Dakota Beacon

It is Saturday.  A gloomy, dark Saturday in Grand Forks today, but still it's June.  After a disorienting spring season, with everyone in masks and gloves, standing unnaturally apart, cooped up indoors, chided for wanting to get back to life, we now need a break from both virus and violence, as our streets exploded across the nation for the past week-and-a-half.  Before we can process the economic crash from the weird shutdown situation we are hearing rumblings about abolishing police departments as an answer to crime.  Well, it's time for a break.  It seems June is the inspiration for a lot of romantic musing, so I will indulge.  I hope you enjoy poetry.

The past week has been a nightmare for America, with our cities burning and our businesses destroyed - just when people were about to re-open after the shutdown.  Minneapolis was the epicenter or at least the first epicenter of the violence.  Things, we thought, could not get much worse.  News flash.  They might be about to get much, much worse in Minneapolis.  What do you do when you have allowed your police department to become sloppy, corrupt, incompetent and abusive?  Simple.  You just abolish it.

Thirty-one years ago tonight, the world witnessed the massacre of some 10,000 students in Tiananmen Square.  Their parents and loved ones dared not mourn them - after all it was the Chinese government that mowed them down and they are incapable of error, right? Well, at least that is what they impressed upon the people of China.  In most of China that morsel of history has been scrubbed.  But in Hong Kong, with its tradition of freedom and free speech, the Tiananmen Square victims and heroes have been memorialized every year on June 4.  Until this year.  This year the memorial is banned.  Because this year China is rolling into Hong Kong as it did into Tiananmen Square 31 years ago.  The people tearing up our cities have no excuse.  They have the freedom to speak out.

The third book by scholar and China expert Michael Pillsbury offers a very readable and quite insightful book published in 2016 titled “The Hundred-Year Marathon: China’s Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower.” Of the three books, Pillsbury’s book was most practical and explicitly written.

Michael Pillsbury’s speaks with authority. He serves as the director of the Center for Chinese Strategy at the Hudson Institute and has served in eight presidential administrations. Educated at Stanford and Columbia, he served as an analyst with the Rand Corporation. He held senior positions in the Defense Department and on the staff of four US Senate committees. Pillsbury speaks, reads, and writes Mandarin fluently.

“The Hundred-Year Marathon” delves into the critical issue of who is making policy in the Chinese government and what is the basis for their thinking. Hawks within the Chinese government have been advising their leaders as far back as Mao Zedong. They seek to avenge a century of humiliation. Advice to their leaders has been to replace the United States as the economic, military, and political leader of the world by the year 2049 (the one hundredth anniversary of the Communist Revolution). This plan has become known as “the Hundred-Year Marathon,” thus the title of Pillsbury’s book.

COMPARISONS; CASS COUNTY IS THE BAD BOY; NEVER COMPLAIN, NEVER EXPLAIN; MINNEAPOLIS IS IDENTIFIED; MINNESOTA NEW CASES; THE ONCE MIGHTY ARE FALLING; GOV. BURGUM CONTRIBUTED $875,000; A MUDDLE; DOUBLE BENS; NORMA FROM ND; JOHN STRAND; WHAT TO DO FOR A DOOMED INDUSTRY?; OIL WASTE; DAKTOIDS

After a week of violence, during which paid activists whipped up mob violence to terrorize our cities and lay them waste, the president is beginning to make some threats.  While we might applaud someone, somewhere, who is willing to face these terrorists down, his proposal to send the U.S. military in to sort things out is not a good idea.

Most corporations have pro bono publico funds.  They're handy at tax time.  They look good to customers and the rest of the public - great PR.  But the e-corporation Etsy is making a huge mistake.  They are donating a million dollars to two organizations who are deeply connected to the perpetrators of violence we have seen take over our streets and neighborhoods this week.

It is time for us to stop seeing police violence and the ensuing protests in such a black and white way – too many see these incidents and immediately conclude that either the police are always right and criminals are “asking for it,” or that all police are out to get them and any action, however, violent, is justified.  Police have a right to protect themselves, but they also have a duty to protect us.  Similarly, African-American communities have a right to protest, and reason to, but they ought to seek to do so in way that does not cause more violence and destruction. 

Some of our state officials and officers need to remember that their job is to protect us, not instill fear.

From Paint Your Wagon to A Fistful of Dollars, from The Bridges of Madison County to Any Which Way You Can to Play Misty for Me to Richard Jewel, Clint Eastwood's career has been all over the map and his involvement has ranged from score composer to singing leading man to tough war heroe to gritty western outlaw.  And he's still planning new projects.  Wish Clint Eastwood a happy 90th birthday today!

These revelations were eye-opening… the media in general has been promoting the idea that extreme poverty due to discrimination among some minority groups is at the root of Covid-19 disparities between minorities and whites. In actuality, it appears, from CDC summary information, that all women and highest-income black men are more obese, along with the obesity-accompanying heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, and thus are at greatest risk. Low and high income hold greater risks than medium income for white and Hispanic men.

