Gen Z Don't Realize They're Rooting for Child Rape, Oppressing Women, Blame Biles...or the Nation Who Raised Her?, New Law Prevented WA Police From Pursuing Grand Theft Auto (The Five for 07/30/21)
Hey, welcome to The Five.
Be warned…this is the Commentary & Culture edition, but it’s a heavy one.
If you’re new and found this publication via social media, subscribe for free and receive The Five via email 2x/week, as I have a feeling I’m about to get smacked hard by the social media overlords.
[one]
The Taliban met up with Chinese Communist leaders this week to bash America.
While that sounds like the intro to a joke, it’s not. That’s the photo above. In the meeting, Chinese leader Wang Yi mocked the U.S. for the coming August 31st troop withdrawal, and praised the Taliban as a key to “peace” in the region during his sit down with terrorist leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, according to The Daily Mail (UK).
Keep in mind, the Taliban are not the government of Afghanistan, but the longstanding extremist group looking to topple democracy and return to power, which will likely happen, now that the conflict in Afghanistan has shifted from U.S. + Local Democratic Forces vs. Terrorism to Terrorism + Communist Empire vs. Struggling Democracy.
China wants access to the resources in Afghanistan (natural gas, copper) and the Taliban wants weapons to slaughter civilians with (they killed over 100 this week). Match made in heaven, right?
From the Amnesty International human rights report on Afghanistan, which is partially controlled by the Taliban:
Violence against women and girls remained chronically under-reported, with women often fearing reprisals and lacking confidence in the authorities if they came forward. According to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), more than 100 cases of murder were reported during the year. Where these cases were reported, there was a persistent failure to investigate them. In some cases, victims of violence came under pressure from their communities or state officials to withdraw their complaints, or “mediation” was used to resolve complaints beyond the protection of the law. As a result, there was widespread impunity for the perpetrators of beatings, killings, torture and other ill-treatment, and corporal punishments.
The worst part of the report is that the country is a living hell for children:
Children continued to face harassment and sexual violence. Despite the sexual abuse of children being well-publicized, and the abusive practice of “bacha bazi” (male children being sexually abused by older men) being criminalized in 2018, the authorities made little effort to end impunity and hold perpetrators accountable.
Children lacked adequate opportunities to pursue their right to quality education. According to UNICEF, over 2 million girls remained out of school, and according to government figures about 7,000 schools in the country had no building. Large numbers of children continued to be pressed into forced labour or begging on the streets.
Meanwhile, at home, nearly half of young Americans are clamoring for the very form of government that’s actively supporting terrorists who rape children and think murder is no big deal.
From a report by The Action Institute:
Gen Z’s approval of socialism also crept up nine points since last year (49% favorable in 2020, compared to 40% in 2019). The results come from the newest edition of the “Report on U.S. Attitudes Toward Socialism, Communism, and Collectivism” – which is commissioned annually by the Victims of Communism Memorial (VOC) and conducted by YouGov.
But the latest VOC poll, which was released Wednesday, contains an internal contradiction:
Americans increasingly distrust the government to take care of their interests, with 87% saying they trust themselves over the government and their community (a 7% increase from 2019). This is especially the case in younger generations, with only 6% of Gen Z and 5% of Millennials trusting the government to take care of their interests, down 8% and 11% from 2019, respectively.
How can young Americans distrust the government to look after their interests yet endorse socialism, which entrusts the government with the power to redistribute wealth, direct all economic activity, and control their access to such necessities as healthcare?
The poll’s results highlight two simple answers: ignorance of socialism and a jaundiced view of the United States induced by critical theory.
All this is happening against the backdrop of young (Socialist/Communist) Americans and the mainstream media alike ignoring or openly condemning Cuban (and Haitian) refugees risk their lives to flee Communism (and corrupt government officials) who are turned away from the U.S. while millions of Latin Americans cross the Texas border and (mostly) get into the U.S.
People fleeing Cuba and Haiti by boat will not be allowed to enter the U.S., even if they demonstrate fear of being persecuted or tortured in their home countries, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned on Tuesday.
"Allow me to be clear: if you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States," Mayorkas said, highlighting the dangers of traversing the Caribbean Sea and the Florida Straits by boat.
If you didn’t believe it white privilege before, now is the time to start.
Because it sure as hell is white privilege for young (most likely rich) Caucasians to march through the streets of San Francisco under the banner of Communism while women are beheaded and children are raped in by Communist-backed terrorists in Afghanistan and our own government sends refugees back to the Cuban Communist government for imprisonment, torture and possibly execution.
The Five is a publication that’s with a 60/40 right/left leaning readership, and it’s one of my proudest accomplishments that I’ve earned trust across the political spectrum.
I’ve never written with this much anger in this publication in the past, but I’ve also never seen such madness in the borders of my own nation.
The young people of this country are rooting for hell on earth, and they don’t know it.
