Hello, and welcome to another edition of Extremist Makeover! If you missed the first installment, shame on you! But since I like ya, I’ll let it go…this time!
Basically, Extremist Makeover tries to take something we know and try to improve its image by slapping a new coat of paint on it. Today’s installment involves one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving.
There was a time in this country when Thanksgiving meant something. Getting together with family, enjoying all sorts of food, watching the Detroit Lions lose again. You know, the really important things in life. But lately, Thanksgiving is treated like the Arbor Day of the fourth quarter of the year: recognized by a handful of people, but otherwise overlooked. Like Pauly Shore’s movie career.
In preparation for this piece, I did some thinking about the nature of society and the three major holidays of this time of year, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. All three of these holidays involve giving in some fashion, but only two involve tangible goods. For Halloween, you give out candy, or booze if you’re a parent of a trick-or-treater. For Christmas, you give presents. What do you give for Thanksgiving? Well, thanks. It’s literally in the name of the holiday!
This is where society comes into play. It wasn’t that long ago that people loved to spend time with each other in fellowship and food. With the advent of the Internet and social media, people are no longer interested in turkey and stuffing and more interested in taking pictures of the turkey and stuffing to post on Instagram. Oh, and taking selfies doing a turducken face.
As we’ve gotten more superficial and obsessed with material goods (yay capitalism!), we’ve forgotten how to give thanks or appreciate what we have. In turn, that’s turned Thanksgiving into a detour between Halloween and Black Friday. And the weekend after Thanksgiving turns into a detour between Black Friday and Cyber Monday where you can still buy a Blu-Ray player for $25, but you don’t have to leave your house to fight off your fellow human beings for it. So, yay, I guess?
In short, Thanksgiving is getting the short end of the shaft. And, as anyone can tell you, that cat Shaft is a bad mutha…where was I again? Oh, yeah, Thanksgiving! How do we turn our annual triptophan fix into something even the most superficial amongst us would want to be part of?
With the nature of modern society being what it is, you might think merchandising and advertising would be the answer. But you’d be wrong. Americans aren’t opposed to spending money on Thanksgiving, and only the dumbest person would be a hard sell on a day off in the latter half of the week, so we don’t need to raise awareness of Thanksgiving’s existence. What we need to do is make people care about it again.
For this, we have to look at what makes America tick these days. And what really gets us going is a combination of violence, getting something for nothing, competition, and the possibility of someone getting embarrassed and/or seriously injured. There’s only one thing I know of that ticks all those boxes.
Japanese game shows.
More specifically, Takeshi’s Castle, better known in the States as Most Extreme Elimination Challenge.
Basically, the idea behind the shows is people competing in a series of physical stunts to whittle down the contestants to only those who successfully beat the challenges. Then, the finalists compete in one last challenge until there is only one contestant standing, often literally.
The original show had over 100 contestants at a time, so to increase the likelihood of violence, getting something for nothing, competition, and the possibility of someone getting embarrassed and/or seriously injured, I think we should keep this number. And we shouldn’t limit the scope to just a few people who want to humiliate themselves on camera!
Pick out 100 people at random from all socioeconomic groups and offer fantastic prizes, like having their personal income taxes paid in full or a really nice set of steak knives. You know, something the whole family can enjoy.
So, where does Thanksgiving come into play? This competition would be held on Thanksgiving Day! Replace the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Detroit Lions game with the new Thanksgiving tradition, Thanksgiving Thunderdome! With the stunts and challenges I have planned, we could rip through the contestants at a pretty good clip. And don’t tell me you wouldn’t get a lot of joy at watching Bill Gates try to navigate a field of cow patties while being chased by people who think Microsoft is the worst company ever? (Namely, anybody who has used a Microsoft product on a regular basis.)
All we need is a network to pick it up and we have ourselves a hit and a way to make Thanksgiving mean something again!
Until next time, keep your feet on the ground and your head on top of your neck.
Category: Social Issues
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
This week’s Lexicon entry has nothing to do with current events because there really isn’t anything new out there that some other commentator or dumbass hasn’t already covered. Good thing you have me so you can check off both boxes in one fell swoop!
Instead, I want to talk about a concept popular within Leftist circles, a little thing the kids like to call intersectionality. As much as I would like to say this is about determining who goes first at intersections, I’m afraid I can’t. Intersectionality is something far less useful, yet far more stupid.
intersectionality
What the Left thinks it means – the study of how systems of oppression/privilege overlap
What it really means – figuring out ways to make people into much bigger victims than they actually are
The Center for Intersectional Justice (and I swear this is a real thing), defines intersectionality thus:
The concept of intersectionality describes the ways in which systems of inequality based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class and other forms of discrimination “intersect” to create unique dynamics and effects.
Think of it as one big Venn Diagram, only a lot less orderly.
The idea behind intersectionality is where there is overlap, there is more opportunity to be a victim. A white lesbian quadruple diabetic amputee has a different number of touch-points than a black gender fluid left-handed bisexual with a speech impediment because…reasons! And with more touch-points of oppression comes more victims and, oddly enough, more privilege in Leftist circles. But intersectionality is supposed to address privilege, so…
Fuck if I know!
Along with intersectionality comes a process for Leftists to determine a victimhood hierarchy called a progressive stack. In short, the more victimized/marginalized you are (or are perceived to be by other Leftists), you get to speak before others who are less victimized/marginalized. Which further makes victimhood a positive…which defeats the purpose of fighting inequality since the Left is making inequality a means to elevate others…
I got nothing.
Like, literally. I got nothing.
There is no making sense of intersectionality or the progressive stack because it’s not about logic. It’s all about fee-fees. Leftists thrive in a world where feelings don’t care about your facts. Why else do you think 6’8″ 350 pound bearded men wearing pink taffeta can demand to be called Susan and Leftists don’t bat an eye? It’s because it doesn’t matter if the man has more between his legs than a male porn star because he feels like a woman and, thus, we have to respect that.
And the more you can claim you’re being oppressed, the more secure your position within Leftist circles.
The only problem (well, aside from being batshit insane) is the Left keeps shifting the meanings of key words to suit the situation. Try to get them to define a woman that doesn’t get dropped faster than a TikTok fad. Yet, gender and gender identity are part of intersectionality. So, how can these two concepts be so ill-defined in Leftist circles and still be parts of the intersectionality puzzle?
If you think logically, they can’t co-exist. If you think Leftically, they co-exist like they belong on a lame-ass bumper sticker on a Prius.
