Members of the Gvura Forum converged on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem on Monday to protest against a general strike called by the Histadrut labor federation following the Israel Defense Forces’ recovery over the weekend of six hostage bodies from the Gaza Strip.

“We call on the prime minister not to give up to [Hamas terror chief Yahya] Sinwar and instead to keep up military pressure to achieve total victory,” Yehoshua Shani, a member of the forum whose son, IDF Capt. Ori Shani, was killed in action at Kissufim on Oct. 7, told the Jewish News Syndicate.  

“Our heart is with the families of the hostages who were killed by Hamas and not the government of Israel, which needs to do everything possible to bring the hostages back while at the same time destroying Hamas and ending terror,” Shani continued.

Captives Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 25; Alexander Lobanov, 32; Carmel Gat, 40; and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25, whose bodies were recovered from a Rafah tunnel in southern Gaza overnight Saturday, were shot multiple times at close range shortly before their discovery.

Israelis reacted with anger, and many blamed the Netanyahu government for Hamas’ refusal to accept a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal, one that Jerusalem has accepted.

An estimated 30,000 people protested in Tel Aviv on Sunday, demanding the government secure the hostages.

The Histadrut, representing roughly 800,000 Israeli trade unionists, declared a 24-hour general strike starting at 6 a.m. Monday. Ben Gurion International Airport halted departures, initially from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Hospitals moved to reduce operations. Ports offloaded only expendable items and medical supplies.

The Tel Aviv Labor Court subsequently ordered the strike to end at 2:30 p.m., with the court’s president calling the economic shutdown “political.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stopped by the rally on Monday, stating, “We are using our power in the government to prevent a reckless deal. With Hamas you need to speak only between gunsights.”

On Sunday, Netanyahu said he was “outraged to the depths” of his soul by the murder of the six hostages and blamed Hamas for blocking a cease-fire agreement.

“Our efforts to free our hostages are continuing constantly. Since December, Hamas has refused to hold genuine negotiations,” he said.

“Three months ago, on May 27, Israel agreed to a hostage-release deal with full backing from the United States. Hamas refused. Even after the United States updated the deal framework on Aug. 16, we agreed, and Hamas again refused.”

“Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal,” continued Netanyahu. “For our part, we will not relent. The government of Israel is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue striving toward a deal that will return all of our hostages and ensure our security and our existence.”

While the Hostage and Missing Families Forum has accused Netanyahu of abandoning the captives, the Tikva Forum on Sunday called on the government to end months of indirect negotiations with Hamas. 

“Hamas has actually started to kill people directly to raise the pressure on the government to enter a deal on its conditions,” Shimon Or, the uncle of captive Avinatan Or and a member of the Tikva Forum, told JNS.

“We knew that Hamas was a murderous terror organization, but they are now killing during negotiations. This represents a change in their strategy,” he continued.

“Hamas anticipated that instead of blaming the killers, the Israeli people would put the responsibility on the government, which actually wants to bring back the hostages,” he added. 

Regarding the Israeli Security Cabinet vote last week in support of Netanyahu’s stance of maintaining an IDF presence in the Philadelphi Corridor on Gaza’s border with Egypt, Or stressed that such a position will save lives. 

“Keeping troops in the corridor ensures that Hamas will not rearm in Gaza, and so there will not be another Oct. 7,” he said. “The government didn’t go to war for nothing; we went to war keep the whole country safe.”

“There cannot be a situation where the government gives up clauses in any deal that are essential to keeping the Israeli people and the country safe once the hostages are back,” he continued. 

“We are demanding from Prime Minister Netanyahu that he stop negotiating and makes sure Hamas knows that it will no longer exist,” Or said.

Republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate

Read more: Gaza Hostage Families to Israeli Government: Destroy Hamas | Newsmax.com

CNN was the lucky winner of the first sit-down media interview with Vice President Kamala Harris since she was pushed to the top of the ticket nearly forty days ago and, well, it didn’t go great.

It was not a particularly long interview. Internet rumors suggested it would be about eighteen minutes in totality and that it had been pre-recorded, which implied edits. While the interview was a bit longer than that and Dana Bash confirmed nothing was cut, we still got only about sixteen minutes of speaking time from Kamala. This was made more obvious by CNN’s decision to stretch it like pizza dough to fit an hour-long broadcast.

They opened with a nearly five-minute teaser video that came across like an ad for the Harris campaign, with Bash calling the interview a “watershed moment” in the election. Throughout the hour they took several commercial breaks, teased unaired portions of the interview and aired other pre-packaged videos.

CNN should have demanded more time from Kamala and when they didn’t get it, they should have aired the interview in its entirety at one time so viewers could easily recognize how strict the campaign was on access to the candidate. A bolder network would have done so.

Dana Bash’s initial questioning of Kamala was not wholly offensive; she asked Kamala what she would do on day one as president, about the massive shifts in her policy positions since 2019, about the current state of the economy and voters’ feelings that it was better under Trump, why she hasn’t accomplished in the past three and a half years the things she says she wants to accomplish in the next four and if she stands by her positive assessment of President Joe Biden after his debate against Trump. She also asked Walz about his misrepresentation of his service record and his wife’s fertility treatments.

But there were so many missed opportunities for follow-ups. Kamala claimed she had changed her position on fracking between 2019 and 2020, that she had “made clear” on the vice presidential debate stage in 2020 where she stood on the issue. In reality, she shared Biden’s position during the debate, not her own. “Joe Biden will not end fracking. He has been very clear about that,” she said at the time.

Bash did not press her on how she managed to go from thinking illegal immigration should be decriminalized and that ICE is comparable to the KKK to thinking we should enforce our nation’s border laws. Bash did not point out that, when asked if Bidenomics was a success, Kamala did not specifically say that it was.

