The Sonic Youth co-frontman discusses the inherent connection between music and politics. The post Thurston Moore‚ Radiohead and the dream of “releasing music for free” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

I attended UCLA School of Law from August 1990 to May 1993. I was chief articles editor of the UCLA Law Review and then moved on to clerk for a brilliant (I add: most brilliant) federal appeals court judge‚ the Hon. Danny J. Boggs of the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. I then practiced complex civil litigation for more than a decade at three of America’s most prominent powerhouse law firms‚ moving over to teaching law school for nearly 20 years. Yes‚ I am a rabbi of 40-plus years who knows Judaic law and the Bible pretty respectably by now‚ but I also know American law every bit as well as the pundits you see on TV. And those pundits don’t make puns. What the Democrats and their media co-conspirators are doing to former and future President Donald Trump is beyond anything that exists in American law‚ and they are destroying our country. You see‚ here is how it works: READ MORE from Dov Fischer: A Queen‚ Two Bishops‚ Jews‚ and Muslim Madmen in Turbans Nixon screwed up but did not deserve to be thrown out of office. It was not he who cooked up the bungled Watergate break-in. He probably fumed when he learned about it. He was leading in the polls at the time by 2 million points‚ give or take Massachusetts‚ and he did not need to do anything because George McGovern was campaigning for him. No one wanted McGovern. No one. Then Nixon learned that his backers broke into the Watergate Hotel‚ yada-yada-yada. What should he have done&;#63; The leftist media know he should have called 9-1-1 and turned them in. But that is not realistic. What kind of jerk learns that his closest friends‚ on their own‚ tried to “do him a solid” but messed up‚ so he then snitches on them to the fuzz&;#63; No one does that. You cannot do that. You can call out others for failing to do that‚ but you never would do that yourself. If there had been a Fox News at the time‚ for all their flaws‚ Nixon’s side would have gotten a nightly airing‚ and he would have gotten censured but not impeached. But the Democrats smelled blood. That day was the day that the impeachment of Bill Clinton began. No one had ever heard of him‚ but that didn’t matter. Sooner or later‚ the Republicans were going to retaliatorily impeach a Democrat. Then the Dems impeached Trump‚ and then the GOP impeached Alejandro Mayorkas. It never mattered whether there were enough votes in the Senate to convict Clinton‚ Trump‚ or Mayorkas. Once it started with Nixon‚ it had to be avenged‚ and then more retaliation‚ and then more. Nixon never should have faced impeachment. Clinton dishonored himself and deserved to be sued in civil court serially by the women he abused‚ but you don’t impeach a president because he lies to a lawyer in a deposition over whether he “had sex” with a female while he falsely swears to his wife at home each night that he never touched her. It is what it is. Trump’s phone call to Volodymyr Zelensky was perfectly reasonable. Of all the politicized impeachments‚ the only one that is legit is the present one to throw out Mayorkas. And the Democrats dismissed it before it could begin. Let the word go forth from this time and place (my column at The American Spectator) that the Trump lawfare obscenities will unleash lawfare against the Bidens after January 2025 or whenever his time ends. If Joe is reelected and dies in office‚ they still will go after Hunter and all the other Bidens. Then the Democrats will go after the next Republican president like Ron DeSantis or whoever‚ and then the GOP will imprison the next Democrat after. Welcome to the Banana Republic. Make sure not to slip on the peels in Aisle 8 while the criminal attorneys file slips on appeal in Courtroom 8. Each Trump case is bogus. A case of property loan fraud where all the lenders say they have no gripes and gladly would lend to him again‚ but the leftist prejudiced Democrat judge hits him and his team with $557 million in judgments‚ beginning with $355 million plus another $100 million interest&;#63; Really&;#63; Again‚ read the first paragraph here. I know stuff. Yes‚ I am for Trump‚ but I have devoted too many years of my life to establishing a respected name in the law to compromise it as some Trump attorneys did‚ to their shame‚ after Jan. 6. Yet I always taught my 2‚000-plus law students that‚ exactly like the law of gravity‚ the law is the law. I believe‚ correctly or wrongly‚ that Trump privately went too far with Stormy Daniels‚ though not “Star Trek” distance (“where no man has gone before”). As a rabbi‚ I know that is a terrible sin. But our lives do not end with a terrible sin. I know that also. Any competent rav (Orthodox rabbi) will focus not on the sin but on the road to redemption. Otherwise‚ a sinner may decide to continue his sinning the rest of his life because his soul already is lost. But‚ no‚ it is not lost. A person can redeem himself. In some cases‚ not all‚ that even can make him holier. All because you labored for 40 years on the Sabbath does not mean that you cannot turn it around with G-d by remembering and observing His Shabbat Day for the rest of your life. Has Trump redeemed himself&;#63; I don’t know. But I do know he never did and never would get involved with any woman other than his wife while in office. I trust him there. John F. Kennedy was not that pristine while in office‚ though the media covered for him. LBJ walked around on airplanes with his private male organ exposed‚ for the media to see his‚ uh‚ johnson. Nixon‚ Ford‚ Carter‚ Reagan‚ the Bushes‚ and Obama were clean in this way. Clinton soiled the White House no