Lena Dunham’s thought police, Mueller’s gone too far & other comments – New York Post

From the left: Dems 2020 Purity Olympics Under Way

Democrats have already begun testing attacks on one of their own possible presidential contenders, California Sen. Kamala Harris, suggesting shes a corporate stooge, reports Michael Tomasky at The Daily Beast. Its meant to send a message that if Democrats are even thinking about nominating Harris, the dis-unity commission will get to work sabotaging her. But such attacks have the feel of a group of people, most or all of them Bernie Sanders supporters, itching to refight 2016 and demand a level of purity that lo and behold only one candidate can possibly attain. Yet demanding a precise stance from candidates because one candidate takes that position and therefore its the only right and true position is absurd.

Conservative take: In Defense of Trumps Generals

David French at National Review takes issue with those worried by President Trumps reliance on an unusual number of generals in top positions. In this administration, he says, its good that John Kelly, James Mattis and H. R. McMaster are together working at the apex of American civilian government. Given the nature of this president, the small chance of long-term harm is more than outweighed by the benefits of their steady hands on Americas most vital (and dangerous) instruments of government. True, not all generals are worthy of this degree of public trust take Michael Flynn. But these three have spent a lifetime establishing not just a record of physical courage under fire but also of moral courage under political pressure. Apologies to A Few Good Men, but we want them on that wall.

Culture critic: Lena Dunhams Self-Enforcing Police State

Lena Dunham was walking through an airport and overheard two American Airlines employees private conversation about transgender children. So, as Robert Tracinski says at The Federalist, she ratted them out to their employer on Twitter. What makes this really creepy and totalitarian is that she enthusiastically provided detailed information about exactly where the conversation took place in order to help the airline locate, identify and punish these specific employees for holding politically incorrect views. Dunham was acting like an informant working for a totalitarian police state but boastfully, in public, on social media. Yet it never occurred to her to talk to them directly, to attempt to persuade them or to listen to their point of view and engage with it. Because why wait for persuasion when you can use fear?

Ex-prosecutor: Mueller Probe Is Going Too Far

President Trump is absolutely correct when he suggests special counsel Robert Mueller is violating his mandate, says former US Attorney Matthew Whitaker at CNN: Mueller has come up to a red line in the election-meddling investigation that he is dangerously close to crossing by probing unrelated financial transactions. This is completely outside of the realm of possible election meddling, and Mueller wasnt given broad, far-reaching powers. He is only authorized to investigate matters that involved any potential links to and coordination between two entities the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Indeed, if the special counsel could investigate anything he wants, why would there even need to be a letter spelling out the specific limits of the investigation?

Security desk: Hold UNICEF Responsible for Iraq Lies

The British Journal of Global Health, reports Michael Rubin at Commentary, has determined that the claim that US-led sanctions on Iraq killed 500,000 children was a fiction dreamed up by Saddam Husseins government to fuel propaganda against the West. Yet some still cite the figure and believe its accurate. And UNICEF then headed by former New York City Council President Carol Bellamy parroted the claim. She bears ultimate responsibility for accepting Saddams statistics blindly despite Iraqs refusal to allow independent surveying. Indeed, she worked overtime to publicize it and dismissed out of hand any questions about methodology. So its time to make funding for UNICEF contingent on an investigation into how it got Iraq so wrong.

Compiled by Eric Fettmann

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Lena Dunham's thought police, Mueller's gone too far & other comments - New York Post