Our leftward drift and Big Tech omnipresence

This first item, sent by HP is an 8 minute thought provoking informative description of the process of our culture’s leftward trajectory. The effect is subtle, cumulative, but the causes ring loud and clear and constant. The solution in part is substitution, tradition, other countervailing factors and “turn that shit off”

In just 8 minutes subject matter includes:

  • Overton Window (range of policies acceptable to the mainstream population in a given time).
  • Downward aspiration  why “the race to imitate the gutter”
  • Winthrop Niles Kellogg – why human child imitates chimp more than the chimp the child
  • Mammals hardwired to react to others
  • Mirror neurons –  hallmark of humanity – associated with empathy and imitation
  • Sociopathic  behavior
  • V’PAC watchwords: cultural standards are worth protecting
  • This is a Rumble embed

Then there is this, another shortish video (we apologize for it being a YouTube embed and have contacted the publisher Prepping 101 about the irony of them offering it on YouTube

Theoretically “Alexis” et al  (and other devices) could be monitoring and uploading every conversation in your house and megabytes of other data.

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Comparative justice: Officer involved shooting Jan. 6 in D.C. and April 11 in Minnesota

DC –The Ashli Babbit killing:

  • Officer at best exhibits horrible lack of judgement, hazarding even fellow officers
  • So unnecessary, arguably willfull intent
  • Obviously a sexist hate crime
  • Also an aggravated race hate crime
  • No other officers with the same mission felt compelled to shoot anyone
  • Brave male officer in question didn’t shoot any larger male protestors, physically more threatening
  • Example of systemic male oppression against women (what self-respecting feminist theorist wouldn’t argue such isn’t present in the police)
  • Ashli Babbitt singled out by black man to send a political message . . . white females better tow the line.*

How does this compute:*

A male black high ranking (lieutenant) police officer (sex and race are relevant to this comparison) shoots and kills Ashli Babbitt, — an unarmed white female civilian with no existing warrant,  the only officer  actionable observance — not theft, not arson, nor destruction — possibly trespassing but even that arguably not chargeable given the totality of circumstances, — who was all of five-foot-two, who the officer in question observed climbing through a broken glass door (variously described) — which there is no allegation she broke, and by the way, her being unimpeded by other officers in very close proximity, . . . further . . .

This black, high ranking male officer certainly under no direct physical threat from Ashli Babbitt, unarmed and of such small stature as she was, nor reasonably was anyone he was charged to protect under direct threat of bodily harm from her, we repeat, unarmed and of such small stature, (additional explanation of the relevance to follow) . . .  further . . .

This supposed professional with the experience of high rank and many DC protests, made no attempt at warning or subduing rather than killing the 5′ 2′ 110 lbs Ashli Babbitt,   no attempt at non-lethal force . . .  baton, restraint hold, or perhaps even “stop or I’ll shoot”  . . . who used as an excuse that she was carrying a backpack which perhaps most DC visitors or protestors have who somehow are not shot under suspicion of carrying a bomb or other weapon even if engaged in policable activity — which would indeed give new meaning to the term “stop and frisk” . . . who did not resist arrest  . . . further . . .

How is it that the usual suspects avoid critiquing the officer, ignore or incredibly justify that the killing officer’s name has not been released, who want rioters treated gingerly if they are of a certain race or political demeanor, even when engaged in arson, breaking and entering of public buildings, other destruction and actual assaults against police officers including in DC but on an ongoing basis in Portland and Seattle and other cites as well, . . . how is it they have not called for nationwide protests of the obvious sexist hate crime . .  . not mere overzealous use of force but unjustified and reckless use of lethal force . . .

Beyond them, how is it that justice is not blind but blindered and the suddenly short arms of the law can’t find evidence and precedence or statute to charge said officer for the good of the community don’t you know, not to mention justice for Ashli.

Here is an analysis from Technofog regarding the specifics of the statute some how solely relevant and determinate in the recent decision not to charge the anonymous officer who killed  unarmed diminutive protestor Ashli Babbitt:

The DOJ is Lying about the Ashley Babbitt case 
The force was excessive so the DOJ punts on “willfulness”

Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia issued a press release explaining their decision to not prosecute the officer who shot and killed unarmed protester (and veteran) Ashli Babbitt on January 6, 2021.

