The Smirk vs. The Smug-David Deane speaks ex cathedra

Obviously, the title of this blog is a joke.  Someone claiming to be the tvoh is being silly or crazy and maybe both.

Sometimes, people can be arrogant about their humility.  As best I can, this is a transcription of the conversation between David Deane, a member of the faculty of Atlantic School of Theology and a guest.  The intro states, In this episode Catholic media (traditional and social) expert (and Diploma in the New Evangelization grad!) Stephanie Potter stops by to chat about Covington Catholic, MAGA hats, and the New Evangelization diploma.

Below is what I have abstracted.

"One of the reasons why I feel so dirty about this is because I jumped on and I'm still not completely ready to jump off we come to that I'm still not giving these guys anything liiiiiike a pass I still got problems with them, but I came away from the episode going I think Donald Trump when he says that the media is very one sided and interprets through a very, very, very biased prejudicial lens might not be entirely wrong and saying that makes me self-loathe.

So what can you say about this guy.  How about, You can take the kid out of Ian Paisley's church, but you can't take Ian Paisley's church out of the boy.

Even in the original video, it was obvious that the Indian is in intimidation mode and the kid is standing his ground.  It has since come out that he is a total fraud and grifter.  Anyone who has "been around da block" knew this.

In the word like above the letter i was inserted several times as Deane emphasized that when he let us know he was withholding his pass.  What a moral giant.

As to media bias, hey Davy, ya think.

If we searched his house, we might not find a sash in his closet, but as they say in Boston, it wouldn't be a wicked shockah if we did.

The Flying 50

If I remember correctly, the drill sergeants called the first pay new troops got the flying 50, meaning some of the lads would think to just take the money and run awol.

Flying Fifty has taken on a new meaning in this day and age.

Fanatical about sports as a child, I took little interest after I stopped playing.  I've paid little attention to the kneeling as it seems to me just part of the whole panem et circenses of professional running around.

It appears that the commissioner of the NFL is up for contract renewal.  The exact details elude me, but he wants something like 50,000,000 and lifetime use of a private plane, a flying 50.

One might ask. what has the man done to earn such largesse and what will he do in the future to justify it.

Mes amis, if you spend your days watching and talking about and obsessed with the NFL while they are paying someone so much money, you are suckers.  Heck, if they pay him $50,000 and give him a few vouchers, you are still suckers.

We just thought it was evidence of bad taste

It's official, it's in the Guardian, psychopaths tend to like Rap.  Who wouldn't a thunk it?

What did Hilary Clinton say in her speech at the DNC

Distilled to its essential meaning, her speech can be given in one sentence,

Everyone has won and all must have prizes.

Everyone has won and all must have prizes-The education crisis continues

Over at Drudge there was a link to an article entitled, Oberlin students want to abolish midterms and any grades below C.

Moi, I was born too soon. I admit to being four years of goofing off other than in my major subject. The agitation that would have made me do even less work would have seen me play my part. Well no, I would have just enjoyed the fruits of other peoples' labors.

At Oberlin (where else?) the little Social Justice Warriors are so tired from their labors, they want a pass from they are actually there for because it pales in comparison to the mission of not hanging out with white people and other important stuff.

My desire to be at the opening of any keg or some other diversion meant that I was not learning something else. Was that a good idea? From my immediate post college employment prospects, no. Did I miss anything important? I found philosophy classes interesting, but not even to make effort and regret that. My brush with sociology is such that though there were some earnest and honest practioners, it is of little worth to the society and there are many, many snake oil salesmen in that non-discipline.

The truth of the matter is, yeah I could pull it together to get the C average, but the school would have been within reason if they had tossed me out as wasted space.

Now are the Social Justice kids doing something so vital that grades should not be awarded for the successful completion of the course of study. The young lady or young man may be doing important work

If that is so, why go to college at all if it means so little?

There has got to be somewhere else they can be coddled so they can get on with the real work of societal improvement.

Pittsfield-The place to be young, liberal, politically correct and...white.

Boston's WCVB has an evening show called Chronicle.  It is well done and the subjects are wide ranging, but always something to do with New England. Sometimes it's new business or medical advances pioneered regionally.

Often, it is a destination that one from their metro Boston coverage area might want to visit. Last evening, it was Pittsfield.

Pittsfield was a one industry small city in the Massachusetts Berkshires. General Electric dominated the town until they bugged out.  As usual, when the big employer left, hard times ensued.

Chambers of commerce and civic boosters always try different tactics to bring about a hoped for renaissance. Sometimes it works, as when a community college satellite campus can be brought in. No one in Massachusetts ever calls for a state prison as the new job provider, but in a few places there is the call for a casino.

