One of Pontius Pilate's rings discovered near Bethlehem

Every now and then, one of my friends, knowing of my belief in the Biblical account of the birth, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, asks me how I know it's not just a nice fairy tale. I always answer that there is independent proof, in the form of contemporary records and, yes, physical evidence. Archaeological research keeps coming up with things that jibe with the accounts of the Gospels.

One such came to light just recently, when a 2000-year-old copper alloy, unearthed half a century ago, was given a careful cleaning, revealing the inscription, in Greek, "PILATO[U]", meaning "Of Pilate". This refers almost certainly to Pontius Pilate (Pontius Pilatus, in Latin, Πόντιος Πιλάτος in Greek), the fifth prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under the Emperor Tiberius from A.D. 26 to 36. According to the Gospels, Pilate was the one who tried Jesus and found no fault in him, but all the same handed him over to the Jews for crucifixion.

Until now, the only physical, archaeological evidence confirming the existence of Pilate is the Latin inscription found on the so-called "Pilate Stone", a limestone block relating Pilate's tribute to Tiberius. This was found in 1961 as a reused block within a staircase located in a semicircular structure behind the stage house of the Roman theatre at Caesarea, the city that served as Rome's administrative centre in the province of Judaea. Roman governors were based in Caesarea and only visited Jerusalem on special occasions, or in times of unrest. On the stone is a fragment of the dedicatory inscriptions of a building, likely a temple, constructed in honour of the emperor Tiberius. The dedication states that Pilate was "praefectus Iudaeae" -- prefect of Judea.

According to a report published yesterday in the Times of Israel, the ring was first found among hundreds of other artifacts in 1968–1969 excavations at a section of the Herodium -- the palace and burial tomb of King Herod, about three miles southeast of Bethlehem and eight miles south of Jerusalem.

Although the name "Pontius" was common for Romans, the name Pilate was not. "Pilate" is derived from the Latin pilum, referring to a military javelin, and is a Roman cognomen. There is no other evidence of the name in the province of Judaea before or during Pilate's governorship. Thus the historicity of Pontius Pilate is confirmed for a second time by this new(ish) find, as well as the Pilate Stone and contemporary historical sources.

It is beyond doubt that Pilate was the Roman governor of Judaea from A.D. 26-36 A.D. The traditional date for Christ's crucifixion, A.D. 33, fits within this historical period. Christian readers therefore have no reason for concern that the Bible is not true, even from a historical perspective. Time and time again its contents have been confirmed by such archeological discoveries as the Pilate Stone and, now, the ring of the man who caused a notice nailed to the Holy Cross to be inscribed "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" -- "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews".

More pieces of MH370 (?) spark calls for renewed search

This is the 42nd post in which Walt has discussed or mentioned the mystery of the Malaysian Airlines B-777, operating as flight MH370, which vanished off the face of the earth on 8 March 2014. Here are the links to some of the key pieces.
14/3/14 "MH370: Three guesses from Walt" - Note the third suggestion!
19/3/14 "MH370: 1 + 3 = ??? Walt puts two possibilities together"
26/3/14 "For the second time: Diego Garcia is a key piece of the MH370 puzzle" - Diego Garcia is the site of a huge US military installation which dominates south Asia and the Indian Ocean
17/6/14 "Latest on MH370: Inmarsat says search was off target; Canadian ex-pilot blames Malaysian authorities for "bungled inquiry", suggests ulterior motive"
18/12/14 "MH370 - Just fancy that!"

Up to this point, not a trace of the missing aircraft had been found. The theories of Walt and others as to what happened to MH370 were based largely on speculation. Then, in July of 2015, pieces of debris started to turn up. See
29/7/15 "Wreckage of MH370 (?) surfaces" and
31/7/15 "Current thinking on MH370" - Here's where I made a diagram of the currents which brought the debris to the shores of Réunion and (later) Mozambique, Madagascar and South Africa. See
24/3/16 "Wreckage on shores of WESTERN Indian Ocean IS from MH370" and
12/5/16 "MH370: 5 pieces now, all in "the wrong place"

For reasons about which we can only speculate, the "authorities" and "experts" kept searching off the west coast of Australia, and, as Walt predicted, came up with nothing. Nada. Zippo. Lifetime pct .984.
20/12/16 "'Experts' admit looking in the wrong place for MH370"
6/1/18 "New search for MH370 - Walt's advice on how to get answers"
30/7/18 "MH370: 'Third party interference' (= hijacking?) can't be ruled out" - The final report of the official investigation, in which the "authorities" concede that they had no explanation whatever for one of the Great Mysteries of the Sea. Having ignored Walt's advice, they said they really didn't have a clue. Nothing to see here, folks. Fuggedaboutit.

But the families of the 239 people who went down with the plane don't want to forget. They want answers, and are demanding another search, the more so since more pieces of wreckage keep turning up. Here we see the Malaysian Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, examining a piece of debris believed to be from the missing aircraft. This is one of five pieces presented to the Malaysian government today by representatives of people who perished.

Their spokesperson, whose mother was on flight MH370, said the new debris was found by villagers in Madagascar (again!) over the past two years as part of a privately funded search. She said one of the pieces has a readable label and is believed to be a floor panel from the plane. She urged the Malaysian government to make a thorough search in the area Walt suggested years ago -- for debris that could be either buried in sand or floating in waters off the coast of southern Africa and the adjacent islands.

Minister Loke said the debris will be verified by investigators but the government is only open to continuing the search if there is credible evidence of the plane's location. Kind of a funny condition when you consider that without a search, the location of the plane (or what's left of it) can't be determined.

American wreckage hunter Blaine Gibson, on the right in the picture, said the debris has been inspected by independent experts, who believe it is from a Boeing 777. The piece that may be a floor panel indicates the plane may have shattered on impact and that there is no intact fuselage underwater, he said.

As Walt reported, the Malaysian-led independent investigation report released in July highlighted shortcomings in the government's response to the plane's disappearance, including lapses by air traffic control, and a failure to monitor radar continuously and immediately initiate an emergency response.

It also raised the possibility of "intervention by a third party" -- not the US military, of course -- and reiterated the Malaysian theory that the plane was deliberately diverted and flown (by whom?) for over seven hours after severing communications. The report said there was insufficient information to determine if the aircraft broke up in the air or during an impact with the ocean. In summary, the authorities don't have a clue, and, for some mysterious reason, don't seem to want one. Nothing to see here, folks. Fuggedaboutit.

VIDEO: Remembering the cast of "Hee Haw"

As I've told you before, word travels slowly from the headwaters all the way down to this corner of the wood. I just learned today of the passing, on November 15th, of Roy Clark, one of the stars of Hee Haw. What? You don't remember Hee Haw? Where were you in the 70s and 80s, on another planet?

OK, well... Hee Haw was an American television variety show (created by a couple of Canucks - Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth) featuring country music and humour from "Kornfield Kounty", not far from Walt's hometown. It aired on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 1996 to 1997. And it's still available on RFD-TV.

The show, centered on country music and rural culture, was hosted by country music artists Buck Owens and Roy Clark for most of its run. Other big names -- some already famous from the Grand Old Opry and other popular radio and TV shows -- who appeared regularly included Grandpa Jones, String Bean, Archie Campbell, Gordie Tapp, Minnie Pearl and the legendary Roy Acuff.

Like Roy Clark, all of those listed have rung down the final curtain. Passed on. Gone to Hillbilly Heaven. A chap by the name of Robert Marshall has put together a video tribute to them, and others who are no longer with us. Here it is.



