It's impossible to watch the news or log online without seeing the hellish images and videos of the fires that consumed Los Angeles. Behind the obvious and pressing human tragedy, there is also an American tragedy. The most affected areas of the city represent Old California: 1920s Hollywood, the California of the American dream. The grand, sunny optimism that built this California was as dead as its builders themselves. But it wasn't old age that killed his spirit. It was the politicians.
California is effectively being plundered by the Democrats. True, California's climate has changed over the centuries since the grand buildings and mansions of the Palisades were built, but everyone knew that. We knew the risks and had the resources to contain and mitigate them, but some players were moving elsewhere, including the city's dangerous and growing homeless population and undocumented immigrants. I made a conscious decision to spend the money.
It's true that Americans have an incredibly short political memory, but the political impact hasn't even really begun.
State and city politicians are always quick to blame their misdeeds and misfortunes on faraway forces, but the real problem is clearly visible. Dry brush that could have easily been removed easily leads to ignition, but the Democrats did not remove it. Landowners were restricted by Democrats from cutting down dead and dry trees that provide habitat for local wildlife and food for fires. Democrats diverted millions of dollars from firefighting to programs for the perpetually homeless and illegal immigrants. The Democrat, who oversees the fire department, emphasized “diversity, equity and inclusion” over skills and qualifications. Even though it had been years since the last major drought, strict restrictions on watering lawns were still being enforced by Democrats.
parable – parable — You start with the assumption that climate change has contributed to the fires, but there is no shortage of reports on the issue, knowledge of how to prevent fires, and funding to prepare for the danger. Los Angeles has the third largest budget of any city in the country, behind New York City and Chicago.
We can say all day long that “global warming is the reason we don't have homework,” but that's not the reason why the city's water pressure couldn't keep up and the fire hoses stopped working. The sad reality is that a mob of incompetent local politicians and environmentalists plundered Los Angeles' budget and turned the Palisades into a tinderbox in the process. And now no one wants to talk about it.
Democratic Mayor Karen Bass was literally visiting Ghana on taxpayers' money. She didn't take questions. If she were a character in a Hollywood movie, she could not have portrayed the depredations of Los Angeles so perfectly.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) then shifted questions about California Democrats' incredible inefficiency to “local residents.” Local mothers chased him down the street to demand answers for the lack of relief.
Joe Biden, who is actually still president, held a press conference in Santa Barbara. I proudly boasted told reporters about his first great-grandchild. This was a remarkable accomplishment, far removed from the dire needs of Americans just 90 miles to the south. Remember when President George W. Bush inspected the damage from Hurricane Katrina from above to avoid diverting ground resources to his safety? He was crucified because of his prudence. Diversion of resources and even fires didn't seem to be on Biden's mind.
It's true that Americans have an incredibly short political memory, but the political impact is truly huge. It hasn't even started. Even if it were possible, it would take weeks to count the damage and years to rebuild. Reconstruction itself may be more politically risky than a firestorm, given the incredible restrictions placed on California law by nature-first environmentalists and their lawyers.
If the Notre Dame Cathedral fire taught us anything, it's that we can rebuild beautiful things if we choose to. The Sunshine State doesn't want that. Specifically, she won't even allow that. Even allowing it would be a disaster. Basic projects take years and bureaucratic pressures unnecessarily inflate costs. Take the high-speed rail debacle. The mayor is done here. If Newsom does not abandon these restrictions almost completely, his own ambitions will be severely compromised.
Then there's insurance. Private companies have largely withdrawn from home insurance in fire-prone areas, including affected areas, after Democrats limited interest rate increases. As a result, some residents dropped their insurance altogether, while others purchased insurance through the state's marketplace. Insurers warned in early 2024 that their finances were unstable and they would not be able to meet needs in the event of a major disaster.
“Global warming” and “Donald Trump” have served as useful boogeymen for years. The sad reality is that societies only wake up to their weaknesses, political lies, and depredations when a disaster or enemy approaches and they realize how much they have withered. That's why disasters like the new coronavirus may have been worth the pain. You cannot treat the disease until you know what is causing it or who is poisoning you.
When the lockdown was lifted, Americans suddenly realized their situation, like a drunk who gets up from his bar stool for the first time in the middle of the night and stumbles to the bathroom. I was leaning against the counter and staring at the moment right after the fire broke out. The way we look in the bathroom mirror.
Do you like what you see?
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Pillar: How Sharia law saved a child in a British hospital who was sentenced to death
Britain's decline is in full view. Few stories encapsulate the dystopian death penalty panel that rules this country better than the horrific cases of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans. The young children were sentenced to death by the government, despite the fierce opposition of their tortured parents and despite promises from foreign countries to transport them by plane (and pay for them). (for this reason) to continue treatment overseas. But then something strange happened. A Muslim child has been allowed to leave the country on a Vatican plane for continued treatment at an Italian hospital, where small but important improvements have already been made. How did this happen? Edward Condon reports:
One of the stories that caught my attention over Christmas, and one that I would have analyzed thoroughly if I hadn't vowed not to work over the holidays, is that of seven-year-old Tafida Raqib. This brought about a new development in the case. A 1-year-old girl spent years on life support after suffering a traumatic brain injury at age 4.
In 2019, Tafida's doctors in the UK went to court to request that her treatment be withdrawn, over the fierce objections of her parents, who deemed her a hopeless case and told the court they wanted her to die. I asked for it. British doctors have famously filed similar petitions in recent years, including the case of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans, whose parents were ordered by a court to watch their child die.
As with Charlie and Alfie, the Vatican offered to airlift Tafida to a hospital in Italy, where she could continue her treatment. However, unlike in the case of Charlie and Alfie, the judge ruled that the parents could take their children elsewhere to receive life-sustaining treatment, effectively giving them a death sentence in the UK. She was allowed to leave the country.
She has been in a Vatican-owned hospital in Genoa for almost three years and appears to be breathing on her own, although British doctors have insisted this is unlikely.
Regardless, the judge cited “the sanctity of life” in her decision, a consideration that was conspicuously absent from the court's decision, but to me at the time her case was anything other than an ambiguity of judicial discretion. What made it different from the others was a complete mystery. The Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans Affair.
However, by Christmas, I read that the judge in the Tafida case clearly took into account the British Islamic Court's decision…
