Saturday, February 25, 2017

Yale’s Folly

 

The effort to rename Calhoun College at Yale University has won the day.  After initially deciding not to rename Calhoun College last year, a special presidentially-appointed taskforce recommended the renaming, guided by set of new renaming criteria.  Unfortunately, Calhoun College is no more.

Of course, colleges and universities have the option to name or rename structures on their respective campuses, but Yale’s attempt constitutes nothing less than the tendency of contemporary Americans to demonstrate how we “forget who we are” and engage in what has become known as political correctness. The advocates of political correctness want to corrupt history for temporary political gains more than they desire to keep or restore it, and their efforts are, sadly, a disease on the body politic.  In fact, under the new renaming guidelines given to the special taskforce, a building should not be renamed unless the original name is at odds with the mission of the institution, or if the overall “legacy” of the namesake is seriously deficient in some regard.  At the end of the day, Calhoun should have passed the test.

Southern Nullification and the Stamp Act


Every so often, a candid examination of current events makes famous incidents in American history altogether relevant again. In my mind no incident demonstrates this more than the Stamp Act Crisis of 1765. Few episodes in American history have so effectively proved how to confront and end the enactment of malignant and unconstitutional laws.

In 1765, the standard American position held that the Stamp Act violated the bounds of the British constitutional system. Objecting to the notion that Parliament was supreme, and could pass impose whatever binding legislation it wished upon the colonies, the colonies instead adopted the rigid stance that colonists could only be taxed by their local assemblies. This idea, they thought, stretched all the way back to 1215 and the Magna Carta.

Southern Statesmen Save the Union

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The final breakup of the union of States in 1861 was preceded by over 80 years of conflict and compromise, and it was Southern statesmen who most often tried valiantly to save the confederation of the Founders. Just as colonial New England frequently antagonized England with its independently-minded maritime fleet, it often threatened secession and independence from the United States as it viewed its own interests as paramount to any other.  The infamous Hartford Convention of New England Federalists seriously entertained secession in late 1814, and espoused States’ rights doctrines.
Bernhard Thuersam, www.Circa1865.com   The Great American Political Divide

Southern Statesmen Save the Union

“The period from the ratification of the treaty of peace to the adoption of the Constitution has been called the critical period of American history; and the first year of that period was scarcely less critical than the last, the year in which, to use a familiar evangelistic expression, the Constitution was hair-hung and breeze-shaken over the bottomless pit.

It is scarcely to be doubted that at that time [1784] the New Englanders in particular seriously contemplated the dissolution of Congress and the abandonment of the union of the thirteen States.

At such a time, when the bands of union were slipping, the centrifugal forces were everywhere running amuck, it was Thomas Jefferson who conceived the idea that the preservation of a “visible head” of the government was of supreme importance, lest, with the disappearance of even a symbol of the union, all faith and hope in a more perfect union should likewise perish; and it was the Southern members of Congress, nobly aided by Pennsylvania alone, who strove with might and main to combat the threatened peril.

Again, when men of the North would have hog-tied and bound the West and have delivered it into permanent subjection to the East, it was Southern statesmen, more than any others, who strove to establish the principle that the West should be carved into self-governing States, having equal rights in the union with the original thirteen.

Once more, in that long and hard-fought contest over the free navigation of the Mississippi River, when the North would have sold that American birthright for a mess of Spanish turnip greens and them frostbitten, it was Southern statesmen who saved the West to itself and to the nation.

During the contest over the navigation of the Mississippi . . . the forces of disunion again began slithering through the East. In the late summer of 1786 [James] Monroe was alarmed to discover that, in the very shadow of Congress, an intrigue was asquirm, the design of which appeared to be the disruption of the existing union and the creation of a Northern confederation that would extend, if possible, as far southward as the Potomac.

The scheme may have died a-borning . . . At all events there are grounds for suspicion that it was the same infant, waxed a bit stronger, that was exhibited at Hartford in 1814.”

