I Don’t Care About Ukraine

 

OK OK, I’ll start off by admitting that was a bit of a clickbait headline (but still, thanks for clicking and thanks in advance - as always - for reading!). I do care about Ukraine and Ukrainians, at least in a metaphysical, overarching, ‘peace on earth,’ ‘suffering is bad,’ sort of way, the kind of feelings humans are reflexively supposed to have about humanity in general. No sane, non-psychopath wants to see people suffer. Ideally, I’d love to see Ukrainians prosperous, happy, and at peace, just as I’d like to see the rest of the planet. But I’ll admit I’m not exactly losing any sleep over it either, and that lies at the root of the provocative headline.

I suppose the closest comparison is how I felt when confronted with images of emaciated, suffering Ethiopians as a child. Remember that whole “eat your dinner because starving Ethiopians would love to have what’s on your plate right now, blah blah blah” spiel we all probably got in some form or fashion from our parents growing up? Sure, the images from those Sally Struthers commercials were sad, but it’s not like I cried like I did when my grandparents died, and I certainly didn’t eat that disgusting boiled cabbage my mom made sometimes. (I’m not sure she ever packed it up and sent it to them, but I’m pretty sure I told her she was welcome to more than once.)

That’s the thing about suffering. Humans just aren’t equipped to process all of the awful things that happen to every other human being on the planet. And that’s a good thing, given just how much suffering is going on right now. Upwards of 150,000 people die every single day from a gazillion awful causes, including the more than three dozen wars and armed conflicts taking place this very moment. All of those deaths, to one degree or another, involve a tremendous amount of suffering on the part of both the deceased as well as those who love them. Imagine how awful it would be to have to emotionally feel the pain felt by the families of all those people, day after day, every single day?

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We don’t feel that pain because we can’t, and that’s a good thing because if we could it would drive us crazy. Instead, as we should, we care about our loved ones first, then our friends, then those in our community, then our country, and on out from there. At least that’s how it’s supposed to be. But what happens when outside forces interject to upend this natural order? Why do so many Americans deeply care, or at least say they deeply care, about what’s going on in Ukraine right now? We all know the answer, of course. In terms of the hierarchy of ‘caring,’ things directly in front of us get placed above things that aren’t. 

Sure, most of us probably didn’t lose sleep over those starving Ethiopians, but the fact that Struthers put their plight in front of millions of Americans ultimately led to millions of dollars of aid. Good for her, and them! But what happens when the coverage is 24/7 and almost entirely slanted in favor of one view of what would otherwise be a very ‘gray area’ issue? Media, especially when it’s unified, has the remarkable capability to manipulate impressionable consumers into supporting whatever cause du jour that bolsters the agenda they want to push. And yes, judging by what has relentlessly dominated our media airwaves over the past month, it’s no wonder everyone has such strong opinions about what’s going on in Ukraine.

That’s right. If you agree wholeheartedly with the mainline view of Russian vs Ukraine, you’re likely being manipulated, just as, granted, millions of Russians are doubtless being manipulated by their own state-run media. The truth, however, likely lies somewhere in between the two narratives of Ukraine as sorely in need of the kind of “denazification” and “peacekeeping” only total conquest and leveling a few cities for good measure will accomplish and Ukraine as a plucky democracy whose non-corrupt, non-authoritarian leadership did absolutely nothing wrong or non-provocative toward Russia.

Meanwhile, mainline Democrats and bloodthirsty neocons in this country are perfectly content to ‘wage war’ on Russia from their comfortable armchairs until the very last Ukrainian is dead and the country is a heaping pile of ruins. Instead of helping to negotiate an end to hostilities or  (unwisely) going all-in with the manpower necessary to actually defeat Russia, the West sends just enough weapons to keep the war - and the deaths - going indefinitely. Where’s the morality or humanity in that? 

Do Ukrainian lives matter? Of course, they do! Just as much as mine or yours or anyone else’s. But what is it about this very avoidable conflict (avoidable on BOTH ends) that elicits such strong emotions? Why is it that you find yourself all of a sudden in lockstep with the likes of Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney, Lindsey Graham, virtually all mainline Democrats, and freaking GEORGE SOROS on this issue? Don’t you find that just a bit creepy and unnerving?

If you read this column regularly, you probably voted for Donald Trump in one or both of the last two presidential elections. You also likely know that Trumpism is about avoiding war, not fomenting it, fighting proxy wars, and flirting with World War III. Given media bias & manipulation and the unavoidable fog of war, it’s impossible to know what the exact truth is on any aspect of the Ukraine / Russia conflict or even if we’ll ever truly find out. Nevertheless, I feel fairly comfortable saying with a fair degree of certainty that alignment with the aforementioned creeps is the exact opposite of MAGA.

For God's Sake, This Man (Biden) Cannot Remain in Power

 

At his recent rallies, President Donald Trump correctly outlined the devastation that his successor has caused. He said, “you could take the five worst Presidents in American history and put them together and they would not have done the damage that Joe Biden has done” during his short tenure in office.

In less than fifteen months in office, President Joe Biden has done incredible harm to his country. Our once secure borders are wide open and millions of illegal aliens have poured into our nation. This has led to a massive increase in illegal drugs flowing into the country, resulting in over100,000drug overdose deaths.

Crime and homelessness are soaring in our urban areas controlled by Democratic Party politicians. Americans face a triple economic threat with rising inflation, gasoline prices at historic highs and supply chain issues causing empty shelves at grocery stores. This week, Biden even admitted the “real” danger of food shortages in the upcoming months.

In response to the Russian invasion into Ukraine, Biden ordered the halt of Russian oil imports into our country. Discussions were soon held about replacing that oil with supplies from the dictatorship of Venezuela.

Instead of unleashing our domestic oil and gas industry and returning to the energy independence the country enjoyed during the Trump administration, Biden prefers to remain beholden to the climate change fanatics and import more oil from foreign dictatorships.

Although his domestic agenda is catastrophic, Biden is inflicting even more damage in the areas of national security and foreign policy. His withdrawal of military forces from Afghanistan was more humiliating than our departure from Vietnam in 1975.

We left Americans and Afghan allies behind enemy lines, along with$85 billionin military equipment for the Taliban terrorists to use. Most significantly, thirteen miliary heroes were killed by a suicide bomber in an incident that should have never happened.

This disastrous departure from Afghanistan surely emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine and unleash the disaster that is now engulfing that country. While doing nothing to prevent the invasion, such as guaranteeing Russia that Ukraine would not become a member of NATO, Biden has been escalating his responses in recent weeks. Along with issuing a series of strong economic sanctions against the Russian government, Putin and key oligarchs that support him, the Biden administration has also provided billions of dollars in military equipment to the Ukrainian government.

Undoubtedly, the American people support the Ukrainians in their fight for independence. However, it is unlikely that the American people want to start World War III with a country that has6,500nuclear warheads, about315more than our military possesses.

Regardless of the wishes of the American people, Biden seems intent on antagonizing Putin. Last March, he called him “a killer,” but that is practically a compliment compared to what he has labeled him in the past ten days.

According to Biden, Putin is both “a war criminal,” and “a butcher.” In addition, he ended his speech in Poland with this astounding impromptu statement, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”

All these comments were both reckless and unprecedented for an American President to make. The statements were so bellicose that French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his disagreement. He said, “I would not use that kind of language. If a ceasefire is to be brokered, we must not escalate — neither through words nor actions.”

Unfortunately, the United States seems to be totally uninterested in brokering any kind of peace deal. The intermediary for peace negotiations has been the country of Turkey. Ending the conflict, not prolonging it, should be the focus of the Biden administration and our NATO allies.

Sadly, in his condition, Biden is in no position to lead any kind of international effort in response to this invasion. He is clearly suffering from a mental decline that is accelerating.

While claiming that our European allies universally believe he is “up to the job,” it is obvious that Biden is a dangerous “gaffe machine” who may lead our country into a catastrophic war that may result in an unimaginable death toll.

Back in January of 2022, he claimed that a “minor incursion” by the Russians would lead to a NATO debate about “what to do.” This potential green light for the Russians caused confusion among our allies.

In recent days, Biden has made one perplexing remark after another. He claimed that sanctions would “never deter” Russia, although his administration officials said otherwise on multiple occasions. On the issue of the potential Russian use of chemical or biological weapons, Biden threatened to respond, “in kind.”

