Rebane's Ruminations
February 2023
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George Rebane

Robert Summa, the new minder and regional editor of The Union, is a functional idiot.  Gold Hill California Media, the new owner of the newspaper, is on a rampage buying up small town newspapers all over the west with the aim of introducing neo-Marxism to the heretofore conservative hinterlands in laying the groundwork for the advent of Agenda30 (aka Agenda21).

Certain of his emails censoring reader letters discussing CRT and Wokeism (here) have been made available to me.  The man refuses to publish such communications on the basis that he is not aware of what wokeism is beyond a rightwing dog whistle that denigrates progressive ideas.  Really, he is so auto-insular that he has never heard the Left use or discuss the notion and concepts of wokeism (here) that have swept the land from academe to the military, of which he will “not continue to platform conspiracy theories and disingenuous arguments that lead to violence or is purposefully spreading misinformation or disinformation to harm others …”.

His ignorance binds him so tightly that he has not even heard of the multi-edition, best-selling leftwing manual to promote wokeism – Don’t Think of an Elephant – and its author, nationally celebrated progressive philosopher George Lakoff (here).  Nor is he aware of the massive response from the country’s Right to counter wokeism – e.g. Counter Wokecraft.  In this sense, in addition to ignorant, we must add ‘stupid’ to his assemblage of professional attributes.

Posted in , ,

57 responses to “Stupid is in residence”

  1. fish Avatar
    fish

    “At its core, however, the newspaper and my presence here is to make Nevada County better.”
    Well…..thank god for you!

    Like

  2. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    I’m confused… before it was granted “right wing dog whistle” status by some on the left, “woke” was used freely by the “progressive” hard left to describe themselves.
    Might “race Marxists” do?

    Like

  3. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “At its core, however, the newspaper and my presence here is to make XXX County better.”
    I suppose that the main point of buying up small newspapers is to utterly standardize the format, make the websites identical, add a small amount of local news, look for free writers, sell your subscribers list, put slightly-profitable spy gizmos on the webpage, do a single buy of crosswords, comics, advice columns, horoscope, for all the papers.
    The endgame is probably a manager, some ad salesmen, and a group of volunteer locals. Make the paper a bit less wide every few years to save some bucks.
    Having said that, there’s no reason a person couldn’t do their own online newspaper on the cheap…maybe even go to a city council or school board meeting now and again.
    Without seeing the emails, my outrage is 100% contained. I figger that local newspaper people aren’t any smarter than they need to be.

    Like

  4. Misanthrope Avatar
    Misanthrope

    Wokeism hysteria, CRT hysteria, Twitter hysteria, balloon hysteria, FBI hysteria, Hunter Biden hysteria, and so on are all examples of rally cries sweeping the land because of right wing echo chambers. The Union opinion pages have enough writer submissions so they do not need to become yet another echo chamber for these trivial pursuits which is probably why the editor cut those letters.
    These type of rally-cry hysterias are so overblown they are blasé except maybe on Twitter. There you can see the crows like Jim Jordan, Taylor Greene, Boebert and other attention-seeking hyper-partisans trying to educate influence their poorly educated Twitter base.
    Perhaps you can get those folks to open a Congressional hearing on the suppression of free speech at The Union, good luck.
    The Twitter hearings are a good example of stupid in residence.
    Taylor Greene and Boebert made it all about themselves and why they were bannned or had their own tweets scrubbed.
    Then we found out that Trump, you know, the President of the United States, tried to have Twitter scrub tweets.

    Like

  5. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Miss Anthrope | 09 February 2023 at 09:39 AM
    Hi Jeffy!

    Like

  6. George Rebane Avatar

    Misanthrope 939am – Unfortunately, you have missed the point of my commentary. It has nothing to do with free speech since The Union is a private enterprise, and clearly not dedicated to preserving the First Amendment. They have an agenda to pursue, and are using their own 1A rights to pursue it. That they claim otherwise is a glaring lie. My observations were about the newspaper’s purportedly lead journalist, and how dismally ignorant he is about the major currents of ideas and ideologies that so obviously circulate in America’s public forum, have done so for years, and have an important historical provenance in the now 2+ century debate between collectivist and open-market capitalist organizations of society.

    Like

  7. Scott O Avatar

    Missy Anne’s Rope 9:39 – “…and so on are all examples of rally cries sweeping the land because of right wing echo chambers.”
    Yep – that’s apparently the ONLY reason.
    Totally manufactured.
    Totally.
    Now…
    Is that a box of un-eaten Twinkies I spot under your couch?
    Go git’em, Tiger!

