Monday, April 06, 2020



Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Attaboy Girl!

Rich Kozlovich

Recently there's been a lot of talk about Ruth Bader Ginsburg going to the gym with a trainer present, as outlined in this article by Kristinn Taylor, In Midst of DC's Coronavirus Shutdown, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Meets Trainer for Workouts at Supreme Court Gym, posted on April 1st.  Ruth Bader Ginsberg works out?  You’re kidding me, right?  Is this an April Fool's joke?  Apparently not, and it was followed with hundreds of comments, some of them very unpleasant, which I would expect regarding RBG.

As I've said in the past, I've been privileged to be part of an e-mail group that's educated, intelligent, and polite, even when we disagree, which is regularly since some are very liberal and others are very conservative, yet the discussions remains respectful.  That's why I feel privileged to be a part of this group, and what I admire about our group the most.

Having said that, our group has ventured in on this business with BRG having the nerve to go out of her house, and worse yet, going to a gym with a trainer, declaring she's a bad example and represents a danger to the public as a result.  My initial comment was she was doing this because she wasn't any more taken in by all this pandemic hysteria than I am, and I said something I never in my life thought I could possibly utter - I gave her an Attaboy Girl.

Well, this didn't go away, and led to more discussion over the whole surrounding subject of this China flu and what's happening.

There are pandemics every year, we just don’t call them pandemics because they’ve become a part of our lives.  The World Health Organization, which declares these things, isn’t a true health organization.  It’s like the IPCC, which isn’t a true science group, they’re both part of the UN, and they’re both UN political cat’s paws masquerading as science and health organizations.

So, declaring what’s a pandemic apparently has nothing to do with numbers, otherwise they would declare flu pandemics each and every year based on the numbers of people infected and die.   Yet they don’t!  I say they're all pandemics, others say they're merely epidemics, but this question remains: Have we ever shut down the nation over pandemics or epidemics in the past?  The answer is no!

In days gone by most people went to work unless they were really sick.  That’s been an American societal paradigm for all of my life.  I ran a bread route many years ago, and at times sick as a dog.  Breadmen have to give notice if they’re going to die, and preferably at least three days’ notice so they can get the bread out without interruption.  I’m being factious of course, but that was, and is, the mentality in the bread business.

Prudence versus panic is a matter of definition.  I call what’s going on panic fueled by hyperbolic hysterical politicians and writers with an anti-American and anti-Trump agenda.  Let's put this in perspective. Why in the world are we treating this "pandemic" differently than all the other infectious diseases that were declared as “pandemics” that has stuck this nation over the years?

Is it going to be worse than seasonal flu cases?  Maybe, but so far there no indication it will be that much more, and even then, by how much worse where we decide to shut down the nation, and destroy the world’s economy.  What's the break point for that decision?  Who makes it?  The Constitution doesn't give the President or the Congress the right to do that, and as far as I've been able to tell, there's no State Constitution that gives Governors, or their legislatures, the right to do that.

I've seen figures that state the death toll for seasonal flu is between 20,000 and 36,000 and one writer claimed as many as 60,000.  Whatever the actual numbers are, that’s a lot of darn people dying every year, and we have to ask: Is this any worse?  If so by how much?

And comparing numbers from America and other countries is apparently meaningless because whenever these things strike, they effect different populations differently.  In the past we just sucked it up and went on with our lives.  If we were sick, we stayed home, that is if we were really sick.  Otherwise most were expected to go to work, and they did.

Take these things seriously but we need to stop being panicked by a lunatic media, and a political element that so desires to destroy Trump they actually love this pandemic, in order to once again blame him, and attack him with lies and ridiculous charges.  This flu virus should be taken seriously, but we need to suck it up and recognize this is all being promoted with hyperbole, lies, and politics.  And taking something seriously is different than becoming hysterical.

This was in 2014, and is a good example of the double standard
set by the media and the Democrat party   

Name one of these pandemics where the media attacked the sitting President as they’re doing now. Name one of these lunatic leftist politicians who are attacking Trump that did anything similar when Obama was President. Obama said to suck it up when Swine flu struck and no one said a thing.

