Saturday, April 18, 2020
Not Exactly a Pro-Natalist Message
SJWs may be offended by images of white women having presumably white babies. But the song is about a young woman (maybe even a teenager) who is abandoned by the man who impregnated her and is left with a baby to love. Not exactly endorsing strong family values, but at least the woman did not have an abortion.
Unorthodox
Not to be confused with the documentary of the same title.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Habits Are Culture-Specific
Netflix's Free Propaganda
The Iron Law of Oligarchy
“The iron law of oligarchy" is a political theory, first developed by the German sociologist Robert Michels in his 1911 book, Political Parties.
It asserts that rule by an elite, or oligarchy, is inevitable as an "iron law" within any democratic organization as part of the "tactical and technical necessities" of an organization.
Michels' theory states that all complex organizations, regardless of how democratic they are when started, eventually develop into oligarchies. Michels observed that since no sufficiently large and complex organization can function purely as a direct democracy, power within an organization will always get delegated to individuals within that group, elected or otherwise.
Michels argues that democratic attempts to hold leadership positions accountable are prone to fail, since with power comes the ability to reward loyalty, the ability to control information about the organization, and the ability to control what procedures the organization follows when making decisions.
All of these mechanisms can be used to strongly influence the outcome of any decisions made 'democratically' by members.
Michels stated that the official goal of representative democracy of eliminating elite rule was impossible, that representative democracy is a façade legitimizing the rule of a particular elite, and that elite rule, which he refers to as oligarchy, is inevitable.” (sourced from Wikipedia)
In the Land of the Blind...
New York Times Columnist Jessica Lahey @jesslahey dropped some parenting bombs on us. Her book, "The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed" is in keeping with some of our favorite looks on parenting :) https://t.co/1Vv8Gwck7J pic.twitter.com/EvroNhHbWW
— dax shepard (@daxshepard) April 16, 2020
Great interview with Jessica Lahey @jesslahey on the importance of a growth mindset, desirable struggle, and the magic of “yet” (as in, I can’t do this *yet*) — Armchair Expert https://t.co/qXFJ4x1st3
— Steven Strogatz (@stevenstrogatz) April 17, 2020
Jessica Lahey, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed
The Latins Need Ivan Illich
Ivan Illich, a Philosopher For Our Times by Mark Sunwall
Illich was aware that there are indeed institutions which are primarily dedicated to their functions, however he pointed out that beyond certain levels of scale and entrenchment, whatever remains of their functionality becomes secondary to the enhancement of power, wealth, and status. As a Catholic Christian Illich was probably aware of Acton’s saying that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, but regardless, the principle itself was a touchstone of his own understanding of institutions. Illich was and is a helpful thinker since he understood that the injustices of modern institutions were seldom carried out as extensions of naked tyranny. Rather they are typically cloaked with the trappings of benevolence and progress, the toxic effects of which only become observable in the long run.The clerical sex scandal and its fallout should have been a revelation of how out of touch many of the bishops are, and how there is a manifest lack of accountability to their flocks. After 1800 years of the ecclesial status quo, will it be possible for Latins to reconsider their ecclesiological presuppositions? When the gap between how things are now and how they are should be are so large, can there be any sort of reform that seems "gradual"? Having individual parishes incorporate as separate entities may be one measure, but it does not go far enough.
Surely few of Illich’s original fans would ever consider In the Vinyard of the Text the apex of his work. After all, in the revolutionary ’60s it would not have been considered “relevant.” Yet in taking up themes from the middle ages and Scholasticism (granted the many limitations of the latter) Illich was expanding “conviviality” from a social bond limited to the present, to a mystical conversation binding together the present, past, and future. In other words, he was coming out in favor of tradition and the inheritance which the present receives from the past. If that isn’t the earmark of a conservative thinker I don’t know what is. Moreover I doubt that this was a novel turn in Illich’s thought, but rather the public revelation of a deep strata of his mind which had long been obscured by his active engagement with the hot-button issues of his times.
