The New York Times did a story Monday on those characters who make up the Never Trump movement, a collection of former political strategists (most of whom worked for either Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyOvernight Defense: Pentagon IG to audit use of COVID-19 funds on contractors | Dems optimistic on blocking Trump's Germany withdrawal | Obama slams Trump on foreign policy Romney says he'll vote to put Barrett on Supreme Court House Democrat optimistic defense bill will block Trump's Germany withdrawal MORE or John McCainJohn Sidney McCainLeadership matters: President's words and actions show he is unfit to lead our nation Budowsky: President Bush, please vote Biden Supreme Court battle acts as lifeline for Lindsey Graham MORE), who are campaigning not only against the president but also now against any Republican who supports him.

These Never Trumpers not only want to beat the president, they want to extinguish Trumpism.

I am of the exceedingly unpopular opinion inside the beltway that Donald Trump will win reelection. But even if the president loses, elements of Trumpism will survive and inspire the Republican faithful for years to come. Trump is to the GOP what Andrew Jackson was to the Democrats and his influence will reshape the party for a generation.

Here are the five ways that Trumpism will triumph within the GOP, no matter what happens this election:

1) Nationalism instead globalism: It was George H.W. Bush who promised a New World Order, led by the United States. Trumpism promises a return to the Old World Order, where America looks out first for its own interests. Multi-lateral organizations like the United Nations, founded in the aftermath of the Second World War, have outlived their usefulness for the United States and key allies, like Israel.

2) Fair Trade vs. Free Trade: For as long as I have been involved in Republican politics, the GOP has been a free trade party. But a funny thing happened on the way to the next GATT agreement. We lost our manufacturing base and vast swaths of middle America has been hollowed out as a result. Those voters have increasingly turned to the GOP in the era of Trump and it is unlikely that they will return to the Democrats any time soon.

3) Agency vs. Victimhood: Republicans cant survive as a party of just old white men. President TrumpDonald John TrumpFeds investigating if alleged Hunter Biden emails connected to foreign intelligence operation: report Six takeaways from Trump and Biden's dueling town halls Biden draws sharp contrast with Trump in low-key town hall MORE gets that and has been trying, clumsily, to expand the base among African-Americans and Hispanics. His pitch to black voters has been to stress the economic benefits of his policies, while signing into law criminal justice reform. At the same time, he rejects liberal philosophical constructs like systemic racism, white privilege and critical race theory. For Trump, minority voters are agents who create their own destiny, not victims of an overwhelmingly racist society that is fundamentally stacked against them.

4) The people vs. the elites: Not all country club members are opposed to Donald Trump, but the mythical Country Club Republican, as a class, has turned on the president and the GOP. If you went to Andover or some other elite boarding school, Trumps rhetoric offends you. The reason Democrats have such an overwhelming financial advantage in this election is because they are now the party of well-heeled. But in politics, it is always smart to remember Henry Fords advice to sell to the masses if you want to eat with the classes. Mr. Trump is an expert of packaging his messages to the people, not the elites. That will continue after Trump.

5) Free speech vs. political correctness: Comrade, your statement is factually incorrect. However, it is politically correct. So went a familiar refrain in Stalins Soviet Union. We live in a cancel culture world and the left continues to impose a rigorous speech code of conduct on its followers while trying to silence the voices of those they disagree with. Increasingly, this political correctness is imposed by the new gatekeepers of our public discourse, Google, Facebook and Twitter. Donald Trump smashes political correctness every day, and his willingness to take on the mandarins of wokeness is a lesson to the GOP: Never stop fighting for the right of the American people to express themselves however they want.

Feehery is a partner at EFB Advocacy and blogs at http://www.thefeeherytheory.com. He served as spokesman to former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), as communications director to former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) when he was majority whip and as a speechwriter to former House Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-Ill.).

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Feehery: Trumpism will survive, no matter what happens on Election Day | TheHill - The Hill

To the editor:

Even before Senate hearings had begun, Judge Amy Coney Barrett had proved to be a disappointment, and it had nothing to do with her judicial philosophy.

A more understanding judge would have expressed gratitude at being nominated, but would have insisted that in order to preserve the integrity of the Court in this politically toxic environment, it would be best for the Senate to postpone the confirmation hearings until after the election. She didn't do that. She's put her interests ahead of the interests of the country. Judge Barrett will be as complicit as Trump, McConnell and the Senate Republicans in stoking public distrust of the Supreme Court.

Judge Barrett has shown herself to be politically correct in the world of Trump. At her introduction last month, she met with officials and VIPs in the Oval Office, the Rose Garden, and later in the Diplomatic Reception Room. Almost all of the attendees, including Judge Barrett, refused to physically distance themselves or to wear masks, presumably because no one wanted to offend the president. This White House affair has since been classified as a COVID-19 superspreader event. It laid waste to numerous politicians and most of the West Wing.

Reckless personal behavior, adherence to political correctness, and failure to understand that barefisted politics is going to further poison the credibility of the Supreme Court, Judge Barrett is already a disappointment and Senate hearings have barely begun.

Scott NewtonJasper

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Judge Barrett is already a disappointment - The Herald

I have followed with great interest the Shenandoah County School Boards unilateral crusade regarding the changing of school names and mascots in an effort to condemn racism and affirm an inclusive school environment for all. Like many parents and grandparents, I wrote to the School Board members and spoke at the public hearings, held at the Shenandoah County Government complex in Woodstock.

Ordinarily, people would expect to debate perhaps even demand a referendum on the advisability of changing the names and mascots (at an estimated cost of $500,000). But that debate was cut short when the School Board made its rushed and unilateral decision to sweep our schools clean of local Civil War history. Fortunately, the issue is being litigated in our court system, and only time will tell whether the School Boards virtue-signaling decision is implemented. Regardless of the outcome we must abide by it, as we are a nation of laws.

Before taking office, our elected School Board members take an oath of office that reads I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon me as according to the best of my ability, so help me God." (That last phrase - the one with God in it - is optional today. Which may explain a lot.)

Based on my personal observations, the School Board by no means acted impartially. Our form of government is a representative democracy, founded on the principle that our elected officials represent their constituents, e.g., those citizens who are currently residents of Shenandoah County who are taxpayers and registered to vote.

Instead, it was made clear and explicit that the majority of the board members had already made up their minds and had chosen to ignore their constituents. Add the influence of woke activists whose mission is to re-cast Shenandoah County in Fairfax Countys image and this is what we get. Hearing input and anecdotes from former graduates was nice, but the School Boards obligation to at least consider the desires of those who voted them into office never even entered the picture. It became a matter of Stonewall Jackson bad. Anything else good! End of story.

For failing to represent and listen to their constituents, I recommend those who voted in favor of the resolution to change the names of the southern campus schools resign immediately, for openly and without hesitation dishonoring their oath of office. Shenandoah County deserves a School Board that values student achievement and fiscal responsibility over political correctness and the suppression of our valley history. I suspect that one way or another Shenandoah County will get that very thing, and soon.

James R. Poplar III, of Quicksburg, proudly served with the U.S. government for over 40 years. He specialized in national security affairs at both Vanderbilt and the National Defense University.

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James R. Poplar III: Not honoring their oath of office - Northern Virginia Daily

By Romelo Wilson

Proud Boys stand back and stand by, said President Trump in the debate with former Vice President Joe Biden. When Chris Wallace, the moderator, asked the president if he would condemn white supremacist groups, the response was every attempt to avoid directly answering the question. I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing, said President Trump. Appearing as if he didnt know the name of any white supremacist group, he refueled the popularity of the Proud Boys by refusing to condemn them at the moment.

