Now that spring is close‚ with warm weather and the beach on the horizon‚ and free time‚ I know that many of my dear male readers would appreciate some tips on how to conquer the girl of their dreams. Especially since there is nothing worse than going to the movies on a Sunday in August with nothing other than some popcorn for company. Some of these tips are also valid for my dear female readers to find the guy of their dreams‚ but‚ if you don’t mind my asking: Why would you want to find the man of your dreams? All men are the same‚ except for the ones who aren’t‚ and those ones aren’t on the spring market. Good luck. READ MORE from Itxu Díaz: The Bloodbath Hoax Requires an Incendiary Rant Against Childhood Friends The first thing to know is where to flirt. Theoretically‚ you can flirt anywhere there is a girl. But if what you are really looking for is a lifelong love‚ forget about parks and gardens‚ luxurious private parties‚ and the queue for a fitting room of a fashion store: Go to a funeral. A relationship that begins in tears at a funeral‚ under the active gaze of the dead‚ can only get better. Great and lasting marriages have come from sad funerals. None come to mind right now. Flirting at a funeral requires courage‚ poise‚ and style to wear the mourning suit with a smile. But it has the advantage that it is not necessary to introduce yourself to the girl‚ especially if she is the widow. No one will ask you what you are doing there‚ why you are crying‚ why you are talking to her‚ or why you have been in line three times to give kisses and condolences. Avoid‚ however‚ joking in the presence of your future love. I know you’ve read in all those magazines for brainless teenagers that women like guys with a sense of humor‚ but for reasons I can’t explain‚ when they’re burying a loved one‚ girls tend to lack a sense of humor. And if that’s not the case‚ then that woman is no good for you. Take it from me. Another suitable place to flirt is the hospital‚ in the queue for blood tests. You look at her. She looks at you. You sigh. She sighs. You check the clock. She looks at the clock. You sit‚ waiting for the needle. She sits‚ waiting for the needle. You faint at the sight of the needle. She laughs. You crack an eyebrow in the fall. She cries with laughter. You get three stitches. She grasps a Kleenex to wipe her tears. Once recovered‚ at the hospital door‚ you are presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. The perfect excuse for the date is as simple as a question‚ “Shall we have breakfast?” Infallible. And the girl‚ just like in old romantic movies‚ answers yes‚ without hesitation‚ except when she realizes you’re carrying a plastic container full of urine in your hand. Do yourself a favor. Check beforehand to see if your analytics include blood and urine‚ and‚ in that case‚ if you meet the girl of your dreams in the waiting room with that horrible little container in your hands‚ put a sock on your head so she won’t recognize you‚ and abort mission. Know that great courtships in history have fallen by the wayside because of a plastic container of urine. No wonder. There are places where failure is assured. No one has ever managed to flirt on a beach — except dolphins. No one has ever gotten a decent girlfriend at an Erasmus party. On the other hand‚ it is possible to flirt quite well in a library. Flirting in silence is fun‚ because it’s impossible to know what the other person is thinking‚ and they’re almost never thinking what you’re thinking. Perhaps you‚ an astute one‚ will look up from your book‚ The Methodology of Scientific Models in the Empirical Analysis of Southern African Molluscan Reproductive Disease Outbreaks‚ and stare at that beautiful‚ dark-skinned young woman. Perhaps she will return your flirtatious gaze. Perhaps you will hold her gaze with a goofy expression. Maybe you think‚ happily‚ that it is as good as done‚ that you are unstoppable‚ that you’ve got her hooked. And that’s when she finally exclaims out loud‚ visibly annoyed: “What’s wrong with you asshole? Take a picture‚ it will last longer.” Ah‚ the thrills of flirting in a library. Otherwise‚ if you insist on flirting at night‚ in the dark‚ in a place where it is impossible to talk‚ with a girl you can’t see‚ 10 drinks in‚ and surrounded by guys who look like firefighters‚ you will probably leave the club hugging the umbrella stand at the entrance and telling your friends how you hooked up with a really stylish chick. There are a number of basic rules for the proper practice of late-night flirting. Never try to pick up a blonde in a nightclub. That’s like going to Paris and taking a picture next to the Eiffel Tower. Too obvious. Don’t try to pick someone up in line for the bathroom either. It’s very unpleasant to have to choose between peeing and getting rid of someone who won’t shut up. And under no circumstances try your luck with a waitress during working hours.  Action. Your time has come. Walk away from the bar and take to the dance floor. Besides‚ you’ve probably had too much to drink. Watch out for the stairs. Tripping and breaking the glass on the head of the girl you like is not amusing. Take advantage of the flashes of light to try to clearly target your dream princess. Now‚ once you have selected the victim of your eternal love‚ check your attitude‚ whichever it may be. Drink water. And just before you start the final attack‚ after a fleeting glance‚ make sure that she is really dancing alone‚ and confirm that the bald guy with the huge back and a scar shaking his ass next to her belongs to another group. That guy ate a simpleton like you for breakfast last week‚ which is why his hair has fallen out. I know. Be cautious. Having ruled out any link between the bald man and his princess‚ approach the lady of your dreams‚ caress the brim of her imaginary hat‚ kneel on the floor‚ and recite a Rilke poem to her with your hand on your heart. After the recital‚ kiss her feet repeatedly‚ and ask her to marry you in the center of the dance floor. See? I told you. It’s impossible to flirt in a discotheque. Now take her heel out of your mouth‚ pick your teeth up off the floor‚ and walk off in search of a good funeral. 