Douglas Ernst Blog

DC and Marvel Use Letters to The Editor to Control Content, Liberal Editors Loathe Conservative Bloggers.

January 7, 2011January 8, 2011by Douglas Ernst54 Comments

One More Day Spider-Man — DC Comics has returned their Letters to the Editor page. Like Joe Quesada when he turned Marvel's Letter's to the Editor page into a scripted joke only Kim Jong Il would be proud of, I'm inclined to believe they're doing it because it's the one vehicle for information that allows them total control in the age of Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs (Glorious Blogs)!

Agence France-Presse thinks I, as a conservative comic book nerd, am going to take their bait on the French Muslim Batman ally, Nightrunner. They write:

Batman has battled many enemies but now has to face the anger of rightwing US bloggers furious that the comic book caped crusader has recruited a Muslim to run his crime-fighting franchise in Paris…

The hero he picks in France is called Nightrunner, the alter ego of a 22-year-old from Clichy-sous-Bois, a tough Paris suburb where urban unrest sparked riots in immigrant districts across France in 2005.

Bilal Asselah, a Frenchman of Algerian origin, was caught up in that unrest and at one point he and his friend got beaten up by police who mistook them for rioters.

“Furious”? Umm…no. While I would normally revel in the chance to grab the hook you’re dangling into conservative waters, intellectually pull you into the deep, chew you up, and then spit you out as chum for another blogger…I’ll pass today, AFP. Instead, there’s a different angle I’d like to take, which is DC’s decision to reinstate their Letters to the Editor section:

Posting comments via Facebook or Twitter seems faster than a speeding bullet, but DC Comics is going back to its Silver and Bronze Age ways, returning readers’ letters to the pages of its comic books…

Letters pages were once common in comic books and gave far-flung readers the chance to weigh in on stories, heroes, villains and make requests about what should happen next. Those pages gradually disappeared not only in DC’s comics, but those of other companies, too, as the Internet, e-mail and the rise of Facebook and Twitter all but rendered them obsolete.

David Hyde, DC Comics’ vice president of publicity, quietly announced the change on Monday, in DC’s own blog, The Source. Reaction was positive with one reader remarking that “as a fan of DC Comics since boyhood (more years than I care to remember), one of the things I looked most forward to was the letter page, so very excited.”

Someone needs to ask this anonymous reader what he thinks of Nightrunner, or Wonder World Consensus Woman, or Superman: Earth One. Then they need to ask him whether or not he thinks DC’s Letters to the Editor page would ever print his point of view if it differed in an intelligent way with the powers that be in their corporate offices. My guess is, they wouldn’t.

Robert Gibbs recently tried to make the claim that the White House was somehow more transparent due to Twitter. This is a blatantly misleading statement, as it confuses information with the vehicle that provides it! Some DC readers might think the company is doing a great thing, but I’m inclined to believe one reason they’re doing it is because in the age of Facebook and Twitter it’s the one area where they have total control over the feedback readers see.

Don’t believe me? Anyone who read Marvel’s One More Day, in which liberal Joe Quesada destroyed Spider-Man for tens of thousands of fans by allowing the character to make a deal with the Devil, knows what I’m talking about.* In the wake of One More Day they’ve filled their Letters to the Editor page with reviews from readers who are giddy over the direction of the book. As I said my nerd-tastic response at the time, (jump in at 3:20 if you’re not an uber-nerd) it was as if the editors of Marvel went to the Kim Jong Il School of Journalism. Reading the page was often hilarious, as it was 180 degrees from reality: readers left the book in droves.

If the editors at Marvel and DC can get you looking at their hand picked (and perhaps hand-written?) responses to controversial story lines or creative missteps instead of online—where “right wing bloggers” give you a heads up that stories like Marvel’s Fear Itself might be more liberal claptrap—they’ll be happy. New technology has destroyed liberalism’s ability to silence the conservative point of view, whether it’s on the radio, television, or in print. Conservatism, honestly articulated, is always a winner. They hate that. And they really don’t like to have the spotlight (or was that the Bat Signal?) shown on them. But if we don’t want to keep shelling out money for tales that tell us our worldview is beneath theirs, we need to redouble our efforts.