Illich may have seemed like a radical thinker, but he may have seemed radical because his calls for reform were inline with the requirements of preaching and living the Gospel, and his critics failed to realize this.
R4R 43: Anarcho-Distributism: Is It Different From Free Enterprise?
Navy Seal Instructor Now K9 Dog Trainer- Mike Ritland
But he concedes that women can and should have combat roles, and that there may be a place for all-women special operations groups: Women as Navy SEALS - Good or Bad idea?
Stereotypes Are Bad!
"Even among Liberal females aged 30 to 49, over 39% have suffered from a mental illness. The most mentally stable of all are “Conservative” males over the age of 65, 4.5% of whom have ever been told by a doctor that they have a mental health condition."https://t.co/pdi0HgCZsG
— VDARE (@vdare) April 16, 2020
After #MeToo
"At a meeting of academics, a shiver went around the room, looking for a spine to run up." A delightful (and bitter-sweet) interview with a retired philosophy prof and author of a new book critical of #MeToo feminism. Lovely. https://t.co/tzCr4A3kRu
— Janice Fiamengo (@JaniceFiamengo) April 15, 2020
youtube
Irish Examiner
The Spectator
Thursday, April 16, 2020
The More You Cry About It
Trump knows Chinatown is not part of China. But he also knows that for many of his xenophobic, racist followers that form his political base, the distinction doesn’t matter. We Asian Americans will always be perpetual foreigners to them. Even if we were born here for generations.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) April 16, 2020
Yet Another
"It feels like February again in the New York Times Magazine, with Korean-American lady writers milking their Google searches for anti-Chinese incidents for all they are worth..." - @Steve_Sailer https://t.co/nXMLg1BtQm
— VDARE (@vdare) April 16, 2020
Steve Sailer
Another Piece on Taleb
HITS THE SPOT:
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) April 17, 2020
"What is happening right now is not because all the epidemiologists & virologists around the world are wrong, but because they’re asked to make decisons and construct models about something they don’t know nearly enough about."https://t.co/3ZYBlKefbe
Karate and Not TKD?
Hollywood's Propaganda Piece Against Phyllis Schlafly
No, there's no agenda at play in Mrs. America. None at all.
— Suzanne Venker (@SuzanneVenker) April 12, 2020
"Trust Me: Cate Blanchett in Mrs. America Is the Best Villain on TV. Her portrayal of Phyllis Schlafly will definitely make you squirm."https://t.co/13FcGk7Y7F
It was Phyllis's lack of rage and resentment that agitated feminists so much. They couldn't wear her down, and it made them mad with fury.https://t.co/zS8OrcjyoD
— Suzanne Venker (@SuzanneVenker) April 14, 2020
Mrs. Schlafly died at age 92 in 2016 and was “perfectly happy to respond to any criticism ever leveled against her,” Mrs. Cori said. “But to wait until after she’s dead to level this criticism doesn’t give her the opportunity to respond to it." https://t.co/W2lHmDhnU7
— Suzanne Venker (@SuzanneVenker) April 15, 2020
MICHELLE MALKIN: Schlafly was as down-to-earth in person as her column voice and TV debates, and contrary to a Wall Street Journal movie reviewer's attack on her "resentment" and "rage," she was the quintessential happy warrior with a twinkle in her eyes. https://t.co/3rhIIdmiKj
— Suzanne Venker (@SuzanneVenker) April 16, 2020
With the couple both deceased and family members unable to defend their marriage of 44 years, nobody and nothing stood in the way of Blanchett and Co. disseminating a cunning lie crafted to cast conservative women as abused captives with no independent agency behind closed doors. https://t.co/tiM4s41teE
— Suzanne Venker (@SuzanneVenker) April 16, 2020
"Blocking input from those who knew the phenomenal matriarch, lawyer, and author of more than 20 books conveniently allowed the Tinseltown fable-tellers to fabricate calumnious scenes out of thin air." https://t.co/lmj9PQxLOg
— Suzanne Venker (@SuzanneVenker) April 16, 2020
Trailer 2
Mark Bauerlein on the Novel Wolf Hall
But here is what my Catholic tutor, an expert on St. Thomas More, says of Mantel: “She's dangerous! She just makes things up!” He can't believe that this fabricator of anti-More calumnies should enjoy so much success. Or rather, he believes it and understands it. As he confessed to me, Mantel is a brilliant re-creator of time and place and personages, and that counts for more than historical accuracy. After all, it's only a novel.
