Below are the words from my daily political diary. It is quite long so scroll on by if not interested. But do stay around and add your commentary and point of view to the thread.
Tues-10/15/19
FOX’S MARIA BARTIROMO REPORTS THAT THE DOJ INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT DUE OUT FRIDAY
And she says it’s thick as a telephone book.
We’ve been waiting for this about forever so heads up and come Friday we will pay close attention.
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Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo says her sources are telling her an extensive report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz on alleged Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses by the Justice Department and the FBI will be released by the end of next week.
Bartiromo, who is the first journalist to report an exact release date, discussed what she had learned on her Fox News show, Sunday Morning Futures, with two Republican congressmen who deduced former high-ranking government officials are bracing for a scathing critique.
"I’m hearing the IG report will be out this upcoming Friday, Oct. 18, and my sources say it’s as thick as a telephone book," Bartiromo said, adding that it covers "more than just FISA abuse."
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HILLARY AND CHELSEA DEBATE ON TRANSGENDER SELF-IDENTIFICATION
Hillary tries to play coy and cute while Chelsea is the millennial that she is.
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It may appear Hillary and Chelsea Clinton always see eye-to-eye, but in a recent interview one topic cracked the facade of the like-minded mother-daughter power duo. The one issue Hillary and Chelsea don't appear to agree on entirely is transgender self-identification. In an interview with The Sunday Times, journalist Decca Aitkenhead asked the Clintons if someone with a beard and a penis can ever be a woman, to which Chelsea replied emphatically, 'Yes.' However, as Aitkenhead describes it, Hillary looked 'uneasy', and blamed generational gaps for being less accepting. 'Errr. I'm just learning about this,' Hillary responded. 'It's a very big generational discussion, because this is not something I grew up with or ever saw. It's going to take a lot more time and effort to understand what it means to be defining yourself differently.'
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10 Things People Get Wrong About Columbus
By Ben Broussard
It’s Columbus Day as of this writing and I came across this list of things we all get wrong about Columbus.
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Every Columbus Day is the same: Christopher Columbus is attacked. His statues are desecrated. Public monuments in his honor are threatened or removed. Every year, more states and cities change Columbus Day to “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” or “Native Americans’ Day.” And left-wing professors smear the once-revered hero who discovered America in 1492.
Should Columbus be vilified instead of honored? Was he really a villain? Should we believe these attacks on his good name and character?
This post will debunk the most common lies about Columbus.
Myth #1: Columbus was sailing to prove the world was round.
Everyone in Columbus’s time knew the earth was a sphere. This fact was known since antiquity. Scholars disagreed about its size. Based on the known world, Columbus underestimated it by one fourth.
In the late nineteenth century, enemies of Christianity spread the lie that medieval men believed in a flat earth. They claimed that because people in Columbus’s time were religious, they were therefore crude and ignorant. These enemies wanted to discredit the Church by portraying it as the enemy of science. But Christopher Columbus, a deeply religious man, would be the first to disagree.
Myth #2: The Indians lived in peace and harmony, ruined by Columbus and his fellow Europeans.
History tells us otherwise. War, slavery, cannibalism, and sexual immorality were all common practices among the Indians. As the Spanish would later find out, human sacrifice and infanticide were the norm among other Indians, like the Aztecs. The Aztecs slaughtered upwards of 20,000 in a single day sacrificing many of their enemies by removing their still-beating hearts.
On Columbus’s second voyage, he brought the first of many Catholic missionaries. These men tried to convert the Indians from their barbaric pagan practices. Many missionaries suffered martyrdom to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Myth #3: Columbus brought slavery to the New World.
Slavery was widely practiced by the Indians when Columbus arrived. Reading Columbus’s log, it is clear he insisted on the fair treatment of the people he encountered. Upon his first meeting with the natives on San Salvador, Columbus concludes, “I recognized that they were people who would be better freed [from error] and converted to our Holy Faith by love than by force.”
The mass importation and subjugation of Africans did not begin until long after Columbus’s death.
Myth #4. Columbus was responsible for genocide, deliberately wiping out millions.
