Awash In a Sea of Stupid …

Suddenly , as the preposterous mandates supposedly designed to stop the spread of the Wuhan virus begin to lift , the herd , bereft at the widespread mask-dumping , seems to have latched onto the Russian invasion of Ukraine to prove to us how moral they are. Now , it’s perfectly understandable to be appalled at the destruction. Contributing to relief efforts , for example , is one rational humanitarian response.

But the reaction in many quarters is patently absurd. One of the greatest opera stars , Russian Anna Netrebko, has withdrawn her scheduled performances at the Metropolitan Opera after the General Manager announced ,” we can no longer engage with artists or institutions that support Putin or are supported by him — not until the invasion and killing has been stopped , order has been restored, and restitutions have been made.” Unless she planned to drive a tank to Kiev or to revise the planned operas to sing the praises of Putin , whatever was the point of this ?…

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra has cancelled the piano performance of a young genius, Alexander Malofeev, who was outspokenly critical of the invasion and, indeed, has relatives in Ukraine. 

” The OSM feels that it would be inappropriate to receive Mr. Malofeev this week ” wrote a spokesperson for the orchestra , Pascale Ouimet , in a statement.

“We continue , however , to believe in the importance of maintaining relationships with artists of all nationalities who embrace messages of peace and hope. We look forward to welcoming this exceptional artist when the context allows it.”

And not to be outdone in fecklessness , the Cardiff Philharmonic has removed works by Tchaikovsky from its scheduled program on the ground that “ his music is inappropriate at this time.”  Children’s ballet teachers are crossing their fingers in the hope that this will be over by the annual Christmas Nutcracker performances …

What a load of BULLSHIT !!! …

Source: Awash In a Sea of Stupid – American Thinker

Tom Brady doesn’t like the couch …

Tom Brady’s retirement lasted 40 days.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has “unfinished business.” 

“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa.”

Brady cited his desire to spend more time with his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and three children when he decided to walk away from the game on Feb. 1. But he changed his mind about staying home, a day after attending the Manchester United match against Tottenham Hotspur. Brady sat with the Glazer Family, who own Manchester United and the Buccaneers.

His reversal sent shock waves throughout the sports world, and his teammates and Buccaneers fans reacted with jubilation.

All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs called it “unreal.” Receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin shared their joy in emojis.

Giants safety Logan Ryan said Brady’s return is “good for football.” Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey tweeted: “THANK YOU! throw that last touchdown on somebody else.”

The Buccaneers are hopeful star tight end Rob Gronkowski also returns. Brady convinced his buddy to unretire to join him in Tampa in 2020.

I figured he couldn’t handle ‘ watching ‘ it !!! … 40 days !!! …

 

Source: Tom Brady ends retirement, announces return to Buccaneers | CBC Sports

James A. Garfield

The “ deep state ” only came to the attention of most Americans over the last few years ( I’d say 20 , but in terms of Trump vocally shouting out about it , OK .. The past 5 or so it got magnified ) , the controversy over the hiring and firing of civil service employees is one of the oldest controversies of the republic.

As Rating America’s Presidents explains , Andrew Jackson was elected president in 1828 on promises to end the hegemony of a privileged aristocracy , and , to drain that swamp ( Pre-Trump !!! ) , he would need his own men in key positions. He removed a large number of civil service employees and replaced them with men of his own faction , which came to be known as the Democracy , or Democratic Party. This came to be known as the spoils system , after the old adage “ To the victor belong the spoils.”

The term “ spoils system ” is today practically synonymous with government corruption , but Jackson began it as a blow against corruption , preventing the establishment of an entrenched bureaucracy that would oppose the president. The Trump administration made it clear that such a bureaucracy , determined to thwart the president at every turn , is a genuine concern ; it is time for a reconsideration of the spoils system.

The spoils system essentially died with the assassination of President James A. Garfield in 1881. Garfield believed that the spoils system was an unending source of government corruption and pushed for measures that would end it , only to be shot by a man who publicly proclaimed that he was doing so because he belonged to the faction of the Republican party , the Stalwarts , that supported the spoils system.

Funny how those century old philosophies seemed to switched in the present day nomenclature of the two main political parties …

Garfield’s successor , Chester Arthur , was a Stalwart , but he demonstrated immense personal courage and honor in choosing to carry out the wishes of his slain predecessor rather than implement his own contrary agenda. His decision to do this effectively ended his political career ( Of course ! ) , as he almost certainly knew it would , and yet he stood firm.

Good for you Chester !!! … I sadly admit that , until today , I rarely thought of this gentleman’s name , but will sure remember him hence …

Whether his stance was entirely wise in the long run , however , is a separate question. Historians take for granted that civil service reform was good for the country , and there has been no significant indication that it wasn’t until quite recently , when a president was thwarted in numerous endeavors by an army of unelected bureaucrats within the various departments and agencies of the government , who were determined to impede his agenda in every way possible.