Sometimes it just happens. It helps if there is a surplus of low cost real estate that is not derelict and in a beautiful spot.

And, it happened in Pittsfield.

The co-hosts waxed poetic about all the new shops and eateries that have opened up, and they are all attractive venues. The food prepared at Eat on North looked looked to be a pleasant dining experience.

All the residents and entrepreneurs and artists featured look youngish or at least well preserved and, shall we say it hip. Oh, and shall we say it, white

Should that matter. As a live and let live type, not to me. The folks on the Chronicle episode all appear to be people who could be trustafarians. They may not be, but the meticulous casualness of their bad clothes seems to betray that.

There is one other aspect of all these cool folks, I don't think there was one African-American among them. Usually, that seems to bother people. There was not a peep of protest from anyone on the staff or townspeople.

It would cause an emergency insertion of a pacemaker if Pittsfield were a hotbed Trumpism.

It would be the perfect place for black brunch to show up. Ain't happening in that whitopia.

Prince is gone world goes into mourning-moi, not so much

The period of mourning for David Bowie ends and almost immediately another rocker says au revoir.

What is there to say?  For the voice of humility, not all that much.

Unlike Mr. Bowie (our sparse commentary here) I was much older when our good man came on the scene and cannot even hum a few bars to save my life.

Yet I, along with the rest of the public, am being told I must celebrate his life and regret his passing.

Suffice it to say, from what little I've read, he wasn't a bad guy and his end was unpleasant enough that it is sad even to someone who knows so little of his oeuvre.  If there is another dimension, one hopes he is succored there, preferably without his guitar.

There is one of his songs, sung by the girl group, the Bangles, that I do know of.  Though not a big fan, it was a catchy tune.  When apprised of the provenance, I realized who was dreaming of "kissin' Valentino By a crystal blue Italian stream."  

The Sanders Campaign wins the Goebbels Prize for best propaganda

During the current pre-primary campaign season, we have been bombarded by the ads for the candidates who are fighting it out in our sister state to the north.  They bleed into each other.  Hilary and Jeb and Chris and Kasich and whatever, all the same.  They almost seem to suggest the Holy Father should be opening a case for canonization as the subjects are too good for earthly office.

If the pope sees them, of course, he will have to fight to stay awake.  The commercials are boring.

One ad has broken out and is inspiring or at least enjoyable.

I am old enough to remember when Simon and Garfunkel came on the scene.  Enjoyable enough and a bit more than elevator music.  their music has probably not crossed my mind in decades.  Simon, occasionally I'll think, "Hop on the bus Gus" but seldom is that.  His South African stuff, interesting but passé.

So another tv spot comes on.  The background music is America by S & G.  My first thought is what are they selling, Middle America.  No, they are selling Bernie to MA and they are doing it well.

If Goebbels could see this from hell, he'd be saying, "Perfect, Not the Horst Wessel Lied, but time and place, it works.  It got the jaded guy writing a blog to stir, at least a little.  They might not be yelling "Ein Reich, ein volk, ein Bernie" but it works."

And it does.

Don't get me wrong, Bernie is one of the better candidates even if I don't buy his socialism.  He is less likely than Christie or Hilary to start a war and he was and is right on the banks.

My problem is direct election of the president is the search for a führer   Actually, the would be führers are searching for a volk.

As to Bowie, David was no Jim

The English writer, Theodore Dalrymple, has an article about the end of David Bowie that is excellent.  I urge you to read it.

Anyway, the man died and the encomia seemed unending, which leaves me at a loss.  From what i have gleaned, he wasn't a bad guy.

Like Dalrymple, I'm not a fan.  I've been aware of popular music for longer than most people alive today as I remember Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Eventually, I sort of moved on.  Every new band came along and at best I could say that's interesting and then would forget about it.  I wondered about myself.  My contemporaries were all obsessed with something and I didn't get it.

So along comes Bowie and he does not move the needle for me.  People I knew were excited and he was big and I yawned.

I am not sure when it was I heard Changes, but it was on the car radio.  I remember listening a few more times to make sure I got it and then forgot about it.

Ground Control to Major Tom may have been deep, but that voice was horrible, I hardly got through "Take your protein pills and put your helmet on."  Maybe I missed something profound and my life has been a desert and I don't know it.  So what.

I am stuck with the knowledge that either I am a buffoon who does not get it, or everyone I knew and grew up with is a dolt.  I'm not sure which I hope is true.

No matter what FiveThirtyEight says, Pre-K is great, Just ask mom and dad

On January 5, Andrew Flowers posted Is Pre-K All It's Cracked Up To Be on the FiveThirtyEight quant website.Like any FiveThirtyEight article, it is well written and looks at both sides thoughtfully and does not get the big picture.  I mean the really big picture.

The best thing for mom and dad when considering education, is how much free time it gives them.  This does not mean they do not love their kids, it's that interacting with them is a lot of work.  Parents love the children.  They oft work long hours and move to boring places so the offspring will have a better chance.

No matter how much love they might have, the system works.  If it could be proved that the current system is harmful to the kids, and a regime of home instruction an hour a day would make them smarter, there would be no groundswell for closing the schools.

All that extra time spent with the juniors and juniorettes by the stay at home mom or dad, would not be welcome.  My parents loved me, but I drove my mom crazy.

The national mania for education is such that candidates have to talk about it, but they're not really talking about education.

Wishing everyone a politically incorrect 2016 A.D.

From the voice of humility.

Whatever happened to "Audrey Rouget"?: A screen biography of actress Carolyn Farina - The O'Dea Fixation

Here is the long, un-awaited review of Whatever happened to "Audrey Rouget"?: A screen biography of actressCarolyn Farina. Actually, it isn't a review, just a few rambling thoughts.

If you follow the blog of a fellow named Julian O'Dea, you might notice he has a tendency to write about an actress whose career as a star spans one movie. The obsession he has might lead one to think him a bit strange and well he might be.

The movie in question, however, is a jewel and said actress he has a thing for played her role to perfection.

Julian's blog ranges to a number of subjects from haiku, to art and nature and movies and women among other subjects. It is women and movies that he often dwells on, especially one.

The women thing is not something we who have only a superficial knowledge of the Aussie world understand. The men from down under have a rep as macho mateship types. As a rule, stereotypes can be relied on to a great extent, but those we get from movies and TV might not be too reliable.

Whatever happened to "Audrey Rouget"?: A screen biography of actress Carolyn Farina is a collection of information about the movie Metropolitan and the woman who played a, if not the, central role.

I can't say, I have the same fixation as Mr. O'Dea. There are other movies I like a lot, but would never read a whole e-book about, let alone write one.

That having been said, I must agree with the author that it is a great film. One I think about a lot, though differently in some ways. After all, it takes place in my country and in a city I've visited often.

Among the links about Metropolitan is one for Udolpho. The man had an interesting blog that I would read. The ebook link is now dead as the impresario of Udolpho has gone on to host a website called MyPosting Career that can be described as a club of folks frothing at the mouth. It can be interesting, but is unworthy of him.

On the Udolpho site, there was, if I remember correctly, an Amazon link to Metropolitan. Udolpho wrote about it with a lot of care and made me wish to see the movie, which I borrowed through our inter-library lending system.

It was back in 2007 and I wrote about it on this blog. Viewing the movie led me to concur with the man's thoughts, though at this remove, I can't say I clearly remember them all.

Another blogger, the Black Sea, commented that I should also watch Barcelona and though I liked it, it did not feel the same.

The Black Sea also noted the Whit Stillman interview with Charlie Rose. Stillman spoke of the self-sacrificing of the men of the upper-crust as the Titanic sunk and contrasted it with Cameron's view of the plutocrats in his movie. Stillman had it right, but today's. 001% probably would take a sauve qui peut attitude.

Now the ebook itself has value as the place to go to find out everything Mr. O'Dea has written about Carolyn Farina, the movie and the character of Audrey as well Whit Stillman and some tidbits about the other actors.

Mr. O'Dea also was influenced by the Udolopho blog. I was surprised that is where he found out about it.

Julian writes of Metroplitan, “It is a surprisingly hard film to parse and interpret. I think this is because it is hard to place it in time; it was a time of rapid change anyway; and Stillman’s intent, and his level of irony, are hard to determine.”

I suppose so. There are some markers of that dizzyingly rapid change that Americans from the Northeast of a certain age (mine) might get, but not many unless they were born into that life (I was not).

It is a tale of decline. The lads were sent to prep schools to become gentlemen and that is noble, but not much help on Wall Street. They, especially Charlie, know it. The boys might take solace from the fact that most of the villains of the 2008 crash were not high-Sassenach, but they probably are not hanging out at the Hamptons these days, let alone hitchhiking return trips.

The young ladies were also sent away to boarding schools, more probably to be “finished” rather than career women, other than, say, in publishing.

For the men, and women, as well as the rest of us, it is a different world now.

I've never read any of Jane Austen's books so I am at a loss for some of what Mr. Stillman is trying to convey. I do think I get it from the scene where Carolyn defends convention. It was an important part of the movie and I may not have got it had I not been prepped for it by Udolpho.

Audrey loves Tom.  This is the part I don't get.  Mostly what comes out of his mouth is drivel and he not especially forceful.  He comes into his own at the end, sorta.  His letters to Serena that came into Audrey's possession must have been brilliant.

