Archive for August, 2017

New York Times: Sex Was Better Under Communism – FrontPage Magazine


FrontPage Magazine
New York Times: Sex Was Better Under Communism
FrontPage Magazine
The predictable pitch is that Communist women had more leisure time because the government offered so many services. But in reality, there was far less leisure time under Communism. Indeed the focus of the Duranty 2.0 piece is on Warsaw Pact, rather ...
New York Times Magazine Sex Was Better for Women Under SocialismIndependent Journal Review

all 2 news articles »

Read more here:
New York Times: Sex Was Better Under Communism - FrontPage Magazine

Civil war ‘becoming real threat for South Africa’ – WND.com

Civil war is looming larger and larger as a threat in South Africa as the once-prosperous nation pursues a race-driven agenda that already has damaged to its neighbors to the north, says Charl Van Wyk, a longtime missionary in the troubled nation.

Its because of the current governments aggressive move towardcommunism, he explains.

We are going to see the same disaster in South Africa that weve seen further north of our borders, Van Wyk told WND in an interview.

Hes the author of Shooting Back, which documents an attack more than20 years ago on his church by terrorists intent on killing hundreds. His response was to pull a small handgun and return fire, a stunning move that disorganized the terrorists and left them running for their lives.

The descent into communism isnot a surprise, since Nelson Mandela, a former political prisonerand former president of South Africa was also a former communist.

The stunning story of aChristian missionary who wasin a South African worship service when terrorists attacked. And he shot back! The full details in are in book, and now movie, formats. Get Shooting Back, the bundle, now!

Recently uncovered links between Mandela and the South African Communist Party, or SACP, indicate Mandela was once an active communist agitator, a claim he vehemently denied while alive.

In 2011, British Historian Stephen Ellis released a paper announcing Mandela was indeed a former member of the SACP and was even on the influential Central Committee.

According to Ellis, Mandela joined the SACP several years before he was sentenced to life in prison.

The SACP led a guerrilla war against the South African government during apartheid. SACP bombings claimed the lives of scores of civilians, prompting the United States to classify the groupas a terrorist organization.

Though Mandela eventually left the SACP and joined the African National Congress, or ANC, the two groups were still prominent allies.

The Tri-Partite Alliance the African National Congress, the South African Communist Party and the labor federation COSATU cooperated closely in the fight against apartheid, according to Douglas Foster, an associate professor at Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism.

In fact, after Mandelas death, the SACP released a statement lauding his work as a communist ally.

To us as South African communists, [Comrade] Mandela shall forever symbolize the monumental contribution of the SACP in our liberation struggle. The contribution of communists in the struggle to achieve the South African freedom has very few parallels in the history of our country. After his release from prison in 1990, [Mandela] became a great and close friend of the communists till his last days, the statement read.

Further, the ANCs military force was communist-backed, receiving intelligence training from the East German Stasi, Ellis claims.

Weve had a major challenge with communism in South Africa, Van Wyk said. In fact, the African National Congress, Nelson Mandelas group, was completely communist backed. Both by China and Russia.

Now, the current president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, plans to dig deeper into communism, hoping to seize white farmers lands without compensation, according to the LondonTelegraph.

Zuma plans to unite the black parties in the parliament of South African to vote for the plan, as it would require a significant majority in parliament to change the law.

Van Wyk is terrified of such a policybeing implemented in South Africa and believes the country is on the brink of civil war.

As WND has reported extensively, South Africa is quickly spiraling into disarray as the current leftist government led by Mandelas party, the ANC, has begun implementing wealth-distribution schemes.

The terror attack that Van Wyk derailed in 1993 only 11 were killed when terrorists with automatic weapons and grenades attacked a packed church service introduced Van Wyk to such violence.

When one sees the chaos that is caused by communism, it is so destructive, Van Wyk said.

Since the ANC took over power, its policies have been completely destructive, he said.

Our country is falling to pieces, our police force is falling to pieces, our medical systems are going down the drain, he said.

Government funded infrastructure is so bad that Van Wyk says he wouldnt even want to take my pet dog into the hospital.