Her attempts to ask tough questions of Walz similarly fell flat. She reduced Walz’s misstatements about his military record to one moment when he said he carried weapons in war; he also, though, continues to claim the wrong rank and has been introduced by others numerous times without correction as a combat veteran. Bash let Walz off easy when he explained it away as being an emotional guy who sometimes used “bad grammar.” Walz claimed that people he has served with have vouched for him, but plenty of his fellow service-members also criticized him and called him out for abandoning their unit ahead of a deployment.

Finally, Bash decided to spend the last few minutes of her already short interview playing footsie. She brought up a clip of Tim Walz’s son, Gus — “a star was born” — cheering for him at the convention and asked the governor to react to it. She referred to an “iconic photo” of Kamala’s grandniece watching her speak at the convention and asked Kamala what it meant to her. It was essentially a journalistic apology to the candidates for any tough questions she had asked earlier.

Aesthetically, the interview was a complete mess. The shot location was drab and looked like an office board room. Kamala was tucked in the back of the shot with Bash in the foreground, which made Kamala look small and insignificant. When the camera zoomed into Kamala’s face, you could see Bash shuffling her papers just above the chyron. The lighting washed everyone out (and it didn’t help that the warm-toned Harris chose a slate gray suit). Kamala had a water cup sitting directly under her chair in the center of the shot.

After the interview, CNN did its typical analysis. They had two panels during the next hour of programming, both of which had four liberal commentators facing off against one conservative. If you include host Abby Phillip — which you should, since she called Harris a “homework doer,” despite past staffers telling Politico she unequivocally did not do her homework — it was six against one.

For the Harris campaign, this was certainly by design. Bash was a great choice to attempt to give the interview legitimacy as she has the veneer of objectivity and is coming off a good performance at the presidential debate. But they knew Bash would never truly hold Kamala accountable. That’s just not the way it goes between Democrats and CNN.

Amber Duke, The Spectator

With Vice President Kamala Harris finally set to give a sit-down interview with a major media outlet this week, Ric Grenell, former acting director of National Intelligence offered some suggestions for the CNN interviewer.

In July, Harris was awarded President Joe Biden’s spot at the top of the Democratic Party’s ticket without the benefit of a single delegate or primary vote. Since that time she has only spoken in scripted preproduced formats, leaving many in the media clamoring for Harris to state her case for the presidency in her own words. 

Grenell, formally of the first Trump administration, offered some biting suggestions Wednesday to anchor Dana Bash to help get the conversation started:

1. If you are capable of lowering prices for Americans, why have not you done it in the 3½ years you have been in office?
2. You say housing affordability would be a “day one priority” if you were elected. Why is it not a priority now? Housing is not affordable for the average American in 99% of the nation.
3. You co-sponsored Medicare-for-all and the Green New Deal. Do you still support these multitrillion-dollar takeovers of the American economy?
4. You talk a lot about “freedom.” What about the freedoms of Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, and Jocelyn Nungaray? These women were killed by illegal immigrants who were let into the country under your watch.
5. President Trump did not need a “border bill” to secure the border. Why did you support executive actions like stopping construction of the border wall and halting deportations that intentionally unsecured the border?
6. Trump was the first president in decades to start no new wars. Under your watch, wars are popping up in Europe and the Middle East. Why is that?
7. You supported the defund the police movement and have said more police does not mean more safety. Why do you want fewer police officers?
8. Why did you conceal Joe Biden’s cognitive decline from the American people?
9. You have called for getting rid of cash bail and your campaign has not backed away from it. Why do you still support such a radical view?
10. You have sent anonymous aides out to claim you have abandoned the radically liberal positions that you have held for decades. Do you think lying to the American people is the best strategy?

For her first prime-time interview, Harris will curiously be joined by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Even some of the outlet’s own commentators have blasted the decision to bring along a companion.

“I think it’s incredibly weak — weak sauce — to show up with your running mate,” CNN’s Scott Jennings said.

“The fact that they don’t have enough confidence in her to let her sit at the actual top of the ticket and do a single interview speaks volumes.”

The Harris-Walz interview will be taped Thursday and is expected to air at 9 p.m. ET on CNN.

James Morley III ✉

James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature. 

Related Stories:

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Robert Kennedy, Jr. understands:

What “MAGA” really means

The phrase has troubled liberals who think it is a call for a return to an America before civil rights, gay rights, and women’s rights. But I have a more generous interpretation, one that is truer to my experience of Donald Trump as he is today. “Make America Great Again” recalls a nation brimming with vitality, with a can-do spirit, with hope and a belief in itself. It was an America that was beginning to confront its darker shadows, could acknowledge the injustice in its past and present, yet at the same time could celebrate its successes. It was a nation of broad prosperity, the world’s most vibrant middle class, and a idealistic belief (though not consistently applied) in freedom, justice, and democracy. It was a nation that led the world in innovation, productivity, and technology. And it was the healthiest country in the world. I have talked to many Trump supporters. I have talked with his inner circle. I have talked to the man himself. This is the America they want to restore.

@RobertKennedyJr on X (formerly Twitter)

*****************

Lawless Jack Smith’s latest made-up charges against Trump?

It’s not “lawfare.” It’s warfare. Literally, a cold civil war getting hotter by the hour.

******************

“Now I get it. When they say ‘democracy’ they really mean ‘dictatorship of the proletariat.’”

— Matt Kibbe

******************

Kamala is lying that she now opposes electric car mandates and wants Trump’s border wall completed. Last week she wanted Soviet-style pricing and bread lines. Why can’t she make up her mind? Is she a Communist, or a Constitutionalist? How can leftists justify voting for her, if she’s supposedly adopting Trump positions? Do these toxic totalitarians think we are all brain dead? Or are they brain dead, and just assume we’re the same?

******************

“Opinions don’t affect facts. But facts should affect opinions, and do, if you’re rational.” (Ricky Gervais)

By this definition, today’s American culture is wildly, utterly irrational. Everything is upside down and inside out. It’s the cultural equivalent of psychosis. Not most of the people; but virtually everyone the people rely on for any kind of intellectual, social or psychological guidance.

