Commentary, Punditry, and More
This weekend, it was The Other McCain. This morning, it was Instapundit courtesy of Vodka Pundit himself Stephen Green. My thanks to you!
The Other McCain linked to The Great Silencing Proceeds (the entire series can be found here), and Instapundit linked to Protests, Armed Or Otherwise (more in Politics can be found here).
For those who might be interested in browsing around, please do check out the Preparedness category as well as other work.
Yes, I’m behind on the book posts and other writing. Trying to get caught up.
First, my thanks to Wombat-socho at The Other McCain for the link! Much appreciated, and those visiting: please look around, check out the other stories, and feel free to chime in on all, but in particular the preparedness pays posts.
Second, congratulations to David Weber on receiving the Frank Herbert Lifetime Achievent Award from Helicon. It is truly a well-deserved honor for a good man and author.
Third, three more good bites of food for thought about the current situation. What do they know that we don’t, from Legal Insurrection. He’s right, what is going on there doesn’t make sense unless it is a hysterical overreaction to the demonstration at the Capitol, or they know something we don’t. I’m not sure there were this many video cameras around the Green Zone in Baghdad when I was there, why so many here? Finally, Orwellian language and nightmare, as the media and others pursue gaslighting.
Working on a new Preparedness Pays post, no promises on how soon. Hopefully some more up today, but again, no promises.
When I wrote this post, I had hoped that it would take much longer to get to this point. I’m not at all surprised at what is happening, just how fast — and how open — it is going. See my posts on Phase II and Mask Dropping for additional thoughts.
They don’t just want to silence any and all opposition, they want to destroy any and all opposition. To be honest, to hold power, they will have to do so, and literal killing has been going on for months now. The media has relentlessly suppressed the political assassinations of, and attacks on, Trump supporters, focusing instead on the few real instances of any pushback at their brownshirts. Sadly, I believe that killing by the progressives and their brownshirts will soon go wholesale. Be prepared.
The efforts to demonitize opposition is also rapidly escalating. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has entered the fray, along with other major companies. Look at what happened to Parler, and how even family and those not directly associated with attempts to create bastions of free speech have had all means of funding/banking suspended (see Gab’s founder as but one example).
Mainstream media continues to fall deeper into the sewer, with more mainstream reporters turning against independent journalists. In the media, it has been widely ignored for some time that “journalists” in Portland and elsewhere have engaged in active efforts to put Andy Ngo’s life in danger.
The destruction of lives continues, with the call to ban anyone who worked for or supported Trump already bearing fruit. Here is but one example of people being driven to suicide. Yes, there are more, go dig.
They hate you, they really, really hate you and literally do want you dead. When they talk of camps, re-education, ending careers and threating to destroy any who employ anyone who worked for or supported Trump, or killing anyone who worked for or supported Trump, they are being quite literal, not figurative. They mean it. Believe them. Now, they are going to move even more into the open. Also, keep in mind that hate is all they have. They have no love, no forgiveness, no Grace; and, while that will eventually will turn them on themselves, they will have no compunction about and will celebrate every destruction and death.
The next major operation will be creating another incident to use to push not just gun control, but gun confiscation. They’ve started by turning the demonstration at the Capitol into such a moment, but need more. All the more reason I urge anyone and everyone to boycott the inauguration and especially the false-flag armed protests being talked about. They hate to be ignored and they hate to be ridiculed. A boycott hits both, so use it. Do not fall for false flag events, don’t do something stupid and give them what they need. Make them fabricate it, so that more and more see what lies beneath the masks that have been removed.
Meantime, fight back. Get active in forums that Big Tech has not yet brought down. Read, listen, think, and share. Then, start local. There is a reason George Soros has been funding people in local elections. A good start is to find out who took such funding, and primary them and support a decent replacement. Support not establishment candidates, but good people who will do the job and follow the Constitution. Cleaning out the establishment politicians and the progressives locally isolates those in DC and chips away at their power.
Go read the posts from Sarah A. Hoyt, especially her posts Dance To The Line and Line Dancing: How To Be A Scary Moron. There are others I will mention later, but Sarah has already surved socialism once and has insights many do not.
WELCOME READERS FROM THE OTHER McCAIN!
This weekend, it was The Other McCain. This morning, it was Instapundit courtesy of Vodka Pundit himself Stephen Green. My thanks to you!
The Other McCain linked to The Great Silencing Proceeds (the entire series can be found here), and Instapundit linked to Protests, Armed Or Otherwise (more in Politics can be found here).
For those who might be interested in browsing around, please do check out the Preparedness category as well as other work.
UPDATE II:
For anyone whining that this is not pro-active enough, or that are truly looking at viable ways to resist/fight back, check out What Else Can I Do.
Following up on my post from yesterday on false flag ops and other IW, Roger L. Simon has a very good take on how to avoid being drawn into such. If no one shows up to protest anywhere, it will be harder (but not impossible) to turn it into a false flag event. Remember Aikido, and that the best way to avoid an attack is not to be where the blow lands. Step aside and let your enemy be the one extended and off balance. Make them look the fool, and if they happen to trip and fall, well, too bad.
