I'm A little Teapot, Short And Stout. Here Is My Handle, Here Is My ONT.

Evening Horde. Know what? They may be closed, but it looks like they are still taking tips.

Rhodesia, The Sequel

South African president signs controversial land seizure bill, eroding private property rights

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill that will allow the government to seize land without having to pay compensation, which some in the government say is a threat to private ownership.

The law, which replaces the pre-democratic Expropriation Act of 1975, "outlines how expropriation can be done and on what basis" by the state, the government says, according to the BBC. 

Ramaphosa's party, the African National Congress, or ANC, hailed the law as a "significant milestone." However, some members of the government have signaled they will challenge the legality of the law. 

If you're not familiar with what happened in Rodesia, you should read up on it. A stable and prosperous country gutted by the west and handed to the communists just because they were black.

Viva la Revolution !

Revolution!

Now that we’ve established that, moving on: what I expected, in my wildest dreams, where somehow Trump got beyond the barriers that held him back in his first term was the roll back of some of the crap that made the US a basket case under Biden. You know, actual semi-effective border control. Maybe a few thousand deportations. Perhaps a reining back of the stupid regulations, and some drill baby drill.

But I didn’t actually expect revolution. A revolution that rolls back the now long established corruptions imposed on our system by the likes of FDR.

At first I was in shock at the speed and compass of the EOs and other work going on. And then–

Well, part of it is my health, but I’m having real trouble controlling this. I will read the news on my phone first thing in the morning, because it’s weird and exciting. And then I have to fight to work during the day, because I’m fascinated by this show which is more interesting than anything Hollywood has produced in decades.

And in the middle of all this it was only a couple of days ago that I realized this is a revolution.

And Obama thought HE had a phone and a pen.

Hero

'Daddy, did I save my sister?': Young Philadelphia plane crash victim asks after brain surgery

Andre says he was picking up donuts with three of his kids -- ages 4, 7 and 10 -- when the jet came crashing down.

"Sounded like a missile was firing bullets, metal at my car, everyone else's car," Andre recalled. "You see a car on fire, a man walking on fire. It was just crazy."

He immediately backed up his car while his son Trey covered his little sister, protecting her.

"I turn around and he has metal outside of his head," Andre described.

He saved his sister.

The Politics Of Heroism

The Medal of Honor Museum Cruelly Dishonors MoH Recipient Before It Opens Its Doors

On March 4, 2002, as daylight was replacing darkness, Air Force combat controller John Chapman was fighting for his life. He was fighting alone on a snow-covered mountain in Afghanistan called Takur Ghar. The SEAL team he was attached to (codenamed MAKO 30), commanded by Senior Chief Britt Slabinski, had left him for dead. But Chapman wasn’t dead. After battling alone for the better part of an hour in the bitter cold, Chapman was almost out of ammunition. A Chinook (Razor 01) with a QRF of Rangers was 45 seconds from landing. Firing in three directions, Chapman was still killing Al Qaeda and laying down suppressing fire when he slipped his mortal coil. An Al Qaeda fighter took his life with a bullet to the heart. That final, fatal wound was his 16th battle wound. Chapman had fought to the last second of his life. Had he not, it is likely Razor 01 and the men aboard could have suffered the same fate as Chapman. As it was, three QRF soldiers were gunned down as the loaded Chinook settled into knee-deep snow. 

Thirteen hours later, it was over. Operation Anaconda had failed. Miserably. It was bound for failure. Multiple command decisions before and during the operation cost the lives of seven men.

After the battle, DEVGRU SEALs universally praised Chapman’s heroism. He was one of them, they said. Today, Chapman’s name is the only non-SEAL on the Navy SEALs wall of honor in Virginia Beach. In after-action statements, SEALs praised Chapman. Chapman was put in for the Air Force Cross (the equivalency of the Navy Cross). That medal was quickly approved. Britt Slabinski, the man who had left Chapman for dead but had never checked Chapman's body for signs of life, received the Navy Cross.   