Follow Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Charleston SC). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest. Also follow Dr. Hurd on X at @MichaelJHurd1, drmichaelhurd on Instagram, Michael Hurd Ph.D. on LinkedIn, @DrHurd on TruthSocial

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, many job seekers find themselves perplexed by the abundance of job openings paired with the difficulty of securing employment. Despite reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating millions of job vacancies, the reality of landing a job has become increasingly challenging. This seeming contradiction has left many wondering, “If everyone is hiring, why can’t I get a job?” The answer lies in the complex dynamics of the modern hiring landscape, influenced by factors such as ghost jobs, automated screening processes, and economic uncertainty.

The current job market presents a paradox. On one hand, there are more job openings than ever before, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting over 8 million vacancies in 2024. On the other hand, a significant portion of job seekers are struggling to find employment. This discrepancy has led to the widespread sentiment that “no one wants to work anymore,” a phrase often cited by employers. However, the underlying issue is not a lack of willing workers but rather systemic challenges within the hiring process itself.

One of the most significant challenges job seekers face today is the proliferation of ghost jobs. These are positions that companies advertise without any real intention of filling them in the immediate future. Ghost jobs may be posted to maintain a talent pool, create an illusion of growth for investors, or satisfy internal policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). For job seekers, applying to these non-existent roles can be an exercise in futility, contributing to the frustration and discouragement many experience during their job search.

The job search process is further complicated by the widespread use of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These automated systems are designed to filter resumes, often rejecting qualified candidates based on rigid keyword criteria or formatting issues before a human recruiter even sees the application. This technological barrier can leave many capable professionals out of the running, adding to the perception that finding a job is nearly impossible.

Moreover, the rise of remote work has expanded the talent pool globally. This means that job seekers are not only competing with local candidates but also with professionals from around the world, making the job market more competitive than ever before. As companies have access to a broader range of candidates, the criteria for hiring can become more stringent, further narrowing the field of opportunities for job seekers.

Economic uncertainty is another critical factor influencing the current job market. Companies may post jobs as a precautionary measure but delay actual hiring until they have a clearer picture of the market’s stability. This can result in prolonged hiring processes, positions being put on hold, or job postings that are not reflective of immediate hiring needs. For job seekers, this uncertainty translates into extended waiting periods and fewer concrete opportunities, contributing to the overall difficulty in securing employment.

While the job market appears to be full of opportunities, the reality for many job seekers is far more complex. Factors such as ghost jobs, automated resume filtering, increased global competition, and economic uncertainty create significant obstacles in the hiring process.

0:00 Intro

0:21 Are We Actually In A Labor Shortage?

1:23 Revision Of Over 818k False Jobs Created

2:29 What Are Ghost Jobs?

2:45 Why Companies Are Incentivizes To Create Ghost Jobs

3:03 A Corporate Recruiter Shares His Perspective On Ghost Jobs

4:14 How Companies Profit Off Job Applications

5:58 Why Companies Don’t Close Job Openings

7:19 How Ghost Jobs Are Used To Avoid DEI

9:14 Why You Never Get A Response From Your Application

9:27 The Massive Tax Incentive Companies Have Using Ghost Jobs

11:13 The Collapse Of Business Ethics

12:40 Conclusion

Damon Cassidy, YouTube

Will the US let Israel win?

Tony Blinken is back in Israel for his ninth visit since 10/7. I wish I had his frequent flyer points.

Humor has always been a part of warfare. In order to endure oftentimes unspeakable experiences or images, people sometimes need to find a way to laugh. There is a story of British warships preparing to engage a German U-boat wolfpack in the Battle of the Atlantic. A submarine commander messaged his destroyer counterpart that in the event of engagement with the enemy, he would plan to stay on the water surface. The destroyer captain dryly responded, “So do I (meaning not get sunk).”

The Gaza war has also intertwined some jokes and laughter along with the pain, tears, and suffering. Very early in the war was the “Lego Gaza City” set with all gray parts heaped in a huge mound—just like the real thing. There was the UberEats type delivery soldier bringing food on a bicycle to his comrades in a destroyed building in Khan Yunis. And who could forget the soldier who knocked on the door of a house in Gaza to no answer. When he moved away the camera showed that nothing but the door was left to the entire building. While rockets and drones were actively on their way from Iran, one fellow put up a short video. He begged the Iranians to attack the “Jewish holy sites” as he showed on a detailed map of Israel. Each site was a branch office of the Israel Tax Authority.

As Tony Blinken once again returns to Israel, the question is what is the endgame? Hamas kidnapped so many Israelis—both live and dead—in order to use them as their strongest bargaining chip in finishing off the war. I do not believe that Yahya Sinwar or anyone else in Hamas expected the war to go as it has, with tens of thousands of Gazans dead, many of them Hamas members. I don’t think that they expected the massive levels of destruction that have led to thousands of buildings being destroyed and many thousands more being in need of dire repair before anyone will use them again. I doubt that they expected Israel to easily grab the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egyptian border and thoroughly flatten Rafah as Israel has done.

Hamas ostensibly should be like Germany or Japan and simply say yes to whatever is offered to them. They—as the Palestinians always have—are certain that they are the victors. They “demand” (like a guy with a gun facing him “demanding” something) that Israel stop fighting, remove all troops and give Rafah back to Hamas for more weapons running. While the Saudis seem to have unlimited oil, the Palestinians seem to have unlimited chutzpah. Israel is supposed to just get up and leave Gaza as if nothing happened on 10/7 or thereafter during which over 300 Israeli soldiers have been killed fighting in Gaza. Hamas, or what’s left of it, is delusional. They want to go back to the 6th of October with a slightly less valuable real estate portfolio.

