The Bookworm Beat 6-1-15 — the “rainy day water conservation” edition and open thread

Thanks to an emergency order from Gov. Jerry Brown, today marks the beginning of water rationing across California — and that includes my own Marin County. The bill is a triumph of big government as far as I’m concerned because, here in Marin county, we have more than enough water. We will have to kill our gardens, bathe in puddles, wear less clean clothes, eat off of environmentally wasteful paper plates, and risk fines if we use too much water, despite having more than enough water. (And ye, I did exaggerate a little about the paper plates and dirty clothes, but everything else is true.) Nature is clearly aware of this irony, since she arranged for us to wake up to a soaking wet morning, courtesy of a heavy drizzle that’s been going on for hours.

This morning will be a quick round-up, because I have to take my Mom to another doctor’s appointment. (Next week I take her to three more, so this is a good week.) I’ll post a bigger, better round-up this afternoon:

Bernie Sanders — old-fashioned socialist

If you haven’t yet read Matthew Continetti’s “Bernie Sander’s Fossil Socialism,” you must. Unlike other articles that accurately attack Sanders for economic ideas that have consistently failed wherever and whenever tried, or that try to milk Sanders’ icky and marginally literate porn fantasies from the early 1970s, Continetti uses Sanders’ candidacy as a yardstick by which to measure the Left’s journey from economic socialism to victim politics:

For the old socialists, you had to mobilize politically to command the economy, and then issues of race and ethnicity and religion would disappear. Since we’re all equal, the only relevant dispute was between classes. And once that dispute was settled — workers of the world, blah blah blah — we’d have nothing to worry about.

At least that’s the way it was supposed to happen. But socialism failed to achieve its goals — a planned economy, a classless society, economic growth with equal distribution — and the Left shifted emphasis. Revolutionary transformation of the market wasn’t achievable, and perhaps not all that desirable. The Left would have to make its peace with capitalism: more like a truce, with the welfare state keeping the market at bay.

What mattered to this new generation of leftists was the distribution of cultural power among groups — not the fortunes and universal rights of “working men” in the abstract but the fortunes and rights of specific types of men and women, whose race or gender or sect was “privileged” and whose was not. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the absurdities of planned economies settled one question. But the political and social and cultural questions — who was on top, what spoils would they reap — remained open.

Meanwhile, you can enjoy Remi’s little joke about Sanders’ appalling economic ignorance:

If these were Republican candidates, their careers would be over

Ben Shapiro points out, quite accurately, that if a Republican had written a porn fantasy more than 40 years ago, his career would be over. And if a Republican had defended rapists, laughed at victims, and facilitated sustained sexual abuse, his career would have been over too. It’s just, you know, different, when socialist Bernie Sanders or Democrat Hillary Clinton does these things.

Global warming believers are cultists

Richard Lindzen, an MIT professor emeritus in meteorology, has again raised his voice to decry the cultism that is the global warming, anthropogenic climate change movement:

As with any cult, once the mythology of the cult begins falling apart, instead of saying, oh, we were wrong, they get more and more fanatical. I think that’s what’s happening here. Think about it,” he said. “You’ve led an unpleasant life, you haven’t led a very virtuous life, but now you’re told, you get absolution if you watch your carbon footprint. It’s salvation!”

His is, of course, a voice in the wilderness, but maybe if enough wilderness dwellers raise their voices, they will be heard.

Disinformation aids cultism

James Spann, a certified meteorologist has written a short, brilliant rumination about how media ignorance drives the disinformation that leads people to conclude that every weather event is “proof” of climate change. He acknowledges that climate has changed and always will change, but there’s no excuse for the ignorance driving a political debate:

No doubt national news media outlets are out of control when it comes to weather coverage, and their idiotic claims find their way to us on a daily basis.

The Houston flooding is a great example. We are being told this is “unprecedented”… Houston is “under water”… and it is due to manmade global warming.

Yes, the flooding in Houston yesterday was severe, and a serious threat to life and property. A genuine weather disaster that has brought on suffering.

But, no, this was not “unprecedented”. Flooding from Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 was more widespread, and flood waters were deeper. There is no comparison.

[snip]

Back to my point… many professional meteorologists feel like we are fighting a losing battle when it comes to national media and social media hype and disinformation. They will be sure to let you know that weather events they are reporting on are “unprecedented”, there are “millions and millions in the path”, it is caused by a “monster storm”, and “the worst is yet to come” since these events are becoming more “frequent”.

Obamacare was never going to be affordable

Obamacare was always a con (if you’re cynical, as I am) or a delusion (if you’d like to acquit its supporters of base motives). The costs would inevitably exceed any alleged savings.

Incidentally, as Obamacare hangs in the balance before the Supreme Court, one of my Leftie friends continues to insist that, all evidence to the contrary, the language stating that insurance exchanges must be state-created to earn federal subsidies is a mere “typo.” Talk about cultists….

Beau Biden’s death reminds us of Joe Biden’s best qualities

Being a West Coaster, I know next to nothing about Beau Biden, but this weekend I learned the most important thing about him: He was a former member of our military, a current family man, and a working member of society who died too young of brain cancer. My heart goes out to his family and friends. And regarding his family, the reason I am writing about Beau Biden is, of course, because he was the son of our current Vice President.

I hold no brief for Joe Biden as Vice President but, with the death of his son, Weirddave reminds us of what matters most today about Joe Biden: he was an exemplary parent despite a terrible tragedy that could have destroyed both Biden and his sons as surely as it killed Biden’s wife and daughter in 1973.

David Letterman — icky

I never watched Letterman when he was young and hip. I came upon him when he was old, icky, disaffected, and grotesquely partisan. No wonder I enjoy Daniel Greenfield’s un-homage as time finally, at long last, wraps up his ugly career.

Gotta run. More later.  (Pardon typos; I just looked at the clock and really, really have to run.)