I’ll see you in DC’s Letters to the Editor page, dear reader…and if I don’t, I’ll see you here!

*I’m sorry, my fan boy friends, but for all intents and purposes Mephisto is the Devil.

Holland Reynolds, Cross Country, and Conservatism

December 4, 2010June 22, 2011by Douglas Ernst1 Comment

California isn’t a lost cause after all! Sure, most of us look at the sad liberal mess it’s become and shake our head (these days it’s only good at exporting jobs to its neighbors, and the worse their self-imposed financial disaster gets the more they stick to the same mentality that caused it). However, the California State Cross Country Championships—and more specifically the tale of Holland Reynolds—is inspirational for a number of reasons. It’s also a great metaphor for the kind of world conservatives seek to create.

In short, Holland collapsed on the home stretch to the finish line. Anyone who has seriously run Cross Country knows what it’s like to completely empty your tank—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. However, many runners know that most of the time when people think they’ve dug deep down inside and have nothing left to give…that there is more to give. And Holland’s story proves it.

Who would have blamed this young girl after her collapse if she just closed her eyes, rolled over, and waited for coaches and trainers to give her medical attention? No one. But something inside said to ignore the pain and soldier on because her teammates were counting on her. It often doesn’t make sense to the casual spectator why someone who has tumbled to the ground would rather crawl on their knees than to be carried off the field of play when injury strikes. The runner, however, knows better.

The fans on the sideline never saw the long lonely miles or the pre-dawn runs that helped propel her to the state championships to begin with. They could never know of the time, dedication, patience, and isolation that it takes to be an elite long distance runner. They could never see the sacrifice it took behind the scenes to reach that level of success…

Imagine if we lived in a world where the kind of grit and determination demonstrated by Holland Reynolds was instilled in men and women across the country, and then applied in every aspect of their lives. Imagine if all those random knock downs and blow backs we face in our professional or personal lives triggered a response that said to buckle down, focus on the goal at hand, and move forward. Imagine if we thought about the coaches and mentors and loved ones who invested in us when we considered calling it quits—and then found a hidden supply of inner fortitude because it would hurt even more to let them down. Such a place would be a pretty nice world to live in, wouldn’t it?

The novice runner hits a wall and stops to catch their breath. The experienced runner (or people with the Holland Reynolds gene) knows that there is a second wind to be had. We can go faster and farther than we ever dreamed. We just need to cast off the mind forged manacles of ideologies that blame others for our problems, abdicate individual responsibilities to nameless and faceless third parties, and encourage sloth and apathy through perverted public policy.

Were there people ready and waiting to help Holland if she truly needed it? Of course. But those very same people knew that sometimes we can achieve great heights despite pain and suffering, and that perhaps the character built through such tribulations is far more valuable than the comfort that comes from having caretakers too quick on the draw.

Liberalism is a crutch that’s eager to be used and willing to convince even the able-bodied citizen they’d be better off with a cane. Conservatism is the coach that’s always there by your side in an emergency, but willing to watch you fall down because a.) it’s a part of life and b.) there’s a mettle inside most of us we’ll never realize is there unless we’re given a chance to find it.

Conservatives aren’t cold hearted, just as Holland Reynolds’ coach wasn’t when he watched her crawl over the finish line. In fact, the life lessons Holland will take away from that state championship race will stay with her the rest of her life.

While I can’t claim to ever have run with the elite, those are the gifts I took away from the sport years ago. It baffles my mind that so many runners out West are liberal, but perhaps conservatives like me have just been silent for too long. Regardless, I tip my hat to Holland Reynolds because she has something to teach all of us.

Rest up my friend. You earned it.

The Hitchens Atheist Denigrates Faith, Even as He Uses It.

September 4, 2010by Douglas Ernst2 Comments

hitchpray — Hi, I use faith every day to help me navigate through the world. However, when it comes to God's existence I suddenly balk.

