The True Authoritarianism of the Left

As I have stated repeatedly in the past, there is a distinct difference between Democrats and leftists.  Democrats, historically, have been for the common man.  While they usually have had a more expansive view of government, the social safety net, and taxes, they believe in the rule of law and the Constitution.  They love America and want what is best for her.  I have even been known to vote for a Democrat or two in many years past.

Leftists, on the other hand, want an expansion of socialist/Marxist causes and programs and don’t seem to give a damn about how they achieve these goals.  Riots, cancel culture, intimidation, and outright lying are all tools that they happily employ to further their perfidious agenda.  They ignore the law and the Constitution when they can, and twist it to fit their cause when they cannot.  Sadly, most of the “Democrat” leadership in our federal government, including Speaker Pelosi, Senator Schumer, and even Biden and Harris have all slipped off the veneer of their Democrat titles and have become full-fledged leftists now. 

This is seen in the rancid authoritarianism, often blatantly counter to the Constitution, that we see them advocating today.  It is ironic that the left thinks that authoritarianism was something conducted under President Trump and the right, but after only weeks in office, we can clearly see the true authoritarianism of those that have seized power. 

This egregious anti-Constitutionalism is especially displayed in four major areas that include attempting to de-platform non-leftist media, expansive gun control measures, solidifying election fraud, and an attempt to eliminate the senatorial filibuster.

I. De-platforming of media counter to the leftist agenda in circumvention of first amendment rights

Leftist representatives Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney, both of California, demanded answers from cable television providers on the role they play in the "spread of dangerous misinformation" this week.  Their letter released to the press this last Monday, targets only conservative-leaning outlets, including Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.  On Wednesday, the House subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on disinformation and extremism in media accordingly.

Cable service companies such as Comcast, AT&T, Spectrum, Dish, Verizon, Cox, and Altice all received the same letter on Monday pressing for answers on policies related to the spread of disinformation, rumors, and conspiracy theories on networks they carry.  Of course, the letter only indicts conservative news networks such as Fox News, OANN, and Newsmax as it accuses them of broadcasting misinformation on topics such as Covid-19, the recent presidential election, and the capitol riot on January 6^th.  These leftists asked these cable and satellite platforms if they plan to renew contracts with these companies at the end of their current contract.  Of course, the perpetually inaccurate and left-politically-biased CNN and MSNBC are given passes in this letter.

It is bad enough that big tech companies such as Amazon Wireless Services, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter all colluded to have truly free speech companies like Parler, de-platformed for supposedly allowing Americans to exercise their constitutional rights to free speech.  They couched it as a safety issue since some capitol rioters used Parler to communicate and coordinate their misdeeds.  I call bovine excrement on this, as Parler was used only a fraction as much as Facebook and Twitter for this, even despite the censoring algorithms employed by them.  This was not about safety.  It was a ploy monetarily to shut down strong upstarts that actually allowed free speech from the left and right.  Parler didn’t simply tow the leftist line, in other words, and they cut into the social media darlings’ profits.

II.       Gun Control measures to restrict or disarm Americans in circumvention of second amendment rights.

Joe Biden, on February 14^th, announced his gun control plan which he envisions as containing the following provisions:

·         Licensing for citizens before they can purchase a firearm

·         Universal background checks

·         A ban on modern sporting rifles and original capacity magazines (i.e., scary AR-15’s and the like)

·         “Smart gun” technology

·         Repeal of legal protection for firearms makers from harassment lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry

·         One-gun-per-month restrictions for law-abiding gun owners

·         Mandated “safe storage” of firearms

·         Penalize adults for allowing minors access to firearms

·         Expand so-called “red flag” laws

·         Extend the background check period from three to at least ten days

Leftist Representative Sheila Jackson Lee’s H.R. 127 bill proposes many of the same provisions plus some additional restrictions.  Like a good socialist, she sees the bill as a means to confiscate tax dollars as well.

·         Require licensing for possession of firearms and ammunition (fee not specified);

·         Require additional licensing (cost not specified) to display an antique firearm in the home;

·         Require additional licensing (cost not specified) for possession of "military style weapons”;

·         Require firearm liability insurance with a yearly fee of $800 payable to the U.S. attorney general.

·         Establish a detailed federal firearm registration system to which the public, all federal, state and local law enforcement, all governments, and all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces would have complete access.

