The Canadian meeja -- a generally leftish lot -- have been rabbiting on for three weeks now about the terrible plight of all those poor "refugees" from Syria (and, errr, other places) trying to make their way to Greece, Italy and on to Germany, where the streets are paved with gelt and milk, honey and money are provided by the guilt-ridden herrenvolk.
Canuck political pundits have been falling all over themselves to castigate Prime Minister Steve Harper for not doing more to assist the asylum-seekers to cross the Atlantic and settle in Canada. This is going to be the ballot issue in the upcoming federal election, they say, and Mr. Harpoon's apparent indifference will cost him his job.
That's what they say. But many Canadians, including some of Walt's agents, beg to differ. One of my minions has sent me a copy of an e-mail he wrote to John Ivison, a normally sound columnist for the Notional Pest and regular panelist on CTV's Question Period. He cautioned Mr. Ivison that the breadth and depth of support for the idea of bringing in tens of thousands of asylum-seekers whose bona fides has not been established was not so great as the PC press might think. Answer came there none.
However, our agent's suspicions are now confirmed by two major public opinion polls, reported by the Globe and Mail's Margaret Wente today in "What Canadians really think about the refugee crisis". Ms Wente warns political soothsayers against paying much attention to those who say the Canadian government "is cold, callous and indifferent. Perhaps it is. But it seems that many Canadians wouldn’t have it any other way."
Ms Wente passes on the results of an Ipsos poll, taken over the weekend, which found that despite all the bad publicity, 38% of Canadians still think the Harper Conservatives would "make the best decision for Canada on the Syrian refugee situation." 32% named the NDP, and 30% the Liberals. The Liberal leader, Justin Trudeau, has proposed bringing in 25,000 of the new boat people by the end of the year. 61% of those polled think that's a bad idea.
The other poll cited in Ms Wente's column was taken by EKOS, on the 4th through 8th of this month. Only 36% of respondents thought Canada should be taking in more refugees. 25% said too many are already being brought in. 34% the number being admitted is about right. Do that math! Nearly 60% of Canadians don't want to take in more refugees!
Further reading:
"Conservatives’ refugee crisis response far from fatal for Harper", also in today's Globe and Mail.
"Swedish experience shows folly of welcoming unassimilable immigrants" (WWW 13/9/15)
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
America's got the FEAR!
Walt occasionally refers to the U.S.A. as the Paranoid States of America. IMHO Americans are scared of everybody: terrorists (imported and domestic), kneegrows, Hispanics, furriners and, of course, Muslims. Especially Muslims. Like this kid.
He's Ahmed Mohamed, 14 years old, a Grade 9 student at MacArthur High School in Irving TX. And, in case the name didn't tip you off, he's a Muslim. Perhaps that explains the over-reaction of Authorities when he took the electronic clock he's holding to school to show his teacher. He made it at home, you see, all by himself, and he was proud of it.
It probably never occurred to young Ahmed that his clock might be mistaken for a bomb. But it was. Officers of the Law were dispatched in force to the school, where they promptly cuffed and arrested the boy, hustling him off to juvy so fast that his feet didn't even touch the ground.
Although they acknowledge that Ahmed had insisted to teachers, the school principal and to them that it was only a clock, they said he could face charges of making a hoax bomb. After the laughter subsided, they let the boy go, without charges being laid. But... get this... Ahmed has nevertheless been suspended from school for three days.
But (as Vince Offer sez) wait! There's more!
The Principal of MacArthur High, Dan Cummings, sent a letter to all parents of kids in his school. Here's part of what it said:
"I recommend using this opportunity to talk with your child about the Student Code of Conduct and specifically not bringing to school items that are prohibited. Also this is a good time to remind your child how important it is to immediately report any suspicious items and/or suspicious behavior they observe to any school employee so we can address it right away. We will always take necessary precautions to protect our students."
There now. Isn't that reassuring? Don't you think the good burghers of Irving will feel better knowing that their kids are under the watchful care of folks like Mr. Cummings (even if he gets only a "B" in English).
Walt feels the key word, "necessary", deserves some examination. Have the Authorities not exercised an over-abundance of precaution here? Could they not have given the "suspicious item" to the janitor to dunk in a bucket of water? Did the cops really have to slap the cuffs on the kid to prevent him -- all 100 pounds or so of him -- from overpowering them? I think -- and I am not alone -- the whole thing was ridiculous. But hey, this is the U.S.A. in the 21st century. Or, I say again, P.S.A. -- the Paranoid States of America.
