Re: A social-media win for history, Putin's vile civilian attacks and other commentary

[Destroy The Lincoln Memorial]

On 21 May 2023, Molly Bolt <mollyth...@gmail.com> posted some
news:1b58ca10-fb33-4761...@googlegroups.com:

> Liberals are such ignorant assholes. They think they can rewrite
> history.

Libertarian: A Social-Media Win for History

Just 72 hours after announcing plans to “permanently remove a statue of
Pennsylvania founder William Penn and a replica of his home from
Philadelphia’s Welcome Park,” the National Park Service relented “due to
voluminous outrage voiced primarily on X” (ex-Twitter), cheers Reason’s
Nick Gillespie. “Pulling down William Penn was a particularly
ill-conceived move,” as “almost alone among colonial founders, he
treated Native Americans with precisely the sort of respect, grace, and
love that should be celebrated rather than tossed into the dustbin of
history.” “At a time when social media is being attacked for causing or
contributing to all the ills of the world, this controversy reminds us
that technologies that disperse and decentralize communications can help
create a more usable past by giving voice to present-day concerns.”

Ukraine war: Putin’s Vile Civilian Attacks

“Russian President Vladimir Putin rang in the New Year in Ukraine” by
targeting “Ukrainian civilians — men, women and children,” observe
Jonathan Sweet & Mark Toth at The Hill. “Putin’s targeting of apartment
blocks, schools and hospitals has no substantive military value” —
making the moves “war crimes.” Yet: “By weaponizing Ukraine’s
noncombatants, Putin is forcing Kyiv to deploy the bulk of its Patriot
and other missile defensive systems in and around its major population
centers.” “Washington must change course, and fast.” “Until Ukraine can
bring Patriot missile batteries and other U.S. and NATO surface-to-air
missile systems close to the front lines, Kyiv’s ability to launch
counteroffensives will continue to be severely handicapped.” “Biden and
Congress must end Putin’s murderous madness.”

Liberal: The Left’s Delusion on Young Voters

“Actually-existing young voters are in fact quite different from the
young people that inhabit the fever dreams of progressive activists,”
notes The Liberal Patriot’s Ruy Teixeira. “On immigration, 49 percent of
under 30 voters consider Biden more liberal than they are on the issue,”
“on transgender issues, 48 percent,” plus 40% on crime and 45% “on oil
and gas exploration.” “None of this is to deny that younger age
groups/generations are not more left on most issues than older age
groups/generations. But there is a difference between being more
progressive and progressive as a blanket characterization.” Indeed, only
22% “said they identified with the label ‘progressive.’ Again, the level
is higher than among older age groups but hardly hegemonic. In fact,
it’s barely higher than identifying with the label ‘Republican.’ ”

Ed desk: Whither the ‘Ivory Tower’?

“The Ivory Tower is often used to dismiss academia, and the metaphor is
rarely examined for its virtue,” muses Harvard prof Harvey C. Mansfield
at The Wall Street Journal. It’s “a place for the meeting of minds —
even if they only argue.” Now “after decades of favoring the left” and
“intense devotion to ‘diversity,’ ” Harvard has “encountered opposition
that is angry and alert” and “suffered two severe blows to its
reputation: the Supreme Court’s decision against affirmative action” and
the resignation of Claudine Gay. “Those who lead the Ivory Tower in
America today are unworthy of it.” Woke progressives “lead the way with
identity politics;” liberals “follow with misgivings but without
protest. Though both have suddenly lost a battle, they won’t be ousted
by force alone.”

From the right: Behind Red States’ Success

Lower taxes are “the most frequently cited reason” for Americans moving
to red states, reports Lewis M. Andrews at Spectator World. Job
opportunities and housing prices are also strong lures. Blue states’
defenders counter that red ones skimp on social services, yet “when it
comes to services the voters themselves most value” — particularly
transit infrastructure — it’s blue ones that “appear to be falling
short.” Red states attribute their success to more efficient use of
revenue they collect, and a recent WalletHub study backs that up. The
“hope” for blue states: The study showed that “what really makes any
region prosperous is the determination of its politicians to do the best
they can with a modest revenue stream.”

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

https://nypost.com/2024/01/12/opinion/a-social-media-win-for-history-puti
ns-vile-civilian-attacks-and-other-commentary/