The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Lena Dunham, Sandra Fluke, Joy McCann

Posted on | April 13, 2012 | 70 Comments

One of them’s got an HBO series called Girls and has been called “The Voice of Her Generation,” because . . . I dunno, because magazine editors need angles for feature stories. Anyway, 26-year-old Lena Dunham says (perhaps unintentionally) revealing things in interviews:

If you notice my mincey language, it’s just that I’m still shedding the fact that I went to Oberlin College and if you slightly mangled your women’s/gender studies pronouns, you’d be sent to some Guantanamo for liberal arts students. . . .
I know that sex is in itself a political act, and that can’t be denied.

Another young mind permanently warped by feminism, you see. Frank Bruni of the New York Times comments on her opus:

You watch these scenes and other examples of the zeitgeist-y, early-20s heroines of “Girls” engaging in, recoiling from, mulling and mourning sex, and you think: Gloria Steinem went to the barricades for this? Salaries may be better than in decades past and the cabinet and Congress less choked with testosterone. But in the bedroom? What’s happening there remains something of a muddle, if not something of a mess.

What is happening, of course, is the increasing failure of what anthropologists would call “pair-bonding,” which is in turn related to the waning of what economists would call “division of labor.” Complementarity — the idea that men and women are fundamentally different, and that these differences are essential to their cooperative partnership — has been rejected in favor of competition, under a legal/political/cultural regime based on a zero-sum game.

The entire Sandra Fluke controversy was played out in this context: Women go to law school. If women law students don’t have contraceptives, they can’t have sex without risking pregnancy, and motherhood would hinder their education and career advancement. Therefore, the university must be compelled to pay for women law students to get contraception, or else the women are being victimized by the Oppressive Hegmonic Patriarchy.

Veruca Salt, feminist: “I want the whole works and I want it now!”

Woe betide anyone who responds to this imperative demand by suggesting that maybe Georgetown Law students should keep their britches on, or who points out that students attending a school where tuition is $46,865 a year might be able to spare $9 a month for birth-control pills. Read more

Category: Culture, Feminism, Sex

No, Whoopi, Rosen Said Precisely What She Was To Say

Posted on | April 13, 2012 | 25 Comments

by Smitty

Thanks, Whoopi. I’ve personally never failed to value my mother’s decades of commitment to the vocation of raising well-adjusted children:

On the other hand, rolling over for Hilary Rosen shows a lack of critical thinking. #OccupyResoluteDesk and his lackeys have reached the point where they are guilty until proven innocent, in my mind. That’s a suck-tacular result; we’re raised to offer the benefit of the doubt. That, too is a piece of American Exceptionalism that bears restoration.

Nice Deb rounded up yesterday’s study in ‘Fogress’, and Rush Limbaugh, unexpectedly, falls short of buying the White House story. Further love from a couple more great ladies, Just a Conservative Girl and The Lonely Conservative.

Update: linked by Da Tech Guy.

Category: Media Bias, Sex

GOOD NEWS!

Posted on | April 13, 2012 | 20 Comments

The insanity defense works for smoking in an airport:

Denver Police say they’re not going to investigate a case involving a woman who stripped naked at Denver International Airport on Tuesday. . . .
The woman was reportedly upset and was taken to a local hospital for a mental evaluation.

Judging from available photos, the woman was a Reubensque natural blonde. More background on the case:

A female passenger at Denver International Airport caused a stir Tuesday morning when she stripped naked inside Concourse B, airport officials said.
The incident happened at about 8:45 a.m. when, according to DIA spokeswoman Jenny Schiavone, the woman was caught smoking a cigarette at gate B81, in a non-smoking area.
At some point after airport workers told her to extinguish the cigarette, the woman took off her clothing. It wasn’t immediately clear why. However, Denver Police say it was unrelated to the smoking issue.

