The Docent's Memo (Oct. 10, 2022)

 

VIDEO: "The Shotgun Violin Reload"--Lucky Gunner Ammo (8 min.)

Firearms & Self-Defense:

• "Handgun Vs. Long Gun For Home Defense." This article from the Mag Life blog goes into some detail on this subject and has photographs to illustrate some of the concepts. Check it out if you are on the fence about this subject. That said, Massad Ayoob, in his writings, has favored the handgun for defense within the home if you have to move around, but a shotgun if you are barricading yourself in a fixed location such as a bedroom or safe room. If you are protecting livestock, a rifle is probably the better option. On the other hand, because of its light weight and tendency to break apart on impact, a .223 generally offers less penetration against walls than popular defensive calibers such as the 9 mm, especially when comparing a lightweight 50 or 55 grain load in the .223/5.56 versus the heavy 147 grain loads in 9 mm.
• "Friends Don’t Let Friends Open Carry" by Greg Ellifritz. He supports the right, but does not recommend the practice, citing a couple reasons. I'm blasé about whether it makes people uncomfortable because I live in a state where open carry has long been recognized, but the issue of criminals taking the firearm would concern me. On this Ellifritz writes:

    Having spent more than two decades of my life dealing with criminals, I will tell you that they can read body language very well. They know who will use the gun and who won’t. Most have had guns pointed at them since they were children.  Many have already been shot by cops or armed citizens while committing crimes.  It isn’t likely their first rodeo and they aren’t scared of you just because that gun on your hip makes you feel like a bad ass.

    If I were going to commit a crime, the presence of an armed individual who is exercising his open carry rights wouldn’t deter me in the least. I’d just take the open carrier out first.  There are lots criminals who think the same way I do.   For a perfect example of this, take a look at the Washington D.C. Naval Yard shooting.    A killer armed with a shotgun killed a security guard in the Naval Yard in order to take his (openly carried) handgun.

    What you don’t understand is that some criminals see that gun on your hip as a challenge, not as a threat. It’s a badge of honor for them to bring your gun home to their buddies and brag about how you shit your pants before giving up your gun when you felt the knife against your throat.  

There is also the issue of not being armed when you might need the weapon because you have been asked to remove a firearm before entering an establishment. This aspect struck me several years ago while I stood in the checkout line at a local Walmart. The man in front of me had obviously been open carrying a handgun, but his drop leg holster was empty. I didn't talk to him about it, but presumably he had either left his pistol in the car because of store policy or had been asked to not bring his weapon into the store. This being Idaho which attaches no special significance to "no weapons" signs at stores and other private establishments, had my concealed weapon on me, never having been asked to remove it before entering the store.  

• "Concealed Carry Corner: Large Handguns vs Carry Fatigue" by Matt E at The Firearm Blog. Most people that conceal carry generally start out carrying larger and heavier weapons than what they can comfortably carry and either migrate to smaller weapons or stop carrying regularly. This article discusses one of the main reasons for this. As the author notes:

    After about 7 or 8 hours, having a large framed handgun can really start to be uncomfortable. This leads to shifting and fidgeting around which brings attention to the fact you’re carrying a gun. The vast majority of people out in the world won’t notice, but it only takes once to land you in trouble by someone calling the police. At the end of the day, the heavier a firearm is the less time you can comfortably carry it even if you have a good belt and holster. Anything over 40oz is typically comfortable from 2-4 hours and if your handgun is 25-40oz then you’ll oftentimes be comfortable anywhere up to 8 hours depending on your setup and what you’re doing.

    Anything lighter than 25oz shouldn’t really be an issue to carry all day for most people out there. Having a rough timeframe in your head will help you determine if you’ll be comfortable with the gun you pick for the day. Everyone is different but if you have an easier gun to conceal, the chances of you actually carrying your gun goes up drastically. 

7-8 hours? It can be a lot less if you don't have a quality gun belt and holster. Unless you have someone mentoring you, learning what you need in a belt and holster is also a long process.  

