as each participant can focus on what they do best, optimizing their skills and resources.

Within the realm of free markets, competition reigns supreme and acts as a catalyst for innovation and the continuous evolution of products and services. When individuals and businesses engage in voluntary exchanges, they are motivated by self-interest and the pursuit of profit. This drive to outperform competitors and capture market shares stimulates creativity and spurs the development of novel ideas and solutions. The constant push for improvement and the desire to meet consumer demands result in a dynamic market landscape, where innovation thrives and products become increasingly sophisticated and tailored to meet specific needs.

The consequences of such voluntary exchanges extend far beyond individual gains, ultimately benefiting the entire community. As living standards rise, people gain access to a broader range of choices, empowering them to make decisions that align with their preferences and values. The increased availability of goods and services, coupled with a competitive market that encourages fair pricing, ensures that consumers can enjoy higher-quality products at affordable prices. This, in turn, enhances their overall well-being and satisfaction.

The positive impact of voluntary exchanges extends beyond immediate economic gains. It sets in motion a virtuous cycle, where increased economic activity generates wealth, savings, and investment. As individuals and businesses accumulate wealth through successful voluntary exchanges, they have the means to save and reinvest, fueling further economic growth. These investments create new opportunities for innovation, job creation, and entrepreneurship, fostering an environment that nurtures talent and drives progress.

At the core of voluntary exchanges lies the recognition of mutual benefits. Each participant in a voluntary exchange assesses the value of what they give up and what they receive, making a rational judgment that the transaction will ultimately improve their personal well-being. It is through this subjective evaluation that both parties experience an increase in their overall welfare, making voluntary exchanges a positive-sum game. This mutual enrichment reinforces the willingness to engage in further exchanges, establishing a web of interconnected relationships that propel the economy forward.

Successful voluntary exchanges are built on a foundation of trust in the reliability and integrity of trading partners. Trust serves as a lubricant that facilitates cooperation and collaboration.

In contrast, coerced exchanges erode the virtues of voluntary transactions and undermine societal well-being. When individuals are coerced into transactions, their autonomy is compromised and their ability to exercise personal judgment and make choices aligned with their values is hindered. Coercion disrupts the ethical foundations of economic interactions as it replaces consent and voluntary cooperation with the exertion of force or the threat thereof.

Coerced exchanges lead to suboptimal outcomes, stifling productivity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. When individuals are forced to pay taxes and comply with regulations, prohibitions, or price controls, their incentive to engage in productive economic activities diminishes. The burden of coercion weighs heavily on economic actors, stifling their ability to respond to market signals and adapt to changing circumstances. As a result, market effectiveness suffers, leading to resource misallocation and decreased overall prosperity.

Moreover, coercion undermines individual freedom and moral agency. It denies individuals the right to exercise their autonomy and make choices in accordance with their own values and convictions. In a free and open society, individuals should have the liberty to engage in transactions based on voluntary consent, respecting the rights of others while upholding their own rights to property, labor, and the fruits of their labor. Coercion disrupts this balance, creating an environment where one party imposes its will upon another through the exercise of force.

From a moral perspective, voluntary exchanges reflect the principles of consent, respect, and self-determination. Individuals willingly engage in these exchanges, recognizing the rights and autonomy of others while asserting their own. Voluntary exchanges are grounded in mutual agreement, respect for private property, and adherence to the nonaggression principle. They foster social harmony, cooperation, and trust, nurturing peaceful interactions and goodwill among individuals.

In contrast, coerced exchanges breed resentment, animosity, and conflict. When individuals are forced into transactions against their will, the relationship becomes one of dominance and subjugation. Coercion undermines trust, erodes social bonds, and hampers the development of cooperative and mutually beneficial arrangements. It creates an environment where individuals are pitted against each other, leading to societal division and a breakdown of social cohesion. Murray Rothbard said, “Every man must have freedom, must have the scope to form, test, and act upon his own choices, for any sort of development of his own personality to take place. He must, in short, be free in order that he may be fully human.”

Conclusion

A comprehensive understanding of economic exchange illuminates the transformative power of voluntary transactions and the consequences of coercion. Voluntary exchanges, driven by self-interest, freedom, and mutual benefit, unleash the forces of prosperity, innovation, and personal autonomy. They create a society where individuals can freely engage in mutually beneficial transactions, fostering societal well-being and upholding the moral fabric of economic interactions.

Conversely, coercion disrupts the delicate balance of power, compromises individual freedom, and distorts the ethical foundations of economic exchange. By recognizing the moral implications of voluntary and coerced exchanges, we gain profound insights into the virtues of voluntary transactions and the detrimental effects of coercion on market effectiveness and individual freedom.

We reflect on this quote from Murray Rothbard:

The major function of praxeology—of economics—is to bring to the world the knowledge of these indirect, these hidden, consequences of the different forms of human action. The hidden order, harmony, and efficiency of the voluntary free market, the hidden disorder, conflict, and gross inefficiency of coercion and intervention—these are the great truths that economic science, through deductive analysis from self-evident axioms, reveals to us. Praxeology cannot, by itself, pass ethical judgment or make policy decisions. Praxeology, through its Wertfrei laws, informs us that the workings of the voluntary principle and of the free market lead inexorably to freedom, prosperity, harmony, efficiency, and order; while coercion and government intervention lead inexorably to hegemony, conflict, exploitation of man by man, inefficiency, poverty, and chaos. At this point, praxeology retires from the scene; and it is up to the citizen—the ethicist—to choose his political course according to the values that he holds dear.

| Mises Wire

 

Mises Wire articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 4.0 International License.

The post The Simplicity and Significance of Mutual Economic Exchange appeared first on Granite Grok.

