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DECEMBER 12,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET:

OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST – FROM CAMPUS REFORM:   Students at the University of Pennsylvania removed a portrait of Shakespeare from a prominent location in the school’s English department after complaining that he did not represent a diverse range of writers.  In fact, the chair of the department confirmed in a statement that the portrait was stripped from the wall by his students as “a way of affirming their commitment to a more inclusive mission for the English department,” The Daily Pennsylvanian reports.  Additionally, Department Chair Jed Esty explained that the portrait was “delivered” to his office and replaced with a photograph of Audre Lorde, a celebrated African American feminist and author, in a move that was intended to send a message to Esty, whose department agreed to replace the portrait several years ago.  This is an Ivy League school.  It rejects far more applicants than it takes in.  I wonder how those rejected despite outstanding qualifications will feel about this story.

CHILLING – FROM THE TIMES OF LONDON:  A fifth of the population is responsible for four fifths of crime, two fifths of obesity, three quarters of fatherless families and for claiming two thirds of benefits. What’s more, scientists say, you can identify this troublesome group at the age of three.  A 45-minute test rating children on IQ and self-control, combined with information about deprivation and maltreatment, allowed researchers to predict “with considerable accuracy” which would go on to be the greatest burden on the state. The 38-year study may be useful in designing ways to help such children before it is too late.  It might also be useful in predicting liberalism.  Imagine, no more Hillarys.

BABIES – FROM BBC:  According to US news website The Wrap, Trump's inaugural committee is scrambling to find stars who are willing to play at his swearing in ceremony on 20 January 2017.  "They're calling managers, agents, everyone in town to see who they can get and it's been problematic," an unnamed source told the site.  Grammy-winner John Legend, who has been a guest of the Obamas several times, says he is "not surprised at all".  "Creative people tend to reject bigotry and hate," he told the BBC.  "We tend to be more liberal-minded. When we see somebody that's preaching division and hate and bigotry, it's unlikely he'll get a lot of creative people that want to be associated with him." "I would never do it," agrees  Swedish star Zara Larsson, speaking at the BBC Music Awards.  "A lot of artists out there have been very pro-Hillary and anti-Donald. So I would never do it and most other smart people wouldn't do it."  Most other "smart" people?  What a magnificent self-compliment.  The problem isn't so much with Trump.  The problem is with the immature little brats who dominate what used to be show business.

December 12, 2016       Permalink

UPROAR BUILDING – AT 11:48 A.M. ET:   Some of it is genuine, some of it pure politics, but there's a growing sense of unease with the probable appointment of Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.  From Powerline: 

The real potential problem with picking Tillerson is his close relationship with Vladimir Putin. This might do for an ambassador to Russia, just as Gov. Branstad’s relationship with China’s leader arguably recommends him to represent us in Beijing.

It seems problematic, though, to pick a Secretary of State who is tight with a world leader who is a thug, a butcher, a destabilizer, and an ally of Iran. I think it’s legitimate to wonder whether the selection of Tillerson would signal and facilitate a Russian reset that would make that of Obama-Clinton look like the Cold War by comparison.

Some Republican Senators are worrying about precisely this. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham have voiced this concern. So has Sen. Marco Rubio.

Rubio put it this way on Twitter:  Being a “friend of Vladimir” is not an attribute I’m hoping for from a Secretary of State.

Well said.

If these three Senators were to vote against confirming Tillerson, and if all Democrats joined them, this would be enough to sink the nomination. It’s premature to call this scenario likely, but it’s a possibility. Indeed, it’s possible that McCain, Graham, and Rubio wouldn’t be the only Republican defectors.

COMMENT:  Very true.  Republicans in the Senate may well be looking for the chance to assert themselves, and Tillerson's nomination is hardly the kind to win widespread public love.  Here is a case that will test Trump's skills.  I'd rate the chances at confirmation of Tillerson at only 50-50.

December 12, 2016       Permalink

TRUMP AND THE GOP – AT 11:18 A.M. ET:   It is no secret that many in the GOP despise Donald Trump.  And, if truth be told, he gave them plenty of reason during the presidential campaign.  We might forget Trump's chronic insults and demeaning descriptions, but his targets will not. 

Now Trump is facing his first real disagreement with prominent Republicans.  It's over the question of alleged Russian attempts to influence our election, in Trump's favor, by the use of hacking and other means.  From Fox: 

Allegations that Russia interfered in the presidential election in a bid to boost Donald Trump’s campaign have roiled Republicans, as prominent GOP lawmakers pursue a bipartisan congressional investigation while President-elect Trump’s team tries to tamp down the controversy and “move on.”

Trump told “Fox News Sunday” the CIA’s reported assessment was “ridiculous” and described the claim as another “excuse” pushed by Democrats to explain his upset victory.

“Nobody really knows,” he said. “... They have no idea if it's Russia or China or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed some place.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., though, said Monday that the Senate intelligence committee will review the matter.

“The Russians are not our friends,” McConnell said, while saying he has the highest confidence in the CIA and the rest of the intelligence community.