With final construction of the border wall with Mexico and its associated near 100% southern border security, we can expect new immigration laws that ends the discriminatory practices of both political parties and consumers. Agriculture will finally be forced by markets to pay a fair wage for Hispanic labor, unions will accept Hispanics into their ranks, and consumers will pay a fair price for food and other goods and services.

It is worth noting also that the steady downward trend of life expectancy in the U.S. from 2013 to 2018 (78.94 to 78.81) has been reversed from 2018 to 2020, rising from 78.81 in 2018 to 78.93 in 2020. It is not surprising that more people working makes for longer lives? Covid-19 has certainly proved that less jobs go along with shortened lives..

We need to find alternatives to violence and it needs to begin with better leadership and more freedom of speech.  People who felt they had no other forum took to protest demonstrations.  This lawful exercise of our First Amendment has been subverted to give cover to organized, paid "activists" (read: rioters).  We can't allow our cities to be burned to the ground and we also need to hold our law enforcement accountable.  Acts like the murder that took place on Memorial Day in Minneapolis cannot be tolerated just to preserve peace in the streets, nor can we allow equal violence in out-of-state professional rioters to destroy our homes and businesses.  There needs to be a better answer.  Perhaps a citizens' advisory committee with legal standing to review in these issues of accountability.  In the meantime let us hope that the process of law against the perpetrator, Derek Chauvin, is allowed to go forward unsullied to arrive at justice for all concerned and for the future accountability of our public servants.  

Last week, the world lost popular author and Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias. He was 74. To honor his life and work, Dr. Gary S. Smith pens a tribute to his contributions. Smith writes, “In his numerous books, hundreds of radio programs, and dozens of lectures on college campuses and to religious organizations, Zacharias insisted Christianity provides the most compelling explanation of the origin of the universe and humanity, the meaning of life, morality, and human destiny. He used arguments drawn from logic, emotions, and morality to cogently defend God’s existence and respond to the most challenging philosophical attacks against Christianity.”

Our right to vote is precious.  People around the world in less favorable circumstances would die for this right.  Sadly we regard it as a pain in the behind, an inconvenience, not a right.  We complain about long lines, about the time it takes.  Look.  We do this at most every other year - usually once, unless we participate in primaries.  We should be able to handle it.  Here is my prescription.  It is not perfect and it won’t stop people from cheating and it won’t fix everything.  All we can do is clean it up to where our elections are legitimate and actually reflect the will of the people, for better or worse.

As understood by many, hate triggers harmful effects. Aside from destructive physiological injury, hate may lead to derangement, a state of being mentally incapacitated unable to think or act in a controlled way. If that derangement exhibits a consistent set of associated symptoms involving speech and behavior, it may identify as a syndrome – a derangement syndrome.

The extremely hateful behavior provoked by President Donald Trump from his opponents may legitimately be referred to as Trump Derangement Syndrome or TDS. Whether or not TDS would be classified as a mental illness is up for grabs. Either way, the foul language and bad behavior TDS elicits from those who bear such hatred cannot be normal and is certainly not civil.

SOME ND GOOD NEWS; UNSTATED PURPOSE: BURGUM BOASTING; NEW CASES RISING; CASS COUNTY VIRUS; ECONOMIC TOOL WORSENING; UNDERWOOD AND WASHBURN ARE TOAST; OK, SO HE GOT A LITTLE EXCITED; SPARKS IN GRAND FORKS; POLITICAL MUSCLE OF FISHER SAND AND GRAVEL; OAR IN THE WATER; HIGH-PRICED TRIBUTE; DAKTOIDS

Recently, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for yet another case concerning the long reach of the Affordable Care Act and its unyielding interpretation by government—this time, by the administrations of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Should a noble Catholic religious order—the Little Sisters of the Poor—be forced to forsake its faith commitments in order to comply? In this article, Dr. John Sparks details the case and argues that the message the Supreme Court should send is simple.

Instead of copying the worst ideas and the most dystopian features of China’s communist government we should return to our own roots, born in revolution against tyranny and nourished with freedom.  This long weekend we will be kicking off summer with our annual tribute to our war heroes - the men and women who gave their lives to ensure that we would NOT become communist China but rather remain a strong bastion of freedom, a light to the world and perhaps an inspiration to the abused peoples of China that there is something better than pretend “safety” and “order”.  It’s called liberty.  

The “get Trump” effort never ends. The undercurrent runs throughout the bits and pieces of news, news conferences, and interviews. View the scene as a montage of events. Despite Democrats’ efforts, the unseemly press coverage, and the Republican never-Trump labors, nothing has worked. President Trump is still president. Mueller’s investigation, impeachment, deep state coup attempt, Flynn fiasco, smears, innuendo, and ad hominem attacks have all failed. Time grows short for Trump’s enemies to bring him down. There is one last ditch effort before the November election. Never let a good crisis go to waste. Blame Trump for the coronavirus lockdown and the harm it brings to the US economy.

A worthwhile civilization values its elders, learns from them, stands upon their shoulders to reach higher.  If we are to be a worthwhile civilization we must stop countenancing - to say nothing of encouraging - these so-called “advance directives”.  They give cover for homicide.