• For those of you that own an M-1 Carbine: "TFB Armorer’s Bench: Using an M1 Carbine Bolt Disassembly Tool." The article goes step-by-step through the process of removing, disassembling and reassembling an M-1 Carbine bolt using said tool.
• "Handloading for Medium and Large Frame .38 Specials" by John Taffin. Some hot handloads for .38 Special revolvers that can handle them.
• You can't stop the signal: "Paralog 9mm build." Impro Guns collects photographs from news stories around the globe on homebuilt and/or clandestine manufactured firearms. Some, as you would expect, look like they were made from scrap or what the manufacturer could find in the bargain bin at a hardware store. Others, however, can be surprisingly well made. This one falls into the latter category. The weapon itself is a basic machine pistol using an open bolt design and based around a tubular receiver. The lower which houses the control group is made of polymer and appears to be either 3-D printed or perhaps cut down from an AR style air-soft gun. 
• "TFB Review: The Magpul RLS – Rifleman Loop Sling." A rifleman sling is not just a strap for carrying the weapon, nor is it intended as one to loop around your one shoulder and under the arm on the other side to carry a weapon in a ready position like a patrol sling. Rather, it is one that allows you to slide your off-side arm through a loop and provide additional support so you don't have to use your arm muscles to steady the rifle. The reviewers short take:

The RLS is an affordable, simple sling that pulls double duty as a shooting sling. It is comparable in cost to other slings in the hunting section of your local sporting goods store but has a few extra tricks up its sleeve. If you are looking for a fast, one-hand adjustable sling to keep your Mk-18 retained while you switch to a sidearm, the RLS is not the sling for you. But if you want a loop sling on a bolt gun or classic battle rifle that doesn’t break the bank, the RLS is worth trying. And you may just end up owning a few of them.

• Speaking of rifleman's slings and how to use them, the author of the Art of the Rifle Blog has announced that he will not be renewing his domain, so if you have any particular articles you want you probably should get over there and print or download them. 
• "A Useful Thing For You From Winchester" by Massad Ayoob. He notes that Winchester has made available an "Introduction to Ammunition-Ammo 101" series to be used by trainers or anyone teaching newbies about firearms. "The Ammo 101 series provides a basic overview of shotshell, centerfire rifle, centerfire pistol, and rimfire ammunition, showcasing ammunition construction, components, calibers and common usage." I found them here and by entering "Ammo 101" in the search bar. There are four PDFs showing a cutaway diagram and information on centerfire pistol, centerfire rifle, shotgun, and rimfire cartridges. Probably would work well as handouts or as part of a slide presentation.
• "So You've Decided to Purchase Self Defense Liability Protection" by Paul Martin. This article is a brief overview of self-defense liability protection plans and some basic differences that you might see. Martin, who apparently is an attorney, also links to a paper he wrote that goes into more detail comparing features of specific plans that are offered. Jon Low frequently discusses such programs at his blog, which you might want to check out.
• Revolver Guy writes about "The Day America’s Love Affair with Criminals Ended . . ." The article concerns the January 2, 1932, “Union Station Massacre”  (aka, the “Kansas City Massacre”), in which five lawmen were killed in a shootout with mobsters trying to free Frank “Jelly” Nash from custody.
• Some more history, especially for fans of the .45 ACP:
• "Introducing The M1911 To Service"--American Riflemen.
• "The Thompson Submachine Gun: Model Of 1919"--American Rifleman.

VIDEO: "The Last 60 Minutes Before Asteroid Impacts with Earth"--Infographics Show (20 min.)

A story of a family surviving a major asteroid impact.

Prepping & Survival:

• "Preventing High Altitude Dehydration." I get emails from CamelBak. Most are ads, but some are useful articles like this one. The article notes that most people tend to become more easily dehydrated above 5,000 feet. Some of the reasons for this is a faster respiration rate to make up for the thinner air, the lower humidity at altitude, increased urine production, and decreased thirst (made worse if it is cool). The article goes on to discuss signs of dehydration and ways to reduce dehydration including, of course, drinking enough water. As to this latter point, the article relates:

According to the High Altitude Doctor (formerly Institute for Altitude Medicine) you need to drink an additional 1 - 1.5 liters of water per day when in high altitude. If you go too overboard on drinking water, it could cause a sodium imbalance and lead to hyponatremia, which is not fun. As a good rule of thumb, check your urine to assess your hydration level during high-altitude activities. If it’s clear or light-colored, you’re most likely hydrated enough. If it’s dark, that’s an indication you need to drink more water. 

