Source: Astral Codex Ten
by Scott Alexander

“Whenever I talk about charity, a type that I’ll call the ‘based post-Christian vitalist’ shows up in the comments to tell me that I’ve got it all wrong. The moral impulse tells us to help our family, friends, and maybe village. It’s a weird misfire, analogous to an auto-immune disease, to waste brain cycles on starving children in a far-off country who you’ll never meet. … it was revealing to watch some of these people trip over themselves to say we should invade Britain because of its tolerance for Pakistani grooming gangs. … the people who claim a principled commitment to not caring about the suffering of poor kids in foreign countries suddenly care a lot about the suffering of poor kids in foreign countries.” (01/22/25)

https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/everyones-a-based-post-christian

Source: The American Prospect
by Hassan Ali Kanu

“One of the most important actions amid the flurry of executive orders that followed President Donald Trump’s inauguration is the new administration’s attempt to revoke birthright citizenship. The order and its import will probably prove mostly symbolic. It was immediately met with a spate of court challenges from the most prominent civil and immigrants’ rights groups in the country, as well as a group of more than 21 states and Washington, D.C. But while it’s extremely unlikely that the policies will survive those challenges, Trump’s order will still stand as a statement of values (a national about-face against immigration, period) that will do much to accomplish one of the administration’s ultimate goals of encouraging certain immigrants to leave the U.S., and discouraging future immigration as a general matter.” (01/23/25)

https://prospect.org/justice/2025-01-23-end-of-birthright-citizenship/

Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton

“The federal government owns a little more than one-fourth of the total land area of the United States. That’s right. According to multiple sources (non-governmental), the FedGov owns about 640 million acres of the 2 billion acres that makes us the landmass of the 50 States and the various territories. Actually, that is 28%. … in some States – theoretically sovereign nations in a union with 49 other States which have an agent or servant called the FedGov – the FedGov owns and controls most land. Nevada? More than 80% of Nevada’s land is under FedGov control. Supposedly, Nevada is equal in status and power to States like Iowa and Connecticut, which have only 0.3% FedGov land. Can this be justified in 2025? Really, could it ever be justified in a jurisdiction which supposedly and constutitionally supports liberty? ” (01/22/25)

https://thepriceofliberty.org/2025/01/22/who-can-justify-this/

Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille

“Well before President Donald Trump returned to office, his supporters boasted that he would start the second term with a flurry of executive actions. The new president exceeded expectations with an avalanche of pardons, orders, and edicts on matters great and small. Some should be welcomed by anybody hoping for more respect for liberty by government employees. Others extend state power in ways that are worrisome or even illegitimate. All continue the troubling trend over the course of decades and administrations from both parties for the president to assume the role of an elected monarch.” (01/22/25)

https://reason.com/2025/01/22/with-executive-order-avalanche-trump-continues-trend-toward-a-monarchical-presidency/

Source: Liberal Currents
by Andy Craig

“The amendment process exists for a reason, and it’s time to talk about using it.” (01/22/25)

https://www.liberalcurrents.com/we-must-save-the-constitution-from-itself/