As IF Times

Source: Panera’s experiment with socialism craters… “can’t cover costs” … restaurants shuttered – NaturalNews.com

Gee, who could have seen that coming.  Most people have never even heard of this experiment by Panera, a noble one to be sure, but nevertheless one that a 7 year old could have told them was doomed to fail.  Having a business model in which people are allowed to contribute what they want for your products works only in the fairyland in which no one lives. To Panera’s credit, it was the corporation’s own money that was at stake here, not the collective contributions forced from the public that we’re accustomed to seeing.

In fact, you can say that this was a form of charity, always admirable, but only if sustainable. You can dole out only as much as you have in your larder to help others.  If only this philosophy was observed in public policy. As we know, the model there is to enforce some well intentioned policy with the monies confiscated from everyone else, without regard to permission, efficacy or cost.  There’s seldom a mechanism of sober reflection when the policies go wrong, even when they result in the exact opposite of what was originally intended. One bemusing example is the popularity of the “no guns allowed” sticker one finds in so many buildings and all schools. What this really signals is that these are risk free victim zones for perps. There is an internet meme showing a “no wolf” sign around a herd of sheep. The reality is, laws are only for the law abiding.

There are innumerate examples of this, but of course the one capturing the headlines most recently, is illegal immigration.  What may have started off as a gesture of kindness by allowing people into the nation illegally to find work and support their families has transmogrified grotesquely into a virtual industry.  Tens of millions of people are living in the country without going through proper channels and millions more are in their wake literally pushing at the fences to get in.  Unlike Panera Bread which made a decision based on the evidence to stop their program, politicos are doubling down on allowing the flood of illegals to enter the country.  This, despite hard evidence of the unwanted consequences of increased crime, bursting social support systems and schools,  higher taxation and degraded cities.

People with an elevated sense of social justice unfortunately are often also deficient in matters of common sense. When they manage to take office, they’re like children who think bringing home all of the stray dogs in the neighborhood is a good idea, but have no idea the cost and effort required to maintain them, but hey, they’re cute.  If you extrapolate this to public policy, it’s the same thing as making all of your neighbors take in stray dogs as well without their choice in the matter.

And this is what’s happened to public policy today.  Let’s disregard for a moment the mercenary aspects of policy and simply take the proponents at their word; that they are social justice fighters.   There is a breakdown of the system of checks and balances needed to nip ideas which are hopelessly wrongheaded from becoming policy. There is a crying need for rational voices to put a stop to misbegotten notions which threaten the very fabric of a civilized culture.  For too long we’ve allowed the kids to run the place and it’s time for the adults to step up and take back control.

Source: Mueller Disputes BuzzFeed News Report Claiming Trump Directed Michael Cohen Testimony | ValuBitNews

Over the past decade, the subtleties of media bias have been brusquely pushed aside by much more aggressive story lines.  Whereas in the past, editorial spin would be used to characterize a set of events in a certain light, these little fibs have given way to blatant full blown whoppers.  Rest assured, the media still plays the Orwellian word game.  For example, there was the recent violent home invasion in New York  that was perpetrated  by an unwanted house visitor .  We do know that the perpetrator was introduced to an unwanted bullet in his body and  consequently suffered an unwanted death, thereby saving the community the cost of prosecution and incarceration.  I’m surprised he wasn’t characterized as considerate.

But that’s all man bites dog stuff compared to the bonanza of fake news emanating from the activities of anything Trump. Ever since his improbable bursting on to the political scene a few short years ago, there has been a geyser of fake news from every quarter of the media sewer.  It’s as if Donald Trump became the straw doll that they use in psychology offices to indicate where a client had been victimized.  His appearance has revealed the massive hold that mental illness has on a large part of the population.  Even here in Canada, where we have our own comic book character of a Prime Minister, the media outlets are practically giddy when any sniff of Trump’s troubles percolates from south of the border.

While some news outlets vainly try to maintain some credibility, most have clearly given up and are essentially spreaders of gossip and innuendo.  CNN is now the enfant terrible of the media purveyors but others are not far behind.  The particular outlet in the news recently, Buzzfeed, is basically scribbling obscenities on bathroom walls at bus stations; they are essentially media graffiti. They used to make fun of the National Enquirer; but at the Enquirer, stories are at least fact checked.  If they say Nancy Pelosi is a Martian, you can take that to the bank.  Buzzfeed alleges that Trump had directed his disgraced lawyer, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress.  The frenzy that surrounded that little morsel was like rabid dogs fighting over a discarded piece of hamburger.  The media hadn’t been this giddy since the revelations of Trump peeing in a Russian hotel room: also fake and also by coincidence, reported by Buzzfeed.

Most don’t know that Buzzfeed is owned by NBC, so it’s a clever way to issue fake news without incriminating themselves.  This would be like the Ford Modelling agency also owning an escort business on the side. Some smart lawyer will have to figure out whether there’s any culpability on the part of the parent company and so at least the lawyers win again.  The first amendment is always cited as protection for the dissemination of  scurrilous information, but someone  will figure out that libel and slander laws are also in play….not to mention sedition.

The real tragedy of this comedy is that there is still a market for this stuff.  There remains a  large constituency of the population waiting for the latest hint of the President’s demise like mental patients waiting for their evening medication.  It’s a sad commentary because they don’t realize that if Trump fails, so does the nation.