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Plus, don't forget about Ann Coulter's new book, Adios, America: The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country into a Third World Hellhole.

German Benevolence Tested by Unrelenting Influx of Third World Refugees

While often sad, the migrant crisis is utterly fascinating in the end.

And note, this story's from over a month ago. With this last week's news of "biblical" incursions of migrants, German benevolence is being tested even more.

At Der Spiegel, "Testing the Limits: How Many Refugees Can Germany Handle?":

More Germans than ever before are at ease with themselves and their asylum-seekers. But this year the country is expecting to receive around 400,000 new refugees, a figure that raises the painful question: Can Germany's new welcoming culture handle it?

Anyone wondering about the state of the nation in Germany would be well advised to take a ride on the A33 highway and get off at the very last exit in Bielefeld, in northwestern Germany. The state of the nation is now encapsulated in a property in the city's Brackwede neighborhood. A few weeks ago, the name of the street would have been worth mentioning. But now it doesn't seem like a good idea.

The property is the site of a four-story addition with room for 200 asylum-seekers, complete with a dining room with floor-to-ceiling, soundproof windows and white-tiled bathrooms. Everything is state-of-the-art. The building even has the same kind of stand-up toilets made from stainless steel that are so often found in Mediterranean countries -- the kind your typical asylum-seeker from that region is accustomed to.
If ever a building epitomized Germany's architecture of goodwill or its welcoming culture for asylum-seekers, this is it. But it comes at a time when Germans' fears of that welcoming culture are also building. The new wing isn't finished yet. Completion is scheduled for Aug. 1. That's why for the past six weeks, security guards have been patrolling the construction site day and night, on the lookout for anyone trying to burn the place down before the first asylum-seekers can move in.

Jürgen Beier, the facility's manager, couldn't have imagined any of this a year ago, when the foundation was laid for the new addition to the existing refugee hostel. But today, in the summer of 2015, it's a different story with the number of people seeking asylum here rising sharply. It's not like anyone has sprayed graffiti on the walls or sent threatening letters. On the contrary, women from the local parish show up every day to play "Memory" and the beloved boardgame, "Sorry," with the refugee children.

But who knows what could happen now, what with arsonists active elsewhere in Germany and ordinary citizens filing lawsuits against new asylum hostels? Not to mention the good, old acquaintances of Beier's -- no, these people don't have a drop of xenophobic blood in them! -- who are suddenly asking him where all this is heading. Even the new facility, with its 200 beds, is far from enough, they say. What happens when more asylum-seekers turn up?

State of the Nation

This, it seems, is the state of the nation: a plot in Bielefeld where the most wonderful aspects of Germany are concentrated. There are people who are generous, who know they are fortunate -- at least more so than others. These are people who are determined to do everything right and to atone for Germany's sins, even 70 years later. They know that they owe something to their collective conscience, and that whenever they give something up, they also gain something in return. That something is the feeling of doing the right thing, the important thing.

But there is also the fear of being overwhelmed. It is the fear of people who are willing to give, but only to a point, only as long as it doesn't hurt them. People who are willing to share as long as they don't have to make sacrifices. And that, all generosity aside, is why so many people now feel that limits should be imposed on immigration. They may not know where these limits should lie, but they are convinced that they should exist.

So what is the state of the nation really? When it comes to refugees, it's a state of anxiety. In reality, it boils down to a question of how the growing influx of refugees and asylum-seekers adversely affects the Germans' relationship to these newcomers. The 400,000 asylum-seekers predicted to arrive this year will put Germany's new welcoming culture to the test. Can it endure? Can it survive?

Keep reading.

Freddie Gray Protests Erupt as Hearing Held for Indicted Baltimore Police Officers (VIDEO)

Here's the background, at Baltimore Sun, "Judge orders six separate trials for the officers charged in #FreddieGray's death," and "Baltimore Police suit up in tactical gear as protesters gather near Inner Harbor amid Freddie Gray hearing."

And watch, at CBS News 13 Baltimore, "SPECIAL REPORT: Protester Arrested As Demonstrations Begin Downtown," and "1 Officer Injured, 1 Protester Arrested During Demonstration."

And related, at the Guardian UK, "Freddie Gray trial judge denies motion to remove Marilyn Mosby from case."

Czech Police Pull Refugees Off Trains, Mark Identification Numbers on Their Arms in Ink

Now this is something else --- and it's not good.

