Peevish Post: The Comment Google Plus Ate

This is not a full-length post either, although it's possible that Google + thought it was long enough to be one, especially now that it's been typed out at full length with the links cited. I read this round of haiku:

https://stardreamingwithsherrybluesky.blogspot.com/2018/08/is-this-land-my-land-is-this-land-your.html

I don't know this blogger well enough to know whether person is genuinely distressed, or is just another Democrat flogging that poor old dead meme about Republicans being racists. But in any case, a few quick data points showing that Progress Has Been Made:

1. Even if Trump fell out with a former "Apprentice," names and photos of his appointees show representation of ethnic minorities, women, and the younger generation at high levels of his administration. Could be more; could be fewer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Donald_Trump

Trump was born into a White man's world. He is not, never was, and will probably never learn to talk like a gentleman. He has learned that White men no longer own the world merely by being White or male. Even if he still uses the ugly, nasty slang that...I do know some baby-boomers who I would believe have never said all the naughty words Trump ever tweeted, but they're all either women or clergymen. (In the 1980s even women and clergymen said things like "grab'em by the short hairs" or "hit'em where it hurts," which are basically sanitized equivalents of Trump's famous line, so let's move on please.)

I'm not claiming any accurate inside information about whether Trump has seriously converted to Christianity or become less of the selfish jerk he's widely believed to be. I am citing evidence that, if his selfishness ever was more racist or sexist than merely selfish, he's at least learned that that doesn't work any more.

2. That "White Nationalist" rally that triggered so much angst last week? Twenty-some White Nationalists were nonviolently stared down by hundreds, maybe "thousands," of anti-racists counter-demonstrators.

http://reason.com/blog/2018/08/12/punch-a-nazi-in-the-face-antifa-says-wor

(I saw a cartoon version this morning on Twitter; didn't retweet, and won't link, because the caricature of the "damp, sad" White Nationalists was inaccurate in an unhelpful way, but its primary point was that the media were ignoring the evidence of progress and screaming about the mere existence of a remarkably unsuccessful fringe group.)

3. From a discussion I was able to find only because I'd saved my Disqus record as a Word document: the Atlanta correspondent's observation was similar to mine.

"
AtlantaDude

I'm sure it had some effect, but the type of people who get up in arms about "NY values" were not previously supporting Trump, but mostly Cruz or Carson.

I say this as someone living in the Deep South.
"

4. And then, from Twitter this morning...Residents of thoroughly segregated neighborhoods choose to open an integrated charter school:

https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/08/charter_school_opens_doors_as.html

Progress is well and truly being made, Gentle Readers.

Amazon link? Have all of you read the books that explain why the grandfather of all "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" thought was an Independent, as are those of us who've learned from him? For those who don't know, the thing about Thomas Sowell was that, besides being fiscally conservative, socially liberal, and Black, he had the gift of explaining economics to people who don't have the math gene. You may actually enjoy reading: