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August 2020

Discipline, Determination, and Data Will Get Us Through the Pandemic Getting through the worst of the pandemic won’t be easy, but we need to be smart, resilient, and disciplined, and go where the data take us. By Andrew I. Fillat and Henry I. Miller

https://amgreatness.com/2020/08/26/discipline-determination-and-data-will-get-us-through-the-pandemic/

While discussing many pandemic-related issues with friends and colleagues, we were reminded of the quip of journalist and satirist H.L. Mencken: “For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”

As we battle the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the illness it causes, COVID-19, the “fog of war” continues on both the medical and epidemiological fronts. On the public health side, different studies, especially those that involve modeling, seem to reach conflicting, or at least ambiguous, conclusions. And politicians and pundits have jumped in to make the fog denser, with many policy prescriptions contaminated by misinformation, ideological spin, and partisan politics.

                                                       Obtaining clarity about many aspects of COVID-19 has been elusive. Dr. Anthony Fauci has emphasized the virus’s unique “protean manifestations”: “I have never seen a virus in which you have 20 percent to 40 percent of individuals who could have no symptoms at all, to individuals who get mild illness and do not need to go to a hospital, to people confined to their beds at home for weeks with multiple post-viral syndromes,” he said. 

SARS-CoV-2 is also unusual in being able to infect a broad spectrum of body tissues beyond the respiratory tract, including the digestive tract, neurons that mediate smell and taste, kidneys, and most critically, the heart and lining of blood vessels. 

Infection often leads to widespread inflammation and tiny clots, which cause secondary deleterious effects. Moreover, an Italian research study found that upwards of 85 percent of patients who had been hospitalized have persistent, sometimes serious aftereffects that can drag on for an indeterminate amount of time, and possibly permanently. (The virus is too recent to know conclusively.)

The clear lesson is that efforts to prevent infection are critical. But, absent a vaccine, which is still likely far off, that’s complicated and involves difficult cost-benefit calculations.

The Biblical Command to Pursue Justice Is as Relevant Today as It Ever Was by Alan M. Dershowitz

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16421/alan-dershowitz-pursue-justice

Now, at 82, I am demanding justice for myself. I have been falsely accused by a woman I never met of having sex with her…. Indeed, the best evidence of my innocence is in her own words: a series of emails and manuscript that she tried to suppress in which she essentially admits that she never met me. Her lawyers own words — she is “wrong… simply wrong” in accusing you — constitutes an admission attributable to her.

Another of her lawyers has acknowledged that she lied about other prominent men. She told her best friend and her best friend’s husband that she was pressured by her lawyer to falsely accuse me.

The words in Hebrew are “Lo takir panim,” which means do not base your decision on the faces or identities of the litigants. Base it instead on the facts and the evidence. I wish people today would abide by that 3,000-year-old wisdom.

I also wish judges and prosecutors paid more heed to another command of my Bible portion: “The judges shall inquire diligently; and behold if the witness be a false witness and has testified falsely against his brother, then shall ye do unto him as he had proposed to do unto his brother…” I have invited prosecutors and judges to “inquire diligently” into my accuser and me. If they do, they will conclude that she has “testified falsely” and should be punished under the law of perjury.

Turkey’s Hostility to Israel-UAE Peace Accord by Uzay Bulut

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16404/turkey-hostility-israel-uae

It should not be a surprise that a government that supports Hamas is against the normalization treaty between Israel and the UAE. The treaty will hopefully pave the way for more peaceful coexistence and cooperation between Israel, the UAE and other Muslim countries. The Erdogan regime, through its hostility to the deal, its hosting Hamas terrorists on its own soil, and its recent acts of aggression in Syria, Libya, Greece and Iraq, has once again demonstrated that it supports the destruction of Israel, regional instability, neo-Ottoman expansionism, and war.