This same exercise can be repeated with race (which Leftists say is a social construct), gender identity (which Leftists say you develop as a toddler), and gender (which Leftists say is also a social construct), just to name three. And believe me, you don’t want to go down this rabbit hole any more than you have to. Leave that to me so you don’t burn any brain cells you might actually need.
Where intersectionality gets really fucked up is when you consider it makes personal pain into a tangible real world (or as real as Leftists feel) benefits. As you accumulate more and more sources or potential sources of oppression, the more valuable you are to a Leftist because it makes you easier to exploit. And if you think that’s harsh, there really is no better term to use here because, well, it’s fucking exploitation.
But wait, there’s more! With this exploitation comes an ego boost to generations who are already narcissistic from the jump. So, there is an instant dopamine boost from being a victim because you get attention and sympathy. If you have actual oppression in your life, what is the motivation to overcome it? If you fix yourself or your situation, you become less valuable to Leftists, which means you don’t get as much attention to feed your ego. You might even identify as an oppressed class because the Left’s definitions are looser than the world’s least profitable casino.
I’m lookin’ at you, Rachel Dolezal and Shawn King.
This notion is reinforced by progressive stacking. The way the stack works is the most oppressed gets to speak first. Implicit in that is the idea the most oppressed has the most important viewpoint and should be listened to by virtue of that oppression. The problem is that’s not true. After all, Puddin’ Head Joe and Kamala Harris say equally stupid shit on the regular, regardless of the order in which they speak.
Although this is theoretical stuff, we shouldn’t judge intersectionality and progressive stack until we see it in action, right? Well, it works as well as you might expect, which is to say it doesn’t.
But you know what does work? A little thing called the Golden Rule. Treat everybody else like you would want to be treated. And unlike intersectionality (and the people who push it), it actually works. Give it a try, Leftists, and let me know what you think.
In the meantime, we need to remember not everyone who claims to be a victim is a victim. Yes, this means we have to do some digging and not just believe, but when you consider how the Left uses oppression as a bargaining chip, it’s worth it. In these matters, Ronald Reagan’s “Trust, but verify,” could be the best stance to take.
Well, aside from pointing and laughing at the Leftists pimping pain, that is.
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
Since the Gaza Strip turned into a war zone, there have been a number of disturbing events. Violence against Jews has risen. Acts of anti-Jewish vandalism are rampant. Leftist strongholds have let the mask drop to show how they really feel about Israel.
In response to this, the Puddin’ Head Joe Administration swung into action. With their fingers fully on the pulse of the nation and how Americans feel about Israel, they gathered their best minds and announced a national initiative to combat…islamophobia.
Remember, kids, this idea came from their best minds.
Since the Left brought it up, I figured we should revisit islamophobia in the current context and have a few laughs in the process.
islamophobia
What the Left thinks it means – irrational fear or hatred of Muslims, currently fueled by high emotions over the Gaza situation
What it really means – a term used to deflect legitimate criticism of Muslim extremists
Let me make something perfectly clear. I don’t hate Islam anymore than I hate anything else. The customs and practices are different, but that’s not a reason to start stringing up Muslims. Just like with Christianity, there are different belief systems under the Muslim banner, some more uptight, others more relaxed. Regardless, I extend that offer of kinship until such time as it gets revoked because I would like the same for my beliefs.
Having said that, Islam has a problem, namely there are some really uptight assholes ruining it for the rest of the faithful. As much as Leftists like to paint people like me as radical extremists destined to lash out with violence, I don’t see that many Amish drive-bys. Mainly because they tend not to have cars, but the point’s the same. Christianity is not by its nature violent. You could count on the two hands of the world’s worst power tool demonstrator the number of Christians who have acted violently in the past century or so. And last time Christians did act violently on a wide scale (i.e. the Crusades), it didn’t work out for them.
Islam, on the other hand…well, let’s just say they have a ways to go in the non-violence workbook. And it’s for this reason people are a little skittish about completely trusting our Muslim brothers and sisters. When Christianity gets radicalized, you tend to get Amway-level aggressive proselytizing. When Islam gets radicalized, you tend to get explosions. They are not the same.
Naturally, the Left has found a way to weaponize prudent caution by shaming people into ignoring it through shame. Islamophobia works in the same way “racist” does with the Left: take any less-than-positive statement, put it through their intersectionality prism (with a quick consultation of their Oppression Decoder Rings), and turn it into hate. You know, just like The Squad!
With regards to the fighting in Gaza, the Left has ramped up the islamophobia rhetoric to paint Muslims as being persecuted by Israel. And, just like clockwork, the squawking points went out for Leftists to recite without self-reflection. Although there are Muslims affected by the current situation, the Left has pulled a bit of a switcheroo.
Take any current Leftist statement about islamophobia, for example. Notice there is one name that never gets mentioned in the same breath as decrying islamophobia. That’s right, kids. I’m talking about Hamas. By only mentioning Muslims, Leftists don’t have to deal with the fact there are Muslims like Hamas running around out there. And they use Israel’s military strength to create a David vs. Goliath where the Muslims (i.e. Hamas) are the underdogs.
That same approach works with islamophobia, too. By painting Muslims as the victims, the Left has made it next to impossible for any legitimate discourse on whether radical Islam is a problem. (Spoiler Alert: it is.) So, all of Islam gets a whitewash and the Left can keep avoiding a major blind spot it has regarding it. A win-win!
Well, except for all the people who are injured, kidnapped, or murdered by the radical Muslims like Hamas, of course.
There is legitimate hatred of Muslims out there, but it’s not nearly as widespread as the Left wants us to believe. But this gives the Left an incentive to pump up the numbers by making any slight against Muslims islamophobic. And I do me any slight. The problem becomes separating the real islamophobia from the bullshit and being unafraid to call it out when it happens.
Guess who I trust least with doing any of that.
Maybe it’s me, but it’s almost like the Left is so focused on fighting islamophobia as an apology of sorts for our response to 9/11, which was to…go after Muslim extremists and their proxies. Even though there were examples of dumb people treating anyone with darker brown skin like a terrorist, most of the anger was directed at those who supported the attack on America.
To the Left, this was a black stain on our history, so they made it a central point of their platform from that point on to reject the idea there are bad Muslims, just good Muslims being persecuted by evil nasty poopyhead Right Wingers.
Wait…isn’t that the same rationale the Left used with illegal Mexican immigrants?
And wouldn’t that be a great strategy for people who want America to be destroyed to exploit? But I’m sure that would never happen, right?
That insinuation may make people call me islamophobic, and I don’t care. The term has lost all meaning for me because it’s been oversaturated like the Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift relationship. At that point, I enter Don’t Give A Fuck Mode. The fact the Left continues to pretend islamophobia is rampant, especially at a time when Muslim extremists are responsible for killing people who were at a fucking music festival, is troubling. How many more people are Leftists going to allow to be killed or hurt just to protect their feefees?
