It’s time for another open thread. This is your chance to share what’s on your mind, engage with other readers, or ask me a question. I’ll pick the best comments, questions, and dissents and respond to them in Friday’s podcast.
Good morning, Christopher! Danny Penny is what and who is on my mind. I know you don't have a magic ball that predicts the future, but what is your sense on his case? I am praying for a not guilty verdict for him.
I hope and pray Penny gets a not guilty verdict, but given it's NYC I'm not optimistic—even though absolutely everything about this case proves it shouldn't even be a case. As a young woman, I'm especially concerned about cultural implications this has—I can't expect men to be protective (or even do basic masculine things) if there's the possibility they'll be arrested and imprisoned for it.
It’s funny to me that the left, democratic base and MSM, all claim the high ground over and over again even when proven to be derelict liars, the misnomers of misinformation, willfully proffered and the high priestess of cultural appropriation, which in most cases is “culturally inappropriate.”
They have become totalitarians. I keep offering that explanation -- with a great deal of evidence --but it bounces off most people here. Just as the warnings of the canaries in the coalmine of 1930s Germany bounced off. Until the disgusted canaries packed and left.
So what can I say? Keep trying to figure it out yourselves. Be my guest. Will take many years. Generations, even.
I think Collectivists are more inclined to be affected by propaganda. And the left believes its own propaganda. They are quite self-unaware in this regard.
Thankfully, all the doom and gloom sayers were wrong about the the Penny verdict. The jurors saw through the prosecution and a got an unanimous Not Guilty verdict. There still is some common sense in in NYC. May their tribe increase!
I can't believe there is even a trial. IF Danny Penny were a black man there would be no trial. I blame Alvin Bragg for this. HE should be removed from office. His actions have been disgusting. He allows people out who have stabbed and attacked and yet, a Daniel Penny, he puts in jail? It's wrong on so many levels
Are you referring to Jordan Williams (passenger) who stabbed Devictor Ouedraogo to death after Devictor threatened Williams’ girlfriend and other passengers on the subway car? Williams was arrested, but then released without charges; both people involved were black.
There has to be some accountability for the actions of Soros-funded DAs. We're supposed to have equal protection under the law, but they're letting out murderers (if they're black) and prosecuting heroes (if they are white).
There must be some remediation, and consequences, for this.
We need to overhaul MUCH of the judicial system, IMHO! Activist judges are ignoring the law, and releasing violent criminals and repeat offenders with no (or very low) bail, in order to achieve "social justice" (whatever that means).
Here in Seattle, aka Liberal LaLa Land, even the Left leaning DAs are getting frustrated by the actions of a handful of judges, who simply refuse to follow the laws or the sentencing guidelines. They need to be thrown off the bench but it's almost impossible to do!
Given that the highest charge of second degree manslaughter was dropped and the jury was given an unprecedented further instruction to reconsider the criminally negligent homicide charge, I agree that the leftists in Braggs office are trying to get Penny on something, anything. This is NYC, but someone onnthat jury sees things differently. Praying that this jury member sees through this ruse and jury remains deadlocked. Penny was doing what any person who hates to see others bullied and abused would do, intervene with whatever skills he or she has been given to help.
I appreciate your work reforming our institutions, but it seems like, as Conservatives, we continue to get exploited and dragged left. I have two comments/questions.
1. How can we regain ground if we continue to be the only side that plays by the rules?
The left has no issues wielding every lever of power to inject, implement, and protect their policies. The right, when they gain power, come in an attempt to reform the systems that the left was happy to exploit, rather than returning the favor in kind. This cycle just repeats and, while we may be able to retain the moral high-ground, it just doesn't seem like a winning long-term strategy.
2. Shouldn't many DEI proponents be charged for civil rights violations?
It's great that we plan on removing DEI from all government institutions, but what about the many people who have been discriminated against over the last 4 years? There must be thousands who lost jobs or were passed over because they are white. If we don't hold people accountable for blatant discrimination, this will just be an endless cycle (see #1).
Are there any plans to investigate DEI leaders and hold them accountable?
I've also thought about your first point—Conservatives trying to maintain the moral high ground of following the rules. This most recent election Democrats said if they won the Senate, they would abolish the filibuster. But when Republicans won it instead, Thune was clear they wouldn't abolish it. If it's almost certain Democrats will abolish it as soon as they can, why shouldn't Republicans get to first so we can benefit from it instead of trying to clean up after? (I should note I'm not completely decided on this issue; it's just a hypothetical I've considered.)
Are there specific areas where you think Republicans should stop playing by the rules?
The left has built an infrastructure that allows them to publish propaganda, mass-deploy talking points through the media that support their stance, align fact-checkers that add legitimacy to the claims, and then wield the threat of "disinformation" to control the dissemination of this information to the masses.
NewsGuard is a good example of this. Many online sources, and even search engines, prioritize content based on a sources' "trust score" maintained by NewsGuard. This is a tool the left uses to demote and even eliminate conservative voices.
With the explosion of alt-media, I predict this will be the next battleground. I believe this is why the media is coordinating an effort to move their journalists from X to BlueSky. This will undoubtedly be followed an effort to label X "misinformation", demote it in app stores, and prop-up BlueSky as the only source of approved facts free of disinformation.
So why not completely dismantle this system and replace it with one of our own? It wouldn't be difficult to prove most of the "trusted" sources that NewsGuard props-up are biased, fraudulent, state-run media. Replace it with a fact-checking system based on conservative voices and alt-media instead. Investigate tech companies that are using the existing system to discriminate against people.
Other areas to exploit are NGOs and advertising cartels.
NewsGuard needs to go for sure. What do you think about X's Community Notes as a sort of compromise? It doesn't solve the BlueSky problem you mentioned, but it's in between an information free-for-all and an official fact-checking organization.
The concept of "fact checkers" was generally seen only in the publishing industry prior to COVID Mania, when the Pharmaceutical companies started pushing the "fact-checker" faux-position as the way to ascertain truth. It was all cooked up.
You either trust a news source from previous performance, or you don't. This faux-fact-checking role is just another WOKE scam.
I will reiterate here (see my posts below) that the new independent media sites -- I am especially looking at Substack -- can be just as prone to scams and having a dark side as MSM.
There are Substack hosts who use the many loopholes. There are scammers and grifters all through the Subtack world. Why wouldn't there be? There is money to be made, reputations to be made, and anyone can sign up for a Substack.
There are no checks and balances in the Substack system. In fact, it is the authors/hosts who control each Substack. Even reader complaints go to the host/author, which is no good if it is that host you are complaining about.
Therefore, if you have a dishonest host, or one who presents himself as a "freedom-fighter" but who is just using that theme to get ahead....who guards the guards?
I say we as conservatives need to start playing by THEIR rules and FORCE them to suffer the consequences as we have. I’ve heard the arguments that doing that is only lowering ourselves to their level. I’m tired of hearing that! What good is avoiding lowering ourselves when they have no level they consider the bottom?
I believe I heard the Thune may try to enshrine the filibuster in law or a Constitutional Amendment. Force the dems to go on the record in a vote. I hope they do that instead of abolishing it.
But just like with the election when you have the Mockingbird media working in concert with the Democrat party lying every night on TV fact checking during a debate fact, checking during any interview
You’re just trying to hold back the tide and they were so adamant
It’s shocking on every level that good is not good and bad is all good again I live in California so that’s part of the problem. I’m so amused that they were even floating Gavin Newsom‘s name to be a candidate. He has taken this state into the gutter lost billions of dollars Taxing up as far as he can go and I’m sure more is to come, and the Democrats are all in lock step they don’t care about the middle class that works to keep the wheels on cars.
Democrats count votes until they win in close races as they just did here
The government in California only 30% of workers are back in their offices
We have a dysfunctional system and the sooner we are able to clear out some of this the better but I am afraid it’s going to take a whole lot longer than four years
If everyone stops playing by the rules, what we will have is anarchy.
So who chooses which rues are ironclad, and which are dispensable? If someone had just committed murder, wouldn't they choose to get rid of that rule against murder?
This idea of losing with dignity isn't sustainable, not when the stakes are this high. I don't like it, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.
I'm not even saying we permanently exploit the rules to achieve our goals. Maybe we beat them over the head with their policies for 3 years, then reform them toward then end when they're screaming for mercy?
But you have to punch a bully back, or you're just going to continue to get your ass beat.
Case in point: The Border
The Biden Administration exploited our broken immigration system to facilitate the invasion of nearly 15 million illegals (probably more). They played stupid for 3.5 years as our cities were overrun. Then, with months to go until the election, they re-instituted some of Trump's policies, and the problem went away.
They then claimed that illegal immigration was at its lowest level in years, better than Trump!
That's strategic exploitation, and it could have affected elections for an entire generation. The right would NEVER do something so bold. They won't even have the balls to deport these people.
What we are seeing now with Senate reluctance to approve several of President Trump’s cabinet never happens with democrats. The democrats vote in a 100% block. If they don’t, their leadership punishes them by withholding campaign funds or committee leadership. For the last senate session, the senate was 50-50, yet they passed whatever they wanted through the VP tiebreaker. ALL of their nominees breezed through no matter how freakish they were. The Republicans always seem to be fractured.
The same thing happens in the Texas legislature. Democrats always vote in a 100% block and if they convince 4-5 Republicans to vote with them, it is really a Democrat controlled legislature.
Excellent point! I add one correction. You mentioned that people were passed over because they were white. The overwhelming majority that were passed over were heterosexual white men. The Democrat party is the party of women and minorities. They have at best vilified straight white men and at worst excluded them at every opportunity. The goal being to marginalize them.
Is there ANY limit to the power of presidential pardon? Can a president literally pardon EVERYONE from ALL known and unknown federal offenses for the past 100 years? Side-note....if Biden pardons Fauci carte blanche....that will be very disappointing/troubling.
Crimes against humanity cannot be pardoned, destroying January 6 commission evidence cannot be pardoned. If the Supreme Court or others allow this NONSENSE the American people can be victimized by these power hungry psychopaths with impunity. We must stand against this insanity and evil.
A report I heard said Biden may be considering “preemptive” pardons for Fauci, Mayorkas and maybe another. Now THAT would truly be an abuse of the power of pardon.
I think Biden will undoubtedly pardon anyone associated with the Burisma scandal. Fauci, Shiff, and others will likely fit the bill as well. This is why the media has been parroting the "Trump is going after his enemies" talking point for the last six months, it was astroturfing for the pardons that were soon to follow.
I wouldn't be surprised if Biden pardoned Trump as well. It's a no-lose situation for him since the cases are falling apart anyway, and it'll give the press cover to present a false equivalency.
Yes, love to see an exposé on Fauci's crimes against humanity, and while you're at it, every other national medical officer around the world who supported Fauci's positions.
But remember this - once pardoned, a person loses his 5th Amendment right to silence. He can be compelled to testify under pain of contempt, because he is in no legal jeopardy from his testimony.
Way more than "disappointing". Fauci is an evil, amoral, self-serving, money-hungry narcissist --and a LIAR. He is responsible for many of the Covid deaths; ruining the economy and killing many small businesses; plus ruining education for a generation of kids. Fauci belongs in jail--and should pay back all of the retirement benefits he has already collected. He deserves --ZERO.
Does the pardon provision of the 2nd Article allow for “blanket pardons”? For crimes that are not already on the books for any particular criminal? I know there is precedent with the Nixon pardon. But can this be challenged in the Supreme Court? And if it is found to be unconstitutional, can the pardons of anyone Biden pardons be considered null and void? I don’t think this practice will go away any other way. I think it will become standard Presidential practice from now on.
I don't get them mentioning Schiff for a pre-emptive pardon. He never testified to Congress, so it can't be a perjury concern. He's an evil, opportunistic snake, but I don’t know of any crimes...unless the left knows something we don't.
When will you do an investigative piece on the targeting of the State of Texas by the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and transgender, abortion, illegal immigration, sex trafficking, and DEI activists? It is a very easy trail and tells a story of a targeted assault by the woke left on a red state that needs some sunlight to help expose the infection. The surreptitious manipulation of academic Medical centerss like Dell, Texas Childrens Hospital, and UT Southwestern, as well as the Texas Meducal Association and the Texas medical board.(just to name a few.) has an easy breadcrumb trail to follow that many in Texas can help you with.
Eithan Haim must be vindicated. He has amassed over 2 million in legal fees as the Biden Admin seeks to lock him up Stalin style. This law fare has to be called out, and it has to end.
Judge Hittner refused to issue a gag order (sought by the DOJ/USAG)on Dr. Haim and his attorney...
From the Heritage Foundation: "But now, in pleadings filed by Dr. Haim’s lawyers and in separate complaints filed by a former DOJ lawyer with both the State Bar of Texas and the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, Ansari is accused of having “knowingly sponsored false information” to the federal grand jury that indicted Haim and of having “knowingly misled a tribunal and presented deliberately misleading information to a grand jury.”
In other words, she wasn’t just practicing law on a suspended license. She is charged with lying to the grand jury to get Haim indicted—itself a violation of federal law."
A women's group called WoLF (Women's Liberation Front (dot org)) has been working on a lawsuit for the past 3-4 years to sue the state et al. for doing it. They could use much more support. People think feminists are on the side of the trans issue but radical feminists are not. They are 100% against it. Sadly, they're also for abortion on demand. One reason I don't support them.
It has certainly done damage throughout the medical system. Impossible to trust the medical/health care establishment when the first thing I am asked for (repeatedly) upon checking in for an appointment is my "sex assigned at birth". This may be a California thing, but it is mind-boggling.
We can't just keep turning our heads to be the better person. If we do and don't hold them accountable, they will continue to get away with this and who knows what else.
After all the work you have done and are doing to crush DEI, it would be a big miss for the new administration not to draw on your knowledge and skills.