So if you’re caught smoking in an airport, just take off all your clothes and plead insanity. We’ve all been under enormous psychological pressure lately. There are unconfirmed rumors that this unindentified passenger is a Republican who found herself unable to cope with the realization that Mitt Romney will be her party’s presidential nominee.

Post-Primary Traumatic Stress Disorder strikes again . . .

Category: Uncategorized

If An Academic Says It, That Makes It OK

Posted on | April 13, 2012 | 22 Comments

by Smitty

Check out this picture of the World’s Youngest Blogger a year ago:

Via Breitbart:

Two medical ethicists connected to Oxford University are arguing in Oxford’s Journal of Medical Ethics that babies have no moral status, and can be killed because they are only “potential persons” rather than “actual persons.” They also argue that if a newborn is disabled, it can be killed.
The journal’s editor, Prof Julian Savulescu, director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, said in their defense, “The goal of the Journal of Medical Ethics is not to present the Truth or promote some one moral view. It is to present well reasoned argument based on widely accepted premises.” When asked about the threats made against the article’s authors, he casually categorized them as “fanatics opposed to the very values of a liberal society.”

Here he is today, reacting to this wretchedness:

Lord have mercy.

Udpate: linked by Da Tech Guy. Go, Pete!

Category: Abortion

Maslow And The Conversation On Race

Posted on | April 13, 2012 | 13 Comments

by Smitty

I’ve been busier than a fringe candidate trying to figure out how to stay in the Presidential race lately, and blogging has suffered. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading blogs and thinking. There is a crucial point to be made if we cast the recent Derbyshire article, as well as less recent sackings like Jaun Williams into a Maslow context. I’d like to show that, once again, the Progressives are taking a Postmodern wrecking ball to the Enlightenment, and destroying rational debate. And I’ll conclude that racism is what you do, not what you feel.

Maslow
Physiology and safety form the base of the pyramid.

If someone is unwilling to admit even an occasional bit of uneasiness when outside of their comfort zone, irrespective of personal resemblence to a surrounding crowd of strangers, well: OK. It’s your story, tell it any way you like. Williams:

“I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”

A Personal Note
My experience with a xenophobic physiological reaction came at a bar in Albany, Australia. In a bar, I turned to see a woman who was barely five feet tall, dark skinned and had a single, massive supraorbital ridge that hung over eyes befitting a wolf. I nearly jumped out of my skin. But this was just base instincts talking; once the reaction rolled up to Maslow’s esteem level, where respect for others comes in, I understood, and tried to master, my response. Probably some of it showed on my face. I’m sure that, given time (this was the only time I ever saw her) I would have discovered a typical person, with the usual five level Maslowian hierarchy of needs. But am I a
raaaaacist, according to the modern Lefty definition, as a result of this?

A Certain Carpenter Of Old
A couple millenia back, a certain peasant made an observation:

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Matt 15:11

And I submit that this is precisely what we’re talking about here. Racism is not a physical reaction to a person whose heritage is at variance with one’s own. If that were the case, racism would be tantamount to temptation, which Jesus himself dealt with in Matthew 4. Look more closely at 8 and 9:

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Is this where our Ruling Class have strayed? Perhaps so. As I was mentioning a couple weeks back, viewing the population as a plane of Maslowian pyramids:

So that plane of pyramids, as the society reproduces, must be trained to halt their growth at the lowest, fleshy level.
The spiritual and intellectual levels must be attacked and leveled, so that humans can be reduced to child-like contentedness.

And when those sheep refuse to be content with their chocolate ration, they must be beaten down with any emotional tool at hand: fear, guilt, shame, envy.