A couple of days later, he clarified his disapproval of all white supremacists on Sean Hannitys Fox News show. On the same day, George Takei, best known for his role in Star Trek, tweeted, What if gay guys took pictures of themselves making out with each other or doing very gay things, then tagged themselves with #ProudBoys. I bet it would mess them up real bad. #ReclaimingMyShine. Since the organization doesnt have an active presence on Twitter after getting their account banned in 2018, the hashtag was overtaken by thousands of images of the LGBT+ community showing their pride.

As stated by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the group of western chauvinists that adamantly oppose political correctness, was created in 2016 during the presidential election. Their political beliefs lean far-right, declaring that theyre not a white supremacist group but instead an opposition group of Antifa. However, their actions dont match their statements. After the groups Twitter page was banned in 2018, the Proud Boys moved to an app called Parler, which is popular amongst conservatives, according to Forbes. On Parler, members of the far-right organization posted memes that support white nationalism, anti-Muslim rhetoric, and homophobic comments.

After Takeis tweet calling out for the overtaking of #proudboys on social media, the Canadian Armed Forces joined the movement by posting a picture of two male soldiers kissing. The caption was simply #ProudBoys, with the Canadian and pride flag right alongside. A screenshot of this tweet was posted on Parler, where the right-wing members expressed their disgust of the picture. Cant stand gay peopleshould be illegal, said @Ryanha5150. This is the type of diction that represents the values of the Proud Boys.

The group claims to be against bigotry, but their claims are disproven by their history. In the past, members have organized gatherings like the Unite The Right rally that brought together other hate groups like the KKK. This is the same group that was told by the president to stand back and stand by. The night after the presidential debate, Google Trends show that the search of the term proud boys jumped from 1 to 100. In effort to curb this sudden boost in popularity of the organization, Takei called upon the LGBT community.

Other celebrities decided to join the call for action such as Bobby Berk from Queer Eye and Andy Cohen. Of course, members of the Proud Boys were angered by this, as some the people they targeted with their speech and now taking recognition away from them.

In the beginning, some were skeptical of the hashtag takeover. This movement was compared to the #BlackoutTuesday social media campaign where users posted black squares in an attempt to support the Black Lives Matter movement. However, in reality they pushed informative posts to the bottom of the tag #BlackLivesMatter. The difference with the overtaking of #ProudBoys is that the posts that are being pushed to the bottom are not beneficial to the progression of this country. This takeover drowned out posts from a group that promoted separation and was replaced with photos of LGBT+ couples expressing how proud they are of their love.

The goal of Takei and other LGBT members was to strip the hashtag of its negativity and connection to the far-right group, and fill it with images of compassion, something that the country desperately needs at the moment. In the end, the movement was a success, but the presence of the Proud Boys still remains

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LGBTQ+ Community Taking Over Proud Boys - Minaret

By Chang Kuo-tsai

Media have reported that a number of private Taiwanese universities signed one China agreements with Chinese educational institutions, pledging not to engage in activities that promote one China, one Taiwan, two Chinas or Taiwanese independence during academic exchanges.

With the Ministry of Education citing university autonomy and the schools citing freedom of expression, the ministry has failed to take action and these institutions have escaped punishment.

University autonomy seems to have become a shield that allows these reckless schools to flout the law, while freedom of expression has been twisted to allow people to voice support for Taiwan being an inseparable part of Chinas sacred territory, but not for one China, one Taiwan, two Chinas or Taiwanese independence.

The low birthrate and the excessive number of local universities directly challenge private universities survival, but for them to survive, Taiwan must survive.

Should the government allow them to sell out Taiwan and sign such agreements on behalf of Taiwanese without thinking twice?

To be blunt, the ministry has adopted an ostrich policy by emphasizing the separation between education and politics, respect for academic freedom and university autonomy.

For the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), political correctness is the only means of survival and political correctness is to do whatever the party says.

In such an environment, private Taiwanese universities are prone to surrender to the Chinese, swapping freedom for survival but, naturally, this only leads down a dead-end street.

The Chinese media must publish whatever the CCP says, and entertainers must curry the favor of the CCP and Chinese President Xi Jinping () by expressing the partys political stance as their own.

How can universities survive if they do not follow the partys every whim or curry its favor?

For example, Huadong Taiwan Businessmans School is operated in China by retired army general Chen Ting-chung (), a former commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Army who recently said that he is Chinese, calling it a symbol of pride.

Could his school for Taiwanese students allow them to build an awareness of their Taiwanese identity? Does it teach a Chinese or Taiwanese identity? Does it shape students into Chinese or Taiwanese? The answers to these questions are obvious.

The ministry pays Chens school an annual NT$60 million (US$2.07 million) subsidy.

In response to his praise of China and insult to Taiwan, the ministry simply said that his remarks were inappropriate, but drew no correlation between the remarks and the subsidy the ministry keeps paying the school, kidding itself and refusing to stop.

Regardless of the purpose of the subsidy, the ministry should stop daydreaming and deceiving itself.

Chinas Confucius Institutes have used education as an excuse to do political work around the world or as the Chinese saying goes: Hanging a sheeps head while selling dog meat.

After Beijings political trick was finally exposed, many Confucius Institutes were forced to close in the US, Germany and Sweden.

Ironically, the ministry continues to pay a school operated in China for Taiwanese students.

Chang Kuo-tsai is a retired associate professor at National Hsinchu University of Education.

Translated by Eddy Chang

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

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University autonomy is not total indulgence -

Lewinsville Road, McLean: Vandalism photo taken on Oct. 1. Photo by Nicholas Kalis

Unfortunately, in McLean, this is what passes for "dialogue." It seems that among many Democrats and the left wing media, prayer is at the altar of dialogue. Actually their purported calls for dialogue really mean they talk and we listen. Two recent incidents of vandalizing Trump signs on Lewinsville Road illustrate well what seems to be replicated on a national level.

I get it that the left lives in an echo chamber - they are convinced that only they are right and everyone else's opinions are wrong. Here in McLean, they seem to feel that their being right gives them license to trespass and destroy. Many media outlets reinforce this notion that their views are the correct ones - after all, "political correctness" has entered the national vocabulary as a well understood term.

Is there any correction available? Moving on to a larger arena or topic, if the left - who are often well-educated people are so intolerant, why can't they take some action to check themselves? Alcoholics often avoid bars. Why does the left not hire ombudsman for their media outlets so that opposing views can be heard on a regular basis?

Nicholas Kalis

McLean

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Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Vandalism As 'Dialogue' in McLean - Virginia Connection Newspapers

For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis, the election, and more, subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter.

With less than three weeks until Election Day, President Donald Trump abruptly pivoted from his closing campaign message that Osama Bin Laden is actually still alive to praise US Marshalls for killing a murder suspectin Oregon last month.

Trump, speaking at a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, on Thursday afternoon, described the death of Michael Reinoehl, an antifa activist who had been suspected of shooting a Trump supporter in Portland in late August and was confronted by US Marshalls a few weeks later. What exactly happened in that confrontation is still unclear, but there are significant reasons to be skeptical of the official government narrative; the New York Times reported last month that [i]n interviews with 22 people who were near the scene, all but one said they did not hear officers identify themselves or give any commands before opening fireand killing Reinoehl.

I said, What happened? Well we havent arrested him,' Trump said, recalling his conversations with local authorities.

Two days, three days went by, we sent in the US Marshalls, took 15 minutes it was over. Fifteen minutes it was over, we got him, Trump continued. They knew who he was, they didnt want to arrest him, and 15 minutes that ended.

Fifteen minutes, that ended.