The proponents of civil service reform never envisioned a situation in which unelected and unaccountable opponents of a sitting president in the FBI , the Justice Department , and elsewhere would be determined to destroy the president — or at the very least make it impossible for him to carry out his policies — and could not be removed from their jobs because of civil service regulations.

Wouldn’t government work more smoothly , and the executive branch be able to operate more effectively in the way the Founding Fathers envisioned it would , if the president were able to clear out the employees of these agencies who opposed him and replace them with people more in line with his vision ?

The spoils system ( NOW bastardized by the DEMOCRATIC party ) has no defenders today , and has had none for over a century. It should have more … AS IT WAS ORIGANALLY PROPOSED ! … And Trump is on the right track.

Source: Trump’s Plan to Beat the Deep State

I’ve seen this type of thing before …

But always fun …

Democrats Struggle With Legacy of $1.9 Trillion COVID Plan – PJ Media

One year ago on Friday , Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. It was passed in Congress without a single Republican vote.

At the time , most critics thought that passing the law would drive up inflation and weaken the economy. But the economy came roaring back after the $1.9 trillion was pumped into it — a big chunk of that in the form of stimulus checks for individual Americans and their families — and the government spent hundreds of billions of dollars on pandemic-related programs , extended unemployment compensation and low-interest loans for small businesses.

As it turns out , tens of billions of dollars earmarked for unemployment compensation were stolen and tens of billions more were given to large , public companies.

In fact , there has been no accounting of where money from the American Rescue Plan went , how much was stolen and how much simply disappeared.

Nonetheless, dumping that much cash into the economy couldn’t help but lead to growth.

Wall Street Journal:

“ I haven’t yet met a piece of legislation that I consider perfect. Again , you’ve got to recall that this was done in a hurry ,” said Sen. Angus King , an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats. “ Given the timing and the state of the economy and the emergency , it was better to err on the side of overspending , if you will , in some areas , rather than take a chance on not doing enough.”

Last year, the economy grew at its best annual rate since 1984, after shrinking dramatically the year before because of the pandemic , when job losses hit records. The economy added 6.7 million jobs in 2021 , more than any year on record. President Biden , Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other administration officials are fanning out across the U.S. this week to draw attention to the role of the American Rescue Plan in that performance.

Were all those jobs “ created ” as a result of government spending money ? Or were the jobs always there and simply refilled by people laid off at the beginning of the pandemic ?

In fact , there are still 2.1 million fewer jobs than there were in February 2020 , just prior to the pandemic.

Americans’ confidence in the economy has dropped to its lowest level since April 2020 , at the height of pandemic lockdowns , according to a recent Gallup poll. Republicans , who are considered likely to win control of the House later this year , have been quick to blame the legislation for the rise in inflation. The criticism has frustrated Democrats , who passed the rescue law without any GOP support , and many in the party hope to use the bill as a political asset as they try to maintain their control of Congress in the midterm elections.

Going on a $4 trillion spending binge is not likely to convince anyone except little children and liberals that the overspending didn’t at least contribute to inflation. The more Democrats insist that their massive spending — which included an unknown amount lost to waste , fraud and abuse — helped pull America back from the brink of catastrophe, the fewer people will believe them.

Source: Democrats Struggle With Legacy of $1.9 Trillion COVID Plan – PJ Media

Ukraine Unveils New Postage Stamp …

Ukraine has chosen an image for a new postage stamp , and I kind of want one.

The image design , called “ Russian warship , go f**k yourself ! ” by artist Boris Groh , features a Ukrainian soldier flipping the bird to — obviously — a Russian warship.

The stamp commemorates the incident on Snake Island , when a Russian warship hailed the 13 Ukrainian border guards stationed there and ordered them to surrender. But instead of surrendering , the guards replied , “ Russian warship , go f*** yourself ” before being attacked. Due to the brutality of the Russian warship bombardment of the island , the guards were originally presumed to have been killed.

“The phrase has become a rallying cry for Ukraine’s defenders ” notes The Guardian.

Now , if only we could get some “ Let’s Go Brandon ” postage stamps here in the United States. Okay , we all know that won’t happen , but I suppose the ubiquitous “ I Did That ” gas pump stickers are a fair compromise.

Source: Ukraine Unveils New Postage Stamp That Tells Russian Warship to ‘Go F**k Yourself’ – PJ Media

bin Salman says FJB !!! …

After reducing oil production in the United States , Joe Biden has been forced to seek oil deals with other nations , including two Middle Eastern countries that are currently giving him the cold shoulder …

The leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have declined recent White House requests to arrange phone calls with Biden. 

Out of dissatisfaction with the Biden Regime’s policies in the Gulf , Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the U.A.E.’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan have both declined White House requests to speak to Biden in recent weeks , U.S. and Middle East officials told the WSJ.