Because of the constant pressures and high expectations of modern life, worry and stress frequently become our friends. But accepting this struggle demonstrates inner strength and illumination rather than frailty. We may take charge by establishing devoted habits and useful tools, which will lessen their influence and help us pave a calm path to empowerment.

Understanding the roots of anxiety

Every person’s anxiousness began in a different way. Some people may associate it with prior traumas, while others may experience stress at work. Strangely, external variables like consuming particular items or being exposed to allergies can also make some people feel uneasy. The first step in dealing with anxiety is to understand the causes—both internal and external. Additionally, the use of CBD pollen hash as a natural potential anxiety reliever is growing in acceptance. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system to potentially provide therapeutic advantages. This system may regulate mood and the stress response.

Mindfulness and meditation

The practice of mindfulness is being fully aware of our feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations while remaining in the present. This practice may seem like an oasis in a dry desert to someone who is anxious. Being conscious through meditation can be very beneficial. One might lessen the mind’s constant chatter and achieve a deeper level of serenity and clarity by devoting even a short amount of time each day to these techniques.

Physical activity: A natural elixir

The path to overall well-being lies in the realm of exercise, nurturing both body and mind. Be it a leisurely stroll, a serene yoga session, or a vigorous workout, the release of endorphins becomes our ally. As the “feel-good hormones” surge, they stand ready to combat stress and alleviate the grip of anxiety. Embrace this empowering route to harmony and vitality.

Deepening social connections

Isolation can make stress and anxiety symptoms worse. Since humans are fundamentally sociable creatures, developing long-lasting relationships helps calm nervous spirits. Simple actions, like talking about one’s emotions with a family member or trusted friend or joining a group activity, can bring about a great deal of relief.

Limit stimulants and processed foods

Diet is very important for controlling our moods. High coffee, sugar, or processed food intake might make anxiety symptoms worse. A balanced diet high in fresh produce, nutritious foods, and veggies will help control mood swings and give you continuous energy throughout the day.

Embrace a holistic approach

It’s crucial to adopt a holistic strategy if one wants to effectively empower themselves against anxiety. This entails taking into account one’s physical, emotional, and environmental aspects of existence. Include routines such as aromatherapy, journaling, or even something as basic as getting enough sleep. These techniques might not seem like much on their own, but taken together, they can provide a strong defence against anxiety storms.

Seeking professional help

When worry becomes unbearable, there is no shame in seeking professional assistance, even though the aforementioned strategies can provide significant relief. Individually tailored coping methods can be offered by therapists and counsellors. Sometimes, just talking to someone who has been trained to understand might help to lessen the emotional stress.

Conclusion

Empowerment in the fight against anxiety and stress comes not from avoiding conflict but rather from engaging it and developing mutual understanding. One can not only overcome these difficult feelings but also thrive in their presence by being aware of the triggers, embracing holistic practices, strengthening social bonds, and getting assistance when necessary. Be patient with yourself; keep in mind that the path to empowerment is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

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Does creepy Carolyn Mebert, Ward 3, School Board Chair, love porn? Since she’s been on the school board, over 110 sexually explicit books that were not here before, have been added to school libraries.

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Two of the 110 challenged books are Tricks, about the rape of underage girls “turning tricks” and child trafficking, and Boy Toy, about a married woman teacher who repeatedly raped her 12-yo student. Carolyn Mebert supports both remaining in school libraries.

This woman supports hypersexualization of children, or there would be stricter guidelines for book choices.

When she started on the school board, math test scores for Dover were 75% passing; in 2021, 35%!!

Under her watch last year, 65% graduated failing math (per NHDOE numbers). Reading and Science scores are not much better.

Since serving on the board, she has instituted universal bathroom and locker room use. Any sex can use any bathroom and locker room. Many girls hold their pee all day to avoid their privacy being invaded. See school code JBAB-R IV, 4, 5, 6.

Despite the population of Dover’s rapid increase, the number of children in public schools is declining along with teachers. This speaks volumes on how public schools are perceived by parents.

Even with fewer students, Mebert managed to increase the school budget and override the city tax cap eight times in her nine years on the school board.

During covid, she helped implement some of the strictest masking policies in the state. School lunchtime was limited to 15 minutes. The food was cold and unedible. The district used the schools for covid vaccines for children against the wishes of many citizens. Water fountains were shut off. Bathroom use was limited. Lockers were closed down, and children had to carry 20lb backpacks all day with coats and boots.

Dover was one of the last to stop the draconian measures.

As an associate professor of psychology, her student approval is 1.5 out of 5 (per “rate your professor“). Even the students who aced the class hated her. There are also several creepy studies she’s involved in about parents and children…her ability to teach and her methods are questionable.

She is above the law and does not take authority well; she is accused of drunk driving, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and assaulting a liquor state commissioner!

What does all this say about this entitled person? Her ethics, compassion, and ability to lead with good results? She has gone on record that the “professionals” with degrees know better what’s good for children than parents! She is condescending to her constituents who question the policies of the schools. Is this someone even capable of managing the lives and well-being of children!?

They deserve better.

 

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The bottom line of the recent Trump indictment alleges that he knew or should have known that he lost the election fair and square, and that his actions in challenging the result were therefore corrupt and unlawful.

“By seeking to criminalise political lies, it comes up against protections laid out in the First Amendment.”

RELATED: ALAN DERSHOWITZ: Jack Smith’s Dubious Indictment Isn’t The Slam Dunk Trump Haters Think It Is

The problem with the indictment is that the Supreme Court has repeatedly held under the First Amendment that there’s no such thing as a false opinion. Every American, and especially politicians, have the right to be wrong about their opinions. They also have the right to express their false opinions, at least as long as they honestly believe they are true.

Imagine what the world would look like if every politician who told a fib in order to get elected were to be prosecuted and imprisoned. Our legislative sessions would have to be held in the Allenwood prison rather than in the halls of Congress. Lying has long been endemic in politics. That’s why we honour George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as truth-tellers among the array of politicians who don’t meet that standard.