Under Rep. Jackson's proposed firearm licensing requirements, gun buyers/owners must be 21, undergo a criminal background check, and complete a minimum 24-hour training course approved by the U.S. attorney general.

Gun owners also would have to undergo a psychological evaluation, and so would other members of the gun owner's household. The psychologist (who would charge a fee, not yet specified) would have to be on a list approved by the U.S. attorney general.

Jackson's bill includes criminal penalties for people who sell, loan or give a firearm or ammunition to another person, unless the person has notified the U.S. attorney general of the sale, loan or gift.

It would be unlawful for a person to transfer a firearm or ammunition to an unlicensed person; unlawful to possess ammunition that is 0.50 caliber or greater; large capacity ammunition feeding devices would be outlawed.

A firearms registry and licensing are the first steps to federal gun confiscation.  I have been assured by our resident leftist on this site that the government is not coming for our guns, if I actually owned any, but somehow these leftist dream list measures sure seem to say otherwise. 

We already have the NICS background check that is required for all firearm purchases currently in effect to ensure that those with criminal backgrounds, restraining orders, or disqualifying mental issues do not legally acquire firearms.  All Biden and Jackson-Lee’s proposals will do is to ensure that law abiding Americans cannot get or keep many of their existing firearms.  The criminals will still get their guns through the streets and theft. 

Biden stated, “I am absolutely convinced I can get [gun-control legislation] passed. The way we did it last time is we included it in a larger bill.”  See, if you put the legislation into critical funding bills, you can get anything passed as we creep ever closer to an authoritarian but utopian leftist state.  How many of those have you ever seen work throughout history?

III.       Solidifying Election Fraud

HR 1, dubbed the For the People Act, and its companion bill in the Senate, S 1 are being offered by the leftists in congress to enshrine those leftists under the guise of the Democrat party to hold onto “elected” power indefinitely.  This altruistic sounding bill is the very antithesis to the Constitution and its desire for free and fair elections.  Some of the components of this travesty are:

1. It forces taxpayers to finance political campaigns. When it passes, Americans will pay for the campaigns of all politicians seeking federal office, including self-professed socialists like Bernie Sanders and AOC. H.R. 1 will also allow politicians to double dip and take a second salary from their campaigns.

2. It eliminates the ability of states to control their own elections in contradiction to the Constitution. H.R. 1 forces states to enact same-day voter registration, automatically register voters, implement online voter registration, allow voters to cast ballots outside of their precinct, keep ineligible voters on voter rolls in perpetuity, register voters without verifying eligibility, and allow people to vote without showing any identification.

3. It further undermines our 1st Amendment rights. H.R. 1 unconstitutionally increases government censorship over political campaigns, activity, and speech. Using a very vague standard, the bill regulates any speech that is deemed to impact an election (which is almost anything).

H.R. 1 would also force political nonprofits to publicly disclose donors, but don’t be fooled, this isn’t about transparency. This is about making it easier for the militant left to dox conservatives, threaten their families, and get them fired from their jobs.

IV. Leftists want to eliminate the Senate’s filibuster

There is nothing in the Constitution regarding the filibuster; however, the senate does have the right to set its own rules.  The filibuster has been a time-honored part of those rules that makes the upper chamber of congress a more deliberative body that often requires compromise to move legislation forward.  Removing the filibuster would simply lower the senate to a glorified version of the House of Representative where a simple majority rules on every piece of legislation.  This very idea used to be an anathema to Democrats before they morphed into leftists.

President Obama (and former senator) said in April of 2005, “If the majority chooses to end the filibuster – if they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate – then the fighting and the bitterness and the gridlock will only get worse.”

Joe Biden (former senator) as reported on C-SPAN said on May 23, 2005, “At its core, the filibuster is not about stopping a nominee or a bill, it is about compromise and moderation.  That is why the Founders put unlimited debate in.”

Current Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said on February 28, 2005 that “[Eliminating the filibuster] makes the Senate into the House of Representatives.  We are no longer the cooling saucer.”

And last, current Senator and former leftist presidential candidate Cory Booker stated in January of 2019, “We should not be doing anything to mess with the strength of the filibuster.  It’s one of the distinguishing factors of this body.  And I think it is good to have the power of the filibuster.”

So, I ask, if this is the way that all of these current and former senators saw the filibuster, what has changed now?  The answer is simple.  They have gained power in the Senate.  By changing senate rules, the Left will be able to forward leftist and often extra- or un-constitutional legislation on a simple majority vote, with the tie breaker going to former senator and now VP Harris.

