August 4, 2016 - A Quick Run Around The Web

Bill Whittle: "Is Hillary Guilty?" Of course she is, and it only takes Whittle a minute to demonstrate her guilt. The bigger question is why she and her cronies no longer care that we know. Whittle answers that question as well: the elites know they can can get away with their corruption because we won't do anything about it. He concludes that government officials and law enforcement won't protect us from corruption, so it is now up to us to protect ourselves.

Firearms/Self-Defense:

• "Clearing Handgun Malfunctions"--Shooting Illustrated. The author discusses common malfunctions in semi-automatic pistols (tip-up, double-feed, stovepipe, and a dud), and provides advice on how to clear them. 
• "Review: Magpul Tejas 'El Original' Gun Belt"--The Firearms Blog. Most of the mixed material leather belts, suitable for a business environment, are reinforced with steel. However, the Magpul model is reinforced with a--you guessed it--polymer lining. Anyway, the reviewer liked it.
• "Gear Review: Primary Arms 1-6x ACSS Reticle Scope"--The Truth About Guns. The reviewer has used the scope for about a year and really likes it. While he speaks highly of its construction and the clarity of the glass, considering its price point, what he really likes is the reticle, which he explains as being very intuitive and quick for estimating distances and holdover, and even accounting for a cross-wind or a target that is running.
• "Colt Introduces The CE2000 Expanse Carbine"--The Firearms Blog. Colt is introducing a new, low-cost, entry-level 5.56 carbine to its lineup. Unlike its earlier offering, this one will include a forward assist and dust cover. It does boost the price up to $749 (MSRP) though.

Other Stuff:

• "PICTURED: The moment police bundled crazed Norwegian-Somali knife attacker to the ground after he stabbed US woman to death in Russell Square. Police claim attack was 'spontaneous and random'"--Daily Mail. One dead and five injured after stabbing spree by a 19 year old Somali man. By "Norwegian-Somali" the author means the attacker immigrated from Somoli to England via Norway; by "crazed" they mean that no one reportedly heard him yelling "Allah Akbar" so he must, therefore, have been motivated by a mental disorder. 
• "Media Fails To Report Gang Firebombing Paris Bus While Yelling ‘Allah Akbar’"--The Daily Caller. The belief seems to be that if you ignore the problem, it will just go away.
• "A Pro-Immigrant Party Rises in the Netherlands"--New York Times. The party, called Denk, or "Think", is pro-Islamic and run by Islamic immigrants. It also wants to ban all opposition parties, which the story only explains in a roundabout way:

Among the Denk party’s stated policy goals are banning from legislative forums a pejorative term often used for Dutch nonwhites, “allochtoon,” and to replace the term “integration” with “acceptance.”

It wants to establish a “racism register” to track the use of hate speech by elected officials and to bar those who promote racism from holding public office.

You can see where this will be leading: anyone that opposes the party or its goals will be "racists" that must be banned from holding political office.

• "DC Transit Officer Charged With Supporting IS"--Sky News. The transit police officer "is the first law enforcement officer in the US to be charged with a terror-related offence." But authorities assure us that we had nothing to fear.
• The wages of sin socialism:

• "Nicolás Maduro’s workers’ paradise is literally enslaving its citizens"--National Review. From the article: "The food shortage is especially severe right now, so the Maduro government has just passed a decree empowering itself to conscript workers — public-sector or private — into the state’s collectively run farming, food-processing, and food-distribution businesses. The pattern here will be familiar to those familiar with the history of socialism in Russia and China." 

• "Venezuelan women seek sterilizations as crisis sours child-rearing"--Yahoo News. "Venezuela's food shortages, inflation and crumbling medical sector have become such a source of anguish that a growing number of young women are reluctantly opting for sterilizations rather than face the hardship of pregnancy and child-rearing." 

• "Venezuela: Where flour, pasta and milk can cost a month's pay"--CNN. "... in Venezuela, you can get these products only if you're lucky or have the connections and the cash. A lot of cash." 

• "'Socialist experiment' Venezuela in ruins as soldiers delete videos of 12-hour food queues"--Express (warning video plays automatically). Instead of producing goods and services that create wealth, people are forced to spend an entire working day in line just to purchase food.

• "America’s Electronic Voting Machines Are Scarily Easy Targets"--Wired. The story describes how easily voting machines can be hacked.

• Related: "Trump May Be Right – The Election May Be Rigged Through Fractional Vote Counting"--Anonymous Conservative. Electronic voting machines may already be compromised.

• "The future of globalism stands at a crossroads"--Japan Times. The author contends that Brexit and the Trump presidential campaign, as well as growing hostility from China and Russia, "are mounting developments in world affairs that threaten to disrupt the progress of globalism." Note that the author is writing from the perspective that globalism is worthwhile and something to be preserved at all costs. In fact, he states: "Globalism is the ideal of the world." Ironically, the author's ultimate reasoning for the need to protect globalism is because Japan relies on it for its prosperity--i.e., a "Japan first" attitude.
• "War With Russia Looms, Says Former NATO General In New Book"--Newsweek. I agree that Russia is running out of time if it intends to take back the former East-Bloc countries, as the addition of a missile shield and deployment of NATO troops further east into Poland and other countries makes it more difficult for Russia to pull off a successful invasion. (Remember, it was the fear of running out of time to address Russian/Soviet military buildups that prompted Germany to declare war in both World Wars I and II). Moreover, if Trump is elected, Russia will know its window of opportunity is closed, so it dare not do anything unless it can move this fall while Obama is still in office (unlikely given the short time frame) or after the election if Hillary wins. (Of course, given Hillary's track record, if she were to win, she might pick a fight with Russia). But does Russia need to invade the former East-Bloc nations? Poland, etc., pose no real threat to Russia, and Russia already has guaranteed access to its Black Sea port through what it has done in Ukraine. Moreover, Putin seems to be shifting his attention and efforts to the Middle-East--a move that appears increasingly successful as it is now reported that Turkey is strengthening relations with Russia. An alliance with Turkey would be quite a coup for Russia, since Turkey controls the Bosporus. With Turkey on its side, or even with Turkey taking a neutral position, Russia would have guaranteed access to the Mediterranean. No, I believe the greater risk of a conflict breaking out is more likely to be in the increasingly unstable Far East.
• "Asteroid Strike Could Cause 'Immense Suffering'"--Sky News. There is a one in 2,700 chance that an asteroid named Bennu may strike the Earth between the years 2175 and 2196.
• "In one small step for space business, Moon Express is cleared for lunar mission"--The Los Angeles Times. The FAA has cleared the company, Moon Express, to launch a moon mission. While there are still technical hurdles, the FAA decision at least removes a possible legal hurdle.