Monthly Archives: November 2022

Political Payback

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The Wall Street Journal‘s Editors note that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R, CA) plans to remove three of the more sketchy and extremist members of the Progressive-Democratic Party from House committees if he becomes Speaker. The Editors then fret that

This sort of mutually assured political destruction is both a symptom and cause of the decline of Congress. But these are the polarizing precedents that Mrs Pelosi has set, and in politics payback is inevitable.

The Editors are correct regarding symptoms and causes here; however, they fail to proceed to the follow-on alternatives. The Republican Party getting even here will give both parties an opportunity to step back. Whether both of the parties take advantage of the chance is a separate question.

If there isn’t payback, though, the destruction is guaranteed to continue, and by a single party alone—which would be much worse.

Colleges and College Majors

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There appears to be a big difference between generalist (I’m being generous here) college majors and specialist college majors, based on the level of post-graduation, on the job satisfaction of the graduates with their majors.

Among arts and humanities majors, nearly half wished they’d studied something else, while STEM graduates tended to feel they made the right choice.

Note that this is far from a properly done survey, limited as it is to just two cities. However, there’s a large hint here, if today’s colleges and universities will pay attention. Or even if they won’t.

A Deliberate Move by the Progressive-Democratic Party

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…against American citizenship and American citizens.

The Progressive-Democratic Party-backed Washington, DC, city council voted 12-1 (!) to allow anyone resident in the city for at least 30 days to vote in city elections. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) didn’t have the courage to take an open position, one way or the other, on the bill; she allowed it to become the law of the city by simply not signing it. The new city law is so broadly written that illegal aliens and foreign college students would be able to vote, and

There’s nothing in this measure to prevent employees at embassies of governments that are openly hostile to the United States from casting ballots.

Now, courtesy of Bowser and her city council, anyone in the Russian, or the PRC, or the Venezuelan, or the… embassies can vote to choose the city’s elected officials up to and including the Mayor. To hell with what American citizen voters resident in the city want or vote for (or against).

Now the matter goes to Congress—the city being a Federal enclave—and those worthies have 30 days to vote it down. It’ll be instructive to see whether there are enough Party politicians in each house of Congress with enough understanding of the meaning of patriotism, and especially of the meaning of “American citizen,” to strike down this bill. As The Wall Street Journal editors put it, Let’s see the roll call.

A Plan for the Winter

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Mark Kimmitt (USA Brig Gen, ret) has one for the Ukrainian military that centers on resting and refitting for a major spring offensive. The thought has some merit, but I disagree.

Rather than using the winter to refit for a spring offensive, the Ukrainian army should use refitting-in-progress to mount a winter offensive along one or two fronts.

A drive through Melitopol’ to the Azov Sea coast would be one useful front; a drive to liberate Severodonetsk and though Kramatorsk would be another.

It’s true enough that the Ukrainian forces are tired and their equipage is degrading, but the situation is far worse for the barbarian hordes in Ukraine, and the disparity is greatly magnified by the winter conditions. This is no time to pause and let the barbarians rest and refit and get their balance back.

Harden defensive positions along the current frontlines….

No. Let the barbarians do that. But before they can, the Ukrainians should attack, not letting the barbarians disengage, and go through them like….

Of course this also puts a large premium on Kimmett’s other suggestions:

  • [West should] continue to resupply crucial equipment and ammunition, Himars rockets, and air-defense assets
  • West should beef up its support for Ukraine’s deep-fires campaign against supply depots, logistical routes, command centers, and second-echelon support units well beyond Russian [Kimmetts’ term] frontlines

And his diplomatic and economic suggestions, as well, which center on Europe holding the line against the barbarian’s assault on European energy and on tightening economic sanctions against barbarian Russia.

Controlling

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Naked self-promoting advertisement….

My latest (as of 22 Nov 22, anyway) Peter Hunt novel is out, available here.

Peter Hunt’s lady is brutally assaulted, and Hunt has to go after the mastermind who set the thing up.

Donahugh was involved in DPA Donason’s kidnapping and personally involved in her rape.
More quiet. Then Freyman said, “I’ll be handling the prosecution. Keep me current as this business proceeds.”
“Of course,” Jankuwicz said.
Freyman turned to me. “I’ve also heard about you. There will be persons to prosecute as this winds up?”
“Before I could answer, Jankuwicz said, ‘That depends on the perpetrators.'”

Jankuwicz drummed his fingers on his desk for a moment. Then he said to me, “What do you need from me?”
“‘Keep Freyman out of my way.’
“‘hat would be easier to do if you keep in mind what I said earlier.”

But that’s not all Hunt had to deal with. His pseudo-niece Trang Thi Thao is back and they’ve found a line on the…person…who bought her missing older sister, Trang Thi Khiem, for his personal use and through him they hope to locate her sister.

A thin mattress, only slightly more than a mat, covered in a dirty red sheet, was on the floor…. Suarez was standing on the other end of the mattress, trying to pull his pants up. He was still shirtless, his brown skin glistening with the sheen of his sweat in the light from the ceiling light bulbs. Bare light bulbs; the ceiling fixture had long since lost its cover. Clumps of dark hair spilling down over his ears from their original sweep back. Thick chest gone soft.
Another thin mattress, with no sheet at all or pillow, was on the floor, too…. The two mattresses filled most of the small room’s floor, leaving just enough space for the door to open when Suarez wanted in—or when it was kicked in. Half Pint was standing on the bare mattress, holding a small Asian girl in front of him. His bush of blond hair was messed and twisted. Big, striped t-shirt wadded on the mattress. The girl might have been Thao’s age when she’d been sent to me by Pilsner. She was pale and emaciated, so it was hard to tell. She was wearing a too-big, dirty, pale blue t-shirt that came to the tops of her thighs.