Just One Thing: Author to "academia": Go f*** yourselves
I almost never make my "Just One Thing" someone else's writing but even though this is a few months old it's one of the best things I've read in quite some time and I think it's useful intellectual ammunition against the many "smart idiots" in academia, the media, and elsewhere.
Please read and share:
One More Thing: Speaking of "Go f*** yourself"...
Yet One More Thing: Remarkable reporting about Chinese crime
This first article is new, in depth, and incredible. The next two are also fascinating, just about 6 months older.
China cultivated high-rolling crime families before turning on them - The Washington Post
China raises stakes in cyberscam crackdown in Myanmar, though loopholes remain | AP News
A Chinese criminal network is using modern day slaves to scam thousands of Americans (cnn.com)
Today's Guests
Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN) represents Indiana's 3rd Congressional District, the northeastern part of the state, and is likely to be the next senator from that state. He's an officer in the US Navy Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan during that war. Jim is in Colorado to support Jeff Crank's campaign for Colorado's 5th Congressional District. In fact, the first time Jim and I met was 20 years ago...when we were both trying to help Jeff win the same seat (but Doug Lamborn won after people on his campaign team engaged in some very dirty politics.)
We'll talk about lots of political stuff and these things:
US attorney 'declined' to prosecute over threat to congressman, letter claims - ABC News (go.com)
US Congressman Jim Banks wants answers from WNBA for Chennedy Carter foul on Caitlin Clark (msn.com)
Other Stuff
Donald Trump is the only credible Republican who could lose to Joe Biden. The reverse is also true. The worst presidential election in anybody's lifetime is less than 20 weeks away and it's a dead heat between two terrible presidents, neither very bright, neither interested in the truth, neither interested in the Constitution. Regarding this specific poll, I'm skeptical that there's been an 11-point swing toward Biden among independents in one month though maybe the impact of the NY "hush money" felony convictions is greater than I expected. One other thing to keep in mind: This election will not be decided by one big national vote; each state has its own elections. And the presidency will be decided in a handful of swing states that may have opinion changes much smaller than the national average or possibly even in the opposite direction. Gotta keep an eye on credible swing-state polls more than national polls.
New Fox Poll Has Biden Leading Trump: ‘His Best Result This Election Cycle’ (msn.com)
Fox News Poll: Three-point shift in Biden-Trump matchup since May | Fox News
Rand Paul is on the case. And the case seems like an obvious one despite all the lies of Fauci and friends: Anthony Fauci’s Inner Circle Initially Thought COVID Came From a Lab (reason.com)
And: Covid-Hearing Witness Lays Out Overwhelming Case for Lab-Leak Theory | National Review
I hope this family wins bigly: Federal Judge Rejects Excuses of Texas Cops Who Kidnapped a Teenager (reason.com)
Makes you want to laugh but maybe also cry: KJP Claims Video Where She Said Biden Video Was A Deepfake Was Also A Deepfake | Babylon Bee
As long as we're at the Bee: Trump Polling At 100% After Hosts Warn He Would Cancel 'The View' | Babylon Bee
I keep not getting to this because I keep trying to get a guest to talk about it, but it's interesting and very important for that country: ANC and DA reach deal to form South African government of national unity (bbc.com)
I get it, but there’s a big difference between requiring seatbelts and requiring a company to say something that might not even be true (though I suspect it is.)
Opinion | Surgeon General: Social Media Platforms Need a Health Warning - The New York Times (nytimes.com) (subscription may be required)
Surgeon general calls for health warnings on social media for younger users - ABC News (go.com)
And here’s an interesting response: (27) Warning Labels for Social Media Are A Terrible Idea. (substack.com)
Some legal analysis that aims to side with those who would compel companies to make certain kinds of disclosures: Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels, the First Amendment, and Public Right to Accurate Public Health Information: Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels Back Under Legal Scrutiny | Health Policy | JAMA Health Forum | JAMA Network
I can’t remember the last time I thought I wanted the country to emulate Los Angeles: 2nd-largest school district votes to ban cellphones and social media for students - ABC News (go.com)
Just because it's "welcome" (to some, at least) doesn't mean it's legal. And this isn't: Biden policy is welcome relief for Americans with spouses in the country illegally (Reuters)
Just in time: McGill Ends Talks With Protesters Who’ve Occupied Campus for Seven Weeks (msn.com)
I had Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake Shop on the show yesterday. He's the guy who is being harassed, first by a gay couple, now by a transgender attorney, to try to force him to make cakes that violate his faith-based beliefs. But as yesterday was a holiday with probably fewer people listening than usual, I'm coming back to this topic today. And one particular aspect of it: the incredibly troubling line of questions from a couple of Colorado Supreme Court Justices who seem intent on asking questions that are irrelevant to the case in the wake of the federal Supreme Court's ruling in 303 Creative. Read the comments from Hart and Hood and ask yourself, "Are these people either honest or smart enough to have these jobs?"
Baker urges Colorado court to back refusal to make gender transition cake | Reuters
Interesting speculation for SCOTUS nerds: Amy Coney Barrett may be poised to split conservatives on the Supreme Court - POLITICO
Interesting that Bob Good is even close given that Trump endorsed the other guy: Bob Good’s Virginia primary result remains too close to call - POLITICO
On the one hand, I think of Bob Good as a rabble-rouser who isn't particularly effective. On the other hand, Trump's guy, John McGuire, isn't likely to be any better although I'm willing to give an initial benefit of the doubt to a 10-yr SEAL: About (mcguireva.com)
I'm more tolerant than many non-religious people and non-Christians of the presence of religion in schools and to the believe that much of it is constitutional. After all, "separation of church and state" (which is a phrase from a letter by Thomas Jefferson and not written that way in the Constitution) is not the same as "prevention of all religion in government institutions". But to me this feels like crossing a line. I think there's a decent chance it gets to the Supreme Court and I think it will be overturned by a vote of 5-4 or 6-3, with Roberts plus Kavanaugh and/or Barrett siding with the 3 liberals. I will be happy if Gorsuch also rules against Louisiana. I can imagine it being upheld 5-4 but I doubt there will be 6 votes to uphold it.
The purpose of First Amendment freedom of religion was to prevent government from favoring a religion. I realize that people will argue that the Ten Commandments is part of at least two religions, Judaism and Christianity, and more if you all different versions of Christianity to count as their own religions. But it's obviously not part of lots of other religions (even though all those other religions combined add up to a small minority in the nation.) To me this seems clearly like government "establishment" of a particular religion (or two), or at least of enough promotion of that religion or religions to be impermissible. And, as noted below, the Supreme Court has in the past considered some public (government-owned/operated) locations more suitable for a display of the Ten Commandments than other locations would be.
New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments | AP News
The Bill contains arguments anticipating lawsuits, as you can see in the bill text: ViewDocument.aspx (la.gov)
Some of those arguments reference this prior case: Van Orden v. Perry :: 545 U.S. 677 (2005) :: Justia US Supreme Court Center
In Justice Breyer’s (somewhat surprising) concurrence in that case (about a sculpture of the Ten Commandments being placed in a public park in Texas) he notes this: “This case, moreover, is distinguishable from instances where the Court has found Ten Commandments displays impermissible. The display is not on the grounds of a public school, where, given the impressionability of the young, government must exercise particular care in separating church and state.”
Breyer's concurrence is here: VAN ORDEN V. PERRY (cornell.edu)
.
Today's Videos
A small but powerful lesson
Now do it with cat pee or (weak) acid or bleach solution (except that might hurt the lawn, which would be bad)