When the Israel-United Arab Emirates (UAE) peace agreement, also known as the Abraham Accord, was announced on August 13, the UAE became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, formally to normalize relations with Israel.

Turkey, however, condemned the Israel-UAE agreement despite its 71 years of diplomatic relations with the Jewish State. The Turkish foreign ministry said in a press release:

“While pursuing its narrowly defined interests, the UAE has attempted to present its betrayal to the Palestinian cause as an act of altruism. The history and the conscience of the people in the region will never forget or forgive this hypocritical act.”

Turkey’s Communication Director for the Presidency, Fahrettin Altun, said that they consider the agreement between the UAE and Israel “null and void.” The head of Turkey’s parliament, Mustafa Şentop, condemned the deal, calling it “disgraceful” and a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.

Why Some Palestinians Support the Israel-UAE Accord by Khaled Abu Toameh

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16417/israel-uae-palestinian-support

Some Palestinians do not share their leaders’ rage toward the United Arab Emirates. These Palestinians say they are worried that the Palestinian leadership’s overreaction to the UAE-Israel deal is counterproductive and will cause further harm to the Palestinian cause.

By ignoring these voices, Mahmoud Abbas and his associates are again showing that they have no problem acting against the interests of their own people. Worse, by condemning the Israel-UAE deal on a daily basis, the leaders of the Palestinians have made it clear that they prefer to side with Iran and its Palestinian and Lebanese proxies — Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah — in rejecting any compromise with Israel.

“The peace treaty between the UAE and Israel comes as a significant breakthrough in the course of Arab-Israeli peace negotiations that have been stalled for 30 years. This important achievement reduces Arab expectations, which destroyed many of our lives and dreams and wasted billions of dollars that could have been invested in future generations and modern technology…. The Emirati move is an advanced step towards achieving a comprehensive peace.” — Sameh Kaoush, Palestinian poet and journalist, based in the UAE.

By arresting and threatening Palestinians who dare publicly to promote the Israel-UAE deal, the Palestinian leaders are again demonstrating that they, like all other Arab dictators, evidently consider basic human rights a privilege they reserve for themselves alone.

As Palestinian leaders continue to wage a massive campaign of incitement against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of its normalization agreement with Israel, some Palestinians have come out in support of the deal and accused the Palestinian leadership of harming Palestinians’ relations with the Arab states.

In the past two weeks, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and leaders of his ruling Fatah faction have repeatedly accused the UAE and its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Zayed, of “stabbing the Palestinians in the back with a poisonous dagger” and betraying Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, and the Palestinian cause.

Jacob Blake’s Mother Expresses ‘Disgust’ With Kenosha Rioters, Apologizes to Trump for Missing Phone Call By Debra Heine

https://amgreatness.com/2020/08/26/jacob-blakes-mother-thanks-trump-for-phone-call-expresses-disgust-with-kenosha-rioters/

Jacob Blake’s mother on Tuesday denounced the violent rioting that has rocked Kenosha since her son was shot, and said that she and her husband were praying for police officers.

Blake’s mother Julia Jackson also apologized to President Trump for missing a presidential phone call that was made following her heartfelt remarks at a news conference earlier Tuesday.

In an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon, Jackson expressed disgust with the rioting, calling it “not acceptable.”

“My family and I are very hurt. And quite frankly disgusted,” she told Lemon. “And as his mother, please don’t burn up property and cause havoc and tear your own homes down in my son’s name. You shouldn’t do it, people shouldn’t do it anyway, but to use my child or any other mother or father’s child—our tragedy—to react in that manner, it’s just not acceptable,” she said.

Jackson, who was accompanied by the family’s attorney Benjamin Crump on the Skype call, pointed out that the ongoing violence was not helping her son or anyone else who has suffered from alleged police brutality.

When asked by Lemon whether she had a message for any politicians, including Trump, Jackson took the opportunity to apologize to “our President Trump” on behalf of a family member who had said something that was “not kind.”