...
And then read commentaries in our own First Things pages: Patricia Snow's “The Devil and Hilary Mantel,” George Weigel's “‘Wolf Hall' and Up-Market anti-Catholicism,” and Mark Movsesian's “Thomas More, Villain.”
There is also the BBC adaptation from a few years ago.
The Only Man Who Has a Clue?
What the government controls best is border control/filtering incoming passengers & yet-uncancelled superspreader events (games). They messed that up.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) April 16, 2020
The rest is largely ex post response lagging individual behavior.https://t.co/wl65RHvy0t
Peer review is often necessary but v. highly insufficient; gives cover to unrigorous crap. There are citation rings. Imagine passing a review on risk by an ignorant psych like @PTetlock who still doesn't know the difference betw probability & expectation or point estimate & EVT. https://t.co/PCF7t4qJYm
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) April 16, 2020
No masks, no testing. But lockdown.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) April 16, 2020
This is what happens when you panic too late. https://t.co/P2aGktcv0R
Why you cannot use epidemiological models with point estimates when variables are stochastic. An illustration.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) April 16, 2020
You end up with a crazy distribution of outcomes, get fooled. This is our problem with the UK "model". pic.twitter.com/yBk1AygMwN
Spotlight on Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
AmConMag: A College That Can Endure The Storm by Rod Dreher
David Whidden:
For the last several years higher education leaders have been talking about the demographic cliff that was set to arrive in 2025 – we knew there was going to be a lot of institutions that would struggle to stay open when that hit, but I think this pandemic has sped up the timeline. Even big universities are financially struggling due to returning room and boarding fees, losing international tuition (international students tend to pay full tuition, so are cash cows for universities), losing athletic revenue while keeping coaches and support staff on the payroll, etc. Marquette, for instance, has lost $15 million in revenue and the University of Wisconsin is going to lose $100 million (which is a small part of their budget, but still!). If students stay at home next fall, small tuition driven institutions that were already dangerously on the brink of insolvency may not make it.
So, as a small, Catholic, 100% commuter school, in a small state, with a very small endowment you would think that we’d be one of the first colleges to fall off the cliff, but I am much more hopeful about our future than I am of other colleges. All the things that used to be disadvantages for us are suddenly advantages. We have no dorms, no Greek life, no sports, and not even a cafeteria, so we haven’t had to return any money to students. And let me add that while the lack of those things might have seemed like a disadvantage before the pandemic, I never considered them to be a disadvantage, because when I walked into a classroom I knew my students had only one reason to be there, which was for an education (for instance, the day after the national championship game I had my first class of the semester at 7:45 am and only had two out of 29 students absent). Most of our budget is spent on what is supposed to be the main mission of higher education, which is to teach and support students, not on things that are secondary to the university. And it keeps our prices low compared to private Catholic colleges at around $10,000 a year for undergraduates, before TOPS (or to put it another way, a lot of our students who went to private high schools in the area pay less for college than they did for high school).
Maybe. Maybe not. Is there anyone there assisting the women with realistic life coaching/planning? Or do they not raise the issue of a "vocation" to be a wife and mother? The school may be safe from the higher ed bubble popping, but what's going to happen to the school and its graduates when the health care bubble pops and collapse proceeds?
Oh Noes!
Mothers in the home? Caring for their children? Like in the 50s?!? What an absolute disaster! pic.twitter.com/ibVkwAFZJv
— Kurt Can Stay (@KurtStay) April 16, 2020
Not an AWFL But a AWFC?
