Poster-child for "gender fluidity" arrested for theft of designer duds

According to a statement from the US Department of Energy, "Sam Brinton is on leave from DOE."

"Who?" Walt hears you ask. And "So what?" Well... Brinton -- no "Mr" or "Ms" for this person -- is in charge of the DOE's nuclear waste disposal program. They (their preferred pronoun) was appointed in June at the tender age of 35, making them, making them the most prominent "gender-fluid" person in the Brandon administration.

"Why is they on leave?", Walt hears you ask. Because they has been charged with stealing, from the Minneapolist-St Paul airport baggage claims area, of a Vera Bradley suitcase which, including its contents, was worth $2325. 

A criminal complaint filed on 27 October alleges that the theft occurred on September 16th. Police were alerted by a woman that her suitcase was missing from a carousel in the baggage claim area. The cops now say that Brinton then took the tag from the suitcase, put the tag in a handbag and then left with the case "at a quick pace". (Notice they didn't say "mincing".)

Brinton, who had not checked in a suitcase when flying from DCA to MSP, took the case to the InterContinental hotel, and then returned to Washington with it two days later. They allegedly took the case on a trip to Europe a few days later. Police eventually telephoned the diversity hire, who initially denied doing anything wrong. 

Later, they admitted taking the case, but said it contained "my clothes when I opened the bag." They went on to say that it would have been "“weirder" to leave a bag than the clothes at the hotel. They have not yet commented publicly. And Walt certainly has no comment about the Alphabet people or diversity hiring or anything non-PC.

Footnote: Oh... You were wondering about the backdrop to the photo? Brinton was attending the premiere of Conversion, a movie which, according to its website, is "a story of survival and hope, [which] follows five survivors as they shed light on the secretive and often deadly practices of conversion therapy." Rush right out to your local cinema.

Trudeau speaks out for freedom of expression, right to protest

Testifying before the Whitewash Rouleau Commission on Friday, Trudeau II, Emperor of All Canuckistan, said he was "serene" and "confident" that he had done the right thing in invoking the Police State Emergencies Act to quash the peaceful Freedom Convoy that upset the Laurentian elites last winter.

Yesterday, speaking of the peaceful protests over Wuhan flu lockdowns that have rocked China in recent days, the same Trudeau said it's crucial that protesters be allowed to speak up. "Canadians are watching very closely," he said. "Obviously everyone in China should be allowed to express themselves (and) should be allowed to share their perspectives, and indeed protest."

But wait (as Vince Offer used to say), there's more. Mr Socks added, "We're going to continue to ensure that China knows we'll stand up for human rights. We'll stand with people who are expressing themselves. We also need to make sure that China, and places around the world, are respecting journalists and their ability to do their job."

Pretty rich, eh. But kudos to Blackie McBlackface for having learned that in politics you succeed by learning to speak out of both sides of your mouth at the same time. Sez Walt, "Bah!" And the ordinary people of Canada respond, "Baa baa."

Was the Freedom Convoy a threat to Canada's national security?

As noted earlier this morning, Mr Justice Paul Rouleau, presiding over the eponymous commission, must decide whether the Freedom Convoy constituted a threat to the security of Canada. He has to review his notes and transcripts of six weeks of oral testimony, plus over 7000 pages of documents (many of them heavily redacted), and the written submissions of counsel for a dozen or so (I lost count!) parties with standing, and the Commission itself.

The Commission was supposed to lift the veil of secrecy shrouding the events of February and the Liberals' decision to invoke the Emergencies Act, but much remains hidden. 

In refusing to release minutes of Cabinet meetings, counsel for the government of Canada relied on the principle of cabinet confidentiality. Questions about what was said in those meetings, or by one minister to another were objected to and disallowed.

Moreover, the documents produced by the government were so heavily redacted as to leave only the titles visible in many instances. Counsel for the Freedom Convoy organizers and other parties made several motions to have sight of uncensored versions of the documents, but almost all such motions were denied.

The other means by which the government kept secret key elements of its decision-making process was solicitor-client privilege. The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice [!] said that he had considered a legal opinion on the matter. What was the opinion? He couldn't say -- solicitor-client privilege. Was the opinion shown to Cabinet? Same answer. Would he let the Commission see the opinion? What do you think?!

Agent 3, our non-resident legal beagle thinks that Mr Justic Rouleau is entitled to draw inferences from the government's refusal to waive solicitor-client privilege, and/or* release unredacted versions of the 1000s of documents which were censored. If the government has nothing to hide, if the legal opinion and other papers raised no doubts about the legality of invoking the Emergencies Act, why not show let Canadians see these things?

Is Commissioner Rouleau bothered by the government's stonewalling? Maybe not. In his closing statement Friday evening, he said he is satisfied that he can now make factual findings and answer the key questions the commission was mandated to explore: Why did the federal government declare the emergency? How did it use its powers? And were those actions appropriate? "These are questions that, as I said at the outset, the public wants answered," said the judge. "I'm confident that I am now well positioned to provide those answers."

In his deliberations, Mr Justice Rouleau will have to consider the argument made repeatedly by counsel for the Freedom Convoy organizers, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and others that the protest did not constitute a threat to the security of Canada, as defined by the Emergencies Act, which incorporates by reference the definition of a threat contained in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act. 

Section 2 of the latter act says: "threats to the security of Canada" means

(a) espionage or sabotage that is against Canada or is detrimental to the interests of Canada or activities directed toward or in support of such espionage or sabotage,

(b) foreign influenced activities within or relating to Canada that are detrimental to the interests of Canada and are clandestine or deceptive or involve a threat to any person,

(c) activities within or relating to Canada directed toward or in support of the threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political, religious or ideological objective within Canada or a foreign state, and

(d) activities directed toward undermining by covert unlawful acts, or directed toward or intended ultimately to lead to the destruction or overthrow by violence of, the constitutionally established system of government in Canada, but does not include lawful advocacy, protest or dissent, unless carried on in conjunction with any of the activities referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d). [Walt's emphasis.]

M Trudeau's minions kept referring to Jan. 6th, and to the sighting of one (only) "Nazi" flag and one (only) Confederate flag (both likely carried by agents provocateurs), as evidence that "IMVEs" (Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremists) were behind the protests. 

That gruel being shown to be pretty thin, they then switched to the argument that the protests were detrimental to Canada's economic security, i.e. bad for business. Ms Freeland said she'd had calls from Michigan Governor Karen Whitmer (D) and Mr Socks said he'd been on the phone with President Brandon. The Americans, they said, might not invest so much in Canada, in future, if it became "unstable". Judge Rouleau said he didn't see anything in the CSIS definition about economic insecurity.

In closing statements on Friday evening, a lawyer for the federal government said it's clear after six weeks of testimony that there were serious threats of violence by demonstrators, that blockades posed threats to the economic security of Canada, and that there were reasonable grounds to declare a national emergency. 

