Monthly Archives: April 2020

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Morning News Round Up

I’VE HAD SIMILAR THOUGHTS. China Is Preparing to Start a War with America

“China is on the clock. Today, it is formidable, with a sophisticated and capable military. The Chinese may be able to win a confrontation, even a war, with the United States. Under Obama’s policy of surrender, China had a chance of overtaking us economically while growing its military until its primacy was a fait accompli. But Trump killed that dream with his trade war, exposing the inherent weaknesses of the Chinese economy. And should the aftermath of the pandemic play out without interference, China’s position in the world will be irreparably damaged.”

YOU KNOW HIS MUSIC. RIP BILL WITHERS (1938 – 2020). Bill Withers, Who Sang ‘Lean on Me’ and ‘Lovely Day,’ Dies at 81 I still think his original of “Lean on Me” was the best rendition among all the covers that inevitably followed. That song, in particular, reminds me of Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

If there is a load you have to bear
That you can’t carry
I’m right up the road
I’ll share your load
If you just call me

CHURCHES GONNA CHURCH. Should Churches Violate Shutdown Orders? The Answer Is More Complicated Than You Might Imagine. It is complicated and I have my concerns about any authority getting the chance to tinker with top-down control. But, for now, the right thing to do is cooperate with society and help stop the virus.

“Many churches—I dare say most—after weighing their options, have decided to obey the commands to love their neighbors by doing what they can to halt the spread of the virus and are submitting to stay-at-home orders issued by the governing authorities.”

NANCY PELOSI DIDN’T KNOW WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT. IN FACT, MOST POLITICIANS DON’T. OUR BETTERS AREN’T REALLY BETTER.
HT: Instapundit

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Morning News Round Up

YOU CAN PROBABLY MEASURE THE FEAR FACTOR WITH THIS. March Gun Background Checks Set New NICS Record

“NCIS reports 3,740,688 checks were performed in March, which is the most recorded checks since the National Instant Check System began in 1998.”

SPEAKING OF DISCRIMINATION … Bill de Blasio to ‘Monitor’ Samaritan’s Purse Coronavirus Emergency Hospital for ‘Discrimination’

“I said immediately to my team that we had to find out exactly what was happening,” de Blasio told the Post. It seems he was concerned that Samaritan’s Purse would “discriminate” against those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). “Was there going to be an approach that was truly consistent with the values and the laws in New York City, that everyone would be served and served equally?”

NEVER LET A CRISIS GO TO WASTE. NY Unions to Amazon: It Sure Would Be a Shame If Anything Happened to Your Company, Jeff Bezos.

“The unions are using this moment to put the squeeze on grocery delivery services throughout the country, encouraging work stoppages and strikes. This at a time when vulnerable people who can’t go to the store themselves are dependent on deliveries to get groceries.

THIS FROM THE PAPER PEDDLING THE RUSSIA HOAX FOR THREE YEARS AS FACT. New York Times Seizes on Coronavirus to Demonize ‘Anti-Science’ Evangelical Christians

“These op-eds highlight the growing animus against conservative Christians among American elites, a sociological phenomenon documented by professors George Yancey and David Williamson in their book So Many Christians, So Few Lions: Is There Christianophobia in the United States. The sociology professors focus on bias against conservative Christians, arguing that this “Christianophobia” is as real as the animus against Muslims and Jews.”

THERE HAS TO BE A RECKONING WITH CHINA WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER. Unemployment claims in Illinois top 178,000 as national applications hit 6.6 million, breaking record

“Nationally, the Labor Department reported a record-breaking almost 6.65 million people made their first applications for unemployment benefits during the week that ended March 28.

“Compared with a week earlier, applications for the financial assistance doubled, as a staggering 3.3 million more people filed initial claims, and the previous week’s level of 3.28 million claims was revised up by 24,000 applications.

“Only two weeks ago, in the week that ended March 21, only 282,000 initial claims for benefits were filed nationally.”

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Begin with the end in mind

The bit of common sense making up my headline can be applied to every project, proposal or plan ever created. If you’re going to undertake something worth your time and effort, it’s most efficient if you have an idea of what you’re trying to accomplish and why you think it’s necessary.

Of course, not everyone applies that dictum to what they do, which is why countless efforts fail and Stephen R. Covey made a fortune selling it.

I mention this because I’m launching daveolsson.com today without much fanfare but with a specific end in mind: becoming part of our national conversation about culture and politics.

There are plenty of people who already occupy that space with trenchant—and often witty—insight (see some of them in my Frequent Haunts list, right). But there are two reasons I want to contribute:

  1. I have a point of view that I think is under-represented in the national conversation. As a politically conservative evangelical Christian, not only is my point of view unappreciated by the culture at large, but the loudest voices seem to be openly hostile to such a viewpoint.
  2. I believe that whether or not my voice is “winning” in the marketplace of ideas, more citizens like me need to speak up. I’m nobody special; just a guy with a love of God and country who has a keyboard and an Internet connection. But there’s a lot of us out here and we need to be heard.

Over the years I’ve learned to be candid about what I think. Some people like it, some people don’t. For me, it’s too much work to make sure everybody’s happy. What you read here is one guy’s take on our shared American life as one nation, under God.

You’re welcome to tag along—and I hope you do. Bookmark this site, tell a friend or two, and share content you think is worth knowing about.