The Roots of Jew Hatred [UPDATED]

The massacre of Jews at a Pittsburgh synagogue last week was the most deadly attack on Jews in our nation's history.  And while a single deranged person did this on his own, these things do not happen in a vacuum.

Being Jewish myself, I always assumed Jew hatred was based on ancient gripes that only simple minds could abide, and since simple minds would always be around, so would Jew hatred.  I still believe that, but I've also seen how contemporary words and attitudes play a role in causing men to act on those ancient gripes.

While my last name is distinctly German, my family all originated in Russia, and I can't trace a single family member back to Germany.  Jewish persecution in Germany goes back much further than the modern holocaust and Hitler's Nazis.

Jews began being murdered in Germany en masse way back in the 11th century.  Not only were Jews a religious minority, they were also accused of usury, causing plagues, and, of course, killing Jesus.  Back then, the church prevented Christians from lending money, so if you borrowed money, you were probably indebted to a Jew.  Moreover, Jews were frozen out of many professions including farming, and thus were less susceptible to plagues which tended to affect agrarian populations.  These things formed the basis of Jew hatred.  Then came the Crusades in the 11th century and Jews began their long history of being slaughtered by Germans.

Despite that, many Jews survived and remained in Germany after the Crusades.  Some even thrived.  But then came Martin Luther.           

In 1543, a German named Martin Luther wrote a 75 page screed called "The Jews and their Lies".  It instantly became a best-seller.  Luther was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation and one of the most influential Christians in history.  He was also a rabid Jew hater.   His book laid out the case that ultimately led to the bulk of the Jews being driven from Germany, and 400 years later, the Holocaust of WWII.

Luther labeled Jews as vermin, vipers, dumb, miserable, stupid, fools, blind, senseless, thieves, and usurers.  To deal with them, his recommendations included burning their synagogues, burning their houses, not allowing them safe passage on roads, forcing them into labor,  and killing them. 

Here's a sample of his conclusions:

Burn down their synagogues, forbid all that I enumerated earlier, force them to work, and deal harshly with them, as Moses did in the wilderness, slaying three thousand lest the whole people perish.

These words have reverberated throughout history.

Which brings me to my point.  In the wake of the slaughter in Pittsburgh, many are looking to point fingers and find out what led this deranged man to take action.  What ideas filled the vacuum of his twisted mind?  Who knows. The only thing we do know is that he was not a Donald Trump supporter.  He was listening to other voices.

A week before the murders, a modern American religious leader and influential Democrat named Louis Farrakhan went on a Jew hating rant in front of a large cheering crowd, and then followed up with this Tweet:

As far as I can tell, no prominent Democrat has publicly and emphatically condemned Louis Farrakhan for this latest Jew hating rant.  None.  Not one. 

Words and ideas matter.  They echo through history.  As a Jew, I must shine a light on this and point out its pedigree.



[UPDATE 11/4/18]
Louis Farrakhan is currently in Iran and chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel".  Democrat leaders have remained steadfast in their.....complete and absolute silence.   

Why The Pipe Bombs Did Not Come From A Conservative: [UPDATED]

Several prominent Democrats and Liberals recently received pipe bombs in the mail.  It goes without saying that this is wrong regardless of who did it.  And while I have no idea who actually did this, I have a pretty good idea who did NOT do it:  this was not done by a Conservative!

That doesn't mean it's necessarily  a "false flag" act by a Liberal.  It could be a deranged Liberal who hates these people.  It could be a deranged Liberal with a single issue gripe.  But it most likely is not a Conservative.

How can I be so sure?       

Pre-emptive political violence is a phenomenon of Liberal behavior.  Take the example of Presidential assassinations; no President has ever been assassinated by a Conservative:

• Lincoln, a Republican, was killed by a Democrat actor. (the Robert DeNiro or Alec Baldwin of his day?)
• Garfield, a Republican, was killed by a deranged person ostensibly from the same party, but he was a lawyer who spent time on a "free sex" commune.  No Conservative, he. 
• McKinley, a Republican, was killed by an Anarchist.
• Kennedy, a Democrat, was killed by a Communist.

What are the odds this is a coincidence?

And take for example what's been going on recently:

• Senator Rand Paul has been shot at, physically attacked at his home, and had his family threatened by an ax.  Three separate incidents, all by violent Liberals.
• Ajit Pai, FCC Chairman, has had constant threats on his life, the most recent resulting in the arrest of a Liberal who specifically threatened to murder his kids.  
• EPA Chief Scott Pruitt was verbally assaulted by a Liberal while dining in a restaurant.

