Here's a snippet:
Under Senator Warren’s proposal, no business with more than $1 billion in revenue would be permitted to legally operate without permission from the federal government. The federal government would then dictate to these businesses the composition of their boards, the details of internal corporate governance, compensation practices, personnel policies, and much more. Naturally, their political activities would be restricted, too. Senator Warren’s proposal entails the wholesale expropriation of private enterprise in the United States, and nothing less. It is unconstitutional, unethical, immoral, irresponsible, and — not to put too fine a point on it — utterly bonkers.
Of course, that snippet is from the National Review, definitely a conservative source. And I'm not a fan of the National Review. Let's turn instead to Senator Warren's own website, where we find this excerpt from her proposal:
- Requires very large American corporations to obtain a federal charter as a "United States corporation," which obligates company directors to consider the interests of all corporate stakeholders: American corporations with more than $1 billion in annual revenue must obtain a federal charter from a newly formed Office of United States Corporations at the Department of Commerce. The new federal charter obligates company directors to consider the interests of all corporate stakeholders - including employees, customers, shareholders, and the communities in which the company operates. This approach is derived from the thriving benefit corporation model that 33 states and the District of Columbia have adopted and that companies like Patagonia, Danone North America, and Kickstarter have embraced with strong results.
Hmm. A "United States corporation," eh? And one that cares nothing about profits from their investment? Or investors such as retirement fund managers? Yeah, that'll fix things. Now return to your seat beside Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.
Stage left is Bernie Sanders, drooling over Sen. Warren's proposal. He is Ellsworth Toohey in Ayn Rand's 1943 novel, Fountainhead.
You know you're in trouble when your base is reduced to the Truly Stupid. As in:
... Our new campaign strategy is confiscation of wealth. We will decide whose wealth must be confiscated. One billion sounds like a good number. Anyway, we politicians can spend their money more wisely than they can. We don't need no stinkin' capital re-investment. More jobs? Shareholder profits? Pfft. We want your money, and we want it now.
Moreover, we have just been informed by one of our judicial betters that Donald Trump is legally bound to obey precedent, not by law and the Constitution, but by the executive order of his predecessor, Barack Obama, whose order somehow takes priority over Trump's executive order, as per the judge, even though executive orders are subjective interpretations of the meaning and intent of the law.
I get it. One interpretation may be better than another. But, still, if an executive order isn't contrary to the meaning of the law or the Constitution itself, how do you decree that one interpretation is more accurate than another? Ten degrees southeast or ten degrees southwest? It's hard to say when the law says "head south." That's where judicial activism comes in.
I don't necessarily blame the judiciary. When Congress refuses to enact sensible laws, or amend ambiguous laws, the judiciary has little choice but to act as the arbiter between Congress, the Executive branch, the public and the Constitution that empowers them all. On the other hand, not all judges are equal. They, too, are human, all too human. Such are the imperfections of organized society. That's why your vote matters, as do existing laws and the Constitution.
*****
Meanwhile, things have nowhere to go but up in the Democrat stronghold of Chicago. What a wasteland on the South Side and adjacent areas, and so sad for those who lack the means to live elsewhere. The rat-a-tat of gunfire seems to be a daily refrain in Chicago, given the statistics.
The latest murder is sobering. The poor guy was strangled, stabbed, burned alive and run over by a vehicle. And he was a high-school student:
CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reports the horrific final moments for a Chicago teen, police say, killed by peers his own age. Friends of Guerrero say he moved to West Chicago from Mexico in fifth grade. They describe him as a good friend and student.
“I’m extremely sad to know that he had to suffer so much because he was burned alive,” said Jose Ramirez, a friend of Guerrero.
Police say 18-year-old Francisco Alvarado and 16-year-old Tia Brewer, a former girlfriend, met the victim at the library where the pair allegedly strangled Guerrero with a belt, stabbed him several times in the neck, and then drove him to the field. Jesus Correa was also charged.
*****
To top it off, Big Tech has decided to become our Big Brother, as per Brad Parscale in the Washington Examiner. Apparently Big Tech doesn't like certain political viewpoints that conflict with its own, even of the non-dangerous variety. Maybe they are not to blame. After all, herding the internet is like herding cats. That's their excuse, at least.
Still ... we should be leery of wolves in sheep's clothing. Here's an excerpt:
This new Orwellian impulse that is taking over Big Tech is particularly problematic because social media websites, which are supposed to be safe spaces for all free speech, get special legal perks.
Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, websites such as Facebook and Twitter are not treated as publishers of “information provided by another” — which would subject them to libel laws and other headaches publishers have to deal with — because they “offer a forum for a true diversity of political discourse.”
This means social media platforms are not merely private companies who can censor whomever they wish — They are considered, by law, to be public forums that allow free and open debate.
This problem will need to be worked out in civil court.
*****
This pic, from some site called The Patriot Post, highlights the deep divide in American culture:
*****
When this guy starts looking like this guy, you know it might be time for a change in Florida:
*****
In related news, here comes the dog whistle, as Mini-Me vouches for Dr. Evil. I guess Susan Rice hopes John Brennan will stand in the breach for her and her former White House colleagues, all of whom need protection at this point. Maybe she's sending him a sweet but mindful message, swamp style:
@JohnBrennan is an extraordinary patriot and professional. I’m deeply proud to call him a valued colleague and cherished friend. Those who diminish his service and patriotism, past and present, only denigrate themselves. #freespeech
5:29 PM - Aug 15, 2018
Yeah, sure.
But, wait! Joe Biden wants to chime in as well:
But, wait! Joe Biden wants to chime in as well:
In the time I have known him, John Brennan has never been afraid to speak up and give it to you straight. Revoking his security clearance is an act unbecoming of a President. If you think it will silence John, then you just don't know the man.
4:06 PM - Aug 15, 2018
Now let's all turn to page 263 of our hymnal and sing together ...
Ugh. Keep talking, Joe. Stick with what you do poorly.
*****
Lastly, haha. I received an email notification from my blog platform sponsor, who feels the need to inform me that comments on my blog site need to be moderated. I assume this is in response to off-color reactions. If so, too funny, and shame on those who need moderation. To anyone who spews ignorance and hate in the comments section, please be advised that I do not read them, good or bad. You wasted your time. I didn't waste mine. If I pay attention to comments in the future, it only will be to block you. I doubt I will. I have better things to do. Ignorance and hate eventually sow the seeds of their own dissolution. Unless, of course, you're a Russian bot ... in which case ... Drumpf!