The Atlantic magazine asked Prince Mohammed last week if he felt “ misunderstood ” by Biden. “ Simply , I do not care ,” the prince replied … “ It’s up to him to think about the interests of America … Go for it ”…

Chalk one up for the crown prince ! … Basically ; ” I’m not bailin’ ya out of YOUR mess ya senile old bastard ! ” …

Along the same talking points , this from over at Filthie’s ;

Is it ?

Is it really , now … ?

Welp … nazzo fast , General. I have a few questions and before I load up my Enfield , put on my puttees and tin hat , and fix my bayonet … You have to answer them first … And show your work.

Hmmmmm. The service rifle on that squaddie? I may be mistaken… but isn’t that a Tavor? Since when did the Ukes adopt that as their service rifle? So far since this thing has started, I have seen photos from earlier conflicts retouched and passed off as current events in Keev. I have seen crisis actors deployed to make photo shoots like this. (I am not seeing a lot of blood or any fatal injuries for supposedly dead people). I have seen videeyah footage from video games passed off as on-the-scene action. I HAVE seen the Ukes passing out AK-47’s to grannies, to schoolkids, to fat old stubfarts and to girls. Are they civilians too, General Aesop? Duh – if you put guns in the hands of civvies and send them to fight… yeah, the Russians are going to kill them. These are the kind of questions you must ask of every snippet of information that comes out of that beshitted conflict. They are going to try and grab you by your emotions as they did with The General in ways that make you so mad, that you can’t think.

Yesterday, in a congressional hearing, some fat old bitch accidentally admitted that America has biological weapon centres in the Ukraine. This, after swearing up and down that they didn’t. So far I have seen far more lies out of our people and the Ukranians than I have from the Russians. Granted – that is probably because the Russkies are keeping their mouths firmly shut. But I find it increasingly  hard NOT to sympathize with them because they are the only ones not out actively trying to deceive me.

I am looking at the guys on “my side” and I am not liking what I see… one damned bit. I am not alone in that either.  Other esteemed stubfarts obviously feel as I do. I did not fall for the Covid scam, and I am not going to be stick handled on this either. The propaganda we have seen on this, from our own people, no less… I regard that as a war on us – We The People, if I may steal the American phrase.

Having said all that… yeah, of course pics like this may indeed be legit. But, the Russians have been trying to talk. They want a deal. All they have gotten from the Ukes is a great big “FOAD” when the Russians want to talk about real and legitimate grievances. If this pic IS legit… it is kinda what war looks like. Like it or not, the Ukes have a hand in the responsibility for it. As will we if we are stampeded and manipulated by them.

Well put Filthy !!! …

Source: Saudi Arabia and UAE Decline to Pump More Oil For U.S., Won’t Take Biden’s Calls › American Greatness

My thoughts as well …

Before I began reading this article I glanced at this sidebar pic and began thinking …

Then read the first paragraph while simultaneously thinking how Don and Vlad would be dealing with this situation instead of Joe Depends …

First , and most importantly , virtually no one in the US has got this right , including conservative outlets and pundits. Putin’s a thug , but he’s an excellent politician and a strong leader. And he’s not crazy , as some seem to surmise. He is a cold , calculating , strategic thinker who has disciplined his mind and body for decades. He’s a Russia first guy. Think Donald Trump minus all that hot air , Big Macs and add a willingness to off his enemies.

Got a chuckle outta that last sentence ! …

I figured I’d read it through an select certain sections … But the whole thing is written so well , I’ll give ya the rest of the whole thing ! ;

We promised Russia we would not expand NATO when the Soviet Union fell. We went back on that promise and incorporated almost the entire Eastern Bloc into NATO.

Then after 9/11 , Bush II unilaterally cancelled the ’72 ABM treaty , which until then had frozen nuclear weapon development in the Soviet Union and the US , effectively ending the arms race. Bush’s rationale was that we needed to develop new nuclear weapon tech to defeat terrorism. Like we were going to nuke Osama Bin Laden.

 Bush’s rationale for NATO expansion was also terrorism. So , Bush triggered a fresh arms race. Bush was a decent man , but the more time goes by , the more he looks like an absolute moron to me.

Ukraine belonged to Russia for centuries. They have almost identical cultures and languages. Kiev used to be the capital of Russia. Putin’s war is a war of defense. Russia ( rightly , in my view) feels threatened by NATO expansion. Russia is a mainly land-based , continental power which desires a buffer with the West. Ukraine serves that purpose perfectly.

The US triggered a coup d’état in Ukraine in 2014 , overthrowing the democratically elected president who was Russia friendly and installing a pro-western , pro-NATO leader. Putin has had his eye on Ukraine ever since but dared not do anything when Trump was in power because he feared and respected Trump.