Just as the sun rises in the east, so too does the US and its coterie of international clowns demand that Israel accept whatever dish Hamas is serving. Israel, behaving rationally for once, is demanding to stay on the border between the barbarians and their Egyptian suppliers. Staying in Rafah would mean that Hamas would have no border access that did not involve Israeli presence. If Hamas wanted the Gazans to simply live, that would not be a problem. Thousands of trucks enter Gaza regularly, and in the future there would be no problem providing whatever they needed. Hamas sees a situation in which gun-running by land or by sea would be nearly impossible due to the new reality of Rafah becoming a big Israeli tank parking lot. Israel also has prepared a large swath of land in the middle of Gaza as a buffer between north and south Gaza, with access to the north with Israeli permission only. Someone who has fought in Gaza and whose opinion I very much respect said that if Israel caves and in any way physically leaves Rafah for some high-tech eyes-in-the-sky approach, then you should take out your calendar and circle the date when you expect the next 10/7 pogrom to occur.

America is only interested in a deal so as to put a checkmark in the “Gaza War Over” box. They want the blue-haired college mutants and their Islamist friends to go back to other forms of petty crime and stop their endless protesting. There are two problems. Forcing Israel to make a bad deal means that there will be problems sooner rather than later. Hamas fired some rockets last week at Tel Aviv. Making a bad deal means that such events will become more common. The other problem is that the college protesters will not stop protesting. Even if the war somehow ends with an agreement, they will continue as long as there is Iranian funding. Possible continuing topics: Bibi is a war criminal; Gaza is a big open air prison; Gaza is occupied though it isn’t. Etc. The Biden administration or whichever intern is running it this week, is desperate to get rid of the pro-Hamas protests. Their problem is that the other side is not in such a hurry. Watch Chicago this week for the latest installment.

The venerable B-52 has part of its crew in the cockpit, with other members in a windowless area below. Electronic warfare and weapons officers work in a cramped area of the plane lacking any natural light. A B-52 on a mission over North Vietnam experienced a surface-to-air missile that exploded just off of its left wing. There was significant damage and the pilots worked very hard to control the monster bomber and get it back to a US base. Because fuel tanks had been damaged, the plane needed near continuous aerial refueling until its safe landing. During the frantic and terrifying journey back to safety, the electronic warfare officer radioed his terrified comrades, “Hey, I’ve finally got a window. I can see outside the plane!” A big chunk of the plane’s left side had been blown off and at least one person found something to cheer about. Will the normally clueless Blinken finally see some light and support Israel’s right to hold land that it took with blood and treasure? Will Blinken scream at Hamas instead of at Bibi and Israelis? Will the US finally let Israel win?

Alan Joseph Bauer, frontpagemagazine

They say a Kamala victory will be historic. “The first woman President.” Wow, cool! But how meaningful a victory if the first woman President is a totalitarian? And an incompetent freak? It’s a looming disaster for every man and woman who craves peace, prosperity and freedom. The first woman President, if this happens, will bring suffering, death and destruction to an already highly vulnerable, faltering nation.

***********

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a letter on Monday that the Biden-Harris administration repeatedly pressured his company — which includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and more — to censor content that is protected free speech. “In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn’t agree,” he said in the letter. “Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure.” [The Daily Wire 8/26/24]

It’s not just a basis for impeachment of Biden and Harris, and removing them from office. They should be arrested, tried and convicted of treason. I can’t believe either of them still walk free.

***********

They say ANYBODY is better than Trump. Their reasons (they say) is that he will be a dictator. Dictators censor speech, prosecute dissension, weaponize the legal system, and hyperinflate the currency, ultimately impoverishing millions. Trump did NONE of these things when in office. He proposes doing NONE of these things if returned to office. Their guys (the ones who say ANYBODY but Trump) do ALL of these things.

So if they hate Trump because he’s a dictator, and that anything is better than Trump — including a dictatorship — then what can we make of the intellectual honesty of such people?

***********

It’s amusing to watch Kamala’s people manipulate the presidential debate rules in her favor. She already has the entire media, the entire political class, every single debate “moderator” from every single network explicitly on the side of her Party and against Trump.
It just goes to show how thin-skinned and emotionally fragile all tyrants and dictators are. Yet we continue to let these glorified snowflakes bulldoze away our rights and impoverish our lives.

How much longer, silent majority?

Follow Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Charleston SC). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest. Also follow Dr. Hurd on X at @MichaelJHurd1, drmichaelhurd on Instagram, Michael Hurd Ph.D. on LinkedIn, @DrHurd on TruthSocial

In August 2021, Fox News’ “Gutfeld!,” a late-night comedy-talk show hosted by conservative pundit Greg Gutfeld, overtook “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in overall ratings.

Surprised?

We weren’t.

As media and comedy scholars, we’ve been tracking the recent ascension of conservative comedy, which has flourished thanks to shifts in media industry economics and political ideologies.

Gutfeld’s success might come as a shock because it punctures long-standing assumptions about what comedy is, who can produce it and who will enjoy it. These prejudices obscure an important truth: Right-wing comedy has become both a viable business strategy and a crucial element of conservative politics.

Yes, “Gutfeld!” is on Fox News, the cable channel known for partisan, right-wing political perspectives and news commentary. But it has all the markers of late-night comedy, too. The opening monologues are filled with Jay Leno-like punchlines that draw laughs from the studio audience, and the interviews with conservative politicians, pundits and other comedians frequently center on “owning the libs” with one-liners.The opening monologue of the Sept. 17, 2021, episode of ‘Gutfeld!’

Then, of course, there are the silly “Saturday Night Live”-like sketches. One recent episode broke from a panel discussion on cancel culture in order to imagine what a politically correct James Bond would look like. In the prerecorded bit, a crudely costumed actor chases down a thief and pulls a banana on him instead of a gun. Then “Bond” heads to a bar to order a latte – a soy latte – instead of a martini. You get the idea.

Regardless of whether or not this comedy is to your taste, it’s working for Gutfeld and his audience.

Hiding in plain sight

Despite its growing prominence, right-wing comedy remains largely invisible in both mainstream and scholarly discussions of media and humor. In part, this has happened because social media algorithms don’t send users jokes likely to challenge or offend their political sensibilities.