Sadly omitted from the video is one of my favourites, Don Harron (aka Charlie Farquharson). He passed away on 17 January 2015. Country music fans who read WWW may use the Comments section to remind us of others. I miss them all.

UPDATED AGAIN: Walt explains why MP Grewal has NOT resigned

On Saturday, Walt reported on the sympathetic treatment the Canuck lamestream media are giving to Raj Grewal, the once and still Member of Parliament for the Sikh-majority riding of Brampton East. See "Canuck media treat troubled Liberal MP with kid gloves", WWW 24/11/18. In a tweet to his constituents and the Liberal Party whip -- yes, Mr Grewal is a Liberal -- the rookie MP said he was going to quit to deal with "personal and medical" problems. Prime Minister Just In Trudeau expressed his sympathy and said that Mr Grewal was doing the right thing.

When pressed (lightly, no starch) for specifics of Mr Grewal's problems, fart-catchers for Mr Socks issued a statement saying that Mr Grewal had informed the PM's office that he was receiving treatment from a health professional "related to a gambling problem that led him to incur significant personal debts. Based on these circumstances, we agreed that his decision to resign as member of Parliament for Brampton East was the right one. We hope he receives the support he needs."

The prime ministerial flaks also said they were "not aware" of any investigations being carried out by the Brampton police. All they knew about, they said, was the RCMP investigation into Mr Grewal's doings in connection with Mr Dress-up's ludicrous trip to India earlier this year. It seems Mr Grewal invited along a person with whom he had had business dealings, and from whom he had received a sum of money for "professional services".

Today, Canada's Global TV News, which is probing the story with a lot more vigour than, say, the state-owned CBC, reports that although Mr Grewal said publicly that he was going to resign, he has yet to do so! Apparently there's a clear parliamentary procedure that must be followed when an MP resigns his/her seat. Notices must be given to certain officials before Elections Canada can declare the seat vacant, and Mr Grewal hasn't done the necessary.

Why (I hear you ask) has Mr Grewal not followed through on his stated intention? Walt was churlish enough to suggest that at least one more shoe would drop, sooner rather than later. Agent 3 has now put his legal mind to the matter, and draws Walt's attention to the Government of Canada website which explains the privileges and immunities of Members of Parliament. About half-way down the lengthy page, one may see the heading "Freedom from Arrest in Civil Actions".

A Canuck MP, the article explains, is not immune from arrest for a criminal offence. However, a Member may not be arrested under civil process, including for civil contempt of court. Such as? Such as failing to appear for examination as a judgment debtor, or in answer to a subpoena in a civil trial. The privilege of freedom from arrest exists from the moment of the execution of the return of the writ of election by the returning officer, and continues while the House of Commons is sitting, as it is now. It also applies 40 days before and after a session of Parliament and 40 days after a dissolution of Parliament.

In other words, if Mr Grewal resigns, rather than just promising to do so, he loses that immunity and can be immediately brought before a civil court to face whatever consequences flow from his "significant debt (and other?) problems". Of course the loss of that privilege has no bearing whatever on Mr Grewal's dragging of his Liberal feet.

UPDATE OF THE UPDATE, added 28/11/18: Somewhere below the fold [Only Editors will understand that. Ed.] CBC News is carrying a report from Canadian Press that word of Raj Grewal's gambling debts surfaced on police wiretaps in a much broader probe into other people suspected of money laundering and terrorist financing. 

A source with knowledge of the events, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the MP's debts came to the attention of the Ontario Provincial Police during an investigation of some "particularly shady guys" who might be involved in laundering drug money destined for an extremist group in the Middle East.

My innocent question: What "extremist group in the Middle East" sprang to your mind as you read that? Wouldn't it be more than strange for a Sikh to be helping with the financing of Islamic terrorists? Maybe not.

Majority of Québécois want crucifix displayed in National Assembly, religious headgear banned in public sector

During September's provincial election campaign, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) vowed, if elected, to end once and for all the pandering to minorities that kept both the Liberals and the Parti Québécois from passing lawas to prohibit the display in public places of religious objects, including religious clothing, such as the Jewish kippah, Sikh turban and Muslim burqa/niqab/hijab. Banning such things was, they said, the will of the majority of Québécois, and sure enough, the people of la belle province gave the CAQ a strong mandate.

Ever since, the usual NPCs, SJWs and liberal chattering classes -- not your typical francophone Québeckers, but English speakers -- have been pissing and moaning about "minority rights", Islamophobia, and (of course) racism. Such discriminatory legislation, they whine, is not in keeping with real Québec values, and the election result didn't really reflect the will of the people.

The lamestream meeja and others hired a couple of pollsters to give Québeckers another chance to come up with the politically correct answers to a couple of decades-old questions:
Do you support a ban on the wearing of religious symbols by public-sector workers? and
Should the crucifix be removed from its place of honour above the Speaker's throne in the Assemblée Nationale?
You'll never guess how the real people responded...

Or maybe you will. A CROP poll taken from the 14th to 19th of November estimated that 72% of Québécois supported banning visible religious symbols for judges, 71% supported banning them for prosecutors and police officers, and 65% backed extending the ban to public-school teachers. CROP also found widespread support (55%) for leaving the crucifix in its place in the National Assembly; only 28% wanted to see it removed.

CROP's president told Radio-Canada (the French-language state broadcaster) that the results indicated unprecedentedly high levels of support for banning religious symbols. "I think we can conclude that the average Quebecer really wants to remove religion from the public sphere," he said, "especially for people who hold positions of authority.... The numbers are high but they are the product of a public discussion that has lasted since Bouchard-Taylor," he said, referring to the public commission into reasonable accommodation that wrapped up in 2008.

In the month after the October 1st election, Vox Pop, which polls for the CBC and Radio-Canada, surveyed 4000 people about identity issues. Respondents were shown images of various types of religious clothing and symbols and asked to choose different situations where they should be banned. The results suggested no less than 87% (!) in favour of preventing police officers and judges from wearing the burqa. If you're not sure what that is, check out "Hijab, niqab, burqa -- what's the difference?", WWW 28/7/10.

The number in favour of a ban dropped to only 65% for the turban and kippa. The Vox Pop findings also suggested Québeckers are divided about what religious symbols teachers should be allowed to wear in the classroom. The kippah was opposed by 49%, the turban by 51%, the hijab by 52% a large cross by 53%. Vox Pop summarized its findings by noting that a majority of survey participants -- 55% -- backed the Bouchard-Taylor consensus referred to above.

Tomorrow, the National Assembly begins its first session. The CAQ government has indicated that introducing a bill to replace the previous government's Bill 62 (which was never enforced) would not be its first order of business, but that it would tackle the issue early in the new year, confident that it is doing the will of the people of Québec.

Footnote: The burqa and other Islamic attire has already been banned in the Netherlands, Denmark and even Muslim-majority Morocco. The Québec government is behind the curve of public opinion on this one, but not so much as the government of Canada, which refuses to discuss the issue, let alone admit that the majority of Canadians would support such legislation. M-103.

Canuck media treat troubled Liberal MP with kid gloves

For an example of how the liberal/Liberal bias of the Canadian lamestream media plays out (see "Canada's liberal propagandists to get $600 million reward", WWW 24/11/18), consider the kid-glove treatment given to Raj Grewal, the Liberal Member of Parliament for the Sikh enclave of Brampton East, who resigned from Parliament and from the Party on Thursday.

