Friday, March 29, AD 2024 9:31am

Various & Sundry, 5/6/15

– There were a lot of good articles written in the aftermath of the Baltimore riots, but David French’s may have been the best of the lot.

For decades, the Left has ruled America’s great cities, presiding over often-unaccountable police departments, denying access to affordable housing, and dramatically increasing the state’s intrusion into citizens’ lives. In fact, the Left’s diverse urban centers are at the heart of the so-called coalition of the ascendant that will allegedly guarantee liberal domination for years to come. Yet now one part of that coalition is throwing rocks and burning cars, and another part of that coalition is locking shields and wielding pepper spray. And a third segment — the urban intellectual elite — can’t decide whether to justify or condemn the riots. It’s blue versus blue in America’s cities. Their one-party rule has failed.

Incidentally French has become my second favorite National Review writer after Kevin Williamson.

– Speaking of Williamson, here he is in the aftermath of the terror attack in Garland.

And speaking of the shooting, we’ve had another round of the “I support free spech, but . . . ” game. Here’s Ace shooting down that silliness, including a link to Megyn Kelly’s takedown of Bill O’Reilly ignorantly spouting (an occurrence as common as Bill O’Reilly drawing breath).

– Here’s a good refutation of the lament that Congress just doesn’t work in a bipartisan fashion anymore. Well, maybe it shouldn’t.

– Here’s another David French article (it’s been awhile since V&S entries). I had a similar evolution as French, though I got there much sooner. The supporters of gay marriage had as much to do with me changing my mind (to opposition) as anything else.

– Maybe General Jack D. Ripper was onto something after all.

– Speaking of ill-founded health conspiracy thinking, Chipotle’s GMO ban is both a toothless bit of pr tomfoolery as well as a silly ploy based on scientific illiteracy.

But what are the health risks from eating genetically modified food?

There aren’t any. Twenty-five years worth of scientific studies have shown no evidence of harm from the use of GM crops. A recent report from the European Union found that “the main conclusion to be drawn from the efforts of more than 130 research projects, covering a period of more than 25 years of research and involving more than 500 independent research groups, is that biotechnology, and in particular GMOs, are not per se more risky [to consume] than e.g. conventional plant breeding technologies.” These findings are backed by the American Medical Association, the US National Academy of Sciences, and the World Health Organization — along with other respected scientific research based organizations worldwide. Nevertheless, popular resistance to the product continues to grow. As a result of this, all of the countries in the EU and dozens of other countries worldwide restrict or ban the production and sale of genetically modified foods.

Millennials aren’t having babies. Nothing to worry about though. Nosirree.

– The folks at Protein World might be my heroes.

Someone seems not to have ever seen the Naked Gun.

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Donald R. McClarey
Admin
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 3:39am

“Their one-party rule has failed.”

Ending in violence, bloodshed and bankruptcy as one party rule usually does. Democrat dominance in major urban areas, dependent on the votes of Blacks and Hispanics in poor areas to fuel a spoils system of which they see little, has been a case study in how bad government can get in a democracy. If Democrats wonder why the Republicans control a majority of states now, the major urban centers in those states usually amply demonstrate what happens when Democrats are placed in charge of anything. Obama gave the nation a taste of what this type of rule feels like on a national level in 2008-2010, and hence the reaction that has produced a stronger Republican party nationally than at any time since 1932.

Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 6:30am

I had a similar evolution as French, though I got there much sooner. The supporters of gay marriage had as much to do with me changing my mind (to opposition) as anything else.

It’s what Rod Dreher calls the law of Merited Impossibility but of course don’t you dare try warning gays et al of any possibility of a backlash. I mean that’s what Orson Scott Card did and look at everyone’s view of him now.

(I also recommend this dreher article)

Obama gave the nation a taste of what this type of rule feels like on a national level in 2008-2010, and hence the reaction that has produced a stronger Republican party nationally than at any time since 1932.

Like Jonah Goldberg said: Liberals always over-promise and under-deliver. It may be painful to watch and have to suffer through, but if we just wait long enough, people will re-learn the lesson.

Foxfier
Admin
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 7:42am

Millennials aren’t having babies. Nothing to worry about though. Nosirree.

I think a lot of the drop is from illegals leaving (the hospital our eldest was born at had a major problem with obviously married women from Mexico giving birth and walking out without paying, claiming to be unmarried and usually with a stolen identity) but of course my generation aren’t having kids.

I was a freak for not going to college, especially since I’m above average intelligence. Anybody who could graduate was supposed to go to college, and expected to be on hormonal birth control, and not get married until they have a “good job.”

A lot of those classmates and relatives who finally are getting married are finding that they can’t get pregnant. (Gee, high bills, high stress, long work hours if you’re able to find a job or two, the medical solutions are all the same dang hammer….)

Some sub-groups are. We’ve got four, hopefully, this June. There’s at least a dozen small children at our parish. Lots of pregnant-and-toddler folks on base, too.