I will admit I was wrong in my original post about Ashli Babbitt. While some effort has gone into impeaching her character, they are memory holing her just as they have done with others they don’t want as a part of the narrative.
Street Artist SABO has taken up the cause, and has a downloadable portrait of her available. If you want to help support him, and I hope you do, you can buy one to help support his work.
Remember her, and say her name!
Hat tip, Instapundit
Short and sweet this morning. If you are thinking about attending an armed protest: DON’T. Do you not think that these will be used to set-up a provocation, an “incident” that will be used to push through legislation on gun control and confiscation? Don’t be stupid, they will do so (as with Waco) and take it as far as they can.
For all that I agree with Sarah A. Hoyt on the fact that we need to Dance To The Line, I would recommend strongly avoiding most protests. As with the one in southern California, they will be attacked and despite video and other evidence, only one side will commit violence and be charged. HINT: It will not be those attacking the peaceful protest.
Beware online and real-life “friends” egging you and events on. The amount of IW/Psyops underway is beyond amazing and disturbing. The left needs violence, and will do anything to anyone to get it. Step back from it, make them overextend so that you/we can step aside and let them fall on their face (think Aikido). Don’t play into their hands by being stupid and giving them something they can seize on and distort. We do not need any more martyrs like Ashli Babbitt (SAY HER NAME!), though we will have them. Far too many of them I suspect.
There will come a time when to save their life, or the lives of a loved one, someone will defend themselves. The left and it’s leaders in politics and the media, will do all they can to demonize and destroy that person. They will lie through their teeth about what happened, and use it to push not just gun control and confiscation, but to go after all weapons if they can. They want everyone who might oppose them disarmed.
Ridicule them, counter them with facts, make them take ridiculous swings so that the masks slip for all to see. But, be as safe as you can and don’t give them any unforced errors to use against those who oppose them.
I fear there is little that can be done to stop what is coming. That said, there is no choice on my part but to take a stand. As such, I’ve just cancelled my Amazon Prime membership, and closed my Amazon Associate account. This site is no longer a part of it and the disclaimers will be removed. Yes, I did let the associates program know that I was leaving over what was being done to Parler. Plan to do everything I can to avoid buying anything from them unless I can’t find it elsewhere. May play a bit of hob with the budget, but will live with it.
Whatever she was before, and she was a 14-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Ashli Babbit is now a martyr. There are several videos of her shooting, and you can view some of them here; or, view a much longer video of the entry into the Capitol here (recommended). No links to Youtube from me, they are requiring sign-in to view them. Fuck them. And, yes, the videos are graphic.
She was climbing into a broken window when she was shot in the neck, apparently by someone in the library. None of the various videos indicate any warning. Once down, she pointed to her neck as blood came out her mouth and nose.
DC police are “investigating” her death, but I don’t expect much given their long history of covering up for various federal legal entities. I suspect that they, along with many politicians, expect that “the people” will just take it like always. They are wrong.
Both the Democrats and the establishment Republicans are seriously misreading the lay of the land. After months of riots over deaths of rather questionable individuals, the huge overreach of authority in the name of pandemic lockdowns, the huge and continuing economic impact of various measures — again in the name of the pandemic — that are killing small- and medium-sized businesses and keeping millions out of work, and an election that stinks to high heaven, the people have had enough. The murder (a term I use with deliberation) of Ashli Babbit will not just be accepted, and those who think they can control this narrative are fools.
What happened yesterday at the Capitol should not have been unanticipated. Most of the law enforcement I’ve seen inside showed restraint and a high degree of professionalism. However, it only takes one panicked and/or unprepared (or just plain stupid) person to do something this criminally stupid. To be honest, I’m surprised it was just the one shot, and I wonder if that person’s fellow officers did anything to stop them from firing again. It really doesn’t matter though.
Blood has been spilled, and the media response makes clear they realize that Ashli Babbit’s death makes her a martyr. They have and will continue to do all they can to avoid that. It’ won’t matter. It won’t matter if twitter, FB, and YouTube do all they can to suppress the videos. It’s out there, from multiple angles and multiple people, on multiple platforms.
If there is a case for a member of security shooting dead an unarmed woman who’s only threat was that of entering a library in the Capitol, they need to make it now if they are smart. However, they aren’t so I expect them to try to destroy her name and reputation, and will count of their minions in the media to carry their water for them. The media will do so, but it will not have the impact they think. It will only add fuel to the flames.
The progressive left sees violence as a dial that can be turned up (see this summer’s riots) or down at need. A good portion of the rest of the world, however, does not. They see it as a simple on/off switch. A case can be made that yesterday was a different side playing with the knob. An interesting philosophical discussion, but moot in terms of reality.
This year has seen multiple assaults and even murders of Trump supporters and/or those simply seen as such. The mayor of DC (and the DC police) encouraged violence in the city against Trump supporters (or those simply suspected of being such) at previous rallies. If they attempt to white-wash this, or to engage in further violence, I’m very much afraid that they will find that her murder has flipped the switch.
