For some reason‚ a lot of conservatives have a knee-jerk negative reaction to lab-created meat. I checked the writings of the likes of Edmund Burke and John Locke and found nothing on this. Likewise with P.J. O’Rourke — though doubtless‚ he would have said something quite funny. I admit‚ I just don’t get it. Nevertheless‚ Marjorie Taylor Greene took to Facebook Live on Memorial Day to denounce either meat grown in a Petri dish‚ or a peach tree dish‚ depending on whom you ask. (READ MORE: Biden’s Approach to China Is Illogical) “They want to know if you’re eating a cheeseburger‚ which is very bad because Bill Gates wants you to eat his fake meat‚ which grows in a peach tree [Petri?] dish‚” Greene said. “So you’ll probably get a little zap inside your body that’s saying‚ ‘No no don’t eat a real cheeseburger; you need to eat the fake burger.’ The fake meat from Bill Gates. They probably also want to know when you go to the bathroom and if your bowel movements are on time or consistent.” Okay‚ that’s a bit strange. But she’s right about the Gates connection. He is an investor in a lab meat company‚ Upside Foods‚ that received FDA approval earlier this year and he has used his considerable bully pulpit to press (for) the flesh for years. I use Almighty Facebook to keep my fingers on the pulse of conservative America‚ and it does seem a lot of right-wingers oppose the technology for some reason. “Frankenflesh” Meat Like Beer Lab-grown meat is sometimes called slaughter-free‚ in vitro‚ vat-grown‚ cell-based‚ and synthetic‚ among other names. I avoid “cultured meat‚” because to me it invokes flesh inclined to watching Brideshead Revisited. (It appears I’m the first to use the term “Frankenflesh‚” for which I expect I’ll probably go to Hell or at least serve a long time in Purgatory.) Whatever the name‚ making it requires taking a few cells from high-quality livestock‚ and then figuring out which of them can grow and form meat products. Those cells are then fermented in a stainless steel vat and provided with essential nutrients to be fruitful and multiply. The technique isn’t too different from brewing beer‚ which certainly inclines me to it. Ultimately the meat is processed like conventional meat products and packaged and prepared just like the ma nature variety. (READ MORE: Rockefeller’s Dream: Global Governance Through ‘Climate Change’) It must not be confused with “plant-based” or vegan meat‚ which has proved to be disappointing in the taste category‚ but perhaps confusion has made conservatives wary of lab-based flesh. Lab-based meat is meat. Perhaps a partial analogy is synthetic diamonds. Natural and lab-grown diamonds don’t differ in terms of composition‚ hardness‚ or other physical and optical properties. But synthetic diamonds are much cheaper than the natural variety — and they also don’t fund wars. For now‚ lab-grown meat is simply too expensive except for people like‚ well‚ Gates and another well-known lab meat investor‚ Richard Branson. A few U.S. and Singaporean restaurants have served it‚ but don’t bother checking Walmart or ordering it up at Golden Arches. That being said‚ prices have dropped dramatically. The first lab-produced beef burger cost an amazing $325‚000 back in 2013. Producers have since chopped production costs by 99 percent to roughly $17 per pound‚ which is still too high. For most of us‚ the meat needs to reach approximate price parity or we won’t bite. I wouldn’t trust any predictions as to when that will happen; but since it should be as easy to produce a good cut as a bad cut‚ we will probably see lamb achieve parity before hot dogs. (Then no more nightmares for Clarice Starling.) The Benefits of Lab-Grown Flesh But let’s presume it does reach price parity or even becomes less expensive than the real stuff. (After all‚ the artificial intelligence that we’re currently seeing was sci-fi just a few years ago and according to Hollywood‚ we were supposed to have a moon colony by 1999). If that happens‚ it could have many advantages. Switching to lab-grown meat could reduce animal suffering. While the actual slaughtering seems fairly humane in Western countries‚ more intelligent animals such as pigs and cows do know that something very bad awaits them even if they lack a comprehension of death. YouTube is filled with videos showing as much. Poultry are less aware; they’re pretty stupid. We killed chickens and bunnies in Army Special Forces training and they were oblivious to meeting oblivion. Further‚ the process of raising the animals often remains cruel. In general‚ I’m no PETA fan but they make good points about both factory farming and so-called “humane farming.” Being a chicken isn’t fun no matter what. It’s no longer the nasty business documented in Upton Sinclair’s 1905 classic The Jungle‚ but life is