Archive for the ‘culture’ Category

Is America resembling the French Revolution?

Posted: June 17, 2023 by navygrade36bureaucrat in crime, culture
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On a recent visit to Colonial Williamsburg, I had the good fortune to listen to a speech by a Marquis de Lafayette re-enactor. He was good. He was really, really good. After his speech I chatted with him, and he recommended reading the book Lafayette by Harlow Unger. So I grabbed it off Audible and over the past two weeks it has entertained me on my drive to work.

If you need a book to read or listen to, get this one. Unger does a great job of being historically accurate while remaining interesting. He highlights not just the events that happened, but the personal relationships and how they influenced history. While I knew about Lafayette from my time studying the Battle of Yorktown, I did not know about how pivotal his financial contributions to the Revolutionary War were, nor how important he was to opening French markets to America after the war.

But perhaps the most stunning portions of the book relate to the French Revolution. Unger does not mince words describing how Lafayette blundered trying to replicate the liberty and ideas from the American Constitution into France. At multiple times, Lafayette turned down opportunities to lead his country in establishing a constitutional monarchy or a republic, which eventually fell into the hands of terrible men like Robespierre and Danton, whose bloodlust plunged France into terribly bloody revolution that likely killed over 1 million citizens and 2.5 million military in the ensuing wars. Random people were pulled off the street, beheaded and then had their heads displayed on pikes. Unger’s direct quotes from a multitude of direct sources, many of them Americans such as Thomas Jefferson. None mince words describing the horror of mob rule. While Lafayette himself would escape execution, France was never the same again.

The beheading of Robespierre, which “ended” the Reign of Terror in France

The chapters that describe the fall of France’s government were telling in that they had many parallels to modern-day America. The gradual descent into lawlessness, while good men either sat idly by or refused to take action, seems eerily reminiscent of the descent of many large American cities into chaos following BLM-related riots. The takeover of the government by the Jacobins, who seemed to lust only for more blood and power, resembles so many statements from prominent lawmakers, whether its to strike down white women from positions of authority, kill Trump supporters, or call people a threat to democracy. In French Revolution fashion, its even OK for people to display a severed head of a politician. I’m just surprised it wasn’t placed on a pike.

Anyone clamoring for revolution should read about the horrors of the French Revolution, and how multiple missed opportunities for a peaceful removal of the King resulted in massive violence that plunged France into darkness. Anyone who thinks they will run the mob should read about how Robespierre and Danton both faced the very guillotine that they used to execute thousands of their own countrymen. Anyone that thinks we should strive for this style of revolution is a madman.

This post represents the views of the author and not those of the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, or any other government agency.

…And Faith in Louisiana

Posted: June 12, 2023 by datechguy in catholic, catholic devotions, culture, Vive L'Empereur
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I Like to think I’m a faithful Catholic. I don’t miss a weekend mass, make daily mass when I wake up on time (I get home from work between 12:35-12:45 AM) regularly go to confession, host a show called “Your Prayer Intentions” on WQPH 89.3 FM Shirley/Fitchburg and even am the author of a book titled: “Hail Mary the Perfect Protestant (and catholic) Prayer”.

But this guy: Ross McKnight He’s the real thing:

McKnight is a descendent of those Arcadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia by the British during their conquering of Canada in the French and Indian Wars and made their way to Louisiana eventually becoming known as Creoles. He has not forgotten his ancestors embracing both the French Language and the deep Catholic faith that said ancestors share. He supports his family by raising animals poultry at his Farm in a manner that would make the greenest of greens blush with pride:

When you visit Backwater Farmstead, the first thing you’ll notice is the greenery. We committed a long time ago to running our animals in systems that contribute to pasture fertility, and so, at the root of it – so to speak – we’re grass farmers. When the grass is healthy, the diverse biota that the poultry munch on have a good habitat, and, believe it or not, grass itself makes up a significant portion of our birds’ diet.