When the story broke, all of the Canuck meeja swallowed -- hook, line and sinker -- a statement from Mr Grewal that he was leaving for "personal and medical reasons". That's all. Nothing to see here folks. And no-one -- especially no-one from the CBC -- asked any questions. To do so would have been, errr, racist, eh!

Chief Government Whip Mark Holland sent a memo to Liberal MPs instructing them "to refrain from speculating or commenting publicly" about Mr Grewal's resignation. "It's sad. It's very unfortunate that he's facing very serious personal issues. It was very challenging, but the right thing to do," said Mr Holland. "It wouldn't be respectful to him to comment further." And on Thursday night, Just In Trudeau tweeted that Mr Grewal's decision to resign "was the right one. I hope he receives the support he needs."

The next day, however, someone timidly asked about the nature of Mr Grewal's problems. There were rumours floating around the Sikh community, it was said, about Mr Grewal's relationship with Yusuf Yenilmez, CEO of ZGemi Inc., a Brampton construction company. Someone remembered that Mr Grewal had invited Mr Yenilmez, who had previously paid him for "legal advice" to come along with Mr Socks and his family on the disastrous trip to India in February. An ethics investigation into that little affair is ongoing.

So... a bit of clarification was needed. On Friday the Prime Minister's fart-catchers issued a statement echoing the Trudeau tweet, saying that Mr Grewal had informed the PM's office that he was receiving treatment from a health professional "related to a gambling problem that led him to incur significant personal debts." Aha. "Based on these circumstances," the statement continued, "we agreed that his decision to resign as member of Parliament for Brampton East was the right one. We hope he receives the support he needs."

Then came the sound of a shoe dropping. In its statement, the PMO also said it was "unaware of any investigation by Peel Regional Police" into Grewal's situation. Inspector Knacker sent an e-mail to the CBC refusing to confirm details about ongoing investigations.

So that's that, except that the PMO had to admit, in the same statement, that it did know the Mounties had made inquiries related to a complaint made earlier this year to the federal ethics commissioner by Charlie Angus, MP, about the participation of Mr Grewal and his boss in the junket to India.

Perceptive Canucks (and yes, there are some) must be wondering what a man who was under pressure to repay "significant personal debts" would do to satisfy his creditors. Words like "bribe", "embezzlement", "influence peddling" and "corruption" spring to mind. Such things are unknown in India, of course, but are not unimaginable in the Great No-longer-white North. The other shoe is bound to drop, but don't depend on the Canuck lamestream meeja to tell you.

Canada's liberal propagandists to get $600 million reward

First the funny stuff. Today, on its Toronto page, CTV News has a story headed "Police issue arrest warrant for suspect in violent attack on teen girl and her mother". (The suspect's name is Harry -- originally Hari -- Rajkumar. Can you say "Diversity is our strength!", boys and girls?) Here's a screen grab of the suspect description.

Evidently CTV, like the rest of the Canuck meeja, can't afford proofreaders any more. That Canadian newspapers and even TV networks are struggling is not news. Even the state-run (and taxpayer-funded!) CBC is crying stinking fish, laying off "workers" (but not execs, of course) and begging for (a) subscriptions and (b) government handouts.

The gentlemen and ladies (and those who aren't sure) of the fifth estate got their wish for (b) on Thursday when the gliberal government of Prime Minister Just In Trudeau announced, in its fall budget statement, that it would dole out C$600 million ($450 million in real money) to publishers and joournalists, to keep such organs as the Toronto Star from having to lay off more staff or even close its doors for good. Good news for the ink-stained wretches, not so good for taxpayers.

The problem is greater than a mere 600 mill added to Canada's soaring deficit. As Postmedia's Andrew Coyne points out (to his credit), in "Liberals' $600M aid package for news media will irrevocably politicize the press", it is hard not to see the massive handout as a less-than-subtle attempt to buy off what's left of the independent press, and co-opt them into the liberal/Liberal propaganda machine... as if the dominance of the CBC and the Red Star weren't bad enough.

But (I hear you ask), didn't the government say that the recipients of the pieces of silver would be determined by an "independent panel of journalists"? Oh yes... a panel chosen by the government in the same way and for the same reasons as the "independent" senators now being packed into the Red Chamber. Mr Coyne writes, "I don’t actually think the government will appoint a group of card-carrying Liberal hacks to this 'independent panel.' They won’t need to."

Indeed. Walt predicts that those appointed to the "independent" panel will be reliably "progressive" journalists of a pinkish hue, like CBC propagandists Rosemary Barton, Paul Hunter and Keith Boag, and CTV's Evan Solomon. Not appointed will be Rex Murphy, Ezra Levant, Mark Steyn and Gavin McInnes. Lifetime pct .989.

"To hell with it," mr Coyne concludes. "To hell with all of it. No newspaper publisher should have anything to do with this plan. And no journalist worthy of the name should go anywhere near that accursed panel."

Further viewing: "Trudeau gives $595M to media — but The Rebel isn't for sale", video by The Rebel's Ezra Levant. Running time 7:25.

Happy Thanksgiving, 2018

Walt, Poor Len [and Ed.! Ed.]
wish all our American readers
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

This meme comes from Blazing Cat Fur

and is dedicated to Agent 17. I should have taken your bet!

Muslim woman kills, cooks boyfriend, serves remains with rice

Of course I should have added "allegedly" to the title, because the trial has yet to take place. Anyway... The National, "the Middle East's leading English-language news service" reports that prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates are alleging that a Moroccan woman killed her boyfriend, then butchered and cooked his body, then served his remains to Pakistani workers in a traditional Gulf rice and meat dish, similar to biryani, known as machboos.

The authorities in the emirate of Al-Ain arrested the woman on suspicion of killing her boyfriend of seven years after he told her of his plans to marry another from their country. Both the alleged cooker and the cookee are (or were) followers of the Prophet.

The Abu Dhabi-based news service reported that the man was killed three months ago, but that the crime only came to light recently, when the man's brother visited the couple's home in Al Ain to ask if the accused knew of his sibling's whereabouts. The woman denied knowing where he was and claimed to have kicked him out of their home. The brother then went to the police, who searched the home and found a human tooth inside the woman's blender. After DNA tests confirmed the tooth belonged to the missing man, the woman was arrested.

During questioning, the woman, whose age was not disclosed by police, first denied any involvement, but, after further questioning [using "enhanced interrogation techniques?" Ed.] admitted to killing the man during a moment of "insanity". She told police she wanted revenge for being dumped after seven years of providing financially for her lover.

After cutting up the man's body, his girlfriend allegedly asked a friend to help her dispose of the remains. She is said to have confessed that she used a blender to mince her former partner's flesh then cooked it with machboos, before serving it to a group of Pakistani workers who lived nearby. The woman's friend, however, said she did not witness the crime, but did notice blood stains in the woman's home.

Police and prosecutors told The National the woman would be brought to court after their investigation is complete.

Further reading: "Keep your camels off the road: warning over National Day celebrations", The National, 21/11/18.

VIDEO: "Max! Max! Max!" - Bernier's Toronto speech, complete

"No more political correctness!"
"No more pandering!"
"Cut the CBC budget!"
"No more money to the dysfunctional United Nations!"
"Privatize Canada Post!"
...and much, much more.

Here, by popular demand, and thanks to The Rebel, we have the speech given by Maxime Bernier in Toronto on November 14th.