• From Modern Survival Blog: "55 Gallon Drum Water Storage Barrel | How-to Clean & Store For Emergency." The article discusses why to use a 55 gallon drum over other storage and where to store it, before getting to the cleaning part:

    Don’t use a barrel that stored any type of chemical! Rather, either a new BPA-free food-grade barrel, or, one that previously stored some sort of food product (that can be cleaned).

    Clean and disinfect the inside of the barrel. First wash the inside with soap and water until there is no visual evidence of organic contamination. I really like Dawn Platinum dishwashing detergent (amzn) the best. That stuff is great…

    Next, disinfect with a bleach solution. Bleach is commonly mixed with water for use as a disinfectant to kill germs. It is well established and recommended to use a 200 ppm (parts per million) solution for cleaning /disinfecting food-contact surfaces (Note this is not the same formula for drinking water purification). Don’t worry, I’ve done the math… Check the link below.

    Mix 3 teaspoons regular household bleach with one gallon of water (either in a separate bucket first, or add the 3 teaspoons directly in the barrel to be cleaned – with a gallon of water).

    Swish it around in the barrel. The idea is to get the solution sloshed over all the interior surface. Maybe roll it around. Whatever you need to do…

    Then let it sit for 30 minutes before dumping it all out. No need to rinse afterwards.

    Tip: Be careful because bleach will permanently stain your clothes!

    Again, this bleach solution is for sanitizing container (NOT drinking water purification).

Read the whole thing. I would note that storing water is not just for TEOTWAWKI. As we saw in the news earlier this year, Jackson, Mississippi, was without potable water due to flooding and problems with their water system. This is not as uncommon as you might think--do an internet search for "boil orders" or "city lost water". We have also seen stories of rolling blackouts. Obviously it depends on your municipal water system or the well that serves your house, but a loss of electricity--especially if its extends for a long period of time--could leave you without water. Fer Fal has recounted in Argentina that not only were there rolling blackouts during the economic crises, but that water would be shut off at seemingly random times.

• "Two Canadian moms are rushed to ICU after being mauled by black bear that charged and 'guarded them for its next meal' during a walk to enjoy fall leaves." The incident took place in British Columbia. Police shot and killed the bears. If the mothers had firearms, they might have been able to avoid the worst of the mauling.
• "Mountain lion attacks boy, 7, at Southern California park." I'm old enough to remember when there were no verified accounts of mountain lions attacking humans--and any such accounts from pioneers or early American settlers were considered old wives tales. Amazing what prohibiting the hunting of mountain lions can do. 
• "How to Get Around During a Financial Crisis: Economic SHTF Transportation." This article from Organic Prepper notes that in an economic crises fuel may become unaffordable and/or there may only be sporadic supplies (remember the long fuel lines and "out of gas" signs at gas stations during the Carter Administration? I do). The author lays out some recommendations including: downsizing from large, gas guzzling cars to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles such as smaller cars, motorcycles, or scooters; reduce the number of vehicles used by the household; carpool where possible; consider rotating driving duties between neighborhood families for driving kids to school and picking them up later; and use bicycles or walk when possible.
• Related: "Post SHTF Bicycles--Some Thoughts." This is one of my posts from 2015 looking at different types of bicycles for a post-SHTF environment and some types that might be better than others.
• On top of the rampant inflation in Europe (e.g.: German's actual inflation is currently over 50%), "Scientists warn of cold winter in Europe." 

    European countries may be about to face a colder than usual winter, the head of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) predicted on Sunday. This forecast comes as the continent is struggling with an energy crunch spurred by the sanctions the West has slapped on Russia over the Ukraine conflict.

    Speaking to the Financial Times, ECMWF Director-General Florence Rabier said that early data suggest that in November and December Western Europe may face a period of high pressure. This, she noted, may bring in colder weather with less wind and rainfall, which may reduce the amount of power generated by renewable power sources.

