Bobby Jindal on Planned Parenthood

Bobby Jindal on Radical Islam

In the wake of the Chattanooga terrorist attack, Republican Presidential candidate Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) had harsh words for the Obama Administration and their inability to admit that radical Islamists are inflicting violence on America. 

Some jaded political pundits perceive Governor Jindal's statements as being calculated comments to draw attention to his fledgling Presidential campaign or even to make the top ten cut for the Fox News opening debate. These analysis are either ignorant of Governor Jindal's hard hitting January 2015 foreign policy speech in London when he criticized Sharia "no go zones", his commitment to protecting religious liberty for persecuted Christians or his evangelical political appeal. 

These Cocktail Party commentators seemingly prefer that people ruminate on whether Caitlyn (ne Bruce) Jenner should have received the ESPY "Courage" award or wiping the Confederate Flag from the Dukes of Hazzard car because of the Charleston church shooting.  Mainstream media commentators like symbolism and ultimately ineffective action rather than dealing with a prickly socio-political problem which regularly costs lives throughout the globe and continues to come to our shores. 

Donald Trump has made a splash on the campaign circuit with his tough talk on America's illegal immigration morass and has rocked up the polls. While this Trump popularity may not last, it does show that a wide segment of the Republican electorate are tired of mealy mouthed politicos who spout politically correct platitudes while doing nothing to tend to festering wounds to the American body.

Rather than perceive Gov. Jindal's comments as a cynical campaign strategy, it would be wise to appreciate Jindal naming Radical Islam as the enemy as plain talk on real problems which have been ignored during the Obama Administration. Perhaps that is eventually a winning strategy. Nevertheless, it beats robotically recited platitudes, carefully controlled listening tours and a strange Scooby mobile.

Bobby Jindal on Political Reeducation

Editors Note: On Aphorisms and Authenticity

As District of Calamity marks its third anniversary, it seems right to reflect upon its methods and message.

One of the prominent features of this site are aphorisms. This is deliberate to have daily, pithy memes which can be inspiring, provocative or entertaining.  What was originally intended as an impetus to post every day evolved into a feature which gives short yet thought-filled memes.

While DistrictofCalamity.com is oriented towards politics, not all wisdom of the world is drawn from the Federal City.  This site revels in public policy analysis which is intended to last longer than the average politician’s promises, so it should not be locked into quotidian Capital Hill struggles.

Rather than just list texts which make eyes glaze over, District of Calamity pairs the pearl of wisdom with a narrative graphic. Often the graphic depicts  the originator of the phrase so readers can match the meme to a person.  But illustrating the gist of the quote can also be effective.

Some readers have challenged the use of quotes.  After posting a quote attributed to Soren Kirkegaard, the interlocutor demanded “Are you a REAL Kieregaard scholar? If so, cite chapter and verse to the origins of the quote.”   Well dear reader, the answer is no but not that it matters.

 District of Calamity posts over 300 daily quotes a year.  Rarely are memes simply cut and pasted from other sites. The Pearls of Wisdom project is a labor of love which encompasses an eclectic range of art, history, literature, philosophy, politics,  pop culture  and humor.  However, it takes  time to locate, create, arrange and publicize an alluvia of aphorisms, particularly without repetition.

Regular readers may notice that quotes are often correlated to the calendar, reflecting anniversaries, issues of the day  and times of the season.  In addition, strings of quotes may project a larger theme pointing to issues which impact the District of Calamity (sic).

When a saying  sounds shaky or too good to be true, some effort is made to corroborate the quote, but it is not always a scholarly citation.

So for the Kierkegaard question, consider the site’s quotes to be as reliable as Wikipedia.  It may be inspiring and even informative but you need to do your own homework to be certain before putting it in your dissertation.

Some critics have claimed that quotes are taken out of context, such as Bobby Jindal on immigration and  assimilation.  This critique was comical as a 55 minute video of the speech in question was also embedded in the post.  It is dubious if the progressive protestor spent the same time appreciating the quote in context before pulling out the proverbial poison pen.  But even when chapter and verse can be given, it is not usually included lest a meme look like a pharmaceutical disclaimer chyron or the credit roll for Bambi Meets Godzilla.



A reader recently claimed that a quote about society from Cal Thomas was confusing because it could mean anything.  Well, knowing who said something can be illuminating.  If the reader knows who Cal Thomas is, then the prescriptions for fixing society would be quite clear.  Nevertheless, the gist of the aphorism that our leaders are a reflection of societal values is valid without that insight.

Another website visitor was agitated about a piece about bigotry by George Bernard Shaw.  The reader offered an unsolicited education about Shaw’s social sins. In this instance, the source of the quotation was provocative and intentionally ironic considering Shaw’s Faustian socialistic foundation-- however the truth of the aphorism was indubitable.

The internet can be a conduit of thoughtful two way communication.  So if readers can correct a mis-attributed meme, it is appreciated and may be incorporated as warranted.  Unfortunately, contributors have demanded corrections which were not warranted and perseverated.  For example, a graphic countered the claim that Ted Cruz knew nothing about a Second Amendment case.  Cruz was associated with arguing the Heller case before the Supreme Court, when in actuality he had only offered an amicus brief.  The mis-attribution was noted and credit was given, but the correction did not moot the gist of the post so it was not withdrawn.  But that was not satisfactory to the correspondent, who harbored a hatred for the politician.