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 Secret to Finding the Perfect Date: Flirting at a Funeral appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Last week‚ Chuck Schumer called for regime change in Israel. Using language reserved for petty despots around the world‚ he called for the removal from office not of the bloody‚ orgiastic Hamas thugocracy‚ not of Prime Minister Barbecue‚ not the blood-soaked mullahs of Iran‚ whose coffers he collaborated in filling‚ but of a constitutionally chosen prime minister who leads a wartime coalition whose policies enjoy supermajority support of a country united by the hellish atrocities of Oct. 7.  Schumer is responding to the looming disaster of Biden’s incoherent Israel policy. Both Schumer’s and Biden’s first instincts were to throw their full support behind Israel‚ heeding the better angels of their souls.  READ MORE from Shmuel Klatzkin: A West Point Scholar and Soldier Stands Up for Truth But even before they spoke‚ Secretary of State Antony Blinken was chumming up with Turkey’s would-be sultan‚ accomplished despot and kleptocrat‚ Recip Erdogan. Before one Israeli set foot in Gaza‚ before the blood of the raped and dismembered women had dried‚ the two issued a call for a ceasefire. A ceasefire? Israel hadn’t begun cleaning out the 400 miles of top-grade military tunnels under the hospitals‚ schools‚ and mosques of Gaza‚ tunnels which Hamas denied the citizens for whom it was responsible use for shelter‚ so what Blinken meant was that Israel had to pound sand. The atrocities were condign punishment for having the gall to refuse to offer endless concessions to those who seek its total elimination. Or in the words of an inexcusably honest member of this administration‚ a “final solution.” The Democrats are instigators of the disastrous Obama turn to Iran‚ by which‚ slice by slice‚ the Israel alliance is being severed. Obama guaranteed economic relief for the mullahs‚ enabling them to fully fund their violent clients‚ from Gaza to Yemen to Syria. Only a few Democrats were brave enough to buck Obama‚ Alan Dershowitz‚ being the most eloquent. (Look out for your back‚ Dr. D.) Schumer hung tight. Giving cover‚ he kept a reputation as a friend of Israel‚ helped in no small part by the loyalty of so many American Jews to a party that used to share their concerns before it went full woke. As the betrayal of Israel gathers steam‚ propelled by Biden’s fear of losing the River to the Sea vote‚ Jews are being trotted out to try to make this all seem kosher. That man of unparalleled integrity‚ Adam Schiff‚ oozed gravitas before the cameras as he declared that Schumer’s will affect Israel like an earthquake. A suitably violent image‚ indeed‚ for a verbally violent assault on America’s bona fides as an ally and on respect for the choices of a working democracy. Meanwhile‚ Biden was opening up the funding firehose‚ blasting a stream of billions more dollars to Iran. Why not? We saw what happened with the first billions he sent: Hamas‚ Hezbollah‚ and the Houthis were fully funded. Obama term three — the end of American influence realized through the betrayal of our allies and active aid to those sworn to our destruction. And now‚ the Democrats trot out their Jews to try to stop the bleeding of Jewish votes from the party that has made its peace with any kind of antisemitism that its sophistry can disguise.  It’s not new that people will throw their own under the bus for selfish advantage. Around 1500‚ a Jew convicted as a burglar‚ known to history as Johannes Pfefferkorn‚ opened up a new life for himself by converting to Christianity‚ and so escaping the oppressive laws confining Jews to the ghetto and severely limiting their opportunities. Pfefferkorn took his get-out-of-jail-free card and began a new life in which he took on the persona of those who had been his persecutors and became the leader of a movement to compel Jews to convert by taking away their books‚ forcing them to attend conversionary preaching‚ and further restricting their economic activities to allow only manual labor. Pfefferkorn went at it with gusto. By 1509‚ he had prevailed on the Holy Roman emperor‚ Maximilian‚ to issue a decree to confiscate all religious books in Jews’ possession except for the Bible. A great Christian scholar‚ Johann Reuchlin‚ pleaded the case of the Talmud before the emperor. Reuchlin had gone to Italy‚ befriended and studied under the great Italian rabbi and biblical commentator Ovadia Sforno‚ and spent time with the Italian philosopher Pico della Mirandola‚ who shared with Reuchlin his love of the teachings of Jewish mysticism. He was a man exemplifying the best of his religious tradition. Reuchlin eventually prevailed in stopping the Talmud seizure and also succeeded in seeing that study of Hebrew literature in the original became common in European universities. It is due in some part to his effort that‚ by the time of America’s founding‚ most of our (once) great universities taught Greek‚ Latin‚ and Hebrew; one features Hebrew on its seal. All peoples have their weak men as well as their greats. There are always those who further themselves by betraying their own people. America had its Benedict Arnold‚ after all; Britain‚ its Guy Fawkes. In more recent days‚ America had its Aldrich Ames‚ Britain its Kim Philby. But there are those who sincerely believed that what they were doing good for their people. These cases of those whose aims seem to be loftier than mere selfishness are more difficult to judge. Faced with the violent threat of Nazism‚ Pope Pius XI signed a concordat with Hitler and his Reich‚ ending Catholic political opposition to the Nazis and pulling the rug out from under the Catholic party that had been a strong voice in the Weimar Republic. Pius XI came to regret what he had done and issued a stunning condemnation of Nazism that many brave priests read from their pulpits‚ denouncing the new barbarism in passionate language. But by then‚ Hitler’s power was firmly established. Neville Chamberlain thought for many reasons that his policy of appeasement was brave‚ moral‚ and effective. Instead‚ it opened the door and sped ahead Hitler’s program of world domination and his Final Solution. Life poses us tough decisions. When we are in the thick of it‚ things can seem evenly balanced‚ and only in retrospect does the distinction between the two paths become clear. But we must make decisions in the haze and fog of the moment. Churchill spoke of this when memorializing Neville Chamberlain before the House of Commons: The only guide to a man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is the rectitude and sincerity of his actions. It is very imprudent to walk through life without this shield‚ because we are so often mocked by the failure of our hopes‚ and the upsetting