“H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y …. Hypocrisy”

OK, so social media companies can argue that it’s unconstitutional to prevent minors from opening social media accounts (free speech and all), but it’s NOT unconstitutional for these same social media companies to then censor what these  minors (and everyone else) can post and/or view?

Arkansas law requiring parental consent for minors to create social media accounts temporarily blocked

END SECTION 230! Social media companies should not be able to have their cake (protection from liability for what is posted on their platforms) and eat it, too (censorship of what is posted or viewed on their platforms).

Simple

A friend of mine asked me a simple question: Why do people vote for the socialist policies of far-left liberal democrats? The answer is easy, but comes in two parts.

1) People are stupid. Really. So stupid that many who buy into far-left socialist dogma think that the funds needed to pay for their programs come from “the government”. However, even some liberals know that there is no such thing as “government” money. The government collects all its money from taxpayers, thus “government” money is more correctly referred to as “taxpayer” money. But even those who know that the government doesn’t really have any money believe the additional taxes that they might be forced to pay will be far less than the benefit they expect to receive. In short, they expect to pick the pockets of their betters. Unfortunately (here comes the “stupid” part), they forget that they, too, are someone’s better.

2) People are lazy (and greedy – really, flip sides of the same coin). But I can’t blame them for this – it’s simply natural that they want the greatest pay for the least work. However, reason would seem to indicate that it would be impossible to demand something that had not been produced (since they did not produce the benefit they expect to receive, or equivalent production of something they can trade for it); this takes us back to point 1 (someone else will have to produce it).

So, in summary, people vote for socialist policies because they are stupid and lazy.

See? I told you it was simple.

 

 

Of course they are

I mean, why blame the criminals? It’s not their fault that cars are easy to steal. It’s entrapment – yeah, that’s the ticket! Entrapment, I tell you!

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sues automakers as car theft ‘crisis’ gets worse

While we’re at it, why not blame car manufacturers for all car thefts? I mean, surely they can DNA-code cars to their owners and eliminate auto theft entirely? Isn’t their failure to develop and make standard such technology the reason for car thefts? And why not blame banks for bank robberies? Or retail stores for shoplifting? Or guns for gun crimes? Oh, wait; they’re already trying that last one…

I mean, it’s not like locking up the criminals would do any good, right? Not in Chicago, anyway… that wouldn’t be fair to criminals!

But cops are special…

… since they are commonly granted a right to own and carry firearms when retired – even in states that otherwise forbid or heavily restrict the same rights for their citizens. Unfortunately, police have been found to be more likely to commit criminal acts than the average Joe/Jane with a concealed carry permit. Case in point – a mass shooting by a retired cop:

Retired police sergeant targeted estranged wife in deadly mass shooting at California biker bar: sheriff

If a state restricts access to firearms or concealed carry permits for its citizens, those same rules should be applied to everyone – including retired police officers. Alternatively, if retired cops are allowed to carry firearms then so should be the rest of the population.

Dangerous morons with guns

Shooting blindly through the door – even at burglars – risks the lives of innocent neighbors. The video in this story shows the bullets hitting the apartment wall opposite the shooter’s front door. I wonder how many made it through the stucco finish and into the apartment? Hope no one was home:

Texas man fires at suspects posing as maintenance workers through front door

I’m a strong 2nd Amendment supporter, but this was just plain stupid. It’s a good argument for basic skills and knowledge training for firearm owners.

Or at least an IQ test…

“A banana republic, if you can keep it…”

Using our legal system to jail political opponents for protected speech? And these same people are calling Trump a fascist? Really??

Dershowitz slams GA indictment, says Trump used same tactics as Al Gore in 2000: not a ‘crime’

(Full disclosure: I have not yet read the GA indictment.)

I don’t care how much you hate Trump; this is getting ridiculous. When even staunch democrats like Alan Dershowitz side with Trump, it’s a clear sign that something is wrong.

The article cited above also notes that the Georgia prosecutors had inadvertently posted their indictment – before the grand jury had even voted. From the article:

The district attorney’s office erroneously posted an indictment document earlier on Monday prior to the grand jury vote. They reportedly said that document was “fictitious” and it was taken down off the website. 

Dershowitz had the following response regarding this farce:

“Nobody should take the indictments at all seriously, because they announced the indictment before the grand jury even voted. So the grand jury is just a rubber stamp. And so, nobody should say, ‘Oh, the grand jury indicted, so it must be serious,’” Dershowitz said.