I’m always surprised at which of my blog entries get the most traffic. For some reason when I review Leonardo DiCaprio movies my wordpress stats are solid for days. Marvel Comics posts are hit or miss, which is sad because I wish everyone understood how rare it is to have a conservative who can liken Neal Gabler to the Fantastic Four’s nemesis The Mole Man…

Regardless, I found it fascinating to see interest spike over a religious post on Christopher Hitchens, since it’s not an arena I’m comfortable fighting in. It’s incredibly easy to look like a doofus when discussing God, and it’s not hard to get tied in intellectual knots if the thread you’re weaving for readers isn’t well thought out and painstakingly on point.

So, because I’m a glutton for punishment, I’ll give it another go. Since I’m on a train leaving DC, I can’t help but think that my mind will be clearer.

In this post I’d like to talk about faith, because non-believers often seem to portray believers as knuckle-dragging boobs for utilizing it. I find this offensive not so much because of my religious convictions, but because I find the image of a boob with knuckles disturbing…

In all seriousness, though, all of us use faith. It’s a perfectly legitimate tool that should help shape our views of the world, as well as our navigation through it. Atheists use faith every day as well, and yet, when it comes time to apply it to the existence of God, they balk.

Anyone who has ever gone with their “gut instinct” has used faith. Anyone who has been in love has used faith. Anyone who has opened their own business has used faith. In so many aspects of our lives, there are decisions that have to be made because the gap between what we know and what we don’t (or can’t) know is too large to bridge with empirical studies. As much as I’d love to run regression analysis for years on end in order to tell me whether or not I should get married, it isn’t possible. That last bit of gumption everyone needs to ultimately ask the Big Question is in some part made with the sticky, gooey usually-goodness…of faith.

Bill Maher uses faith to see his way through many aspects of his own life, even if he doesn’t realize it. Given that, when he mocks men and women of any religious affiliation by comparing God to The Easter Bunny, he really only makes himself look silly.

Here’s a question for Christopher Hitchens: Why is it, that over the course of my life, whenever I consulted with God and lived it in accordance with what I thought He had planned for me, things came together? Why is it, when I strayed from God it all seemed to fall apart and, ultimately, I felt lost and confused? As an Irish Catholic with an independent streak and time in an infantry unit as a young man, I haven’t always been an angel. I’ve never knocked on doors or proselytized (although I once put a boot through a window). So my relationship with God didn’t come at the behest of a priest or family member or a member of the clergy, but as a result of a lifetime of learning from boneheaded mistakes.

Are God’s fingerprints plastered all over my life, particularly the successes I’ve had and the failures I’ve overcome? I believe so. But just because a real-life member of CSI couldn’t find them, does that mean that they’re not there? I don’t think so. Joy Behar and her liberal friends can call me crazy all they want, but the fact is, I feel God in my life. I know He’s there. Just as you, dear reader, feel and know the affection of your wife or husband or son or daughter without ever being able to test their blood for love-levels hidden in plasma.

csi-gil-grissom — Just because Grissom can't find God's fingerprints all over the successes and failures of my life, does that mean they're not there? I don't think so.

When things were bleakest and blackest in my own life, and I felt as though I had nowhere left to turn, I turned to God. And each time I was lifted up and seemingly saved from a hopeless situation. For me to ever embrace the atheist notion that nothing special was at play, but perhaps some neurons and synapses in my head, would be to deny what I know to be true.

I can’t convince the atheist to believe in God, but perhaps I can get them to acknowledge and explore the unseen avenues of faith they walk down every day in their own life. And once they’re aware of those streets, perhaps one will take them down a path—one with a gap in it that will give them a feeling that someone or something that cares about them more than they can ever realize is waiting on the other side. And then, perhaps, they’ll take that leap.

Frank Miller Drops Batman from Holy Terror. DC PC Police Offer Sigh of Relief.

July 31, 2010July 31, 2010by Douglas Ernst2 Comments

Frank Miller is a gem. He’s not perfect (e.g., The Spirit), but he’s certainly something rare that should be highly regarded, as I’ve explained before. He already has Ahmadinejad’s panties twisted into a knot, and with Holy Terror he’s going to have a fatwa or two placed on his head. And, like the South Park creators, we should honor our modern day defenders of Western Civilization. Decades from now we’ll look around at Europe, a hollow husk due to moral relativism. We’ll look at what happens when headstrong Islamic extremism butt heads with a Europe that won’t stick its neck out to stand up for itself, only to have its cultural head ironically severed with Taliban-esque precision.

