The Patriot Post Digest 4-12-2016

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The Patriot Post Digest 4-12-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
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Mid-Day Digest

Apr. 12, 2016

THE FOUNDATION

“Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.” —Thomas Paine (1791)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

Witch Hunt Against Climate Skeptics Begins1

It’s not just the country’s university campuses that are increasingly under attack by anti-free speech zealots. The vicious, vehemently non-inclusive ecofascist lobby that demands to see climate skeptics put behind bars2 — which the Justice Department recently confirmed is a definite possibility3 — may finally be getting its way. The effort began in late March with the formation of the group “AGs United for Clean Power,” which consists of 17 attorneys general whose mission it is to stifle any and all opposition to what they wrongly label “settled science.”

Heritage Foundation fellows Hans von Spakovsky and Cole Wintheiser draw a link to the Spanish Inquisition, which they point out4 “systematically silenced any citizen who held views that did not align with the king’s.” They continue: “Using the powerful arm of the government, the grand inquisitor, Tomas de Torquemada, and his henchmen sought out all those who held religious, scientific, or moral views that conflicted with the monarch’s, punishing the ‘heretics’ with jail sentences; property confiscation; fines; and in severe cases, torture and execution.” In this case, the authors say, the grand inquisitor is Al Gore, who lauded the witch hunt as “exceptionally important.”

The group’s first victim was revealed last week. On Thursday5, “The Competitive Enterprise Institute denounced a subpoena from Attorney General Claude E. Walker of the U.S. Virgin Islands that attempts to unearth a decade of the organization’s materials and work on climate change policy.” CEI was singled out for its supposed collusion with ExxonMobil. In a separate piece, Spakovsky writes6:

The voluminous, harassing 14-page subpoena says Inquisitor Walker is investigating ExxonMobil for “misrepresenting its knowledge of the likelihood that its products and activities have contributed to and are continuing to contribute to climate change in order to defraud the Government … and consumers.” This supposedly violates the Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which is the Virgin Islands' version of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO.

These days, no matter how outlandish the retribution, it seems there is nothing the federal government won’t do if it effectively silences the opposition. As Spakovsky rightly emphasizes, man-made global warming is just a theory. We wish we could say the same of man-made authoritarianism.

Kasich: ‘Can’t We All Just Get Along?’7

John Kasich doesn’t understand the hubbub over the recent state laws defending religious liberty in the wake of the Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage. The GOP presidential candidate said he would not have signed a religious freedom bill8 like the ones that recently appeared on the desks of the governors of Georgia and Mississippi. Funny, the Ohio governor has used the Bible plenty of times to justify the expansion of government9, yet he won’t consider signing a bill that protects religious conscience when the will of that big government infringes someone’s religious liberty.

“In our state,” Kasich said, “we’re not facing this, so everybody needs to take a deep breath, respect one another, and the minute we start trying to write laws, things become more polarized, things — they become more complicated. … Why do we have to write a law every time we turn around in this country? Can we figure out just how to get along a little bit better and respect one another? … Everybody, chill out. Get over it if you have a disagreement with somebody.”

It’s a quaint sentiment, and we completely agree that “there oughta be a law” isn’t always the best approach. However, government is needed when people are not friends. And the Rainbow Mafia certainly isn’t content to “chill out.” They want bakers, photographers, and everyone else to walk in lockstep with their “tolerant” philosophy, and they have used the courts to strip away religious liberty. Kasich doesn’t need to lecture his own side; he needs to fight the Left.

Hillary Clinton Sure Is Funny10

Expect this little skit to hurt Hillary Clinton in the minority-dominated New York Democrat primary next week. Clinton joined New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on the stage of an annual Big Apple press dinner to crack a few political jokes in the boring, rehearsed presentation politicians do. But boring turned painful when de Blasio made what some are calling a racist joke.

Clinton had just walked onto the stage11 after de Blasio “rapped” (what he was doing shouldn’t actually be called rapping) his endorsement of Clinton. “I just have to say, thanks for the endorsement, Bill. Took you long enough,” Clinton jabbed.

“Sorry, Hillary, I was running on C.P. time,” de Blasio replied in a clearly rehearsed line. The audience gasped. “C.P.” time is short for “colored people” time, stereotyping blacks as being late.

“Cautious politician time,” Clinton quipped, delivering the tripped-up punchline. “I’ve been there.”

Clinton and deBlasio faced criticism left and right. “That’s not — I don’t like jokes like that, Bill,” said Leslie Odom Jr., the black star of the Broadway hit “Hamilton,” who was standing to the right of Clinton. Salon call the joke “cringeworthy.” Townhall said it was “absolutely painful,” and asserted, “It’s only racist if Republicans do it.”