Indeed, this indictment itself fails to meet the standard of honesty that it requires of Donald Trump. In describing his speech of Jan. 6, this is what it says: “Finally, after exhorting that ‘we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,’ the defendant directed the people in front of him to head to the Capitol, suggested he was going with them, and told them to give members of Congress ‘the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.’”

Yet the indictment omits two key words from that speech — “peacefully” and “patriotically” — which suggest that the speech itself was protected advocacy under the First Amendment rather than unlawful incitement. A lie by omission is as serious as a lie by commission, especially in the context of a legal document such as an indictment.

Accordingly, for the U.S. government to win its case, it will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Donald Trump actually believed at and around Jan. 6 that he had lost the election.

The indictment alleges that many of his associates told him he had lost, but I am aware of no smoking gun testimony that Trump actually admitted that he believed them. On the contrary, many people can testify that Trump told them the election had been stolen and that they believe he believed that.

As Thomas Jefferson wrote more than 200 years ago: “We have nothing to fear from the demoralising reasoning of some, if others are left free to demonstrate their error …” The constitutionally appropriate response to false political opinions is the open marketplace of ideas, not the closed prison cells of censorship.

If this trial is held in the District of Columbia — one of the most anti-Trump areas of the nation — a skewed jury may well disregard the First Amendment and convict. But the appellate courts, especially the Supreme Court, could prioritise the First Amendment and reverse any conviction that violates the Constitution.

The indictment endangers not only free speech but also the right to counsel. It describes several people who are believed to be Trump’s lawyers as unindicted co-conspirators.

This makes it difficult for Trump to claim that he relied on their legal advice in challenging the election. It also sends a dangerous message to creative lawyers whose advice may be second-guessed by a prosecutor after the fact.

As one of Trump’s lawyers in his first Senate impeachment trial, I am particularly concerned about the impact this indictment could have on the willingness of lawyers to represent him or other controversial politicians.

All in all, this indictment does not seem to serve the interests of non-partisan justice. It appears to be yet another manifestation of the weaponisation of the criminal justice system for partisan advantage.

When an attorney general authorises the prosecution of his president’s main political opponent in an upcoming election, the case must be so strong that it leaves no doubt as to its non-partisan credibility. It should meet what I call the “Nixon standard”.

The case against Richard Nixon was so strong that members of his own party and independents supported his impeachment and possible prosecution. That standard does not seem to have been met in this case.

 

| Daily Caller News Service

 

Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of The Price of Principle: Why Integrity Is Worth The Consequences. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of “The Dershow” podcast. This piece is republished from the Alan Dershowitz Newsletter.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

The post The Trump Indictment Fails The Nixon Test appeared first on Granite Grok.

Did you hear about that time when the press reported Atlantic Ocean temperatures over one-hundred degrees? It was this week. The South Florida,hot tub analogy is accurate (sort of), but not the way the media sold it. The ocean bouy was in salt water, but inland, inside the barrier reef, in shallow water, at low tide.

Anthony Watts reports that MNBF1 is actually near the shore in something called Manatee Bay, which is part of Everglades National Park.

 

One of the most important things that the media missed is the fact that due to the shallow water and placement near land, this buoy is sensitive to tides and wide temperature fluctuations due to the shallow nature of the water. With very shallow water, it is very easy for the sun to heat the sand/mud beneath the buoy, which is dark (which will absorb more sunlight), which will then increase the temperature reading recorded in the water.

Indeed, the high temperature reading correlates closely to low tide. Temperature peaked at 2200 HR GMT – which was after low tide at 1:35PM – water had a chance to warm because sunlight was hitting the bottom.

 

 

Wait, it gets better.

 

The media completely missed the fact that this sort of temperature at that buoy has happened before and this was not the highest temperature ever seen there. The record for the Manatee Bay site is 102 degrees. It was set on Aug. 15, 2017. The data from that buoy only goes back to 2004. With such a short period of data, it cannot possibly be representative of any climate trend, which requires at least 30 years or more of data.

 

In other words, if we disregard the absence of sufficient data to determine a trend, the reported 101 degrees represents a cooling trend form 102 back in 2017.

Ha!

 

The post About That 100+ Degree “Ocean” Water in Florida … appeared first on Granite Grok.

Nikki Haley is tired of talking about how the Biden-regime is on the verge of imprisoning its major political rival. She apparently cannot connect the dots and see the big picture, which is that people who would imprison their political opponents are NOT going to allow a free and fair election in 2024. Nikki wants to talk about the security threat posed by China. So let’s indulge Nikki.

American businesses invest trillions in the Chinese economy. China uses the wealth generated by American investment to grow its military. Donor-class driven GOP politicians like Nikki then tell us we need to spend more on America’s military to keep pace with China. So everybody … Blackrock, Chase, the military-industrial complex, etc. wins!!! … EXCEPT the American working man and working woman who are stuck with paying the bill for keeping pace with China.

And donor-class driven politicians like Nikki have NO intention of ending this grift. Just the opposite … they want to grow it.

The post So You Want To Talk About China, Nikki? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Florida may have banned its public schools from teaching the AP Psychology course.

That is, it may or may not be true that the course contains material that is prohibited by a recent law from inclusion in public school curricula.  But this rather misses the point, I think.  Or rather, a couple of important points.

The first point is that for any AP course, there are textbooks and study guides and online forums and lots of other materials to help students prepare for the exam.

A kid who can read well enough to be planning to go to college should be able to read these materials on his own — which is the kind of thing he’ll be doing in college, if he ends up going there.

The courses are already available to anyone who wants them.  And the tests are available to anyone who wants to take them.