Genocide is defined as the deliberate systematic and widespread extermination of a national, racial, religious, or ethnic group.
Yes, many Indians died in the initial contact with Europeans. However, any talk of deliberate extermination on the part of Columbus is a lie. Columbus always treated the natives fairly, even when some of his contemporaries did not. Indian conquests among themselves had been going on long before the arrival of the Spanish. Columbus actually helped to establish the foundations for the fair treatment of the conquered.
The real culprit of so many deaths, however, is tied to the next lie.
Myth #5: Columbus and his men deliberately spread diseases.
Wait…weren’t people back then crude and ignorant? If they did not know if the world was round, how did they know how to spread disease? No one knew what a germ was until Louis Pasteur discovered them in 1870, over 350 years later. Columbus and his contemporaries could not have deliberately spread diseases they themselves did not understand.
Myth #6: Columbus was a philanderer.
This allegation was first made 200 years after Columbus’s death, and has been repeated ad nauseum. Columbus had jealous rivals who would have taken advantage of any sign of marital impropriety to defame him. On this point, however, his enemies are silent.
Columbus’s first wife died shortly after the birth of his first son, Diego, in 1477. After he moved to Spain, he married Beatriz de Arana in 1487. His son Fernando was born the following year. All evidence indicates Beatriz de Arana was Columbus’s lawfully wedded wife. Some of her relatives served aboard Columbus’ ships.
Columbus lived out the Catholic Church’s teaching on chastity in one’s state in life. In Columbus’ own language, sins of impurity would consign souls to eternal punishment.
Myth #7: Columbus didn’t discover anything. He died thinking he had found Asia.
Yes, the Vikings and others before him came and visited these lands. However, to discover means to uncover, or make known. The illiterate Vikings never wrote about or told others of their travels. Knowledge of cartography, navigation, and wind patterns in America did not exist until Columbus came and discovered. The Indians were ignorant of the extent of the lands they occupied and the world at large. Columbus deserves credit for establishing lasting contact between the continents.
On his third and fourth voyages, Columbus wrote about finding something new. He spent his last voyage trying to find a passage between North and South America. Though his name was not given to the continent, it’s a lie to claim he died thinking he had found Asia.
Myth #8: What Columbus did was nothing special. Anybody could have sailed west to the Americas.
Only after Columbus opened the way did others have the courage to sail to the Americas. What Columbus did was risky. He spent years finding money for the voyage. Despite many obstacles, he never gave up.
He firmly believed it was his God-given mission to explore new lands and bring the light of the Gospel. His first prayer on reaching land was:
“O Lord, eternal and omnipotent God, Thou hast, by Thy holy word, created the heavens, the earth, and the sea; blessed and glorified be Thy name; praised be Thy majesty, who hast deigned that, by means of Thy unworthy servant, Thy sacred name should be acknowledged and made known in this new quarter of the world.”
Myth #9: Columbus was sailing to become wealthy, seeking gold, spices, and other valuables.
Yes, Columbus sought gold and other valuables, but not for personal gain. After he founded La Navidad on the island of Hispaniola on December 25, 1492, he writes:
“I hope to God that when I come back here from Castile, I will find a barrel of gold, for which these people have traded, and that they will have found the gold mine, and the spices, and in such quantities that within three years the Sovereigns will prepare for and undertake the reconquest of the Holy Land. I have already petitioned Your Highnesses to see that all the profits of my enterprise should be spent on the conquest of Jerusalem, and Your Highnesses smiled and said that even without the expedition they had the inclination to do it.”
The Muslims were finally pushed out of Spain in 1492.
Columbus sailed for a much higher goal than wealth. His greatest unfulfilled desire was to reclaim Jerusalem and the Holy Land where Christ shed His most precious blood.
Historian George Grant concludes: “Christopher Columbus wasn’t sailing to find a New World, but to find a way to rescue the old.”
Myth #10: Columbus died a pauper in a Spanish prison.