There are also intellectual trends that make it possible for Greg Gutfeld to spend two decades sneaking up on the Colberts of the world. Comedy theorists tend to diminish, or at least distinguish, right-wing humor from what they deem to be more authentic, liberal humor.

Philosopher Umberto Eco, for example, demotes joking that fails to critique power structures to the status of mere “carnival.”

Others make similar arguments, saying “true” liberal comedy is more likely to “punch up,” while dismissing conservative comedy as mere mockery that reaffirms unjust systems of power.

This effort to use ideology in order to categorize comedy can lead audiences, political analysts and even comedians to downplay or outright dismiss right-wing humor.

But even if conservative comedy doesn’t fit liberals’ tastes, it’s still comedy. And it’s increasingly becoming a feature of right-wing politics. Even “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah noted how former president Donald Trump’s performances at rallies mirrored those of stand-up comedians.

Some studies go as far as to identify innate, psychological differences that explain why liberals are more likely to laugh while conservatives are more prone to seethe. This research, often inspired by the success of liberal satirists such as Colbert, Jon Stewart and Samantha Bee, certainly provides intriguing looks into the relationship between politics, psychology and sense of humor. They are, without question, pleasing to the liberal reader’s ego.

They do not, however, square with the way Trump changed the country’s politics and culture.

The political comedy of the early 2000s, with its relatively big tent media companies and pre-Barack Obama politics, tended to joke primarily in the political direction of the largest audience segment interested in satire at that moment. “The Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show” became hugely successful during the years of president George W. Bush and inspired countless imitators, crowding the media marketplace for liberal laughs.

However, comedy’s perceived political bias at the time was more likely driven by specific economic circumstances, which have now radically changed.

Since then, further audience fragmentation, along with the proliferation of podcasts and social media platforms, has made it possible for right-wing comedians like YouTuber Steven Crowder to rise to prominence beyond conventional cable television. And it’s forced networks like Fox News to take comedy seriously.

On one level, Gutfeld succeeds today because he has virtually no competition from fellow conservatives in the late-night television comedy space. On another, he thrives because the current media industry moment is built not for a big tent of all viewers, but for audiences who share specific demographic, psychographic and political traits.

In this environment, the partisanization of comedy to the right was perhaps inevitable.

What’s in a definition?

If you find comedians such as Gutfeld unfunny or, more to the point, offensive, you may ask whether he should be granted the honorific of comedian.

Failing to do so, we argue, obscures the ways in which the right-wing political world uses comedy as a recruiting tool and unifying force. Republican politics have long been built upon an uneasy fusion that aims to bind together libertarian and traditionalist values, despite their apparent contradictions. The crassness of Trumpism has only added to this conceptual tension.

Right-wing comedy, we argue, serves to iron out, or at least paper over, such philosophical divides.

In addition to his show’s success, Gutfeld today resides at the center of a growing complex of comedians reflecting elements of right-wing worldviews, ranging from libertarian, libertine podcasts like “The Joe Rogan Experience” to Christian satire websites like The Babylon Bee to Proud Boys founder and Gutfeld-protégée Gavin McInnes. While the creators of this content don’t always agree on specific issues, they are united in their motivations to hilariously own the libs. They strategically cross-promote one another, while social media algorithms urge fans of one program to check out other flavors of right-wing comedy.

Gutfeld may be the biggest star, but a range of right-wing comedians are coming together in a constellation that allows young, right-wing-curious consumers to find a place in the universe of American conservative media and politics. The value, or danger, of right-wing comedy is a matter of political opinion.

Its reality, however, is no joke.

Trump-Elon Musk conversation was less enlightening than interesting. Definitely worth a listen. Two of the world’s wealthiest movers and shakers who are NOT Communists, talking about our future … largely, it seems, with accuracy and sincerity. It leaves you kind of hopeful, but still without an idea of how to topple these monsters in power, especially with so much of the country frozen and stuck.

Elon Musk says caring about the environment need not lead to suffering. Not true. Outlawing fossil fuels — before technology and business have created viable alternatives — will cause suffering, despair and even death for millions. The connected and the wealthy (who support the Party) will not suffer. The rest of us will have to contend with a world that is unsustainable for human life as we’ve known it, since the industrial revolutions of the 1800s.

Environmentalism is a depopulation movement. As of now, it’s winning everywhere, including in America.

Musk and Trump also discussed the need for deregulation. Deregulation does not work. The Reagan and Trump administrations tried deregulation, but when they left office regulations grew exponentially. Regulatory agencies will not curb their own power. The only solution is to DEFUND the agencies.

A recent, insightful opinion piece reveals the magnitude of the absurdity merged with toxicity we’re now facing in what used to be the free world:

The Republican nominee, a former president, was almost murdered in front of children. The sitting president, ill for the second time just days apart, was browbeaten by his own party into abandoning his campaign only three months before Election Day. His vice president was anointed the party’s new nominee without having earned a single vote. Now she’s campaigning like she’s not currently in the White House and like the past three years of her shockingly poor performance didn’t happen.

And just like that, we’re told Kamala Harris is wildly popular and Donald Trump’s clear electoral advantage has evaporated. Politico on Tuesday even ran the headline “Could Harris’ Momentum Put Florida In Play?”

A news media interested in thoroughly explaining, contextualizing, and documenting current events would be running headlines to the effect of “WTF, THIS ISN’T NORMAL!”

That’s unfortunately not the news media we have. Instead, our news media have offered no indication that there’s anything at all to be alarmed about. Well, except any remaining possibility that Trump could win the election.

No, this is all apparently just fine and the way things run per usual. Kamala has done no legitimate interviews or press conferences, has not articulated a single policy proposal — though she did just steal the no-tax-on-tips idea from Trump — and her Democrat peers are admitting there’s no need for any of that anyway. They’ve got the media to reliably, steadfastly attack Trump and his running mate while calling every provable claim against Harris a lie (or just racist).

