Say, How Should Liberals Spend July 4th? By Pretending To Be Patriotic!

Cassady Rosenblum, an intern for the LA Times in the opinion section (does this mean she is not only not getting paid $15 an hour, as the LA Times keeps pushing, but not getting paid at all?), is on the cusp of something, but, really exposes that Liberals are unpatriotic and really do not like America

How should an angry liberal celebrate the Fourth of July? Fly the flag even higher

The Fourth of July used to be a happy occasion. It smelled like chlorine and tasted like rocket pops. For a time, it looked like Barack and Michelle, dancing together for the first time as president and first lady as Beyoncé sang “At Last” by Etta James. When the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, it sounded like a roar of triumph that echoed from coast to coast. That year, the fireworks, and our future, never seemed so brilliant.

When Barack Obama was president, there was a growing sense among us young progressives that the arc of the moral universe was indeed starting to bend toward justice. It was slow and it was imperfect, but our fitful progress along it endowed many of us with a sense of pride. The flag looked a little different. It looked like something that could be ours.

This year, the holiday weekend finds many of us in a darker mood. It is our first Fourth of July with President Trump. The refugee ban is back on. And somewhere in America, Paul Ryan is cracking another cold one while 22 million Americans are at risk of losing their health insurance. The arc isn’t bending as fast as we thought.

America is far bigger than Donald Trump. In fact, it is 2.8 million voters bigger.

In other words, they’re whiny whiners whining about losing an election. We could dive into these whines, and how bad Obama was for America, along with the 2.8 million votes complaint, but, let’s move on to new ground, and see what is proposed

In light of so much injustice, how should we observe Independence Day? Should we dismiss the holiday all together — roll up our flags and boycott the barbecues? Like Los Angeles considering scrapping Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day, we could scrub the Fourth of July and give it a makeover. Instead of red, white and blue, we could don black.

Such a response would be in line with recent trends. Over the last year, patriotism has been dropping sharply among Democrats. According to a Gallup poll from March, 67% of Democrats said they are “very proud” to be an American, compared with 92% of Republicans.

That number seems rather high for Democrats. They must have called the ones in someplace like Montana, rather than the progressive hotbed of L.A.

While denouncing the Fourth may be emotionally satisfying, cognitive science suggests it would be politically unwise. As UC Berkeley’s George Lakoff preaches, people are drawn to positive messages far more than negative ones, even when the negative ones are backed up with facts. According to Lakoff, this is why Trump won the election.

It is also why we can’t afford to be downers on the Fourth.

But, they still will be. Something like this

will cause Leftists to shriek about jingoism, misogyny, the patriarchy, slavery, and just general hatred for America.

If Lakoff is right, we should salute the flag instead of burning it. Instead of railing against Trump, we should talk about why we care so much about the Constitution. If our uncle shows up wearing a “This is what a REAL patriot looks like!” shirt, we should put one on, too. The point is not mimicry, but reframing.

When have they cared about the Constitution, at least in the last 30 years, when they went down serious dark roads of Progressivism?

For too long, progressives have relinquished the word “patriot” to conservatives and freedom-fry hawkers. In doing so we concede defeat. If we say we aren’t proud of our country, then we are letting someone else define what our country is. America is far bigger than Donald Trump. In fact, it is 2.8 million voters bigger.

Action is proof. They aren’t proud of their country. They rarely say they are proud of their country. They rarely show that they are proud of their country.

If the left can learn to make the stars and stripes its own, it will appeal to some Trump voters, too…

In other words, if they can fake it.

…As social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues in his book “The Righteous Mind,” conservatives vote based on certain moral values that liberals do not typically articulate. Among these are loyalty, sanctity and authority — all of which Trump played to with his “Make America Great Again” message. The standard liberal response — America was never great — was correct from a civil rights perspective, but also continued to portray liberals as fundamentally irreverent. If Democrats want to win another election, this is an image they must change.

This Fourth, let’s show we’ve learned our lessons, and are ready for 2018. Fly the flag. Take back the power.

Yup, fake it.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Say, How Should Liberals Spend July 4th? By Pretending To Be Patriotic! »

Happy Independence Day! (Sticky for the day)

Always a good time for some patriotic pinups. A few more below the fold.

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Rising Seas Are Totally Claiming California’s Coastline (In The Future)

Today’s “maybe sorta we think possibly you’re getting scared from our doomy prognostications’ story

California Submerged: Rising Seas are claiming its famed coast faster than scientists imagined

A slow-moving emergency is lapping at California’s shores— climate-driven sea-level rise that experts now predict could elevate the water in coastal areas up to 10 feet in just 70 years, gobbling up beachfront and overwhelming low-lying cities.

