Surreptitious Saturday

CRIMINAL MINDS

"Woman, man busted for brawling over one-way aisles at thrift store" Drudge Report 6/12

BACKLASH

"That backlash may come at the ballot box, or it may come in some other indirect form. Some people aren’t interested in direct confrontation in the streets. They may simply prefer to express their opposition in a way that these protesters expect it least — businesses moving out, reluctance to hire, reluctance to visit a neighborhood, effectively abandoning a community. Not every wall that is built is physical and visible. But one way or another, the reaction is coming."  Jim Geraghty, National Review Online 6/12

CHASM

"The yawning chasm between our bicoastal ruling class and the Americanists of the heartland has never been more starkly revealed."  Josh Hammer, Townhall 6/12

TELLING THE TRUTH

"First, we need our leaders to start telling the truth. And the truth is our system is not working for far too many Americans. A system that satisfies the needs of its people would not see such upheaval. The very wealthy and the large, international corporations are faring better than ever. Both these groups have benefitted from automation, trade and immigration, all of which bring societal benefits. The question we often ignore is what are the downsides that each brings as well, and what do we do about it?

"There is little doubt that income inequality has risen drastically in our country. Automation, trade and immigration have helped those at the top flourish while taking jobs away from many others. When you throw in skyrocketing health and education costs, the average American's take-home pay has not increased significantly in years."  Neil Patel, Townhall 6/12

GLOBAL DISORDER

"The conditions of global disorder and domestic unrest that America experienced during the final years of the Obama administration have recapitulated (and magnified) themselves in advance of November’s presidential election. The president faces three interlocking crises of public health, economics, and social instability. The emergence of a fourth crisis, involving national security and great-power conflict, has the potential to place incalculable strains on an already beleaguered system. An international flashpoint is not inevitable, but it has happened before in similar circumstances. The world always grows more dangerous when the superpower takes flight."  Matthew Continetti, NRO 6/13

CORONAVIRUS

"Something surprising is going on with the current coronavirus outbreak as well. As noted earlier this week, the May 23 Lake of the Ozarks crowded pool gathering did not, as far as local health authorities can tell, lead to a new outbreak. As of this morning, there is one confirmed case of one infected resident infecting another. Videos of the gathering showed lots of people, not wearing masks, standing close together — precisely the situation that epidemiologists worried about the most. And yet, it appears the virus didn’t spread much at that event."  Jim Geraghty, NRO 6/13

JUSTICE

"Until Christ returns, we will never see a perfectly just government on earth. Until then, we ought to pray and work for justice. We must pursue complete justice while maintaining a posture of humility, recognizing that we will never usher in utopia through our efforts.

"I’m thankful to live in a country that bases its laws on universal principles like: “all men are created equal.” I’m pained that this country has so often failed to fully reflect these principles, particularly with regard to black Americans. But I’m confident that America cannot do better than by striving to live up to the principles of law and order she espouses."  Joshua Arnold, Townhall 6/13