    Like

  8. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    “Wokeism hysteria, CRT hysteria, Twitter hysteria, balloon hysteria, FBI hysteria, Hunter Biden hysteria, and so on are all examples of rally cries sweeping the land because of leftist overreach.”
    Fixed it for you, Jeff.

    Like

  9. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Misanthrope @ 9:39 am
    The true crisis in our country is the obesity crisis. A national security threat. A national health care threat. A threat to our future. The Education Crisis is a threat to our children and future generations.
    You can minimize the CRT/ DEI threat, the Chinese spy ballon threat, the House investigations threat (hysteria to use your description),til the cows come home. Opps, strike that. You WILL minimize all unfavorable light shone on the Dems and Biden. You must. No choice. You have been programmed that way. You have lost your choice, water carrier. You must react to certain stimuli with a knee jerk reaction.
    It’s true because you say it’s true. Must not look that way. It’s a nothing burger because you say it’s a nothing burger. Thus, in your melon, it is true.
    Fine. You can believe any thing you want. Minimize the Dem’s gross violations and exaggerate the mole hills of the other side. Got it.

    Like

  10. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    Would be helpful to print some of these censored readers letters minus their names, so people could come to their own conclusions.
    Maybe a consensus would be built from that, maybe not.

    Like

  11. Scott O Avatar

    “…so people could come to their own conclusions.”
    Looks like they already have.
    The content of the letters aren’t the issue. It’s the fact that the editor doesn’t even want them allowed in HIS public space.
    It’s for the children.

    Like

  12. showmekid Avatar
    showmekid

    Could you possibly, with the writers’ permission, provide us the copies you have received regarding the refusal to print from the Union. Perhaps, a new line like the TDS line son we can see exactly what this gentleman is doing, if in fact, he is suppressing opinion and speech.

    Like

  13. Scott O Avatar

    George did post a partial quote and I’m sure it portrays an accurate idea of what the situation is.
    “…disingenuous arguments that lead to violence.”
    Arguments do not lead to violence. They may precede violence, but they are not the cause of violence.
    That one statement alone is the hallmark of the intellectual coward.

    Like

  14. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    Partial quotes present more questions than answers.
    Context is important

    Like

  15. Scott O Avatar

    re Don T – Maybe.
    But this is a standard statement from the left when they simply want to shut down the other side.
    They can’t win the argument on facts and reason, so they do what they can to silence the folks they don’t like. It’s their media outlet and they can do as they wish.

    Like

  16. Barry Pruett Avatar
    Barry Pruett

    Alternative local media is in the works.

    Like

  17. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Not soon enough…

    Like

  18. Misanthrope Avatar
    Misanthrope

    Barry 733
    The CABPRO Gazette? The COVID Times?

    Like

  19. Misanthrope Avatar
    Misanthrope

    Natural gas prices drops, and now border encounters drops reported. Time for a new narrative? How about the Trump aid who was copying classified docks onto a laptop?
    “CBP Southwest Border Enforcement Numbers for January 2023
    U.S. Border Patrol encounters of individuals who entered the country between Ports of Entry at the southwest border in January 2023 totaled 128,410, down 42% from 221,675 in December 2022. This is the lowest month of Border Patrol encounters since February 2021 when encounters began to increase after the most severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on migration.
    CBP total encounters in January 2023 were 156,274, down nearly 40% from 251,978 in December 2022. This total includes Border Patrol encounters and noncitizens processed at Ports of Entry including individuals who sought an exception to Title 42 based on certain vulnerabilities and scheduled an appointment to present in advance via the CBP One Application.”

    Like

  20. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Misanthrope | 11 February 2023 at 09:14 AM
    I’d suggest the “Fat Girl Gazette” but that’s taken (Sac Bee). Since the naming was at your urging how bout credit where credit is due and we go with the “Fat Boy Gazette…..(now with more Masters Degree)”

    Like

  21. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Missandhope @ 9:18 am
    And what exactly does your comment have to do with the topic at hand? Take it to the Sandbox.

    Like

  22. George Rebane Avatar

    BarryP 733am – Keep us apprised.

    Like

  23. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    Topic enforcement surfaces as the right’s talking points are deflated.
    Funding and staffing levels for border enforcement have remained consistent through both Trump and Biden administrations.