The story, as presented, is infuriating. I can't vouch for its veracity, it is telling just one side of the story.

What's Left Of The British Empire Rots

India: It's Worse Than You Think

When I was a child growing up in India, I learned that “might makes right.” Power was often abused, with those in control acting as if they had a God-given right to exploit and dominate others. The display of authority could be so extreme that questioning it or expecting those in power to do their duty might lead to retribution. Those in authority seemed to believe that their positions were not for serving others but for personal gain.

People who showed respect appeared to have meekly accepted a lower, subservient position. Kind people had to hide their compassion, for being nice was seen as a weakness.

In India, I have rarely seen someone in authority take the initiative to solve a problem he was responsible for. When I was at university, an underaged boy who worked in the kitchen was raped and sodomized by the janitors. I reported the matter, but not only did no one in authority do what was right — something well within their power — the authorities and fellow students threatened me with severe consequences if I pursued the matter further. Devoid of empathy, they also made fun of the boy and me.

Yes, there is an element of sadism here. There is some degree of pleasure that Indians take in the pain suffered by others. The attitude of the authorities was like that of the high-placed Delhi bureaucrat who told me that his Black Label whiskey tastes so much better because he knows that most Indians can’t afford to drink it.

Doesn't sound like a very nice place.

Blitzkrieg

Trump’s Shock and Awe Campaign Is Our Conservative Dream Come True

There used to be norms, and then the Democrats decided not to honor the norms but demanded that we still do. And during Trump 1.0, we did. We pretended that there were still guardrails, that there was still truth and honor in our institutions, and that’s why so many establishment Republicans believed we should treat hoaxes like the Russiagate lies with more than just a summary dismissal and ruthless mockery. 

We naively tried to honor the dead norms, pretending that the regime media was actually trying to report the truth rather than slavishly parroting the Democrat narrative. Well, we learned after Trump 1.0. During Trump 2.0, we’re not pretending anymore. There’s nothing to pretend. It’s a new day. It’s a new dawn - a dawn of the dead ideology of leftism. We’re going to nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

This change didn’t just happen. People didn’t just spontaneously figure out what time it is. This all began about 15 years ago, with the rise of the Tea Party and the appearance of a cultural colossus, Andrew Breitbart. Andrew always knew what time it is. He always saw through the lies. He saw through the Potemkin village facade of institutional integrity. And he wasn’t playing by their rules. His critique of, and attack upon, the regime media was an essential component of what we’re seeing now. If it weren’t for Andrew, we’d still be in a morass of managed decline and utter failure, probably having just ended the second term of Hillary Clinton and watching her being replaced by someone even more evil. Instead, we’re trashing DEI, sealing the border, no longer indulging weird perversions, and terrifying the GOP establishment into fixing the Pentagon with a former Marine corporal casting the tie-breaking vote.

Not tired of winning yet, but we need to legislatively codify our gains. Otherwise, the next Dem president will just do the same thing in reverse.

A Personal Request

Last Saturday, in the middle of the night, my little sister suffered a major heart attack. Her husband administered CPR and called the EMTs, who shocked her heart and got it going again. She was rushed to the ICU and put on a vent. "We will just have to wait and see” we were told.

Well, we're still waiting. During the week the vent was turned down to assist mode, so she's mostly breathing on her own, but she's still unresponsive. A EEG was inconclusive - reduced cranial activity, but quite possibly that's due to the meds in her system. Her kidney numbers dipped, so she's being put on dialysis, which might help clear the meds and any toxins from her bloodstream. We're waiting to see. It's hard.

Plus I'm 1500 miles away. Waiting to see. At least here I have work and my family to keep me busy. If I flew back there, I'd be waiting to see with nothing to do, although I would be with my folks and my sister's family. I feel like I'm riding a knife's edge.

If you are so inclined, would you mind remembering my sister Susan in your prayers? We could all use it. Thank you.

Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by scotch:

posted by WeirdDave at 09:44 PM

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