While addressing our Army’s 82^ndAirborne Division in Poland, Biden promised the soldiers that they will witness brave Ukrainians “when you’re there.” This contradicted his commitment to keep our troops out of the country. Later, his staff tried to fix the mess by stating that “we are not sending US troops to Ukraine.”

All these horrendous verbal misstatements on incredibly critical issues are troubling. As the rhetoric has become inflamed, the Biden administration decided to change course on their policy concerning the use of nuclear weapons.

Henceforth, the United States will retain the right to launch a “first strike” nuclear attack in “extreme circumstances” to deter conventional, chemical, or biological warfare.

No American should have any confidence in the ability of 79-year-old Joe Biden to lead our country in a crisis or a war. His disastrous stewardship of the COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect example. Despite the mandates, lockdowns and vaccines pushed by President Biden, almost one million Americans died, the vast majority during his administration.

A nuclear war with Russia would make the COVID-19 death numbers look minuscule in comparison. One analysis estimated 91.5 million deaths in just the few first hours of a US/Russian nuclear war, meaning the end of civilization.

During this dangerous time, are we comfortable trusting a mentally debilitated man prone to outbursts at the helm?

9 Reasons Why Anime Is Experiencing a Huge Growth in Popularity

 

Whether you’re a fan of Japanese culture or have stuck to mainly western forms of entertainment, anime is a term that you’ve likely heard of. With an industry that exceeds $19.1 billion USD in its home country of Japan, anime is experiencing a surge of popularity overseas in the west which is contributing to its record revenue sales.

However, many people assume that anime is restricted to its video incarnation. These days, even the word “anime” has grown past its original meaning and is now a term used to describe art or even games that originate from Japan and is drawn and created in its iconic style. In this post, we’ll be covering 10 reasons why anime has experienced massive growth in popularity over the past few years and why it will continue to make its way to our shores.

1. Fresh storytelling with unique ideas

As a storytelling medium, anime (and the source material, often a comic known as a “manga”) offers its creators a lot of flexibility due to the lack of preconceived notions and pressure from publishers. You see, a lot of manga series are created by regular people with main jobs who pursue manga as a hobby or passion. If they create something that is truly loved by their fans, then it might be picked up by a studio and turned into an animated series. There are also light novel writers that follow the same path.

Since the authors of the source material aren’t restricted by their publisher or pressure from the community, they’re able to create in an environment that doesn’t impede their ideas. The authors also come from many different walks of life, whether they’ve been working in construction, have had a difficult time finding a job or even experienced a great personal loss. This is what gives anime serious topics and relatable characters, but also eccentric comedy and outrageous tropes.

2. An art form with many applications

The term anime has evolved from its original definition that described an animated series. Nowadays, the term anime is attributed to almost anything that is created in the Japanese art style. People now use terms such as anime games, anime music and even anime aesthetic. As an art form, it has many applications which have helped it grow in popularity by infiltrating various different creative mediums.

Some popular anime games are created with source material from well-known series. This is seen in many Dragon Ball games. However, there are some anime games which are completely original works that could eventually lead to an anime series or even a franchise. This is how Pokémon, a beloved series worldwide, got its start. The franchise began in 1996 as the games Pokémon Red and Green (Red and Blue outside of Japan) and eventually led to an anime series in 1997. The series was then imported overseas to the United States with a dub in 1998.

3. A deep and rich history

Anime technically started over a century ago in 1917 with one of the first animated films being released in Japan. More recent anime tropes started around 1970 with the 1980s being known as the “golden age” of anime. This is where Japanese animation exploded with different genres. In the background, manga authors were still hard at work creating original series, but new blood was also being introduced after being inspired by works created during the 1970s.

This is just the tip of the history that surrounds Japanese animation. The history of Japanese animation is intriguing, deep and much of it can only be experienced by visiting Japan and surrounding yourself in its culture.

4. An eye into Japanese culture

When it comes to exploring other cultures, anime is a fantastic gateway into the vastly different lifestyles that Japanese people live. While anime isn’t always the best representation of Japanese lifestyles and culture, it does make heavy references to it. From Japanese fables and legends to even historical figures, anime has found a way to take Japanese culture and traditions and make it palatable to western audiences.

It’s an incredibly unique and interesting way to learn more about Japan, that can be done online via a fierce PC. Since it’s vastly different from what many people in the west are used to, it intrigues them and invites them to learn more about the message beneath the show. While some viewers do take what they see on the screen a little too literally, it goes without saying that anime can be a window into what life is like on the other side of the world.

5. Serious topics and relatable characters

Despite anime essentially being an animated cartoon, there are actually many anime series that explore mature themes with relatable characters. It’s much like watching a serious western drama series with the exception that often taboo themes, such as depression and suicide, aren’t always ruled out. This is a far cry from cartoon series in the west which are generally comical, laid-back and far from anything resembling reality.

Whether it’s struggling to find a purpose in life or coping with mental illness and PTSD, there are some very mature themes hiding under the cutesy and colourful appearance of many anime series. Anime has a stereotype of being aimed towards children, but there’s no recommended age for anime since it can vary from adolescent years to mature adults. The beauty of a quality anime series is that the storytelling is perfectly woven with its underlying messages. Without further inspection and deeper exploration, some messages might never be uncovered.

6. Eccentric tropes and visuals

Anime is known for its eccentric animation, ridiculous tropes and bucketloads of fanservice. The anime equivalent of the mandatory sex scene in western drama shows would be the sudden panty flash or breast jiggle. Move past the erotic tones and you’ll find beautifully-rendered backgrounds, incredible animation and tear-jerking musical scores. Anime is hard to define and simply calling it an animated cartoon doesn’t do it justice.

Nowadays, anime studios are experimenting more with 3D software and different techniques to improve visual fidelity while also speeding up production times. Some of these attempts have been incredibly successful, while others have created less-than-stellar experiences that are shunned by purists. Either way, anime studios have found a way to create some serious eye candy that is a real treat to experience in full quality.

7. Piracy

In the past, anime wasn’t very accessible. Many shows in Japan were subbed or even dubbed incredibly slowly and only the most popular shows such as Dragonball and Sailor Moon saw western releases. That changed with the advent of the internet and fansubbing communities that took it upon themselves to record, translate and share anime. This was essentially piracy, but also the only way to watch anime without importing media that western fans couldn’t understand. This meant that you didn’t need to pay for anime at all, making it a “free” form of entertainment for western audiences.

Even today, there exists many fansubbing communities that aim to provide a pure translation of a show that is unaffected by political correctness and censorship that is rampant in the industry. Many fans of anime still appreciate and support these efforts, despite it being piracy. But as the community has grown and anime is made more accessible, fans are still given the opportunity to support overseas anime efforts by purchasing official dubbed and subbed anime or subscribing to video-on-demand services while choosing to watch community fan translations.

8. Modern accessibility

In order to combat piracy and give fans a legitimate way to enjoy subbed and subbed anime, there has been a surge of streaming services and publishers on the western side of the industry. There are countless streaming websites for anime fans that charge a small monthly subscription, and some of these websites even offer simultaneous viewing so they can watch the latest episodes fully translated as they release in Japan.

This accessibility has certainly made it easier for fans to support anime import efforts and it’s also contributing to the overall popularity of anime since it allows average entertainment consumers to explore the genre. This is compounded by western streaming services such as Netflix offering their own anime shows and even acquiring licenses to show popular anime series.

9. Anime convention culture

Lastly, we can’t forget about anime convention culture. With massive conventions such as Anime Expo, Anime Boston, Sakura-Con and Otakon all over the United States, it’s clear that anime has become a cultural phenomenon that is loved by western audiences. There are also countless conventions across the world that take place in Europe, Africa and of course, Asia.

Convention culture has paved the way for many new hobbies, career opportunities and communities. Whether it’s spending countless hours designing a costume of your favourite character, setting up a pop-up shop to sell fan merchandise or even trading rare figurines and collectables, there’s something for everyone at anime conventions.

Anime might not be cool, but it’s definitely getting popular

 

First aired in 2013, Attack on Titan redefines what anime can be. It lacks many classic anime tropes – ridiculous outfits, guaranteed wins, power of friendship – which makes it a great show for people who can’t get into the anime medium.

