Greetings and welcome to this week's edition of Laura's Links. There's lots to discuss, as always, but the main dark cloud on the world horizon is of course, Afghanistan. My gracious host, the Great Prophet Mark Steyn, has done the lion's share of commenting on this utter clusterfark on behalf of the few sane people left on the planet (those of us who realize we are living in China's world now. Thanks, Dementia Guy Joe Biden!)
For Mark's thoughts on the matter, see Corpsing With the Taliban, The Politics of Fiasco, The Desert Before the Storm, and Meltdown of a Superpower (this one's particularly heartbreaking). He also reminisced about the late, great Rush Limbaugh in Remembering The Big Voice on the Right.
The biggest idea of the week that Hizzzzzoner presented was actually a question. "Who Are These Guys Working For?" So be sure to listen to this particular episode of The Mark Steyn Show because that's where he asked who the Americans in charge are actually working for. It's a very important question, and one that more Americans should be asking. Because if the people in charge were actually working for the enemy, what exactly would they be doing differently? (Hint: not much at all, if anything.) It's clear that for America, and American generals (as Mark put it) decked out with all their rainbow coloured chest confetti, "victory is not the goal".
The strong horses, as he reminds us, are China and the goat herders in rags. Iran, Turkey and Russia are lovin' it. The savage primitive goat-dating barbarians are in it for the long haul, and their beliefs do not wane. It is particularly pathetic to see how grovelling Western journalists, mostly female, are trying to eke out promissory notes of equality and diversity from these savages. Check this out for example: "Taliban collapses with laughter as journalist asks if they would be willing to accept democratic governance that voted in female politicians - and then tells camera to stop filming."
"It made me laugh" he says. I'd laugh too, if I weren't crying. And in this outstanding essay, the great Lee Smith of Tablet Magazine gives us some more context: Assabiya Wins Every Time. Read the whole thing. Like every word.
Otherwise, I'm trying hard to decouple from Covid, vaccine passport and lockup talk, but of course, the insanity is still bloody everywhere and affecting so many of us significantly (umm hello Australia honestly WTF????). Tucker Carlson has a great piece here that crystalizes a lot of my own feelings about the Covid vaccine and the Covid hysteria in general.
I feel that at least here in Canada, the avenues to dissent from official opinions, and the right to bodily autonomy are pretty much a lost battle. But this, of course, is not surprising from a populace raised on socialized medicine that treasures safety above everything else. But America? I had higher hopes for you, America. You're breaking my heart. Last week, I asked someone I know what they thought of the Afghanistan situation and they had two thoughts: "let them all kill each other" and "every country now is on their own". I'm still thinking about both.
Without a strong America, the world is a terribly dangerous place. Have we reached the end point? I'm not particularly fond of the post-American world so far. I wonder if the prevailing decadence and decline, the godlessness, the vapid indifference to decrepitude, crime and Western values as perfectly personified in Joe Biden, but visible and dominant in so very many states and pretty much every federal, artistic, media, educational, and now medical institution across the fruited plains, precludes any chance for America to survive, or to bounce back? You tell me.
Thus, when I saw this video and story it made me cry. Real tears. Thinking about what America was, and only a few short decades ago, made me so sad over my morning coffee. (However, the veteran himself made me happy, and that nun!!!! You gotta love her. What a badass sister.) (Am I even allowed to say that??)
That's all I got for now. I'm wiped out.
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones and I'll see you in the comments.
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North America:
Five facts about Covid. Also: do you need the vaccine if you've had Covid?
A grim reality from Israel: vaccines blunt, do not eradicate.
Covid: a mass hysteria event.
One for the DUH file. Have "experts" gotten anything right at all? Answer: NOPE.
Covid has DAMAGED PEOPLE'S BRAINS. What the hell is going on?
Covid mask kabuki is harming the social and cognitive development of babies. Evil.
Jew hatred: the last acceptable hate crime.
Imagine being this much of an idiot and simpleton: seeking the advice of Hilary Benghazi Clinton, and then bragging about it. Yes, that is our prime minister here in Canada. And if Erin O'Trudeau doesn't man up, PM Hairdo will be on his third term.
In which I must admit the Taliban have better press skills than the American government.
Meanwhile, in San Franfeces...
"I am not oppressed." Righteous.
Not by accident, just showing you who's boss.
What's the opposite of inclusive? British Columbia, apparently.
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Israel and Jews:
He goes there: Liel Leibovitz suggests Jews fuggetabout their property in Poland. Read the whole thing. Thought-provoking and biting. Well done. Truly.
Jewish wisdom: first thoughts and words of the day. Also: don't gossip. "we should always be careful to speak and write constructively".
So it turns out that the last Jew in Afghanistan is not missing, and has decided to stay there not because he thinks the Taliban are his pals, but because he's a schmuck, refusing to grant his wife, who lives in Israel, a religious divorce. However, in terms of life goals, read the last paragraph. I aspire also to be the Jew that annoys the Taliban to this point. To wit: "Simantov became the country's last Jew after the death of Yitzhak Levy in 2005. Though they both lived in the same run-down synagogue, their hatred for one another was the stuff of legend. For years the two men spoke mostly to each other in swears and regularly denounced the other to the Taliban authorities. Once during a mutual stint in jail, their arguing was so annoying that their Islamic captors simply released them." As the kids say nowadays, goals AF.
Europeans killing Jewish children again. Where have I heard this before?
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The Formerly Great Britain:
Covid: what's the best way to "top up" our immunity? I found this a pretty balanced article. Lots of chatter now from the UK and America about checking antibodies, and they are doing this for kids in Israel also. Finally, a small measure of common sense is surfacing.
We may never know the motivation. Not here either.
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Afghanistan:
Throwing babies over the fence. Great job, Joe Biden.
Melanie Phillips channels Mark Steyn.
The Taliban are better at social media (and winning wars) than the Americans. If the American administration hasn't already stuffed its social media ranks to the gills with neurotic, woke, millennial nutcases, maybe some Taliban guys could be wooed away to do social media workshops for them (in addition to courses at West Point, as per Mark Steyn Club member Eric Dale, to teach how to win wars).
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Down Under:
Australia!!!! Are you kidding me? You savages.
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Kook Left:
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Human Grace:
There is holiness in kindness.
Take a moment to remember virtuous strangers.
G-d bless the parents of the disabled and their engineer friends, who are truly the mothers and fathers of invention.
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.
