A phony definition of production

We read about something called the "GDP", or Gross Domestic Product.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product

 But let us consider an issue.

Suppose a doctor performs plastic surgery on a person of one sex who wants to appear to be of the opposite sex.

Or that person receives subsidies to purchase drugs, mislabeled as (hormone) therapies, to mimic that opposite sex. 

By what reasonable standard can this be considered production?

Producing what? Perversion?

It is merely giving doctors and drug companies income.

Hardly anything meriting the term "production".

Perpetual wars, in the Middle East and Eastern Europe

Does the U.S. really need to get involved in these?

Not in my opinion.

Especially when it means Israel's very well documented and videographed destruction of apartment buildings in Gaza.

Pity the poor Palestinians.

You go, Israel.

Show us your values, and what you can do with U.S.-supplied 2,000 pound bombs and aircraft.

https://youtu.be/NUEjmv6VDrM

Show us Jewish values.

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For polls on what Americans think (evidently not what I think), see

"Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Ukraine war, new polls show"

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/14/trump-ukraine-war-poll-025915

"This breaks down along partisan lines, with 77 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents saying Trump’s approach is bad for the country, while 61 percent of Republicans said it is good."

It seems Democrats are happy with perpetual war in the Pale of Settlement (and Palestine).

What war hawks want: endless spending

See

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/13/russia-ukraine-ceasefire-reaction-00003024

About myself:

I voted for every Republican candidate for president from Richard Nixon in 1968 to George W. Bush in 2000.

I could not vote for Bush in 2004,  because of his pushing for a totally unnecessary war with Iraq.

In general, my views align with those of Patrick J. Buchanan.

But here we are today, in 2025.

There are many politicians pushing for supporting Ukraine.

WHY?

Just let Ukraine accede to Russia's demands.

Why not?

What is so great about Ukraine?

I just don't see it.

But what I do see is that some American politicians want to put America yet deeper in debt to support Ukraine.

A very bad idea.

What a shame it is that they are so loyal to Ukraine, as opposed to America.

Talk about traitors!

From Republican Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn in Texas 

to Democratic Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine in Virginia, 

they seem more loyal to Ukraine than to the U.S. 

What a shame.

Why Russia, justifiably, cannot trust the United States

Document 05

Memorandum of conversation between Mikhail Gorbachev and James Baker in Moscow.

Feb 9, 1990

Source

U.S. Department of State, FOIA 199504567 (National Security Archive Flashpoints Collection, Box 38)

Even with (unjustified) redactions by U.S. classification officers, this American transcript of perhaps the most famous U.S. assurance to the Soviets on NATO expansion confirms the Soviet transcript of the same conversation. 

Repeating what Bush said at the Malta summit in December 1989, Baker tells Gorbachev: 

“The President and I have made clear that we seek no unilateral advantage in this process” of inevitable German unification. Baker goes on to say, 

“We understand the need for assurances to the countries in the East. 

<B>If we maintain a presence in a Germany that is a part of NATO, 

there would be no extension of NATO’s jurisdiction for forces of NATO one inch to the east.”</B> 

[Hello? Can you Russia-hating Democrats understand that?]

Later in the conversation, Baker poses the same position as a question, 

“would you prefer a united Germany outside of NATO that is independent and has no US forces 

or would you prefer a united Germany with ties to NATO and <B>assurances that there would be no extension of NATO’s current jurisdiction eastward?</B>” 

The declassifiers of this memcon actually redacted Gorbachev’s response that indeed such an expansion would be “unacceptable” – 

but Baker’s letter to Kohl the next day, published in 1998 by the Germans, gives the quote.

Document 5

https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early

"The documents show that 

multiple national leaders were considering and rejecting Central and Eastern European membership in NATO as of early 1990 and through 1991, that 

discussions of NATO in the context of German unification negotiations in 1990 were not at all narrowly limited to the status of East German territory, and that 

subsequent Soviet and Russian complaints about being misled about NATO expansion were founded in written contemporaneous memcons and telcons at the highest levels. 

The documents reinforce former CIA Director Robert Gates’s criticism of “pressing ahead with expansion of NATO eastward [in the 1990s], when Gorbachev and others were led to believe that wouldn’t happen.” "

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KWH comment:

Without naming names,

the Democratic Party in America seems united in its hatred of Russia.

(And its love for transgenderism.)

This is utterly sick.

I condemn such views.

Why universities cost so much

How do left-wing universities drive up costs?

Here is an example:

https://www.ricethresher.org/article/2025/03/rice-rebrands-dei-office-amid-federal-scrutiny

"The [former DEI office, now with a new name] office will add team members dedicated to 

1. religious diversity and pluralism, 

2. university life and freedom of expression, 

3. support for veterans, 

4. resources for community college transfer students and 

5. “LGBTQ+ Thriving,” 

according to [Provost]  Dittmar’s Feb. 28 email."

I was a Rice Owl from September 1963 to June 1967.

AFAIK, Rice didn't have any staff members devoted to any of that, 

aside from chaplains for Protestants and Catholics.

There was also a Hillel House - I don't know who paid for that.

