Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Germany is the only hope for Europe.

Here.

Here.

[T]he community of the left is a community of meaning, and is bound by ties that are fundamentally religious. For the non-religious, politics is the art of managing the possible. For the left, it is the path to social and personal redemption. This messianism is the left's political essence. For the left, politics is ultimately not about practical options on which reasonable people may reasonably differ. It is about moral choices that define one as human. It is about taking sides in a war that will decide the future of mankind and about whether principles like "social justice" will prevail. It is about us being on the side of the angels, and them as the party of the damned.

(David Horowitz, The Black Book of the American Left: The Collected Conservative Writings of David Horowitz, vol. II, Progressives [Los Angeles: Second Thoughts Books, 2013], 159 [italics in original])

Note from KBJ: This explains why people who go from progressivism to conservatism (like Horowitz and yours truly) are excommunicated (with great fanfare) from the progressive church. These apostates (as the Left sees them) have indicated by their choice(s) that they no longer adhere to the correct religion. They've gone over to the dark side. And what is worse, they threaten to "tell all" about what went on inside the church. I know more about progressivism than most progressives do. They know that I know this; they hate that I know this; and they do everything they can to silence me so that I can't or won't divulge it. I divulge it. Thank god I live in a place, and at a time, where I may speak the truth as I see it. There are times at which (and places in which) I would have been killed, imprisoned, or institutionalized for my heresy. I should say a word of thanks, too, for the institution of academic tenure, which allows me to move freely about the premises of the progressive church, making observations, striking up conversations, and seeing to it that the indoctrination of students into the progressive faith is less than complete.

By January 2017, we will have had eight years of Hope and Change. Joe Biden hopes to tack on at least four years of Dope and Strange.

The Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) begins today. Click the map to enlarge it.

To the Editor:

“Racial Wealth Gap Persists Despite Degree, Study Says” (Business Day, Aug. 17) mentions the role of inherited wealth in fueling the income gap between white, black and Hispanic college graduates. But financial capital is only one part of the problem.

Social capital—those quiet networks of professional contacts, friends of friends and well-placed family members—is equally important. Social capital is shared across affluent neighborhoods and passed down through generations, opening doors for its lucky recipients to prestigious internships, informational interviews and unadvertised job opportunities. You can see its impact in the fact that four out of five Americans find their jobs through people they know.

If policy makers truly want to make college a bridge to economic security, they need to not only reduce student debt, a focal point in politics today, but also institutionalize programs that spread social capital across racial, ethnic and income lines. While no single strategy can combat deep-rooted racism, access to networks and social capital opens an important pathway for diverse young people.

JESSICA PLISKA

New York

The writer is the founder and chief executive of the Opportunity Network, which helps low-income youths attend college and pursue careers.

Note from KBJ: What could it mean for policymakers to "institutionalize programs that spread social capital across racial, ethnic and income lines"? It sounds sinister.

Seven-Inning Felix (14-8) failed to live up his name again. He pitched only six innings (100 pitches) against the fourth-place Chicago White Sox, giving up four earned runs on nine hits, a walk, and a wild pitch. This increases his earned-run average to 3.74. (The league's leader is at 2.04.) He took the loss, which gives him a record of 3-3 and one no-decision since the All-Star Game. This is supposed to be the time of year when players bear down, especially when they're being paid $24.8 million. Felix is on track for 18 victories. He has never won 20 and he has never appeared in a playoff game.

Addendum: Seven-Inning Felix has no shortage of apologists. Here is a paragraph from the story:

"It just wasn't his night," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "His stuff was coming out crisp. He just elevated a couple change ups and they took advantage."

Here is what I would have said, were I his manager:

This is the time of year when highly paid players are supposed to perform. Felix knows that he is letting his team down, and I'm certain his teammates and the fans know it as well. I expect him to get his pitch count down and go into the eighth and ninth innings from now on. We're not talking about a fourth or fifth starter here. We're talking about an ace—someone who is paid to lead the team. When he leaves the game after six innings, having already thrown 100 pitches, he sets a bad example for his younger and less-experienced teammates. Felix needs to watch some video of Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, and Jack Morris.

McClendon is a sorry excuse for a manager. Instead of kicking Felix in the ass, McClendon coddles and apologizes for him.

This is a great album cover. The album is Off the Record, by Sweet (1977).

Oprah Winfrey has her own network: OWN. Now Donald Trump has his own network as well: CNN. Night after night, program after program, the network gives its airtime to him, for free. Tonight, for example, CNN televised Trump's pep rally from Alabama. A pep rally! In case you're wondering, I'm loving the Trump phenomenon. Do I think he can win the presidency? Yes. This doesn't mean I think he will win, only that I wouldn't be surprised if he does. I've called him a buffoon in this blog more than once, but now, having listened to him for several weeks in a variety of contexts, I think he's five steps ahead of everyone else. The man is a genius. Few of the "analysts" on CNN "get" him. Douglas Brinkley, for example, who is a hack historian, gave a laughably inept and partisan analysis this evening, in which he called Trump's view of immigration "nativism." Brinkley doesn't realize that Trump's frank language and bold ideas are precisely what endear him to so many Americans, and not just Republicans.