I suppose it’s a fool’s errand to try to stay up to date in writing on rapidly evolving events, so I’ll try to update things with an eye to the future.
First off, without having checked Bloomberg, I can tell you that Russia hasn’t invaded Ukraine yet today, just as Russia hasn’t invaded Ukraine for the past several weeks, despite hourly warnings from the Regime’s MSM proxies. But never fear—Zhou is hard at work, when he’s not putting a cap on his day or work week. He’s doing everything the Regime handlers will allow him to do, which excludes traveling to Munich to meet the world leaders most directly concerned with the Ukraine business, lest he make a public spectacle of himself. That task—causing a public spectacle—has been delegated to Kama Sutra. And so the United States is the laughing stock of the world. Nobody’s quite saying so, because we nevertheless have a whole lotta nukes. Well, except for Vlad, who periodically laughs out loud at the Regime, because also has a whole lotta nukes and can get away with that. He’s also not worried about drone strikes over Moscow.
Need reassurance that the Regime that can’t shoot straight will get this Ukraine thing right? Sorry …
Biden Admin Already Backtracking On ISIS Leader Raid Story Details
And then there’s this dynamic:
Report: Jill Biden Hampered Afghanistan Evacuation With Special Requests
We know that sausage making can be pretty ugly, but how about foreign policy making in the midst of an internal power struggle—in full view of the world? The long knives seem to be out, but … no one’s really sure whose throat to cut or even whether throat cutting (or back stabbing) won’t make it all worse.
But I think we know that this Ukraine thing really isn’t about National Security in the usual sense—that happens domestically, these days. This is about distracting the subjects from the incompetence and malignity of their rulers. And speaking of that, it looks like the subjects have totally wised up.
Everyone is talking about these polling results presented by CNN, which posed a real headscratcher for respondents:
You can read a detailed summary here. What’s interesting is this. Overall 41% said they approved of Zhou, but you’ll notice that when confronted with, Oh yeah, so what has he done that you approve of? a full quarter of those who approved were totally stumped—the approval numbers on the screen only add up to 31%.
Moreover, if you think the economy is somehow a bright spot, guess again. The overall approval there is only at 37%, and based on the chaotic debate over inflation v. recession I feel perfectly safe in predicting that even those miserable numbers will crater further in the not too distant future. The real takeaway for me is that, when you compare the screen above with the “approval” numbers in the details, what you learn is that any supposed “approval” is largely based on reflexively partisan loyalty. The reality is that approval of the Regime’s performance is soft to mushy. And that explains all the Dem resignations from the House. Support that’s that soft will not motivate turnout—especially with no turnaround in sight.
If you want to read a fairly non-technical (meaning, even I kinda got it) explanation for the hard place the Fed and the Regime find themselves in, I can’t recommend this article highly enough (commenters can tell me if that recommendation is too high):
Things are ugly and getting uglier, and that will color everything going forward—especially the reactions of working people. As Karl Denninger is eager to remind us, You Voted For It, Blue America.
One of the really weird things about the current crisis is how much you can learn about America by following what’s going on in Canada. Tucker Carlson did a monologue on that last night: Justin Trudeau is attacking human rights. A lot of it is fairly obvious, but toward the end—starting in the 14 minute range—there’s a portion that I especially liked. Tucker quotes a Canadian MP who says that Castreau's stigmatization of dissenters is leading to distrust in Canadian public health institutions. To which Tucker says:
Ya think? Who will trust a doctor when the smoke settles [sic] from Corona--seriously?
Which is exactly right. Anyone who trusts a doctor without doing due diligence of their own is a fool—based on what we’ve learned during the past two years.
But on a political level anyone watching this understands just how profound the betrayal is. The betrayal--both in Canada and the United States. Self described liberals--the ones who have lectured you for decades about the nobility of organized labor--are now taking the side of management, of strikebreakers, over striking workers. They're applauding, like Mr. Burns on The Simpsons, as cops harass and abuse strikers and their families. Pretty soon they'll be demanding scabs! Literally, if they're not already.
And Tucker is not exaggerating—in the least.
It's so deeply revealing. Scratch a liberal and you'll find a Fascist.
Today on Twitter an Obama DHS official called Juliette Kayyam called for violence against the truckers. "Slash their tires", she demanded--but don't stop there. Quote:
Trust me, I will not run out of ways to make this hurt: cancel their insurance; suspend their drivers licenses; prohibit any future regulatory certification for truckers, etc. Have we learned nothing [fellow members of the ruling class]? These things fester when there are no consequences.
Crush them, before they get big ideas!
Now, Juliette Kayyam is a nasty little Fascist, and of course she's a CNN contributor, too--of course she is. But we will concede--Juliette Kayyam is right about one thing: These things do fester. When you ignore the populations legitimate concerns for long enough; when you dismiss your own citizens as racists and conspiracy nuts, and try to shut them down for long enough, at some point they are apt to revolt. Once people realize they're citizens, not serfs, ya can't really know where things go from there.
Talk on CNN, of course, is cheap—and likely to get even cheaper until ratings improve. But, remarkably, “national leaders” are talking the same way. Justin Castreau, speaking from an undisclosed location, is warning that he’ll do “whatever it takes” to teach uppity working class people a serious lesson and send them and their swastikas packing. The premier of Ontario has declared a State of Emergency and says he’ll shut down the blockade “forcefully”. And the Zhou regime is vocally egging them on:
Who else thinks working class people and their legions of sympathizers—anyone under, say, the top quintile of earners—will approve of this? Not me. Everyone who’s not well off is getting crushed by the Covid Regime, and they’re getting fed up. And here’s a video from Canada that should scare the pants of Dems—a member of parliament who looks like a Sikh (i.e., a “person of color”) supporting the truckers who he says aren’t racist. Whoa, Canada! If this stuff spreads, God only knows what will come of it. No wonder the Dems are begging Castreau to crush the truckers.
Make Canada Great Again? This should spur Pelosi and McConnell on to even greater efforts to ban Trump from ever running for office again.
Every day the signs become more clear: It’s us against them. The rulers against the subject population.
Here’s a reminder, for those who took exception to my recent posts regarding our evolving and deveoping police state:
CIA Secretly Operated 'Bulk' Data Collection Program on American Citizens
And two articles that should please normal Americans, in case any of them are still wondering what the Left has in mind for America:
Eighth-Grade Class Asked to Reveal Favorite Sex Acts — Using Pizza Toppings as Metaphors
Calling it quits for now.
"Overall 41% said they approved of Zhou, but you’ll notice that when confronted with, Oh yeah, so what has he done that you approve of? a full quarter of those who approved were totally stumped—the approval numbers on the screen only add up to 31%."
Very nice point, Mark. Terrifying that partisanship can become so ingrained as to detach its adherents from reality and logic - although this certainly isn't the first time this has happened. So should it be a surprise that a whole lot of us have come to think of Democrats as irrational cult members? Especially after we have had a two year long "masquerade and shots" party?
I wonder if TPTB also realized the malleability of the emotions of the cult members ahead of the COVID plandemic? OK, that is a rhetorical question.
Mark, Dan Bongino also has been discussing the alleged bomber of the RNC and DNC on 1/6 and the story does not seem to add up. Being a New Yorker by birth, I have always had a slightly cynical eye on stories like this. However, the actions of the FBI and DOJ over the last few decades has destroyed any benefit of doubt around their actions. I can only hope that the electoral backlash turns out to be as nasty as it appears now.