VIDEO: "Mad Max" Bernier at Rebel Live in Calgary - full speech

Ed. here. We no sooner posted "Bernier's People's Party of Canada wows Toronto 'deplorables'", earlier this morning, when an assiduous (and sometimes acidulous) reader e-mail to say it was nice to see the positive comments from those who heard Maxime Bernier speak at Toronto. But (he asks) don't you have the speech itself? Errr, no. But I've found the video from M Bernier's speech to a conference organized by The Rebel in Calgary, earlier this month. Here it is.



Gotta love the line about "politically correct nonsense"!

VIDEO: Bernier's People's Party of Canada wows Toronto "deplorables"

One of Walt's agents was in Toronto -- the font of all evil in Canada -- a few days ago to take in the first rally in that "world-class city" of "Mad Max" Bernier's People's Party of Canada. Here's a ten-minute video from The Rebel showing the reactions of people who came looking for a real conservative leader... and found it!

CBC News didn't cover the PPC rally very fully. The comments of some of those interviewed by The Rebel make the reason clear.



The PPC followed up the Toronto rally by holding organizing meetings for some Ontario riding associations (or "Electoral District Associations", as they're called in Newspeak). A regular reader of WWW was elected to the executive of one such group. He reports that those assembled in the meeting room of a local library were indeed a "basket of deplorables"... and proud of it!

VIDEO: Behind the scenes at IKEA - amazing FAIL

Here's something you don't see every day... and a good thing too!



Think about this next time you're pushing your cart down a narrow aisle at one of the big box stores you hear a "personal mobility device" (= scooter or motorized shopping cart) coming up behind you.

40 Republicans call on POTUS to remove "gay protection" from USMCA

Negotiations to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), dragged on for well over a year before culminating this fall in a new US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). The problem was the insistence of Canada's progressive, feminist Prime Minister Just In Trudeau, that any new agreement be a model of liberal ideology, putting social justice and the progressive agenda ahead of business and prosperity.

Mr Socks sent his lead negotiator, a former journalist named Chrystia Freeland, to the meetings with a shopping list of "non-negotiable demands" including new policies on climate change, gender equity, indigenous rights and other issues largely irrelevant to free trade, including (of course) measures to advance the liberal pro-queer agenda and protect "gay rights".

The USA and Mexico finally tired of being nagged about these non-issues and concluded an agreement on their own. See "Payback for the Lady in Red - Trump set to stick it to Canada", WWW 28/8/18.

Faced with the prospect of being cut loose, the Canucks caved on a couple of the real issues -- the auto sector and supply management in their dairy industry -- and the new USMCA (aka NAFTA v2) was hastily signed. Cue sighs of relief in Ottawa and a certain amount of behind-the-hand snickering in Washington and Mexico City.

As a sop to the Canadian snowflakes, the new agreement includes a pledge that all three countries will support "policies that protect workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including with regard to pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity." Now that they've gotten around to reading the fine print, dozens of Republican lawmakers have noticed this clause and, on Friday, pronounced themselves unhappy with it.

According to POLITICO, 40 conservative congresspeople [Ed., is that what we're supposed to call them now?] have signed their names to a letter to President Trump urging him not to sign the agreement unless that language is removed.

Among the signatories are House Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Rep. Diane Black (R-TN), a member of the Ways and Means Committee. The coalition said the United States "has the right to decide when, whether and how to tackle issues of civil rights, protected classes and workplace rights" as a sovereign nation.

"A trade agreement is no place for the adoption of social policy," the letter continues. "It is especially inappropriate and insulting to our sovereignty to needlessly submit to social policies which the United States Congress has so far explicitly refused to accept."

Another signatory, Republican Doug Lamborn, has expressed concern congressional approval for USMCA could set a precedent “for activist courts” and he said in a statement Friday that Trump needed to remove the “troubling language … adopted behind the scenes.”

Before it can be put into effect, the new deal must be approved by Congress, but Friday's letter suggests POTUS could lose some Republican support for the agreement unless changes are made. In an interview with POLITICO, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) referred to "troubling language...adopoted behind the scenes" and said "This is language that is going to cause a lot of people to reconsider their support of the trade agreement, and to the point that it may endanger the passage of the trade agreement unless something is done."

Walt agrees completely. The mere suggestion that America should base its labour and related policies on the liberal model lwhich is failing spectatularly in Sweden, the United Kingdom and, yes, Canada is nothing short of ridiculous. Let Americans -- and only Americans -- decide how to run the US of A. If Canada (and Mexico) want to play in the American league, they're going to have to play by American league rules!

Further reading (and viewing): "CBC stunned by American prof's criticism of Chrystia Freeland", WWW 9/9/18. Includes video.

VIDEO: Cardinal Burke: The smoke of Satan has entered the Church

In "Vatican attempts to silence tradition-minded Catholic prelates" (WWW 7/11/18) Walt reported on recent attempts by the Vatican Secretariat of State (Peter the Roman, Prop.) to silence Bishop Athanasius Schneider and Cardinal Raymond Burke for daring to speak out against those responsible for today's crisis in the roman Catholic Church. (Hello, Pope Francis!)

Limitations of space prevented me from giving more than a suggestion of what these two prelates had done to deserve (which they didn't!) the Vatican's not-so-subtle warning that they'd better shut up about the apostasy, homosexuality, and heresy rampant today in the highest echelons of Holy Mother Church. What they did was call attention to the poisoned fruits of Vatican II, about which the Blessed Virgin Mary warned us in the Third Secret of Fatima, which was entrusted to Sister Lucia and has yet to be revealed in its entirety by the Vatican, for reasons which are now apparent.

Today Walt is pleased to share an address given by Cardinal Burke on 19 May 2017 at the fourth annual Rome Life Forum, organized by Voice of the Family, and originally posted on LifeSite News. In this talk, the prelate explains what Pope Paul VI meant when, near the end of his papacy, he said, publicly, that "through some fissue, the smoke of Satan has entered the Church". Running time, 32 minutes.



Today, the smoke of Satan is still there, denser and more choking than ever. Two of those who are being choked are Bishop Schneider and Cardinal Burke. Good Catholics, pay attention to what these two prelates are saying, before they are silenced forever. It is up to us, the remnant who cling to the Traditional Faith handed down to us by the Apostles and doctors of the Church from Our Lord Jesus Christ, to do all we can, through prayer and action, to bring about the victory of grace and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.

UPDATED: Ontario Premier Ford nixes "Progressive Conservative" resolution against teaching gender ideology

Agent 3 is in Toronto this weekend, following the annual convention of the Ontario Progressive Conservative [sic] Party. One of Walt's favourite conservatives, Tanya Granic Allen, is there, making the more mainstream Tories uncomfortable by reminding them that many people who voted them into office last June did so because they expected a PC government to reverse the course set by the previous Liberal government on matters such as "progressive" sex education and gender ideology.

Mrs Granic Allen has an axe to grind, having been dumped by PC leader Doug Ford just before the election in which can only be described as an act of political cowardice. Premier Ford, as he is now, didn't want to appear too politically correct, lest going too far rightward cost him the election. Mrs Granic Allen and her many followers voted for the PCs anyway, and are now calling in their markers.

At the convention today, they voted in favour of a resolution to no longer recognize gender identity theory, which the resolution calls "a highly controversial, unscientific liberal ideology. The actual wording of the resolution is:
Be it resolved that [the] Ontario PC Party recognizes "gender identity theory" for what it is, namely, a highly controversial, unscientific "liberal ideology"; and, as such, that an Ontario PC Government will remove the teaching and promotion of "gender identity theory" from Ontario schools and [their] curriculum.