Summary
This race card is indeed powerful, beacuse it bulldozes the intellectual and spiritual layers off of Maslow’s hierarchy. The Left cheerfully bemoans the need for a “conversation about race”, and, when any sort of response to Holder’s Nation of Cowards charge comes up, the speaker is beaten down.
Say what you want, for or against Derbyshire’s article. I haven’t given it more than a skim. However, if there was shred #1 of leadership, of any follow-through whatsoever from #OccupyResoluteDesk using his purported racial healing powers, BHO would’ve say words to the effect that “Well, Derbyshire’s opinion is what it is, and we will now leverage our American Exceptionalism to belie his statements.”
Yet here again, we see Barack doubling down on the side of wrong, tempting his followers to connect the dots between him and Trayvon Martin. This is nothing but an anti-intellectual appeal to emotion, and a shameful tearing at the Rule of Law in the process. Lord have mercy on you, Barack Obama, in such an exalted leadership position, and playing the thug.
And so, resist we much. For my part, I don’t imaging how the Left can continue to flog this dead horse of racism. They’re getting thrown back as badly on the Trayvon propaganda as they were on Sandra Fluke.
The internet is proving too strong for the necessary air brushing. Even though, as Bill Whittle points out, we’ve a couple of generations of dunces that have to burn through what I’ll call “Fogress”, the Commie Fog of Progress, we will get ‘er done, or rather famously die trying, I expect.
Lesson 1: anything these Lefty jackwagons tell you, e.g. “You’re a racist if you get creeped out by an unfamiliar, potentially unsafe situation” is just wrong. Lefties are not merely at variance with truth due to simple human error. Rather, it seems likely they are deliberately twisting facts, possibly because they are bent on reducing you to animal-like slavery.
Sounds a trifle heavy, but there it is.

For the Christian Readers
The Left deploys the race card in ways that are unabashedly Satanic; we’ve witnessed deliberate falsification of almost every aspect of the Trayvon Martin tragedy. But the pattern goes much further back. I am dumbfounded that anyone can claim Christianity and be on the Left. As far as I can tell, the Whore of Babylon mentioned in Revelation meets the criteria for Progressivism. Let her return to Hell, and take the race card with her.

Update: linked by Dyspepsia Generation

Category: Racism

LIVE AT FIVE – 04.13.12

Posted on | April 13, 2012 | 3 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Norks’ Neighbors React To Missile Launch

ROKs watch a simulation of the failed Nork launch

PRC state media: Reactions to launch are all about us, really

Zimmerman Bail Hearing Next Week, Attorney Says
Beginning of a protracted legal struggle


Dershowitz: Zimmerman May Be Acquitted

Obama Smacks Down Ex-RIAA Lobbyist Rosen In Ann Romney Flap
Says candidates’ wives should be off limits



POLITICS
Newark Mayor Taken To Hospital After Saving Woman From House Fire

Newark Mayor Cory Booker

Treated for burns and smoke inhalation

“Fox Mole” Fired: Whistleblowing Hero Or Vengeful Jerk?

Jury Selection Underway In John Edwards Criminal Trial

NY Assembly To Hold Hearings On Raising Minimum Wage

California Supremes Rule Employers Must Schedule Breaks, Not Liable If Employees Don’t Take Them

Both Parties Slam Gov. Patrick For MassCare Theatrics

NRA Looking For Reassurance From Romney As Convention Opens



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Drops For First Time This Week As PRC Growth Slows, Saudis Aim To Lower Prices
ECB Favors Bond Buying Over Bank Loans
Google Announces Unusual Stock Split; Governance Watchdogs Butthurt
PRC Economic Growth Falls To Lowest In Three Years
Wells Fargo Faces Bias Allegations
GAO Says Postal Service Overstaffed, Overbuilt
Facebook Offers More Disclosures To Users
B&N Unveils Glow-In-The-Dark Nook
Sony Smartwatch Brings Facebook, Twitter, Texting To Your Wrist
Video Game Sales Shrink 25% In March



SPORTS
Watson Scores 16 As Bulls Beat The Heat 96-86

Bulls guard CJ Watson drives to the basket

Bulls outscore Heat 12-2 in OT, pull four games ahead in East

Rangers, Bruins Win Openers

Coyotes Knock Off Blackhawks In OT, 3-2

Saints Name Vitt Interim Coach

Pirates Swept By Dodgers, Lose 3-2

Sharks Stun Blues In 2nd OT

Predators’ Weber Fined For Hit On Zetterberg

Love-Less Timbermutts Knocked Out Of Playoff Chase

Nats Blow Late Lead, Pull Out Wild Win Over Reds In Home Opener



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Scarlett Johansson: Back In Stride

Stepping out

The Vogue interview.