“I actually spend time out of my day to catch up on whatever I need to watch because it does get really interesting, and most of the time it leaves me in suspense,” Sanchez said. “I would say my day’s incomplete unless I watch at least one episode.”

Anime is a style of Japanese animation usually derived from manga, or Japanese graphic novels. It’s aimed at both child and adult audiences, though some of the most internationally well-known ones – like Dragonball Z and Pokémon – had primarily young watchers. Those two shows belong to a genre known as shounen, in which the stories are aimed at young teenage boys. Strong, male main characters, plenty of fight scenes, guaranteed wins – these stereotypes run rampant in the shounen sub-genre but don’t define anime as a whole.

Anime genres can be anything from cutesy slice-of-life presentations to gritty, psychological horror. In other words, they can be just as diverse as any other entertainment medium. The defining characteristics of anime are the Japanese culture and 2D art and animation style. Large eyes, exaggerated hairstyles and dramatic voice acting are present in nearly all anime, though they are subject to variation depending on the genre.

From Skeptics to Fans

Medill freshman Allison Rauch’s boyfriend had always been a fan of anime, but Rauch herself didn’t indulge in his interests until April of last year.

“A lot of my friends were really into it,” she said, “but I didn't really start watching it more regularly until this past year during quarantine because my boyfriend wanted me to watch with him.”

It took them a couple tries to find something Rauch liked (the action ones were too “intense and dramatic” and she found romance to be “really annoying”), but in the end the first one that hooked her was Erased, a 12-episode supernatural mystery. They’re currently watching The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, a satirical comedy.

Kusuo Saiki just wants a normal life, but that’s impossible for someone gifted with psychic powers. As a gag anime, Saiki K doesn’t bother with a continuous plot. Each episode is usually a self-contained story revolving around Saiki’s attempts to keep his classmates from finding out about his psychic abilities. 

Saiki K follows Kusuo Saiki, a cynical high school student with psychic abilities. Most of the episodes revolve around him desperately trying to keep his abilities a secret from the rest of the oddball cast. The series pokes fun at typical anime tropes such as unnatural hair colors, lack of time continuity and the hopelessly oblivious love interest. Anime comedy is typically centered around simple, slapstick comedy paired with exaggerated reactions, so rather than rejecting those stereotypes, Saiki K builds depth and heart into them until they barely resemble their cookie-cutter origins.

“I did have kind of a negative opinion of it, honestly,” Rauch admitted in regards to her former attitude about anime. “This sounds so mean, but the people I knew in middle school that were into it were kind of weird, and some of the anime I had seen also seemed really out there. But Saiki K, I love that kind of satirical humor anyway. I think through giving the genre a try I've been able to find stuff I really like.”

Bienen and Weinberg freshman Greta McNamee started watching Banana Fish, a heavy crime-thriller anime set in New York City, after seeing a lot of TikToks about it. “They were like, ‘wow, this ruined my life,’” she said. “I was like, ‘I'm ready to get my life ruined,’ so I went to Amazon Prime and watched it. There were so many emotions, but it was really good.”

Banana Fish has elements of both action-packed mafia and romance, but it also digs at a lot of dark, deep themes. Don’t expect it to be an uplifting show, but it will probably leave some kind of impact on you. GIF by Amy Guo / North by Northwestern

McNamee also watched a significantly less tragic show called Haikyuu!! It’s a slice-of-life anime about a young, up-and-coming volleyball team.

“It was really sweet, especially since I was in some extracurriculars in high school where we were really close and also had rival schools that we competed against,” she said. “ I don't necessarily want to go back to high school or anything, but it was cute to watch.”

At a glance, volleyball isn’t the most dramatic sport, but Haikyuu!! has had viewers on the edge of their seats as they cheered a high school boys volleyball team to victory. The show’s colorful characters, visuals and classic drawn-out anime drama make for an uplifting story … which might be a necessary palate cleanser if you decide to watch shows like Attack on Titan or Banana Fish. GIF by Amy Guo / North by Northwestern

Anime in Streaming Services

Sanchez isn’t the only person getting into the anime scene for the first time. Netflix reported that over 100 million households around the world watched at least one anime title in the first nine months of 2020, a 50% increase from 2019. Even Northwestern’s Anime Club membership has more than doubled since the start of the school year.

According to Weinberg junior and NU Anime Club president David Marentic, the most significant increase in club membership came this school year and brought the organization’s roster to 39, more than double the number at the start of September. Even though the club’s numbers are rising, for most veteran anime watchers at Northwestern, the most salient difference this year is a cultural shift.

“It's becoming less of a niche thing, especially now that Netflix picked up a bunch [of shows],” said McCormick sophomore Kevin Xue, the Anime Club’s tech chair. “I think that was a really big turning point in terms of people starting to watch it because everyone has Netflix.”

Although Netflix first ventured into anime in 2014, it wasn’t until 2017 that the streaming service announced it would be spending a sizable chunk of its budget on the medium, according to The Verge. Netflix is home to some of the most mainstream shows: My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Since Netflix’s entire platform isn’t dedicated to anime, some of the more underground shows get left behind. That’s where anime-specific streaming services like Funimation and Crunchyroll are available to pick up the slack, according to McCormick sophomore and Anime Club secretary Antony Traino.

Crunchyroll has seen a large increase in paying subscribers in recent years, and Funimation announced last December that they would be buying the competing streaming service. They invested significant resources into bringing anime culture to an international stage by streaming currently-airing shows and selling official merchandise and DVDs. Funimation operates SimulDubs, which is anime dubbed over with English-speaking voice actors. Most anime is produced in Japan and is therefore in Japanese, so not having to read subtitles can make anime more accessible to new viewers.

There’s also more anime coming out that appeals to groups beyond the established anime-viewing demographic. Shows like Attack on Titan tend to step away from Japanese culture and toward internationally-appealing concepts.

“There's good stuff out there, and I think that causes the stigma to go down,” Xue said. “The more the stigma goes down, the more the popularity goes up, and the more popularity goes up, the more the stigma goes down.”

Traino also thought anime’s popularity was a good development.“For anyone who was trying to be a hipster and watch anime because it wasn't mainstream, it's a terrible thing,” he said. “But it's also great for people who started watching in earnest in 2009. Back in that time it was not really okay, but now you get a lot more widespread acknowledgement that it’s a real art form and not just some fringe media.”

Anime is certainly gaining greater attention in the U.S. The movie sequel to Kimetsu no Yaiba, otherwise known as Demon Slayer in English, which outsold Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed 2003 film Spirited Away, is set to release to U.S. theaters in late April. Koyoharu Gotouge, the author of the manga that Demon Slayer was based on, was even recognized in the 2021 TIME100 Next list.

Internet Cultures Boost Anime’s Popularity

Traino also cited a slightly less official reason for anime’s increase in popularity: memes.

“Very much anime has taken over meme culture,” he said. “There's a lot more anime memes over the past few years, like the evolution of the Jojo reference.”

The song “Roundabout” by Yes was used as an ending song for the first season of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, but the “To Be Continued” arrow was an original product of the anime.

“Il vento d’oro,” otherwise known as Giorno’s Theme, is part of the soundtrack of season four of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The 3:45 timestamp of the full song is the most iconic part, though.

Running while leaning forward with your arms stretched out behind you is commonly referred to as “Naruto running.” Although it’s used in other anime, it was popularized by Naruto and has found itself all over the internet since then, even showing up in live reporting footage. GIF by Amy Guo / North by Northwestern

This is the opening song to the anime Bakemonogatari. An English cover of the song has been making its way around TikTok, so although the words might not feel familiar, the melody will.

“It can be reminiscent of a cartoon to some people,” McNamee said, “which can really scratch an itch because some people like being transported back to their childhood. It's hard not to like it, you know?”

For the foreseeable future, McNamee, Sanchez and Rauch are going to stick with the rising medium.

“[My boyfriend’s] gonna make me keep watching with him, but I think I'll keep watching by myself,” Rauch said. “I might explore some of the shows that’ve been recommended to me.”

Sanchez added, “I feel like more people are watching [anime in] their spare time. They want to get something new. Even now I'm trying to get some friends to watch it. Now I'm that guy.”

