Stop the Lying

Buttigieg 

We're constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation (like the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe.

Reality

The Obana law with the braking rule, FAST, would not have applied to the East Palestine train but i will still share the following to obfuscate the situation to avoid any responsibility. We're constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation like the Obama FAST law that required the braking rule to be withdrawn if it was found by the DOT to not be justified. The DOT found that the breaking rule was not justified and as required by the Obama law, withdrew the rule in 2017. 

Detail

The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act or the FAST Act is a funding and authorization bill to govern United States federal surface transportation spending. It was passed by Congress on December 3, 2015, and President Barack Obama signed it on the following day. 

Section 7311 of the Act specifically mandates the study and testing of ECP brake systems, focusing on requirements that were promulgated under the HM-251 final rule. Furthermore, the FAST Act instructs the Department of Transportation to incorporate the results of the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) evaluations and the testing of ECP brake systems by the National Academy of Sciences into an updated regulatory impact analysis (RIA) of the ECP brake system requirements, and to solicit public comment on the updated RIA. Additionally, the FAST Act required that within two years of the mandate, the DOT must determine, based on the updated RIA, whether the ECP brake system requirements in the HM-251 final rule were 

In 2017 the DOT followed the Obama law and eliminated the ECO braking requirement due to a lack of justification. 

And NOTE The ECP braking rule would’ve applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS. The train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars.

While there were several important accomplishments under Trump (SCOTUS judges, lower taxes, javelins for Ukraine, WARP speed), he is intellectually lazy, lacks gravitas, is coarse, petty, insecure, inarticulate, and, as a result, can’t beat a Democrat and is therefore bad for Republicans.

And while there were irregularities in the 2020 election (votes in key swing states that did not meet their state legislature’s requirements and MSM burying the Hunter Biden laptop story) and Trump was treated unfairly by the MSM and administrative state propagating false narratives (Russian collusion and system racism), he lost the election. 

Please ignore Trump like a crazy uncle at Thanksgiving and hope he goes away. 

MSNBC - Trump won (2016)

Even MSNBC now admits they were wrong. It only took them 6 years, multiple investigations, and years of fabricated news which we’ll never know how much has hurt this country  

New NYU study concludes: “…we find no evidence of a meaningful relationship between exposure to the Russian foreign influence campaign and changes in attitudes, polarization, or voting behavior.” 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35576-9

I’m idiotphobic

I guess I’m idiotphobic 

Biologically you are either male (have testes) or female (have ovaries) - transphobic (though not clear why stating biological fact makes someone afraid of something)

No one should be forced to say something they don’t believe - homophobic (once again, not clear, why opposing forced speech makes someone afraid of something)

Any systemic racism that may exist today is a minor factor for the disparities that exist today - racist (not clear here how facts and logic make someone a racist)

Wokeism and CRT is essentially a religion demanding you believe/adhere despite facts and logic. 

 

Section 230 Protected Earthlink not YouTube

 As best as I can tell, Section 230 "Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material" was meant to protect the internet service providers from liability from the information users found on the internet from Information Content Providers.  Originally meant to protect companies like Earthlink, AOL, etc., that users dialed into to access the internet that has since transformed into Internet Service Providers such as ATT, Verizon, etc, where users are connecting through internet modems to access the internet,

Some are now claiming that Section 230 also protects Information Content Providers, which could range from individual websites to large internet based social media platforms. 

To me it seems wrong to use the original Section 230 law that protected the internet access providers to now protect companies that actively promote or hide specific information from being treated as a publisher.  

Like I said

 

https://johnhcochrane.blogspot.com/2023/02/trust-fund.html?m=1

From the Greatest Country in the World

Recently came across (see below) another crazy post from “The other 98%” where they claim that Mt Rushmore was “white men erasing history.”

Yes, Western European societies did horribly displace the native American societies that had existed.  

But “The Other 98%” distorted Zinnist view completely misses two key points. 

The native American societies were technologically undeveloped with little science and no documented history to speak of. Their “nations” were nomadic or semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers with limited urban complexes, agriculture and trade and were often at war or conflict with each other. In the history of the world, when these types of societies encounter much more highly developed  societies, they have always been displaced. 

Second, and important, at least to me, is that the Western European invasion and development of North America led to the development of the United States, the greatest and 3rd most populous county in the world with its unique American Exceptionalism with individual freedom and equal opportunity for all which has been a beacon and protector of freedom for the world. 

End of equal opportunity

This is bad. American Exceptionalism was based on individual freedom and equal OPPORTUNITY for all. Converting to a country of equal OUTCOME will ruin our country and everyone will have less. It is only by letting the most capable thrive through meritocracy that we can grow and thrive providing the abundant returns that allow redistribution to those less fortunate. 

