SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

OUR NATIONAL DISGRACE – FROM FOX:    The National Archives' task force on racism claimed in a little-noticed report to the U.S.’s top librarian that the Archives' own Rotunda – which houses the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights – is an example of "structural racism" and that the Founding Fathers and other White, historically impactful Americans are portrayed too positively.  The report was completed in April and released this month but has so far flown under the media radar. The task force claims that structural racism "unequivocally impacts" how National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) employees interact with each other, customers and the historical records themselves.
Some examples of "structural racism" were provided in the summary of the report, including "legacy descriptions that use racial slurs and harmful language to describe BIPOC communities," which includes actual racial slurs alongside terms such as "elderly," "handicapped" and "illegal alien." Additionally, the report categorized the National Archives' Rotunda as another example of "structural racism" as it "lauds wealthy White men in the nation's founding while marginalizing BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and other People of Color], women, and other communities."  Well, that's that.  I say, abolish the Constitution and turn the National Archives into a psychological welfare center for anyone who feels oppressed.  That is the right thing to say, isn't it, Comrades?

REMINDER OF A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP – FROM THE JERUSALEM POST:   US F-35B fighter jets flew combat missions over the Middle East striking ISIS targets across the region earlier this week after taking off from a British aircraft carrier, marking the first time the US military has done so since the Allies teamed up in World War II.  The stealth jets from the 617 Squadron RAF (The Dambusters) within the UK's Carrier Strike Group 21 are flying missions alongside US Marine Corps warplanes as part of the UK's Operation Shaders and US Operation Inherent Resolve - focused on targeting ISIS targets and strongholds across the Middle East.  The international duo is expected to visit at least 40 countries aboard the new HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier - the Royal Navy's largest ship (65,000 tons) in its fleet, embarking on its first operational deployment - during its seven-month mission, passing through the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the waters of the Pacific Ocean surrounding Japan and South Korea...The last time US aircraft had flown combat missions from a British foreign aircraft carrier was during a campaign in the South Pacific in 1943, stationed aboard the HMS Victorious in the heat of World War II.  The U.S. Navy sometimes refers to the Royal Navy as "the senior service."  We welcome the reunion.

June 27, 2021