The best opportunity to conduct a test sample of the accuracy & truthfulness of NGOs that receive Federal funding for unaccompanied minors is to have a sharp team of investigators select 500 names, dob & addresses and immediately respond to those locations. They could film their efforts and, if the child is located at the address provided by the NGO, take their photo & fingerprint. If they are not there, withhold payment to that NGO.
Education - Educe = to draw out. Indoctrination = to force in. Since True Diversity is the infinite range of gifts and talents found in any societal group, Educing seems more applicable. Most potentials go unrealized for many reasons. That's not an excuse for giving up on education in favor of indoctrination. The left prefers indoctrinating - makes them feel good, even though the kid is miserable.
Good Morning: If possible, can you address the mechanics of how the President, along with his political appointees and DOGE, can rapidly dismiss redundant and underperforming federal employees. If the President can do that it would be WONDERFUL.
Quentin, I am a federal employee. With the current bureaucracy, it literally takes about 2 years and loads of documents to fire an incompetent employee. We have a ridiculous level of employment protections and appeal rights. I don't think there's any way to quickly change that. The better hope is to use hiring freezes, end telework, retirement incentives and the closing/merging of unnecessary agencies. Only very high level employees in Washington can be fired at the will of the President.
In the realm of DEI and its demise, I think it is very important to point out that a return to the actual Title VII law and language is better for everyone. The legacy media is not picking up on this fact, and their reporting makes companies like Walmart, John Deere, and Tractor Supply sound like they are regressing to some kind of racist norm, which is completely false. By eliminating programs that call for racial stereotyping and racial scapegoating, these corporations are returning to the common sense legality of not discriminating on the basis of race, sex, religion, and national origin. It is indeed the content of one’s character and their competence regardless of their identity that best qualifies people for jobs. Excellence is colorblind. Two wrongs don’t make a right. You can’t judge a book by its cover. And, never assume! These are the old truisms that are now new again with the demise of DEI.
I'm not convinced of the demise. Having "retired" early from a significant research University, I haven't seen it yet. My pronouns were "we," because it is not about you or me. I want to see all Federal monies held from any University that is spending on DEI and whatever it morphs into. These people will not go away, it is like whack a mole....they go underground and pop up with a different form of identity politics
Revolutionary recapture of cultural institutions requires a willing and competent replacement labor force. K-12 Education, universities, media, nonprofits, and increasingly churches are completely dominated by a very proud and vocal assortment of leftists, Marxists, and increasingly Maoist group of true believers. To shift cultural norms back to that which underpinned the reasoning and formative processes of the Constitution requires a mass takeover of these key institutions. Yes, even in the reddest of states, at least four of the five are dominated by the Modern Left at a tune of 80%+. In fact if anything, each has moved stridently Leftward in the past generation. Rather than seek to weaken these institutions, it would be perhaps easier to take them over. But to do so means a re-education of the Right starting with the recognition that the intellectual game is worth playing and winning. Unless this epiphany happens, we are one charismatic Lefty leader away from Democrats control. Hillary and Kamala were deeply flawed candidates. The next one may not be.
I agree, conservatives should focus on taking back institutions—but I think it's going to be a long process. It took decades for leftists to take over, and while I think there are some faster options (following the New College of Florida model, for example), it's going to take intentionality and commitment to the long game.
I spent my adult life in and around these institutions. Because of my appearance and disposition, I am seen as one of them. Yes, the battle will be long and hard. The opposition has an unwavering belief that their POV is both righteous and the default. Those who wish for a different institutional ethos seem to do everything but operate from the inside.
I cannot overstate how precarious is the track record of the Right. Extremely hard fought wins in 2024, 2016 and 2000, whereas the Dems had easy wins in 2008, 2012, and 1996.
Recent victories have been easy owing to truly awful Democrat candidates. And Democrat wins by Clinton and Obama featured two candidates who had no business in the White House.
A final cloud of worry. Corporate America used to be a GOP lock. That is no longer, especially in the tech sector and in the internationalization of the C-suite.
Despite the recent wins, the clouds are darkening. And relies on Democrat incompetence and woke nonsense. That will not continue... so yes, it is a long game and immediate game. Like all wars...
How can we do in 6 months what we think will take 10 years?
One lesson I've taken from the last 12 months is that money moves mountains – quickly. Colleges cracked down on anti-Semitism after donors threatened to walk away. We got free speech on the Internet when Elon bought Twitter.
So what happens if universities risk losing accreditation (and therefore federal student loans)? What if they can lose their non-profit status? How quickly will things change then?
I happened upon a discussion between Vivek and someone I didn't know on YouTube a few months ago. The gentleman said that what the did was take over the governing boards (of the American Academy of Pediatrics, etc.) I think if the right were to focus on taking back over the boards, we could make progress much faster.
True! Conservatives may have won the Presidency and Congress but the ultimate battleground is in our educational institutions! That is where the beliefs of the next generation are being shaped. As a former principal and teacher I know this is the toughest area. And as a public school educated individual I can tell you the tremendous influence college professors have in promoting their leftist agenda to incoming students who aspire to be teachers.
I think this is my main concern going on as well. Because it sets the narrative about what our country is, and if institutional gatekeepers are captured, then they will keep perpetuating false narratives about the United States.
Takeover those cultural and educational institutions (New College) or create competing ones (UATX)? Mass takeover seems improbable, but a few new competitors could introduce enough disruption to trigger a chain reaction. Nothing sells like success.
To add to your wonderful work, Chris, I have to post this Rogan podcast with the invaluable Mike Benz(@MikeBenzCyber). Benz will blow you away with his knowledge of the Blob which itself is absolutely disgusting. As a man who stood a post while my fellow Americans slept.. I am not naive, but this stuff is disgusting.
What’s up Mr Rufo (Chris)! Thank you for using your time and talent to help this country win back its way of life. You have and continue to be a tip of the spear we all line up behind for as strong shaft as possible. We have to be a complete spear to the ground, so we don’t spit or fracture. The ground is moving. Keep it rollin’
While I’m thrilled with the election and excited for this administration, my chief concern is not just the “doing” but “selling” the “WHY”. Everything the left does has their origins, their roots in the idea/goal of destroying Western Civilization. All the “studies” courses/professors etc. CRT. Transgender. Climate Change hysteria. All of it is designed to fundamentally transform our society into a Marxist paradise. So there must be a concerted effort by the administration itself and an army of citizen patriots acting as surrogates to educate, inform and influence the public on all the issues that have been weaponized against us. We can’t just focus on the end result of gender mutilation surgeries of minors we must convince everyone that the movement is 100% political as you did in your Imprimus “Inside the Transgender Empire” speech. This movement has nothing to do with the made up ideology of a “gender spectrum”, it has everything to do with obliterating objective and Biblical truth. If they can destroy truth, biology and science…it’s all over but the crying…We have the factual data on gender dysphoria and it’s minuscule. We’ve seen their literature which is entirely political. We have the same for CRT/DEI, racial issues, crime, education, climate change (C02)… We must weaponize the data against all those who seek to destroy America and Western Civilization. We can’t just eliminate the Department of Education. We must convince the public “why”. And that’s easy. We have the facts. We have reason. The left only has theory and feelings. We now have the opportunity to fundamentally take back America. We cannot afford to blow it.
What we call WOKE is a form of totalitarianism. I published that concept very early in the game.
Frankly, from what I know, Chris does not have the answers. He is not a world-fixer, contrary to popular opinion. He is just a 40 yr. old fellow trying to make a living, and the new media was opening up for "activist-journalists'. That's all.
I’d say he’s doing pretty damn good at what he’s making a living at. CRT and DEI seemingly came out of nowhere and all of a sudden they’re everywhere overnight. That means all the established think tanks and institutions were asleep at the switch. Chris Rufo may have come out of seemingly nowhere but he’s responsible for educating more of us than anyone else. Look at what he did in Florida with DeSantis. We need more Rufos, Robby Starbucks, Abigail Shriers, Matt Walsh’s, Julie Kelly’s etc. It’s been said a person needs to hear something 7 times before they retain it. So let’s keep writing, publishing and spreading truth, wisdom and get Americans united again. Substack has been useful in expanding the reach of journalists, writers and thinkers. Let’s keep rocking on!
I'm afraid you're not too well informed about this, Douglas. If you didn't know any of this prior to reading the Rufo Substack, that is your fault. It was certainly out there.
CRT, DEI, and all the rest of the tactics are due to creeping totalitarianism. Which has been on the move in the US since the 1960s. Where were you? Chris Rufo only realized this himself a few years ago. Very late to the party.
We have had a cross-disciplinary field of Totalitarianism since WWII, and various thinkers in the West have been writing about it for 500 years. There are hundreds of books and papers on this concept.
I'm sorry, but that you think that Chris Rufo was some kind of discoverer or major educator on this concept is a bit of a giggle. Chris was educated in Totalitarianism by people like me, attempting to explain the concepts to him, and get him to do the formal reading....which he is not too keen on doing. He has a general education to the Master's level, and thought it seemed cool to be an "activist". Like dozens of others right now.
You are the epitome of the idea that just because you recently noticed a small portion of this concept, you fervently believe that you and your "hero" are responsible for bringing it to the world's attention. Groan.....
Reminds me that another Substacker, "Yuri Bezmenov" ( I am surprised the Bezmenov estate does not sue him for stealing the name) recently had some fellow with the Sci-Fi fantasy name of "Librarian of something to other" on his podcast (I was the only commenter). This "Librarian" replied to me -- when I mentioned the JFK assassination in 1963, as a turning point in the start of totalitarianism -- that he could not possibly know this because he was not born yet in 1963. Groan again..... This is the level we are dealing with. I suggested that perhaps he could learn to read about events before his time...the way that I know about the Civil War, for instance. Being a grand librarian and all.....
Just want to thank you for the fabulous articles and insights. It couldn’t be a better time in history for you to have created such a successful model in reforming institutions
Point #1. I do not believe that shrinking the federal government is possible until Congress itself is reformed. What do I mean? Term limits. No pay after one year after they leave. Prohibitions on lobbying. Healthcare is what everyone else has. Retirement that is social security. They must live by the same laws and standards they impose on everyone else. No special treatment.
Point #2. There is no reforming the deep state; the administrative state. The only option is to starve the beast or dismember it. To think reform is a fools errand. Although I understand that the morass in DC is so complicated. However, the formula is simple. Terminate the department, provide 6 month severance to employees and push function down to the state to handle or eliminate. Or, move the department to some small town in the midwest and a good portion of the employees will resign not wanting to move. That's an easy cut.
We need to be realistic. The yearnings now are not much different than the Reagan years and what he was able to accomplish with respect to shrinking the administrative state was barely noticeable.
The Beast is totalitarianism. You might call it a Psycho-spiritual phenomenon.
But who listens? I am at the point of stepping back, saving myself, and watching. Because this information was available to everyone, but they all ignored it or allowed it to bounce off. Now, the checkout point has been reached. No more wiggle room.
You are absolutely right. Where has totalitarianism ever been "reformed". Not to my knowledge. It seems to be an ingrained trait in the human heart and mind. Rarely if ever has it ended without serious pain, suffering, upheaval and then the cycle starts over.
I have expertise in the once-arcane academic field of totalitarianism. I was the canary in the coalmine all of my adult life. And the public laughed. Sneered, even. And grew glassy-eyed in boredom. They thought it was all a joke, seen only in backwards countries.
I understand more about totalitarianism than even I care to know, and they have few known options to get out of this. The options which do exist will be sneered at, once again.
So they can have it their way. Bamboozle themselves into thinking that Chris Rufo will be their Messiah.... He seems to think so too 😁.
I've got RINO's on my mind, specifically RINO senators like Collins, Murkowski, Graham, etc. Now that Trump has won the election and has momentum, I think it's time to use Trump's cabinet nominees as a litmus test to find and weed out RINO Republican Senators based on whether they vote for Trump's nominees or not. A vote against a nominee means that Trump finds a MAGA candidate to primary them in their next election. A primary voter is active and engaged. That is where we can knock off a RINO for a more conservative candidate. In a state like Maine, there is a risk that might flip a seat like Collins to a Dem. But is a state like Alaska, there is no reason not to have a true conservative in office, instead of Murkowski.
Collins and Murkowski are essentially bulletproof. Collins is the only Republican that could get elected in Maine. When she retires, that seat immediately goes to the dims. Murkowski only gets elected in Alaska because of ranked-choice voting. In fact, Alaska put that in place just to keep her in office. In a regular vote, she would have lost the last 2 elections. Sadly, we are stuck with both of these democrat-lights.
Maine (my State), has unfortunately lost its way and has slid deeper blue over the last 6-10 years. In state races, Repubs made minor gains, (although still a minority at the State House) so maybe we've bottomed out. You are correct about the odds of ultimately losing the Collins seat to a Dem if she were primary-ed and lost. I didnt know about Alaska and "rank-choice" voting, which we have here...and it sucks.
I wish Trump can learn to do the same basic background on cabinet appointments that some women do for online dating. The drama around Gaetz, RFK, Tulsi, and Hegseth could have been largely avoided. If I were trump, I'd ask Vivek to help me with choosing who goes where, and vetting people for resume issues that might cause friction. This is a pivotal historical moment. The world order is shifting unpredictably, while many voters and Democrat politicians are signaling their disgust with their own party's excesses. The least Trump could do is not make Democrat turncoats look foolish for switching sides. At least make sure all senior Republicans agree on cabinet choices before announcing them!
Most "senior" Republicans are RINOs and have been the problem for the last generation. They are the reason that the Republicans have not succeeded until Trump.
Trump definitely *should* know the backgrounds of his picks. I was most concerned by reports that his team was surprised by the allegations against Hegseth—that was definitely something that should have been a known possibility. I'm not sure there was ever any expectation that Gaetz would make it to AG—that whole situation felt more like a ploy to get him out of the House. I haven't followed RFK and Gabbard super closely, but since they're not established Republicans, the outcry makes sense. My hope is the Senate will trust Trump's vision, but we'll find out.
If you think he didn't know the backgrounds of these people, you're wrong. Now, ask yourself why there's no commotion around Rubio, but consternation around every other pick.
Consider attorney Robert Barnes who has/is representing similar cases with good result. He is under @barnes_law on X in case his link is not allowed. https://www.barneslawllp.com/
Again, I question why people seem to think that Chris Rufo has world-fixing powers. He works as just one of the many independent activists/journalists, plying a trade. Freelance. He is mostly winging it.
There have been dozens of stories like yours; this is the new WOKE world. Though you have my sympathy. You would have better luck with a good law firm.
I am a tenured psychology professor at a medium-sized private regional university. It is a challenging environment for someone like me, as I am not only a traditional Catholic but a political conservative. I teach developmental classes, and thus we cover material such as the differences between boys and girls, transgenderism, and the mental health crisis afflicting our youth. Thankfully for me, the scientific literature largely supports my views, as of course does common sense.
I face discrimination at my workplace in two primary forms. First, when a small minority of left-leaning students who deeply hate my teaching complain to the administration, they find a willing ally in the administration. I am subject to a lengthy string of meetings that run from department chair, to HR, to the dean, up to the provost. The purpose of these meetings are to dissuade me from teaching the material in this manner. The underlying threat is that if the complaints continue, I will be removed from my teaching duties. To date, they have not done this, as they know that 1) our faculty manual explicitly endorses academic freedom in the classroom, and 2) I am more than willing to fight back. Yet it is only a matter of time before this happens.
Second, they prevent me from starting any new courses. Most professors are allowed to develop new classes that can help expand their own intellectual development - and to stave off boredom from the endless repetition. Each year, I submit new course proposals, and each year they are rejected. To date, I have yet to meet even one other faculty member with even one course proposal rejection. The default for 'normal' professors is that new course proposals are automatically approved, as this is in the spirit of academic freedom. Across the span of ten years, I have had all nine of my course proposals rejected! Although the admin struggles to control what I can say in the classroom, they can quite easily control what classrooms I can have. This is the academic version of deplatforming.
The discrimination I have been experiencing these past ten years is not because I am rude to my colleagues or students. It is not because I am a slacker and shirk my duties. I am generally well liked, and I have decent research productivity. The reason is rather obvious. I have always stated clearly to anyone who asks that I am a conservative. I was vocal in rejecting the school's endorsement of BLM in 2020, and explicit in rejecting the Covid vaccine and masking mandates. My fellow faculty and the administration view my perspective as repellent, and they seek to limit my exposure to the students.
I can document what I have said here. I seek your advice on how best to proceed. Mr. Rufo, if you were to become appointed at the Trump administration, would my case be of interest to you?
I do hear you. This is a common situation in today's academic world. Though I think that you, and others, are seriously over-estimating Chris Rufo's role. He is a self-styled conservative activist, amongst a growing field of similar activists/journalists. They have no particular education or experience; most of them are winging it.
I would doubt that he is going to have any role in the Trump administration. Why would he? He has little background or experience for this. And the K-12 world is very different from the university world.
I cant believe Penny was charged at all and I can't believe NY subway riders would be ignorant enough not to want people like him on the trains. A conviction would be of the people of NY just like the Trump trial was. NYC can't be that stupid !!
Yes, it is that stupid. Case in point: At a faculty meeting yesterday, one professor responded to my calling her out for purveying fear of Trump in our international students by saying that 'it's not absurd to believe that Trump would implement internment camps because he's best friends with Putin.'
Everything is downstream from culture. How can we change the culture from within when it seems like all the momentum leans to the left. "Change" is invariably embraced by at least half of the country as a virtue. Remaining unchanged, or "traditional" isn't embraced by most youth. In order to change the culture, the youth must be influenced. How do we do that as a country?
A friend pointed something out to me along the lines of change versus tradition: when conservatives simply try to stop change, culture inevitably slides left. Holding ground nowadays just means giving the left an inch and hoping they don't take a mile.
Perhaps a better strategy would be seeking change in the opposite direction. As an (somewhat obvious) example, people didn't vote for Trump to maintain the status quo—they voted for him to reverse the policies of the last four years. I could see Gen Z (my generation) being excited about traditional values if they're presented as change in the opposite direction from the left instead of something static and passive.
Politics is downstream from culture, but politics (and especially some politicians) can change the culture. American society abruptly corrected itself after Reagan became President, and I think that is happening again after the recent Trump/MAGA victory. WSJ on Nov 30 reported that some corporate websites are already being revised to downplay DEI/ESG initiatives. I also noticed retail websites are beginning to use models who look less like homeless drug addicts. Corporate America shapes our culture and it is a good place to apply pressure. Educational institutions are more pernicious and difficult to reform because they are motivated by an insane ideology instead of just profits, but ultimately they require government subsidies to corrupt our culture. They are the beast that must be starved into submission to save the culture.
You have done a great job in the US of making positive changes in regards to DEI. Can this be replicated in the UK, or is the situation different in each country?
A "Communist Party"? Not that I know of, certainly a Hard Socialist Party that has showed itself and its Prime Minister to be inept. Our Government was voted into power with around 32% of the total votes cast. Democracy in action.
John, I think you have to grasp that Starmer and Labour are a totalitarian party/govt. Communism is one version of totalitarianism, but it need not present in the manner of the old Soviet Communists. CCP China is Communist too, but quite different in outward presentation. The Nazis were also totalitarians.
Let us say that England under Starmer is totalitarian. And since a severe Cluster-B personality is always the authority figure behind totalitarianism, this means that Starmer is a serious Cluster-B type. Behind him is the wider global Deep State, presumably.
What about all federal lands being given back to the states, except those lands enumerated in the constitution, military bases and possible National Parks.
The lands could be managed more efficiently. And the national agencies have been quite tyrannical towards the populace.
I would like to discuss the Substack process. Because I see too many readers being willingly bamboozled by this. And controlling Substack hosts who claim they are "freedom-fighters" but who use WOKE totalitarian tactics on any commenter/subscriber who fails to make them look good (which is the entire name of the game for some Substack hosts).)
Substack in 2024 has nearly 20,000 hosts with a site. Chris Rufo is one of that group.
Anyone can sign-up for a Substack. No credentials required. The top dozen Substack hosts make$500,000 to $1,500,000 annually. Though of course, that's the top money group. The bottom group earns a pittance.
It is up to them how they present themselves. Some are very honest, some are grifters and scam-artists. Some have actual material-of-value to offer, while some make it up as they go along. Several are sources of expert information, while others are just entertainers with the latest meme gimmick.
A sizable portion of Substack hosts would fall in the category of "Influencers" rather than experts. This becomes a problem, because many readers confuse the two categories. They think that anyone who captures their Substack attention (in any way) must be an "expert".
Not so.
And we do need to be very careful right now, in this age of a coming Trump Presidency, that a new potentially non-WOKE society does not get steamrolled by Substack "Influencers", when what is needed are authentic experts.
Independent media platforms such as Substack can be of value, of course. But they also have a dark side. If we simply jump from a broken MSM to new independent media, without being thoughtful about this, it will be a matter of jumping from the frying pan into the fire.....we will simply have gone from one bad media set-up to another bad media set-up.
My point is, the Left wants to censor speech, partly by controlling who gets to have a platform. Their reasoning is that “we can’t trust just anybody to say whatever they want anywhere at any time, we have to set up gatekeepers to control what people read. For their own good. Because if people read just anything, they might be BAMBOOZLED!” I think I just summarized your comment above.
The rest of us want more speech, and we trust people to read what they want and figure it out. We’re not into controlling others. We instinctively mistrust self-appointed gatekeepers.
Also, why does it matter if I am a subscriber or not? Am I not allowed to express a point of view, or does paying money somehow make your point of view more valid?
Yes, but MSM started that way, and still they spiralled down into corruption and propaganda,
I can already see the dark side of the new independent media. Seeing as we are supposed to be improving society, what do we do about this? It's a bit like Communism falling in 1989 in the former USSR, but then criminal thugs taking control. About the same result.
It strikes me as a bit odd - and this could be good or bad - that Trump has yet to announce a nomination to take over the ATF. That agency is one of the worst offenders in terms of arbitrary/draconian rules and regulations, and the top offender in terms of civil rights (unless your name is Hunter Biden).
Two things a new ATF director should do. First, destroy the illegal gun registry that the ATF as been compiling for years. You can read more about that on this link to the Gun Owners of America site.
Second, the form 4473 (which every gun buyer fills out for a background check) should stop requiring the serial number of the gun being purchased. The background check is about a person, not a firearm. The only reason ATF insists upon the serial number is so they can further compile their illegal registry, and track gun owners for life.
My pick would probably be Larry Pratt . . . of Gun Owners of America. He’s been at the forefront of most of the legal battles against the ATF . . . and knows the agency backward and forward (what rules to keep, what to jettison, who to fire, how to streamline, etc etc.).
That place has become beyond draconian in how they treat firearms dealers . . . often revoking their licenses for something as simple as a minor paperwork error. They’ve put many out of business over the past four years. I know several who have simply quit due to the hassle and potential legal (or more often extralegal) threats of ATF
Pratt could bring about tons of reforms in very short order.
Trump & Freedom Appreciators now have a huge work cutout about 150M Non-Appreciators.
70M Harris voters plus about
80M Non-Appreciators = 150M
that need us to
Reach Beyond the Choir
to help them become Freedom Appreciators instead of:
The #1 Threat to Freedom: Taking Freedom for granted.
Freedom Appreciators can individually
REACH BEYOND THE CHOIR NOW
Here is how :
Why not give all Freedom Appreciators, Prager donors, Hillsdale donors & like kind, this low risk HIGH reward idea to
Reach Beyond Choir ?____
Post Performance Mini $cholarships
aka PPM$ is an idea for Freedom Appreciators to incentivize any Non-Appreciator they choose that take the benefits of past American Freedom for granted.
Any Freedom Appreciator can incentivize any Non-Appreciator they choose to:
1. Watch the 5m video
“If you were born in Freedom,
Thank the British Empire”
online at PragerU then
2. Discuss video for 5 to 10m to receive a PPM$ of say $9 to $90 as the Freedom Appreciator chooses.
3. Donate say 10% to PragerU
4. Choose another Non-Appreciator to incentivize.
5. Or more videos with same.
6. Produce more videos
We have about 100 days to help reverse 3 generations of federally funded Anti-Freedom curriculum in eduKation, entertainment, church & institutions.
Give the PPM$ idea to all Freedom Appreciators, Prager donors, Hillsdale donors & like kind to mobilize nearly $800M if only 1 in 10 Freedom Appreciators elected to individually incentivize 1 Non-Appreciator.
If the West coast secedes one of two things will eventually happen. A wall will be built in the middle of the states of California, Oregon, Washington by the totalitarian government to keep people in. Or a similar wall would be built by free America to keep people from heading East away from misery. Possible? Necessary? Can San Diego, LA, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle be saved? To what degree of mayhem and misery will people endure before even they say enough? Is the deep hypnosis of “I want to be taken care of by the state” too hard to break?
This is what is termed a dependency need. Meaning those who hold this adamant wish have not emotionally matured past the childhood dependency state. They have not moved forward to self-differentiation.
There is a price for freedom. Self responsibility. Therefore these people do not really want to be free. They prefer to crawl back into the womb.
The "deep hypnosis" can break, although it does not necessarily break.
The Germans under Hitler were in the same "deep hypnosis". After the 1945 win by the allies, many committed suicide rather than give up their Third Reich delusions. Others simply remained Nazis for life, against the new laws. The remainder went back to normal, more or less, though it meant becoming aware of the horrors in which they had been involved..
There are still a great many WOKE who live in their mental delusions. Including TDS and COVID Mania. Who is to say whether they will ever come out of it?
Good evening, Christopher. I am the parent of a trans child. My child has been trans for 11 years now. I never permitted hormones or surgery. I told her she had to do that when she was an adult. Over the years I have gotten to know a number of her trans friends.
One thing that I do not see flagged enough in the press is that there is ENORMOUS emotional dysfunction in trans children. That includes my child. I have no illusions.
The second concern not stressed is the role of internet in the whole trans movement. Children have access to information they could never have touched prior to the advent of iPad and smart phone.
In these ridiculous debates about gender, I do not see highlighted the children who desisted or detransitioned. They should be heard from above all.
You can identify differently, you can try to live your life the way the opposite sex does, but the glaring reality is that you cannot change your gender. As soon as you stop hormones, your innate biology comes roaring back.
After 11 years, I am tired of the whole trans thing. Really. Get a job, focus on living a good life and stop asking the world to change at your beck and call.
The tran-g-ism issue is a mental disturbance. I will be blunt. They have reverted out of the normal full Neocortex functioning, into lesser brain regions.
They can probably snap out of it, if they open their own eyes, like a cult follower or a former Nazi in 1945. But that choice is theirs. I suspect that some prefer the mind-trap. Because freedom is not free -- you are required to take on personal responsibility. To self-differentiate. Some people prefer a lifelong dependency state, which plays out in various ways.
These trans children do not have a developed cerebral cortex. That part of the brain is not fully developed until one is 25 years old. They do not have biological assets to weigh issues and consider different sides with much authority.
Although you have to admit Joy, that the majority of under-25s have the same level of basic physical brain development, yet they are not in the trans-g delusion. So that argument does not hold. Or else all of them would have this problem. And they don't.
Anyway, it was you who announced here that you have seen there is something wrong with the whole phenomenon. I added to that for you, and you get huffy about it? That is not a very rational comeback.