“It’s not the grand jury who indicted, it’s the prosecutors,” he added.

Well, at least we can still be a shining example … for banana republics everywhere.

Hunter Biden plea/diversion agreement

The rejected Hunter Biden plea/diversion deal did do one good thing: it would have prevented Hunter Biden from ever owning firearms again. However, this does not offset the “walk” he received on all the other possible pending charges as a result of what some perceive is an improper application of the diversion agreement.

A diversion agreement typically prevents the government, upon the defendant’s completion of the diversion requirements, from prosecuting the defendant for actions admitted in the diversion agreement “statement of facts”. Basically, if you admit your guilt as part of your diversion plea, such admissions can’t be used against you future proceedings (unless you violate the diversion agreement) and you can’t be additionally charged for the crimes admitted.

Hunter Biden’s diversion agreement included such a “statement of facts” related to the accusations against him (drug use, firearms possession, etc.). However, the diversion agreement also made reference to the “statement of facts” provided by Hunter in the tax plea deal (which was NOT a diversion agreement).  The result is that any admissions in the “statement of facts” for the separate tax plea deal would also be protected from prosecution – including admissions that may relate to his failure to register as a foreign agent. This is inappropriate, since the tax plea deal is NOT part of the diversion agreement – only the gun charges apply there.

While I’m glad that – if the plea/diversion agreements ever go through – Hunter Biden will never again own firearms, the diversion agreement should not provide him with an “escape clause” for all the other things he’s done. If that’s what the government wants to do – and I think they do, for political reasons –  then they should have to admit that openly in the plea agreement. Hiding it in the separate diversion agreement is an act of cowards.

Americans must REALLY be stupid…

… to believe the Hunter Biden “art” fiasco. Here’s an example of alleged influence purchasing via his “art”:

Hunter Biden’s gallery sold first son’s artwork to major Dem donor appointed to prestigious commission: Report

So the idea (as peddled by the Biden administration) is that since the art dealers (and the government) refuse to release the names of people who buy Hunter Biden’s “art”, he can’t be influenced by the buyers. Of course, this is a complete load of dingos kidneys.

There is NOTHING to prevent the BUYER from telling Hunter. There is NOTHING preventing HUNTER from telling the BUYER which painting to buy and for how much. Just because the dealer doesn’t release the information means nothing. But the scheme does protect the administration by preventing the release of buyer information which might provide proof of a “pay for play” scheme (as alleged in the above-referenced article).

The reality is that the best way to prevent preferential treatment for Hunter Biden’s “art” patrons is to make public the names of the buyers. Then we could compare the list of buyers with those receiving special treatment, thereby discouraging such attempts at selling access or favors. But, of course, under those conditions I’m pretty sure good ol’ Hunter’s painting would sell, if at all, for no more than $ 1.98 at Walmart…

Sarcasm = racism, fascism, *ism, etc.?

When engineering students responded with sarcastic answers to a transgender research survey, the authors of the associated report became upset – so much so that some had to take time off ” …to heal from traumatic harm…” (no kidding – this is right from the text of the report). The researchers were so upset that they turned the tables on the sarcastic students and used the responses to singled them out as hate mongers:

Attack Helicopters and White Supremacy: Interpreting Malicious Responses to an Online Questionnaire about Transgender Undergraduate Engineering and Computer Science Student Experiences

In summary, the report essential says (in my words, not theirs):

WAAAAAH!
STEM students are MEAN, and make fun of our work. As a result, we’ve determined that they are racist, fascist, transphobic, anti-semitic, white supremacist meanies. They should all be forced into government re-education programs until they stop thinking independently.
WAAAAAAH!

The report is full of gibberish and politi-speak (George Orwell would be proud). I love this line:

“The data was coded inductively and discursively interpreted through social justice frameworks.”

Huh? (Really – right from the text!)

I can’t believe this nonsense actually got published. I think the authors were surprised, too, based on this observation from the report:

“Tellingly, earlier versions of this paper submitted to journals in engineering education were ultimately rejected, not because of the quality of the research itself, but because of “fit.” We were left with the impression that our arguments concerning the necessity of addressing fascist ideologies within the cultural contexts that TGNC students endure was seen as irrelevant to engineering education…” (emphasis mine)

Anyway, here’s the Fox News story that clued me in to the existence of the report; it’s pretty funny, too:

Researchers horrified, decry rise of ‘fascism’ as students send mocking responses to woke survey