    Like

  24. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Talk about lame deflection about the creepy grampa joe admins failure to enforce the laws on the books @1039 LOL
    😉

    Like

  25. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Dante @ 10:39 am
    “Topic enforcement surfaces as the right’s talking points are deflated.”
    Whatever. The contents of Ms Aunt Dope’s comment, be it valid or not, belongs in the Sandbox. Putting her comment in the proper post (Sandbox in this case) does not invalidate the right’s “talking points are deflated.” Her comment is not negated by moving it under the correct post, nor does it dimmish her comment in anyway.
    The topic is Stupid In Residence. I suppose Miss Dope on the Ropes could fit under Stupid in Residence. I know, I know. The rules do not apply to you! Nobody is going to tell you what to do. Got it.
    Focus, little pilgrimette, focus. It’s easy if you try. Keep trying until you get it right. And two sock puppets don’t make a right.

    Like

  26. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    Don Bessee
    It’s not deflection, it’s a statement of fact and if you can show otherwise proceed with that.
    creepy is an adult male using what looks to symbolize a smile in communication with others
    Bill
    The topic appears to be name calling without substantiation of any point. It’s a good fit with most of the regular posters.
    Those not so regular realize once the convo devolves into name calling there likely isn’t anything of substance to discuss.
    When the facts are on your side you argue the facts.
    Without facts, you pound the table, which is what we are witnessing here.

    Like

  27. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Ah the tell, its the dark lord of liberal lament land!
    😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉

    Like

  28. George Rebane Avatar

    Don T – “Funding and staffing levels for border enforcement have remained consistent through both Trump and Biden administrations.”
    Were that even true, the policy would be totally inadequate when illegal alien traffic increases multi-fold. Then it’s time to increase resources or quit inviting them.

    Like

  29. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Dante says:
    “Don Bessee
    It’s not deflection, it’s a statement of fact and if you can show otherwise proceed with that.”
    Bill sez: true dat, but over in the Sandbox, not here on a post about the Union. And why do you care what I communicate to Ms. Auntie on Dope? II was not talking to you, Dante. You act like you are one and the same.
    And Ms. Auntie Anthrax did move her comment (copy and paste) to the Sandbox whence it belongs. Try it, you might like it. Be like Miss Adopolopolopolopolopolus.
    Hugs and kisses. Try to color within the lines, your Assholiness.

    Like

  30. Barry Pruett Avatar
    Barry Pruett

    Will do, George. Investigative journalism. Thought pieces. Local news. Next level stuff.

    Like

  31. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    George Rebane
    For fiscal 2022 the democratic controlled congress appropriated 16.5 billion to the CBP budget , up from the Trump years of 15.5 billion average over four years.
    For 2023 the Senate is proposing 16.5 billion again, while the Republican led house is suggesting 15.7 billion.
    Staffing under trump ranged from 19,430- 19,560
    Staffing under biden ranged from 19,338- 19,536
    CBP has long struggled with hiring and retention.
    Biden has requested 95 million from congress for 300 more agents.
    Biden has paused new wall building, but has diverted appropriated funds to repair existing barriers and add cameras and detection technology.
    The infrastructure investment and jobs act appropriated 430 million to CBP for modernizing land ports of entry
    and 3 billion for “critical investments” to Border Patrol Stations.

    Like

  32. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    https://www.wral.com/fact-check-did-biden-and-democrats-dismantle-border-security/20602396/
    Source for above info.
    Also, 2.2 million CBP encounters in 2022 doesn’t equal 2.2 million individuals.
    The data counts events, not individuals.
    For example, the CBP could have encountered the same person three times.
    Many of the people encountered are quickly expelled, either under immigration law
    or title 42.

    Like

  33. Scott O Avatar

    Don T – “Many of the people encountered are quickly expelled, either under immigration law
    or title 42.”
    Many? What percentage?

    Like

  34. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    Scott
    https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-december-2022-monthly-operational-update
    I didn’t see a percentage listed in that wral report, but this CBP monthly update dated 1/20/23 has it a lot more broken down by nationalities,
    how some are increasing and decreasing, and mentions unique encounters.
    Don’t want to derail this thread any further, but was responding to George from earlier.

    Like

  35. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Scott O | 12 February 2023 at 09:10 AM
    Many? What percentage?

    Ahhh Scott…..meet “Don T” he works in marketing for the Party™.
    His job is to very calmly and rationally lie to you about what is going on at the border. Using the word “expelled” as normally understood would mean that these people would either be returned to their home countries or at least not the United (horselaugh) States. But we know that plane loads of them are distributed all over the US nightly on chartered jets and buses (making it next to impossible to catch them later)…..a practice leading to much carping by guys like Eric Adams for more money. It’s okay though Eric really doesn’t mind them….just not on his dime! As soon as Joey Shakes whomps up a couple billion in “shut up” money for NY, Eric will be as happy as a retard with a flamethrower.
    Bad news is one of the areas that both TEAM EVIL and TEAM STUPID are in agreement…..were going to import as many are as necessary to provide reliable voters for EVIL and new internal markets for STUPID….products to be paid for in large measure by federal programs.
    EVIL and STUPID both win.