Besides which, you completely missed my point. Your interpretation of that is wrong. I was not talking about the physical Neocortex development. Not at all. You jumped to the wrong conculsion.
Knowing of your concern for the children, do you think the Trump administration will be able to find the missing 350,000? I pray everyday to Save The Children
Your proposed solution to DEI and wokeness is too complicated. Instead of using a top-down approach, let's get this done from the bottom-up. It's easy. Modify 43 USC 1931 to create standing on behalf of individuals who are members of a disfavored group by: (1) creating a statutory award of $100; (2) allowing for the recovery of ACTUAL attorney fees; and (3) providing for injunction relief. Then just sit back and watch as 1 million lawyers search out every law, regulation, rule, mandate, guideline, etc. We, the people, have had enough. Unleash us and we will solve the problem.
A revolution in the planetary implementation of an artificially intelligent virtuous computer concerns my U.S. patent entitled: Inductive Inference Affective Language Analyzer Simulating Artificial Intelligence (patent No. 6,587,846) - now expired and in public domain - by inventor/author John E. LaMuth Ph.D. As implied in its title, this innovation is the 1st affective language analyzer incorporating ethical/motivational terms, serving in the role of interactive computer interface. It enables a computer to reason and speak in an ethical fashion, serving in roles specifying sound human judgement: such as public relations or security functions. This innovation is formally based on a multi-level hierarchy of the traditional groupings of virtues, values, and ideals, collectively arranged as subsets within a hierarchy of meta-perspectives - as partially depicted below.
The systematic organization underlying this ethical hierarchy allows for extreme efficiency in programming, eliminating much of the associated redundancy, providing a precise determination of motivational parameters at issue during a given verbal interchange. more at https://www.angelfire.com/rnb/fairhaven/patent.html
Non-profits. It's time to change their tax-exempt status. The number of "Education" non-profits alone that pay zero taxes on stunning amounts of donations to carry out their questionable "education" efforts is mind-boggling. Not to mention that donors receive tax benefits for funneling money to them AND often the non-profit receives taxpayer dollars to carry out their mission. So, not only are they indoctrinating our youth, we, the taxpayer, are unwittingly paying them to do it. Dry up that pipeline.
Tina Peters, a Christian grandmother, has been sentenced to 9 years in prison by Marxist Judge Matthew Barrett who only permitted Colorado's Secretary of State, Jena Griswold's complaints against Tina in Tina's trial. Tina's defense, of accidently finding massive electronic election fraud by Jena Griswold and Dominion, was suppressed by the judge, media, churches, everyone. Read the 2-page Executive Summary of Report #3 at tinapeters.us for the evidence our votes are now void. See also Tina Peters' story under The Peak News tab at CensoredEvidence.org. Isaiah, speaking for God, said, "When truth falls down, so does justice. God was appalled no one stood up for truth or justice" (Isaiah 59:14-16)
I'd like to hear more about how the changes you made at New School Florida are going. I don't hear you talking about that much anymore. Are you still on their board? I want to know specifics. I'd also like it very much if you did a focused study on the least Woke universities and especially a couple of the newer ones, UATX, and Raulston College. I had also read about some changes being made in the University of Chapel Hill. Have you heard about any other schools moving in that direction? And how are those changes in policy manifesting in the culture? Also I am aware of a few really good schools that focus on classical learning like the Great Books. One of those is University of Dallas which is one of the few Catholic colleges that isn't woke. I think many people think if a school has any religious affiliation, it's safe but many of those schools do not reflect their Christian founding or take "social justice" too far. I almost think that this topic merits a book. Luke Rosiak, another great investigative journalist, wrote an excellent book called "Race to the Bottom" that focuses on the demise of our nation's public education. Perhaps you can do something or even in collaboration with him and maybe others like James Lindsay, Peter Begosian, Wilfred Reilley, and or Heather MacDonald along the same lines but focusing on our institutions of higher education including medical schools and law schools.
Finally, I hope that this administration will be tapping you to help them on a myriad of topics but especially DEI in our captured universities. We have to get rid of the "Education" department and their accreditation process. Probably on state levels mostly but if we can withhold federal funding to schools who are peddling DEI and one sided ideology, that would be great.
Thanks for all your wonderful investigative journalism and shining your light on the dark underbelly of all of our captured institutions.
I have a fair amount of background in the history of Education and curriculum. I did a partial great Books program myself, as an undergrad years ago, before moving on to grad studies. Then I homeschooled several children in the Classical approach.
You are correct that a number of Christian-based universities have gone rogue (technically, all universities derive from Christian beginnings of the university). It is likely that several Great Books programs still thrive, however. They were certainly thriving in the period post-WWII to the 1990s or so.
A few years ago, James Lindsay and Charles Pincourt published "Counter WOKEcraft" in terms of the university setting.
I do not think that Chris has specifics about HOW to counter WOKE. I find the ideas all too hazy just now. There are no specific de-Wokify agendas. Though I have to say that I am doing research on that, and will publish eventually.
I actually met a guy who had participated in the government's "Geo-Engineering" of the weather until he realized they were showering people with aluminum and other harmful chemicals, and he quit. The government was in on redirecting Hurrcane Helene. PLEASE let us stop this! God can deal with the weather perfectly well Himself.
I appreciate your work on education reform and am genuinely curious about how the school of Ed at the college level can be improved to insure highly qualified teachers. Also, how can we get away from the indoctrination that is in every textbook, it’s been years since we’ve had good ELA and social studies textbooks in elementary school. Experienced teacher asking. Thanks!
I think that the Substack readers here are heavily over-estimating what Chris is doing, or can do. These are huge issues. Chris is one of the new hazily-defined conservative activists, but he is not an expert on these concepts. That is another pursuit entirely.
Chris Rufo's role seems to veer from people thinking he is a top journalist (he is one of many in the field on new independent media) to some kind of Education expert, to an expert in the field of Totalitarianism. All rolled up together.
Where do you come by these beliefs? If you don't look clearly at this expectation of yours, you are going to be disappointed.
Persons of the new media who call themselves journalists may write about particular issues, but this does not mean they are experts in all of the issues they post articles about. The average MSM journalist of earlier eras would have written on several different topics weekly; this did NOT mean that the journalist was some kind of expert on all of those topics.
I have enjoyed your posts in the past, but I couldn't disagree with you more on most of your posts today. So let me see if understand you. Chris Rufo is no expert on anything, and you are. Umm. You are a paid subscriber to this blog, so why do you lower yourself by reading it? I have a background in education myself, and I am not, and never have been, impressed with 'journalists' or the education establishment. You have every right to voice your opinion. But you can do that without the high and mighty attitude you are expressing today. Let me know when your name is in lights.
Thank you, BD. But allow me the same rights here to disagree with your post today. Which I do.
You seem not to understand the issues here. In the least. But you adopt that self-righteous tone anyway. Not becoming, my friend.
Chris Rufo is playing the Messiah to a lot of gullible readers here. Maybe you are one of them. I almost want to insert a Monty Python clip.
I am probably the only person you have ever heard of to have specialized in Totalitarianism. I do low-key publishing on this....though that may change,
While Chris Rufo, who has a general Master's degree, portrays himself as God's gift to mankind. Why, exactly? He has done just a bit of this and a bit of that. Freelance. Along with a great many other "activist:" types. When I mention some of the formal books and literature that he should know....he doesn't know them.
He is just winging it. And putting out the word that for some unknown reason he should be given an appointment by Trump. Not prone to tooting his own horn or anything, is our Chris.... Odd that you find this self-promotion quite alright in a Substack host, but not in others with greater credentials. Your logic here is tilted.
Chris is simply trying to scramble up the career ladder. He is not a humanitarian, and not a god, as most of his groupies here believe. I find his pretense very off-putting.
I get disgusted with the chronic fawning on this Substack some days. Though I have noted the fawning on other current "rockstar" Substacks. Always temporary, while the fashion is strong.
My name in lights? What a low and snarky little dig that was. How do you know it isn't already? I use a pseudonym here, so you could not possibly know...😍
I'm not sure why you insist on repeating the drivel you've already written on this section today, but I AM sure that your problem isn't Chris Rufo. It is clearly your EGO.
At some point in time (probably quite distant) folks will realize that society's standard of living can only reach its maximum when everyone is producing at their own individual maximum. DEI, regulations, foreign aid, 17 (or more - who really knows?) intelligence agencies - need i go on? - is NOT the way to do this. For Mr. Grout below, the bastards ALWAYS get away clean; that is how the State works. Law is for us insect-eaters; law does not apply to the State. In the last 70+ years, what laws have changed the State? What in the State has really been "reformed"? The CIA? Federal Reserve. SEC, intelligence agencies? State control of Media, FBI? I could go on ad nauseam because the quick answer is nothing. Nothing ever will be changed under this form of "government".
Thanks. Will have a look. The cross-disciplinary field of Totalitarianism is my area. Once thought to be an arcane niche field. Not so. It holds the keys to what we are embroiled in at present.
Christopher- you have the ear of the incoming administration. Please make them understand that the US must support the Kurds in Syria. Like the Israelis, they’re one of the bulwarks of freedom in the Middle East and right now the Turks see an open opportunity to slaughter them. From a purely national security perspective, this would be a defeat for the US, but Trump doesn’t seem to get it. Without the Kurds, Turkey will have a free hand to “host” Hamas in Syria, right on the border with Jordan. The havoc this would cause would set back most of the gains of the last year. I could go on…
What are your thoughts on the days leading up to the inauguration and during. It looks like the FBI and law enforcement around the country are preparing for chaos and violence.
Well, I lost my campaign by a huge margin. I became too sick to campaign fully.
But with only $50 in campaign contributions and a bunch of short stump speeches, I got over 104,000 votes, basically forcing the major local newspaper, which blackballed the story for 3 years, to print news about the threat of K-12 transgenderism, and we got three pro-parental rights candidates elected to the seven-member school board. A change is coming.
As you suggested, I campaigned on ending DEI in public education. When they heard me say that phrase, people literally jumped in their seats. They hunger and thirst for righteousness so badly in Southern Nevada.
Now, we have a huge casino operation, the Sands Corporation (Mrs. Sydney Adelson took it over), funding a Communist Chinese language program for UNLV. A regent who voted for it says it is a simple language program and not to worry about Communist propaganda. I'm not optimistic about this at all.
What is your opinion? Can you help us fight this information war? Las Vegas has the fifth-largest school district in the nation. We are under siege. Some professional investigations would do a world of good.
Good morning, Christopher! Danny Penny is what and who is on my mind. I know you don't have a magic ball that predicts the future, but what is your sense on his case? I am praying for a not guilty verdict for him.
I hope and pray Penny gets a not guilty verdict, but given it's NYC I'm not optimistic—even though absolutely everything about this case proves it shouldn't even be a case. As a young woman, I'm especially concerned about cultural implications this has—I can't expect men to be protective (or even do basic masculine things) if there's the possibility they'll be arrested and imprisoned for it.
It’s funny to me that the left, democratic base and MSM, all claim the high ground over and over again even when proven to be derelict liars, the misnomers of misinformation, willfully proffered and the high priestess of cultural appropriation, which in most cases is “culturally inappropriate.”
These clowns 🤡 are laughable looney-tunes.
They have become totalitarians. I keep offering that explanation -- with a great deal of evidence --but it bounces off most people here. Just as the warnings of the canaries in the coalmine of 1930s Germany bounced off. Until the disgusted canaries packed and left.
So what can I say? Keep trying to figure it out yourselves. Be my guest. Will take many years. Generations, even.
Yes, but they still rule us and have for at least 75 years. That's a problem. Somehow we must be letting them.
I think Collectivists are more inclined to be affected by propaganda. And the left believes its own propaganda. They are quite self-unaware in this regard.
Thankfully, all the doom and gloom sayers were wrong about the the Penny verdict. The jurors saw through the prosecution and a got an unanimous Not Guilty verdict. There still is some common sense in in NYC. May their tribe increase!
I can't believe there is even a trial. IF Danny Penny were a black man there would be no trial. I blame Alvin Bragg for this. HE should be removed from office. His actions have been disgusting. He allows people out who have stabbed and attacked and yet, a Daniel Penny, he puts in jail? It's wrong on so many levels
I couldn't agree with you more.
Are you referring to Jordan Williams (passenger) who stabbed Devictor Ouedraogo to death after Devictor threatened Williams’ girlfriend and other passengers on the subway car? Williams was arrested, but then released without charges; both people involved were black.
In a sane world, Danny Penny would be given a ticker-tape parade and a key to the city.
NYC is not part of a sane world
When professional race baiter Al Sharpton got involved is when Alvin Bragg decided to prosecute.
Mayor Adams seems to agree.
There has to be some accountability for the actions of Soros-funded DAs. We're supposed to have equal protection under the law, but they're letting out murderers (if they're black) and prosecuting heroes (if they are white).
There must be some remediation, and consequences, for this.
We need to overhaul MUCH of the judicial system, IMHO! Activist judges are ignoring the law, and releasing violent criminals and repeat offenders with no (or very low) bail, in order to achieve "social justice" (whatever that means).
Here in Seattle, aka Liberal LaLa Land, even the Left leaning DAs are getting frustrated by the actions of a handful of judges, who simply refuse to follow the laws or the sentencing guidelines. They need to be thrown off the bench but it's almost impossible to do!
Just wait until Garland has him indicted for violating his civil rights on a federal charge.
Listen to the podcast tomorrow, I answer this question!
Not to worry. Trump will pardon him anyway.
I know very little about the court system and pardons etc. Could Trump step in? Or can that only be done at the federal level ?
Penny is facing state charges. The President cannot pardon an individual convicted of state charges.