of our calculations; but with this shield‚ however the fates may play‚ we march always in the ranks of honour. But of Chamberlain’s predecessor‚ Stanley Baldwin‚ a Conservative‚ who refused to respond to Germany’s rearming and thereby made sure that the Nazis would nearly run the table in 1940 and 1941— of Baldwin‚ Churchill said “it would have been much better” had he never been born. Among those who have hurt their country and their people‚ of which sort is Schumer? Is he really motivated by honor and conscience as Churchill granted Chamberlain‚ disastrous as he was? Or was he motivated more basely‚ serving power rather than G-d and conscience? In the early days of Communist Russia‚ there was a special group in the party called the Yevsektzia‚ newspeak for Yevreskaya Sektzia‚ the Jewish Section of the Communist party. It was filled with Jews whose first allegiance was to the Communist state. They used their knowledge of Jews and Jewish life to help Lenin and Stalin and their secret police to pull down all traditional Jewish institutions and undermine the continuity of Jewish life and culture. Thousands were executed; thousands more disappeared into the Gulags. Jewish life was driven down and suppressed‚ kept alive only by incredibly brave people who often didn’t survive. But Jews and Judaism survived the Communists. Millions left the Soviet Union and became productive citizens in Israel‚ America‚ and many other places. Truth outlives tyranny. Whatever their motivations‚ Schumer and Schiff have bet on the wrong pony. As the Democrats have lurched far to the left‚ they have developed their own version of the Yevsektzia‚ on shameful display on TV screens all over the world. America isn’t buying what they sell – and perhaps‚ deep down‚ even Schumer isn’t easy. Even in compromised people‚ there is still a soul‚ though in a deep state of exile. But there is no telling when it may awaken and turn their darkness to light. It would brighten up our world‚ especially the corners of it they themselves have darkened.  One ought to pray for such an awakening. The post Is Chuck Schumer Motivated by Honor or Power? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Editor’s Note: This is the eighth installment of Scott McKay’s new novel‚ King of the Jungle‚ which is being released exclusively at The American Spectator in 10 episodes each weekend in February‚ March‚ and early April‚ before its full publication on Amazon later this spring. So far in the story‚ our narrator Mike Holman‚ an independent media man and podcaster‚ has agreed to write a biography and work as a public-relations consultant with his friend and old college roommate‚ the billionaire industrialist Pierce Polk — only to find that Polk has built a small city in the jungles of Guyana as a redoubt away from the corrupt Joe Deadhorse administration back home in America. But Guyana has been invaded by Venezuela‚ as the corrupt Madiera regime in Caracas‚ doing the bidding of its foreign partners‚ seeks the vast mineral wealth of its jungles and the ocean off its coast‚ and Polk’s jungle paradise is now on the front lines of a hot war. And Holman finds himself in the middle of the fray… June 12‚ 2024‚ Tumeremo‚ Bolivar‚ Venezuela “I should point out‚ General‚ that there were certainly elements missing which were not under my control.” “We are aware‚ Coronel. Nevertheless…” “Sir‚ if I may. We had no air defense capability at Las Claritas. This had been discussed for weeks prior to the invasion date but Division Command judged the enemy would have no air power and as such it was not provided.” “The intelligence failure was not yours‚ that much is true…” “And I should also point out that I voiced misgivings about launching our adventure without our attack jets from El Libertador.” “But Coronel Cabrillo‚ when ordered to continue the launch‚ you disobeyed. That is why you are here at this tribunal. Orders must be followed.” READ the last episode: The War Drums Quicken: King of the Jungle “I still have a brigade because I shut down the invasion and sent our helicopters away. General Velez and the 52nd Jungle Infantry Brigade have lost half their strength attempting to launch amid the Yanquis firing on their helicopters.” “But they have nonetheless taken more than a dozen of their objectives in the south. And Coronel Fernandez and the 51st Brigade have achieved seven of their objectives in the northern sector. It is your failure to execute your orders which has cost us the tactical initiative.” “Tactical initiative? The enemy knew not only that we were coming but when we were coming and how. I have lost only four of 24 helicopters and 44 of more than 5‚000 men. Mine is the only combat-effective brigade in the division. Sirs‚ I should point out that the Yanqui Pierce Polk and his hired men are the only effective opposition we have and they are billeted in my sector. This was discussed in the briefings prior to the action.” Cabrillo was torn between the strain of keeping his cool amid the struggle session Division Command was putting him through and not really caring if he was relieved of duty. What he knew was that he had done the right thing in shutting down the attack as soon as the enemy’s jets zoomed in and riddled four of his helicopters with 20-millimeter shells upon takeoff. It was clear that the enemy had them under surveillance‚ almost certainly with a drone‚ and the A-4AR jets were patrolling along the border with the ability to turn and blaze a path to their position as soon as the choppers were spotted taking off. He’d had to act quickly. The four helicopters crashed to the earth in giant fireballs‚ which sent the men into a panic. Many who had boarded other helicopters for the short rides into Guyana jumped out and ran‚ creating a scene of utter chaos in the 53rd’s staging area‚ and Cabrillo knew that what would come next was the enemy jets strafing their position with those 20-millimeter cannons to take out all of their helicopters. He made a split-second decision‚ ordering the chopper pilots to disgorge their troops and fly away to the west‚ and the enemy had not engaged them. Which saved his brigade to fight another day. Cabrillo knew that it was a mistake for the Americans to show such mercy‚ but here‚ in Tumeremo‚ he was enduring the fat Venezuelan generals in charge of the Jungle Infantry Division attempting to make a bigger one. Namely‚ firing him. He’d reported the enemy action and notified Tumeremo that he was unable to fulfill his mission with