less than he did Monica’s dress. Trump should not be on trial for hush money. The “hush money” matter should not be actionable‚ and if it were‚ the limitations statute has passed. So Alvin Bragg ties it to a federal elections statute‚ claiming Trump made election payments while criminally hiding them from the public. We all know why the payments were secret. Just go to a few filthy R-rated movies that get great New York Times reviews‚ and watch hush money payments turned into blackmail. Yawn. Trump paid secretly to hide the story from his wife‚ just as Clinton tried to lie his way through a deposition taken under oath to hide from Hillary his involuntary harem. Democrats do not convict for that. Rather‚ they follow the news and reassess whether their own hush money payments are being transmitted securely. They make sure to keep those payments under $10‚000 to avoid the Eliot Spitzer thing. They avoid becoming spectacles like Wilbur Mills. Trump’s payments were obscene but not criminal. The statute expired. The federal elections law is irrelevant. But the Democrats conspired to have a Soros-funded D.A. bring this nonsense in a deep blue Manhattan courtroom where a deep blue jury resides. It is for this reason that Trump needs to wait for the appellate process. I am not sure he will get justice in New York’s mid-level appellate courts or in the top rung. He ultimately may need to bring a habeas corpus to the U.S. Supreme Court. I am reminded of the landmark First Amendment case of New York Times v. Sullivan‚ 376 U.S. 254 (1964). Sullivan was an Alabaman‚ and he filed for defamation in Alabama. The Times did not have a chance in the world. The trial resulted in them being found guilty. Also the first appeal. Also the state Supreme Court. Finally‚ they got to the U.S. Supreme Court‚ and they won. They did not deserve to win outright‚ but they also did not deserve more than a minor penalty‚ but the point is that the Supreme Court exists to ensure justice when there has been manifest local prejudice all the way up. It probably will be only then and there that Trump will emerge with the Right to Bragg. To receive Rav Fischer’s Weekly Extensive Torah Commentaries or to attend any or all of Rav Fischer’s weekly 60-minute live Zoom classes on the Weekly Torah Portion‚ the Biblical Prophets‚ the Mishnah‚ Rambam Mishneh Torah‚ or Advanced Judaic Texts‚ send an email to: shulstuff@yioc.org His 10-part exciting and fact-based series of one-hour classes on the Jewish Underground liberation movement (Irgun‚ Lechi‚ and Haganah) and the Rise of Modern Israel can be found here. In it‚ he uses historic video clips of Irgun‚ Lechi‚ and Haganah actions‚ decades of past Arab terrorist atrocities‚ as well as stirring musical selections from the Underground and video’d interviews of participants‚ to augment data‚ statistics‚ maps‚ and additional historical records to create a fascinating‚ often gripping‚ and scholarly enriching educational experience about issues that remain deeply relevant today as Israel engages in an existential war in Gaza against Hamas terrorism. His latest deeply moving weekly series of informational and inspirational programs on the Hamas Gaza war may be found here. His 40-part Bible Study series covering all of I Samuel (First Samuel) intensively with Talmudic and Midrashic commentaries is now up here. The post The Lawfare Racket Against Trump appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Last week‚ Uri Berliner reported inconvenient facts. Now he no longer works at NPR. Such is the fate of truth-tellers employed by propaganda outfits. After a quarter-century as a reporter and editor with the government-funded radio operation‚ Berliner resigned on Wednesday. “I am resigning from NPR‚ a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years‚” he emailed NPR honcho Katherine Maher. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.” Maher suspended Berliner without pay last Thursday for not clearing his article and allegedly sharing proprietary information regarding listener demographics (i.e.‚ very white‚ very‚ very left-wing). The political leanings of NPR’s audience‚ and the radio network’s leftward shift over time‚ do not surprise any listener who does not subscribe to the left-of-the-dial’s prevailing ideological ethos. Berliner stressed how the slant led NPR to fixate on ideologically seductive narratives that lacked the one common denominator of all good news stories: truth. He pointed to NPR’s obsession with the theory that Donald Trump conspired with the Kremlin to win the presidency — and its reliance on as partisan a character as Adam Schiff for more than two dozen interviews to propel that notion — as one example of a dubious story pursued because it flattered the political outlook of virtually everyone employed in a journalistic capacity by NPR. Undoubtedly‚ this particular pitfall of bias arises. The prosaic manifestation of NPR’s bias occurs in a story selection utterly alien to a woman delivering the mail‚ a man atop a tractor‚ and the vast majority of the African American and Hispanic demographic that NPR so desperately covets. In the past month or so‚ Fresh Air aired such progressive lectures disguised as news as “How Cars Became a Gendered Technology‚” “Climate-Driven Migration in the U.S.‚” and “Coming Out Trans at Age 67.” Their harangues‚ like all harangues‚ drive all but the true believers away. Science Friday‚ which seems a less honest name than “Climate Change Update‚” broadcast such recent segments as “Abortion-Restrictive States Leave Ob-Gyns with Tough Choices‚” “How Election Science Can Support Democracy‚” and “A New Book Puts ‘Math in Drag.’” On a science show‚ they find a way to talk about transgenderism and Jan. 6‚ 2021. Clear-eared listeners often come away wondering where the network’s science coverage begins and its political coverage ends. Hidden Brain‚ which often delves into topics of a scientific nature‚ undermines NPR’s notion of the necessity to saturate a program with politics to make it interesting. Indeed‚ that Saturday program always proves more captivating than the Friday one precisely because it exudes a fascination with scientific matters rather than uses them as a Trojan Horse to smuggle left-wing newsporn onto the airwaves. Even Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me bizarrely pushes a political agenda‚ unlike Jeopardy&;#33;‚ Press Your Luck‚ or any other game show you have ever come across. A sizable number of people would tune in to hear Bill Kurtis read the phone book‚ so the limericks act as a bonus. But the liberal B-listers‚ host Peter Sagal’s Tourette’s-like quips announcing his solidarity with progressive ideology‚ and trivia often betraying a political bent uniformly in one direction unsettles anyone who ever encountered mass media behind the Iron Curtain. More Charles Nelson Reilly‚ less Mo Rocca‚ please; more Bret Somers‚ less Paula Poundstone‚ please. A singular affectation rather than diverse accents accent NPR’s insularity. One hears testosterone-depleted voices announce “really leaning into” this streaming show or finding that comedian quite “problematic.” Before you ever heard “cisgender‚” “white privilege‚” or “diversity‚ equity‚ inclusion‚ belonging” (yes‚ the “belonging” is increasingly obligatory)‚ someone listening to NPR heard them first. They communicate not to the mass of potential listeners. They communicate instead: we belong to a club. That club wants your tax dollars and pledge-drive commitment. The club does not want your opinions — as guests‚ reporters‚ editors‚ or callers. Uri Berliner’s revelation that NPR’s D.C. newsroom contained 87 registered Democrats but not a single Republican screams as much. That bit of truth-telling exposing NPR’s rigid‚ Izvestia-like conformity stands as his offense for the so-nicknamed Chairman Maher. To those outside NPR’s political cult‚ Berliner errs in his delusion that he labored for “a great American institution” rather than Agitprop Radio‚ whose very existence acts as a non sequitur in a free country. READ MORE: It’s Bigger Than NPR’s Katherine Maher The post Defund NPR Yesterday appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Here’s a collection of items that wind their way from Hollywood to the real purveyors of make-believe: 1. Alan Ritchson can go to hell‚ and he can take Reacher with him. I’ve been a real fan of Amazon Prime’s streaming show Reacher for both of its two seasons. Alan Ritchson‚ the hulking behemoth who plays lead character Jack Reacher‚ is a pretty good fit — he says little‚ deadpans his role‚ and is very believable in perpetrating acts of righteous brutality. Richard Burton he isn’t‚ but the role doesn’t call for Richard Burton. The problem is that Ritchson thinks the notoriety Reacher has given him — and it’s led to a role in the new Guy Ritchie World War II action romp The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare — somehow makes him relevant as a political commentator. So he decided that he would throw a verbal hand grenade at cops by saying this: Cops get away with murder all the time‚ and the fact that we can’t really hold them accountable for their improprieties is disturbing to me. We should completely reform the way that we do it. I mean‚ you shouldn’t have to spend more time getting an education as a hairstylist than as a cop who’s armed with a deadly weapon. We should make it very hard for people to make mistakes or abuse power in our institutions. That from an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. Can’t hold cops accountable&;#63; Really&;#63; Tell that to Derek Chauvin‚ the Minneapolis police officer who is in prison and who was nearly stabbed to death a few months ago after being railroaded by a jury full of people intimidated by a mob of folks who believe all the same crap Ritchson believes‚ because Chauvin had the misfortune of trying to restrain George Floyd as the latter expired from a fentanyl overdose. Is that the murder Ritchson thinks cops get away with&;#63; Or is he talking about the Chicago cops who killed Dexter Reed after he shot one of them&;#63; Was that murder‚ or was it self-defense&;#63; Nobody cares what this face-man who gets paid to pretend he’s somebody else in front of a camera thinks. And it’s so tiring to constantly have to listen to “celebrities‚” most of whom are unqualified nincompoops when it comes to their personal lives‚ pontificate about politics and current events. The makers of‚ and investors in‚ Ungentlemanly Warfare ought to sue Ritchson in the event the movie lays an egg at the box office‚ which is a decent possibility. It’s time for Hollywood’s obnoxious leftists‚ from producers to actors on down‚ to start facing consequences for alienating the audiences. So far those consequences have come courtesy of bad box office figures‚ but that clearly isn’t enough for any of them to learn anything. Maybe it’s time for trial lawyers to get involved. Either way‚ count me out of season three of Reacher. Unless Ritchson is canned and replaced with somebody I don’t find repellently moronic‚ I’ve got better things to do with my time. 2. Joy Reid Is Right About Trump’s New York Trial Boy‚ that’s a weird little subhead‚ isn’t it&;#63; But this is a rare case in which I can say Joy Reid isn’t completely full of crap. What‚ you ask‚ could Joy Reid possibly be right about&;#63; Well‚ there’s this: Joy Reid: “Donald Trump is being held to account by the very multicultural‚ multiracial democracy that he’s trying to dismantle … Go DEI. My DEIs are bringing it home.” pic.twitter.com/FlHQoat11m — The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 16‚ 2024 That is spot on. Absolutely 100 percent correct. It is completely true that the people perpetrating the worst abuses of the legal system in the history of the country‚ persecuting a former president of the United States in courts controlled 100 percent by a corrupt‚ lawless‚ unethical‚ and morally bankrupt political cabal are “her DEIs.” Alvin Bragg‚ Letitia James‚ and Fani Willis are all black. They’re all cogs in the Hard Left machine. They’ve all got immense ethical deficiencies in the overall performance of their offices. And they’re all doing the bidding of the Biden White House — meaning that‚ at least officially‚ they’re a collection of step-n-fetch-its for a guy whose best pals in the Senate were Robert Byrd and James Eastland. That applies to the judge in Bragg’s case against Trump‚ a leftist Latino political activist named Juan Merchan‚ who is so mean-spirited and hostile toward Trump that he’s attempting to deny him the right to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation or even to attend the oral arguments at the Supreme Court over Trump’s contention that presidential immunity attaches to another kangaroo-court prosecution‚ that in the Jan. 6 trial in Washington. Merchan is actively seeking to keep Trump off the campaign trail for two months in the middle of this presidential election‚ an abuse nobody would have conceived of before 2024. So yeah‚ Reid is right. This is what DEI gets you. It gets you a bunch of meritless‚ unethical thugs who are slaves to a bankrupt ideology and a crooked‚ mostly white elite who want to destroy America as founded not because of the DEI creed that this is somehow a country founded on racism but because they can get more power for themselves if they can clear away the checks and balances our Founders built into our Constitution. Call this metaphor racist if you want‚ but these are the flying monkeys sent out by the Wizard of Oz — the old white man behind the curtain (whether that old white man is Joe Biden or George Soros doesn’t really matter‚ does it&;#63;) — to terrorize the hinterland. And that’s what they’re doing‚ because if they can do this to Donald Trump in New York and Atlanta and D.C.‚ don’t think for one second they can’t do it to you. A sane country would inflict so much punishment on New York for this disgusting travesty that the state’s governor‚ Kathy Hochul‚ would pardon Trump in both James’ and Bragg’s cases just to get the ordeal over with. But we’re not a sane country. We’re more of a banana republic. And we have Joy Reid’s DEI’s — and their evil white masters — to thank for it. 3. Oh‚ by the Way … at NPR… This is who’s running that place now: EXCLUSIVE: Katherine Maher says the &;quot;the number one challenge&;quot; in her fight against disinformation is &;quot;the First Amendment in the United States‚&;quot; which makes it &;quot;a little bit tricky&;quot; to censor &;quot;bad information&;quot; and &;quot;the influence peddlers&;quot; who spread it. NPR's censor-in-chief. pic.twitter.com/0vY6hIpbmO — Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) April 17‚ 2024 I don’t know why I’m forced to support this assault on the constitutional republic I have a right to as an American. Katherine Maher on my payroll is a personal affront to me. At the end of the day‚ a regime that would inflict her on me and those like me is an illegitimate regime. It fixes elections‚ it openly denies basic civil rights‚ and it recoils from objective truth like a vampire from the sun. We keep discussing consequences in this space‚ and this is another example. Somebody can step in and fire this woman‚ or NPR can lose its federal funding‚ or something worse than that will ultimately happen. But you can’t force the American people to pay to be insulted by people like this forever. This bough will break. I can’t tell you how‚ but it will. 4. Speaking of Consequences‚ When Do They Come for the Climate Nuts&;#63; Amid all of the bovine scatology you continue to hear about how the planet is burning up thanks to your SUV and that ribeye steak you ate last night comes this: More evidence emerges that Antarctica has undergone rapid glacier and sea ice expansion in recent centuries‚ in line with the long-term and recent Antarctic cooling trend. West Antarctica’s mean annual surface temperatures cooled by more than -1.8°C (-0.93°C per decade) from 1999-2018 (Zhang et al.‚ 2023). Not just West Antarctica‚ but most of the continent also has cooled by more than 1°C in the 21st century. The glaciers covering Antarctica are bigger than ever. So there’s your stupid narrative about how the planet is warming up and the sea levels will rise to engulf … Barack Obama’s house on Martha’s Vineyard‚ for example. The link that the above excerpt came from is worth reading in full. Nothing is happening at present that is different from natural warming and cooling patterns of the Earth throughout history. What’s different is that there is an army of Marxist grifters who see climate alarmism as a profitable grift that can pay off in money and power. It’s just a new way to pillage the wealth of those people who actually create things for a living. But the question is this: given that these liars haven’t just bullshitted their way into ill-gotten swag by way of grants and funding but have done real damage to our economy and culture — there are studies out there showing that belief in climate doom is a factor in high rates of depression and suicidal ideation‚ particularly among the young — at what point should there be consequences laid onto these people&;#63; It isn’t enough for the liars to be exposed and the lies discredited‚ which isn’t quite where we are yet but it looks like that day is coming. No‚ what we need is a cost imposed for the lies. Where is the massive class-action lawsuit against the purveyors of climate alarmism for the economic and social damage they’ve done&;#63; Why aren’t museums across the world suing the funders of these radical groups who send lunatic idiots out to deface public art in the name of the Earth&;#63; It’s interesting that Katherine Maher decries the purveyors of “disinformation‚” which she defines as things the universally leftist staff at NPR disagrees with‚ and yet the most obvious disinformation artists are the people telling you that your gas stove and water heater will drown your grandchildren. Will Katherine Maher agree that they belong on the menu&;#63; Of course not. Can we at least agree to stop paying for this stupid and destructive demoralization campaign&;#63; 5. Oh‚ Apparently Not&;#33; I’d normally end with something light‚ like for example that book sales of King of the Jungle are ever-so-slowly beginning to mount (and‚ if you’ve read the serialized version‚ you might consider doing me a favor and leaving an Amazon review&;#33;)‚ or to pass along Daniel Greenfield’s excellent review of the novel: A rollicking ride that looks ripped from the headlines with plenty of corrupt politicians‚ danger and firepower. And‚ unlike real life‚ there’s a happy ending. But I won’t do that. Instead‚ I’ll pass along something weightier and far more disgusting‚ which is that no‚ we aren’t getting our government out of the idiotic climate change nonsense business in the immediate future. Instead‚ Dirty Joe Deadhorse Biden is going to use it to do … something in an effort to rig the election this fall. At least‚ that’s the suggestion one draws from this: White House officials are weighing whether to declare a national climate emergency several months out from the 2024 election‚ people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. President Joe Biden’s top advisers have returned to conversations about declaring such a national climate emergency‚ though those in discussion appear to be divided on the move‚ the sources told Bloomberg. While the move‚ the sources say‚ would stunt offshore drilling and curb greenhouse gas emissions‚ others think the move would help energize youth voters‚ particularly those with a focus on climate‚ Bloomberg reported. “President Biden has treated the climate crisis as an emergency since day one and will continue to build a clean energy future that lowers utility bills‚ creates good-paying union jobs‚ makes our economy the envy of the world and prioritizes communities that for too long have been left behind‚” White House spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez told the outlet while not commenting directly on the reported discussions. Yes‚ you want to roll your eyes at this and say‚ “Nah‚ no way.” You can’t do that. Let’s not forget that the people who believe the things Joe Biden’s handlers do saw the COVID lockdowns and were overjoyed‚ and immediately began wishcasting about the potential for climate lockdowns. This is on their radar‚ and their strategy is a pure base-mobilization campaign. Pander to the Hard Left at every turn and then get as many of them out to vote using every trick possible‚ and that way you don’t have to win any arguments at all in front of the public. Which you can’t do anyway when your candidate is a talentless‚ credibility deficient crook who can’t even walk like a normal man. So keep your eye on this. In a sane country declaring a “climate emergency” and inflicting gross inconvenience on your countrymen as you ask them to reelect you would signal a stupidity punishable by immediate political oblivion. But we are not quite that sane country at present. We’ve been driven mad by these people‚ and the consequences for that have not yet come. READ MORE: The Trans Reckoning Is Not Yet Here — But It’s Coming Soon Dead Thugs and Tired Narratives The post Five Quick Things: The Impending Death (By Suicide) of &;lt;i&;gt;Reacher&;lt;/i&;gt; appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

I just saw a typical protest march in some Arab country on the news. I think it was Jordan‚ but it could have been Tunisia; I tend to get them all mixed up. I was late to the report‚ so I don’t know what they were protesting‚ but it matters not. That lot are always angry. They scream like someone just raised their taxes. They elbow each other. And if the police didn’t contain them‚ they would likely eat someone alive without even bothering to cook them first. Even when their countries manage to stay peaceful for a time‚ most of them don’t experience that same peace in their souls. They always seem as though they have just been stung on a testicle by a wasp.  I’m sure you have occasionally seen an imam preaching in a mosque. There are thousands of such videos on the internet. It is indeed very rare to see an imam instructing his people without raising his voice. The body language is aggressive even if you don’t actually understand anything he says. Sometimes‚ it is even more aggressive when you do understand it. When I have watched them on occasion‚ I have caught myself muttering under my breath: Dude‚ why don’t you calm down a little&;#63; Have you tried enjoying life&;#63; Even when preaching about how one should love one’s brothers‚ they speak with such vehemence that it’s unclear whether to love thy neighbor or headbutt him.  Subscribe to The American Spectator to receive our latest print magazine‚ which includes this article and others like it. Every time an Islamist attack occurs in Europe — lately‚ almost daily — some cretin always jumps up to say: “All religions are to blame for this. They all bring about violence.” And I feel like reminding them that the religion that has caused the most violence so far is secularism‚ but they would not understand. In any case‚ I am amazed at the progressive Western mentality that‚ in the face of a jihadist attack‚ decides to condemn Christianity as if we Christians were also hell-bent on trying to behead babies in suburban Parisian parks.  