5 Reasons Anime Popularity Is Booming

 You’ve undoubtedly heard the term anime before. Anime is a word that most people have encountered at some point in their lives. With a revenue of more than $19 billion USD in Japan, anime is experiencing an unprecedented rise in popularity overseas, with a contributing role to its record sales.

Anime is a style of animated art that has gained popularity in recent years. It’s all about bright colors, creative characters, and fantastic tales. Have you ever wondered why anime is so popular? Why is it so appealing to audiences?

There are several anime video applications that just provide anime streaming. Because there are over 2 billion people on the planet who enjoy this form of entertainment.

But have you ever thought, in the past, TV was the only medium to watch movies and shows? But now people can watch TV shows, movies, and a lot more on different platforms and streaming services on a variety of different devices.

Now, the world has different means and platforms of entertainment to watch their favorite shows and movies. Netflix is one of those platforms because it provides many choices for what people want to watch.

Now, a new choice that Netflix has is anime, it is a whole new genre that some people may not have seen before but now they will watch it just because it will be a whole new experience for them. This is also a reason that anime has become more popular in the world.

But like other content, some anime movies are also not available in some regions due to some geo-restriction policies. However, people still want to watch these anime movies and they will try to find them on Netflix and they will try to watch Netflix and its restricted content and for this, they will try to get help from a VPN.
What is Anime?

Anime means animation in Japanese. It is different from cartoons. Anime can be found all over the world and usually has characters with unique personalities and stories.

The majority of anime movies are based on manga or light novels. These animations frequently have strong themes, such as blood, death, and sexuality. Despite the mature subject matter mentioned above, this type of anime is extremely popular among many people!

So, why is anime becoming so popular these days? Let’s look at some of the reasons for its popularity. We’ll go through 5 reasons why anime is so famous in this blog.

The Diverse Variety of Stories

The wide range of genres in anime is the first reason why it is so popular. Every person enjoys a different story, genre, and style in anime! Romance, comedy, action/adventure, mystery/suspense, and horror are just a few of the many genres explored by anime plots. So you may begin with an interesting area you enjoy.

Anime series come with different types of stories. There are many spaces for the artist to think creatively and create new plots. This is why anime lovers can get a different taste in each show. Besides, there are stories that everyone can enjoy, so they make good gifts to share with friends and family members.
Anime on Netflix

Netflix is the most popular streaming app. Over the last year, they have added anime series and movies to their service. Netflix now has a category for all of the anime that they offer.

This means that people who are not into anime can find it on this site. It also gives other people more options if they cannot find what they are looking for at other sites. After reading this if you are getting interested in Anime so here is the list of best Netflix Anime to watch in 2021.
Solid Visuals

Anime is often about fighting or battles, which is very entertaining for many viewers. Skilled artists who put lots of time into the art create anime where everything has details. These are reasons why people who like quality work watch anime.

If you look at the characters, their drawings are very detailed. You can see how their faces change. Even the backgrounds have shadows and lights that make it seem like a real scene.
Relatable Characters and Real Topics

Though anime is a series of cartoons, it can also be about things that happen in the real world. It does not just talk about good things like happiness and laughter. Anime can also show topics like sadness and depression.

Anime is different from Western cartoons. Anime series are more serious, but they are also colorful and cute. They have themes like PTSD and mental illness, difficulty in finding life’s purpose, and struggling to survive.

Anime is not just for children. It is for anyone who watches it. The age to watch it can vary from mature adults to adolescents. The key draw with anime is that the story and message are woven together nicely. You must find the message by deeper understanding and inspection of the anime.
A deep and rich history

Anime began a long time ago. In 1917, one of the first animated films was made in Japan. During the 1970s, anime exploded and there were many different genres. Many new authors were inspired by what was going on during the 1970s and they started to create original series as well as manga.

This is just a trip to the history of Japanese animation. The history is interesting and deep. To experience more, you need to visit Japan and be surrounded by its culture.
Wrapping up

Newer anime series are coming out. They have new themes and they’re more popular now. That’s good news for both the people who like old anime and people who like newer ones and it will give more rise to anime.

Man Told by an Officer That He Could Enter the Capitol on Jan. 6 Now Faces 20 Years in Prison

 

On Jan. 6, 2021, a protestor, 40-year-old Brady Knowlton, says that an officer at the Capitol told “You can go in, as long as you don’t break anything.” At 2:35 p.m., Knowlton did, entering through the Upper West Terrace doors. He looked around inside the building, walked through the Rotunda, lobby, and Senate chamber gallery, obeyed the officer’s injunction not to break anything, and left the building at 2:53 p.m. For that, Knowlton now faces twenty years in prison in Old Joe Biden’s vengeful banana republic.

On top of the possibility of being behind bars until 2042, Knowlton, a law student, has suffered numerous other consequences already. According to the Daily Wire, “his law degree has been withheld, his lawyers say, Airbnb has banned him and his wife, and, for reasons that remain undisclosed, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has stripped his Global Entry access.”

According to the charges filed against him in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Knowlton “did unlawfully and knowingly enter and remain in a restricted building and grounds.” He also “did knowingly, and with intent to impede and disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business and official functions, engage in disorderly and disruptive conduct in and within such proximity to, a restricted building and grounds, that is, any posted, cordoned-off, and otherwise restricted area within the United States Capitol and its grounds, where the Vice President and Vice President-elect were temporarily visiting.” He “willfully and knowingly engaged in disorderly and disruptive conduct within the United States Capitol Grounds. He “willfully and knowingly entered and remained in the gallery of either House of Congress, without authorization to do so.”

If Knowlton’s contention that a police officer said he could go in is true, it vitiates all these charges, and Knowlton’s claim is certainly corroborated by photographic and video evidence of cops at the Capitol opening gates, holding the doors open for protestors, and reports that police even posed for selfies with protestors. Also, when the FBI raided Knowlton’s home, they found no evidence whatsoever “concerning the breach and unlawful entry” of the Capitol, or “of any conspiracy, planning, or preparation,” or “maps or diagrams” of the Capitol, or of any “materials, devices, or tools” that Knowlton might have planned to use to get inside.

So why is the government pursuing Knowlton with such ferocity? The answer to that is clear: he is being set up to be a fall guy, to validate the Left’s hysterical and counterfactual claims about Jan. 6 by being made to play the role of the “insurrectionist” who was determined to destroy “our democracy” and install Trump as a dictator.

Imagine a country that imprisons peaceful protestors on false charges of participating in an attempt to overthrow the government, as part of efforts to discredit and ultimately criminalize all opposition to the ruling party’s agenda. People who entered a public building when police held the door open for them are being held in solitary confinement and given draconian punishments far out of proportion to what they actually did. This is the sort of thing that happens in Third World countries, right? This is the sort of thing tinpot dictators do in banana republics, where the rulers gained power by underhanded means and have no respect for due process, the rule of law, or the rights of their citizens — right? Maybe so, but the cases of Knowlton and other Jan. 6 protestors show that all this and worse is happening right now in the land of the free and the home of the brave, where up until quite recently, it all would have been unthinkable.

Compare the treatment of Knowlton and the other Jan. 6 scapegoats to the treatment of Quintez Brown, the Black Lives Matter activist who recently shot at Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg. Journalist Miranda Devine noted that Brown was “portrayed sympathetically by the media and immediately bailed out of jail by his Black Lives Matter comrades, who crowdfunded the $100,000 cost.” Devine added that Brown was “a celebrated gun control advocate, anointed as a rising star by the Obama Foundation, he was an honored guest on Joy Reid’s MSNBC show. He was granted a biweekly opinion column in the Louisville Courier-Journal to spew boilerplate leftist, race-based, anti-cop sentiment.” Brown had, Devine says, “BLM privilege.” Indeed.

In America, we no longer have a single justice system for all people, regardless of race, or of power, or privilege, or the protected victimhood status they may have among the Leftist intelligentsia. We no longer have a justice system that is indifferent to and independent of political pressure. The politically and culturally dominant Left is not content with the massive power and influence it wields now; it is determined to silence all opposition and destroy it utterly.

We have seen the totalitarian impulse of the far-Left play out in revolutionary France, as well as in the Soviet Union, Communist China, Democratic Kampuchea, Fidel Castro’s Cuba, and a host of other places. In every one, the judiciary serves as a tool of the political elites, who wield it in order to prosecute, persecute, and obliterate their opposition. American schools used to teach that our system had a series of built-in checks and balances that would prevent that kind of tyranny from developing.