neither air support nor air defense while his men were busy attempting to douse the fire from a crashed helicopter as the wind blew it dangerously close to the command trailer from which he was communicating via cell phone. And when he was ordered to fight anyway‚ he had simply said no. “I will not meaninglessly sacrifice my men‚” he said. “I will spend every one of them on a mission with a chance of success. This is no such mission. We will go when circumstances indicate it is possible to achieve our objectives.” Carvajal was looking at him with a mixture of admiration and amazement‚ which he later explained by saying he had never seen an officer disobey an order openly and on principle before. “Don’t get any ideas‚” he told Carvajal. “You aren’t capable of what I’ve just done. You do as you’re told.” Xing had disappeared‚ which Cabrillo figured was a blessing‚ but then he worried that their Chinese military liaison might have perished in one of the chopper crashes. But no‚ he turned up just before Cabrillo was summoned to Tumeremo to answer for his disobedience. “It’s been nice knowing you‚” he said. “For the record‚ you were correct. No air defense‚ no air support‚ no invasion.” “Thanks for all your help‚” Cabrillo snarked in response. “You’re welcome. I’ll have you know I’ve gotten you a lot more supplies and equipment than the other brigades have. You should be grateful. And let them know about it in Tumeremo.” But when Cabrillo made it to the 5th Jungle Infantry Division’s forward headquarters in that dingy little town an hour and a half away by jeep‚ he didn’t feel very grateful. He felt what he imagined his grandfather had felt when the Castros stashed him in those prisons. Trouble. In the northern and southern sectors‚ it was true‚ the Venezuelans had managed to land troops at their objectives. But losses — both from air attacks from the A-4AR’s and also from enemy surface-to-air missiles fired by villagers and others on the ground — had been catastrophic. And discipline had broken down‚ as the men of the 51st and 52nd brigades who had landed at their objectives had engaged in horrific‚ barbaric abuse of those villagers. Which caused an even larger set of problems. Especially in the ill-fated village of Port Kaituma in the north‚ ironically enough near to the site of the People’s Temple at Jonestown‚ where the locals had attempted to resist the 55 men who landed there. Someone on the roof of a restaurant had set up a South African Vektor SS-77 machine gun and unloaded some fairly accurate fire on a pair of the choppers which set down at the site‚ killing eight men before they’d even had a chance to set foot on land. But a rocket-propelled grenade fired from one of the other choppers had scattered the defenders on that roof‚ and when the Venezuelans hit the ground they killed every last man‚ woman and child in Port Kaituma‚ and even chased many of its 1‚200-odd inhabitants into the jungle to murder them. Making the Venezuelans more guilty of murder in that place than even the psychotic Jim Jones‚ who had murdered or induced to suicide some 909 of his followers at Jonestown seven miles away in 1978. Similar massacres took place in Towakaima‚ Monkey Mountain‚ Isherton‚ and several other places. Worse‚ the enemy had installed cameras in most of the villages‚ so that when the Venezuelans had taken their revenge they shortly found the images of the slaughter broadcast to the entire world. And that had created an international incident which led to countries all over the world cutting off trade and diplomatic ties to Venezuela. The only major countries sticking with normal relations with Venezuela were Russia and China‚ and Cabrillo‚ who as a Cuban didn’t particularly care but as an observer of geopolitics couldn’t help but notice‚ recognized this only cemented his employer’s country as a Chinese economic colony. Plus Canada‚ which Cabrillo found entertaining‚ if not at all surprising. He wondered if those massacres were a breakdown in discipline at all‚ or whether they were purposeful and strategic. But things got even worse for the 51st and 52nd‚ because the Guyanese wasted no time in exacting their revenge by air against those responsible. The A-4AR’s returned with a vengeance to strafe the places the Venezuelans occupied‚ though conspicuously they did not have bombs. Which was a saving grace. None of the places the 51st and 52nd captured were retaken‚ though both brigades were down to a collection of skeleton crews. The plans were to replenish their strength by bringing in colectivos and reinforcements from other infantry divisions‚ but both brigades themselves were now collections of understrength platoons strewn across parts of their assigned territories. But Cabrillo knew that his objectives were largely far better defended. And without air support or air defense‚ it would be impossible to take any but the most tertiary of their objectives. The division command was attempting to make him the scapegoat for the disaster that was the invasion to date. He was lucky‚ however; General Luis Montoya de Loyola‚ a fellow Cuban who had been his mentor and who served at Army General Command‚ had flown to his rescue. Montoya de Loyola took over the meeting and proceeded to browbeat the division’s generals for their own incompetence. The shouting match that ensued resulted in Cabrillo getting a new lease on life in Las Claritas‚ if just barely. “You are down to your last life‚ Manuel‚” said his benefactor. “Reacquire your helicopters and go tonight with your men.” “General‚ with no air support it is suicide.” “Things are better than they seem‚ Manuel. Be of good cheer! And do not make a fool of me again.” June 14‚ 2024‚ Liberty Point‚ Guyana I guess I made it to Liberty Point at the best‚ and worst‚ possible time. I did my interview with Ishgan‚ which was basically a forum for him to directly plead with the Deadhorse administration to send in the Marines before things started getting ugly‚ and then the next morning I hopped on a chopper that was headed down to Liberty Point from Sentinel Port Management’s facility. With me was a guy whom I’ll call Kurt. He had the look and sound of somebody who’d done some wet work for some agency or other. “Are you heading down to get involved?” I asked him. “I’ll do what I can‚” he said. “Price is right‚ and so’s the cause.” He didn’t have much more to say than that. I felt it would be rude to pry‚ and Kurt didn’t seem like a guy I should be rude to. We touched down at the airfield close