Rebane's Ruminations
July 2019
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George Rebane

Independence4jul2108

This patriotic graphic was posted on last year’s 4th of July.  Continuing our national trend, this year’s celebration has gotten a bit more tense.  We now have invented and baked in the country’s psyche the national notion that everything ante-bellum that was part of American history is fair game to be attacked, withdrawn, denied, silenced, or destroyed.  The latest is the very familiar Betsy Ross flag, the first Stars and Stripes to grace our newborn country with its familiar ring of thirteen stars for the original thirteen colonies.  No more.


Athletic products maker Nike released a celebratory model of one of its athletic shoes for the Fourth with the Betsy Ross flag embossed on the back of its heel.  In response, the formerly famous Colin ‘Take a Knee’ Kaepernick protested that the flag was offensive to him because it was from a time and a country that still condoned slavery.  Nike, along with a gaggle of distributors and retailers, immediately caved and withdrew the shoe with some BS message that (seat belts please) it didn’t want to offend America’s patriotic holiday.

Only Arizona’s governor Doug Ducey stood up say that his state no longer would seek to attract Nike, which was planning to build a manufacturing facility outside of Phoenix.  Rebane Doctrine calls for other commercial enterprises with a patriotic backbone to immediately start placing the Betsy Ross flag on appropriate products in their offerings.

And in preparation for this holiday, the anti-American Left is decrying President Trump’s celebration of our Independence Day in our capital with an extraordinary patriotic display of our military and fireworks to remember.  They are telling the country that this is “politicizing the Fourth”.  It’s hard to tell whether their ignorance or cynicism is showing its true colors.  The Fourth has ALWAYS been a political holiday ever since its political birth in 1776 Philadelphia.  Every politician and political faction/party has made its presence known on the Fourth throughout our history, and the more so for politicians who were then in office.

All thinking Americans know that our Left in no way wants to omit politics from the Fourth.  What all of them want is the Fourth to be restricted to express and display only their ideological messages and reinforce their narrative under the guise of being ‘non-partisan’.  The only good thing about today is that they were not able to pull it off under this president.

[update]  Our polarization was upped another notch with the three major networks – ABC, NBC, CBS – refusing to air the ‘Salute to America’ celebration on the National Mall.  Why?  Well, because it was conceived and promoted by President Trump.  The national mood has divided so visibly that lamestream outlets no longer make any pretense of claiming to be non-partisan or hiding their longstanding promotion of all things Left.  We are today two peoples forced to tolerate each other in a common land, with one side attempting to silence the other which simply wants to retain/regain the exceptional goodness of America. (more here)

ObamaInauguration2009

The above prominent and proud display of America’s flags that includes the now proscribed (by the Left) Betsy Ross flag was evident during Obama’s inauguration.  Today’s controversy over the Left’s rejection of America’s first flag underlines how our anti-American Democrats redefine the politically permissible to satisfy their narrative du jour.  To them America and its history are malleable political artifacts that shape the attitudes of their constituents who know no better.  This has been the usual practice under totalitarian communist regimes that Orwell also highlighted in his 1984. (more here).  Meanwhile one of their prominent socialist candidates, Sen Cory Booker, shows his love of America with a political stunt by personally escorting illegal aliens across our southern border. (here)  This is but the latest of the Democrats’ national anti-American policy of undermining our country’s sovereignty with their ongoing invitation to the world’s disaffected to illegally mass migrate through our southern border, thus overwhelming our border security apparatus configured for a much less porous border, and now vilified by the Democrats who created and now acknowledge this ‘humanitarian crisis’ while denying that it is also first and foremost a national security crisis.

Posted in , , , ,

84 responses to “Happy Fourth, if you can (updated)”

  1. The Estonian Fox Avatar
    The Estonian Fox

    On this, the 243rd celebration of Independence Day, let’s take a quick review of why we broke away from England.
    It seems that Thomas Jefferson had a poor opinion of King George III, all those many years ago. The main problem – poor customer service. We oftentimes seem to receive that same level of service now, but from our own members of Congress. Go figure.
    Tom listed 18 different examples of the poor service that the Colonies endured from George. Get out your copy of the Declaration and read them for yourself. See why we are now free citizens, and not subjects.
    Is this a great republic or what!

    Like

  2. Barry Pruett Avatar
    Barry Pruett

    Happy Treason Day you damn Deplorables!

    Like

  3. Scott O Avatar

    Let the lefties complain all they want about too much 2A in the celebration. All the ‘dialogue’ in the world wouldn’t have freed our country from tyranny. It’s their 1A right. It also exposes them for what they are.
    We’re off to the local parade. Everyone will stand and doff their hat and hold them to their hearts to honor our flag and the good things it stands for. The whiners can sit at home and carp.
    Happy Birthday, United States Of America!

