At Trump's most horrible moments, the left is always worse

David Griffey, a new friend of this blog, more or less echoes my thoughts on Trump's Helsinki performance by referencing this tweet.

I think I've seen you say it, @JamesHasson20, as have many others - all they have to do is not be insane. This Pearl Harbor, 9/11, "attack" and "war" stuff is nuts - Trump opened himself up to legit criticism today, and they can't help but to bury it in crazy. https://t.co/4kT8aqvoZT

— Jason Beale (@jabeale) July 17, 2018

Hasson's remark is in response to the comparison of the Helsinki Summit to Kristallnacht and the Pearl Harbor attacks by former Watergate Prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks.

The sound of Trump's voice is often to me about as pleasant as the sound of a glass breaking. And often his rhetoric is damaging; I agree with Pikkumatti that Trump could do more to unite the country. But to inflate Trump's unpleasantness or even his damage to Kristallnacht is to violate the rule no one talks about anymore because everyone on the left breaks it everyday. Hitler analogies, Kristallnacht comparisons and labeling everyone a fascist are doled out with absolutely straight faces by people accounted serious.

This is just one example of the media overreaction to the Helsinki Summit. Don Lemon gives us the standard brain-dead "not my president" guitar solo after turning the amp up a notch. Beale also takes a shot at Michael Moore's fake righteous anger reminding the left of their conveniently forgetting that Moore accused the entire American intelligence apparatus of deception in order to warmonger in Iraq. By making a documentary! Oh, weren't those the days... But in 2018, even during Trump's most horrible moments, the left and their media is always worse.

Open Letter to America about American Exceptionalism

A Facebook friend writes:

Paul, I hope you can post this on your blog. It's my response to Rod Dreher's muted support for Vladimir Putin's op-ed in the New York Times about the Middle East and American Exceptionalism. No, I didn't write it but I'm getting sick of Dreher's poseurish tendencies, myself.

Here's the link he sent me. I'm not sure which post of Dreher's he is a responding to, but you guys might since you monitor his blog more. My friend might come over here and comment—he seems pretty incensed. It's very powerful and successful at conveying the truth. It is written by an Australian named Nick Adams, here's his website. Here's an excerpt:

Historically, you—the people of America—have been the most enterprising, market-oriented, individualistic, and averse to taxation and regulation. You have shown yourselves to be the least likely people in the world to look on the state as either the provider of benefits or the guarantor of equal outcomes.

Why is this? It’s simple. You fostered a state that allowed its citizens the widest latitude for creativity and innovation, where success gets rewarded without government approvals and bureaucratic interference. And where religious faith, aspiration and risk are embraced. You have your founders to thank.

When it is understood what America stands for, and the moral dimension to a smaller government is appreciated, it becomes not an economic question, but a moral question. For example, it’s why, per capita, you are the most charitable or philanthropic people on earth. The bigger the government, the worse the citizen.

You have a moral superiority. America is great because America is good.

See, you believe in equality of birth, but not equality of result. All humans are equal but all not nations and cultures are not. It’s why poor Mr. Putin is confused.

In sum, the American model has offered a greater chance for dignity, hope and happiness for more people than any other system of government has offered its own. But even its promise can be threatened by those that do not share these ideals, whether domestic or foreign sources. That’s why you have to be vigilant.

I'm sure a lot of the wordsmith intellectuals over at TAC are as much poseurs as Dreher on this topic even if his writing is ten times better. They think if America was a little more like Europe or Russia then they would be paid commensurately with their awesome brainpower rather than based on what they could actually produce. If I had my wish, all the people who thought this way would write for inconsequential web rags like TAC. Unfortunately many of them are teaching our kids in schools and universities—public AND private.

"I have never taken a shower with Vice President Joe Biden."

Here's a funny parody: Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin go on Oprah to discuss Putin's role in helping pass immigration reform. Biden's explanation of the difference between Putin and Obama:

Look, Oprah, there’s little doubt President Putin knows how to take care of business. Vladimir is an aggressive alpha male who kicks ass without bothering to take names. On the other hand, President Obama is an affable man of refined tastes and a contemplative nature. He’s a much sought after daytime talk show guest and he gives a damn good speech. But when it comes to diplomacy, working with congress or making important decisions, President Obama’s moxie-muscle isn’t as strong and taut as his Russian counterpart. I for one applaud President Obama’s willingness to put aside what’s left of his dignity and self respect by asking President Putin to tackle our immigration problem. It will afford President Obama so much more time to focus on important social issues here at home like transgenders in the military, racist voter I.D. laws and providing middle-school children unrestricted access to the morning-after pill.

To phrase the distinction less wordily, it's "speak softly and carry a big stick" versus "never shut up and carry an autographed picture of Beyoncé in your wallet." Something like that.

Picture of the day

From a Buzzfeed piece detailing Obama's blunders on Syria. Caption: The Winner.

The best thing I heard last night was Michael Rubin on Hugh Hewitt's show analyzing the perpetual gaffe situation due to the leaders of our country continuously flapping their mouths. He said something like, and I'm totally paraphrasing, "This is what happens when you have a President who is a Senator, a VP who's a Senator, a Secretary of State who's a Senator and a Secretary of Defense who's a Senator. They keep forgetting they're not in the Senate and the things they say now have consequences."

Ralph Peters: "It isn't you, Barack. It's just business"

Here's a devastating bit by Ralph Peters on the naive lack of strategy on the part of the Obama Administration vis-à-vis the soon-to-be-nuclear-if-it-isn't-already Iran and a Russia which can only benefit from non-interference. Conclusion:

It's no accident that a strategic triangle has emerged between Moscow, Tehran and Caracas -- home of the great Latin mischief-lover, Hugo Chavez, who thrives on his own nation's petro-wealth.

For us, the Iran crisis is about peace. For Putin, it's about power. Yet the self-deluding Obama administration really believes that Moscow's going to support us. After our president gave away our only serious bargaining chip, the missile-defense system promised to our European allies.

Putin thinks in 10-year-plans. We can't think past the next congressional roll-call vote.

The Obama administration's primary legacy to the world is going to be a nuclear-armed Iran.