Up until Biden officially dropped out, Democrats were dreading the possibility that Harris could end up as their nominee. It was virtually out of the question. Not anymore! Didn’t you hear about the enthusiasm? Everybody loves her. America can’t get enough of Kamala. She’s got nothing to worry about. The media will take care of everything.

Trump-Elon Musk conversation was less enlightening than interesting. Definitely worth a listen. Two of the world’s wealthiest movers and shakers who are NOT Communists, talking about our future … largely, it seems, with accuracy and sincerity. It leaves you kind of hopeful, but still without an idea of how to topple these monsters in power, especially with so much of the country frozen and stuck.

Elon Musk says caring about the environment need not lead to suffering. Not true. Outlawing fossil fuels — before technology and business have created viable alternatives — will cause suffering, despair and even death for millions. The connected and the wealthy (who support the Party) will not suffer. The rest of us will have to contend with a world that is unsustainable for human life as we’ve known it, since the industrial revolutions of the 1800s.

Environmentalism is a depopulation movement. As of now, it’s winning everywhere, including in America.

Musk and Trump also discussed the need for deregulation. Deregulation does not work. The Reagan and Trump administrations tried deregulation, but when they left office regulations grew exponentially. Regulatory agencies will not curb their own power. The only solution is to DEFUND the agencies.

A recent, insightful opinion piece reveals the magnitude of the absurdity merged with toxicity we’re now facing in what used to be the free world:

The Republican nominee, a former president, was almost murdered in front of children. The sitting president, ill for the second time just days apart, was browbeaten by his own party into abandoning his campaign only three months before Election Day. His vice president was anointed the party’s new nominee without having earned a single vote. Now she’s ca

Trump-Elon Musk conversation was less enlightening than interesting. Definitely worth a listen. Two of the world’s wealthiest movers and shakers who are NOT Communists, talking about our future … largely, it seems, with accuracy and sincerity. It leaves you kind of hopeful, but still without an idea of how to topple these monsters in power, especially with so much of the country frozen and stuck.

Elon Musk says caring about the environment need not lead to suffering. Not true. Outlawing fossil fuels — before technology and business have created viable alternatives — will cause suffering, despair and even death for millions. The connected and the wealthy (who support the Party) will not suffer. The rest of us will have to contend with a world that is unsustainable for human life as we’ve known it, since the industrial revolutions of the 1800s.

Environmentalism is a depopulation movement. As of now, it’s winning everywhere, including in America.

Musk and Trump also discussed the need for deregulation. Deregulation does not work. The Reagan and Trump administrations tried deregulation, but when they left office regulations grew exponentially. Regulatory agencies will not curb their own power. The only solution is to DEFUND the agencies.

A recent, insightful opinion piece reveals the magnitude of the absurdity merged with toxicity we’re now facing in what used to be the free world:

The Republican nominee, a former president, was almost murdered in front of children. The sitting president, ill for the second time just days apart, was browbeaten by his own party into abandoning his campaign only three months before Election Day. His vice president was anointed the party’s new nominee without having earned a single vote. Now she’s campaigning like she’s not currently in the White House and like the past three years of her shockingly poor performance didn’t happen.

And just like that, we’re told Kamala Harris is wildly popular and Donald Trump’s clear electoral advantage has evaporated. Politico on Tuesday even ran the headline “Could Harris’ Momentum Put Florida In Play?”

A news media interested in thoroughly explaining, contextualizing, and documenting current events would be running headlines to the effect of “WTF, THIS ISN’T NORMAL!”

That’s unfortunately not the news media we have. Instead, our news media have offered no indication that there’s anything at all to be alarmed about. Well, except any remaining possibility that Trump could win the election.

No, this is all apparently just fine and the way things run per usual. Kamala has done no legitimate interviews or press conferences, has not articulated a single policy proposal — though she did just steal the no-tax-on-tips idea from Trump — and her

The Trump-Elon Musk conversation was less enlightening than interesting. Definitely worth a listen. Two of the world’s wealthiest movers and shakers who are NOT Communists, talking about our future … largely, it seems, with accuracy and sincerity. It leaves you kind of hopeful, but still without an idea of how to topple these monsters in power, especially with so much of the country frozen and stuck.

Elon Musk says caring about the environment need not lead to suffering. Not true. Outlawing fossil fuels — before technology and business have created viable alternatives — will cause suffering, despair and even death for millions. The connected and the wealthy (who support the Party) will not suffer. The rest of us will have to contend with a world that is unsustainable for human life as we’ve known it, since the industrial revolutions of the 1800s.

Environmentalism is a depopulation movement. As of now, it’s winning everywhere, including in America.

Musk and Trump also discussed the need for deregulation. Deregulation does not work. The Reagan and Trump administrations tried deregulation, but when they left office regulations grew exponentially. Regulatory agencies will not curb their own power. The only solution is to DEFUND the agencies.

A recent, insightful opinion piece reveals the magnitude of the absurdity merged with toxicity we’re now facing in what used to be the free world:

The Republican nominee, a former president, was almost murdered in front of children. The sitting president, ill for the second time just days apart, was browbeaten by his own party into abandoning his campaign only three months before Election Day. His vice president was anointed the party’s new nominee without having earned a single vote. Now she’s campaigning like she’s not currently in the White House and like the past three years of her shockingly poor performance didn’t happen.

And just like that, we’re told Kamala Harris is wildly popular and Donald Trump’s clear electoral advantage has evaporated. Politico on Tuesday even ran the headline “Could Harris’ Momentum Put Florida In Play?”

A news media interested in thoroughly explaining, contextualizing, and documenting current events would be running headlines to the effect of “WTF, THIS ISN’T NORMAL!”

That’s unfortunately not the news media we have. Instead, our news media have offered no indication that there’s anything at all to be alarmed about. Well, except any remaining possibility that Trump could win the election.