And if this isn’t enough to prove his environmentally sound credentials his company Backwater Foiegras as the name implies produces this very French delicacy along with specialty poultry seasonally. French Guinea fowl, Freedom Ranger chickens, Pekin ducks, and geese and Creole Bresse chicken. their diet: pasture, corn raw milk from the family cow. No GMOs and a local breed of sheep as well who are as his site indicates: “strictly grass fed”

But Mr. McKnight is dedicated to more than supporting his wife and five kids by raising animals, he’s dedicated to his Catholic Faith. So at the beginning of the month of June, a month long dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the Church, suggested the following antidote to the “coup of the month of June”

1. As is our tradition, enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home this month, and place your family under the protection of the furnace of Christ’s most merciful love.

2. Wear the Sacred Heart as a badge wherever you go! If you know your history, you’ll know that it was meant to be the livery of France (and was that of the Vendéens)!

3. Pray the Rosary for the conversion of souls. Pray it in French.

4. Check out my most recent journal entry on our website.

For God and the King! For God the King! Pour Dieu et Le Roi ! Pour Dieu Le Roi !

A very French Catholic post by a proud Arcadian Catholic.

Alas however some of his biggest buyers, no matter how much they might like the quality of his products and his methods of farming, can not tolerate any dissent to the march of Pride month, particularly one based firmly in faith and as the Federalist reported the responses came fast and furious.

Within a few hours of his Instagram post, several of McKnight’s customers, some of whom he had a personal relationship with, began canceling their orders. This included McKnight’s biggest clients — two high-end New Orleans restaurants that previously committed to buying from him throughout the summer.

And how did he respond? Well in the way you might expect a Faithful Catholic to respond

Since his Instagram post, nearly two-thirds of McKnight’s business has evaporated, putting him and his family in a dire financial situation. Yet when interviewed by The Federalist, McKnight expressed a baffling sense of peace and even joy. “There’s that animal need to have food and shelter and clothing — certainly,” and “I’m concerned,” said McKnight. “But I don’t know how to precisely explain myself … I’ve lost everything overnight, but the suffering is valuable,” he said. 

That last sentence could have been written by St. Faustina herself. He had this to say in his latest response on Instagram:

It would be difficult to miss the fact that we are Catholics who sincerely hold what Holy Mother Church teaches.

Subsisting upon the realities of the Faith instills certain motivations and desires, one of those well-ordered desires being to make beautiful things, hence the very existence of our foie gras farm.

Recently, we received two texts from two restaurant owners who have decided that they’ve had enough of our Catholicism based on our latest Instagram feed post and have cancelled their large, recurring orders.

One of these restaurant owners had a long-standing relationship with us.

While we’ve never required our customers to pass a litmus test before serving them, it seems our values, which come from lives lived as Louisiana Catholics, are considered unacceptable by some.

We count it a privilege to have lost much.

It is an honor to participate, through the suffering of our family, in the triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

As I said at the start of this post I like to think I’m a faithful Catholic but I’ve never had to risk all to back it up. At my age I have few ambitions left, but as the culture continues to sink and the price of faith continues to rise in our society my ambition would be to be to match the faith of Mr. McKnight when and if the time for testing comes.

Postscript: I’m not a foiegras guy but if what he’s selling is something you might find appealing you can check it out here.

Tom Hagan Math in Canada…

Posted: June 12, 2023 by datechguy in culture
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Right now the left has the Gays and the Transgenders and the Hollywood elites & media in which they are overrepresented and they figure that’s the best things to have, but in America Islam is a thing of the future.  In 20 years the children of Muslims now being raised on the tenets of Sharia law in America will be old enough to vote and Democrats [are] going to make sure they get those votes when the time come, not now but 10-20 years from now.

Datechguyblog.blog The Ghastly Tom Hagen Math 2016

I was going to do a longer post on the subject but let’s cut to the chase. Take a look at this photo of school children stopping the gay flag, in Canada no less:

Via the Free beacon.

