Resistance Is Futile
April 09, 2019
Via Neontaster comes news of an intriguing technological development. Apparently, the device “makes the patient feel comfortable,” while “the strong currents impact and rub.” Hey, I’m just reading what it says here.
Oh, and yes, there is a more intimate video.
Also, open thread.
Holy crap, I almost miss Gov Moonbeam.
Posted by: Darleen | April 11, 2019 at 06:50
Tim Worstall is reading the Guardian.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2019 at 07:18
The conservative philosopher Roger Scruton Haas been fired from an unpaid job on a government advisory panel on architecture because he made "unacceptable comments" in an interview with The New Statesman. One of the comments, widely tweeted by the piece's author George Eaton, was "Each Chinese person is a kind of replica of the next one and that is a very frightening thing." Seemingly slam dunk. However, Eaton later tweeted this in response to people questioning how quite were edited:
With the context, it seems not to be a statement about the Chinese people, but rather about what the authoritarian Chinese government is trying to make the Chinese people into. Eaton, of course, was exultant at having claimed Scruton's scalp. He had also deleted the context providing tweet.
Posted by: TomJ | April 11, 2019 at 08:43
Eaton, of course, was exultant at having claimed Scruton’s scalp.
It’s worth pondering what kind of person publicly exults in his own dishonesty. As if it won’t be found out, within minutes, or when discovered, won’t matter to his readers.
Douglas Murray has more here.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2019 at 08:56
Somewhat related.
Via Ben Sixsmith.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2019 at 09:06
It's part of an agenda of poisoning the bonds between men as friends - indeed, any close relationship that doesn't include The State is suspect.
That makes sense for leftists, but I think there was also another motive behind this: They wanted to normalize homosexuality by finding it everywhere. "Look! Your heroes are gay. And you're gay too!"
Posted by: pst314 | April 11, 2019 at 11:33
Holy crap, I almost miss Gov Moonbeam.
"However, enough about California, I'm here to talk about El Salvador", he added
...who they accuse of improperly using Inuit throat singing.
Not that throat singing is an Inuit only thing, for example, the Tuvans, who apparently enjoy it when an American culturally appropriates their singing. Paul Pena (who wrote "Jet Airliner", not that hack Steve Miller) actually won an award from them for it, so perhaps the Inuit need to lighten up and enjoy the fact that their music will reach a larger audience.
Somewhat related.
That would be news to the Hungarians, the Russians, the Poles, Macedonians, Slovakians, and Bulgarians.
The question is whether "New Stateman" writers are ignorant, just make stuff up, or both.
Posted by: Farnsworth M Muldoon | April 11, 2019 at 11:44
Eaton, of course, was exultant at having claimed Scruton’s scalp.
Does Roger Scruton have good grounds for a libel lawsuit under British law?
Posted by: pst314 | April 11, 2019 at 11:48
AIUI, Poles, Hungarians, Amy of the western side of the ex-Iron Curtain countries, resent being referred to as Eastern Europe. The prefer Central Europe. Eastern Europe is viewed as very corrupt and still under significant Russian influence.
Posted by: WTP | April 11, 2019 at 12:24
I am hoping this is parody, otherwise insanity claims another.
Posted by: Farnsworth M Muldoon | April 11, 2019 at 12:27
I am hoping this is parody,
Apparently.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2019 at 13:10
The journalist didn't by himself draw the line of what people are allowed to say. He's a defender of the narrative, who knew where the line was and herded Scruton out of bounds. The question, as Murray says, is why conservatives have been so cowardly in allowing their enemies to define the limits of speech, so cowardly in never standing up for their own people.
There are no principles about where the line is drawn, except that it turns out to be consistently anti-white. You can discuss whether billionaires have too much influence, but you'd better consult with the SPLC about which billionaires you're allowed to name. You can discuss the conformity of white Americans but not the conformity of the Chinese. You can slander Christianity but only say good things about Islam.
In a borderless world, we're no longer encountering foreigners as just vacationers and arms-length trading partners whose dirty laundry we can politely ignore. Since we're inviting foreigners to make themselves at home in our cities and our institutions, it's all the more important that we're informed about the dysfunctions they might bring with them from their home cultures. Instead we're required to walk on eggshells and navigate ever-more-convoluted taboos about even noticing the foreignness of foreigners, let alone discussing their dark side.