Although the resolution was adopted as party policy, it is not binding on Mr Ford's Progressive Conservative government. However, Walt suggests to Mr Ford that he would do well to listen, as his government reconsiders the sex education curriculum, to the voice of the people who elected him. As a former PC prime minister of Canada once said, "It's a long road that has no ashcans!" [What does that actually mean? Ed.]

MEANWHILE, in Australia, which now has laws enshrining a person's right to choose their "gender identity", a conservative senator is taking the heat for comments during a debate on a proposed Day of the Unborn Child, in which he "declared [his] gender" to be female in an attempt to shield himself from criticism over his stance on abortion.

National Party Sen. Barry O'Sullivan made the comments in Parliament on Wednesday, saying he was tired of being attacked for his beliefs.

Senator O'Sullivan’s motion to ban pro-abortion activists from the Day of the Unborn Child failed 32-12.

UPDATE ADDED 20/11/18: Ontario's Premier Doug Ford, elected in June on his promise to respect the wishes of voters who are sick of having gender ideology rammed down their throats (or some other orifice) by "progressive" governments and the lamestream media, wimped out on this one, annouoncing yesterday that he would use every means possible to NOT give effect to the resolution passed by members of his own "Progressive Conservative" [sic] party.

Just another politician who says whatever it takes to get elected, and then turns his back on those who put him in office. The deporables -- see "Bernier's People's Party of Canada wows Toronto 'deplorables'", WWW 20/11/18 -- won't forget!

FURTHER READING (added 20/11/18): "Tanya Granic Allen says Doug Ford has an 'authoritarian bent' in his decision to 'end' gender identity theory resolution", by Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, in The Post Millennial, 20/11/18.

VIDEO: Bannon vs Frum: The future of Western politics is populist - COMPLETE Munk Debate

On November 3rd Walt posted "Bannon vs Frum debate goes on despite antifa near-riot", a video showing the lengths the NPC and antifa types went to in their effort to silence the voices of conservatism (David Frum) and populism (Steve Bannon), who were scheduled to have a debate on "The future of Western politics is populist, not liberal" the previous night.

In spite of the violent protests of the leftists, the debate went ahead anyway. Thanks to CPAC, we now have video of the complete debate. Running time (skipping the introduction) is under an hour and a half.



Who won? You can't participate in the "rolling poll" that the moderator talks about, because that was two weeks ago, but you can judge for yourself. Enjoy.

Moroccan girl writes about "the moral collapse in Islamic societies"

Ed. here. There are 1000s of blogs out there, some with their own websites, some who post on Blogspot, as we do. Checking them all out would take forever. In fact, you'd never get done because new ones pop up every day, like mushrooms after a spring rain. So we're grateful to our agents and readers who alert us to blogs that stand out from the general run of drivel and insanity.

One such is Moroccan Girl, written by Hafida Bouhmid, who is... well... you geddit, right? She has some controversial things to say about the society in which she lives, and its predominant religion, which is Islam. Here, edited for grammar (English is not Ms Bouhmid's first langauge), is her essay on "The Moral collapse in Islamic societies", 29/8/18.

Many people consider religion the basis or source of what we call ethics. They believe that without this systematic organization human beings would never recognize civilization or achieve everything they have today. Thus, these people cannot see the possibility of having another ethical source apart from religion. Moreover, they brutally fight any attempt that starts in this direction or any thought that supports this idea even if it's all for their personal/social benefit and could save the future of the coming generations.

This is basically the core of the underdevelopment of Morocco and the majority of countries with an Islamic background. It's a genuine crisis here since we know that secularism is the solution. As well, we have western societies as a great example, since they're morally, economically, politically and culturally more advanced.

The problem with Islam is that it is considered to be a totalitarian system, seen by Muslims as a perfect exception that everybody else is incapable of understanding, and which therefore must be enforced. [Islamists] reject and attack any criticism, even if it is constructive! These creatures believe they can advance by reviving the past. They turn societies into uncivilized groups that sanctify ignorance and see violence and segregation and hate as a solution for their problems.

Thanks to Salafism, which dominates our societies, the concept of morals has become completely formal in our society. For this movement, it doesn't matter if you are completely despicable or a criminal or a hooker, as long as you have a huge beard, praying at the mosque, wear the hijab, etc. Here, ethical standards are more about what you show people rather than what you actually think and consider to be right.

Muslims go further actually as they do not respect the rejection of this thought by some minorities -- women, for instance -- and they take it upon themselves to make everyone behave in the same way through guardianship. They actually attribute their success or their failure and even the weather to how women wear their clothes. This makes people do things in secret, while claiming virtue, which can make them unconscious hypocrites.

The problem that we are facing lately is that anyone can defraud people (politically speaking) by using religion. For instance, anyone can grow a beard and promise people that if they vote for him, he'll shut down bars and cut off thieves' hands, or force all women to wear the hijab. Since democracy is a system of government where the citizens exercise power by voting, these people will easily win elections, but of course they won't do as promised.

Instead, they continue ruining the economic/political system by corrupting, embezzlement and restrictive laws that can keep media and general opinion confined. These same people use the "divide and conquer" policy, stirring up the majority against minorities in order to keep them busy.

These politicians are not stupid, since they always defend their religious beliefs by enacting laws that penalize those who criticize religion. It's always the same. People are led by their religious passion and always vote for anyone who plays the "religion card" without questioning his plans or his party platform. For them, it is enough that he said he will work according to the law of God.

Morocco today is undergoing massive transformation. The internet and globalization have enabled thousands of young people, including me, to study and to enlighten themselves despite the social differences, economic difficulties or geographical boundaries. Now everything is available for free, and it's also safe, since we can benefit from the easy access to information without anyone knowing about it.

We now understand that the ethical or moral system in our country is completely destroyed due to poverty and ignorance. To say so, however, triggers those who benefit from this common retardation, and they are now using their last weapons against us. We accept difference. I can even say that we welcome it! And we are hoping to convince other people to separate ethics or morals from religious beliefs or political orientation in order to co-exist without harming one and other.

Less than 10% of "migrants" in Netherlands work; most live on benefits

Just passing along some interesting statistics published today by the Voice of Europe, relaying data recently released by the government of the Netherlands. The Dutch, keen not to be losers in the contest to see who can be nicest to the Muslim invaders, are dismayed to find that two-and-a-half years after receiving residence permits, almost 90% of the Syrian "refugees" are still unemployed. 95% of them have to get by on welfare benefits provided by generous Dutch taxpayers.

The situation is even worse for migrants from Eritrea, a shithole in the horn of Africa, hard by the Red Sea. According to CBS, the Dutch statistical office, 96.9% of Eritreans are getting handouts from the state. Eritreans have the worst track record, too, in terms of finding gainful employment. Only 1.9% of them have jobs, compared with the "successful" Afghans, 8.3% of whom are in work.

Even with the generous assistance of a benevolent liberal state, non-western migrants (i.e. Muslims from the Middle East and North Africa) are "at risk for poverty", says the CBS. 79% of them live below the poverty threshold. Around 80% of Eritreans, 54.9% per cent of Somalis and 36.2% are thus official poor.

Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid = Party for Freedom) can rightly say "I told you so." Since founding the party in 2006 he has campaigned to stop the Islamization of the Netherlands. He advocates ending immigration from Muslim countries. The CBS statistics make his argument seem pretty compelling.

Footnote: I've asked Ed. to see if he can find comparable statistics on the situation of non-European Muslim "refugees" in the AABC countries -- America, Australia, Britain and Canada. He reports that official government figures are difficult to find, since to admit what is apparent to anyone who looks within our food banks and homeless shelters would, it seems, be politically incorrect!