I went to the bank last week and they know me and that I write about this kind of thing.  We had some discussion, and of course I said this was all insanity.  They were polite, but I could tell they didn't want to dispute this with a customer.  We could only go in one at a time.  When the guy before me was leaving, I was allowed to go in.  Remember, he passed right beside me, right beside the manager, touched two door handles, going in and going out, and handed the teller paper work.  And this goes on all day long, six days a week.

I forgot to sign the back of my check so the teller handed my check back and a pen to sign it.  After I handed both back to her I snarkerly, with a bit of dramatic air said, Oooooh, I touched the pen, thinking she would see the humor in that statement.   Wrong – she actually had a bit of a shock to her expression.  I’ve known this teller for years, and she’s no wall flower, but it was clear she’s intimidated by all this hyperbole.

We have lost our minds!!!!!!!!

We need to start seeing this clearly.  Flu viruses - yearly – are a part of our lives.  It’s been that way year after year, going back into the 1800’s and probably more, and the only one that was truly a pandemic disaster was the Spanish Influence, killing over 20 million people.   This isn’t the Spanish Influenza – oops is that racist? – and when it’s all said and done, we’re going to look around at the devastation this hysteria caused and ask – it that all there was?

There are probably a lot of asymptomatic people in my area, but I also think that’s true everywhere.  But I believe it always has been so, but we never thought shutting of down the nation, destroying businesses, putting millions out of work, bankrupting millions, ultimately causing untold numbers of foreclosures as time goes by, promoting crime – burglaries have skyrocketed – and when it’s over, what about those disrupted lives, when we say:  Sorry about that, that's all there was, but we had to destroy your lives to save you.

As I said, I never in my life thought I would say this about RBG, especially since saying this almost gives me hives – Ruth Bader Ginsburg:  Attaboy Girl!

SOURCE 






Britain is sliding into dystopia

Derbyshire Police have tweeted a menacing video warning the public to stay away from the Peak District during the coronavirus lockdown.

The video shows police drone footage of unsuspecting members of the public hiking, walking their dogs and watching the sunset. All totally harmless behaviour, which is now deemed ‘non-essential’ – and by implication illegal – by the authorities.

The footage gives us a glimpse into the dystopia unfolding before our eyes. In the name of fighting coronavirus, in a matter of days Britain has become something of a police state. Millions of people are effectively under house arrest.

Parliament, meanwhile, before shutting up shop entirely, handed the authorities the most draconian powers ever known during peacetime. Police have been given blanket powers to enforce largely arbitrary rules.

It is abundantly clear that the people being shamed by Derbyshire Police have done nothing wrong. They are walking alone or in small groups. And with so much distance between them and everyone else – the Peak District could hardly be more sparsely populated – they pose no danger of spreading the virus to anyone.

If social distancing must be enforced, it should be enforced with proportion, common sense and empathy. It is not at all clear that the police can be trusted to do this.

SOURCE 






No proof coronavirus can be spread while shopping, says leading German virologist

Initial findings suggest virus may be less easily transmitted than thought

Coronavirus has not been spread by shopping or going to the hairdresser, a leading virologist has said after studying a hotspot for the virus.

Prof Hendrik Streeck, leading the response in one of Germany's worst-hit regions, said Covid-19 might not be spread as easily as people believe.

But it came as Boris Johnson warned that lockdown measures in the UK may have to be tightened amid signs they were beginning to meet resistance.

Official figures showed a "concerning" uptick in the number of people using transport, particularly their cars.

Experts warned the Government it needed to have the public's trust to persuade people to follow the measures.

In his research, Prof Streeck said the home of an infected family his team visited "did not have any live virus on any surface" including on phones, door knobs or even the pet cat's fur....

SOURCE 





It’s time to stop fake political correctness and artificial harmony

The good intentions of political correctness have today stifled curiosity, understanding and our ability to empathise. It’s also a movement that needs to be curbed, according to Sarah Liu.