Given that the highest charge of second degree manslaughter was dropped and the jury was given an unprecedented further instruction to reconsider the criminally negligent homicide charge, I agree that the leftists in Braggs office are trying to get Penny on something, anything. This is NYC, but someone onnthat jury sees things differently. Praying that this jury member sees through this ruse and jury remains deadlocked. Penny was doing what any person who hates to see others bullied and abused would do, intervene with whatever skills he or she has been given to help.
I appreciate your work reforming our institutions, but it seems like, as Conservatives, we continue to get exploited and dragged left. I have two comments/questions.
1. How can we regain ground if we continue to be the only side that plays by the rules?
The left has no issues wielding every lever of power to inject, implement, and protect their policies. The right, when they gain power, come in an attempt to reform the systems that the left was happy to exploit, rather than returning the favor in kind. This cycle just repeats and, while we may be able to retain the moral high-ground, it just doesn't seem like a winning long-term strategy.
2. Shouldn't many DEI proponents be charged for civil rights violations?
It's great that we plan on removing DEI from all government institutions, but what about the many people who have been discriminated against over the last 4 years? There must be thousands who lost jobs or were passed over because they are white. If we don't hold people accountable for blatant discrimination, this will just be an endless cycle (see #1).
Are there any plans to investigate DEI leaders and hold them accountable?
I've also thought about your first point—Conservatives trying to maintain the moral high ground of following the rules. This most recent election Democrats said if they won the Senate, they would abolish the filibuster. But when Republicans won it instead, Thune was clear they wouldn't abolish it. If it's almost certain Democrats will abolish it as soon as they can, why shouldn't Republicans get to first so we can benefit from it instead of trying to clean up after? (I should note I'm not completely decided on this issue; it's just a hypothetical I've considered.)
Are there specific areas where you think Republicans should stop playing by the rules?
I'd start with fact-checking.
The left has built an infrastructure that allows them to publish propaganda, mass-deploy talking points through the media that support their stance, align fact-checkers that add legitimacy to the claims, and then wield the threat of "disinformation" to control the dissemination of this information to the masses.
NewsGuard is a good example of this. Many online sources, and even search engines, prioritize content based on a sources' "trust score" maintained by NewsGuard. This is a tool the left uses to demote and even eliminate conservative voices.
With the explosion of alt-media, I predict this will be the next battleground. I believe this is why the media is coordinating an effort to move their journalists from X to BlueSky. This will undoubtedly be followed an effort to label X "misinformation", demote it in app stores, and prop-up BlueSky as the only source of approved facts free of disinformation.
So why not completely dismantle this system and replace it with one of our own? It wouldn't be difficult to prove most of the "trusted" sources that NewsGuard props-up are biased, fraudulent, state-run media. Replace it with a fact-checking system based on conservative voices and alt-media instead. Investigate tech companies that are using the existing system to discriminate against people.
Other areas to exploit are NGOs and advertising cartels.
NewsGuard needs to go for sure. What do you think about X's Community Notes as a sort of compromise? It doesn't solve the BlueSky problem you mentioned, but it's in between an information free-for-all and an official fact-checking organization.
The concept of "fact checkers" was generally seen only in the publishing industry prior to COVID Mania, when the Pharmaceutical companies started pushing the "fact-checker" faux-position as the way to ascertain truth. It was all cooked up.
You either trust a news source from previous performance, or you don't. This faux-fact-checking role is just another WOKE scam.
I will reiterate here (see my posts below) that the new independent media sites -- I am especially looking at Substack -- can be just as prone to scams and having a dark side as MSM.
There are Substack hosts who use the many loopholes. There are scammers and grifters all through the Subtack world. Why wouldn't there be? There is money to be made, reputations to be made, and anyone can sign up for a Substack.
There are no checks and balances in the Substack system. In fact, it is the authors/hosts who control each Substack. Even reader complaints go to the host/author, which is no good if it is that host you are complaining about.
Therefore, if you have a dishonest host, or one who presents himself as a "freedom-fighter" but who is just using that theme to get ahead....who guards the guards?
What rules? There are none by the democrats standards— the only “rules” are the the one they claim when it’s convenient for their causes or actions.
I say we as conservatives need to start playing by THEIR rules and FORCE them to suffer the consequences as we have. I’ve heard the arguments that doing that is only lowering ourselves to their level. I’m tired of hearing that! What good is avoiding lowering ourselves when they have no level they consider the bottom?
I believe I heard the Thune may try to enshrine the filibuster in law or a Constitutional Amendment. Force the dems to go on the record in a vote. I hope they do that instead of abolishing it.
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1864702585313349962
It’s a crazy crazy time
And in a real world, he would be celebrated
But just like with the election when you have the Mockingbird media working in concert with the Democrat party lying every night on TV fact checking during a debate fact, checking during any interview
You’re just trying to hold back the tide and they were so adamant
It’s shocking on every level that good is not good and bad is all good again I live in California so that’s part of the problem. I’m so amused that they were even floating Gavin Newsom‘s name to be a candidate. He has taken this state into the gutter lost billions of dollars Taxing up as far as he can go and I’m sure more is to come, and the Democrats are all in lock step they don’t care about the middle class that works to keep the wheels on cars.
Democrats count votes until they win in close races as they just did here
The government in California only 30% of workers are back in their offices
We have a dysfunctional system and the sooner we are able to clear out some of this the better but I am afraid it’s going to take a whole lot longer than four years
If everyone stops playing by the rules, what we will have is anarchy.
So who chooses which rues are ironclad, and which are dispensable? If someone had just committed murder, wouldn't they choose to get rid of that rule against murder?
This idea of losing with dignity isn't sustainable, not when the stakes are this high. I don't like it, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.
I'm not even saying we permanently exploit the rules to achieve our goals. Maybe we beat them over the head with their policies for 3 years, then reform them toward then end when they're screaming for mercy?
But you have to punch a bully back, or you're just going to continue to get your ass beat.
Case in point: The Border
The Biden Administration exploited our broken immigration system to facilitate the invasion of nearly 15 million illegals (probably more). They played stupid for 3.5 years as our cities were overrun. Then, with months to go until the election, they re-instituted some of Trump's policies, and the problem went away.
They then claimed that illegal immigration was at its lowest level in years, better than Trump!
That's strategic exploitation, and it could have affected elections for an entire generation. The right would NEVER do something so bold. They won't even have the balls to deport these people.
What we are seeing now with Senate reluctance to approve several of President Trump’s cabinet never happens with democrats. The democrats vote in a 100% block. If they don’t, their leadership punishes them by withholding campaign funds or committee leadership. For the last senate session, the senate was 50-50, yet they passed whatever they wanted through the VP tiebreaker. ALL of their nominees breezed through no matter how freakish they were. The Republicans always seem to be fractured.
The same thing happens in the Texas legislature. Democrats always vote in a 100% block and if they convince 4-5 Republicans to vote with them, it is really a Democrat controlled legislature.
Excellent point! I add one correction. You mentioned that people were passed over because they were white. The overwhelming majority that were passed over were heterosexual white men. The Democrat party is the party of women and minorities. They have at best vilified straight white men and at worst excluded them at every opportunity. The goal being to marginalize them.
The best deterrence is to punish them, make an example, don’t just fire or reassign them.
Christopher Rufo! Just sending a shout out to you wherever you are! <handshake and slap on the back>. Keep it up.
Is there ANY limit to the power of presidential pardon? Can a president literally pardon EVERYONE from ALL known and unknown federal offenses for the past 100 years? Side-note....if Biden pardons Fauci carte blanche....that will be very disappointing/troubling.
Crimes against humanity cannot be pardoned, destroying January 6 commission evidence cannot be pardoned. If the Supreme Court or others allow this NONSENSE the American people can be victimized by these power hungry psychopaths with impunity. We must stand against this insanity and evil.
A report I heard said Biden may be considering “preemptive” pardons for Fauci, Mayorkas and maybe another. Now THAT would truly be an abuse of the power of pardon.
I think Biden will undoubtedly pardon anyone associated with the Burisma scandal. Fauci, Shiff, and others will likely fit the bill as well. This is why the media has been parroting the "Trump is going after his enemies" talking point for the last six months, it was astroturfing for the pardons that were soon to follow.
I wouldn't be surprised if Biden pardoned Trump as well. It's a no-lose situation for him since the cases are falling apart anyway, and it'll give the press cover to present a false equivalency.
It doesn’t get him off the hook in NY. That case will have to go through the appeals process unless Bragg drops it.
Is there any way to recoup the money that's been paid by the taxpayers for Fauci's security?
Yes, love to see an exposé on Fauci's crimes against humanity, and while you're at it, every other national medical officer around the world who supported Fauci's positions.
But remember this - once pardoned, a person loses his 5th Amendment right to silence. He can be compelled to testify under pain of contempt, because he is in no legal jeopardy from his testimony.
Way more than "disappointing". Fauci is an evil, amoral, self-serving, money-hungry narcissist --and a LIAR. He is responsible for many of the Covid deaths; ruining the economy and killing many small businesses; plus ruining education for a generation of kids. Fauci belongs in jail--and should pay back all of the retirement benefits he has already collected. He deserves --ZERO.
Well said, Elizabeth! Fauci is the epitome of evil.
Does the pardon provision of the 2nd Article allow for “blanket pardons”? For crimes that are not already on the books for any particular criminal? I know there is precedent with the Nixon pardon. But can this be challenged in the Supreme Court? And if it is found to be unconstitutional, can the pardons of anyone Biden pardons be considered null and void? I don’t think this practice will go away any other way. I think it will become standard Presidential practice from now on.
I find it disturbing that a newly elected Senator would need a presidential pardon.
Schiff? Maybe for all the lies he told and damage he did as a Representative?
I don't get them mentioning Schiff for a pre-emptive pardon. He never testified to Congress, so it can't be a perjury concern. He's an evil, opportunistic snake, but I don’t know of any crimes...unless the left knows something we don't.
When will you do an investigative piece on the targeting of the State of Texas by the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and transgender, abortion, illegal immigration, sex trafficking, and DEI activists? It is a very easy trail and tells a story of a targeted assault by the woke left on a red state that needs some sunlight to help expose the infection. The surreptitious manipulation of academic Medical centerss like Dell, Texas Childrens Hospital, and UT Southwestern, as well as the Texas Meducal Association and the Texas medical board.(just to name a few.) has an easy breadcrumb trail to follow that many in Texas can help you with.
Eithan Haim must be vindicated. He has amassed over 2 million in legal fees as the Biden Admin seeks to lock him up Stalin style. This law fare has to be called out, and it has to end.
Yes!
Judge Hittner refused to issue a gag order (sought by the DOJ/USAG)on Dr. Haim and his attorney...
From the Heritage Foundation: "But now, in pleadings filed by Dr. Haim’s lawyers and in separate complaints filed by a former DOJ lawyer with both the State Bar of Texas and the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, Ansari is accused of having “knowingly sponsored false information” to the federal grand jury that indicted Haim and of having “knowingly misled a tribunal and presented deliberately misleading information to a grand jury.”
In other words, she wasn’t just practicing law on a suspended license. She is charged with lying to the grand jury to get Haim indicted—itself a violation of federal law."
You don't say....
CA is also under attack by these same people (ACLU, Lambda Legal). Scott Wiener leads the charge to put violent male criminals into women's prisons.
Let’s go! What is holding the dogs back? Fear of failure? Persecution? Prosecution? Hardship? God has his plan. Mr. Rufo, He is calling you…
A women's group called WoLF (Women's Liberation Front (dot org)) has been working on a lawsuit for the past 3-4 years to sue the state et al. for doing it. They could use much more support. People think feminists are on the side of the trans issue but radical feminists are not. They are 100% against it. Sadly, they're also for abortion on demand. One reason I don't support them.
The area in which DEI has done the most damage is medical colleges. DEI is degrading the quality of medical care.
It has certainly done damage throughout the medical system. Impossible to trust the medical/health care establishment when the first thing I am asked for (repeatedly) upon checking in for an appointment is my "sex assigned at birth". This may be a California thing, but it is mind-boggling.
It was designed to do so.
Totalitarianism is a destructive force by nature. I don't know why people are so surprised when it lives up to that.
How do we take down the Biden Crime Family? If the dirty b******s have gotten away clean, how do we cope with that?
Don’t forget the Bush crime family too…
What crimes did the Bush family commit, Uncle Juan?
You simply move forward. Historically it will be the right place to be.
We can't just keep turning our heads to be the better person. If we do and don't hold them accountable, they will continue to get away with this and who knows what else.
After all the work you have done and are doing to crush DEI, it would be a big miss for the new administration not to draw on your knowledge and skills.
The best opportunity to conduct a test sample of the accuracy & truthfulness of NGOs that receive Federal funding for unaccompanied minors is to have a sharp team of investigators select 500 names, dob & addresses and immediately respond to those locations. They could film their efforts and, if the child is located at the address provided by the NGO, take their photo & fingerprint. If they are not there, withhold payment to that NGO.
Reference: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO00/20240515/117320/HMKP-118-GO00-20240515-SD004.pdf
After 500 visits, issue a “grade” for the Govt. and the NGOs.
I would be pleased to lead such a team.
Educing
Education - Educe = to draw out. Indoctrination = to force in. Since True Diversity is the infinite range of gifts and talents found in any societal group, Educing seems more applicable. Most potentials go unrealized for many reasons. That's not an excuse for giving up on education in favor of indoctrination. The left prefers indoctrinating - makes them feel good, even though the kid is miserable.
Nicely put.
Good Morning: If possible, can you address the mechanics of how the President, along with his political appointees and DOGE, can rapidly dismiss redundant and underperforming federal employees. If the President can do that it would be WONDERFUL.
Quentin, I am a federal employee. With the current bureaucracy, it literally takes about 2 years and loads of documents to fire an incompetent employee. We have a ridiculous level of employment protections and appeal rights. I don't think there's any way to quickly change that. The better hope is to use hiring freezes, end telework, retirement incentives and the closing/merging of unnecessary agencies. Only very high level employees in Washington can be fired at the will of the President.
