Trump and the People vs Them

Mark Noonan57 Comments

Still out! On a bit of a vacation. I’m probably on the beach. So, can’t be topical on this one! Though I’m confident that the Democrats are still doing badly and Trump/GOP is doing well. But as I can’t be topical, I thought I’d point out that the Uniparty isn’t a new innovation.

In his What’s Wrong With the World?, Chesterton wrote The History of Hudge and Gudge to illustrate the way arguments between Right and Left go – and this was written in 1910 – but towards the end of the book he has this further to say about Hudge and Gudge:

And now, as this book is drawing to a close, I will whisper in the reader’s ear a horrible suspicion that has sometimes haunted me: the suspicion that Hudge and Gudge are secretly in partnership. That the quarrel they keep up in public is very much of a put-up job, and that the way in which they perpetually play into each other’s hands is not an everlasting coincidence. Gudge, the plutocrat, wants an anarchic industrialism; Hudge, the idealist, provides him with lyric praises of anarchy. Gudge wants women-workers because they are cheaper; Hudge calls the woman’s work “freedom to live her own life.” Gudge wants steady and obedient workmen, Hudge preaches teetotalism—to workmen, not to Gudge—Gudge wants a tame and timid population who will never take arms against tyranny; Hudge proves from Tolstoi that nobody must take arms against anything. Gudge is naturally a healthy and well-washed gentleman; Hudge earnestly preaches the perfection of Gudge’s washing to people who can’t practice it. Above all, Gudge rules by a coarse and cruel system of sacking and sweating and bi-sexual toil which is totally inconsistent with the free family and which is bound to destroy it; therefore Hudge, stretching out his arms to the universe with a prophetic smile, tells us that the family is something that we shall soon gloriously outgrow.

I do not know whether the partnership of Hudge and Gudge is conscious or unconscious. I only know that between them they still keep the common man homeless. I only know I still meet Jones walking the streets in the gray twilight, looking sadly at the poles and barriers and low red goblin lanterns which still guard the house which is none the less his because he has never been in it.

Politics has been called a game and it does have some game-like aspects, but for far too long – more than a century – those engaged in politics have treated it as just a game. They almost admire the other side for scoring a goal on them. But the thing is that politics is supposed to provide a government which secures the rights of the people. That is all its for. But our Ruling Class sees it differently. In the end, we find that neither Hudge nor Gudge really believe in anything but their own power and wealth. This is why Obama produced Obamacare which has made medical care more expensive and less accessible – and why McCain, after campaigning specifically on getting rid of Obamacare, voted to keep it. McCain has gone to his reward – but his family is still rich and prominent. It is dead certain that Obama, relaxing with the rich and powerful in carefully guarded enclaves, never even thinks about the poor SOB trying to find a doctor in network.

This is why Trump – and I think that now more than ever, Trump understands what he’s for. He is going to DC for us. To give us a voice at the councils of the powerful. To remind them that there are real people out there…and they’ve had enough.

Democrats Learn That Lies are Bad

Mark Noonan50 Comments

I’m noticing that more and more people are starting to see what I’ve been harping on for years: the basic problem we have is the lies. They are so entirely pervasive that they entirely wreck our ability to construct a policy on any issue. We first have to contend with the lies – and by the time we finally beat one lie back, we only find that the liars have come up with three more.

For 2024, though, we do see something both good and fun happening: the Democrat meltdown.

I’m writing this on Sunday afternoon for a Tuesday posting because over Monday I won’t be available to post. Biden is out. Harris is (sorta) in. Everyone – every last person – who crosses Trump winds up destroyed. This isn’t (necessarily) divine protection for Trump. It has a different source.

JD Vance, like many others, has pointed out that if Biden is unfit to run for office then he’s unfit to hold the office. Now that he’s stepped aside from the campaign, then it must follow that he should resign his office. Keep in mind that everyone from Harris on down was just a few weeks ago asserting that Biden is sharp as a tack. Heck, earlier Sunday Harris put out another post lauding Biden’s ability. Now that Biden is out, they are going to have to contend with numerous and loud calls for Biden to resign – and if you think getting him to agree to step aside was hard, imagine how hard it would be to convince him to become the second American President to resign from office!