Obama: Kanye West Still A Jackass

Ridley Scott Drafts Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem For “The Counselor”



Mel Gibson Responds To Joe Eszterhas

Shocker On “American Idol”: Favorite Gets The Hook

Mindy McCready: It’s A Boy!

J.K. Rowling: The Casual Vacancy

“Hunger Games” Star: U.S. Should Lower Drinking Age To 18



FOREIGNERS
ROK Won Up After Nork Rocket Fizzles
Syrian Activists Report Clashes Between Loyalists, Rebels Near Turkish Border
South Sudan Willing To Withdraw From Dispute dAreas, But Wants DMZ
Mali’s New President Threatens “Total War” Against Tuareg, Islamist Rebels
PRC, Philippines Withdraw Protests In South China Sea Dispute
PRC Police Gag Widow Of Murdered Briton As Heywood Investigation Reopened
Israeli Security Forces Prepare For Pro-Palestinian “Flytilla”



BLOGS & STUFF
Michelle Malkin: A Non-Apology “Apology” From Hilary Rosen
Power Line: Two Flops Of Cosmic Proportions
American Power: “Frame-Fail” For The New York Times
American Thinker: Romney Tops Obama By 2 In Fox Poll, Even In Rasmussen
Weekly Standard: Obama Hammered In Interview For “Jetting Around”, Taking Vacations While Americans Suffer
Marginal Revolution: Publication Day For An Economist Gets Lunch
Daniel Henninger: Demolishing Paul Ryan
Tina Korbe: Obama Punts On Gay Discrimination Ban
Professor Bainbridge: Can I Have WordPerfect 5.2 Back?


SOTD: Stuff Like That

Category: Live at Five

Feminism, Careerism, Lesbianism

Posted on | April 12, 2012 | 128 Comments

Still a month to go before “National Offend a Feminist Week,” but some folks can’t wait, eh? I’ll save the lecture for the updates, but first let’s aggregate today’s headlines (via Memeorandum and Twitter):

Ann Romney Fights Back: Debuts on Twitter
to Counter DNC Advisor’s Insult
— ABC News

Rosen apologizes over comments against Ann Romney
— CNN

Democrats declare war on women?
Update: Frequent White House visitor?
— Hot Air

Hilary Rosen, Frequent White House Visitor
— National Review

Team Romney To Obama:
You Started The War Over Women
— BuzzFeed

Conservatives Attack Hilary Rosen
For Raising Children As A Lesbian
— Think Progress

New Tone alert: Libs attack
Ann Romney as ‘cunt,’ ‘bitch,’ ‘whore’
— Twitchy

Once again demonstrating the enduring truth that, if it weren’t for double standards, Democrats would have no standards at all.

UPDATE: Remember last month when the Southern Poverty Law Center added “misogyny” to its Hate Group list? Not an accident.

UPDATE II: You now what we need here? Some good old-fashioned male chauvinist objectification:

Who Is Hotter? Hilary Rosen or Ann Romney

Brilliant. Which reminds me . . .

Hands off my “Ann Romney bikini” Google-bomb!

UPDATE III: What the hell? Liberals consider this an “apology”?

Spare me the faux anger from the right who view the issue of women’s rights and advancement as a way to score political points.

Rosen is defending, not apologizing for, her hateful attitude toward traditional wives and mothers. And please tell me who spent weeks trying to “score political points” on this issue, huh?

UPDATE IV: What started it all:

Maybe Rush Limbaugh should call Hilary Rosen a “slut,” just for the pure fun of it. (BTW, is that her maiden name?)

