Wednesday Potpourri

First, I reported information provided by the Free Press. Namely, that a neurologist had offered a diagnosis for Joe Biden-- Parkinson’s Disease.

Funnily enough, Alex Berenson then discovered, by searching through White House records, that President Biden had undergone any number of neurological consultations with an expert in Parkinson’s disease.

Suspicious, I would say.

Naturally, the White House is denying it all. By now they have no credibility, so assume that the doctor was not examining Joe Biden for bunions.

Surprisingly, the media is doing its job this time. The Daily Mail reports on a specialist hired by NBC:

A leading neurologist said it's a 'fact' that President Biden suffers from a degenerative brain condition - claiming he could 'diagnose him from across the mall.'

Dr. Tom Pitts, a New York-based specialist, appeared on NBC to give his devastating take on the president's neurological health in the wake of several notable gaffes, culminating in a disastrous debate performance in June….

'His motor symptoms are degenerating,' Pitts said. 'He has Parkinsonisms. That is a fact. He has degeneration of the brain. Show me the MRI. Show me he doesn't. Put your money where your mouth is. He definitely has it.'

Parkinsonisms is an umbrella term for degenerative brain conditions that include Parkinson's.

Second, when it comes to fighting anti-Semitism you do not want Columbia University president Minouche Shafik to be leading the charge.

Remember the deans who exchanged anti-Semitic text messages during a meeting about campus anti-Semitism. Childish, you will say. Worthy of more than a slap on the wrist.

Well, three of the deans have been reassigned, but not fired. A fourth has been allowed to keep his job.

Aaron Sibarium explains in the Free Beacon:

Columbia University will not fire the four deans who exchanged caustic and derogatory text messages during an alumni panel on anti-Semitism, opting instead to reassign three of them while letting the most senior administrator, Columbia College dean Josef Sorett, remain in his post, according to three people familiar with the university's decision and an announcement from university president Minouche Shafik.

Sorett's subordinates, Susan Chang-Kim, Cristen Kromm, and Matthew Patashnick, who exchanged the bulk of the messages, will be removed for their positions and reassigned, the people said. Sorett was allowed to remain in his post on the condition that he issue a full-throated apology for his role in the exchange and undergo anti-Semitism training, according to a source familiar with the matter.

"I continue to learn from this experience and understand the impact that my texts, as well as those between my staff, have had on our community," Sorett said in the apology, sent Monday morning. "We must and will do better, on behalf of the entire Columbia community."

Surely, the incident has exposed Shafik’s weakness. You can whine all you want about strong, empowered women, but those women who exercise executive authority must show their strength by doing something decisive and consequential when faced with campus bigotry.

Shafik is not alone in being incapable of doing so.

Third, Chicago’s gangs celebrated the Fourth of July in style. They shot up the city, killing 19 people and injuring nearly 100.

The mayor of that city, Brandon Johnson, naturally blamed-- Richard Nixon. You cannot make it up.

Black death has unfortunately been accepted in this country for far too long. And we had a chance 60y ago to fix that and people mocked President (Lyndon B) Johnson. And we got Nixon.

Of course, the people who are suffering this gun violence voted for the politicians who are countenancing it.

Now, as you well know, the city of Chicago is preparing for the Democratic National Convention. Will it be accompanied with fireworks?

Fourth, the great reckoning is fast approaching. American companies, even including law firms, are declaring that participation in anti-Israeli protest might be a reason for being disqualified.

The New York Post reports:

Now, a prominent Wall Street law firm is taking a more direct approach with protesters. Sullivan & Cromwell, a 145-year-old firm that has counted Goldman Sachs and Amazon among its clients, says that, for job applicants, participation in an anti-Israel protest — on campus or off — could be a disqualifying factor.

The firm is scrutinizing students’ behavior with the help of a background check company, looking at their involvement with pro-Palestinian student groups, scouring social media and reviewing news reports and footage from protests. It is looking for explicit instances of antisemitism as well as statements and slogans it has deemed to be “triggering” to Jews, said Joseph C. Shenker, a leader of Sullivan & Cromwell.

Candidates could face scrutiny even if they weren’t using problematic language but were involved with a protest where others did. The protesters should be responsible for the behavior of those around them, Mr. Shenker said, or else they were embracing a “mob mentality.” Sullivan & Cromwell wouldn’t say if it had already dropped candidates because of the policy.

Since the universities are incapable of tamping down the bigotry, it befalls other people to do their dirty work.

Fifth, the stupidification of America proceeds apace. The latest news comes to us from the Duke Medical School. One would imagine that such an organization would be dedicated to the healing arts.

Well, one would be wrong. The Duke Medical School has joined the war against white supremacy. The New York Post reports:

Duke Medical School claims it is “white supremacy culture” to expect people of color to be on time in a strategic plan for creating an “anti-racist workforce.” 

The medical school said its goal is to “catalyze anti-racist practice through education” in a 2021 plan titled “Dismantling Racism and Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Medicine.” The guide — praised by the school’s dean — called out what it deemed “white supremacy culture,” with its purported nitpicking about being on time, dress code, speech and work style. It also contains a series of negative terminology vis-à-vis white culture. 

“White supremacy culture is the idea (ideology) that White people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to People of Color and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs and actions,” the document stated. 

The document stated that America is rigged for the interests of white people, who get privileges, i.e., the “unquestioned and unearned set of advantages, entitlements, benefits and choices bestowed on people solely because they are White.” 

One suspects that behind it all lies the simple fact that Duke Medical School, like many other outstanding institutions of higher learning, has lowered its standards to the point where significant numbers of students cannot do the work. 

The solution is to lower standards and even standards of proper conduct and good behavior.

Consider this:

“In the workplace, white supremacy culture explicitly and implicitly privileges whiteness and discriminates against non-Western and non-white professionalism standards related to dress code, speech, work style, and timeliness,” the document said. “Some identifiable characteristics of this culture includes perfectionism, belief that there’s only one right way, power hoarding, individualism, sense of urgency and defensiveness.” 

If this is not pathetic, the word has no meaning. According to Duke Med, you can dress like a slob, mumble and curse all you want, and show up when you feel like it.

Does any sentient adult believe that this will improve the quality of medical care? If members of your team show up when they feel like showing up, how can you hold meetings? How can you do surgery? If you do not understand what they are saying, how can you consult? If they are dressed inappropriately, you are more likely to avoid their company.

And how can you schedule surgery when some if not all of the team members decided to show up when they feel like showing up? What will you do if the anesthesiologist decides to show up late?

At the very least this demented set of rules will make it impossible to have care teams or to practice medicine. Imagine trying something like that in the military.

Sixth, in the world of medical abominations, we have the Canadian love for euthanasia. Considering how much it costs to treat patients under the aegis of the National Health System, Canada is promoting assisted suicide as a solution.

Naturally, the practice is being abused. The Daily Mail has the story:

Canada is on track to break euthanasia records once again with 15,280 doctor-assisted suicide deaths in 2023 — a 15 percent jump on the previous year, a campaign group warns.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition says growing numbers of people who are not terminally ill now use the government's doctor-assisted suicide program, known locally as MAiD.

They include sufferers of autoimmune conditions, diabetes, and chronic pain who may be able to live for many more quality years, if they had better healthcare.

Finally, I now have several open consulting hours in my life coaching practice. If you are interested, please contact me at StuartSchneiderman@gmail.com. 

Please subscribe to my Substack, for free or for a fee.