No surprise here: "anonymous" anti-Trump insider who wrote NYT Oped/book discovered to be female senior NSC warmonger/hawk who disliked Trump's (marginal) anti-war & populist stances https://t.co/rBHMODLLy7 (cc: @dpinsen)
— Klejdys (@klejdys) April 15, 2020
Anonymous is a Red State cuckservative
Clueless Roman Catholic Academics
Perhaps of most relevance to the recent wrangling over Adrian Vermeule's anti-originalist Atlantic essay is Friedlander's description of cultural conservatives engaged in the cultural warfare that encompasses but exceeds "the longstanding jurisprudential debates between origirialism and non-originalism or between natural law and positivism." These cultural conservatives, Friedlander contends, are "largely constrained by their positivism, if not by their originalism."
If Friedlander is correct, then one can understand part of the alarm sounded in response to Vermeule's essay. If the jurisprudential debates are but one component of a broader kulturkampf in which what is at stake is "the survival or abandonment of the moral authority in the Constitution that is derived from Judaism, Christianity, or any other religion," then the cultural conservatives' removal of their self-imposed constraint of legal positivism should be of concern to those on the other side from them of this kulturkampf.
Contrary to the framing of both Vermeule's essay and the responses to it, more fundamental than the debate between originalism and nonoriginalism (whatever that is) is a debate between legal positivism and natural law as each is taken to undergird our constitutional order. The problem may be not that we're all originalists now, but that we're all legal positivists now. If that's right, then we can't begin to have the debate we ought to be having.
The "other side" is not worried about cultural conservatives, even if they are pointing and shrieking at Vermeule as a fascist; that's what SJWs do. Cultural conservatives have very little political power, and the Establishment will do its best to prevent anyone close to being like Trump from gaining the White House again. (And let's be clear, Trump is not the ideal but he's probably the best election winner possible.)
Too many Catholic intellectuals are stuck in the 20th ce and don't realize that their debates about the Natural Law don't matter to the changing the system.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Is It Back on Amazon Yet?
One of the more outspoken advocates for truth has been silenced. Mike Cernovich, the author of MAGA Mindset & Gorilla Mindset, has now joined the ranks of those espousing just a little too much truth as Amazon has banned his documentary Hoaxed.https://t.co/fT2zVXOKua@Cernovich
— VDARE (@vdare) April 13, 2020
Bong Joon-ho Should Make a Movie
Yang’s Op-Ed is a puff-piece for her book, One Mighty and Irresistible Tide: The Epic Struggle Over American Immigration, 1924-1965. It's like https://t.co/5EONqfQvGK Editor Peter Brimelow’s ALIEN NATION in reverse. https://t.co/by4bv2B5zk
— VDARE (@vdare) April 14, 2020
VDARE
We Need New Elites
A guide to replacing our failed elites.
His analysis, building upon Röpke, Lasch, and Berry is ok.As for his recommendations:
How does this all relate to the goal of building a new leadership class in America? Because of these entrenched social and economic interests—not to mention the challenges posed by the media, higher education, and administrative state—it will be nearly impossible to create a new elite that is as dominant as the progressive ones in power today. That does not mean, however, that there aren’t ways to mitigate their influence, check their power, and redirect their energies towards less pernicious ends.
We can and should build new and parallel educational institutions while simultaneously strengthening small conservative groups and professors at legacy institutions. Trusting the judgement of the American people, politicians should continue to expose the failures of our country’s dominant political class in Washington, D.C, especially in foreign and economic policy. Social media influencers should leverage the power of humor and sarcasm to undermine the opponents of traditional values. To the extent that it’s possible and prudent, financial incentives for American companies should be aligned with national interests, especially as it relates to producing vital military equipment, technology, and medical supplies. And finally, communities can strengthen their defense against the encroachments of big government and big business by deepening their civic, familial and spiritual roots.
