Weekend Data Dump

The Abrams tank continues to be updated. Active protection systems remain worryingly in the future.

This will have to increase a lot more to be a trend; but some on the left not only realize that "liberal minded" isn't a synonym for "open minded," but see "liberal minded" as increasingly "authoritarian minded."

Honestly, this isn't necessarily a big deal: "According to Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center released Tuesday, 37 percent could not name any of the five rights protected by First Amendment, and just about half (48 percent) could name freedom of speech." I don't know if I could name all of them if just asked out of nowhere. But I know there are a number of rights in the First Amendment. And I know how to look them up. I recall a story (perhaps a myth but useful, anyway) of a reporter being astounded that Albert Einstein of all people didn't remember the speed of sound at sea level. To which Einstein responded, "I know where to look it up."

I'm not sure why it is such an affront to all that is good and holy to argue that colonial powers can do some good for the subject people, even as you rightly say that unlawfully controlling other people is wrong. Infrastructure, education, rule of law, and forms of good governance can be used by the colonial people when they've thrown off the colonial master, no? (Erm, what about the aqueducts?) Colonial powers may build those good things for their own purposes that have nothing to do with trying to improve the lot of the subject people, but they are still good things in the long run. But that good doesn't justify colonialism (or any type of authoritarian power over your own people, of course--I'm speaking to you commie fan boys (and girls) who don't mind breaking a few eggs for a yummy socialist omelet). And the argument for benefits may be wrong. If so, demonstrate that with counter-arguments.

As a rule, I think that when a convicted person's prison/probation sentence is completed, the former convict's punishment should be ended. Sadly, that is not the case. Good grief, give them a chance to build a law-abiding life, will you?

Has American vote-hacking hysteria infected Kenya? The French firm that built the machines says there is no evidence of hacking in the nullified presidential election. That's interesting enough. But this is fascinating: "OT-Morpho supplied the 45,000 tablets used to identify voters biometrically and an associated system used to transmit the results of votes counted by electoral officials as well as a photograph of the paper form 34A on which votes were tallied." In the battle for election integrity, liberals here claim that requiring a photo ID to vote will deter lawful voting. In Kenya they require biometric identification to vote. That isn't too onerous for Kenyans apparently. Also, go back to paper ballots.

You know, it occurs to me that maybe Democrats need Hillary Clinton's blamefest of a book to avoid looking in the mirror to blame themselves for nominating the only candidate on the planet who could have lost to Donald Trump. The fantasy world of evil plotters under every bed who undid the brilliance of selecting Hillary Clinton is perhaps more soothing than confronting the fact that Democratic voters screwed up. I can understand why Hillary Clinton needs to convince herself that she didn't screw things up. She needs to sleep at night and Chardonnay in those quantities is surely bad for her health. But what excuse do Hillary! supporters have for believing this fantasy world? Are mental health counseling bills piling up too high?

Can you even imagine liberals not exploding in outrage if a senator had said a Moslem nominee could not serve because of their religion rather than saying that about a Catholic nominee? After all this time, some Democrats apparently don't think that Catholics have assimilated into American society, despite a long history of voting for Democrats.

I don't understand why wearing a pussy hat is celebrated as empowering women while saying "boobs" is anti-woman. Clay Travis is crude to say what he said, but so are a lot of leftists who enjoy shocking middle America. I just don't understand how the left makes standards.

I didn't understand the brief panic by Democrats over President Trump's DACA order. None of the facts supported the panic but there it was. I just shook my head in genuine confusion over the reaction. I didn't doubt that the Trump order was about regularizing the clearly illegal Obama DACA order in some form. Democrats seemed to think the round-up (and perhaps death camps the way they talked) was about to begin. Mind you, I think whatever law emerges should end chain migration through the once-children and that criminals should be barred more strictly than the Obama executive order provided, but I wouldn't kick them all out. But it should be understood that  any law is based on our compassion and interests and not any "right" to stay here.

This is understandable considering my youngest is past the toy stage. I did my part to shore up Toys R Us for a long time.

Venezuela didn't like Trump's Tuesday UN speech. But Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza is addled if he thinks this comparison hurts Trump: "... for a moment we didn't know if we were listening to president Reagan in 1982 or President Trump in 2017." I think that footage will be in the Trump reelection campaign.

Climate science admits that the climate change models over-state the effect of CO2 on temperatures. Last week that position was considered "denying" the science despite the obvious failure of reality to conform with model outputs over the last decade and a half. But no worries. I'm sure that's the only thing that last week's science got wrong.

Are Navy helicopters the new PT Boat for littoral combat? It is true that they are better than sending in the LCS which is too big, vulnerable, and expensive for that role despite the intent. And it is true that helicopters can be armed for taking on any target. But helicopters lack the persistence of something that floats. The idea has merit, but I think it would be better to say that helicopters could be the manned strike element of a team that also has more persistent presence provided by unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) that prowl the littorals. Let me add that a modularized auxiliary cruiser could be used as the mother ship for Navy anti-ship helicopters paired with USVs.