Theres not really any way to spin it: Trump is describing the killing of a suspect like it was a mob hit that he ordered. He thinks its great what happened. This isnt some pablum about bravery-in-the-line-of-duty and all that. Hes praising the principle of itthe efficiency with which a suspect was removed (to use Attorney General Bill Barrs phrasing). Fifteen minutes, over and done with, nice and cleanas if he were discussing the Bin Laden raid or the hunting of a bear. Who needs a trial, when you can end it in 15 minutes?

These comments have been making the rounds on social media, but I think they have been slightly misread as Trump saying that the they who didnt want to arrest him were the US Marshalls. Its easy to get confused on that point, because the US Marshalls didnt arrest him and killed the man instead. But the they here refers to the local law enforcement authorities in Oregon. Its an important distinction, not because its in any way exculpatoryarmed agents of the state killed a man who had not been convicted of anything!but because its actually the heart of this whole standoff between the federal government and local authorities, in Portland most famously, but in New York City and Washington, DC, as well.

Trump is saying that Democratic officials are refusing to do their jobs and cowering to the anarchists, and only the strong man in the White House can cut through the political correctness to restore security. Michael Reinoehl is what you get, he is saying, and what he got was just and deserved. In doing so, he is placing the story of a US Marshall raid in the same space as Kyle Rittenhouse crossing state lines with a rifle to shoot two people in Kenosha, and of the McCloskeys waving firearms at protesters in St. Louis. If you will not act, then others will. In this case, the vigilante killers are federal law enforcement officers. This is both the nadir of law and order, and the truest definition of what it means.

There is just so much of this every day. Sometimes reading the news in the Trump era feels like driving on that highway from Twisteryou are just trying to stay on course and dodge the cows, and as a simple survival mechanism dont have time to dwell on any of it. But the crowd cheering here is chilling, and the president hailing a deadly raid by state security forces is dangerous and ominous as hell.

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Donald Trump Sounds So Happy Describing How His Government Killed a Man - Mother Jones

How soon we forget!

Donald Trumps main campaign promises in 2016 were: Drain the Washington swamp. Stop ISIS terrorists beheadings of reporters, Christians, and Americans. Appoint pro-life conservative judges. Build a wall on our border with Mexico. And rebuild Americas military and the economy.

President Trump has kept most of those promises and hes working on the rest.

The liberal swamp press has fought to annul the 2016 election for four full years. Indeed, the cheerleaders of the swamp mob namely, CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, and their ilk, have refused to give President Trump credit for anything and they blame him for everything. They were still all-in with Speaker Pelosis House vote to impeach Mr. Trump up to-and-thru February 2020 -- even as our president and his scientific advisers were working to prevent the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Even now, the swamp media reports chaos and anarchy as peaceful protests while spinning and weaving whole wardrobes of "Emperors Clothes news" for its gullible viewers and hiding its sleazy affair with socialism behind their lib-speak.

This is what people get after allowing lawyers and atheists to run their country for 60 years.

The anti-God swamp news media are leading the spiritually blind over a cliff. The lower their swamp drains, the worse it smells and the louder swamp creatures scream.

Those who study Bible prophecy understand the present pandemonium. Mainstream America has rejected the Holy Bible and rebelled against God. Through this COVID 19 epidemic, God has shown the spiritually naked masses that He is ultimately in charge.

Those who bought the "Emperors Clothes" have been suckered into believing that they dont need God, there is no God, and that Thou shalt not kill does not apply to living babies in the womb, nor to women, doctors, or lawyers.

Too many Christians have become enchanted with the voodoo tailors clothing which skews their vision to believe it is more righteous to hate President Trump than it is to protect the lives of unborn babies or to honor the Sabbath Day.

The hilarious scuttlebutt over de-funding the police that Americans are witnessing right now, is exactly what you get when you drain the swamp.

Who, in his/her right mind -- besides those wearing "Emperors clothes" -- would believe the swamp psychiatrists will leave the safety and sanctity of their $250-per-hour practices to replace local cops at scenes of 9-1-1 domestic violence calls?

I predict they wont do it. Because psychiatrists know who the crazies are and they know how crazy they are -- even if they cant share that knowledge with the rest of us because their swamp-speak/diversity-correct, political-correctness wont allow it.

Those who knowingly wear "Emperors Clothes" rail against the God who provides the very oxygen they breathe because they hate the outsider who won the oval office in 2016 more than they love their own children.

Im with God. Im with the Bible. Im with the "Most High God who rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever He will". (Daniel 4:17)

Im praying that Americas voters and the "Most High" will grant President Trump four more years and bless America with three more young, pro-life Supreme Court justices (after Judge Amy Barrett) who honor the Constitution -- so that Trump can finish draining the swamp and get rid of the stink.

It wouldnt be the first time. In 841 B.C., God anointed an unrefined and violent man named Jehu, to clean up the swamp created by evil King Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel. And He can do it again.

It only takes five minutes to read all about Jehu in II Kings, chapters 9 & 10.

Herman Myrick is a resident of Belmont.

Excerpt from:

Letter: God bless Donald Trump and America - Opinion - Gaston Gazette

Well, its almost that time of year again. In a few days tobacco stalks will be making their appearance once again as tobacco striping will be in full swing. Holders Tobacco Warehouse in Hartsville is one of the few places left in our part of the world where a large quantity of tobacco will be processed. It is a big, sprawling building, a former garment factory, and still a center of activity during tobacco season.

Across the street in the parking lot, wagons piled high with tobacco stalks will soon begin to appear.

The sight of them always takes me back in time.

My first job in a tobacco barn was hauling off tobacco stalks. A small boy could handle a small load. It seemed to me a thankless job.

Anybody can carry out tobacco stalks. From the earliest days that job fell to my brothers and me. It didnt get any better as we got older. Later, we were promoted to stripping tips. That, too, is a thankless job certainly not brain surgery. You dont have to be skilled in grading tobacco to strip tips. You just strip off the last two or three leaves and thats it. And what, may I ask, do you have left? A tobacco stalk. And what is the other responsibility of the tip stripper? Hauling out the tobacco stalks. It was a job that would not go away.

After the stalks piled up on the stripping table, they had to be moved outside the tobacco barn. Sometimes we let them grow into a mountain of tobacco stalks just outside the barn. At other times they were loaded directly onto a wagon. Either way, the stalks were eventually hauled off and disposed of properly. Proper disposal usually meant being scattered on a tobacco patch.

I have scattered some tobacco stalks in my time. I found no easy way to do it.

One at a time is more fun if you are playing cowboys and Indians. A tobacco stalk makes for a great Indian spear. It is properly balanced and already sharp on the big end. I have thrown hundreds of Indian spears. The problem is: Tobacco stalks dont scatter very fast when you are throwing them one at a time.

I found the best way was to grab a big armload and spin my body around like a centrifuge as I let the stalks go. That still didnt work very well.

I usually had to walk back through the stalks I had just scattered and kick them around to get more even coverage.

Then came the year my brother John backed the manure spreader up to the barn and suggested we load it with tobacco stalks. It seemed to be a wild idea at the time. But my father gave it his blessing.

I shall never forget the scene when John pulled that manure spreader, loaded down with tobacco stalks, into the tobacco patch, which was bare of the crop just harvested. He kicked in the PTO in gear and to my amazement, tobacco stalks began to fly in every direction. Some were being hurled 20 feet in the air and scattered perfectly! It was a beautiful thing!

I have marveled over the years at how fast tobacco stalks decompose when scattered on the land. And over those years I heard people tell how tobacco stalks had brought a piece of worn out ground back to life. Many a gulley or ditch has been filled with tobacco stalks over time, and many a washed-out place has been saved by a load of well-placed tobacco stalks.