(Southern Statesmen and the Confederation, Edmund Cody Burnett, North Carolina Historical Review, Volume XIV, Number 4, October 1937, NC Historical Commission, excerpts, pp. 357-359)

Pentagon ditches onerous rules of engagement, gives Mosul troops quicker firepower access

Via Billy

In this Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 photo, U.S. Army soldiers stand outside their armored vehicle on a joint base with Iraqi army south of Mosul, Iraq. As Iraqi forces push into western Mosul coalition troops are closer to frontline fighting than ever before. Coalition forces have moved their bases closer to the front, relaxed their rules of engagement and during the push on Mosul airport coalition advisors were embedded with forward Iraqi rapid response and special forces units. Coalition officials say the change is helping speed up Iraqi military gains, but it marks a steady escalation of U.S. involvement in Iraq that could undermine the sustainability of Iraq's territorial victories. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

Iraqi forces and U.S. coalition troops are no longer burdened by strict rules of engagement, which some say have turned firepower requests into bureaucratic nightmares.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Browning, commander of 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, recently spoke with reporters about a Dec. 26 directive that streamlined the process of delivering aid. The order, attributed to U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, was confirmed on Thursday by Air Force Col. John Dorrian, the U.S.-led coalition’s spokesman.
 
“It changed the relationship [between forces],” Lt. Col. Browning told The Associated Press about increased flexibility on the battlefield. “It gives me a better understanding of how I can bring to bear the limited capabilities I have.”

Why the MSM Is Ignoring Trump's Sex Trafficking Busts

Via Mike

Why the MSM Is Ignoring Trump's Sex Trafficking Busts

Since President Donald Trump has been sworn in on Jan. 20, authorities have arrested an unprecedented number of sexual predators involved in child sex trafficking rings in the United States.

This should be one of the biggest stories in the national news. Instead, the mainstream media has barely, if at all, covered any of these mass pedophile arrests. This begs the question – why?

As a strong advocate for sex crime victims, I’ve been closely following the pedophile arrests since Trump took office. There have been a staggering 1,500-plus arrests in one short month; compare that to less than 400 sex trafficking-related arrests in 2014 according to the FBI. It’s been clear to me for awhile that Trump would make human trafficking a top priority. On October 8, 2012, Trump tweeted:

"Got to do something about these missing children grabbed by the perverts. Too many incidents – fast trial, death penalty."

More @ Townhall

Vietnam's Low-tech Food System Takes Advantage of Decay

Via Jonathan and David

Street food in hanoi
In the 12 years I have spent here, I have really eaten in a restaurant.  Food on the street is bettter and cheaper.

The food system in the industrialised world is based on mass-production, global distribution, and constant refrigeration. It requires many resources and produces a lot of food waste.

Aaron Vansintjan takes to the streets of Hanoi, where the Vietnamese practice a food culture based largely on fermentation.

Although food spoils much faster in a tropical climate, the Vietnamese will often store it without refrigeration, and instead take advantage of controlled decay. Vietnam's decentralised food system has low energy inputs and reduced food waste, giving us a glimpse of what an alternative food system might look like.

More @ Low Tech

NJ public school teaches Islam — but no other religions

Via Billy


Parents of students at Chatham Middle School are calling on the board of education to eliminate lessons on Islam from the 7th grade social studies curriculum they believe proselytizes the religion.

Several parents attended a board meeting Monday to take aim at materials distributed to students through a “World Cultures and Geography” class they believe cross the line, Tap into Chatham reports.

The parents emailed board members copies of the lessons they believe violate the district’s policy that “no religious beliefs be promoted or disparaged” and handed copies to others in attendance at the meeting, as well.

More with video @ EAG News

Judge Says Voters Have No Say in How Their Tax Dollars Are Spent

Via Billy

shutterstock_locked tax dollars

 

The ruling of one liberal federal judge proves that America is no longer a republic and doubtful if it is even a democracy. What’s the difference?

 

A republic is what our Founding Fathers sacrificed so much to establish. It’s a government where the people elect leaders to do the will of the majority of the people.

A democracy is best described as a government where the people elect leaders to rule over them, regardless of the will of the people. So many people erroneously think America was a democracy but it was NEVER intended to be that way. Also notice that many communist or socialist countries use the term ‘democratic’ in their name – i.e. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Republic in this name just refers to a bordered nation and Democratic refers to the socialist government running it. When East Germany still existed, it was formally known as the German Democratic Republic and like the Congo, Republic only referred to the geographic borders and Democratic referred to the socialist-communist government.