to one of the hangars and the chopper immediately took off again‚ heading quickly to the east. My old buddy Earl was waiting for me in a Cherokee. He was beckoning me from the driver’s seat. “Hop in‚ quick!” he said. “Hey‚” I said‚ as I hustled my bags into the back and myself into the passenger seat. “What’s with all the rushing around?” “Worried about an air strike‚” he said as he gunned the engine. “And we expect they’re going to hit CPX any minute. I can’t believe they let you fly down here on a chopper.” “I think the guy I came down with is a somebody.” “Yeah‚ he is‚” Earl said as we shot past the open airfield gate and up the road heading for the town. The 3-D printer factory‚ I saw‚ was surrounded by sandbags and there was a… “Is that a SAM site?” I asked‚ gawking. “Starstreak‚” said Earl. “They got one last night‚ I understand.” “Got one what?” “Attack jet. I think it was one of those Su-30’s. I can’t really tell ‘em apart‚ and definitely not at night.” “Wait‚ I thought you guys knocked their air force out day before yesterday.” “It sounds like they lifted parts off the destroyed planes and got the other ones running‚” said Earl. “I think I heard ‘em say last night after we made it in that the Vinnies had nine jets in the air.” “After you made it in?” “Got the whole population of Campbelltown evacuated here. It was a hell of a good operation‚ let me tell you. Just in the nick of time‚ too.” “I’m way behind here‚ Earl. Can you tell it to me like I’m stupid?” He gave me a quick smile‚ which turned into a grimace. “OK. Yesterday the Vinnies invaded to our north and our south. You know about that‚ right? And you heard about the massacres at Port Kaituma and those other places.” “Right. Yes.” “Well‚ here in‚ what’s I guess‚ the middle‚ our jets busted ‘em just as the helos were taking off and they broke up the attack. The enemy actually got their choppers away‚ and Hal was worried they’d lead our guys into a missile trap so they didn’t pursue.” “Right. I heard about that‚ too.” “Then what you don’t know is that last night‚ they got their act together and came back. Got air cover from those nine‚ or maybe it was ten‚ zoomers — I heard a couple were these J-16 jets which are actually Chinese-made — and while we did get three of their planes either with a missile or with one of our pilots shooting one of them down‚ we also lost three jets. And in the air-fight‚ they managed to land choppers at a bunch of places. So we’ve definitely been invaded.” “Ahh‚ damn. I’m sorry‚ Earl.” “Yeah‚ well‚ they managed to put 500 or so troops down at Mahdia last night. When the word hit that they were coming‚ I called an immediate evacuation of Campbelltown. Had to. They’d be not three miles away and we didn’t have the resources to hold out.” “That’s right. I forgot that you were the mayor over there.” “Yeah‚ well‚ anyway‚ I got every last one of us out and Pierce has us sorted with a place to stay. So I’m now the head of the IM. I guess that’s my reward for bein’ a hero.” “What’s the IM?” “Indigenous militia. Which is a shitty name. Pierce wanted to call me the Grand Waica. I told him not until I’ve earned it.” “Damn‚ Earl. You ever serve in a military?” “Hell‚ no. But I hunt‚ and I know this jungle. For what we’re gonna do that’s enough.” “Which is what?” Earl pulled under the arch. We were at the Liberty Lodge. He stopped and looked at me. “We’re gonna be the bogeymen these bastards dream about. Come to my country like this‚ and I’ll make you pay.” I’d met Earl a couple of times before. He’d always seemed so nice. He definitely didn’t seem that way now. “I hear you‚” I said. “Stay safe‚ Mike. I think your girl is in your suite with that Flip guy.” And she was. When I went in the door‚ Flip and PJ essentially mobbed me‚ fighting to blurt out all the latest scoop they were going to post to the website. Flip was damned proud of the fact that Pierce was letting him get all the footage from the cameras they had virtually everywhere‚ though he had to run each clip by a guy named Rivers Sutton‚ who was Hal’s security officer‚ before posting it. “They don’t want to give away any tactical advantage‚” he said‚ “but we’ve got imagery — good imagery — from all over.” “What we should do‚” said PJ‚ “is make a documentary about the invasion.” I could tell that this was what she wanted to do when she grew up. And it struck me that here I was hooking up with my second photojournalist in a row. Though clearly this was a trade up from Sarah Givens. I said I was good with that idea‚ though it was contingent on surviving what was coming. “Are we sitting ducks here?” I asked. “Be hard to get at us‚” said Flip. “This place is absolutely covered with MANPADs and the four Starstreak pods. I don’t think they have enough jets to spare trying to hit Liberty Point.” “But Hal thinks they’re going to try to take out the airfield next‚” said PJ. “They’re going to try to starve us out.” “Don’t like the sound of that.” “We should get to the bunker‚” Flip said. “The meeting’s gonna start in twenty minutes.” He and PJ hurriedly gathered up their gear‚ which made me pick up my computer bag‚ and then Flip led the way to the elevator. He punched a button and soon we were down in the garage in front of a golf cart. “You wanna ride shotgun?” PJ asked‚ and handed me … not a shotgun‚ but something a bit more interesting. “What is this‚ an M4A1?” I asked‚ noting the grenade launcher under the barrel. “Yup‚” said Flip. And I looked at PJ‚ who was settling into a back seat which faced behind the cart. She had an M4A1 rifle as well. “Try not to shoot yourself‚” she said. “It’s really nice to see you‚ sweetie‚” I said to PJ as Flip drove us out of the garage and into the street heading northwest toward the Potaro. She blew me a kiss and told me to watch the sky. Just then I heard a whoosh‚ and I could see a contrail forming behind what looked like a fast-moving missile heading to the west. “Oh‚ shit‚” Flip said. “Here they come.” And in the distance I could see three jets on the way in. Another whoosh‚ and then another. Then two more. “Those are our missiles?” “Yeah‚” said Flip. He parked the golf cart. “We’re here.” PJ had her camera out and she was filming the sky to the west. Two of the planes had‚ it appeared‚ begun to bug out. The other was banking‚ attempting to evade that first missile. It was flying low over the jungle. A second missile exploded as it hit a wing on that plane. The Su-30 — I could see that it was a Su-30 — rolled and then dived into the trees‚ where