And at that time writers like Frank Miller will be admired that much more for their contribution, no matter how small, to the defense of Western Civilization and American Exceptionalism.

For those of you who don’t know, Frank Miller was supposed to write a book featuring Batman, who would go on a search and destroy mission for al Qaeda terrorist scum operating in Gotham. This was years

globaltest — Marvel Comics and DC now tend to op for the John Kerry Global Test when crafting stories. Sad. Thank God Frank for Frank Miller.

ago…and it’s not nearing completion until now. While I admit that Frank has been busy for the last decade or so, I can’t help to think that the hangup over the story had more to do with political correctness than a creative epiphany. Here, Frank talks about his decision to replace Batman with a different character, named The Fixer:

“I had a talk with [former DC president and publisher] Paul Levitz and I said, ‘Look, this isn’t your Batman,'” Miller said. “I pushed Batman as far as he can go and after a while he stops being Batman. My guy carries a couple of guns and is up against an existential threat. He’s not just up against a goofy villain. Ignoring an enemy that’s committed to our annihilation is kind of silly, It just seems that chasing the Riddler around seems silly compared to what’s going on out there. I’ve taken Batman as far as he can go.”

Frank knows as well as anyone else who loves comics that there once was a time when Captain America knocked Hitler’s lights out. And it was awesome. And it still is, because it’s cathartic to see pure evil bashed and punched and kicked and yes—killed—when existential threats face the nation. Both DC and Marvel Comics seem to have decided that modern day superheroes need to abide by the John Kerry “Global” smell test, which, while sad, I’ll deal with (by exposing it in this blog). However, we should all be worried when the two biggest comics publishers out there shy away from using al Qaeda as a punching bag for their casts of heroes.

If DC sat Frank down in a quiet room and said, “We love you Frankie, but we can’t just pull the trigger on this whole “Batman vs. Terrorism” story line you got going on inside your head,” then readers should be livid. Why should DC be scared to pull the trigger when our enemies show no hesitation to pull out the box cutter, or the dull knife, or…Foot Locker hijacking shoes with Semtex plastic explosive soles! (How scary would Jordan have been in his prime if he was running around the court with some plastic explosives in his shoes?)

At the moment the only good thing about naming this character The Fixer is that my favorite liberal band, Pearl Jam, has got to be upset. Eddie, you still haven’t responded to my blog post regarding The Mullah Baradar Curiosity. I guess I’m just a Nothingman to you, huh…

In short: I’m reading Frank Miller’s comic when it comes out, and I hope you give it a shot too, if for no other reason than to send Marvel and DC’s weak-kneed editors a message. God bless ya, Frank. And if I was Anne Rice I’d say, “God Bless…Me.”

FrankMillerHT — Frank Miller stands up for Western Civilization. He's a rare breed, my friends. I tip my hat to the man.

Dave Matthews’ Environmental Amnesia: His Own Sick Slick in Chicago River.

July 30, 2010December 26, 2011by Douglas Ernst1 Comment

Dave Matthews is suddenly concerned about harmful sludge discharged from the bowels of the earth, and the effect it has on living creatures in and around the sullied water. It wasn’t too long ago, however, that good old Dave didn’t give a hoot about the oil slicks and tar balls the bowels of The Dave Matthews Band unleashed on unsuspecting citizens drifting along the Chicago River.

“It’s a national problem that requires a national solution,” (Dave Matthews on the Gulf Oil Spill…not to be confused with statements made when his tour bus dumped 800 lbs. of human waste on innocent bystanders).

In the same ad Dave implores you to” [Demand] restoration and protection of America’s Gulf Coast.” Kind of like the state of Illinois demanded $70,000 bucks from you Dave, for “violating state environmental laws”! I’m sure some of your fans would say, “Funny the way it is”?…

And finally, if you watch the video you’ll see almost all the stars except Dave ask participants to “Be the one” to help restore the Gulf Coast. Why the mysterious absence from that portion, Dave? Methinks it’s because you’re too much of a fan of “Number Two.”