He's Ahmed Mohamed, 14 years old, a Grade 9 student at MacArthur High School in Irving TX. And, in case the name didn't tip you off, he's a Muslim. Perhaps that explains the over-reaction of Authorities when he took the electronic clock he's holding to school to show his teacher. He made it at home, you see, all by himself, and he was proud of it.
It probably never occurred to young Ahmed that his clock might be mistaken for a bomb. But it was. Officers of the Law were dispatched in force to the school, where they promptly cuffed and arrested the boy, hustling him off to juvy so fast that his feet didn't even touch the ground.
Although they acknowledge that Ahmed had insisted to teachers, the school principal and to them that it was only a clock, they said he could face charges of making a hoax bomb. After the laughter subsided, they let the boy go, without charges being laid. But... get this... Ahmed has nevertheless been suspended from school for three days.
But (as Vince Offer sez) wait! There's more!
The Principal of MacArthur High, Dan Cummings, sent a letter to all parents of kids in his school. Here's part of what it said:
"I recommend using this opportunity to talk with your child about the Student Code of Conduct and specifically not bringing to school items that are prohibited. Also this is a good time to remind your child how important it is to immediately report any suspicious items and/or suspicious behavior they observe to any school employee so we can address it right away. We will always take necessary precautions to protect our students."
There now. Isn't that reassuring? Don't you think the good burghers of Irving will feel better knowing that their kids are under the watchful care of folks like Mr. Cummings (even if he gets only a "B" in English).
Walt feels the key word, "necessary", deserves some examination. Have the Authorities not exercised an over-abundance of precaution here? Could they not have given the "suspicious item" to the janitor to dunk in a bucket of water? Did the cops really have to slap the cuffs on the kid to prevent him -- all 100 pounds or so of him -- from overpowering them? I think -- and I am not alone -- the whole thing was ridiculous. But hey, this is the U.S.A. in the 21st century. Or, I say again, P.S.A. -- the Paranoid States of America.
P.K. Subban: Credit where credit is due
Poor Len Canayen here, lean and mean after a summer in hibernation, awaiting the start of hockey season. But not so mean as to ignore today's news from the Holy City of Hockey.
The Montreal Children's Hospital has received a boost from one of les Glorieux, namely P.K. Subban, sometime all-star defenceman and winner of the Norris Trophy. The hospital has named its atrium in his honour, after he (or more accurately, his foundation) gave the health-care facility C$10,000,000. The hospital described the gift as "the biggest philanthropic commitment by a sports figure in Canadian history".
Mr. Subban, who has played for the Montréal Canadiens since 2009, told the large crowd present for the presentation "Montréal has become my second home. I hope to remain here, here in Montréal, here in Québec, for a very, very long time."
10 million Canadian bucks (about 7.5 million in real money) is a huge gift, even for someone who makes nearly that much -- give or take a mil -- every year. Who amongst us could afford to give more than a year's salary to a cause, no matter how worthy?
Regular readers will know that I (Poor Len) am no fan of Mr.Subban, but I do admire his community spirit and applaud his generosity. A big tip of le chapeau to ya, P.K.!
And I will not be so churlish as to suggest that the timing of the donation has anything to do with the decision which Canadiens' management has to make within the next couple of weeks regarding the captaincy of the team. Leadership skills on and off the ice are not that closely related, and who gets to wear the "C" should not be decided through a popularity contest.
The Montreal Children's Hospital has received a boost from one of les Glorieux, namely P.K. Subban, sometime all-star defenceman and winner of the Norris Trophy. The hospital has named its atrium in his honour, after he (or more accurately, his foundation) gave the health-care facility C$10,000,000. The hospital described the gift as "the biggest philanthropic commitment by a sports figure in Canadian history".
Mr. Subban, who has played for the Montréal Canadiens since 2009, told the large crowd present for the presentation "Montréal has become my second home. I hope to remain here, here in Montréal, here in Québec, for a very, very long time."10 million Canadian bucks (about 7.5 million in real money) is a huge gift, even for someone who makes nearly that much -- give or take a mil -- every year. Who amongst us could afford to give more than a year's salary to a cause, no matter how worthy?