But are "reasonable grounds" sufficient? What about legal grounds?! Lawyers for the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan said provincial governments were not consulted enough on the special powers. 

A lawyer for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, argued that the use of the act was inappropriate, and that a "creative and privileged legal opinion" from the government isn't enough to conclude that the legal threshold was met. She said the act was ultimately a way for the government to be seen to be doing something about the protests, which had gridlocked downtown Ottawa for weeks and halted trade at several Canada-US border crossings. 

"Instead of establishing clear and appropriate lines of communication, having frank discussions and putting instructions about strategic priorities to police in writing, the government gave law enforcement the biggest and most public nudge it could," she said, "it invoked the Emergencies Act and handed law enforcement across the country sweeping and unnecessary new tools and a clear political mandate to use them."

Counsel for Freedom Corp., representing some of the protest organizers, said the Emergencies Act constituted state violence. "The sad irony is that the protest in Ottawa was fundamentally about government overreach. Canadians felt that the current government had gone too far with the COVID-19 mandates. The government's response to the protest by invoking the Emergencies Act was a further reach of power over people instead of power by the people." 

Let us say, using the current buzzword, that there's a lot to unpack there, and Mr Justice Rouleau is going to have his work cut out for him. His report is due in February 2023. That's a pretty short time in which to mix up so many gallons of whitewash!

* Footnote from Ed., regarding "and/or". Lawyers love "and/ors". You see them all the time in contracts, statutes and other legal documents. They are expensive, though... because they are imported from Andorra.

COMMENT, from Carson Jerema, National Post, 28/11/22. Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act was a profound attack on the rule of law, and any finding from the Public Order Emergencies Commission that it was legal would be an unfortunate precedent. Despite that, polls have shown that Canadians supported the move in high numbers, much higher than support for the Liberals generally.

Comment from Walt: Are Canucks really that careless of their freedom? Hard to believe.

Rouleau Commission public hearings end with a week of bullshit

While Americans were giving thanks at the end of last week, Canadians were giving thanks for the end of the public hearings of the Rouleau Commission of inquiry into whether the Liberal government of Canuckistan was justified in invoking the never-before-used Emergencies to quell the Freedom Convoy protests of last February. 

As reported in Walt's first post on this subect, the public fact-finding hearings began six weeks ago with the Parade of the Snowflakes. The week before last saw the Parade of the Minions -- the Commissioner of the RCMP and assorted deputies and secretaries of the Privy Council (Americans read: Cabinet) Office and the Prime Minister's Office. Most of them were shady-side-of-50s females so smitten with Blackie McBlackface that they would say or do anything, anything to protect him from harm -- physical or political.

This past week was the big finale, the Parade of the Ministers: the Honourable William Bliar (President of the Privy Council and Minister of Emergency Preparedness) [Seriously? Ed.]; the Honourable Marco Mendacious (Minister of Public Safety); the Honourable Omar Algebra (the Saudi-born Syrian-Canadian Minister of Transport); and the Honourable David Lamentable (Minister of Justice [sic]).

The semi-finalist was the fragrant and Honourable Chrystia Freeland (Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister). At right is a note from Ms Freeland, tendered in evidence. What does the handwriting tell you about her?  

The star attraction though, the big finish on Friday, was Emperor Trudeau II, his own self. Those who expected him to wilt under questioniong about his decision -- and it was his alone -- to order the most sweeping suspension of Canadian civil liberties since the October Crisis of 1970 (his father was prime minister then) were deeply disappointed.

Not only did he deny doing anything wrong, hinting that the "worst" might have happened had he not invoked the Emergencies Act, but he proclaimed himself "serene" -- confident that he could and would do the same again if he thought it was the right thing to do. That's exactly what Canadians are afraid of!

The lawyers refrained from questioning Mr Socks about his whereabouts at the height of the peaceful demonstration, so as not to draw attention to the fact of his hiding at a cottage somewhere in the hills north of Ottawa. Nor did they press him on his characterization of the protesters as a "tiny minority with unacceptable views." 

They did, however, ask him if he was wrong to call unvaccinated people names like "racists" and "misogynists". He denied having done so. Those epithets were uttered in a September 2021 appearance on La semaine des 4 Julie (a Québec talk show), in which Junior said, "We all know people who are a little hesitant (about vaccination), and we're going to try and convince them, but there are also people who are fiercely opposed to vaccination; who don't believe in science, who are often misogynists, who are often racist as well."

In his testimony to the Commission, M Trudeau said that "using protests to demand changes to public policy is something that I think is worrisome." How about that! Doesn't every protest have as its object the changing of public policy?

Now it falls to the Honourable Mr Justice Paul Rouleau -- a Liberal appointee and former Party apparatchik -- to decide whether the Liberal government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act was lawful. We'll let Agent 3 pick up this thread later today.

VIDEO: Chicomms convict and punish Cardinal Zen

This is further to our post of September 21st, in which we asked you to join with us in prayer that God will protect Cardinal Zen, His faithful priest, and deliver all Chinese Christians from Communist oppression and persecution.

In this video, Dr Taylor Marshall reports that the prelate has been convicted of supporting the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement -- the Communists don't like democracy -- and has been fined. Not a suprise.

But... there's another trial coming. Will a fine be enough punishment for the Commies to inflict on the little 90-year-old who dared to stand up to them, who has been abandoned by the "Church of Francis"? Dr Marshall suggests (and Walt concurs) that we pray more, and pray harder.

 

But wait, there's more. Dr Marshall also suggests that, in our Christmas (and other) shopping, we boycott Chinese good and products. Even if you don't care about Cardinal Zen, that's an excellent idea!

Near the end of the video, Dr Marshall prays an Ave Maria for Cardinal Zen. Fine. Please add this Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

"Better than expected!" Poor Len reviews the Habs' first quarter

Salut! Poor Len Canayen icitte, with a look at the performance of Canada's team -- the Montréal Canadiens -- as we hit American Thanksgiving.

The significance of the date is that conventional wisdom says that any team which is over .500 at this point in the schedule is bound for the playoffs. Well, guess what? Les Glorieux, after their 20th game on Wednesday -- a thrilling 3-1 victory over Columbus -- are .525! Whoda thunk it?!

Here's how we get there. GP 20 - W 10 - L 9 - OL 1 - good for 21 points, 6th place in the Atlantic Division, and 18th place in the NHL overall.

Kudos to coach Martin St. Louis for moulding a group of rookies, hasbeens and neverwases into a team (or something like it) which plays entertaining hockey. Even when they fall behind 2-0 in the first two minutes. Even when a rookie defenceman scores an own goal, which happened twice in the last week. 

