A commenter posted: “You don’t have to solve — or even understand — complex moral, cultural, and social problems to reduce their lethality.”
If we limit magazine capacity, people still will die, but not as quickly.  That’s what it means to “reduce their lethality.”  That’s not a real solution.
It is ONLY by understanding the complex moral, cultural and social mistakes we made, that we have a hope of reversing the mistakes.
The problem is, Liberals don’t think they were mistakes so they’re not willing to consider reversing them, regardless of how many people die because of it.
Joe Doakes

“Reducing lethality”. As Joe points out, it means – at most – that a spree killer switches to multiple ten round magazines (which most spree killers already use); since they’re pretty invariably attacking defenseless targets, they could be using a double-barrel shotgun for all it matters.

And if you somehow, magically, take away all guns? Psychos will switch – have switched – to gasoline, knives, fertilizer, poison gas, trucks, or God only knows what else.

Greta Thunberg seems to be for Swedish environmentalists what Alexandria “Tide Pod Evita” Ocasio Cortez is for American progressives; overconfident, undereducated, and very, very overpromoted.

I’ll give her this much, though; unlike the folks flying in private jets and ocean motor yachts to climate conferences, the girl – who has “led” a number of climate-related school strikes in Sweden – is putting her travel plans where her mouth is. More or less.

Greta Thunberg is to sail across the Atlantic in a high-speed racing yacht next month to attend UN climate summits in the US and Chile as part of a sabbatical year the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist will spend in the US.“Good news! I’ll be joining the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, COP25 in Santiago … I’ve been offered a ride on the 60ft racing boat Malizia II. We’ll be sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from the UK to NYC in mid August,” Greta tweeted. The journey will take two weeks.

So at least she’s sailing, rather than taking some plutoprog’s Gulfstream.

Although it’s not exactly the kind of boat my great-grandparents sailed from Norway and Sweden on. It’s the kind of rustic adventure Robin Leach in his heyday might have said was “a bit much”.

So – travel is apparently either for those who are wealthy enough to qualify as exceptions to global warming, or only for people who can take a month out of their lives to cross the ocean on a yacht that costs millions to build and tens of thousands a week to charter.

Sounds about right.

When the Babylon Bee just can’t satirize things fast enough, the “Democratic Socialists” Party convention is there to fill the gap:

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) National Convention in Georgia this weekend came to a screeching halt when one delegate formally complained of “sensory overload” from “guys” whispering in the room — prompting another “comrade” to grab the microphone to angrily demand an immediate end to the use of “gendered language.”

The back-to-back moments of impassioned hypersensitivity at the gathering of the largest socialist organization in the United States led to bipartisan mockery from commentators, who compared the scene to something out of the sitcom “The Office” or the sketch comedy group Monty Python.

The stuff that’s too far out for the Babylon Bee starts around six minutes in.

“Uh, quick point of personal privilege, um guys,” began one delegate, who identified himself as James Jackson from Sacramento, and specified that he uses the “he/him” personal pronouns.

As soon as Jackson said the word “guys,” an individual in the audience could be seen becoming visibly irate in a livestream video of the convention posted online.

It could be any interminably tedious political convention, except for the suffocating PC and, of course, all the “Comrade” references.

For those wanting to bash the American Right over the head with the recent spate of spree killings – the Dayton shooter, Connor Betts, would seem to be…

…problematic.

Betts was the lead singer in a band that worked in an intensely masochistic genre:

The man who killed nine and injured 27 in a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, was the lead singer of a “pornogrind” metal band, a genre defined by its explicit subject matter and themes of gore and violence, specifically sexual violence and necrophilia, BuzzFeed News has learned.

The gunman, identified as 24-year-old Connor Betts, was a member of Menstrual Munchies, a three-person band that performed regularly in the Midwest death metal scene, recently appearing as one of the bands at the Summer Massacre 2 concert in Chicago on June 29.
Pornogrind is a subgenre of a fast and extreme kind of heavy metal called grindcore, which is known for its mostly dark, satirical themes of sexual violence and gore delivered for shock value.

Another, er, musician wrote

In a follow-up tweet, the band member running the account [of a band associated with Betts] described Betts as “another dime a dozen Ohio grind dude who caped progressive politics while treating women like shit.”

Oh, yeah – he supports Fauxcahontas.

Watch for the Dayton shooter to disappear down the memory hole – although his choice of firearm will remain.

The rich, powerful and famous journey to a climate change conference at a posh resort in Sicily, leaving a luxuriant trail of hydrocarbon exhaust:

According to Italian media reports, guests were expected to arrive in an eye-popping 114 private jets.
The Post guesstimated that with 114 flights from Los Angeles to Palermo, the planes would have pumped an astonishing 100,000 kilos of C02 into the atmosphere.
“Google Camp is meant to be a place where influential people get together to discuss how to make the world better,” one frequent flier told the tabloid.
“There will likely be discussions about online privacy, politics, human rights, and of course, the environment, which makes it highly ironic that this event requires 114 private jets to happen.”