Corruption has increased as well, and Van Wyk claims government-run electric companies even force black-outs to give repair contracts to their business partners.

He points out the scenario isnt new.

Just north of us in Zimbabwe, weve seen that many of the farms have been taken away from the farmers mainly white farmers, but there have also been black farmers who have lost their land. But the land hasnt been given to the middle-class Zimbabweans to work the farm. Theyve been taken over by a bunch of rebel youth, and theyve just destroyed every vestige of Western civilization, Van Wyk explained.

Van Wyk is referring to the seizure of land by Zimbabwes dictator Robert Mugabe, who then distributed the land to his rebel friends and other government officials.

This land-redistribution scheme had a disastrous effect on the Zimbabwean economy.

According to Quartz Africa, Zimbabwe transformed from an exporter to an importer of food, as commercial farmers lost their farms to black Zimbabweans who did not have the skills required to farm the land.

Agriculture previously contributed to 40 percent of Zimbabwes foreign currency earnings through exports.

The country that was once dubbed the breadbasket of the region has suffered an estimated $12 billion in lost agriculture production since the land occupations [redistribution] took place and has had to rely on donor handouts and food imports from neighboring countries, reported Quartz Africa.

The farmers forced out of Zimbabwe went into neighboring Zambia and increased food production in Zambia to the point it was no longer a net importer of food but an exporter.

A mere 200 farmers accomplished this, that is the caliber of farmers that were farming in Zambia as a result of the chaos, Van Wyk said.

The stunning story of aChristian missionary who wasin a South African worship service when terrorists attacked. And he shot back! The full details in are in book, and now movie, formats. Get Shooting Back, the bundle, now!

Link:
Civil war 'becoming real threat for South Africa' - WND.com

Bernie Sanders, and the Unexpected Socialist Revival – AlterNet

Since his grassrootspresidential campaign took the world by storm last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders has been widely credited with bringing socialism back into the mainstream of American politics and introducing an entire generation to left-wing politics. As a major presidential candidate who unabashedly identified as a democratic socialist, Sanders essentially resurrected an idea that has been considered off limits in our political discourse for many decades: that there is an alternative to capitalism and the status quo.

This radical idea has become less taboo in recent years, and today an increasing number of millennials say theyreject capitalism,while a majority of Americans supportsocialistic policies likeuniversal health care(for the first time in a long time, single-payer is gaining mainstream momentum).Clearly, Sanders deserves the credit he has received for shifting the Overton window and reintroducing a form of left-wing class politics to America. It is safe to say thatno single person has done more to revive the American left than the Vermont senator.

But Sanders political rise did not happen in a vacuum, and its unlikely he would have achieved much success had the social and economic conditions not been ripe. Though the 75-year old senatorplayed an essential role in demystifying socialism to the public and instilling a radical spirit in the progressive movement, the current resurgence of class politics on the left has been in the works for many years, going back to the 2007-08 financial crisis.

It hasnt been white-haired socialists who have provided the foundation for this resurgence, but young people who grew up in the era of neoliberalism.This was evident last week, when progressivemillennials flockedto Chicago for the biannual Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) convention, where delegates came together to vote on various resolutions for the party. In the past year, the DSA has tripled its membership, and what is particularly telling about this growth is that the average age of DSA members has dropped by half virtually overnight,from 64 in 2015 to just 30 today.

This trend has led to a cottage industry of think pieces speculating about why millennials have embraced old school leftists like Sanders and British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, but it is hardly a great mystery. Millennials came of age during the worst capitalist crisis in 80years and live in a time when income and wealth inequality have reached historic levels as evidenced by the fact that the eight richest men in the world (seven of whom are white American men)own as much wealth as the bottom 3.6 billionpeople.

Millennials inhabit a planet that faces ecological collapse, and most grasp the threat of climate change on a visceral level. Young people are also crippled by record levels of debt and despite being better educated than their parents earn20 percent lessthan baby boomers did at this point in their lives. Finally, millennials have grown up in a time when moneyed interests have completely infiltrated the political process, creating anoligarchic form of governmentthat serves the economic elite rather than the majority.