More @ Constitution

Chris Matthews Calls Trump Supporters Dogs

Via Billy

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What a great way to win friends and influence people........Keep it up! You and Ellison. :)

Guest Montel Williams was criticizing President Trump for his delayed response to the anti-Semitic attacks across the U.S. this week. He said that "25 percent" of Trump's supporters agreed with his "nasty rhetoric" in reference to racism.

More with video @ Life Zette

Trump: 'The era of empty talk is over'

Via Billy

Image result for Trump: 'The era of empty talk is over'

President Trump promised Friday that he would lead an activist administration that would finally tackle the big problems that have plagued America for years.

"The era of empty talk is over," Trump told the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. "Now is the time for action."

He said his administration is already working to build a "great, great border wall," and predicted it would be built faster than many anticipate.

More with videos @ Washington Examiner

Ellison could help Trump win an even bigger majority

Via Billy

Ellison could help Trump win an even bigger majority
 Please, please, please win.

Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison appears to be the odds on favorite to win Saturday’s election to head the Democratic National Committee. That seems like good news for Republicans seeking to expand their congressional majority in 2018, a fact President Trump seemed to gleefully acknowledge this week.
 
“One thing I will say about Rep. Keith Ellison, in his fight to lead the DNC, is that he was the one who predicted early that I would win!” Trump said in a Wednesday message on Twitter.
 
More@ The Hill

The Appalachian Messenger February 24, 2017

 Image result for The Appalachian Messenger February 24, 2017

This week’s edition of the Appalachian Messenger has articles by:

Hans Mentha
#RESIST … Collectivism on Steroids

Paul Rosenberg
You’ve Been Robbed

Samuel Culper
CSG: GroundRod Primer Course Review

T. L. Davis
Motel 8

Kit Perez
Your Anonymous Browsing Can Still Identify You

Click here for the February 24, 2017 edition.

Democrats Forcibly Remove Vietnamese Female GOP California State Senator From Senate Floor

Via Billy

Will the mainstream media make Republican California state Senator Janet Nguyen a star like they did with Democrat Texas state Senator Wendy Davis or Democrat U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for speaking truth to power as those liberal woman politicians were lionized by the media?

Senator Janet Nguyen, Twitter avatar
Video posted by the California Senate GOP Caucus shows Nguyen being forcibly removed from the Senate floor by Sergeants at Arms under orders from the Democrat majority as she spoke critically about the late state Senator Tom Hayden and his support for the communist regime in Vietnam which her family fled. Hayden passed away last October but was remembered by his Senate colleagues in speeches given on Tuesday. Nguyen chose to not participate or mar the remembrance of Hayden that day.

Nguyen’s biography states she was born in Saigon and escaped with her family on a small boat.

40 Year Ban Broken U.S. Now Exporting Oil

Via Billy

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The U.S. exported a record amount of crude oil, topping a million barrels a day for a second week and filling the gap in world markets created by OPEC cutbacks.

Shale and other U.S. producers sent 1.2 million barrels of crude oil onto world markets last week, up nearly 200,000 barrels a day from the week earlier and about 350,000 barrels above the four-week average, according to Energy Information Administration data. Until recently, the U.S. was exporting about 500,000 barrels a day.

More with videos @ CNBC

Nigel Farage Mocks CNN In Powerful CPAC Speech, Crowd Gives Standing Ovation! (VIDEO)

Via Billy


UKIP’s former leader, Nigel Farage received a standing ovation at CPAC this year. He led the way for Brexit and supported Donald Trump during the 2016 election cycle. He gave a wonderful speech at CPAC today with a powerful message of nationalism and even mocked CNN.

More with video @ The Gateway Pundit

Daily Caller News Foundation Obamacare Replacement Draft Legislation Leaked

Via Billy

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A 105-page draft of the reconciliation bill, which will repeal and partially replace Obamacare, was leaked to the press Friday, showing Republicans plan to scale back Medicaid and eliminate penalties attached to the individual and employer mandates.

The discussion draft, leaked to Politico, calls for tax credits for individuals based on age, ranging between $2,000 and $4,000 — a shift from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which bases subsidies on income.

States that opted to expand Medicaid during the Obama administration would gradually have the additional federal funds phased out until 2020. States would instead be provided a per capita cap, which would allocate money based on the number of those enrolled. Proponents argue it provides states with more flexibility while bringing down costs.

The bill aims to stabilize premiums while covering individuals with preexisting conditions by providing “State Innovation Grants.”