My appreciation of the lowly tobacco stalk runs deep. You might say we go back a long way.

Come to think of it, Ive been whipped or disciplined (Im making an attempt at political correctness here) with a tobacco stalk.

My father was a mild-mannered man, slow to anger. But when he thought one of his sons or daughter needed to be brought back in line, he would grab the nearest instrument he could find. In the tobacco barn that was a tobacco stalk or a tobacco stick. Ive been whipped with both. I prefer a tobacco stalk. If you have ever been on the wrong end of either one of them, you know why.

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Jack McCall: The right and wrong sides of tobacco stalks - Lebanon Democrat

Democracy works best when politics dont mirror the countrys deepest social divisions, and all sides can accept defeat and a transition of government. As Trump flags replace Confederate flags on truck caravans and at Republican rallies, we are about to experience a presidential contest, perhaps the first since 1860, when it is possible that millions on each side will not find defeat acceptable.

Democrats represent a coalition held together loosely by an ideology of inclusion, a commitment to active government, faith in humanistic and scientific expertise, and an abhorrence of what they perceive as the monstrous presidency of Donald J. Trump. Republicans, with notable defections, are a party held together by a commitment to tax reduction, corporate power, anti-abortion, white nationalism, and the sheer will for power. We are essentially two political tribes fighting a cold civil war that may determine whether or not our institutions can survive the strife fomented by a pandemic, a racial reckoning, an economic collapse, the death of a transcendent Supreme Court justice, and the reelection campaign of our homegrown authoritarian president.

How can this be the casenot in the dictatorships of Belarus, Hungary, Turkey, or Venezuela, but here in the US, during the 233rd year of the Constitution? The answers are historical and structural. A modern campaign of voter suppression conducted by one of our parties grows with warped intensity. Changing demographics and the 15 million new voters drawn into the electorate by Barack Obama in 2008 have scared the Republicansnow largely the white peoples partyinto fearing for their existence. With voter ID laws, reduced polling places and days, felon disfranchisement, voter roll purges, restrictions on mail-in voting, an evisceration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and a constant rant about voter fraud without evidence, Republicans have soiled our electoral system with undemocratic skullduggery. They are also frightened of the results of the 2018 midterm elections, when voter turnout favoring Democrats was 67 percent for ages 1829, and 58 percent for ages 3044. Nearly 30 percent of the electorate is now Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, or another ethnic minority. White nationalism and conservatism are colliding with the future. There is no Republican majority in America, except on election days. It all depends on who votes and who is allowed to vote.

President Trump frequently claims that the only way were going to lose is if the election is rigged. He also loves to milk cheers from his crowds by warning them to watch all the thieving and stealing and robbing of votes by Democrats. Every reasonably informed American knows that the only things rigged in this election are the Electoral College itself (in favor of less populated states that tend red), the decidedly undemocratic institution of the US Senate (a Republican majority represents a population smaller by 15 million than the Democrats), and the myriad ways the current administration has manipulated government agencies to influence voting.

The Republican Party has become a new kind of Confederacy. They are secessionists without taking the revolutionary step of seceding, power-obsessed rebels who fight to preserve a bygone America by gaming the system. They have managed to win the presidency twice without the most votes, maintain control of the Senate although vastly outnumbered in the national electorate, and build a majority on the Supreme Court by stealing an appointment that belonged to a sitting Democratic president.

According to the historian Stephanie McCurry in Confederate Reckoning (2010), the original Confederates of 1861 took perverse pride in being out of step with the modern world. One Southern minister saw the Confederate nation as a righteous minority of three hundred and fifty thousand white men commanding the labor of four million African slaves in the service of civilization. That nation faced colossal defeat four years later; a similar political fate may yet befall a Republican party unhinged by todays world.

This new Confederacy is partly regional and also rural (a declining population). It knows what it hates: the two coasts, diverse cities, marriage equality, certain kinds of feminism, political correctness (sometimes with reason), university elites, and liberals generally. It is racial and undemocratic. It twists American history to its own ends, substituting patriotism for scholarship and science. It has weaponized truth and rendered it oddly irrelevant. It has brought us almost to a new 1860, an election in which Americans voted for fundamentally different visions of a proslavery or an antislavery future. For now, this minority interest fights for its existence from within the union by trying to own it.

We cannot imagine the same violent result this time, even as we resolve to save our democracy from the grip of minority rule. But a preservation of our Union will not come from merely calling out moral hypocrisy, or wringing our hands over cynicism, or even from the power of numbers. Democracy has to be sustained by the same will to power that can destroy it.

Originally posted here:

Republicans: The New Confederacy | by David W. Blight - The New York Review of Books

In a rare joint statement, the Democratic and Republican parties of Cache County have united to condemn a recent rash of stolen and vandalized campaign yard signs.

CACHE COUNTY Local Republicans and Democrats are uniting to condemn a recent rash of campaign yard signs being stolen from county residents homes.

Its one thing to disagree with someones candidate of choice, according to a joint statement released by GOP County Chairman Chris Booth and Danny Beus, chairman of the Cache Democrats. But it is never okay to disrespect and/or vandalize peoples private property by taking and/or destroying signs.

Lets continue to show everyone around us why Cache County is the best place to live, the statement continues. Be respectful, be civil, be kind and, most importantly, be ready to exercise your constitutional right and vote.

The vandalizing of political signage and campaign billboards is by no means strictly a Cache County problem. Similar incidents have been reported throughout Utah and across the country as the November general election approaches. Political scientists and psychologists are suggesting the trend is a form of silent protest by Americans who feel frustrated by their inability to openly express their views due to a climate of political correctness.

A recent national survey by the conservative Cato Institute found that selfcensorship is on the rise in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the political climate these days prevents them from saying things they believe because others might find them offensive.

The share of Americans who selfcensor has increased since 2017 when 58% of Americans reported that they felt social pressure to conceal or downplay their political views.

The Cato survey found that worry about giving offense in face-to-face interactions was felt across the political spectrum. Nearly 77 percent of Republicans say they are reluctant to share their opinions, along with 59 percent of people who self-identify as independent voters and 52 percent of Democrats.

Only liberal ideologues appear to be immune to such social pressure. Regardless of their political affiliation, nearly 60 percent of staunch liberals say they feel free to unreservedly advocate for their opinions, especially via social media.

The perceived need to self-censor in public also crosses racial lines. The Cato survey found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. Latinos and Whites agreed that the current highly charged political atmosphere prevents them from expressing their true beliefs, along with 49 percent of African-Americans.

The obvious root of these concerns, experts suggest, is political polarization in America.

But Booth and Beus apparently needed no survey to reach that same conclusion.

It is no secret that our country is more divided now than in a very long time on numerous issues, they wrote. Cache County has been and should continue to be the standard (of public civility) for everyone else!

The findings of the Cato Institute were based on a survey of 2,000 Americans over 18 years of age polled during early July of this year.

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Cache political parties unite to condemn yard sign thefts - Cache Valley Daily

For a little diversion, a friend of mine recently reminded me that the planet Jupiter has 79 moons. (And we need only one to brighten our nocturnal lives.) They range in size from larger than the planet Mercury to the size of a stadium. Also, Saturn has been found to have 52 moons, 29 of which are awaiting confirmation of their discovery.

These two guys have quite large families to keep in tow and following the right path through space. Jupiter and Saturn have been referred to as Jovian planets dont exactly know how they figured that out, optically, but they both certainly benefit from an uplifting attitude with a responsibility of such gravity. And we think the president has his problems.