But now the schools focus on teaching that the Founding Fathers were evil slaveowners and the system they created is just another vehicle of white privilege to be dismantled. By the time the fanatics they have indoctrinated get around to dismantling that system altogether, doing so will be just a formality. The Left has long since hollowed it out and rendered its safeguards meaningless. The persecution of Brady Knowlton and the other Jan. 6 defendants proves that.

The End of the Climate Change Legend

 

For many years now, there has been a spirited debate about whether climate change is science, religion or even perhaps a secret route to socialism. That question remains unanswered, but we’ve now discovered with certainty that climate change is a political albatross around the neck of the Democratic Party.

The Left’s spiritual devotion to climate change has been speeding the Democrats over a political cliff this fall with likely unprecedented losses this November. The zero fossil fuels suicide pact was always an economic and political loser. More than 70% of all the energy we produce and consume in America derives from oil, gas and coal. President Joe Biden’s war on these fuel sources was sure to cause severe shortages and $5 a gallon gasoline at the pump. Didn’t Democrats learn their lesson in 1980 when Ronald Reagan won a landslide election against Jimmy Carter that surging inflation and gas prices is a surefire way to infuriate voters?

While Biden keeps saying he is doing “everything I can to lower gas prices,” he’s speaking out of both sides of his mouth — because if your goal is to get people to stop using something, raising its price is a pretty good way to accomplish that. If prices go to $10 or $15 a gallon, you can clear the highways of trucks and cars altogether, and what a wonderful world it will be.

Democrats were so enamored with their Green New Deal delusion that they failed to understand that most people aren’t as hyper-obsessed with climate change as they are. A new poll sponsored by my group, Committee to Unleash Prosperity, found that people are much more concerned about inflation and high gas prices than climate change. Moreover, the poll found that respondents’ average amount they would be willing to pay for the climate change agenda was $55 a year. Sorry, that’s the extra cost we are already spending with two fill-ups at the gas station.

Then there is the increasingly unavoidable reality that the green energy sources they fantasize about are decades away from being technologically feasible to replace old-fashioned oil, gas and coal. Even the Energy Department predicts that even with the trend toward renewable energy, by 2035, we will still be heavily reliant on oil, gas and coal for electricity production, home heating and transportation fuels.

Elon Musk, the leading champion of electric cars, reminded Biden in a recent tweet that in the real world rather than in la-la land, we are going to need oil and gas for many years to come. Today 3% of cars on the road are electric, and 95% use gas or diesel.

This brings us to yet another fatal flaw of the climate change movement. The Biden administration and its radical green allies can’t explain why getting our energy from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia makes more sense than Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska.

This strategy is especially pinheaded because the war on oil, gas and coal production is a big loser for the environment and increases global greenhouse gas emissions. That is because America has the strictest environmental standards. Shifting oil and gas production to Russia or Iran and shifting coal production to China and India is causing far more air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Chinese President Xi Jinping is busy trying to take over the world economy, and the last thing he or the ruling class in Beijing cares about is climate change.

Finally, Democrats should have learned from the green energy catastrophe of Western Europe. A decade ago, the French, Germans, Italians and others in the European Union moved to a renewable energy future. They slashed much of their oil, gas and coal production, shut down nuclear plants (why?) and subsidized the building of wind turbines and solar panels. It nearly bankrupted Germany as energy prices soared and factories left Europe for America and Asia. A decade later, France is back to building nuclear plants, and Germany is burning more coal than ever before and importing natural gas from Russia. Europe recently redefined natural gas and nuclear power as “clean energy.”

Going green wrecked their economies and submerged these countries deeper into the red. Unfortunately, Americans weren’t paying any attention to that failed experiment. So now Biden is repeating it. The result is likely to be the same. The Democrats’ radical climate change agenda isn’t greening the planet, and it is bankrupting our country. Voters know exactly whom to blame.

Our children’s children will pay for Democrats’ fiscal irresponsibility

 

“So off went the Emperor in procession under his splendid canopy. Everyone in the streets and the windows said, ‘Oh, how fine are the Emperor’s new clothes! Don’t they fit him to perfection? And see his long train!’ Nobody would confess that he couldn’t see anything, for that would prove him either unfit for his position or a fool. No costume the Emperor had worn before was ever such a complete success.

” ‘But he hasn’t got anything on,’ a little child said.”

Listening to the media talk about the proposed spending levels from the liberals in Washington, D.C., makes me think of the people in Hans Christian Andersen’s tale “The Emperor Has No Clothes.” It is as if they are blind to the obvious fact that people like Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are proposing spending trillions of dollars at a time when the federal debt is exceeding the entire U.S. economy. 

It’s time for more of us to be as candid as the child who declared that the emperor “hasn’t got anything on.” In 2020, the federal government spent more than $6.55 trillion while collecting revenues of $3.42 trillion. In May, Joe Biden proposed a federal budget with spending just over $6 trillion and revenues of $4.174 trillion.  

In other words, the federal government continues to spend money it does not have—creating an annual deficit. That is then added to the national debt.  

Before the global pandemic, many of us raised concerns about the national debt exceeding $23 trillion. As of Oct. 1, 2021, the national debt of the United States exceeds $28.8 trillion. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the debt will exceed the entire U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the end of the year. 

In 1970, the national debt was 28.7 percent of GDP. By 1994, it had grown to nearly half at 48.3 percent. It dropped to 30.9 percent in 2001.  During Barack Obama’s tenure, it grew from 43.8 percent in 2008 to 75.9 percent in 2016. And it exploded during the pandemic in 2020. 

Radicals like Mr. Sanders talk about the need for nearly $6 trillion in new big government spending. Their latest proposal adds up to $3.5 trillion. 

The entire federal government budget is $6 trillion, and they want to spend $3.5 trillion. That is more than the national economies of every country in the world except for China, Japan, Germany, and the United States. 

Somebody needs to declare that the emperor “hasn’t got anything on.”

The current national debt now equals more than $86,720 per person — more than $228,999 per taxpayer in America. Think student loan debt is bad? How will you pay for your share of the national debt, especially as it keeps growing?

This gets us back to the issue at hand: Federal lawmakers want to spend trillions more — even after adding trillions of dollars to the federal budget during the past year. We have to push back. 

Joe Biden keeps saying that taxes will only go up on people making more than $400,000 per year. He says you trust him to keep his promises. 

Try telling that to the Americans stuck in Afghanistan. Even the Associated Press fact check acknowledged that Joe Biden broke his promise that the U.S. would not leave Americans stranded in Afghanistan. 

It is like the suggestion that their trillions in new spending actually costs zero. Multiple independent sources have scored their plan as added significantly to the national debt. Besides that, even a child can understand that raising taxes to pay for massive new spending has a cost. 

The liberals plan combines higher taxes with more deficit spending that will be added to the federal debt. However, no matter how it is paid for, they would be spending $3.5 trillion more than the federal government was before the plan. 

Plus, there are other costs to the plan. For example, increased taxes on employers will undoubtedly lead to higher prices for products or fewer workers. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said, “We feel that that’s unfair and absurd, and the American people would not stand for that.” Apparently, she missed out on her Economics 101 class. Numerous studies show that a significant portion of taxes on businesses is passed on to consumers. 

Bottom-line: The federal government has been spending money it does not have for decades. That exploded during the global pandemic. Now, the national debt is exceeding the size of our entire economy.  We should not be adding any new spending to the federal budget. Not $6 trillion, not $3.5 trillion, not even $1.5 trillion. 

It’s time someone spoke up and told Washington politicians that just like the Emperor had no clothes, the federal government has no more money. Just say no!

The wise words of Ronald Reagan

 

Ronald Reagan’s nationally televised address, “A Time for Choosing,” was the manifesto of the modern conservative movement. While he delivered his comments on October 27, 1964, they could have easily been given today.  He laid out the choice between oppressive taxation and excessive government versus lower taxes, limited government, and prosperity. 

Long before he was President or even Governor, Mr. Reagan warned of the government taking too much of our hard-earned money: “No nation in history has ever survived a tax burden that reached a third of its national income.” He understood the negative impact that could have on economic growth and opportunity for America. 