See also this article on the failure of "renewable" energy sources in Europe. I hope that my European readers have been able to stock up on alternative heating sources and fuel. I don't know about now, but when I served as a missionary in Japan, the vast majority of homes (and all of the apartments used by the missionaries) were unheated. We used kerosene stoves to heat rooms, only heating what we needed when we were home and awake, and kept well wrapped up in winter. Many Japanese had tables over which a blanket or quilt would be draped with a special heater that would fit under the center of the table--very comfy for sitting around and enjoying a meal the few times we were able to try one.

• "91% of American CEOs preparing for a recession -- a long one."
• Related: "Vehicle sales as a bellwether for the economy." Peter Grant notes that not only are banks repossessing more vehicles, but they are having a harder time selling them at auction. He has more here.
• "Dwindling Mississippi Grounds Barges, Threatens Shipments." The Mississippi River is running dry and water levels are so low that it stopping the traffic of cargo barges, although a more recent article indicates that two stoppages have been cleared opening up the channel to barge traffic. 
• "TACTICAL WISDOM: It Will Just Be OK…."--American Partisan. An excerpt:

    Friend, I know it seems like the economy is crashing all over the world. I know your grocery bill that was $150 is now $245. I know gas is over double what it was before the election. I know that every petty dictator in the world is pushing their boundaries. More importantly, I know that political violence is up and there is open talk of a civil war, but it’s all going to be fine. As long as everyone stops rocking the boat, and stops trying to assert their rights, everything will just go back to normal. Ignore the last 400 years of historical evidence to the contrary.

    This is literally what people are saying right now. This is called “normalcy bias” and it’s downright DANGEROUS. Normalcy Bias is why people wait too long to evacuate during hurricanes and fires, and its why people die when denying that a robbery or assault is happening. This 3,000-year-old Tactical Wisdom from the Bible proves it’s been going on forever:

then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.

Ezekiel 33:4

    Hoping for “cooler heads to prevail” is how world wars start. Hoping for people to “come to their senses” is how civil wars start.

    Normalcy bias is what happened in the German Jewish community up to and even after November 9, 1938 (Kristallnacht). They all thought that as long as they cooperated with the Federal authorities and kept quiet, they’d be left alone. Sound familiar? How did that work out in the end?

    I want to address something. This week, an avowed Democrat man pursued, cornered, and killed an 18-year-old because he thought the kid was a “Republican Extremist”. The man is legit ANGRY that he had to post $50,000 bond, because he thinks the attack was justified. He practically bragged about it to the detectives who interviewed him.

    More importantly, if you peruse Twitter or Facebook, the greater left as a whole agrees that this attack was justified. Why? Because the President of the United States said that MAGA Republicans are a clear and present danger to democracy. Those words are specifically used to justify violence. Pretending that there are NOT people out there who want to kill you is DANGEROUS. This is also exactly how the non-Jewish citizens of Germany generally felt about the Jews. We need to realize that violence IS coming, whether you want it or not.

    But what can we do? We can prepare. We can be aware. We can stop hoping because hope is not a strategy.

He continues by advising that we stock up on food, keep out car's gas tank topped off, finish an Area Study of your neighborhood and surrounding area, and learn escape routes and places to hide should you be caught outside your home.

VIDEO: "Futurist From 1922 Makes Weirdly Accurate Predictions For 2022"--Voices of the Past (19 min.)

News & Headlines:

• Really? For trespassing? "'We gave you guys guns, and you should have used them': Lindsey Graham called for cops to KILL January 6 rioters as they stormed the US Capitol, book reveals." He's been in Washington D.C. for too long. It is disgusting to seeing how eager Congress critters were to deploy lethal force for their own protection (remember the fences and thousands of National Guard troops after Jan. 6) while at the same time blithely dismissing the safety of commoners by pushing gun control, failing to control the borders or deport illegals, and encouraging violence from the Left.
• A couple from authors at the Unz Review on Russia and Ukraine: "Some of Us Don't Think the Russian Invasion Was 'Aggression.' Here's Why" and "When It Comes to Conducting a War, the Kremlin Has Proven Its Incompetence." Both of the authors take the position that Russia was merely protecting the Russians living in the eastern provinces of Ukraine. That would make sense if Russia had first recognized those regions as part of Russia after a plebiscite, and then moved Russian troops into those areas. But that is not what happened. Rather, Russia made a full invasion aimed at quickly capturing the capital, Kiev, and forcibly returning Ukraine to the Russian sphere; and only after that failed, fell back to just trying to take the eastern provinces; and then when that failed, resorting to a plebiscite. 
• Hmm: The Telegraph reports that "China ‘began stockpiling PPE months before Covid outbreak’." The article begins:

    China began severely restricting the export of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gowns and masks, months before notifying the world of the outbreak of Covid-19, it has emerged.