Columbus had considerable wealth as he approached death. On May 20, 1506, the Vigil of the Ascension, Columbus, a third-order Franciscan, lay on his deathbed in his apartment at Valladolid, surrounded by his fellow Franciscans and his sons. As the friars chanted Compline, his last words echoed those of Christ on the cross: In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum. Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
The Real Target: Christianity
Christopher Columbus is treated as a scapegoat. The real target is Christianity, which formed Western civilization. Christians and all men of good will should have no qualms about celebrating Columbus Day. We need to fight back, giving due honor to this great man who spread the Gospel and civilized a hemisphere.
In a letter after Columbus’ first voyage, he gives us the best reason to continue celebrating:
“Let Christ rejoice upon earth as he does in heaven, to witness the coming salvation of so many people, heretofore given over to perdition. Let us rejoice for the exaltation of our faith, as well as for the augmentation of our temporal prosperity, in which not only Spain but all Christendom shall participate.”
Weds 10/15/19
Hunter Biden interview>
Actually he did a lot better than I thought he would.
First, he is quite handsome. Second, I’m thinking he practiced for hours.
Third, he didn’t fool me, or most Americans, not one little bit.
He was on the Amtrak Board of Directors?
It is well known here in Delaware, Amtrak capitol of the world, that Joe Biden rode the Amtrak daily to DC. You can believe ole Joe was in charge of all things Amtrak, including route, times, costs and drinks and food.
He admitted, with some coyness, that if his name wasn’t Biden he likely would not have gotten any cherished positions. At least he didn’t treat us like we were all THAT stupid.
But even though he did fairly well for someone so obviously taking bribes, I still don’t think Joe Biden will go on in the election much less win.
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TURKEY WANTS TO TALK
Yes I don’t think we should get involved in those Mideast wars involving cavemen and barbarians. EIGHTEEN YEARS IN AFGHANISTAN?
We only went into Afghanistan because Al Queda was allegedly using that lawless country to practice blowing up American buildings.
So President Trump says he’s moving out the 25 or so soldiers helping the Kurds to protect their borders from Turkey and, of course, everyone criticizes such a sensible move.
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President Trump has played this out perfectly. By isolating Turkish President Recep Erdogan, and effectively leaving him naked to an alliance of his enemies, Erdogan is now urgently asking for the U.S. to mediate peace negotiations with Kurdish forces.
This request happens immediately after President Trump signed an executive order [See Here] triggering the sanction authority of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Erdogan called the White House requesting an urgent phone call with President Trump.
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POLITCAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK
Thurs 10/17/19
THAT AWFUL, BORING DEMOCRATIC DEBATE ON 10/15/19
Yes I did watch the Democratic debate on the date above.
And yes I listened to the pundits as they discussed, defended, analyzed, praised and berated the debaters.
I could hardly add all that much to the results so I will sum it up with the two major items that I will remember.
Elizabeth Warren….what’s with this “wealth tax”? I mean, who is going to define “wealth”?
If any one thing will bring this woman down it is this idea. We are not as dumb as she thinks we are out here in la-la land across the fruity plains where we carry this country on our backs. With a great stretch of the word, but not out of the question, Ms. Warren would consider my own middle-class “wealthy”.
Such a notion will bring votes from the homeless and those on welfare.
And next, Joe Biden’s thing about clipping coupons for the stock market.
Perhaps ole Joe doesn’t know that the stock market doesn’t accept coupons. And why should he? The man obviously gets all his money from foreign governments given to them by American taxpayers.
Other than those two points, in general the entire thing was boring. They mentioned Trump’s pending “impeachment” a few times, not normally the subject of debates. All the other subjects covered were really not all that important to us average Americans.
We want peace in our time, our borders patrolled, a limited government and the ability to go where our talents take us.
Nobody mentioned any of that.
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AN INTRIGUING BIT OF POLITICAL GOSSIP
Well isn’t this good news for Bernie Sanders?
-Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib will endorse Bernie Sanders for President
We must hope that they do.
That will get Bernie out of the running.
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NOT POLITICS BY PAT
Thought this would amuse what with Halloween coming upon.
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THE RISOTTO FAILS TO PLEASE
The world awaits my verdict on the wonderful taste of risotto, a dish prepared often by Gordon Ramsey and I wondered what was so great about it.
So I chanced upon risotto in my Schwann’s catalogue so I tried it.