The perennial and always disingenuous and dishonest Elizabeth Bartholet is back!  

It's a Small World After All - but not in the sense of the songwriter.  It's just that our world is getting smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller.  First the virus descended upon us to steal people's health and confidence and jobs and destroy our economy.  Then the real plague hit us - petty tyrants, from coast to coast, in state houses, like Cuomo and Whitmer and Beshear and others, in our once-great cities like Chicago and Los Angeles and Dallas, and in our tiniest hamlets throughout our nation's Midwest.  That is the real after-effect of the virus - a loss of our Constitution, our heritage, our freedom and our most fundamental rights.

THE BEAN FARMER’S GUIDE; IMPACT OF STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS; THE NEW YORK TIMES; GLARING HOTSPOT; YOU DIDN’T EXPECT TO SEE THIS; UNCERTAIN CONCLUSION; CAN UNDERWOOD SURVIVE?; NEGATIVE REACTION; “HERE’S A GREAT IDEA”; ESSENTIAL WORKERS in ND; THE MINOT DAILY NEWS IS THE LAST; ICONIC LOGOS; TIME TO MOVE ON?; GOV. KRISTI NOEM; DAKTOIDS

This weekend I have something for all of you who have Norwegian heritage.  It is Syttende Mai.  And for your listening pleasure I have a great assortment of delightful Norwegian artists and music.  Enjoy!

Following the banning by Youtube of a recent interview/trailer for a documentary about the coronavirus attack, with Dr. Judy Mikovits and a slew of disparaging comments about Mikovits and her career, people feel that they don't know where to turn.  Usually the more discussion, the more open debate we have, the more the truth and facts will emerge.  The last thing we should ever do is shut down this discussion and stifle the conversation.  Here we have another interview with another, disinterested researcher - one who has no "dog in the race".  Dr. Cahill offers common sense along with some interesting history.  Your and your family's health is of sufficient importance that you should consider what she has to say.

Every citizen not at high risk of serious health problems or death from the “plague” may insist on the right to get back to work while the most vulnerable portions of our population continue in “quarantine”... as their thoughtful fellow citizens continue to lovingly assist them in doing so. We are AmeriCANs… we CAN do this… without destroying our future! “Quarantining the Healthy” was a once in a “hundred years” departure from economic reality that could kill millions more than the “plague” if left to continue for very much longer!

What began as an effort to slow the progress of a deadly coronavirus has become something else - it has become a virulent attack on our fundamental freedoms.  We have seen up close the result of losing freedom, of living under a tyranny.  i'm talking about China here, but i could be talking about Queens, New York or Chicago or California.  We have a Constitution.  It is the Law of the Land.  The pronouncements, except in short-term emergencies, of  power-mad mayors and governors are not the Law of our Land.   They are usurpation, plain and simple, and we must no longer tolerate it.

It happened again! On May 6 I underwent my fourth Mohs surgery for skin cancer. The basal cell, located in the middle of my forehead, was easily treated. With eleven stitches visible I confessed to my grandkids that I thought about becoming a unicorn – then I changed my mind.

During a recent visit to my dermatologist I raised the sun avoidance issue again. Sun is necessary for the body to produce Vitamin D plus it kills viruses and bacteria. What to do? His advice? Moderation in all things because there are tradeoffs. Limit sun exposure to 20 to 30 minutes a day.

Experience is a great teacher and understanding skin cancer makes prevention a whole lot easier.

There are usually two sides to every story.  Last week I linked Plandemic, or a portion of it, a preview.  As always, I like to get feedback and someone sent me an interesting article taking issue with the information in Plandemic and Dr. Judy Mikovits, its protagonist.  The writer, one Beth Skwarecki, writes for a website called "Lifehacks".  I thought I'd respond to here comments.  Here is the article, together with my notes (in boldface) - for what they're worth.  The problem with this whole issue is that China has refused any independent investigation so we are unable to gather any first-hand information about the virus or the work going on at the lab in Wuhan.  I don't know what the truth is - I have my suspicions but we don't have independent facts.  I would welcome an open debate of all of these issues.  Sadly, this does not seem to be in the offing.

How much longer are free citizens of America going to put up with the nonsense of Dr. Anthony Fauci and his "team"?  How long are we going to allow President Trump to rely on Fauci and promote him as an "authority"?  Oh, he's an expert.  But maybe not so much in virology or epidemiology as he is in manipulating events and people to grasp fame and fortune.  He's definitely an expert in that realm.  He regards humanity as his lab rats and his gold mine at the same time.  Are you okay with that?

THE DREADED NEWS ARRIVED; A STAGGERING LOSS; REGIONAL COVID ROUNDUP; MINNESOTA COVID; AN ARGUMENT FOR REDUCING RESTRICTIONS; WE CANNOT ELIMINATE ALL RISK; STRIKING A BALANCE; DO MORE WITH LESS; IS THE GOVERNOR INTRUDING; ND'S TRIBES; NURSING HOME CRISIS; NEIGHBORS WITH DIFFERENT POLICIES; THE MID-AMERICAN BUSINESS CONDITIONS INDEX; ACT EXAM; DAKTOIDS