In a not overly large e-tome. Mr. O'Dea has compiled as many links as he could as well as his own thoughts as gleaned from his own pages. This is not to say he is done. there are a number of entries on his blog about Audrey that were posted after the ebook came out. I for one encourage him to keep at it, otherwise it would probably be a life down at the pub with his mates.

Actually, that doesn't sound all that bad.

Paul Graham is no gentleman

Paul Graham is a startup guru who writes about that culture and reveals something about himself and his class.  In a recent

post on his own site, he argues to let the floodgates open to talent.

He posits that as;

The US has less than 5% of the world's population. Which means if the qualities that make someone a great programmer are evenly distributed, 95% of great programmers are born outside the US.

Though he says if certain qualities are evenly distributed, he is not arguing whether or not that if is correct. Without doing that, there is no point in opening the sluices. Of course, as he has said the technology companies are right, so that implies he is using his words in the paragraph quoted as justification.

Now Mr. Graham is not so much an idiot to believe much is evenly distributed in this world.  It is possible that it was something off the top that he didn't pay much attention to.  Not a quality prized in someone in the business of choosing startups.

That is not the question the voice of humility wishes to address.  Rather it is that there is a class of vastly successful entrepreneurs who have no sense of fellow feeling for their countrymen.  They probably make some nice noises, but the general tenor is the lumpen Yank is slow and we can't do without the more advanced peoples from exotic locales.

Here at the tvoh we have looked askance at the antics of our foreign policy elite.  Even if our wish came true and the foolish overseas adventures ended, we would still need an army.  None of the startup class would rush to the colors.

this is the point, these men are not an aristocracy.  They are just smart guys who made big money on their ideas.  We are not without libertarian leanings and to a degree many of those who have done well have such a point of view.  One hardly has to agree with Liz Warren to think these guys want a bit of a free ride.

They may see their assets protected in Singapore and could possibly duplicate some of Silicon Valley culture there, but few other places would they feel safe.  The brainiac class depends on the goodwill of their lower orders more than they think.  That they have so little fellow feeling means the class lacks nobility.  That they don't seek out talent among American citizens is damning.  There is probably a pool of gringos out there who could rise to the higher level of programming Graham wants, but he ain't looking for it.

In Downton Abbey, the snobbish dowager says; "An aristocrat with no servants is as much use to the county as a glass hammer."  She knew that not providing employment for those she lived amongst took away some of the rationale for her class.  This doesn't mean I'm suggesting titles be given out, we hardly need Earl Paul of Central Square or Count Sergey of Mountain View.  It would be nice, however, if they felt themselves part of the nation.  Of course, one should not think they lack for servants.

The voice of humility is not against all immigration.  If Gupta is a true super programmer, let him in.  We have average enough that if he is run of the mill, let's not be overly ready.

Winter Camp and panem et circenses

There is little to say about the Yale and Missouri tantrums.  One might find it odd that the football players protest whatever spurious controversy has upset the noirs of privilege when the fellows are being horribly used as unpaid labor.

It's not like all the lads are going into the NFL with huge bonuses other than a few of the real stars.  There's a little notoriety now and then graduation and scrambling for a job with no useful skill.

I know little about college or pro football.  Since I hit adolescence, sports has seemed to me something people obsessed about who need something to occupy them in the time they have until death relieves them of ever having to try and think.  Sort of Oprah or the View for guys.

As I went to a Papist institution back in the day, I can attest that college is winter camp with different names for the office of counselor.  Back then, there was some rigor, but I managed to pull out the gentleman's C, well, C-.

I never cease to be amazed at how little the tykes know.  I had an interaction with a proud honors grad from a well regarded state school.  A poli-sci major, they not only had never read de Tocqueville, the name itself drew a blank.*

There is no reason to keep this charade going, but do not waste time calling for reform.  There is too much money percolating up.  The only thing that can grind this to a halt if the obstreperous graduates inability to pay leads to mass pauperism.  It is devoutly to be wished, and may be happening in slow motion.

In fact, I suspect behind calls to make college tuition free and keep the scam going.

There is no education going on in this country.  If you doubt me, ask a recent bachelor to define education and listen to him make something up.  Heck, my fellow citizen, Most of you can't give it.

Now to the case of the Thug woman Click, she has issued an apology.

Yesterday was an historic day at MU—full of emotion and confusion. I have reviewed and reflected upon the video of me that is circulating, and have written this statement to offer both apology and context for my actions. I have reached out to the journalists involved to offer my sincere apologies and to express regret over my actions. I regret the language and strategies I used, and sincerely apologize to the MU campus community, and journalists at large, for my behavior, and also for the way my actions have shifted attention away from the students’ campaign for justice. 