I’m not attempting to present a theological confrontation between Islam and Christianity. Michel Houellebecq already did that‚ and he now lives with a permanent police escort — undeniable proof that Islam is so much more peaceful than Christianity‚ just as some leftists claim. On the contrary‚ my thesis is that Christianity is much more fun‚ even for those who are cultural Christians living on the fringes of religion. You will always have a better time if you have a Christian nearby. This article is taken from The American Spectator’s latest print magazine. Subscribe to receive the entire magazine. Every morning‚ I thank God for giving me the Christian faith because I love being part of a religion whose leader’s first action was to bless wine. Muslims‚ I’m sure you know‚ are forbidden alcohol‚ gambling‚ tobacco‚ and pork. Come to think of it‚ no wonder they are so bitter. And then there is sharia‚ the Islamic law‚ which is already enforced in several European neighborhoods not even the police can enter. In Berlin‚ for example‚ these no-go zones are a horror for women. Often‚ even wearing the Islamic veil and lowering one’s eyes when passing by a man does not save a woman from being insulted or threatened — simply because she is wearing a little eye shadow. In these places‚ polygamy is rampant. This might also explain the general moodiness: in Christian marriage‚ it is almost impossible to keep your cool while trying to keep things right with your wife. Now‚ imagine three wives complaining in unison because you left your underpants hanging on the TV again.  As for me‚ I could not be prouder to practice a religion whose third commandment is crystal clear: “Thou shalt keep holy the Lord’s day.” If Hunter Biden had tried to create his own religion‚ he could not have found a more fitting commandment. Somehow‚ not celebrating certain holidays might even constitute a sin in Christianity. Isn’t that fabulous&;#63;  Even our Lenten fast is much more bearable than Ramadan‚ whose Arabic etymology already hints that you are not going to have a good time: ar-ramad means “scorching heat.” During the thirty days of Ramadan‚ poor Muslims cannot eat‚ drink‚ or have sex from sunrise to sunset; some cannot have sex even after sundown‚ and that’s where the problems begin. Nor can they consume anything that enters the body through the mouth‚ but‚ on advice from my cardiologist‚ I will not expand on this part of the tenet. By contrast‚ my Christian Lent consists of a fairly reasonable slimming diet that also‚ if you make a little effort‚ buys you front-row tickets in Heaven for all eternity. As for its etymological origin‚ the Old English root of Lent comes from lencten‚ meaning “spring‚” which is neither hot nor scorching but pleasantly mild‚ except for the reminder that I can no longer spring into action on the dance floor because my belly has grown and my joints ache. In any case‚ we Christians go through Lent in a purifying mood‚ but deep down we are just looking forward to Easter‚ when we throw another huge party that lasts for weeks. Everywhere you look‚ as I wrote some years ago in The American Spectator‚ Christianity is a party religion. When we are in a bar having a drink and some half-drunk idiot appears saying that Christianity is a strict‚ oppressive‚ and backward religion‚ I tend to reply politely‚ but very clearly‚ “You dumbass‚ if it weren’t for the strict‚ oppressive‚ and backward medieval monks‚ you wouldn’t have been able to drink all that beer.” There are still many people who do not know that the recipe for the beer we drink today only exists thanks to the expansion of the monasteries in Europe and the way in which Franciscans‚ Benedictines‚ and Trappists brewed it and used it as a nutrient. Later‚ Saint Hildegard added hops to the recipe and managed to save a lot of people’s lives thanks to its bactericidal qualities and aseptic character. I recently ordered a poster of Saint Arnold‚ to whom these wise words are attributed: “Beer came into the world by the sweat of man and the love of God.” I said at the beginning that I do not intend to turn this into a theological confrontation between religions. Faith is often conditioned by the environment into which you are born‚ and the good Lord is not always in time to send you falling from a horse to bring you into his fold. But‚ yes‚ now that the Left is going on about how we should promote Islam in the West‚ I would like to stress that even for an atheist or a secularist‚ living with Christians is more bearable than living with Muslims. Christianity has a much more elaborate notion of freedom‚ and‚ unlike others‚ we do not consider all those who do not identify as Christians to be infidels.  Christianity is peace of soul‚ joy in the home‚ a good turkey on the table at Christmas‚ and mountains of mercy. Well‚ it’s all that‚ and it’s Chesterton. I have needed a lot of lines to try to say something similar to what he was able to summarize in a couple of sentences: “The outer ring of Christianity is a rigid guard of ethical abnegations and professional priests; but inside that inhuman guard you will find the old human life dancing like children‚ and drinking wine like men; for Christianity is the only frame for pagan freedom. But in the modern philosophy the case is opposite; it is its outer ring that is obviously artistic and emancipated; its despair is within.” I’ll raise a glass to that. Subscribe to The American Spectator to receive our latest print magazine on the future of religion in America. The post Christianity Is Simply More Fun appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a problem: Her constituents don’t want to stay in Michigan. In coming years‚ outbound migration from the state will contribute to a decline in Michigan’s population‚ bolstered by demographic decline.  