If the media coverage of the war in Gaza is any indication, as many as it takes.
In the meantime, it’s incumbent upon us to keep cooler heads and not treat every Muslim how Leftists are treating Israel right now. We have to encourage Muslims to feel free to express their opinions, even if we disagree with them, and show them love. As the late Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” If we want to end hostilities towards Muslims (or any group for that matter), we must start by mending fences.
Of course, once those fences get blown up by people who prefer to kill us than be neighborly, only three words need to be uttered.
Game on, bitch.
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
To take our minds off the recent fighting in the Middle East, the economic turmoil at home, and the possibility of another season of anything involving the Kardashians, let’s read a book. That is, if those evil mean illiterate nasty Republicans let you!
Over the past year or so, parents have been finding out there’s more being taught in schools besides the 3 Rs (which, if you want to get technical, is really an R, a W, and an A), and it’s pissed them off a little bit. Then again, who needs to learn math, English, and science when there’s albino bisexual midget quadriplegic slam poetry to learn?
As a result of these revelations, Republican governors like Ron DeSantis and Kim Reynolds have rolled out what the Left has called “book bans.” Leftists also proudly proclaim “We Read Banned Books” if the Facebook and The Social Media Network Formerly Known as Twitter posts and laminated stickers are any indication. The Right has pushed back saying they’re not book bans because the books are still available, just not to certain students.
So, what’s the truth? As you might expect, it’s a lot more gray than you’d think.
book bans
What the Left thinks it means – efforts by the Right to ban books because they don’t like them and want students to be ill-informed
What it really means – keeping creepy shit out of the hands of those unprepared to deal with the subject matter
Recent American history has not been kind to fans of the written word, such as your humble correspondent. We’ve seen books burned, trashed, destroyed, and otherwise maligned by people whose intentions may have been good on the surface, but were really just the motivations of some crazed dickweed with a Paul Bunyon-sized ax to grind. For a long time, it was the more religiously-bent among us who enjoyed making a bonfire out of Bonfire of the Vanities, but around the 1990s, the Left started getting into the act, not with torches, but with Political Correctness.
It started with Huckleberry Finn, a literary classic that entertained young and old alike since its initial publishing. But when PC became a thing, the book fell into disfavor for its frequent use of a term I won’t repeat here because a) it’s offensive, and b) I’m not Michael Richards. After raising a stink about the word, Leftists sought to remove it from schools to fight racism. Context and time period didn’t matter because even though the words were written several decades before these dipshits were born, they were offended now! And back then, just like today, when something offended them, it had to be eliminated. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and the adventures of Huck and Jim were safe.
That’s the kind of book bans the Left doesn’t want us to talk about or acknowledge. They want us to think about the Right burning books or wanting Harry Potter books removed from school libraries because concerned parents think it promotes witchcraft and the occult. While the overt push for book bans is still being done, quiet book bans are also taking place, either through complete disinterest in the subject matter or author or through a shame campaign forcing people to choose between reading some books and being on “the right side of history.” Unfortunately, shame works all too well, especially in today’s society where we’re more narcissistic and status-conscious than ever before. And if it’s not something about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, it just ain’t important, amirite?
In the current sense, book bans are being done by both sides, just for different reasons. The Left wants books (and sometimes even authors) memory-holed for not staying in lock step with the current ideology. The Right…well, let’s just say they have a slightly different reason, namely the absolute stuff being passed off as elementary school and young adult literature. Such as Gender Queer, a graphic novel geared towards young adults that shows illustrations of how to give a blow job.
At this rate, the 3 Rs are going to include have to make room for one or two more, such as rimjobs. (Author’s Note: if you don’t know what one is, don’t look it up. Trust me on this.)
And then there is This Book Is Gay, also geared towards middle school students, with mentions of the gay dating site Grindr. (And I must repeat, this is being geared towards middle school students, something definitely not appropriate for anyone under 18.) Having been a middle school student once, I know for a fact I wouldn’t have been ready for that kind of subject matter because I was just getting used to the changes in my own body, as well as the emotional and intellectual maturity going on. Today’s kids are even less prepared than I was to handle it. They may be more accepting of it, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready for it.
As much as I criticize the Right for the crazy shit they do with regards to books, they actually have a point here. To make matters worse for the Left, DeSantis, Reynolds, and others aren’t actually banning the aforementioned books, but rather suggesting they be kept in more appropriate libraries with the option for parents and/or students to request they be checked out from said libraries. And they aren’t prohibiting parents from buying these books themselves.
If that’s a book ban, it has to be one of the shittiest ever.
On the other side of the coin, the Left’s current brand revolves around “cancel culture” so it’s not that much of a stretch to think they’re fine with banning books they don’t like. Just ask J.K. Rowling, once a Leftist darling whose books inspired Leftists to pretend Donald Trump was Voldemort, but then became a pariah for daring to think…women are women and trans women aren’t! How revolting!
Along with Rowling, you can add authors like Ayn Rand, Dr. Thomas Sowell, Larry Elder, Tammy Bruce, and a laundry list of Right-leaning writers who have been removed from Leftist minds by virtue (or in this case vice) of not being Leftists and, therefore, not worth their time. Amazing how the Left’s version of diversity excludes the intellectual kind.
More disturbing to me, however, is the cavalier nature of the Left redefining book bans to include what DeSantis and Reynolds are doing. But, as with most things Leftist, it’s being done for multiple purposes…or is that purposi? Anyway, the point is the Left has a vested interest in painting those parents and politicians who don’t think little Johnny should be learning how to assfuck his best friend along with his ABCs as extremist whackjobs.
The most obvious motivations are political. After all, the LGBTQIA+2R14X-ROCKINTHEUSA community is firmly in the back pockets of the Left, both figuratively and literally, so Leftists want to make them happy. Gotta keep those coffers full, right?
Which leads into another motivation: to create more of the LGBTQIA+APOLLO13CUBS2 community to perpetually keep the coffers full. The Left’s real anger over the book bans isn’t that the books are being banned, but rather that the subject matter of those books and where it’s being placed in public schools got revealed. And they would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling kids…err…parents. If nobody found out, Leftists would have been able to keep it going and create an assembly line of kids who parrot Leftists squawking points without even so much as a second thought.
Including those who continue to parrot the “Republicans are banning books” lie.