This is a perfect storm for the Left to advance their agenda.  They have seized all of the major levers of power with willing accomplices in the media and social media platforms.  America as we knew it will suffer greatly under this leftist takeover.  As we have already seen and given examples of above, “leftist principles” is an oxymoronic statement evidently.  It is all about consolidation and enshrinement of power for the left.  Any means to accomplish this is acceptable.  And the constitution can be damned!

Republicans and Democrats should be very afraid!

 

A "Miraculous" Bombing Run Over Nazi Germany

Elmer Bendiner was a navigator in a B-17 during WW II. He tells this story of a World War II bombing run over Kassel, Germany, and the unexpected result of a direct hit on the aircraft’s gas tanks.

“Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple.”

On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks. 11 unexploded shells, where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky!? It was, as if the sea had been parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.

He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer.

Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling. Translated, the note read:

“This is all we can do for you now. Using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea.”

The moral of the story: even seemingly little acts of resistance against tyranny and evil can have major repercussions that we may never fully know or even realize.

 

H/T: Carrie  (Thanks!)

Daily Signal: It Didn’t Start on Jan. 6: Brief History of Terrorist Violence at Capitol

I ran across this excellent article from the Heritage Foundation's Daily Signal written by Mike Gonzalez which I thought was quite worthy of sharing.  We have been told repeatedly by leftists that the attack on the capitol and our democracy by right wing terrorists was "unprecedented".  Perhaps they mean unprecedented in the fact that this is the only time the right has done so.  The left... well they have attacked our capitol several times.  While I and nearly every conservative of note immediately and unequivocally condemned the disgusting violent attack on 1/6/2021, evidently the left has shown little or no concern about past attacks by their fellow political travelers.  Indeed, the leftist terrorists responsible for the other attacks were pardoned by Democrat presidents.  Hmmm... The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Enjoy!

 

"The nauseating invasion of the Capitol on Jan. 6 wasn’t the only time the building has been attacked. There were three previous acts of aggression, all perpetrated by leftist activists.

Democratic presidents have commuted the sentences of most of the individuals arrested and charged in relation to those attacks.

The attacks were the 1954 shooting of members of the House of Representatives by terrorists supporting the cause of Puerto Rican separation from the United States; a 1971 bombing by the domestic terrorist group the Weather Underground; and another one 12 years later, by a group of Weathermen who identified themselves as the Armed Resistance Unit."

Read more...

Fun with Maps

 

 

A friend sent these various maps to me awhile back and I found them to be quite interesting.  

I hope you all enjoy these unique perspectives from a geographical view as I did!

 

 

 

 

 These Two Areas Of Africa Have Roughly Equal Populations

 

 

 

 

 Countries Mentioned Or Referred To In The Bible

 

 

 

 

 All The Nations That Have To Be Combined To Be Equal To Brazil's Annual Homicides (2015)

 

 

 

 50 Percent Of Canadians Live South Of The Red Line

 

 

 

 

Tracking Of An Eagle Over A 20 Year Period

 

 

 

 

Most Common Country Of Birth For Foreign-born Residents In The US, Excluding Mexico

  

 

 

 Japan's Size in Comparison to the U.S.A.

 

 

 

 A Way of Understanding How Far Sam and Frodo Had To Go

 

 

 

North America Animal Migration Routes

 

 

 

 The Biggest Non-Government Employer in Each State

 

 

 

 

How Much Snow Does It Usually Take To Cancel Schools?

 

 

 

 

 Every State Ranked By Healthiness

 

 

 

 

 You Can Fit The Entirety Of Poland Into Texas And Still Be Able To Drive Around It

 

 

 

 

Light Pollution From Coast To Coast

 

 

 

 

 The Red And Orange Sections Have Equal Populations 

 

 

 

Blue States That Have A Smaller Population Than Los Angeles County

 

Size Comparison Between Australia And The United States

  

 

 

 

 

 An Image Of GPS Tracking Of Multiple Wolves In Six Different Packs Around Voyageurs National Park Shows How Much The Wolf Packs Avoid Each Other’s Range

 

H/T: Carrie
 

A Return to Red Rock Country

I have been blessed to have called Utah my home for the past twenty years.  It is a truly amazing state and holds some of the most incredible and iconic scenery of the west that one could ever hope to see.  Indeed, it is home to the "Mighty Five" national parks (Zions, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Canyonlands National Parks) and dozens of other scenic state parks that are purposefully set aside to preserve some of God's most inspired artistry. 