it erupted into a large fireball. “Splash you‚ motherfucker‚” said Flip. “OK‚ let’s get inside‚” said PJ. The building was sort of an all-purpose facility that was going to house the police and fire departments and administrative center of Liberty Point. In the basement was a bunker. We were passed through a phalanx of a dozen guys‚ all of whom looked like they’d just come from the battle of Fallujah‚ and into a war room filled with TV and computer screens. The full breadth of the security camera coverage that Pierce and his guys had laid on was glaringly apparent now. “Jesus‚” I said‚ gawking at the wall-to-wall imagery. “Hey‚ Mike‚” I could hear Pierce as he motioned for us to join him in a glass conference room to my right. “In here.” He had Hal with him‚ plus a half-dozen other guys I didn’t know‚ plus my old travel buddy Roman Jefferson. And Earl. They were sitting around the table looking at a satellite image on the far wall. “…and so they’re going to make the police station their headquarters and I bet that’s where the Cuban is‚” one of the strangers was saying. “Should we take the chance at hitting that building?” “I’m worried about this rumor‚” said Earl. “What’s the rumor‚ Earl?” Pierce asked. “That they stashed the kids on the second floor.” “It’s not worth the risk just to take out the Cuban‚” said Hal. Pierce motioned for me to grab a seat next to him. I did. “Who’s the Cuban?” I asked him quietly. “Cabrillo‚” said Pierce. “He’s the colonel in charge of the 53rd Jungle Infantry Brigade. He’s their Norman Schwarzkopf.” “So you take him out‚ and‚ what?” “That’s just it. They’ll send somebody else. Hal thinks this guy is better than the others they have‚ though.” “…not a problem‚” one of the guys I didn’t know was saying. “We get in close and we just do it.” “They’ve got to have 500 troopers‚ though‚” said Roman. “And now that they’ve established an airhead at the Mahdia airfield they’re going to just pour people in.” “This is what we need to break out the Predator for‚” Hal said to Pierce. “That airfield has to go.” “Use it or lose it‚” Pierce was saying. “Yeah. Durandal.” “I’ll make the call.” A few seconds later‚ Pierce was hanging up his cell after barking a few cryptic words to someone. “What’s going on?” I asked him. “You remember the Durandal bombs from the first Gulf War?” he asked me. “Not really.” “They’re bombs for busting up runways so they can’t get fixed any time soon. We need to take out Mahdia so they can’t land planes on that runway. The Vinnies can carry in way‚ way more troops with planes than in those little Chinese helicopters of theirs‚ and we can’t have them landing a whole damn army just up the road.” “Exactly how bad is this?” I asked. Hal jumped in. “Mr. Holman‚ the enemy is in possession of Mahdia‚ with the bulk of its population currently hostage. Adults are penned into a collection camp surrounded with razor wire‚ children we believe are human shields in the police station. They’re now organizing in at least company strength and they’re going to build and build until they can make a ground assault on Liberty Point.” “Shit‚” I said. “Guess that’s better than them dropping in out of the sky here.” “We’ve got too much air defense to try to take us from the air‚” Pierce said. “They could come from upriver‚ though that won’t be easy‚ but the main problem is Mahdia. These guys are jungle infantry‚ meaning they train to fight in those woods.” I suddenly felt like I really didn’t want to be here. I’d covered a couple of armed conflicts before; I’d been to Afghanistan‚ and I’d seen a little bit of the Colombians’ fight against the FARC rebels. But this seemed a whole lot more personal. “Look‚” Roman was saying‚ “the most important thing is to pin the enemy down where he is and deny him freedom of movement. This isn’t complicated. They’re still getting organized. I imagine they haven’t even started patrols yet. So let’s do this the smart way.” Hal smiled at him. “Whom shall I send?” he asked. “And who will go for us?” Roman smiled back. “Here am I. Send me!” The book of Isaiah had made it to the Guyanese war. “Take two guys with you‚” Hal said. “You’re there to disrupt and lay chaos‚ and after you’ve kicked over the anthill‚ you know which way to lead them.” “Through Candyland‚” said Roman. “Candyland‚” echoed one of the guys. Roman pointed to him. “Where’s Kurt?” Roman asked. “I think he’s still at the airfield‚” I said. “The guy who flew in with me?” “Yeah. Fine. Come on‚ Charlie‚ let’s gear up.” Charlie‚ the guy Roman had pointed to‚ shot up from his seat and followed Roman out. Flip plopped down in Charlie’s vacant chair. “So what’s next?” asked Pierce. Hal scowled. “Hit the runway this evening‚ pray the Predator comes back intact‚ pray your shipment of munitions gets in here‚ pray the river is protected‚ pray we get some international help.” “That’s a lot of praying‚” I said. “Are you concerned you can’t hold out here?” “We’ll hold out‚” said Hal. “My concern is that we’re Stalingrad. They’re landing their people in all of their other objectives‚ and they’re going to be in a position to hold the locals hostage.” “What about Micobie?” I asked. That little village between Liberty Point and Mahdia had been the only other indigenous settlement I’d seen. “Got them out‚ too‚” said Earl. “Really‚ around here it’s Mahdia.” “How many prisoners are we talking about?” I asked. “About twenty-one hundred‚” said Hal. Most of the rest of the day was spent in that basement watching the security footage — which included camera shots of three men riding west on motorcycles through a barely-discernible trail through the jungle. There had been a road running parallel to the Potaro west to Mahdia‚ but when the enemy came‚ Pierce told me‚ they’d blown a few trees so they’d fall and block it. He’d also told me that they’d ringed all of the areas around those fallen trees with Claymore mines‚ so if the Vinnies tried to clear them they’d take some heavy losses. So Roman‚ Charlie and Kurt were on their way to Mahdia‚ or parts near it‚ where they were setting up as snipers. And at the airfield they were preparing the one Predator drone Liberty Point had available with an old French Durandal runway-buster bomb that the Argentinians had donated to the cause. Meanwhile‚ the inhabitants of Liberty Point had been fully mobilized for its defense and were standing guard all along those high wooden walls and on rooftops watching the skies. Hal told me they had more than 50 shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles‚ not counting the four Starstreak missile emplacements. I’d already seen what those could do. It seemed like Liberty Point was about as safe a place as you could be‚ considering it was on the front line of a war. There was a monitor high on the wall to my left‚ and Pierce pointed it out to me. “That’s our runway cam in Mahdia‚” he said. “You have a runway cam there.” “Yeah.” “Well done.” “Thank old Earl over there. He’s the one who set it up.” Earl just nodded and smiled. “OK‚” I said‚ “is this where we’re going to see a show?” “Should be less than a minute now‚” said Hal. “Can we get that image on the main screen?” A freckly-faced kid sitting at one of the war room’s computer terminals nodded‚ moved his mouse‚ and the runway cam occupied the large screen in the middle of the display. “Oh‚ would you look at that‚” said one of the guys I didn’t know. “Some kind of timing‚ isn’t it?” said Hal. I could make out in the fading light from the runway camera that there was a plane on its way in from the west. It looked like a big C-130 Hercules plane. I didn’t think a big monster like that could land on a little runway like Mahdia had‚ but it looked like its pilot disagreed with me. Except just as the Hercules dipped down over the trees on its final approach‚ the camera caught a flash of light and a fast-rising smoke cloud over the runway. It was too late for the Hercules pilot to pull up‚ and the plane touched down just in time to run into the sizable crater the bomb had made on the asphalt. The Hercules bounced‚ and then skidded to its right. It crashed into a stand of trees and broke apart in a fiery mess. I felt a wave of nausea pass over me when I could see bodies being thrown from the ruined airframe; these guys might have been the enemy‚ but a worse death than this was hard to imagine. “It’s good‚” said Hal. “Mission accomplished.” I looked at PJ‚ who was sitting next to me. She stared back. “I need to get you out of here‚” I said. “No way‚” came the response. “This is home. I’m defending it.” The post Contrails of Hell: <;i>;King of the Jungle<;/i>;‚ Episode 8 appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

The leader of left-wing government in Ireland is resigning after suffering a resounding defeat in a double referendum earlier this month. In a shocking announcement on Wednesday morning‚ Taoiseach (Ireland’s word for prime minister) Leo Varadkar shared that he would be stepping down as the leader of the Fine Gael party‚ effective immediately‚ and as taoiseach‚ as soon as his party could select a replacement. At a private Fine Gael meeting shortly before his public announcement‚ Varadkar reportedly quipped‚ “I couldn’t find anyone to stab me in the back‚ so I fell on my sword instead.” His resignation follows the overwhelming defeat of two constitutional amendments proposed by Varadkar‚ redefining “family” in the Irish constitution and removing references to motherhood. After the Irish population rejected the proposals via referendum‚ he admitted‚ “Clearly we got it wrong. While the old adage is that success has many fathers and failure is an orphan‚ I think when you lose by this kind of margin‚ there are a lot of people who got this wrong and I am certainly one of them.” (READ MORE: Haiti: A Tourist’s Nightmare) The referenda results were widely seen as a “rebuke” of Varadkar’s government and an “embarrassment” to Varadkar personally and prompted calls for some — such as left-wing and openly gay Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman‚ a major proponent of the constitutional amendments — to resign. “It’s a great day for Ireland as Leo Varadkar‚ a man who has done so much damage to Ireland‚ resigns‚” said Irish Freedom Party founder Hermann Kelly in comments to The American Spectator. “The referenda result of two weeks ago should be the first signal that rampant globalism in Ireland is being challenged for the first time in decades. Hopefully‚ he will be one of the first of many losses and resignations from Hibernophobic political ranks.” Leftism Run Rampant in Ireland During his tenure in government‚ Varadkar has overseen leftism run rampant across the Emerald Isle. In 2015‚ Varadkar‚ then the Minister for Health‚ was one of the staunchest supporters of legalizing same-sex marriage‚ saying that a No vote would be a “big step backwards” for the country. During the campaign‚ Varadkar himself came out as gay. Once the referendum succeeded‚ Varadkar said that legalizing same-sex marriage “makes us a beacon of equality and liberty to the rest of the world‚ so it’s a very proud day for the Irish people.” (READ MORE: India’s Ontological Question: Regional or Global) Starting in 2014‚ Varadkar began arguing for the decriminalization of abortion‚ despite his prior claims that even allowing abortion in rare cases would lead to “abortion on demand.” In 2018‚ Varadkar‚ as taoiseach‚ led a campaign to decriminalize abortion‚ allowing unrestricted abortion up to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to six months of pregnancy under certain circumstances. Varadkar has also supervised a program of practically unmitigated immigration overwhelming Ireland‚ primarily via “refugee” avenues. Between April 2021 and April 2023‚ nearly 150‚000 immigrants entered the Emerald Isle‚ the highest rate in two decades. To accommodate “refugees” — mostly military-aged men — the government has taken to commandeering hotels‚ houses‚ and schools and converting them into “asylum centers‚” sparking protests and riots in response. In an unprecedented and telling move‚ Ireland’s political elites asked if Ireland has taken in too many refugees: Two-thirds of Irish voters said “yes.” Yet Varadkar‚ true to globalist form‚ has insisted that immigration is a “good thing.” After various county councils voted to cease cooperation with the national government over its immigration policies‚ Varadkar finally conceded to pay European Union fines rather than continue accepting “refugees.” (RELATED: Ireland Votes to Save the Family) As in America‚ immigration has become the top issue for Irish voters ahead of the next scheduled general election. In the polls‚ support for mainstream parties (including Varadkar’s Fine Gael) has dropped sharply‚ while support for “other” parties‚ such as the Irish Freedom Party‚ has risen. Kelly told The American Spectator‚ “The Irish Freedom Party will continue to campaign to bring about radical and necessary political change. There are local and European Elections in June this year‚ so we certainly expect patriotic Irish people to support us at the ballot box.” The post Ireland’s Left-Wing Government Leader Resigns appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