It states that DOJ officials, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division, “conducted a thorough investigation of Ms. Babbitt’s shooting.” This included reviewing video footage, getting statements from officers and other witnesses, collecting physical evidence, and the results of Ms. Babbitt’s autopsy.

They explain:

“As members of the mob continued to strike the glass doors, Ms. Babbitt attempted to climb through one of the doors where glass was broken out. An officer inside the Speaker’s Lobby fired one round from his service pistol, striking Ms. Babbitt in the left shoulder, causing her to fall back from the doorway and onto the floor.”

You’ll notice there’s no mention of a verbal warning to Ms. Babbitt or other efforts to subdue her without the use of deadly force.

Continuing on, the DOJ maintains that the “focus of the criminal investigation was to determine whether federal prosecutors could prove that the officer violated any federal laws, concentrating on the possible application of 18 U.S.C. § 242, a federal criminal civil rights statute.”

The DOJ concluded:

“The investigation revealed no evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully committed a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242. Specifically, the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber.”

This conclusion should be no surprise. Not because of the law or the facts, but because of the people in charge of the Department of Justice. The U.S. Capitol Police, like the Park Police, have always had a special relationship with the DOJ – one that includes preferential treatment. This case is no different.

For starters, the three basic elements to a prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 242 are that the defendant (1) acting under color of law; (2) willfully; (3) deprived the victim of a federally protected right.

Excessive force is easy to establish. The Supreme Court has held that the government must introduce evidence that the action of the officer in shooting to kill Babbitt was “excessive in relation” to a legitimate government objective. Kingsley v. Hendrickson, 135 S. Ct. 2466, 2473-2474 (2015). This is an objective standard – the force must be objectively unreasonable when viewed from the standpoint of a reasonable officer at the scene. Here, Babbitt was unarmed, was climbing through a window and not attacking anyone. In response, she is shot and killed. Easily excessive.

This brings us to “willfulness.”

We have serious doubts about the DOJ position that there was “no evidence” to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully violated Section 242. As an initial matter, the DOJ press release neglects to mention whether the officer used excessive force, instead going right to an analysis on willfulness. We believe this reveals their intent to soften the blow of the press release.

As to willfulness, 18 U.S.C. applies “when the defendant understands that he is unjustifiably invading a legally protected interest, or acts in reckless disregard of the law.” However, the defendant need not have been “thinking in constitutional terms,” as long as his “aim was not to enforce local law but to deprive a citizen of a right and that right was protected by the Constitution.” Screws v. United States, 325 U.S. 91, 106 (1945).

Here, the DOJ exaggerates – and at worst, lies – about its “willfulness burden.” We doubt the DOJ couldn’t prove willfulness in this case.

In fact, the DOJ has brought Section 242 prosecutions with less egregious facts.

As the DOJ has argued in other cases, the officer’s prior training on the use of force could be viewed “as evidence that his conduct was willful.” Are we to think that this officer didn’t have training on when force became excessive?

In another case, the DOJ argued to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that to establish “willfulness,” the jury was required to find that the defendant “intended to use more force than was reasonable under the circumstances – i.e., force that violated [the victim’s] well-established due rights as a pretrial detainee.”

What makes the Babbitt case different? The victim and the location.

This case should have gone to the jury. If this killing took place in Minnesota or Chicago the results would have been different.

/////

Accident in trying circumstance becomes felony 

Compare the above to the treatment of a Brooklyn Center (suburb of Minneapolis) Minnesota police officer who circumstances indicate UNINTENTIONALLY killed a resisting felon.

Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter arrested, charged with second degree manslaughter 

The reaction from “the community”

DEVELOPING: BLM Mob Forms Outside Brooklyn Center Police Department Chanting, “Whose Streets, Our Streets!” (VIDEO)

And the supposedly relevant law (as Minnesota officer is charged)