Posted by: Apalachicola | April 11, 2019 at 13:19
Ever wonder where R’lyeh is ? Baby Cthulhu sleep in Herefordshire.
Posted by: Farnsworth M Muldoon | April 11, 2019 at 13:21
Baby Cthulhu
Bah. Where are the wings? The arms and legs? Just having tentacles doesn't make something "Cthuluesque". Sad:-(.
Posted by: jabrwok | April 11, 2019 at 13:51
Bah. Where are the wings?
It is only 3cm, hence embryonic, they haven't developed yet, unbeliever.
Posted by: Farnsworth M Muldoon | April 11, 2019 at 13:57
Another day, another struggle session.
Posted by: Darleen | April 11, 2019 at 14:25
Another day, another struggle session.
And so they invoke diversity as an excuse for imposing uniformity of thought.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2019 at 14:35
http://libguides.blinn.edu/az.php?s=6761
We're through the looking glass here people!
And Humpty Dumpty takes another scalp.
Posted by: jabrwok | April 11, 2019 at 14:54
D'oh! Ignore the LibGuide link. 'Twas supposed to be And so they invoke diversity as an excuse for imposing uniformity of thought.
Posted by: jabrwok | April 11, 2019 at 14:55
jabrwok, I'm not sure where the Rachel shown there got her moniker; rather doubtful that she's going to be anyone's valentine. Unless maybe she got it from eating too much Valentine's Day chocolates.
Posted by: Alex | April 11, 2019 at 15:47
@Alex: I think I'm missing some context on your comment.
Posted by: jabrwok | April 11, 2019 at 15:56
Oh, now I realize what you're talking about! Yeah, the libguide link was a mistake and had nothing to do with anything hereabouts. Please ignore.
Posted by: jabrwok | April 11, 2019 at 15:57
Please ignore.
Everybody stare at it, like a spot.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2019 at 16:07
Everybody stare at it, like a spot.
Well, you're unlikely to gain any value from doing so, but whatever floats your respective boats.:-P
Posted by: jabrwok | April 11, 2019 at 16:14
Well, you're unlikely to gain any value from doing so
Oh, an irrelevant link is nothing to blush about, really. Not when compared with Mr Sherman’s spectacular HTML dumpster fire of August 2016.
That’s real shame.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2019 at 16:34
This seems like the sort of art that David looks forward to enjoying on weekends:
Posted by: Damian | April 11, 2019 at 16:48
Right, niece’s birthday dinner looms. Be good.
Or at least clean up afterwards.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2019 at 17:28
Be good.
Hey everybody, I've got a key to David's wine vault!
Posted by: pst314 | April 11, 2019 at 18:14
Scruton has responded in his own inimitable style.
Posted by: TomJ | April 11, 2019 at 20:04
Scruton has responded in his own inimitable style.
Indeed. But I would like to also see another style: a successful and ruinous lawsuit. Those who would destroy us deserve destruction.
Posted by: Pst314 | April 11, 2019 at 22:08
that makes it more important for the women in their lives to help nurture what male friendships their husband, fiance, boyfriend has.
Or, more importantly, not poison or negate the male friendships he may already have.
Posted by: Steve E | April 11, 2019 at 23:56
"Or at least clean up afterwards."
Just who on earth do you think we are?....
Posted by: jones | April 12, 2019 at 12:03
Apparently he is considering legal action.
https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/1117846804177928192?s=19
Posted by: TomJ | April 16, 2019 at 17:35
“When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, there were about 60 million people living in the Americas, . . . .
“A century later there were only 6 million native Americans left: a 90% fatality rate. Yet at that time, there were still only about a quarter-million Europeans in the Americas. They clearly couldn’t have killed the other 54 million natives – but their diseases did.”
My commie friend Eric Flint, who almost became a professional historian, thinks this is figure is much too high.
But hey, whatever is best for The Narrative® trumps truth.
Posted by: Stephen M. St. Onge | April 17, 2019 at 16:37