The Left have caught themselves in a trap of their own making. On the one hand, they’re putting these books into public school libraries without telling anyone outside of their ideological and work bubble to ensure they get there. Then, when called out on it, they lie by omission by conflating books like Gender Queer with other controversial, yet far more innocuous, books. But when parents and groups like Moms for Liberty show up to school board meetings and try to read from these books, the board tries to shut them down and Leftists go after the parents. If there’s nothing wrong with the books, why try to silence those who want to share the intellectual wealth, as it were?
Because it’s never about the books themselves. It’s always about the ideology.
I’m of the mindset that the best way to handle controversial topics is to bring them into the light of day. Not only does it offer the best possible way to provide a way forward and foster understanding, it exposes the bad faith actors. Although the Right still has their book banning assholes, the Left is doing their best to keep pace. Blaming Ron DeSantis, Kim Reynolds, or any Republican Governor for taking steps to keep inappropriate subject matter out of the hands of kids not yet ready to process it exposes the bad faith actors on the Left and only serves to make their arguments against said Governors weaker by compassion.
And, no, “because DeSantis is a meanie head” isn’t an argument. Even if you stomp your feet and threaten to hold your breath.
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
As we get older, we tend to reminisce about our younger days and the great times we had. Whether it was sock hops, sit-ins, snorting lots of cocaine, or spending quarters in a Pac Man machine, we look back fondly and even wish we could go back. But there are some things that should be left in the past and buried under all the copies of the Atari 2600 ET game.
Unfortunately for us, one such thing has come back, thanks to the Federal Communications Commission. Yep, I’m talking about net neutrality, the only thing standing between order and chaos online (at least in the Leftist hivemind). And thanks to the Puddin’ Head Joe Administration, it’s trying to make a comeback.
So, what exactly is the New Coke/Crystal Pepsi of online endeavors and why is it coming back? Prepare for a journey into the absurd!
net neutrality
What the Left thinks it means – a necessary tool to hold internet providers accountable
What it really means – a way of making internet service shitty for everybody
Net neutrality on paper is simple. In theory, it makes sure providers aren’t treating customer’s differently because of the amount of internet they use. All content, whether it be a Facebook post or a lengthy documentary on Netflix would be treated the same, even if the former uses 100 times more bandwidth than the Netflix user.
Now, internet providers, being capitalists and, thus, not complete economic dumbasses, see traffic as potential revenue streams and seek to maximize the number of people who are using their service whenever possible. You know, like every other fucking business on the planet? As a result, providers started limiting the usage of some high-level users so others could use their service, a practice called “throttling.” The ethics of throttling can be debated, but what can’t be debated is the effect net neutrality will have on internet providers.
Just like when Leftists talk about economic justice or climate justice, the goal is to create equality by fiat rather than cooperation. Internet providers are in it to make a buck, and thank God or Bill Gates or Al Gore for it. As the technology has spread further into the global consciousness, internet access has gone from a “neat to have” to a “need to have” in people’s minds. Why else do you think teenagers today have emotional breakdowns over losing their phones? After all, they need to let the world know what shoes they wore to school today or what dance they learned off TikTok. You know, really important shit!
To that end, the Left has slowly been working on making internet access a utility or, in some cases, a human right. That’s not because they give two shits about poor people having internet; it’s because it makes the argument for government intervention easier.
The federal government, at least in theory, is charged with protecting its citizens and their freedoms as guaranteed by the Constitution. As we’ve seen with the southern border, though, that’s a theory that doesn’t stand up to current scrutiny. Regardless, elevating the service that brings us Nigerian princes, penis enlargement pills, and hot Ukrainian women who want to date American men to an essential part of life brings in the expectation of the government to rally for and provide for this need. Hence, net neutrality becomes the back door to making that a reality.
Which has been the plan all along. The problem the Left has with the internet as it stands right now is they don’t control it. After all, what good is free speech online if the Left can’t control it, amirite?
Now, if net neutrality were actually effective, we might have an issue on our hands. Fortunately for us and anyone else who thinks government intervention in the internet works about as good as a Crocs diving helmet, we don’t yet. A recent poll by RealClear Opinion Research shows Leftists are still in the minority when it comes to stifling free speech, but only by 6%. As demographics and mortality rates change, that number is most likely going to get tighter.
When that happens, net neutrality will be realized, regardless of how effective it is. And if you thought Twitter under the Leftist hivemind was bad, wait until these same dumbfucks take over the internet as a whole.
Of course, what we on the “fuck net neutrality” side have going for us is the speed at which technology changes versus the lack of speech at which legislation and regulation changes. To put it mildly, even the most tech-savvy Leftists on Capitol Hill are subject to the whims of Representatives and Senators so old they used to exchange phone numbers on cave walls beside drawings of their last mastodon hunt. And these old-timers aren’t necessarily going to push for something they barely understand and the new blood can’t explain well enough to bridge that gap.
In my lifetime, we’ve gone from dial-up internet where 28.8 baud modems were the cutting edge to fiber optic and satellite internet service cropping up like dandelions in a Midwest lawn. Right now, the pro-net neutrality crowd hasn’t caught up to the current tech, which puts any efforts to make net neutrality a thing at a great disadvantage. When technology can be obsolete by the time you put it on a credit card, the glacial pace of government means their solution will be light years behind the technology it’s supposed to regulate.
Fucking brilliant!
Even so, we can’t fall asleep at the switch on net neutrality because the Left will continue to find ways to make it a thing. Whether it’s an appeal to emotions, an overstated sense of urgency to save the internet, or the Left’s favorite method of persuasion (outright lying), the arguments the Left will roll out will appeal to the uninformed. Which, oddly enough, will appeal to other Leftists more than anyone else, but that’s neither here nor there.
Still, it won’t hurt to bring up a fact the Left wants memory-holed: they predicted the death of the internet if net neutrality wasn’t in place.
How’s that working out for you, net neutrality fans?
Quick Hits
I’m sorry there wasn’t a Leftist Lexicon entry this week. There were so many topics and not enough time to devote to delving into them. I don’t want to do a half-assed job of it, considering that’s what I do already. If I half-ass my usual half-ass job, you’re only getting a quarter-ass, and that’s not good enough. If I’m going to half-ass something, I’m going to half-ass it all the way, baby
To make up for the lack of a Lexicon entry, I’m bringing back one of my Quick Hits segments where I give my opinions on topics that are interesting (at least to me), but may not be able to be developed into a full blog post. Hope you enjoy!
GOP on Abortion – The Left has been talking about how Republicans can craft a winning message on abortion now that Roe v Wade has been relegated back to the states. And from what I’m hearing, some Republicans want the next President to do something on the federal level to protect babies in the womb.