Maybe deBlasio and Clinton — the definition of the New York liberal elite — thought they could get away with the joke since they’re Democrats who are the very definition of “tolerance.” But just imagine Ted Cruz or Donald Trump attempting such humor.

Clinton has been relying on the support of minorities. Yet she’s proven with her sharp disregard12 for Black Lives Matter protesters and her husband’s defense13 of his 1994 crime bill that she’s alienating at least a portion of that demographic. Furthermore, “C.P time” is hardly an empowering phrase regarding people who have been sidelined on Democrats' urban poverty plantations14.

Don’t Miss Patriot Humor

Check out Hillary Is the Most Qualified Candidate15.

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BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Stephen Moore: How Fracking Has Reduced Greenhouse Gases17
Thomas Sowell: The ‘Voice of the People’ Fallacy18
Dennis Prager: Calls for American Unity Are Either Dishonest or Naive19

For more, visit Right Opinion20.

What Are You Doing For Liberty?

Sometimes readers ask us what good a donation to The Patriot Post will do in the fight for Liberty. Good question. The answer is that we’re a leading advocate of Liberty and limited government through our hard-hitting daily news analysis. By covering the latest headline stories from a constitutional perspective, we provide grassroots Patriots with the cannon fodder needed to spread the word and make a real difference.

But we need your financial support to keep that coming. Our voice is your voice — make it heard with a secure online donation today21. We still need to raise approximately $37,000 by April 19th. Thank you for standing with us! —Nate Jackson, Managing Editor

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
Climate Change and the Electrical Grid22

By Paul Albaugh

The United States of America, perhaps more so than any other nation in the world, is protected in many ways from existential threats to our nation’s security. Our geographical location, our military, our infrastructure and our technological advancements all contribute to this, and these among other feats are what set us apart from the rest of the world.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists exploited a vulnerability that in the minds of most Americans was unimaginable. In response, there have been numerous changes made with security surrounding air travel — for better and worse.

For the past seven years, the threats to our nation’s security have become far more evident and complex, exacerbated by Barack Obama’s alienating friends, cozying up to enemies, apologizing for America’s past mistakes and outright refusing to even recognize many of these threats. Our existential threats are numerous and include nation states such as Iran, North Korea, Russia and China. The Islamic State and many other radical Islamic terrorist groups pose a security threat compounded by porous borders and Obama’s complete lack of enforcement of immigration law.

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The Patriot Post Digest 4-12-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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We have noted on numerous occasions that Obama, rather than fight the real threats with the full might of our military and strong diplomacy, has made it his number one priority to battle the theory of climate change. While this may sound absurd, it’s the reality in which we live. Further, this endeavor to fight climate change as set forth by Obama and the ecofascists within his administration already has been costly. Unfortunately, that cost is going to continue to soar if the current policies are not soon reversed.

Excessive regulations on the energy sector, the war on coal, costly fuel standards, electrical efficiency standards, mandates for increases in ethanol use, and government subsidies for wind and solar are just some of the areas in which this administration has focused on fighting climate change.

By diverting so much of our finances and human resources to combatting a theory, this administration has created an additional vulnerability, and this one, if left unattended, could very well result in the deaths of millions of Americans. We are talking about our electrical grid, though it’s something that has been pushed to the bottom of the to-do list for most policymakers in Washington.

Of all the aforementioned dangers, the threat of an attack23 on our nation’s electrical grid poses some of the more devastating consequences. And it’s somewhat vulnerable. For example, there are 300 large transformers in our electrical grid. They are not surge protected, and there are no spares. Each weighs as much as 100 tons and building one takes up to two years. Our way of life is completely reliant upon the functionality of our electrical grid, and our grid is heavily dependent on these 300 large transformers.

Lights, computer systems, banking, food storage and processing, heating, cooling, transportation and even the water we drink are all tied to the electrical grid. The most devastating attack on the grid would be from an Electro Magnetic Pulse24 (EMP) attack. This would come from a nuclear device which, if detonated in the atmosphere would cause unimaginable damage to every modern electronic device.

While the probability of such an attack is low, the stakes are incredibly high. Despite these high stakes, it’s not enough for Obama to scrap his bad deal with Iran; the lunatic dictator in North Korea continues to test long range missiles at will. While an outright attack from either of these nations is unlikely, and while our defense capabilities likely would be able to intercept an attack, there is still a possibility.