A little jovial fathering is needed, here, to head them in the right direction. Political correctness aside. And, oh, I dont have a bachelors degree in gravitational mentoring from Berkeley.

Evan Tibbott

Rigby

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Letter: Jupiter and Saturn have an abundance of moons - Post Register

By Wallace B. Henley, Exclusive Columnist Follow | Wednesday, October 14, 2020

The press is all in, in support of Biden, said Texas Senator Ted Cruz after the vice-presidential debate October 7.

That reality is an alert that the upcoming election is about much more than Donald Trump or Joe Biden but has serious implications for the nations long-term political and institutional freedoms.

Conservative candidates for public office must not only run against a human opponent, but also must withstand a massive left-oriented consensus establishment that weaponizes information.

Those who tell the stories rule society, said Plato centuries ago.

Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture, said Allen Ginsberg more recently.

Neil Postman, in his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business(Penguin Books, 1985), argued that TV is turning all public life (education, religion, politics, journalism) into entertainment. The result is that image is undermining all forms of communication, particularly the written word.

Further, our bottomless appetite for TV is leading to an information glut so that what is truly meaningful is lost and we no longer care what weve lost as long as we are being amused, added Andrew Postman in his introduction to his fathers book.

Neil Postman reflected on Aldous Huxley and his dystopian book Brave New World. According to Postman, Huxley was telling us that people will come to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.

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Camille Paglia says Postman saw that the young would therefore inherit a frantically all-consuming culture of glitz, gossip, and greed.

The Consensus Establishment eagerly promotes such a culture.

The Bible foresees a time when people are easily led into lies and delusion by the spirit of antichrist. (2 Thessalonians 2) We seem to be living in such an age.

As I have noted in previous columns, the Consensus Establishment consists of five elites: Information, Entertainment, Academic, Political, and Corporate. In my book, Two Men From Babylon: Trump, Nebuchadnezzar, and the Lord of History (Thomas Nelson/Emanate, 2020), I have compared this powerful conglomerate to the Chaldeans of Babylon in Daniels day. Under Nebuchadnezzar they defined and enforced Babylonian political correctness.

Today the elites of the Consensus Establishment are in agreement among themselves about how reality works and what we should be influenced and even forced to think and believe.

Woe be to those who are threats to that mighty coalition of elites. To refuse to yield to their consensus is to be cancelled.

Political correctness has thus morphed into the cancel-culture beast. Rod Dreher has this in mind in his book, Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents. (Sentinel, 2020). There he writes, I am not at liberty to thank some of those who helped me research this book, because it would put them at risk of retaliation in the workplace... None of these anonymous helpers live in the former Soviet bloc; all are Americans.

In a review of Drehers book in National Review, Daniel Flynn says that many Americans (already) cannot live out loud... because revealing oneself comes at great expense.

Dreher believes that we in the West are living already under decadent, pre-totalitarian conditions that make our society vulnerable to the totalitarian temptation to which both Russia and Germany succumbed in the previous century.

The bottom line: If Biden and Harris win in November, the left that dominates the Consensus Establishment will be in power in the United States for a long time, shaping the consensus through its powerful manipulative tools.

They will be able to perpetuate their worldview across generations, impacting not just the contemporary moment, but history itself.

We are thus living in a seriously dangerous moment. The left warns about an effort by Donald Trump to hold on to the presidency even if he loses the vote. But the American people must also keep a steady watch on the Consensus Establishment that will continue telling the stories

forming the accepted narrative and controlling the images.

Yet the answer is not for the church to lean more heavily on the right-wing. The passion for profit is as powerful as the progressivist forces that propel the left.

The only way to keep from being swept into these constricting, distorting worldviews is to focus beyond them, to Transcendent Truth.

Perhaps never has it been more important for the church to hold to the highest view of the Bibles inspiration and authority. The bottom line is that the leftward Consensus Establishment strives to direct our socio-cultural concepts away from scriptural foundations to their own value system and worldview.

The early church in first century Athens had to face elitist philosophers whose beguiling sophistries would have snuffed out the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:1-3) In Rome, the infant church had to minister in a city and empire ruled over by mighty elites eager to take the cancel idea to its fullest expression in the Colosseum.

The Bible-based church must hold its ground in this present age. She must distinguish herself from a right-wing consensus that would too eagerly abandon principle for the sake of pragmatism, and a left-wing consensus that has turned from transcendent principle to secular progressivism and idealism.

The road ahead will be hard, and the church and the people who are its living stones (1 Peter 2:1-5) must take seriously Pauls admonition to stand firm against the mighty elites and their establishments. (Ephesians 6)

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Wallace Henley is a former pastor, White House and congressional aide, and author of more than 25 books. His newest is Two Men From Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar, Trump, and the Lord of History, published by Thomas Nelson.

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Standing firm in an age of weaponized information - The Christian Post

EDITOR:

Weve recently been treated to fawning letters of praise for the current White House occupant. Pardon me if I dont get it. This man has mocked and humiliated a disabled person, reportedly wanted disabled vets excluded from his parades because nobody wants to see that. He has mocked the grief of Gold Star families, referred to POWs and dead soldiers as suckers and losers. (I prefer men who didnt have bone spurs.) This person has cheated on each of his three wives, cheated his contractors and employees, and cheated on his taxes. (His companions say he even cheats at golf, for Petes sake.) While demanding total loyalty from those about him, he himself is loyal to no one. On the world stage, does he represent the best that America has to offer? I think not. His devotees refer often to his having done so much for this country. Like what? There is not an area of our lives that is better today because of him. Unless, of course, one was very wealthy to begin with. Neither we nor the world are in a better place today because of him. Except maybe Kim Jong Un. And, of course, Vladimir Putin.

Donald lives in a fantasy world in which he can achieve his ends by pretending it is so. Many have chosen to join him there. I have not. We have 4% of the worlds population and 20% of all the worlds COVID-19 deaths. But its okay, you see, because he feels great, and its all going to go away. How can I suspend my disbelief when we know that he has lied to us over 25,000 times in four years? How can I forget that he kowtows to foreign dictators? It was after a chat with Turkish dictator Erdogan on his personal cellphone that he suddenly withdrew our troops from Syria with no notice to our Kurdish allies, leaving them alone to be slaughtered. What country would ever come to our aid if they cant trust us to keep our commitments? After being informed by our own as well as foreign intelligence sources that Putin was paying a bounty for American deaths in Afghanistan, Trump did nothing.

I want him out of office, along with all his enablers and sycophants. I have already voted and I encourage others also to make it emphatic. If at no other time in our lives, this year we must vote straight Democratic.

Lola Johnson

Kingsford

EDITOR:

Now that ex-CIA director John Brennans handwritten notes to President Barack Obama have been released, proving that Hillary Clinton hatched the Russian hoax against Donald Trump in order to cover up her own crimes of using a personal server and destroying subpoenaed evidence (obstruction of justice), how many voters still think the Democratic Party is for the right thing? Im praying that the scales will be lifted from your eyes and the truth will fill your minds and guide you.

Of course, syndicated media Deep State propaganda will spin it into a despicable crime perpetrated on Brennan, Obama, Clinton and, no less, Biden by the Republicans who will do anything to make Donald Trump the all-powerful dictator.

If you are a Democratic voter, not a politician, I pray you dont get angry at me for telling you the truth; rather, direct your anger at the cause of all the disinformation that has confused you into thinking that Donald Trump is the enemy. The real enemies here are the people who want to turn this country into a socialist disaster and take away all your rights, brainwash your children and eliminate God from our society, along with the middle class. Biden also opposed busing for school desegregation.