“She is hurting, and I do apologize for that,” she said. “That does not reflect our behavior.”

5 Things to Know About Night 3 of the Republican National Convention: Heroes Night

https://pjmedia.com/election/tyler-o-neil/2020/08/26/5-things-to-know-about-night-3-of-the-republican-national-convention-heroes-night-n851132

I keep thinking “it can’t get better than this,” but the Republican National Convention (RNC) keeps proving me wrong. The RNC kicked off with Tim Scott, Vernon Jones, and Nikki Haley rebutting the Left’s disgusting race rhetoric and Trump moderating a historic panel of freed hostages. Night 2 featured a naturalization ceremony, stories of comeback, Daniel Cameron, and our fabulous first lady.

Yet Wednesday brought even more inspiring moments: a mom who refused to abort her Down syndrome son, but gave him a good education; a disabled 25-year-old running for Congress; a Chinese freedom fighter condemning the Chinese Communist Party; and more.

There’s still one more night left, and it will feature President Donald Trump himself.

Without further ado, here are five things to know about night 3 of the RNC.

1. The powerful women of the Republican Party

One amazing woman after another spoke at the RNC Wednesday night. Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) gave a powerful speech about heroes and opposing the mob. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) gave a powerful warning about the radical Left. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) extolled the American dream. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany opened up about her double mastectomy. Second Lady Karen Pence recalled the Nineteenth Amendment.

Lib Media Ignores Biggest Convention Story: Trump’s Aggressive Outreach To Black Voters

https://issuesinsights.com/2020/08/27/lib-media-ignores-biggest-convention-story-trumps-aggressive-outreach-to-black-voters/

If Kim Klacik were a Democrat, she would be the talk of the town. An inspiring, energetic, fresh face on the political scene who has produced one of the best political ads in memory. Instead, her talk at the Republican convention was ignored by the press, which thought the biggest story coming out of the GOP meeting was that biased “fact checkers” (who were apparently on a week-long vacation during the Democrats’ convention) were able to come up with a long list of things they could complain about.

There’s a good reason for the media to ignore Klacik. Her message. It’s simple and direct: “Joe Biden believes we can’t think for ourselves, that the color of someone’s skin dictates their political views. We’re not buying the lies anymore.” 

In her campaign ad, she is seen walking through burned out, decrepit Baltimore neighborhoods while reminding viewers that Democrats have run the city for five decades.

Other minority speakers echoed this message in the first two nights of the convention — that Democrats don’t care about black people, just their votes. Several quoted Biden’s comments about blacks being monolithic and how they “ain’t black” if they support Trump. They talked about Trump’s justice reform bill and his support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities — something few Americans probably know anything about.

Voter Fraud: With Evidence Contrary to media denials, voter fraud is real.Deborah Weiss

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/08/voter-fraud-evidence-deborah-weiss/

I am sick and tired of the purportedly objective media quoting President Trump and injecting “without evidence,” especially when ample evidence exists. Such is the case with the President’s claims of voter fraud and the potential catastrophe that will ensue if we go to unsolicited mail-in ballots for the upcoming November election.

Years ago, I worked on the congressional committee which deals with contested elections. Our committee found extensive voter fraud in examining the Dornan-Sanchez election. That was just in California, not exploring other states at the time. Long before the Read ID Act and before the onslaught of “systemic racism” accusations, we introduced a bill to require voter ID to ensure that citizens’ votes would not be diluted or negated by the votes of those voting illegally. Even then in the 90’s, Republicans proposing this legislation were called racist and told we hated Hispanics (since that constituted the bulk of the illegal votes in California at the time). Actually, the real problem was that Democrats loved illegal Hispanics and others who voted illegally, primarily because they knew most voted Democrat to get free benefits.

I want to point out, however, that actual illegal voting or voter fraud is just one problem with mail-in voting. When President Trump refers to voter fraud, I think he is also talking in general terms about all the things that can go wrong with a mail-in election, some of which are not fraud, but would likely still result in problems that can drastically skew accurate election results.

