Greetings and welcome back to this week's edition of Laura's Links, from the locked-up land of Ontario, Canada. The great Prophet Mark Steyn, PBUH (Pocket squares Be Upon Him) mentioned in the latest episode of The Mark Steyn Show that he never refers to that drooling, cadaverous, dementia patient at the White House as "President" Biden – he says "Mr. Biden" or "Joe Biden", and I believe that is the right approach. Mr. Biden is certainly not deserving of that appellation, and language informs and determines culture. We need to take back the language and stop surrendering linguistic territory. The corruption and hijacking of language is a major front in the war against Western civilization and culture.
As Mark often says, when conservatives win they are in office and when lefties win they are in power. They take power very seriously and get to work right away. These guys are not effing around: they enact the agenda immediately and don't ever look back. Conservatives could learn a thing or two from our ideological enemies about getting stuff done.
In that spirit, I decided I'm not going to use the term "lockdown" anymore. The term has somehow gained a kind of mystic, virtuous halo by vast legions of terrible political leaders, hysterical and mean-spirited TV doctors, and repulsively oppressive public health officials and science advisors. "Locked up" is a better term. Too late smart, though, as much of Canada, including Alberta and Saskatchewan has just announced full re-openings. Unfortunately for us here in Ontario, our boorish, incompetent, bungling, bumpkin Premier Ford is determined to pulverize the population until the very last minute and wants Ontario to be last in absolutely everything. Jason Kenney has turned out to be a really awful person and a terrible leader, but even he is better than Doug Ford at this time.
I know I shouldn't be surprised at how truly awful people can be. I'm just irked that somehow I ended up in the most backward place in all of Canada throughout this biological war (I'm not calling it a pandemic anymore either). Our countries, our economies, our families and our children have been pulverized by China and its feckless and enthusiastic, spineless and craven accomplices within the shrivelled, emasculated husk of the Western world. Many people will never, ever recover so every day, we still must push back with all of our might wherever and whenever we can.
It's not easy to take a stand. The truth-tellers are being hounded. It's frightening. (Watch the video before it gets yanked from YouTube.) But kudos to the University of Guelph here in Ontario for sticking by their faculty member and for standing for academic freedom. Here's another sane voice, Dr. Martin Kulldorff: "Why I spoke out against lockdowns." This is such an excellent essay, I would urge you to read the whole thing.
In other news, it was yet another week of mass-content creation from the boss! There was a new episode of The Mark Steyn Show. You should listen to it because totally riled up, nobody-tells-me-what-to-do Mark is the VERY VERY BEST MARK!!!
**waves**
Mark did a Father's Day Song for the Season, and his Song of the Week was Star Dust. Then, he took a look at Freedom Day (Postponed). Related to Father's Day, I'd highly recommend this essay by Esther Schor from Tablet Magazine – "Losing My Father, the Man I Worshipped As A Girl". It's a touchingly honest, personal and poignant reflection, and worth every minute of your time.
Mark also mentioned in his show that he had been "temperamentally ruined" by Covid "life" and the yearning for normal life. I sympathize completely and am trying to recapture moments of joy each day as I can. We took my disabled son for a swim on Father's Day: it was our first swim at the neighbourhood pool in two years. I ignored the irritation I felt having to sign up for a swim online, to ensure limited numbers in an outdoor pool. I ignored the irritation of seeing healthy young lifeguards forced to wear masks outside as they asked everyone in line if they had any Covid symptoms. For forty-five magical minutes, it was just me and my husband drinking up my son's utter joy in the water under the glorious sun. He doesn't really swim; rather, he bops in the water, splashing about, spinning and grinning from ear to ear, positioning himself close to the speakers where he can listen to the latest pop tunes that the lifeguards blare out. For forty-five minutes I forgot all my worries and troubles, and just felt satisfying, soul-enriching joy through his joy. The whistle blew, and the next set of Doug Ford-weary Ontarians lined up for their turn to swim. Hearts warmed, bodies cooled, we went home and made a lovely meal, went about our regular domestic chores and settled into a warm summer evening.
Here's to the return to normal, wherever we find ourselves. See you in the comments.
~
North America:
Whatever happened to flirting? Bring Back Flirting!
Super awesome amazingly talented, world-class, emerging artist getting big big beeeeeg bucks for his paint by numbers work! Gimme a break. This is just so gross. Basically the same game as liberal politicians and their kids getting book deals for a gazillion dollars that end up selling ten copies. It's really a leftist money laundering scam, lots of back-scratching here. Honestly, they really think we are this stupid. But it's Hunter's "personal quest for universal truth" and stuff! FOR REAL. As "Cat Turd" points out: nobody who is an actual artist paints this way.
Dr. Scott Atlas on the coronavirus lunatics who have literally had their brains fried by all the scaremongering.
But MASKS MASK UP MASK MASK MASK MASK INFINITY!!!
Meanwhile, can we all agree now that lockdowns are evil? And why should we even call them 'lockdowns'? They are bloody lock ups.
Speaking of children, why are we rushing to vaccinate children against this virus? Why? This has to stop! More here.
A nose for covid? DOGS, GUYS!!!!
Orange Man Bad returns!
Antisemitism getting pretty popular in America.
~
Jews and Israel:
World War II Jewish British military commandos finally come out of the shadows.
Holocaust survivors celebrate and are celebrated at a post-Covid isolation concert.
Israeli study: one in four hospitalized Covid patients with vitamin D deficiency died. Vitamin D deficiency was, of course, called "fake news" by Canada's Minister of Health, among others.
American Jews need wait no longer, "the barbarians have arrived".
Meet the Orthodox Jewish mom competing to be an American Ninja!
Melanie Phillips: "Palestinianism" is opening a posthumous Nazi front against the Jews. Indeed.
"If you survive, you will tell our story.'
~
The Formerly Great Britain:
They think we are this stupid.
China Flu number 24th cause of death in Britain in May. Not first, second, third, etc... You get the idea.
A ton of kids were murdered in cold blood, but the main thing is that nobody got accused of racism. Mark spoke last week about the urgency of recognizing where we are at in terms of our civilization – in a canoe on the water hearing the power of Niagara Falls. I'm not at all convinced there is a way to reverse this. Feel free to disagree with me in the comments.
~
Humourless and Kook Left, Wokestapo and Trans:
Birds are raaaaaaaacist.
Today In Satan: BAKE. MY. CAKE.
San Franfeces leftists are funding your local library's "Drag Queen Story Hour".
Charles Barkley is sick of cancel culture. GOOD.
Hubba hubba! Nice rack. Hot chick.
As per the late, great Kathy Shaidle's incredible line – Liberals: "It's different when we do it."
~
Human Grace:
Hey kids, throw those masks away.
Bless the healers, bless the children and bless those who so selflessly and in the hour of their darkest moments give others the gift of life.
It's open thread time! Log into SteynOnline and let Laura know what you think of these stories or other happenings from week that was. Commenting privileges are among the many perks of membership in The Mark Steyn Club. While going off topic is permitted on Laura's Links, do stick to the other rules as you engage: no URLs, no profanity, and no ad hominem attacks.