He went on to warn about the size and scope of the federal government: “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So governments’ programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” It is why radicals are pushing so hard to enact massive new spending programs today at the federal level—regardless of the process used or precedent set. They know it will be nearly impossible to repeal them in the future. 

Mr. Reagan spelled out the problems with socialism and Communism.

He told a story that, sadly, could still be told today: “Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, `We don’t know how lucky we are.’ And the Cuban stopped and said, `How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to.’ And in that sentence, he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there’s no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.” 

During his address, Mr. Reagan clearly stated, “And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man.” He went on to spell out the critical issue: “Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant Capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.”

In a preview of the debate we are having today, Mr. Reagan laid out the battle not as left versus right but up or down. He viewed the choice of up being “man’s old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. And regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.” How prolific for the world we live in today as so many are willing to sacrifice our individual liberties for an (often false) sense of safety and security. 

The founders of our country were clear, according to Mr. Reagan: “They knew that governments don’t control things. A government can’t control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, the government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy.”

The view of many on the left and many others in the media these days may be summed up in Mr. Reagan’s comments from 1964: “Yet anytime you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we’re denounced as being against their humanitarian goals. They say we’re always ‘against’ things – we’re never ‘for’ anything.  Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” Isn’t this the essence of cancel culture? 

Mr. Reagan warned of the growing size of the federal bureaucracy: “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So governments’ programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”

In 1964, Mr. Reagan warned of socialism and declared (as many do today) that Democrats were taking the party “of Jefferson, Jackson, and Cleveland down the road under the banners of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin.” He went on to say that those “who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us they have a utopian solution of peace without victory.”

Then, as Mr. Reagan often did, he gave us an optimistic charge when he said: “You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.” With that in mind, it is time for us to stand up to defend freedom and pass it on for the next generation to do the same.

how fast are we re-arming the Ukrainians

 he Ukrainians are holding out, but for how much longer? If the supply lines are not targeted by the Russians, the flow of arms can continue to reach the hands of Ukrainian defenders. Right now, Russian troops are bogged down. That massive 40-mile-long convoy hasn’t moved in days. Russian tanks are running out of gas. So far, they haven’t gained air superiority. And they’re dying by the fistful over there. In a week, more Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine than during our entire war and occupation of Iraq. It’s a total fiasco, but Russia’s military does overpower that of Ukraine. To counter that, scores of ordinary civilians have answered the call to arms. Virtually the entire population has been mustered and if Russia does gain ground, they pay for it with body bags. 

So, how fast are we re-arming the Ukrainians who are having ammunition issues in some parts of the country? Very fast actually. It’s light years faster than an initial $60 million package that was approved months ago. In less than a week, almost 75 percent of a $350 million arms package Biden signed off on was delivered. Good news, but the easy phase is now over (via NYT):

In less than a week, the United States and NATO have pushed more than 17,000 antitank weapons, including Javelin missiles, over the borders of Poland and Romania, unloading them from giant military cargo planes so they can make the trip by land to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and other major cities. So far, Russian forces have been so preoccupied in other parts of the country that they have not targeted the arms supply lines, but few think that can last.

But those are only the most visible contributions. Hidden away on bases around Eastern Europe, forces from United States Cyber Command known as “cybermission teams” are in place to interfere with Russia’s digital attacks and communications — but measuring their success rate is difficult, officials say.

In Washington and Germany, intelligence officials race to merge satellite photographs with electronic intercepts of Russian military units, strip them of hints of how they were gathered, and beam them to Ukrainian military units within an hour or two. As he tries to stay out of the hands of Russian forces in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine travels with encrypted communications equipment, provided by the Americans, that can put him into a secure call with President Biden. Mr. Zelensky used it Saturday night for a 35-minute call with his American counterpart on what more the U.S. can do in its effort to keep Ukraine alive without entering into direct combat on the ground, in the air or in cyberspace with Russian forces.

Mr. Zelensky welcomed the help so far, but repeated the criticism that he has made in public — that the aid was wildly insufficient to the task ahead. He asked for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a shutdown of all Russian energy exports and a fresh supply of fighter jets.

[…]

To understand the warp-speed nature of the arms transfers underway now, consider this: A $60 million arms package to Ukraine that the U.S. announced last August was not completed until November, the Pentagon said.

But when the president approved $350 million in military aid on Feb. 26 — nearly six times larger — 70 percent of it was delivered in five days. The speed was considered essential, officials said, because the equipment — including anti-tank weapons — had to make it through western Ukraine before Russian air and ground forces started attacking the shipments. As Russia takes more territory inside the country, it is expected to become more and more difficult to distribute weapons to Ukrainian troops.

Within 48 hours of Mr. Biden approving the transfer of weapons from U.S. military stockpiles on Feb. 26, the first shipments, largely from Germany, were arriving at airfields near Ukraine’s border, officials said.

The military was able to push those shipments forward quickly by tapping into pre-positioned military stockpiles ready to roll onto Air Force C-17 transport planes and other cargo aircraft, and flying them to about half a dozen staging bases in neighboring countries, chiefly in Poland and Romania.

Still, the resupply effort faces stiff logistical and operational challenges.

“The window for doing easy stuff to help the Ukrainians has closed,” said Maj. Gen. Michael S. Repass, a former commander of U.S. Special Operations forces in Europe.

U.S. officials say Ukrainian leaders have told them that American and other allied weaponry is making a difference on the battlefield. Ukrainian soldiers armed with shoulder-fired Javelin anti-tank missiles have several times in the past week attacked a miles long convoy of Russian armor and supply trucks, helping stall the Russian ground advance as it bears down on Kyiv, Pentagon officials said. Some of the vehicles are being abandoned, officials said, because Russian troops fear sitting in the convoy when fuel-supply tanks are being targeted by the Ukrainians, setting off fireballs.

Keeping that convoy from moving is a top priority because we all know its main objective will probably be to finish encircling Kyiv. The Ukrainians have performed better than expected, brilliantly actually in the wake of an all-out assault by Russian forces. They’re holding on when everyone thought Russian flags would be flying over every major city by this point. Yet, with airports damaged in Russian airstrikes, how can fighter jets from Poland be effective? We’ve green-lit that move. Can they even be transported safely as Russian jets roam the skies? It’s a wait-and-see game, with Ukraine still defying all the odds but for how much longer.

The Progressive Mindset Is Evil

 

I try not to spend a lot of time focused on the enemies of America, but they are plentiful, and a growing percentage of them reside within the United States. Hell, a lot of them are in Congress, the courts, or the White House. But most of them live in academia, many times in between stints in government. They are actively working to make this country worse. 

The progressive mindset is one of, quite honestly, evil. Think of all the progress our species has made throughout all of human history, and we’re watching these people do their damnedest to destroy it. 

Nothing exemplifies this more than the modern left and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. King lays out, in terms so basic even Joe Biden can understand them, his desire for the country to get past the color of a person’s skin. 

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” is one of the most influential lines ever spoken. 

The left is voiding their bowels all over it on a daily basis. 

For example, Donna Johnston was applying for a job at Bridgewater State University. She didn’t get it because she couldn’t justify her skin color, which is white. 

The Boston Globe reports, “Johnston, a licensed social worker from Plainfield, Conn., said she was floored by the question while interviewing to teach sociology at Bridgewater State University last summer when she was also asked to contemplate ‘your white privilege.’ Then in a follow-up, Johnston said she was told that ‘Black students may not be able to relate to you because of your white privilege.’

This is the essence of the progressive philosophy – you are your skin color, sexual orientation, gender, or whatever else the left cooks up to divide people, and nothing more. Stray from what a progressive Democrat thinks you should believe based on any of those irrelevant characteristics, and you are their enemy, and no holds are barred when it comes to destroying anyone the left deems an enemy. 

The Globe, which then quoted a filing from the university, reported, “Any possibility of discriminatory motive is contradicted by the fact that the university ultimately hired two Caucasians,” and that a third hire was a black woman. 

Isn’t this the equivalent of saying you’re not a racist because you have black friends? Liberals always attack these statements, which is stupid because someone who actually is a racist would be very unlikely to have friends who are of the race they hate people over, aren’t they? I mean, that’s what being a racist means, or at least used to. 