No, this is all apparently just fine and the way things run per usual. Kamala has done no legitimate interviews or press conferences, has not articulated a single policy proposal — though she did just steal the no-tax-on-tips idea from Trump — and her Democrat peers are admitting there’s no need for any of that anyway. They’ve got the media to reliably, steadfastly attack Trump and his running mate while calling every provable claim against Harris a lie (or just racist).

Up until Biden officially dropped out, Democrats were dreading the possibility that Harris could end up as their nominee. It was virtually out of the question. Not anymore! Didn’t you hear about the enthusiasm? Everybody loves her. America can’t get enough of Kamala. She’s got nothing to worry about. The media will take care of everything.

from The Federalist 8/13/24

Here’s the Trump-Musk interview:

Democrat peers are admitting there’s no need for any of that anyway. They’ve got the media to reliably, steadfastly attack Trump and his running mate while calling every provable claim against Harris a lie (or just racist).

Up until Biden officially dropped out, Democrats were dreading the possibility that Harris could end up as their nominee. It was virtually out of the question. Not anymore! Didn’t you hear about the enthusiasm? Everybody loves her. America can’t get enough of Kamala. She’s got nothing to worry about. The media will take care of everything.

from The Federalist 8/13/24

mpaigning like she’s not currently in the White House and like the past three years of her shockingly poor performance didn’t happen.

And just like that, we’re told Kamala Harris is wildly popular and Donald Trump’s clear electoral advantage has evaporated. Politico on Tuesday even ran the headline “Could Harris’ Momentum Put Florida In Play?”

A news media interested in thoroughly explaining, contextualizing, and documenting current events would be running headlines to the effect of “WTF, THIS ISN’T NORMAL!”

That’s unfortunately not the news media we have. Instead, our news media have offered no indication that there’s anything at all to be alarmed about. Well, except any remaining possibility that Trump could win the election.

No, this is all apparently just fine and the way things run per usual. Kamala has done no legitimate interviews or press conferences, has not articulated a single policy proposal — though she did just steal the no-tax-on-tips idea from Trump — and her Democrat peers are admitting there’s no need for any of that anyway. They’ve got the media to reliably, steadfastly attack Trump and his running mate while calling every provable claim against Harris a lie (or just racist).

Up until Biden officially dropped out, Democrats were dreading the possibility that Harris could end up as their nominee. It was virtually out of the question. Not anymore! Didn’t you hear about the enthusiasm? Everybody loves her. America can’t get enough of Kamala. She’s got nothing to worry about. The media will take care of everything.

from The Federalist 8/13/24

Isaiah 59:14, “So justice is turned away and righteousness stands afar off. For truth has fallen in the streets and righteousness cannot enter.”

And this, from 2 Timothy 3, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away…

“….and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

Perilous times are upon us, friends.  There is no justice.  Truth hasn’t just fallen in the streets — it’s been pushed under a bus.  Righteousness is not allowed to enter.

How far we’ve fallen here in America.  This isn’t the nation I grew up in anymore. Those infected with the “woke mind virus” will call this “progress.”  It’s not.  Today, we have a nation of lawlessness and insanity, the by-products of men and women being lovers of themselves, and haters of God.  They’ve worked hard to earn the depraved minds they suffer with. We’re a nation of liars who prefer lies over truth.  Natural affection between men and women is becoming more and more rare, as once-sane people turn to the profane and succumb to the spirit of Sodom.

There’s no doubt that we love pleasure, comfort and ease much more than we love the God who created us and sustains us, even in His patience and longsuffering.  And evil men and seducers are growing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Truth is now declared “hate speech,” and is punishable under color of law.  And in our ignorance and wickedness, we’ve now banned the one true God of heaven, our only hope of salvation.  The One Who sent His Son to Calvary to defeat the works of the devil and to make a way for our forgiveness and restoration is now not only not reverenced, but openly despised, mocked and hated throughout the Earth, once again.

And they call this “progress.”  It’s purposeful ignorance, self-centeredness and denial of basic, essential truth and common sense.  We’ve exchanged love and sanity for hedonism, and I see no way out of this without the righteous judgment of God Almighty Himself to wake us from this stupor of the “woke mind virus.”  We are ever “learning” so many new things — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Critical Race Theory, Sodomy as a lifestyle and “Transgenderism,” yet we’re never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.  Because God isn’t in any of those things.

Today, we can no longer even have an opinion that goes contrary to the many  doctrines of demons, or we become targets of attack.  All who would live godly in Christ Jesus are suffering persecution, and ever more so each day.  Meanwhile, the evil ones are growing more and more evil.  This should not surprise us, but simply underscore the fact — told to us in Scripture — that we’re living in the last days, and perilous times have come.

I long ago abandoned Facebook, having been banned multiple times for telling the truth there.  It’s a lost cause.  Over the past few years, I’ve been a member of a local social media site called “Nextdoor.”  Recently, someone posted a Bible verse as an encouragement to another member, and I thanked them for doing that.  But almost immediately, the controversy began. People were upset and asked, “Is this right the place to be ‘spouting Scripture?’”  I responded, “Every place is the right place to share the Word of God.” Then the God-haters descended on the scene and what was originally meant as an encouragement from a Bible verse turned into ‘spouting Scripture’ and it all became very ugly very quickly.

Yesterday, I closed my account on Nextdoor and am no longer participating in this group for our local area.  Here’s what happened.  Several weeks ago, an illegal immigrant attacked and raped a local woman, and the local secular newspaper covered the story — including the part we’re never allowed to say out loud — that the attacker was in this country illegally.  Now, this is a very left-wing publication, and I was shocked to see they reported it as truthfully as they did.  But I posted the story on Nextdoor, to make people aware of what’s happening here, locally.

Stories of other crimes in our area have also been posted by others on Nextdoor, whenever they occur.  But my posting of this particular story really brought the wrath of the woke down upon me. It was incomprehensible to most that I would dare post this article — from a secular, Left-wing newspaper — about the violent rape of a local woman…because the rapist was an illegal ‘migrant.’  How dare I?

