Chronic readers of this column are surely aware that one of my favorite authors‚ who also happens to be a personal friend‚ is Kurt Schlichter. Kurt has written eight novels in his Kelly Turnbull series‚ and I’m not sure I let more than a couple of weeks pass between their release and my devouring of them. They’re a rollicking good time — the lead character is a certifiable bad-ass‚ an old-school action hero in the Sly Stallone-Chuck Norris tradition‚ whose adventures are set against a backdrop of an America of a decade or two in the future which has split apart into red states and blue. Somebody at some point ought to take those books and turn them into a TV series. I’d be shocked if they didn’t make a hit show. They’re way too much fun not to be. (READ MORE: Woodrow Wilson: A Madman‚ or Merely Misunderstood?) But Schlichter’s newest fiction offering‚ The Attack‚ isn’t quite as fun — which is not to say it shouldn’t be on your reading list. In fact‚ The Attack is mandatory reading. This isn’t a light‚ breezy‚ fun novel. This is a gut punch. And then a head slap. I’m not giving away anything by way of spoilers when I tell you the plot of the book – Schlichter gives it away in the first few pages. It’s like this: all those military-age males making their way across our southern border from the kinds of countries that set off red flags? The ones that Donald Trump caused such consternation when he declared a moratorium on immigration early in his presidential term? In The Attack‚ the bill comes due for letting them in. That bill is paid in blood. Some 10‚000 jihadist terrorists‚ sponsored by Iran‚ are set loose on a three-day kamikaze assault on the American homeland in the novel. Before they’re done they manage to kill well over 100‚000 Americans in the worst terrorist attack in human history. On the first day‚ the terrorists stage a wave of mass shootings in public places — schools‚ malls‚ police stations‚ airports — and use man-portable air defense missiles to knock jumbo jets out of the sky near airports across the country. On the second day‚ after a national stay-at-home order is in place as a means of preventing more mass-casualty attacks‚ four-man shooter teams assault suburban neighborhoods all over America in a savage murder spree. (READ MORE: Biting the (Left) Hand That Feeds Him) On the third day‚ which in the book is Aug. 29 of this year‚ they go after our infrastructure — cyber attacks‚ rifle shots to power transformers‚ assaults on oil refineries‚ and so on. The story is told as an oral history and each chapter is the personal story of someone who survived The Attack — a cop in Cincinnati‚ an HVAC contractor in suburban Philadelphia‚ a Secret Service agent‚ an Army general‚ a traumatized 15-year-old girl made an orphan on the second day‚ the owner of a refuge for dogs made homeless by the murders of their owners‚ and many more. The tales these fictional characters tell come off as very‚ very real. The most striking — and disturbing — thing about The Attack is that what Schlichter describes in its pages isn’t just plausible‚ it’s quite likely. Our border is wide open‚ and people from the worst and most hostile places on earth are streaming across. It’s hard not to believe that the migrant invasion doesn’t contain thousands and thousands of people who hate America and seek to do us harm. And you saw what 19 of them could do on Sept. 11‚ 2001. Schlichter wrote The Attack after he saw what Hamas managed to do to Israel on Oct. 7 of last year. His conclusions are very valid — as is his judgment of the likely performance of our president and vice president should such a crisis occur. I’ll leave the result of that for the reader to find out for himself. It’s an interesting scenario‚ to be sure. The Attack deserves both your readership and your consideration. You shouldn’t just devour this excellent book — it should do for recognition of the possibility of terrorism affecting your life what Bill Fortschen and Newt Gingrich did several years ago for the recognition of the threat an EMP poses when they wrote One Second After. You should act on what Schlichter is telling us. (READ MORE: The Enduring Ronald Reagan) We are far too soft a target and we need to do a much‚ much better job of protecting ourselves. We’ve outsourced that function to the police‚ and in lots of places in America‚ the cops are stretched to their limit on a good day. Should a collection of four-man shooter teams set out into your part of town looking to kill as many Americans as they can before being martyred for Allah‚ Baphomet‚ or even Klaus Schwab‚ the chances are good that your self-defense capabilities are all that will save your family from a fate the book describes for countless of our countrymen. It’s a book told from a conservative perspective‚ but it’s universal in its lessons to our people. Get it‚ read it‚ take it to heart. It’s an important book — one of the most important you’ll read all year. The post Kurt Schlichter’s <;i>;The Attack<;/i>; Is A Must-Read For 2024 appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