From this experience I have learned about humanity and humility. When I apologized to one of the reporters in a phone call this afternoon, he accepted my apology. I believe he is doing a difficult job, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with him. His dignity also speaks well to the Journalism program at MU. Again, I wish to express my sincere apology for my actions on Carnahan Quad yesterday.”

Actually, it wasn't a bad mea culpa.  Usually, in our country the apology goes along the "if anyone feels offended" line and never admits wrongdoing.  This was not one of them.  Is it sincere or fear for the sinecure?

*I do not know a country where there is in general less intellectual independence and less freedom of discussion than in America... In America the majority builds an impregnable wall around the process of thinking.

...
The Inquisition was never able to prevent the circulation in Spain of books opposed to the religion of the majority. The majestic rule of the majority does better in the United States; it has removed even the thought of publishing them.

     -De Toqueville, Democracy in America (1835)

Review of Submissive Women-There is more to Julian O'Dea's life than Audrey

I only accidentally found out about Julian O’Dea, but that is how one comes across a lot on the internet. I stuck with him due to his affection for the movie, Metropolitan. Actually, It is the female lead of the movie, Carolyn Farina that is his true focus.

In the comments of one of his posts he wrote, “Yes, I readily admit to having a “screen crush” on her.” What our Australian friend has is not a crush. His obsession is such that I would be surprised if he went full on John Hinckley, but not by much.

My experience of living sort of stopped when I got here to my exurban backwater. It is quiet and boring here and that is the attraction. Reading the tales from Submissive Women and Other Stories brings up what it was like to be younger and in a different milieu. This is not to say all of his characters are striblings, but none are too old.

The Young Wife reminds me that the young, when given the chance, will do the thoughtless thing.

Old School Friends is a riff on you can never go home again, except when you do. The encounter is what one should expect, I guess.

The Young Nun Visits the Doctor is another of Mr. O’D’s meeting after lapse tales. She is affected, but it changes no life.

YouTube is a bit of a departure as the service becomes a true youtube with an uncanny coincidence, if it is coincidence.

An unexpected bequest changes the course of a young woman’s life in The Woman and Art. Her aunt’s house was left to her and she makes the most of it without realizing it and becomes grateful.

The Bluestocking regards a woman who may be ready to do anything but still has the inner prude.

In The One That Got Away, what did she get away from? The narrator, feminism?

The life moves on, but with memories theme runs through. I am no critic, so what I write take with a grain of sand. Stll, his style is excellent and the price was right. I had a pleasant afternoon.

The Function of NPR as explained by the recent Federal ukase regarding bodily functions in urban areas and our new dictionary definition

Recently in the news was the story of the two women who passed the tough US Army Ranger School.  Skeptics have noted that the media displayed the usual praise for distaff achievement.  The two women who completed the ranger course were tough, but had to recycle and got breaks no guy could expect.  That was not widely noted in the media and someone I know who has knowledge of the Ranger program was upset that "the press got it wrong."

To think the press got it wrong because they did not see or report the obvious is to not understand current reality.  The press got the orthodox line perfectly and reported it exactly as they should.  No where is this more so than National Public Radio.

I listen to NPR because every advanced totalitarian country has a ministry of information and one needs to know how one is supposed to feel on any subject.  Notice, I did not say "think."  

One should hardly be surprised that the official line is that the two women were trailblazers if not goddesses.  America is more and more looking like the words from Alice in Wonderland, “Everyone has one, and all must have prizes.”  Except, that is, actual rangers who are too cis for orthodox comfort.

NPR has devolved into the depths of bizarre   In a rare excursion to the Big Apple, while walking up 5th Ave, we saw a man somewhat normal looking in that he was dressed in typical American bad taste.  For the record he was Caucasian and, thank God, not of our ethnic group.  We are kinda sensitive about that.

Anyway, he walked up to a telephone stand, (there are no more booths) and urinated in broad daylight as if he had entered the men’s room.  

Bums are everywhere so what does this have to do with NPR.  About the same time as the "you go ranger girls" story was in the news they had a segment about the administration’s fight for an important civil right.  It seems holy mother state wants to have urban governments not merely help the homeless, but canonize them.  Arresting people for urinating and defecating on city streets is now a federal no no.  

NPR was true to form and despite the pretend tone of evenhandedness, it was easy to see they were on message as to the government being enlightened and only yahoos would not see the justice of the homeless loosening their bowels when they desire.

MSNBC, CNN or the networks and local stations as well as the remaining press outlets are propaganda organs, as is even Fox to a certain extent.  

NPR is special, however.  NPR is how the Inner Party communicates to the Outer Party what is Goodthink.  Now of course, there is at this point no actual Inner or Outer Party, but there might as well be for NPR true believers.