So , Putin in the meantime brilliantly helped move along a green revolution in Germany and elsewhere in Europe , leaving Europe , with its wind farms and solar panels , hungry for more energy , which they bought from Russia in the form of natgas.

Trump’s right : Putin is a genius. Unfortunately , we seem to be in a historically rare period in which the leaders of 1.5 billion people , i.e. , the West , are to a person either feckless , obtuse , senile or some combination of the three.

Now that we have President Potted Plant in office , Putin has made his move. BTW , the story is that Russian annexed Crimea some years ago. Putin’s version is that the Crimeans had a plebiscite , and over 90% voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia. That alone should give you an idea of what a dysfunctional country Ukraine is.  

Putin has no intention of ” reconstituting the Soviet Union.” That’s a big fat lie. This war is the West’s fault , not Putin’s. At any time , we could have discussed these issues with him. Instead of seeking closer ties with Russia ( as Trump was attempting — he even talked about disbanding NATO , since Russia is no longer a territorial threat to Europe ) , we constantly antagonize Russian with our NATO expansion.

What we should be doing is assuring Russia we are not a threat , make treaties with Russia bringing us closer together ( after all , they are a European , Orthodox Christian nation ) , and turning our united efforts against the real threat: China. We couldn’t have mishandled this more.

Contrary to popular opinion , the Ukrainians are not making a heroic stand against the Russkies. They’re getting their asses kicked. They’re hiding in population centers, and Russia , trying to get to them , is killing a lot of civilians as collateral damage.

They’re fighting a relatively clean war ( if there is such a thing ) and all Zelensky has to do is meet with Putin and agree to Putin’s four demands :

1 ) Ukraine cannot join NATO 

2 ) NATO arms out of Eastern Europe ( Thereby honoring our promise to , Russia’s then leader , Gorbachev ) 

3 ) a ban on NATO missiles within striking distance … And

4 ) autonomy for the two predominantly Russian provinces in east Ukraine.

Numbers 2 and 3 are a pretty big ask , but here you see how Putin himself may have read The Art of The Deal : Always ask for more than you want.

Zelensky could end this in two hours if he wanted. Instead , he seems to have developed a Churchill complex. He’s begging for money and arms , which will prolong the bloodshed. No one is reporting the billions in medicines , foodstuff and other aid the Russians are shipping into Ukraine.

These insights I’m getting from the Greek press ( I live here ) , which is being much more even-handed, from people inside Russia, and from Ukrainians whom I know. I’ve also watched the 4-hour Putin Interview documentary by Oliver Stone, which skewed left but provided a fascinating look at Putin the human being. I repeat : he is not crazy. He has a surprisingly good sense of humor. Just to remind you , I’m not a fan.

The US can’t seem to kick its Cold War habit of looking at Russia as the enemy. The enemy , the real threat, is China , not a country of 125 million with a GDP less than that of 16 million Canadians.

I’m wondering what President Potted Plant is going to do when China invades Taiwan ? Now that is a threat to world peace. We get almost all our microchips from the Taiwanese. I wonder also how we will survive the next 3 years with this idiot in the WH. The answer, as always is prayer, and lots of it.

Source: Here’s the truth on Ukraine, as far as I can tell – American Thinker

The woke military won’t work – American Thinker

Some British soldiers are demanding that their nation’s armed forces introduce vegan uniforms that comport with their beliefs and practices. According to online reports , a newly formed group in the British Army called ” The Ministry of Defence Vegan and Vegetarian Network ” has launched a campaign to empower vegans and vegetarians in the armed forces …

One of the policies proposed by the vegan group is for military personnel to have the option to wear vegetarian-approved footwear not made from real leather.  Incredibly, the Royal Air Force has allegedly considered the notion !!! …

The move to make the military openly inclusive to every woke group , no matter how small , is part of a broader effort by proponents of Diversity , Inclusion , and Equity ( DIE ) to revamp military doctrine to reflect trends they say are ” relevant to our soldiers in the 21st century “…

What’s next ? … Vegan missiles and tanks ? … Non-binary grenades ? … Microaggression-free battle tactic wording and strategy ? … ” Inclusive ” intelligence briefings ?!…

What a load o’ shit !!! …

Source: The woke military won’t work – American Thinker

From Grouchy Old Cripple …

I’ll start with the closing paragraph !!! …

And I gotta say , if Putin is just chest-thumping and eventually pulls his troops back from the border , I sure’s hell don’t want Sleepy Joe or Horizontal Ho to get even a HINT of credit for it. Sending her over to talk with European leaders is like having Whitney Houston manage a drug rehab facility. Harris has all the diplomatic experience and skill of a Roseanne Barr.

From ;

Hit the link to hear from someone who has hit the nail on the head !!! …

Source: Grouchy Old Cripple | tagline