In a little-noticed presentation on Dec. 9‚ 2023‚ at COP28 in Dubai‚ a panel of soil experts presented the case for cows as climate allies‚ not gas-spewing destroyers. The event‚ titled “Conscious Livestock Rearing and Soil Health‚” discussed “animal rearing’s impact on soil health‚ and its place as a part of the climate solution.” Contrary to the anti-cow cacophony of the climate crisis crowd‚ these experts explained the vital role ruminants like cows play in nourishing and rebuilding precious soils. It turns out‚ grazing cows sequester massive amounts of carbon. On the panel of experts was Seth J. Itzvan‚ co-founder of SOIL4Climate‚ Inc.‚ a nonprofit that “promotes soil restoration as a climate solution‚” and a man akin to a Lorax for the cows. (READ MORE: French Farmers Are Fighting Woke Climate Policies in Paris With Tractors) “I would respectfully push back against the less animals narrative‚” Itzkan said‚ referring to calls to reduce the number of cows on the planet. “I actually don’t think there’s nearly enough‚” he continued. “I think we’re going to need way more ruminants on the Earth‚ maybe twice as many as there are now‚ and they will need to be managed in this way that is beneficial.” The Case for More Cows Bill Gates‚ Klaus Schwab‚ and globalists of their ilk‚ claim humans must cut back on meat to save the planet from doom. The entire argument is premised on claims of enteric methane emissions from cattle confined in unnatural factory operations: Rotationally grazed cows sequester more carbon dioxide in the soil with their manure than they emit when they burp. Cow manure rebuilds soils destroyed by synthetic fertilizers and other chemicals‚ nurturing microbial life that feeds on methane. Robust natural soils sequester more carbon dioxide than forests‚ yet bovines are denied any carbon credit. (READ MORE: Roberts and Milei Set Fire to Libs at Davos) Itzvan was one of many soil and agriculture experts on hidden display at the global climate summit who explained that soil health is a key element of effective environmental stewardship and that ruminants are integral to that ancient cycle. Itzvan argued that: [G]rasslands‚ the second largest ecosystem on the planet after the oceans‚ coevolved with extensive herds of grazing ruminants. These migratory mammals were essential to giving grasslands their fertile soils which store an enormous amount of carbon. A great deal of this carbon has been lost because of poorly managed cropping and grazing. However‚ ecologically beneficial cropping techniques‚ and grazing in a way that replicates the behavior of wild herds‚ can replenish much of this essential element. Where the Buffalo Roam North America’s legendary bison herds once thundered across the Great Plains nurturing soils and the entire ecosystem. Efforts to eradicate the buffalo to undermine Native Americans starved the precious soil microbiome; subsequent compaction and tilling by tractors and equipment gradually weakened and eroded topsoils. Synthetic fertilizers (manufactured from natural gas‚ aka methane) replaced bison manure‚ while various chemical concoctions began killing off soil microbes‚ poisoning wells‚ and wiping out colonies of vital honeybees. (READ MORE: The Buzz on ‘The Great Honey Bee Die-Off’) The push to eliminate cows has been crafted by the same industrial forces that imprisoned them in Confined Animal Feed Operations (CAFOs). Synthetic and fake meats grown from soy or corn harvested with tractors and chemicals do not rebuild soils‚ instead accelerating erosion and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Cows returned to roam the fields and hillsides converting grass to meat and milk while replenishing soil health naturally. Cows are not the cause‚ but the solution‚ of climate change. Humanity needs more cows‚ not fewer! Those who say otherwise are simply manure deniers. The post More Cows Needed to Reverse Climate Change‚ Experts Say appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Talking is easy. It happens when air passes from the lungs through airways and the larynx‚ making the vocal cords vibrate and resulting in sounds that‚ in most adults‚ we interpret as language. When those sounds correspond to the concrete code of some language‚ the speaker will be saying things that the listener can decode and understand. After what I have just heard‚ I suspect that Robin DiAngelo is speaking‚ because I hear her‚ but she is not saying things