53percenter's Blog

Remember on March 2, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced an end to the statewide mask mandate and the full reopening of the state, and President Biden accused him of “Neanderthal thinking,” while Democrat-coddling media outlets predicted a massive spike in COVID cases and deaths?

So, how is that working out?

On Sunday, Abbott announced that in the previous 24 hours, Texas had suffered zero COVID deaths, the first time that’s happened since March 2020.

It also notched the fewest COVID cases in over 13 months, the lowest 7-day COVID positivity rate since the pandemic started and the fewest hospitalizations in 11 months.

I guess Neanderthals are better at surviving than we thought.

Some liberals seem to be suffering withdrawal over the idea of the pandemic ending.

The CDC announced that it’s now safe for most fully vaccinated Americans to end social distancing and stop wearing masks (FYI: that was always safe for most fully vaccinated Americans), and the news has leftists beside themselves.

Then again, if they didn’t hate good news and love misery, they wouldn’t be leftists.

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said she’d have to “rewire” her brain to not view someone without a mask as a “threat.”

(Rewiring her brain might be a good idea in general.)

And gun control activist and failed pillow maker David Hogg tweeted he would keep wearing a mask even though he’s fully vaccinated “because the inconvenience of having to wear a mask is more than worth it to have people not think I’m a conservative.”

Don’t worry, David: As long as the mask isn’t thick enough to prevent people from hearing the incredibly dumb things you say, nobody will ever mistake you for a conservative.

I suspect that the real reason these people are so reluctant to give up their masks and let Americans get back to normal is that it symbolizes giving up the control they usurped over people’s lives.

They want to keep that control and never let things go back to the way they were, with people running their own lives and doing whatever they want.

Their reluctance to take off the mask is telling us everything we need to know about what’s hidden underneath.

The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Israel announced Monday that it has destroyed miles of tunnels used by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. In addition, the Jewish state has also killed a top commander belonging to the Palestine Islamic Jihad movement as part of its operations in Gaza.

“Our fighter jets neutralized 9.3 miles of the Hamas ‘Metro’ terror tunnel system overnight. That’s 9.3 miles that can no longer be used for terror,” the Israel Defense Forces announced in a Sunday tweet, describing the tunnel network as being about the size of “163 football fields, 46 Eiffel Towers, 34 Empire State Buildings, 18 Burj Khalifas, and nearly 2 Mt. Everests.”

According to a Saturday report in The Jerusalem Post, the “Metro” is a tunnel network with “dozens of kilometers” of tunnels used by Hamas militants to seek refuge from Israeli air operations. It was built following Israel’s 2014 Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, The Post reported.

Aircrafts belonging to the IDF have managed to successfully destroy stretches of this tunnel network which criss-cross underneath Gaza, as reported by the IDF in the tweet on Sunday.

On Saturday, the IDF published a video showing an animated illustration of the “Metro” and how Israel is destroying it.

While the IDF’s Sunday tweet did not specify which night the “overnight” attack occurred, we know that since the beginning of the conflict, Israel has been engaging in operations targeting tunnel networks belonging to Hamas, attacking tunnel shafts and other parts of the militant group’s tunnel infrastructure.

Information on Israel’s operations can be accessed from the IDF’s Telegram channel, where it posts regular updates on its operations.

The most significant attack on the tunnel system came on Thursday.

On Thursday, before Israel conducted what The Times of Israel described as the “heaviest strike yet” on Gaza, the country reportedly duped Hamas militants and foreign media into thinking that it was conducting a ground invasion into Gaza.

Anticipating Israeli troops entering Gaza, Hamas militants reportedly fled into the tunnel network to hide.

The invasion never came. Instead, multiple militants reportedly became sitting ducks for a massive IDF bombardment intended to take out the tunnel network.