Regular readers will know that I (Poor Len) am no fan of Mr.Subban, but I do admire his community spirit and applaud his generosity. A big tip of le chapeau to ya, P.K.!
And I will not be so churlish as to suggest that the timing of the donation has anything to do with the decision which Canadiens' management has to make within the next couple of weeks regarding the captaincy of the team. Leadership skills on and off the ice are not that closely related, and who gets to wear the "C" should not be decided through a popularity contest.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Swedish experience shows folly of welcoming unassimilable immigrants
Today's theme is the "refugee crisis" faced by Europe, into which the USA and Canada are now being drawn by the do-good frenzy being whipped up by the usual gang of one-worlders, "progressive thinkers" and the lamestream media. Oh, those poor oppressed refugees! We have a duty to help them because we are our brothers' (and sisters') keepers. Never mind that the majority of them are bogus asylum-seekers coming not just from Syria but from anywhere from Bangladesh to Nigeria to suck off European and American teats.
After posting "What happens when your city can't handle any more refugees", Walt learned that Germany is "temporarily" reinstituting border controls, which goes against the "open borders" principle of the Schengen agreement. (The agreement does, however, allow for temporary suspensions of its rules.) Why? Because they're expecting eight hundred thousand (800,000!) "refugees" before the end of 2015, and, according to Germany's Vice-Chancellor, is "at the limit of its capabilities".
Perhaps the German cabinet has heard about the problems faced by Sweden in welcoming hordes of refugees and other immigrants from the Third World who cannot or will not be assimilated into Swedish society. As the Globe and Mail's Margaret Went wrote this weekend in "Sweden’s ugly immigration problem", Sweden has the most welcoming asylum policies and most generous welfare programs in the European Union. How is that working out? Some sobering statistics are to be found in these excerpts from Ms Wente's article.
In Migrants Who Survived Shipwreck Are Grateful, but Disillusioned, a typical refugee, Natanael Haile, [tells how he] barely escaped drowning in the Mediterranean in 2013. But the folks back home in Eritrea don’t want to know about the perils of his journey.... They want to know about "his secondhand car, the government allowances he receives and his plans to find work as a welder once he finishes a two year language course." As a registered refugee, he receives a monthly living allowance of more than $700.
Sweden takes in more refugees per capita than any other European country, and immigrants – mainly from the Middle East and Africa – now make up about 16 per cent of the population. The main political parties, as well as the mainstream media, support the status quo. Questioning the consensus is regarded as xenophobic and hateful. [No kidding. Walt] Now all of Europe is being urged to be as generous as Sweden.
Ms Wente quotes at length from her interview with Tino Sanandaji, a Kurdish-Swedish economist who was born in Iran and moved to Sweden when he was 10. He has a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago and specializes in immigration issues.
"There has been a lack of integration among non-European refugees," [he told her]. "48 per cent of immigrants of working age don’t work, he said. Even after 15 years in Sweden, their employment rates reach only about 60 per cent. Sweden has the biggest employment gap in Europe between natives and non-natives."
In Sweden, where equality is revered, inequality is now entrenched. 42 per cent of the long-term unemployed are immigrants, Mr. Sanandaji said. 58 per cent of welfare payments go to immigrants. 45 per cent of children with low test scores are immigrants. Immigrants on average earn less than 40 per cent of Swedes. The majority of people charged with murder, rape and robbery are either first- or second-generation immigrants. "Since the 1980s, Sweden has had the largest increase in inequality of any country in the OECD," Mr. Sanandaji said.
Sweden’s generosity costs a fortune, at a time when economic growth is stagnant. The country now spends about $4-billion a year on settling new refugees – up from $1-billion a few years ago, Mr. Sanandaji said.
Yet Sweden’s acute immigration problems scarcely feature in the mainstream media. Journalists see their mission as stopping racism, so they don’t report the bad news. Despite – or perhaps because of – this self-censorship, the gap between the opinion elites and the voters on immigration issues is now a chasm.
According to a recent opinion poll, 58 per cent of Swedes believe there is too much immigration, Mr. Sanandaji noted. The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party is now polling at between 20 per cent and 25 per cent.
Sweden is a cautionary tale for anyone who believes that Europe is capable of assimilating the hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants who are besieging the continent, or the millions more who are desperately poised to follow in their wake. The argument that these people are vital to boost the economy – that they will magically create economic growth and bail the Europeans out of their demographic decline – is a fantasy.