that any human receiver can decode. (READ MORE: ‘Gratuitous‚ Inaccurate‚ and Inappropriate’: Kamala Lies Some More) The woman‚ who is striking gold with purportedly anti-racist verbiage‚ has taken to a podcast to declare that the clearest example of white supremacy and patriarchy is‚ hold on tight to your hats now‚ the Sistine Chapel. I’m not lying to you and it’s early‚ I mean‚ I haven’t even had enough to drink yet: The single image I use to capture the concept of white supremacy is Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: God Creating Man. Where God is in a cloud‚ and there are all these angels‚ and he’s reaching out and he’s touching — I don’t know who that is‚ David or something? — and God is white‚ David is white‚ and the angels are white. Like‚ that is the perfect convergence of white supremacy‚ patriarchy. Of course‚ DiAngelo has difficulty understanding painting‚ and lacks any sense of ridicule: “David or something?” It’s so wonderful‚ so exciting‚ so funny that it’s impossible to satirize because the fact itself is insurmountable. You may no longer remember‚ but there was a time when illiterate people‚ fools‚ and idiots kept a low profile in intellectual debates. In the same way‚ I also keep a low profile when talking about mechanical issues in a car engine‚ because all I know about cars is how to start them‚ step on the gas‚ and pay for speeding tickets. In my case‚ the same is true of the sex life of crabs‚ quantum physics‚ and Zumba classes. These are subjects that are alien to me. Silence is always prudent in such cases. Unfortunately‚ the time for prudent courtesy and intellectual honesty seems to be over for some people. That faint modesty has disappeared. Now the ignorant launch themselves into public debates for which they are not equipped and unblushingly pontificate the most immense amount of nonsense you can imagine‚ with the conviction that we are obliged to listen to them and that they have the right to have their point of view respected. The truth is that they don’t know much about that either. What we have to respect is the person — after all‚ we are all children of God — but not their stupid ideas. I do not respect stupid ideas. (READ MORE by Itxu Díaz: Apple’s Vision Pro Heralds Doomsday) I guess it’s the democratization of knowledge‚ but run through the progressive filter. Cultural democratization was supposed to be about equal opportunity to gain knowledge‚ but for the Left and Robin that just means that everyone has the right to talk about things they don’t know about and don’t plan to learn. Anyway‚ considering that the woman has made a superhuman effort to find racism in Michelangelo’s great work‚ I feel obliged to join her cause and help find racism in other unexpected places. In my opinion‚ there is nothing more racist than milk‚ because by all accounts it is white; the fact that we sit on black leather chairs is a clear allegory of white supremacy; and I find it absolutely scandalous that we have not yet banned clouds‚ which are white and in the sky‚ the pernicious double implication is clear. There are still too many pretty actresses on the big screen‚ and that’s obviously supremacism. The protagonist of history’s greatest novel‚ Don Quixote‚ is described as being tall‚ thin‚ and pale-looking‚ which is another example of literary racism almost as horrific as the Sistine Chapel. Finally‚ people keep painting ceilings white and wearing black soles on their shoes and I can’t wait for DiAngelo to record an urgent podcast on this clarifying her position. (READ MORE by Itxu Díaz: The Regrettable ‘Gay Christ’ Poster vs. the Magnificent Holy Week in Seville) DiAngelo has written several black books‚ some frankly dark‚ and has coined the term “white fragility” — which‚ in the paranoid imaginary of racism-seekers‚ I must embody to perfection‚ along with John Ford‚ almond blossoms‚ Scarlett Johansson‚ egg yolk‚ and Michelangelo’s David — which shows that‚ in addition to being a racist‚ he was also a repeat offender. Translated by Joel Dalmau. Buy Itxu Díaz’s new book‚ I Will Not Eat Crickets: An Angry Satirist Declares War on the Globalist Elite‚ here today! The post The ‘White Fragility’ of Michelangelo’s the <;i>;Creation of Adam<;/i>; appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Fiscally-conscious Argentinian President Javier Milei is in the process of scrapping federal funding for the nation’s National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts‚ in a larger attempt to cut inflation and prioritize where money is spent — America should follow suit. Currently‚ state and local governments are subsidizing woke Hollywood and lying about the benefits of government subsidies to taxpayers and Michigan is a perfect example of this. Bringing