And this whole thing – this entire crisis ripping the Democrats to shreds right now – is because they lied. They lied in 2020 when they said Joe was ok. They lied continuously since 2020…they lied and lied about Joe until he got up in front of 50 million Americans and demonstrated conclusively that he’s unfit. And here’s the kicker: Democrats only forced him out because he’s became a drag down ballot! Absent that – if swing district Dems were still doing ok – they’d blithely keep lying that Biden is fine. They are caught in a vise they can’t escape – there is no way out. Pushing Biden aside is a mere ploy they hope will change the dynamic.

And all because of lies. If they had just told the truth, none of this would happen.

Of course, if they just told the truth then Trump would be finishing his second term and we’d be discussing the DeSantis vs Shapiro race.

As for me, just pass the popcorn! I don’t care how it comes out. The longer they fight the better for us. An energized GOP is ready to take it to them. And Trump, himself, has changed a bit. No surprise: he found out that every day really is a gift. He’ll never stop being Trump but there is a softer curve to him right now – a willingness to laugh at himself and see the better in others. I think this will start to connect with the American people.

Harris (Maybe)/Whoever the Heck, ’24

Mark Noonan52 Comments

I honestly did not expect this to happen – I figured the old bastard would stick forever.

But, man, does this look rushed – the announcement just popped up on X with no advance warning. No prep for a televised address (which is how you’d normally do such a thing)…and the initial post “forgot” to endorse Harris. This was taken care of a few minutes later when they realized they forgot that detail.

I can only figure that someone got to Biden’s people on Sunday morning and said words to the effect of “He’s out. He’s out right now. If he refuses then a whole bunch of really horrible things will be exposed.”

In the end, the mechanics of it, aside from Biden being senile, is that the money had run out – he’s still got about $200 million but he burned through $50 million in June and no more was coming in. That’s not enough for a Fall campaign which just gets more expensive day by day. Harris gets to use that money – and my bet is that she’ll get the nod. Pretty confident that Team Obama (which probably presented the hemlock to Biden) is already working the phones lining up first-ballot delegates for Harris. If nobody big jumps in, it’ll just be hers by default. But there is always that chance that the far Left will want to make some noise and so will find a stalking horse to deny her a first ballot majority – and then it all just gets more fun from there!

Who’s the Veep? Shapiro would be best and would actually cause some trouble for Trump in Pennsylvania but he’s only been governor for two years and he’s got his own ambitions…and those ambitions might not be helped by joining a losing effort. I doubt they’ll go with a woman – so, look for a term-limited Democrat governor or a Senator who isn’t going anywhere.

Right now, the race remains Lean-R; it was about to tip Likely-R but this does throw the race into a bit of chaos. And Harris will now benefit from some glowing MSM coverage – she might get a boost in the polls.

I don’t think Trump should debate her – why give the Democrats any air?

Trump’s PAC already has an ad out condemning Harris for her part in the cover-up of Biden’s condition and the failed border. This is good – and I’m sure Team Trump has already made lots of prep to face her. Democrats, lacking the least sense of shame, are already attacking Trump as the old guy…and this, my friends, is why Trump did that 90 minute acceptance speech. He could already see what might happened and he needed to prove after the attempt that he’s physically and mentally up to it, regardless of who he winds up against.

Main thing for the GOP is that until the DNC, the Democrats don’t even really have a candidate and they are still in disarray…a lot of people are going to be burned up about this and Biden people will be…unhelpful.

UPDATE: I read that wrong! So far, the Clinton’s have endorsed Harris but Obama didn’t – his post on it talks of having an open nominating process. That surprises me. My bet: they’ll come together on this but there is now a non-zero chance that the Obama and Clinton camps get into a pissing match over the nominee.

Open Thread

Mark Noonan21 Comments

This past week lasted a couple years, didn’t it? As I write it is still not quite a week since Trump was shot. Just amazing all that happened.

As for the shooter: we don’t know what happened because the authorities are hiding it. But what has emerged tells me that the shooter had knowledge of how to do this – that is, how to be a sniper. Did he learn it on his own? Was he trained by someone? I’m leaning towards “trained by someone”…that this was someone’s op. Do keep in mind that the Iranians have said they will take revenge on Trump for turning Soleimani into an Ikea kit. And there are plenty in the USA who would volunteer to help – people who have been told the endless lies about Trump and the USA.