2020 Minnesota Statutes 
609.205 MANSLAUGHTER IN THE SECOND DEGREE. (as officer is charged)
A person who causes the death of another by any of the following means is guilty of manslaughter in the second degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both:
(1) by the person’s culpable negligence whereby the person creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another; or
(2) by shooting another with a firearm or other dangerous weapon as a result of negligently believing the other to be a deer or other animal; or
(3) by setting a spring gun, pit fall, deadfall, snare, or other like dangerous weapon or device; or
(4) by negligently or intentionally permitting any animal, known by the person to have vicious propensities or to have caused great or substantial bodily harm in the past, to run uncontrolled off the owner’s premises, or negligently failing to keep it properly confined; or
(5) by committing or attempting to commit a violation of section 609.378 (neglect or endangerment of a child), and murder in the first, second, or third degree is not committed thereby.
If proven by a preponderance of the evidence, it shall be an affirmative defense to criminal liability under clause (4) that the victim provoked the animal to cause the victim’s death.
History:
1963 c 753 art 1 s 609.205; 1984 c 628 art 3 s 11; 1985 c 294 s 6; 1986 c 444; 1989 c 290 art 6 s 5; 1995 c 244 s 14


* our choice of terms is only in part a play on the rhetoric that we would see from the left had a white officer shot a small female of color ,pro BLM protestor engaged in rioting in DC.

Related reading:   https://www.wsj.com/articles/no-criminal-charges-for-officer-who-shot-capitol-rioter-ashli-babbitt-11618423059

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Liberal fascists demonize with the worst of them

Hitler, Hirohito, Ho chi Minh. These were the leaders of America’s foes in 20th-century wars.

But our soldiers weren’t fighting those leaders, they were fighting soldiers. It’s not easy to kill a fellow human. It is easy to kill a caricature. Therefore comes the slur.

We no longer looked at Germans, as individual people. They became Huns, Krauts, Jerry or Fritz. The Japanese became known by shortened versions of Japan or Nipon. Their skin color, and eye shape were disparaged. The same was done in Vietnam. “Charlie”, “Dink” or the “G-word.” I have to believe our enemies used equally derogatory terms when they spoke of us.

Once the dehumanization is complete, the hate comes easy. Once the hate is generated, the killing becomes easier. But it always starts with the slur.

The same is true in the world of politics. Hate is a powerful tool. Hitler used it effectively in his rise to power. Blaming all Germany’s problems on the Jews and communists, he turned minorities into boogie-men. The yellow star marked those considered sub-human. First the slur, then the demonization, finally the killing. It’s a pattern.

Reading about it’s easy, watching it happen is distressing.

I’ve seen it in American politics. When President Obama was elected, many disagreed with his policies. A subset of that group wanted to hate him. I saw the derisive nicknames, “No-Bama,” “O-Bummer” are a couple that are printable. Hate followed the slurs.

But there was no slur created for Obama’s supporters.

Then comes Donald Trump. The slurs came down like rain. Those who would ordinarily eschew making reference to a person’s skin color, or physical characteristics, had no problem characterizing candidate Trump as an overweight, orange-skinned buffoon with bad hair. When he became President, the gloves came off. “Decomposing jack-o-lantern,” “Angry Creamsicle,” “His Bloatedness,” “Orange Julius” and a thousand more. The pattern repeats itself. The slurs, justifying the hate.

But it didn’t stop there. The “Resistance” had generated so much hate, that one person wasn’t big enough to receive it all. So new slurs were created “Trumpers, “Trumpkins,” “Deplorables,” “Clingers” and “Chumps.”

The red hat becomes the progressive’s yellow star. Slur. Hate. Repeat.

So here we are, one hundred days into the new guy’s presidency. As I’m reading columnists, letters to the editor, and comments on websites it’s clear that Trump is taking this eviction moratorium seriously, and is living rent-free in the heads of half of America. Hating is an addiction that’s hard to kick.

As I watch this happening in real time, what do I find the most ironic?

These fine Trump haters, even as they spew the most vile, hateful rhetoric, believe in their twisted minds, that they’re tolerant, loving, kind people who only have the best interests of America in their hearts.

The Germans who facilitated the holocaust told themselves the same thing.

I’m wondering when the killing’s going to start?

Eugene Mattecheck Jr. Moline

Related reading:

How Hate Speech Breeds Hate _ Hate Speech Simulation Theory

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Republicans need to put corporations in their place

This collection of articles we selected from today’s Townhall produced a combination of emotions ranging from the sad realization of the truth, anger, fear for our country but inspiration as well as to what Republicans can focus on in part to protect our republic, our culture.  Read these articles, it took but half an hour or less this morning. They are sobering and help provide part of an overall agenda for Republicans.  Corporate corruptions must be called to task and its influence on society.