Throughout her time as governor‚ Whitmer’s progressive policies have tightened the screws on families and businesses in Michigan — and some people have called it quits. In 2019‚ Michigan lost 20‚000 people‚ net‚ to other states. The flight has slowed somewhat in recent years‚ to 15‚000 people in 2021 and nearly 10‚000 people in 2022‚ but Michigan’s population continues to fall.  Whitmer Funds ‘Newcomer’ Programs to Attract Migrants As Michigan residents either move out or grow old‚ a study by the Michigan Center for Data and Analysis identifies the key to reversing the state’s population problem: net-positive migration. Reversing a decades-long trend is easier said than done. As the demographic study notes‚ Michigan has generally had net-negative migration since the 1970s. But that’s not going to stop Gretchen Whitmer from trying to attract new residents at any cost.  Last fall‚ state Democrats established the Newcomer Rental Subsidy program‚ which provides up to $500 per month in rental assistance for refugees and “other Newcomer population-eligible households.” The program‚ which provides application materials in Arabic‚ Dari‚ Haitian Creole‚ Kinyarwanda‚ Pashto‚ Spanish‚ and “Ukranian [sic]‚” is only one of several programs aimed at attracting international migrants. In February‚ Whitmer announced that more than $700‚000 would be used to “support newcomer integration” across the state. These funds are designed to connect migrants with government programs in hopes of making Michigan “the state of choice for many newcomer populations‚” according to the Midwesterner. Additionally‚ Whitmer’s budget for the next fiscal year includes $8 million to provide migrants with legal services‚ including funding for asylum claims. (RELATED: Border Is Big Issue for 2024) Republicans Challenge Migrant Handouts  Michigan Republicans have scrutinized Whitmer’s newcomer program‚ voicing concerns about “lax eligibility requirements and loopholes” in the program’s administration. In particular‚ Republicans are concerned that the program would incentivize illegal immigrants to make frivolous asylum claims on the taxpayer dime in order to receive funding for housing.  State Republicans point out that the “vast majority of asylum claims are defensive claims‚ filed by illegal immigrants caught in the country to avoid deportation‚” the Midwesterner reports. Under the Biden administration‚ illegal immigration has ballooned‚ straining legal pathways to citizenship and integration. The majority of immigrants traveling over the U.S.–Mexico border are not detained‚ and most don’t have legitimate standing to claim asylum.  As Center for Immigration Studies resident fellow Andrew Arthur explained last year‚ “The average time that it takes to hear a non-detained asylum claim is more than four years — twice as long as it had been nine years prior.” Whitmer’s policies would provide funding for these prolonged asylum claims.  “They could get a year of taxpayer-funded housing — an incentive to stay in the country and in Michigan after making a frivolous asylum claim‚” said Republican state House Leader Matt Hall. “Michiganders shouldn’t have their dollars taken to reward those who broke our immigration laws.” Hall and a fellow Republican legislator requested information from the Office of Global Michigan (OGM)‚ the department responsible for the rental assistance program‚ on March 27. Poppy Sias-Hernandez‚ Michigan’s chief equity and inclusion officer and director of the OGM‚ allegedly promised to provide answers by April 1 but didn’t follow through.  Undeterred‚ Hall and his colleague requested an official audit of the rental assistance program by Michigan auditor general Doug Ringler. Ringler’s office faces a 28 percent cut in funding in Whitmer’s proposed 2024-25 budget after audits “repeatedly exposed mismanagement in her administration‚” the Midwesterner reports.  Michigan Feels Effects of Illegal Immigration  Whitmer’s program caught the attention of former President Donald Trump‚ who posted a video to Truth Social‚ saying: She’s calling this scam the Newcomer Rental Subsidy. In other words‚ she’s calling illegal immigrants‚ many coming from jails‚ many coming from mental institutions‚ many … terrorists … newcomers. Isn’t that wonderful&;#63; As usual‚ Trump’s flair for hyperbole hits on a bit of truth. Though Michigan is a northern-border state‚ Whitmer’s plan to boost the state’s population by attracting immigrants runs the risk of introducing similar problems to those already experienced by southern-border states.  In his visit to Grand Rapids‚ Michigan‚ earlier this month‚ Trump spoke about the recent murder of Michigan resident Ruby Garcia by Brandon Ortiz-Vite‚ an immigrant who had been deported during Trump’s presidency but had reentered the country illegally under Biden’s lax border policies. Ortiz-Vite confessed to shooting Garcia‚ 25‚ with an illegally purchased handgun before dumping her body and escaping in her car.   And Ortiz-Vite is far from alone. Illegal immigrants have been accused of violent crimes throughout Michigan this past year‚ including murders and the assault of minors. In Oakland County‚ which encompasses most of Detroit’s northern suburbs‚ members of a Chilean gang committed a string of robberies‚ “stealing millions in cash‚ jewelry‚ and other high-end items from dozens [of homes] in recent months.” According to the Department of Homeland Security‚ Michigan is already a top destination for refugees and immigrants‚ both legal and illegal. Today‚ immigrants make up nearly 7 percent of the state’s population — nearly double the national rate of 3.6 percent.  