Buffet at the CenterlineRight Cafe

Coronavirus Mayhem: I wrote a few weeks ago about how the coronavirus statistics stack up against non-pandemic statistics in regards to national mortality numbers; an effort to put the issue in some perspective.  Here is that post: http://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2020/05/though-uncertainty-remains-it-is-time.html .  As a companion piece to that item, please consider this bit of news reporting: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/06/how-many-covid-deaths-are-there-really.php .  There has been a good deal of rank opportunism taking place in the last few weeks regarding the approach of elected officials  and the media to this global virus.  Pay close attention to the mortality rate (the real mortality rate) that is remaining flat and the asymptomatic nature of the new cases being reported daily.  We now know who is vulnerable; our hospital capacities are in good shape; and common sense can allow us to deliberately return to a normal routine in our lives. 

Who exactly is driving this effort to continue or increase the lock-down and what exactly is motivating them?  Here is some food for thought: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-lefts-coronavirus-narrative-is-a-myth/ .  We can only hope that history is not allowed to be rewritten in such a fashion as to cover a lot of rear ends for the irresponsible costs those particular rear ends have foisted upon our nation’s public in the course of this pandemic.  Because make no mistake about it, the rewriting has already begun.  And it is sad to say that one of our weaknesses as a nation is that we Americans do have short memories. 

So as we move into what may be the second wave, or a continuation of the first wave, or who knows what wave; we might just refer to a line from Mr. Hendrix in that famous tune “If 6 Was 9”.  The line is: wave on, wave on.  In fact, the lyrics from that song might somewhat capture the spirit of our national attitude towards this viral misadventure: https://genius.com/Jimi-hendrix-if-6-was-9-lyrics .  I think that perhaps this country could use a few more leaders like South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem who have the wisdom and courage to not only think independently, but to then take action based on those thoughts: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/06/the-courage-to-say-no.php .  That kind of intestinal fortitude is in very short supply these days.

One aspect of the pandemic that gets little or no attention is the long-term cost to our society of shielding our population, especially the children and young adults, from any exposure to the virus.  Will this not come back to  haunt us when we once again are faced with a new wave of this viral strain and have large numbers of people who have never built up any semblance of natural immunity?  “Herd immunity” needs to receive some discussion.  For college football fans, you might check into this in regards to SEC football.

Biden’s Bunker Mentality.  Whatever your politics might be, any sane person must admit that the Democratic political strategy to hide Joe Biden away in his basement as their best approach to winning the November Presidential election is rather alarming.  One has to wonder….Just how bad off is Joe?  Here is a good article from what would appear to be a credible source about that very subject: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/06/joe-biden-the-american-people-are-stupid.php .   Here is another perspective on the subject from a very thoughtful journalist: https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/a-socially-cocooned-nepotistic-aristocracy/ .  Joe Biden is without a doubt the modern, domestic version of John Frankenheimer’s Manchurian Candidate. 

This Hide-A-Joe strategy is frightening on two fronts.  The Democratic Party has some very intelligent and clever people in their campaign department.  Do they really think so little of the American voter that they feel this type of subterfuge campaign can be successful?  And secondly…what if the idea works out and Biden wins?  Does that then validate the low opinion that the Democratic Party has of the American voter?  Either premise is alarming on its own; but the possibility of both being valid is nothing short of…depressing.

Obama’s Damage Continues to Unfold.  As we continue to see the drip, drip, drip of dirty little secrets exposed from the corrupted Obama administrations, we await Assistant U.S. Attorney John Durham’s report and can only hope that someone, somewhere will be held accountable for this historic travesty.  Just a brief refresher on the Obama approach to good governance: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/05/27/what_the_obamagate_scandals_mean_and_why_they_matter.html .  This week’s release of Mr. Strzok’s notes relating to the infamous January 5, 2017 Obama White House meeting only confirms what many people already suspected: President Obama was in this Flynn Foolishness up to his chin all along and Joe Biden was right there with him carrying his water. 

And I would be remiss if I did not give ample credit to Obama’s chief enabler, the Mainstream Media…the so-called Fourth Estate that has sold its credibility and ethical soul to the Democratic Party and liberal elements in our nation today.  Let us consider their role in Obama’s eight-year Hall of Shame performance: https://justthenews.com/accountability/media/making-myth-timeline-media-role-selling-trump-russia-collusion-narrative .

We now see the infamous Trio of Idiocy writers from the New York Times repeating their shameful Russian hoax exercise.  Their latest bombshell (dud) is the Russian bounty story-line.  They quote anonymous sources while irresponsibly leaking national security information.  They are then backed up by others in the mainstream media quoting their own anonymous sources that…shock, amazement…back up the NYT’s anonymous sources.  They cite not one single name, not one single title, and not one independent source for their phony story.  Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  After over three years of shame, disgrace, and a total desertion of anything resembling journalistic ethics or credibility, why would anyone believe a single word printed in the New York Times? 

If you wonder what America would be like with Joe Biden as President, don’t listen to what he says.  Don’t pay attention to his campaign commercials.  Ignore the mainstream media and their hilarious hype about how much better it will be.  Pay no mind to the anarchy and liberal madness that is in our streets and society these days; they are not the ones who will be in control.  They are the ones being used to try and gain control.  A Joe Biden Presidency will bring the Obama Administration back into the White House and the Executive Branch.  With the potential detonation of the nuclear option in a newly-Democratic Senate and the retention of a Democratic House, there would literally be no limits to how the Democrats might reshape this nation. 

