“Those who depend on ruling others to make money, secure their position, or to gain power won’t let it go. Respecting your natural human rights isn’t in their interest. It’s up to you to secure your rights — to assume your liberty in the face of all those who want to rule you. Those who govern you hate your realization that liberty is your natural birthright as a human being. They’ll treat you like a criminal if you don’t pretend they have the right to rule you. Which they don’t, because this ‘right’ can’t exist. … Remember: you own your life and your property. You don’t owe them to everyone who demands them.” (10/28/26)
“In the country with arguably the most successful market economy on Earth, it’s not unreasonable to ask for just one major political party to favor a system of relatively unfettered voluntary exchange. And yet, the midterm elections offer Americans a ‘choice’ between a party openly embracing socialism by name, and one that increasingly embraces state-directed economic activity in the cause of nationalism. Not every candidate running as a Democrat or Republican is on board with their parties’ statist transformations, and there are certainly other issues separating the two dominant political tribes. But if you want reliable advocacy of economic freedom, you won’t find it in the two major parties.” (10/28/26)
“What does Jeff Bezos add to my life? And Elon Musk? and Mark Zuckerberg? and Steve Jobs? and Jimmy Wales? Jeff Bezos gave me the everything store. … Elon Musk made electric cars desirable rather than dutiful. … Mark Zuckerberg gave me free tools to keep in touch with almost anyone I’ve ever met. … Steve Jobs put a powerful computer in my pocket and made it simple enough for a child or a grandparent. … Jimmy Wales gave me the largest encyclopedia in history, free, ad-free, and in hundreds of languages. … The striking point is how little of this value the founders keep. The economist William Nordhaus estimated that innovators capture only around two percent of the social value their innovations create.” (10/28/260
Source: The American Conservative
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“Moscow’s anger and frustration is rising, as indicated by the mounting number of incidents in the gray zone category in recent months. Yet policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic appear to have given little thought to the likely consequences of even a sustained, limited war in their countries. The ugly reality is that the impact would be highly disruptive at best—and catastrophic at worst. To the extent that experts examine the issue at all, they usually focus on the least likely scenario: a full-scale nuclear war between Russia and NATO. … But what if Russian or NATO leaders conclude that it’s possible to wage a limited war without either side resorting to the thermonuclear option? (10/28/26)
“Crude oil prices have once again risen above $100 a barrel. The national average for gasoline is hovering above $4. With Republicans nationwide being burdened by the stench of incumbency – regardless of whether or not the individual candidate is currently in office – a return-to-power seems all but imminent for the Democrats in the House of Representatives, and maybe even the Senate as well. This is even true in ‘Trump Country.'” (10/28/26)
“The midterms are approaching fast, and polls paint a grim picture for Republicans. GOP candidates are struggling to win over voters concerned about healthcare costs. Since President Trump returned to office, congressional Republicans have enacted several significant healthcare reforms. Some aim to restrain government spending. Others could put more money in patients’ pockets, expand their control over healthcare expenses, or address practices that contribute to high prices. Consider the Medicaid reforms included in last year’s Working Families Tax Cut legislation. Medicaid spending more than doubled between 2010 and 2024, rising from $397 billion to $932 billion. The new law seeks to restrain that growth, in part by requiring certain working-age beneficiaries to work, volunteer, or participate in education or job training for at least 80 hours per month to maintain their coverage.” (10/28/26)
“Online spaces are captured by oligarchs and saturated with slop—and they’re exacerbating humanity’s worst impulses. It’s time to start over.” (10/28/26)
“For years, Americans who lost their bank accounts over their beliefs were told they were imagining things. Banks sent form letters. Customer service read from scripts. Nobody would say why. The federal regulator that oversees the nation’s largest banks recently confirmed what many of us have argued all along: Politicized debanking was real, it was widespread, and it can easily happen again. … Trump’s executive order declared that no American should be denied financial services because of protected beliefs, affiliations or political views, and it set this report in motion. But executive orders and regulators change with administrations. Laws passed by legislatures provide more durable protection. That’s why the states matter.” (10/28/26)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Humanity has the freedom to fail this test and go the way of the dinosaur. We’re allowed to take that path if that’s what we collectively choose to do. We can allow a few massively outnumbered plutocrats and empire managers to drive our species to extinction via climate disaster, nuclear holocaust, or AI apocalypse if we want to. We are completely free to do that. I don’t know about you, but I actually find this a comforting thought. When you take a close look at the existential hurdles that humanity is faced with, it can feel pretty bleak. Global capitalism is destroying the biosphere we all depend on for survival. The western empire is getting increasingly comfortable engaging in reckless brinkmanship with nuclear-armed rivals.” (10/28/26)
“The entrepreneur behind the peanut butter cup once worked at Hershey’s. In his own basement, he discovered the power of turning failure into opportunity.” (10/28/26)