In the realm of DEI and its demise, I think it is very important to point out that a return to the actual Title VII law and language is better for everyone. The legacy media is not picking up on this fact, and their reporting makes companies like Walmart, John Deere, and Tractor Supply sound like they are regressing to some kind of racist norm, which is completely false. By eliminating programs that call for racial stereotyping and racial scapegoating, these corporations are returning to the common sense legality of not discriminating on the basis of race, sex, religion, and national origin. It is indeed the content of one’s character and their competence regardless of their identity that best qualifies people for jobs. Excellence is colorblind. Two wrongs don’t make a right. You can’t judge a book by its cover. And, never assume! These are the old truisms that are now new again with the demise of DEI.
I'm not convinced of the demise. Having "retired" early from a significant research University, I haven't seen it yet. My pronouns were "we," because it is not about you or me. I want to see all Federal monies held from any University that is spending on DEI and whatever it morphs into. These people will not go away, it is like whack a mole....they go underground and pop up with a different form of identity politics
Revolutionary recapture of cultural institutions requires a willing and competent replacement labor force. K-12 Education, universities, media, nonprofits, and increasingly churches are completely dominated by a very proud and vocal assortment of leftists, Marxists, and increasingly Maoist group of true believers. To shift cultural norms back to that which underpinned the reasoning and formative processes of the Constitution requires a mass takeover of these key institutions. Yes, even in the reddest of states, at least four of the five are dominated by the Modern Left at a tune of 80%+. In fact if anything, each has moved stridently Leftward in the past generation. Rather than seek to weaken these institutions, it would be perhaps easier to take them over. But to do so means a re-education of the Right starting with the recognition that the intellectual game is worth playing and winning. Unless this epiphany happens, we are one charismatic Lefty leader away from Democrats control. Hillary and Kamala were deeply flawed candidates. The next one may not be.
I agree, conservatives should focus on taking back institutions—but I think it's going to be a long process. It took decades for leftists to take over, and while I think there are some faster options (following the New College of Florida model, for example), it's going to take intentionality and commitment to the long game.
I spent my adult life in and around these institutions. Because of my appearance and disposition, I am seen as one of them. Yes, the battle will be long and hard. The opposition has an unwavering belief that their POV is both righteous and the default. Those who wish for a different institutional ethos seem to do everything but operate from the inside.
I cannot overstate how precarious is the track record of the Right. Extremely hard fought wins in 2024, 2016 and 2000, whereas the Dems had easy wins in 2008, 2012, and 1996.
Recent victories have been easy owing to truly awful Democrat candidates. And Democrat wins by Clinton and Obama featured two candidates who had no business in the White House.
A final cloud of worry. Corporate America used to be a GOP lock. That is no longer, especially in the tech sector and in the internationalization of the C-suite.
Despite the recent wins, the clouds are darkening. And relies on Democrat incompetence and woke nonsense. That will not continue... so yes, it is a long game and immediate game. Like all wars...
How can we do in 6 months what we think will take 10 years?
One lesson I've taken from the last 12 months is that money moves mountains – quickly. Colleges cracked down on anti-Semitism after donors threatened to walk away. We got free speech on the Internet when Elon bought Twitter.
So what happens if universities risk losing accreditation (and therefore federal student loans)? What if they can lose their non-profit status? How quickly will things change then?
I happened upon a discussion between Vivek and someone I didn't know on YouTube a few months ago. The gentleman said that what the did was take over the governing boards (of the American Academy of Pediatrics, etc.) I think if the right were to focus on taking back over the boards, we could make progress much faster.
True! Conservatives may have won the Presidency and Congress but the ultimate battleground is in our educational institutions! That is where the beliefs of the next generation are being shaped. As a former principal and teacher I know this is the toughest area. And as a public school educated individual I can tell you the tremendous influence college professors have in promoting their leftist agenda to incoming students who aspire to be teachers.
I think this is my main concern going on as well. Because it sets the narrative about what our country is, and if institutional gatekeepers are captured, then they will keep perpetuating false narratives about the United States.
Sadly, y have to agree.
Takeover those cultural and educational institutions (New College) or create competing ones (UATX)? Mass takeover seems improbable, but a few new competitors could introduce enough disruption to trigger a chain reaction. Nothing sells like success.
Common sense has taken leave of absense the last few years. Hoping 2025 sees the return.
To add to your wonderful work, Chris, I have to post this Rogan podcast with the invaluable Mike Benz(@MikeBenzCyber). Benz will blow you away with his knowledge of the Blob which itself is absolutely disgusting. As a man who stood a post while my fellow Americans slept.. I am not naive, but this stuff is disgusting.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2237-mike-benz/id360084272?i=1000679106339
Benz is great.
What’s up Mr Rufo (Chris)! Thank you for using your time and talent to help this country win back its way of life. You have and continue to be a tip of the spear we all line up behind for as strong shaft as possible. We have to be a complete spear to the ground, so we don’t spit or fracture. The ground is moving. Keep it rollin’
While I’m thrilled with the election and excited for this administration, my chief concern is not just the “doing” but “selling” the “WHY”. Everything the left does has their origins, their roots in the idea/goal of destroying Western Civilization. All the “studies” courses/professors etc. CRT. Transgender. Climate Change hysteria. All of it is designed to fundamentally transform our society into a Marxist paradise. So there must be a concerted effort by the administration itself and an army of citizen patriots acting as surrogates to educate, inform and influence the public on all the issues that have been weaponized against us. We can’t just focus on the end result of gender mutilation surgeries of minors we must convince everyone that the movement is 100% political as you did in your Imprimus “Inside the Transgender Empire” speech. This movement has nothing to do with the made up ideology of a “gender spectrum”, it has everything to do with obliterating objective and Biblical truth. If they can destroy truth, biology and science…it’s all over but the crying…We have the factual data on gender dysphoria and it’s minuscule. We’ve seen their literature which is entirely political. We have the same for CRT/DEI, racial issues, crime, education, climate change (C02)… We must weaponize the data against all those who seek to destroy America and Western Civilization. We can’t just eliminate the Department of Education. We must convince the public “why”. And that’s easy. We have the facts. We have reason. The left only has theory and feelings. We now have the opportunity to fundamentally take back America. We cannot afford to blow it.
A version is, that Benjamin Spock raised a whole generation of spoiled lazy kids who reject any discipline and favor only enjoyment
What we call WOKE is a form of totalitarianism. I published that concept very early in the game.
Frankly, from what I know, Chris does not have the answers. He is not a world-fixer, contrary to popular opinion. He is just a 40 yr. old fellow trying to make a living, and the new media was opening up for "activist-journalists'. That's all.
I’d say he’s doing pretty damn good at what he’s making a living at. CRT and DEI seemingly came out of nowhere and all of a sudden they’re everywhere overnight. That means all the established think tanks and institutions were asleep at the switch. Chris Rufo may have come out of seemingly nowhere but he’s responsible for educating more of us than anyone else. Look at what he did in Florida with DeSantis. We need more Rufos, Robby Starbucks, Abigail Shriers, Matt Walsh’s, Julie Kelly’s etc. It’s been said a person needs to hear something 7 times before they retain it. So let’s keep writing, publishing and spreading truth, wisdom and get Americans united again. Substack has been useful in expanding the reach of journalists, writers and thinkers. Let’s keep rocking on!
Yes! CHris and all those people are making a difference! They are all incredible people, getting things done.
I'm afraid you're not too well informed about this, Douglas. If you didn't know any of this prior to reading the Rufo Substack, that is your fault. It was certainly out there.
CRT, DEI, and all the rest of the tactics are due to creeping totalitarianism. Which has been on the move in the US since the 1960s. Where were you? Chris Rufo only realized this himself a few years ago. Very late to the party.
We have had a cross-disciplinary field of Totalitarianism since WWII, and various thinkers in the West have been writing about it for 500 years. There are hundreds of books and papers on this concept.
I'm sorry, but that you think that Chris Rufo was some kind of discoverer or major educator on this concept is a bit of a giggle. Chris was educated in Totalitarianism by people like me, attempting to explain the concepts to him, and get him to do the formal reading....which he is not too keen on doing. He has a general education to the Master's level, and thought it seemed cool to be an "activist". Like dozens of others right now.
You are the epitome of the idea that just because you recently noticed a small portion of this concept, you fervently believe that you and your "hero" are responsible for bringing it to the world's attention. Groan.....
Reminds me that another Substacker, "Yuri Bezmenov" ( I am surprised the Bezmenov estate does not sue him for stealing the name) recently had some fellow with the Sci-Fi fantasy name of "Librarian of something to other" on his podcast (I was the only commenter). This "Librarian" replied to me -- when I mentioned the JFK assassination in 1963, as a turning point in the start of totalitarianism -- that he could not possibly know this because he was not born yet in 1963. Groan again..... This is the level we are dealing with. I suggested that perhaps he could learn to read about events before his time...the way that I know about the Civil War, for instance. Being a grand librarian and all.....
Just want to thank you for the fabulous articles and insights. It couldn’t be a better time in history for you to have created such a successful model in reforming institutions
Chris, thank you for your good work.
Point #1. I do not believe that shrinking the federal government is possible until Congress itself is reformed. What do I mean? Term limits. No pay after one year after they leave. Prohibitions on lobbying. Healthcare is what everyone else has. Retirement that is social security. They must live by the same laws and standards they impose on everyone else. No special treatment.
Point #2. There is no reforming the deep state; the administrative state. The only option is to starve the beast or dismember it. To think reform is a fools errand. Although I understand that the morass in DC is so complicated. However, the formula is simple. Terminate the department, provide 6 month severance to employees and push function down to the state to handle or eliminate. Or, move the department to some small town in the midwest and a good portion of the employees will resign not wanting to move. That's an easy cut.
We need to be realistic. The yearnings now are not much different than the Reagan years and what he was able to accomplish with respect to shrinking the administrative state was barely noticeable.
Blessings.
The Beast is totalitarianism. You might call it a Psycho-spiritual phenomenon.
But who listens? I am at the point of stepping back, saving myself, and watching. Because this information was available to everyone, but they all ignored it or allowed it to bounce off. Now, the checkout point has been reached. No more wiggle room.
You are absolutely right. Where has totalitarianism ever been "reformed". Not to my knowledge. It seems to be an ingrained trait in the human heart and mind. Rarely if ever has it ended without serious pain, suffering, upheaval and then the cycle starts over.
I have expertise in the once-arcane academic field of totalitarianism. I was the canary in the coalmine all of my adult life. And the public laughed. Sneered, even. And grew glassy-eyed in boredom. They thought it was all a joke, seen only in backwards countries.
I understand more about totalitarianism than even I care to know, and they have few known options to get out of this. The options which do exist will be sneered at, once again.
So they can have it their way. Bamboozle themselves into thinking that Chris Rufo will be their Messiah.... He seems to think so too 😁.
And there you all have it folks. A. is a poor, misunderstood genius who is not appreciated by the great, unwashed rabble. A. is also a pompous ass.
I've got RINO's on my mind, specifically RINO senators like Collins, Murkowski, Graham, etc. Now that Trump has won the election and has momentum, I think it's time to use Trump's cabinet nominees as a litmus test to find and weed out RINO Republican Senators based on whether they vote for Trump's nominees or not. A vote against a nominee means that Trump finds a MAGA candidate to primary them in their next election. A primary voter is active and engaged. That is where we can knock off a RINO for a more conservative candidate. In a state like Maine, there is a risk that might flip a seat like Collins to a Dem. But is a state like Alaska, there is no reason not to have a true conservative in office, instead of Murkowski.
Collins and Murkowski are essentially bulletproof. Collins is the only Republican that could get elected in Maine. When she retires, that seat immediately goes to the dims. Murkowski only gets elected in Alaska because of ranked-choice voting. In fact, Alaska put that in place just to keep her in office. In a regular vote, she would have lost the last 2 elections. Sadly, we are stuck with both of these democrat-lights.
Maine (my State), has unfortunately lost its way and has slid deeper blue over the last 6-10 years. In state races, Repubs made minor gains, (although still a minority at the State House) so maybe we've bottomed out. You are correct about the odds of ultimately losing the Collins seat to a Dem if she were primary-ed and lost. I didnt know about Alaska and "rank-choice" voting, which we have here...and it sucks.
I wish Trump can learn to do the same basic background on cabinet appointments that some women do for online dating. The drama around Gaetz, RFK, Tulsi, and Hegseth could have been largely avoided. If I were trump, I'd ask Vivek to help me with choosing who goes where, and vetting people for resume issues that might cause friction. This is a pivotal historical moment. The world order is shifting unpredictably, while many voters and Democrat politicians are signaling their disgust with their own party's excesses. The least Trump could do is not make Democrat turncoats look foolish for switching sides. At least make sure all senior Republicans agree on cabinet choices before announcing them!
Most "senior" Republicans are RINOs and have been the problem for the last generation. They are the reason that the Republicans have not succeeded until Trump.
I will talk about this in tomorrow’s podcast!
Trump definitely *should* know the backgrounds of his picks. I was most concerned by reports that his team was surprised by the allegations against Hegseth—that was definitely something that should have been a known possibility. I'm not sure there was ever any expectation that Gaetz would make it to AG—that whole situation felt more like a ploy to get him out of the House. I haven't followed RFK and Gabbard super closely, but since they're not established Republicans, the outcry makes sense. My hope is the Senate will trust Trump's vision, but we'll find out.
Frankly, I'm tired of the 'sexual misconduct' ruse and would like to see it tossed in the dustbin.
What constitutes 'sexual misconduct' is a move the goalposts fallacy. Enough is enough.
If you think he didn't know the backgrounds of these people, you're wrong. Now, ask yourself why there's no commotion around Rubio, but consternation around every other pick.
