Islam was moribund and in retreat at the end of the 19th century. Then came two things that, I hesitate to call it Divine Intervention but perhaps some other agent was at work, rescued it.
The first was the shift to oil powered naval vessels. The change from sail to coal fired steam had already occurred but the Royal Navy's shift from coal to oil made control of the Middle-East oil fields critical to the British. The Arabs and Iranians shifted from despised or picturesque natives of interest only to Missionaries, Romanticists, Archeologists, and various cranks to potential partners and valued assets to be cultivated.
Next came the rise of Marxism as a challenge to the core ideologies of the West. Those being Judeo-Christianity, Aristotelian rationalism and inquiry, Empiricism and the Scientific Method in a tradition championed by Francis Bacon, limited government and individual liberty under the rule of law, and Capitalism. The West was weakened internally as both large swaths of the masses and of the elites fell away from support for culture and the institutions, which themselves became corrupted, that were always more important in expanding the sphere of Western dominance than the military power which was among their end products. Islam was itself energized as it adopted the rhetorical and organizational tools that Marxism provided for its revival.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Love In the Jet Age.
There is a story in the family that one day we went to Idlewild to see a relative off, air travel still being a glamorous big deal then. That much I do remember. Apparently we all had lunch in the terminal restaurant. During which my brother and I were busy doing what came naturally, which was being horrible. At the table behind us a soon to be famous fashion designer was sitting with an extraordinarily beautiful girl. He was proposing marriage to her, asking her to stay and telling her about how excellent his prospects were. While he was doing that she was staring at my brother and I, being horrible. The safe bet is that she got on a plane.
There is no truth to the rumor that the Catholics tried to borrow my brother and myself so as to increase the number of young women finding vocations as nuns.
There is no truth to the rumor that the Catholics tried to borrow my brother and myself so as to increase the number of young women finding vocations as nuns.
China's "Civilization Killers"
This is my fear. 44 years ago a friend who had won a Rhodes Scholarship got a little drunk at his celebration party and joked about inventing something like this.
Note that I am using racial terms and categories here that the wiki in their page "Race" spends hundreds of words repetitevly denying as having any scientific meaning or biological value. Why do I do this? Because the Chinese, like most people, believe that the terms mean something and that there are biological differences that can be exploited.
The Chinese Communist Party is (im)morally and likely technically capable of attempting this. Before they unleash a bioweapon that targets Caucasians but spares Mongoloids (East Asians), which may be feasible but also may be difficult given the history of migrations and genetic mixing over the last 10,000 years, they would I think first test the technology on a more distinct target population, Negroids. Surprise.
The CCP are I think emotionally capable of genocidally exterminationg much of the population in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America and then using survivors as labor for extracting the resources the CCP covets.
Note that I am using racial terms and categories here that the wiki in their page "Race" spends hundreds of words repetitevly denying as having any scientific meaning or biological value. Why do I do this? Because the Chinese, like most people, believe that the terms mean something and that there are biological differences that can be exploited.
The Chinese Communist Party is (im)morally and likely technically capable of attempting this. Before they unleash a bioweapon that targets Caucasians but spares Mongoloids (East Asians), which may be feasible but also may be difficult given the history of migrations and genetic mixing over the last 10,000 years, they would I think first test the technology on a more distinct target population, Negroids. Surprise.
The CCP are I think emotionally capable of genocidally exterminationg much of the population in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America and then using survivors as labor for extracting the resources the CCP covets.
Sunday, September 12, 2021
On Misandry
The Feminists are correct that there is a lot of Misogyny out there and many women are at risk of physical harm. They are also completely clueless about where the threat comes from and who is and is not likely to harm them. They have consistently fallen for gaslighting that has lead to them Judas like inducing those they claim to care for away from those who do not want to harm them and into where they can be harmed by real predators. On college campuses much agitation is I think used to isolate and stigmatize heterosexual men in order to drive a wedge between them and heterosexual women, so that the latter can be isolated and exploited by aggressive dishonest and manipulative persons, including transgenders and lesbians. Some beta heterosexual males participate in this hoping to benefit from the exclusion of other males. The Patriarchy consists of Bill Clinton and his supporting cast of sexual obsessive "Friends of and like Hillary" as well as assorted Race Hustlers, ConMen, and Grifters who view young women as chattel.