While it is hoped that you will be inspired and intellectually stimulated by aphorisms, if you question the authenticity, please offer gentle correction with affirmative information if necessary. Feedback can be useful and is often incorporated without fanfare.  In the end, if a reader finds that one's charitable contribution is unsatisfactory, then please seek truth where you can find it. 

Bobby Jindal on Assimiliation

During  the American Action Forum Fred Malek speaker series, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal noted why welcoming immigrants while inculcating American values is important for our polity. 

Bobby Jindal on Political Correctness

Bobby Jindal and Smart Power

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) traveled to London England to address the Henry Jackson Society.  This British think tank, named after the anticommunist defense hawk Sen. "Scoop" Jackson (D-WA), is dedicated to support a strong military and a "forward strategy" (involving diplomacy, culture, economics and politics) to make the world safe for modern liberal democracies.

Jindal's speech before Scoop Jackson academics had the potential for promoting his political standing amongst aficionados of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, while contrasting world views with his prospective general election rival Hillary Clinton.  However, Jindal chose to focus his remarks on the dangers of political Islamism both in global hot zones as well as within Western democracies. Jindal alluded to no go zones in Europe.

After the speech, Jindal was pressed by a CNN reporter to name a No Go zone in London, the presumed Republican presidential hopeful refused to give specifics


.

So instead of concentrating on the substance of the speech, a politically correct media inclined to destroy any rivals to the second coming of the Clintons to the Oval Office, played a media game of Gotcha'. While progressive partisans may think that they have already won in taking down Jindal with no go zones, just like Gov. Chris Christie's prospects were impaired by the ersatz "Bridge-gate" scandal, they are too clever by half.

Jindal should feel justified that there are at least 85 sharia courts operating in the UK. Recently, terrorism pundit Steve Emerson opined on Fox News that Birmingham was "entirely Muslim", which FNC publically disavowed.  But England's second largest city is 22% Muslim and this can create a de facto no go zone with western women not dressed modestly enough for unofficial prude police.  Then there is the case of the two evangelical preachers threatened with "hate" crimes for passing out Christian pamphlets in Muslim majority neighborhoods.   However, that is not a formal "no go zone" as in France. 

Jindal sought to properly define "Smart Power" to pursue American political and economic security.  But since the two term Louisiana Governor is considered in the hunt for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, the Lamestream Media will use political language to shape the race as they will.

Post Scriptus 01/21/2015 At Red State, Eric Erickson pointed to an earlier video from CNN which reported on Muslim patrols which sought to enforce ad hoc sharia law on the streets of East London. 

Barack Obama on the Midterm Elections

President Barack Obama traveled to Chicagoland to give an economic speech at Northwestern University in order to justify his fundraising appearance for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D-IL).   The President used the speech to justify what he perceives as a rosy economic picture during the six years of the Obama Administration. Americans are supposed to believe this rhetoric even if they do not feel it in their daily lives through  their income and wages

Mr. Obama claimed that his speech at Northwestern was nonpolitical.  Yet the Campaigner-in-Chief uttered 28 words which many Democrats may come to regret.

That sort of reminder may sell well in a solidly blue state like Illinois, but vulnerable incumbent Senators like Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Sen. Kay Hagen (D-NC) cringe at reminding voters of that fact.

If Mr. Obama's policies were working so wonderfully, then incumbents up for re-election would clamor for appearances with President Obama.  Instead, those vulnerable candidates just want the benefits of fundraisers without appearing with "the Won".

Midterms are turnout elections, meaning that parties need to work to get their base out to the polls. Mr. Obama's favorability polling is in the low 40s.  Gallup reports that 65% of Likely Voters think that the US is on the wrong track.

Most voters ordinarily only pay attention to politics after Labor Day of an election year, which influences their opinions and motivates them to get to the ballot box.  At the 2014 Value Voters Summit, Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) joked about what was wrong with Washington.  Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) cited concrete ways to turn America around by voting.  But what may motivate many likely conservative leaning and independent voters to crawl over broken glass and risk Ebola infection to vote is President Obama's personalization of the midterms as a referendum on his policies.

If the Republican National Committee were smart, they ought to use this clip to remind prospective midterm voters what their support for down ballot candidates really means.

Bobby Jindal on What's Wrong with Washington

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) positions himself as an outsider who knows what's wrong with Washington at the 2014 Values Voters Summit by the Family Research Council.

Bobby Jindal on Religious Liberty

Bobby Jindal on Defending the American Dream at the Road to Majority Conference

During his keynote address at the Faith and Freedom Forum's Road to Majority 2014 Conference dinner, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) inspired his audience to fight for preserving the American Dream. 

Throughout the Conference, many speakers noted the insidious ways that the Obama Administration has undermined religious liberty, from the Obamacare Abortion Mandate, restricting military chaplains from unfettered ministering spiritual truths to hassling conservatives in the IRS scandal.

What seemed to incense Gov. Jindal is the mantra from the left that these restrictions are being imposed for reasons of tolerance and diversity.  Per The Blaze:

"I am tired of the left. They say they’re for tolerance, they say they respect diversity. The reality is this: They respect everybody unless you happen to disagree with them. The left is trying to silence us and I’m tired of it, I won’t take it anymore.”

Will these strong words about the silent war on religious liberty as applied to health-care, education and the military be the be the cornerstone of a prospective presidential campaign in 2016?

Bobby Jindal on Americans

Bobby Jindal on Politics