If an Iranian op why don’t the Authorities just say so? Because in addition to exposing their own gross incompetence in the actual event, such a thing is an act of war – and it is American Left policy to foster the rise of Iranian power…and, no, they don’t really expect this to bring peace to the Middle East. They say they do but it is really reparations for the US role in removing Mosaddegh from power in 1953. No, I’m not kidding. They are that stupid. They feel all the problems of the Middle East stem from that action…and by reversing it via an overtly anti-American and powerful Iran, the stage and be reset. That and, of course, a lot of them receive Iranian money to betray the USA. If they found Iran responsible then we’d have to attack – that is, American Democrats who love the Mullahs and hate Trump would have to attack their beloved in defense of the man they hate. Ain’t happening! So, the cover up continues.

Pushing out Pudding Brain: I still say they won’t be able to do it but it is clear that the entire Democrat Establishment wants Joe out. Not because he’s going to lose the White House, but because he’s going to cost them big down ballot. They trouble is that they’re dealing with a Pride-filled man – who is also senile. And there is also no incentive for Biden to bow out. The minute he agrees to go, his power is gone…even if he were to try to engineer his chosen candidate to replace him, any promises made to him wouldn’t be worth anything…and Joe knows that: Democrat promises are only designed to get the victim to commit seppuku. Democrats never intend to keep a promise. As I’ve said from the start, only threats against the liberty of Hunter would do it…but, OTOH, the guy with a half century in Democrat politics also knows where a lot of bodies are buried. Jill and Hunter may have been told many interesting things that Democrats would prefer remain quiet.

As for me: I don’t care! Let them fight! I hope they keep going at each other all the way to the convention and beyond. And then still wind up stuck with Joe! Part of the reason Joe wants to stay is because he’s convinced he, and he alone, can beat Trump. He thinks what he did in 2020 was some sort of genius…not cheating in weird circumstances. Of course, the fly in the ointment is that he can barely string a coherent sentence together. Even if he was a genius in 2020…he ain’t in 2024. He’s a senile, old man. So, fight it out Democrats – and then send Joe out to malfunction increasingly to election day.

Open Thread

Mark Noonan39 Comments

You realize that its only been five days since the shooting?

Doesn’t that seem like a month ago?

Time is like that – and we are living very fast right now. It is something that the late William Manchester noted in his memoir Goodbye, Darkness – During times of great events and stress, time compresses and seems to go a lot faster. Titanic forces are at work in our nation and it is hard at times to keep up with everything.

The USSS failed utterly. The shooter was seen hours before the event and was marked down as suspicious. From there is just got worse and worse until there’s no aspect of the security set up which didn’t fail. Trump is alive by simple miracle – had he not turned his head at the right moment, he’d be dead. No question about that – I’ve seen the time line videos showing the angles. The shooter had Trump dead in his sights.

The USSS and its parent organization DHS are stonewalling the investigation – not even letting Senators ask questions. This is feeding the files of conspiracy theories with dark hints about the Deep State. It probably isn’t that complex – all you have to do is order the troops to do the wrong thing and give every opportunity for the enemy to act. You think about the Alamo holding out as long as it did but if at any time those inside had simply done the wrong thing, it would have fallen quickly. That’s all it takes – for want a nail, right? I suspect that the ROE the USSS operates under for Trump is so deliberately bad that there was little chance, outside someone disobeying direct orders, for Trump’s Secret Service detail to stop it before the shots rang out. And that would be what they’re covering up…busily deleting texts and shredding documents so that those who ordered the total fail don’t have documentary evidence against them.

If I were Trump I’d start relying far more on personally hired security. I’d have at least some number of people I pay just to keep an eye on things. If someone paid by Trump was involved with security, that roof would not have been empty. No person determined to protect Trump would have missed that.

We all thought after the shooting that the push to oust Biden was over – and it made sense to think that. And, I believe, it was like that for a couple days. The Democrats resigned themselves to losing the White House and while they’d go through the motions of rah-rah for Biden, their focus would be on the House and Senate. But starting this morning the push to oust regained steam…with Schiff openly calling for Biden to step down. Schiff is supposed to win by 25 in a State Biden is supposed to win by 25. He shouldn’t have the least worry and so should have no need to step into a party fight which will earn him enemies no matter how it comes out. But he stepped in – and it can only mean that he’s seen internal polling showing Biden dragging Democrats down. And I mean badly down – like a 10-15 point shift to the GOP in some places bad. Schiff still gets his Senate seat…but if this is so, there will be about five fewer Democrats in that Senate with him.