The Habs are fun to watch, and we fans can wear our merch with pride... unlike the fans of another team just five hours west on  the 401. [Can you avoid local references? Americans won't know what you're talking about. Ed.] [Who cares? Len.]

Star performers include the dynamic duo of Captain Nick Suzuki and Cole "Goal" Caufield. Gotta love those kids! They need a better player on the right of that top line, but even so, they're right up there with the likes of Crosby and Malkin or Bergeron and Marchand. Ils ont gagné leurs épaulettes!

Unfortunately, that's about it for the stars. The clubs No. 1 draft pick, Juraj Slafkovsky, has potential, and they're being careful not to push him too far too fast, but I wouldn't count on him for much this season.

Rookie defenceman Kaiden Guhle is proving reliable, if unspectacular,  whereas Arber Xekaj (unaccountably pronounced "Jackeye") is the opposite -- spectacular (already a fan favourite) but unreliable.  

In goal, Samuel Montembault shows considerable improvement, and a good thing too as the old pro, Jake Allen, is starting to suffer from shell-shock. As the +/- stat, -9, shows, they need a better defence in front of them. Weak links need to be replaced if the Habs are going to make it into the playoffs. 

That said, I humbly revise my pre-season prediction that the Canadiens would finish out of the playoffs. Now I think that, with a bit of puck luck, le Canadien sera là! Lifetime pct .988.

UPDATE ADDED 26/11: Yesterday afternoon the Habs eked out a 3-2 shootout win over Chicago, with shootout goals by Caufield, Suzuki and linemate Kirby Dach. 

How about those Blackhawks retro sweaters? Chief Black Hawk has been reduced to a tiny patch on one shoulder. I expect he'll soon disappear altogether, like Cleveland's Chief Wahoo. When will the wokeness stop?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Walt and Poor Len [and Ed! Ed.] 

would like to wish all our American readers

a Happy Thanksgiving. 

In Biden's America, in the wake of the mid-terms, with turkey no longer affordable for Joe Sixpack, one may be forgiving for thinking there's not a lot to be thankful for. Look at it this way. Things could be worse! Let us pray that they don't become so.

VIDEO: Michael Matt asks questions about Donald Trump

Ed. here. Walt is preoccupied with the final week of what he calls the "Whitewash Commission", now wrapping up its inquiry into the police state actions of the Canadian government (Rt. Hon. Blackie McBlackface, Prop.) suppressing last winter's Freedom Convoy. So we are glad to have received an e-mail from our old friend Michael Matt, containing a link to his latest Remnant Underground video. He writes:

I was among the first to support The Donald early in 2016. I have no regrets since I believe Donald Trump played a major role in uniting 75 million Christian patriots against the diabolical New World Order. He was also instrumental in getting voters excited about full-on opposition to the woke mob, the CRT child abusers, the pro-aborts, and the Lunatics of Davos.

However, I also believe that now is not the time to give any politician the impression that Christian morality can be set aside for any reason. The demons running the blue states resisted a so-called red wave by making the "legal" murder of unborn babies their primary issue.

And regardless of what the media say, the big red winners were the politicians who took the demons at their word and determined to publicly stand for life, God, and natural immunity during the runup to the midterm elections. 

Where is Donald Trump these days on vaccines? Where is he on abortion? Where is he on gay marriage? Well, we're going to find out.

In this edition of the Remnant Underground, I remind the conservative contenders that traditional Catholics will not tolerate false compromise when it comes to the lives of unborn babies, nor will we go along with any compromise with the Globalists and their experimental vaccine campaign to rule the world.

  

Mr Matt's message continues:

We are not sycophants and, sorry Mitch McConnell, but most of us are not even Republicans. We are Christian, pro-life patriots and, yes, in that order. If the good guys want us to stand with them in 2024, they will need to stand with God and the unborn, while remaining steadfastly against the Great Reset crowd. 

Do that, and they'll have no more outspoken defenders than us. Fail to do that, and forget about it! Let's have this discussion now, rather than letting it divide us two years from now. 

May God have mercy on us all.

To which we at WWW add: Amen!

Recession? What recession?

At school, I studied "Polisciandec" (Political Science and Economics). Political science was interesting. Economics, not so much. They don't call it "the dismal science" for nothing! Q. Why does God allow economists to live? A. To make astrologers look good by comparison! 

My point (and I do have one) is that political science and economics are inextricably intertwined. You can't do one without the other. Bad policies inevitably have bad economic consequences. This is a lesson which President Brandon and Prime Minister McBlackface seem not to have learned. Maybe they weren't in class that day. I commend to them, and to you, dear reader, The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression, by Amity Shlaes, HarperCollins 2007.

Our so-called leaders (and you) don't need to read the whole book. The introduction will do. It includes a quote from an 1883 essay called "The Forgotten Man", by William Graham Sumner, an American social scientist and classical liberal. To wit: 

As soon as A observes something, which seems to him to be wrong, from which X is suffering, A talks it over with B, and A and B then propose to get a law passed to remedy the evil and help X. Their law always proposes to determine...what C shall do for X, or in the better case, what A, B, and C shall do for X.... 

I call [C] the Forgotten Man. Perhaps the appellation is not strictly correct. He is the man who never is thought of.... He works, he votes, generally he prays -- but he always pays.... 

There is nothing wrong (Ms Shlaes speaking now) with A and B helping X. What was wrong was the law, and the indenturing of C to the cause. Whereas C had been Sumner's forgotten man, [Roosevelt's] New Deal made X the forgotten man -- the poor man, the old man, labor, or any other recipient of government help. 

Roosevelt's work on behalf of his version of the forgotten man generated a new tradition. To justify giving to one forgotten man, the administration found, it had to make a scapegoat of another. Businessmen and businesses were the targets.... 

[During the Great Depression] C [became] the American who was not thought of. He was the Depression-era man who was not part of any political constituency and therefore lived the negatives of the period. 

He was the man who paid for the big projects, who got make-work instead of real work. He was the man who waited for economic growth that did not come.

As an editorialist in Indiana wrote in 1936, "Who is the 'forgotten man' in Muncie? I know him as intimately as I know my own undershirt. He is the fellow that is trying to get along without public relief and has been attempting the same thing since the depression that cracked down on him."

Roosevelt systematized interest-group politics...to include many constituencies.... [He] ministered to those groups, and was rewarded with votes. It can be argued that [he] created the modern entitlement challenge that so bedevils both parties.

[Roosevelt adopted] Keynesianism, named after John Maynard Keynes, [which] emphasized consumers, who were also voters. The theory gave license for perpetual experimentation. [It] also emphasized government spending. Yet focusing on consumers meant that Washington neglected the producer. Focusing on the fun of experiments neglected the question of whether unceasing experimentation might frighten business into terrified inaction.