Ummm…that’s what Roe v Wade was, kids. The Supreme Court just sent abortion rights back to the states and you asshats want to bring it back to the federal level? That’s proving what the pro-baby-death…I mean reproductive rights crowd said about you right. Don’t give them such an easy W.
The War in Ukraine – It’s still going on, and we’re still on the hook for billions of dollars until, well, we get tired of being Ukraine’s sugar daddy. People are starting to figure out there’s more to the Ukraine-Russia conflict than democracy. Namely, a lot of money for politicians who would love nothing more than to keep Ukraine in the fight if only to hide the covert business dealings.
During the second Gulf War, Leftists chanted “No blood for oil.” Now these same Leftists are practically chanting “All the blood for 10% for the Big Guy.”
UAW Strike – The big three automakers watched as members of the United Auto Workers union walked off the jobs due to the companies not meeting union demands. Among the union’s demands were a 40% pay raise over 4 years with an immediate raise of 20%. As someone who hasn’t seen more than a single-digit raise in, oh, ever, a 20% hike is impressive…in its stupidity.
Look, I know the Big Three made record profits, but that doesn’t make it automatically yours, regardless of what Puddin’ Head Joe tells you. Before you start holding out your hands expecting the Big Three to shower you with money, think about the expenditures side of the ledger. If I make $1 billion in profit and I spend $900 million of that to expand my business or make necessary adjustments to existing worksites, the profit side goes down a bunch. How are the Big Three spending these record profits? Until you can answer that question, don’t look for me on the picket lines.
Another union demand was a cost of living increase to match inflation. You know, the inflation created in large part by the idiots they helped elect in 2020?
And speaking of one of those idiots…
the Biden impeachment – Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announced the initiation of an inquiry into whether Puddin’ Head Joe broke the law via influence peddling through Joe’s crackhead son, Hunter. (More on him later.) Well, the Left broke out the “sham impeachment” talk early and often, stating there was no evidence Puddin’ Head Joe broke the law. And they’re right…if you ignore all the evidence that literally exists.
But I will have to say the Left knows what a sham impeachment looks like, considering they did two of them to former President Donald Trump.
gun rights in New Mexico – After recent shootings in her state, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order banning the right to carry, citing a public health emergency. As you might imagine, this went over as well as the Botulism Special at Chipotle. Here’s how fucked up it got: Rep. Ted Lieu and poster boy for gun control David Hogg said Lujan Grisham was full of shit.
Since her initial fuck-up and subsequent doubling down, Lujan Grisham has amended her original order to restrict the right to carry only in public parks and playgrounds. And she vowed to keep looking for a way to make her fuck-up legal.
I’d wish you luck, Madam Governor, but I really don’t want to.
Elon Musk and Starlink – In their quest to make themselves look even more like their party mascot, the Left let their hate boner for Elon Musk get the better of them again as it relates to the Russia-Ukraine war. Seems there’s a groundswell of Leftists calling out Musk for…not letting Ukraine use his technology for their military gain. That bastard!
While the Left keeps trying to make the case Musk should be arrested for not being Ukraine’s bitch, they’re missing a pretty important concept: it’s his fucking toy! Last time I checked, we still had the right to refuse service in America, and since Starlink is specifically for residential internet use, Musk rightly said no when Ukraine asked to use it for military use. Whenever the government tries to force you to use a product or service, it winds up being a legal battle down the line, one the Left tends to lose.
Can you say “Obamacare” and “mask mandates”? I knew you could.
Muslims and the LBGTQIAABCDEFGHOWMANYMOREFUCKINGLETTERSAREWEGOINGTOADD+ community – The gay rights community has found itself a new opponent to add to the list of the opponents they already have: Muslims. News reports from across the country show more and more Muslims are standing up to the “Gay Mafia” and refusing to knuckle under to their demands. Now, I’m not ready to start praying to Allah, but I have to wonder if the Left ever saw this coming. I mean, it’s not like Muslims have strict religious doctrine surrounding homosexuahhhhhhh yes they do. And it’s not like it’s hidden, either. Even the most permissive Islamic sects aren’t keen on gay rights.
Apparently, those “Coexist” bumper stickers are as deep as the Left cares to go on this topic.
the Hunter Biden blues – Yep, First Fuck-Up Hunter Biden was finally brought up on federal gun charges after only getting a judicial slap on the wrist for what amounts to tax fraud. Of course, if someone from the IRS wants to show me where hookers and blow are tax deductible, I’d be willing to hear him/her out. Even the staunchest pro-gun control Leftists are saying the actual actions Hunter took aren’t usually prosecuted and, thus, are no big deal.
Let that dumbfuckery sink in for a moment. These fucknuckles are the ones who fought for these laws to be put on the books in the first place, but now that the President’s son is the one caught breaking the law, it’s become a race to see who can come up with the shittiest takes to minimize the damage it will do to Puddin’ Head Joe’s reelection campaign in 2024. And without going into too much detail, rest assured the Left sent their best to come up with the worst takes.
If this doesn’t prove the gun control side is motivated by everything but actual safety, nothing will.
a Tale of Four Titties – Politics and sex go hand in, well you know, and 2023 is no different. On the Left, we have Democrat candidate for the Virginia statehouse Susanna Gibson who offered users of a website called Chaturbate the opportunity to see her perform sexually explicit acts for money. On the Right, we have Rep. Lauren Boebert who was caught on surveillance camera getting frisky with her date at a performance of “Beetlejuice.”
Guess which one the Left and the media (but I repeat myself) have been talking about more. Spoiler Alert: it’s Boebert.
Regardless of where you come down on the political spectrum, we’re coming into an age where this type of sexual shit is going to become more prevalent, and being prudish (or faux prudish for political means) isn’t going to make people act better. The sooner we come to terms with the fact adults like to fuck other adults, the sooner we can move onto more important issues, like how to unfuck our economy. Grow up, people!
And last, but certainly least…
Meet the Press boycott – It was a new era on television, as Kristen Welker took over the failing political news/talk show “Meet the Press” this week. And who was one of her guests? Donald Trump.
Well, let’s just say the Left wasn’t happy Welker gave the former President a platform by which he could…talk about his ongoing 2024 Presidential campaign. See, Leftists (who are totes pro-freedom and not at all fascist) have been trying to find a way to disqualify Trump from running again, and they saw the sit-down interview as a slap to their collectivist faces. And now, these Leftists are going to boycott the show…even if all 14 faithful viewers won’t notice the difference.
And if the power goes off in the coma section of the hospital, that number is gonna drop hard.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this brief look at the wonderful wacky world of American politics, law, and culture. See you soon!