Biden claimed Covid and retreated back to Delaware. Not the White House: he wanted a place where there are no visitor logs. I suspect over the next couple days there will be some conversations. We’ll see how that comes out – they still can’t force Biden out. His people are in charge of the Democrat party, and the delegates are mostly Biden loyalists. If Biden digs in his heels, it is almost impossible to get him out and it would require a massive political fight to even try..leaving the Democrat party divided and in tatters, maybe for years. So, people are going to talk to him (or, more accurately, Jill and Hunter) and see if some deal can be struck that strokes Biden’s ego enough to convince him to step aside.

Nobody has any idea how that will come out – the principle players in it don’t know how it will come out. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Trump-Vance, 2024

Mark Noonan48 Comments

Gotta say, I was a little surprised – I figured it would be Youngkin. But that might have been my bias: I thought he was best for the slot. But the decision has been made; the deed is done. No sense arguing about it any longer. This is our team: time to swing in behind it.

Vance does have an “American dream” story – he was born into abject poverty with a really bad family life. He rose above that. Very high above that. Even though standards have been dropped, getting into Yale Law still ain’t easy. So, the guy has some smarts. But he also seems to impress people…from working class to billionaires, people have come into his orbit and all seem willing to help him along to the next goal. To be sure, the billionaires do put a note of suspicion on him – but on the other hand, this guy from nowhere managed to get billionaires to back his dreams. It’s one thing when the scion of a rich family gets aid – that is just one rich stroking another. Putting money into a nobody is a risk – and you only do that if you think its worth it.

His wife is also “American Dream”: born in America of Indian immigrants (but much higher socio-economically than Vance), Usha Vance also has the Yale Law degree; they met in college. So, she’s also got some brains. Vance turns 40 next month so he is the youth and vigor for the team – and as he and his wife have three young children that will also strike a chord in a large segment of the electorate. Small side note and totally irrelevant: I’ve created a witch named Usha in Ghost Tower (Book X); she’s alluded to in Home World (Book IX). She is a horribly bad person but also kinda cool in that she can kill people via flames shooting out of her hands. I just hope that Mrs Vance doesn’t take offense!

Vance represents “Flyover America”. That is his thing – its what he’s for. His Hillbilly Elegy was all about it. Another side note: If Trump/Vance wins then for the first time we’ll have an Executive team made up of two New York Times Bestsellers (Trump for The Art of the Deal). I suspect that Vance was picked at least in part for his ability to connect with the alienated in the Rust Belt. Not GOPers – they’re already in Trump’s corner. I’m talking disaffected Democrats.

Within minutes of the pick the Left was out with a variety of hit pieces – I don’t think they’ve fully settled on whether he’s Worse Than Hitler or Hitler Lite, but that he’s some sort of Hitler is a given. Naturally they’re calling him racist (though with an Indian wife; weird, huh?), sexist, homophobic, fascist and all the rest. That “lowering the tone” speech Biden gave yesterday had about a 12 hour shelf life. But, we all expected that – hate and fear are all the Democrats have.

There were, naturally, the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism on the Right. People who wanted someone else. People who are just looking for a reason to attack Trump. Cowards who think we can’t win. I mostly ignored them. They are the people we used to lose with. Trump/Vance is the future; and that is where I’m looking. Can they lose? Of course they can. Anything is, always, possible. But I’m pretty confident it is Trump/Vance getting sworn in next January. Keep in mind: Trump was winning before the debate. He was winning comfortably after it. After Saturday, I think he’s well nigh unbeatable…certainly unbeatable by a frail, senile old creep. That will be as it will: as I’ve said all along, if we lose in 2024 then we never had a chance to begin with. Might as well joyfully enter the battle.

And I am joyful. Probably more happy than I’ve been about the future of our nation for a long, long while. I think we might have the people to actually get the reform ball rolling. I mean real reform; where things actually change. Not just window dressing on failure. There is much work to do – and much risk. The attempt on Saturday is revealing so much incompetence in the USSS that it is easy to get the feeling that they were intentionally inept. The Democrats have not stopped the incendiary rhetoric – and that will just increase as time goes on. Make no mistake about it: they do want a successful Saturday to happen. They hope that by continually stoking the fires that someone will make their dream come true. But the miracle of Saturday also gives me confidence that, as it always eventually does, right will triumph.