Admiring the short-term action of spending drew attention away from its longer-term limits -- economies often go into recession when the spending disappears. 

Thus endeth the lesson. If you understand and agree with Ms Shlaes' analysis, you might bring it to the attention of your Congressperson or Member of Parliament. Chances are they won't "geddit", or, even if they do, won't dare -- if they are Democrats or Liberals -- to challenge their political masters. But when they finally admit that our economy is in recession, you'll be able to say "I told you so."

Invitation to readers in the Toronto area

"We can be great again!" - The retired general's anti-woke speech the "legacy media" won't let you see

Here's the headline and the lede from an article which appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on November 15th. 

Canadian Forces officers applaud speech slamming Canada's climate change policies, cancel culture, weak leaders

Serving senior Canadian military officers gave a standing ovation to a speech by a retired general who criticized everything from the removal of historical statues and apologies to victims to government climate change policies.

Did you note the date? November 15th. The speech referred to was made by Lt.-Gen. (Retd.) Michel Maisonneuve as he received the Vimy Award, a top Canadian defence award, on November 9th. Excerpts from his anti-woke speech appeared "below the fold" in some of Canada's lickspittle media a day or two later, but no video of the speech itself can be found. Believe me, Ed. has looked!

Nor has a full transcript been published, until today, when the editors of Canada's National Post summoned up the courage to run the full text, which apparently was submitted to them by the general, in response to popular demand. We've copied the whole thing, without permission, and believe Lt.-Gen Maisonneuve will be glad we did so. He wasn't talking just to hear himself, eh!

Lt.-Gen Maisonneuve is a decorated veteran of 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, and another 10 as Academic Director of le Collège militaire royal [Royal Military College] de Saint-Jean. He is a huge advocate for veterans, and served as the first Chief of Staff of NATO's Supreme Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk VA. In his November 9th speech, he pulled no punches in describing what he thinks needs to be done to make Canada great again. The emphasis is mine.

The Vimy Award. How humbling; what a tremendous honour. With this honour comes the opportunity to accept this award with a speech that acknowledges the spirit of Vimy and shares with you my vision for Canada today and for the future.

Canada — once we were great. We stopped the Americans in 1812, we gave the world Billy Bishop, Alexander Graham Bell and Lucy Maud Montgomery. We isolated insulin, invented the zipper and the snowblower. 

In World War One we mobilized 620,000 troops. We were victorious at Vimy Ridge. In World War Two we were brave enough to land at Dieppe, and we secured our beach on D-Day. The Devil’s Brigade remains the template for special forces the world over. Our small country boasted the world’s third largest navy at the end of that conflict. We became internationally recognized peacekeepers and more than 80,000 of us served on missions during the Cold War.

We beat the Russians on their ice in 1972 and a young man named Terry Fox continues to inspire us all with his unparalleled courage and determination. We gave the world the Canadarm in space; we won a world series. When the world changed again on 9/11, Canada stepped up — first to join the coalition of the willing and send in ships and JTF 2. Serving with distinction in Afghanistan — we still mourn the loss of our 159 men and women. Canada was a great nation and though we are faltering today I believe we can be great again.

Since this is my speech, I get to share what I believe Canada needs to do to take the world stage again; to be thought of first when it comes to seeking alliances, to be seen as a serious country once again. What will it take? Well, I believe it will take leadership and service. These two crucial foundations of greatness for any nation have somehow become secondary — lost in these days of entitlement, “me first”, “not my problem” and endless subsidies and handouts.

Let me start with leadership. Leadership applies in all pursuits and at all levels. Great leaders are distinguished by the success of those they lead and the entity they lead — be it a country, an army, a corporation or a sports team. When that entity succeeds, we recognize its leader … and when that entity fails, misses, or misses the playoffs, the leader must — should — take responsibility. 

History has given us many great leaders. Ask yourself: would those leaders have been as successful in today’s world? Well, let’s see; today’s world, where social media captures every move and word spoken — taken in context or not. Where cancel culture still flourishes and there is no call for redaction or amendment even when accusations are proved false. Truth is not a requirement; once cancelled, you are done.

Today’s world, where balanced journalism is difficult to find. The practice of presenting the facts — a truthful illustration of an event, a personality or issue that allowed the reader to form their own opinion — is no longer compulsory in mainstream media. The line between "news" and op-eds has blurred and too often we are subjected to sermons written not by seasoned journalists but by first-year graduates of woke journalism schools. Unbiased reporting seems to have died with Christie Blatchford and Matthew Fisher.

Today’s world, where extremism — once the almost exclusive purview of religious zealots — seems to be flourishing in all aspects of our lives, on the right … and on the left. Some of the most popular "causes" and beliefs of today are embraced by all manner of extremists with no thought of how to achieve this utopian ideal in a responsible or plausible manner.

For example, Canada’s prosperity is being sacrificed at the altar of climate change as opposed to being used to help the world transition to clean energy. Throwing soup and paint at the world’s art treasures is as heinous as it is useless. The perpetrators should be punished, not celebrated.

Today’s world is also where taking personal responsibility for our own actions has disappeared from the landscape while the phenomenon of collective apologies flourishes in our country. Individuals and groups fight over who gets to wear the coveted victim’s cloak. But any role they may have played in their own fate or in injuring others is dismissed as learned behaviour, inherited flaws or generational oppression.

So I am not here to debate whether those great leaders of yesteryear would be as successful in today’s world. But nor will I judge the decisions they made in their time against the standards of today. Enough statues have been toppled; erasing our history is not the solution. 

I believe that the most important leadership skills have not changed and are even more so today than ever. Number one is communication — it is more critical than ever in this world of sound bites and mic dropping. A good leader ensures his followers know where they are going and how to get there. A great leader makes them want to go there. A great leader can take a seemingly insurmountable objective and make it possible to achieve in the hearts and minds of their followers.

Thankfully these leaders still do exist in today's world and there is no better example than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In his nightly address he clearly, continuously, and passionately articulates the mission to his fellow Ukrainians. Dismissed early on as "an actor, a comedian, a dancer," President Zelenskyy has rallied the world to his just cause. He surrounded himself with good people, made difficult decisions and by communicating, has captured our hearts and souls with Ukraine’s plight. God speed Mr. President and Slava Ukrainii.

Secondly, cohesion, acceptance and tolerance. Today's leaders must stop dividing those they lead! Hasn't history shown us that success as a leader demands cohesion, unity and respect of all those they lead — not just those who agree wholeheartedly with them? Can you imagine a military leader labelling half of his command as deplorables, fringe radicals or less-thans and then expect them to fight as one?

Today’s leaders must find a way to unite; not divide. Leaders lead. There is a difference between making a good decision, based on research and consultation, and making a decision because it is popular or it polls well. The best decisions are those made for the good of the whole — not just good for friends of the leader. Today, special interests have trumped the collective good. Making decisions for the collective good requires strength of character, the communications skills to explain, and a great deal of courage.