Some of his ideas are shared by members of the alt right, such as the use of social media to counter the revolutionaries. I don't think we can rely on capital to create brick-and-mortar institutions, even secondary schools, but it may be worth trying in some places. And while the advice about communities is true, we must first ask whether we have a community or if we need to create one. If we need to create one, then while some members may be more talented and virtuous than others, it is not clear to me that at the local level, promoting some form of aristocracy is always preferable to promoting genuine republicanism. A mixed form of political governance, which the author may not be excluding, is probably the optimum.
A Small Deflation fo the Higher Ed Bubble or a Bursting?
His post includes a letter from one of his friends, who is a college professor, who includes this bit:
There will be lots of other impacts but one “positive” one may be this: an acceleration of folks with PhDs teaching in (usually private) secondary ed. In some specialties this was already the trend, but many folks coming off of PhD programs in the humanities may just decide the job market is so beyond prohibitive that they move straight into teaching in high schools, where they may find they enjoy the experience more anyways. If you’re looking to start a classical school with really top-notch humanities talent, there has never been a better time.
Related:
American Higher Ed is Headed Towards Austerity on a Gurney by Gilbert T. Sewall
Justifying Their Presence
To liberals, every event justifies mass immigration. Even a crisis caused by mass immigration and globalism https://t.co/Ig7VPTidGo
— Scott Greer (@ScottMGreer) April 14, 2020
President Trump should suspend all immigration and play this video when the MSM asks why. #AmericaFirst https://t.co/SMpUDh5jM3
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) April 15, 2020
[Italian] Re-enactors?
Amazing images from Italy. Since the quarantine began, the Romans have started to return to their natural habitat.
— Fabian (@TweetOfFabian) April 15, 2020
We are the disease. pic.twitter.com/S6af7nd4th
Fr. Stravinskas Responds to a NCR Op Piece by Mary Hunt
Feminist theologian Mary Hunt’s recent essay in the National Catholic Reporter is all at once hateful, blasphemous, and sacrilegious.
NCR: Catholic progress in extremis by Mary E. Hunt
One important change is that no male priest is in sight, and no one seems to miss them. Whether they will ever be called again is an open question. I think I know the answer in many cases. This is change, progress. If and when it becomes more widespread, the whole community can move beyond the gender of sacramental leaders to the focus on pastoral needs.If they believe that ordained ministers of the Church are not necessary for the Eucharist, they are free to create their own communities and religion. Just don't pretend to be Catholic, and those who are orthodox will not recognize them as such.
A wholesale rethinking of Eucharist is all that prevents these groups, and many other local faith communities, from engaging in the customary celebration of Communion. The fact of being in extremis makes this conversation urgent as no one should be denied the Eucharist, especially at Easter. Just as teachers have learned to instruct online in short order, so too, can Catholics speed up their theological learning curve. As my undergraduate theology professor Jesuit Fr. Tad Guzie emphasized 50 years ago, "A Eucharist without a priest is a Eucharist without a priest."
A good dose of humility is required for many.
When is the bishop of Kansas City going to lay sanctions on those who promote or write heresy for NCR?
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Masses at Basilique Notre-Dame de Fribourg
DUNE Stills
First production still from #Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve's DUNE - releasing at the end of this year. #mydubai pic.twitter.com/cmKS4iDRFv
— Dubai International Film Festival (@dubaifilm) April 14, 2020
Those first #DUNE shots feels like popping straight out from the books alright. Love it. Each "faction" and House carries its own identity while keeping a good visual consticency.. and there is so much more to see. pic.twitter.com/SgObR6usKe
— Pascal Blanché 🌎🍁 (@pascalblanche) April 14, 2020
Don't like what they did with Kynes at all.
