Why War Matters

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by David Brady, Jr.

“Today, some fans of our current administration will brow beat those with concerns over foreign policy and aid, accusing you of not being sufficiently focused on domestic issues. In a perfect world, one could stay focused on affordability (or immigration, as these brow beaters typically focus on) and other kitchen table issues. But the issue of war and peace touches every aspect of American life whether one wants to admit it or not. You should not allow gatekeepers, who selectively brow beat over foreign policy as a focus, to prevent you from caring about foreign policy.” (12/10/25)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-war-matters

The DOJ Says It Will Challenge Unconstitutional Gun Policies. Maybe It Should Stop Defending Them.

Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum

“The Justice Department recently established a ‘Second Amendment Section’ within its Civil Rights Division. On its face, that move is a welcome development for defenders of the constitutional right to armed self-defense — an impression reinforced by the alarm the new initiative has generated among gun control advocates. But the section’s mission statement raises doubts about its commitment to Second Amendment advocacy. So does the Justice Department’s (DOJ) ongoing defense of constitutionally dubious federal gun laws.” (12/10/25)

https://reason.com/2025/12/10/the-doj-says-it-will-challenge-unconstitutional-gun-policies-maybe-it-should-stop-defending-them/

The West: Unique or Universal?

Source: The Realist Review
by James W Carden

“The reverberations from the new National Security Strategy (NSS)—published only a week ago—continue to echo throughout the trans-Atlantic national security establishment, not least due to the President’s explosive (is he capable of any other kind?) Politico interview, during which he took European leaders to task for not living up to the lofty example he, our Janus-faced Warlord and Prince of Peace, has set before them. A quick and easy measure of just how threatening the foreign policy establishment takes one or another policy can be taken by merely observing how strenuously the media attempts to link said policy to the Kremlin. And, as night follows day, attempts to portray the NSS as a Kremlin-friendly strategy commenced immediately.” (12/11/25)

https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/the-west-unique-or-universal

Trump’s “gold card” program goes live, offering US visas starting at $1 million per person

Source: Seattle Times

“President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his long-promised ‘gold card’ was officially going on sale, offering legal status and an eventual pathway to U.S. citizenship for individuals paying $1 million and corporations ponying up twice that per foreign-born employee. A website accepting applications went live as Trump revealed the start of the program while surrounded by business leaders in the White House’s Roosevelt Room. It is meant to replace EB-5 visas, which Congress created in 1990 to generate foreign investment and had been available to people who spend about $1 million on a company that employs at least 10 people. … The new program is actually a green card, effectively offering permanent legal residency with the chance for citizenship.” (12/10/25)

https://archive.is/Nsezb

Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock, 12/10/25

Source: Freedom’s Phoenix

“Dr Mary Ruwart (Chair of Liberty International and Secretary of the Foundation for a Free Society) on The Philosophy of Liberty, activism, young people and freedom, the desire for liberty is worldwide, etc.” (12/10/25)

https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Media/388261-2025-12-09-2025-12-10-ernest-hancock-interviews-dr-mary-ruwart.htm

The Best Big Media Merger Is No Merger at All

Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Katharine Trendacosta

“The state of streaming is… bad. It’s very bad. The first step in wanting to watch anything is a web search: ‘Where can I stream X?’ Then you have to scroll past an AI summary with no answers, and then scroll past the sponsored links. After that, you find out that the thing you want to watch was made by a studio that doesn’t exist anymore or doesn’t have a streaming service. So, even though you subscribe to more streaming services than you could actually name, you will have to buy a digital copy to watch. A copy that, despite paying for it specifically, you do not actually own and might vanish in a few years. … It’s important to recognize this as we see more and more media mergers. These mergers are not about quality, they’re about control.” (12/10/25)

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/12/best-big-media-merger-no-merger-all

Mexico: Congress approves tariff hikes on imports from China and others

Source: Associated Press

“Mexico’s Congress approved Wednesday most of the tariff increases proposed by the government on more than 1,400 products imported from China and other countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico. … The governing Morena party of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said the tariffs were necessary to spur domestic production, controls both chambers. … Analysts say the real motivation is ongoing negotiations with Washington, Mexico’s most important trading partner. Sheinbaum has been trying to find relief from remaining tariffs imposed on Mexican imports by the Trump administration, which has accused China of using Mexico as a backdoor into the U.S. market.” (12/10/25)

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-china-tariffs-fa89b687e6fc61996b67083b3f789243