Back a Failed Program for Round Two Between 2008 to 2015‚ the state of Michigan gave the movie industry $500 million in tax subsidies to bring in more revenue and jobs to the state. “It’s true that many years ago‚ Michigan tried a film incentive program‚ and it didn’t really go that well‚” Rep. Jason Hoskins (D-Southfield)‚ told his colleagues on Feb. 6. “The worst thing we can do now is just not try‚ and allow Michigan to fall further behind the rest of the nation on this.” (READ MORE: The Decline and Fall of Hollywoke) Hoskins failed to mention that the program didn’t just not “go that well.” The corporate welfare program utterly failed and the state spent half a billion dollars with nothing to show for it. Many of those supporting the program argue that if Michigan opted out they would lose the opportunity to compete with the 40 other states or cities that have some type of film tax incentives. “These incentives are very important to make us competitive again‚” said David Haddad‚ chairman of the Michigan Film Industry Association (MFIA).  Failed Film Subsidy Programs But Michigan isn’t the only state where the incentives have proved ineffective. Just this month‚ a new report from the state of New York found that the Film Production Credit‚ which was recently expanded to $700 million annually‚ is at a “net negative‚” giving the state back just 31 cents for every dollar it spent on the tax break. (READ MORE: The Woke of Zorro) In 2008‚ Michigan decided to give film subsidies a shot. “Get ready‚ the movies are coming to Michigan‚” said former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm at the time. But‚ the governor was wrong. While the program did bring some movies to the state to film‚ including Transformers: Age of Extinction and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice‚ the state lost money on the subsidies. A Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency report found that Michigan spent $37.5 and $100 million on tax credits in 2009 and 2010‚ while only generating $21.1 and $59.5 million in production activity in those same years.  For every dollar the state spent on film subsidies‚ it only got 11 cents back in gained economic activity and did not bring more jobs to the state. According to research from the Mackinac Center‚ Michigan had fewer film-related jobs in 2015 than it did before the program was implemented. A report from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in 2013 also found that film incentives created zero full-time jobs. Yet‚ the battle over subsidies seems to never end — even amid failure. Last summer‚ the Multimedia Jobs Act was proposed as legislation in both the Michigan House and Senate. It would create a tax credit for Michigan-based projects‚ including film‚ TV‚ and commercial production. The legislation has received some bipartisan support‚ with Rep. John Roth‚ an Interlochen Republican‚ co-sponsoring the plan. (READ MORE: Jay Leno: Mix Politics With Comedy‚ and You Get Politics) The new film subsidy program would allow eligible companies to get back up to 25 percent of total spending in tax credits for filming in Michigan and up to 30 percent if the project incorporates the Pure Michigan logo. The proposed legislation‚ which is still waiting for committee approval‚ may not directly benefit Michigan residents. While there is a credit offering 30 percent of total spending for hiring Michigan residents‚ there is no requirement for hiring Michigan residents‚ and there is even a 20 percent credit for hiring nonresidents.  Stop Believing the Lies Film industry unions across the nation have played influential roles in pushing these subsidies. In the case of Michigan‚ MFIA has played a large role in pushing the reinstitution of the program. “In the first year‚ we expect to have $3 to $500 million injected into the economy‚” Haddad said. Any return on investment for the state is unlikely‚ given the track record of similar subsidy programs. Many critics of the program also see it as nothing but “bribing” Hollywood. “It doesn’t matter which state does the bribing: Movie producers will be the only winners‚” wrote Pat Garofalo‚ the director of state and local policy at the American Economic Liberties Project‚ and Michael LaFaive‚ senior director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy‚ in an op-ed for theWall Street Journal in 2021.  It’s not time for Michigan to bring back the film subsidy program. Instead‚ it’s time for states and cities across the nation to take a page from President Milei and stop using taxpayer money to subsidize woke Hollywood. The post Film Subsidies Should Be a Thing of the Past appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

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