They’re on the side of child molestation and oppressing women, and they’re blind to it.
They march through the streets against human rights, and they don’t understand it.
We must counter this. Not with violence or anger, but with reasoned conversation, compassion…and an open hand to return to believing what is true in the world.
Communism damn near destroyed the world in the 20th century, and will again, if given the chance.
The Millennials and Gen Z’ers do not understand the fire they’re playing with. They are not bad people, they just got swept up in a bad idea.
We must help them see…with reason and patience. People don’t change their minds on major ideas overnight.
Be kind, but never back down.
Speak the truth.
Because the cost of losing this debate against Communism in our own borders is unfathomable.
[two]
You might be tempted to say “you just wrote about that last week,” it’s (more or less) the same story, but with a different athlete.
I’ll confess that when I wrote the story of Naomi Osaka refusing to do mandated media interviews and dropping out of competition due to “being introverted” (which, again, is a personality trait, not a disability) I had a fair amount of bias against the tennis pro, who has a history of similar behavior.
However, I’d call myself a fan of US gymnast Simone Biles, arguably the greatest in the history of her sport.
This week, Biles simply withdrew from competition this week due to “pressure,” and sat out of an Olympic event.
Only, as the women’s gymnastics team final approached on Tuesday night, something felt off. And the athlete widely considered the Greatest of All Time in her sport knew it.
So rather than push through the doubts that crept into her head as she’s done so many times in the past, Biles decided enough was enough. She was done. For now.
The American star withdrew from the competition following one rotation, opening the door for the team of Russian athletes to win gold for the first time in nearly three decades.
Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum guided the U.S. to silver while Biles cheered from the sideline in a white sweatsuit, at peace with a decision that revealed a shift not only in Biles but perhaps the sport she’s redefined.
“We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day we’re human, too,” Biles said. “So, we have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.”
My friend Craig Dunham (subscribe to his Substack) pointed out on Twitter that Biles attitude to simply quit stands in stark contrast to Kerri Strugg’s incredible gymnastic performance in 1996, when the American Kerri Strugg pulled off the impossible despite a horrific injury.
In the vault competition, Strugg tore two ligaments in her ankle, and limped over to her coach, Bela Karoyla, who told her “Kerri, we need you to go one more time. We need you to go one more time for gold.”
Strugg made her second jump flawlessly, and managed to land on both feet and even salute the judges before collapsing in agony.
After using every last bit of strength and willpower in the final jump, Strugg had to be carried to the podium for the medal ceremony
As a twist of fate, both gymnasts were squaring off against the Russians when the critical moment came. Strugg stole gold from the Russians, and Biles handed medals to them.
The world will go on without American gold in the 2021 Olympic gymnastics competition. Biles will continue to be a very beloved, talented and very rich athlete.
But I can’t shake the feeling that something happened to America in the space between these two competitions.
Before we put too much blame on Biles, it's best to step back and look at quitting under pressure as a trend.
Both Millennials and Gen Z were raised with a heavy emphasis on self (esteem, care…just self, rather than a wider view of the world).
As a result of this and several other factors, both my generation and the one below it appear to be lonely and lost (and crippled by anxiety).
On one hand, Biles is an adult, and responsible for her own decision…and whatever consequences that decision brings.
On the other, she is a very young adult…and the generation that raised Gen Z did not prepare her generation to handle what the world can throw at you.
[three]
This week, Bloomberg beseeched grandparents to stop babysitting their grandkids in favor of money and hobbies:
The biggest losses from taking care of grandchildren are what economists call opportunity, or indirect, costs. Filling your days with watching your grandchildren means you miss the chance to pursue other interests and interact with other adults.
Even more important, at least financially, you forgo the opportunity to earn money. Let’s say you took care of a child whose parents paid you; at $20 an hour, you could earn $400 a week, just for a part-time role. That money could be saved, or used to pay down debt or invest in your health. Even if you think you're financially secure, there could be high, unknown costs down the road as you age.For those who retire prematurely to help out with babysitting, it's even worse. By working longer, you may get more Social Security credits to be eligible for benefits, contribute more to retirement accounts and potentially have more health benefits.
There may be health risks to consider, too. While there could be other benefits to interacting with children, such as keeping depression at bay and staying mentally sharp, grandparents spending time with young children could be exposed to more germs. A vaccinated grandparent could still contract Covid-19 if exposed to an unvaccinated child for long periods of time.
There are emotional costs to weigh as well. Taking care of children is rewarding, but it can be a grind. Grandparents may start to feel resentful or that they're being taken for granted if there isn't enough appreciation expressed.
I mean, sure, all this is true.
It’s also true that if you have even one friend, that friend might ask you to help them move.
And if you stay in touch with your parents rather than cut them off completely and move to a new address, they might ask you to take them to the doctor at some point.
British novelist and philosopher C.S. Lewis put it this way.
There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.
If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.