The tunnels are only part of Hamas’ infrastructure that Israel is targeting. Israel has also targeted banks, safe houses, and other structures the group uses covertly and overtly for its purposes. On Monday, the IDF said it had destroyed five houses belonging to high-ranking Hamas commanders. The buildings were, according to the IDF, part of Hamas’ “terrorist infrastructure.” The houses struck are:

• “The home of Izz al-Din Hadad, a senior member of the Hamas military wing and the head of combat support during recent hostilities.”
• “The house of Amjad Abu Najeh, the commander of the Nuhba battalion in the Gaza Strip, who directed attacks from his home.”
• “The house of Ibrahim Muhammad Mustafa Qareh, the commander of the southern Khan Yunis battalion, who was involved in shooting attacks against IDF forces as well as responsible for rocket fire at Israel.”
• “The house of Ahmed Shamali, the commander of the Nuhba battalion in Shuja’iyya. The building contained military communications infrastructure and stored weapons.”
• “The home of Nasim Abu ‘Ajuna, commander of the Beit Lahia Battalion, whose house contained military infrastructure for combat operations.”

Besides targeting militants’ infrastructure, Israel has also engaged in liquidating members, including senior officials, of Palestinian militant groups during its current operation, “Guardian of the Walls,” in Gaza.

Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have lost many of their officials to Israeli strikes, which came in response to constant barrages of rockets both groups fired at Israel, killing and injuring multiple Israelis.

On Monday afternoon local time, Israel killed Hussam Abu Harbid, “Abu Ubaida,” the commander of the Northern Brigade of the Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of the Palestine Islamic Jihad.

He is not to be confused with the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida (alternatively spelled as Abu Ubeida).

Both the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestine Islamic Jihad have confirmed the death of Abu Harbid in their statements.

In a tweet in which the IDF released battle footage showing IDF aircraft conducting the airstrike that killed Abu Harbid, the organization wrote, “This is the moment we targeted Islamic Jihad [Saraya Al Quds] Northern Division Commander in Gaza, Hussam Abu Harbid. As an Islamic Jihad commander for 15 years, he was behind rocket launches, shootings, & anti-tank missile attacks on Israel. He won’t be committing any more terrorist attacks.”

The Islamic Jihad confirmed Abu Harbid died in a statement calling him a “beloved martyr” who died “soldiering and performing his duties.”

The group wrote, “The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine and its military wing, Saraya al-Quds, mourned the martyr Commander Hussam Abu Harbid, ‘Abu Ubaida,’ the commander of the Northern Brigade in the Saraya al-Quds, who was martyred in the battle Sayf al-Quds [Sword of Jerusalem].”

Before Harbid’s death, Israel had taken out three other Islamic Jihad commanders, according to The Times of Israel.

Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad are categorized as terrorist groups by the United States, Canada, the European Union, Israel, and several other countries.

The Israel Defense Forces conducted both the aforementioned missions — destroying the tunnels and killing Harbid — as part of a series of raids the country has been undertaking against Palestinian militant groups in Gaza who have waged a battle called “Sayf Al-Quds” or “Sword of Jerusalem” against Israel.

For weeks leading up to May 10, Palestinian militant groups, namely Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, have been coordinating with each other under a “Joint Operations Room” to attack Israel.

On May 10, just as Israel celebrated Jerusalem Day, the day when the city was reunited under Jewish control after 2,000 years, the terror groups fired a barrage of missiles targeting major parts of Israel, including Jerusalem, forcing several Israelis to run to bomb shelters as the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system worked overtime to protect the Holy Land.

While the groups had been firing missiles earlier into Israel in the weeks leading to May 10, the barrages that followed Jerusalem Day were bigger in number and have become a regular occurrence.

One can access data of Palestinian rocket fire and locations targeted through the Israeli missile-warning system Red Alerts – Cumta.

As of Monday, the rocket fire continues.

According to the most recent numbers, as of May 17, the Israel Defense Forces set the number of rockets fired towards Israel by Palestinian militants based and operating in the Gaza Strip to “approximately 3,350 rockets,” of which nearly “500 failed launches fell in the Gaza Strip.”

Many of these rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile-defense system at a 90 percent interception rate. If it were not for the Iron Dome, Israel might have seen a mass murder of its Jewish and Arab residents at the hands of Palestinian militants.

Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza have also caused multiple civilian casualties, in some cases wiping out entire families. Israel has been criticized for such a number of civilian deaths, which it says were unintended, as reported by Business Insider.