Stabilizing Michigan’s population could be as simple as attracting workers and families from other states with good jobs‚ good schools‚ and lower taxes. Income-tax-free states like Florida‚ Tennessee‚ South Dakota‚ and Texas have all recently experienced consistent population growth of more than 1 percent per year. But dispensing with Whitmer’s pet progressive policies and making Michigan livable for Americans would be too straightforward. It’s easier for Whitmer to throw taxpayer money at the problem‚ shore up Democratic support in the state‚ and then ditch Michigan for the national political scene. Mary Frances Myler is a contributing editor at The American Spectator. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2022.  READ MORE from Mary Frances Myler:  Defying the Birth Dearth Isn’t Just a Trend Biden’s New Electric Vehicle Policy Will Drive US Auto Workers Out of Jobs England Bans Puberty Blockers‚ American Activists Double Down The post Gov. Whitmer Pays Migrants Who Move to Michigan appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Ya gotta love this. Over there at the New York Post was this headline: Lincoln Center cancels Mozart and goes woke — based on a historical lie  The Post reports:   When Black Lives Matter becomes a marketing strategy‚ facts offer little impediment to speaking “one’s truth.” Take the case of New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts‚ which banked its pandemic recovery on a narrative of its own abhorrence. In 2020‚ the center began promoting a story that a vibrant black community known as San Juan Hill had been deliberately snuffed out in the 1950s to make way for its creation. “The displacement of Indigenous‚ Black‚ and Latinx families that took place prior to the construction of our campus is abhorrent‚” declares the center’s “Message on Our Commitment to Change.” “We may never know its full impact on those dispossessed of the land on which Lincoln Center sits. But only by acknowledging this history can we begin to confront the racism from which our institution has benefited.” One doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the vivid display of historical ignorance on display here. Again‚ note this from the center’s “Message on Our Commitment to Change.” It reads:  “The displacement of Indigenous‚ Black‚ and Latinx families that took place prior to the construction of our campus is abhorrent….We may never know its full impact on those dispossessed of the land on which Lincoln Center sits. But only by acknowledging this history can we begin to confront the racism from which our institution has benefited.” Hello&;#63; Let’s refresh with real history. As that real history details‚ the original settlers of Manhattan were the Lenape Indians. Only later did Europeans begin showing up. Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano — for whom today’s Verrazzano Bridge connecting Staten Island to Long Island is named — was one of the first in 1524. Then‚ in 1609‚  there was Henry Hudson‚ who discovered the great river that now bears his name. In 1626‚ a Dutch trading company settled on the island and legendarily “purchased” Manhattan from the Lenape for “sixty guilders worth of trade goods.” Much history has flowed since then. But‚ obviously‚ the Lincoln Center’s version that “Indigenous‚ Black‚ and Latinx” were displaced is only one-third true. There were no Black or “Latinx” people who were settled in Manhattan when Verrazano arrived‚ much less were there any to be displaced when the Dutch named. The only people “displaced” were‚ in fact‚ the Lenape and other Native Americans. And the later arrivals moving on to Lenape land were not only white Europeans but “Black” (slaves and others) and “Latinx” people. Or‚ in other words‚ everyone else from all races and corners of the world. So‚ again‚ when the Lincoln Center says “We may never know its full impact on those dispossessed of the land on which the Lincoln Center sits‚” they are charmingly unaware that whatever was on the site where “the Lincoln Center sits” was dispossessed from the Lenape centuries ago‚ not at some time in the 1950s.  In fact‚ again to remind as the Post notes‚ in 2020‚ “the center began promoting a story that a vibrant black community known as San Juan Hill had been deliberately snuffed out in the 1950s to make way for its creation.” Hello&;#63; To say the “vibrant black community known as San Juan Hill had been deliberately snuffed out in the 1950s to make way for its creation” ignores that San Juan Hill itself had sat on land originally belonging to the Lenape Indians. Which means‚ according to the Lincoln Center’s logic‚ that a section of the Lenape territory that originally populated Manhattan was taken over by the “black community known as San Juan Hill.” The bottom line here&;#63; The beauty of America is that it belongs to all its people — people of all nationalities‚ ethnicities‚ races‚ and genders.  If the folks running the Lincoln Center have some guilt about their location taking land from the original Lenape owners‚ then taking down Lincoln Center and giving the land back to the Lenape should be the order of the day. Not to mention that if any of the people running the Lincoln Center live in Manhattan‚ then they should give up their apartments or homes‚ give back to the Lenape the land they sit on‚ and maybe move off Manhattan entirely. Don’t hold your breath. READ MORE: Clay Travis’ Free Speech Threatened by Dem Rep. Swalwell Hitler’s Meeting With Grand Mufti Shows War in Middle East Is About Hatred of Jews The post New York’s Lincoln Center Goes Woke appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.