Is George Orwell About To 'Cancelled'?

In addition to being a gov snitch, fraud George Orwell spent WWII demonizing the USSR as it defeated Nazism

As the Red Army sacrificed millions fighting Hitler, and as the Nazi regime shoved Jews into gas chambers, Orwell was writing Animal Farm

Vile man https://t.co/m2gBhpG93o

— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) July 8, 2020

Summit News: Orwell Cancelled? Journalist Says “Vile” Author Aided Nazis

“Orwell was a total fraud.”

Despite being dead for 70 years, George Orwell may become the latest public figure to be cancelled after a left-wing journalist called him a “vile man” who aided the Nazis with his strident criticism of Stalinist Russia.

Yes, really.

“In addition to being a gov snitch, fraud George Orwell spent WWII demonizing the USSR as it defeated Nazism,” tweeted Ben Norman.

“As the Red Army sacrificed millions fighting Hitler, and as the Nazi regime shoved Jews into gas chambers, Orwell was writing Animal Farm. Vile man,” he added.

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WNU Editor: This is just a continuation from the progressive left to purge libraries of certain books .... Your Bookshelf May Be Part Of The Problem (NPR). For George Orwell fans, you can download his ebooks (for free) from here .... George Orwell (Bookyards).

Is The United States Experiencing An 'America’s Cultural Revolution'? China Says Yes

Ballerinas Kennedy George, 14, and Ava Holloway, 14, pose in front of a monument of Confederate general Robert E. Lee after Virginia Governor Ralph Northam ordered its removal after widespread civil unrest following the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Richmond, Virginia, June 5, 2020. A judge issued a 10-day injunction against Northam’s decision to remove the statue. REUTERS/Julia Rendleman

Breitbart: Chinese Media Brands U.S. Statue Hysteria ‘America’s Cultural Revolution’

Chinese state propaganda outlet Global Times on Thursday branded increasingly breathless efforts to destroy statues, disappear films and books, and otherwise erase unsavory history in the United States “America’s Cultural Revolution,” a reference to the massacres under Mao Zedong in the 1960s.

The Global Times concluded that the American “Cultural Revolution” is “useless” because America’s federalist, democratic political framework makes true revolution and “equality” impossible. The state-run newspaper regularly urges Americans to abandon their constitution and individual freedoms for a Chinese-style totalitarian communist system.

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WNU Editor: Truth be told. America has been going through a cultural war for years if not decades. The Global Times post is here .... US political correctness won’t solve racial inequality (Global times).

Why Coronavirus In China And America May Differ

American Interest: A masterful post explains why coronavirus in China and America may differ

In San Francisco in the 1970s and 1980s, it was routine to see men from China spit in the streets, blow their noses in their fingers and then wipe their hands on anything nearby, and generally violate American hygienic norms. Outside the tourist zones, Chinatown's restaurants and grocery stores also suggested resistance to American hygiene.

The Chinese who came to America to escape communism were amazing people and model immigrants. They worked hard and were so family-focused and education-oriented that, usually within one generation, they made the leap from Chinatown squalor to lovely suburbs. However, unlike the Japanese, the Chinese did not bring with them a culture of cleanliness.

When it comes to epidemic diseases, these cultural norms matter — and political systems may matter even more.

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WNU Editor: This is definitely a must read post on how differences in culture can impact the transmission of the Covid-19 virus .... Birth Of A Virus… (Regie's Blog). Speaking personally as someone who lived in China for a number of years in the 1980s and who has travelled back and forth a number of times since then, Chinese hygiene and cleanliness (or lack of) was (and still is) an issue with me. They only thing that I can say is that it has gotten better since the 1980s. On a side note. That is why I know this disease is going to ravage places like India/Pakistan, the Middle East,  and Africa in the coming months. The lack of sanitation is a natural breeding ground for diseases like Covid-19.