Democrats’ Quest for Complete Control

Corporations Join the Election Law Debate and America Opposes them by Voting With Their Wallets

Chauvin: The Case Against the Mob

Jen Psaki Seems to Think White Evangelicals Are a Bunch of Uncultured Rednecks

Fascism Hasn’t Changed. Neither Has Its Pitchman.

Our Corporate Masters?

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Put an End to MLB’s Antitrust Exemption

The Coming Backlash

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North Scott School teacher serves oatmeal with liberal lard

An English teacher at North Scott High School implemented a diversity curriculum that included the following loaded topics. By loaded we mean that the formulation of some is biased, and in number they mostly reflect liberal spectrum “concerns”. One might argue that whether or not biased they can still trigger conservative perspectives in response. Yeah,  sell that somewhere else as it is doubtful that there is a history of anything but liberal indoctrination providing the background for students to deal with the various topics. That creates a hostile environment for students with conservative inclinations.

That the lesson involves surveying the students (and not in an unbiased way) regarding the issues presented is troubling. To his credit the school district’s superintendent saw some inappropriateness to it (see excerpted public statement).  We would add that a big part of the problem even if one found inklings of neutrality in the politically charged topics it is doubtful that going beyond or in an alternative mode to Google as a search engine is emphasized.  See links regarding bias in Google searches, which dominate 92% of searches on the Internet.

Thanks to DH and Sf for forwarding the information.  A school board meeting likely to have this matter brought up was scheduled for last night, Tuesday April 13.  We will let you know if we hear or read of any fireworks and readers please advise us any reports you have.

North Scott Schools Superintendent statement in response (excerpt)

Throughout the past several weeks, there have been two instances in which concern was expressed about separate lessons at the Junior and High School. The purpose of this email is to communicate with our families regarding these concerns and clear up any misinformation that may be circulating.

The lesson at the High School was carried out in a college-level composition class for Juniors and Seniors. The lesson, Oatmeal Essay, was designed to meet writing standards and critical thinking skills. Part of the lesson included the students reading through a list of statements that caused them to explore their beliefs on certain topics; beliefs that may get in the way of processing information from sources that do not parallel their own beliefs. The assignment raised concern among some of our families. In looking into this situation further, we found that the list used in the assignment was not appropriate. In hindsight, we should have also provided parent notification proactively before the lesson started. The high school administration has worked with the department to ensure this lesson will meet our expectations in the future.

We doubt there was any misunderstanding about the import of the list or the tenor of education curricula today.

Googles search bias

Google Shadow Bans Searches For “Riots Today” Following Violent Unrest in Minnesota

Donald Trump is right: Google results are biased against .

Google Engineer Reveals Search Engine Bias

Five Times Google Was Caught Red Handed on Bias and Censorship

It has been our experience that “Google” searches for a topic near and dear to conservatives, often regardless of specificity, is likely to produce pages of links or a preponderance of links from liberal sources before the most on-point conservative link sources are set forth.

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Is Iowa becoming dependent on wind, and inviting Texas size problems?

To answer our leading question — by the implications of the hype from Big Wind, the DM Register and other flacks for an energy production regime that is undependable during key energy demand periods after decades of development, environmentally dirty in its own way,  avifauna/bat killing, UGLY, often opposed by communities, tax subsidized – “makes no sense without it”  boondoggle . . . YES!  (in our humble opinion).

Each of the assertions above we are happy to defend.  They are discernible from investigating links we have provided in our blog roll  Energy and Climate at right and by reading commentaries we have posted, found by using our search tool and entering “wind“.

The headline featured article in the Des Moines Register (DMR) on Friday refers to ~~ “60% of Iowa’s energy comes from wind power. ”  In another DMR article recently it is reported that there are “9000” wind related jobs in Iowa.

What is not often reported and it relates to the “utility” of the above figures is that Iowa produces more energy than it uses.  Nevertheless the wind flacks want to the leave the impression that Iowa gets 60% of its energy from wind as in 60% of what it needs, thus implying that Iowa is dependent on wind for power, generating the concern “how could we ever make it with 60% less energy” . . . “wind power must be critical to our well being” . . . !