It’s really very simple, Mr. Sanandaji explained. You can’t combine open borders with a welfare state. “If you’re offering generous welfare benefits to every citizen, and anyone can come and use these benefits, then a very large number of people will try to do that. And it’s just mathematically impossible for a small country like Sweden to fund those benefits.”
Things will get worse before they get better. As Judy Dempsey, a senior analyst at a Berlin think tank, told The Wall Street Journal, [in Migrant Wave Inspires Others to Attempt Trek to Europe. Walt] "Europe hasn’t seen anything yet in terms of the numbers or the backlash."
Politically correct footnote: Just noticed that the uber-liberal Toronto Red Star has stopped talking about the "refugee crisis". Now it's a "migrant crisis". Guess the term "refugee" has acquired a certain taint. [Duly noted. Ed.]
After posting "What happens when your city can't handle any more refugees", Walt learned that Germany is "temporarily" reinstituting border controls, which goes against the "open borders" principle of the Schengen agreement. (The agreement does, however, allow for temporary suspensions of its rules.) Why? Because they're expecting eight hundred thousand (800,000!) "refugees" before the end of 2015, and, according to Germany's Vice-Chancellor, is "at the limit of its capabilities".
Perhaps the German cabinet has heard about the problems faced by Sweden in welcoming hordes of refugees and other immigrants from the Third World who cannot or will not be assimilated into Swedish society. As the Globe and Mail's Margaret Went wrote this weekend in "Sweden’s ugly immigration problem", Sweden has the most welcoming asylum policies and most generous welfare programs in the European Union. How is that working out? Some sobering statistics are to be found in these excerpts from Ms Wente's article.
In Migrants Who Survived Shipwreck Are Grateful, but Disillusioned, a typical refugee, Natanael Haile, [tells how he] barely escaped drowning in the Mediterranean in 2013. But the folks back home in Eritrea don’t want to know about the perils of his journey.... They want to know about "his secondhand car, the government allowances he receives and his plans to find work as a welder once he finishes a two year language course." As a registered refugee, he receives a monthly living allowance of more than $700.
Sweden takes in more refugees per capita than any other European country, and immigrants – mainly from the Middle East and Africa – now make up about 16 per cent of the population. The main political parties, as well as the mainstream media, support the status quo. Questioning the consensus is regarded as xenophobic and hateful. [No kidding. Walt] Now all of Europe is being urged to be as generous as Sweden.
Ms Wente quotes at length from her interview with Tino Sanandaji, a Kurdish-Swedish economist who was born in Iran and moved to Sweden when he was 10. He has a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago and specializes in immigration issues.
"There has been a lack of integration among non-European refugees," [he told her]. "48 per cent of immigrants of working age don’t work, he said. Even after 15 years in Sweden, their employment rates reach only about 60 per cent. Sweden has the biggest employment gap in Europe between natives and non-natives."
In Sweden, where equality is revered, inequality is now entrenched. 42 per cent of the long-term unemployed are immigrants, Mr. Sanandaji said. 58 per cent of welfare payments go to immigrants. 45 per cent of children with low test scores are immigrants. Immigrants on average earn less than 40 per cent of Swedes. The majority of people charged with murder, rape and robbery are either first- or second-generation immigrants. "Since the 1980s, Sweden has had the largest increase in inequality of any country in the OECD," Mr. Sanandaji said.
Sweden’s generosity costs a fortune, at a time when economic growth is stagnant. The country now spends about $4-billion a year on settling new refugees – up from $1-billion a few years ago, Mr. Sanandaji said.
Yet Sweden’s acute immigration problems scarcely feature in the mainstream media. Journalists see their mission as stopping racism, so they don’t report the bad news. Despite – or perhaps because of – this self-censorship, the gap between the opinion elites and the voters on immigration issues is now a chasm.
According to a recent opinion poll, 58 per cent of Swedes believe there is too much immigration, Mr. Sanandaji noted. The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party is now polling at between 20 per cent and 25 per cent.
Sweden is a cautionary tale for anyone who believes that Europe is capable of assimilating the hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants who are besieging the continent, or the millions more who are desperately poised to follow in their wake. The argument that these people are vital to boost the economy – that they will magically create economic growth and bail the Europeans out of their demographic decline – is a fantasy.