Canadian money more funny-looking than ever

Americans have long made fun of Canada's "funny money". As you can see, the paper "beaverbucks" come in different colours. On the front are pictures of a foreign woman and four dead white men who many Canadians fail to recognize.

Four men and only one woman seemed politically incorrect to the Liberal government of Canuck Prime Minister "Mr Socks" Trudeau. To make matters worse, not one of the five people pictured is a vizmin. So a decision was made -- an egregious example of tokenism, even by Canadian standards -- to replace one of the white men with a black woman.

Conveniently, the white man who was the first to die was Sir John A. MacDonald, Canada's first prime minister (and a Conservative!), about whom there has been a good deal of controversy in recent months, similar to the controversy in the Excited States of America about Robert E. Lee. So, away you go, John Eh, and a big welcome to Viola Desmond, now appearing on the new $10 (= $7.50 in real money) banknote which goes into circulation this week.

featuring Viola Desmond’s portrait will go into circulation in a week, just over 72 years after she was ousted from the whites-only section of a movie theatre in New Glasgow, N.S.

The Canadian Ministry of Truth describes the late Viola Desmond as a civil rights pioneer and businesswoman. Her business was a hairdressing salon (surprised?) which she operated in the "historic north end" of Halifax NS, home to one of Canada's oldest black communities. On 8 November 1946 -- nearly a decade before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Alabama -- Ms Desmond was dragged out of the Roseland Theatre by police, arrested, kept in the lockup for 12 hours and fined. 63 years later, the provinice of Nova Scotia issued her a posthumous pardon and apology.

A spokesthingy for the black community said he hopes the new banknote will "inspire young girls to pursue their dreams and push back against injustice." He went on to say, "I'm hoping having Viola on the bill will prompt people to want to know what's the story behind her, because still, there's a lot of people who have no idea who she was and what she stands for."

Walt says good luck with that. It won't be surprising (to me) if a lot of Canucks refuse to accept the new bill on the grounds that it just doesn't look like money, at least not Canadian money. Some will wonder if the queen had a facelift. I also predict some comments from the usual gang of NPCs that Ms Desmond has been made to look as if she was "passing". All this for political correctness!

Florida, the new Zimbabwe

Regular readers of WWW [as oppoed to "irregular" border-crossers. Ed.] will know that Walt has an abiding interest in Zimbabwe, the failing African state whose name has become a metaphor for incompetence and corruption -- two nouns which have been much in use since November 8th as journalists and pundits struggle to describe the gubernatorial and senate elections in the Not-so-great State of Florida.

The ZANU-PF party has ruled the Land of Bambazonke since independence, thanks to its expertise in the rigging ["running", shurely! Ed.] of elections. For instance, when their candidate is trailing in the vote count, they simply stop counting! That's what happened in 2013 when weeks after polling day it was announced that President Mugabe had received the most votes, but not enough to prevent a run-off. The opposition candidate then withdrew from the race, leaving Comrade Bob to win in a landslide. See "'Incidences' from the Zimbabwean election", WWW 2/8/13.

They didn't risk having to compete in a run-off this year. All the results of July's polls were announced within 48 hours, except for that of the contest for the presidensity. After a couple of days of "They're coming just now," the government-appointed Zimbabwe Electoral Commision announced that Bob's successor, Comrade ED [No relation! Ed.] had won 50.8% of the vote, just enough to avoid a runoff. See "ED wins Zimbabwe presidential election - quelle surprise!" WWW 2/8/18.

Does this remind you of any election in any place you've been hearing about lately? How about Florida? In particular, how about Broward and Palm Beach Counties? I have no bias against those counties -- used to live there myself -- but can't help but notice that the stench of electoral corruption is worse than usual this year.

"Preliminary results" announced in the wee hours of Wednesday showed Republican Governor Rick Scott leading incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson in the contest for a US Senate seat, and Republican Ron DeSantis ahead of Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in the race for the state house.

To nobody's surprise, the lamestream media refused to "project" a winner, saying it was too close to call, absentee ballots hadn't been counted, a recount was possible, and so on. Why? Because the election machinery was in the control of "non-partisan" officials such as Broward County's Supervisor of Elections, Brenda Snipes, who President Trump said "has had a horrible history..."

Here, from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, is what POTUS was talking about.

• In 2004, approximately 58,000 mail-in ballots were not delivered to voters.
• In 2012, nearly 1,000 uncounted ballots were discovered a week after the election.
• Election results in the 2016 primary were posted on the election office's website before the polls closed.
• A court ruled Snipes had broken election law when she destroyed ballots from the 2016 election 12 months after it, instead of the 22 months required by federal law.

Republicans blamed problems in Broward County on the design of the ballot there. “The ballot was laid out in an incompetent fashion by the incompetent supervisor of elections,” said Mr Scott's attorney, Bill Scherer, apparently referring to Mrs Snipes.

The analysts at FiveThirtyEight questioned whether the position of the Senate race on the Broward County ballot (at the bottom left-hand corner of Page 1) meant some voters skipped over the race. In Broward, some 26,060 fewer people casts voted in the Senate race compared with the governor’s race, a difference of 3.7%.

Mr Nelson's attorney, however, said he believes the problem was with the machine counters -- nothing to do with Mrs Snipes. "I am pretty confident what you are going to see are markings that were not picked up by the machines or a calibration issue that was not registering that part of the ballot," he said.

Reports that Brenda Snipes received her training in public administration in Zimbabwe are untrue. She comes from that hotbed of democracy, Talladega County AL. It's just a coincidence that the start of a statewide recount, which began Sunday morning, has been delayed by a series of technical glitches with the counting machines... in Broward County.

Stay tuned for the revised and improved results, due at 1500 EST on Thursday. Or call Mrs Snipes' office for the official figures. If you can't wait, call anytime!

Further reading: "What can we expect from Florida recount — 2018 edition?" by Brendan Swisher, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 10/11/18.

"The war to end all wars" ended a century ago. Wars continue.

11 November 2018 is the 100th anniversary of the signing, at Compiègne, in northern France, of the Armistice that ended the Great War, aka World War I, aka The War to End All Wars. Yet wars continue. As John McDermott sings in "The Ballad of Willie McBride" says, it all happened again... And again... And again.

General Robert E. Lee, a moral and upright man whose memory is now being trashed by the NPCs, said to General James Longstreet, as they surveyed the carnage of the Battle of Fredericksburg "It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it." But it seems we have grown too fond of it.

Perhaps it's because advances in technology have reduced the body counts. On "our side", at least. Or maybe it's the advances in medicine and hygiene which means that, nowadays, more soldiers and sailors and airmen die of wounds than of disease and starvation. Whatever it is, we seem to scarcely finish one war before starting another. Sometimes we don't even wait for the first war to end, so we can fight two or three or four wars all at the same time. All for freedom, democracy, equality, human rights, and generally to make the world a better place. For "our side", at least.

Not all of the thousands upon thousands who died fighting our "good wars" did so for the sake of freedom and all that. Some of them did, but some of them died because they obeyed orders and went unflinchingly to the death to which they were sent. It is those men and women -- the ones who didn't want to be there and shouldn't have been there in the first place -- whom Walt wishes to remember today.

