“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.”  Confucius

George Rebane

Since Turkey’s Erdogan most recently explained to the world of infidels – “Islam is Islam, there are no modifiers.  Democracy is the train we ride to our ultimate objective.” – more and more articles now appear expanding on that truth by quoting leaders from America’s Muslim communities.  One by Scott Richert is ‘Islam, Period’.

Pew Research has shown that the maturing seeds of Islamic terror are already among us.  This we have reported before; however, the scope of the problem is something that expands as we understand the numbers and suffer the growing intensity of the so-called lone wolf attacks.  Pew also reports on the insularity of Muslim communities that makes it difficult/impossible for so-called moderate Muslims to report any insipient radicalization of their members.  From attitudinal surveys the population of potentially radicalizeable American Muslims today is about one in five adults.  At a population of 2.75-3M, this yields a cohort of potential terrorists among us that numbers in the hundreds of thousands.  And from this heating cauldron of hate we have no idea who or where the next Islamist will decide to do Allah’s will.

Social scientists tell us that historically it takes only 5% of true believers in some socio-political cause to destabilize an entire population.  Fewer, if they become militants.

Progressive mantra, ‘Will trade liberty for peace.’

Daily terror – the drumbeat of terror is picking up the pace – in the last 24 hours an elderly French priest holding mass was decapitated in front of his congregation by two terrorists.  An attending nun is fighting for her life.  While in Berlin a physician was killed by a patient whose ethnic identity is still being kept a secret.

Ever wonder how the Democrats can spout the fantastic job that Obama has done with the economy (‘everything is already great’) from one side of their mouths, while from the other side they concurrently appeal for votes so that they can implement their plan to fix the stubbornly poor economy?  Answer:  such contradictions are invisible to their constituents.

[28jul16 update]  The WSJ tells us “The next U.S. president will confront a deeply unsettled world”, and then goes on to compare the candidates’ foreign policy positions without making clear that only one candidate had a direct hand in deeply unsettling the world which, in the interval, she now claims to have learned to resettle. (more here)

[29jul16 update]  When they venture into numbers, economists continually demonstrate themselves to be clueless about how economies operate.  Even when they stay in the safe arena of rhetoric, they have to cover their butts with their notorious ‘… on the other hand’ pabulum fully adorned with tautological conditionals that a ten-year-old can generate.  ‘Unemployment is expected to grow unless, of course, if interest rates go up then we may have a problem.’  Now what in hell are you supposed to do with that kind of horse manure?

But with numbers they really show themselves to be totally naked and unarmed.  This January economists predicted annual GDP growth to finally spring back to the 3% level, thereby giving Obama some cover that his administration finally knew what they were doing in managing this recovery.  No joy.  With 1Q16 growth at 1.6%, and today we hear that 2Q16 came in at 1.2%, then each of the remaining two quarters will have to deliver 4.6% for the predicted annual 3% growth to be realized.  Anybody wanna bet even their pocket change that this will happen?  And what’s more amazing is that these people get hired by banks, big companies, and government bureaus for good salaries.

I’m not familiar with any other profession that stands still for such poor performance from their professionals.  Well, maybe the so-called climate scientists peddling AGW hysteria.  Neither group has computer models that are worth a warm bucket of spit.

[3aug16 update]  By now everyone has heard of our $400M ransom payment in small bills delivered to Iran in an unmarked brown paper airplane.  And the cover story comes from an arcane, dusty, and long-forgotten larder that's just chuck full of many more like it, all ready made to handle future payments.  But the most remarkable thing is that they really believe we believe them.  More here.