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
Normally, your friendly neighborhood blogger spends time writing about politics or social issues that deserve to be mocked. This week I’m stretching my legs a bit to go into the tech world…to mock it.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short, has taken the world by storm, and by storm I mean CAT 4 Billion hurricane. Although the technology being used now to create AI bots online is at tin-cans-connected-by-string level, it’s starting to get better. And it’s starting to get people worried.
So worried that the Puddin’ Head Joe Administration put Vice President Kamala Harris the AI Czar. Who better to discuss Artificial Intelligence than a real dumbass?
Needless to say (which is why I’m typing it), the Left is starting to feel the heat from the rise of AI. Which means it’s the perfect subject…to mock them.
AI
What the Left thinks it means – a technological advance that will negatively affect the arts, human interaction, and social issues
What it really means – a computer pretending to be human…for now
The concept of AI has been around since last century in science fiction and other fantastic stories, but it didn’t really come into being until 1954, when Allen Newell, Cliff Shaw, and Herbert Simon came up with a program called Logic Theorist, which attempted to duplicate the thought processes of a human. When it was unveiled two years later, it was heralded as a breakthrough, as it should have been.
From there, AI experienced highs and lows, advances and setbacks, peanut butter and jelly. Once the matter of computer storage was resolved, AI truly began to come into its own, thanks to a little computer known as Deep Blue. In 1996, IBM pit the computer against chess champion Garry Kasparov in a chess match which Deep Blue shockingly won. This was the first sign AI was not only possible, but had the potential to outperform humans.
Do you want SkyNet? Because this is how we get SkyNet.
Seriously, though, in the nearly 30 years after Deep Blue, AI has found its way into society, tech and non-tech alike. The currently striking screenwriters are afraid AI will replace them. (Given the absolute dog shit Hollywood has been putting out the past two decades, though, I’m not sure it’s that big of a loss.) “South Park” devoted an episode to ChatGPT where part of the script was written by it. Even art is seeing AI’s slow creep into its hallowed halls.
And earlier this month, Warner Music signed the world’s first AI generated pop star, Noonoouri. The song, “Dominoes,” is about what you would expect. Words strung together to a beat with a noticeable hook that’s easy to like. In other words, just like pop music today, but with more natural singing.
I have a lot of questions, not the least of which being how a computer program can get paid by a studio to produce music, but the point is still AI has found its way into our culture in a new way: through shitty music.
But it’s not all virtual sunshine and online lollipops for AI. A recent poll showed over 60% of people surveyed view AI as a threat to our future. Others feel their jobs could be negatively affected by the rise of AI just in California alone. Although AI has the potential to revolutionize many vital fields like medicine, the fear of AI replacing humans is real.
And this is where I throw a wet blanket on the fearmongering. Ain’t I a stinker?
The thing to remember about AI is it’s only as good as the people programming it and the program’s ability to react to new data sources. That’s why I said we were still at the tin-cans-connected-by-string level earlier. The technology is still relatively new and is getting better at an astounding rate with no ceiling as yet as to how much better it will get, but it’s still limited by human intelligence and biases.
Take facial recognition software, for example. One of the most well-known problems with it can be tied to unconscious racial biases, which can only be programmed by…humans with these biases. The program isn’t capable of it; it’s just doing what it’s been told to do as quickly as possible.
That’s AI’s Achilles’ heel, folks. AI as it stands right now is only capable of following orders within the parameters of the program itself. The “learning” it’s doing is by design, which means the data can be manipulated or controlled. Just ask Microsoft how its AI chatbot turned into a racist by going on Twitter.
Although it’s nice to see us applying more caution to AI than we did when the Internet became a thing, we need to ratchet back the fear and loathing going on right now. Yes, it has the potential to make some industries go by the wayside, but potential is not certainty. Every piece of technology we have has a due-by date. At some point in the future, it will become obsolete, and everything connected to that technology has to either evolve or become just as obsolete.
This is where free market capitalism comes into play. Any worker with his or her salt can adapt to changing conditions out of no other reason than economic necessity. He/she will gain new skills, learn new techniques, develop new attitudes and processes that will safeguard his/her job and possibly propel him/her to a new position. The grind may not always net these results, but they certainly help you look more indispensable.
This is not to say the writers, artists, etc., who are afraid for their jobs in the AI-crazy world aren’t working hard to hold onto them. They are. I’m saying their energies should be focused on ways to make them stand out in a good way. Instead of trying to figure out how to redo “Romeo and Juliet” with a modern twist or doing the 35 billionth representation of man’s inhumanity to man, find a way to bring an original idea to the forefront. Sure, you risk rejection, but the law of averages says at some point your original idea is going to resonate with someone.
As far as AI is concerned, I’m staying cautiously optimistic. Until an AI bot becomes self-aware and capable of overruling its programing, humanity will be safe. That’s not to say nothing’s going to change, but as long as humans keep being imperfect little meat puppets, we will always have the edge over any AI.
And if you really want to fuck with AI, make it only access Reddit. That will confuse it long enough for someone to pull the plug.
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
It’s really easy to go with the flow, especially when the rest of society seems to follow suit. We typically don’t like conflict because it’s usually more hassle than it’s worth. But there are times when the masses are asses (because the M is silent) and a person decides not to go along to get along.
In the world of women’s sports, Riley Gaines is just such a person. An accomplished student athlete, Gaines came into prominence for expressing concern over trans swimmer Lia Thomas dressing with and swimming against biological women, as well as the way the NCAA treated her when she tied Thomas in the 2022 NCAA Women’s Championships. And for that, she’s become a lightning rod for Leftists who want to paint her as transphobic.
After a recent ass-raping…I mean online conversation with Keith “Don’t You Know Who I Am?” Olbermann, I decided to take some time to delve into the Left’s hate boner for Riley Gaines.
Riley Gaines
What the Left thinks it means – a bitter former swimmer who is using transphobia to grift the right wing into ignoring her failures as a swimmer
What it really means – an actual feminist, not the Leftist mutant variety
At the heart of this aquatic controversy is a simple question, one the Left can’t seem to answer: what is a woman? Naturally, you would think the Party of Science would be able to use, you know, science to provide insight and logic in a response. You would think that, but you’d be wrong.
See, the Left can’t rely on the science here because it would confirm what everyone who doesn’t reside in Delusionville has been saying from the start: there are only 2 genders. Because of this, the Party of Science has to be unscientific and muddy the genetic waters to allow for trans people to identify as whichever gender they want without having to deal with the hassle of actually being said gender.
Now, throw in the physical and psychological differences between men and women, put all of this into the athletic arena, and you’ll get…one confusing gender gumbo. The thing is you don’t need to be a scientist to know men and women have physical differences that would play a factor in the outcomes of athletic contests. You know…like, oh I don’t know…swimming.
