Source: Libertarian Institute
by Joseph Solis-Mullen
“Today, Taiwan occupies a uniquely important position in the global economy. The island produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, manufacturing the chips that power everything from smartphones and artificial intelligence systems to automobiles, satellites, and advanced weapons platforms. Taiwan has become so central to the modern technological order that analysts since the 1990s have routinely described its semiconductor industry as a ‘silicon shield,’ a strategic asset so important that no major power can afford to see it disrupted. As the debate continues over whether to de-risk or re-shore American semi-conductor supply chains, how we arrived at this point can be instructive.” (07/02/26)
“Attackers targeted the homes of three politicians from Greece’s ruling party with homemade explosives on Wednesday, leaving one person dead and four wounded, police told AFP. The attacks at dawn in the northern city of Thessaloniki targeted figures from the New Democracy party with devices made from gas bottles. … The Kathimerini news website reported that the parents of former party candidate Afroditi Nestora were injured and taken to hospital. It identified the other two targets as the party’s executive committee president Zisis Ioakimovic and former MP Savvas Anastasiades. Nestora’s mother died on Wednesday evening, according to the Thessaloniki hospital where she had been taken for treatment. … Police did not say who might have carried out the attacks or suggest a motive. The anti-terrorist division was investigating. Leftist and anarchist groups often use improvised explosives to target political figures, banks and companies in Greece, causing damage but rarely any casualties.” (07/02/26)
“Rather than debate their critics on the merits, many in the establishments of both parties have sought to dismiss any criticism of Israel as antisemitism, pure and simple. As Sen. Ted Cruz said last month during a diatribe against the popular commentator (and noted Israel skeptic) Tucker Carlson, ‘We are seeing a cancer on the right. It is rising antisemitism …. Here’s the scary thing: I’ve seen more antisemitism on the right over the last 18 months than any time in my life.’ … Leaving aside the histrionics, the Senator from Texas is right about one thing—both the hard right and the hard left have ended up in a similar place on Israel. And for similar reasons: opposition to American vassalage, disgust with the treatment of Palestinians, skepticism of the endless regional wars, and a conviction that our resources are better spent at home.” (07/02/26)
“The idea that human flourishing is the proper measure of a good society goes back to Aristotle, but modern attempts to compare flourishing internationally using subjective survey data raise difficult questions. That is illustrated in the scatter chart shown above – which compares the degree of human flourishing in different countries as measured by the new Global Flourishing Study (GFS) with average life evaluation data for those countries using the methodology of the World Happiness Report (WHR).” (07/01/26)
“The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Virginia and state police, accusing them of enacting a law that it said unconstitutionally bans the purchase and sale of ordinary semi-automatic rifles, according to a statement. The department also sued California on Wednesday to halt the state’s newly enacted ‘Glock Ban’, it said in a separate release.” (07/01/26)
“Aaron Day (ZANO; Daylight Freedom; Brownstone Institute) comes on the show to discuss his campaign (blocking ballots), and the economy (ditch the dollar).” (07/02/26)