Through his recent Executive order Biden is trying to change our country from one of equal opportunity into one of equal outcomes.  He has directed all of the federal government to start to focus on Delivering Equitable Outcomes Through Government Policies, Programs, and Activities by forming teams within each agency to use the agency’s policy, budgetary, programmatic, service-delivery, procurement, data-collection processes, grantmaking, public engagement, research and evaluation, and regulatory functions to enable the agency’s mission and service delivery to yield equitable outcomes for all Americans

Focusing on equal outcomes when there is such a natural variation in individual capabilities will hurt America by limiting say 80% of the most capable people to insure their outcome is the same as the 20% less capable. 

Examples of this are the trend to eliminate AP classes, limiting Asian admissions to top universities, limiting debt relief to non-white farmers and offering cash free bail that’s leading to more crime. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/02/16/executive-order-on-further-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/to-increase-equity-school-districts-eliminate-honors-classes-d5985dee

Such a uniter

Really?  Who?

And interesting how Google continues to protect the President’s divisive rhetoric. 

Police are not the problem

The most recent report on interactions with police shows how extremely rare police shootings of unarmed persons are; including 23 unarmed whites and 9 unarmed blacks.

In 2020 there were over 53 million encounters by persons 16 or older with ~25 million initiated by police.

And while any excess police force is bad and we should continue to work to reduce it, the data shows that by far, police interactions do not result in the threat or use of force.

Contacts Between Police and the Public, 2020  U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, NOVEMBER 2022 

Increasing minimum wage increases crime

Recent study shows increasing minimum wage is associated with increased crime, primarily through its effect on reducing jobs. 

“ a $15 Federal minimum wage, proposed as part of the Raise the Wage Act, could generate approximately 309,000 additional larcenies. ”

https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0047272722001827?token=D7AF7B867AE0622AF353C47A030F44EDF791662B1A8690D728A1992C4344D78488E9B416843E2DB084DD7DCF21B9A510&originRegion=us-east-1&originCreation=20230218124609

Another study shows increasing minimum wages reduces the number of jobs. 

“We find a robust negative relationship between minimum wages and employment.”

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jantonio/Papers/minwage_czones.pdf

Your student debt not my business/problem.

The below is not my content BUT it is a view I share. 

What time did you get up to deliver papers in junior high? How many hours a week did you work since 14 to save for college? How many toilets did you scrub? How many high school football games did you miss because you were working? What dream college did you forgo to avoid taking out student loans?

Which 8 a.m. class did you take so you could complete your major’s requirements and still work in the afternoon? Which bus line did you take to get to your job because you didn’t borrow to buy a car? What job did you work full-time while completing your MBA at night?

What did you do to afford college? What didn’t you do because of the cost of college? Were you getting tattoos and traveling your way through college? Were you pledging and partying? Did you go to your top-choice university? Maybe an out-of-state public university with higher tuition rates? Which spring break and study abroad destinations did you visit along the way?

Did you splurge on your fairytale wedding instead of paying down your student loans? What cars did you buy or lease? Where did you live? What electronics did you own? What clothing and other personal expenditures did you have? In short, show me the money and how you spent it!

None of my business? You’re right. Nor is your student debt my business or my problem.

Margot Cleveland

Kiera Butler the Lefts Sancho Panza

What’s amazing is that Kiera Butler’s claim is that she fights disinformation. However, if you review her stories, it appears more that she’s fighting to promote left-wing narratives.

The “BOY”

Imagine the uproar you’d hear if a Republican leader used the same language. 

Higher minimum wage hurts employment

Another study shows increasing minimum wages reduces the number of jobs. 

“We find a robust negative relationship between minimum wages and employment.”

https://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jantonio/Papers/minwage_czones.pdf

Biden Shrinks Real Personal Income Feb 15, 2023

 

With the excessive money spent by Biden and the resulting inflation combined with the attempts to mange the economy and it's negative effect the growth in Real Personal income continues to be significantly less than what was seen under Obama and Trump. 

Inflation Continues

 

7.9%  greater than 1.75%

D’oh

When you put certain characteristics above competence 

Border Fixed? (or hidden)

 

Amazing! One month with significant reduction of border apprehensions and the Administration is claiming problem fixed.  We shall see.

Also interesting to note that unlike previous months where the Administration significantly delayed release of the data until late in the month, January data was released less than 2 weeks into the month.

And, unfortunately, due to an Executive order that essentially moved tens of thousands of what would have previously been classified as illegal entries to lawful entries seeking parole, the actual immigration data is now suspect. This Executive order is in question and being challenged in the courts  because it is required to be done on a case by case basis, but instead Biden has developed an app to allow any to claim asylum.