And if they had no hesitation about spying on the press, on the Congress, on international leaders both allied and antagonist, on political opponents, and yes…even on a duly-elected President; do you really think for one moment that they would hesitate even one moment to spy on you or me?  A Joe Biden victory in November will likely usher in a decade or more of Democratic rule for America.  Because if Obama’s crew gets back in control of the Executive Branch, they will burrow into every single federal agency, politicize every federal department, and dictate to all of us a country that fits their vision and ideals. That vision and those ideals came out of the socialist roots of Saul Alinsky in Chicago; a man who despised our nation as it was founded and whose radical teachings nourished Obama into what he is today. He called it community organizing.  It is, in fact, nothing less than European socialism. 

It is a very simple proposition to understand.  If you want the government to control your life, you vote Democrat.  If you want to maintain some semblance of liberty and capitalism in our country, you vote Republican.  Lord knows, this does not mean that the Republicans have all the answers and the correct policies.  They do not.  They are as much a part of the deep state WDC environment as the Democrats (see the next item on the menu).  They are all members of the same fraternity.  But the truth is that given the binary choice we currently face in this political arena, the Republicans offer a path that is closer to the true identity of our nation.  Do you want your entire life…your job, your family, your benefits, your retirement, your children’s education, your recreation, your future, your neighborhood, your community…graded on the curve?  That will be the Democratic way.

Don’t miss the next post….          Just Google centerlineright.

Sounding the National Debt Alarm One…More…Time.  The Republicans and the Democrats have shamefully refused to acknowledge, much less address, the cancerous national debt rot that this nation is experiencing.  Someday, our children and grandchildren will sit and wonder how we all could have been so stupid as to have allowed this to happen.  Of all the adverse effects that may flow from both national parties’ policy misadventures over the last two decades, their knowing ignorance in dealing with our national debt holds the potential to wreak the most devastation on future American generations.  Here is the current, and sad, status: https://jonathanturley.org/2020/06/12/debt-26003751512344-91-in-case-you-are-counting/ .

Police Reform.   There are plenty of notions about how to deal with the police crisis that currently exists in our nation.  The House has passed their typical rainbows and unicorns legislation addressing police reform and the Democrats in the Senate apparently don’t even want to discuss it; as evidenced by the their refusal to even bring Senator Tim Scott’s bill to the Senate floor for discussion and debate.  Governors and Mayors all across the country are coming up with innovative and bizarre approaches to defunding, reforming, reinventing, replacing, strengthening, and analyzing police departments at all levels of society. 

Unfortunately, just as we see in the House and the Senate, hyperbole and rank emotion have dictated these discussions and debates.  Everyone seems to realize there is a problem that needs to be addressed.  But no one can seem to agree on how to even begin a civil discussion about how to start the process.  Here is a refreshingly intelligent, analytical, and objective approach to this issue that would serve as an outstanding platform from which to launch this debate: https://www.city-journal.org/repudiate-the-anti-police-narrative .  And here is some additional professional journalism from Ms. Mac Donald: https://www.city-journal.org/ferguson-effect-inner-cities .  My goodness…a journalist who actually does research and deals with facts!!

Virtue-Signaling Madness.  I don’t know about you, but I have had about all of this virtue-signaling I can take.  This flavor du jour or phase that our society is going through lately is about as reprehensible as anything I have ever seen.  Political leaders, celebrities, Karen-mom activists, and even long-established national corporations are cravenly yielding to the least amount of public pressure these days if threatened with the despicable stain of being politically incorrect. It attacks with a sudden ferocity, turns a normal spine to jelly within days, destroys any presence of logic or independence, and is overtaking everyone from NASCAR to Coca-Cola. 

With a modicum of bad press, they can be persuaded to abandon worthy charitable causes.  With the least amount of high profile criticism, they can be forced to toss aside slogans and images that have been associated with their brands for ages.  With just a subtle shift in the political winds, they will pull their advertising from here and shift it to there.  If this turns out not to be a phase or some type of temporary behavior, we run the risk of becoming perhaps the most shallow civilization in the history of the planet.  Surely at some point, sooner rather than later, we will return to a position of principled, deliberate, and objective examination as to how we conduct ourselves and our business in America. 

This rush by corporations and sports entities (looking at you NBA) to promote feel good slogans and blind endorsements of activist organizations and groups is going off the rails.  A perfect example is the Black Lives Matter organization.  It is no mystery what this organization stands for...officially.  It is in plain language on their website.  Read it here:  https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/ .

I am one of the intolerables, the redneck throwaways, that the Democrats love to ridicule.  I am no racist and this is what "I"believe: I support a colorblind society where the color of skin has nothing to do with respect, dignity, and opportunity.  I support equal justice for all, regardless of race.  I do not support the language on the BLM website.  I have serious doubts if many of the virtue-signalling entities that are jumping on board the politically correct trains these days have read this language either.  

The Monument(al) Solution: Put It to a Vote.  This statue and monument destruction is rapidly getting out of hand.  I personally believe that part of the problem is that we have too many statues and monuments to begin with.  It’s like handing out too many “A’s” in class or everyone receiving a “participation trophy”; excesses inevitably lead to a dilution of the initial honor and uniqueness.  Here is my solution to the problem.  If it is a federal piece on federal property, then it is the jurisdiction of Congress to leave it, alter it, replace it, or remove it.  As for lower government entities such as state, county, and community pieces; put it on the ballot.  If a majority of those who care enough to vote about it like it, then leave it alone.  If a majority wants it removed, then get rid of it.  I think the true injustice that is occurring in many of these situations is when a handful of people, who many times don’t even reside in these neighborhoods, unilaterally decide what is best for those that do.  People…tend your own gardens.