Category: Current Affairs

Zuckerberg: The Facts About Facebook

Founder and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg wrote this op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, attempting to address the concerns about its business model.

Its a twenty-first century company so I support that aspect. I don’t have a problem with what he wrote or how it operates, except he didn’t explain if/why conservative and right-leaning posts and ads are blocked. The paragraph about “harmful or divisive content” does not explain it. If id does, he further needs to explain why conservative content fits that description, especially considering what comes from progressives — see the recent comments about the Covington students. So, the op-ed is incomplete.

Government Shutdown Illustrates Over-Entanglement With Our Lives

Far from not impacting our lives, the federal government shutdown illustrates how much it has invaded our day-to-day lives. Airport delays, delayed Initial Public Offerings of stock of new firms, craft beer makers, and small businesses are just some of the examples.

Another group of people who are adversely impacted are American Indians.

“The shutdown has hit Native American tribes especially hard because so many of their basic services depend on federal funding,” notes the Washington Post. Education, health care, road maintenance, and other services on reservations are often run by the federal government or run by tribal employees paid by the federal government.

That dependency has long resulted in mismanaged and low-quality services for the million people who live on reservations. In the New York Times, one tribal leader spoke of federal support, “The federal government owes us this: We prepaid with millions of acres of land,” while another said the shutdown “adversely affects a population that is already adversely affected by the United States government.”

 

If I didn’t know better, I’d think the people who are downplaying the shutdown’s impact on our lives are defending the growth of government.

Women’s March Train Wreck

Tammy Bruce:

The Women’s March, like the liberal establishment itself, has completed its transition to a medieval religion; those who are unacceptable due to race, religion or wrong-thought, are heretics.

Then the unraveling began. The original founder called on the current national leadership to resign over accusations they are pushing racists and anti-Semitic views.

In other words, the organizing tactics used by the left in every community and country they’ve destroyed from within. Some might think that’s an unintended consequence of stupid, divisive ideas. Or it could be exactly the point. The left thrives on chaos and division and, strangely enough, it’s exactly what they promulgate.

Independent Women’s Voice (an organization of which I am president) is building a campaign and holding a counter-event on Jan. 19 in Washington, D.C.

A medieval religion. Tribal. Yuch.

Hail the individual, the individual of Western civilization, who voluntarily joins or starts organizations, is tolerant of others not like them.

Vape Store Employee Reacts to Customer Wearing Trump-inspired Clothes

Story here.

“The store, XHale in Loganville, Georgia, posted on Facebook late Friday an announcement of the clerk’s firing:”

“To our friends and customers,” it read. “Tonight, we had an employee act improperly toward a customer. Xhale City does not tolerate this kind of behavior from its employees. When we identified the employee at fault, we fired him immediately. We’ve also spoken to the customer and apologized. We value our clients and treat them with respect and dignity, regardless of their political views.”

 

The store said and did the right thing. Very professional.

Trump: Experts All Say US Troops Need to Stay in Afghanistan

President Trump:

“every expert that I have and speak to says if we don’t go there, they’re going to be fighting over here. And I’ve heard it over and over again.”

I suppose its the same with Iraq. Its gone so well. Of course, an “expert” will say the government needs to continue doing the same thing. Such insight is what makes them experts!

Macron caves in to French protesters – too late, they say

The French government caved in after Paris’ worst rioting in decades and delayed an increase in energy taxes Tuesday — but it was seen as “too little, too late” by many protesters whose anger seems increasingly focused on embattled President Emmanuel Macron.

The grievances widen:

The protests began Nov. 17 with motorists upset over the fuel tax increase, but have grown to encompass a range of complaints — the stagnant economy, social injustice and France’ tax system, one of the highest in Europe — and some now call for the government to resign. . . .

One unifying complaint among the leaderless protesters, who come from across the political and social spectrum, has been the anger at Macron and the perceived elitism of France’s aloof ruling class.

Me: taxes are the most visible expression of government control by greedy politicians and bureaucrats. But these same people are playing a con game. They convince the general population into thinking they are helping you by taxing and regulating some trumped up, anonymous, evil person or corporation. But, those same taxes and regulations come back to bite you because those regulations and taxes trickle down to you in the form of reduced choices and higher prices. This time, the French people caught on. But remember, regulations work the same way but are less visible, so don’t sign up for that. And, a tax on one is a tax on all.

Read it all.

 

Vice President Mike Pence Walks Out on His Home-state Indianapolis Colts

Fox News:

Vice President Mike Pence walked out on his home-state Indianapolis Colts Sunday when members of the opposing team kneeled for the national anthem, but a report that Colin Kaepernick, the player who started it all, will stand if given another shot in the NFL was quickly dialed back.

“I left today’s Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem,” Pence tweeted.

Mike, you didn’t dignify the event by being there. Why do citizens shows excessive deference to politicians? Come on people, they are not our daddy or mommy, and we don’t do royalty in the U.S.

“While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I don’t think it’s too much to ask NFL players to respect the Flag and our National Anthem,” he continued.

So what is it that we must show respect for? The flag itself, the National Anthem, or what they represent? And what do they represent anyway? The omnipotence of government and superiority of the political class? Or the principles on which the country was founded? If the principles, remember all levels of government are bound by the Constitution, and government’s primary job is to ensure the security of private property and personal liberty, with each level of government being responsible for their assigned activity.

 

Bill Maher Lashes Out At Democrats For Over-Regulation: “It Makes People Hate Us, It Makes Me Hate Us”

Yes! HBO Real Time host Bill Maher arguing for freedom to make choices in our lives.

“Until then all this will accomplish is to feed into the Republican message that Democrats don’t want to help people they just want to micromanage their lives,” Maher said. “It makes people hate us. It makes me hate us. And it prompts kickback.”

You bet your a$$ it prompts kickback, at least from me.

“I don’t want to let the right-wing own freedom,” Maher said. “People want to drain the swamp, not ban Big Gulps. Yes, I understand, you have a thousand good ideas for how I should live my life, check my privilege and sort my recycling. I will get to that. But first we need to get some Democrats elected and that’s hard when the movement to childproof the world has made Republicans the party of freedom and Democrats the party of poopers.”

With you on this, Bill. Here. I’d love to see more competition between the political parties over more freedom.