“Half the problem with Trumpism is Trumpism. And the other half of the problem with Trumpism is Trump. Trump will always betray those who trust him. And he will always force his underlings to go out in public and defend indefensibly stupid things. Ask Larry Kudlow or Kevin Hassett. And, contra National Review’s social-media intern, Trump will reliably make everything he gets his hands on ugly: His Caligula-by-way-of-Liberace aesthetic is not only—or even mainly—the result of bad taste but the result of bad character. There is a reason vanity is numbered among the seven deadly sins. To assume that the reflecting pool work would be done incompetently and corruptly is far from absurd. If you happen to be among those who believe that character is destiny, then it is, at the very least, a reasonable assumption even if it is something short of an existential certainty.” (06/25/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Marcos Giansante
“Long before economics became a discipline—before universities, statistical models, or debates over monetary policy—a more fundamental question emerged on the shores of the Aegean Sea: Why does order exist at all? The question did not arise in a royal court, a military academy, or a government bureau. It emerged among merchants, sailors, craftsmen, and philosophers living in the bustling Greek cities of Ionia.” (06/25/26)
“Dozens of Kenyans took to the streets on Thursday under heavy security in memory of protesters killed two years ago when massive anti-government demonstrations erupted in Nairobi over proposed tax hikes and the surging cost of living. Organisers had planned remembrance marches in the coastal city of Mombasa and the capital Nairobi to mark the anniversary of the June 25, 2024 unrest, when protests escalated dramatically and protesters breached parliament grounds before a security crackdown left dozens dead. … Dozens of marchers turned up in Mombasa escorted by security forces while Nairobi’s streets appeared largely deserted as police set up roadblocks with water cannons and mounted a razor wire barricade outside parliament.” (06/25/26)
Source: Independent Institute
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
“After spending time in Singapore, I am more convinced than ever that what has given this island the world’s second– or third-highest per capita gross domestic product (in purchasing power parity) is not its ‘state-managed,’ ‘politically engineered’ socioeconomic model nor its authoritarian politics, but its economic freedom. However, its social cohesion, multi-ethnic peace, and well-being, which are significantly linked to government interventionism, continue to challenge us classical liberals, who would like freedom to be the founding principle not just of prosperity but also of other desirable social outcomes.” (06/24/26)
“Dan from Pirate Chain joins the show to break down what makes Pirate Chain the most private cryptocurrency by any objective measure, what is coming with the new Unified Light Wallet, and why the project avoided the Zcash Orchard vulnerability entirely.” (06/25/26)
Source: Property and Environment Research Center
by Jonathan Wood
“Two years before he authored the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson set out to conserve Virginia’s Natural Bridge—and pioneered a uniquely American model of voluntary stewardship.” (06/24/26)
“Today, too many people think of ‘technology’ as having only to do with information technology. Others (rightly) speak of the evils of ‘technocracy’ as a form of increased government control by a self-chosen elite. But there is much more, and technology offers solutions to many problems we face today. Just as it has in the past. However, it is also just as dangerous and wrong to think that every problem can be solved with technology or that any problem can be solved only with application of technology.” (06/24/26)