Multiple videos circulating on social media show children distressed by the airstrikes Israel has conducted on the Gaza Strip.

One video published by TRT World shows a father, now dead due to an Israeli airstrike, trying to calm his daughters who were playing with a toy until the noise of an Israeli warplane frightened them.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the conflict has resulted in 212 deaths, including 61 children, 36 women and 16 elderly people. In addition, roughly 1,400 civilians, including 400 children and 270 women, have been injured. However, it is important to note that the death count, excluding women, children and the elderly, also includes militants killed alongside civilian males.

It is also important to consider that not all of the missiles the militants fired made it across to Israel. Some of them fell within Gaza at risk of striking buildings there, injuring and killing civilians. A video the IDF released Thursday shows a Hamas rocket aimed at Israel misfiring and crashing in Gaza.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

CNN terminated its relationship with contributor Adeel Raja on Sunday after it was revealed that he had posted a series of anti-Semitic, pro-Adolf Hitler comments on social media.

Over the weekend, Raja, who is based in Pakistan, tweeted about Israel’s ongoing defense against Hamas terrorists by saying that “the world today needs a Hitler.”

He deleted the tweet, but journalist Jon Nicosia posted a screenshot of it.

This was far from the first time that the writer praised the Nazi dictator or supported the killing of Jews.

Journalist Yashar Ali tweeted screenshots of similar posts by Raja, including a statement alleging that he supported the German soccer team because of what Hitler did to the Jews, and another tweet that simply said, “Hail Hitler!”

For his part, Raja expressed no remorse about the tweets and celebrated CNN’s action as a rallying point for anti-Israel activists everywhere.

“Glad a single tweet contributed to the #Palestine cause and brought it to limelight with me [losing] my job and the West’s claim of Freedom of expression and human rights!” he tweeted Monday.

Many people no doubt will express shock and outrage over Raja’s tweets and his connection with CNN. The relationship is hardly surprising, however.

The American left makes no secret of its utterly contemptible anti-Semitism and its desire to see the Jewish state abolished in favor of the terroristic Hamas.

The Democrats’ most progressive wing, the so-called squad, is vitriolically anti-Semitic and has spent countless hours in the past weeks attempting to promote Hamas’ terrorism and delegitimize Jews’ right to exist and to have a state of their own.

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib gave a speech last week in support of the so-called Free Palestine movement, where she equated Hamas’ brutal attacks on innocent civilians with the fight against racial injustice in the United States.

Footage of the event clearly showed Tlaib speaking in front of a banner promoting Neturei Karta, an extremist Jewish sect that believes Israel must be destroyed and that Jews must be prevented from governing a state until the Messiah comes.

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar matter-of-factly defended the terror attacks on Israeli civilians and argued that Israel’s attacks on Hamas were the real terror.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that Israel was an apartheid state and should not be considered a democracy.

Finally, Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley tweeted a video of herself claiming that Israel was in fact a military occupation of Palestine.

The establishment media, meanwhile, continue to amplify their voices and issue broad and baseless claims that conservatives are somehow racist or inherently supportive of white supremacy.

The left is defending the bombing of Israel by terrorists who have called for a global jihad against Jews, and they are doing it by applying the horrifically racist logic of so-called antiracism that led to a year of brutal leftist violence across the nation.

As such, should anyone really be surprised that CNN was employing such an individual as Raja?

After all, it was just months ago that CNN technical director Charlie Chester plainly admitted that his network engages in Democratic Party “propaganda.”

Since anti-Semitism is the default view of the Democrats’ newest and most extreme wing, what more than anti-Semitism and anti-Israel propaganda could one possibly expect from such an outlet?

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Andrew Thornebrooke is a writer specializing in foreign policy and national security. He is the executive editor of The Rearguard and a MA candidate in military history at Norwich University.

Andrew Thornebrooke is an American writer working at the crossroads of communications and policy advocacy. He is an expert in intranational conflict and national security.

He is the founder of The Rearguard, a weekly column dedicated to exploring issues of culture, defense, and security within the context of a receding Western Civilization.