    Like

  4. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    Waiting for the parade! In DC!

    Like

  5. Jig Wiggly Avatar
    Jig Wiggly

    As a fitting 4th of July tribute, Trump renames Airforce One Aircraft One. Perhaps after Putin’s ride?
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7213439/Social-media-eviscerates-Trump-writing-Aircraft-One-instead-Air-Force-One.html

    Like

  6. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    Border Patrol men and women are called NAZIs and worse by democrats and the media just prints it. But when those agents do some pushback on the democrats all hell breaks loose in the media outrage. They prove every day why we no longer trust the media. AP is a disgrace. I thought the FB page of Trump and AOC was totally appropriate. LOL!

    Like

  7. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Happy Independence Day all ye ungrateful Colonials. Let freedom ring.

    Like

  8. Walt Avatar

    HAPPY 4TH one and all. And don’t forget to thank the tool that made it so. The long gun. And salute those who volunteered to take up those arms to make this day possible.
    And leave it to a LIB to bitch about both.

    Like

  9. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Barry @ 7:06 am
    And a most Happy Treason Day to you!
    ———
    @ 8:37 am
    Look at all the anti-gun folks celebrating the day won by armed citizens.
    ——
    Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.—Adlai Stevenson.

    Like

  10. Walt Avatar

    Is Emery sending a letter of apology to the Queen of England?
    Nope, I won’t let him forget how HE claimed the Revolutionary war was in his words,,”An illegal war”.

    Like

  11. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Lets be safe out there and have a deplorably good time!
    😉

    Like

  12. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Fly your flag high and proud! A little perspective on the snowflakes melting over the Betsy Ross flag. –
    The Anti-Defamation League does not have the particular flag in its database of hate symbols, Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow for the group’s Center on Extremism, told the Associated Press. He said extremist groups have occasionally used the flag, but it’s most commonly used by people for patriotic purposes.
    “We view it as essentially an innocuous historical flag,” he said. “It’s not a thing in the white supremacist movement.”
    https://www.foxnews.com/sports/anti-defamation-league-betsy-ross-flag-colin-kaepernick-nike
    😉

    Like

  13. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Stars and Stripes Forever!
    Sometimes it helps to listen for a foreigner give their perspectives, and to that end I share the end of a Q&A with Jordan Peterson at the Oxford Union. He’s asked by a fellow Canuck what he’d say to the Canadian Prime Minister if he had his ear for a moment.
    At one point, while heaping praise on our Founders for developing a system that didn’t try to create a Utopia but rather to avoid a road to Hell paved by good intentions, he praises them as being “basically good Englishmen” and knocks down the resultant twittering by the Oxford twits in training.
    https://youtu.be/UZMIbo_DxJk?t=4150

    Like

  14. Rock Hunter Avatar
    Rock Hunter

    Pretty sure the 13 stripes of the “Betsy Ross flag” was preceded by the Grand Union Flag. The tale of Betsy Ross is largely myth. All Betsy did was change the stars from 6 points to 5.

