PN:
For some reason I found this to be quite funny. Joe doesn’t get it……
Mass Stupid
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” – C. S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis knew a thing or two.
Joe and I thought about tyranny, and the multitude of forms it takes: from chimera to pervasive pressure that ratchets ever tighter.
Some are laughable. It was less than 100 years ago prohibition was the rage. The “moral busybodies” were influential in giving legitimacy to “organized crime” – the Kennedy fortune was made during this period. Not so laughable in hindsight.
How about Fascism? Bernard M. sent along a collection of 50 old photos (thanks Bernie). I found most of them interesting; a chronicle of people, places, and events. Some terribly heart rending – the Mongolian woman being starved to death for example. But one photo stood out and chilled me to the core. Joe was mesmerized.
This picture was in the set that Bernie sent. I went looking elsewhere on the Internet to find a different picture, with different people. Seems this was real. The Fascist headquarters in Rome. Mussolini’s edifice, with his stylized face.
This scares the hell out of me. Joe immediately broke out the gun cleaning kit and got to work.
Why?
and
for example. And a thousand more images of offloading. That’s right, I said it. Offload the problems of life to some fantasy solution without substance. Not so benign, not so funny, not so laughable.
There must be some aspect of tyranny that appeals…..
Fashion?………….. Nope.
Cultural pressures?………. Kumbaya, my Lord.
Diversity and multiculturalism?………… Nope.
Progressivism?………. Hardly.
After much reflection, I haven’t come up with ANY tyrannic oppression that doesn’t slight, hurt, maim, or kill.
Joe is tyrannical about suppressing tyranny.
We are united.
Run, tyranny, run!
The following rant from Gavin McInnes explains another tyranny: the tyranny of “Political Correctness”. As he explains, the free market is under attack by the “the screaming, shrill, PC minority”:
Tyranny is a nasty beast. Here is where Joe and I agree –
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Apple core,
Want some more,
Who’s your friend?
BALTIMORE!
Not much to say about a subject that stinks to high heaven with every leftist fable imaginable.
I’ll leave the rant to TJ Sotomeyer.
The humour-mill still churns out hilarity –
What is the core problem in these cities with a significant percentage of black residents?
Kevin D. Williamson suggests that riot plagued Baltimore is a catastrophe entirely of the Democratic party’s own making.
Joe says seems to be in concert with the “99 %” gang – a few righteous assholes making the majority cringe.
I say the tough cartoons say it all –
You may not agree, but the following Bizarro hits the nail on the head – politics cannot be filtered from the Baltimore fiasco –
Can you imagine this type of bullshit happening with a different POTUS? –
POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOROUS, STUPID
I’m developing a fondness for the French sense of free speech. Three frames, huge impact –
Special on Bizarro cartoons – ten for one! –
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, SMART STUFF
Joe and I are advocates of molten salt reactors, the most viable of them being Thorium Iodine. The existence of this breed of reactor is entirely the result of the U.S. Air Force funding to develop nuclear power for aircraft:
Is Western society still able to inspire people to attempt projects this ambitious, to fund such projects? Yes is the answer.
THE CULTURE (THERE IS ONLY ONE)
Car 54 (Years Ago)
The complications of existence combined with the cultural slide result in strange perspectives.
Remember when cop programs on TV were comedies?
Enviro Pressure –
The United Nations is nothing but a shake-down gang for third world countries and special interest groups –
PHILOSOPHY, PHILOSOPHERS, SMART THINKING
GUNS, GUNNERS, GUNNERY
THE RELIGION OF PEACE (ON ALL OF US)
Attempted humour aside, the “religion of peace” has now 25,753 deadly terrorist attacks under it’s belt since 9/11 – that’s some piece of work……
SUNDAY SERMON
This week, Sam Harris explores the study of “Artificial Intelligence” as a possibility, as a threat to humanity, as an inevitability:

WEATHER (OR NOT)
The weather this week has been dry, cool, cloudy, and quite sunny at times. April was NOT showering but May flowers are here. The magnolias are out, the daffodildos are done, the three-lips well advanced and all the deciduous trees are leaving. Cherry blossoms on orientals are blooming. Life is good and even better when weather is benign.
Extra – Added on Tuesday
It was too late on Sunday to get a good Magnolia picture by the time I thought to take one. Not a lot of blossom this year – it was chilly for the little helpers me thinks.
Next Sunday Rant will have a variety of pictures of the blossoms and flowers in my yard. To remind the prairie dwellers and dear relatives in the frozen East that the closest Canadians come to tropical climates is in Bring Cash. Thank you, thank you very much.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Joe (Browner) Mekanic
p.s. Ramirez knows which way the wind blows – from Business Investor’s Daily