    PPE exports to the US fell by around 50 per cent between August and September of 2019, in a significant drop which raised alarm bells at key US government agencies.

    China also started to buy up global PPE stocks in Europe, Australia and the US around the same time, experts said.

    The fall in PPE supplies exiting China, the world’s biggest manufacturer of PPE, raises new questions about the true timeline of the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.

This would also correlate with the satellite imagery showing surges in automobile traffic around Chinese hospitals in late summer and early fall of 2019, months before an outbreak was revealed. The article continues:

    But earlier purchasing efforts from August and September 2019, call into question whether the Chinese were aware of an outbreak earlier.

    Many experts now think that the Covid-19 could have leaked from experiments carried out at Dr Shi Zhengli’s lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which was studying bat-borne coronaviruses.

    But earlier purchasing efforts from August and September 2019, call into question whether the Chinese were aware of an outbreak earlier.

    Many experts now think that the Covid-19 could have leaked from experiments carried out at Dr Shi Zhengli’s lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which was studying bat-borne coronaviruses.

• Mass shootings only happen in America: "Gunmen kill 18 in attack on city hall in southern Mexico." "But Docent," I can already hear, "that doesn't count because it was a cartel hit squad and not some crazy person." Okay, then how about this: "38 Killed, Including 22 Children In Gun, Knife Attack on Daycare in Thailand." As Vox Day notes, this shooting has the magical mix of taking place in a country where guns are strictly controlled and the shooting was carried out by a former police officer. Vox Day adds:

The unarmed society is a defenseless society, which is why the body counts are usually much higher in places that are gun-free zones than in places where people are able to defend themselves by legally carrying arms. And, as always, it’s vital to keep in mind that gun violence is primarily a racial issue, not an availability of weapons issue, as the newly-adulterated nations of Europe are beginning to discover in the aftermath of Merkel’s Migration.

You might check out the graph that accompanies Day's article. 

• This was always the goal: "Arizona Democratic gubernatorial candidate demands NO LIMITS on abortion: Katie Hobbs supports abortion up until time of birth - and says decision is down to women not government and politicians."
• Related: "Skeletons of 76 children who were SACRIFICED during six different killing events in 450 years are discovered in Peru: Five girls sitting head to head in a circle were found in one grave."
• "New York judge questions legal basis for limiting marriage to two people." Remember how liberals that supported gay marriage swore up and down that it would not lead to polygamy? I do. 
• Of course: "Satellite Temperature Data Show Almost All Climate Model Forecasts Over the Last 40 Years Were Wrong."
• Related: "CO2 Has Almost No Effect on Global Temperature, Says Leading Climate Scientist."
• How scientific consensus is created: "Over 500 scientific papers to be withdrawn by publisher." This is yet another case of “peer review and citation rings” of scientists and reviewers that agree to sign off on each other's papers in a quid-pro-quo arrangement, cite one another, and so on. 
• More bad science: "Needs More Salt: The FDA failed to conduct a peer review of its questionable scientific findings on sodium intake and did not respond to inquiries questioning the accuracy of its information." The gist is that even though Americans consume less salt than they probably should, the FDA is pressuring food companies and restaurant chains to further reduce salt. The author explains:

    A 2020 review of randomized controlled trials—the gold standard for scientific studies—assessing the effect on blood pressure and potential side effects of reducing salt intake by the highly respected Cochrane Library found a minuscule (0.3 percent) decrease in blood pressure in white people with normal blood pressure and a small decrease (about 3.5 percent) in people with elevated blood pressure. A few trials suggested these effects may be somewhat greater in black and Asian people. But these minimal benefits carried health costs. Sodium reduction resulted in significant increases in cholesterol and triglycerides—both associated with cardiovascular disease—which were more consistent than the blood pressure declines, especially in non-hypertensive people.