Now, racist means you are white. It’s really not any more complex than that. If you’re white, you’re a racist; a racist who benefits wildly from your skin color. No matter your life circumstances – parents, upbringing, schools, family, whatever – you had your life laid out for you because you’re white. 

I had no idea I had it so good as I was burning up on rooftops across Detroit, slopping down 500-degree tar roofing in 95-degree weather. I probably should’ve just sent my landlord my 23 & Me report and a picture of my forearm, rather than busting my ass like a sucker. Does my white privilege get me a refund on the sweat equity and actual financial outlays I’ve had to make? Where do I go to get the time I wasted working toward goals?

I honestly hope students avoid Bridgewater and any institution (educational or otherwise) that blatantly present themselves this way. 

The progressive left has turned the country, especially academia, into a pit of racial obsession. It’s like a Coachella for the Klan, with people segregated in every way we can be differentiated and told to stay away from others, your skin color is your wristband. It’s evil. 

Feel bad because of what your skin looks like, feel like a victim because of yours. The Democrat Party has turned from Martin Luther King’s dream to a racist dystopia. How do you do that and still live with yourself? I don’t know, and I don’t want to.

Insane: Here’s Why an Ex-MSNBC Host Thinks Tucker Carlson and Tulsi Gabbard Should Be Arrested

 

I will keep repeating this question: is Keith Olbermann that bored? Does he need to be reminded that he’s done—cooked? He’s done at ESPN. He lost his show on MSNBC. He lost his show on Current TV. He did weird anti-Trump segments for GQ, where he called on the intelligence communities to leak classified information to expel Trump because…‘orange man—bad.’ Talk about a bumper car ride path towards the end of your career accompanied by a ton of whiplash. Olbermann said he would retire from political commentary, but like Tom Brady—he’s resurfaced. He’s been back to doing these little rants on social media for months now. So, are we shocked that he arose from his darkened lair to declare that a former congresswoman and a Fox News host should be arrested for being Russian assets? No—we shouldn’t (via Mediaite):

Keith Olbermann suggested on Monday that Tucker Carlson and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) should both be arrested and tried by the military.

Per the former cable TV host, both are guilty of being Russian “assets.”

Carlson has been under fire from the left for weeks over his continued commentaries opposing intervention in Ukraine.

[…]

The former Democratic representative has continued to speak out about bio-labs in Ukraine, which have been connected to the U.S., though there is little evidence they are doubling as bioweapons factories.

Landon has more since Olbermann’s remarks were grounded in a segment from The View on this:

They are Russian Assets and there is a war. There’s a case for detaining them militarily. Trials are a sign of good faith and patience on the part of democracy.— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 14, 2022

Co-hosts of “The View” on Monday suggested the Department of Justice investigate Fox News host Tucker Carlson and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) for allegedly being “Russian propagandists” and “shilling” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The segment began with a video clip showing comments Carlson and Gabbard recently made regarding the Russian war on Ukraine. They have each alleged that the U.S. is funding biological weapons in Ukraine, a claim that U.S. officials say is false. Carlson has also claimed that American Democrats have “mandated” that U.S. citizens hate Putin.

Host Ana Navarro said that the DOJ should probe Carlson and Gabbard, claiming that they are “foreign asset[s] to a dictator.”

It’s nothing you haven’t seen before. If you don’t kowtow to the liberal view, you’re a Russian asset. Also, Keith, I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but you can’t hold military trials for Gabbard and Carlson. They’re civilians. Military courts cannot prosecute ordinary citizens when the civilian courts are operational. Also, free speech is not a crime. A simple Google search would have prevented you from making such a heinously stupid take, but then again, your track record of losing gigs speaks for itself.

Minnesota State Democrats Engaged in a Particularly Absurd Display of Pandering on Gas Tax

 

It’s absurd what some people will do in the name of political pandering and vote-getting. Minnesota state Democrats may take the cake, though, as six state representatives went on to introduce a bill recently, only for five of them to then vote against it.

On February 25, six vulnerable Democrats, including State Reps. Zack Stephenson, Dave Lislegard, Dan Wolgamott, Jessica Hanson, Kaela Berg, and Leon Lillie introduced HF 4060, which would enact a gas tax holiday over the summer. 

Minnesota Republicans saw right through the effort, and also called for the gas tax to be permanent. GOP Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller was quoted in reporting from the Associated Press:

GOP Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, of Winona, called the proposal an “election year gimmick,” and called for permanent tax relief. Senate Republicans unveiled an $8.5 billion tax cut proposal on Thursday that would lower the bottom-tier income tax rate from 5.35% to 2.8% and eliminate taxes on all Social Security benefits. 

Republican House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, of Crown, criticized the five Democrats for voting in favor of gas taxes during the past few legislative sessions.

“Now with inflation out of control, and gas and energy prices through the roof in the Walz/Biden economy, they’re pushing a desperate and temporary gas tax holiday,” Daudt said in a statement. “Minnesota voters won’t be fooled.”

It’s not just Republican lawmakers, though. Peter Callaghan, a staff writer for MinnPost.com, also saw the effort for what it was. He tweeted that it was an effort to “reduce… political pressure.”

Minnesota DFL is joining congressional Democrats with proposed gas tax holiday to reduce gas prices – and political pressure – during this summer. pic.twitter.com/JrmOtg4laM— Peter Callaghan (@CallaghanPeter) February 25, 2022

It looks like a classic move of trying to please everyone, but in reality, pleasing nobody. 

Here’s where it gets interesting. On March 7, House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (R) filed a motion to consider the legislation. Callaghan covered the particularly juicy back-and-forth, in his piece for MinnPost.com highlighting “The art and science of forcing ‘bad votes’ at the Minnesota Legislature,” shortly after such theater. Emphasis is added:

Call this one How A Bill Doesn’t Become A Law (but becomes a campaign mailer instead).

It’s about how motions are made and bills are voted on with no intention of them passing. It’s how minority parties, which are usually excluded from decision making, can use the rules and procedures to embarrass the majority.

…

That bill would declare a state gas-tax holiday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That 28-cent-per gallon tax break would save Minnesota drivers roughly $200 million. The money would be replaced in the fund that pays to maintain roads and bridges with cash from the state’s $9.25 billion surplus.

The proposal was introduced by six DFL members in battleground districts, seats that are expected to be contested and help determine majority control of the House next year. Several are from suburban districts that can swing from GOP to DFL depending on the year, while one is from the Iron Range, where Democrats have been losing ground in recent years, and another is from St. Cloud, which has also gone back and forth.

The idea of suspending gas taxes has also garnered support among congressional Democrats for similar reasons: as a way to combat inflation in general and higher gasoline prices specifically in the face of election headwinds for the party, which historically loses seats in a president’s first midterm. Gov. Tim Walz also endorsed a federal moratorium Tuesday and said he was open to a summertime suspension of the state gas tax.

But the concept has drawn criticism from within the DFL, with some in the caucus arguing that it would encourage driving, which contributes to release of greenhouse gasses. It is unlikely that if the bill came to the House floor for final passage it could pass without GOP votes.

…

The DFL majority could easily block the motion, so both sides knew this was an exercise. And both sides treated it as theater. While the DFL was the target this time, the party’s lawmakers have in the past used similar maneuvers — and might do so again. No reason, then, to get too upset. 

“Premium fuel, huh?” joked House Speaker Melissa Hortman when Daudt finished and before she recognized House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. The Golden Valley DFLer urged his members to vote no on the Daudt motion, quoting the minority leader calling the proposed moratorium “desperate and temporary “ and a “gimmick” when it was introduced…

Because the motion needed 90 votes to pass, the DFL majority could have allowed some vulnerable members to vote yes. But when the roll was taken, only one did: Rep. Dave Lislegard, DFL-Aurora. 

The motion failed and the bill was sent to committee, where it is likely to remain. The vote, however, will live on — in mailboxes and inboxes throughout the state’s battleground districts.

Only one of the six above voted for the bill, while the five others voted against the bill the six of them had introduced. 

Worse, but then again, not too surprising considering what’s been illustrated here, all six had voted less than a year ago for more than $350 million in a permanent gas tax increase. 

In a memo from last week, which I also covered, the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) included Minnesota as part of possible “Opportunities to flip chambers.”