The mind boggles‚ reels‚ and whirs at the speed with which the LGBTQ agenda has swept across America. We saw it flex its muscles in the rapidity with which same-sex marriage became legalized. But Obergefell v. Hodges was only the start. Less than a decade since that historic ruling‚ society has flipped from where certain sexual behavior was stigmatized to where it is now celebrated and endorsed‚ even by the government. (READ MORE: Gallup’s Stats on American Happiness Are Baloney) Did anyone really think the number of avowed homosexuals would not burgeon once gay and lesbian relationships became ubiquitous on television and in movies and were taught in public schools as just another equally valid family unit? Which is what is happening. Gays and lesbians have become so commonplace in movies‚ television shows‚ and commercials that we’re surprised to see a new release‚ series‚ or spot that does not contain them. LGBTQ has come light-years from Ellen DeGeneres’s eponymous character coming out on her show Ellen in 1997 and the normalizing of gay relationships in Will &; Grace in 1998. Trans‚ as the new gay‚ is approaching the same ubiquity. There have been transgender superheroes since 2018. An article from 2020 features five cartoon shows in which transgender characters are prominent. Pronouns have become a flashpoint in the trans revolution‚ as “misgendering” is criminal enough to get one expelled from school. Religion has played a prominent role in the LGBTQ advance‚ as mainline Protestant denominations sanctify queerness with drag shows and other outrages that 50 years ago would have literally emptied the pews of their churches. An anti-Catholic group called Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence mocks the Christian faith right to its face with only minimal‚ and measured‚ rebuttal from the public. (RELATED: Bacha Bazi May Survive Longer Than American Christianity — And Here’s Just One Example) The corporate world has jumped with both feet into Pride Month‚ sometimes‚ albeit not often enough‚ to their own economic detriment. The Bud Light‚ Target‚ and Kohl’s boycotts were exceptions to what is generally a noncontroversial corporate capitulation to zeitgeist sexual otherness. Even sports‚ usually the great American retreat from the day’s troubles‚ offer no retreat from the LGBTQ World. The big pro leagues in America have almost all woven a pride flag into their logos for Pride Month‚ and teams themselves have almost universally succumbed to the pressure of holding Pride Nights. If you don’t want to see guys kissing guys‚ you might want to stay away from Major League Baseball parks this coming June — or become a fan of the Texas Rangers‚ the only franchise not to have a Pride Night in 2023 (they also won the World Series). It Gets Worse Recent surveys indicate that the revolution may be more extensive than ever we had feared. The number of young people self-identifying as LGBTQ has skyrocketed in the past few years. One survey from 2021 indicated that the share of millennials claiming LGBT status rose from 7.8 percent in 2017 to 10.5 percent in 2021. But it’s the numbers from Gen Z (born from 1997 to 2012) that truly startle. LGBTQ identification nearly doubled‚ rising from 10.5 percent in 2017 to 20.8 percent in 2021. The results of a survey from Brown University are the most shocking. A whopping 38 percent of Brown University students identified as LGBT‚ or‚ more specifically‚ “gay‚ queer‚ asexual‚ bisexual‚ pansexual‚ questioning‚ or ‘other.’” That’s Brown‚ true‚ where in 2010 an astronomical (for its time) 14 percent claimed LGBT-ness. But still‚ 38 percent! But here’s the quirky bit. It seems students are identifying as queer but not actually being queer. They’re saying they’re L‚ G‚ B‚ T‚ or Q but they’re still doing it the old-fashioned way. They’re queer in name but straight between the sheets. So destigmatized has queerness become — and such a positive vibe does it exude — that claiming it for oneself increases campus cred. It boosts your status to claim you’re gay‚ not to mention imbuing you with the coveted and useful “victim” card‚ to be played as needed. Jonathan Van Maren at the European Conservative‚ says the stats “indicate the sheer scale of the LGBT movement’s near-total victory in not only mainstreaming their ideology but achieving cultural dominance in key institutions. A crucial sign of that dominance is the fact that so many young people desperately want to identify with their movement.”  A Ray of Hope It’s not very bright‚ but one sees a hopeful glint shining through the direful LGBTQ overcast if one squints hard enough. That is the nexus between LGBTQ identification and liberal ideology. One expert‚ Erik Kaufmann‚ explained to the College Fix why liberals might be drawn to such misidentification: “I think this is because very liberal people value difference and novelty over conformity‚ and are thus drawn to identifying as divergent (or weird) in some way‚ which can include sexuality.” There is also an element of sticking it to the man among college kids‚ as in taking down the power structure of a university. Said Kaufmann‚ “For those in elite settings like top universities‚ there is also a political motivation linked to resisting oppressors or dominant power structures.” (Dylan Mulvaney’s Latest Conquest: Celebrated by Lady Gaga for International Women’s Day) Kaufmann sees the rising line of identification leveling off eventually. Speaking in 2021‚ he said‚ “There has been no peak in LGBT identification yet‚ but I expect it imminently because LGBT growth has mainly occurred within the very liberal part of the population‚ and that is a limited pool.” In other words‚ those who would misidentify themselves simply for the benefits — whether psychological or in social standing — are already on the far left of the political spectrum. “This rise is identificational more than behavioral‚ and is siloed among political liberals‚” he told the College Fix. “It is thus unlikely to transform family formation or politics – the partisan split among young people is basically unaffected.” A hopeful glint‚ true‚ but‚ as I said‚ not a very bright one. The post The LGBTQ Conquest of America appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

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