"Conservative Ideology"

Yeah, nice trick there, portraying heavily-regulated professional wheedlers and suck-ups dependent on the good will of the rulers, and economic fascists doing "business" with governments, which rely on plunder redistribution for all of their financial transactions, as a "free market" model. [More] 

What did Mr. Pynchon say?

[Via Florida Guy]

Did Ignorance or Flawed Ethics Kill Jill Porter's Credibility?

Did guns or a flawed justice system kill Sgt. Liczbinski?

Actually, Jill, a depraved animal did. But what did Mr. Pynchon say about asking the wrong questions?

Here's the part I'd really like to address, though:

Some of the folks who think that the Second Amendment is sacrosanct have little regard for other provisions of the Bill of Rights.

I've seen this baseless insinuation creep up in other places, on forums, in comments, in anti-defense editorials, which leads to the conclusion it is an intentionally planted diversionary tactic, and the bottom line, Jill, is you have no truthful basis to make such a claim. So are you doing it out of ignorance, or are you intentionally lying?

If you're going to go there, Jill, square it with the FACT that the NRA joined forces with the ACLU, the AFL-CIO and others in leading the fight for free political speech and equal protection.

Square it with JPFO being a national gun rights organization that has proposed and continues to promote efforts to "reestablish a Bill of Rights culture."

Square it with GOA denouncing edicts that have the effect that "legal aliens somehow enjoy fewer Fourth Amendment protections against search and seizure than other residents in this country".

Square it with established positions of the Libertarian and Constitution parties.

None of this is new, Jill, and it took me literally under three minutes to find all of it. If I really rolled my sleeves up, I could bury you with references, but the point is made.

I do wonder if there's a bit of projection going on. Because the ones who routinely allow for the erosion and subversion of our rights and freedoms are proponents of the Leviathan state. Like you, Jill.

Anyone who spreads the outrageous falsehood that RKBA-supporting Americans disparage the whole Bill of Rights, or indeed, the entire Constitution, is quite simply and demonstrably a liar.

Like you, Jill?

The Wrong Question

Do persons under 21 have any Second Amendment rights? [More]

Well, seeing as how it's settled that "This is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence," perhaps we ought to consult with Mr.Pynchon before answering that.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words?

You WaPo Fourth Estate Fifth Columnists still don't get it, do you? [More]

And there you go, repeating the Gundupe talking point about the percentage of homes with a gun decreasing--the whole point behind that is to create a false picture of desperate, shrinking white racists clinging to their guns and religion, hiding behind their barricades and who will be bred out in another few decades.

I'm sure Gallup got accurate numbers from their urban outreach, as well as from those who would not share personal tactical defense and property intel with  a stranger on the phone.

In any case, has the NUMBER increased? Forget the rate, because that's the same sleight of mind the antis use to claim how safe high population areas like Chicago and DC are. The other relevant factor is the artificial increase in total population imposed by unenforced and insane immigration laws.

What did Mr. Pynchon say abut asking the wrong question? NRA being powerful is an effect, not a cause.

The Wrong Question

Thing is, if these experts know so much, and can identify all that’s wrong with the system, why aren’t they out there preventing it? [More]

Because they're not really experts. Like you, they are agenda standard-bearers.

Way to once more prove that Pynchon quote, though.

What If?

What if Republicans had a party and Trump wasn't there? [More]

Been a while since we heard from Mr. Pynchon...

But by all means, Ben Terris of The Washington Post, feel free to nominate a new avatar.

Because Crenshaw ain't it.

And They Say There Are No Stupid Questions

In America, is it more important that a 24-year-old be able to buy an AR-15 weapon and unlimited rounds of ammo -- or that a 6-year-old girl be able to go to the movies with her mom and return home safely? [More]

Nice logical fallacy there, pally. Read much Pynchon?

And then there's this:

Should the Second Amendment allow a man to freely buy weapons, ammunition, body armor or other products, some of which have little purpose other than to cause destruction and panic?

Typical statist, who thinks rights are what government allows.  Never mind the rest of the panty-wringing, he needed to complete a sentence.

Still, all this absolutely numb-skulled hysteria by those who would inflict their enmity upon us encourages me that borrowing Voltaire's prayer is paying off.

The Devil's in the Details

 Received via email:

That's being asked by these hive insects who really want to use what they get back from a mailing to their followers to bray about the majority of Americans wanting laws requiring us to lock our guns and ammunition up separately.

That Mr. Pynchon, him plenty smart fella.

GIGO

People with high emotional intelligence less likely to fall for ‘fake news’ [More]

Nope, no researcher bias when the first example the "study" presents characterizes a cherry-picked challenge to the climate change wealth transfer fraud as "fake."

So if you support "progressive" government usurpation, you're smarter than that dumb old basket of deplorables. Q.E.D.

What did Mr. Pynchon warn us about?

[Via bondmen]

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

 

Everytown’s Misleading NICS Report [More]

Mr. Pynchon explains.

[Via Jess]

Muddying the Waters

 Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Monday launched an outlandish attack against three Republican senators who support Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, accusing them of somehow being “pro-pedophile.” [More]

Well, if "even the conservative National Review" sides with Yahoo!News, who am I to argue?