still not great for them. (READ MORE: VIDEO: Kerry Promises to Get Rid of Coal Faster. That’s Not Good.) That said‚ while individual animals like Babe can be cute‚ in vast numbers they can be a nightmare. The wholesomely named Smithfield Foods is owned by China (smart that they kept the name instead of going with People’s Pork) and raises and slaughters about 18 million swine a year. This year‚ China announced the completion of a single pig farm meant to kill 1.2 million animals annually. These facilities create massive amounts of manure‚ that can carry pathogens and heavy metals. These mountains of manure can be difficult to keep out of the groundwater we drink and bathe in. It’s long been suspected that pigs‚ especially Chinese ones‚ are a sort of mixing bowl for viruses. The process combines human‚ swine‚ and avian DNA and then transfers that to waterfowl‚ who then transfer it to us. In that sense‚ both “swine flu” and “avian flu” may be redundancies. Beyond health considerations‚ even a decade ago 26 percent of the planet’s ice-free land was used for livestock grazing and 33 percent of croplands are used for livestock feed production‚ according to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). That’s a huge contributor to deforestation. Cultivated meat could cut land use by 94 percent to 99 percent compared with traditional livestock production‚ and reduce water consumption by 82 percent to 96 percent‚ says Rosalyn Abbott‚ an assistant professor in biomedical engineering and materials science and engineering who is working on what he calls “3D printed meat” at Carnegie Mellon University. Meanwhile‚ per capita meat consumption has doubled since 1960‚ and over the last half-century worldwide consumption has tripled. Both figures are steadily rising because people like protein and about a billion of them are lacking it worldwide according to FAO. What about fish? One-third of fish stocks are over-exploited. That’s a threefold increase since 1974‚ according to the FAO. Fish farming has grown six-fold since 1990‚ but just can’t keep up. It Could Be Safer A huge advantage of lab-grown meat is that it’s produced in a highly controlled environment that protects the meat from microbial contamination such as the intestinal germs E. coli‚ Salmonella‚ and Campylobacter. I’ve had at least two out of the three and they’re no fun. Unfortunately‚ meat is susceptible to contamination beyond the slaughterhouse or the lab so lab-created meat is not a panacea. Lab meat would also prevent the spread of diseases between animals (zoonotic) such as the current African swine fever pandemic which has wreaked economic havoc. It has a mortality rate approaching 100%. Antibiotic resistance is one of those rare “scares” that is very real. The evidence suggests that using drugs to fatten animals faster with less feed has contributed to the problem‚ and a few years ago many countries including the U.S. banned the practice. But other countries haven’t. Meat can also be designed to contribute to healthier diets. The fat content can be controlled by adjusting the growth medium‚ as can the amount of saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The problem is that people tend to prefer fattier cuts as reflected in the USDA grading system in which the top level‚ “prime‚” means the most fat marbling. But you’ll still have a choice‚ as we do with dairy products. For drinking milk‚ I prefer higher fat; for cereal‚ skim. There will be issues to iron out‚ including various religious beliefs. For example‚ would bio-meat be Kosher‚ or the Muslim equivalent‚ halal? Kosher rules? Oy vey! They vary and can be mind-boggling. Jewish holy scriptures only present a basic outline. But part of those rules concerns human health and humane slaughter‚ so lab meat has the advantage there. The same is true of halal‚ and indeed some Jewish and Muslim authorities have announced that lab meat per se can be acceptable.  For conservatives who care about such things‚ it would appear lab meat production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions‚ depending on your source. Livestock‚ essentially cows‚ produce about 14 percent of what are called greenhouse gas emissions. (For shame‚ Bessie!) But a University of California-Davis pre-print (not yet accepted by a journal) indicates the number could be much worse‚ depending on how you do the calculations.  