Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp

“It seems to me that, in order for something to qualify as a ‘scandal,’ it has to allege conduct that’s corrupt beyond the ordinary or expected. The only thing extraordinary or unexpected about the self-enriching conduct of the Trump crime family is that, for the most part, it’s all done right out in the open. From cryptocurrency scams to insider trading to sweetheart contracts, the Donald and his offspring operate their corruption machine in a refreshingly transparent manner. They don’t care if you notice, and don’t consider such things worth the minimal effort of manufacturing plausible cover stories for. … today’s Republicans are dogs compared to modern Democratic cats: Both animals will happily take a dump on your lawn, but only one can be bothered to cover it up.” (10/11/26)

https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20941

Source: The Hill
by Elias Khoury

“Last week, the Senate voted on a resolution would force the State Department to produce a report on Israeli violence in the West Bank. The legislation would require the State Department to report on human rights in countries receiving American security funds within 30 days. If the department fails to produce a report in time, those funds halt automatically. … Since 2022, at least nine U.S. citizens have been killed in the West Bank. None of the perpetrators have faced accountability. It’s a striking trend: a foreign government, funded and armed by the United States, killing Americans without repercussion. You’d think lawmakers would unanimously be desperate for answers. But you would be wrong.” (10/09/26)

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/6138235-gop-rejects-america-first-test/

Source: Washington Post
by George F Will

“The sound and fury of this autumn’s politics signifies nothing but the bipartisan determination to talk about anything (data centers are the distraction-du-jour) other than the most important thing: the ruinous consensus beneath today’s performative rancor. Both parties are committed, behaviorally if not ideologically, to running huge deficits at every point in the business cycle. As a result, interest costs, which were $241 billion in fiscal 2016, have more than tripled in 10 years, to $1.1 trillion. As the cost of servicing the national debt will drive future annual budget deficits up from $2 trillion, something else will increase commensurately: the temptation of repudiation.” (10/09/26)

https://archive.is/W0STW

Source: Reason
by Steven Greenhut

“During his family trip to England last year, Vice President J.D. Vance lectured the European Union on its approach to free speech. Lacking the equivalent of the United States'[s] First Amendment, European nations—and Great Britain in particular—have admittedly embraced speech policies that most Americans should find creepy. ‘Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There’s no room for firewalls. You either uphold the principle or you don’t,’ Vance said, as he blasted German political parties for refusing to work with the far-right AfD party. He also criticized British police for arresting anti-abortion protesters and for their nasty habit of monitoring internet speech. It’s hard to take issue with Vance’s point about Europe, although it’s always easiest to remove the speck from someone else’s eye than it is to remove the plank from one’s own.” (10/09/26)

https://reason.com/2026/10/09/remember-when-trump-was-the-free-speech-candidate/