Source: Rutherford Institute
by John & Nisha Whitehead

“After a midterm election that saw billions of dollars spent on political advertising and a Democratic wave sweep Republicans out of power in Congress, Americans have once again been promised a new direction for the country. The voters have spoken. The balance of power in Washington has shifted. A new Congress will have the opportunity to rein in an imperial presidency and hold the government accountable for its abuses. But the question that must rightfully be asked is: what comes next? Will Congress finally rein in the surveillance state, the militarization of the police, the detention machinery, the endless wars, the government spending spree and the corporate interests that profit from the American police state? Or will the politicians settle back into their comfortable routines while the government machine keeps right on running? This is where Hollywood’s dystopian warnings become disturbingly relevant.” (11/04/26)

https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/the_machinery_of_oppression_remains

Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison

“The party in power typically loses seats in a midterm election, but the president has to do something catastrophically stupid to provoke a backlash this large. In Trump’s case, it was his decision to start an illegal war of aggression against Iran that destroyed his presidency and wrecked his party. The party running proudly antiwar candidates prevailed, and the mindlessly pro-war party was routed. While there were several reasons for the extensive Republican losses, this was above all a great antiwar victory. … Voters want an end to the war and accountability for the government’s destructive policies. Americans are giving the Democrats a chance to rein in the president’s open corruption and abuses of power. Once the new Congress is in session, the priority has to be forcing an end to the war using the power of the purse.” (11/04/26)

https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/a-great-antiwar-victory

Source: Reason
by Jack Verrill

“When Russia designated the Human Rights Foundation as ‘undesirable’ earlier this year, the New York City–based nonprofit knew what was coming next. In September, the HRF received a notice demanding it block Russians from accessing its signature Tyranny Tracker. But the notice did not come from Russia; it came from WP Engine, a web hosting company headquartered in Austin, Texas. … The Guaranteeing Rights Against Novel International Tyranny and Extortion (GRANITE) Act aims to stop this. Introduced in the House by Rep. Michael Rulli (R–Ohio) in August and currently sitting in the Judiciary Committee, the bill would confirm in statute that U.S. courts will not enforce foreign censorship orders, and would allow individuals to sue foreign censors for attempting to restrict the protected speech of American citizens. The former is the shield; the latter is the sword.” (11/04/26)

https://reason.com/2026/11/04/russia-wants-to-censor-americans-why-are-u-s-tech-companies-helping/

Source: The Daily Economy
by Paul Mueller

“With another election season behind us, we should revisit some of the great economic and political debates about the merits of voting and electoral politics. While majorities successfully elected candidates and passed referenda across the country on Tuesday, they will likely not be happy with all the effects of their choices on society. Or, to put it another way, the majority got what it wanted, but it is not going to like it.” (11/04/26)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/did-voters-get-things-wrong-on-tuesday/