In reading about the glories of Iowa wind power, we took note of a Daily Koss article that says “since 2008, Iowa has produced more energy than it uses, and roughly 1/3 of our energy production is actually exported to neighboring states.”  We knew Mid-American Energy was in the game of gaming tax subsidies to buy and erect the monstrous turbines and then sell the energy produced at a profit ( gosh, do you think they were returning the subsidies along with normal taxes on income?).  It is referred to as REC sales and Null Energy in their published reports.  In December of 2012 it was already 18.6% of the energy they produced.

Null energy — what an appropriate name — tax subsidized energy production not needed in Iowa sold to other states wanting to claim a percentage of “green” energy that we bet do not need it either.. We did not have recent or an overall figure but thanks to the Daily Koss for accidentally practicing journalism and letting the wind out of the bag of the “necessity” of wind generation to Iowa’s well being.

So if the Koss figure is correct, thirty-three percent of Iowa’s total energy production, not just thirty-three percent of wind energy produced, is sold to others.  Given the ready availability of “fossil” production available we presume the energy bought is the so called green energy, sold as REC’s mentioned above. No need for other states to come to Iowa for fossil fuel produced energy as Iowa doesn’t have that much of it to sell (it buys what fossil fuels it needs for reliable power) and as a matter of political policy they go for the RECs.

So if  60% of Iowa’s produced energy is from wind (DMR article) and a third of its total production is sold out of state and that third likely to be entirely of the “green” component (wind), that means somewhat more than one half of wind energy produced in Iowa is sold to other states.Those states buy it as a matter of green policy mandates of their own but they seem not as interested in going full Monty with such a boondoggle of their own.

Now the question becomes does Iowa need the wind energy produced that is not sold out of state. We don’t have a figure of actual energy use in Iowa compared to capacity from fossil (coal and gas), and what little hydro generation, there is.  After the closing of Palo nuclear generating station near Cedar Rapids sadly Iowa no longer produces any nuclear derived energy.We presume there is fossil capacity now because there have not been shutdowns on scarce wind days.  However with the scheduled closing of coal fired stations located in Iowa soon, and if they are not replaced with gas fired operations (cheep and clean) or clean coal it would seem that Iowa is becoming more dependent and vulnerable to the vagaries of wind  . . . and Texas type problems are conceivable.

Texas had a perfect storm situation arise this winter mostly comprised of earlier incompetence and perhaps corruption.  View post here.  As many turbines as it has operating, dwarfing Iowa’s numbers, wind production there is at a level of 20% of Texas’ energy needs but it had big time problems coping with a cold and ice situation debilitating enough of its energy infrastructure in enough area to cause cascading problems.  Wind turbines there it was demonstrated had clear vulnerabilities to the experienced weather.  But apparently it wasn’t from the cold snap per se because it didn’t get that cold.  It was the ice that more so affected wind generation in Texas.

And Iowa wind generation “60% of our production” apparently would be no less vulnerable to any possibility of an ice-storm blanketing a large portion of the wind farms — perhaps more so as our weather patterns might have an ensuing longer period of cold to hinder melt.  A cascading problem aggravated  in our case by reduced fossil generation capability shut down in favor of wind generation.

Reading this Cedar Rapids Gazette report, the lack of heaters installed on Texas turbines as used in the upper mid-west to keep wind equipment online was not the main problem, it was ice accumulation on blades and Iowa’s turbine blades s are not immune.  The article also appeared in the publication Wind Watch:

Iowa wind turbines equipped to handle extreme cold. Ice is another matter.

Credit:  Erin Jordan | The Gazette | Fri., February 19, 2021 | www.thegazette.com ~~

Unlike Texas wind turbines that slowed or shut down during the recent winter storm, Iowa’s kept turning.

The main differences?

Texas was hit with ice, whereas Iowa has had extreme cold and snow. And because Iowa’s turbines are installed with heating elements to keep fuel and electrical controls warm, they can operate in temperatures of up to 20 below zero.

“We can get a foot of snow and the turbines continue to run right through that,” said Tony Vaughn, senior operations manager for Alliant Energy, which has about 650 turbines in Iowa. “But you get that mist and sleet, ice can build up. That’ll slow down the RPMs of the blade and it will reduce the output to a point where it will eventually come offline and not produce anything until ice starts to shed off the blades.”