    Like

  36. George Rebane Avatar

    DonT 845am – None of that matters when alien traffic goes multi-fold, Biden removes airborne detection technology, and reassigns field agents who actually interdict aliens to desk jobs registering those who are not gotaways. That’s why our illegal alien numbers are going through the roof. Your interpretation of border happenings is indeed jaundiced.

    Like

  37. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    George
    Could you point out the parts of my above posts that are interpretations?
    It’s all publicly available information from fact checking sites and the CBP itself.
    If you can find inaccuracies in any of that please share those because I’d like to be kept up to date.
    Biden requesting 300 more agents doesn’t matter?
    430 million dollars to modernize CBP ports of entry doesn’t matter ?
    3 billion for critical investments in Border patrol stations doesn’t matter?
    It’s all extra stuff trump never did but it doesn’t matter?
    Ask yourself the question if the border is so important to Republicans, why is the Republican led House asking for less money (15.7 Billion) than the Democratic led senate (16.5 billion)?
    Looks to me like one party is making an effort and the other wants to continue to exploit a perennial talking point.
    How would you interpret that proposed decrease in CBP budget by Republicans?

    Like

  38. Humphrey Ploughjigger Avatar
    Humphrey Ploughjigger

    “Biden requesting 300 more agents doesn’t matter?
    430 million dollars to modernize CBP ports of entry doesn’t matter ?
    3 billion for critical investments in Border patrol stations doesn’t matter?
    It’s all extra stuff trump never did but it doesn’t matter?”
    The Republicans asked for 8,500 more agents. Shot down. 80,000 new IRS agent instead.
    Remain in Mexico was gone with the wind on Biden’s first day in office by EO.
    The money to finish the Wall left behind by Trump was a waste. Biden halted all new construction and paid the contractors to sit on their asses until their contractual funding ran out.
    The billions for upgrades/ critical investments is for bigger and bigger detention centers. Not for Border Control to stop illegals from touching one inch of sacred US soil, but to house them.
    All of the effective means to control our border as erased by Joe Biden himself in the first 12 hours of his Presidency.
    Comparing a one month drop in apprehensions is like Biden saying inflation is going down…when compared to one month over the next. No, the rate of increased inflation has decreased, but still rising, compared to year over year.
    The number of apprehensions at the Border has decreased for one month….off its record highs, year over year. Look at the number of apprehensions of Trumps last year in office and look what has changed since Biden took office. Skyrocketed to heights never seen before. Just like inflation. Look where inflation was when Trump left office and look where it is now under Joey Biden.

    Like

  39. Scott O Avatar

    Don T 10:24 – Typical Dem. Money always equals results.
    Sorry –
    No.
    The increased number of agents is simply to enable even more illegals to pour over the border. They will be able to “process” them faster. And send them into the US to live at taxpayer expense.
    “How would you interpret that proposed decrease in CBP budget by Republicans?”
    I would say it’s a feeble attempt to try to save some money.
    They should just forget the extra money and start having our military patrol the border and repel illegals.

    Like

  40. Don T Avatar
    Don T

    Humphrey @10:54 am
    If the border is important, why is the Republican House asking for less money in 2023 (15.7 billion) ?
    It was 16.5 billion in 2022.

    Like

  41. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “Robert Summa, the new minder and regional editor of The Union, is a functional idiot.”
    I was considering that this morning.
    Whoever set up the whole thing is a genius I think.
    Consider this morning’s (Woden’s Day) paper. Front page is a couple of articles by the newspaper employees. Decent size, good topics. The typical handwringing over the courthouse, where to put it, the lack of clear thinking about re-use of an unsafe code-noncompliant building (assuming it so dangerous that an earthquake will knock ‘er down and it lacks ADA conveyor belts and cranes for the People Who Identify As Men Restroom). So far so good.
    The rest is so simple to knock out. Bought articles, bought comics/etc, freely-supplied pics from high school students, the Emily Litella Page (ie. the useless ‘Other Voices’ section). WHAT’S THIS I HEAR ABOUT A PRESIDENTIAL ERECTION?!!
    Simply outsource the layout to India or the Philippines, and you got yourself a paper.
    tl;dr Newspaper = Garfield + a local article + a bunch of ridiculous editorials by locals. Wash rinse repeat.