Andrew is a MA candidate in military history at Norwich University where his research focuses on non-state military actors, partisanship, and the philosophy of war. A McNair Scholar and public speaker, he has presented research at several institutions including Cornell, Fordham, and the CUNY Graduate Center.

His bylines appear in numerous outlets including The Free-Lance Star, Independent Journal Review, InsideSources, The Lowell Sun, and The Western Journal.

Nationality

American

Topics of Expertise

Defense; Military Affairs; National Security

On Saturday night, Iranian-American lightweight fighter Beneil Dariush secured the biggest victory of his professional career by defeating fellow lightweight contender Tony Ferguson in a non-title fight that co-headlined UFC 262.

Dariush was named the victor in a unanimous decision from the judges, who all scored the fight 30-27.

During his post-fight interview in the octagon with UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Dariush told the crowd at Houston’s Toyota Center that he was dedicating his win to the “millions” of victims of Marxist ideology around the world.

First, however, he expressed his gratitude to Jesus Christ.

“First things first, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that’s number one,” said the Iranian-born fighter, who is a devout Christian. Just moments prior, as the announcer named him the winner, his eyes had immediately lifted upward, indicating praise was, indeed, his first reaction.

“Number two,” he continued, “I want to dedicate this fight to all the people who’ve been hurt by Marxist ideologies. There are millions of you.”

“It’s just a fight, I know it’s not much, but I want you to know that I love you,” he continued. “And I understand the pain. I don’t completely understand, but I love you, and I understand your pain.”

He followed up this sobering dedication by jokingly calling out Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

“Joe, I want to call out your buddy, Elon. Elon Musk! Where is my wife’s car, bro? I’ve been waiting six months,” Dariush said, as Rogan laughed. “I’m having a baby. I need a big car. I need — I’ve got to protect my daughter. Let’s go, Elon, get me my car.”

He explained in a post-fight news conference that he had ordered a Tesla in December and was still waiting. Musk later replied on Twitter that it was coming soon and apologized for the delay, according to MMA Mania.

However, over in the Twitterverse, viewers seemed to think it was totally bizarre that Dariush slammed both Karl Marx, the forefather of communism, and Musk in the same post-fight interview.

This reaction is honestly a pretty sad commentary on our time. Dariush was certainly not exaggerating when he said there were “millions” of victims of Marxist ideology — he was likely not just talking about clueless millennials who think that universal health care or the Green New Deal are legitimately good ideas, although we can certainly pity them as well.

The Iranian native and devout Christian fighter was probably talking about the millions upon millions of people who lived through horrific oppression during the 20th and 21st centuries, including the estimated 100 million people who have been killed by regimes governing with Marxist ideals.

Dariush wasn’t calling out some irrelevant 19th-century philosopher, he was calling out a literally godless ideology that, despite its history of inspiring some of the most profound statist oppression the world has ever seen, is now incredibly chic in wealthy, Western and apparently very poorly educated countries today.

It’s so chic that Twitter users actually thought it was funny he made these comments — yet surely, no one would think it odd if he dedicated his fight to the victims of Nazism, would they?

Marxism is not a hip, cool idea nor is it obscure and random to criticize. It is arguably just as — if not more — pervasive than it has ever been around the globe, and millions of people around the world, from China to Cuba to Venezuela and North Korea, are still suffering under its influences.

Dariush, as it happens, has lived in the United States since he was a child, but has also spent quite a bit of time serving in charities in places such as Haiti and the Philippines.

A quick perusal of his social media timeline reveals a man who is clearly driven by his faith. He understands the power that ideas can have and took the opportunity following the biggest win of his career to lift up the saving power of his Lord Jesus Christ and to reach out to those who have suffered under the tyranny of statists.

We need much, much more of this kind of boldness. The fight against Marxism is one that begins with the recognition of Christ as Lord and of mankind’s likeness in the image of God. There is a reason that Marxist governments like the Soviet Union and Chinese Communist Party have so antagonized Christianity, as its morals completely undermine the materialistic state worship that is essential to justify communist rule.

It was a truly bold move to call out the Marxist agenda in such plain terms, and we can never hope to prevent its toxic influence within our own culture if we are not also willing to be so bold.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.