THE wins are few, but we must take them where we can get them. Police have retracted a ‘hate incident’ recorded against Cathy Kirby, a teacher from Norfolk, after she posted on social media about trans issues. Following claims by trans activists that her online comments were transphobic, the ‘non-crime hate incident’ (whatever that means) was placed on her record, despite Norfolk Police recognising that no criminal offence had been committed.
In a scathing speech receiving global attention, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni tore into one of her colleagues this week for evincing something less than zeal in support of Europe’s efforts to help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion.
The ruling body of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Friday, asking that he reconsider his decision to evict it from its headquarters, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery. Many outside Ukraine, including some who have admired Zelensky and hoped he would manage to defeat the Russians, have been puzzled as well as Zelensky has moved decisively against the Church. In December, he signed a decree banning the UOC, to which millions of Ukrainians belong. In mid-March, thousands of those Ukrainians gathered outside the monastery to pray and show their support for the monks whom Zelensky has ordered to vacate the premises. This is all at odds with Zelensky’s image in the West: this is the new Churchill? A man who evicts monks from their monastery and closes churches?
The shroud of secrecy surrounding the FBI’s foreknowledge and engagement in the events of January 6 is disintegrating, no matter how hard Beltway lifers try to keep it intact.
After nine weeks of testimony from multiple government witnesses, including FBI agents, the Justice Department finally concluded its case-in-chief in the Proud Boys’ seditious conspiracy trial on Monday.
Five Proud Boys, including the group’s leader, Enrique Tarrio, are accused of conspiring to “oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force” on January 6, 2021. It is Attorney General Merrick Garland’s most consequential case related to January 6; convictions will help build a similar case against Donald Trump largely based on his infamous “stand back and stand by” remark to the Proud Boys during an October 2020 presidential debate.
Vladimir Putin’s approval rating is 82%. Joe Biden’s is 42%. Xi Jinping’s is anyone’s guess, but the Chinese near-unanimously trust their government. More than half of Russians trust their government. Less than a third of Americans trust theirs. These statistics are not random but speak to America’s imminent loss in this, the Second Cold War.
A couple of days ago, there was a Washington Post headline that caught my eye, mostly because it’s something I’m deeply concerned about (and have posted on previously) and, with our son still on active duty, personally affected by.
The example of South Korea is a warning shot
In an article for the Atlantic, Anna Louie Sussman examines why South Korea’s total fertility rate has fallen so precipitously. In what the Koreans call a “gender war”, Sussman suggests that the cause is the “deterioration in relations between women and men”. “I think the most fundamental issue at hand is that a lot of girls realize that they don’t really have to do this anymore,” one South Korean women tells the author. “They can just opt out.”
After spending months of late nights helping her son, as he struggled to learn to read, one South Carolina mom was thrilled to discover that her child’s school had a special program to help students who were falling behind.
But after inquiring about the program, she was shocked to learn that he wouldn’t qualify for the tutoring, she said.
I have no sympathy for the predicament the Liberal party now finds itself in. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and all his hangers-on are the authors of their own misfortunes. When it comes to the stories of Chinese electoral interference now dominating the headlines, this government is the victim of its own short-sightedness and arrogance, and there’s nothing more to it.
“Today’s conversation felt rooted in xenophobia”
When COVID first went viral in China, the authorities and the locals began going after Africans and blaming them for the virus.
Americans bemoan the nation’s racism when they’re living in what is probably the least racist nation in the world. And while I’m not going to suggest that the People’s Republic of China is the most racist nation in the world (that’s a tough competition with no clear winners but a legion of runner-ups) it’s definitely up there.
British constabularies are remarkably choosy about which crimes they deign to investigate these days. Any 999-call that does not afford the opportunity to mince around in high heels or kneel in celebration of the cause du jour, is increasingly considered unworthy of attention. Burglary, car crime, and assault are passé, as is shoplifting less than £200 worth of goods. Working-class white girls are raped on an industrial scale, because raising objections might be considered distasteful; teachers spend their lives in hiding after blasphemous free speech lessons, and autistic children suffer death threats unopposed.
Investors sparked a selloff in Deutsche Bank AG and thrust one of Europe’s most important lenders into the center of concerns about the health of the global financial system.
Shares of Germany’s largest lender tumbled as much as 15%, their third consecutive day of losses, though they later regained some ground and were recently down 10%. The cost to insure against its default using credit-default swaps soared to their highest levels since 2020.
The concern over Deutsche Bank emerged days after Credit Suisse Group AG was forced into a takeover by its larger and more stable rival UBS Group AG . Since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the U.S. earlier this month, investors have scoured the globe for institutions perceived as vulnerable.
Is this going to a slow rolling panic?
Identity politics and affirmative action are encouraging public figures to lie about their ancestry.
‘Pretendians’ must be among the fastest growing cultural groups in Canada. A Pretendian is someone with little or no indigenous background who pretends to be indigenous. The latest to be uncovered is Vianne Timmons, president of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Last week, Timmons was forced to apologise for misrepresenting her background and is now taking a leave of absence.
Maybe he knows something about the Trudeau Liberals that we don't. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/M6CCSUUZ6a
— Canada Proud (@WeAreCanProud) March 24, 2023
A few days ago, Britain’s Spectator magazine did a tremendous job of summing up all the intrigue, machinations, politics, and noise surrounding Chinese interference in Canadian elections.
And it came to a remarkable conclusion.