No small irony there, either, considering how the Czechoslovakia crisis of 1938 (the Munich agreement) helped trigger World War II.

At the Independent UK, "Czech police haul migrants off trains to Germany and 'write numbers on their arms in ink'."

Also at the BBC, "Migrants crisis: Unease as Czech police ink numbers on skin." And at London's Daily Mail, "Fury as Czech police write numbers on arms of migrants 'like concentration camp prisoners' as thousands of refugees are locked in stand-off with police at Budapest station."

Czech police writing numbers on refugees' arms story in @Independent http://t.co/MgyKacrwHz And on @BBCWorld http://t.co/Z5bfeUyLPz

— Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) September 2, 2015

Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan

Following-up from yesterday, "'Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander of the U.S. Army in the Pacific, wanted officers to wear their daily service clothes — khaki button-up shirts with open collars and no ties...'"

Here's Herbert Bix's book on postwar Japan, Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan.

Hit-and-Run: Toddler on Life Support in San Bernardino (VIDEO)

The most adorable toddler.

Unbearable.

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "Toddler on Life Support After Hit-and-Run In San Bernardino."

British Prime Minister David Cameron Says Britain Should Not Take More Refugees (VIDEO)

At the Telegraph UK, "David Cameron: Britain should not take more refugees":

The Prime Minister refuses to heed calls for Britain to accept more refugees amid the ongoing Mediterranean migrant crisis.

Yeah, Muslims have turned London into Londonistan as it is. Who needs more asylum seekers from the Middle East, right?

BONUS: "EU migrant crisis: 'Schengen has now hit the buffers of the real world and is falling apart'."

Heh. "Hit the buffers of the real world." That's gotta raise the ideological hackles of Europe's leftist collectivists.

Leftist Media Digs the Dirt on Kim Davis, Kentucky Clerk Refusing to Issue Homosexual Marriage Licenses (VIDEO)

Here's Dana Loesch, on the Kelly File last night.

This lady is an elected official, it turns out. And that changes my thinking a little on the case. Sure, I'd expect her to issue marriage licenses as part of her duties, but it's up to the voters to remove her from office, or for the state legislature to impeach, which is unlikely. And as Dana points out, the woman's a Democrat. You're definitely not getting that tidbit of info from the collectivist press, conveniently.



Plus, at the New York Times, "What’s Next for Kentucky Clerk Who Refuses to Issue Licenses for Gay Marriage."

PREVIOUSLY: "Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis is Sudden Symbol of Recalcitrant Resistance to Depraved Leftist Homosexual Agenda."

Testicles Are Not a Social Construct

Yeah, and the way to prove it is to kick some male "feminist" in the balls to see how he likes it, heh.

The male feminist idiots'll be crying their eyes out like an overtired toddler.

At the Other McCain.

Tip Line Lets California Residents Report Irresponsible Drone Pilots

Yeah, that was a bummer earlier this summer with the Cajon Pass North Fire. Drones hampered firefighting efforts.

See CBS News Sacramento, "Drone Reporting Tip Line: The move comes after more than a dozen instances of firefighting operations being slowed by drones in the air."

Natalie Imbruglia on the Success of 'Torn'

She has a new CD out, "Male."

And below she talks about "Torn."

Dead Syrian Child Washes Up on Shore of Bodrum, Turkey

At the Telegraph UK, "Image of dead Syrian boy captures human tragedy of Europe's migrant crisis."

And at the Independent UK, "If these extraordinarily powerful images of a dead Syrian child washed up on a beach don’t change Europe’s attitude to refugees, what will?"

Sadly, no. A baby washed up on shore isn't going to change public opinion. Europe's overwhelmed by this. And this isn't the first death, by any means. People have been dying all year long. Dying to get to the European lands of prosperity and promise. It's a powerful magnet, especially for people desperate to escape the mortal hell of war and poverty in their homelands.

If these images of a dead child don't change our attitude to refugees, what will? http://t.co/WZUcQsSRrU pic.twitter.com/yJyzL9HtFc

— The Independent (@Independent) September 2, 2015

Bryan Pagliano, Former Aide to Hillary Clinton, Likely to Plead 5th Amendment in Investigation Over Private Email Server

Well, it figures, doesn't it.