A First Look at Timothée Chalamet in Dune
These Dune Photos Still Don’t Have Enough Zendaya by Zoe Haylock
New Dune Remake Photos Reveal the Cast Including Zendaya, Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin
Dune Hi-Res Stills Released Online, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Fergusson, Jason Momoa and More
The Half of It
Another Shot in the Culture War
"If you're on one side of the political divide, you're watching the rise of a superhero. And if you're on the other side of the political divide, you're watching the rise of a super villain."#MrsAmerica is a fictional account of Phyllis Schlafly. Stay tuned... https://t.co/im1h3vR4C8
— Suzanne Venker (@SuzanneVenker) April 12, 2020
Monday, April 13, 2020
Anti-American
"Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) does not care about the impact on American workers, they are disposable. However, immigrants are very important."https://t.co/IJqiHxyarm
— VDARE (@vdare) April 12, 2020
Triggering!
How Deep Does the Anti-White Rabbit Hole Go? Twitter Post Calling Picture of White Mom with Her Four White Children "Really Dark" Goes Viral, Getting 44,000 Likeshttps://t.co/XhKcAP87z2
— VDARE (@vdare) April 13, 2020
“The pro-family policies pursued by Hungarian government as an alternative to mass immigration are reaping dividends, with births up 9.4% year on year.”
— Visegrad 24 🇨🇿🇭🇺🇵🇱🇸🇰 (@visegrad24) April 8, 2020
writes @JackBMontgomery in this article, with comments from @EduardHabsburg and @KatalinNovakMP.
🇭🇺
➡️https://t.co/xvAIQDcacH pic.twitter.com/MspoCdn5sZ
Dolce & Gabbana's Swimwear 2020 campaign features only Albanian models, shot by an Albanian photographer.
— Team Albanians (@TeamAlbanians) April 11, 2020
The campaign is still active on the D&G website: https://t.co/aRDXq97PFr
📍Albania pic.twitter.com/8Y5c6J6sGs
I want to bring attention to the ancient Eurasian tradition of boiled meats. In fotos: Trieste-style boiled meats plate; Mongolian boiled mutton; Vienna style boiled beef; Yankee pot roast trad WASP meal. Old Indo-European style is to simmer meat long time pic.twitter.com/FBImJAS9kD
— Bronze Age Pervert (@bronzeagemantis) April 11, 2020
When Will He Get Weinsteined?
Orson Welles pic.twitter.com/gvxY7cUWps
— Second City Bureaucrat (@CityBureaucrat) April 12, 2020
Woody Allen: gamma?
The "Skinny" Trend Went This Far?
The formal WASP look is pretty much dead and gone- as faded as the power of the WASPs. The last guy in the public eye wearing the formal armour of WASP supremacy was ironically Robert Mueller.
— North Sea Poverty Law Center (@casijndegraaff) April 12, 2020
Tucker is the last vestige of casual WASP in DC. But he is a blazer and chino journo. pic.twitter.com/9932dSWwXS
Skinny suit trend has to end, the twink cut is astroturfed by clothing companies so they can use less fabric and preserve their margins: return to the WASP cut. pic.twitter.com/2sF9nrBviA
— Grebe (5'11 Manlet King) (@GrebishLad) April 12, 2020
Not Far Off From the Truth
every single party in San Francisco👍 pic.twitter.com/xjOEFtTAZF
— Alexis Gay (@yayalexisgay) April 11, 2020
He's Not a Theologian
Vatican News: Pope calls for consideration of ‘universal basic wage’ for unprotected workers
Ignatian Solidarity Network: Pope Francis Suggests Universal Basic Wage As Possible Response Amid COVID-19
America: In Easter message, Pope Francis proposes universal basic income
The letter.
Popular Movements
Related:
Sunday, April 12, 2020
A Return to "Normalcy"
You know what we’ve been missing? Right! Lately, we just haven’t had enough New York Times op-eds on the theme of How Evil Whites Are from self-promoting Asian women writers. But happy days are here again...
"You know what we’ve been missing? Right! Lately, we just haven’t had enough New York Times op-eds on the theme of Hate Whitey from self-promoting Asian women writers. But happy days are here again." - @Steve_Sailer https://t.co/7TqrPY5l4m
— VDARE (@vdare) April 12, 2020