Progress.

 I saw a social media post from a friend of mine where they'd picked up on something they didn't like that a legislature was debating.     Their response was to complain because they thought we'd progressed beyond whatever offended them.  

The specifics of this aren't important.  What is important is how the left looks at the word progress.

One of the best things the political left ever did was to brand themselves as progressive.  This branding allows them to frame everything they do as being progress.   The subtle message being sent is that progress is always good, and anything that impedes or rolls back progress is always bad.  

Yet, I suspect that people on all sides of the political spectrum could point to examples of progress that wasn't good.    

Like I said, I don't know what the specific debate was, or care.   I just think that the presumption that whatever progress was being debated was automatically good just because it was progress is kind of a ridiculous way to look at the world.    It certainly ignores the law of unintended consequences. 

There Is Apparently a Free Lunch

 The MN DFL has been busy using it's complete control of the state government to make some major changes.   Thanks to the 18 billion dollar "surplus" they've taken from us.   First, there is still no sign of the promised rebate "Walz Checks" promised before the last two elections to by votes from people who don't pay taxes.   

But for the good stuff.   They've passed a noble law that decrees that MN will use no fossil fuels by 2040, or some arbitrary date.   Now, fossil fuels make up over half of our current energy supply, they are not going to increase nuclear, and they do not have the capability to generate and store enough electricity to supply our current needs, let alone future needs.   They also didn't take into account the weather up in the People's Republic.  The thousands of acres of solar farms needed are largely ineffective when they are covered with snow, or when it's cloudy, and where are they going to put these unsightly solar plantations.  I think some of us know how this ends.   At some point between now and 2040, they'll realize that they can't meet the deadline.  There won't be enough money, technology, or land to fulfill their fantasies, and they won't build more nukes.   So, they'll either go with what they have which will lead to blackouts during the cold winter months (probably kill off some folks as well), or they'll kick the can down the road, and claim victory.

They've also passed the most liberal abortion law in the country, anywhere, any place, any time, any reason.    Personally I'd suggest that the poor who don't want to raise their children in the frozen hellscape coming in 2040, might benefit from this new law.

Finally, they've decided that the richest families in the state should get free school lunches.  Apparently they're too lazy, or stupid to target this free lunch program to people who actually might "need" it.  Why not just make sure everyone with school aged kids gets subsidized for free lunch.  

What is the most awesome thing about all of these things, is that they will claim success no matter what the outcome.   They'll convince their voters that they really did get their checks, and the government cheese is the best thing since sliced bread.   

Hopefully we can kill this before it gets too entrenched. 

Credentialism

 https://www.thefp.com/p/i-thought-i-was-saving-trans-kids

 

We live in a world where credentials are very important to some people.   If someone has a degree (especially a post grad degree) is virtually anything they are deemed an expert.   For some folks this credentialism  is almost a fetish.    Especially is your credentialed in anything that can be called a science.  What's interesting though, is when someone with credentials speaks out against the narrative, all of a sudden those credentials become worthless.    The above is a case in point.  We've seen all sorts of people who've claimed "That isn't happening." when it comes to treatment of "trans" children.    We've seen people on this very blog vehemently insist that children are not being "treated" with irreversible procedures.   Yet, we find out that they are and that it's pretty common.   We see excuses for the people who desperately regret the fact that they were rushed into irreversible procedures after minimal intake screening.   Well, it'll be interesting to see how quickly Jamie Reed gets destroyed for telling her truth.  

Leo

 I'm not a huge pop culture guy.  I'll watch some TV, occasionally go to a movie, and don't find much popular music all that interesting.   But sometimes pop culture confronts me.  

In this case I've recently seen a bit of a kerfuffle over left wing/environmental icon Leo DiCaprio and his latest girlfriend.  Apparently the 48 year old playboy is currently dating a 19 year old woman.   It would seem that those on the left aren't bothered by this, while some on the right deem this unseemly.  As far as I'm concerned, I can understand the concern, although I'm not particularly bothered by it.  From the perspective of someone who is gravely concerned about the power dynamics in M/F relationships, or from someone who is likely to make a big deal about a 20 year old male dating a 17 year old female I can see why this age gap could be concerning.   But the folks who usually object to those sorts of things aren't the one's I'm hearing express concern.  Those folks have been pretty silent on the subject.   Of course those folks are also pretty silent on DiCaprio's lavish carbon intense lifestyle.   I guess for some people, what you say matters significantly more than what you do. 

Achievement Gap

 From the DFL party platform 2000 AD.

" By the end of the next presidential term, the achievement gap between students of color and the rest of America's students should be eliminated."

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/coronavirus-leading-through-the-crisis/charting-the-path-to-the-next-normal/the-growing-education-gap

Well it's worse now than ever, good job y'all.

Maybe This isn't Cut and Dried Either

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATP6skzYbLo 

Just maybe the climate alarmists have been a little too extreme for the rest of us.  

"I think it's unconscionable right now that we're basically telling the poor world, look we got rich from fossil fuels, it was great for us, but I'm sorry there's no space for you."

https://wattsupwiththat.com/uah-version-6/

8 years, 5 months, 475 billions of tons of CO2, and no measurable warming. 

Racism??

 https://www.baltimoresun.com/business/real-estate/bs-md-appraiser-countersues-hopkins-professors-discrimination-20230202-aayyndnc7rdztcyaddzaylnwte-story.html

 

The story of the house that was appraised for less when it appeared that it was owned by black folk, was given a lot of play as proof that the world of real estate is still racist.   Now  we see that it maybe wasn't as cut and dried as it was presented by the press originally.   

 

One more instance of rushing to judgement before all of the facts are available.  

The Founding Parents

 There are two issues today that occupy much of the bandwidth of the APL.   Those issues are virtually unlimited abortion for any and every possible reason, and rights for the LGBTQRSTUVWXYZPDQ tribe.  

What's interesting is that two of the people who laid the foundation for both of those ideologies aren't given the credit they deserve for their views.  

Margaret Sanger, and Dr. John Money should be front and center in these debates, yet they aren't.    Probably because if people knew their views and methods their "offspring" wouldn't be as popular as they are.

Screed

 Dan just posted a new screed at his blog where he thinks that he demolishes the notion of Sola Scriptura.   From what I could tell as I skimmed through it, it was simply a rehash of Dan's same old talking points.  While I'm sure it gives him a great sense of self satisfaction and raises his self esteem, I'm not impressed.   Just once, I'd like to see someone who is arguing against Christian doctrine, offer an alternative.   A well though out, scripturally supported, alternative.   I'd like details, specifics, and proof of this alternative.

If the Christian canon of scripture is NOT the sole source of authority for Christian faith and practice, then what is?   What better source of authority for Christian faith and practice is there?      Is there NO authoritative source for Christian faith and practice?    If the canon of Christian scripture is NOT the sole source of authority for Christian faith and practice, is it a source at all?   What are the other sources?  

Racism?

 Just saw a video where a black teenage boy is beating the crap out of a 9 year old white girl on a school bus.    This is just one of many videos making the rounds recently of teenaged black kids beating up teachers, others students, fast food workers etc.  It's obvious that the prevalence of phones with video capability is what allows us to see these brutal attacks, but it's certainly not the fault of the phones.   It can't be the fault of these kid's parents, can it?   It can't be the fault of the culture that these kids are raised in, can it?  It can't be the fault of schools, can it?  It definitely can't be the fault of the kids, can it?    I guess it must be racism, and white supremacy then.

FYI, what in the hell is wrong with people that will film a vicious beating like this instead of intervene to save the 9 year old girl.   This poor girl is simply SOL unless she wants an abortion or to "transition".