Consider something as simple as arm span when it comes to swimming. Although there are some women whose spans can rival those of men, more often than not the advantage will go to the men. Longer arm span generates more force that will propel the swimmer further and potentially faster in the pool. Put in a way even Leftists can understand: biological men, regardless of how they identify, will have more of an edge in the pool.
And before you Leftists try to “correct” me saying Thomas was transitioning at the time, it is noted she started to take hormones after coming out as trans in 2018. Even so, she retained the body of a biological male. See, hormone treatments don’t affect biology in that way. They can affect the way one looks, but they don’t change muscle density, bone structure, or genetics. Until you can affect that, it’s still a man, baby, as can be corroborated by eyewitnesses.
Like Riley Gaines.
Gaines is reviled for standing up for women’s sports, not because she’s a transphobe, but because she’s cuts through the Left’s bullshit when it comes to trans women in sports. She’s been directly affected by the Left’s “conform or be cast out” approach in spite of tying Thomas. Since she can’t be silenced, the Left have taken a new approach: paint her as a sore loser.
Just like Keith Olbermann, Nebraska state Senator Megan Hunt, and pro-trans Leftists did.
Now, if I remember Leftist squawking points correctly, we’re supposed to believe women when they’ve been assaulted. Also, if we attack women, it’s because we’re misogynists afraid of strong, outspoken women. So, what would that make Leftists attacking Gaines?
Hypocrites. The judges would have also accepted “assholes.”
What it doesn’t make them is feminists, not even in the Leftist sense of the word. It wasn’t that long ago that Leftists were at the forefront of women’s rights, even to the point of pushing female supremacy. Sure, they’ll pay lip service to the pro-baby death…I mean “pro choice” movement, but what has that gotten them?
Cash. Lots and lots of cash.
And the thing is Gaines isn’t even what the Left would consider a feminist because they have expanded the definition to include women who were born men. However, Gaines is a classical feminist in the sense she wants to have as much of a shot at success as men do. Too bad the NCAA and the Left want to keep women down.
After all this time, it’s taken men who claim to be women to make Leftist feminists bend the knee in the name of inclusion and diversity. Isn’t it ironic, doncha think?
Although Riley Gaines is swimming against the current, she’s made headway in getting people to recognize the issues with trans women competing with biological women in athletics. This is going to make her famous, infamous, and a target for unnecessary vitriol, all at the same time. But as any martyr will tell you, the righteousness of the cause provides an unshakable courage that will carry you through any rough times. Of course, in order to be a martyr, you have to die for your cause, so talking to them might be an issue unless you have a great metaphysical roaming plan through your cell phone provider.
While you get that sorted out, just consider there are more and more people taking up for Gaines quietly because of the way the Left and the trans community coerce people into submission. But if you think you can suffer the slings and arrows of outrageously stupid Leftists, add your name to the chorus and let the world know you want women to compete against women.
Especially if there’s a kiddie pool full of Jello involved.
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
Through a President’s time in office, there are several defining moments that write how his (and eventually her) will be remembered. Ronald Reagan’s Brandenburg Gate speech (“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”). George W. Bush’s first post-9/11 appearance in New York City. Bill Clinton using an intern as a humidor.
When the history of Puddin’ Head Joe’s administration is written, his handling of the wildfires in Maui will be referenced. Leftists are busy trying to make Puddin’ Head Joe look intelligent, decisive, and compassionate, while the real world is shaking its head in disbelief.
And I have a topic to discuss…while shaking my head in disbelief.
Maui wildfires
What the Left thinks it means – a clear example of Joe Biden’s leadership
What it really means – a clear example of Joe Biden’s leadership, just not in the way the Left thinks
To make things easier, here is a timeline of events so even Leftists can follow along. What started with strong winds quickly grew into a much larger problem within a matter of minutes, as natural disasters often do. Or in the case of Puddin’ Head Joe, a matter of weeks. More on that later.
Without missing a beat, Leftists leapt into action…to bring up climate change as the cause of or a significant factor in the destruction. This before an official investigation has been conducted in full and while Hawaiians are sorting through the loss of property and life. But remember, kids, Leftists care about people, dammit!
But apparently not enough to interrupt Puddin’ Head Joe’s vacation. In fact, the administration took an entire week before issuing a statement about the wildfires and what the Administration would do to help. A. Fucking. Week. And somewhere Michael “Heck of a job, Brownie” Brown is saying, “What the fuck??”
To put it mildly, Puddin’ Head Joe responded to the Maui wildfires with the sense of urgency of a drugged sloth after a year-long bender with Charlie Sheen. Between responses of “no comment” and initially offering a whopping $700 per household to Hawaiians affected by the wildfire, it was clear to anyone not guzzling the Leftist Kool Aid that Puddin’ Head Joe was out of his depth.
But, hey, no mean tweets, amirite?
Eventually (as in 2 weeks after the wildfires began), Puddin’ Head Joe and Dr. Jill dragged their asses to Maui to survey the damage. And they were met with much deserved criticism from politicians and Hawaiians alike. Granted, this was before the President spoke, so little did they know how much worse it was going to get.
Like comparing the loss of property and life to a fucking small house fire. And not even having the courtesy to tell the fucking truth! This is William Hung levels of tonedeafness. And once Puddin’ Head Joe and Dr. Jill did their bit for the cameras to show how much they care…they went back on vacation.
Remember how much shit Ted Cruz got for going on vacation during a winter blackout in Texas? I know he does. But if the Left didn’t have double standards, they wouldn’t have any standards at all.
Even with the already low bar the Left has set for Puddin’ Head Joe, he finds a way to limbo under it. But anyone who is surprised by the delays and ineptitude of the federal response have forgotten the disaster that was the East Palestine train derailment. One fumble could be explained away (and believe me the Left tried), but this is the second major disaster this year alone and the responses aren’t getting any better. Granted, we don’t want Presidents to have a lot of experience dealing with natural disasters, but you would think someone with Puddin’ Head Joe’s 50+ years of public service would have picked up a thing or two.
Then again, this is Joe Biden we’re talking about here. Even at his prime he wasn’t even an intellectual midget, let alone an intellectual giant. But he’s gotten by through a combination of a likeable personality and a party willing to turn away when Puddin’ Head Joe goes off script. The problem with this approach is eventually you’ll come across a situation where you can’t charm your way out of trouble and have to show you can do the job.
And the people of Maui are finding out Puddin’ Head Joe can’t do the job, even when it’s screamingly obvious what needs to happen.