And these were just the names beginning with "P" on a single recent news day!  I could go on with every other letter of the alphabet based on recent events, all the way up to and including today.  Nothing approaching this happened during Obama's eight years when Conservatives routinely but peacefully opposed his policies.

What explains this phenomenon?  

At the root of the Liberal/Conservative divide on violence are four intertwined dichotomies: 

First, at the base level, Liberals and Conservatives make decisions through different pathways. Liberals decide emotionally, and Conservatives decide rationally.  That’s not to say anyone makes decisions entirely one way or the other.  It's a matter of degree.  Think of the Yin Yang Taoist symbol where each side has a piece of the other.  Violence is an emotional response to political differences.   

The second part has to do with limiting principles.  A rational mind understands the concept of limiting principles and operates within those constraints.  An emotional mind knows no limits. Everything is on the table.  That’s why artists, musicians,  entertainers, and entrepreneurs tend to fit in the Liberal category.  These are the people you want to party with, and whose concerts you want tickets for.  But it’s also why violence is an option; if everything is on the table, nothing is not.

Third, is the difference between Liberals and Conservatives on the importance they place on the individual vs the collective.  Conservatives believe that individual rights are supreme over any group or collective.  Liberals believe the opposite, putting group and collective rights at the top.  Therefore, an individual or several individuals can literally become sacrifices to aid a group or a larger collective. Millions have been killed under this Liberal assumption in socialist countries by the likes of Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Castro, etc.  A Conservative respects the rights of individuals, including Liberals, to live in peace.  Liberals have no such qualms.   

Fourth has to do with an understanding of the nature of man.  Conservatives intuitively understand that any sustainable system must acknowledge the nature of man.  Liberals believe that they can control men, essentially denying their nature.  This cannot be done without totalitarian control, and totalitarian control can only be obtained through force and violence.     

A nominal Republican or Trump supporter could indeed go haywire and send bombs to Liberals and Democrats, but it won't be a Conservative one.    

That, I can tell you!


[SIDE NOTE ON RACIST VIOLENCE]
Racist violence is usually portrayed as coming from the "far right", the implication being that it is Conservative violence.  It is not.  For example, when the "Alt-Right" marched in Charlottesville and a  participant drove into protesters killing a woman, the media portrayed this as being the act of a Conservative.  Watch this Prager U video below to understand why this is not the case.  (Hint: the alternative to the Right is the...Left.  Hence, the Alt-Right is actually Left and has three core beliefs that are in direct opposition to what Conservatives believe.  Watch the whole video:)



[UPDATE]
Well, of course he's been caught, and while he IS an outspoken Trump supporter... he's NOT any kind of conservative.  This perp is a career criminal / male stripper who's been exhibiting deranged behavior for 30 years.  His long list of prior arrests includes bomb threats, domestic violence, theft, and drugs.  He was a whack-job long before Donald Trump ever came on the scene.  Behold Cesar Sayoc, the new face of "conservatism" according to the Pop Media:

              

Trump vs. The Fed

Donald Trump has been causing eyes to roll in the economic community by taking on the Federal Reserve in a very Trumpian way.  "I think the Fed has gone crazy", said the President who appointed the current Fed Chairman, Jerome Powell.  Why is Trump doing this?  What is going through his mind?

Here's a guess: Perhaps Donald Trump knows his economic history?

One of the untold stories of the financial crisis in 2008 is how the Federal Reserve under the very respected Ben Bernanke collapsed the housing market by raising rates too high and too fast.  Ben Bernanke became Fed Chairman February 1, 2006 when the Fed target rate had already been raised by Alan Greenspan to 4.25%. The day Bernanke became Chairman he raised the Target Rate to 4.5%, but he didn’t stop there. He kept raising until July 1, 2006 when the Fed Funds Target hit 5.25%.  So, from July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2006 the Fed raised its Target Rate from 1.00% to 5.25%, an increase of 425% in two years.  Imagine if food or gas went up by 425%!  Shortly thereafter the yield curve was negative and the rest is history.  

As of today, the Fed has gone from 0.25% to 2.25%, in under three years, an increase of 800%!  Granted, the percent increase means less when below the Goldilocks neutral interest rate and the denominator is so small, but respected Fed Chairmen have been "wildly" wrong about that before.   If Powell is wrong, 800% IS crazy. 

And why does the Fed always do this when Republicans are in the White House?    