Now I didn’t really make this risotto and Schwanns is not known far and wide for its great food preparation. But in general Schwanns is more mediocre than bad.
I thought risotto to be pasty and tasteless.
I wonder why Gordon Ramsay loves it so much
Fri 10/18/19
BALTIMORE CONGRESS CRITTER DEAD
Well it’s certainly been a busy news day, beginning with the sudden and unexpected (at least for me) death of Baltimore’s keeper of the government cash, Elijah Cummings.
He was rather young but as I have learned that Cummings had many health issues.
May he rest in peace.
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AGREEMENT MADE ON BREXIT DEAL
In much the same way that Americans voted for Donald Trump for president, the British voted to divorce itself from the European union.
As an American watching my ruling class try to remove the person who we voted for, the British cannot seem to exit the European union. Evidently they have some sort of clause that won’t allow it.
However, in more breaking news of the day, it would seem that the NEW Prime Minister of England, Boris Johnson, has negotiated a deal.
It’s only the beginning of the process but it’s a start, perhaps a sign of the times.
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LONDON - Boris Johnson has agreed the terms of a Brexit deal, paving the way for a historic vote in the UK parliament which could finally see the UK leave the European Union.
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TURKEY AGREES TO CEASEFIRE ON THE BORDER OF SYRIA AND TURKEY
Well, well. President trump wins again.
The Democrats howled and yelped about Trump’s fulfillment of yet another campaign promise. Who knows, perhaps the common people can wrest control of our country away from the corrupt ruling class.
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Turkey has agreed to a ceasefire in northern Syria between its forces and their allied rebels and U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds, Vice President Mike Pence announced.
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FRIDAY EDITORIAL
It seems like every show I watch has a plot involving very bad white supremacists. I am looking at 70 years old and have never met a so-called white supremacist. Seems like every bad guy in the world is a white supremacist.
A new show this year, Bluff City Law, starring Jimmy Smits, who has a terrible lisp, had an episode that had Smits and his daughter trying, not the man who killed the black man, but another champion of white supremacy who they maintained caused the killing by all the hate speech he emitted.
I considered it a shot at President Trump but they were cool about it.
Then there is the weekly “FBI” show that had a mass shooter in a black nightclub a white supremacist. That wasn’t how the show had turned out but here we have another white supremacist in a prime time show.
And if the white supremacists, who are evidently taking over the world, aren’t the center of the show’s plot, there’s often side stories referring to it.
This past week we had “The Resident” with a Halloween backdrop, which also had white supremacists who threaten to kill people in the hospital should their beloved racist named Hades, die in their care.
If they can’t beat us by forcing our duly elected leaders out of office against our wishes, they will convince us via fiction that the country is filled with white supremacists who will murder us all.
Watch closely.
You’ll see what I’m talking about.
Sat 10/19/19
FIGHTING CONTINUES BETWEEN KURDS AND TURKEY
Actually there is some confusion on this matter but the Dems and media wanted to jump up and down and yell “nanny, nanny, boo, boo”.
Some say that skirmishes further in the corners of Syria had not yet been given a stand down order by the powers-that-be.
Some say it was ISIS members who continued the fighting because they don’t believe in agreements.
Some say whatever and others say whatever.
The summary of it, as of this writing and as I’ve gleaned from reading many sources, is that the Turks got pretty much everything they wanted.
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Just hours after President Trump announced a cease-fire between Turkish and Kurdish-led forces in Syria, journalists have reported continued fighting in the Syrian town of Ras al-Ayn on Friday morning, while other areas have reported relative calm since the agreement.
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PRESIDENT TRUMP IN DALLAS
Trump had a most magnificent rally in Dallas, a very “blue” city I am told, soon to be part of a very “blue” state of Texas.
As always Trump delivered a stirring speech, defending himself and criticizing those who would impeach him for picking a booger with his finger.
It is estimated that over 50,000 attended, many of whom could not get inside.
He keeps it up, he doesn’t give up. Meanwhile the Dems sit in locked up rooms and dream of reasons to get rid of the guy us morons duly elected.
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FINAL GIGGLE OF THE WEEK