The debate follows a Washington Post report that the CIA concluded in a secret assessment that Russia interfered in the race to boost Trump, not just undermine confidence in the system.

Intelligence agencies reportedly found individuals connected to the Russian government gave WikiLeaks hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee, as well as from Hillary Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta – though did not have “specific intelligence” showing Kremlin officials directed the activity.

In response to this report, and following White House confirmation that President Obama has ordered an intelligence review of election hacking before he leaves office, the Trump transition team also put out a statement saying: “These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It’s now time to move on and ‘Make America Great Again.’”

COMMENT:  Sorry, but we call 'em as we see 'em here, and Trump is handling this badly.  First, he did not win one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history.  Second, it is demeaning and inaccurate to say that "these are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction."  They are not the same people.

Trump should join the call, now supported by prominent Republicans, for a thorough investigation.  It will be led by Republican-run committees in Congress.  It's going to happen anyway, and Trump doesn't want to be seen as an obstructionist. 

The GOP majority in the Senate currently stands at 52-48.  It is thin.  Trump needs almost total support.  He needs confirmation of his more controversial Cabinet picks.  Some of his comments on the Russian hacking issue are not helpful.

December 12, 2016       Permalink

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 10:43 A.M. ET:  Occasionally we come across a piece that clarifies some subject beautifully.  David Solway has written a superb article for American Thinker on the declining state of the sandboxes we used to call universities.   It contains this quote:

Those of my graduating class who survived the curriculum and performance standards then in place became leaders in their fields, names to be reckoned with in medicine, engineering, math and science, law, education, politics, literature, entertainment, music, and television. None of us profited from the “participation trophy” syndrome -- honors awarded for merely being there. James Harrison, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, reacted to his sons’ receiving such trophies by returning these gewgaws to sender. “I’m not sorry,” he explained, “for believing that everything in life should be earned.” You don’t get to be a star linebacker by hanging around the locker room or claiming special consideration on the field. Similarly, university graduates cannot be expected to achieve real-world results, make their mark or contribute meaningfully to society unless, by hard work and applied intelligence, they have justly and faithfully earned their degrees -- with the proviso, of course, that these degrees are genuinely substantive.

COMMENT:  Well said.  I believe that part of Trump's victory – which was a protest vote – was a rejection of the society our universities are creating.  But those universities don't listen, and won't listen.  They see themselves as the adolescent resistance.  They grieve over the election results.  They join their coddled students in expressing their deepest emotions, which are on the emotional level of 12-year-olds. 

Saving our educational system will possibly be the most important fight of our times.  There is no guarantee it will be won.  Trump, with his brashness, may well be the man who can be a key leader in that fight.  If he can get us halfway there, he'll be an outstanding president. 

Read Solway's entire piece. 

December 12,  2016     Permalink

DECEMBER 11,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

THE HORROR CONTINUES – FROM FOX:   Deflategate: Part 2, anyone? The infamous saga may have a sequel coming in the near future.  FOX Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer reported on Sunday that the New York Giants alerted the league office that the Pittsburgh Steelers were using deflated footballs in Week 13. After the Giants forced two turnovers of the Steelers, they tested two footballs on the sideline. Both of them came back under league standards for PSI, so the Giants sent those footballs to the league office.  This may be the end of civilization as we know it.  What do we tell our children?

VENEZUELA HAS THE ANSWER – FROM AFP:  Caracas (AFP) - Ever since Venezuelan government agents put up a giant "Sale" sign in his storefront, crowds have been lining up outside Juan Vieira's shoe shop.  But he's having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit.  "What good is it to sell shoes if I'm giving away my product?"  Stuck in a nasty economic crisis, Venezuela is facing a Scrooge-worthy Christmas this year.  The world's highest inflation rate has gutted Venezuelans' incomes and chronic shortages have left them struggling to buy food, let alone presents.  Seeking to spread some cheer, President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government has set aside its distaste for consumerism and sent a small army of bureaucrats and soldiers to force more than 200 retail stores in Caracas to hold Christmas sales  Ah, the glories of socialism. I want to see Hollywood stars rush down there to boost the holiday spirit.  I think smashing windows and stealing things from the oppressor stores would work, don't you?

A SETBACK – FROM AP:   BEIRUT (AP) — Islamic State militants recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from Syrian troops Sunday, according to both sides in the battle, scoring a major advance after a year of setbacks in Syria and neighboring Iraq.  In winning back Palmyra, the extremist group appeared to be taking advantage of the Syrian and Russian preoccupation with Aleppo, timing its attack to coincide with a major government offensive to capture the last remaining opposition-held neighborhoods in the northern city.  Palmyra, with its towering 2,000-year-old ruins, holds mostly symbolic meaning in the wider civil war, although its location in central Syria also gives it some strategic significance.  ISIS has a history of reinventing itself and then becoming stronger.  It will not go away...unless Trump makes it go away.