In other words, millennials are increasingly ambivalent about capitalism because it is a system that has failed their generation. Not surprisingly, this has led to a significant number of young intellectuals who have also rediscovered the works of Karl Marx, the great diagnostician of capitalisms ills. Around the same time that the Occupy Wall Street protests erupted around the country in 2011, Bhaskar Sunkara foundedJacobin,the left-wing quarterly that has grown rapidly over the past five years, publishing the work of many millennial Marxists.

Of course, it is one thing to call yourself a socialist (or a democratic socialist) in America, and another thing entirely to identify as a Marxist. For the past century Karl Marx has been the ultimate intellectual bogeyman in the United States. For the majority of Americans who have no first-hand familiarity with the 19th-century thinker and his work, the term Marxism is synonymous with Stalinism and totalitarianism.

As withthe millennial embrace of an elderly democratic socialist, this Marxist revival has predictably confounded many liberal and conservative critics, who assume that youngsters simply dont know their 20th-century history. That Marxism is not viewed with a similar horror as Nazism is one of the greatest failings of contemporary education,tweetedClaire Lehmann, editor of the libertarian-leaning publication Quillette magazine, last month.

One of the greatest failings of contemporary education, one might counter, is that critics of Marxism know next to nothing about Marx or Marxism, other than the fact that some unsavory historical figures identified themselves with the term. This is obviously not a new phenomenon, and more than 50 years ago the American sociologist C. Wright Mills attempted to provide an objective account of Marxs ideas in his1962 book, The Marxists, meant to counteract the propaganda efforts of Cold Warriors.Mills book is just as useful today when it comes to explaining why Marx remains relevant in the 21st century. (Some might argue he is even more relevant today than in the mid-20th century, as capitalism has conquered the globe). In order to uncover what makes Marxs work so valuable, Mills makes an important analytical distinction between the philosophers methodology/model and his theories:

Amodelis a more or less systematic inventory of the elements to which we must pay attention if we are to understand something. It is not true or false; it is useful and adequate to varying degrees. Atheory, in contrast, is a statement which can be proved true or false, about the casual weight and the relations of the elements of a model. Only in terms of this distinction can we understand why Marxs work is truly great.

Marxs model, argues Mills, is what is great; that is what is alive in marxism. [Marx] provides a classic machinery for thinking about man, society, and history. That is the reason there have been so many quite different revivals of marxism. Marx is often wrong, in part because he died in 1883, in part because he did not use his own machinery as carefully as we now can, and in part because some of the machinery itself needs to be refined and even redesigned. . . . Neither the truth nor the falsity of Marxs theories confirm the adequacy of his model.

Marxs model looked at the structure of society as a whole, as well as that structure in historical motion, and the German philosopher and economist employed this model to examine and reveal the dynamics of capitalism. This largely explains why there has been a renewed interest in Marxs work in recent years, especially among millennials who have lived their entire lives under a global capitalist order. Marxs model of looking at the world, along with his exhaustive analysis of capitalism, helps us to understand our own contemporary reality and where we are headed.

While Marxs modelis essential to understanding modern society, another fundamental aspect of Marxism is, of course, the merging oftheory and practice. As Marx famously declared, Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.

This remains the ultimate goal for millennial Marxists and socialists. Although capitalism has never been more globally dominant than it is today, this has also engendered social and economic conditions that are ripe for left-wing political movements.As the Marxist economist Richard Wolff recentlysaidduring an interview on Fox Business:

Socialism is in a way the shadow of capitalism. Nothing guarantees the future of socialism so much as capitalism, because socialism is capitalisms self-criticism.

Original post:
Bernie Sanders, and the Unexpected Socialist Revival - AlterNet

The Vintage Tea & Cake Co – Belmont, MA – Yelp

13

We used Vintage Tea and Cake Co for our wedding china rental last week. Adel was fantastic from the moment I contacted her and was accommodating even as we added items the week before - for 140 people! We wanted mismatched china for a vintage feel, and the curation was flawless - from the teapots and teacups down to the linen napkins. Absolutely perfect! Our guests are still talking about the china - and even our caterer was impressed. The prices were much better than any other rentals we were quoted and Adel's quote was explicit about what was included, so there were no surprises. Thank you! We loved it all!