That said‚ you never know when politics are involved‚ and some insist more advanced and richer countries need to reduce meat consumption by three-fourths to save world resources. In his book The Uninhabitable Earth‚ journalist David Wallace-Wells wrote that “there is something of a moral crime in how much you and I and everyone we know consume‚ given how little is available to consume for so many other people on the planet.” Lab-Grown Meat Isn’t a Life v. Right Debate Doubtless‚ some feel that anything the left likes‚ we on the right should oppose. But there’s no solid liberal position on lab-based meat. PETA is ambivalent. In an official statement last June the group said: “Years ago‚ PETA funded the very first foray into cultured meat research at two U.S. universities‚ offered a $1 million prize for the first laboratory that could create commercially viable lab-grown chicken meat.” It says it further helped with the patent process to ensure it would be sold cheaply. But it then added that “everyone can and should go vegan now.” Geez‚ not even just vegetarian. So you can oppose PETA on this — even as you agree with PETA on this. Taylor Greene specifically cited the Gates connection. It would not logically follow that if Gates is a lefty‚ we should oppose anything he’s for. I presume he’s against the death penalty for shoplifters (By publication date‚ calls to his office on this vital issue were not returned.) I find Gates somewhat enigmatic. Conservatives identify him with liberal causes‚ but among his major concerns is affordable power‚ which‚ to him means nuclear. Indeed‚ he’s funded next-generation nuclear projects. He’s very concerned with sanitation‚ especially the disposal of human waste‚ which is hardly a political issue‚ any more than malaria. Yes‚ Gates buys the basic tenets of global warming‚ but he strongly opposes those who would use it to try to throttle industrialization and reverse population growth‚ such as Michael Moore. He favors technological solutions‚ including perhaps geo-engineering‚ as I have written. That comprises methods for combatting global warming without reducing gas emissions. Indeed‚ even as PETA demands we become vegans‚ Gates replies “We can’t ask everyone to become vegetarians.” Bill and Melinda Gates did give half a billion to the Biden Inaugural Committee‚ but the nifty thing about donating to inaugural committees is you already know who’s going to be president. In other words‚ it’s a very efficient way of buying influence. Wink‚ wink. I would figure Gates as left of center‚ but hardly a member of the commie pinko cabal. I guess the best explanation is that we’re not supposed to buy into “If it’s new‚ it has to be good.” Tried and true has a value all its own. But so far‚ lab meat has been passing the test.  I just can’t see any conservative argument against lab-grown meat. I do see a left-wing argument against it‚ the fairness aspect expressed above by David Wallace-Well‚ that technology is bad and it’s not enough to bring up the developing world we must bring down the developed world. Conservatives don’t need to be strange bedfellows with the likes of those. Michael Fumento (mfumento@outlook.com) is an attorney and author and has been a science journalist for over 35 years. His work has appeared in TNR‚ the New York Times‚ the Washington Post‚ the Wall Street Journal‚ the Sunday Times‚ the Atlantic‚ and many other fora. He currently lives in the Philippines‚ known for barely edible beef that comes from poor cows that look like they have TB.The post Why Do Conservatives Fear ‘Frankenflesh’? first appeared on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.The post Why Do Conservatives Fear ‘Frankenflesh’? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

I wrote about Bates College’s first two major leaguers‚ the first man to score a touchdown on historic Garcelon Field‚ and the first to blast a home run on that field (the ball rolled into a ditch). But all four were White. And I am White. So it was easy. Then I‚ an enthusiastic alum‚ wanted to write about Thomas Seth Bruce‚ class of 1898‚ a football star from Virginia who led Bates to its first undefeated season. But I couldn’t. (READ MORE: Harvard Students Question Presidential Selection Process Amid Claudine Gay Plagiarism Scandal) He was Black. And I am White. So it was impossible. “When it comes to stories on race‚ racism‚ and white supremacy‚ I have to keep them in house‚” the Bates Communications Director replied. “They can be deceptively complex‚ so I tend to work with faculty members who have expertise in the area. Who else ya got?” Back in 1985-86‚ I had no problems writing about Black boxers Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Robbie Sims for a national magazine. I then profiled Nicaraguan world champion Alexis Arguello. No one complained. This past year‚ I’ve written a dozen stories on murdered Waterbury sex workers — Black‚ Latina‚ and White — for the Waterbury Observer‚ in Connecticut. I’ve interviewed daughters‚ sons‚ siblings. Families have been moved by our sensitivity. The editor wants me to dig deeper. And I will. (READ MORE: Thomas Sowell: Still Going Strong at 93) But now I can’t write about T.S. Bruce‚ who