(You don’t have to take an AP course in a school to take an AP exam, just as you don’t have to take driver education in a school to take a driver’s test.)

The only thing the school provides is someone to read the materials to the students.  That is, the only way to ‘ban AP courses’ in anything is to ban the teaching of reading.

(Which, if you think about it, might be what’s actually going on in schools all over the country.  Given the data, and the history of literacy in this country before public schools, which is easier to believe?  That schools are failing to teach children to read, or that they are succeeding at preventing children from learning to read?  It’s just those parents arrogant enough to think they can teach their own children to read who are screwing things up. )

Also, having a teacher read your textbook for you is one of the worst possible ways to ‘prepare’ for college.

(It’s like having someone else take batting practice to help you ‘prepare’ for a career as a baseball player.)

The second point is that since public schools are paid for by taxes, they should not be teaching any material that divides communities — in effect, letting one part of a community use ‘democracy’ as a pretext for taking money from the rest of the community to be used in a way that the latter finds abhorrent.  There are so many things that kids should be learning, that aren’t objectionable to anyone, that to fight over the divisive courses seems… well, divisive,

https://granitegrok.com/blog/2021/10/agreeing-on-divisive-concepts

and distracting from the ostensible mission of schools,

https://granitegrok.com/blog/2022/12/using-outrage-to-protect-incompetence

In short, there are two kinds of AP students:  Those who can work through the course materials on their own; and those who should be working to correct whatever weaknesses keep them out of the first group.

 

The post Banning AP Courses? As If. appeared first on Granite Grok.

The headline you haven’t seen: “Tonga Eruption Blasted Unprecedented Amount of Water Into Stratosphere.” That’s from NASA. The text accompanying some impressive time-lapse imagery notes, “The sheer amount of water vapor could be enough to temporarily affect Earth’s global average temperature.”

Water vapor is the single biggest driver of …climate change. No, it is not CO2, its negligible 0.04% of the atmosphere or your minuscule 3% of that 0.04%.

 

Volcanic eruptions rarely inject much water into the stratosphere. In the 18 years that NASA has been taking measurements, only two other eruptions – the 2008 Kasatochi event in Alaska and the 2015 Calbuco eruption in Chile – sent appreciable amounts of water vapor to such high altitudes. But those were mere blips compared to the Tonga event, and the water vapor from both previous eruptions dissipated quickly. The excess water vapor injected by the Tonga volcano, on the other hand, could remain in the stratosphere for several years.

This extra water vapor could influence atmospheric chemistry, boosting certain chemical reactions that could temporarily worsen depletion of the ozone layer. It could also influence surface temperatures. Massive volcanic eruptions like Krakatoa and Mount Pinatubo typically cool Earth’s surface by ejecting gases, dust, and ash that reflect sunlight back into space. In contrast, the Tonga volcano didn’t inject large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere, and the huge amounts of water vapor from the eruption may have a small, temporary warming effect, since water vapor traps heat. The effect would dissipate when the extra water vapor cycles out of the stratosphere and would not be enough to noticeably exacerbate climate change effects.

 

A year later, the press has its dander up about heat waves, record heat, and how you’re lazy Western lifestyle is to blame—wrong answer. Your meaningless emissions are, well, meaningless. Yes, humans can pollute the biosphere. We need only look to mining for rare earth metals in Africa or to China, the world’s largest polluter, and emitter, which is also the leading producer of wind turbines and solar panels.

The irony is lost on many, like the massive water vapor injection into the upper atmosphere.

Thomas Lifson, writing at The American Thinker, adds,

 

From the European Space Agency:

In a recent paper published in Nature, a team of scientists showed the unprecedented increase in the global stratospheric water mass by 13% (relative to climatological levels) and a five-fold increase of stratospheric aerosol load — the highest in the last three decades.

Using a combination of satellite data, including data from ESA’s Aeolus satellite, and ground-based observations, the team found that due to the extreme altitude, the volcanic plume circumnavigated the Earth in just one week and dispersed nearly pole-to-pole in three months. [emphasis added]

and …

 

So there you have it: we are in for extra atmospheric heat “for several years” until the extra water vapor injected by this largest-ever-recorded underwater volcano eruption dissipates.

Jeff Childers, who brought these scientific data to my notice, writes:

Here’s why corporate media is ignoring the most dramatic climate even[t] in modern history: because you can’t legislate underwater volcanoes. You can try, but they won’t listen. So what’s the fun in that? Corporate media only exists to further political ends. Since volcanoes aren’t subject to politics, why bother?

Even when NASA scientists explain the science of water vapor – especially of this magnitude – and how it will increase the global temperature, “the Tonga eruption sent around 146 teragrams (1 teragram equals a trillion grams) of water vapor into Earth’s stratosphere – equal to 10% of the water already present in that atmospheric layer“), it is not the science they are looking for.

None of their experts are even suggesting it because the approved narrative is that you are heating the water and that heat is heating you, neither of which is true.

But that’s their science, and the truth makes you the denier.

 

American Thinker | NASA

 

The post NASA: Water Vapor from Massive 2022 Underwater Eruption Could Warm Earth’s Surface for Years appeared first on Granite Grok.

When learning to play guitar, any ordinary acoustic guitar can be used, but the instrument will start to sound and feel very inadequate with time. It’s a sign that the guitarist’s skills have surpassed the capabilities of his/her guitar. Now, if you have already started with a high-end, top-of-the-line instrument, then you may never really feel that way but very few of us learn their initial guitar lessons on a Collings or a Bourgeois. On that note, here are some of the most premium brands in the world that are each famous for crafting the best guitars anyone can possibly buy.

Collings

This Texan company was established more than 50-years ago by Bill Collings in Austin. Decades after earning an excellent local reputation during their initial years, Collings is now one of the best and most premium brands in acoustic and electric guitars today. Most of their high-end guitars are made from a combination of Adirondack and Sitka spruce wood, but a few models also utilize Indian rosewood and mahogany at times to improve the guitar’s sound quality, clarity, and volume.

