What is progress?

President Calvin Coolidge celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1926, with a speech providing a magisterial review of the history and thought underlying the Declaration. His speech on the occasion deserves to be read and studied in its entirety. The following paragraph, however, is particularly relevant to the challenge that confronts us in the variants of the progressive dogma that pass themselves off today as the higher wisdom:

About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.

THE ETERNAL MEANING OF INDEPENDENCE DAY (2)

IS GLOBAL WARMING THEORY SCIENTIFIC?

If you dispute the inflated and inconsistent claims of global warming alarmists, you are denounced as anti-science. You may even find yourself under investigation. But is catastrophic anthropogenic global warming actually a scientific theory at all?

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VIVE LA FRANCE!

In a move of impeccable timing, a group of House Democrats and quisling Republicans have introduced a bill to impose a carbon tax here in the U.S., and the climatistas are falling all over themselves to say “Pay no attention to those riots over fuel taxes in France! Our carbon tax is completely different!” Here it is being called “tax and dividend” (or sometimes “revenue recycling,” which sounds even greener, because recycling!), as the tax revenue will supposedly be rebated to everyone. In other words, say the advocates, we merely want to induce fuel conservation by increasing the consumer price tag, but you’ll get your money back! So no harm, no foul air. I’m sure the next thing they’ll say is “Of course I’ll still respect you in the morning!” Why, I imagine the first carbon tax rebate checks are already in the mail.

No one over the age of six believes that a carbon tax would be “revenue neutral,” or that any rebate scheme wouldn’t be tilted into a de facto redistribution scheme. Some advocates are quite open about it. The prize for the most exquisite take on the whole matter comes from Tom Steyer on Twitter:

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John Hinderacker over at Powerline straightens out this ridiculous Puerto Rico vs. Trump controversy on which far too many people are wasting time!

This “issue” was not on my radar until one of my kids texted in a family chat: “Is trump off his rocker with this Puerto Rico death toll stuff?” That caused me to look into it. As so often happens, Trump is right.

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POWERLINE: "The Intelligence Committee memo is a major step forward, but we have not yet gotten to the bottom of what happened in the heavily-politicized Department of Justice and FBI."

John Hinderacker, POWERLINE:

The Intelligence Committee memo obviously outlines a major scandal that indicts principal figures in the FBI, including James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and Sally Yates and Rod Rosenstein, unless the latter two officials were unaware of the fraud that was being perpetrated on the federal court. Whether some of those involved should go to prison would require a careful examination of relevant federal statutes.

The memo leaves much unsaid. The timing is unclear, at least to me. It sounds as though the FBI continued to renew its FISA warrant long after it had terminated its relationship with Steele and knew, or should have known, that his information was bogus. Why? Did the FBI tell the FISA court in these renewal applications that it had terminated its relationship with Steele, or that it had been unable to corroborate his claims? Presumably not.

Also, we don’t know what was done with the information that was collected about Carter Page–and, of course, about anyone with whom he communicated. This is where the enormous number of “unmasking” requests by Obama officials like Susan Rice come in. Did the Obama administration use the ill-gotten FISA warrants to spy, not only on Carter Page, but on others who had some relationship with Trump, or even Trump himself? Did the Obama administration pass information obtained from improper surveillance on to the Clinton campaign, or leak it to the press after the election?

The Intelligence Committee memo is a major step forward, but we have not yet gotten to the bottom of what happened in the heavily-politicized Department of Justice and FBI.

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9/11: THE MAN IN THE RED BANDANA

Powerline:

Be forewarned, the video is an unabashed tearjerker.

WATCH IT!

HOPELESSNESS is the new HOPE

And failing upward is the new change.

Or how a cult hero became the new Jim Jones on the eternal search for a "socialist paradise" in the quest for national suicide.

Why Obama's claim of Executive Privilege is frivolous

PowerLine:

Today Deputy Attorney General James Cole advised Darrell Issa, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, that the Department of Justice will not respond to the committee’s subpoena of certain documents relating to the Fast and Furious scandal. Instead, the Obama administration is asserting a claim of executive privilege for the reasons laid out in Eric Holder’s letter to President Obama dated June 19.

Holder’s letter is a remarkable document. Viewed from a strictly technical standpoint, it is a terrible piece of legal work. Its arguments are weak at best; in some cases, they are so frivolous as to invite the imposition of sanctions if they were asserted in court.

Obama’s Claim of Executive Privilege: It’s Frivolous

I will say "amen"

Dear PowerLine:

Just read your moving tribute to Jimmy Webb (and Glen Campbell) which ends:

...Webb writes that he has been a fan of Campbell since he first heard "Turn Around and Look At Me" when he was 14. He says that he considers Campbell "the greatest natural entertainer and performer that America has ever produced."

"I used to literally pray that God would let me grow up and be a songwriter and be lucky enough to have Glen Campbell record one of my songs," Webb writes. "I rest my case for the existence of God." Will somebody say amen?

In the '60's I was attending the University of Hawaii (a Music Major and member of the Musicians Union from 1965).

I discovered Richard Harris and, Jimmy Webb...and played those albums over every day for a long time.

After having moved to L.A. (again) in the early '70's so my ex could go to law school at USC, I kept on playing and found myself in a group called "Green" (don't ask) being produced by Jimmy Webb at the infamous Record Plant. I thought I was in Heaven working with him, not to mention the single, crystalline comment forever enshrined in my memory: "I like the way you play piano."

Amen...indeed.

Support Trader Joe's. Buy Israeli products.

PowerLine Reports

Please make a point of shopping at Trader Joe's over the coming days and weeks. Please go out of your way to introduce yourselves to store-managers and to let them know that one of the reasons that you are patronizing their store is precisely because of their principled and courageous determination to continue selling Israeli products. Let them know that you know of many others who feel this way, who might not choose to introduce themselves personally, but who have determined to support Trader Joe's all the more so because of its decision.
Wherever you may shop - for groceries and otherwise, please consider both or either (a) going out of your way to purchase Israeli products and/or (b) thanking store-managers or proprietors for carrying Israeli products.

Learn more about this immediate concern by reading the report issued on the StandWithUs website (StandWithUs is a Los Angeles based Israel-advocacy organization that does outstanding work).

Nesweek Editor: Obama "sort of God"

There was a time when this would have been called blasphemy...

Newsweek editor Evan Thomas brought adulation over President Obama’s Cairo speech to a whole new level on Friday, declaring on MSNBC: "I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God."

Newsbusters.org reports

HAT TIP: PowerLine

The facts that judges choose to see?

White House Damage Control On Sotomayor

Message from an ACORN whistleblower

Read it here

Why I am depressed

I feel utterly powerless to do anything about the fellow in the Oval Office who combines infantile leftism and adolescent grandiosity in roughly equal measures. It seems to me that every day he is responsible for assaults on the freedom and well being of the American people. I can't keep up and I can't stand to pay attention.

Read the whole thing