Remember Darth Vaders famous words, You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. Isnt it funny how science fiction becomes reality over time? If you vote Democrat in this election, you are actually voting for the communist party in disguise. If they win, they will pound political correctness down your throat until you puke, then softly and politely say, If you dont mind, could you please hand over your guns and Bible? Thank you. Kiss you on the cheek and stab you in the back.

Brian Rose

Crystal Falls

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Two different views on Trump and what's at stake in election - Iron Mountain Daily News

Everyone prefers politically correct language sometimes, a new study reports. Where we differ is who we use it with, and how we perceive it in regards to the groups its being applied to.

The concept of political correctness doesnt get a lot of love in the online environment, so much so that its often pointed at to imply a lack of authenticity of those who use it. But its also a very divisive term; what others would see as dishonesty and sweet-talking, I would often just chalk up to being nice in conversation.

But a new study shows that, in fact, were all inclined to use politically correct language, we just apply it to different people. We tend to see it as compassionate when its applied to groups we support or care for, and as disingenuous when its addressed to other groups. Overall, however, we all tend to view people who use politically correct language as warmer, but less authentic and thus less likely to hold true to a particular view or idea.

Such language is often used in a (genuine or disingenuous) attempt to appear more sensitive to the feelings of other people, especially those perceived to be socially disadvantaged. One example would be saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas in the understanding that not everyone holds to Christian or religious beliefs.

On paper, it all sounds great I think all of us here agree that being considerate of others is a good thing. In practice, as you may know from discussions on various social media groups, the term is thrown about as a shorthand for censorship or socially-sanctioned limitations on free speech.

So theres obviously a disconnect, but where? The team carried out a series of experiments totalling roughly 5,000 participants to examine this issue, reporting that, in broad lines, such language can make us seem less sincere by making our speech seem more strategic and calculated.

The first experiment asked participants to review a written speech and imagine a senator delivering it to an audience. Half the participants received a speech revolving around transgender policy, and the others around immigration policy (the topics were selected from particularly polarizing topics in American public discourse on purpose). Each speech used either politically correct (Of course I believe that LGBTQ persons are among the most vulnerable members of our society and we must do everything in our power to protect them) or incorrect (These people who call themselves LGBTQ are often profoundly disturbed and confused about their gender identity) language.

All in all, participants who read speeches using politically correct language tended to rate the senators as warmer, but less authentic. The results were consistent between all participants, regardless of their self-reported like or dislike of such language.

For the second experiment, the participants were asked to read a short biography of either Congressman Steve King, Senator Jim Inhofe, or Governor Jeb Bush and watch one of their speeches that were deemed either politically correct or incorrect. Afterward, they were asked to predict what stance these politicians would take on political issues in the future. This step aimed to evaluate how the use of language impacts an individuals perceived trustworthiness or willingness to defend their beliefs even in the face of social pressure.

Those who listened to politically correct speeches reported feeling less certain about what stance the politician would take on topics in the future. This step showcased one of the trade-offs of using such language: while it makes one appear warmer and more concerned with others, it also makes them seem less sincere or more easily persuaded.

By this point, youre probably asking yourself an obvious question: where do them libs fit into the picture? The authors asked themselves the same thing, and it turned out that political affiliation has very little impact on our propensity to use politically correct language but very much to do with whom we use it for.

In the third experiment, the team separated participants (based on their responses in a pre-test) as either Liberal-leaning or Conservative-leaning. The first group reported feeling sympathy for the undocumented immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and pro-choice individuals, while the latter was most concerned with the plight of religious Christians, poor white people, and pro-life individuals.

Each participant was asked to read a statement: I think it is important for us to have a national conversation about one of six groups. These groups were referred to using either politically-correct (e.g. undocumented immigrants) or incorrect terms (e.g. illegal aliens).

Unsurprisingly, when the participant felt sympathy for the group in question and was presented with a politically incorrect term such as conservatives with white trash or liberals with illegal aliens they didnt view the language as particularly authentic, but as cold and uncaring. However, when presented with a politically-correct term for a group they did feel sympathy towards, they viewed it as authentic. On the flip-side, people also tended to rate politically incorrect language as more authentic when applied to groups they didnt feel sympathy towards such as liberals with white trash or conservatives with illegal aliens.

But, and this is a very important but in my opinion, there werent any divides in liking political correct speech among political groups. Liberals and conservatives were equally supportive of it as long as it applied to groups they felt sympathy towards and equally against it when it wasnt.

I feel the findings give us ample reason to pause and reflect on our own biases. Language does have power, and the way we use it speaks volumes about where our particular interests and sympathies lie. But at the same time, understanding that there are certain things we want to hear, and that this changes our perception of the ones saying them and the way they say it, is an important part of becoming responsible citizens for our countries.

The use of politically correct language can stem from genuine care and concern, just as much as it can from a desire to fake that care for brownie points. Politically incorrect language can come from ones inner strength and willingness to state their mind regardless of societys unspoken rules, but it can equally be used to deceive and appear no-nonsense when one is, in fact, callous and uncaring. It could go on to explain why considerate politicians can be perceived as weak, or why those downright rude and disrespectful can have the veneer of strength.

Perhaps, in this light, we should be most wary of those who tell us what we want to hear, the way we want to hear it. At the same time, it can help us understand that those we perceive as opposing our views and beliefs arent out to get us they literally see a different intent behind the same words, just as we do. Working together, then, doesnt start with changing their minds, but with checking our own biases, and seeing which ones we truly believe in.

Back to the study at hand, the team explains that their findings showcase how the use of language can help shape others perceptions of us. Politically correct language can make us seem warmer but more calculated and thus less sincere. Politically incorrect language can make us look more honest, but colder and more callous it all depends on what your conversation mates want to hear.

The paper Tell it like it is: When politically incorrect language promotes authenticity has been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Read the original here:

Politically-incorrect language can seem sincere, but only if youre saying what the audience wants to hear - ZME Science

Id heard the term bigot tossed around in the past, but never really contemplated deeply what it meant or gave it a second thought, really. It seemed to just be a label slapped onto anyone who disagreed with someone elses opinion.

In this day-and-age, after all, so-called political-correctness has gotten out of hand, hasnt it?

It seems more and more that the left as people call it, want to push their progressive values down the throats of hard-working Canadians, right? Why cant people leave well enough alone, after all?

If you believe the above rhetoric (which was sarcastic, in case you didnt suss that out) you may be a bigot.

Theres nothing wrong with being dedicated to your own beliefs, convictions and personal views, but its when you are unable to hear other peoples opinions, are intolerant of even listening to hear them out, or to allow them to be heard by others, that youre entering into the Realm of the Bigots.

A person with strong convictions, is not necessarily a bigot. Its difficult, and perhaps more rare than people are willing to admit, but not impossible.

For example, you can be resolute about where you stand on a certain issue, but not have any prejudices, intolerance or hatred towards people who are on the opposite side of the issue. You are not a bigot.

However, a bigot is intolerant of other peoples point-of-view.

If you feel threatened by another persons point-of-view, and feel the need to drown out their voice, or feel the need to protect others from what they have to say, first, you must not be very strong in your own convictions and second, you may be a bigot.

And being a bigot does not require you to be a racist.

You can believe deep in your heart-of-hearts that all people are equal and deserve equal rights, and still be a bigot.

The good news is, there is a myriad of social issues a person can be bigoted about, so you can still carry on being a bigot.

You can still refuse to call a person by their chosen name or preferred pronoun, think Millennials are all useless and lazy, and resent movements that have nothing to do with you because you feel they are somehow infringing on your rights or undervaluing your life as a member of a privileged majority.