Don’t drink the water

davebrown — Dave Matthews can dump 800 pounds of his own human waste on you, but don't you dare let an oil gasket blow BP, or he'll come running (I'm talking about with his feet, not his bowels...I think)

in the Gulf because it’s a.) salt water and b.) oily. And don’t drink the water in Chicago when Dave comes to town unless your Brita Filter is altered for microbiological eclectic rock band waste filtration.

And yes, I know the Space Between what Dave’s band was responsible for and what BP and the federal government is responsible for is huge…but someone has to remind others that the liberal moral pedestal back patters tend to use the world as their personal toilet when they think no one is looking.

Consider yourself Crushed, Dave.

davem — Dave Matthews: I look so concerned about the environment here. You would never know I paid out tens of thousands for my own environmental disaster that left people covered in sludge.

Kanye West Dates Ultimate Gold Digger: Liberalism

July 29, 2010October 23, 2010by Douglas Ernst4 Comments

mmkwpriceless — Right now Kanye will only be known for generating the most priceless Mike Meyers look of astonishment ever. Educate him on the issues and there's hope for him yet.

Kanye West is now on Twitter. This is a marvelous day, because inevitably campaign season will heat up and he’ll open his mouth. Just recently he took part in Sound Strike, which allowed me the opportunity to highlight what an impetuous liberal man-boy he is. Nothing says “smart” like teaming up with a guy who’s ultimate vision is to have you kicked out of your home to make way for Aztlán:

“…in de la Rocha’s perfect world, guys like Kanye have their LA mansions confiscated and handed over to their “rightful” owners…(which doesn’t include successful black rappers, Sonic Youth, or most of the other artists taking part in moral pedestal back-patting boycotts).

…it’s laughable to me that de la Rocha, a guy whose true feelings on the issue would repulse most Americans, is trying to pass himself off as a voice of reason.

And it’s even more ridiculous that Kanye West, after further solidifying his place in the hallowed halls of musically-talented jackasses throughout history with the Taylor Swift fiasco, would have the nerve to cast himself as the arbiter of what’s acceptable and what deserves a boycott when it comes to anything.

Hey Kanye, shouldn’t you be locked in your room contemplating conspiracy theories about the government concocting AIDS to kill people?

Some people might wonder why I spend so much time on a guy who will ultimately be known for a stumbling, bumbling “George Bush hates black people” quote that only accomplished one thing: a priceless Mike Meyers look of astonishment. The answer? Power. Or perhaps more importantly, influence. The guy has only been on Twitter a short time and is already closing in on 300,000 followers. Granted, a good portion of them are doing so out of sheer morbid curiosity, but most of them are fans. It’s imperative that conservatives say to young people, “Okay, the guy can write some catchy songs, but it’s possible to be a creative genius and a political and personal dolt. And here’s why…” Not engaging the other side because you think they’re “stupid” is, quite actually, stupid. In the same vein, liberals who underestimate Sarah Palin’s undeniable influence do so at their own peril.

Luckly, we live in America. And America loves redemption. If we can educate Kanye’s fans on the issues there’s a (slim) chance we might even reach him! Since Kanye seems to want to flex his entrepreneurial muscles, I think we should start off by teaching him the truth about Enterprise and Free Markets. With luck, he might even stop hanging around with Rage Against the Machine Commie/Socialist/Aztlán-obsessed artists who want his wealth redistributed and him evicted…to the East Coast. Forever.

Think it about it Kanye. You keep dating the Ultimate Gold Digger: Liberalism. Why? Search your feelings, Kanye. You know it be true!

liberalismgolddigger — Look at that enticing ideology over there, Kanye. Mmmm, Liberalism. Too bad it's a "Gold Digger."

Olivia Munn: Wonder Woman or Shameless Fame Hound?

July 28, 2010December 29, 2014by Douglas ErnstLeave a comment

Watch me take part in degrading hotdog eating exercises for teenage boys and lonely video game nerds, and then try to take me seriously when I enter the political fray. Oh, wait...it doesn't work. — Watch me take part in degrading hotdog eating exercises for teenage boys and lonely video game nerds, and then try to take me seriously when I enter the political fray. Oh, wait…it doesn’t work.