    Like

  15. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Having done this difficult duty too many times, he nails the description of giving the widow the flag –
    I watched through my peripheral vision.
    It is something I learned in the military. I learned to stand at attention, look straight forward, but still see what is going on.
    And I could see.
    I could see the honor guard take the flag off of his coffin.
    Their sharp uniforms. Their white gloves.
    I watched their crisp, well-rehearsed movements as they went through their procedures.
    Without shifting my eyes, I focused back on his coffin.
    I was still trying to process it all.
    So much emotion, so much joy, so much sorrow, so much light and laughter and love.
    So much life.
    All now boxed up and silent in that wooden casket.
    Gone.
    The honor guard continued with their predetermined movements.
    One fold at a time, precise hands moving like professional craftsmen.
    As they carry on, the red and white stripes of the flag are consumed by the blue field with its white stars.
    The flag is now neatly folded into a thick triangle.
    The leader of the honor guard, a second class petty officer, grasps the flag into his hands.
    He executes a sharp facing movement, takes a step, and then executes another facing movement.
    He is now looking directly at me. Our eyes are locked, but expressionless.
    We both know we have a job to do.
    He marches forward.
    He halts just in front of me.
    I slowly and precisely raise my right hand from my side and render a sharp salute. I pause.
    I gradually lower the salute and then put my hands out to receive the flag.
    He moves it forward into my hands. I clench it.
    The flag is heavy in my hands with pain and grief.
    I feel the weight, a weight I can barely support as it tears at my soul.
    He takes one step back, and renders a slow, flawless salute.
    It is my turn now.
    I execute a right face. I take six steps forward. I focus on my breath. I clench my jaw in order to get some control over my emotions before she sees my face.
    I execute another right face. I am in front of her now.
    I take two steps forward. She whispers a quiet moan of anguish.
    It is the loudest noise I have ever heard.
    I stop in front of her, still looking straight ahead.
    I bend down on one knee.
    I look at her.
    Her heart is broken.
    Tears are trickling down her face.
    Yet, she smiles at me, as if to say, It’s OK.
    I feel my emotions start to rush to the surface. I want to break down and cry.
    But there is procedure to follow. I am a military man. I know to follow procedure.
    “On behalf of the president of the United States, the United States Navy, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation of your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.”
    I place the full weight of that flag, with all its agony and torment into her hands.
    She looked down at it and pulled it in close to her chest and absorbed it all.
    She looked back at me.
    I break protocol.
    “Your boy was my hero,” I told her. “I loved him and I always will.”
    She smiled and nodded. She already knew that.
    Her eyes returned to gaze at the heavy flag in her arms.
    I leaned in and gently kissed her on the forehead.
    The kiss was not only from me. She knew that, too.
    I stood back up and assumed the position of attention.
    I rendered the proudest salute I could possibly muster.
    I took one step back. I performed a right face. And marched off.
    I assumed my position back in the ranks.
    The guns fired. The bugle played its solemn notes.
    My friend was buried in that sacred place.
    And above it all, soaring in the sky, was our flag.
    Bearing upon it the weight of a million souls who gave their lives for it.
    Bearing upon it the anguish of the mothers and fathers who gave their precious children for it.
    And yet it flies. And yet it flies.
    Carried aloft, by freedom and by the precious memories of those who gave us that freedom.
    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jocko-willink-the-american-flag-bears-the-weight-of-all-who-gave-their-lives-for-it
    😉

    Like

  16. Scott O Avatar

    Rock Head 1:15 – Thanks Rocky. What the hell does any of that have to do with people that won’t honor our country’s flag and the freedom and liberty it stands for?

    Like

  17. AVMan Avatar
    AVMan

    ,,,Trump speech most boring ever,,,lots of name dropping George Washington, Halls of Montezuma, blah blah blah,,,
    Trump diaper baby more interesting,,,

    Like

  18. Walt Avatar

    Poor Dougy.. You didn’t even listen to the speech.
    We know you didn’t. You didn’t catch fire.
    Those tanks made you mess your Depends.

    Like

  19. Walt Avatar

    Hey Dougy! How bout that Battle Hymn of the Republic?(if you actually watched) Fingernails on a chalk board for ya’?
    See the crowd? How many LIBS were in attendance? Just think if those were all Trump supporters.

    Like

  20. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    A nice positive rendering of honors for great people in name and on stage as well as all the services! –
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-sings-praises-of-american-exceptionalism-in-elaborate-july-4-salute
    😉

    Like

  21. George Rebane Avatar

    Great speech, great crowds, great fly-overs – I hope that some such event becomes part of our annual celebration of Independence Day in the nation’s capital, and President Trump pulled it off. In the mean time the anti-American Left, that boycotted the recognition of this event and unbelievably likened the static display of two Abrams tanks and a Bradley to Tienanmen Square, showed themselves to be nothing but 24-carat assholes. Tomorrow we will witness that the progressives and their lamestream lackies don’t even know the meaning of contrition, as one of our leftwingers has already so convincingly exhibited above.

    Like

  22. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    Trump was great. His history lesson was for the idiots like Rock and AV.

    Like

  23. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    Oh my. The poor lamestream media and all those socialists and their mouthpieces were nowhere to be seen in DC today. The President gave a rousing history lesson on the greatness of America and that sent the weasels of the left scurrying back under their rocks quivering. The military was honored and he was praising those that keep us all safe. That alone frightened the left and the lamestream media types. All the scumbags that called him names for wanting a parade must have been sorely disappointed when many thousands showed up to line the pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. What a wonderful day of remembrance for Americans and we patriots. Sadly the left was absent as usual to anything patriotic.
    Hopefully, the people remember all the lies these scurrilous left wingnuts have spewed and keep them from ever gaining power. If they had their way they would have had Kapernick and AOC on the bandstand praising Fidel and Chavez.
    So be proud America, we are a great nation. We are a good natrion. We are a brave nation. And we are a kind nation.