And hey, on the bright side, Im sure theres a little bit of bigotry in all of us. If you look hard enough, Im sure you could find it.

By the way, the word racist is a strong accusation that shouldnt be thrown around lightly. Words are powerful, but when they are overused or misused, they lose their meaning.

As a side note, while news articles need to be free of opinion and journalists need to do their best to show both sides of any issue in an impartial light, writing devoid of opinion does not make the writer racist or a racist apologist.

An opinion column, on the other hand, is a perfectly acceptable and appropriate place for a journalist to express their personal point of view. Its the whole purpose of a column, after all.

Opinion

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You dont have to be a racist to be a bigot - Ponoka News

Much of what sets the tone in American culture has come from the west to the east.

Hollywood for decades has enamored the American psyche. Electric cars, the Beach Boys, Napa wines the list of things California has injected into our nations way of life is impressive and pervasive.

Now something else is coming our way from California.

It is governance by an elitist class that puts political correctness on steroids and holds a deep antipathy to the historical drivers of Americas prosperity and liberty.

Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice First presidential debate to cover coronavirus, Supreme Court Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (D-Calif.) is probably a nice person.

As a vice-presidential candidate, a role that requires her to be the responder-in-chief to the inanities put forth by President TrumpDonald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE, she has been formidable.

She has taken a tone of modulated disbelief and correction rather than the shrillness favored by other Trump critics such as Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenHarris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda Judd Gregg: The Kamala threat the Californiaization of America GOP set to release controversial Biden report MORE (D-Mass.).

It is an approach that bolsters her credibility. It is made all the more effective by the contrast it poses to the presidents bombastic style.

That said, however, she is also the product and adherent of the California political cult of leftist governance that has subsumed that state like an ideological virus.

Think about what Harris and her colleagues in charge of California have wrought.

Begin with rolling blackouts something usually only seen in developing countries.

These blackouts have darkened ordinary daily routines and handicapped the ability of businesses, especially small businesses, to function.

They are a direct result of governance that is subservient to a culture of political correctness regarding energy production.

This mindset puts feel good politics ahead of the real-world needs of those who cannot afford its excesses.

Ironically, California actually has the resources to produce more than enough gas to light the entire west coast without any self-imposed darkness.

This is not an acceptable approach to Harriss crowd, however.

Alternative energy sources like wind and solar do make sense, but not if they are promoted as the sole acceptable form of energy production. This kind of dogmatism retards an entire society, and turns out the lights in the process.

It is a recipe for economic stagnation and dislocation.

The effects are fairly obvious, even if they must be seen in the dark.

Harriss crowd wishes to govern America. A California rolling darkness will fall on us all.

The politically correct culture is also seeking to seize the California elementary and secondary school system.

This is an extreme ideological agenda.

The core of the curriculum would teach students a deep dislike of Americans traditional history, and of the ideas that have created this extraordinary nation.

The educational indoctrination that is being proposed for Californias public schools is built on the new possibilities for post-imperial life that promotes collective narratives of transformative resistance, according to the website of the states department of education.

These courses appear to have been developed by legatees of the 1960s radical left who hang out in the corners of Californias elite educational societies.

The underlying theme is that we are a fundamentally evil nation, whose historic leaders like Washington, Jefferson and Jackson must be expunged from memory.

This approach can best be characterized as an intellectual sickness. But it is a sickness, which the California elite intends to spread across the nation.

It is something we can all do without. But we will most likely be subjected to it if Kamalas people have their way with our nations educational agenda.

Raising taxes is of course a primal cause of the left.

We have a society where almost all income tax revenues come from high-income people. The top 20 percent of earners pay 87 percent of the income taxes; the top five per percent pay about 60 percent of the income taxes.

This is not enough for our liberal colleagues.

The tax plan proposed by Democratic nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' MORE in effect doubles capital gains tax for high earners, and takes the overall tax burden for those folks up to over 42 percent.

But for Harriss California government types, this is also not enough.

Biden is a piker by California standards.

The California legislature has proposed that, on top of the federal income tax burden, there should be added an additional 16 percent tax on high income earners.

This would make the general tax burden on productive people stratospheric.

It would mean that almost 60 percent of all income would go to the government.

These massive tax increases would allow the people who run the government to redistribute it to the folks who elect them, or to support the patronage of the folks who work for them.

It is not likely that Californians will stop at their states border in their quest to fleece the few to elect themselves.

Harris and her people will bring their ideas, on taxes and everything else, to Washington with great gusto.

This is accurately described as socialism.

It is a value system built on the theme of beggar thy neighbor.

It subscribes to the philosophy that productivity and entrepreneurship can be managed better by those who govern than by those who work in a market economy and take risks.

These Californian leftists ignore the natural laws of economic expansion, which require that people who work, build businesses and create jobs should enjoy reasonable financial returns.

The lefts excesses suffocate the energies that generate economic expansion by limiting the returns on that effort.

The socialism of the Californian governing class is not an idea whose time has come.

Socialism reduces the standard of living of all societies that have pursued it.

Delivering this Californian gift to the rest of the nation will deliver the rest of us to a country with less opportunity.

California does have much to offer.

Its politics as practiced by the Kamala cabal is, however, not among those things.

Judd Gregg (R) is a former governor and three-term senator from New Hampshire who served as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, and as ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Foreign Operations subcommittee.

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Judd Gregg: The Kamala threat the Californiaization of America | TheHill - The Hill

In the rightwing culture war that has subsumed our politics, a handful of key words depict the enemy, all of them increasingly interchangeable: political correctness, identity politics, #MeToo, cancel culture, and above all, wokeness. (You can tell when this category of terms is being used to this effect when they slot neatly in the headline Now ****** really has gone too far!) Collectively, the words have come to pose a threat to readers, ready to be outraged by an unwelcome change to our politics and society, hiding under the guise of equality and justice.

The terms have been subject to a successful rebranding exercise that started on the right, but then leapfrogged into the mainstream. As notions that began as efforts to redress imbalances in society, challenge embedded power structures, and organise effectively against them, the terminology of equality has since been savaged. Woke, a call to stay alert to injustices in society, is now almost exclusively a slur, a sneer at someones over-worthy and counterproductive politics.

If you get your news from one of Britains many conservative papers, you will encounter near-daily attacks on wokeness, woke-ism and the tyranny of woke. The Telegraph has tagged the phenomenon as cancel culture and runs content mocking, vilifying or scaremongering the issue on a regular basis.

The latest entry in this lexicon of terror is Black Lives Matter. In only a few months, a phrase that once depicted a solemn moment of silence and solidarity with the victims of racial injustice has become a symbol of censorship and reverse discrimination. Black Lives Matter is now dragged into controversies it has nothing to do with, shoehorned into debates it never started, blamed for moves it never demanded.

In the summer, UKTV removed an episode of Fawlty Towers due to language used against Germans, the move was immediately associated with the Black Lives Matter movement and set off the usual fireworks, including from John Cleese himself who called the decision stupid. But the episode was part of a BBC review of offensive language and it was soon reinstated with a disclaimer.

In August, newspapers such as the Times reported on unsourced speculation that lyrics to songs were to be dropped at the Proms because of racial sensitivity. As I wrote last month, despite the story not being true (there was an orchestral version online and singing will come back next year subject to the pandemic being over), the press ran with it.

This month, a relatively small number of complaints to ITVs Britains Got Talent about a Black Lives Matter themed dance surged after the issue was picked up as red meat by the press.

