UPDATE III (2/18/023): ‘Underworld’ By Symphony X: A Triumph

Art, Human Accomplishment, Music, Pop-Culture

“Underworld” by progressive metal band Symphony X features evocative melodies, harmonic complexity, gorgeous arrangements, furious licks, sublime singing and impossible time-signature fluctuations. No contrapuntal incompetence in this outfit’s repertoire of abilities.

The CD is in the grand tradition of the band’s 2000 album “V: The New Mythology Suite,” down to the heroic, epic themes—except that Russell Allen’s voice has vastly improved. (How unusual an achievement is that with age?) And guitarist Michael Romeo has now establishment himself in the mind of this long-time lover of fine progressive metal—which means a handful of outfits ONLY—as far and away superior to Dream Theater’s John Petrucci. Another difficult feat. Dream Theatre, alas, is encumbered by singer James LaBrie (unless he too has improved with age).

ILANA Mercer
Author, Into the Cannibal’s Pot: Lessons for America from Post-Apartheid South Africa
Columnist, WND’s longest-standing, paleolibertarian weekly column, The Unz Review, America’s smartest webzine
Contributor, Townhall.com., American Greatness
Fellow, Jerusalem Institute for market Studies (JIMS)
www.ilanamercer.com

UPDATE I (9/20/020):

UPDATE II (6/23/021): Great Ballads.

 

UPDATE III (2/18/023): SYMPHONY X – “Without You” is one of the greatest rock ballads. Up there with “Silent Lucidity” by Queensrÿche

GOP Establishment Big Guns (‘The Kochtopus’) To Tackle Trump

Classical Liberalism, libertarianism, Media, Politics, Republicans

Megyn Kelly was first to galvanize the Koch Brothers, the big GOP guns, in her crusade against the one anti-establishment Republican candidate. Her love-in with Charles Koch exemplified the Barbara Walters school of “journalism,” so admired by Kelly. Kelly’s clucking and cooing over Koch was truly a disgraceful bit of journalism.

This libertarian’s curiosity was piqued when Kelly, who hates Trump, solicited comments from Koch about his ideological bent. Koch called himself a classical liberal, then scratched his nose in discomfort and went on to mischaracterize classical liberalism. Kelly was clueless, so she was unable to quiz Koch further.

In any case, it was obvious that Kelly was bringing out the GOP’s biggest ammunition against Trump. The Trump guy is doing something right if he’s angering the Koch kingmakers.

Although late in the day, the Wall Street Journal is hard on Kelly’s Jimmy Choo heels, featuring an article about Koch complaining about Trump:

… Asked whether he thinks the rise, and media coverage, of Donald Trump in the GOP field has distracted from serious policy discussions, he said, “Well, yeah. I mean, critical for a free society is tolerance,” an apparent reference to Mr. Trump’s comments about immigrants and women that some have called insensitive. …

“Talk to the hand,” the American people seem to be telling the establishment.

talk-to-the-hand

David Gordon details how “The Kochtopus” went up against Mr. Libertarian himself:

“The Kochtopus vs. Murray N. Rothbard”

UPDATED: Apology Rejected, Tony Blair: Go Jump In The Lake (U2 Zakaria Plagiarizer)

Britain, Colonialism, Democracy, Iraq

Tony Blair has belatedly apologized for helping launch, with buddy Bush, an aggressive, baseless war on Iraq that saw hundreds of thousands of Iraqi innocents killed, uprooted and displaced from their ancient homeland. More so than ISIS had those two war criminals guaranteed the decimation of the ancient christian communities in the region. (Don’t worry; a decade from now, y’all will have reached that realization and will apologize to us libertarians). “Blair’s apology,” notes a surprisingly mellow Justin Raimondo, “sounds more like an apologia.”

Idi Amin was considered a war criminal for lesser offenses (plus/minus 300,000 killed). Ditto Bashar Assad. “Iraq war liars,” like former British Prime Minister Blair, “knew then what we know now,” so the man’s flippant, expedient apologies are not to be accepted. People (like this writer and others, many of them in the intelligence community) who sounded the alarm were mocked, derided and worse: fired, libeled, maligned.

Prime Minister Blair addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on Thursday, July 17, 2003. Etched all over Blair’s address to Congress was the devotion to the “mystic [and, might I add, malevolent] idea of national destiny.” One particularly chilling dictate was this: “I know out there there’s a guy getting on with his life, perfectly happily, minding his own business, saying to you, the political leaders of this country, ‘Why me? And why us? And why America?’ And the only answer is, ‘Because destiny put you in this place in history, in this moment in time, and the task is yours to do.'”

The tyranny implied in Blair’s maudlin grandiosity should be obvious.

First, the little guy back home ought to be the one calling the shots, not Messrs. Messiah and Company. Second, before Blair joins Bush in rousing the “visionless” middle-class American from his uninspired slumber—The Great Redeemer thinks it’s below contempt to harbor a civilized desire to mind one’s own business and live in peace—he ought to take a look at the little guy back in England. (August 6, 2003)

Had Tony Blair even heard about his British philosophical forerunner, Gertrude Bell?

“Her writings [in the 1920s or thereabouts] about her experiences in the Middle East—particularly in Iraq—continue to be studied and referenced by policy experts in the 21st century.”

AND:

She portrays Iraqis who loathe foreign occupation yet worry about the alternative. She knows that the occupation is unsustainable and ineffective but she cannot contemplate total withdrawal. She recognizes that British colonial control is unworkable and that there must be an Arab government, but she finds the sacrifices and uncertainties hard to stomach. The situation, she concludes, is “strange and bewildering.”

In fact, the West knew in the 1920s what it knows now about Iraq and its propensity for democracy.

UPDATE: U2 Zakaria Plagiarizer. Do they ever get fired? Fareed Zakaria Serial Plagiarizer supported the war in Iraq, like most of America’s punditocracy, has never said a word worth heeding, and now he’s back to speak to the horrors of that invasion. When will the booboisie defect from Fox, CNN, MSNBC (which was not so bad on Iraq but lost the edge with Barack and Hillary’s wars)?

CNN boasts that Zakaria Serial Plagiarizer “asks tough questions of many of the key architects of America’s military intervention in Iraq over the last dozen years. Yes, 13 years after we libertarians were tearing our hair out over the war. Perhaps this useless bore (and his Republican counterparts) will get a Pulitzer.

The Best Family Is The One You Get To Choose

America, Family, Judaism & Jews

The best evening ever was had, last night, with The Vietnamese Family (we’re fortunate to have a Lebanese one, too). Thrown into a marvelous mix of individuals was a new black sister (who happens to be Jewish, too). First up is the exotically beautiful BFF—I don’t know if generous and kind, funny and animated come through in the pic, but she made the best lobster ever. There was good cheer, good humor and good spirits, double entendre intended. Yes, water is a superb drink when taken with the right spirits.

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