A more probable scenario in which our electrical grid could come under fire is from a cyber-attack. Fortunately, we have many brilliant minds within the defense industry that combat these threats on a daily basis. But the threat of a cyber-attack25 is increasing, so much so that the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI began a nationwide campaign on March 31 to discuss security measures for electrical power infrastructure companies and others involved with security.

Their briefings include the findings in the aftermath of the cyber-attack that occurred against the Ukrainian power infrastructure this past December. Cyber espionage is also a major concern, and Russia and China are capable of carrying out such acts of warfare.

Admiral Mike Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command, recently warned that a major cyber-attack by another nation against critical infrastructure poses a serious security threat: “It is only a matter of the ‘when’ — not the ‘if’ — we’re going to see a nation-state, group or actor engage in destructive behavior against critical infrastructure in the United States.”

This is another of the real threats to America’s security. But if the past lack of action on behalf of the Obama administration is an indicator of what will be done, then it’s probable that this threat will be ignored as well. Even though we haven’t experienced a major cyber-attack, it doesn’t mean it won’t or can’t happen. But until we have a commander in chief who takes real threats seriously, we are not overly optimistic that much will be done in the near future to bolster our cyber security.

MORE ORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE

ANALYSIS: America’s Long, Difficult Trek From Tyranny To…26
Sotomayor Laments Lack of Diversity on SCOTUS27
Judge Overturns Wisconsin’s Right-to-Work Law28
If You Can’t Ban Guns, Tax ‘Em29
Police Deaths Spike in 201630

TOP HEADLINES

UnitedHealth Begins Pulling Out of ObamaCare31
Clinton: Vermont Guns Responsible for New York Violence32
Pentagon’s Bomb Stockpile Is Drying Up33

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report34

OPINION IN BRIEF

Stephen Moore: “The U.S. Department of Energy published data last week with some amazing revelations — so amazing that most Americans will find them hard to believe. As a nation, the United States reduced its carbon emissions by 2 percent from last year. Over the past 14 years, our carbon emissions are down more than 10 percent. On a per-unit-of-GDP basis, U.S. carbon emissions are down by closer to 20 percent. Even more stunning: We’ve reduced our carbon emissions more than virtually any other nation in the world, including most of Europe. How can this be? … Thanks to fracking and horizontal drilling technologies, we are producing more natural gas than ever before. Natural gas is a wonder fuel: It is cheap. It is abundant. America has more of it than anyone else — enough to last several hundred years. And it is clean-burning. Even Nancy Pelosi inadvertently admitted this several years ago before someone had to whisper in her ear that, um, natural gas is a fossil fuel. Meanwhile, the left has declared war on a technology that has done more to reduce carbon emissions and real pollution emissions than all the green programs ever invented. Maybe the reason is that they aren’t so much against pollution as they are against progress.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “We are taxed in our bread and our wine, in our incomes and our investments, on our land and on our property not only for base creatures who do not deserve the name of men, but for foreign nations, complaisant nations who will bow to us and accept our largesse and promise us to assist in the keeping of the peace — these mendicant nations who will destroy us when we show a moment of weakness or our treasury is bare, and surely it is becoming bare!” —Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC)

Upright: “In the almost five years since the [9/11] memorial opened, Trump has not once managed to visit the site, this despite owning a building five blocks away on Wall Street. Choosing not to visit the World Trade Center site isn’t something that should be held against Trump or any other New Yorker. I personally know New Yorkers who try to avoid it at all costs. Each has his own views on how best to mourn and remember September 11th. But Trump’s using his first-ever visit as a political attack against Ted Cruz is completely shameful.” —Stephen Miller

New York values: “To be blunt, [the Twin Towers] were not 'great’ buildings. … They only became great upon their demise last Tuesday.” —Donald Trump, one week after 9/11

Come again? “For me, it’s about the children and the grandchildren. If it were just me, I would [note vote for Trump]. I would say, ‘Hey, I got this, I can deal with it,’ but for them, I can’t.” —Ben Carson

Non sequitur: “I would say this — there isn’t a president who’s taken more terrorists off the field than me, over the last seven and a half years.” —Barack Obama (Well, he has been the only president for the last seven and a half years.)

Non Compos Mentis: “There’s classified and then there’s classified.” —Barack Obama, defending Hillary Clinton’s email practices with a laughable distinction (And remember: Dozens of Clinton’s email were designated “Top Secret” or higher.)

And last… “The State Department took two years to hand over requested Benghazi documents. Still, a faster response than Ambassador Stevens got.” —Twitter satirist @weknowwhatsbest

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis!
Managing Editor Nate Jackson

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.