Interesting to note by way of contrast that climate skeptics tend to have smaller carbon footprints than Warmers. I’m not sure if the figures for the warmers control for the profligate use by the rich and famous.

Justin Perpich – scion of the Iron Range political family, but otherwise just another Metrocrat progressive fop – writes:

So the next time some progressive demands “why can’t we have ‘commonsense gun control'”, answer “because your side lacks common sense”.

Bonus: “Why are ‘red flag laws” without due judicial process a terrible idea?” Answer: Because people like Justin Perpich (and many, many like him( are not alone.

Progressives, being fundamentally miserable people, see misery as a tool to their ends.

Big Left today is exercising “Recession Porn”, hoping for an economic downturn to get rid of Trump.

Bill Maher:

It’s amazing what liberals daydream about. While many of us might imagine wealth, fame, or attractive women (sorry, Zsu-Zsu), Bill Maher dreams of a recession that would lead to massive job losses and foreclosed homes.

Maher: “I’ve been hoping for a recession – people hate me for it – but it would get rid of Trump.”
Josh Barro: “Recessions are really bad. People lose their jobs and homes and we shouldn’t wish for it.”
Maher: “I know. It’s worth it.”

Actually, it’s only “worth it” if Maher loses his job.

And Maher isn’t even the most depraved among ’em.

Usually.

Two mass shootings over the weekend.

Senate Majority Leader Gazelka had an excellent response:

As does Representative Munson.

Let us, indeed, think about the “why”:

Speaking of “why” – law enforcement will be looking for patterns. And while we’re on the subject:

As a friend asks – “do they make these in a lab?” “Copycat killer” has a whole new meaning.

By the way; over the weekend – a “progressive” from the invincibly ignorant set bellowed (rhetorically) at me “askiing” if I’d renounce “white supremacy” in the wake of El Paso.

It was a groaningly stupid and insulting thing to say – I did mention he was from the invincibly ignorant crowd, right?

I haven’t told him “This is the appropriate response to ‘white supremacists’ with firearms on shootings sprees“.

And, for that matter, a good guy with a gun did in fact help out in El Paso.

Berg’s 18th Law is still in effect. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: In related news, Neil DeGrasse Tyson will never do lunch in Berkeley again:

Indeed.

I have these two jokes – which in a sense aren’t jokes at all.

First – when it comes to progressivism, yesterday’s joke is today’s proposal and tomorrow’s policy.

And the second: Babylon Bee is becoming less and less distinguishable with “real news”.

And now, the former “fact-check” site Snopes is trying to deplatform Babylon Bee because…well, apparently they think satire confuses people?

And it occurs to me – it’s all clear, and the dots all connect, now: Snopes is trying to deplatform Babylon Bee because they’re actually the real news, 2-3 years ahead of time.

This blog is going on 18 years old.

In that time, I’ve written a lot of things, in a lot of styles; reporting, fiction, analysis, history, and a whole lot more.

And, oh yeah, satire. Lots and lots of satire.

And I’ve found the “hard” way (not that hard; there were few real consequences, knock wood) that a lot of people just. Don’t. Get. Satire. At. All.

Combine human bovinity with tribalism, and you’ve got…

…well, Snopes.

The once-respected fact-checking site has beclowned itself a few times in “fact-checking” “news stories” from the likes of the Onion and Babylon Bee. It was easy to chalk it up to not-very-bright “fact-checkers”.

But then it became all weaponized”

In 2018, after Snopes fact-checked a Bee article titled “CNN Purchases Industrial-Sized Washing Machine to Spin News Before Publication” (no, really), Facebook warned the Bee that it could be penalized with reduced distribution and demonetization. Facebook later apologized for its warning.
And last week Snopes escalated its attack. It fact-checked an article called “Georgia Lawmaker Claims Chick-Fil-A Employee Told Her To Go Back To Her Country, Later Clarifies He Actually Said ‘My Pleasure.’” But rather than merely noting that the story was clearly satire from a known satire site, it launched an attack on the Bee’s motives and methods.
In its original fact-check, it questioned whether the article was satire, accusing the Bee of “fanning the flames of a controversy” and “muddying the details of a news story.” It posted a misleading and incomplete summary of the ridiculous Erica Thomas incident in Georgia (where a black Georgia lawmaker accused a fellow Publix customer of telling her to “go back” where she came from and then walked back her accusation) and then called the Bee article a “ruse” and an “apparent attempt to maximize the online indignation.”
It bears repeating that the Bee is obvious satire. Obvious.

This isn’t about would-be “journalists” with no sense of humor. This is about stifling – “deplatforming”, the kids call it today – one of civil dissent’s most powerful weapons – cutting humor.