That’s what happened in Texas this week as temperatures in the 20s and 30s caused sleet to freeze on the carbon fiber blades of wind turbines, reducing output and contributing to widespread power outages across the state.

Although Texas has been increasing its use of wind turbines, most of the state’s power comes from natural gas, coal and nuclear energy, the Associated Press reported.

About 25 percent of Texas’ electricity comes from wind energy. In contrast, Iowa is No. 1 in the nation for its share of electricity coming from wind at about 40 percent.

Because subzero temperatures are normal in Iowa winters, companies that develop wind farms here buy turbines equipped with a cold-weather package that include heaters near the gear box, generators and other components in the cell, which is the big box behind the turbine blades and attached to the tower.

“When we design a wind farm and order the equipment, we want to make sure it’s producing energy year-round no matter the weather conditions,” said Geoff Greenwood, a spokeswoman for MidAmerican Energy, which has more than 3,300 wind turbines in Iowa.

Even at the coldest point of this recent cold snap, temperatures in Iowa never got to 22 degrees below zero, which is where turbines start shutting down to protect themselves from damage.

“Our wind turbines have been running even in this extreme cold,” Greenwood said. And since November through April is peak season for harvesting wind energy in Iowa, companies like MidAmerican and Alliant want to minimize time when the wind is blowing but turbine blades aren’t running.

Ice is another matter.

Because there are few effective ways to keep ice from forming on turbine blades, wind farm operators have to decide whether to power down in anticipation of an ice storm. Doing so reduces ice accumulation on the blades and can shorten the thaw afterward, Vaughn said.

“The downside, you may have to turn them off for a whole 24-hour period and maybe the temperatures never fall low enough and you’ve lost out on 24 hours of time to produce power,” he said.

Although some comparisons are made between de-icing airplane wings and wind turbine blades, the systems are quite different, said Hui Hu, an aerospace engineering professor at Iowa State University.

Aircraft fly through clouds of very small droplets of water, while turbines spin close to the ground where droplets are larger, Hu said. Aircraft wings are metal, which conducts heat better than the polymers of turbine blades.

“Many heating mechanisms that work perfectly for aircraft may not be the best solutions” for wind turbines, Hu said.

More promising is a combination of low heat in certain parts of the turbine blade combined with a coating on the blade that would discourage ice adhesion and strength, according to new research from Hu and his research team.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority in 2019 awarded Hu’s team a $300,000 research grant to further develop these ideas.

It’s part of a long-term state investment in the wind industry, said Brian Selinger, team leader of the Iowa Energy Office within the authority.

“Wind energy has been extremely good to Iowa and to Iowa’s economy,” he said. Iowa’s wind industry employs nearly 10,000 people and has created billions of dollars in capital investments, he said.

“We have vast amounts of wind rippling across our fields,” Selinger said. “To be able to harness that for economic benefits, it checks all the boxes for economic development.”

Source:  Erin Jordan | The Gazette | Fri., February 19, 2021 | www.thegazette.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. 

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Another brilliant approach to social equity — eliminate crime DO AWAY WITH LAWS

  • Reminds us of someone’s suggestion that America can immediately eliminate crime in our society…DO AWAY WITH LAWS!,  or . . .
  • Are there ‘enough’ minority doctors? What other critical jobs are there where there is a shortage of ‘minorities’?
  • Climb aboard the airline that lowers its pilot standards???
  • “Color blind” is a concept we should all agree with . . . 
  • “Affirmative action” if it means lowering standards, is not a matter of justice, rather it is dangerous, racist in its own way
  • Mentoring may well be appropriate however lowering final standards to accommodate racial politics only makes achievement suspect and hurts public confidence in professions

This “PowerLine” blog reports on the lowering of standards for would be Black lawyers. You can see from our comments above that it triggered us.

THE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA: LAWYER EDITION

“From the TaxProf comes the news that a number of states are lowering, or considering lowering, the scores needed to pass the bar exam. Why? So that more minorities will become lawyers”:

“Several states say they could make their bar exams easier to pass as a way to address racial diversity problems and access-to-justice issues entrenched in the legal profession.”

————–

Rest of the article follows:

Their statements coincide with the first data from California, which permanently lowered its “cut score” last summer just incrementally—but saw significant changes in the racial make-up of those passing the test to become its newest lawyers.

