“The recent escalations in Donald Trump’s rhetoric and imagery have reignited intense debate among clinical psychologists and political analysts regarding the mental framework of such leadership. At the core of Trump’s actions is a pattern of grandiosity, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and a need for constant admiration. … So how did the United States end up with Donald Trump as its leader? From the perspective of economist Friedrich Hayek and the Austrian School, certain factors create a movement that makes the trade-off for a leader like Trump feel not only rational but necessary.” (09/30/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Ryan McMaken
“Throughout much of the nineteenth century, and into the twentieth, the American Revolution had often been framed according to the ‘neo-whig’ narrative in which the American Revolution was very non-radical, and represented a sort of conservative revolution which, because of its lack of radicalism, differed from virtually every other revolution in the past several centuries. This narrative was revived and promoted by conservatives in the 1950s who sought, as a Cold War measure, to discourage revolution of all types, and to foster greater support for the American regime. Yet, some historians have argued otherwise, including Rothbard. … Russian historian Aleksandr Fursenko explored the debate over whether or not the new Constitution of 1787 was in line with ‘the Spirit of ‘76’ or if it represented a counterrevolution against the ideology behind the Declaration of Independence.” (09/30/26)
“Afriend of mine was once mayor of a small city, about forty thousand souls. A local landowner petitioned to develop single-family homes on a parcel he owned, about 20 acres. It was ‘ranch land,’ given over to meadows with a few copses of trees. Lovely place. When the hearing was held over this development, there was a surprise waiting: all six neighbors showed up to insist, vociferously, that the rancher must not be allowed to develop the land. They said they preferred the meadows and trees. I don’t doubt they were telling the truth. Now, it might seem there is a striking disconnect here, a tension between American attitudes toward private property and a ‘right’ to use public shouting to dictate how other people can use their property. If those six people really valued the land as scenery, they could have bought it.” (09/30/26)
Source: The American Conservative
by Luke Nicastro
“In 1626, England’s Parliament sought to impeach the Duke of Buckingham, a widely despised advisor to King Charles I. The king moved quickly to shield his favorite; on hearing the news, he said curtly that Parliament would sit ‘not a minute’ more and gave orders for its immediate dissolution. Exactly four centuries later, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) has taken a page from the Stuart playbook, dismissing our own legislature (or at least, its lower chamber) to protect an unpopular official. … even an unsuccessful impeachment measure would be politically embarrassing, both for Johnson and the White House. But there may be another reason the GOP establishment went to such lengths to scuttle the vote. Already Democrats are salivating over the prospect of wielding state power against their political enemies, should they regain power.” (09/30/26)
“As they prepared for Republicans to drop another billion dollars of ads on their heads this summer, Democrats passed around fresh advice on gender politics. A memo from the Transgender Freedom Alliance, based on focus groups and polling in battleground states, warned that Democrats lost ground if they ignored anti-trans attacks — ubiquitous GOP ads about ‘boys in girls’ sports’ and ‘child sex changes.’ The group advised Democrats to respond, then accuse Republicans of being ‘focused on transgender people instead of helping you.’ Right now, as they compete for states that Trump won by double digits, Democrats are feeling great about that guidance.” (09/30/26)
“On Monday, the largest rocket ever built reached low earth orbit (about 170 miles above Earth’s surface) for the first time. That same day, back on terra firma, a massive, custom-built machine that can bore 280 feet below the surface was ceremonially switched on to launch an ambitious tunneling project. Despite an engine failure and a shortened mission time frame, SpaceX’s Starship successfully launched 26 satellites. The company’s next challenge will be returning the rocket back to its launch area in Texas. On the East Coast, meanwhile, the $16 billion Hudson Gateway project to build two new rail tunnels linking New Jersey and Manhattan has faced its share of technical and funding challenges. When completed, it will supplement the under-river railway links that were a technological marvel in their time – more than a century ago.” (09/29/26)
“He called free speech ‘the dread of tyrants’ and a ‘sacred right.’ The Civil War tested that principle. Did it extend even to supporters of the Confederacy?” (09/30/26)
“Ask someone what a classical liberal believes, and you’ll get a familiar list. Classical liberals stand for private property. They stand for free markets and limited government. They believe in the rule of law, free trade, free speech, and religious toleration. Give or take an item or two, you’ll find something like this list in any textbook summary, or on the ‘about’ page of most classical liberal think tanks. And it’s a good list, as far as it goes. Each of those commitments has a long history in the tradition, and each has been defended by some of its best minds. The problem with the list is what’s not on it: democracy.” (09/30/26)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“It pisses me off whenever I see someone claiming that ‘AI music’ is about to make normal music obsolete. There is no such thing as ‘AI music’ or ‘AI art’. AI cannot make music. It cannot create the experience of an artist using skill and intention to transport something from inside them into an audience through vibrations in the air. It can only mimic the noises of that encounter. It’s like someone going ‘There’s no need to converse with anyone anymore because they’ve invented a machine which makes noises that sound like human speech!’ You’d want to tell them ‘Hey, that’s not the same thing mate. You’re talking about a completely different experience which in no way satisfies what people are looking for in a conversation.'” (09/30/26)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Angelo Monaco
“By aggressively restricting imports and guaranteeing artificially high domestic prices, protectionist architecture installed by the state acts as a hidden tax on American families, quietly inflating the cost of everyday food products to subsidize politically connected producers. Far from stabilizing the agricultural sector, these interventions distort supply chains, destroy downstream manufacturing jobs, and insulate domestic producers from the competitive realities of the global market. It is a textbook institutional design failure: an artificial regime that enriches a favored few while forcing consumers and the broader economy to foot the structural bill.” (09/30/26)