died in 1913‚ for my alumni magazine — even though I’ve written six other pieces‚ and the director lauds my deeply-researched historical profiles as the “Muldoon treatment.” Just what is going on here? Tyler Austin Harper‚ a Bates professor‚ wrote a recent Boston Globe piece about “being the wrong kind of Black professor.” Harper is an expert on 19th and 20th century British Literature — “the infamous ‘dead white men’ of European arts and letters.” He gets lots of pushback on what he chooses to write about. Bates showed no concerns when I profiled Harry Lord‚ class of 1908‚ who became Captain of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. Next‚ I profiled Nathan Pulsifer‚ class of 1899‚ who belted the first Garcelon homer (into the ditch) and became Jack Kerouac’s doctor. I also profiled Frank Keaney‚ a rare Catholic in the class of 1912‚ inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame after coaching at the University of Rhode Island‚ where as a chemistry professor he invented “Keaney Blue‚” the school’s colors. But now as I read the director’s email response‚ and see his pronouns (he‚ him‚ his) beside his signature‚ I suddenly feel defeated. At age 64‚ without pronouns‚ from the class of 1981‚ I am not trusted anymore. Despite all Bates’ crowing about the value of a liberal arts education‚ and all the hoopla about grads being lifetime learners‚ Bates thinks writing about T.S. Bruce is too “deceptively complex” for me. Is Bates afraid I’ll say something racist and bring shame to the college? Does my age‚ race or both make me liable to DEI blundering and insensitivity? Is writing for an elitist institution any different than writing for RING Magazine‚ the Bible of Boxing‚ as I once did? My heart pushes me to write about T.S. Bruce. An elite debater‚ he suffered racism in Kennebunkport as a Bates undergrad‚ when he was refused service in the Parker House dining room after a southern guest protested. As a senior‚ he wrote a letter to the Boston Transcript decrying the incident. The letter went viral 1897-style — republished in newspapers as far away as Hawaii. (READ MORE: The Anti-Woke Collegiate Counterrevolution Is Just Beginning) As a Newton Seminary student in 1901‚ Bruce won a lawsuit after a Harvard Square barber refused to shave him. The barber‚ claiming he was too busy‚ was fined $20. Bates‚ it seems‚ had prepared him to challenge injustice. A nationally recognized minister‚ Bruce lectured across the continent — appearing with Booker T. Washington in the gritty‚ mill city of his alma mater. Oh‚ how Bruce loved tiny Bates in Lewiston‚ Maine‚ founded in 1855 by Freewill Baptists and open to women and men of any race. After graduating in a class of 79‚ he returned almost every year. Bruce’s name appeared often in the Alumni Notes of the Bates Student. The love ran in his family. His older brother N.C. Bruce‚ class of 1894‚ named his first-born son Bates Shaw Bruce‚ after his alma mater and the college he then taught at. A battering ram right guard (6’1”‚ 178 lbs)‚ he carried the ball on pummeling runs against rivals Bowdoin‚ Colby and Maine. With left guard William Allen Saunders (5’10”‚ 173 lbs)‚ who became a professor at historically Black Storer College in Harpers Ferry‚ he plowed holes for Pulsifer‚ the future doctor‚ and quarterback Royce Purinton‚ the future Bates AD who died after volunteering in World War I. The foursome led Bates to an undefeated 1897 season — defeating Bowdoin for the first time. In my mind’s eye‚ I dreamt that Bates might one day erect a statue of the four teammates‚ two Blacks‚ and two Whites — modeled after one at Fenway Park with Ted Williams‚ Dom DiMaggio‚ Johnny Pesky‚ and Bobby Doerr. Bruce died in 1913‚ at age 42. His flame‚ which burned so bright‚ extinguished suddenly — weeks after his final reunion. Time‚ alas‚ has forgotten him. So has Bates‚ despite his lifetime of ardor and devotion‚ embodying the school motto Amore ac Studio. No matter his travels‚ he always returned (“But there’s Bruce‚ just as big a bunch of oratory as ever. I suppose! Say but I wish we had a phonograph record of some of his old literary society declamations and debates!”) He once scored 30 points in a track meet with 3 firsts‚ 3 seconds and a third‚ breaking the college record in the hammer throw. “Who else ya got?” I doubled down on Bruce. I’d work with faculty and students. I’d write with no guarantees — even though I had a solid track record of publication using the “Muldoon treatment.” In a spirit of sympathy‚ the director (who is White) shared that he had wanted to profile Saunders. He reached out to a Black history professor to “help tell the story.” He hoped “to have a partner to tell the story but never heard back‚ which was discouraging.” Bruce’s obituary reads: “His work among the colored