Why Trump Is Right About Global Warming [UPDATED]

There are many things a President can do.  Controlling the weather is not one of them.  Yet Lesley Stahl chose to begin her 60 Minutes interview with Donald Trump by badgering him about global warming and hurricanes!  Sure, there are geopolitical and domestic crises to deal with, and sure, half the country is currently waging a civil war, and sure, top Democrat leaders are calling for violence on a daily basis, but why don't you do something to make it nicer outside, Mr. President? 

Instead of kowtowing to political correctness, this President did what he always does and laid a truth bomb on the clueless Ms. Stahl:   

Lesley Stahl: Do you still think that climate change is a hoax? 

President Donald Trump: I think something's happening. Something's changing and it'll change back again. I don't think it's a hoax, I think there's probably a difference. But I don't know that it's manmade. I will say this. I don't wanna give trillions and trillions of dollars. I don't wanna lose millions and millions of jobs. I don't wanna be put at a disadvantage. 

Lesley Stahl: I wish you could go to Greenland, watch these huge chunks of ice just falling into the ocean, raising the sea levels. 

President Donald Trump: And you don't know whether or not that would have happened with or without man. You don't know.

Indeed she doesn't.  And the truth is, all evidence points to climate and weather as being natural phenomena, with man being a global non-factor.

Here's some scientific proof for those open to skepticism on the issue of manmade climate change:

• The Earth is 4.5 billion years old.  (That's billion, with a b.)  

• The best known record of Earth's climate goes back about 800,000 years, and was determined by two sets of ice cores at Vostok and Dome C.  (Here's a data summary for those interested.  And here's some raw data.)

• What the data show is a remarkable cycle of cooling and warming at least every 100,000 years.  Like clockwork. 

• If that trend has been consistent for 4.5 billion years, there have been at least 45,000 such cycles on Earth.  

• That's 45,000 cycles of global cooling followed by...global warming!  

• Not a single one of those cycles was caused by man.

• The ice core data also show that CO2 changes lag temperature changes by 1200 + or - 700 years.  In other words, CO2 doesn't drive climate, climate drives CO2!  This is the opposite of what the warmists have been telling you. (Here's an analysis of the lag for those interested.)       

How many people like Ms. Stahl, who are convinced that Hurricane Michael and Greenland's melting glaciers are caused by man, even know there have already been at least 45,000 natural global warmings in Earth's history?  And how many people know that the historical record shows the opposite of what the warmists have been telling you about CO2?
     

[UPDATE] For a full guide to Global Warming (aka Climate Change) read,  "Fact Check: The Truth About Global Warming"
___________________________________________________

[UPDATE]  Also, here is a brilliant debunking of the entire premise and theory of manmade CO2 climate change that aired on the BBC:

https://rumble.com/v2pnyc6-the-great-global-warming-swindle-full-documentary-hd.html

A Kavanaugh Prediction... [UPDATED]

They tried attempted rape.  They tried attempted manslaughter.  They tried drugs.  They tried booze.  And they even tried gang rape.  So far nothing has worked. 

Now it appears they have one more week before the floor vote thanks to Jeff Flake.  What do you suppose will magically appear in the coming week?  Hmmm...something's missing from that above list.      

I hate to make predictions because I don't have a crystal ball.  But I do have a darn good rear-view mirror! 

The next allegation against Brett Kavanaugh will be so obvious when it hits that you will instantly know what I'm getting at.

Stay tuned...

[UPDATE]  Now they're trying perjury, saying Kavanaugh lied about his drinking during testimony.  He didn't, and it won't work.  And perjury is not the final gambit in any event.  What I'm predicting is an old, old standby in the left's playbook.  (Hint: it starts with R and ends in ISM...)

[UPDATE2]  While this prediction did not pan out, race was brought into the debate.  Brett Kavanaugh was guilty because he is a male member of the white race and, well, all white men rape... or something.  And the judiciary committee Republicans were all white men too! Watch as the left media fixates on "white men"...




[UPDATE3]  If you want to see just how deeply race was inserted into the Kavanaugh kerfuffle, watch Tucker Carlson's wrap-up the Monday after Kavanaugh was approved: (If you just want the race discussion, skip to 7:26)

Sorry, We're Already a Socialist Country [UPDATED]

The Undiepundit Socialist Index:

First, let's talk about socialism.

Strictly defined, socialism refers to government owning the "means of production".  That means business assets like buildings, fixtures, tools, machines, vehicles, goodwill, etc. all become the property of the state under textbook socialism.  But that's not what we mean when we use the word today.  Socialist Bernie Sanders isn't calling for government nationalization of business assets.  He just wants medicine, education, housing, food, transportation, etc. provided for free to anyone who wants it, whether a citizen or not. How he intends to do that and how the quality of those things will be affected is never explained.