    Like

  24. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    The Tienanmen Square mentions were unhinged.
    Brickbats to the coverage by NBC News Now that spoke over the band playing Stars and Stripes Forever, the National March written by John Phillip Sousa himself… they just couldn’t wait to start talking down what had just happened… a nice solid 4th of July celebration with the President as Master of Ceremonies. A bit of overexposure but it came off OK.

    Like

  25. Robert Cross Avatar
    Robert Cross

    does anyone think it was an omen that it rained on trump’s parade?

    Like

  26. Jig Wiggly Avatar
    Jig Wiggly

    Todd 6:33
    None is so blind as he who cannot see. I was there. I was not “sadly absent”. Either you were blind to the strong left wing contingent or you are lying. You definitely are reporting fake news.
    I’m glad you think we have a great natrion. I continue to believe we have a great nation and this great nation will keep Trump on the ropes until we send him packing. To be honest though, I think the next election is for the dems to lose, and I think we’ll probably lose it. We have become a henhouse without a pecking order.

    Like

  27. Walt Avatar

    Hummm,, the roaches all come out at once.
    Trump has been doing GREAT despite the ant Trump LIBS jigged.
    “Trump on the ropes”…🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
    Sure thing. Keep believing that. You still don’t have anyone that can even beat Trump in 2020.

    Like

  28. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    You should ask a druid @ 7p!
    I thought it was great that team Trump kicked tonight’s fireworks budget from 280k last year to a million US dollars worth from sponsorships! Hell Ya!
    😉

    Like

  29. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    Oh Jiggy you were not there. You are a liar. The libs scurried away when the thousands showed up supporting. Where was your fascist pals antifa? Hiding as usual when the Trump supporters put them down.

    Like

  30. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    As far as raining? You are one desperate leftwing nut BoobieC. The place was packed all good but you just try and poop on everything. You are a sad sack human.

    Like

  31. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    What has popped out must today reading articles on the first and last sentences of the Dol is how much the Founders looked to the heavens to a power greater and wiser than themselves for guidance and wisdom as well as being the source of their very existence. They humbled themselves before the Creator. It is said all men of faith of courage.
    It’s amazing to ponder of a life, putting aside the DoI, of just uttering the phrase “all men are greater equal” brought forth the death sentence under George III. Heresy to the Crown. The very idea.
    The another thing that jumped from the page was Don’s 11:46am.
    “But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost is lost forever. When the People once surrender their share in the Legislature, and their Right of defending the Limitations upon the Government, and of resisting every Encroachment upon them, they can never regain it.”
    — Adams in a letter to Abigail, 1775
    Again. “When the People once surrender their Right of defending the Limitations upon the Government, and of resisting every Encroachment upon them, they can never regain it.”
    Ours is a noble cause, it is the cause of all men. The price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance.

    Like

  32. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    At least Jogger @ 7:06 ain’t blind. The Dems look chaotic right now, but they have plenty of time to pull it together. The usually do. BUT, I do think what we are witnessing right now is unprecedented for the candidates to swing this far far left and not try to hide it or couch it. They are unmasked and proud of it. It’s going to be tougher for whoever the nominee is to swing back anywhere near the center to attract the more moderate Lefties, like Jigger, in the General Election. Biden, the old school’s very liberal, may not make it. Changing of the guard. Biden is a blah. The Dems have not run such unapologetic Lefty candidate from the field since McGovern.
    But, put all that aside. Clear your mind of that. It’s Treason Day, the 4th of July, Independence Day in the U S of A!!!! Remember it in your own way. It’s all good.
    Put politics out of your head. Or, just snipe away of the 4th of July. Fret later.
    https://patriotpost.us/cartoons/27559

    Like

  33. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Remember, it you want to wave a Rebel Flag, the original one is the best. 🙂

    Like

  34. Scott O Avatar

    Gosh – I missed all the excitement. We were at the neighborhood BBQ with home churned ice cream and mucho fire works. So I didn’t catch the body count of lefties crushed under the tanks on the Capital Mall.
    Maybe Rock Head or AVman can give us the total?
    Trump is on the ropes!!
    Is that back when he couldn’t possibly become POTUS or was that when he wouldn’t last 2 months or 1 year or what?
    I think what really jerks the lefts’ minds around is that they know that Trump just doesn’t give a flying fig what they think.

    Like

  35. Jig Wiggly Avatar
    Jig Wiggly

    America, the legend lives strong. Betsy Ross Flagg was nothing bt a marketing hoax by her husband. All Betsy did was adjust the number of points in the stars from 6 to 5 to make them easier to cut. 100 years later her great grandson wrote her fictional history, and we ate it up.
    Now Trump is claiming we ruled the air and captured the airports in the revolutionary war. And Todd claims libs were absent from DC celebration. It goes on and on.

    Like

  36. AVMan Avatar
    AVMan

    ,,,Posted by: George Rebane | 04 July 2019 at 05:50 PM – – –
    Great flyovers??? Bwahahahaha!!!
    They have been doing those since the Revolutionary War – – – according to your hero Trumpski!!!

    Like

  37. Jig Wiggly Avatar
    Jig Wiggly

    And we ruled the world’s oil supply. Todd just lapped it all up it felt so good.

    Like

  38. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    Oh Jiggly, you anti-American commies are just too sad. You can’t even let Betsy Ross have her day. You are a sexist pig.
    Now we see your brethren American Taliban destroying a George Washinton Mural on a school in SF. Been there 83 years commissioned during the New Deal. So keep trying to destroy America but I and my brothers and sisters will not allow you to do that. Crawl back in your hole.

    Like

  39. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Morning Walt.
    Oh, pay them no mind. They are the same bunch that spit on our boys coming back from Nam. Nothing has changed with that bunch. A tiger can’t change its stripes. It’s who they are and nothing nothing nothing will ever change that. Me thinks my stand down orders have expired. 🙂
    I learned something new. Actually two things. With all this pre-glorious celebration talk about Nazis and Dictators, I learned that the Swastika symbol, like flag burning, is protected speech. Much blood has been spilled to protect the rights of wackjobs. It who we are.
    The other thing I learned was Betsy Ross was a Quaker. Peace out bro.
    “The unhinged media crackpots who spent days trashing the president during the lead up to the Independence Day celebration once again reveal themselves as contemptible frauds. It was a beautiful event. His speech was patriotic and terrific. There was nothing political about it. And our republic was not turned into a dictatorship, at least not by him, as we heard over and over. I can’t say the same for the Left’s intentions and their daily assault on our nation’s institutions. And most of the TV media censored the president’s speech, refusing to cover it in real time despite spending untold hours propagandizing against it and the entire event before the July 4th celebration. Absolutely disgusting behavior yet par for the course.”——Mark Levin.
    Yep, par for the course. Hmmm. I thought T Rex and Putin were going to rule the world’s oil supply. :).

    Like

  40. Jig Wiggly Avatar
    Jig Wiggly

    And Lincoln hosted Grant in the Oval Office.

    Like

  41. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Squiggly Wiggly,
    Don’t you have some soldiers to spit on today? Drugs, sex, and rock-n-roll. Wait, the largest concentration of skinheads in the County are in your neck of the woods. Now it makes since. It’s called projection. “Storm Troopers!” We must stop them!” You arm must be tired from all your salutes to the illiberal. No wonder they kept you away from our children. Who are the real baby killers now, hmmm?
    It’s who they are and who we are not.
    “We don’t pay for cable at my house right now so I was watching the national July 4th celebration from Washington, DC on a Youtube live stream I found that also had a chat feed. No BS! YouTube chat literally blocked the use of the American Flag Emoji on YouTube chat! You read that right! Also many opposed to the celebration in the chat feed were literally calling for youtube to block the live feed. That is literally the definition of of blocking free speech and fascism! Unbelievable! Shame on you youtube!“. —— an e-mail in my in-box

    Like

  42. Jig Wiggly Avatar
    Jig Wiggly

    Another rumor starts. “That is literally the definition of of blocking free speech and fascism! Unbelievable! Shame on you youtube!“.
    YouTube filtering is not “. . . literally the definition of of blocking free speech and fascism!” It is an expression of YouTube enjoying its first amendment right. Your demand that they kow tow to your own viewing desires is fascist. I would expect a statement like yours from Todd.

    Like

  43. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    YouTube filtering is Corporatism, not fascism, unless there’s statements from Alphabet establishing an expectation of free speech by users as a commons in which case its a breach of contract. Or something like that.
    So, Jiggy, is corporatism only bad when it’s a Koch giving their own money to political campaigns they wish to support?

    Like

  44. George Rebane Avatar

    Jig 901am – What part of the Constitution’s 1A describes the prohibition and/or removal of speech as the expression of free speech? It looks like you remain confused. Would you not like to argue your point in terms of property rights (another great cause of the Left), since YouTube’s removal/censoring of content is more akin to a homeowner or business determining what signs can be displayed on their property? Give it another try.

    Like

  45. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Hey, telling NFL players to not kneel during the National Anthem is just a private enterprise exercising their first amendment rights as well.

    Like

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