people was recognized as being second only to Booker T. Washington.” Maybe I do need help with that historical context. Maybe I don’t have a nuanced understanding of what that means. I never walked in Bruce’s shoes. I never led Bates to victories in football‚ never scored a point in track — let alone 30. Nor was I ever denied service in a restaurant or barber shop. But we share at least one bond: Bates. Tyler Austin Harper‚ the Black Bates professor‚ writes: “When I was in graduate school‚ I was advised to study the Black French poet Aimé Césaire rather than Lord Byron‚ the Black science fiction writer Samuel R. Delany rather than H.G. Wells‚ and the Black psychiatrist Frantz Fanon rather than Freud… These Black authors are all fascinating‚ but they had nothing to do with my chosen specialization.”  Like Professor Harper‚ I needed to follow my own heart. “Who else ya got?” To be honest‚ I got Thomas Seth Bruce‚ class of 1898. Bruce is my guy. The world needs to hear his story. And I want to tell it. Even if I need help. Robert Muldoon is a 1981 Bates graduate. He has been published in Newsweek‚ the Boston Globe‚ the Hartford Courant‚ Waterbury Observer‚ and Birdwatcher’s Digest. He would like to dedicate this article in memory of Bates classmates Jim Robertson ’82 and Kate Hickson ’81. Contact him at muldoonra@gmail.com.The post Can a White Alum Write About a Black Alum at a Liberal Arts College? first appeared on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.The post Can a White Alum Write About a Black Alum at a Liberal Arts College? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

I should be congratulated on my courage. I’ve managed to finish watching Jill Biden’s Christmas video without throwing up‚ and that’s much more than can be said for the average viewer. “Magic‚ wonder‚ and joy” is her motto. Perfect for an amusement park.  READ MORE from Itxu Díaz: The Biden Case: Who Is the Thief and Who Is the Liar? I have some objections. Christmas is not magic. In fact‚ it is the opposite of magic. Magic is incompatible with faith. Christmas is salvation through faith‚ the birth of the Savior. Every child raised in the Christian West has been aware of as much for many centuries‚ except for those who have grown up in the Biden household‚ where they are too busy promoting abortionist policies to go to Mass‚ read Holy Scripture‚ and engage in other practices discouraged by the Catechism of Good Wokism‚ where they might have learned that Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem and not in a woke circus. As far as wonder goes‚ there are only two wonderous things about Christmas: that almighty God was incarnated in a little Child‚ and that the Biden White House Christmas video manages to be so creepy without including explicit images of murder. A bit of magic‚ wonder‚ and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance‚ performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/qXtCm4t37o — Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) December 13‚ 2023 Joy‚ the third concept in her motto‚ is fine. But why? I’m joyful‚ too‚ after three bottles of wine‚ and that doesn’t necessarily mean “Christmas.” Joy for joy’s sake is as effective as a Christmas concept as Lennon’s Imagine is in achieving world peace. For the rest of it‚ you can always tell when the Bidens have set out to do a version of The Nutcracker because there’s no doubt you’re watching a version‚ but there’s no way of knowing it’s of The Nutcracker. By the way: Does anyone know why there’s a guy with a giant pink cabbage on his head? It’s useless to wonder; the whole anti-Christmas spot is just another crude attempt to divide society on the eve of the great Christian celebration of family‚ love‚ and charity. The whole idea of the video‚ of course‚ is not Christmas‚ or congratulating Americans on Christmas‚ or anything like that. The idea of the video is to attack Christmas and tradition‚ omit America’s Christian tradition (and mock it)‚ and‚ in the process‚ impart woke doctrine. Of course‚ it stars a black woman (was there any other choice?) who seems to have had a fight with her dentist‚ and the video exudes multiculturalism‚ but it’s funny that the first two white people to appear are the guy with the cabbage on his head and another one who wanders around dressed as a chicken — I think — or maybe something more ridiculous‚ maybe a pig or a cow. (READ MORE: ’Tis the Season for Streaming Christmas Movies) It is true that they are not to blame for being there — because no one in the White House should have called them for this in the first place — but all dancers display unhealthy levels of insanity‚ something that is incompatible with the childlike spirit of children to which Jill Biden claims to want to appeal. Children are the sanest beings in the world‚ and what scares them most‚ by far‚ are crazy people; this is one of the reasons why‚ no matter how much Biden’s wife insists‚ most minors will continue to forgo visiting the White House as long as Joe is on the loose.  