I have never in my life understood why American Jews support Democrats.

I once asked Steingar that question and to the best of my recollection he said something like because the Jewish people feel strongly about taking care of those in need and that fits with the Democrat policies around safety nets for the poor, or compassion for those less fortunate or something along those lines.

That makes complete sense when you’re talking about sincere Democrats that actually are altruistic. But I don’t believe the Democrats in power (the likes of Biden, Pelosi, AOC, etc.) give two shits about people less fortunate. 

This is also the basis of leftist economic ideology (socialism, communism) where the more productive and more fortunate share and take care of the unfortunate.  This necessitates a system without private property rights.  This kind of system works well on the family and tribal level, and the Jewish people have considered themselves a closed “commune” if you will (such as not marrying outside their circle).

The trouble is, this kind of system doesn’t work at all at the nation state level, or for purposes of allocating resources between small groups or tribes.  For that you need trade, and for that you need private ownership of property and goods and a profit motive. The Jewish people are actually quite good at that, rising in the ranks of wealth in capitalist systems but retaining their compassionate idealism in how they vote.  This sounds hypocritical but it may be less hypocrisy than simply generational habit, much like blacks got stuck in multi-generational loops of voting Democrat.  They may feel they’re doing their part to take care of the poor by voting for leftist policies.

People who vote for leftist wealth redistribution policies come in two basic types: those who use a cloak of fake compassion to gain power for themselves, and those who actually believe policies such as welfare help people but are too stupid and/or uneducated to understand that in reality it has the opposite effect, or, are smart and educated but have certain blind spots. 

Jews on average (particularly the Ashkenazi) have higher intelligence than the U.S. average and so like all people with higher IQs fall prey to thinking they actually are more enlightened, and then they go to universities and get brainwashed with leftist ideology that has been taking over our universities since the 1950s.  Having a high IQ allows you to structure complex mental models of how the world “should” work, but doesn’t actually mean you are right and that they would in fact work in the real world.  All you have to do is be wrong about one of your basic premises and your entire theory falls apart. 

Leftists have one or more blind spots with their basic premises.  One of them is that the size of the economic pie is fixed.  Another is that what works on the family level can work at the nation state level. 

Yet another, and possibly the most insidious, is thinking that one’s action on a problem has only the effect you intend, when in reality your action changes the behavior of the subject and so can backfire and have the opposite effect you wanted. Providing safety nets from starvation lowers motivation to work and be productive, and ends up perpetuating and growing the problem rather than solving it.

Foreseeing unintended consequences is a talent few people possess, even those with high intelligence. Lawmakers miss the boat on that one in nearly everything they do.

There does seem to be a growing awareness of how wacko the universities have gotten and a lot of big donors are pulling out, scaring the shit out of them, along with a trend among the young to not go to college at all. Maybe the higher education scam has peaked.

I've gotten more use out of my scuba and pilot certifications than my college degree.

No. Though I understand how it could be taken that way. I meant it literally. I have no issues with Number7's character - straight and trustworthy. Issues we can, ahem, differ on. He has his way of debating and I have mine. So why not wish him a happy thanksgiving since he wished an unqualified one for everyone else.

Classiest post of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Totally germane to the topic, my internet is out.  I’m using my phone’s hotspot which is overloaded because everyone in this neighborhood must be doing it.  They tell me it will be fixed by 9:30.  It was out when I woke up at 4:30 am.

Guess which sex are outside at 5:00 in the morning climbing poles and whatnot trying to fix my internet?  Yeah, I don’t need no man.

And in the area of unintended consequences, we get this: (Remember, follow the science)From Science.Org
https://www.science.org/content/article/paradox-cleaner-air-now-adding-global-warming

How long before the dangerous CLEAN AIR crisis is determined to be a national emergency??

Having someone homicide one’s grandchild would be, to such a person, a reasonable act. Never mind the lifelong consequences to the mother of the homicided baby.

This is why it’s critical not to perform the act that creates a child until you’re married and can support and raise a child. I don’t seem to get much traction with that concept with the guys here. It seems a no-brainer though.

Cue crude remarks and then silence.

Yep. Or at the very least use a reliable form of birth control.  When Texas passed its six week ban I happened to have my regular gyno exam and I asked her what changes she has seen with her patients.  She said they got way busier with women coming in to get The Pill who had been using abortion as birth control. Appalling! 

If my daughter aborted my grandchild I would never forgive her.  Severe birth defects or something that’s another story, but we are talking about abortion for “convenience”.  Abhorrent.

But as a political issue abortion has historically been considered unethical and illegal only after quickening (when the mother first felt movement, around 16 weeks) and therefore it seems people have always had the idea the baby isn’t really “human” in the early weeks.  That’s not recent, that’s been true forever. So MTG thinks she is going to reverse the opinion average people have held for thousands of years?  Not going to happen, and you need those numbers to win elections.

I’m not saying not to try. I absolutely believe education is needed and should be pursued, and Planned Parenthood not be funded, and pro life protesters shouldn’t be arrested, and abortion should never be presented to children as part of “sex education” as a reasonable solution to an unplanned pregnancy. Do all these things, but don’t imagine that you’re going to win elections by harping on “we need a federal abortion ban”.  That’ll be the quickest way to give Biden another 4 years.

Pizza bowls, unless you just can't do without the crust and accompanying carbs.

Pizza “bowl”?

Not today, Satan!