That’s why the Left has to make the President look like he’s on top of it all and being the “empathizer-in-chief.” Oh, and to change headlines to blame climate change or praising him for the smallest of accomplishments. You know, just like what happened under previous Presidents faced with disasters, right?
Not so much.
As angry as this makes me, I can’t help but feel sorry for the people of Maui who are getting a taste of Leftist leadership at a time of need. The good thing for Puddin’ Head Joe is his ineptitude is happening this year and not in 2024 when he’s stumbling…I mean running for reelection. The voting public tend to have a short memory when it comes to bad performances in non-election years, especially when it comes to Leftists. The media play a big role in memory-holing anything negative and gaslighting you into thinking it never happened.
Don’t believe those pesky facts and eyewitness reports of Puddin’ Head Joe being Abe Simpson with the nuclear codes. Just sit back and watch more TikTok videos or go see the Barbie movie so you can talk about it on social media! After all, social media presence is much more important than the leader of the free world being not just senile, but an incredibly bad judge of character, intelligence, and competence.
As much as I’d like to think Hawaii is going to learn its lesson from the Maui wildfires, I have serious reservations. Case in point: perpetual dumbass Senator Mazie Hirono keeps getting reelected. But the residents’ vocal and visual disappointment in what Puddin’ Head Joe said and did is a ray of hope that somehow they’ve had enough of Leftist politicians and their lack of attention on the common person. The more people speak up about Biden’s fuckups, the harder it gets for Leftists to spin them as right wing cranks trying to attack the President for purely political reasons.
News Flash for you Leftists out there: not everyone who criticizes Puddin’ Head Joe is a MAGA-head. Anybody with a brain and basic human decency can tell you Biden fucked up big time here, and then proceeded to play “Top This” with himself over and over again.
If you want to help those affected by the Maui wildfires, here is a list of organizations to consider, as well as information on Glenn Beck’s charitable endeavors on that front. And give generously as you can because it’s clear Puddin’ Head Joe can’t be bothered to stay off vacation for more than a day to help.
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
To say California is the epicenter of batshit crazy is an understatement of Michael Moore sumo wrestling Rosie O’Donnell proportions, but there are still some times when I have to say, “No fucking duh!” This week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported due to “safety concerns” employees of the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building were advised to work from home.
No fucking duh!
Once one of the shining cities of the West Coast, San Francisco is starting to look like a crack whore once you sober up, only with more shit. What caused the downfall of the backdrop of many a “Full House” episode? I’m glad you asked!
San Francisco
What the Left thinks it means – a beautiful progressive city that exemplifies the best of Leftist causes
What it really means – a literal shithole that exemplifies the best of Leftist causes
If you really want to know the history of San Francisco prior to going further into this week’s Lexicon, here’s the Wikipedia entry. And try not to giggle too hard at the “commercial, financial, and cultural center” part.
Meanwhile back at 2023, San Francisco is not doing so hot. Depending on who you ask, crime is either a serious concern or not nearly as bad as some would lead us to believe. At one point, drug overdoses more than doubled COVID deaths in 2020. There were 7750 homeless people of various backgrounds as of 2022 in a city of 715,717, or for you mathheads out there, a little over 1% of the population.
But if you look at the chart in the previous link, you will notice San Francisco’s population has been declining since 2020. Which, of course, is Donald Trump’s fault…
Or it might be who the voters put into office. Nahhhhh!
Seriously, for all of the cultural diversity San Francisco is known for, this doesn’t appear to translate to ideological matters. After all, two of the favorite Leftist institutions of higher learning, Stanford and UC Berkeley, are housed in the Bay Area. And considering some of the graduates of said campuses, maybe they should be considered institutions, if you know what I mean.
And speaking of insanity, there are two elements that have made San Francisco (and California in general) into Thunderdome with more rainbow flags. We start with Proposition 47, an initiative to reduce penalties for non-violent crimes like shoplifting from possible felonies to misdemeanors. And, of course, this proposal passed because…reasons. Although Proposition 47 didn’t decriminalize shoplifting, it did act as a deterrent for police officers to investigate such crimes and for attorneys to prosecute them.
Then, there’s the second element: store employees trying to stop shoplifters are the ones who could be getting in trouble, thanks to the California Senate. Seems they passed a bill that would prohibit store employees from stopping shoplifters. And Leftists wonder why companies are pulling out of San Francisco?
Well, to put it simply for the Leftists, it’s your fucking fault this is happening. Not only are you creating an environment where you’d have to be insane to try to set up shop in San Francisco, but you’re disincentivizing companies to stay there. And what do you think will happen if those who generate income (i.e. a tax base) decide to pack up and go to greener pastures? Here’s a hint, kids: it doesn’t get better from here. And nothing the idiot used car salesman you elected Governor can say or do will fix that.
And that shitstain criticizes how Ron DeSantis governs in Florida? And he wants to run for President so he can bring his Leftist incompetence to the nation?
Sorry, Leftists. I’ll pass.
The sad thing is Leftists actually think San Francisco is a utopia, and they’re right. It’s just the utopia they see doesn’t involve going anywhere near where the problems are. Say what you will about Leftists, and believe me I do, but they are exceptional at living in more protective bubbles than John Travolta. (And if you got that reference, I thank you.) As long as they’re doing well, that’s all that matters.
But there’s a problem with that. Once the non-Leftists realize they outnumber the Leftists and get pissed off enough to do something about it, they tend to revolt. And I’m not talking about the pussy-ass Portland CHAD/CHOP bullshit, either. I’m talking French Revolution. The only thing stopping Reign of Terror 2: Electric Boogaloo is the Left keeps promising free stuff to the less fortunate to keep them docile and voting Democrat. And considering the last Republican mayor left office in 1964, it seems to be working.
However, Atlas is starting to shrug because there is only so much a population can take before they start looking for new leadership. Even as blue as the Bay Area was in 2020, turning it into Calcutta East isn’t a winning strategy, and you can’t keep offering free stuff while forcing businesses to keep items locked up due to shoplifting. The breaking point is coming, maybe not now or in 2024, but it is coming. And when Atlas finally shrugs, the people ignoring the problem right now are going to be the ones overwhelmed and needing help.
Until that happens, avoid San Francisco if at all possible, but also keep an eye on your own cities. For better or for definitely the worst, what happens in California tends to take hold in the rest of the country sooner or later. The only way to stop this insanity is to make sure it never takes hold. Easier said than done, I know, but if you arm yourselves with the facts, you can spot the San Francisco freak…I mean treat long before it hits Main Street.
And if that fails, invest heavily in hip waders because you’re gonna need ’em to navigate Brown Street, if you know what I mean…