If you read my blog post on Wonder Woman’s new costume, and you’re a fan of Olivia Munn, you probably know that she would never be a fan of mine. Here’s what she has to say about the Wonder Woman hubbub:

“Isn’t the patriotism in your heart? Why do you have to wear it on your sleeve?” Munn asked rhetorically. “Like, can’t she just be that person? She still is. She’s Wonder Woman! She’s f**king saving the world! She’s not just saving America, she’s saving the f**king world! And she’s wearing a great outfit and she’s kicking ass. She doesn’t need to wear a f**king star to be a f**king patriot.”

Likewise, Oliva, you don’t have to take part in degrading hotdog eating spectacles to show the world you have no shame and you’ll do anything to get yourself noticed. You can just “be that that person,” right? And you don’t need to engage in said hotdog eating embarrassments to make the blood race in teenage boys and overweight, lonely video game nerds — you can just be that person through your good looks and sassy attitude.

So yes, Olivia, I agree with you.

However, the point of my original post, which you also highlight quite nicely, is that some of us don’t want this particular hero to be Wonder World Community Consensus Woman. There’s a big difference between saving the world and conducting yourself as if you need the world’s approval before you did so. Or that organizations that have Iran on their rotating human rights councils operate with the same moral authority as The United States. The liberal writers at DC and Marvel actually have an agenda, even if most of them don’t realize it. While I highly doubt most of the liberal scribes who annoy me within the comics industry are actually reading the research put out by The Heritage Foundation, Brookings, or Cato…they are trying to fundamentally change the characters I grew up with and love. And other fans realize it as well.

Just as Lynda Carter is a liberal, so too is Olivia. Let’s take her stance on gay marriage, for instance:

“It’s ridiculous and I’m really upset that Obama, as a black man, and all the things that African Americans have gone through after being oppressed, has said ‘you’re less than’ and cannot stand up and say marriage is a union between two individuals who love each other,” Munn told Pop Tarts last week. “I just think everyone should be allowed the same rights – if they want to exercise them, they can and if they don’t, they don’t.”

I never knew that prep-school taught Barack Obama, growing up on the mean streets of Hawaii, was oppressed…but I’ll give you that one just for the heck of it, Ms. Munn. However, the reason why President Obama can’t say “marriage is a union between two individuals who love each other” is because that’s not the definition of marriage. Sorry. Words have meanings, and just because you don’t like a specific definition it doesn’t mean you get to change it. But what else would we expect from a moral relativist?

My point isn’t to divulge whether I care or not what Elton John does in his spare time (e.g., making out with other men or pointing out liberal hypocrisy over Arizona’s immigration law). In truth: I don’t. I just wish there were more conservatives out there diving head first into the fight over popular culture. Then they’d be able to intellectually tear talking heads like Olivia apart. She opts to be G4 TV eye candy for years on end and then suddenly wants people to consider her political prowess? Nice try. Now go film the next installment of Attack of the Show, my friend, because you’re boring me.

Al-Zawahiri on Attacks, Hatred of Infidel Creation: Chocolate Cheerios.

July 27, 2010July 27, 2010by Douglas ErnstLeave a comment

Ayman Al-Zawahiri is at it again, threatening another round of terrorist attacks

on U.S. soil, as if he’s offering up something new. Has this guy come down with a case of The Wikileaks? The last time I checked, at least 30 foiled plots are part of the public record. Regardless, we should at least pay attention to what he’s saying since it’s been my experience that liberals like Inception’s Ellen Page like to accuse conservatives of fear mongering when America’s enemies are on record as stating they’d like to turn your home into a smoldering ash heap sprinkled here and there with bubbling infidel blood splatters:

“Oh American people…We offered you a peace plan, and mutual benefit; but your governments were proud and haughty, and so the attacks against you followed one after another, everywhere – from Indonesia to Times Square, by way of Madrid and London. And the attacks are ongoing, and more will come one after another.”