As far as looks are concerned, all Collings guitars look every bit as classic, beautiful, and capable as they are in their ability to produce rich music. Expect meticulously finished shades of baked wood, walnut, flame, and sunburst on your Collings acoustic guitars. As the guitars come in a more versatile range of shapes and sizes than you would find at most brands, go through the details of each guitar first before making your decision.

Bourgeois

As far as premium acoustic guitars are concerned, they do not get more premium than a Bourgeois. Despite what the brand’s name may suggest, note that there is nothing middle-class or ordinary about any original Bourgeois guitar. Bourgeois guitars are crafted from a wide range of premium woods in the best combination for each type and model. They use different combinations of Sitka, Adirondack, Madagascar rosewood, Brazilian rosewood and Indian rosewood to handcraft some of the best sounding guitars in the world.

Bourgeois also loves to keep its design simple and classic like Collings, so you will find an abundance of sunburst and aged wood finishings of the highest quality in most of their collections. However, Bourgeois guitars in their aged wood tones do offer more variety in their finishings than Collings. You can shop Bourgeois acoustic guitars online here, look through your options, and pick your own favorite.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz acoustic guitars are among the best acoustic instruments you will find anywhere. However, if you wish to purchase the best of what they have to offer, be ready to bring the big bucks. For example, the Santa Cruz 1934 D Custom costs close to $38,000, while the OM Custom will set you back by roughly $27,000 at least. Nevertheless, if you can afford them, they are among the best acoustic guitars in the world available today.

Even if you are not willing to go that high, rest assured that there are plenty of comparatively more affordable options on offer as well. Santa Cruz acoustic guitars are largely made from Brazilian rosewood, African blackwood, redwood, Adirondack and Sitka wood combinations. Santa Cruz offers more variety in their guitars and there might be custom options to explore as well.

The post Which Brands Sell the Most Premium Acoustic Guitars? appeared first on Granite Grok.

To all those who are sending in memes, thank you!  Keep them coming please, as it helps me gather weaponry to fight the Left.  Please do share this post, and if you share an individual meme, consider mentioning you saw it on the Grok!

Speaking of, from this week, Monday Memes and Meme Overflow.

 

*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

It’s just a coincidence

 

 

Indeed, what are the chances of this taking off juuuuuust as there’s a growing war on red meat?  And lookie here:

 

 

But would this be the other-other red meat?

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a movie I really liked, The Ninth Gate, which I’ve watched any number of times.  It had subtlety and many plot twists (plus the blonde was, I thought, somehow exceedingly hot).  Then I found out he direct it… co-wrote it too.  Never watched it again.

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA

 

This is South Africa, where not only are whole stadiums encouraged to “Kill the [white] farmers”.

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/kill-the-boer-kill-the-farmer.mp4

 

And then it happens:

 

 

All over Europe and in America, people openly talk about attacking white people.  And do it.

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/blacks-saying-get-the-whites.mp4

 

I don’t want a civil war.  I don’t want a race war.  But we have a large segment of specific demographics being programmed to believe that all their problems can end if they just get rid of white people.  And others outright dismiss that programming.

 

 

Be careful out there.  Especially if / when SHTF.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

Since when did Blackrock start hiring Ferengi?

Rules of Acquisition | Memory Alpha | Fandom

Rule 34: War is good for business.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

PJTV: Five Alarm Fire

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

WHY Centralization is a DISASTER and threatens us all – Nick Hudson explains!

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, no, no Dem-enemedia collusion here.  Nothing to see, move along.

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Pick of the Post:

 

 

She better put out a statement, stat, that she’s neither depressed or suicidal.  And check her brakes regularly.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Library Director FIRED over graphic books in Wyoming library (massresistance.org)

Great news!

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Palate Cleansers:

 

—

—

 

 

The post Friday Meme Overflow-Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.

Thousands of businesses move premises to a new building each year, and these transitions can either be a stressful experience or a smooth sailing one. The difference is in the planning and plan you must. This guide has some great advice for any business owner on the cusp of a big move.

Keep Communication Open

A business needs to support employees and clients during the transition. To do this, communication has to be at the forefront of every plan and change. For example, if services are going to be hindered for a day, let people know so they don’t get the wrong message and take their clientship elsewhere. A simple newsflash on social media backed up by a temporary change to your homepage will do wonders, but don’t be afraid to also include a mass email as well. When it comes to employees, use every channel you have to facilitate access to information like WhatsApp or Slack and email plus in-person meetings where the agenda is laid out clearly.

Set Up an Information Portal for Employees

Employees are human beings at the end of the day, and they may need reliable updates and a point of information that they can refer back to for common questions. Create this, and so many other things will fall into place. There are lots of ways this can be done, and the key is to find the one that fits in with your management style and employee demographic.

Be Available

Despite the fact that you will be organizing a hundred and one things, being present is non-negotiable. Make yourself available for employees and clients at set points in the transition period and ensure that people know exactly where you will be.

Hire Professional Movers

It is difficult to move premises completely without the help of professional movers, especially when you have important stock or equipment to move. The benefits are things like saving time, preserving energy, helping organization, and keeping things on track. It will also just generally make life easier when it comes to setting up the new office or shop on the other side.

Sort Out IT Services as a Top Priority

You cannot afford to go more than a day without IT services because staying connected and active is pivotal to functional operations. Sometimes, your movers can help with this, but other times you need to outsource the task to another service. There are temporary methods to stay connected while the servers are re-established, so cover all the bases just in case.

Check Your Energy Provider

Another major task will be to ensure all of your utilities are up and running. This is the perfect opportunity to find a better electricity provider for small businesses in your area in a bid to save costs and ensure you are on the most efficient tariff too. Take advantage of the moment and create a space that works for your budget.

When you move your business from one premises to another, there will always be a long to-do list. The best ways to tackle this may not be intuitive, but it can be done with some forethought and discipline.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Moving Business Premises appeared first on Granite Grok.

There are several critical points we try to make about the Left’s “victim groups” and the pursuit of progressive one-party rule. First, your special rights designation is temporary. If they  determine you will not do their bidding – expect to be “othered.” And your special status has a shelf life. Once the Left has what it wants, you are garbage to them.

If you were given extra-judicial deference to instill fear, intimidation, or actual mob action, you might be first in line to be detained or disappear. Your benevolent rulers will brook no dissidents in their regime, and any natural proclivity to mischief or violence (see also “peaceful” protesting”) will result in your othering, incarceration, or death. There can be no resistance. You will get in line or be removed from the line.

That’s number one.

The second point informs the first—the destruction of those victim-class rights. We have real-time examples of how progressive one-party rule evolves. Trump supporters, MAGA Republicans, those deplorables are one example that crosses party lines. Indefinite detention. Two-tiered justice for political opponents. Pay attention because that’s how they will treat you, and it is there before your eyes.

White women, and women in general. The transgender movement has supplanted women’s rights on the Left to such a degree that the only thing they can still call their own is abortion because it continues to launder money into their campaigns. Writ large, the Left is replacing you and your special status – with men.

Paula Scanlan testified before a House Committee in DC about how the ‘girls’ on the U Penn Swim team were treated when William ‘Lia’ Thomas joined the locker room. How Thomas, an underachieving male swimmer, preceded to break women’s collegiate swim records and then break #MeToo taboos.

 

Thomas broke records during the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships in Atlanta, GA. At that time, and as Scanlan attested, many women athletes had issues with Thomas’ participation, but few spoke out. Those who did were targeted as “transphobic,” and video of women athletes who expressed the view that Thomas’ participation was unfair was censored and suppressed on Twitter.

“What you do not know,” Scanlan said, “is the experiences of the women on the University of Pennsylvania swim team. My teammates and I were forced to undress in the presence of Lia, a 6′ 4″ tall biological male, fully intact with male genitalia 18 times per week.”

 

We’ve reported that Thomas is fully intact and has admitted to being attracted to biological women. Scanlan informs us that he was not only given access to fit women to whom he is sexually attracted, but the girls had to undress in his presence, and if the girls complained, they were targeted.

Let me translate. You will shut up and embrace the dogma or become the enemy.

 

“When we tried to voice our concerns to the athletic department, we were told that Lia’s swimming and being in our locker room was a non-negotiable and we were offered psychological services to attempt to re-educate us to become comfortable with the idea of undressing in front of a male.”

“To sum up the university’s response,” Scanlan told the House Committee on the Judiciary. “We the women were the problem, not the victims. We were expected to conform, to move over and shut up. Our feelings didn’t matter. The university was gaslighting and fear-mongering women to validate the feelings and identity of a male.”

 

College campuses were subjugated by the progressive jihad years ago. Corporate America, a bit more recently, but can you imagine something similar? A woman is told that a man got her job (because he dresses like a woman), and she’d best conform or shut up. Oh, and here’s some mandatory sensitivity training to help you get over it.

How about women in Hollywood losing parts to men who identify as women if they don’t undress in front of men? Refusing to do that just to get a part was deemed criminal and spawned the #MeToo movement, which has nothing to say about in-tact men and boys attracted to women allowed to watch girls and women change and shower.

What’s next, allowing Toobining without the Zoom Call?

A progressive patriarchy is pushing women out. This is the same so-called Party of Women that coined the phrase “war on women” to smear Republicans. They are applauding it.

White women will be followed by light-skinned Latina women, black women, and all women. The progressives will pander to you but only on their terms. If you dare step off their reservation, you will be othered. Your life will have no meaning, which is precisely what you should have expected from a political movement founded on the idea that there can be nothing outside The State.

Everyone else is equally expendable. Those rights you think you earned aren’t even skin deep. Age, race, occupation, and even gender are Potemkin’s promises. Look at what they are doing to children.

You are nothing more than a tool. A vote-slave whose function is to keep Democrats in power long enough to fully rig the system. When they’ve accomplished that, you will experience the true meaning of equity and inclusion. If you are not at the table, you are under it, and there are never enough places for you. Anyone in power who tells you differently is telling another lie.

If you are applauding the idea of silencing speech you disagree with or happily calling it hate to keep from having to answer hard questions, guess what? You are next.

The third critical thing is resistance. We’re not there yet. We are close – as close as we’ve ever been. The Capitol is captured. Education, corporate America, media, churches; the list of lost institutions is staggering. Energy, finance, public health. The DoJ, FBI, IRS, and soon the US military. But it’s not over. There are still, potentially, tens of millions more of us than them, with the voting and buying power to move this mountain.

There are still a majority of states that have not been compromised. Take them, keep them, nurture them. It is through the states alone that we will restore liberty. If not, whatever rights you think you have will soon be gone or, at best, will not survive you into future generations.

 

Here is Paula’s testimony before Congress.

 

Swimmer @PaulaYScanlan breaks her silence at a “gender-affirming care” hearing: “My teammates and I were forced to undress in the presence of [Lia Thomas] … a biological male.” pic.twitter.com/wkM0FIjC0o

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 27, 2023

 

The post Embrace the Left’s Worldview or You Are Worse Than the Enemy appeared first on Granite Grok.

The United States military recruiting is reaching its lowest point in nearly 50 years. The branches are offering enlistment bonuses. They are offering the choice of first duty station. Nevertheless, all three branches of the military are expected to miss their annual recruitment goals.

They will miss their goals by a lot this year. That information comes from recent testimony by the service chiefs at the House Armed Services Committee.

Why do you think this is happening? We know recruiting numbers are not improving despite significant efforts by the military services. The military is a young man’s game. It is something most do not do post 40s. The result of inability to recruit means we face undermanned Navy ships and cutting the number of Army Brigade Combat Teams.

The regime claims they are facing a number of factors. They claim there is a strong U.S. economy. The regime says it cannot compete with the civilian job market. Then there’s the claim of large numbers of legally ineligible recruits. And finally, there’s a claim of a lack of knowledge and patriotism among youth. How would that come about? Bottom line: None of these excuses mitigates failure and declining numbers.

The low recruitment issue does require a multi-faceted approach to fix. Do you see the efforts of our current regime or our current military leadership headed in the right direction? Do you see them moving in a direction that will achieve success? Look at their ads. Would you change anything? Look at their leadership. Would you change anything?

Inability to defend the nation is an issue in need of attention. Action is needed from the government and military leaders, but also parents, teachers, and community role models. The rubber meets the road where we engage with young people. We are not currently explaining the importance of military service. If parents, educators and community leaders do not lead on this issue the results will not change.

We must know the target audience. Military communications must be reshaped to appeal to them. The public must be educated on the benefits of military service. We need to emphasize educational opportunities, ability to acquire leadership skills and self-discipline. Our young people must understand military service is a responsibility implicit in citizenship.

There can be no excuses or delays. Our leaders must take action. Leadership starts at the top and this will require team building. Military service is essential to the survival of the nation. The tyrants and bullies of the world are not going to suddenly disappear. America must be strong enough to deter them. Peace is acquired through strength not appeasement and submission.

There are real benefits to supporting your country. It is not an easy job. It may not be easy to convince a sufficient number of young people to devote time and effort to service. But it is a necessary task. It’s time for the United States to confront its military recruiting crisis. Uncle Sam wants you…

 

The post The Peace You Save May Be Your Own appeared first on Granite Grok.

From 2007-2015 Simon Marcus was a British Conservative Party Candidate, “sometime advisor and up-and-comer.” He’s taken that experience and written a piece you should read titled “How Politics Destroys Your Soul.” He’s talking about Parliament, but it rings true in any political environment.

From Washington, DC, to your state legislature, town, and city councils. The formula is the same. You select people who appear principled; over time, some less than others, they all join the equivalent of the swamp. It almost seems inevitable. Inexorable. As if the maxim is true about the people drawn to politics.

What I referred to the other day as,

 

“…too often those who should be kept from it. They are flawed, human. Not special. Not deserving of elevation beyond the office, they may very well come to abuse. For a time, they may serve as defenders of liberty, but if left unchecked, many abandon the isolation of defending individualism for the kindred comfort of ruling-class despotism.”

 

What I generalized Marcus has outlined—the people, the pressure, the journey; from principled freshman to corrupt career politician. And no, it’s not a voyage with which we are unfamiliar. You can likely name a few off the top of your head—people you supported who turned to the dark side. But having an insider articulate it puts helps us better understand not just the process but the danger the government (big government, in particular) presents to individual rights and liberty.

 

MPs, ministers, civil servants, special advisers, think tanks, quangos, NGOs, industry groups, unions, MSM, charities, lobbyists, consultancies and more are all the ‘crooked timber’ of humanity.

They need to be accepted. To belong. They are greedy. Angry. Ambitious. Fearful. Vain. Vulnerable. Most of them are utterly enslaved by ego. They want what they don’t have. They don’t want what they do have. They are easily manipulated. …

These levers are part of our cultural machinery. Thousands of organisations orbit around political parties and institutions like different fan clubs for a football team. Youth groups, business advocacy groups, industry groups, single-issue pressure groups and interest groups such as Conservative Friends of China. In this universe you form new networks, incentives, views and habits. You learn how to climb the ladder. It is an entirely transactional world. It encourages both conformity and self-interest.

Corporations are not all that different. It’s all about leverage to get the desired response, and if you have a spouse and family, all the better—flanking opportunities. Honey traps. Whatever it takes to compromise you, and that compromise is rewarded.

 

The higher you go, the better it gets. You are wined and dined. Introduced to famous people. Private lunches with billionaire donors. Luxury overseas trips. They talk about your future, your ability and talent. You practise your speeches in front of the mirror. You get an appointment with the Prime Minister. The head of the Civil Service calls you up. You are living the dream. You already have quite an address book too.

Your new social ecosystem has huge emotional power over you. It gives you a new identity. You come to depend on it and self-regulate to stay part of it. That means we nudge our beliefs a tiny bit every day. It becomes a habit. It’s the banal way in which humans function.

Then you meet the serious guys who hide behind the scenes. ‘Do you have any skeletons in your closet? We need to know in case the lefties do a hatchet job on you.’

A few months later you get some instructions you don’t like. You protest. You are told to do it, or things could get nasty. You ask yourself, ‘Have I just been threatened?’ You aren’t sure. But you tell your first half truth anyway.

 

This is the Georgetown flu—an infection you can’t even cure by running them out of office. The very next day, they are either hired to consult, find themselves working as a lobbyist, or embedded somewhere else on the beast, influencing the new generation of idealized freshmen, thinking they will bring change. Very few fail to succumb to the “crooked timber” of humanity.

Being on the outside is lonely. You are told you’ll never have any influence from out there. Nothing you came to do will get done; come on inside.

They convince you, or you do yourself, that you can resist the lure, but how many have? There are not many, and it is why so many people are enthusiastic about Donald Trump. He doesn’t need or appear to want any of what they’ve got to offer, and their hatred of that only makes him more appealing to his base.