Category: Election 2012, Feminism, Mitt Romney

The Fox Factor: Newt, Sarah, Mitt, Rick, Bias and ‘The Mother of All Spin-Jobs’

Posted on | April 12, 2012 | 61 Comments

Newt Gingrich tells the truth:

During a meeting with 18 Delaware Tea Party leaders here on Wednesday, Newt Gingrich lambasted FOX News Channel, accusing the cable network of having been in the tank for Mitt Romney from the beginning of the Republican presidential fight. An employee himself of the news outlet as recently as last year, he also cited former colleagues for attacking him out of what he characterized as personal jealousy.
“I think FOX has been for Romney all the way through,” Gingrich said during the private meeting — to which RealClearPolitics was granted access — at Wesley College. “In our experience, Callista and I both believe CNN is less biased than FOX this year. We are more likely to get neutral coverage out of CNN than we are of FOX, and we’re more likely to get distortion out of FOX. That’s just a fact.” . . .
“I assume it’s because Murdoch at some point [who] said, ‘I want Romney,’ and so ‘fair and balanced’ became ‘Romney,’ ” Gingrich said. “And there’s no question that Fox had a lot to do with stopping my campaign because such a high percentage of our base watches FOX.”

Four quick points:

  1. Newt can say this, now that his campaign is $4 million in debt and he’s got zero chance of winning the nomination.
  2. Newt used to work for Fox. I suspect he’s been talking to CNN executives about a future gig.
  3. It’s not Murdoch who makes the calls, but Roger Ailes and top executives and producers who are the shot-callers at Fox News.
  4. Scott Conroy does something here that annoys my inner copy editor, namely writing FOX in all caps, as if it were an acronym, which it’s not. The name originated as 20th Century Fox, a company that was purchased by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. and re-branded, first as the Fox broadcast TV network and then in such cable spinoffs as Fox News Channel (FNC). But the word “Fox” is not an acronym, and people who want to write it “FOX” — evidently trying to match the acronyms by which other networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, etc.) are known — are simply wrong, and must be corrected, lest the erroneous example be imitated.

Scott Conroy has done excellent work in his career — scooped me on my own beat more than once — but that one little thing gets on my nerves so bad I could scream. However, I digress . . .

Having closely scrutinized coverage of this year’s campaign, I know what Newt’s talking about, and certain stipulations must be made: Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren were quite even-handed in their treatment of the GOP candidates. Sean and Greta both gave time to underdog candidates, including Rick Santorum and Herman Cain during the months when they seemed permanently stuck in the campaign purgatory of “second-tier” status.

Coverage of the campaign by the dayside programs on Fox News, however, seemed to be dictated by behind-the-scenes producers who exhibited a clear bias toward front-runners and even — as during the ludicrous Donald Trump faux-candidacy — toward certain Big Names that were merely the objects of ill-informed presidential speculation.

Let’s just say it, OK?

I love Sarah Palin, and would have loved to cover her campaign if she had run, but once Rick Perry jumped in (and remember, Palin had endorsed Perry in his 2010 primary against Kay Bailey Hutchison) it seemed blindingly obvious that Palin wasn’t running. The subsequent six-week will-she-or-won’t-she game struck me as a made-for-TV drama cleverly scripted by Roger Ailes for the specific purpose of boosting his own network’s ratings.

There: Now, I’ve said it.

In terms of political judgment, Bill O’Reilly is a nincompoop, his entire worldview shaped by his New York D’Amato/Giuliani Republican Party machine frame of reference. The commentators who appear most frequently on Fox’s D.C.-based programs — Chris Stirewalt, Stephen Hayes, etc. — all bring to the table their own prejudices. And the network’s reverential touch-the-hem-of-his-garment attitude toward Karl Rove makes me want to puke. Read more

Category: Election 2012, Fox News, Media Bias, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Republicans, Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin
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