At the New York Times, "Clinton Ex-Aide Is Likely To Invoke 5th Amendment in Response to Congressional Questions Over Private Email Server":

A former aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton who helped set up the server that housed Mrs. Clinton’s private email account plans to invoke his Fifth Amendment right in response to congressional questions about the email practices, according to two people who have been briefed on the matter.

The former aide, Bryan Pagliano, was subpoenaed to testify before a House committee, but a lawyer for Mr. Pagliano has told the panel that Mr. Pagliano will decline to answer their questions and will assert his Fifth Amendment right.

The subpoena was issued by the House committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. As part of its inquiry, the panel is examining Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email account while she was secretary of state, which shielded her correspondences from congressional inquiries.

Mr. Pagliano was the information technology director for Mrs. Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and then worked at the State Department as an adviser and special projects manager for its chief technology officer, according to his LinkedIn page. He left the State Department in February 2013, the same month Mrs. Clinton stepped down as secretary of state.

It is not clear why Mr. Pagliano is refusing to answer questions about the server. The F.B.I. is investigating how classified information was handled in connection with the account, but no evidence has surfaced that Mr. Pagliano had anything to do with those materials.

Mr. Pagliano’s lawyer, Mark MacDougall, declined to comment...

People plead the 5th when they have something to hide, like incriminating evidence. Clearly, Team Clinton has a lot to hide.

Still more.

Playboy Mansion Hosted Special Screening and After-Party for 'The Transporter Refueled'

Well, that would've been fun.

At Playboy, "Watch Playboy's 'The Transporter: Refueled' Party Recap."

On the other hand, the flick's not so great, apparently. At the Hollywood Reporter, "'The Transporter Refueled': Film Review":

If nothing else, the reboot of the Transporter franchise should do wonders for Audi sales, not to mention car safety. Every passenger who sets foot in the tricked-out, gleaming German automobile driven by the titular character is immediately ordered to fasten their seat belt. It's sound advice, because The Transporter Refueled is a cinematic bumpy ride.

Arriving seven years after the final installment of the trilogy originally starring Jason Statham, this latest version, inexplicably set in 2010, features a younger, slighter Frank Martin as played by Ed Skrein (Game of Thrones). It's a real diminishment, and not just in physical terms. Skrein moves well and has the requisite model-ready good looks, beautifully cared-for stubble and gruff, rumbling voice that make him machismo personified. But compared to his predecessor, he's seriously lacking in charisma, and his relentlessly monotonous performance fails to rev up the film's engine...

Russian Troops 'Fighting Alongside Assad's Army Against Syrian Rebels...'

Oh boy.

No red lines there, heh.

Reminds me of the Cold War, frankly.

At Instapundit, "UNEXPECTEDLY: Russian troops ‘fighting alongside Assad’s army against Syrian rebels’."

Bombshell Report! Majority of Immigrants on Welfare, Including 73 Percent of Mexicans and Central Americans

It's from Steven Camarota, at the Center for Immigration Studies, "Welfare Use by Immigrant and Native Households: An Analysis of Medicaid, Cash, Food, and Housing Programs."

And a write-up at USA Today, "Report: More than half of immigrants on welfare":

More than half of the nation's immigrants receive some kind of government welfare, a figure that's far higher than the native-born population's, according to a report to be released Wednesday.

About 51% of immigrant-led households receive at least one kind of welfare benefit, including Medicaid, food stamps, school lunches and housing assistance, compared to 30% for native-led households, according to the report from the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for lower levels of immigration.

Those numbers increase for households with children, with 76% of immigrant-led households receiving welfare, compared to 52% for the native-born.

The findings are sure to fuel debate on the presidential campaign trail as Republican candidates focus on changing the nation's immigration laws, from calls for mass deportations to ending birthright citizenship.

Steven Camarota, director of research at the center and author of the report, said that's a much-needed conversation to make the country's immigration system more "selective."

"This should not be understood as some kind of defect or moral failing on the part of immigrants," Camarota said about the findings. "Rather, what it represents is a system that allows a lot of less-educated immigrants to settle in the country, who then earn modest wages and are eligible for a very generous welfare system."

Linda Chavez agrees with Camarota that the country's welfare system is too large and too costly. But Chavez, a self-professed conservative who worked in President Reagan's administration, said it's irresponsible to say immigrants are taking advantage of the country's welfare system any more than native-born Americans.