Courage remains one of the most important qualities of a leader. The courage of ideas, courage in the face of criticism, the courage to guide and lead. The courage to create a vision for the good of all. The courage to recognize a mistake and accept responsibility — personal — for that mistake.

The second key to bring Canada back to prominence is service. Just a short two months ago, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, queen of Canada, died. It would be impossible to find a better example of service. On her coronation she promised that she would dedicate her life, whether long or short, to the service of all. Over the next 70 years, in good times and in bad, she placed the care of her realm and subjects above all else. She exemplified character and duty and provided us all with an example of dedication to service. She kept her promise. May she rest in peace.

The idea, the concept of service seems to be forgotten in our "me-first" culture. Service to others, to one's country, to humanity must be a noble aspiration. The obligation to give back in gratitude for a life filled with blessings, peace and good fortune should not be innovative. It seems that Canadians have lost the desire to serve and the need to serve their country.

The military — being in the service of one’s country — used to be a most highly regarded profession. Today, I see a military woefully underfunded, undermanned and under-appreciated; a force where uniforms have become a means of personal expression rather than a symbol of collective pride and unity: uniforms are no longer uniform. The idea of serving in our armed forces is getting little traction. Could it be because the moral contract under which our military serve is broken?

Members of the Armed Forces fulfill their side of the moral contract that exists between them and Canadian society — they serve and are ready to serve in dangerous missions at home or abroad to protect our country and project Canadian values. But Canada should also be holding up its end of the contract: providing them with the state-of-the-art tools they need, the best leadership, equipment, education and training to be safe and successful, and looking after them when they become veterans.

In my opinion, we are failing. Because for Canadians generally, the Armed Forces are not important until there is a crisis, and successive governments’ support of the forces reflect that mindset. Our troops who have dedicated their lives to serve this country deserve better.

We are in Veterans Week, commemorating those who exemplified the concept of service by putting their life on the line for us, and honouring those who gave up their tomorrows for our todays. Let's use them as our example to serve.

If more inspiration is required one need not look far: let’s remember the words of two of the finest leaders of our time: Margaret Thatcher believed "There’s no such thing as entitlement unless someone has first met an obligation." And of course, JFK most famously said, "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."

Soon the festive season will arrive; a season of generosity and benevolence. In the name of service, I challenge us. Offer to volunteer, no matter where: an animal shelter, home for the homeless, seniors or veterans. The most important gift we can give is our time. I challenge us all to donate — instead of selling that surplus coffee maker on Kijiji, let’s donate it to Mission Services or Goodwill or the Salvation Army. I challenge us to be compassionate: give the panhandler enough cash for a warm meal but also ask them their name, wish them well and shake their hand.

I believe we can make Canada better. To find common ground with our neighbour and to unite our country rather than divide it. To apply our leadership and service; to live with compassion, tolerance and patience — but most of all to be proud of Canada and everything we once stood for.

We Canadians live in the greatest country in the world with almost unlimited resources, a tolerant and diverse people, and an educated population who can aspire to the greatest heights. We should be prepared to serve our country and be proud to do so. And our leaders must share this vision. "If not us, who? If not now, when?" Because, as Satchmo has told us, in spite of it all … it is a wonderful world.

I thought the last line was kind of lame, but I understand the sentiment. Take out the reference to Queen Elizabeth and a few others which Americans wouldn't get, and Lt.-Gen. Maisonneuve's address would make a fine campaign speech for... errr... whoever you think could deliver it with a straight face and be believed.

Trump in 2024... really?

Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump announced that he intends to run for the presidensity in 2025. "Quelle surprise!", said no-one at all. "Trump 2024" signs, flags, t-shirts, etc. had already appeared just over two years ago.

As in 2016 and 2020, his slogan will be "MAGA", although at one point in yesterday's speech he added "glorious", as in "Make America great and glorious again!" Whether this is even possible, given the low state into which the country has sunk on Brandon's watch, is debatable. But it's still a great slogan.

An even better slogan (IMHO), which has been voiced by millions of his supporters, if not directly by President Trump himself, is the one featured on the signs shown at left, now available at most Walmart stores (offer void in Philthydelphia, LA and Portland OR).

Mr Trump's speech, less bombastic than usual, offered little that was new. It was largely a mix of boasts about his record and attacks on the first two years of the Brandon presidency.

He said next to nothing about the hardships and missteps of the first years of the Covid pandemic. Nor did he talk about the events of Jan. 6th, or the fake "democracy is in danger" claims of the Democrats and their lickspittle media.

He didn't appear to have been weakened by, or indeed to have given any though to the lack of success of some of the star candidates he endorsed, who went down to defeat. Kari Lake and Dr Oz come to mind. Instead of indicating a rethink of why they might have lossed, he played to the issues which continue to be important to grassroots voters, such as immigration, crime, and Bidenflation.

As noted, the speech was low-key (by Mr Trump's standards), and there appeared to be little of the usual energy in the room. Nevertheless, his announcement drove news coverage last night, despite the attempts of President Brandon to shift the spotlight to the latest "crisis", the unexplained explosion near the Polish border with Ukraine.

Make what you will of the speech. The fact remains that President Trump has a base of loyal supporters who, even now, will turn out in their thousands just to be in The Presence.

That said, it cannot be denied that Mr Trump is no longer as popular as he was six years ago. Recent polls of Republican voters in Iowa and New Hampshire showed him trailing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a head-to-head contest by double-digits.

Governor DeSantis also led in Florida by 26 points, and by 20 in Georgia. We'll see what happens to Trump-endorsed Herschel Walker in the Georgia run-off election on December 1st. If he loses, that will amount to an indirect vote of "no confidence" in President Trump.

The results of the midterms show that President Trump's words and actions in the weeks leading up to the election influenced voter behaviour... and may continue to do so well into the next election cycle. Many GOP candidates who voiced full-throated support for Mr Trump did poorly compared with others who were less vocal.  

Many Republicans are starting to say (cautiously) that Mr Trump has had his hour in the sun, that revenge is not a good plan for the future, and that it's time for a new generation to take over. They long for someone who can lead the GOP away from battles of the past, forward to victory in 2024.

The chief beneficiary of the sentiment for change is Ron DeSantis -- labelled "Ron DeSanctimonious" in last night's speech -- who trounced his opponent on November 8th, and carried most of Florida with him. (That includes a large chunk of the Hispanic vote, increasingly critical in the Sunshine State.) Mr DeSantis is 44. Mr Trump is 76. That's a hyuge generation gap! 