First, actual voter fraud includes: people who vote in more than one state or county (because when they move they do not remove themselves the voter rolls of the place they left and then illegally vote more than once); people who have died are not always purged from voter rolls and yet somehow their votes are cast; and sometimes people who are not citizens vote. In some “liberal” localities, Democrats have even passed legislation allowing permanent residents or illegal immigrants to vote in local elections. Additionally, when there is no requirement to prove you are who you say you are, anyone can vote, and it’s easier to wrongfully vote in someone else’s name. Thus, lax or no requirements for addresses and proof of citizenship result can result in voter fraud.

The Ongoing Riots Prove Again the Dangers of Appeasement The lessons better be learned soon.Bruce Thornton

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/08/ongoing-riots-prove-again-dangers-appeasement-bruce-thornton/

The riots and protests that began in late May have been like wildfires of the sort currently blazing in California. Just as riots have lessened in intensity in some cities, in others they have flared up to new levels of destruction. In Kenosha Wisconsin, the arson has spread more widely, and fatal gun-battles have erupted between the “peaceful protestor” thugs and armed citizens defending their lives and property.

Also like the wildfires, the continuing violence is the consequence of unforced errors made by civic leaders in thrall to dubious ideologies. California is burning because of government environmental policies that encourage mismanagement such as not thinning its huge tracts of forest, resulting in lethal loads of dead and dying trees that provide abundant the fuel for the fires.

In the cities most afflicted with violent protests, mayors who embrace the progressive demonization of law enforcement and the racial melodrama about “systemic racism” have not acted quickly and vigorously enough to stop the violence before it escalated. Police have been ordered to stand down, restricted in their tactics and weapons, and left on their own without moral and material support from their civic bosses.

The ancient lesson has once again been proven: Failure to act preemptively and forcefully to violent disorder, and the appeasement of aggressors with concessions, lead to ever escalating levels of violence and mayhem.

America’s historically most destructive riot provides an object lesson. In July of 1863, New York erupted in widespread rioting over a recently passed federal law instituting a draft-lottery. Working class New Yorkers went on a rampage, attacking buildings and free blacks, who were not subject to the lottery. Five days of rioting left over 100 dead, including 11 black men who were lynched, 3000 blacks left homeless, 2000 blacks and whites wounded, and millions of dollars in property damage.

Pence Delivers Knock-Out Acceptance Speech A night honoring the nation’s heroes and spirit of freedom. Joseph Klein

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/08/pence-delivers-knock-out-acceptance-speech-joseph-klein-0/

The theme for the third night of the Republican National Convention was “Land of Heroes,” focusing on heroism in the military, law enforcement and the front lines of first responders. The night conveyed a message of freedom in America that past generations have fought for and that is our task today to preserve with individual acts of service and heroism. And the contrast was made vividly clear between today’s Republican Party as the party that honors and seeks to preserve America’s core values of individual life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with today’s Democratic Party, which has turned into an attack machine against law enforcement and champion of government control over peoples’ lives.

The man of the hour, Vice President Mike Pence, spoke live from Fort McHenry, the site of the War of 1812 battle that inspired the writing of our national anthem. He delivered an inspiring speech that was also blistering in its criticism of Joe Biden and his leftist Democratic Party. After the vice president concluded his speech, President Trump joined him on stage as the national anthem was sung and Old Glory flew above.

Vice President Pence said that the 2020 election was a choice of “whether America remains America.” He portrayed the difference between the agendas of the two parties as one between the Republican Party’s agenda of freedom and today’s Democratic Party’s agenda of government control. “We stand at a crossroads, America,” Pence said. “President Trump has set our nation on a path of freedom and opportunity. Joe Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline.” Biden is “nothing more than a Trojan horse for the radical left,” Pence added.