Young Americans Do Not Share The Same Values As Their Parents And Grandparents

Michael Snyder, End Of The American Dream: Americans Under The Age Of 39 Have Completely Different Values Than The Generations That Came Before Them

America’s values are shifting at a pace that is unlike anything that we have ever seen before. During the 2020 election season, we are going to hear a lot about “the generation gap”, and the numbers clearly tell us that this gap is very, very real. And as older generations of Americans slowly die off, it appears inevitable that the values that are dominant among younger generations of Americans are going to become the values of the country as a whole. Essentially, “American values” are going to mean something completely different from what they meant to previous generations, and that should absolutely terrify all of us.

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WNU Editor: This cultural shift is not only an American affair. The shift is complete in Europe. And Asia is a culturally different place today from what I saw and experienced when I lived and worked there in the 1980s. The only place that I know of where the shift is in the opposite direction is Russia, where church, family, traditional values, etc. are more important for those under 39 than for those who are older.

Where Are All The Warriors?

Admiral Richard Macke (Ret.), US Naval Institute: Where Have All the Warriors Gone?

Some time ago I received a Christmas card from a great naval officer who announced his retirement. The news caught me off-guard because he was one of the true warriors: smart, logical, bold, and ferocious. He had experienced combat and demonstrated leadership at every rank from commander through rear admiral. I thought he was destined for three stars and certainly capable of jobs at the four-star level. After some discrete inquiries, I learned that he had not made the cut for the next star. Officers with more political polish—more politically correct—had been selected over him. That thought got some adrenaline going in this old warrior’s brain.

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WNU Editor: One of the pluses of doing this blog is that I am always getting confirmation that the warriors are always there ....like reading this story over the weekend .... John Chapman Died Alone On A Mountaintop Fighting Al Qaeda. Now He’s Getting The Medal Of Honor (Task & Purpose).

The Sexual Culture Is Changing In The U.S.

Washington Post: Eight women say Charlie Rose sexually harassed them — with nudity, groping and lewd calls

Eight women have told The Washington Post that longtime television host Charlie Rose made unwanted sexual advances toward them, including lewd phone calls, walking around naked in their presence, or groping their breasts, buttocks or genital areas.

The women were employees or aspired to work for Rose at the “Charlie Rose” show from the late 1990s to as recently as 2011. They ranged in age from 21 to 37 at the time of the alleged encounters. Rose, 75, whose show airs on PBS and Bloomberg TV, also co-hosts “CBS This Morning” and is a contributing correspondent for “60...

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WNU Editor: I was shocked to read this story. I have been watching the Charlie Rose Show since the late 1990s. And while I usually disagreed with him, his show always had fascinating and interesting people to watch and listen to. Until last year .... my routine was to go to bed at 11:30 PM, turn on the TV, and watch his show until I fell asleep  .... usually waking up a few hours later to close the TV because I had fallen asleep. And when I had the GF over, or I was traveling and/or staying in Moscow, I always made sure that his program was taped, so that when I got back to Montreal I had scores of his episodes to watch. Sighhhh .... I know that his career is now over. His show will not be brought back. Another icon destroyed because of his personal weaknesses and stupidity.

On a side note .... Charlie Rose's response tonight to these allegations was also telling .... he now admits what this blog has been saying for the past year .... the culture is changing in the U.S.. And wow!!!! On just this day this is what made the news ....

.... accusations against US Congressman John Conyers .... She Said That A Powerful Congressman Harassed Her. Here’s Why You Didn’t Hear Her Story. (Buzz Feed)

.... an accuser speaking in public for the first time against US Senate candidate Roy Moore .... Roy Moore accuser Leigh Corfman: I didn’t deserve to be preyed upon (NBC).

.... another pic and more accusations against US Senator Al Franken .... Newly surfaced pics show Al Franken grabbing Arianna Huffington’s breasts and butt (Page 6). More here .... Woman says Al Franken inappropriately touched her in 2010 (CNN).

.... academia under the spotlight .... Three suspended Dartmouth professors are accused of creating a hostile environment where sexual harassment, heavy drinking and favoritism were normalized (Daily Mail)

.... another Hollywood scandal .... Melissa Gilbert Accuses Oliver Stone Of Sexual Harassment: “It Was Humiliating And Horrid” (Deadline).

.... a top New York Times reporter exposed .... Exclusive: NYT White House correspondent Glenn Thrush’s history of bad judgment around young women journalists (VOX).

