"Words! Words! Words!" Thus spoke that gloomy and, at that moment, exasperated Dane. I feel his pain every time I read a newspaper or a political blog. So I have been cheered up by Mr. Peter Skurkis in The American Thinker today because he has intimated that perhaps one result of the overwhelming Republican victory 'over there' will be an assault on vile, sly 'lib-speak'. For example, he has noticed recent articles using the term 'pro-abortion' instead of the more cuddly 'pro-choice'. He hopes that the even more cuddly term, 'gay' will be replaced by the accurate word 'homosexual'. And finally, he urges a reverse in the confusing use of 'red/blue' to designate the political colour of states or parties in the USA. Everywhere else in the world, 'red' is associated with the Left and 'blue' with the Right. This confusing reversal was the work of a Democrat party hack in the 2000 election and was deployed to soften their image amongst potentially Right-wing electors.
Once again 'The Kraut' hits the nail: In his latest column, Charles Krauthammer analyses the errors into which the Democrat party didn't so much fall as march into with bands playing! Led by their silly noses, probably by so-called 'smart Alecs' with political science degrees and careers in polling companies, they deliberately aimed their campaign at specific ethnic and social groups. Trump, on the other hand, eschewed that tactic and kept talking to and at the generality of 'the American people'. He won, she lost, 'nuff said!
Meanwhile the (proposed) mother of my babies says much the same: I refer, of course, to Ms. Janet Daley and I should stress that it is my proposal that she bear my babies to which, rather surprisingly, I have received no answer! Anyway, in The Telegraph today she says much the same as 'The Kraut' but applies it to British politics. Well worth reading.
A proper British gent:
And today, that epitome of what it means to be a British gentleman, Mr. (surely soon to be 'Sir'!) Lewis Hamilton, must win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and seize the World Championship from that dastardly Hun! However, he must do it properly, that is, he must drive the Hun off the track and wreck his car. That's the sort of spirit that gained us an empire! ADDITIONAL: Hamilton won the race but lost the Championship. Obviously, it was all a devilish, cunning Hunnish plot, just like the EU!
A trumpet call for Trump: Normally I avoid agitprop from whichever direction it comes, and I'm not too sure how truthful some of this is but, hell, it's not often you see pro-Trump stuff so it makes a change:
Someone asked a woman how she could vote for Trump given that he was a “misogynist, a racist and a bigot”. Here is her answer:
Because I use my head to research and find out what candidates really are, not what the media wants me to think.
Because Donald Trump has more women in executive and managerial positions than any comparable company, which tells me he is not a misogynist.
Because he pays these women the same or more than their male counterparts, which tells me looks for capacity and skills in people, not color, gender or race.
Because he fought the West Palm Beach City Council to be able to open his newly purchased club, so he could include blacks and Jews as members, who had been banned until then. This tells me he's not a racist.
Because he has raised wonderful children who have turned out to be outstanding, hard working and compassionate adults. He must be doing something right.
Because his economic plans makes sense, are conservative in nature, and I vote based of what is best for my family, my friends and my country.
Because everybody, the left and the right are afraid of him, the media is trying to destroy his image, and even foreign governments are voicing their opinions, so he must be doing something right. Clean house maybe?
Because I want a Supreme Court that will uphold the Constitution, not behave as minions of the administration. I have had enough with judges who are more like political activists than law enforcers.
Because I fear for my family’s safety if the current trend of not confronting blatant terrorism continues – which is a threat to our way of life.
Because I am fed up with the rampant corruption of this administration. Accountability in government is paramount, and as this administration has demonstrated, it is a foreign concept to them.
Because I am fed up with the political correctness gone wild, and because Trump is not afraid to say what everybody thinks but does not dare to say. A thug is a thug, regardless of color, and that's it.
Because it is about time someone puts America's interests ahead of other countries.
Because I know he recognizes & embraces America's exceptionalism, and will not tour the World apologizing for who we are. That tells me he is a patriot.
Because, unlike HRC, he has actually held a job, worked hard and achieved success.
And last, but not least, because I am more offended by what Hillary does than by what Trump says.
Über Umdrehung! That means 'about turn' in German but mein Gott, vot is goink on? Apparently, The Sunday Express is reporting that 'Mutti' Merkel has changed her mind and has now issued orders for the forced repatriation of at least 100,000 immigrants. They would be from the million or so she invited in
free, gratis and for nothing a couple of years ago. This, of course, is the sort of superior, sophisticated policy-making that is, according to certain people, so very much more superior to anything us thick Brits could manage. Of course, it might have something to do with the fact that 'Mutti' has decided to run again as Chancellor despite her party sinking in the polls faster than the battleship Bismarck mostly because of her stupid 'open door' policy. Anyone know the German for 'you couldn't make it up'?
It takes one to know one: I am obliged to Tim Worstall for pointing me towards a pile of 'brown stuff' in 'The Graun' produced by Richard Gott who has written an obit on that mass murderer Fidel Castro. You will recall, I trust, that Mr. Gott was once, back in the day, in receipt of KGB money so in this case the corpse and the obit writer are as one! Against my better instincts I have provided a link but I must warn you that copious sick-bags are essential!
No more rumbles today
Words, words words. The Left always takes control of the language as well as the institutions. They will even make "improper" use of proper language a crime. Literally. Thus illegal immigrant has become "undocumented immigrant". When the Right adopts the Lefts misuse of language, we are arguing their ideas with their words instead of proper words. That is the road to cultural Marxism.