    Instead of targeting sodium reduction at the hypertensive population most likely to benefit, the FDA guidance prescribes it for everyone. And the guidance fails to distinguish between people with high sodium intakes and those with normal or low sodium intakes.

    Multiple studies suggest that low sodium intake can be just as detrimental as high sodium intake, leading to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death in “those with or without hypertension.” A prospective trial in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine found that daily sodium intake between three and six grams (g) per day—a range consumed by most of the world’s population, including in the U.S., where the average is 3.4 g—was associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events than was either a higher or lower estimated level of intake.

    In fact, sodium intake has been remarkably uniform worldwide over time. An analysis of 190 peer-reviewed studies found a narrow range of 2.6 g to 4.8 g per day that was reproducible over five decades and 45 countries with diverse populations, eating habits, and food industries. The average daily intake of 3.7 g was higher than the U.S. average.

    Last year, researchers concluded that the available evidence shows the optimal level of sodium intake is between three grams and five grams per day. Since 80 percent of Americans have daily intake below five grams, the authors argued that “efforts to reduce sodium intake in entire populations cannot be justified.”

    Sodium reduction should be targeted at hypertensive people with high-sodium diets. The FDA’s indiscriminate guidance may actually increase cardiovascular disease and death for many Americans.

• Ditto: "Association of American Physicians and Surgeons: FDA Misled the Public About Ivermectin." 
• Related: "Hydroxychloroquine blocks SARS-CoV-2 entry into the endocytic pathway in mammalian cell culture."
• No comment needed: "UK Gov. confirms 9 in every 10 COVID Deaths over the last year have been among the Fully/Triple Vaccinated."
• Speaking of government lies: "5 Years After Las Vegas Concert Shooting, an FBI Whistleblower Reveals Probable Motive." An excerpt:

    Former FBI special agent John Guandolo told Turning Point USA in a recorded interview (below) that there’s a 90% certainty that the Las Vegas attack was a jihadi operation and Stephen Paddock was the conduit through which the terrorist organization attacked America.

    In the interview, Guandolo said, “When you look at what actually transpired and put it together from a counter-espionage attack and counter-espionage look, the probability that was an ISIS attack is well over 90%.”

    He said the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI field office “got angry and dismissed it, and when presented with the information, FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., dismissed it out of hand.”

    Guandolo said he’d been asked to brief “a couple of people; members of Congress and others.”

    He said, “The FBI both in Washington, LA, and Las Vegas that participated in that investigation can’t even begin to think of it as a jihadi attack, because number one, they still don’t understand what that actually means.” He continued, “they don’t understand what actually happens and they have no desire to understand what happened. So their knee-jerk reaction in these cases is always to dismiss that and point in a different direction, because they’ve been conditioned to do so.” He concludes, “I mean, it only points to an ISIS attack. It does not point anywhere else. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack five times. They said that guy, he’s our guy. We hail him, he’s a martyr.”

    Moreover, Guandolo said, “It’s more than that. I mean, there’s one of the key guys that’s a part of that [attack] claimed to be a gay Australian guy, and we said, ‘Well here’s where this guy is. He lied as to where his whereabouts, and when he said he was here, he was actually in a hotel in Las Vegas, and the only other people staying in the hotel are people from an area in Mexico where there’s high ISIS activity.'” He admits, “That’s not definitive. That’s just one data point.”

    He said in the interview that the Australian man then “goes to New Mexico, and his phone pings in a cafe owned by a Turkish guy tied to ISIS. And he goes overseas  — he flies from the United States to Australia — and he goes overseas.” Guandolo asks, “Who flies from the United States to Australia and stays only two days and comes back, with ties to Australian Antifa?  And then he goes to Germany.”

    Guandolo concludes, “Right now there’s no other option on the table. All the evidence points to that. That’s all we’re saying. We’re saying, the fact the FBI hasn’t investigated it is unprofessional.”