Among those saying that President Trump should pass the torch to Governor DeSantis is Lachlan Murdoch, the eldest son and heir apparent of Rupert Murdoch. The co-chair of News Corp. and director of the parent company of Fox News has reportedly told Mr DeSantis that the group would back him if he ran in the next election. 

"Lachlan has been keen on Ron for some time," said a source within the Murdoch group. "He's viewed within the organisation as a sanitised version of Donald." The New York Post calls him "DeFuture", and a Fox News column declares him "the new Republican party leader". Governor DeSantis has not yet declared his intention too compete for the GOP nomination. As usual, Walt sez... stay tuned!

Keep praying for Ukraine. God is listening!

In all the fuss over the midterms, Walt has not forgotten the war in Ukraine.

Listen to the prayers for Ukraine, for peace and freedom from the Russian invaders, during the Divine Liturgy at Saint Elias Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church, Brampton (Ontario) Canada, 6/11/2022. 

The following week we received the good news of the liberation of Kherson from the Russian invaders. 

Glory be to God! Glory to Ukraine! To the heroes, glory!

Слава Богу! Слава Україні! Героям слава!

Sunday Funnies

Cazart! AP calls Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto the winner of the Nevada Senate race. Apparently a truckload of... wait for it... mail-in ballots arrived in the dark of night, putting the lady on top of Adam Laxalt [Where are you going with this? Ed.] by about 6666 votes. Hm. 

Apparently the truck came from Las Vegas. Hm. I can't help but thinking of the fictional Nevada Senator Pat Geary (played by G.D. Spradlin) in The Godfather Part II. 

Although AP shows the Senate standings tied at 48-48, with Alaska and Georgia to be finalized, in practice, counting in the "Independent" Bernie Sanders, and Vice-President Harris' casting vote in the event of a tie, it looks as if the Democrats will be in control of the Senate. So Americans can look forward to two years of Congressional stalemate.

Two years of wrangling, two years of stagnation, two years of frustration. Not a pleasant thought for a Sunday morning, so fuggedabahtit for now. Here's a brilliant bit of humour from English comic actors Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

Further viewing: The two starred in the cult classic Bedazzled, which you can find on YouTube if you look. It's worth watching just to see Raquel Welch as Lillian Lust!

VIDEO: Victor Davis Hanson analyses the midterms

In attempting to cover American politics, I find it's often better to read/listen to analysis from overseas. Leaving aside the Canadian legacy media, who have incurable cases of TDS, foreign commentators tend to be less biased. For that reason, I often check out videos from Sky News Australia and other reportage from the Land of Oz.

Today I want to share a lengthy interview posted on John Anderson's blogsite. Mr Anderson was leader of Australia's National Party from 1999 to 2005, and  served as the 11th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia. On November 10th he was joined by Victor Davis Hanson, whose commentaries have been featured on WWW.

Mr Davis (for those who don't know him) is an American farmer (!) who also happens to be a classicist, military historian, and columnist. He has written for the National Review and Washington Times, and is currently the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. In this interview, he considers what the results of the 2022 midterm elections mean for the major parties, the 2024 elections, and the American people. 

 

Note from Ed.: Readers should appreciate that at the time of the interview, the likely outcome -- which party should control Congress -- was much in doubt. As of dawn today (Saturday), it remains so. Mr Hanson's comments, summarized below, may not be his final thoughts.

Despite the policy blunders of the Biden administration, including overseeing rising inflation, illegal immigration and the spread of radical gender ideology, Mr Hanson points to the underlying malaise in American political culture that divides citizens into 'Red' and 'Blue' States as the greater threat to national stability. 

He argues that the failure of some candidates endorsed by President Trump, significantly higher election funding for the Democrats and the fracturing of the Republican party, are all contributed to the "red wave" becoming a mere ripple. 

Mr Hanson speaks with cautious optimism about promising new Republican leaders like Governor Ron DeSantis, who could unify the party and win upcoming presidential elections. Walt suggests it's time for die-hard Trumpers, as well as all conservatives, to give that suggestion serious thought.

Remembrance Day 2022

Some call it by its old name: Armistice Day. Others call it Remembrance Day. Still others know it only as November 11th. No matter what you call it, November 11th is, or should be more than just a date. It's a day to remember those who gave their lives for our countries in a number of wars.

The exact number of wars is debatable. Depends which country you're talking about, and who's counting. But they were all "good wars"... "just wars"... right? They all needed to be fought, right? To preserve freedom and democracy and equality and all those other Good Things. Right? Maybe it's all debatable.

The "Armistice" in Armistice Day refers to the truce proclaimed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 -- the armistice that ended the Great War, the war that would end all wars. But, as "The Ballad of Willie McBride" says, it all happened again... And again... And again.

After the Battle of Fredericksburg, Robert E. Lee -- the greatest American general of all time -- said to General James Longstreet, "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, sure, 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.

Footnote: Canadians will not be surprised, I think, to learn that their prime minister, Blackie McBlackface will be AWOL from the Remembrance Day ceremonies in the world's second-coldest capital. His nibs will be in Cambodia, where it's warm, for a Very Important Meeting.

The Ant & The Grasshopper - Canadian version

A reader has passsed along an updated Canadian version of the Aesop fable. 

Old Version: 

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house, and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold. 

Modern Canadian Version: 

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. 

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving. CBC, CTV and Global show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. 

The Globe and Mail does a feature story. Canada is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on CBC News with Adrienne Arsenault. along with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, "It's Not Easy Being Green."

People Against Poverty stage a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, "We Shall Overcome". Then Justin Trudeau has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper's sake. Chrystia Freeland condemns the ant and blames former Prime Minister Harper, Former Premiers Jason Kenney, Brad Wall and Cristy Clark and Conrad Black for the Grasshopper's' plight. 

Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh explain in an interview with Rosemary Barton that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share. 

Finally, the Liberal/NDP coalition drafts the Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs, not consulting with First Nations, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes; his home is confiscated by the government's Green Czar, Stephen Guilbeault, and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his freeloading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it. 

The ant has disappeared in the snow never to be seen again. The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize and ramshackle the once prosperous and peaceful neighbourhood. The entire nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it. 

Moral of the story: Be careful how you vote in the next election, because you are an ant! You may wish to pass this on to other ants, but don't bother sending it on to any grasshoppers because they wouldn't understand it anyway.

Note from Ed. to our American readers: You can easily adapt this cautionary tale to the American politico-economic situation. Just subsitute, for the Canuch lickspittle media named, CNN, NBC, CBS, etc. For Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper, read Joe Biden and Donald Trump. And for Liberal/NDP coalition, read Democrats and Bernie Sanders. I should have posted this before the mid-terms, since some  American ants appear not to have got the message and are still voting for the grasshoppers.  

What happened to the red wave?

Let's get the clichés out of the way first.

"The red tsunami looks more like being a red trickle."

"It's too close to call."