.... and yes .... another Bill Clinton allegation .... EXCLUSIVE: Bill Clinton is facing NEW accusations of sexual assault by four women while the former president was working with a billionaire playboy and flying on his private jet nicknamed Air F**k One, claims Clinton author (Daily Mail)

From the powerful .... to the not so powerful .... the old fears are no longer there. Women are definitely speaking out.

Has Time Caught Up With Former President Clinton's Sexual Behavior?

Paula Jones (L), Kathleen Willey (C) and Juanita Broaddrick (R) eventually sat in the audience for Sunday night's second presidential debate. PAUL J. RICHARDS, AFP

Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic: Bill Clinton: A Reckoning

Feminists saved the 42nd president of the United States in the 1990s. They were on the wrong side of history; is it finally time to make things right?

The most remarkable thing about the current tide of sexual assault and harassment accusations is not their number. If every woman in America started talking about the things that happen during the course of an ordinary female life, it would never end. Nor is it the power of the men involved; history instructs us that for countless men, the ability to possess women sexually is not a spoil of power; it’s the point of power. What’s remarkable is that these women are being believed.

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WNU Editor: The culture has definitely changed since the days when Bill Clinton was President and the charges of him sexually assaulting/groping/etc. women were dismissed at the time as nothing more but consensual sex. I still remember the arguments with my brother on this issue, and him lecturing me that this was just an excuse being used by the Republicans to get rid of President Clinton. Fair enough .... there were politicians who wanted to use these charges to impeach him. But this ignores the fact that the optics of him getting away from these charges only became a green light for some in positions of power that if he could get away with it, so can they. And as for the main stream media .... the story of men in power using their position to take advantage of women (and in some cases young children) became a non-story for many with the exception of the tabloid press and bloggers/pundits/etc. on the internet. What has changed this .... I do not know. But if I was to pinpoint a time and place I would start with the Trump-Clinton debate when Donald Trump brought many of Bill Clinton's accusers to the debate, and placed them in front of Hillary Clinton (see above photo). I still remember many in the media being critical of that move, but upon reflection I do remember that among millennials who were learning about President Clinton's behavior for the first time, and the role that Hillary Clinton played in attacking these women .... there was disgust. Since then .... the floodgates have opened. Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore .... the list is long and it is getting longer. The culture is definitely shifting .... and behavior that was not an issue for many in the past is now becoming an issue. For former President Bill Clinton this is going to be a problem. There is talk on opening a special counsel to investigate how the Clintons used the U.S government to enrich themselves personally. And while I am sure there is going to be a lot of attention on Uranium One, $500,000 speaking fees to talk for one hour, $150,000,000 donations to his foundation, etc. .... I am willing to bet his sexual behavior is also going to be examined, brought up, and judged in the court of public opinion.

Update: Another sign on how much the times have changed .... the media would never have covered this story a few years ago .... 'Nothing about it felt right': More than 50 people describe sexual harassment on Capitol Hill (CNN).

Russian President Vladimir Putin: If You Want To Understand America, Watch “House of Cards.”

Mary Kate Cary, Fox News: So long 'House of Cards' -- and good riddance!

The next Kevin Spacey-less season of Netflix's "House of Cards" will be the last. To those lamenting its end, I say good riddance.

I for one will not miss what I have come to view as one of the most anti-American phenomena in modern pop culture. With an upside-down American flag as its logo, and “Democracy Is So Overrated” as both its Facebook and Twitter themes — with 3 million likes and 2 million Twitter followers— our enemies couldn’t have designed a better way to undermine our democracy through entertainment and social media. There’s a reason that “House of Cards” is so popular in China and Russia: it paints a dark, dystopian picture of America. Is that what we really need right now?

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WNU Editor: I have watched all 5 seasons .... and there are parts of the series that I do like. But it is a work of fiction, and it does not represent how U.S. politics work. Unfortunately .... many people outside of the U.S. do think that this show is an accurate representation on U.S. politics. I have heard a few times Putin mentioning on Russian TV that 'House of Cards' provides an insight into how the U.S. political system works (which tells me that he watches it) .... ditto among some people that I know in China. And while I do tell my friends and family in Russia and my friends in China that 'House of Cards' is just a work of fiction .... my comments fall on deaf ears. Am I sorry that 'House of Cards' will end with this season .... not really. But I do know that many people will miss it.