 

2020 was a difficult year for nearly everybody for many reasons we do not need to delve into on this particular post.  While I was one of the lucky ones that was able to keep my job during the Covid19 epidemic, I felt stifled and cooped up to an unbearable degree, just like nearly everyone else I know.  I would far rather be out social distancing in the great outdoors where the distances are easier to maintain between people... normally.

Regardless, my wife and I were able to make two trips to the southeastern part of our state this year to breathe the clean air and settle our minds.  The first trip was in October, and my oldest daughter and two of my grand-kids accompanied us on this trip.  While I have been to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks too many times to count, my daughter, whom lives in the greater Seattle area had not ever been there yet.  She and my grand-kids absolutely loved our camping adventure amongst the red rock.  Then, my wife and I decided to return to spend New Years at one of our favorite hotels on the Colorado River east of Moab about twenty miles.  It seemed like a great way to start 2021.

These are some of the pictures from our two trips that I wanted to share with you good readers.

The first evening after getting to Moab with my family, we set up camp and then went and had a night time river boat trip up the Colorado River.  

 

 

 

This is the sunset over the canyon walls as we head out down the river.

 

 

If you look closely towards the right side of the picture, you can see the face of a native American man wearing a hat carved in the cliff walls by wind, water, and time.  

 

 

 

As the sun dipped below the walls of the canyon and the dark overtook the Colorado River basin, the boat had a truck following on the road beside the river turn on a powerful flood light on the canyon walls as the narrator on the boat told stories to us about the west and its magical scenery.  I would recommend doing this, if you ever go to Moab. 

 

 

 

This is what the canyon looks like during the day a little further upstream.

These are some of the iconic red rock monoliths carved over eons in Arches National Park which you can hike down a trail amongst them.

Below is balanced rock in Arches.  To get a sense of its scale, notice the people on the rock below it to the right.

  

 

Here is another view of a massive balanced rock!

                           

 

This day concluded with a mile and a half hike through the slick rock desert to the iconic Delicate Arch, whose image adorns many Utah license plates.  We scheduled this as to be at the arch for sunset.  It was stunningly beautiful!

 

 The following day saw us moving over to explore Canyonlands National Park with its breathtaking vistas and rugged scenery.

 

 This is looking out at the canyon beyond an incredibly high cliff where we were perched. If you look carefully, you can see a dirt road in the bottom of the canyon that some more adventurous 4x4's explore.

 

 

My grand-kids noticed these little cairns that somebody had put in the naturally occurring little caves in the cliff side.

A rocky arch encapsulates a beautiful view of the expansive canyon in the distance.

 

 Here is a different angle looking through that same arch.

 

With the massive drop offs, it is dizzying standing at the edge of some viewing areas.

 

 

 

Perhaps one or two of the discernible paths in the canyon below are dirt roads, but most are simply paths for the water to drain from the cliffs above when massive desert storms occur.

 

 

 

This is the river bottom of the Green River in the distance.  You can see some green among its banks.

And then we returned to Red Cliffs Lodge on the beautiful Colorado River where my beautiful wife and I rang in 2021 this New Year's evening.  This picture was from our back patio of our room.  I cannot think of a finer start to the new year.

 

 

 

 

My wife and I also traveled to Dead Horse Point state Park on this trip.  I had not ever been to the red rock country in the winter.  It was beautiful to see the snow dotting the red rock canyon walls like marshmallow cream drizzled over it.

 

 

Dead Horse Point is located at the end of a mesa 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, on the edge of Canyonlands National Park.  According to Utah.com, here is the legend of the area:

"Before the turn of the 19th century, mustang herds ran wild on the mesas near Dead Horse Point. The unique promontory provided a natural corral into which the horses were driven by cowboys. The only escape was through a narrow, 30-yard neck of land controlled by fencing. Mustangs were then roped and broken, with the better ones being kept for personal use or sold to eastern markets. Unwanted culls of "broomtails" were left behind to find their way off the Point.

According to one legend, a band of broomtails was left corralled on the Point. The gate was supposedly left open so the horses could return to the open range. For some unknown reason, the mustangs remained on the Point. There they died of thirst within sight of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below."

While I cannot tolerate the infernal heat of the beautiful red rock country in the summer, it is a magical place any time the rest of the year, and I absolutely recommend that if possible, that you try to see the area at least once in your life time.  You will not regret it, I promise you!