“In recent weeks, many of the same neoconservative voices who pushed the U.S. into Iraq are calling for strikes on Iran. Groups like the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy are once again promoting confrontation, claiming there may never be a better time to act. But this is a dangerous illusion that risks derailing what Donald Trump himself says he wants: a deal, not another disastrous war in the Middle East. A war with Iran wouldn’t just risk another endless conflict. It would blow up Trump’s broader agenda at home and abroad.” (03/28/25)
“As noted in yesterday’s post, Stephen Marche argues that America is sitting on a powder keg and that a second Civil War is a very real possibility. But he also suggests that there is an alternative way of resolving the polarization of American politics, a politics characterized not by mere factionalism, not by mere disagreement, but by a virulent hatred of the other side. That alternative is disunion. We’ll get to that shortly, but first a digression on America’s Second Most Dangerous Job.” (03/28/25)
“I used to work with a guy who would throw temper tantrums in meetings. This happened often, because he found even minor challenges to his opinions enraging — and found controlling his rage so it wouldn’t lead to a tantrum impossible. He’d shout, stamp his feet, storm out of the room, and slam the door behind him. The thing is, he also told himself — and definitely told the rest of us — that he was principled and moral. ‘Principle and morality’ were primary features of his self-identity. He’s who came to mind when a friend recently commented that, ‘Having moral ideals is not an excuse to be an asshole in your day to day life.'” (03/28/25)
“When you sit down to write a column and the first word you write nearly breaks the ‘F’ key, then you have to continually erase it, well, it’s a way to tell you’re in a mood. And nothing deserves a ‘mood’ like dealing with the worst creatures on the planet since life crawled out of the primordial ooze: Democrats. How depraved must a group of people be to have Hillary Clinton step forward as the person to speak out on this so-called ‘Signal scandal?’ That’s like hiring OJ Simpson to be the spokesmodel for your battered women’s shelter or Bill Clinton to be your marriage counselor.” (03/30/25)
“The drama this week over the Trump administration Signal group chat about a strike on Houthis in Yemen in which The Atlantic Editor in Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently included has been popcorn-worthy, if you’re into that sort of thing. But beyond the resultant posturing between screw-up bureaucrats and pompous politicians, we learned something of value from the incident: Government officials use the popular encrypted messaging app because the intelligence community considers it secure. While the political class argues over the details, the rest of us should consider that an endorsement of this technology.” (03/28/25)
“Trump has proposed — and depending on the time of day — is actively planning to put large tariffs on aluminum imports (25% in the last version I saw). The implication is that there is some unfairness that has other countries producing a product we should be making domestically. Typically the argument is that the other governments are somehow subsidizing the product unfairly. Personally, I have never understood this argument — as a US consumer I am perfectly happy to have taxpayers of another country subsidize my purchases. It turns out aluminum is a great example to look at because it is very clear why it is produced where it is.” (03/28/25)
“For years, we’ve endured constitutional conservatives’ bloviating about the importance of protecting the sacred principles enshrined in our Constitution. Those include the separation of powers — legislative, executive and judicial checks on one another — and due process. Many of these hypocrites are defending the administration’s policies and bashing a judge for halting the hasty airlift of accused criminal aliens to a prison run by a banana-republic strongman — a directive the president promptly ignored. Perhaps most of these deportees are criminals and a threat (unlike peaceful Japanese residents who posed no threat whatsoever). They still deserve due process — their day in court, so to speak — to prove they have indeed violated the law. Constitutional conservatives of all people should understand that the government gets things wrong and individuals deserve protection from arbitrary actions by its agents.” (03/28/25)
Source: Common Dreams
by Edward Ahmed Mitchell & Ismail Allison
“If a worker consistently and completely fails at a job, he or she should not receive a promotion, a pay raise, or a pat on the back. Sooner or later, that worker should receive a termination notice. This is especially true of workers who engage in unethical behavior on the job. Almost any worker who violates office rules, defrauds their employer, or hurts their customers risks not only termination, but potential lawsuits and criminal charges. Yet a small sector of workers in our nation do not face such consequences for such mistakes or misconduct on the job. Some people, no matter how badly they fail at their job or how many disasters they create on their job, can keep their positions or even move on to even better jobs. Who are these special people who can ‘fail up’ again and again? Outgoing White House officials.” (03/29/25)
“Ludwig von Mises’s 1927 path-breaking work in political theory speaks to the current generations. In section 5 of his introduction to Liberalism: The Classical Tradition, Mises sounds impeccably relevant in describing how the opponents of liberalism and the market economy twist facts that are plainly before our eyes. You’ll see how he refuted the absurd claim that capitalism serves only a tiny privileged and exploitative group. The work of most thinkers passes away soon after they do. Not so with Ludwig von Mises. He began the section by acknowledging what should be obvious. Governments have always interfered with individual freedom, free enterprise, and free markets — in a word, capitalism — in substantial ways. Laissez faire has never been allowed. That does not prove it is impossible, only that people either did not understand the system or did not want its success demonstrated.” (03/28/25)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“I have a few real-life heroes, with Ron Paul sitting at the top of the list. Another of my real-life heroes is John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute. There are few people who are as fierce and competent defenders of civil liberties as John Whitehead. He not only understands the critical importance of civil liberties to a free society, he knows how to competently make the case for protecting civil liberties. Perhaps most important, every one of his articles and books exudes the deep passionate love of liberty that characterizes this man. I make it a point to read his weekly perspectives.” (03/28/25)