“As Minnesota is experiencing record inflation alongside soaring gas prices, last week’s developments make it clear Minnesota Democrats are too afraid of their radical liberal base to provide commonsense solutions to lower costs for hardworking Minnesotans,” said RSLC National Press Secretary Stephanie Rivera. “By voting against gas tax relief legislation that they introduced themselves, these five vulnerable Minnesota House Democrats ignored the pain Minnesotans are facing at the pump and showed that sponsoring the bill was nothing more than a stunt to save their seats.”

Democrats in Congress have also been up to other shenanigans when it comes to gas and energy. On Wednesday, 218 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives blocked the American Energy Independence from Russia Act (H.R. 6858), after 219 of them voted against it last week.

Further, President Joe Biden on Wednesday also called for gas companies to lower their prices, in a tweet from his official account. 

Oil prices are decreasing, gas prices should too.

Last time oil was $96 a barrel, gas was $3.62 a gallon. Now it’s $4.31.

Oil and gas companies shouldn’t pad their profits at the expense of hardworking Americans. pic.twitter.com/uLNGleWBly— President Biden (@POTUS) March 16, 2022

“Oil and gas companies shouldn’t pad their profits at the expense of hardworking Americans,” the tweet read in part.

So, Russia Wants Alaska Back

 

Things are not going well for Putin as his forces remain stymied by Ukrainian resistance and his country’s economy takes round after round of hits due to sanctions levied by western nations. But Putin’s government is apparently not one to let Russian blunders cause it to miss the opportunity to launch an absurd anti-American propaganda campaign.

This week, Russian Parliament member Oleg Matveychev — known as the “Kremlin’s spin doctor” due to his recurring role as a spokesman for senior Kremlin officials — announced a set of ludicrous demands for the United States in retaliation for American sanctions. 

Ignoring the reality of Putin’s aggression and his forces’ three week war against the people of Ukraine, Matveychev said on Russian state TV that “We should be thinking about reparations from the damage that was caused by the sanctions and the war itself, because that too costs money and we should get it back.” 

Yes, the man representing the regime that chose to invade Ukraine and has since lost not-insignificant numbers of tanks and soldiers to Ukrainians defending their country, thinks the United States needs to pay reparations to Russia. 

Matveychev also called for a “return of all Russian properties, those of the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and current Russia, which has been seized in the United States.” Yep, Russia is demanding Alaska be returned to Russia despite the fact that Russia sold the territory that would later become America’s 49th state to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million.

The demand also includes the return of a former Russian outpost — Fort Ross — north of San Francisco, that Russia sold in the 1840s, plus the ownership of Antarctica which Matveychev explained belongs to Russia because Russia found the continent. Never mind, apparently, that U.S. explorers were the first to set foot on Antarctica and there’s an international treaty — to which Russia is a party — in place to ensure “No new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica shall be asserted.”

Matveychev continued by demanding “the return of all medals that have been unlawfully taken from our sportsmen during all Olympic games” as reparations in addition to Alaska, Russia’s outpost in California, and the continent of Antarctica. 

This unserious posturing is not going to see Biden hand the deed to Alaska back to Russia or allow a Russian outpost in California, but it’s a reminder of the Kremlin’s propaganda machinery that continues to churn out content aimed at shifting blame for the mess Russia created for itself on the United States.

Alaska’s Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy told Russia “good luck with that!” in response to Matveychev’s demands. “Not if we have something to say about it,” he added. “We have hundreds of thousands of armed Alaskans and military members that will see it differently.” 

Good luck with that! Not if we have something to say about it. We have hundreds of thousands of armed Alaskans and military members that will see it differently. https://t.co/ji0Hiza1TE— Governor Mike Dunleavy (@GovDunleavy) March 15, 2022

The Massive Spending Bill Congress Just Passed Is Full of Waste

 

Late last night and as Rebecca reported, Congress passed a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package. It clocked in at 2,741 pages, which lawmakers didn’t have a chance to read before voting. 

As usual, the bill is packed with non-essential, pet projects funded by the American taxpayer. 

Just tipsy skimming through the omnibus.

$200,000,000 for the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund

$50,000,000 for the Women’s Leadership Fund.

We are thirty f**king trillion dollars in debt pic.twitter.com/9ZRKTFUudq— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) March 10, 2022

Help me understand this one….the Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection fees get hit by COVID.

And therefore taxpayers have to give them a $250 million bailout? For not getting their inspection fees? Were they waived or something? pic.twitter.com/HdBop50Ry7— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) March 11, 2022

Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis is blasting the package and voted against the bill. 

“The United States is over $30 trillion in debt, but instead of taking a serious look at our actions, Congress just greenlit a seven percent increase in non-defense discretionary spending,” Senator Lummis said. “Members of Congress once again found themselves between a government shutdown and a massive federal spending bill. In the future, we should end this cycle of false choices by making spending at current levels automatic unless Congress agrees to a deal that actually helps Americans. This would be a win for taxpayers in Wyoming, and would finally allow us to start clawing our way out of debt,” Lummis released in a statement. “Anytime there is a spending bill this big, it includes some good things, and I am proud of the bipartisan support we are showing for the people of Ukraine in this one. But, frankly, I am disgusted that Ukraine funding is strapped to a massive, irresponsible spending package like this, because it forces us to choose between helping the Ukrainian people and further indebting our own constituents. It was a cynical ploy to buy votes.”

“A spending bill this large always has serious flaws as well, and this one is no different. It continues to fund President Biden’s vaccine mandates, which I cannot support. It also contains anti-Second Amendment provisions that threaten the rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms. Because of these and other reasons I ultimately had to vote against this bill,” she continued. 

“Under the Democrats’ leadership, inflation has reached a 40-year high and gas is more expensive than it was in 2008, at the height of the financial crisis. With one vote, the left was trying to smuggle through more wasteful spending. What’s worse, they tried to hold hostage critical military resources in their bid to get it passed. Tennesseans are tired of radicals in Washington wasting our hard-earned tax dollars, which is why I voted against this reckless spending bill,” Blackburn said.

Missiles Fired at U.S. Consulate in Iraq Reportedly Came from Iran

 

The United States may find itself involved in another foreign policy crisis. Reports, as well as video footage, have indicated that several long-range ballistic missiles have been fired at the U.S. consulate in Erbil, Iraq. Writing for the Associated Press, Qassim Abdul-Zahra reported that at least six missiles have hit the consulate. Though reports are still coming in, with security officials from Iraq and the United States cited as saying there are no casualties at this time. 

NOW – Multiple long-range ballistic missiles fired at US consulate in Erbil, Iraq, Sky News Arabia reports.pic.twitter.com/N5VlVlkIJl— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 12, 2022

BREAKING: Explosions heard in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Region of Iraqpic.twitter.com/lZLDFnAWuC— BNO News (@BNONews) March 12, 2022

From Abdul-Zahra’s report:

Early reports suggested there were no U.S. military casualties, a senior U.S. defense official said. 

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because information was still coming in, said it was still not certain exactly how many were fired and exactly where they landed. It also wasn’t clear if there were other casualties.

The Iraqi security officials said there were no immediate report of casualties from the attack, which occurred shortly after midnight and caused material damage in the area. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The Iran deal may have something to do with it:

One of the officials said the ballistic missiles were fired from Iran, without elaborating.

The attack comes several days after an Israeli strike near Damascus, Syria killed two members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Iran’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the attack Wednesday and vowed revenge.

On Sunday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency quoted Iraqi media acknowledging the attacks in Irbil, without saying where they originated.

…

The attack comes as negotiations in Vienna over Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal hit a “pause” over Russian demands about sanctions targeting Moscow over its war on Ukraine.

Last week, it appeared a deal was close to being reached for the United States to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The United States left in May 2018, under then President Donald Trump. Despite Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russia also looks to be involved in the agreement.

As Guy reported more recently though, on Friday, the deal could be headed for failure, considering even House Democrats are opposed to it. 

Joe Kent, a retired Green Beret who is running to challenge Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the Republican primary to represent Washington’s 3rd district, shared that the attack “is how the Iranians thank Biden for wanting to get back in the Iran deal.”

Erbil is warning shot, our embassy in Baghdad is the vulnerable target. This is how the Iranians thank Biden for wanting to get back in the Iran deal.