Donald R. McClarey
Reply to  Foxfier
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 7:57am

“We’ve got four, hopefully, this June.”

When our three were young life around McClarey Manor could get pretty wild. Best time of our lives for my bride and me.

Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 7:59am

A lot of those classmates and relatives who finally are getting married are finding that they can’t get pregnant. (Gee, high bills, high stress, long work hours if you’re able to find a job or two, the medical solutions are all the same dang hammer….)

Yeah, the reactions to the suggestion of “maybe it would be better to get married first, raise kids, and THEN do education/career” are… interesting to say the least. No matter how much you point out over and over again that it’s the best scheme in regards to certain facts or even that having to raise children will teach a person more valuable life & job skills than anything you could learn in the classroom.

Reminds me of the discussion I recently had on another blog where someone was all “there ain’t no difference between hetero and homo couples, why would kids shows distinguish?” and I pointed out, “Uh… because one of those two is the one producing and having the most of the target audience?”

Always funny to see Leftists talk about how much they love science and we need to just focus on things based on what the science says… right up until you remind them of actual science.

Art Deco
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 8:00am

– Millennials aren’t having babies. Nothing to worry about though. Nosirree.

The World Bank’s measure of total fertility rate for the United States is currently (measured as of 2012) 1.88 (v. 2.12 in 2007). It’s been depressed in recent years (likely due to the economy). It’s not the lowest it has ever been and could readily recover within a decade.

Art Deco
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 8:02am

The problem is not that Congress does not work ‘in a bipartisan fashion’. Bipartisanship is too likely to be an insider conspiracy against the public interest. The problem is that Congress accomplishes nothing at all other than fellating crony constituencies. A large part of the reason for that is stupid parliamentary rules, which Mitch McConnell et al lack the cojones to replace.

Art Deco
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 8:19am

The problem with French’s assessment, is that the left does not rule ‘America’s great cities’. The left rules core city municipalities. With the demise of municipal annexation in the northern United States, metropolitan settlements came largely to be found outside the limits of the core city. I suspect if you looked closely, you’d discover that suburban governments are modally cat’s paws of the local real estate interests.
==
If you’re going to heal the slums, you need good policy (which the inner city political class is commonly dead set against, and nowhere more pig-headedly than Baltimore City) and the tax base to implement it. Metropolitan federation, wherein county government is replaced and you have a division of labor between municipalities and metropolis, would be a means to certain ends. Fat chance getting that past suburban politicians (or suburban electorates). They’ll make use of Stanley Kurtz’ uncharacteristically poor treatment of the issue if needs be.

Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 12:23pm

Here’s Ace shooting down that silliness, including a link to Megyn Kelly’s takedown of Bill O’Reilly ignorantly spouting (an occurrence as common as Bill O’Reilly drawing breath).

Reading that ace link I see:
“O’Reilly is a pretty thoughtless man, given to the sort of rantings of the Lunchbucket Philosopher, basing his philosophy not on Judeo-Christian teachings, as he never tired of cliche-ing, but on his visceral gut reactions.

Do I like this? Do I not like this? Does this bother me in my gut? ”

Hmmm…. gee that sounds a LOT like someone else… someone Catholic like Bill… but who isn’t here obviously. 😉

Philip
Philip
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 3:51pm

Thanks Paul Zummo for the links regarding the GMO debate. My wife, Mary, is a well meaning co-op employee at our local health food store.
The link has given me some good food for thought and I look forward to investigating the data further. Dinner table debates ya-know!

Tomato season coming up.
I’ve saved some coin for the organic version…take care Paul. 🙂

Tom D
Tom D
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 4:19pm

“We’ve got four, hopefully, this June.”
Congratulations!

Foxfier
Admin
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 4:51pm

Thank you.

Anzlyne
Anzlyne
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 7:01pm

If you eat seedless grapes, you eat GMO. Fine and Dandy with me.
.
Here’s an interesting site:
http://discover.monsanto.com/conversation/

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 7:46pm

“Their one-party rule has failed.”
Ending in violence, bloodshed and bankruptcy as one party rule usually does. Democrat dominance in major urban areas, dependent on the votes of Blacks and Hispanics in poor areas to fuel a spoils system of which they see little, has been a case study in how bad government can get in a democracy.

.
I see neither of you belong to the Inner Party.
.
Tsk TskInnocent as the Proles

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 7:52pm

All food is genetically modified. We’ve been modifying plant and animal genes since the neolithic.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Thursday, May 7, AD 2015 10:17pm

Rereading Donald’s comment, I may have been too quick to exlucude him from the Party. I first took him to be writing about unintended consequences, as it were.

CAM
CAM
Friday, May 8, AD 2015 1:57am

Foxfier, Congrats to you and your husband on Number Four. Wishing you a speedy and safe delivery.

Philip
Philip
Friday, May 8, AD 2015 4:19am

Anzlyne.

I checked out your link to Q & A on Monsanto’s site. As you said, it’s interesting. The misinformation campaign is strong, documentaries painting a completely different picture.

Thank you for the link.

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