It’s really very simple, Mr. Sanandaji explained. You can’t combine open borders with a welfare state. “If you’re offering generous welfare benefits to every citizen, and anyone can come and use these benefits, then a very large number of people will try to do that. And it’s just mathematically impossible for a small country like Sweden to fund those benefits.”
Things will get worse before they get better. As Judy Dempsey, a senior analyst at a Berlin think tank, told The Wall Street Journal, [in Migrant Wave Inspires Others to Attempt Trek to Europe. Walt] "Europe hasn’t seen anything yet in terms of the numbers or the backlash."
Politically correct footnote: Just noticed that the uber-liberal Toronto Red Star has stopped talking about the "refugee crisis". Now it's a "migrant crisis". Guess the term "refugee" has acquired a certain taint. [Duly noted. Ed.]
VIDEO: What happens when your city can't handle any more refugees
News reports from Europe this weekend focus on the refugee crisis, and that's the right word. Literally hundreds of thousands of "refugees" -- mostly Muslim, mostly Arabs and Africans, and mostly bogus (not true refugees from war, but economic migrants) -- are invading Europe in the biggest beach assault since D-Day. They're embarking from Libya and Turkey and washing up on the shores of Italy and Greece, then heading northward, ever northward, to Germany, Sweden and the UK, where (they think) they will get a warmer (i.e. more generous) welcome.
Some countries along the way -- Macedonia and Serbia, for instance -- put them on trains and buses and tell them "Keep going! It's better in Germany!" Others, notably the Slavic countries -- Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic -- tell them to not even think about stopping there. Hungary has tried, with limited success, to close its border with Serbia altogether, building a wall allegedly financed by Donald Trump. [Walt's just kidding. The Trump wall is going along the Rio Grande. Ed.]
The fact is that even in a liberal democracy like Sweden, the majority of ordinary citizens don't want to be swamped by a tide of Third-Worlders who bring to once-Christian Europe their alien religion and alien cultures, not to mention disease and crime. Even if only 1% of the million-plus expected to arrive this year and next are Islamic extremists, that's still 10,000 jihadists embedding themselves in Munich, Berlin, Stockholm, Leeds... maybe, dear European reader, in your city.
What happens when 1000s of aliens arrive in your city, expecting that you will house, clothe and feed them, for the sake of "compassion", "mercy" and "human rights", not to mention a big dose of white liberal guilt. As I watched scenes of the squalor in "the Jungle" -- a squalid camp on the outskirts of Calais created by refugees trying to get to Britain -- I was reminded of a good movie I saw back in 2009, called District 9.
Here's the synopsis of District 9:
Twenty years or so before the time of the movie, aliens arrive on Earth, not to conquer or give aid but to find refuge from their dying planet. Their huge space ship runs out of fuel over Johannesburg, where "Multi-National United" (read "United Nations") attempts to manage the influx by herding the aliens into an area called District 9, which they turn into a filthy, seething, slum. Here's a screen grab.
When the alien population passes the million mark, and public revulsion reaches the boiling point, the MNU decides to relocate the aliens to a new settlement far away from the big city. The first forty-five minutes or so of the "mocumentary" show the preparation for the exercise. Watching this footage today, you can't help but be struck by the parallel with video clips from the "temporary" refugee camps in Greece, Serbia and Hungary. Note also the opinions of the local population: "They must go!" Here's the trailer.
"
It turns out that getting rid of millions of refugees who've been squatting in your midst for two decades isn't that easy. The operation, led by MNU field agent Wikus Van der Merwe (played by Sharlto Copley), runs into trouble trying to get the aliens to sign eviction notices, because they have rights and the legal niceties must be observed. In a scuffle with one of the "prawns" -- the locals' name for the aliens, who resemble a cross between a lobster and Dr. John A. Zoidberg -- Van der Merwe gets some of their DNA mixed with his own, with horrific results.
District 9 is a great sci-fi movie -- highly recommendable -- but its real significance, six years down the road, is the depiction of what happens when you allow a horde of aliens to settle in your community. At the time of the story's ending, the population of District 9 had grown to over 2 million, and plans were under way to build a new "District 10".
Dear readers, where is the "District 9" in your community? Even here in [Walt spilled coffee on his manuscript, so I couldn't make out a couple of words here. Ed.] there are entire blocks of "community housing" occupied by vizmins, courtesy of us taxpayers and our liberal government. Now the same "progressives" are crying "in the name of humanity" for the admission of tens of thousands more, which, they tell us, are somehow our responsibility. Where will it end? Watch the movie!