This situation spiraled so out of control, I eventually realized there was no point trying to have any rational discussion — and I not only ended the conversation, but removed myself from the Nextdoor platform altogether.  I want nothing to do with those who publicly support a violent rapist rather than the long-time local resident who was attacked.

The fact of the matter, whether those infected with the “woke mind virus” want to admit it or not is, these illegal invaders are, indeed, wreaking havoc on American citizens. They’ve already committed a serious crime by entering the country illegally, but then to violently attack innocent citizens is horrific. Yet so many just want to pretend it’s not happening.

It is happening. We’ve all heard of the heart-wrenching killing of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student murdered by a 26-year-old illegal from Venezuela in Athens, Georgia.  And just last month, in Albany, New York, a 21-year-old illegal from Turkey attacked and violently raped a 15-year-old girl who he found walking down a street in her neighborhood.

Also last month, two illegals from Venezuela savagely murdered a 12-year-old girl in Texas.  Before killing her, they stripped her naked and assaulted her for two hours.  Here are three more cases to consider — all in Florida, all in the past month.  A 26-year-old man from Honduras is in jail on charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, domestic battery with strangulation and aggravated battery on a pregnant teen.  A 43-year-old woman from Guatemala is being held at Palm Beach County Jail on charges of premeditated first-degree murder.  She also tried to hire a “hitman” to kill two witnesses in her teenage son’s criminal case.  And a 20-year-old male from Guatemala is in jail without bond on charges of kidnapping a minor under 13 years of age and sexual assault.

I could give you plenty more examples, but suffice to say, this really is happening.  The illegal invaders our current Regine is importing and resettling into our American neighborhoods with our tax dollars are mostly violent criminals.  No, not all of them, but certainly numbering in the millions; certainly, enough to be great cause for concern.  Meanwhile, the lying media and our government officials either refuse to report these crimes or conveniently omit the fact that the attackers, rapists and killers are here illegally, from many foreign countries around the world — and all living quite comfortably in taxpayer-funded housing.

These people are not here to “assimilate” and become genuine Americans.  They came waving the flags of their homelands and they’re here to conquer the US, and a majority have no value for human life.  All of our major cities have become cesspools of violent crime. I feel bad for those who live there and can’t understand why they don’t move out.  But it’s not just the big cities anymore.  The assault and rape I told you about happened in my small city, of just 40,000 people.

But also last month, in a very small town here in Wisconsin — an illegal invader attacked a woman and her two young children in their home while they slept. The woman was stabbed 17 times but survived. Both children died of their wounds — one stabbed 16 times and one 20 times… in a tiny town of less than 2,000 people.  This is happening all over America now — not just in the big cities.  It’s everywhere.

But it’s not just this country.  Recently, we’ve seen the riots in the UK over Islamic invaders there, taking over huge portions of the country and huge portions of cities.  The most recent riots came after word spread that an illegal “migrant” had killed three young girls, ages 6, 7 and 9; attempted to kill eight more children and a teacher.  This news spread on social media there, prompting outrage and causing the citizens to finally rise up and say “Enough!” with illegal “migration.”

When the full story was heard, it turned out that the alleged killer wasn’t an “illegal” but was actually born in the UK.  He’s 17 years old and was born in Britain to Rwandan parents.  So although he’s not an illegal immigrant, with all the violence perpetrated in the UK by Islamic invaders, it’s understandable how people came to that conclusion.

Now the UK is cracking down on “misinformation” on the internet.  So far, 600 people have been arrested for posting or re-posting “misinformation” online about these murders.  Three have already been sentenced to jail time for their social media posts, and England now has 6,000 officers trained to scour the internet for people posting “misinformation.”

But the bottom line is, no one was killed as the citizens pushed back against the invasion of their country by Muslim Jihadists.  Meanwhile, violent crimes and murders are ongoing in that country, mostly by Muslim Jihadists.  Another case of the criminals given preferential treatment over those they attack and kill.  And England is ramping up their “thought police” division, even threatening to extradite people from other countries — including the US — if they’re caught posting “misinformation” of any kind on social media.

Here in the US, Michigan’s Secretary of State has joined this Globalist agenda by asking voters to fight “election misinformation” by reporting on their neighbors.  We all know what a wide net can be cast when the powers-that-be start talking about “misinformation.”  Legitimate COVID cures were deemed “misinformation” and “disinformation” and doctors and other health professionals lost their licenses — and everything they had — for simply stating that Vitamins C and D were helpful for COVID.  The censorship we experienced then has only gotten worse today.  Now, we’re attacked for simply reporting that an illegal invader raped a local woman.  That’s not misinformation. It’s the truth. But it’s an inconvenient truth for those who are importing the illegals, and therefore, it won’t be long before such reporting becomes a “hate crime.”

Meanwhile, the city of Minneapolis has just become the first in the nation to allow the hideous  Islamic call to prayer to play five times a day, at all hours of the day, throughout the city.  They compare it to “church bells.”  But these prayers involve asking Allah for the death of Christians and Jews, five times a day, every day.

Meanwhile, in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, a man was confronted by “Mall Cops” at the Mall of America for wearing a T Shirt with the words “Jesus Saves.” He was told he could either change his shirt or be cited and removed for trespassing.  I was recently told by someone who works at the Mall of America that very few Americans shop there anymore.  “It’s almost completely Muslim,” he said.  Non-Muslims avoid the place, and stores are shutting down.  And while Islam has now conquered England, Christians are being arrested for praying silently outside abortion centers there.  And Canada has taken online censorship to levels that have American Communists salivating.

We have much to pray about as the foreign residents among us rise higher and higher above us and we sink lower and lower…and even more to pray about as truth — even the BIBLE — is now considered “hate speech,” or a “thought crime.”  And posting on social media today doesn’t just get you into a war of words with others on the platform — in many places, it can get you arrested and jailed.  George Orwell’s “1984” wasn’t meant to be an instruction manual, but that’s what it’s become as we continue the “progress” of this Godless world, with the “woke mind virus.”

Rob Pue