While it’s sadly within the realm of possibility that someone like Ellen would mention Ayman’s “peace plan,” I’ll save you the trouble of actually looking it up. In short, al Qaeda peace plans usually involve a.) impossible demands because “peace” isn’t really what they want, or b.) defacto world wide submission to Islam.

As I mentioned the other day, in a sane world Marvel’s Captain America would be chalk full of stories pitting the super hero against terrorists and Taliban sympathizers the world over. Perhaps The Mole Man and his underground followers (not to be confused with the Neal Gabler Mole Men) have given them sanctuary within the caves of Afghanistan… Perhaps The Red Skull has used vast reserves of Nazi gold to fund training camps across the Middle East… And perhaps Cap saves the day by unearthing the MTP (Mother of all Terrorist Plots). Or was that “Motha”?

Or not.

When the next terrorist attack on U.S. soil happens (and it will happen, unfortunately), just revisit your mental checklist of all the liberal Hollywood types who downplayed the insatiable desire guys like Al Zawahiri have to wreck havoc on American interests at home and abroad.

danzig — While Danzig isn't a terrorist, guys like Al-Zawahiri want see the "Mother" of all terrorist plots realized on U.S. soil.

Inception and Liberalism: America Awakes.

July 24, 2010July 24, 2010by Douglas Ernst6 Comments

inceptionob — They Want You Sedated. Conservatism Won't Allow It.

Liberalism is Inception. And the American people are starting to wake up.

“Americans approval of how President Barack Obama is handling the nation’s economy has dropped to its lowest level of his presidency, according to a new national poll.”

Liberalism is predicated on the notion that we can suspend reality, create

leojgordon — The liberalism Leo espouses is being exposed. Soon, he'll be pointing fingers. Americans know the statist dream is a lie. They're waking up, and that's a good thing.

worlds in our own idealistic image, and live there for decades just like the main character Cobb thought he could do. Proponents of liberalism seek to convince you that entitlement spending and record deficits mean nothing; Iranian Holocaust-denying police state presidents can be reasoned with; prosperity can be had through excessive taxation, and a laundry list of other ideas that can only be implemented with a heavily sedated population.

At one point in Inception Mal says to Cobb, “You keep telling yourself what you know. But what do you believe? What do you feel?” Cobb’s response: “Guilt.” Likewise, liberalism requires adherents to partake in healthy doses of guilt, whether it be America’s founding or the discovery of inequalities of any kind (regardless of the reasons for their existence).

I propose liberals are lying to themselves when they try and convince us that America must be fundamentally changed because of the more sordid side of its past, that being slavery. The idea that somehow the Founding Fathers got it all wrong, or that we should cast off the system of government set up by the Constitution because its ideals weren’t fully realized at its “inception” is ludicrous.

Western Civilization was the first culture to cast off the chains of slavery, and for that we should be proud. It is the critics of Western Civilization whose guilt runs deep, and they delude themselves by denigrating the freest country in the history of the world. Deep down, they know the seeds they’re trying to plant in your head are pipe dreams. They’re visions that can only lead to disappointment and heartache, and yet they sell them anyway…

As you come into your idealogical own, realize that conservatism is the “totem” that can bring you home. Conservatism is rooted in reality: Great societies are created through the hard work, blood, sweat, toil, and tears of entrepreneurs; dictators and despots back down when confronted by a morally self-assured nation that is willing to use force (when necessary) to defend its people and the principles that allow freedom to flourish; millions of everyday people engaging in voluntary transactions, in the aggregate, are much better stewards of their life than small elite groups of central planners trying to micromanage trillion dollar economies.

At one point in Inception, Cobb tells his protege that she should never “create from memory,” which is fitting because liberalism, as much as it claims to be a student of history, is not. Liberal politicians always claim to be creating something new, but the reality is often something starkly different. They don’t want you to know it because the stale, stodgy, sad mess that is statism is always a political loser. And, just like the “subconscious” in Inception, the American people will attack it like white blood cells on a parasite when it becomes apparent.

I believe that is happening right now. And I believe that, just like the movie, liberals are going to go for broke to keep you sedated and confused.