Anybody else getting a Pynchon vibe out of the way they're directing the focus?

[Via Mack H]

It Depends Upon What the Meaning of the Word 'Right' Is

While I appreciate the fact that these men are attempting to remove restrictions and regulations to people’s rights, they need to be appealing to the fact that they are not in a position to permit anyone anything regarding their rights nor make a demand to pay the state for a license for the privilege of exercising those rights. [More]

What did Mr. Pynchon say...?

A False Premise

Do you love your gun? Tell me why [More]

No, Sandy Banks. I love my wife and children. I love my parents. I love my brothers and sisters.

I have guns but they are just tools, like the keyboard I am typing on, to help me protect something else that I love: My rights.

What did Mr. Pynchon say?

If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers.

[Via Peter G]

UPDATE: John Longenecker has more to say.

The Wrong Question

 What does it take for NY politicians to say no to gun crime? [More]

Mr. Pynchon nails it.

It'll never be enough, will it?

About Last Night

More than anything else, a Thomas Pynchon quote comes to mind. Especially while watching the Luntz post-game wrap-up.

Anyone who's read my past assessments of him knows I'm no Trumpeter. But after watching last night's total and undisguised virtual assassination attempt by Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace, and continued (and wholly unjustified) crowing by Liz Peek and other establishment media whores in their desperate attempts to manipulate public opinion, my low opinion of controlled opposition Faux News just sank even deeper.

These media conspirators-- what else would you call them? -- aren't really attacking The Donald -- he's just an avatar for people attracted to him because they're sick and tired of all the evil bullshit and don't know where to turn, but know it's not toward the RINOs. Those are the ones the elitists really have contempt for.

It looks from where I'm sitting, despite desperate attempts to convince everyone otherwise, like the hit job backfired and all the damage was from blowback. Look for the politics of personal destruction to go to the next level. And if that doesn't work, I won't be surprised to see things get even more personal.

The Wrong Questions

 Biden hasn’t ordered dishonorable discharges for vaccine refusers in military, as viral post claimed [More]

True. And only an idiot (or a plant trolling for suckers) would make such a claim. That doesn't invalidate the FACT that the danger exists for those fighting back and losing. But it sure makes it look that way.

Case in point (via Michael G):

Veteran of Afghanistan war with heart conditions faces possible dishonorable discharge for refusing COVID vaccine

Here's another tactical Politifact deception:

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine contains an “undisclosed ingredient. … How is informed consent possible?”

That calculated dismissal presumes that's the only informed consent issue presented and ignores the FACT that Andy Nguyen has zero medical qualifications and has no idea what other dangers, especially long-term ones, will manifest.

But don't take my word for how agenda-driven Politifact always has been.

You could go down the line with ratings these narrative amplifiers post and see how many fit right in with Mr. Pynchon's truism:

“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers.” 

The Wrong Questions

Arizona reported more than 3,000 murders with guns over a nine-year span (1999-2007), according to CDC data. That amounts to six gun murders per 100,000 residents. The national rate was about four. [Read]

Got any demographics for those residents? How many NRA members...? How many "prohibited persons"?

One of the best indicators of gun ownership is the level of gun-involved suicide rates, he said. The CDC numbers show Arizona ranked ninth in suicides with guns.

Is it truly gun "ownership," which is a legal term, and not applicable to criminal class gun possessors suffering from addictions and a host of other poor life choices?

Y'know, there are lies, damned lies and statistics.  I don't have time on what I'd hoped would be a simple blog post to go parse this article and find the data they left out in their presentation, but do note AZ seems to fare somewhat better than high gun control states like New Jersey, New York and California here--not that it establishes causality either.

For instance, guns would hardly seem to be a factor in gun-free Japan, and we still don't know what to do about the dreaded self-terminating "Only Ones" epidemic...

"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers."
— Thomas Pynchon (Gravity's Rainbow)

[Via Whitetreeaz]

None So Blind

Police, elected officials and community members came together Tuesday night looking for answers after a triple shooting in West Philadelphia injured two teens and an 8-year-old boy. [More]

The answers are right in front of them, but, like Col. Jessep said, they can't handle the truth, and like Mr. Pynchon observed, it all depends on the questions.

You sure won't find them from "safe space" incompetents like State Representative Joanna McClinton. Still, she unintentionally stumbles on a point about keeping invaders out with man-made barriers...

The Wrong Questions

The amendment would allow insurers and employers to opt out of any provision in the president's health care law to which they object on moral or religious grounds. [More]

Besides, individuals don't matter.

Mr.  Pynchon...?

Republicans: Helping make Democrat tyranny more palatable since...like, forever.

ANTs in her Pants

 Let’s examine what happens when a fatal shooting occurs: Is it the gun that kills people, as gun control advocates insist? Or is it the person holding the gun, as gun rights advocates insist? ANT would say the answer lies in a different question, highlighting the matrix that enables the action: the pull of the trigger, the explosion of gunpowder, even the humidity of the air that the bullet travels through to reach its target. [More]

I'm not sure where she's going with this, but I won't be surprised to find out humidity is racist.

And what does Mr. Pynchon remind us?