When I first saw the headline for this piece on social media, I thought it was Babylon Bee spoofing big modern media:

Kyoto Animation arson killings didn’t get much attention because we couldn’t demonize guns

Sure enougb, it’s an actual USAToday editorial, about the Kyoto Animation Studio mass killing -= which involved arson, not guns, so the American media snoozed it out:

The limited attention here in the United States cannot be explained away on account of distance. Compare the coverage with that of the mosque shootings last March in Christchurch, New Zealand, a location even farther from our shores. U.S. newspapers and wire services featured the Christchurch massacre five times as much as the Kyoto mass murder.
Sure, there are some differences between the two tragedies in term of victim count and motive. Thursday’s attack involved a personal agenda rather than a political one — never raising the dreadful specter of terrorism. The Kyoto massacre may not have been an act of terror, but the young victims undoubtedly experienced tremendous terror as the flames swelled around them and smoke invaded their lungs. 
Mass shootings remain one of the most widely discussed topics here in the United States. By comparison, we just don’t seem to be as unnerved by mass killings carried out by other methods, unless of course they hint of terrorism, be it of foreign or domestic origin.

This wasn’t always the case; when over 90 were killed by an arsonist at the Happyland Social Club in the Bronx in 1990, there was media coverage…

…but it didn’t lead to “National Conversations” about mental health, since that’s a) intractable, b) involves beating on no political opponents.

And I’ll posit this right here: If an insane arsonist killed 34 black people in Chicago, there’d be a similar shrug of the media’s shoulders. Because there’s no political angle to beat on gun owners in between editorials bemoaning “tribailism” in our culture.

Because you don’t want to run out of bullets before your attacker runs out of attack.

Three armed home invaders shoot man on the East Side, tie up woman, scare the hell out of the kids:

Police say three suspects broke into the house armed with a gun.
Investigators were surveying the scene of the crime Thursday, after a home invasion left a man shot in the leg and his girlfriend tied up. The man who was shot is expected to be alright.
Police say the victims were staying overnight at a relative’s house.
“These are terrifying and traumatic events to have happen,” St. Paul Police spokesperson Steve Linders said. “Also concerning is that they found two young children in the house that were present during the robbery.”
The children, however, were not harmed.

By the way – during the dog days of summer, it’s important not to be an idiot.

Linders says home invasions in the city are rare. Investigators think a social media post by the man that was shot may have played a role in this crime.
“Our investigators think it could be tied to a Facebook post that the victim made recently he had been on a successful trip to Las Vegas and posted about it,” Linders said.
Security expert Mark Lanterman, who is not affiliated with this specific investigation, says it’s a reminder that posting online about expensive belongings or cash can get you in trouble, but also if you share you’re leaving town or on vacation.
“It’s very important to be very careful about in the details you share on social media,” Lanterman said. “Burglars know hey you’re out of town now you’re an easy target so think before you post.”

I’m always home, and I’ve always got an AR15 in one hand and a .44 Magnum in the other.

The Reverend Nancy Nord Bence has never, not once, made a statement about guns, gun owners, gun crime, gun laws, the 2nd Amendment’s meaning and history that is simultaneously original, substantial and true.

Not once.

Her news release earlier this week wasn’t “honest”, per se – but it was unusual in its frankness.

Because while Nord Bence, like all gun grabbers, will condescendingly coo “nobody’s coming for your guns” when asked, well, she wants to come for your guns.

You can read the release here. By the way – in a medium, the press release, that favors economy and succinctness, the Reverend writes the most gaseous, verbose excrescences ever to grace a circular file. The meme blow is the TL:dr version:

A friend of the blog writes:

Betty McCollum doesn’t like the language in this application for Grant money for ShotSpotter.
In a July 19 e-mail to City Council members, Chief of Staff Bill Harper wrote that the application “paints a picture that our office feels is not reflective of the city and the people of St. Paul. Furthermore, the inaccurate manner in which the Green Line is characterized undermines the necessary work to advance transit funding.”
The e-mail compared language in the grant application to how President Donald Trump talks about U.S. cities.
I wish she would spend some time in the neighborhoods along the Green Line sometime. Walk around at night. Do some police ride-alongs. Ride the train at night.

“Telling the truth about Democrat governance” is “racist”, these days.

John Stossel has a column up called “Free Stuff,” where he adds up the cost of Democrat presidential candidates’promises. They run into the hundreds of billions of dollars, and he points out that the nation could ever afford to tax everybody enough to pay for it.
Except that’s not the plan. Democrats like AOC honestly believe money is obsolete. The government doesn’t have to print paper bills, ship them to warehouses, stuff them into ATMs and distribute them to the poor. Instead, government simply makes an electronic entry in the computer, which is electronically loaded to your EBT card, or electronically credited to your bank account, and suddenly, everyone has money.
There’s no need to balance a budget, it’s all electrons and electrons are free.
It’s like having a credit card with no limit and they never send you the bill.Why wouldn’t you spend as much as you could, buying everything you can imagine? What’s the downside?
Joe Doakes

When Margaret Thatcher said that the problem with progressivism is that you always run out of other peoples’ money, the unspoken corollary was that they never believe they’ll run out of other peoples money…