Here in the Nova Anglia the phenomenon is oft encountered.  There are many in places like Cambridge who readily hear the newscasts and believe.  Maybe in parts of the Midwest this is not evident except in some university towns.  Here it is all too pervasive.

Thus, we shall update our short dictionary when we get around to it with the following entry:

National Public Radio: American Ministry of Information.  Its news apparatus serves as the method the Inner Party communicates to the Outer Party how to feel and believe on issues.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

Norman Lear has recently spoken of his social conservatism. Maybe he is, but his show, All in the Family was viciously anti-white racism. Every negative stereotype of lower middle-class lumpen caucasia was thrown up. Had he satirized another race in the same manner, he would have never gotten away with it. Maybe the lampooning of the proles was enjoyed in the burbs, but it's been awhile.

Anyway, there was one sketch where Archie Bunker, the series' stooge says to a black neighbor, “I tot you was one of da good ones.” Everybody got the joke, but it has more societal import than that. Not to be discounted is the undertone that for many the president was sold that way in being elected.

For a class of Americans, it is necessary to let others know, they are “one of the good ones” or at least not one of the bad ones. Ted Van Dyk is among them. He must distinguish himself from the unwashed who have no enlightened thoughts. In a Politico article dated August 6, 2015, Ted tells us “School Busing Didn't Work. And To Say So Isn't Racist.” Thanks guy, all along everyone was sure busing had been a roaring success. What took you so long?

Van Dyk wants us to know who the villains were. “In many places, like in Boston as Sokol describes, there was raw racism involved in protests against busing.” He sees the other side, “In many other places, however, there was non-racist consternation based mainly on parents’ concern for the wellbeing of their children.”

Actually, he is being a bit cute. Well, that's the kindest conclusion one can arrive at. I remember the era in Boston well. There certainly was racism, “raw” or “cooked” is how you want to see it and it was not limited to the melanin impaired. Driving a cab while trying to decide on a career, I saw it up close.

Federal Judge W. Arthur Garrity delivered his ukase that racial balance must occur from the lowest grades to the end of high school. I doubt Van Dyk or his ilk had a problem with the use of vast force. His quibble was that it would probably not work.

“Elected officials—even those strongly in favor of civil rights—began to conclude that busing was a well-meant mistake. Presidential candidate George McGovern, in 1971, proposed to his advisers, of which I was one, that he would straightforwardly take an anti-busing position. We prevailed on him not to do so because we believed that the issue then was so emotion-laden that busing proponents would misunderstand his opposition.”

So Ted kinda knew it would not work but didn't want his candidate to say it. Huge sums would be spent chasing a mirage and lives and families would be broken, but McGovern's non-existent electability would be preserved.

Ever the racially pure Van Dyk saw with his bien pensant compassion how it was not working. He had two children in the D.C. System. Recounting the failure as he saw it and noted, “Not surprisingly, parents from the neighborhood began looking for private schools for their kids or moved to Maryland or Virginia suburbs—not because of racism but because their neighborhood school no longer was working.”

Families in Boston left as well, but not surely with the same pure motives. Those without sufficient income who were stuck dealt with as best they could. Some transferred to parochial schools that, possibly to Mr. Van Dyk's surprise, had long been to some degree integrated.

For others it did not work out so well. My cousin, who's mom was widowed was helped into an upscale papist high school normally out of reach of the denizens of his downmarket neighborhood. Years later, he related to me that almost all his old public school classmates had legal or drug problems and had not finished school. Well what do raw racists deserve anyway? Without any resources, one might surmise there was some similar devastation in the minority community.

A woman I worked with about ten years after busing told me how they sent their son to a private academy to get him away from the by then broken system. He quickly became friends with all the black students. It might shock Van Dyk, but the woman said this with no sense of horror.

Mr. Van Dyk has made a window into the souls of white people and found some good and others wanting. He has made a similar inquiry of the leaders of the old civil rights movement and here is where he sees them.

“I have no doubt what brave leaders of the civil-rights revolution would be saying as they witnessed today’s so-called dialogue about race. It would go something like this:

We did not see how hard it would be to truly free black Americans. No more talk please of white racism by anyone or denunciations of past and present political leaders by folk who never risked anything in a tough period when it counted. Let us get on with the work. What good does it do if we have a black president, black attorney general, black judicial, execuctive, and legislative leaders at al levels, successful black leaders in business, labor and the arts if black communities, North and South, are plagued by high black-on-black murder and violent crime rates, narcotics dealing and use, horrific school dropout and incarceration rates, high unemployment, and broken or non-existent families? All Americans need to get on this now with tangible, practical initiatives. Enough grandstanding, self-righteous talk. Time to separate the talkers from the doers.”