Chavez said today's immigrants, like all other immigrant waves in the country's history, start off poorer and have lower levels of education, making it unfair to compare their welfare use to the long-established native-born population. She said immigrants have larger households, making it more likely that one person in that household will receive some kind of welfare benefit. And she said many benefits counted in the study are going to U.S.-born children of immigrants, skewing the findings even more.

"When you take all of those issues into account, (the report) is less worrisome," she said.

Chavez, president of the Becoming American Institute, a conservative group that advocates for higher levels of legal immigration to reduce illegal immigration, said politicians should be careful about using the data. Rather than focus on the fact that immigrants are initially more dependent on welfare than the U.S.-born, she said they should focus on studies that show what happens to the children of those immigrants.

"These kids who get subsidized school lunches today will go on to graduate high school ... will go on to college and move up to the middle class of America," Chavez said. "Every time we have a nativist backlash in our history, we forget that we see immigrants change very rapidly in the second generation."

Yeah. Sure. And all these immigrants are about to start voting Republican, right Linda Chavez?

The system is out of control, frankly. What happened to the rugged individualist, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps ethic that immigrants to America used to have? Well, for one thing, we've got Obama, and the welfare system has just gotten more generous and much larger with the hard-left Democrats in office.

It's a national disgrace.

Donald Trump Hammers Jeb Bush: He Should Be Speaking English While in the United States

At the New York Times, "Donald Trump Says Jeb Bush Should Stop Speaking Spanish."

And at Big Government, via Memeorandum, "Exclusive — Donald Trump Fires Back at Jeb Bush: He Should Lead by ‘Speaking English’ While in the United States'."

And watch, at CNN, "Trump to Bush: Set example and speak English."

Nina Kristin Fiutak Big Brother Germany

At Egotastic!, "Nina Kristin Fiutak Takes a Topless Bath In Big Brother Germany Promos," and "More Big Brother Germany Topless Bathing with Nina Kristin Fiutak."

Icelanders Sign Petition Calling on Government to Accept More Syrian Refugees (VIDEO)

Wow!

Iceland?

It's not like it's the biggest country, or anything, heh.

They're definitely radical leftists up that way, though. Birgitta Jónsdóttir, a radical member of Iceland's parliament, refused to cooperate with the FBI when it was investigating WikiLeaks back in 2013.

At the BBC, "Demand to open doors to Syrians spreading online":

More than 12,000 people have shown their support for an Icelandic writer's Facebook plea for her country to take in more refugees. That might not sound like a lot, but bear in mind the total population of Iceland is not much more than 300,000.

Although, unlike some outlets reported, not everyone who joined the group set up by Bryndis Bjorgvinsdottir is offering a refugee a place to stay ("Not everyone in this group is offering their home" the group's description reads), a vibrant debate kicked off on the page itself. The government of Iceland has said it will take in 50 asylum seekers this year.

Not everyone was supportive. "Islam is totally not compatible with Europe," read one comment. But most of the comments were broadly positive about the refugees and about Bjorgvinsdottir's initiative.

The large numbers of supporters in such a small country caught global attention. "Thank you, Icelanders, for again taking the lead as citizens - not only of Iceland, but also of the world," one American commenter said. "You a great country, a great people."

Bernie Sanders: 'Democratic' Socialism Is Good for America (VIDEO)

Yeah, let's just rehabilitate socialism, because, you know, it's as American as apple pie, or something.

Indeed, notice how I put "democratic" in quotation marks at the headline.

Socialism's a Utopian ideology imposed at the barrel of a gun. It's the opposite of democracy, which is why folks call them the "Democrat Party." Sanders is right at home in that regard, the freakin' socialist scum-bucket. Let's hope he wins his party's nomination, so we can spend most of next year rightfully attacking the Democrats as socialist tyrants, and, unlike in 2008 and 2012, this time around the leftist fever swamps and the MSM enablers won't be able to deny shit.

Watch: "Bernie Sanders Explains Why You Shouldn't Be Scared of the Term 'Socialism'."

“What Democratic Socialism is about, is having a government which reflects the interests of the ordinary people, rather than is currently the case, the billionaire class..."

Hat Tip: Legal Insurrection, "Bernie Sanders Explains ‘Democratic Socialism’."

And following the links there, to the stompy-feet New Republic, "Stop Calling Bernie Sanders a Socialist."