Almost

Mark Noonan62 Comments

Just an inch the other way and we’d be plunged into nationwide political violence this evening.

They call us racists.

They call us Nazis.

They call us Fascists.

They call us traitors.

They call us homophobes.

They call us Russian agents.

This is what they did. On purpose. They wanted this to happen. They willed this to happen. And it almost happened.

It is all still very confused – we only know for certain that Trump is ok and at least one poor, innocent American is dead. There are rumors that the shooter is dead, as well.

Who the lunatic was is immaterial in the grand scheme of things. Obviously an insane person. Connected to the Left? That remains to be seen – but the reason this person opened fire is because of the hate-filled rhetoric that has come from the Democrats, Biden on down, without ceasing for years.

In November comes the reckoning.

UPDATE:

His name was Corey Comperatore, 50 years old. Father, firefighter…but, also and most importantly, just a man. A man who worked hard and tried to do the right thing. He’s a hundred different men I know. Dead now because a Leftist lunatic killed him – after years of Democrats saying that Trump and MAGA are racist, Nazi existential threats to Our Democracy. And don’t fall for the MSM spin going on right now – they’re trying to say the shooter was a Republican because of a voter registration document…but the more that comes out the more it shows he was a far-Left fanatic.

We’re still short on details as the government busies itself scrubbing social media and working out their best strategy to distance Democrats from this crime. But there is no real mystery here – a leftist lunatic tried to murder President Trump and did manage to murder Comperatore, and seriously injure two others. Showing the true spirit of America, the Go Fund Me set up by the Trump campaign has already raised more than $1.2 million for the victims.

But that doesn’t bring Comperatore back. Nothing can. His family has lost him forever. This man who was supposed to grow old surrounded by his family is now gone.

(Post edited to correct name – sorry, guys: my proofreading skills are off today)

Open Thread

Mark Noonan40 Comments

I didn’t watch the presser – just didn’t feel up to watching the senile creep. But I guess he managed to say “Vice President Trump” while implying he thought Harris unfit to serve. And something about reuniting Japan and Korea. Something which will comes as a bit of a surprise in both countries.

Right into it the Democrat comments were all along the lines of “this is going well because Biden has such great experience in foreign policy”…which is news to me, you and everyone on Earth. Biden has never been good on foreign policy. He’s grotesquely ignorant of it, in fact. But that a large number of Democrat comments were along these lines shows it was a talking point passed out before the presser. And, of course, he had a list of reporters to call on – which means it wasn’t a press conference but a campaign event.

At the end of the day, Biden has to show the people that he is in great health and mentally sharp. That he didn’t have a debate-style meltdown isn’t going to do the trick. He had to be like the Biden of the 2008 Vice Presidential debate where he was able to smoothly lie his way through the whole thing without a hiccup. He is mentally and physically incapable of that and every time they put him out there looking like a worn out geezer the more frozen the public mind will be on “unfit.”

I still doubt they’ll force him out – there is a growing desire on the part of some Democrats to get him out but the delegates are mostly Biden loyalists. Unless he voluntarily goes, there’s not much the Democrats can do about it – and his pride along with Jill and Hunter will keep him in it. He does not want to be remembered as the man who quit…especially in the face of Donald Trump, whom he hates with a passion. But at this point I’m not sure the Democrats can get to the monotonous unity they normally present for the general election. You know it: where day by day regardless of what is actually happening they all stay on message. We might have leaks and back biting among the Democrats all the way until November.

This is why the GOP wants Biden to stay in.

And how is it going?

Well, the Biden people put out a memo which says, essentially, they’re counting on holding WI/MI/PA…which means here in July their plan is to thread the needle to exactly 270. The campaign trying to do that is the campaign that is losing. Badly. Side note: the MI Senate race has been moved from “Leans Dem” to “Tossup”. Why? Because Biden is proving such a downward drag on Democrat enthusiasm that nobody is sure if enough Democrats will show in November.