He might be right, but the capacity of political leaders and revolutionaries to, like the Bourbons, learn and forget nothing is not to be despised. If the old civil-rights heroes had remained at the forefront, no one knows how they would have felt or acted. Nothing ever goes according to the original plan.

The one big thing Van Dyk and all the other well meaning wonks might want to learn is no big dirigiste social project ever works. Then again, what wonk could ever learn that. Their souls only yearn in that direction. No harm ever comes to them.  Policy people are, as a class, Daisy Buchanans, smashing things up and not having to pay the price.

Whether it's busing or invading Iraq, the grand plan is usually a loser. Going back to ancient Greece, that Syracusan invasion looked like a winner to the Athenian assembly. True, that didn't work well for Alcibiades, but Van Dyk did not lose his career and gets published by Politico and all the Iraq shills have not done badly according to Peter Beinart.

Come to think of it, why would anyone learn a lesson?

Return of the voice of humility's short dictionary

Several years ago we started the dictionary project to define some words or terms.  This is an update. There have been additions and deletions.  We believe what we have defined more reflect the true meanings.

Assisted Suicide: The ultimate reform of the Social Security System. If senior citizens utilize assisted suicide en masse, the system's solvency can be greatly enhanced. 

British Royal Family: Founder of the family, William, started out as Capo di Tutti Capi of Norman Mafia. Descendants and others built the organization into a successful franchise over centuries, despite family infighting. Today, family has no real role as they have been kicked upstairs to mainly ceremonial positions. Currently undergoing branding crisis as members are not terribly appealing as celebrity material. Family should consider new ways of appealing to public. Should study the life of Mr. Frank McCourt who turned a stupid and unappealing childhood into an industry.

Change: 1. Old, To transform or convert. 2. New, Politically, whatever you want it to mean. 

Civil Rights: In truth, there can only be three: Life, Liberty and Property. Anything else is the attempt of one group to secure privileges at the expense of another group or society itself. Of the three above, Property is the most important. If the individual's property is secure, there is little reason for anyone to take his life or liberty. 

Communism: Natural religious progression wherein lower caste man is made into his own god and enslaved in his own name. Lasted far longer than could possibly have been expected. Still claims believers in the professorate. 

Conversation: 1. Informal interchange of thoughts, information etc., by spoken word; oral communication between persons; talk; colloquy. 2. Something always being proposed but never really happening. e.g. Conversation on race or gender, etc. 3. Politically, a desire for a monologue, not a dialogue.

Coverup: Process of investigating government wrongdoing.

Democratic Party: American cargo cult masquerading as a political association. 

Demagogue: Person who appeals to the emotions to gain power or fame. See also: Politician. 

Department of Education: American cabinet secretariat responsible for extracting money from the public while convincing them that the decline in public education is being arrested. Judging from the department's growth amidst continuing school failure, policy is an unmitigated success. 

Election: Auction in advance of stolen goods. (With thanks to H.L. Mencken)

Equality: In nature, an impossibility among the human species, which despite evidence is almost universally desired. 

Extreme Right Wing: Anyone or group with a worldview not to the left of the late Pol Pot's.

Feminism: Formerly a movement to secure women rights to opportunities not generally open to them. Today, the movement exists to secure power for women who attend highly selective institutions. Practical effect has been disastrous for less highly placed women who now have access to the same stupid and boring occupations men have had to do for eons. Current philosophy is heavy on misandry. The religious aspect of the cult has one sacrament. 

Iron Law of government: Everything eventually reduces to its absurd. If this is an actual law of physics that exists in nature is not known. In politics and government, it cannot be denied. Whereas in business a company can go bankrupt (unless it is publicly favored), in the realm of government, if (actually, when is more appropriate) a program attains absolute failure, it becomes a candidate for increased funding (e.g. DARE,). 

Microaggression: Trivialities that give an aggrieved population without lives something to whine about.

Nazi: Common smoke screen name for National Socialist German Workers Party, the German variant of socialism. The success of this party in bringing ruin to most of Europe, its own population, as well as racial enemies cannot be gainsaid. Its accomplishment was so complete that the whole enterprise collapsed after only thirteen years of operation, whereas the Soviet version started decades earlier and met its demise several decades later. Impresario of German Socialism was Adolph Hitler, a man with the soul of a ward boss who nevertheless was able to foist his program on a nation with near universal literacy and a very high degree of advanced education. Despite the socialist nature of the ideology, other socialists have had amazing success in making sure National Socialism is not identified as the philosophical soul brother it is. 

Political Correctness: A fear of knowledge. Under the regime of political correctness as practiced in the United States and some other nations, any evidence disproving accepted doctrine must be denied, if not suppressed. 