Is The World Rejecting U.S. Values

World Doesn't Want U.S. Values -- Leon Hadar, Real Clear World

Americans are once again surprised to learn that the rest of humanity doesn't always share their hopes and dreams - or even their basic set of values. Hence, in the aftermath of the massacre in Afghanistan of 16 people in the hands of an American soldier, some pundits have been trying to resolve what they consider to be a paradox of sorts.

While the accidental burning of Qurans by US government employees in Afghanistan last month triggered violent protests outside NATO (North Atlantic Treating Organisation) that took at least 29 lives, the intentional mass murder of Afghan civilians, including nine children in Kandahar on March 11 have led to a few and mostly peaceful anti-American demonstrations.

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My Comment: The focus of this article is rather harsh. While the world dos not want to embrace certain American values .... and I do not blame them .... it definitely does want to embrace others. In my travels around the world I have universally found people admiring and wishing to embrace American freedom, the entrepreneurial spirit, the educational opportunities, the business and economic freedoms and opportunities, and most important of all .... the freedom to voice your own opinion without fear of serious repercussions. My nationality is Russian and I have lived in China .... and trust me .... that is what makes America great in their eyes .... and they are right.

When A Brotherly Bond Turns Deadly In Afghanistan

Second Lt. Andrew McCarthy, center, instructs a team of Afghan National Police officers during their first training session in Chahar Darreh, near Kunduz, Afghanistan, May 2, 2010. According to American and Afghan officers and a classified coalition report obtained by The New York Times, American and other coalition forces in Afghanistan are being killed in increasing numbers by the very Afghan soldiers they fight alongside and train. DAMON WINTER/NYT

Men In Battle: When A Brotherly Bond Turns Deadly -- Graeme Smith, Globe And Mail

The relationship between men who go into battle together can be intense, a brotherly love as strong as any romantic bond. But when such relationships break down the results can be deadly.

France lost four troops on Friday in what appears to be a fratricidal shooting by an Afghan soldier. During the Vietnam war, enlisted men threw fragmentation grenades at their superiors so frequently that killing within the ranks became known as “fragging.” In the Afghan war, the catchphrase is “green on blue,” attacks in which Afghan forces (green) kill or injure their supposed NATO allies (blue).

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My Comment: Culture dictates much of our behavior, and when two very different cultures collide .... especially in a war zone like Afghanistan .... conflict and animosity is usually the result. The Soviet Union learned about this when they fought in Afghanistan in the 1980s .... we are learning about it now.

Afghanistan’s Other Front (Corruption) -- A Commentary

Image by Alain Pilon

From The Wall Street Journal:

ALLEGATIONS of ballot-stuffing in the presidential election in Afghanistan last month are now so widespread that a recount is necessary, and perhaps even a runoff. Yet this electoral chicanery pales in comparison to the systemic, day-to-day corruption within the administration of President Hamid Karzai, who has claimed victory in the election. Without a concerted campaign to fight this pervasive venality, all our efforts there, including the sending of additional troops, will be in vain.

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My comment: When I think of the billions in aid that has flowed into Afghanistan for the past 8 years.... and with little if anything to show for it .... you know that there is a problem. Throw in tribalism and the influence of family connections and party loyalty to get what assistance there is left .... you then know that you have a recipe for disaster. A disaster that was crystallized with the wanton corruption and fraud that was witnessed in the latest Afghan election.

Joseph Kearns Goodwin's list of solutions makes sense .... unfortunately .... in Afghanistan one will have to assume that the men who will operate as ombudsmen will themselves be just as corrupt as the men that they are suppose to watch over. Goodwin's recommendations will not work .... because there is no one in Afghanistan who will be willing to follow them.

Corruption and tribalism has been a way of life for centuries. It is ingrained into Afghan culture and life, and it is one of the many reasons why they have had continuous warfare and suffering during all of this time.

A U.S./NATO presence will not be able to change this culture even if we make the decision to stay there for the next few life times .... and even then.