Trump VP speculation is rife – I honestly have no idea. I think his team is stirring the pot on this deliberately so that his pick will come as a complete surprise…and, who knows?, maybe it’ll be someone nobody expects? One thing everyone is agreeing on: this 2024 Trump campaign is vastly more disciplined than either 2016 or 2020. No leaks. Message discipline. Prepping for turnout and fraud prevention. Mapping out strategy to hold or take States and, perhaps, move into one or two traditionally Blue States if that seems warranted.

Democrats are trying to turn Project 2025 into something to harm Trump. I think it only works on the most committed Democrats. And that could mean, actually, that Team Pudding Brain hasn’t even locked down traditional Democrat constituencies. We’ll see!

SIDE NOTE: You know how fans love their teams? Well, I found out something – when you abandon your team after more than half a century of sticking with them, the other fans get really mad about that. I became a Padres fan in 1972 when at the age of 7 my Dad brought me to my first game. The Padres beat the Cubs that day. I was hooked. And like a good, little fan I stuck with them all these years. But when the Padres got swept by the Mariners after a two game totally inept and lazy performance, something inside me broke…I just couldn’t be a fan any longer. Honestly, I think it’s that I became a Golden Knights fan that ultimately ruined it for me. Being a Padres/Chargers fan I had long been accustomed to “next year”. Knights got a Cup in six years. I now expect that if I’m going to invest time and emotion in team that they at least try hard. Anyways, when I posted my anti-Padres rant on X, did I get scorched! So, if you do decide to bail out on a team which perennially sucks, don’t post it!

Open Thread

Mark Noonan58 Comments

As of this moment in time, still thinking that Biden remains – he’s really digging in his heels (or Hunter and Jill are) and he is garnering some public support among Democrat electeds. There are still a few Democrats calling for him to step aside but the numbers are small and it can often be seen a tactical: they’re in areas where Democrats are weak and Democrats are always forgiving of Democrats who do what it takes to survive.

I think, bottom line, that its really too late to swap out. Not based on law. Laws don’t matter to Democrats. If they were really determined to push Pudding Brain out, they’d do so and rely on friendly Democrat judges and squishy cooperative GOPers to ensure the new guy is on the ballot in all 50 states. Its too late because getting someone new in and trying to ramp up a national campaign with a new candidate is just entirely too forlorn. Democrats know they are headed for defeat – they could have pushed Biden out 9 months ago, but now it is just too late. On to the end – maybe a miracle shows up, but keeping Biden is now at the very least no worse than hitting the eject button. It is now all about down-ballot. At the moment, most State-by-State polling shows Democrats doing ok – it looks like they’ll lose the House and Senate but only by a few seats in each…but that is the polling. This polling screens for Presidential-year voters…who only show up every four years.

And that is the problem Democrats really have – the Presidential-year Dem-leaners aren’t going to show up in sufficient numbers if it gets into the public mind that Biden is done for. This could be catastrophic for Democrats. If even five million such people become stay-at-homes then what is now a narrow Congressional loss could become a landslide loss…all sorts of Dem House and Senate candidates who are up by even 5 to 7 right now could end up losing. And so I just saw a Rosen (D-NV) Senate ad lauding her for fighting to secure the border; an egregious lie, of course, but it indicates that even with polling showing her substantially up over Sam Brown, the GOP Candidate, she’s concerned about losing the race on the right.

Team Biden is still going with “he’s vigorous as heck!”. In fact, they even have surrogates out there going, “hey, where’s Trump?”. Basically implying that since Trump isn’t on the stump right now, it is Trump who is feeble while the vigorous and manly Biden is out on the trail. Of course, Trump is wisely holding back – while your opponent is self-immolating, just shut up and let him do it. Remember, we’re only here right now because Team Pudding Brain issued a debate challenge they clearly thought Trump would decline. Had they not done that, this would be going a lot differently right now (and a heck of a lot more funny if June’s debate happened in September and it was only at that moment Democrats realized they’re screwed). Trump is naturally delighted with how it went and as he preps for the RNC and the Veep selection, there’s no need for him to do anything.