Hang on, as I am afraid it is going to get very rough, potentially to the point that we will see internal violence on a level we have not seen in more than 100 years. Be prepared, be smart, and be as safe as circumstances allow. Think. And think long and hard where you stand in regards freedom and liberty, and what you can and will do to preserve the same. There is still time and opportunity to pursue legal and other remedies to secure them; but, I fear that window may be as gone as the window Ashli Babbit was climbing through when she was murdered.
While I mostly was successful in staying off social media yesterday, I have been following the terrorist attack in Nashville. Yes, I do consider it a terrorist attack. Short and sweet: until other information comes out, this was aimed at the AT&T center; that one or more people carrying it out stayed with the RV to ensure that it went off and/or that innocents were not harmed says quite a bit; that they broadcast a warning and countdown says even more and pulls from a couple of playbooks that have me more than a little concerned; and, I am waiting to see what comes next and from where before saying much more. That this was not a typical terror attack does not mean it was not a terrorist attack; rather, it means it was targeted and the psyop involved speaks to larger goals. It is asymmetric warfare as much as terrorism. Stay tuned, this is going to be an interesting ride.
Many years ago, at my then blog and later on Blackfive, I wrote a series of posts about what it would take to save modern journalism. In that series, I went into a number of symptoms that had taken journalism from any semblance of fair and balanced into pure advocacy. While the Camelot-like myth of an unbiased media is just that, it used to be that real journalists would occasionally do real journalism.
The problem is, I was focused on the symptoms rather than the root cause of the symptoms. While I am not the first to say this, I have come to think that journalism died when it became a profession, rather than a trade. In days gone by, journalism was not a respectable profession. The portrayal of low-income, not socially acceptable to high society, hard working, hard drinking, and somewhat disreputable (to highly disreputable) portrayals of the media in film noir and beyond was in many ways more accurate than those in the field would have liked.
While there were always exceptions, they were just that. Even some of those exceptions were not as portrayed; rather, they were creations to give a veneer of respectability to both the trade and to the news being disseminated.
I was fortunate to have been trained by some of those who were legend in the days when it was a trade rather than a profession. My first journalism professor was representative of the movie caricature, down to a bottle of booze in a lower desk drawer. Some of the rules of writing still are drilled into me, such as the proper use of “over” versus “more-than” which he taught by the explanation of ‘I have a brick over your head, that weighs more than x pounds. When I drop it on your head for using over, it will hurt.’ Humorous then, likely to get him reprimanded or disciplined today because to snowflakes, it’s a threat.
Looking at things, I’m not sure that any like Mike Royko, Darryl Feldmeir, or Les Brownlee (who set a number of milestones as a black journalist) could find work in the field today. Today, you have to have a four year degree to get started as a “serious” journalist. To truly get ahead, at least a Master’s degree.
And there lies the problem. Our universities provide and demand lockstep indoctrination and obedience to a certain political thought. Increasingly, if you hold a different view, you are shunned. The net result is that while newsrooms might contain every color and multiple genders, they lack almost any ideological diversity outside a very narrow progressive spectrum. Don’t believe me? Take a look at what is going on inside the New York Times (where the spirit of Duranty lives!) right now with the battles between staff and management, or even within the publishing field where the lower level staffers are revolting over the publication of conservative (or even moderate) books.
Can Pvt. Journalism still be saved? Perhaps. I see real journalism happening, even at risk of life and reputation, in the independent media. People like Andy Ngo, Sharyl Attkisson, and organizations like Newsmax give me some hope. However, before they can be truly effective, what passes for the mainstream media will have to crash and burn and/or new media outlets dedicated to real journalism be created and flourish. I see the start of the latter, and am watching the growing fires and explosions within the “old” mainstream media growing. What comes of it remains to be seen, especially since Big Tech and establishment politicians are doing all they can to shore up the ‘right’ type of outlets despite the growing problems.
That said, until there are more organizations like Newsmax and they have real viewership, journalism is dead. Again, others have said it before, but if Trump and others are smart, they will start news organizations and means of distribution (like Parler and Rumble) to bypass the censorious Big Tech and get the word out to the broadest possible audience. Note that such efforts are being fought tooth and nail, and both Big Tech and the media devote a large amount of time to trying to paint such efforts as racist, allowing hate speech, and other double-plus-ungood things. Such efforts rightly terrify them (and those in the establishment political class), and they will stop at nothing to destroy them. Indeed, I expect to see actual physical means used as well to literally harm or kill those behind such efforts. Yes, I’m serious as political assassination was a tool in this last election, though the media did its best to not cover such things.
To save Pvt. Journalism, who — like the Republic — may be dead in many respects, means making use of the “golden hour” for revival. It will take funds and, frankly, more courage than I think many may have. It’s one thing to be fearless for yourself, but when family and friends are threatened and attacked (as has happened) in a variety of means physical, fiscal, and beyond… All we can do is do what we can as individuals to either create such efforts or support them as best we can. Oh, and it would be good to make journalism into an honest trade, rather than a dishonest profession.