Hello and welcome once again to Laura's Links. This is your festive Grow-A-Spineteenth edition. It's a new holiday that I just made up. What do you think? Can we make it a thing coz I have big plans. YUGE plans.
Next week, we can also celebrate Don't-Be-Scaredteenth then Stand-Up-Straighteenth. Oh, what's that? Not so into my new groovy holidays? Don't want to declare your support for these festivities? Keeping your head down? Going a little wobbly? Okay, fine. I'll understand if you don't want to put a Grow-A-Spineteenth square as your social media profile picture but for real and not for joking, don't say you weren't warned. The mob will eventually still come for you. And the only way to fight back is to push back against the tantrums. If you don't push back, you will get cancelled. Your spouse will get cancelled as well. The End.
If you can't do much, what should you do? At the very least, some good advice on this can be found here: "...citizens should make themselves difficult to cancel and absolutely refuse to participate in the cancellation of others". And as the author of this fine essay rightly points out, they can't cancel all of us. That is true, but they will keep trying and keep claiming more scalps until you say no.
We are in a battle of ideas and have to win for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren. Our freedoms are so fragile. Democracy is so fragile. What will the coming weeks and months bring? What will November bring?
My fearless and inspiring host, the great prophet Mark Steyn, PBUH (Pocket squares Be Upon Him ameeeeeeeeen ameeeeeeeen) had a super dooper, incredibly prolific and grand old week writing and recording and even popping up on the telly once again with Tucker Carlson (yay!). When does that guy sleep? I don't know but I ain't complaining. He waxed poetic on Un-Naming and De-Monetizing, talked shop and CHOP with Tucker Carlson, discussed Creating Slavery and Ending It, The Rhodes Not Taken and had thoughts – deep thoughts – about Melting Down. Do check out all these fine shows and the Tucker spot, too.
And now, with apologies to Frank Loesser, let's take a break from the Longest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game Lockdown in New York the World to look back at the week that was.
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North America:
Americans should never again comply with pandemic lockdown orders. Endorsed. I'd make that North Americans.
Robert Davi: No, Kevin Bacon, I'm not going to shut up.
It's class, not race, that divides America.
Welcome to New York under Democratic gubernatorial and municipal leadership.
Good podcast here from The Federalist about how public health officials completely squandered public trust with their ridiculous lockdown rules and rioting about-face.
A precedent for ending Big Tech's monopoly.
A most excellent clip from Tucker Carlson, reassuring normal Americans that they are not alone. Great stuff.
From Tablet Magazine: The American Soviet Mentality. Do read the whole thing, it is an absolutely excellent essay.
From Breitbart: all remains the same, normal and calm in rural America.
VDH shreds the anti-Trump military "leaders" and former "leaders".
From the great Caroine Glick: John Bolton's Temper Tantrum
Valentino sues NYC landlord, (rightly) claiming Fifth Avenue is no longer a luxury destination.
Quebec got it right about schools.
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Israel and Jews:
As Mark noted earlier this week regarding this charming fellow, isn't this just the most awesome sales pitch ever, ever but EVAH EVAH EVAH?
Roger Waters seems so nice.
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Europe:
Chocolate is racist!
Germany gotta German. Can someone explain to me why we didn't nuke Germany just like we did Imperial Japan. Is that option still on the table? Asking for a friend.
Italian doctor says coronavirus is weakening and may even disappear on its own.
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Formerly Great Britain:
One for the "D'UH" file. Children need to go back to school. Urgently.
Not a real cop, but pretty much exactly this.
And another one for my "D'UH" file from London.
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Humourless and Kook Left, Wokestapo and Trans:
J.K. Rowling stands up for women and feminism against trans extremism.
This next one is not a joke or parody. But seriously, what part of 'don't ever put "orgasm" and "son" in the same word/paragraph/article/apartment/planet/universe' is not comprehensible to this wretched gargoyle hawking her revolting schlock?
Melanie Phillips takes a stern look at the barbarians inside the gates.
So we are banning books now. Next stop: burning them. Next: burning people.
Katie Hopkins has now been permanently banned from Twitter BECAUSE SAFETY.
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Human Grace:
Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, I didn't see a huge volume of human grace stories over the past week. There was mostly ugly and revolting stuff floating around. However, if you did, and I missed a good one, do let me know by leaving me a note in the comments. See you there!
It's open thread time! As always, Laura's Links serves as SteynOnline's weekly open thread, so comment away on any of the stories Laura's hand-picked for you, or other thoughts from the past week. If you want to join in on the fun, join the Mark Steyn Club, whose many perks include commenting privileges.