Especially as the latest RCP average has Trump up something like 3.3. I might be slightly wrong on that – it might be more. But, no matter: as I’ve said – and everyone says – for Biden to have a shot as scraping by with 270 Electoral Votes, he’s got to be up by 3 nationally. Trump up by 3+ puts this entirely out of reach. Trump was narrowly winning pre-debate. He’s comfortably ahead now (many forecasters have taken GA, AZ and NV out of the “tossup” realm and put them “Lean-R”…and an argument can be made that PA is “Lean-R” – and, if so, that is game over). Trump is in the driver’s seat here. Lots of things can happen, of course, but it is also a well-known fact of political life that usually in June the thing is pretty baked in. Takes something really major to shake it up. Unfortunately for Biden, most of the major things that can happen are bad for him (another mental breakdown live, Ukraine being defeated, inflation spiking, that sort of thing).

The French election went as I expected – the Left convinced that squish “Right” to vote Left to keep the “far Right” out. Do keep in mind that when they say “far Right” they mean “middle class French patriots”. It is the same as when they call you and I “MAGA extremists”. Looks like Le Pen’s party actually got the most votes – and by a substantial margin. But by the quirks of French election process, her party came in third, seat-wise. This has caused a lot of heartache on the French Right (as it should) but I tell them to buck up – a decade ago there were like 4 French patriots in Parliament. Now there’s 150. And while the Left is trying to forge a governing coalition (no party obtained an absolute majority) it already looks unstable…with plenty of the squish Right being dismayed that the Left now wants 100% of their program enacted. I expect a good portion of the squish Right to defect to Le Pen’s party…and they might have to call another snap election if a stable government can’t be formed.

The Brit’s, on the other hand, are screwed. Labour obtained an unassailable absolute majority. Moving swiftly they have already announced they will let a bunch of criminals out of jail. Not kidding. This is apparently a high priority for Labour. No, they didn’t campaign on that. The Left never campaigns on what they’re going to actually do. They learned that lesson in the 1980’s when in both the US and UK the Left did campaign on what they wanted and they got electorally wiped out. Since then, it has always been like this:

“We’ve passed the free ice cream for everyone law!”

“Cool! When do I get my ice cream?”

“Ice cream? We’re here to shoot your dog.”

I don’t see how the UK comes back from this – the Labour government is going to import a couple million Muslims and give them citizenship to make sure Labour never loses again. Think I’m kidding? I’ve seen videos of new-minted Labour officials dressed entirely in Muslim garb and with only Muslim flags being waved by the crowds. One does have to remember that Leftists – all Leftists, everywhere – hate their own country and their own people. Its why Labour is rushing through the release of criminals…they want these criminals to prey upon the British people. To the Left, the British people are evil and now they’re going to get what’s coming to them.

War and Pride

Mark Noonan25 Comments

Got into a little debate about the Ukraine War on X – it ended up with me, apparently, being placed on someone’s list of Stupid People. Meh. Not the first time. Won’t be the last. But the crux of the debate is this:

I suggest that it is time for Ukraine to seek a peace deal with Russia, even at the price of lost territory.

The other side suggests I’m an idiot and that this would be to reward a cruel and evil aggressor.

Now, to be fair, I agree that a peace deal which leaves Russia in possession of the Donbas would be to reward the aggressor – this whether or not Putin is cruel and evil (that’s a debate for some other time). But that wasn’t exactly what got me on the Stupid List. We went on and my opponents are quite certain that such an abomination cannot be tolerated – that Ukraine must continue the fight! On and on. Fight! Fight! FIGHT!

To which I responded: well, yeah, they can fight on but to what purpose? The Ukrainians simply lack the physical power to expel the Russians. At this point, all further bloodshed is pointless because it cannot alter the result. Everyone on both sides is now dying for nothing. Presto: I’m on the Stupid List.

After it was over it occurred to me that what is really lacking in the modern world is any knowledge of history, especially of military history. I mean, seriously: the normal course of war throughout human history has been an aggressor attacking and the defender either prevailing or not against this aggression. I will use the closest example to what we have in the Russia-Ukraine War – the War of the Austrian Succession/Seven Years war.