"Democracy has been saved from the Republicans"

Yada yada yada

Mrs Walt told me it was going to be a long night. She was wrong. (Lifetime pct .004.) I was able to turn off the idiot's lantern before midnight, and enjoyed an untroubled sleep knowing that there will be weeks of wrangling before we arrive back at where we were two years ago, with a Congress just about evenly divided. 

The difference this time... let us pray... is that the GOP may have enough seats to maintain control of the House of Representatives, if the Speaker and other House leaders can keep them together, which will be like herding cats. [No more clichés, please! Ed.]

As I write, awaiting the crack of dawn (after which I will seal up the crack and go back to bed), it looks like the Senate could be split 50-50, as before. That means a potential deadlock on almost every contentious issue. That can't be good for America.

My analysis of how all this came to pass will have to wait until the waters are a little less muddy. 

Further reading: "Five early takeaways from the midterms", by Niall Stanage, on The Hill, 9/11/22. Discouraging, but looks pretty accurate to me.

VIDEO: Blood moon on election night: is it a prophetic sign?

It's been a while since WWW featured a video by Dr Taylor Marshall, an Anglican priest who converted to Catholicism and is now one of Traditional Catholicism's leading commentators. Here's his take -- or should I say the Bible's take -- on the possible meaning of the blood moon which we'll see on the night of November 8th... as the votes are being counted.

 

Make sure your vote counts, and is counted! As Dr Marshall says, "Go out there and be salty!" I'll see you on the beach.

Waiting for the 8th - "Election denier"? Who? Me? You bet!

"Election denier" is the latest term of opprobrium coined by the lickspittle media... or their Democrat masters... to describe those of us who dare to say that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. It goes into the thesaurus as a synonm for Republican, fascist, white supremacist, Nazi, racist, yada yada yada.

You can call me whatever you like, but I saw it happen before my very eyes, following the same pattern as the "democratic" elections in Zimbabwe some years before. Yer man is losing, so you stop the counting, because it's late or because the power's out, whatever. Then all goes dark and, comes the dawn, yer man is suddenly ahead!

During the night, it seems, truckloads of ballots have appeared out of nowhere (read: Philadelphia), which pushed yer man into an insurmountable lead. GOP poll watchers weren't asleep. They were kept in the dark, literally, at some distance from those who tabulated the results. Et voilà.

Walt awaits the results of Tuesday's mid-terms. Let's suppose (and pray) that Republican candidates win some close races, like... errr... the Pennsylvania Senate race. Will the Dumbocrats then complain that some great fraud has been committed and the election stolen? Can we then call them "election deniers"? Can we? Huh?

Further reading: "Corporate Media Already Preparing to Deny 2022 Election Results", by John Nolte, Breitbart News, 7/11/22.

Waiting for the 8th - VIDEO: Demented Joe claims wind and solar cheaper than fossil fuels, so shutting down coal will save us $$$

If you still don't believe President Brandon is out to lunch, check out the latest evidence of his tenuous grasp on reality as he claims "green power" -- wind and solar -- is cheaper to produce than energy from fossil fuels, oil and goal. So (he says) it's in America's best interests to shut down coal. Completely. And immediately. 

Senator Joe Manchin III (D-WV) called Demented Joe's comments "outrageous and divorced from reality," adding that "they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising eneregy costs." Here's the panel from Fox News.

  

Walt wonders which way Senator Manchin will vote on Tuesday. Which way would you vote, if you were Joe Sixpack, paying $8 a gallon to fill up your Ford F-150 while you save up money to buy a new F-150 Lightning? I'll see you on the beach!

Green footnote, submitted by Agent 6 for our True Facts contest: The city he lives in (which I won't name to protect his privacy) has a large fleet of electric buses. Sadly, it doesn't have a large number of charging stations connected directly to the grid, so has had to buy a diesel generator to make up  the electricity deficit!

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Click on the links for prices and shipping details. US buyers only, but Canucks can contact our sponsor through his Webstore and he'll work out a deal for you. Tell `em Walt sent ya!

Waiting for the 8th - Looking for GOP wins in Arizona

As I said on Friday, the Democrats are pulling out all the stops to prevent electoral disaster -- the loss of both the state house and a Senate seat -- in Arizona. They can see that the Republicans have momentum [catchword of the year. Ed.]. But don't take my word for it. Consider this report which appeared on Friday on the Clinton News Network.

Republican momentum in Arizona deepens Democratic worries over Senate

Nowhere in the country has the struggle between election denialists and democracy defenders [The phrase "election denialists and democracy defenders" perfectly encapsulates the Dumbocrat party line. Only they are the champions of democracy while those who think they stole the 2020 election are in denial. Walt] played out in more vivid detail than in Arizona, where Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s ability to hold off late momentum from Trump-backed GOP nominee Blake Masters will be key to Democrats’ hopes of defending their narrow Senate majority. 

Now running for a full six-year term, Kelly – a retired astronaut and the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords – entered the race in an enviable position as a formidable fundraiser with a personal brand that lent him bipartisan appeal in Arizona, where a third of the electorate are independents. But the economic headwinds facing Democrats, as well as President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings, [!!! Walt] have complicated his political fortunes. 

Republicans need a net gain of just one seat to pick up control of the Senate on Tuesday, and Democrats are already on defense in Nevada, Georgia and New Hampshire. Arizona has emerged as one of the most important battleground states in the nation – not only for Senate and governor this year and likely the next presidential contest – but also because it is the fulcrum of key demographic changes that are testing the reach of both parties. 

As I said, the Dumbocrats are shit-scared. So they brought out the big guns, not just the Prez, obviously annoyed to be awoken from his retirement slumber, but Hellery Clinton. How desperate do you have to be to think that adding their shrill voice to the democracy-is-doomed chorus will save the furniture for Mr Kelly and their gubernatorial candidate, Katie Hobbs. Listen to what Ms Lake and Mr Masters had to say, in conversation with Sean Hannity.

Walt predicts a win for Kari Lake. As for the state house, you pick `em. Lifetime pct .988. I'll see you on the beach.

Walt congratulates the Houston Astros

on a well-deserved 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, to clinch the 2022 World Series. Good for them!

I am only a casual fan of baseball. One thing that I really like about MLB is that, compared with the elite leagues of other sports popular in North America, baseball is the least woke!

Ever since Jackie Robinson broke the colour bar on 15 April 1957, race has been pretty much a non-issue in the big leagues. Both teams on the field last night included players of every shade, from pale white through deep brown (notice I didn't say "Black") -- Asians too -- and there was no fuss about it.

No fuss. No calls for "affirmative action" to promote more "diversity", "inclusion", "equity", yada yada yada. Merit alone has been enough to get these guys places on the championship teams.