Used Vintage Tea & Cake for a second baby shower, so pleased! Tea was wonderful, the good was great. The tea pots and cups/saucers are beyond beautiful. A truly special catering company.

HIGHLY recommend Adel. Yesterday we had my daughter's bridal shower it was a smashing success! Adel was wonderful to work with. The tea sandwiches, scones, pastries were outstanding! Due to the numbers, we did buffet and so only had the food made. I HIGHLY recommend Adel. Would love to post pics of the food but not sure how I can attach them 🙂

I had the pleasure of using The Vintage Tea and Cake Company for my daughters Garden Bridal Tea Shower. From the moment I met Adel I became at ease. She helped me plan the menu and put me at ease by answering questions I had. The vintage China and glasses made our tables look lovely. The tea sandwiches and pastries were all delicious. I wish I could of chosen all of them to try. And lastly Leah was our point person who did all our set up and breakdown. I chose to have her stay for the afternoon and I'm very glad I did. She was my eyes while I got a chance to enjoy the beautiful day with my daughter and guests. Thank you Adel and Leah for helping me make this a perfect day for my daughter.

Adel did the catering for our teatime themed wedding reception, and everything was just lovely. Scones with cream and jam, sandwiches, quiches, pastries, tea and more! She was very attentive about providing a good selection of options, including vegetarian, and we were very pleased!

Yesterday I used Vintage Tea & Cake Co for my daughter's Bridal Shower. The level of professionalism was impressive, and the price was very reasonable. I can't tell you how lovely everything looked and how delicious the food was, especially the scones with butter and jam! The tea was delicious! People were raving about our "tea party" in general and I recommended the company to several people. Lastly, my daughter loved it, and in the end, that's all that matters. Thank you to you Adel and your amazing staff for making it a bridal shower to remember! Susan Daley

I contracted Adel for my daughter in laws baby shower. I could not have made a better choice. The China, tablecloths, the service and food were perfect. If you are looking for a special venue, look no further. Excellent !

Adel is Amazing - she catered an event for us at MIT that was absolutely flawless. If you are a Tea enthusiast, don't miss this place.

Adel catered our afternoon wedding reception for 80 people on Friday, 11/29/13. Despite the fact that this was the day after Thanksgiving she not only agreed to cater it, she also didn't cut any corners, and spent her Thanksgiving preparing everything so it was perfectly fresh on Friday. My wife and I got married in our antique home, and the vintage settings perfectly complemented our house. Our guests (and us!) were totally blown away by how beautiful everything was. For those of you who might be worried that a tea might not be sustaining enough, those little sandwiches are not only delicious but quite filling. We went with the basic menu with some additional items for our vegan guests, and Adel was very helpful with her suggestions allowing us to stay within budget- the prices are extremely reasonable, the food is plentiful and delicious, and the presentation very high end. My wife is a tea aficionado, and needed to find out where Adel sources her teas, they were so good and perfectly brewed. Thank you Adel for making our wedding perfect! We can't wait for another celebratory occasion to have her back.

I trusted that given the above reviews, the Vintage Tea caterers would be perfect for my bridal shower. Unfortunately, this was not the case and the host and myself were thoroughly disappointed. I realize most of the reviews had Adel at their party, I had a lady who worked for the company and she was terrible. She arrived late, never told us what she needed in advance (kitchen, etc) to prepare for the event and was dressed so unprofessionally. After scrambling to set up on time, all the china was dusty and dirty. We had no time to clean, rinse and dry the china as guests were then arriving. How embarrassing! The groom's grandmother was literally wiping her plate with a napkin and refused to drink from the tea cup. The sandwiches were small, barely filled with anything and do not match the size I see in the pictures above. People were literally walking around looking for leftover sandwiches. This past Sunday was a very warm day and I had to ask the caterer to walk around with the ice tea, as she kept it in her set up area on the driveway watching people eat, instead of doing her job under the tent. Essentially, for $20+/pp, I could've served a 4 course meal and people wouldn't have to get up looking for extra food. I do have to say the food tasted great and the idea of a tea party set up is adorable, and luckily most of the guests didn't notice the dirty china. Adel was very nice and accommodating to work with and responded quickly to all of our questions; we were just disappointed with her hired help that was at our party.