The speed with which polar ice is melting and glacier shelves are cracking off indicates to some scientists that once-unthinkable outer-range projections of sea rise may turn out to be too conservative. A knee-buckling state-commissioned report warns that if nothing changes, California’s coastal waters will rise at a rate 30 to 40 times faster than in the last century.

The potential result: crippled economies, compromised public safety, submerged infrastructure, and a forced retreat from our iconic Pacific coast.

It goes on and on and on and on. All based on “we feel” and models and the normal. Virtually every long term measurement from California is below 2mm a year, well below what the average should be. We’re to believe that, suddenly, in 50 years, we could see up to 10 feet of sea rise? Bitch, please.

Read: Rising Seas Are Totally Claiming California’s Coastline (In The Future) »

If All You See…

…is a boat needed in a carbon pollution flooded world, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The H2, with a post on the slowest workday of the year.

Read: If All You See… »

Bummer: Trump’s Climate Policy Could Make Earth Like Hothouse Venus

Nothing says “you should take the Cult of Climastrology seriously!!!!” like an unhinged, apoplectic bit of fear-mongering

Trump’s climate policy could turn Earth into hothouse Venus

Stephen Hawking has hit out at US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accords, saying the move could turn the Earth into a Venus-like hothouse planet.

The astrophysicist made the dire prediction during an interview with the BBC ahead of his 75th birthday.

“We are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible. Trump’s action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees, and raining sulphuric acid,” Hawking told BBC News.

Read: Bummer: Trump’s Climate Policy Could Make Earth Like Hothouse Venus »

Independence Day Is The Perfect Time For Single Payer Or Something

Progressives keep proving that they really just don’t get this whole “freedom” thing, as shown by a letter to the Hartford Courant

Certainly, the time is ripe for Americans to seriously consider joining the rest of the humane, modern world and adopt a single-payer health care system capable of providing universal coverage to all citizens. (snip)

On July Fourth, as we celebrate our sacred values of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” it’s worth noting that without decent health, these ideals go mostly unrealized. That makes this an ideal time for Americans to consider how it’s possible to achieve independence from a system that siphons billions of dollars away from actual care and into the deep pockets of insurance company middlemen, administrators and greedy drug companies.

Like overthrowing the British empire, it will take dedication, time and effort, but be worth the fight. Medicare for all!

Nothing says freedom like putting The Government in charge of making the health decisions for well over 300 million Americans. It’s exactly like overthrowing the British empire!

And then there’s Bernie Sanders

Read: Independence Day Is The Perfect Time For Single Payer Or Something »

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Manages To Hit NYC, Gov. Cuomo While Attacking Trump

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a piece in the NY Times today, in which you would have though that someone at the New York City based paper would have said “hey, wait a minute, he’s slurring us as New Yorkers!” as Rahm punches NYC and Governor Cuomo in the face (figuratively)

In Chicago, the Trains Actually Run on Time

On Thursday, in the wake of a subway derailment and an epidemic of train delays, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York declared a state of emergency for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the busiest mass transit system in America. That same day, the nation’s third-busiest system — the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority — handed out coupons for free coffee to riders stuck in the second year of slowdowns caused by repairs to prevent chronic fires.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, a recent survey found that 85 percent of passengers are satisfied with service on our transit system, the nation’s second most used. (snip)

How have we done it? First, we put reliability ahead of expansion. We focused relentlessly on modernizing tracks, signals, switches, stations and cars before extending lines to new destinations. Unlike New York, which has spent billions to reach Hudson Yards, or Washington, which has concentrated on trying to reach Dulles Airport (both laudable projects), Chicago has improved the existing system.

So, also shots at the Democratic run city of Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas. And Rahm spends many more paragraphs telling us just how the trains are awesome. And, we have to agree, Chicago’s trains are running great. So, why does Rahm does this?

Rather than tweeting about violence in Chicago, President Trump should be looking to Chicago as a model for the infrastructure investments and economic growth he wants to replicate across the country. Instead of embarking on his wrongheaded plan to privatize infrastructure construction, he should expand existing programs that have used local-federal partnerships to build transportation systems.

And, he proposes that Los Federales give Chicago double the money they have been, along with

And Washington should increase the portion of the Highway Trust Fund that supports mass transit to 25 percent, while also raising the gas tax by 10 cents. Yes, Americans would pay more at the pump, but it is a smarter alternative than the Trump administration’s privatization plan, under which we will all pay more in tolls and fees to the private investors who would own our roads and bridges.

We could talk about how well that massive government infrastructure went under Mr. Obama while Rahm was his Chief of Staff (shovel ready, anybody?), but, instead, let’s note that, regarding Chicago (stats per Hey Jackass! as of this morning)

  • 316 Shot and killed
  • 340 murders
  • 1495 shot and wounded
  • A person is shot every 2 hours and 27 minutes
  • A person is murdered every 12 hours and 53 minutes
  • 80.4% of those murdered have been Black
  • 85.7% of the murders have no arrest
  • 82 have been shot in the butt

While the homicide trend is certainly not as bad as 1970’s through very early 2000’s, it’s trending back up since 2016.