As Cobb says: “Rely on your training.” The Constitution is your training. Our founding is the “map” to get you through the maze. If we as a nation use it, we’ll be fine. If we don’t, get ready to find yourself in limbo.

Now go out there and buy yourself a ticket to Christopher Nolan’s newest classic.

incep — Liberalism relies on a heavily sedated nation, one that ignores basic economics and puts faith in Holocaust denying nuts from Iran to do the right thing. Concentrate on your "training" (i.e., The Constitution) and you'll be okay.

Ahmadinejad Freak-Out Over Xerxes Coming; Tron Infidel Jeff Bridges Avoided.

July 22, 2010July 22, 2010by Douglas ErnstLeave a comment

Zack Snyder is teaming up with Frank Miller again. Need I say more? “Xerxes” will

sparta — German film critics and the liberals that inhabit the cultural carcass that is Europe are going to freak when Xerxes comes to town.

see the light of day, and Holocaust denying mullah nut-jobs and the likes of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad aren’t happy about it (and that’s a good thing, my liberal moral relativist friends):

“‘300’ also became an international incident, of sorts. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad bitterly denounced the film and the Iranian Academy of the Arts filed a formal complaint through the United Nations that framed the movie as nothing less than an attack on the historical identity of a nation…”

To a lesser extent, we can all sit back and enjoy as liberal media outlets and the hollowed out cultural carcass that is Europe freak out over Xerxes’ political undertones and the positive messages the kids might take away as it regards to Western Civilization. If you think really hard you might remember reading about our German friends’ reactions to 300:

LOS ANGELES, March 4 — Three weeks ago a handful of reporters at an international press junket here for the Warner Brothers movie “300,” about the battle of Thermopylae some 2,500 years ago, cornered the director Zack Snyder with an unanticipated question.

“Is George Bush Leonidas or Xerxes?” one of them asked.

The questioner, by Mr. Snyder’s recollection, insisted that Mr. Bush was Xerxes, the Persian emperor who led his force against Greek’s city states in 480 B.C., unleashing an army on a small country guarded by fanatical guerilla fighters so he could finish a job his father had left undone. More likely, another reporter chimed in, Mr. Bush was Leonidas, the Spartan king who would defend freedom at any cost…

Some attendees walked out of a screening there, while others insisted on seeing its presentation of the Spartans’ defense of Western civilization in the face of a Persian horde as propaganda for America’s position vis-à-vis Iraq and Iran…

“Don’t you think it’s interesting that your movie was funded at this point?” Mr. Snyder recalled being asked in Berlin. “The implication was that funding came from the U.S. government.”

When you read the negative reviews of Xerxes, you might ask yourself if it’s because Frank Miller is one of those rare breeds in Hollywood—the openly patriotic artist:

“…Then came that sunny September morning when airplanes crashed into towers a very few miles from my home and thousands of my neighbors were ruthlessly incinerated — reduced to ash. Now, I draw and write comic books. One thing my job involves is making up bad guys. Imagining human villainy in all its forms. Now the real thing had shown up. The real thing murdered my neighbors. In my city. In my country. Breathing in that awful, chalky crap that filled up the lungs of every New Yorker, then coughing it right out, not knowing what I was coughing up.

For the first time in my life, I know how it feels to face an existential menace. They want us to die. All of a sudden I realize what my parents were talking about all those years.

Patriotism, I now believe, isn’t some sentimental, old conceit. It’s self-preservation. I believe patriotism is central to a nation’s survival. Ben Franklin said it: If we don’t all hang together, we all hang separately. Just like you have to fight to protect your friends and family, and you count on them to watch your own back.

So you’ve got to do what you can to help your country survive. That’s if you think your country is worth a damn. Warts and all.

So I’ve gotten rather fond of that old piece of cloth. Now, when I look at it, I see something precious. I see something perishable.”

Frank Miller isn’t perfect. If you haven’t seen The Spirit, consider yourself lucky. However, Frank does know how to join forces with some pretty creative guys, each with a track record of directing a cool movie or two.

See you on opening night, Mahmoud! I’d invite you to see Tron, but I heard Islamic police states have an aversion to Imax 3D versions of Jeff Bridges. Your loss.