Some countries along the way -- Macedonia and Serbia, for instance -- put them on trains and buses and tell them "Keep going! It's better in Germany!" Others, notably the Slavic countries -- Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic -- tell them to not even think about stopping there. Hungary has tried, with limited success, to close its border with Serbia altogether, building a wall allegedly financed by Donald Trump. [Walt's just kidding. The Trump wall is going along the Rio Grande. Ed.]
The fact is that even in a liberal democracy like Sweden, the majority of ordinary citizens don't want to be swamped by a tide of Third-Worlders who bring to once-Christian Europe their alien religion and alien cultures, not to mention disease and crime. Even if only 1% of the million-plus expected to arrive this year and next are Islamic extremists, that's still 10,000 jihadists embedding themselves in Munich, Berlin, Stockholm, Leeds... maybe, dear European reader, in your city.
What happens when 1000s of aliens arrive in your city, expecting that you will house, clothe and feed them, for the sake of "compassion", "mercy" and "human rights", not to mention a big dose of white liberal guilt. As I watched scenes of the squalor in "the Jungle" -- a squalid camp on the outskirts of Calais created by refugees trying to get to Britain -- I was reminded of a good movie I saw back in 2009, called District 9.
Here's the synopsis of District 9:
Twenty years or so before the time of the movie, aliens arrive on Earth, not to conquer or give aid but to find refuge from their dying planet. Their huge space ship runs out of fuel over Johannesburg, where "Multi-National United" (read "United Nations") attempts to manage the influx by herding the aliens into an area called District 9, which they turn into a filthy, seething, slum. Here's a screen grab.
When the alien population passes the million mark, and public revulsion reaches the boiling point, the MNU decides to relocate the aliens to a new settlement far away from the big city. The first forty-five minutes or so of the "mocumentary" show the preparation for the exercise. Watching this footage today, you can't help but be struck by the parallel with video clips from the "temporary" refugee camps in Greece, Serbia and Hungary. Note also the opinions of the local population: "They must go!" Here's the trailer.
"
It turns out that getting rid of millions of refugees who've been squatting in your midst for two decades isn't that easy. The operation, led by MNU field agent Wikus Van der Merwe (played by Sharlto Copley), runs into trouble trying to get the aliens to sign eviction notices, because they have rights and the legal niceties must be observed. In a scuffle with one of the "prawns" -- the locals' name for the aliens, who resemble a cross between a lobster and Dr. John A. Zoidberg -- Van der Merwe gets some of their DNA mixed with his own, with horrific results.
District 9 is a great sci-fi movie -- highly recommendable -- but its real significance, six years down the road, is the depiction of what happens when you allow a horde of aliens to settle in your community. At the time of the story's ending, the population of District 9 had grown to over 2 million, and plans were under way to build a new "District 10".
Dear readers, where is the "District 9" in your community? Even here in [Walt spilled coffee on his manuscript, so I couldn't make out a couple of words here. Ed.] there are entire blocks of "community housing" occupied by vizmins, courtesy of us taxpayers and our liberal government. Now the same "progressives" are crying "in the name of humanity" for the admission of tens of thousands more, which, they tell us, are somehow our responsibility. Where will it end? Watch the movie!
Friday, September 11, 2015
Synod on the Family: the question no-one wanted to answer
Last week, in "2014 Vatican Synod's 'Welcome gays!' moment was rigged!", Walt recommended the new e-book by Edward Pentin which explains how certain prelates of the Roman Catholic Church arranged for the insertion of their pro-LGBT agenda into the "Interim Report" of the 2014 Synod on the Family.
Here's the last paragraph of that post:
Mr. Pentin points the finger at Cardinal Baldisseri, but Walt (and many others) would like to know who appointed the prelate to be secretary-general of the Synod? Whose agenda was the Cardinal pushing... or following? And who's in charge of this year's Synod? Oh... wait... According to the Vatican website, it's none other than... wait for it... Lorenzo Cardinal Baldisseri!
Traditional Catholics have been waiting with bated breath [not "baited" Ed. -- "bated breath" means breath which is being held] to see what tricks the Church's Gay Mafia and other modernists have up their sleeves this time. The "Instrumentum Laboris" (working paper) for the Synod was released in June and has been scrutinized and found ponderous, if not incomprehensible.