Places including that of "the boss" -- manager. Dusty Baker Jr, pictured, manager of the Astros, receives plaudits not for being the colour that he is, but for being the oldest manager ever to win a Series. Good for him.

It was good to be able to watch a game without seeing anyone "take a knee" or fire a Black Power salute. There was no talk of being more accepting of queers, or whether trans men [are there such things, or only trans women? Ed.] should be allowed to use the same toilets. 

Nor was there any talk of the "toxic masculinity" of the sport, such as was heard (Poor Len tells me) on the CBC, where Wussy Ron Maclean was prattling about how the Boston Bruins had signed a player who years ago had mocked someone who was "differently abled".  

Arentcha sick, sore and tired of wokeism? I know I am. "Just play the game!" That's what I say.

Further viewing: I confess to not liking Philthydelphia, not least because that's where elections get stolen. (Hello, John Fetterman!). Bill Burr, a hyuge sports fan, also doesn't like that city, or its sports teams. He has some choice comments about the Phillies in a rant recorded a few years ago. Warning for "language" (every word in the book).

    

Waiting for the 8th - President Trump at Latrobe PA on Saturday

Waiting for the 8th - Who's REALLY running America?

Until today, Walt hadn't heard of MassResistance, a national pro-family activist group. A quick scan of the website was enough for me to bookmark it, and I'll probably be getting involved, as they seem to be solidly on the right side. [Geddit? Ed.] 

Brian Cameker, the executive director of MassResistance, and recently wrote "Who has really been running our country?", published yesterday in American Thinker. Since it's so close to Tuesday's mid-term elections, we trust they won't mind our reposting it, in full, without asking first. The emphasis is mine. 

On the day that Joe Biden was sworn into office, he signed dozens of extensively radical executive orders. Then the Biden administration began populating the federal government and the federal Judiciary — including the new Supreme Court vacancy — with hundreds (probably thousands) of the most extreme anti-American people imaginable.

The administration has re-crafted an enormous number of laws and regulations — often illegally — to push the hard-left, woke, LGBT agendas throughout business, government, education, and society in general. U.S. foreign policy, including the hideous abandonment in Afghanistan and unhinged Ukrainian response, has clearly been coordinated to weaken America and strengthen our enemies. Our military is being emasculated — and proselytized to consider patriotic Americans as the enemy.

The Biden administration ignores our immigration laws and welcomes millions of illegal aliens to swarm across our southern border, and then methodically ships them to cities across the country (and even gives them cell phones to use).

The administration's aggressive "green new deal" is paralyzing our transportation system and causing crippling inflation never seen in this country before. Federal agencies, spearheaded by the Justice Department and FBI, have viciously become weaponized against conservatives, at the same time allowing "Antifa" and other left-wing hoodlum groups to terrorize citizens at will.

As many have observed, it's a controlled demolition of America.

All of this destruction is being attributed by our political establishment to a man with obvious dementia who can barely read through a single sentence on a teleprompter, can't remember names, and cannot discuss anything of substance.

Republicans and conservatives love to beat up on Joe Biden. It makes great campaign fundraising rhetoric. But nobody can possibly believe that Biden in his perpetual mental fog actually planned any of this, wrote any of it, ordered it, or even knows any details about it.

And let's not forget that Biden became president not by actually campaigning, but through a massively coordinated effort involving billions of dollars and the most powerful corporations and political organizers in America to subvert the U.S. election process.

No prominent Republican politician is willing to publicly ask — and demand answers to — the obvious question: who is really doing all of this, using Biden as a mindless front man?

And why should they? Biden is a great political punching bag. Bringing up the hard question could have uncomfortable consequences — especially in this political climate.

This is not conjecture. A friend of mine who is involved in D.C. political circles had the opportunity this past year to ask that question — who is really running the country? — to a Republican congressman and a U.S. senator, both prominent conservatives. Both of them nervously dodged the question and insisted that "taking on Joe Biden" is what the GOP needs to do.

So who is the power behind the curtain? A lot of people say it's Barack Obama, or maybe Susan Rice. But the truth is that neither of them is capable of orchestrating something on this scale. Obama never really got anywhere on his own, and Susan Rice is a middleweight at best.

This has all the fingerprints of the Soros organization. The people there are extremely intelligent and proficient, they passionately hate America, they've been leading up to this for several decades, and they have access to untold wealth and influence. Everything mentioned above is something they are more than capable of organizing and carrying out.

But most of this couldn't have been accomplished during Biden's first two years without the cooperation of the 50 Democrat U.S. senators and the Democrat majority in the House. And then there are the cowardly Republicans in both houses, including the leadership, who consistently put up a "gentlemanly" fight that is destined to lose.

Right now, job number one is openly exposing the "shadow government" that is really running America, and doing everything possible to drive them completely out. Seeing what is happening now (and learning from the past), it is not an exaggeration to say that we are all on a freight train headed to hell. If we don't derail it soon, there will eventually be no turning back.

Comment from Walt: The latest Rasmussen generic poll shows Republicans with a 5-point lead over the Soroscrats. Please don't be lulled into complacency. Every single American who wants to bring sanity, order and prosperity back to the country needs to get out and vote on Tuesday! I'll see you on the beach.

Waiting for the 8th - YouTube bans Remnant Underground... again!

Our old friend Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper and host of Remnant Underground, has sent us an email which confirms that the establishment media, the Alphabet People [not the LGBTQ+++, the other ones. Ed.] are silencing those who dare to suggest that all is not well in Brandon's America. 

If you don't believe me, search Google Images for "Michael Matt" or "Remnant Underground" and see how far you have to scroll down before you get to the champion of Traditional Catholicism. Anyway, here's what Mr Matt has to say, including a link to tomorrow night's pre-election Remnant Underground special, available only at RemnantNewspaper.com.

I’m proud to report that the insufferable fascists over at YouTube have banned us from posting any new RTV video until after the midterm elections.

What are they so afraid of? Well, apparently, last November we dared to suggest there may have been some cheating going on in the last presidential election. Perish the thought! One year later, they removed that video and restricted our channel. 

Do you feel safer, knowing Big Brother is protecting you from Remnant TV? I hope so!

We’re used to this, of course. Back in 2020, when RTV started hitting a million-plus views, YouTube started kindly "adjusting our algorithm" for us. Since that time and thanks to you, we built RTV back up again, and now that our videos are topping 100,000 views once again, YouTube is trying to rescue you. 

Thankfully, we don’t need no stinkin' YouTube! But please do spread the word that this Sunday night, our pre-election Remnant Underground special will be available at RemnantNewspaper.com. 

Walt will be watching, for sure, and hopes that you, dear reader, will join us. Between now and then, I recommend that you read "COUNTERREVOLUTION: Pope Francis, Joe Biden Losing Control", published in The Remnant newspaper this past Sunday. I'll see you on the beach!