Political correctness has been around for half a century and throughout that time the world has witnessed many great changes; the end of apartheid, Australia’s first female Prime Minister and the passing of the same-sex marriage bill.

The term describes an avoidance of actions and language that offends or marginalises groups, particularly those that have historically been discriminated against.

The problem with political correctness.  Yes, political correctness has a powerful place in society, but in our increasingly diverse workplaces, PC culture has stifled curiosity, understanding, and our ability to empathise.

Australia is a proudly multicultural nation. Because of this, many believe our diversity rates and inclusive behaviours are ahead of the pack. In reality, we are not as progressive as we think. Working with global organisations from Shanghai, Japan, Pakistan, Malaysia and Silicon Valley taught me that Australia’s relationship with diversity and inclusion is fraught – and no-one wants to talk about why they’re uncomfortable.

The smile-and-nod mentality is futile; on the surface workplaces are agreeing, while deep-down they’re not buying in. There is an artificial harmony between the politically correct way to embrace diversity and inclusion, and the real feelings, concerns and questions we have about the practical implications of change.

We must do better, and if that means being politically incorrect for the greater good of true progress, then so be it.

Political incorrectness is the real answer

Humans are organically wired to be exclusive creatures; we gravitate towards similarity and comfort, and often we find that in reflections of ourselves. When asked to not only support, but prioritise difference, it’s a common reaction to feel uncomfortable or threatened.

This needs to be acknowledged, and that begins by proactively inviting dissent. Everyone has a bias – be that unconscious or otherwise – that informs their understanding of what diversity and inclusion is.

Of all groups, rarely do we encounter anyone that wants to openly discriminate, rather it’s misinformation that fosters resistance.

Creating psychologically safe spaces to be politically incorrect and ask taboo questions without fear of judgement is the way to having honest and effective conversations.

The ‘one size fits all’ approach – rigid workplace policies or lectures on the issue – only moralises workers, rather than actively engaging them in what they think diversity and inclusion means. This has the potential to create a culture of blind acceptance by suppressing curiosity and real understanding.

Acknowledging resistance is the first step to dropping the false pretence of artificial harmony. We are often told about the benefits of diversity and inclusion; the increased performance results; diversified skill sets; expanded talent pool; increased innovation – the list goes on. But little attention is paid to the myths and challenges associated with implementing change.

Hidden myths of implementing change

A common myth is that women and minority groups are promoted or given special treatment over men, sparking all sorts of heated debate around the role of meritocracy. In reality, diversity and inclusion is not about superiorising women and minorities, it’s about adopting and learning an alternate view of what success, skills, experience and potential looks like when it encompasses a greater portion of society.

Another common misconception is that all people want to be treated equally, that the goal of diversity and inclusion is to see no distinction between men, women, and minority groups. But the dream is not equality; it’s equity.

Focus on the power of equity instead

Treating everyone with equity is part of the reason why diversity and inclusion is challenging, not only to implement but to maintain.

As a leader, it takes more money, time, resources and work to authentically manage individualism. Yet within many organisations, there’s a sense that once the right boxes are ticked, the job is done.

Diversity and inclusion create friction that can proactively encourage dissent, but the belief that creating change is easy discourages the hard work behind progress and the benefits that come with it.

It’s politically incorrect to openly acknowledge the difficulties of diversity and inclusion, but until we start to accept that it’s okay to imperfectly participate in conversation and be honest about the complexities that making real progress brings, we will continue to cultivate artificial harmony by wavering on the precipice of change.

SOURCE

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Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the  incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of  other countries.  The only real difference, however, is how much power they have.  In America, their power is limited by democracy.  To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already  very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges.  They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did:  None.  So look to the colleges to see  what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way.  It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH,   EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and  DISSECTING LEFTISM.   My Home Pages are here or   here or   here.  Email me (John Ray) here.  Email me (John Ray) here

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