The Left is going to stir up drama on any appointee they are afraid of, even if they have to make something up. Don’t we all realize this by now?
Mr. Rufo, I am an ER physician fired from Duke for questioning their equity policy. I called it discriminatory because it sets aside resources, grants, and funding for people based on their race. Now I am in a legal battle. Any chance you could help? Here is an article I wrote about the situation and my email (kendallconger@hotmail.com): https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2024/07/my_farewell_address_to_the_duke_university_health_system.html
Consider attorney Robert Barnes who has/is representing similar cases with good result. He is under @barnes_law on X in case his link is not allowed. https://www.barneslawllp.com/
Again, I question why people seem to think that Chris Rufo has world-fixing powers. He works as just one of the many independent activists/journalists, plying a trade. Freelance. He is mostly winging it.
There have been dozens of stories like yours; this is the new WOKE world. Though you have my sympathy. You would have better luck with a good law firm.
I am a tenured psychology professor at a medium-sized private regional university. It is a challenging environment for someone like me, as I am not only a traditional Catholic but a political conservative. I teach developmental classes, and thus we cover material such as the differences between boys and girls, transgenderism, and the mental health crisis afflicting our youth. Thankfully for me, the scientific literature largely supports my views, as of course does common sense.
I face discrimination at my workplace in two primary forms. First, when a small minority of left-leaning students who deeply hate my teaching complain to the administration, they find a willing ally in the administration. I am subject to a lengthy string of meetings that run from department chair, to HR, to the dean, up to the provost. The purpose of these meetings are to dissuade me from teaching the material in this manner. The underlying threat is that if the complaints continue, I will be removed from my teaching duties. To date, they have not done this, as they know that 1) our faculty manual explicitly endorses academic freedom in the classroom, and 2) I am more than willing to fight back. Yet it is only a matter of time before this happens.
Second, they prevent me from starting any new courses. Most professors are allowed to develop new classes that can help expand their own intellectual development - and to stave off boredom from the endless repetition. Each year, I submit new course proposals, and each year they are rejected. To date, I have yet to meet even one other faculty member with even one course proposal rejection. The default for 'normal' professors is that new course proposals are automatically approved, as this is in the spirit of academic freedom. Across the span of ten years, I have had all nine of my course proposals rejected! Although the admin struggles to control what I can say in the classroom, they can quite easily control what classrooms I can have. This is the academic version of deplatforming.
The discrimination I have been experiencing these past ten years is not because I am rude to my colleagues or students. It is not because I am a slacker and shirk my duties. I am generally well liked, and I have decent research productivity. The reason is rather obvious. I have always stated clearly to anyone who asks that I am a conservative. I was vocal in rejecting the school's endorsement of BLM in 2020, and explicit in rejecting the Covid vaccine and masking mandates. My fellow faculty and the administration view my perspective as repellent, and they seek to limit my exposure to the students.
I can document what I have said here. I seek your advice on how best to proceed. Mr. Rufo, if you were to become appointed at the Trump administration, would my case be of interest to you?
It sounds like your university needs more politically conservative professors like you, just for a balance
I do hear you. This is a common situation in today's academic world. Though I think that you, and others, are seriously over-estimating Chris Rufo's role. He is a self-styled conservative activist, amongst a growing field of similar activists/journalists. They have no particular education or experience; most of them are winging it.
I would doubt that he is going to have any role in the Trump administration. Why would he? He has little background or experience for this. And the K-12 world is very different from the university world.
I cant believe Penny was charged at all and I can't believe NY subway riders would be ignorant enough not to want people like him on the trains. A conviction would be of the people of NY just like the Trump trial was. NYC can't be that stupid !!
Yes, it is that stupid. Case in point: At a faculty meeting yesterday, one professor responded to my calling her out for purveying fear of Trump in our international students by saying that 'it's not absurd to believe that Trump would implement internment camps because he's best friends with Putin.'
Thank you for calling her out. More people need to open their mouths.
Everything is downstream from culture. How can we change the culture from within when it seems like all the momentum leans to the left. "Change" is invariably embraced by at least half of the country as a virtue. Remaining unchanged, or "traditional" isn't embraced by most youth. In order to change the culture, the youth must be influenced. How do we do that as a country?
A friend pointed something out to me along the lines of change versus tradition: when conservatives simply try to stop change, culture inevitably slides left. Holding ground nowadays just means giving the left an inch and hoping they don't take a mile.
Perhaps a better strategy would be seeking change in the opposite direction. As an (somewhat obvious) example, people didn't vote for Trump to maintain the status quo—they voted for him to reverse the policies of the last four years. I could see Gen Z (my generation) being excited about traditional values if they're presented as change in the opposite direction from the left instead of something static and passive.
Politics is downstream from culture, but politics (and especially some politicians) can change the culture. American society abruptly corrected itself after Reagan became President, and I think that is happening again after the recent Trump/MAGA victory. WSJ on Nov 30 reported that some corporate websites are already being revised to downplay DEI/ESG initiatives. I also noticed retail websites are beginning to use models who look less like homeless drug addicts. Corporate America shapes our culture and it is a good place to apply pressure. Educational institutions are more pernicious and difficult to reform because they are motivated by an insane ideology instead of just profits, but ultimately they require government subsidies to corrupt our culture. They are the beast that must be starved into submission to save the culture.
My concern is that the DEI/ESG stuff is just re-packaged and hidden behind some other title.
Correct. Is already happening.
You have done a great job in the US of making positive changes in regards to DEI. Can this be replicated in the UK, or is the situation different in each country?
No, it cannot. The US is unique because of its Constitution.
The Brits foolishly voted Labour into power last July. A Communist Party. What WERE they thinking? Though many notable voices warned them beforehand,
I know that 4 million voters sensibly cast a ballot for Reform, which is a way forward. Or as much as Britain has in 2024. Falling fast.
I suppose I have to say, they made their bed (voting for the Communist Labour Party...in large numbers) so what else is there to do but lie in it?
A "Communist Party"? Not that I know of, certainly a Hard Socialist Party that has showed itself and its Prime Minister to be inept. Our Government was voted into power with around 32% of the total votes cast. Democracy in action.
John, I think you have to grasp that Starmer and Labour are a totalitarian party/govt. Communism is one version of totalitarianism, but it need not present in the manner of the old Soviet Communists. CCP China is Communist too, but quite different in outward presentation. The Nazis were also totalitarians.
Let us say that England under Starmer is totalitarian. And since a severe Cluster-B personality is always the authority figure behind totalitarianism, this means that Starmer is a serious Cluster-B type. Behind him is the wider global Deep State, presumably.
This is a first for Britain.
Two terms I refuse to use:
- sex assigned at birth
- reverse discrimination
I refuse to use "preferred pronouns" and "assigned at birth" and "cis". There are probably more.
“Biological sex” 🤦♀️
That's one we're forced to use to counter the bullshit.
"Gender affirming care." barf.
What about all federal lands being given back to the states, except those lands enumerated in the constitution, military bases and possible National Parks.
The lands could be managed more efficiently. And the national agencies have been quite tyrannical towards the populace.
I would like to discuss the Substack process. Because I see too many readers being willingly bamboozled by this. And controlling Substack hosts who claim they are "freedom-fighters" but who use WOKE totalitarian tactics on any commenter/subscriber who fails to make them look good (which is the entire name of the game for some Substack hosts).)
Substack in 2024 has nearly 20,000 hosts with a site. Chris Rufo is one of that group.
Anyone can sign-up for a Substack. No credentials required. The top dozen Substack hosts make$500,000 to $1,500,000 annually. Though of course, that's the top money group. The bottom group earns a pittance.
It is up to them how they present themselves. Some are very honest, some are grifters and scam-artists. Some have actual material-of-value to offer, while some make it up as they go along. Several are sources of expert information, while others are just entertainers with the latest meme gimmick.
A sizable portion of Substack hosts would fall in the category of "Influencers" rather than experts. This becomes a problem, because many readers confuse the two categories. They think that anyone who captures their Substack attention (in any way) must be an "expert".
Not so.
And we do need to be very careful right now, in this age of a coming Trump Presidency, that a new potentially non-WOKE society does not get steamrolled by Substack "Influencers", when what is needed are authentic experts.
Independent media platforms such as Substack can be of value, of course. But they also have a dark side. If we simply jump from a broken MSM to new independent media, without being thoughtful about this, it will be a matter of jumping from the frying pan into the fire.....we will simply have gone from one bad media set-up to another bad media set-up.
“Anyone can sign up for a Substack.” GOOD.
Your point is?
Ironically, you don't even seem to be a subscriber, while I am.
My point is, the Left wants to censor speech, partly by controlling who gets to have a platform. Their reasoning is that “we can’t trust just anybody to say whatever they want anywhere at any time, we have to set up gatekeepers to control what people read. For their own good. Because if people read just anything, they might be BAMBOOZLED!” I think I just summarized your comment above.
The rest of us want more speech, and we trust people to read what they want and figure it out. We’re not into controlling others. We instinctively mistrust self-appointed gatekeepers.
Also, why does it matter if I am a subscriber or not? Am I not allowed to express a point of view, or does paying money somehow make your point of view more valid?
Yes, but MSM started that way, and still they spiralled down into corruption and propaganda,
I can already see the dark side of the new independent media. Seeing as we are supposed to be improving society, what do we do about this? It's a bit like Communism falling in 1989 in the former USSR, but then criminal thugs taking control. About the same result.
Can't we do better?
It strikes me as a bit odd - and this could be good or bad - that Trump has yet to announce a nomination to take over the ATF. That agency is one of the worst offenders in terms of arbitrary/draconian rules and regulations, and the top offender in terms of civil rights (unless your name is Hunter Biden).
Two things a new ATF director should do. First, destroy the illegal gun registry that the ATF as been compiling for years. You can read more about that on this link to the Gun Owners of America site.
https://forms.gunowners.org/form/atf-s-illegal-gun-registry
Second, the form 4473 (which every gun buyer fills out for a background check) should stop requiring the serial number of the gun being purchased. The background check is about a person, not a firearm. The only reason ATF insists upon the serial number is so they can further compile their illegal registry, and track gun owners for life.
Both of those sound like good reforms. Who would you pick to run the ATF?
My pick would probably be Larry Pratt . . . of Gun Owners of America. He’s been at the forefront of most of the legal battles against the ATF . . . and knows the agency backward and forward (what rules to keep, what to jettison, who to fire, how to streamline, etc etc.).
That place has become beyond draconian in how they treat firearms dealers . . . often revoking their licenses for something as simple as a minor paperwork error. They’ve put many out of business over the past four years. I know several who have simply quit due to the hassle and potential legal (or more often extralegal) threats of ATF
Pratt could bring about tons of reforms in very short order.
What tax-exempt organizations do you recommend that we contribute to?
I'm a little biased, but Hillsdale College is a great organization. :)
Trump & Freedom Appreciators now have a huge work cutout about 150M Non-Appreciators.
70M Harris voters plus about
80M Non-Appreciators = 150M
that need us to
Reach Beyond the Choir
to help them become Freedom Appreciators instead of:
The #1 Threat to Freedom: Taking Freedom for granted.
Freedom Appreciators can individually
REACH BEYOND THE CHOIR NOW
Here is how :
Why not give all Freedom Appreciators, Prager donors, Hillsdale donors & like kind, this low risk HIGH reward idea to
Reach Beyond Choir ?____
Post Performance Mini $cholarships
aka PPM$ is an idea for Freedom Appreciators to incentivize any Non-Appreciator they choose that take the benefits of past American Freedom for granted.
Any Freedom Appreciator can incentivize any Non-Appreciator they choose to:
1. Watch the 5m video
“If you were born in Freedom,
Thank the British Empire”
online at PragerU then
2. Discuss video for 5 to 10m to receive a PPM$ of say $9 to $90 as the Freedom Appreciator chooses.
3. Donate say 10% to PragerU
4. Choose another Non-Appreciator to incentivize.
5. Or more videos with same.
6. Produce more videos
We have about 100 days to help reverse 3 generations of federally funded Anti-Freedom curriculum in eduKation, entertainment, church & institutions.
Give the PPM$ idea to all Freedom Appreciators, Prager donors, Hillsdale donors & like kind to mobilize nearly $800M if only 1 in 10 Freedom Appreciators elected to individually incentivize 1 Non-Appreciator.
With zero organizational tasks.
If the West coast secedes one of two things will eventually happen. A wall will be built in the middle of the states of California, Oregon, Washington by the totalitarian government to keep people in. Or a similar wall would be built by free America to keep people from heading East away from misery. Possible? Necessary? Can San Diego, LA, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle be saved? To what degree of mayhem and misery will people endure before even they say enough? Is the deep hypnosis of “I want to be taken care of by the state” too hard to break?
“I want to be taken care of by the state”
This is what is termed a dependency need. Meaning those who hold this adamant wish have not emotionally matured past the childhood dependency state. They have not moved forward to self-differentiation.
There is a price for freedom. Self responsibility. Therefore these people do not really want to be free. They prefer to crawl back into the womb.
The "deep hypnosis" can break, although it does not necessarily break.
The Germans under Hitler were in the same "deep hypnosis". After the 1945 win by the allies, many committed suicide rather than give up their Third Reich delusions. Others simply remained Nazis for life, against the new laws. The remainder went back to normal, more or less, though it meant becoming aware of the horrors in which they had been involved..
There are still a great many WOKE who live in their mental delusions. Including TDS and COVID Mania. Who is to say whether they will ever come out of it?
Good evening, Christopher. I am the parent of a trans child. My child has been trans for 11 years now. I never permitted hormones or surgery. I told her she had to do that when she was an adult. Over the years I have gotten to know a number of her trans friends.
