“Tariffs ‘will always be the best way to max out our economic power,’ President Donald Trump declared during his first term, predicting that his trade war would ‘MAKE AMERICA RICH AGAIN.’ Not rich enough, apparently, because Trump is still touting the magic of tariffs, which he says will ‘pay off our debt’ and ‘MAKE AMERICA WEALTHY AGAIN!’ Judging from the dizzying array of tariffs that Trump has imposed this time around, he believes what he says. But his faith is rooted in claims that are logically inconsistent as well as economically implausible.” (04/02/25)
“As Syria begins to collapse into another civil war, western nations brace for the inevitable surge of Syrian refugees to their borders. Amid a national immigration crisis, America should consider how its own foreign policy perpetuates this problem. Over 1,500 people have been killed since the clashes earlier in March, including 1,000 civilians. Many call it the worst violence we’ve seen since Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December, yet it’s nothing new for those monitoring the situation since the Arab Spring. In America, immigration discussions among both political camps overlook how U.S. foreign policy contributes to the growing problem. Syria’s fourteen-year conflict demonstrates how American hard power intervention worsens conditions on the ground for civilians, prompts mass migration, and enables extremists to assume control.” (04/02/25)
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to arrive in Hungary’s capital on Wednesday to meet with the country’s nationalist prime minister despite an international arrest warrant for the Israeli leader over the war in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu’s four-day visit to Budapest is a sign of both his close relationship with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the latter’s growing hostility toward international institutions, like the International Criminal Court, of which his country is a member. Orbán, a conservative populist and close Netanyahu ally, has vowed to disregard the ICC warrant against the Israeli leader, accusing the world’s top war crimes court based in The Hague, Netherlands, of ‘interfering in an ongoing conflict for political purposes.'” (04/02/25)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“The world is watching the United States’[s] Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with bated breath, though with mixed expectations, whether it’s with hope, curiosity, trepidation, or abject horror. DOGE, originally the United States Digital Service, is headed up by Elon Musk, who proudly waved a chainsaw given to him by Javier Milei in praise of his efforts, and who has so far saved US taxpayers $115 billion. We’re all watching for different reasons, but for most conservatives and right-of-center parties, it is in the desperate hope that DOGE will succeed where they have failed. Across the developed world, nations are searching for a solution to out-of-control government spending and seemingly coming up short.” (04/02/25)
“The dictates of the neo-redcoat British government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, are out of control. Starmer’s Labour government wants the whole world to obey its censorship demands. The latest is that its Office of Communications, called Ofcom, is threatening the American social media platforms Gab and Kiwi Farms with mega-steep fines for unwaveringly safeguarding the freedom of speech of users. Which of course Gab and Kiwi Farms have every right to do.” (04/02/25)
“Tesla’s deliveries fell more than expected in the first three months of this year, marking its worst quarter since 2022, as the electric-vehicle maker faced a consumer backlash in Europe and weak demand in China. The US group, led by Elon Musk, delivered 336,681 cars in the first quarter, far fewer than the 390,000 forecast by analysts and the 387,000 it delivered in the same period last year.
Tesla’s shares were down almost 5 per cent in pre-market trading. The figure lagged behind that of China’s BYD, which has regained its crown as the world’s best-selling electric-vehicle maker after this week reporting sales of 416,388 EVs in the same period.” (04/02/25)
Source: The American Conservative
by George D O’Neill Jr.
“Donald Trump rode into office — twice now — on a wave of promises to upend the Washington consensus, to drain the swamp of its self-serving mandarins and to keep America out of endless wars. His base cheered when he skewered the neoconservative architects of Iraq and Afghanistan, wars that bled our Treasury, and most importantly, many of our sons for little more than bragging rights in Beltway and Tel Aviv salons. Yet here we are, in the early days of his second term, with whispers growing louder from the usual suspects: advisors and hangers-on nudging him toward a strike on Iran, peddling the old lie that it’ll be quick, clean, and simple. History, that stern teacher we keep ignoring, tells us otherwise.” (04/02/25)
“‘We are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding,’ President Trump said during his March 6 joint address to Congress. The president did not break new ground with the announcement. Virtually every year, Navy and industry leaders complain that the United States does not invest enough in the nation’s shipbuilding facilities. Yet according to the Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers have appropriated more shipbuilding funds than the president requested for at least 17 of the past 20 years. Even with the extra funds, the Navy’s major shipbuilding programs have consistently fallen behind schedule and over budget.” (04/02/25)