This, at any rate, is the opinion of John Vennari, well-known Catholic activist and editor of Catholic Family News. Last week, Agent 10 recorded Mr. Vennari asking a tough question to the panel at a lecture on the 2015 Synod given at the Franciscan University of Steubenville OH by Cardinal Raymond Burke.
The panel consisted of 8 or 10 [Did Agent 10 lose count? Ed.] theologians and philosophers, including Cardinal Burke, at the far right in the picture. You can hear one of them, a lady, laughing after Mr. Vennari posed his question. After that comes a very awkward silence, broken finally by Dr. Michael Sirilla, who came up with the only possible answer, thus saving the moment.
If you're a Catholic, concerned with the direction in which Holy Mother Church is being led ["misled", surely! Ed.], you should attend Catholic Identity Conference, 2015, to be held September 25th-27th at the Holiday Inn in Weirton WV.
The theme of the conference is "The Three Rs of Modernism: Recognize it, Refute it, and Return to Tradition". Speakers include Pat Archbold, Christopher Ferrara, Michael Matt, Dr. John Rao, Fr. Michael Rodríguez, Louie Verrecchio, Dr. James Vogel, and... wait for it... John Vennari and Dr. Michael Sirilla!
For more information or to register, click here. Tell `em Walt sent you!
Here's the last paragraph of that post:
Mr. Pentin points the finger at Cardinal Baldisseri, but Walt (and many others) would like to know who appointed the prelate to be secretary-general of the Synod? Whose agenda was the Cardinal pushing... or following? And who's in charge of this year's Synod? Oh... wait... According to the Vatican website, it's none other than... wait for it... Lorenzo Cardinal Baldisseri!
Traditional Catholics have been waiting with bated breath [not "baited" Ed. -- "bated breath" means breath which is being held] to see what tricks the Church's Gay Mafia and other modernists have up their sleeves this time. The "Instrumentum Laboris" (working paper) for the Synod was released in June and has been scrutinized and found ponderous, if not incomprehensible.
This, at any rate, is the opinion of John Vennari, well-known Catholic activist and editor of Catholic Family News. Last week, Agent 10 recorded Mr. Vennari asking a tough question to the panel at a lecture on the 2015 Synod given at the Franciscan University of Steubenville OH by Cardinal Raymond Burke.
The panel consisted of 8 or 10 [Did Agent 10 lose count? Ed.] theologians and philosophers, including Cardinal Burke, at the far right in the picture. You can hear one of them, a lady, laughing after Mr. Vennari posed his question. After that comes a very awkward silence, broken finally by Dr. Michael Sirilla, who came up with the only possible answer, thus saving the moment.
If you're a Catholic, concerned with the direction in which Holy Mother Church is being led ["misled", surely! Ed.], you should attend Catholic Identity Conference, 2015, to be held September 25th-27th at the Holiday Inn in Weirton WV.
The theme of the conference is "The Three Rs of Modernism: Recognize it, Refute it, and Return to Tradition". Speakers include Pat Archbold, Christopher Ferrara, Michael Matt, Dr. John Rao, Fr. Michael Rodríguez, Louie Verrecchio, Dr. James Vogel, and... wait for it... John Vennari and Dr. Michael Sirilla!
For more information or to register, click here. Tell `em Walt sent you!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Republican voters are suckers! MattTaibbi nails it again
Ed. here. Since I am the real power behind Walt Whiteman's World (!!!) I am thinking of borrowing a phrase from the Donald and telling Walt "You're fired!" Why? Because, while Walt may be quite sound on matters religious, his thoughtful analyses of American politics are dishwater dull compared with the writings of commentators like Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi, who is rapidly filling the very large shoes of the late Doctor of Gonzo Journalism.Here's a quote from Mr. Taibbi's recent evisceration of the Republican Party and those who support it.
In the elaborate con that is American electoral politics, the Republican voter has long been the easiest mark in the game, the biggest dope in the room. Everyone inside the Beltway knows this. The Republican voters themselves are the only ones who never saw it.
Even if you're not a conservative or cuckservative or Tea Partier, you will find it well worth your while, not to mention a great amusement to read all of "The Republicans Are Now Officially the Party of White Paranoia".
If you like it -- and I know you will -- please send a donation to the usual address. When enough money has been received, I shall make Mr. Taibbi an offer he can't refuse.
[Wanna bet? Walt]
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