There is a dancer who seems to want to connect with children by putting on a wonder face‚ and the truth is that she lacks only a straitjacket. There is a girl dressed in an obviously masculine suit‚ while there is a male dancer dressed as if he were Celia Cruz in the music video of La negra tiene tumbao. If it weren’t for the distant little bell that tinkles every so often‚ the music would be perfect for a fairy tale‚ an episode of Daffy Duck‚ or a commercial for sanitary towels‚ but there’s nothing Christmasy about it. Also‚ with beautiful traditional old American carols heard around the world‚ it’s amazing that the Bidens need to butcher The Nutcracker when poor Tchaikovsky can’t even defend himself. Fortunately‚ the final bars of the spot show the big White House Christmas tree lit up with pretty lights in the background‚ and they have not given into the temptation of hanging skeletons‚ skulls‚ severed hands‚ or portraits of Herod on it‚ so we should probably even be grateful for the Bidens’ Christian sensibility. But‚ if you ask me‚ the absence of Hunter Biden dancing with a cabbage on his head is an unforgivable oversight. Translated by Joel Dalmau.The post White House Anti-Christmas Video Has Side Effects first appeared on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.The post White House Anti-Christmas Video Has Side Effects appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. joined Brian Kilmeade on the Brian Kilmeade Show last week for a lively discussion about the trajectory of Republican conservatism past and present.  The two discuss Tyrrell’s recent memoir: How Do We Get Out of Here?: Half a Century of Laughter and Mayhem at The American Spectator―From Bobby Kennedy to Donald J. Trump‚ and comment on the past and present of conservative Republicanism. They consider past presidents‚ including Ronald Reagan‚ Richard Nixon‚ and Donald Trump‚ and the diverse legacies they left behind. Finally‚ they discuss Trump’s surprisingly good poll numbers and his prospects in the 2024 presidential election. (READ MORE: The Happy and Thoughtful Memoirs of R. Emmett Tyrrell‚ Jr.) To listen to the interview‚ jump to 1:15:00. The post INTERVIEW: Are Trump’s Poll Numbers Really So Surprising? first appeared on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.The post INTERVIEW: Are Trump’s Poll Numbers Really So Surprising? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

You’ve probably heard of the war on Christmas — you know‚ the decades-long attempt by our secular overlords to make Christmas about all the shiny toys under the tree that will inevitably break by the end of the week. Having achieved a fair amount of success in that department‚ the same secular liberals are now seeking to force Chick-fil-A‚ America’s favorite Christian fast-food joint‚ to comply with their desire for waffle fries and fried chicken on Sundays. This week‚ New York state Rep. Tony Simone introduced Bill A08336‚ which would require any restaurant serving travelers at transportation facilities and state-run rest areas to remain open all seven days of the week. Why? Convenience. (READ MORE: Shane Dawson and Ryland Adams’ Use of Surrogacy Showcases the Practice’s Grotesqueness) “When it comes to travel areas‚ like rest stops‚ bus stations‚ and airports‚ people are often traveling on Sundays‚ and so it doesn’t make any sense for one of the few restaurants available at these locations to be closed on one of the busiest travel days of the week‚” a spokesperson for Simone told Business Insider. The argument seems to be that as New York state has been gracious enough to grant nine Chick-fil-A restaurants a presence in the state’s Thruway rest stops; therefore‚ they should return the favor by remaining open on Sundays — something the restaurant’s founder‚ S. Truett Cathy‚ decided to stop doing back in the late 1940s. “To serve New Yorkers and travelers‚ things should be open seven days a week‚ including Chick-fil-A‚ and if they can’t they shouldn’t be in our rest stops. There should be options for people to eat and drink and not just one spot‚” Simone told the New York Post. “It simply makes no sense for any provider of food services in these busy travel plazas to be closed on Sundays.” (READ MORE: China’s Cultural Revolution: Has Its Violence Come to America?) If the bill is passed and Chick-fil-A sues New York for religious discrimination‚ a court case should be a walk in the park. A statement on the company’s website reads: “Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours‚ Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest or worship if they choose‚ a practice we uphold today.” The company’s decision to abide by the divine order to refrain from servile labor on the Sabbath is clearly at issue here — and‚ according to the New York Post‚ it may not be the only Christian practice that annoys Simone about the restaurant. The Left attacked the company back in 2012 for donating millions of dollars to anti-LGBTQ organizations‚ including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes — and its response was to ignore them (something the Left never likes). When the Post asked Simone if the company’s history of supporting anti-woke organizations was a motivation‚ the assemblyman replied: “Chick-fil-A has had a terrible record on LGBT rights. I’m not going to not say that clearly.” (READ MORE: Indi Gregory: Third Infant to Die at Hands of UK Government) In one sense‚ a single bill being introduced (not yet passed) to force a fast-food chain to keep nine of its thousands of restaurants open on Sunday might be a petty thing to get riled up about. But the problem is that the bill attacks a principle: the Christian principle that Christian business owners should be able to close their stores on Sundays whether or not it’s convenient for potential customers. Simone’s petty bill may be another skirmish in the Left’s war to de-Christianize the U.S.‚ but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. To claim victory in a war‚ you have to win both the major battles and the skirmishes.The post New York Launches War on Chick-fil-A first appeared on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.The post New York Launches War on Chick-fil-A appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is urging the state’s secretary of state to play catch-up with Colorado in that state’s lunatic‚ almost certain to be unsuccessful‚ effort to keep Donald Trump off the presidential ballot. In her letter to Secretary of State Shirley Weber‚ she remarks on Colorado’s court decision to bar Trump‚ in which four justices were clearly suffering from altitude sickness‚ and we come across the following knee-slapper: This decision is about honoring the rule of law in our country and protecting the fundamental pillars of our democracy. Well‚ you coulda knocked me over with an absentee ballot. The above is stunning in its audacity and hypocrisy‚ even for California‚ where the interest on the part of public officials in “honoring the rule of law” is hardly on a boil. California residents will thank La Kounalakis for ensuring that California laws against murder‚ mugging‚ shoplifting‚ carjacking‚ assault‚ public defecation‚ et. al. are honored by enforcing them‚ even if it annoys George Soros. As for the Donald‚ on or off the ballot he has about as much chance of winning California as I do. But take holiday heart‚ American Spectator readers. Red-blooded Americanos in flyover country‚ and the remaining coastal patriots‚ will not have to endure the self-destructive idiocy of California much longer. I’m putting the final touches on a deal to trade California (except for two valleys — Napa and Salinas) to Mexico for a case of Dos Equis Amber and a stale taco. It’s a trade‚ as they say in the sports biz‚ that will benefit both sides. READ MORE from Larry Thornberry: Tunisia’s a Hotbed of White Supremacy? Who Knew? The Political Story of the YearThe post Is California Jealous of Colorado? first appeared on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.The post Is California Jealous of Colorado? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

"This isn't about Republicans and Democrats right now‚ this is about the continued existence of our country‚" says GOP presidential candidate. GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy joined The Alex Jones Show Wednesday to break down whether or not he will remove himself from the 2024 Colorado Presidential primary ballot in protest of Trump’s unjust removal. “This is a bastardization of the Constitution. The 14th Amendment was never intended to apply to anything like this. We’re a country where the people of this country choose our elected leaders. That’s what our American Revolution was fought for‚ the basic idea that We The People choose who actually runs the government‚” Ramaswamy told Jones. “And now‚ it’s the old World European view‚ it’s the elites in the back of palace hall‚ in this case‚ unelected partisan bureaucratic judges in the state of Colorado this time – it’s going to be other states soon – that are deciding the people cannot be trusted to elect the actually selected person to govern.” Ramaswamy called on voters to look beyond the right-left political paradigm and recognize the actions the Biden regime and its allies in the courts and media are destroying the foundational