If these were children of Catholic, or even Protestant Parents they would be denounced all over the west, Canada’s draconian laws would be unleashed against them and their parents would be face legal proceedings for hate crimes, every talk show host would be on their case and people who do their best to have them fired from any jobs they held. Perhaps even proceedings launched to take custody of these children from the parents who did this.

However these children and not Catholic, or Protestant or any Christian denomination. They are Muslims and while a lot more people are claiming to be gay, or binary or whatever the fad is to get credit for victim status the actual physical Muslim population of both the US and Canada is not only growing but continues to grow.

Reality is that the future belongs to those who show up and Canadian and American Pols know that in just a few years their elections just mind depend on those Muslim kids and someday their kids rather than the ultra libs who might have one kid who gets spayed because the school convinces them their transgender. So there will be silence.

Unexpected.

Oh and it doesn’t hurt to know that the Muslims all that shy when it comes to fighting back. If you think they’ll go after you for insulting Muhammad just wait till you try to touch one of their kids. That’s why you’ll never see Antifa tangle with them.

Bud Light and the Jon Sable Rule

Posted: June 8, 2023 by datechguy in culture, economy, Uncategorized
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Jon Sable: I get twenty five percent of anything I recover

Sherman: That’s kind of steep isn’t it?

Jon Sable: Depends on how you look at it. I figure 75% of something is better than 100% of nothing

Jon Sable Freelance Issue 8 1984

I’ve been watching headline after headline over the last several weeks about Bud Light’s sales down 10, 15 25% or more and for a lot of conservatives like me I find it very satisfying. The hit they have taken and will continue to take has resulted in headlines that are even more important, like this one:

In interviews with various executives, it is made clear that these companies are calculating all the costs and benefits of speaking out on a given topic. At least one company “uses an internal scoring system to determine if, and when, it makes sense for the company to comment on matters that may offend some of its customers and employees or affect its brands.” In light of recent events, though, this company “reexamined an older evaluation process.”

This is all to the good and if your goal is to stop companies from jumping onto the left’s bandwagon it’s a welcome development.

But if you are thinking this is going to cause Bud light to apologize or actually go under, forget it.

There is no way they are going to do so because they rightly figure all this will do is bring down the wrath of the left establishment who while smaller are relentless and supported by traditional and social media.

Secondly they’re not sure that this will get them back the customers they’ve lost. Bud light has become a symbol of something a vast swath of the population hates and too much time has passed for this to change.

But the third reason is the biggest one, and that’s the math.

Let’s assume that Anheuser-Busch is selling 25% Less Bud light then they did a year ago, that still means that they are selling 75% of the beer they were selling.

Now that 25% drop is a big deal when all that beer is already in the loop, but now enough time has passed so AB could cut production so you don’t have 1 out of every four bottles of Bud Light going bad.

Does that mean less profits, well sure. When you sell 75% of what you were selling a year ago that hurts your bottom line. Particularly if you’re producing 25% more of a product then you need.

But if you’re selling 75% of what you were a year ago and PRODUCING 75% less then you’re still making that profit on that 75% and not taking the loss on excess production and labor.

Would they rather be selling what they were before? Sure they would , but I think these guys aren’t going to take chances and let’s face it there are plenty of companies who would kill to have the level of sales that 75% of Bud Light’s former sales are.

Yeah we’ll still have fun headlines and even great stories like this:

The cousins founded Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB) in 2011 in their early 20s. They entered a partnership with the Craft Brew Alliance and eventually became part of Anheuser-Busch’s craft beer portfolio. AMB became known as the first brewery in Boone.

Recently, AMB became the first craft brewers to ever buy themselves back from Anheuser-Busch in a move that signals a win for the little guy in the beer circuit and another step forward for the state’s beer scene. Asheville has one of the highest amounts of breweries per capita in the U.S.

But the reality is that Bud Light as a brand isn’t going to die, it will be smaller and make less than it did, but it will still be alive and make a profit, just not as big as they used to.

As Ace Rothstein said at the end of the Movie Casino:

But in the end I wound up right back where I started. I could still pick winners and I could still make money for all kinds of people back home. So why mess up a good thing? So That’s that.

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