I was lucky enough to get to be one of Adel's first customers! While looking for catering ideas for a bridal shower, I came across Vintage Tea & Cake. I spoke to Adel about doing a small afternoon tea party to try it out, and she was all for it. She provided a beautiful tea service, and the food was amazing!!! Everyone who attended was super impressed with her aesthetic and culinary skill. One of my favourite things was her "how to brew a cup of tea" cards, such a nice touch. If you are planning a shower of any kind, or just looking for something that is fun and different, I cannot recommend Vintage Tea & Cake Company highly enough!

I just held a wedding shower for a friend and used the Vintage Tea & Cake Company. It was perfect! Adel (the owner) was incredibly patient and helpful with me and my scattered planning. She even helped recommend a venue in my budget. The tea and food was totally perfect for the event and it was very reasonably priced. I barely needed any decorations because her tablecloths and tea cups and cake stands were so pretty. She really made it so easy! I look forward to recommending her to others!

I recently attended a tea party themed bridal shower and I have to say Vintage Tea and Cake Company was exceptional. The presentation was flawless and I enjoyed quite literally every bite and sip! It doesn't hurt that the owner is quite lovely and on site. The hosts were very pleased as were all the guests. I cannot recommend them enough if you are into a tea party catering! I would definitely use them for a future event.

Read more:
The Vintage Tea & Cake Co - Belmont, MA - Yelp

While wooing California tea party, GOP candidates for governor pledge full support for President Trump – Los Angeles Times

The two most prominent Republicans running for California governor swung through Fresno on Saturday, doing their best to woo riled-up tea party activists who spenttwo days there bashing the GOP establishment.

Both Huntington Beach Assemblyman Travis Allen and Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox professed their support and admiration for President Trump, a critical test if they hope to have any shot of winning over members of the conservative movement.

The candidates were speakers at the final day of the Tea Party California Caucus conference this weekend, an event that drew upward of 150 conservatives from throughout the state.

Both got some sideways glances when they talked about their work for moderate Republicans.Allen campaignedfor GOP presidential candidateMitt Romney in 2012. Cox is a member of the New Majority, a group founded primarily by Orange County executives to nudge the state party away from socially conservative issues.

Im not sure who Ill support for governor, said Mylinda Mason of Modesto, one of the tea party activists at the meeting.

But Cox and Allen were warmly received overall, especially with their vows to change howSacramento works and help the GOP rise to power again in left-leaning California.

Still, when Cox and Allen were asked by the Los Angeles Times if they consider themselves tea party members, both pretty much sidestepped the question.

I just consider myself a common-sense Californian, Allen said.

Cox said he is campaigning across the spectrum of the Republican Party, including gay rights Log Cabin Republicans and the moderate New Majority.

Im out to unify all Republicans, Cox said. I am at heart a fiscal conservative.

Cox and Allen were invited to the event with the provisothat they would speak only about the ballot initiatives they are sponsoring, though each spent time working the room and worked in ampleplugs for their gubernatorial bids.

Allen is pushing for a ballot initiative to repeal the recently approved gas tax to fund statewide road repairs.

Cox is bankrolling a measure to overhaul Sacramento by establishing a neighborhood legislature that would add thousands of new citizen legislators to the 80 Assembly members and 40 senators who make up theLegislature.

Refusing to be left out, little-known candidate for governor Stasyi Barth of Lake Elsinore walked to the front of the conference hall after Cox and Allen were gone.

Barthyelledabove the din as members starting drifting out, telling everyone that she has been a proud, longtime tea party member and was a Trump supporter from the beginning.

Original post:
While wooing California tea party, GOP candidates for governor pledge full support for President Trump - Los Angeles Times