    Like

  42. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    1221 Broad St? Truck rolls back into building on Nile St, Grass Valley hitting gas line?
    Sounds like someone is getting sloppy with the proof reading. Well, I ain’t the one to throw stones or nitpick about typos or proof reading (the last person on Earth to do so), but I ain’t no newspaper man nor copy editor.
    Sounds like the editing is done from someone unfamiliar with these parts.

    Like

  43. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Stupid in residence @ the Union for sure.
    “Miss (from Durkin): To Herb Lindberg’s Feb. 21 Other Voices column making sophomoric claims that there’s really nothing to worry about climate change because an unidentified tinyurl.com series of videos says so. Lindberg doesn’t even attempt to identify the source, which it turns out is PragerU (not to be confused with a real university). It’s a very well-financed, far-right propaganda machine named after conservative radio talk-show host Dennis Prager. What is most insidious about PragerU is its attempt to insinuate itself into educational institutions and indoctrinate youth and dupe gullible adults into believing its unsubstantiated denials of factual evidence.”

    Like

  44. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Gee @553 That mizou or evergreen or berzerkly or so on and so on. ROFLOL
    😉

    Like

  45. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    If the citizens wont submit to slavery no problema say team creepy grampa joe, just import them –
    Hundreds of thousands of migrant teenagers are working “brutal jobs” to pay off their smuggling debts amid President Joe Biden’s loose border rules, the New York Times admitted in a February 25 article.
    “Cristian works a construction job instead of going to school. He is 14 … Carolina packages Cheerios at night in a factory. She is 15 … Wander starts looking for day-labor jobs before sunrise. He is 13,” are the newspaper’s captions of photographs showing young teenagers admitted via the “Unaccompanied Alien Child” border loophole.
    https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2023/02/25/finally-new-york-times-admits-bidens-migrant-children-work-brutal-jobs/
    😉

    Like

  46. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Looks like team 0 is throwing creepy grampa joe overbaord –
    A former Obama administration economist is warning that the economy is “overheated” and that there has been ‘little if any progress” made on tackling inflation during the Biden administration.
    Jason Furman, who served as chairman of President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, described the economy as “very overheated.”
    The consumer price index (CPI) rose 6.4% in January on an annual basis, hotter than expected, but remained steady compared to last month
    Inflation is expected to remain roughly three times higher than the pre-pandemic average on an annualized basis, underscoring the persistent financial burden placed on millions of U.S. households by high prices.
    In a tweet thread, Furman noted that some analysts had predicted that supply chains unfreezing were supposed to bring down inflation, but didn’t.
    https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/former-obama-economist-says-little-173824932.html
    😉

    Like

  47. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Jordan Peterson speaking with Chris Rufo…
    I didn’t know just how much of an Apostate Rufo is. His upbringing was Leftist, his education was leftist and was working at PBS making documentaries for the left… of course the left hates him now.
    This chat is viral… 300k views in a half day.
    https://youtu.be/N3t5cpGZwik

    Like

  48. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “Looks like team 0 is throwing creepy grampa joe overboard -”
    Oh jeez, who knows? No doubt there are a scad of street gangs fighting over the carcass of the country, and some of them back specific talking heads. Bribes will be sought and bribes paid. A politician in 1st C. Rome would exactly recognize Washington DC.

    Like

  49. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    I’ve decided that the new management at The Union are geniuses.
    Just for fun I poked through archive.org to see what the deal is. Just in time for the biggish storms, they’ve paywalled the bejeepers out of the site (sometime between early Jan and now), even stuff like police blotter that is freely available elsewhere. Need some information on the storm so you can go out and buy your infant some food? Sucks to be you. Pay up.
    It occurs to me that this should all be more market-based. There’s money to be made by upping the cost of access to news when exiting things are at hand. Big-ass forest fire near town? That’ll be five bucks per view bucko.
    lol. Naturally, KNCO appears to be broken (again), although it’s always fun listening to the County Super Emergency Team talk about how they’re on top of everything.

    Like

  50. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    moi: “stuff like police blotter that is freely available elsewhere”
    In case anyone doesn’t know about ‘elsewhere’.
    https://reports.nevcounty.net/justice/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=default
    It can be useful sometimes although typically it’s just horrid miscreants screeching near the Northern Queen or depositing a payload at a business entrance on Broad Street.
    It is funny how the Newspaper of the Future is basically full of as much free stuff as they can gather, including all those ridiculous local editorials about national politics, and packages of bought dross like The Daily Horoscope. Not much need for story writers really.

    Like

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