Last week, Rhode Island became the first to follow suit in lowering the state’s cut score. Several others say they’ll soon be weighing similar reforms. … Court officials from Texas, Arizona, and Michigan said they’re also monitoring efforts from a national testing group to modify the bar exam, with an eye toward eventual changes in their own states. …

Several other states—including New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Utah—said they could consider lowering cut scores based on their own reviews and after studying how the moves play out elsewhere.

California found that when it lowered the score needed to pass the bar exam, the passage rate naturally increased for all ethnic groups. But it increased somewhat more for Asian, black and Hispanic candidates than for whites. 

Obviously, lowering the score needed to pass the bar exam will result in more lawyers in any given state. Is this a good thing? If you think we are a society with too few lawyers, yes. On the other hand, if you think it is important that lawyers licensed by the state demonstrate a minimum level of competence, and the bar exam is an important means of insuring such competence, then no.

The trend toward dumbing down bar exams is part of a broader phenomenon that Paul has written about many times–a decline in standards across many sectors of our economy and our culture, allegedly in service of racial equity. If members of a particular ethnic group are statistically less likely to get over any particular bar, one solution is to lower the bar. Whether this helps in the long run is of course another matter.

The racial quota system that is becoming ever more pervasive in industry, the academy and government can only undermine the quality of work done in all of those environments. If, to take just one recent example, United Air Lines establishes a quota system for pilots rather than hiring the most qualified pilots possible, a decline in pilot quality follows inexorably. Maybe it doesn’t matter, at least not catastrophically. Maybe no airplanes crash as a result of a less skilled pilot pool. 

But it would be ridiculous to suggest that meritocracy doesn’t improve quality in any human endeavor, leading to a better life for all of us. For almost all of our history, America has been a beacon of meritocracy, compared with the rest of the world. That largely explains our economic and cultural success. But today, individual achievement is being subordinated to group politics. 

Meanwhile, China–ostensibly ruled by a Communist Party in which all are equal–has become a ruthless meritocracy. If you are trying to get ahead in China, whether in science, engineering, business or government, you need the best scores, qualifications and experience. Being from an “under-represented” ethnic group gets you nowhere, although family relationship to the powerful is still a plus, if a rare one. It appears that China is now more a meritocracy than the U.S. The implications for our economic, cultural and military future are dire.

 

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Creepy and senile Joe

The most profound thing Joe Biden thought today:

(T-Shirt available at The Liberty Daily)

 

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Its Dr Pepper Time

  • Below some fun facts about Coke’s willingness to support and profit from Nazi propaganda

I am making an effort to avoid anything Coke or Pepsi and any of their owned brands and products whether or not manufactured by licensed independent bottlers or producers.  You know why.

The main point is to send a message to them that sales of their flagship products will go down even if substitute competing companies are not politically neutral as long as they are not high-profile in their insults to legions of customers.

We should isolate and focus boycott efforts and make the target feel the burn of reduced sales.  Don’t try to do all the bad guys at once.  The idea is to make an example of one or a few and have that fertilize the thinking of the targets’ key investors and governing boards and like-minded competitors.

It is also important to directly contact partisan leftist consumer goods corporations  –  contact them through their corporate customer communication venues.  Let them know how you are avoiding their products and are encouraging others to do so . . . that you are not serving their products in your home and that you are avoiding them elsewhere.   Maybe informed investors will cause change in corporate behavior (along with the effect of sales figures).

Regarding the reference to Dr Pepper, it is true I like it anyway, so it is no sacrifice.  I am not sure of the political neutrality if the Dr Pepper soft-drink corporate owners’ Kuerig-Dr Peppert or Dr Pepper Snapple Group, or whoever the hell owns them. But that is not an issue as much as making the target (Coke) take notice of their harmful ways and the beneficiary (Dr Pepper) and other competitors becoming aware of the benefits of being at least politically neutral. Now if there is a competing company that makes it a policy to support the integrity of the vote, we should beat a path to its door.  This is not about us being neutral.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know Coke has a history with Nazi Germany?

“One people, one country, one drink, Coke is it” 1936 Olympic Games advertisement

Coke had a well established presence in Hitler’s Germany, and we doubt that happened without paying tribute, directly or indirectly. Above was part of the advertising for Coca-Cola’s enthusiastic presence at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a Nazi propaganda stage. Coke  also profited from the Nazi war effort.