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 14:29
David if you could manage to hose down Ms. Daley with a respectable brand of bubbly, she might notice your kind offer?
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 14:58
it's a waste of words to even mention that arguing about the semantics of politics is a waste of words. Politics wouldn't be politics without propaganda, and Trump and Farage both proved that identity politics is not only alive and well but able to succeed where all else fails.
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 15:23
Read Krauthammer's article, Bob, and you will understand that 'identity politics' is what the Dems played for but Trump concentrated on 'Americans'. In doing so he picked up considerably more support from ethnic minorities than any expected.
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 15:50
Heilige Scheiße! Mutti Merkel has some nerve! She is Germany's chief national security threat at the moment.
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 16:30
Barring some unexpected tectonic shift the British Isles (try explaining that to an American) will remain a part of Europe.
The EU, now that is a different matter.
Posted by: Doonhamer | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 17:19
Exactly so, 'Doonie'!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 17:44
David,
Krauthammer disingenuously avoids Trump's blatant appeals to white grievance. Democrats took ethnic and gender appeals largely for granted and lost because of economic grievances.
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 17:47
But "blatant appeals" people with grievances is exactly what electoral politics is about. The trick is to choose the right ones. The Dems went specifically for their usual congregation, Trump spread it wide and made it inclusive. He won, you lost!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 18:04
Ughhh! Lefty dog vomit. It's over here too. Goes to the old saying "there can be no evil on the Left". Only the right can be evil.
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 18:46
Bob
In the days preceding the general my brother-in-law (he prefers the hypen so, my bro-in-law is African-American to get the particulars outta the way) Anyway me and bro-in-law had a wager going as to which way North Carolina would go. Bro-in-law enjoys A LOT of personal experience with that state, I have none except that I stayed on several occasions during a 1980s era romance at a Asheville Holiday Inn.
Bro-in-law was smugly assured (to the tune of a thousand US) that NC was "safely Democrat" while my opinion to the same tune, was "Oh, I think with the fuss going on in Charlotte, the electorate is likely to 'flip' toward Law & Order."
I'd defer to Whitewall of course but, at least pending a more complete analysis of NC's recent electoral history, I go with what Krauthammer (at least presumptively) concludes.
http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/news/a40176/brittany-packnett-hillary-clinton-endorsement/
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 19:16
David, I agree with your last reply except that I didn't lose; HRC did. Not everyone identifies with a candidate or thinks either "side" represents them. Apparently you agree identity politics are always in play.
JK, I'm not exactly sure what your point is. If it's that HRC alienated blacks back in the 1990's, I agree. She also alienated nearly everyone by giving high-dollar speeches on Wall St. right before declaring as a candidate. Good riddance to the Clintons and, I hope, "third way" politics. Trying to appeal to everyone appeals to no one.
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 19:42
Well Bob,
Law & Order appeals to pretty much everyone across the ages.
Not so much for riots, rioting, mobs destroying other people's property, causing people financial anxiety [reason for the many synonyms is, I heard tell of *groups* explaining helpfully that what they were engaged in, was not rioting]" and having same broadcast live has a tendency to change the people's - not so engaged - opinions, feelings, political affiliations. Especially in close proximity to an upcoming election.
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 20:25
JK,
No one likes riots or pointless destruction of property, but "Law & Order" issues also include: The right to assembly and other Constitutional rights, mental patients and criminals and terrorists buying guns, privatized prisons, militarized and criminal police, abortion, drug laws, eminent domain, white collar crime, political self-dealing (about which you'll be hearing a lot), and so on.
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 22:45
a British gentleman
Nah - never in a squillion years. Squirting bubbly at the head of a young lady who can do nothing about it is not the act of a gentleman but an ill-mannered bovver boy. Stoppage of pay and privileges is the least he should get.
On the other hand she could have given him a good solid belt around the ears for "assaulting" her for that is what he did.
Knighthood? Nah. Make him a Lord as it means f--k all after that woman Shakrabati was given one.
Posted by: AussieD | Monday, 28 November 2016 at 00:42
"No one likes riots or pointless destruction of property"
Rather obviously, there are a lot of people who do like the above!
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Monday, 28 November 2016 at 08:18
The Graun article chimes nicely with the Nolan chart, and highlights an good old observation about extreme left and right politics..
In the Graun article the recurrent comment that Castro was both nationalist and socialist is another corroboration for the theory that the politics of the extreme left and right effectively joins up and becomes indistinguishable. "Castro was a national socialist" screams the article in adoration - the extreme left in a harmony of agreement with the extreme right.
So, in the Nolan chart - here it is again for your delectation ...
If you head to the pointy bit at the bottom, "Authoritarianism", co-ordinate (5, 0). That's the diametric opposite of "Libertarianism", so it's "booooo, hisss" from me at least. And then just head back a bit to the left and right, so you have say (4.9, 0.1) and (5.1, 0.1). There you have communism and national socialism respectively, only .2 away from each other!
The fawning adulation of the Graun article for communism was unable to disguise the same for national socialism - and now we see graphically exactly why!
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Monday, 28 November 2016 at 14:07
backofanenvelope,
There are probably a few that think it's fun, at least for a while, but I'd venture most riot because they have grievances and see no other way to draw attention to them or are just so angry they don't give a damn. Getting shot with rubber bullets or a water cannon or being beaten by police and so on would be an odd form of enjoyment. It takes all kinds, though. Some find being obtusely glib satisfying.
Posted by: Bob | Monday, 28 November 2016 at 16:35