Summary: There’s now two posts per day on weekdays. Here’s last week’s content, in case you missed any.
About the “rape culture” at the University of Virginia, as reported by Rolling Stone
It’s time to forcibly re-shape America to fight the campus rape epidemic! Even if it’s fake., Dec 3 — Written before the story collapsed, fearfully.
We should mark our seasons by the prevailing hysteria rather than seasons. Much as calendars reflected the reigning monarch, we’d say this was the rape hysteria. Or Ebola, North Korea, melting Antarctica, Alar, overfilled garbage dumps, Saddam, Bin Laden, AIDS, bomber gap, missile gap, Yemen threat, Libyan hit squads, etc. When we grow up we’ll no longer fall for these info ops, and perhaps then we can retake the reins of America. Perhaps until then we’re not fit to run a nation (good thing we have the 1% to do it for us).
The Rolling Stone staff spent months researching the story about Janice’s rape at the U of Virginia. Its publication sparked a process of changes by the University’s leaders to change U VA’s “rape culture.” The story lasted less than two weeks before collapsing. Will the University stop the policy changes, or will this be another example of successful Leftist agitprop? Whatever the result, here we see why the Left loses — as the public chooses between its two mad political parties.
The University of Virginia shows how change comes to America: through agitprop and hysteria, Dec 7
Another round of hysteria in America, this time about the “rape culture” causing a “rape epidemic” on campuses. The flagship of this campaign, the lurid gang rape reported in Rolling Stone, has sunk. But the program rolls on, disconnected from the truth of this or any other aspect of the activists’ case. This is how change comes to America, and why meaningful reform remains difficult while our society slowly decays. As any society will when it’s ability to self-repair breaks down. We can do better.
Last week’s other posts covered different aspects of geopolitics, broadly defined
Shootings by police show their evolution into “security services”, bad news for the Republic, Dec 1
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Many things show the evolution in America of police into security services. Such as their frequent disconnect from the communities they patrol, and their increasing use of military equipment and methods. Perhaps we see this most clearly in their casual use of force, often disproportionate to the situation, with a near-total lack of accountability. Here we examine the grim numbers. We know little, but what we know should disturb us. But it doesn’t, which is an ugly symptom of the Republic’s weakness.
Nine years after Katrina, climate activists have earned their reward. We might pay dearly for it., Dec 2
We rely on warnings about threats from our watchmen, experts or amateurs, who see danger before we can. Our ability to respond depends on the clarity of their warnings. Sometimes we don’t listen; sometimes they’re wrong. Sometimes we suffer because they minimize the danger or exaggerate the time until it arrives. Climate activists have practiced another form of alarm: exaggerating the certainty of the danger and minimizing the time until it hits. That works well, unless they’re wrong about both the timing and scale. Now all we can do is hope that the threat is small and distant, since we’re doing little to prepare.
What the US doesn’t understand about ISIS, & must learn soon, Dec 3
As we slide deeper into the Long War with Islam, blindly, urged on by ignorant voices, we do so against the advice of experts like Ahmed Rashid. Here he tells us about ISIS, their origins and their goals. He explains what were doing wrong, and recommends a better course.
How much did the world warm in November? How fast is it warming? See the numbers., Dec 4
How warm was the world in November? How fast is it warming? See the numbers. They might surprise you, because of the astonishing innumeracy about one of the most intensely covered subjects in today’s news media.
2014 will be the hottest year on record! Except for the details, which ruin that narrative., Dec 4
Let’s look at the most recent hot story about climate change. It shows why the public knows so little about it, despite the intense coverage — and why so many are suspicious about what they’re told. Activists and journalists often prefer the simple politically useful narrative to the messy reality.
November brought us good news about jobs and wages. Here are the details., Dec 5
It’s the big day for economic stat junkies. Has the economy ended its long flirtation with recession, limping along near the 2% stall speed — supported by years of fiscal and monetary stimulus (now fading)? The last few quarters of GDP numbers suggest yes, but the job numbers have refused to cooperate. Here we look at the November report. It looks good.
The Disgrace of Our Criminal {in}Justice System, and hints of reform in the air, Dec 6
Information on this website tends to the abstract. Statistics, trends, bloodless information. Today we have the opposite. David Cole reviews books telling small scale stories showing an illness in America’s soul, one unique among the world’s developed nations — and gives hints of reform in the air. These are among the most gripping accounts I’ve read in a long time, real but more powerful than any police procedural on TV. The recent attention to unjustified police violence makes this timely. People on both the Left and Right seek to hijack the push for change, turning it to their own political goals. Let’s stay on track, and hope to catch up to the other civilization nations.
Something different: Posts about The Hunger Games
“Mockingjay” shows us a path to reform for America. A great movie, but bad advice., Nov 29
This is the first in a series looking at Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games stories, both the books and films. It provides a richly detailed mirror image in which we can see many aspects of America, things we pretend not to know (or worse, don’t see). Today we’ll begin with the third book (and film) “Mockingjay”. As usual here, we’ll get there by asking a big questions. And spoilers!
“Mockingjay” shows us a Revolution in Gender Roles. What’s the next revolution?, Dec 1
The previous post discussed violent revolution as a possible future for America, of the kind seen in “Mockingjay” (3rd film in The Hunger Games series). Today we we looks at a different aspect of The Hunger Games, social revolutions of the kind that have repeatedly reshaped America. Women using violence against men (for good or evil), revolutions of the past and present — pointing to the possibility of a radical revolution in the future (with unimaginable effects).
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