December 11,   2016     Permalink

A FINE CHOICE – AT 1:38 P.M. ET:  Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is said to be Trump's first choice for secretary of energy.  From Bloomberg:   

Donald Trump has narrowed his search for energy secretary to four people, with former Texas Governor Rick Perry the leading candidate.

People familiar with the president-elect’s selection process said two Democratic senators from energy-producing states -- Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia -- are also in the mix, along with Ray Washburne, a Dallas investor and former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

If Trump picks any of the four he will break with recent tradition of putting scientists at the top of the Energy Department. Among other things, the agency is responsible for policies on the safe handling of nuclear material.

Trump met with Perry and Washburne while attending the Army-Navy football game in Baltimore on Saturday. It was at least the second time he’d spoken to the two men for potential roles in the new administration. Trump met with Heitkamp at Trump Tower in New York on Dec. 2, and is scheduled to meet with Manchin in New York.

Jay Martin Cohen, a retired Rear Admiral of the U.S. Navy, is said to be Trump’s choice for Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, the people said.

COMMENT:  Perry would be a good choice.  He tried to run for president, but could not overcome the mistakes he made in his presidential campaign four years ago.  However, he had an excellent record as governor of Texas, and knows the energy industry.  He's always been underestimated, and his record minimized by a mainstream media that is always suspicious of Texas accents.

December 11,  2016     Permalink

LET THE WHINING BEGIN – AT 12:16 P.M. ET:  Well, it already has.  The political left, and its journalistic component, is now concerned about the number of generals in the new Trump administration.  You know, a military coup, militaristic this, militaristic that.  Not enough empathy with our enemies, provoked as they are by American imperialism, warmongerism, capitalism, expansionism, colonialism and rheumatism. 

There is an answer to their concerns.  From The Wall Street Journal: 

To hear the media these days, you’d think Donald Trump is about to turn the U.S. into a banana republic, where all life is controlled by the “generals.” As Time’s headline quavered this week: “The Creeping Militarization of Donald Trump’s Cabinet.”

The junta watch began with the appointment of retired three-star Michael Flynn to be national security adviser—though Gen. Flynn was an early Trump supporter and mooted as a possible running mate. The grumblings really got going with the selection of retired four-star Marine Gen. James Mattis to run the Defense Department: A general to run the military, whatever happened to civilian control?

The press’s nerves finally snapped when Mr. Trump proposed another retired Marine four-star, John Kelly, to run the Homeland Security Department. The President-elect couldn’t slip this cabal past the Washington Post: “Trump hires a third general, raising concerns about heavy military influence.”

Sorry to break the mood, but a military coup is the last thing that worries us about the Trump era.

The case for the Trump generals has much to do with the reasons he was elected. Toward the top of those voter concerns is that Washington “doesn’t work.” One big reason Washington no longer works is because the bureaucracies inside its various departments have grown too big to succeed.

After the Vietnam War, the U.S. military undertook an historic reorganization of how it recruited, trained and deployed the vast numbers of individuals serving in the armed forces. That reorganization is a famous success story. Generals Mattis, Kelly, Flynn and Gen. David Petraeus (mooted for Secretary of State) are products of this military structure.

The U.S. needs more of these management skills, especially as executives from private business find it harder to maneuver around conflict-of-interest rules. Generals Mattis, Kelly and Flynn have spent careers navigating large public bureaucracies, and succeeding in spite of them.

COMMENT:  Good points.  And these generals, now in civilian capacities, will be judged as any other public servants.

I don't think we'll be having a military coup anytime soon.

The left might devote a bit more time to regretting the militaristic Cuban dictatorship that it's pushed on us for years. 

December 11, 2016       Permalink

SERIOUS IN BRITAIN – AT 11:45 A.M. ET:  We are focused on a presidential transition, but ISIS is focused on doing as much harm as possible.  In Britain, the ISIS threat is being taken very seriously.  From London's Express: 

MORE than 200 undercover SAS soldiers will be deployed in shopping centres and high streets across Britain following fresh MI5 intelligence of a terror attack planned for Christmas.

SAS commanders have cancelled all leave, sources said last night, as the regiment’s soldiers join police in the largest counter-terror surveillance operation in recent years.

It comes as Home Office officials respond to the latest intelligence warning from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, part of MI5, of a major attack by Islamic State extremists on mainland Britain.

While the UK is already on a state of alert sources say they are responding to “new and urgent” threats which have emerged from captured IS militants in Iraq.

The Special Forces soldiers will operate under police direction but will be armed and ready to provide advice on hostage situations and any chemical incidents.

The revelation comes just days after a warning from MI6 chief Alex Younger about the “unprecedented” scale of the terrorist threat to mainland UK.

COMMENT:  Yes, we see increasing reports of possible terror attacks tied to Christmas or to the American inauguration.  The Brits are taking the reports seriously.  I'm afraid our minds are elsewhere.

We hope, of course, that any plans are broken up.  But remember the truth that, in dealing with terror, we have to be lucky every time.  The terror forces have to be lucky only once.

December 11,  2016     Permalink