In any case, it sounds like this is yet another excuse to add yet more administrators to the university, 

who have little or nothing to do with what was once the primary mission of the university, teaching and education.

(Great teachers like Ron Sass and Bob Curl, in Chem 120, 

Keith Miller in Math 100,

and Steve Baker in Physics 210.)

One may ask:

Just what will be the impact of this on future tuition?

Do university administrators care?

Do students care?

Does the Rice Thresher care?

Does Equality Arlington control Arlington?

That is certainly the impression one gets by the way Arlington's policies mirror the policy goals of Equality Arlington:

"Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Francisco Durán reassured the community that the district was fully committed to ensuring the safety and success of all students. 

“They need to know we’re doing everything we can to make sure when they come to school, they’re able to learn, thrive, be successful, and participate in any clubs or sports they like,” Duran said.

[And locker rooms?]

School Board Chair, Mary Kadera also voiced her support for both students and staff, stating, “I’m also here for our school staff.” "

That certainly sounds good, but I doubt that either the staff or the students are in full agreement on these issues.

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/community/arlington-community-rallies-support-lgbtqia-students-amid-uncertainty/65-56f6e1fe-4f99-40d4-9c23-d191cf6ee16c

It looks to me like 

when Equality Arlington says "Jump", 

Arlington's leaders ask "How high?".

Witness biological men in women's locker rooms.

---------

2025-03-03 update on Cox hearing;

"7News Reporter Nick Minock was at Cox's Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court hearing 

where Cox's public defender requested the hearing be closed to the public."

Evidently the judge did so.

Did he have to?

Could he have said:

"The public interest in this case is so great, 

not just in the guilt or innocence of Mr. Cox, 

but also in how the system handles this high profile case, 

that this hearing will be kept open to the public."

https://wjla.com/news/local/virginia-crime-richard-cox-registered-sex-offender-court-hearing-arlington-county-general-district-court-alleged-indecent-exposure-barcroft-fitness-center-washington-liberty-wakefield-high-school-transgender-lgbtqia-lgbtq-charges

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All of the above is at the local, Arlington, level.

But, astonishly, much the same thing is true at the national level, per this article:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/03/08/democrats-transgender-rights-gavin-newsom-column-00219665

"LGBTQ+ organizations made it clear that any Democrat who agrees with Newsom can kiss their presidential dreams goodbye."

That shows the hold homosexuals have, not just on Arlington politics (which are dominated by the Democratic party), 

but on Democratic politics nationwide.

Also their "all in" (no slur intended, I just can't think of a better phrase) support for transgenderism,

In a certain sense (I know this isn't 100% accurate) we have the equation or equivalence

transgenders = homosexuals = Democrats 

Or more accurately, but less succinctly, 

transgenders are supported by the homosexual community who are supported by the Democratic party 

The first equations aren't totally accurate, there are exceptions to those equalities.

But there is some truth to those equalities.

Until more of the exceptions speak up.

One wonders what Elizabeth Warren and the media darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 

have to say on this subject.

Or are they tongue-tied when it comes to transgenderism?

From the Politico article cited above:

"few Democrats are comfortable going where Newsom and Moulton have — 

to clearly state that trans athletes shouldn’t be allowed in women’s sports. 

Instead, some in the party have tried other messages."

Really?

They just can't say:

"Biological men shouldn't be competing in women's sports, 

and shouldn't be in women's locker rooms and rest rooms.

Women need a "safe space", away from biological men."

The question Arlnow is avoiding

Arlnow.com frequently polls its readers on various questions, e.g.

https://www.arlnow.com/readers-choice/the-best-places-to-get-a-facial-in-arlington-va/

https://www.arlnow.com/readers-choice/the-best-brunch-spots-in-arlington-va/

Here is a question they won't ask their readers:

Should men be allowed to display their genitals in women's locker rooms?

I think that is a reasonable and important question.

Can Arlnow get away from facials and brunch spots and ask it?

Doctors of Degeneracy

"The executive order uses derisive terminology — words such as “maiming,” “sterilizing” and “mutilation” — that contradicts what is typical for gender-affirming care in the United States. 

Such care is widely endorsed by the medical community, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians."

https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-gender-affirming-care-14ff427c42ac52e37305ae51fd5a66bb

What a bunch of degenerates!

For the sad story of a young woman who was betrayed and harmed by her doctors, 

likely members of at least one of the medical associations mentioned above, read

https://thefederalist.com/2025/03/14/detrans-awareness-day-heralds-a-reckoning-for-transgender-medicine-fraudsters/

These young, innocent, people 

"were harmed by those who were charged above all with doing them no harm. 

In the words of Laura Becker, 

“I have to wear a mastectomy bra for the rest of my life because I was lied to.” 

She “was a traumatized girl” who needed help, not a “gay trans man” who needed her breasts cut off."

The Ukraine Lobby and the Israel Lobby

Holy crow!

Let us be clear:

These two foreign states have many, many supporters in the U.S.

Me?

I support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.

I have seen more than enough of the rot the transgenderism alliance, for example, is bringing to America, and I suspect, other allied countries.

At least Russia isn't pushing transgenderism.