If Ron DeSantis wants the nomination, he must do a better job at two things. First, prove to them that he is an outsider, and second that he can stay outside no matter how bad it gets. Florida is the bush leagues. He has allies in his home state. The bureaucracy is his; his party controls the legislature. He does not need to convince them of much.

When you step inside the beltway, it’s a boss battle against the devil himself. Almost no one will be on your side unless you take their side because the devil does not like to lose.

 

 

 

HT | Meryl Nass Substack

The post “I Don’t Know Where Any Bodies Are Buried. But I Think I Know What Happened to Their Souls.” appeared first on Granite Grok.

In 2016, Donald J. Trump, a political outsider and successful businessman, captured the hearts of millions of Americans with his promise to “Make America Great Again.”

Against all odds, he secured a remarkable victory in the 2020 election, reflecting the aspirations of the American people for change, openness, and optimism.

Throughout his presidency, Trump’s unconventional approach resonated with many who sought a break from the status quo. He tapped into a sense of frustration among the electorate, promising to shake up the system and put the interests of the American people first.

In this article, it is, therefore, my striving to delve into the policies and actions taken by the Trump administration that aimed to fulfill its commitment to “Make America Great Again.” Trump’s presidency marked a significant shift in American politics from tackling corruption and preserving American values to safeguarding electoral integrity and confronting global adversaries.

One of Trump’s central promises was to drain the swamp of corruption in Washington, D.C. He called out the cozy relationships between politicians, lobbyists, and bureaucrats, vowing to hold those in power accountable.

Trump’s administration faced an uphill battle against perceptions of corruption within critical institutions like the military, FBI, CIA, and Justice Department. Critics accused him of undermining these institutions, but his supporters argued that he was taking a stand against the deep-rooted establishment.

Trump’s strategy to fight the establishment involved challenging the status quo, promoting transparency, and appointing individuals who shared his vision. Although met with resistance, his efforts sought to break the grip of the entrenched elite on American politics.

Many Americans felt that traditional values were under attack during Trump’s tenure, with growing concerns about cultural shifts and ideological divides. Trump presented himself as a defender of these values, promising to preserve the American way of life.

Trump’s vision to preserve American identity included prioritizing national unity, promoting patriotism, and upholding the rule of law. His supporters saw him as a champion of American exceptionalism, standing firm against the rise of progressive ideologies. Trump’s opposition to socialist ideologies struck a chord with conservatives who feared the erosion of capitalism and individual liberties. He staunchly opposed policies that, in his view, would lead the country down a dangerous path of government overreach.

The issue of voter fraud and election integrity dominated much of Trump’s presidency, with many of his supporters raising concerns about the credibility of the electoral system. Trump’s relentless pursuit of allegations of voter fraud aimed to ensure that the people’s will was accurately represented. However, this pursuit was met with criticism and legal challenges.

While some critics argued that Trump’s claims were baseless, his supporters saw his efforts as a necessary step to protect the sanctity of American democracy and voters’ confidence.

Trump took a tough foreign policy stance, confronting global adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. He also prioritized combating terrorism to safeguard American interests and national security.

Trump’s emphasis on “America First” sought to protect the country’s economic and security interests, signaling a departure from previous administrations’ approach to international relations. While critics criticized Trump’s direct approach, his supporters argued that his strategies aimed to promote peace through strength and protect American sovereignty.

Trump’s leadership style prioritized bilateral relationships and direct diplomacy, which some saw as refreshing, while others criticized it as unconventional. Trump’s skepticism of globalism and multinational agreements reflected his belief in prioritizing American interests over international entanglements.

By renegotiating trade deals and pushing for fairer agreements, Trump sought to protect American industries and workers, challenging the conventional approach to international trade. Some of Trump’s supporters believed that powerful global elites sought to undermine his administration and its America-first policies, leading to allegations of an international plot against him.

Throughout his presidency, Trump accused the mainstream media of biased reporting and silencing conservative voices. He also criticized social media platforms for alleged censorship. Trump’s supporters praised his transparency, but critics argued that his adversarial relationship with the media undermined the free press and the public’s right to information. Trump’s battle for free speech and media neutrality aimed to protect the voices of everyday Americans and ensure diverse perspectives were heard. Many Americans felt the federal government needed more responsive to their needs.

Trump promised to shrink the size of government, reduce regulations, and empower citizens to take charge of their lives. Trump’s efforts to reform the government faced successes and challenges, with his supporters lauding his commitment to a smaller, more efficient establishment. Throughout his presidency, Trump spoke passionately about reversing what he saw as America’s decline in influence and prosperity.

Trump’s vision for national renewal focused on revitalizing industries, investing in infrastructure, and empowering American businesses and workers. Trump’s supporters believed his policies would lay the foundation for a stronger, more prosperous America, ready to face future challenges.

Watching President Trump being wrongly charged by special counsel Jack Smith is a travesty of true justice. In an apparent attempt to undermine the transformative ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) movement, former President Donald Trump has been shamefully indicted in a baseless federal probe. These charges, filled with politically motivated allegations, accuse President Trump of conspiracies to defraud the United States, obstructing official proceedings, and more. It is outrageous that they have gone as far as implicating six unnamed co-conspirators, seemingly to cast a wide net and smear the President’s reputation. We know that President Trump has always fought for truth and justice, and any claims of wrongdoing are the disinformation his opponents spread.

These phony indictments are nothing but a witch hunt designed to tarnish the legacy of a President who truly put America first and restored prosperity to our great nation.

Donald Trump’s presidency left a lasting impact on the nation, igniting fervent debates on both sides of the political spectrum. Regardless of one’s views on Trump, his presidency reshaped American politics and highlighted the deep divisions within the country. As the nation moves forward, the pursuit of making America great again continues, shaped by the enduring impact of the 45th President of the United States.

The post Trump’s Vision: Make America Great Again appeared first on Granite Grok.