I don't like Senator Rand Paul. I used to give him the benefit of the doubt. And in opposition perhaps he had a useful role. And my view was shaped by Rand being better than his father, who is a lunatic. But Rand Paul doesn't know how to alter his behavior in the majority. He let's the pursuit of the perfect be the enemy of the good--or even just the adequate. Which helps Democrats a lot in the near-balanced Senate. I have similar thoughts about McCain. He sacrificed much for America, and I respect him for that. But being tortured by enemies isn't a shield against all criticism forever.

This is an interesting video.  Before the Black Lives Matter movement with its anarchist and communist leadership took the stage to condemn all of America, I was ready to support opposition to laws (selling "loosies" is a priority street crime?) and police practices (don't militarize street cops) that led to African Americans being needlessly killed by police. I'm for freedom and not a police state. Whether or not police killings of African-American men is rampant or statistically consistent with police encounter rates, No Lives Don't Matter. Nobody should be killed on the street before courts judge the person. Even worthless scum who deserve to die need a day in court simply because those who are law-abiding need to be secure that they will be treated fairly and safely in police encounters. And there are bad police. Of course. That most police are good doesn't refute that. If Black Lives Matter truly sought justice through the American ideals that man in the video spoke about, BLM would have more success than the rabble-rousing the a-holes who lie about some encounters ("hands up, don't shoot," was a lie pure and simple) and who condemn America itself for the actions (in Democratic-controlled cities, of all places!) of those who violate American ideals. I hope that speaker influenced his followers as much as the people he spoke to.

I hear that John Kerry has bitter words of complaint about the possibility that America may renounce the Iran deal. I really don't care what Spongespine Spandexpants has to say about anything.

America is establishing an air defense base in Israel to "identify and intercept a spectrum of aerial threats[.]" The article specifies shooting down rockets and missiles. I'm not exactly sure what is to be stationed there given that manpower appears to be only a few dozen American soldiers. Is it some type of point defense system or short-range air defense system with a weapon or two? "Base" is seemingly a big title for such a small unit. Is this an Army National Guard air defense unit that will rotate most of the troops through on 2-week deployments with just a permanent garrison of a few dozen full-time reservists as the cadre? I'm scratching my head.

So where the Hell were these Hollywood types during the Cold War when the Russians were a bigger threat? On a personal note, although I was focused on the USSR in my college education, I refused to be a Soviet major because I thought that was a way too pessimistic way to look at the world. Really, was I to assume my entire career would be focused on the USSR? It would always be there? Good call for me. Although I didn't go into foreign policy analysis as a career. Life happens while you plan, eh? And I've forgotten all my Russian language skills. Oh well. And seriously, people, stop going on about Russian revolutionary "hyrbrid warfare." It isn't a thing. As I've said before, hybrid warfare is Russia invading a country, denying they are invading, and the West effectively going along with that fiction.

I'm so old I remember when it was ridiculous (and an insult to Saint Obama!) to suggest President Obama's administration "wiretapped" Trump.

Holy cow, Puerto Rico got nailed by Hurricane Maria. It will take months to fully restore electricity? Critical facilities (like hospitals and police--and probably connected politicians) will come first, of course. I hope FEMA is up to the task of helping Puerto Rico's government help to ordinary people who have to cope until the grid returns to their neighborhoods. What do you do, have daily food, ice, and water distribution to more than 3 million people for months on end? Do we evacuate as many as we can to the mainland until repairs are made? On a separate issue, is this hurricane an opportunity for Puerto Rico to declare bankruptcy given their looming financial collapse? Or an opportunity to restructure debt in exchange for financial reforms?

One of the subway (tube) bombers in London was referred to a "deradicalization" program.  Why do I get the feeling that the program doesn't deradicalize participants as much as it coaches them on how to pass as normal non-jihadi people?

The circular firing squad in Sacramento has paused to reload.

Marawi City has proven to be a death trap for a lot of jihadis who made an odd "charge of the light brigade" into the city. The Philippines has done a good job of killing Abu Sayyaf jihadis while avoiding civilian and friendly casualties over the last four months. I assume our military has provided support. UPDATE: We certainly sent drone support.

All blue-eyed people share a single ancestor from more than 6,000 years ago. Please tell me science isn't telling me I can't date a blue-eyed woman because we're cousins.

I know people are frustrated that Congressional Republicans are having trouble passing legislation. It is frustrating. But I hope Republican voters don't punish them next year. Really, I'd prefer a Republican Congress that is unable to pass legislation than a  Democratic Congress that will definitely pass legislation.

I'm not the only one disturbed about Pope Francis. I'm hardly the poster boy for the faith, but I don't insist my church ratify my failings. Francis makes me less eager to self-identify as Catholic. I suspect his tenure will weaken the institution.

If you want to see real abuse against Moslems, focusing on America is highly misguided.

Iraq's Kurds plan to hold their Monday referendum on independence. No word about whether the regional government wants to act on a positive vote. I have sympathy for the Kurds. They deserve a state. But Iranian, Turkish, and Iranian hostility (and add in Syrian hostility, eventually) will doom the land-locked entity. I'd rather the Kurds negotiate a looser relationship with the central government. Eventually, when Iraqis get used to looser ties, perhaps the full divorce can be achieved with no more drama than the division of Czechoslovakia. UPDATE: Related thoughts.

Oh good grief, just write the check.