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Denaturalization
On my list of amendments that would improve the Constitution of the United States is one that would enable Congress by a three fourths vote of each chamber to revoke the citizenship of any person born a United States citizen, with a two thirds vote in each chamber sufficing to revoke the naturalization of a person not born a citizen. Also upon a petition submitted by the legislatures of two thirds of the states Congress may act to denaturalize any citizen by a means of majority vote with a bill subject to Presidential approval or by a two thirds majority in each chamber should the President not assent, provided that no state legislature may authorize such a petition nor may Congress pass an Act naming more than one person for this purpose on any day that they are in session.
Instapundit: AND THE COMPETITION WAS FIERCE THIS YEAR: Teen Vogue Columnist Takes the Prize for Dumbest 9/11 Take of the Year.
The COVID K.I.S.S.
There is no zero zilch nada zip justification for Biden claiming Emergency Powers in response to a Crisis. There was some justification for the government acting with dispatch in response to an unknown threat with an unknown level of lethality and unknown means of preventing mitigating or treating its impact. That was true, 18 to 20 months ago. That is why the initial response was labeled, "Two weeks to bend the curve." None of the excuses for Emergency actions that violated civil rights, including judicial due process, respect for state sovereignty, legislative oversight and authority, and individual freedoms including both of Speech and Privacy to include medical information, are true now.
The government asked for two weeks so that they could find out what the disease was and where it came from and what measures might prove beneficial in response. Now we know that Fauci lied to Trump and the American people. He knew what the disease was and where it came from and he participated in a grandstanding power grab that distracted and delayed more effective measures while millions suffered. Billion were lost in financial collapse and misdirected efforts. The emotional damage was also a real cost. China in a series of hostile acts not only produced the disease and entered into corrupt relations with American officials that weakened our response but also they have withheld information that could have sped our response.
At this point what do we know? There is a disease. It is or will be endemic, like other corona viruses. Absent further genetic manipulation to make it more lethal to targeted populations, which may happen as that may be a focus of CCP sponsored bioweapons research, many or most may catch it at some time and most will survive. Vaccines and mRNA treatments will be refined and will be appropriate for some but not all. Other treatments, using either new medicines or as is common repurposed medicines, will be tested and some will prove more effective than others. As with other diseases for almost everyone and certainly for civilians vaccination and treatment should be a matter of personal choice determined between patients and their physicians operating under rules of Confidentiality and Informed Consent.
Consider an analogy. When a house is on fire the firefighters may knock the door down and tear the walls open, smashing dishes and furniture as they chase the fire. Their right to do so lasts only as long as the initial fire is burning and the cause and path of it are unknown. After a few hours at most the firefighters withdraw. If there is a concern that someone may be storing paint, alcohol, or old rags improperly then the fire department is not allowed to kick in doors to find and neutralize the threat. The police will have to go to a judge and show cause and hope for a warrant that they then must present. If they do not conduct themselves professionally then they may be liable.
Freedom is maintained at a cost, and that may include some inefficiency. If someone fails to exercise due care in storing flammables or by not reporting or by spreading a disease then they may face civil or criminal liabilities. Note that for some diseases such as AIDS the Democrats have reduced or eliminated the liability of those who knowingly expose others to infection. However nothing may be done without due process. Even in the case of Typhoid Mary the Health Department had to go through the courts before confining her and they did not respond to the disease by locking up every Irish servant.
The government asked for two weeks so that they could find out what the disease was and where it came from and what measures might prove beneficial in response. Now we know that Fauci lied to Trump and the American people. He knew what the disease was and where it came from and he participated in a grandstanding power grab that distracted and delayed more effective measures while millions suffered. Billion were lost in financial collapse and misdirected efforts. The emotional damage was also a real cost. China in a series of hostile acts not only produced the disease and entered into corrupt relations with American officials that weakened our response but also they have withheld information that could have sped our response.
At this point what do we know? There is a disease. It is or will be endemic, like other corona viruses. Absent further genetic manipulation to make it more lethal to targeted populations, which may happen as that may be a focus of CCP sponsored bioweapons research, many or most may catch it at some time and most will survive. Vaccines and mRNA treatments will be refined and will be appropriate for some but not all. Other treatments, using either new medicines or as is common repurposed medicines, will be tested and some will prove more effective than others. As with other diseases for almost everyone and certainly for civilians vaccination and treatment should be a matter of personal choice determined between patients and their physicians operating under rules of Confidentiality and Informed Consent.
