Beyond attempting to rescue Western sympathizers and intelligence assets from the Taliban there is little that can be done for Afghanistan. In time the Taliban will wear out its welcome and the merry go-round will turn again.
Continue reading “Watch out for the combination”After the fall
Biden is angry, humiliated and desperate. Yet he has not yet reached the dregs. The finger pointing, accusations of betrayal, the scramble to pass the buck are only just beginning.
It is the loss of confidence in assessments, assurances and estimates that will be noticed next.
In disasters of this magnitude heads have got to roll. Yet the one man most responsible will be the one to do the head rolling, ensuring that the next time — and there will be a next time — it will be worse.
Tested by events
Australia evacuates Afghans who served alongside
Among those to be evacuated will be Afghan interpreters and contractors who served alongside Australian Defence Force troops.
Armageddon reconsidered
Lab virus theory gains traction – Politico
It started out as a fringe conspiracy theory touted by Donald Trump. Now the suggestion that the deadly coronavirus was leaked from a laboratory in China is gaining both scientific and political traction.
Behind the Biden facade — nothing
The demand seeks to stave off an evacuation of the embassy by dangling aid to future Afghan governments — even one that includes the Taliban.
Biden’s cascade of failure
Joe Biden is facing simultaneous challenges.
- The collapse of Afghanistan in place of a “decent interval”;
- The resurgence of the Covid Delta variant in place of the anticipated reopening of society;
- Looming inflation and economic problems in place of the anticipated boom.
- The unending border crisis.
Head of WHO Team Calls For Closer Look at China Lab
“It’s interesting that the lab relocated on the 2nd of December 2019: That’s the period where it all started,” Dr. Ben Embarek said in the TV interview. “We know that when you move a lab, it disturbs everything…That entire procedure is always a disruptive element in the daily work routine of a lab.”
Our pessimistic age
Elon working on his starship while the rest of earth writhes in fear over the pandemic, global warming and the Taliban gives off the “When Worlds Collide” vibe. The lone scientist amid a sea of despair.
When Worlds Collide (1951) – IMDb
When Worlds Collide: Directed by Rudolph Maté. With Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hansen, John Hoyt. As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home.
Not one size fits all but many situations
Dr Tom Frieden
China harvests DNA data
As part of surveillance efforts in Xinjiang, authorities have collected biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints—used to verify identities at the region’s ubiquitous checkpoints—and DNA data. Moreau says DNA profiling does not directly enable mass internments or forced labor. Rather the impact is psychological, reinforcing citizens’ feelings of constant surveillance. Byler adds that DNA profiling “could be used to enforce a ‘zero illegal births’ policy by tracking maternity and paternity,” and to find matches for organ harvesting from prisoners, “of which there is some limited evidence.”
Genetic papers containing data from China’s ethnic minorities draw fire
Questions about consent and potential for abuse trigger retractions and investigations
Hunter train wreck
‘I think he’s the one that stole my computer. I think the three of them, the three guys that were like a little group. The dealer and his two guys, I took them everywhere. F*ing everywhere, crazy out of your mind sh.’
Video shows a naked Hunter Biden claiming Russians stole his laptop
WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT. Hunter Biden claims Russian drug dealers stole another one of his laptops for blackmail while he was close to overdosing in a Vegas hotel room in 2018.
The age of limited expectations
“Follow the science” has become the clarion call of the “know-nothing.” Which science is never quite clear. And when it is, it’s ever-changing.
The parents see this too and have a right to be furious, especially because it is now being brought down to their children, both in the form of masks and vaccinations with unknown consequences.
‘It’s About the Kids’—Mask Rebellion Breaks Out in Tennessee
Commentary “All politics is local,” then-House Speaker Tip O’Neill told us back in 1982 but contemporary events remind …
You’re always shocked by what you won’t see
What happens to the Emmy?
Is Cuomo headed for the end of the trail?
Whatever your politics, nature rules
“We need a lot of humility.” — Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, of University of California San Francisco, discussing the many unknowns surrounding whether one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine provides sufficient protection for the previously infected.
“You either choose to live with it, or avoid anything that makes life meaningful.” — Alex Myers, DO, a doctor for the U.S. rugby team at the Olympics, describing the pandemic precautions being taken in Tokyo.
‘We Need a Lot of Humility’: What We Heard This Week
Quotable quotes heard by MedPage Today reporters
Suddenly the scales fell from their eyes
[J]ust a year ago, much of blue-state America was lusting after Governor Andrew Cuomo… The erotic interest was documented in a Jezebel article—“Help, I Think I’m in Love with Andrew Cuomo???”… The term “Cuomosexual” was popularized in a song called “Andy,” by the comedian Randy Rainbow, set to the tune of “Sandy,” from the musical “Grease”….Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Trevor Noah announced their Cuomosexuality…..
“Diving Into the Subconscious of the ‘Cuomosexual’/How could we have witnessed the Governor’s narcissism, bullying, and hackneyed paternalism, and found these qualities attractive? A psychoanalyst gives her take.”
Ah! Perfect! This is exactly the article I’d have requested if The New Yorker had asked me What can we write for you? I could go looking fo…
A month later nobody knows who killed Haitian president
Haitian officials crucial to the investigation are now in hiding. Callers to Mr. Destin, the crime-scene officer, from blocked numbers have threatened his life and family, he said. Three other clerks and judicial officers on the case said they received the same calls. One colleague, tasked with interviewing suspects, left his lights on one Sunday night, then casually strolled away from his home with his wife, slipping into hiding with pages of handwritten notes from interviews with suspects, which haven’t yet been typed up.