There is then a sort of free word-association exercise in the media that hangs over the movement, darkening it in suspicion. The Telegraph has called its supporters lockdown-busting statue-toppling anarchists. Far-left agitators stuck in a Marxist echo chamber says the Express. Mention Black Lives Matter in the company of Marxism, lawlessness, boycotting Israel, and abolishing the police enough times, and the movement becomes defined by terms that push people away and bury its main cause.

Attacks on the movements leaders did the rest of the smear work. The Sun located its deep concern for black people last week when it pointed out that a Black Lives Matter founder (a trained Marxist) had links to a pro-Chinese Communist party liberal group. The gotcha here from the paper is that black people are treated poorly in China, and so clearly the Black Lives Matter activist cares more about militant Marxism than they do racism.

For all the frightening talk of a radical woke Black Lives Matter agenda restricting our hard-won liberties, the only concerted campaign here is the one attacking a movement for equality. In the US, this has traditionally been the work of well-funded conservative thinktanks that presented this agenda as a detached academic exercise, rather than an ideological pursuit. Since the early 1990s, the rightwing Heritage Foundation, whose stated mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies, has published content criticising political correctness about 400 times a year.

In the UK, this well-resourced process happens via a media that is less explicit in its declared purpose of arresting progress the moment it looks like change is possible. But still, the pushback is relentless, its tone calculated to trigger a warlike combination of revulsion and panic.

The dividends, both real and political, are lucrative. Nursing a sense of alarm on a daily basis creates a feedback loop that sends consumers back to the panic merchants, guaranteeing rage views and clicks. Reassuring these consumers that they are right in their unfounded suspicions gives them licence and evidence to justify their prejudice. This serves the interests of everyone in the media and politics who stands to lose if the scales of power are rebalanced.

The purpose of this propaganda is clear: to diminish the moral power of demands for racial equality and social justice so that they are then easier to extinguish, and to depict them as a militant threat to life as we know it, rather than a belated, and in fact extremely fragile attempt to secure basic rights to life, representation and dignity.

Resistance to these legitimate historic endeavours is successful in the day-to-day, but will be stormed over time. The resonance of the Black Lives Matter movement globally proves that the spontaneous truth of injustice is louder than deliberate attempts to suppress it. Black Lives Matter may have fallen from its temporary grace in the summer, but it rose without the help of its new critics, and will endure despite them.

Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist and the author of We Need New Stories: Challenging the Toxic Myths Behind Our Age of Discontent

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Despite being vilified in the rightwing media, Black Lives Matter will endure - The Guardian

Two football players at Little Miami High School have been placed back on active status after being suspended from practice for carrying a thin blue line flag and thin red line flag across the field before their game on Sept. 11. The move was in order to honor police officers and firefighters on Septembeer 11, 2020.

BOCA RATON, FL A very joyous, LShana Tovah, a good New Year to our Jewishsupporters.And a not so silent prayer should be uttered, in every house of worship or in our homes that we will be blessed with another four years of leadership from President Trump. But remember, G-d helps those who help themselves, meaning the brunt of the work is on our shoulders to make our prayers come true. And to help us along, a message from above was sent to us in the form of two fearless, heroic young kids from Morrow, Ohio, whose bravery and love of country should spur us on to victory in November.

Brady Williams and Jared Bentley, football players for that towns Little Miami High School, prior to the start of their game on the evening of this years 9/11, had theaudacityto run across the field, to the cheers of the fans, one carrying a Thin Blue Line and the other a Thin Red Line American flag in remembrance of the 19th Anniversary of the attacks. Good for them! However, both boys were suspended because they did it against the will of their schools oafish administration. Both kids are sons of first responders. Bravery and patriotism run through their veins. Cowardice and weakness ooze from their supposed mentors.

The week before the game both Williams and Bentley had formally asked for approval to carry the flags but were told by administrators that would not be allowed. The fool who is the Superintendent of Little Miami Schools, Gregory Power received harsh backlash from the community for his stupidity in punishing these kids. His statement in response to the ensuing fury of the townspeople:

Little Miami Local Schools is (sic) saddened to see this story take such a negative turn. While we understand these students desire to show their support of our first responders, they did not obtain permission from district officials. Administrators must act when students break the rules.

Displaying the flag is against the rules? Since when did the BLM movement take over that town? If some moronic, black and white students had carried the BLM, Gay Pride or Hammer and Sickle flag across the field, would they have incurred suspensions as well? No Way. Political Correctness protocol holds sway over much of our land. Your vote and voice will put a change to that.

For all of us, no matter of what faith or belief, the future of this country now hangs in the balance. Do the forces of evil take over? Will the freedoms that are reflected in the words found in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution be trampled upon and erased by our own lack of resolve to fight for them? Youngsters, American kids such as Brady Williams and Jared Bentley, heroes from Morrow, Ohio, wont let it happen. Lets stand with them.

See the original post:

Political Correctness Protocol Holds Sway Over Much Of Our Land; Your Vote And Voice In November Will Put A Change To That - The Published Reporter

Among the many new expressions in an era of constantly growing political correctness, its difficult to tell where the term latinx stands in todays common usage.

Alondra Longoria, president of Sigma Lambda Gamma, MSUs multicultural sorority, first heard the term, latinx, two years ago when she came to college after attending a predominantly white high school. Longoria is a junior pursuing a degree in psychology and a minor in diversity studies.

Its all about inclusivity, Longoria said. I personally refer to myself as Latina because I use the pronouns she, her and hers. But, using Latino or Latina might be considered a microaggression against someone if they dont identify as male or female. If someone uses they and/or them pronouns, they would go by Latinx.

Sigma Lambda Gamma has officially adopted the term Latinx and uses it in their general conversation, according to Longoria. They also use the term womxn pronounced women-ex, which is inclusive of transgender women.

I think the Latinx term enables the inclusion of Hispanics in todays movement for diversity and inclusion, said Alejandro Castilleja, project manager for a manufacturing firm in Cincinnati, Ohio. Castilleja is a Mexican national who has lived in the United States for work and education for over nine years.

I also see it as a marketing tool in todays social climate used by some corporations to attract the market, but also as a great diversity and inclusion push in the workplace, Castilleja said. Although a lot of people do identify with and champion it, at the end of the day, it is up to an individuals belief on what language to use.

According to aPew Research Center study conducted in December 2019, 76% of adults who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino have never heard of the term Latinx. 20% of responding adults said that they have heard of the term but do not use it, whereas 3% of the total responding population use the term. This approximates to 13% of those who have heard of the term actually using it. The data from the survey consists of responses from 3,030 adults who self-identified as Hispanic.

This study uses the terms Latino and Hispanic interchangeably and defines Latinx as a term used to describe people who are of or relate to Latin American origin or descent. It is a gender-neutral or nonbinary alternative to Latino or Latina.

The study revealed that different demographics have different relationships with the term. 42% of Hispanics aged 18-29 had heard of the term, while 7% of Hispanics aged 65 or over had heard of the term. Hispanics born in the United States are also twice as likely to have heard of the term as those born outside the country.

Social demographics also play a role in the preference of terms. Respondents with college experience are twice as likely to have heard of the term Latinx and twice as likely to prefer using it. Politically, respondents who lean toward the democratic party are more likely to have heard of Latinx (29%) than respondents who lean republican (16%).

The term Latinx will be used more in the future, Longoria said. For adults that do speak Spanish, it has been harder to adapt just because its brand new. A lot of people have a problem with it because they have an attitude of if you change one word then were going to have to change all of the words because Spanish is very gendered. I think it will be used more, but I dont necessarily think it will be adapted to either Spanish or English.

Link:

How far does a word go: where Latinx fits in today - Standard Online