VIDEO: "Allahu akbar!" in Australia - Somali immigrant kills and is killed

What with the excitement of the mid-terms, the fuss over Brexit and a longer-than-usual silly season, we haven't heard much [or written much! Ed.] lately about ISIS and Islamic terrorism. Too hot for the followers of the Prophet, perhaps. But they're still out there, still hell-bent (literally, let's hope) on exterminating us Christians and other infidels.

In Melbourne, Australia, yesterday, a devout Muslim set fire to a pickup truck laden with gas cylinders, and stabbed three people, killing one. He was then sent to the Paradise of the 72 Virgins by police bullets. After the usual stammering and stuttering, the Aussie coppers finally conceded that the "incident" was a terrorist attack. They didn't use the word "Islamic", but a police spokesthingy confirmed that the attacker was an immigrant from Somalia who was "known to police and intelligence authorities because of family associations.

The pickup was burning brightly in the middle of crowded Bourke Street while the driver stabbed bystanders and attacked police officers. The cylinders failed to explode and the fire was put out in ten minutes, by which point the rampage was over. One of the officers then shot the man wielding the knife, who collapsed to the ground clutching his chest. Video footage showed two stab victims lying on the ground nearby and bleeding.



Video posted to social media showed chaotic scenes as bystanders scattered while the attacker fought with police. One man charged at the tall man, wearing a long black shirt, with a shopping trolley just before police drew their weapons. A witness told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, "Bystanders were yelling out 'Just shoot him, just shoot him!'" So they did.

In January of 2017, Bourke Street was the scene of a fatal "incident" in which a man drove his car at pedestrians at high speed, killing six people and wounding about 30. Australian anti-terrorism authorities say their vigilance has helped to foil at least a dozen plots, including a plan to attack downtown Melbourne at Christmas in 2016. In December 2014, two hostages were killed in a café in Sydney during a 17-hour siege by a gunman who was said to be inspired by Islamic State militants.

The lesson? If you're not safe from Islamic terrorism in Australia, where can you be safe? How about New Zealand? Haven't seen any reports of ISIS activity there, but just wait.

Vatican attempts to silence tradition-minded Catholic prelates

Cardinal Raymond Burke and Bishop Athanasius Schneider have been mentioned before on WWW. Both are on Pope Francis' fecal roster for speaking truth to power -- speaking publicly about the crisis in the Roman Catholic Church and promoting a return to traditional Catholicism. See, for example, "'How can we keep the Faith?'" in which Michael Matt introduces Bishop Schneider, one of the principal speakers at last year's Catholic Identity Conference.

Earlier in 2017, Cardinal Burke offered a traditional Pontifical Mass at the Chartres cathedral. And this summer he really crossed the line, offending the "lavender mafia" in the Vatican by giving an interview to Catholic Action in which he decried the "gay culture" in the Church.

The Holy [sic] Father would prefer that the prelates stopped airing the Church's dirty linens in public, so has instructed the Vatican Secretariat of State to take steps to silence them. In his blog Stilum Curiae, Italian journalist Marco Tosatti reports that American bishops have been "advised" by the Secretary of State ("Peter the Roman") not to invite Cardinal Burke to speak in their dioceses.

Bishop Schneider, a star speaker at traditional Catholic gatherings in the USA and elsewhere, has been told not to leave his own country, Kazakhstan -- he is the Auxiliary Bishop of Astana -- without first notifying the Vatican. One doesn't have to think hard to imagine what the Vatican would say upon receiving such notice.

Sgr Tosatti's article is written in Italian. The directives from the Secretariat of State may have been in Latin but more likely were in Italian. My grasp of Italian is pretty tenuous [Si? Ed.] but I can make an educated guess as to what the Vatican is sayingto Bishop Schneider and Cardinal Burke, to wit: "Eh, shadappa you face!"

VIDEO: Jordan Peterson: "What could possibly go wrong?"

Dr Jordan Peterson, "the only extant right-wing psychologist" (his own little joke on himself) answers a question posed by a Canadian student following his address to the Oxford Union in June of 2018. To Canadian Prime Minister Just In Trudeau and other well-meaning liberals, he poses the question: Have you considered the possibility that your well-meaning intervention might have unforeseen negative consequences? Under 7 minutes and well worth every second.

"Blue wave" a mere ripple; Trump still POTUS!

The sun rose in the east this morning. So did President Donald J. Trump, satisfied, I'm sure, that his presidency and his plans to MAGA are in no more danger of being derailed by the socialist Democrats than they were 24 hours ago.

As early as 1800 FMT (Fort Mudge Time) the lamestream media pundits and perplexed pollsters were starting to wonder when they were going to see the Democrats' "Blue Wave". Hours went by, and the social justice tsunami failed to materialize. Talk of mountains and molehills? The threatened Blue Wave turned out to be a mere ripple! Here's the Fox News results map showing how things turned out. [Memo from Ed. to Fox News: Hope you don't mind. We don't make any money out of WWW, and we gave ya a plug!]

This morning's official line from the Clinton News Network, the NY Times and WaPo, is that the Democrats "took back control of the House of Representatives", while the Republicans "hung onto the Senate." Hey! Look at the map! There are 435 seats in the House. At last count, with 23 seats not yet declared, the Demns got 219 -- one more than half! Some "control"! As for the Senate, with one seat still undecided, the Republicans increased their numbers to 52.

What does this mean for the future of the US of A and for federal politics over the next two years? Militant Democrats are already hatching plots to use several powerful committees, which they will now chair, including the lower chamber's Intelligence, Ways and Means, Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees, to stall the President's legislative agenda and generally do as much damage as they can to POTUS.

Using subpoenas, they will be able to seek access to President Trump's long sought-after tax returns. They will also be ratcheting up the probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The lefties are talking again about impeachment, chances of which are, realistically, slim and none.

The usual "analysts" are saying that Republicans will no longer be able to pass legislation without help from the Democrats, meaning that pushing through conservative bills -- on immigration and tax reform, for instance -- will become more difficult. Likewise, the Democrats are claiming to have "saved Obamacare" and protected the rights of those with pre-existing health conditions.

The fact is that derailing the President's legislative agenda is not going to be that easy. The Demns have a larger, but more fractious caucus, with several left wing-nuts like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez keen to turn America into another "people's republic". But there is a larger group of moderates, many of whom only mentioned the word "Democrat" in six-point type at the bottom of their signs and campaign literature. They know that they will be up for re-election in just two years, and had better not oppose POTUS too violently or irrationally. Look what happened to the Democratic senators who opposed POTUS' nomination to the Supreme Court. Every Demn senator in a competitive race who voted against Judge Kavanaugh lost!

And the Republicans are still in charge of the Senate, more so than before. Any attempt to impeach President Trump, even if it passes the House, is doomed to failure, as the trial would have to take place in the Senate, where 66 votes are required to remove POTUS from office.

The Senate is also where the President's nominations to top Cabinet and judicial posts are confirmed, and this will be easier now than it was in the case of Justice Kavanaugh. This means the President and the Republicans will be able to seat more conservative federal judges, possibly including one or two more justices of the Supreme Court, should a couple of ancient lefties shuffle off this mortal coil in the next two years.

White House spokesthingy Sarah Huckabee-Sanders described the Senate results as "historic" and told reporters the election was "a huge moment and victory for the president." And just a few moments ago, the President Himself tweeted, "Now we can all get back to work and get things done!" Indeed. The first thing I'm going to do is go out to collect on my election bets. Lifetime pct .988.

Further reading: Thanks to Agent 3 for sending us the link to "So much for the Democrats' hammer blow against Trumpism", by Kelly McParland in today's National Post. Key quote: "His opponents still don’t grasp what it is about the president that appeals to the 40% or more of Americans who appear willing to stand by him no matter what."