“ January 5, 2023a Expanding the Parole Process for Venezuelans to Nicaraguans, Haitians, and Cubans. Today, the Biden Administration is announcing it will extend the successful Venezuela parole process and expand it to nationals of Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cuba. Up to 30,000 individuals per month from these four countries, who have an eligible sponsor and pass vetting and background checks, can come to the United States for a period of two years and receive work authorization.”

“ Now, about Biden’s new border plan: It is not reducing the number of illegal aliens detained at the border; it is concealing the number of illegal aliens released into the country through a “parole” scam.

The scam works this way: Rather than trying to cross illegally at the border, aliens are now encouraged to arrange entry into the U.S. at CBP ports set up in northern Mexico. There, even if they do not have a valid asylum claim (which the vast majority do not, because a valid claim must meet a high evidentiary burden), they will be given “parole” so long as they can show a potential claim of credible fear of persecution in their home country (a very low standard).”

https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/02/bidens-sotu-boasts-about-decreasing-illegal-immigration-were-fraudulent-too/

Biden’s border policies continue to be a mess, put many innocents at risk AND allow Mexican cartels to get rich.

I support immigration. A lot of immigration. But legal immigration, with a mix of merit based  (engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, doctors, mathematicians, etc.) and opportunity-based (people who want to work hard, adopt American values, and get ahead). 

(Note-The numbers are the apprehensions. We do not know how many people get through without being apprehended.)

One Nation

What is the point of a Black National Anthem?

CRT is a Cult

 

February 10, 2023

Vince Floyd PhD is a black professor at Villanova who directs the black-studies program, lead anti-racism and transformative-justice workshops and published books on anti-black racism and prison abolition. He lives in a predominantly black neighborhood of Philadelphia, his daughter went to an Afrocentric school, and he is on the board of his local black cultural organization.  He has been dismissive of criticisms of the current discourse on race in the United States.  Even recently he dismissed John McWhorter’s book that asserted that anti-racism is a new religion.

Last summer he found that CRT and it’s perversion of anti-racism to be worse than a religion: it is a cult.

“Pushing anti-racism to its limits, what we reach isn’t just hollow doctrine, but abuse: Pathological relationships that cut us off from the world, from the give-and-take of reasons and feelings unfolding over time that makes up life in the world.”

“They [his students] had learned, in one of their workshops, that objective facts are a tool of white supremacy.

The Telluride Association maintains a low profile, even in higher-education circles, but it has played an important role in shaping the US elite. Its alumni are ideologically diverse: queer theorist Eve Sedgewick and postcolonial theorist Gayatri Spivak (its first female member), Georgia politician Stacey Abrams and journalist Walter Isaacson, neoconservatives Paul Wolfowitz and Francis Fukuyama (who served on Telluride’s board). Launched by mining entrepreneur L.L. Nunn in 1911, a few years before he founded Deep Springs College, Telluride aims to cultivate democratic communities among high-school and college students. It runs houses near Cornell and the University of Michigan, where students receive scholarships, govern themselves, and incorporate intellectual life and service work into their residential communities. In 1954, Telluride started its high-school summer program.

Floyd taught a seminar in 2014, “Race and the Limits of Law” for Telluride’s Ithaca location.  Students came with extraordinary abilities; they asked probing questions; and they were sometimes awkward. Then, as the six weeks went by, I could see the students forming bonds with each other and with me, and I could see their commitment to the course. They always showed up on time. They always did the work. In 2014, participants in the two seminar groups lived their lives together seamlessly outside of the seminar, exploring Ithaca and the Cornell campus, eating and laughing together, and setting up a system to govern their community together.

In 2022 Floyd again tried to teach a seminar, "Race and the Limits of Law", for Telluride. In 2022, he was told that the “Critical Black Studies” students would live and learn separately, creating a fully “black space.” “Anti-Oppressive Studies” students were separated from them. Furthermore, in the 2022 community, afternoons and evenings would no longer be spent having fun and doing homework but instead being taught by 2 college-age students about anti-racism: experiencing hardship conveys authority; there is no hierarchy of oppressions—except for anti-black oppression, which is in a class of its own; trust black women; prison is never the answer; black people need black space; allyship is usually performative; all non-black people, and many black people, are guilty of anti-blackness; and, there is no way out of anti-blackness. The non-black students learned that they needed to center black voices—and to shut up. As the weeks went by, fewer and fewer students turned in written reading responses, fewer and fewer students showed up on time. They fell asleep in class, and they would walk out for extended snack breaks in the middle of the class.

Full Story: https://compactmag.com/article/a-black-professor-trapped-in-anti-racist-hell