Politician: In the American democracy, generally a person who lies in seeking election to public office because there is ample evidence of little profit in speaking the truth (e.g. would Woodrow Wilson have been reelected if his slogan had been "He's hasn't got us into war yet, but, he intends to"?). See also demagogue. 

Populist: Highest form of demagogue. 

Reform: Word has no real meaning yet is impossible to oppose. The question, "Are you against x reform?" can never be answered negatively without destroying politically one who so answers no matter the actual value of the reform proposed. The word's greatest value is that it is as an accurate marker for poseurs.

Republican Party: American political association with no other permanent purpose than to secure executive positions, legislative posts and patronage emoluments. 

Reverend: 1. Title marking certain persons who after serious study and piety are ordained as suitable to lead and instruct the faithful. 2. Honorific applied to certain class of charlatans (examples: Rev. Paisley, Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Jackson) 

Revolution: A method by which one elite manipulates the masses to transfer power from another elite due to real or perceived oppression. The success or failure of the revolutionary party, once the ancien regime is overthrown, depends on how well they manage their transition from belief in ideology to practical management of the entity they have stolen. 

Self-esteem: The psychological notion used to justify rampant egotism (with help from Theodore Dalrymple)

Social Justice Warrior (SJW): Voluntary thought police. In Orwell's 1984, the Thought Police were an official part of the security service. It is a tribute to the current system that the apparatus enforcing mental conformity is unpaid, but relentless.

Social Security: The perfection of a system discovered by a Signor Ponzi wherein early "investors" are paid off by the subscriptions of later participants. System requires ever more contributors to stave off inevitable collapse. Due to the default of Ponzi's path breaking enterprise, he eventually suffered incarceration. Managers of our Social Security system expect no such problems as they have tools to deal with eventualities such as invisible default (i.e. one can start collecting at age 105) or monetization.
 
Soviet Union: Several countries that were controlled by an apparatus known as the Communist Party. For approximately seven decades said apparatus was able to rob the people in their own name. Went out of business when there was no more to rob. 

Teachable Moment: Opportunity for captive indoctrination.

Tolerance: 1. Old, permitting free expression of views one does not share. 2. New, suppression of thought, or speech found uncomfortable by favored groups.

Transgender operations: Current form of approved ritual mutilation. 

University - public: A public university is mainly a large scale day care provider. Most do some practical scientific research. 

University - private: Private universities are generally smaller scale day care providers. Very selective establishments exist mainly to mark the children of a certain class or wealth as members of an elite. 

War on Drugs: Growth industry whose constituency is well served by the government regulations that propel it. 

War on Terrorism: Campaign utilizing all the lessons of the drug war while also inventing its own.

Woke: Ideological sleepwalkers.

A reason to vote for Trump!

Our default position at the voice of humility is that most politicians have too much that we disagree with to warrant a vote.  We have mentioned in a previous post that the Trumpster is may be a phony, though preferable to most of his antagonists.

Up until the last few days, there was no compelling reason to cast a ballot in his favor.  Well, that has changed.  I have heard all kinds of bien pensants threaten to leave the country if Mr. Hair wins.  One especially vehement lass said, "I will literally leave the country if Trump is elected."  This person cannot speak a sentence without the word "literally" being inserted.  This happens even when it is obvious she should be using the word "figuratively" instead, but I digress.  The nation would be a better place if they depart.

Not paying attention as much as I might, the Trump border plan threatens Mexico with stopping remittances if they don't pay for the fence.  As he is going to expel the people who are remitting, I am not sure how that will work.

Nevertheless, if he wins and the disgruntled want to depart, it may cause a border problem to our north.

Save America and shrink America! Viva Puerto Rico Libre, Vivia Detroit Libre!

So Puerto Rico can't pay the bonds.  Not an economist, my guess that means effectively they are broke if not legally bankrupt.  There is no need for wailing and gnashing of teeth.  This is a golden opportunity that unfortunately will not be taken.

PR wants help which is translated to bailout by guess who.  Hint, it is an avuncular relation named after the great judge of Ancient Israel.

The voice of humilty suggests we pay the debts of that commonwealth, but with a price.  They take independence and never ask for another cent.

We all know, they are asking to be put back on their feet so their corrupt political class can borrow anew.  This on top of all the federal largesse they already receive.  Enough is enough, we have our own supply of regional kleptocrats to deal with on the mainland.

Which is why the solution is to make them not our own.  Detroit went through the process of restructuring and is all better.  We know in our hearts that unless there is always someone responsible from outside motor city with access to the brake, nothing will change in the end.  Therefore, the voice of humility lends full support to the DIM or Detroit Independence Movement.  This is not secession as settled at the end of the late unpleasantness, but expulsion

Any other basket cases should get the same treatment.

I know, I know, but we can dream.