Make Mount Rushmore greater!

Got this from Blazing Cat Fur -- highly recommended!

VIDEO: Don't FAIL to handle firearms safely!

Regular readers of WWW know that I am a great believer in the Second Amendment, and the right of all citizens (note, CITIZENS!) to bear arms. But if you're going to have a gun to protect yourself, your home and your family from criminals and invaders (note, INVADERS!), please learn how to use and store it properly. Practise firearm safety at all times! If you don't, you could wind up in a video like this!



The question at the end asks which one takes the prize. My vote is for Number 7. Muchas gracias and a tip of the sombrero to Agent 6 for sending this along.

UPDATED: Where's Hillary and Bill? Waiting in the (left) wings!

Here we are, just 24 hours from polling day. The lamestream media are already citing "scientific polls" which show the Democrats poised to take back the House of Representatives from the evil Republicans, but, they concede, the Republicans may just manage to "hang on" to the Senate. Of course, they admit, the pollsters and pundits got it wrong in 2016, but, they assure us, that couldn't happen twice in a row... could it???

Meanwhile, I'm busting my wrist changing channels (yeah, I still watch TV) to see what's happening out there on the campaign trail. I see President Trump (YES!) holding rallies in the flyover states, with three (3) scheduled for today, including the grand finale tonight, co-starring Rush Limbaugh and my buddy Sean Hannity. Go get 'em, guys!

On the other side of the aisle, I see President 0 (that's "zero", as in zero accomplishments, zero concern for the future of America), dropping his G's and shouting himself hoarse, urging "folks" (whether citizens or not) to get out and vote for "hope"... and "change", of course. Whoa! Haven't we seen this movie before? How did that work out for you? And how are you now, two years into the presidency of someone who believes in not just talking but acting!

Not seen on TV in the last week: Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, and Mad Maxine Waters. And yes, I have watched CNN and PBS! Speaking of the Clinton News Network, I have also been mildly surprised by the absence from the Blue Team of Mr and Mrs William Jefferson Clinton. Wouldn't you expect the Democratic heavyweights (geddit?) -- one a former President and the other a former Secretary of State, Senator and First Lady -- to be out there stumping for the Smurfs (geddit?). My sources tell me that numerous Democratic candidates have issued stern warnings to Hellery and Slick Willy to stay the hell away from their territory!

That doesn't mean that the Clintons are inactive, though. They are getting ready for a speaking tour, modestly titled "An Evening with the Clintons", which is going to play such Democratic hotbeds as New York, San Francisco and, errr, Toronto next year. If you want to bathe in bullshit for a couple of hours, you'll have to shell out anywhere between $136 and $1712, the latter being the price of orchestra seats at New York's Beacon Theater on April 11th. $136 is the price for seats in the back, behind a pillar.

Ask yourself why Mrs Clinton and her husband (the one who she says has been "cleared" any kind of sex crimes) would mount such a tour. And why in 2019. It's not as if they need the money, although donations to the Clinton Foundation have kind of dried up of late. Think about this...

If the Republicans keep control of the House in tomorrow's mid-terms, the re-election of Donald Trump seems like a sure-as-little-green-apples thing. But if the Democrats win the House and the Republicans keep the Senate, that leaves a divided Congress, and a President who's going to have even more trouble implementing his MAGA programme. And that sets the stage for a real contest in 2020. Who better to champion all that is good and progressive than Hellery Clinton, who (the "resisters" say) really won the 2016 election but got euchred by that silly, old-fashioned Electoral College?

Keep the possibility of a Clinton comeback in mind when you go to vote tomorrow. Could America stand another four or eight years of that "First Family"? Oh noooooooo!!!

FURTHER READING (added 12/11/18): "Bribe her, distract her, trip her if you have to, but don’t let Hillary Clinton run for president again", by Vinay Menon, in the Toronto Red Star, 12/11/18. Wins a Wally award for the longest headline of 2018, but worth reading to see a liberal giving a truthful warning to the Demns.

VIDEO: Bannon vs Frum debate goes on despite antifa near-riot

Last night in Toronto, Steve Bannon, former advisor to POTUS and founder of The Movement, was scheduled to debate the pros and cons of populism with cuckservative never-Trumper David Frum in one of the Munk Debates, an occasional circle-jerk for Canada's chattering classes.

Days before the event, the usual gang of SJWs, snowflakes and NPCs, led by Big Labour (Hello! United Steelworkers) and Canada's pinko New Democratic Party, started protesting. Petitions were circulated. Speeches were made. Marches were marched. The theme? "Free speech = hate speech!" For, as we know, the lefties are all for free speech and allowing people to voice their opinions, as long as the opinions are politically correct.

The organizers refused to cave, and the debate went ahead, but not before about 1500 antifa types, including cheerleaders from Canada's Communist and Socialist parties, held up traffic in front of the venue for about 45 minutes, trying to prevent the entry of the audience, not because they wished to speak, but because they came to listen! Here's some video from Global TV News.



Protesters chanted, booed and jeered at those waiting in line, and held up signs with slogans such as "refugees are welcome" and "human rights are not up for debate." Inspector Knacker of the Toronto Police "Service" tweeted that a dozen protesters will face "various charges". Two officers were injured during the near-riot.

Inside, Mr Bannon acknowledged protesters' right to free speech, before emphatically stating that populism is "a new political revolution." The question to be asked, he said, is what kind of populism will take root? "It's not a question of whether populism is on the rise and whether populism is going to be the political future," Bannon said. "The only question before us is, is it going to be populist nationalism or populist socialism?"

Dear American citizens, please keep that question in mind when you go to vote on Tuesday!

Indian priorities on display -- world's tallest statue

Here it is, dear readers, a photo of the World's Tallest Statue, unveiled just in time for Hallowe'en in India's western state of Gujarat.

Nearly 600 feet tall -- twice the height of the Statue of Liberty -- the "Statue of Unity" really is a biggie! Indeed so! It depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (or "S.V. Patel" for short), a leader of India's independence movement. Mr Patel, who orchestrated the annexation of India's self-governing "princely states", is not exactly a champion of unity. His political philosophy fits better with the aggressive nationalism of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party than more famous heroes of independence, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who stood for the softer ideals of peace and tolerance. However, Mr Patel, like his millions of namesakes aroound the world, is a "Guj" -- a Gujarati. So that explains it.

Another prominent Guj is India's Prime Minister, Narendra Damodardas Modi, who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014. Prime Minister Modi is a member of the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Mr Modi's administration has been blamed for the Gujarat anti-Muslim riots of 2002 Gujarat riots, but a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team found no evidence to initiate prosecution proceedings. So that's all right then.

Mr Modi's administration has also been criticized for failing to significantly improve health, poverty, and education indices in Gujarat, and now in India as a hole. [Ed., don't correct my spelling. Quod scripsi scripsi!] Which brings me the question of priorities. The Patel statue is said to have cost upwards of $400 million dollars. This in a country where according to the World Bank, nearly two-thirds of the people still defecate in the open. Makes you think, doesn't it? If you're an Indian politician, maybe not.

Further reading: "Shitting in fields leads to gang rape, hanging of Indian girls", WWW 30/5/14.

Footnote: Another famous Indian who, although he's not named "Patel", is almost certainly a Gujarati, is Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, who is being written out of The Simpsons following NPC criticism that he is just a racist caricature. In an episode last April, Lisa said to her mother, "Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?" Indeed.