But, hey, the trains are awesome!

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Manages To Hit NYC, Gov. Cuomo While Attacking Trump »

If All You See…

…is evil asphalt meant to support evil fossil fueled vehicles, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Last Tradition, with a post on Barack continuing to help Iran.

Well, of course it is America week on IAYS.

Read: If All You See… »

Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

Happy Sunday! A gorgeous pre-Independence Day day in America! The birds are singing, the sun is shining, the Dodgers are kicking butt. This pinup is by K.O. Munson, with a wee bit of help.

What is happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. Not A Lot Of People Know That discusses the minuscule energy from solar and wind
  2. NoTricksZone explains how a brief gust of wind turned into a doomy tornado thanks to fake news climate hysteria
  3. 90Ninety Miles From Tyranny notes Google giving $2 million for gun control
  4. Adrienne’s Corner covers the libtards calls for civility
  5. America’s Watchtower has the latest insanity from Maxine Waters
  6. Blazing Cat Fur highlights another wonderful refugee plotting jihad
  7. Chicks On The Right explains what happens when a city drops their sanctuary status
  8. Creeping Sharia covers the fake hate crime attack in Ohio
  9. DaTechGuy (Baldilocks) notes the media catching wind of the violent Progressives in Portland
  10. Fausta’s Blog discusses Canada’s war on freedom of speech
  11. Flopping Aces has the week in radical leftism
  12. Gay Patriot wonders if Trump’s Mika/Joe tweets are strategic
  13. Jihad Watch notes a German court approving Sharia police patrolling
  14. Legal Insurrection covers some sanctuary city insanity
  15. And last, but not least, Pacific Pundit covers the latest threat from Antifa

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page. While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your “Pinups for Vets” calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list.

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

Washington Post Very Concerned About A Potential Government Wide Questioning Of “Climate Science” Or Something

This Washington Post article is less about ‘climate change’ than about shoddy journalism using zero named sources – they’re all anonymous – to have a conniption fit about the government questioning the “consensus” of climate science. But, hey, wait till we get the money quote

EPA chief pushing governmentwide effort to question climate change science

The Trump administration is debating whether to launch a governmentwide effort to question the science of climate change, an effort that critics say is an attempt to undermine the long-established consensus human activity is fueling the Earth’s rising temperatures.

The move, driven by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, has sparked a debate among top Trump administration officials over whether to pursue such a strategy.

A senior White House official, who asked for anonymity because no final decision has been made, said that while Pruitt has expressed interest in the idea, “there are no formal plans within the administration to do anything about it at this time.”

Consensus is not science, and the senior official is probably a cook for all we know.

But officials are discussing whether the initiative would stretch across numerous federal agencies that rely on such science, according to multiple Trump administration officials, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement has been made.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who once described the science behind human-caused climate change as a “contrived phony mess,” also is involved in the effort, two officials said.

Writers Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis throw in a few names in an attempt to make this all look legitimate, instead of a whisper campaign and journalism that looks more like something from a conspiracy theory website. We’ve already seen the huge number of articles that have turned out to be false or wrong. How do we trust something based 100% on anonymous sources?

Here’s the money quote

The idea, according to one senior administration official, is “to get other federal agencies involved in this exercise on the state of climate science” to examine “what we know, where there are holes, and what we actually don’t know.”

OH MY GOD!!!!!! They might do a scientific investigation into what we do and don’t know!!!!!!! Science doesn’t work this way!!!! Science is all about declaring a belief, manufacturing data to support it, and then saying the science is settled!!!! Don’t these people know that that is the Scientific Method? That science is never questioned? We’re doooooooomed!!!!! Because consensus science has never been proven wrong!!!!

A plethora of scientific assessments over the years have concluded that human activity — such as the burning of fossil fuels — is driving climate change, and it poses grave risks both to the environment and to human health. In its most recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that it is “extremely likely” that, since the 1950s, humans and their greenhouse gas emissions have been the “dominant cause” of the planet’s warming trend.

And a plethora of assessments have stated that human activity is not the dominant cause. Everyone knew that frogs gave you warts, until someone did Science. Everyone knew that world was flat, until someone questioned the science. Cracking your knuckles doesn’t give you arthritis. Lightning does strike twice. Even Einstein has had his theories questioned, and even superceded. And Newtonian Gravity? Yes, that was questioned, and superceded by general relativity.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Washington Post Very Concerned About A Potential Government Wide Questioning Of “Climate Science” Or Something »

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