But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.
This week, Bloomberg pointed its readership straight down the path of hell.
That’s not to say that grandparents have to babysit.
Or that all grandparents should babysit.
Heck, I’m not even terribly interested in the specific childcare arrangements of families I don’t know.
What does concern me is the blatant me-first narcissism that’s now being preached as virtue.
Last weekend, my two year old cried hysterically because I told her this full grown American Bison couldn’t live in the basement with the dog. This was a tough (and very weird) hour of my life, but it didn’t make me reconsider whether or not I should have swapped out the time comforting my toddler over…not allowing a 3,500 lb mammal to live in the basement…for more time working or playing video games or something.
Lewis is correct, all worthwhile relationships are difficult.
Yes, money is important. Yes, time to yourself is important. But, beware of anyone selling those things as the focal point of your life, or you’ll have a very empty one.
[four]
A bearded man in a yellow sundress was released from a mental institution in Washington state, then promptly stole a school bus
Saturday morning, Andrew Loudon, 39, was released from Western State Hospital in Lakewood and made his way to Leavenworth over two and a half hours away. He then allegedly stole a yellow school bus, drove it an hour and 40 minutes to Moses Lake, then abandoned the vehicle.
He then hitchhiked through Spokane to Chewelah, where he stole a front-end loader and eventually crashed into his own home, while flipping a car into a nearby structure in the process.
Loudon’s estranged wife was in the house at the time but fled when she got word that he might be coming back.
Reading between the lines,
The whole thing could have been prevented, but new state legislation (House Bill 1310) does not allow Washington law enforcement to pursue a vehicle unless:
There exists probable cause for a violent offense, sex offense or escape
Pursuit is necessary to identify or arrest the suspect
The driver is immediately threatening others, or failing to arrest them may threaten others
A supervisor has provided authorization to pursue
The Pierce County Sherrif’’s Office had previously forewarned:
"The largest impact for our residents will be the changes to our ability to pursue after a suspect who is fleeing in a vehicle. Law enforcement officers will only be able to engage in a pursuit if there is "probable cause" to arrest a person in the vehicle for committing a specified violent crime or sex offense such as murder, kidnapping, drive-by shootings, or rape."
While I’m fully open to hearing about legislation to improve policing and public safety, this extreme (and odd, and true) example points to Washington’s HB 1310 as a law that only diminishes public safety while protecting active criminals from arrest.
We're seeing new examples each week that the cultural push towards defunding the police, while all the rage with celebs, is harming the innocent.
[five]
Note: Substack has a word count limit, so I had to keep the pop culture roundup a little more brief this week:
I’ll confess to being one of the few members of the late Gen-Z/Elder Millennial age group who’s never seen any of the Ghostbusters movies (I think there were two…in the 80’s? And a remake with one of the main actors from SNL in the 2010’s?) Anyway, the new one, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, looks pretty cool, although I don’t understand that world at all. First trailer here.
I was so-so on Zack Snyder’s heist-meets-horror Army of the Dead, but the Netflix prequel Army of Thieves, with Game of Thrones Nathalie Emmanuel in a lead role, looks excellent, from the first trailer. Streaming this fall.
Might as well hand the Oscar for Best Picture to Ridley Scott now, for House of Gucci, featuring Lady Gaga (A Star is Born), Adam Driver (Star Wars VII, VIII, IX) and a completely unrecognizable Jared Leto (Dallas Buyer’s Club, Fight Club) who endured five hours of makeup and prosthetic application before each day’s filming. The story centers around a murder in the famous fashion family. See the trailer.
MUSIC NEWS: A one-copy-only album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” by legendary hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan was sold for $7.4 million in 2014 by hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli. A year later, Shkreli was arrested and charged with fraud, and much of his property (including the album) was seized by the federal government. Now, the U.S. government…will auction off the only copy of a Wu Tang Clan album (I can’t believe that sentence is correct). ||| MTV debuted 40 years ago today. Here’s a playlist of the first 100 videos the network aired. ||| Minor Threat invented the Washington DC hardcore punk sound in the 1980’s, but were very short lived. Now, 00’s bro-rock singer Joshua Todd of Buckcherry fame (cough: infamy) wants the innovative outfit to regroup with him as the frontman, which is both the stupidest and most offensive thing I’ve read in pop culture in 2021. This is the equivalent of a McDonald’s fry cook demanding head chef status at a MICHELIN starred restaurant.
NEW MUSIC: Gen Z megastar Billie Eilish releases her second album Happier Than Ever, NEETOBREATHE return with Into the Mystery and frequent Taylor Swift collaborator Jack Antonoff’s band Bleachers drops their third LP, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, whith notable guest appearances from Bruce Springsteen and Lana Del Rey. British country/soul artist Yola follows up her Grammy winning debut with Stand for Myself, which is riding on too much disco influence for me, but is a big release this week.
Until the next one,
-sth