• Enemies of the People: "FBI Whistleblowers Allege that Agents Who Kneeled in Solidarity with BLM Protesters were Promoted to Higher Rank."
• Believe all women: "Woman is jailed for more than five years for making 10 false rape claims against two different men who were able to prove they weren't even in the area."
• "'Your words hurt and incite violence': Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Silverman and Josh Gad lead celebrities denouncing Kanye after he declared war on Jews - as friends fear he's in grips of psychiatric episode."  The offending tweet from Kanye West read: "I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE." DEF CON 3 is an intermediate level of readiness: "Increase in force readiness above that required for normal readiness." You would have thought that he was urging his followers to round up Jewish people and haul them off to the gas chambers based on the reaction: "Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis reminded West that threats against the Jewish people in the past have led to genocide." Yup, one day someone wakes up and expresses displeasure with Jews and, boom, by noon it is genocide. 

    And this hyperbole is exactly why people pretty much yawn over these incidents: "Comedian Sarah Silverman has spoken out on the lack of outrage from non-Jews following Kanye West's anti-Semitic statements on Twitter by declaring: 'The silence is so loud.'" Calling her a comedian is a bit of a stretch. 

    "Josh Gad echoed Silverman's statements by saying that so many people stand with him on other political issues but are silent when it comes to instances of anti-Semitism." Pretty rich coming from an actor whose breakout role was in a Broadway play attacking and belittling another religious group: Mormons. 

    On top of everything, that isn't how the world works. The reality is that if someone makes a comment, publishes an article or book, or otherwise does something that can be twisted into Anti-Semitism, Jews and their allies combine to destroy that person. In his article, "American Pravda: Understanding World War II," Ron Unz discusses a number of prominent historians who dared question the narrative concerning the outbreak of World War II, including the motives of Roosevelt and Churchill, and how they were blackballed or otherwise had careers destroyed.  He relates:

    John T. Flynn, Harry Elmer Barnes, Charles Beard, William Henry Chamberlin, Russell Grenfell, Sisley Huddleston, and numerous other scholars and journalists of the highest caliber and reputation all told a rather consistent story of the Second World War but one at total variance with that of today’s established narrative, and they did so at the cost of destroying their careers. A decade or two later, renowned historian A.J.P. Taylor reaffirmed this same basic narrative, and was purged from Oxford as a consequence. I find it very difficult to explain the behavior of all these individuals unless they were presenting a truthful account.

    If a ruling political establishment and its media organs offer lavish rewards of funding, promotion, and public acclaim to those who endorse its party-line propaganda while casting into outer darkness those who dissent, the pronouncements of the former should be viewed with considerable suspicion. Barnes popularized the phrase “court historians” to describe those disingenuous and opportunistic individuals who follow the prevailing political winds, and our present-day media outlets are certainly replete with such types.

He also relates:

    The same year that Taylor’s book appeared so did a work covering much the same ground by a fledgling scholar named David L. Hoggan. Hoggan had earned his 1948 Ph.D. in diplomatic history at Harvard under Prof. William Langer, one of the towering figures in that field, and his maiden work The Forced War was a direct outgrowth of his doctoral dissertation. While Taylor’s book was fairly short and mostly based upon public sources and some British documents, Hoggan’s volume was exceptionally long and detailed, running nearly 350,000 words including references, and drew upon his many years of painstaking research in the newly available governmental archives of Poland and Germany. Although the two historians were fully in accord that Hitler had certainly not intended the outbreak of World War II, Hoggan argued that various powerful individuals within the British government had deliberately worked to provoke the conflict, thereby forcing the war upon Hitler’s Germany just as his title suggested.

    Given the highly controversial nature of Hoggan’s conclusions and his lack of previous scholarly accomplishments, his huge work only appeared in a German edition, where it quickly became a hotly-debated bestseller in that language. As a junior academic, Hoggan was quite vulnerable to the enormous pressure and opprobrium he surely must have faced. He seems to have quarreled with Barnes, his revisionist mentor, while his hopes of arranging an English language edition via a small American publisher soon dissipated. Perhaps as a consequence, the embattled young scholar later suffered a series of nervous breakdowns, and by the end of the 1960s he had resigned his position at San Francisco State College, the last serious academic position he was ever to hold. He subsequently earned his living as a research fellow at a small libertarian thinktank, then after it folded taught at a local junior college, hardly the expected professional trajectory of someone who had begun with such auspicious Harvard credentials.

    In 1984 an English version of his major work was finally about to be released when the facilities of its small revisionist publisher in the Los Angeles area were fire-bombed and totally destroyed by Jewish militants, thus obliterating the plates and all existing stock. ...