This two part war started because Prussia in 1740, perceiving a weak Hapsburg government under a newly enthroned female Monarch (Maria Theresa) would be easy pickings…so they occupied the Hapsburg province of Silesia. Turns out, Prussia (under Frederick the very-much-so-called Great) got a lot more than they bargained for. Maria Theresa was made of much sterner stuff than expected. She didn’t just roll over – she fought. First round went on until 1748 when mutual exhaustion compelled peace – but a peace where Maria Theresa ceded Silesia to Prussia. She wasn’t about to lie down for that for long and so as soon as peace was concluded she started reforming her realm, rebuilding her armies and forging new alliances for a second round, which started in 1756 – called The Seven Years War in Europe, in America it is our French and Indian War (which, of course, led very directly to our Revolutionary War twenty years later). Unfortunately for the cause of the Just, Maria Theresa was not able to prevail – after seven years of fighting and pushing Frederick and his Prussia to the verge of destruction, luck went against her and she was forced to once again make peace with Prussia still in possession of Silesia. Why did she quit? Because she found that she simply lacked the physical power to compel Prussian withdrawal. She could have kept fighting. She still had soldiers. She could have kept going on and on and on…but it was done. She couldn’t win. It was time to quit. And so she did.

That is what I’m talking about. As long as you have a hope of prevailing, fight. But as soon as you see the end beyond reasonable doubt, it is time to call it quits.

To be sure, history is also filled with wars that went on long after the decision was reached. Most famously was, of course, Hitler’s war where he was ordering his shattered armies to attack when the Russians were a hundred yards away from his bunker. That war was definitely over the moment the Allies got ashore at Normandy – which is why von Rundstedt, asked what to do about it, said, “make peace, you fools”. World War One – the Germans got their peace with Russia in March of 1918. At that point, no longer burdened by an Eastern Front (and having access to Russia’s vast raw materials) their choice was simple – sue for peace with the western Allies. They had no chance – the British/French/American armies and economies were vastly superior to anything the Germans could bring to the field. It was time to quit. Instead, they attacked. Had they quit in April of 1918 they would have got vastly better terms than they got in November 1918. Also, the Confederacy. The Civil War was effectively over with the surrender of Vicksburg and Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg…but it was absolutely finished when Sherman took Atlanta. At that point, it was time to throw in the towel…no possible outcome later would be better than running up the white flag in July of 1864. The loss of lives and property resulting from these wars going on past their decisive moments is astonishing…and the world is a worse and poorer place today because of stubborn pride keeping up a lost fight.

And that is what I’m on about regarding Ukraine. The only ghost of a chance Ukraine has is if an American and/or European army comes to redress the balance. That is simply not possible as the European and American populations don’t want to fight. Ukraine had her chance for victory – had she built up a mobile strike force to attack the lumbering and incompetent Russian army of 2022. She had a second chance once that first Russian invasion was checked – before Russia got her act together. But now it is too late…Russia’s power just grows and grows while Ukraine’s fades away. The Russians don’t even have to be in any way clever…they so vastly outnumber the Ukrainians that they can fix the Ukrainian army in place and just grind it down with artillery. If Ukraine throws up the sponge right now then they’ll get far better terms than if they fight pointlessly until total collapse, at which time Russia gets to dictate terms. And this is without considering the loss to Ukraine’s future in the number of brave, fit young men who are dying day by day. It is just time for peace. There’s been a war. Ukraine has lost this war. End it. Pay the price of defeat. Maybe Ukraine can try again later – that would be up to Ukraine. But for this moment, it is over. Pay the price for peace.

But I think we, being a very sinful people these days, just can’t grasp that concept. Our pride is involved – that is, those who have been boosters of Ukraine just can’t contemplate a future where Ukraine isn’t triumphant. Pride combined with a callous disregard for human life is what has brought us here – and it is very sad, especially as it is expressed by people who not only have never seen death in war, but who don’t even really think about it. That is, the young man who is on the front line…he’s got all the same hopes and dreams that any young man may have and then in an instant, all gone. Never to come back. Lost forever. The people pushing for war don’t seem to think about that – can’t even comprehend it. How precious the blood expended is…how irretrievable the loss. I am starting to think they are very much monsters…and no less monsters than Hitler raving about massive counterattacks from the bunker.

We had that quite moving anti-war song of the 1960’s, Where Have All the Flowers Gone? but I think we need an update to it…the flowers have all turned into stone faced freaks who think of human beings as so many blocks of wood. Not themselves, of course. Oh, no: you’ll won’t find the war boosters in the trenches – but for everyone not them, off you go…grind away. Die. Just don’t make me confront my own failure…