principles of the Republic. “Frankly‚ the Republican Party establishment is almost equally corrupt to the Democratic Party establishment. This isn’t about Republicans and Democrats right now‚ this is about the continued existence of our country‚ the United States of America‚” he said.Survival Shield X-2 is now 25% OFF! Treat your body with super high-quality nascent iodine &; enjoy one of nature's greatest essentials! “That’s why I don’t sit here bashing Biden‚ he’s not really even the President of the United States. He is a puppet of the managerial class. They’re going to trot out a new puppet in about March of next year when Trump’s trials begin. This is all an optical illusion.” “It’s not about Republican vs Democrat‚” he continued. “It’s a permanent state‚ the permanent government‚ the Deep State that is pulling the levers of power in both parties today‚ they’re getting Trump out of the way and actually‚ ironically‚ they’re preparing to get Biden out of the way right around the same time.” Ramaswamy was the first presidential candidate to denounce the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling against Trump on Tuesday‚ pledging to remove himself from the Colorado primary until Trump is back on the ballot and calling on other Republican candidates to do the same. I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary ballot until Trump is also allowed to be on the ballot‚ and I demand that Ron DeSantis‚ Chris Christie‚ and Nikki Haley do the same immediately – or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous… pic.twitter.com/qbpNf9L3ln— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 20‚ 2023

Voters understand the Democrat court's deeply corrupt and partisan actions to prevent Joe Biden's leading political opponent from appearing on state's 2024 ballot. The internet went absolutely berserk following the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump will be removed from the state’s 2024 presidential primary ballot and the memes on social media prove it. Hilarious memes sweeping across social media also underscore the public’s understanding of the court’s deeply corrupt and partisan actions with their claim that to “defend democracy” they must strip the voters’ right to choose their own candidate — i.e. destroy democracy. Live footage of the Left’s ballot scheme… pic.twitter.com/284SpgqiUv— APOCTOZ (@Apoctoz) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/e7LifeWkip— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) December 20‚ 2023 Colorado Supreme Court Demands Jack Phillips Bake Cake To Celebrate Trump Ruling https://t.co/8eVWPjzzGn pic.twitter.com/7BmkzCodYQAlex Jones' latest bestselling book 'The Great Awakening' is NOW AVAILABLE! Secure your limited edition autographed today!— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/h9f7bVReov— Mostly Peaceful Memes (@MostlyPeacefull) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/GnuWGxYil6— Stephen Lloyd (@apparentlysteve) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/hGnixwfzCD— WokelyCorrect Comics (@WokelyCorrect) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/9nGbDhPj9v— Edward (@edwardrussl) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/rUWF726e1I— _NamrokNamrok_ (@_NamrokNamrok_) December 20‚ 2023 Democrats Warn That American People May Tamper With Next Election https://t.co/4Ef2siw9wU pic.twitter.com/KimTIerbqv— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/JPDJJRkYiv— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/kfL1TwrKaz— The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) December 20‚ 2023 The only people killing “democracy” are the ones who scream so loudly about protecting it.Call them what they are: TRAITORS TO AMERICA pic.twitter.com/mDHgR22NCm— Turning Point Action (@TPAction_) December 20‚ 2023 BREAKING: Colorado unveils new state flag: pic.twitter.com/mQtyW5FvCS— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/4M5S48ecRW— The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) December 20‚ 2023 These niggas done activated Big Clarence Thomas. It’s over. pic.twitter.com/hrTWhnuJoS— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) December 20‚ 2023 I think the Dems know the #scotus will overturn the #ColoradoSupremeCourt decision‚ their real goal is to drain the Trump’s campaign fund‚ death by a thousand cuts. #California will be the next. https://t.co/qHfPmboYHb pic.twitter.com/OqXX2OOmy4— Skscartoon (@skscartoon) December 20‚ 2023 pic.twitter.com/JKLd22X64Z— Jamie White (@WhiteIsTheFury) December 20‚ 2023

"Ronald Reagan never had this level of support‚" Stone says. Trump adviser Roger Stone joins The Alex Jones Show to respond to the Colorado Supreme Court’s unprecedented actions to remove Trump from the state’s 2024 presidential primary ballot.