Consider an analogy. When a house is on fire the firefighters may knock the door down and tear the walls open, smashing dishes and furniture as they chase the fire. Their right to do so lasts only as long as the initial fire is burning and the cause and path of it are unknown. After a few hours at most the firefighters withdraw. If there is a concern that someone may be storing paint, alcohol, or old rags improperly then the fire department is not allowed to kick in doors to find and neutralize the threat. The police will have to go to a judge and show cause and hope for a warrant that they then must present. If they do not conduct themselves professionally then they may be liable.
Freedom is maintained at a cost, and that may include some inefficiency. If someone fails to exercise due care in storing flammables or by not reporting or by spreading a disease then they may face civil or criminal liabilities. Note that for some diseases such as AIDS the Democrats have reduced or eliminated the liability of those who knowingly expose others to infection. However nothing may be done without due process. Even in the case of Typhoid Mary the Health Department had to go through the courts before confining her and they did not respond to the disease by locking up every Irish servant.
Thursday, September 09, 2021
On Mandates and Conscientious Objectors
In my industry, like many others, COVID vaccines have been mandated as a condition of employment. There has been an exemption noted in many job postings for those with medical or religious objections. However such an exemption must be applied for in advance and would be evaluated by the employer's HR department. Rejection due to discrimination and subsequent denial of future employment would be almost impossible to prove. The (edited for confidentiality) notice follows.
"π΄ππ ... βππππ [πππππ’ππππ ...] ππ’π π‘ ππ ππ’πππ¦ π£πππππππ‘ππ ππππππ π‘ πΆπππΌπ·-19 ππ π ππππππ‘πππ ππ ππππππ¦ππππ‘, π π’πππππ‘ π‘π ππππ ππππππ ππππππππππ‘ππππ πππ πππππππ πππ ππππππππ’π ππ₯ππππ‘ππππ ππ ππππ£ππππ ππ¦ πππππππ, π π‘ππ‘π ππ πππππ πππ€ (π.π., πππ ππππππ‘π¦, ππππππππ’π ππππππ, ππ‘π.)."
This parallels the Conscientious Objector Draft Exemption based upon a documented religious belief and affiliation that exists for the armed forces. That was often interpreted by the draft boards in a narrow manner that lead to applications being rejected. The rejection of the request from Alvin York, holder of the Medal of Honor and the most decorated American soldier of WW-I as given in the script of the film "Sergeant York."
"πβπππππππ, π€π ππππ π‘βππ‘ π€π πππ'π‘ ππππ ππππ π¦ππ’π πβπ’ππβ π π€πππ-ππππππππ§ππ ππππππππ’π π πππ‘, πππππππ§ππ πππ ππ₯ππ π‘πππ, πππ¦ 18, 1917. ππ ππππ ππ’ππ‘βππ, π‘βππ‘ ππ‘ βππ ππ π ππππππ πππππ ππ₯ππππ‘ π‘βπ π΅ππππ, π€βππβ πππ ππ πππ‘ππππππ‘ππ ππ¦ ππ‘π πππππππ ππ π‘βππ¦ πβπππ π. π΄ππ πππππππ¦, π‘βπππ'π πππ‘βπππ ππ π‘βπ πππππ ππ π‘βπ πβπ’ππβ, ππ₯ππππ π ππ¦ ππππππππππ ππ‘π πππππππ π‘π ππππ‘ππππππ‘π ππ π€ππ. πβπππππππ π¦ππ’π ππππππππ‘πππ πππ ππ₯ππππ‘πππ ππ ππππππ."
We may consider that the draft boards of 104 years ago, like the governing political culture and the leadership of the armed forces, was considerably less hostile to religious or political dissent than that of either the government or of corporate HR departments is today. Biden's proposed mandates for all government employment, including contractors, may strip away even the tissue thin provision for an exemption based on Conscientious Objection.
Government and business today under the influence of a totalitarian ideology claim a power greater than that of an absolute monarch. Elizabeth I of England said. "I have no desire to make windows into men's souls." We have General Milley who would never say as Major Buxton did, "York, as your superior officer, I don't feel called upon to look into your conscience."
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