One thing that I do not see flagged enough in the press is that there is ENORMOUS emotional dysfunction in trans children. That includes my child. I have no illusions.
The second concern not stressed is the role of internet in the whole trans movement. Children have access to information they could never have touched prior to the advent of iPad and smart phone.
In these ridiculous debates about gender, I do not see highlighted the children who desisted or detransitioned. They should be heard from above all.
You can identify differently, you can try to live your life the way the opposite sex does, but the glaring reality is that you cannot change your gender. As soon as you stop hormones, your innate biology comes roaring back.
After 11 years, I am tired of the whole trans thing. Really. Get a job, focus on living a good life and stop asking the world to change at your beck and call.
I did not mean my mine comment to criticize yours in any way. I was simply sharing my experience.
The tran-g-ism issue is a mental disturbance. I will be blunt. They have reverted out of the normal full Neocortex functioning, into lesser brain regions.
They can probably snap out of it, if they open their own eyes, like a cult follower or a former Nazi in 1945. But that choice is theirs. I suspect that some prefer the mind-trap. Because freedom is not free -- you are required to take on personal responsibility. To self-differentiate. Some people prefer a lifelong dependency state, which plays out in various ways.
These trans children do not have a developed cerebral cortex. That part of the brain is not fully developed until one is 25 years old. They do not have biological assets to weigh issues and consider different sides with much authority.
Although you have to admit Joy, that the majority of under-25s have the same level of basic physical brain development, yet they are not in the trans-g delusion. So that argument does not hold. Or else all of them would have this problem. And they don't.
Anyway, it was you who announced here that you have seen there is something wrong with the whole phenomenon. I added to that for you, and you get huffy about it? That is not a very rational comeback.
Besides which, you completely missed my point. Your interpretation of that is wrong. I was not talking about the physical Neocortex development. Not at all. You jumped to the wrong conculsion.
But have it your way. You're welcome, btw.
Knowing of your concern for the children, do you think the Trump administration will be able to find the missing 350,000? I pray everyday to Save The Children
Hi Christopher,
Your proposed solution to DEI and wokeness is too complicated. Instead of using a top-down approach, let's get this done from the bottom-up. It's easy. Modify 43 USC 1931 to create standing on behalf of individuals who are members of a disfavored group by: (1) creating a statutory award of $100; (2) allowing for the recovery of ACTUAL attorney fees; and (3) providing for injunction relief. Then just sit back and watch as 1 million lawyers search out every law, regulation, rule, mandate, guideline, etc. We, the people, have had enough. Unleash us and we will solve the problem.
A revolution in the planetary implementation of an artificially intelligent virtuous computer concerns my U.S. patent entitled: Inductive Inference Affective Language Analyzer Simulating Artificial Intelligence (patent No. 6,587,846) - now expired and in public domain - by inventor/author John E. LaMuth Ph.D. As implied in its title, this innovation is the 1st affective language analyzer incorporating ethical/motivational terms, serving in the role of interactive computer interface. It enables a computer to reason and speak in an ethical fashion, serving in roles specifying sound human judgement: such as public relations or security functions. This innovation is formally based on a multi-level hierarchy of the traditional groupings of virtues, values, and ideals, collectively arranged as subsets within a hierarchy of meta-perspectives - as partially depicted below.
Glory--Prudence ......... Honor--Justice
Providence--Faith ......... Liberty--Hope
Grace--Beauty ......... Free-will--Truth
Tranquility--Ecstasy ......... Equality--Bliss
....................
Dignity--Temperance ......... Integrity--Fortitude
Civility--Charity ......... Austerity--Decency
Magnanim.--Goodness .... Equanimity--Wisdom
Love--Joy ................... Peace--Harmony
The systematic organization underlying this ethical hierarchy allows for extreme efficiency in programming, eliminating much of the associated redundancy, providing a precise determination of motivational parameters at issue during a given verbal interchange. more at https://www.angelfire.com/rnb/fairhaven/patent.html
Non-profits. It's time to change their tax-exempt status. The number of "Education" non-profits alone that pay zero taxes on stunning amounts of donations to carry out their questionable "education" efforts is mind-boggling. Not to mention that donors receive tax benefits for funneling money to them AND often the non-profit receives taxpayer dollars to carry out their mission. So, not only are they indoctrinating our youth, we, the taxpayer, are unwittingly paying them to do it. Dry up that pipeline.
Tina Peters, a Christian grandmother, has been sentenced to 9 years in prison by Marxist Judge Matthew Barrett who only permitted Colorado's Secretary of State, Jena Griswold's complaints against Tina in Tina's trial. Tina's defense, of accidently finding massive electronic election fraud by Jena Griswold and Dominion, was suppressed by the judge, media, churches, everyone. Read the 2-page Executive Summary of Report #3 at tinapeters.us for the evidence our votes are now void. See also Tina Peters' story under The Peak News tab at CensoredEvidence.org. Isaiah, speaking for God, said, "When truth falls down, so does justice. God was appalled no one stood up for truth or justice" (Isaiah 59:14-16)
It’s not enough to just speak your mind - it’s time for action, and pay-back, swift, just, pay-back.
Whatever happens with Penny’s trial won’t be justice - too much damage has already been done, restitution for the “process” is needed.
I'd like to hear more about how the changes you made at New School Florida are going. I don't hear you talking about that much anymore. Are you still on their board? I want to know specifics. I'd also like it very much if you did a focused study on the least Woke universities and especially a couple of the newer ones, UATX, and Raulston College. I had also read about some changes being made in the University of Chapel Hill. Have you heard about any other schools moving in that direction? And how are those changes in policy manifesting in the culture? Also I am aware of a few really good schools that focus on classical learning like the Great Books. One of those is University of Dallas which is one of the few Catholic colleges that isn't woke. I think many people think if a school has any religious affiliation, it's safe but many of those schools do not reflect their Christian founding or take "social justice" too far. I almost think that this topic merits a book. Luke Rosiak, another great investigative journalist, wrote an excellent book called "Race to the Bottom" that focuses on the demise of our nation's public education. Perhaps you can do something or even in collaboration with him and maybe others like James Lindsay, Peter Begosian, Wilfred Reilley, and or Heather MacDonald along the same lines but focusing on our institutions of higher education including medical schools and law schools.
Finally, I hope that this administration will be tapping you to help them on a myriad of topics but especially DEI in our captured universities. We have to get rid of the "Education" department and their accreditation process. Probably on state levels mostly but if we can withhold federal funding to schools who are peddling DEI and one sided ideology, that would be great.
Thanks for all your wonderful investigative journalism and shining your light on the dark underbelly of all of our captured institutions.
I have a fair amount of background in the history of Education and curriculum. I did a partial great Books program myself, as an undergrad years ago, before moving on to grad studies. Then I homeschooled several children in the Classical approach.
You are correct that a number of Christian-based universities have gone rogue (technically, all universities derive from Christian beginnings of the university). It is likely that several Great Books programs still thrive, however. They were certainly thriving in the period post-WWII to the 1990s or so.
Just after posting this remark, I found this essay from The Federalists' Joy Pullman. https://thefederalist.com/2024/12/05/cowboys-billionaires-and-pastors-break-tough-ground-to-build-great-books-colleges/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cowboys-billionaires-and-pastors-break-tough-ground-to-build-great-books-colleges&utm_term=2024-12-05
Would love to see chapter and verse on how to dewokify
universities too.
A few years ago, James Lindsay and Charles Pincourt published "Counter WOKEcraft" in terms of the university setting.
I do not think that Chris has specifics about HOW to counter WOKE. I find the ideas all too hazy just now. There are no specific de-Wokify agendas. Though I have to say that I am doing research on that, and will publish eventually.
I actually met a guy who had participated in the government's "Geo-Engineering" of the weather until he realized they were showering people with aluminum and other harmful chemicals, and he quit. The government was in on redirecting Hurrcane Helene. PLEASE let us stop this! God can deal with the weather perfectly well Himself.
I appreciate your work on education reform and am genuinely curious about how the school of Ed at the college level can be improved to insure highly qualified teachers. Also, how can we get away from the indoctrination that is in every textbook, it’s been years since we’ve had good ELA and social studies textbooks in elementary school. Experienced teacher asking. Thanks!
I think that the Substack readers here are heavily over-estimating what Chris is doing, or can do. These are huge issues. Chris is one of the new hazily-defined conservative activists, but he is not an expert on these concepts. That is another pursuit entirely.
Chris Rufo's role seems to veer from people thinking he is a top journalist (he is one of many in the field on new independent media) to some kind of Education expert, to an expert in the field of Totalitarianism. All rolled up together.
Where do you come by these beliefs? If you don't look clearly at this expectation of yours, you are going to be disappointed.
Persons of the new media who call themselves journalists may write about particular issues, but this does not mean they are experts in all of the issues they post articles about. The average MSM journalist of earlier eras would have written on several different topics weekly; this did NOT mean that the journalist was some kind of expert on all of those topics.
I have enjoyed your posts in the past, but I couldn't disagree with you more on most of your posts today. So let me see if understand you. Chris Rufo is no expert on anything, and you are. Umm. You are a paid subscriber to this blog, so why do you lower yourself by reading it? I have a background in education myself, and I am not, and never have been, impressed with 'journalists' or the education establishment. You have every right to voice your opinion. But you can do that without the high and mighty attitude you are expressing today. Let me know when your name is in lights.
Thank you, BD. But allow me the same rights here to disagree with your post today. Which I do.
You seem not to understand the issues here. In the least. But you adopt that self-righteous tone anyway. Not becoming, my friend.
Chris Rufo is playing the Messiah to a lot of gullible readers here. Maybe you are one of them. I almost want to insert a Monty Python clip.
I am probably the only person you have ever heard of to have specialized in Totalitarianism. I do low-key publishing on this....though that may change,
While Chris Rufo, who has a general Master's degree, portrays himself as God's gift to mankind. Why, exactly? He has done just a bit of this and a bit of that. Freelance. Along with a great many other "activist:" types. When I mention some of the formal books and literature that he should know....he doesn't know them.
He is just winging it. And putting out the word that for some unknown reason he should be given an appointment by Trump. Not prone to tooting his own horn or anything, is our Chris.... Odd that you find this self-promotion quite alright in a Substack host, but not in others with greater credentials. Your logic here is tilted.
Chris is simply trying to scramble up the career ladder. He is not a humanitarian, and not a god, as most of his groupies here believe. I find his pretense very off-putting.
I get disgusted with the chronic fawning on this Substack some days. Though I have noted the fawning on other current "rockstar" Substacks. Always temporary, while the fashion is strong.
My name in lights? What a low and snarky little dig that was. How do you know it isn't already? I use a pseudonym here, so you could not possibly know...😍
I'm not sure why you insist on repeating the drivel you've already written on this section today, but I AM sure that your problem isn't Chris Rufo. It is clearly your EGO.
After reading what you pompously had to say, I think of you as one of those Macy's Thanksgiving Parade super-balloons of EGO, just dying to be burst!
POP!
Oh.....touched a nerve did I? Truth tends to do that.
Smarten up. Or you will go down with the ship. Silly boy.
Smarten up?? Listen to your ramblings? Hahaha. that would be like asking someone to turn themselves into an imbecile. Goodbye and good luck.
At some point in time (probably quite distant) folks will realize that society's standard of living can only reach its maximum when everyone is producing at their own individual maximum. DEI, regulations, foreign aid, 17 (or more - who really knows?) intelligence agencies - need i go on? - is NOT the way to do this. For Mr. Grout below, the bastards ALWAYS get away clean; that is how the State works. Law is for us insect-eaters; law does not apply to the State. In the last 70+ years, what laws have changed the State? What in the State has really been "reformed"? The CIA? Federal Reserve. SEC, intelligence agencies? State control of Media, FBI? I could go on ad nauseam because the quick answer is nothing. Nothing ever will be changed under this form of "government".
I am a law professor at Rutgers. I applaud the U Michigan Regents. How did we get here? All explained here: www.expertisebook.com
Thanks. Will have a look. The cross-disciplinary field of Totalitarianism is my area. Once thought to be an arcane niche field. Not so. It holds the keys to what we are embroiled in at present.
Dennis: We met years ago at Cardozo. Congrats on the book. I have subscribed for updates and will order.
What's your take on Keir Starmer's '5 aims' today?
What is that?
British politics, sorry
Christopher- you have the ear of the incoming administration. Please make them understand that the US must support the Kurds in Syria. Like the Israelis, they’re one of the bulwarks of freedom in the Middle East and right now the Turks see an open opportunity to slaughter them. From a purely national security perspective, this would be a defeat for the US, but Trump doesn’t seem to get it. Without the Kurds, Turkey will have a free hand to “host” Hamas in Syria, right on the border with Jordan. The havoc this would cause would set back most of the gains of the last year. I could go on…
What are your thoughts on the days leading up to the inauguration and during. It looks like the FBI and law enforcement around the country are preparing for chaos and violence.
Well, I lost my campaign by a huge margin. I became too sick to campaign fully.
But with only $50 in campaign contributions and a bunch of short stump speeches, I got over 104,000 votes, basically forcing the major local newspaper, which blackballed the story for 3 years, to print news about the threat of K-12 transgenderism, and we got three pro-parental rights candidates elected to the seven-member school board. A change is coming.
As you suggested, I campaigned on ending DEI in public education. When they heard me say that phrase, people literally jumped in their seats. They hunger and thirst for righteousness so badly in Southern Nevada.
Now, we have a huge casino operation, the Sands Corporation (Mrs. Sydney Adelson took it over), funding a Communist Chinese language program for UNLV. A regent who voted for it says it is a simple language program and not to worry about Communist propaganda. I'm not optimistic about this at all.
What is your opinion? Can you help us fight this information war? Las Vegas has the fifth-largest school district in the nation. We are under siege. Some professional investigations would do a world of good.