Which Party Is More Libertarian: Republicans Or Democrats?
Source: Independent Institute
by Scott Beyer
“Assessing the freedom and liberty orientation of both parties on 10 key issues.” (02/13/26)
Category: Opinion
Vladimir Putin’s finally starting to sweat; time for Trump to turn up the heat
Source: New York Post
by staff
“With Vladimir Putin’s war machine sputtering, it’s time to push the Kremlin even harder to force an end to his war on Ukraine. President Donald Trump’s moves such as seizing ‘shadow fleet’ tankers and piling on new tariffs on importers of Moscow’s oil are plainly hitting hard: You can tell because Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is whining that Washington won’t make Kyiv agree to de facto surrender (e.g., Russian control over Ukraine’s post-war government) as he claims President Donald Trump had agreed to do. Why does Russia need America’s intervention, if it’s winning on the battlefield? ‘The United States has effectively declared a goal of economic domination,’ Lavrov cries — a clear sign that Putin’s feeling squeezed.” (02/14/26)
From Good Neighbor to Bad Cop
Source: Independent Institute
by Ivan Eland
“Donald Trump’s new national security strategy placed greater emphasis on the homeland (unneeded and even ominous for the health of the U.S. republic) and the Western Hemisphere (potentially beneficial) at the expense of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Since World War II — starting with the 40-plus-year, worldwide, grandiose Cold War instituted by Harry Truman and the subsequent war on terrorism — the U.S. superpower has worried more about threats to Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East than the countries in those regions. The tragic result was unneeded wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and two wars with Iraq. And those are just the largest quagmires the United States got itself into during that period; countless smaller military interventions were conducted in far-flung countries.” (02/14/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/02/14/good-neighbor-bad-cop/
Reviving a Revisionist: Clinton Hartley Grattan, Part 2
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Wendy McElroy
“Grattan highlights the propagandistic tricks that were directed at those who were neutral or critical. A lack of transparency was one of the tricks that left people unsure of the facts and so unable to argue effectively against war. Closed-door negotiations epitomized this secrecy for Grattan. Why We Fought discusses in detail the secret agreements that pushed America in the direction of war and prevented effective pushback against it. For example, the American diplomat Edward Mandell (Colonel) House negotiated a covert deal with England and France by which America pledged to intervene on the side of the Allies, although the official line was neutrality. This deal became known as the Secret Treaty. Months before the agreement was finalized, however, Wilson had campaigned and won the 1916 presidential election based on the claim that he had kept America out of the war and the promise that he would continue to do so.” (02/13/26)
https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/reviving-a-revisionist-clinton-hartley-grattan-part-2/
How America Has Destroyed Its Democracy, Part One
Source: Town Hall
by Mark Lewis
“This is going to be a three-part series defining the following: One, what our Founders (and others of their time) thought about democracy; two, how and why they thought it would fail; three, the kind of government and society they really wanted; and four, the role that feminism has played in destroying American democracy. The Founders didn’t foresee the fourth point, but they weren’t prophets and couldn’t predict everything. They knew history, though, and women have never done to any society what feminists have done to America. There is really no historical parallel. I’ll discuss that later. I have a lot of quotes here, some rather lengthy, some not so long, but all very interesting to those who enjoy history and want to know what our Founding Fathers intended for America.” (02/14/26)
The Coming Constitutional Ice Age
Source: Judging Freedom
by Andrew P Napolitano
“Last fall during the opening of the United Nations in New York City, I recognized the face of a federal officer from his days working in law enforcement in New Jersey and mine as a trial judge. We chatted and I asked him what he was doing. He told me he worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE. I asked what ICE has to do with the U.N., and he told me that soon ICE will be everywhere. When I asked if ICE has become a paramilitary force, answerable to the White House, he just smiled, as if to say, ‘Don’t quote me.’ When I asked him why he was carrying two handguns and an AK-47 automatic rifle, he laughed and said, ‘I have more than you can see, judge!'” (02/13/26)
A civics upskilling for Americans amid 250th celebrations
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“If there is a bona fide kickoff moment for this year’s 250th anniversary of American independence, it is Presidents Day. For the three-day holiday weekend, many institutions tied to the nation’s history offered some sort of event. George Washington’s Mount Vernon, for example, announced free admission on Feb. 16, along with ‘a stirring reading’ of ‘Washington’s Prayer for His Country.’ Yet in addition to this year’s celebratory revelry, many Americans are seeking civic repair. … One example of a desire for understanding civic responsibilities is a bipartisan bill introduced last month in Nebraska. Since 2019, teens in the state have had to pass a civics requirement to graduate. But the bill would now require new members of the state Legislature to take a 20-question civics test, much like immigrants take for United States citizenship. And the scores would be made public.” (02/13/26)
Epstein Fallout Explodes Around the World — but Not on Team Trump
Source: The New Republic
by Malcolm Ferguson
“The ripple effect of the most recent release of the Epstein files has traveled across the water, causing high-profile resignations and even criminal charges everywhere, except where they’re needed most: the White House.” (02/13/26)
https://newrepublic.com/post/206575/epstein-fallout-explodes-world-ruemmler-uae-norway-trump
Proven Petroleum Reserves and the Myth of “Peak Oil”
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by George S Giles
“Just how much oil does the world have? The American Petroleum Institute (API) is considered the world leader in petroleum statistics and they set the standards the worldwide industry uses. Those good old boys from Texas have created the incredible technology that brings high quality gasoline to your neighborhood each and every day. … The proven reserves of petroleum now stands at 1.7 trillion barrels of oil, up significantly from 1.3 trillion barrels in 2009. During this 17-year interlude, some 100 million barrels per day have been consumed by the world. This is clearly a paradox for the Hubbert Peak Oil believers.” (02/13/26)
https://mises.org/power-market/proven-petroleum-reserves-and-myth-peak-oil
Deep dive into New York’s proposals to ban demonstrations near houses of worship
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Carolyn Iodice
“Core among the rights protected by the First Amendment is the right to demonstrate. No matter what our message is, whether other people are delighted or outraged by it, we get to march down the street and say our piece. This right is currently under attack in Albany. A pair of proposals, one by members of the legislature and one by Gov. Kathy Hochul, would criminalize demonstrating at many locations across the state. Here’s a deep dive into the details of these bills: what they cover, how they muzzle protesters, and why they’re unconstitutional.” (02/13/26)
https://www.thefire.org/news/deep-dive-new-yorks-proposals-ban-demonstrations-near-houses-worship