Did you know Fanta was the German answer to Coke having to pull out of Germany and Fascist Italy ~~ 1940. Fanta was the offshoot.  Some might say that was not Coke’s doing.  But what was Coke’s doing was their successful effort to repatriate the profits Fanta made from supplying beverages to Hitler’s Germany during the war years. We wonder, were any reparation made with those profits?

Coke maybe feels right at home with current wokesters, the wannabe ruling class and their inclination to be Nazi-like  — insisting on maintaining mechanisms to cheat in elections.

Related reading:

Maybe Coke should be cancelled for its Nazi past 

5 ‘Woke’ Corporations Who Condemned Georgia … While Still Doing Business With China

Cola Wars 

About Dr Pepper (Wiki)

American supporters of the European Fascists

10 American Companies That Colluded With Nazi Germany During WW2

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Surprise! Media distorts Sidney Powell assertion of a legal opinion

  • When you make a charge in court and as a lawyer represent such claims in public –  it is called a legal opinion and as such the truth is to be adjudicated. That does not mean it is not without foundation, a fantasy

Sidney Powell posted this yesterday on her Web site

“The #FakeNews is lying to everyone about our filing in the Dominion case. My position has not changed. We will be taking them to the mat”. – Sidney

Dominion v. FREE SPEECH

This lawsuit is yet another attempt to silence critics and citizens who want to investigate voter fraud. The statements Dominion claims are defamatory are actually protected speech under the First Amendment because they deal with matters of public concern, i.e., election integrity. The Fake News media and their allies are spinning meritless claims because their arguments have neither the facts nor the law needed to hold up in a courtroom.

The statements complained of are also protected because Dominion is a public figure and must prove that Ms. Powell acted with malice.  This is impossible, as Ms. Powell’s lawyer has explained, because Ms. Powell’s statements were based on sworn affidavits, declarations, expert reports and documentary evidence.  She presented this evidence for all to see in four court filings and on her website. 

FAKE NEWS v. Reality

  • Contrary to what the Fake News is pushing, Sidney did NOT claim in court that ‘no reasonable person would believe her claims’. The press is using twisted legalese and manipulating the legal standard to confuse the issue, as they have done before in other high-profile cases. Ms. Powell’s statements were legal opinions that she stands behind, as they were based on sworn affidavits, declarations, expert reports and documentary evidence.
  • Dominion claims that the evidence Ms. Powell relied upon to assert her claims concerning the lack of election integrity is incredible and not believable. Ms. Powell responded by pointing out that her assertions were her legal opinions based on the evidence she presented to four different courts. Accordingly, her statements are not subject to challenge under defamation law.

Official Statement from Sidney’s Lawyer

HOWARD KLEINHENDLER, ATTORNEY FOR SIDNEY POWELL, RESPONDS TO MEDIA ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING MOTION TO DISMISS FILED AGAINST DOMINION COMPLAINT 

New York, New York March 23, 2021 

Yesterday, several news media outlets cut and paste out of context portions of our motion to dismiss the Dominion complaint to “spin” a message that the election fraud allegations that Ms. Powell presented to various courts and to the public were not credible. I’d like to clarify what actually was presented to the court. First, let me be clear: any suggestion that “no reasonable person” would believe Ms. Powell or her comments on the election is false. The language these reports referred to is a legal standard adopted by the courts to determine whether statements qualify as opinions which are exempt from defamation liability. 

As the DC Circuit reaffirmed just last week, there is no claim for defamation when the alleged “defamatory” statement is a legal opinion. Ms. Powell’s statements fall precisely into this category. Ms. Powell reviewed sworn affidavits, declarations, expert testimony, and other highly corroborated evidence concerning the election which Ms. Powell filed with the courts and shared publicly. She continues to stand by those opinions today. Our motion, in part, argues that the Dominion case should be dismissed because legal opinions are not grounds for defamation. 

In sum, the legal standard of a technical legal defense crafted by the courts has been improperly manipulated by the media to tell a false narrative. Ms. Powell is not backing down or retracting her previous statements concerning Dominion. Dominion’s case lacks legal merit and should be dismissed in its entirety. 

For further information contact (917) 793-1188


Related reading: By Mike Huckabee at The Stream

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