And that's the point; socialism is not a specific policy-set.  It's more a mindset.  It starts out being about economic issues, and it ends up being about power.

Here's a simple test:  if you believe that the federal government should provide basic human services to everyone for free, then you are a socialist.  If you understand that this kind of cure is always worse than the disease, then you are not.

Again, that's when the FEDERAL government does it.  State and local governments providing basic human services is another matter.  States cannot print and borrow money like the federal government can.  This imposes "limiting principles" on their largess.  States must make ends meet when they go socialist; they cannot hide insolvency for very long.  The U.S. federal government has no such limiting principles.

The U.S. government has found myriad ways to socialize whole sectors of our economy without making ends meet or doing it openly.  For example, in the 1990s the U.S. federal government wanted to massively subsidize housing, but they were unwilling to raise the revenue to pay for it.  So, they simply changed the mortgage requirements.  All of a sudden, any person regardless of credit history could obtain a mortgage.  It worked fabulously well for over a decade until the housing market stalled in 2006.  By 2008, the entire financial system of the planet was in ruins.

Very little has changed. No one would accuse Donald Trump of being a socialist, yet under him every new mortgage in the U.S. is owned by a government sponsored enterprise (GSE) like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.  Those same GSEs were the epicenter of the financial crisis in 2008.  The unfunded liabilities of Fannie and Freddie do not appear as "spending" until a crisis hits, as it did during the sub-prime financial mess.  You can see the effects on the graph above.

But we've been pretty socialist since about 1982.  That's when government spending first consumed over 50% of the private sector in the U.S..  50% is the tipping point.  When half the population becomes dependent on government, they tend to vote accordingly.  Before long it leads to "totalitarian" socialism. 

Why totalitarian?  Because without "limiting principles", socialism eventually requires force.  Once the predominant belief is that the federal government should provide basic needs for free, then those needs become "rights".  Once those needs become "rights", it's only a matter of time before that necessitates confiscation of wealth and power.  Your money, your power, your freedom, must all be subordinated for the "rights" of others.  Without limiting principles this has been proven throughout history.

Limiting principles are what saved the Scandinavian countries.  They reversed course from socialism because they were constrained by limiting principles.  Prior to the 1960s the Scandinavian countries were free market exemplars of health, literacy, productivity, and happiness.  Then in the 1960s they became enamored with socialism.  After about fifty years of progressive socialism they realized the cure was worse than the disease.  Wealthy citizens were fleeing, businesses were moving, economies were lagging, birthrates dropped, labor was being imported at unsustainable rates, and the fiscal trajectory was ominous.  These countries are relatively small compared to the U.S. and do not control the world's reserve currency.  Those on the Euro do not even control their own currency! They have built in limiting principles.  So they changed course.

Today, Scandinavian countries still retain some of the legacy socialist items, but the mindset has changed.  The Prime Minister of Denmark recently admonished Bernie Sanders for calling Denmark a socialist country.  In a 2015 speech at Harvard he said:

"I would like to make one thing clear. Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy."

Sweden also backtracked, and both countries improved.

Similar results can be seen in the U.S. after the modest two year Trump reversal that is evident on the graph above.  To be clear, many manifestations of Trump's reversal cannot be seen in the numbers. Deregulation, a huge part of Trump's reversal, does not appear immediately on a spending graph.

But Trump is an anomaly.  We can see that the socialist mindset has inexorable momentum.  We were at 10% on the Undiepundit Socialist Index when WWI broke out.  One hundred years later, we averaged about 70% under Barack Obama.  Notice: the other two big spikes were for major World Wars!

So why doesn't it feel like we live in a socialist country?  If government was consuming 70% of the private sector from 2008-2016, wouldn't we sense that and change course?  No, because we were insulated due to massive borrowing, printing, and near 0% interest rates.  During that period the  federal debt doubled from $10 to $20 TRILLION and the Federal Reserve Bank added another $3.5 TRILLION to its balance sheet. You can hide a lot of economic signals when you create 13.5 TRILLION dollars from thin air.   At least temporarily.  The dollar's status as the world's reserve currency removes ALL limiting principles.

Sorry, we've been motoring towards totalitarian socialism since at least FDR.  Donald Trump is probably just a speed bump on that road.

[UPDATE]
It is also worth noting that Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto is the 3rd most assigned book at U.S. colleges today according to the Open Syllabus Project.  Of all the books ever published in history, the 3rd most assigned one is the one teaching socialism and communism to our kids.  You are what you teach.