“Years ago, I thought it was valuable for me to understand the depth of the human capacity for atrocity, so I made myself look at photos and videos of some of the worst things people had done to each other. So in 2015, I made myself watch the full, unedited video of ISIS burning a man alive in a cage. … I thought of that video when I heard about the Trump administration’s plan to stage a public televised execution by firing squad. … Seemingly swayed by the bad polling, Trump cancelled the idea, declaring that the execution wouldn’t be livestreamed. But the episode has revealed something important about the nature of the men who now rule America. Their values and their worldview are not the same as those of the average American. They are, in many ways, premodern and barbaric.” (10/18/26)
“The SNP-led Scottish government is set to drop its long-standing opposition to new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. Two senior members of the Scottish government — granted anonymity to discuss a strategy not yet ready for publication — told POLITICO the government will revise its energy plans to take a more pro-oil and gas exploration position. Tests on compatibility with the government’s climate targets will remain, but Scotland will no longer begin from a position of opposition to new oil and gas projects. The move marks a major change in the Scottish government’s energy policy.” (10/16/26)
“Quoting Shakespeare and considering the Shakespearian conspiracy theories :: There’s a lot of jobs in government that Nobody should do :: Are Boomers at fault? :: in 2020, Trump printed 90% of all dollars ever printed :: Mark believes the government can steal your property because it’s theirs :: Caller Derek’s ghost story! :: Government is just the idea of giving a corporation a monopoly on violence and making it only accountable to itself :: Kids for Cash and will accountability ever come? :: 2026-10-17 Hosts: Bonnie, Nobody, Lori and Mark Edge.” (10/17/26)
“‘These are the times that try men’s souls’ So wrote Thomas Paine 250 years ago about a long, dark winter when the young nation’s fortunes looked so bleak that many feared it might yet arrive stillborn. Now, the eldest and most celebrated liberal democracy on Earth finds herself again contemplating the grave. Even far on the exurban outskirts of our nation’s capital, a capital now home to the world’s most militarized algae plume, the steady drumbeat of failure wafts out from its source like a relentless, festering wind. It’s enough to make anyone despair.” (10/16/26)
“Tyranny of the majority is obviously a problem distinctive to democracy. The same goes for rational voter ignorance, which arises from the perverse incentive structure of individual voters, who have only an infinitesimally small chance of influencing electoral outcomes. And, while illiberal forces can and do seize power under authoritarian systems, the pathways democracies (usually involving the electoral process) create for them are distinctive.” (10/17/26)
“A woman drove a truck through a soccer field during a youth game in Kansas on Saturday, killing two people and sending 11 other victims to the hospital, authorities said. A 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man were killed, Wichita Police Capt. Aaron Moses said. The ages of the injured people ranged from 5 to 68. Moses said the driver, a 34-year-old, was in custody. He did not say whether authorities believe it was intentional.” (10/18/26)
Source: The American Conservative
by W James Antle III
“In the last consumer price index report before the midterm elections, inflation was up to 3.7 percent. It’s still a far cry from the 9.1 percent peak under former President Joe Biden, but that offers little comfort to vulnerable congressional Republicans. President Donald Trump’s job approval rating on the economy sits at just 33.8 percent in the RealClearPolitics average of polls. … It is against this backdrop that Republicans will be defending their narrow congressional majorities. And while the polls in some of the most competitive Senate races look iffy, the national electoral environment is indisputably bad for the GOP. These dire conditions have arisen as a result of Trump’s own choices. The biggest driver of the most recent inflation is a spike in energy prices caused by the Iran war.” (10/17/26)
“Iran’s parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as defence minister on Sunday, ending months of interim leadership at the ministry and placing a former defence sector veteran in charge of the country’s defence production and procurement apparatus. Akhlaqi replaces Majid Ebn al-Reza, who took over in an interim capacity after then Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed by US-Israeli strikes in February. Akhlaqi has spent decades in Iran’s defence industry and has held senior roles in its aerospace and missile sectors. He is subject to US and EU sanctions over his work in Iran’s defence sector. In a programme presented to lawmakers, Akhlaqi pledged to rebuild the country’s military-industrial infrastructure, accelerate the development of defence technologies and expand cooperation with private-sector companies.” (10/18/26)
“Late on the night of September 30, with the Senate about to leave town for a month, a bipartisan group of senators asked their colleagues to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) by unanimous consent. A single objection from Senator Rand Paul that thwarted the bill. For now. KOSA ostensibly aims to protect children by making platforms legally responsible for harms to minors. This sounds like something nobody could oppose, but it is a Trojan horse. If politicians really wanted to protect children, they would push for devices built specifically for kids and ask nothing of adults. Instead, KOSA is a step towards forcing everyone on the internet to verify their real identity, until we can’t read a digital book, watch a YouTube video, or chat with a friend without first proving exactly who we are.” (10/16/26)
