“A trio of elections in Africa this month were not expected to be overly open or fair. Longtime leaders and ruling parties retained power after voting in Cameroon and Ivory Coast. And it’s likely to be the same when Tanzanians go to the polls Oct. 29. Yet, earlier elections this year – in Ghana, Malawi, and Seychelles – did see smooth transfers of power. And, despite political stasis, the continent is showing consistent economic growth combined with stronger, more transparent financial governance. Forty-four African countries (including Ivory Coast and Tanzania) are expected to surpass the global average growth rate this year, thanks to new discoveries of oil and gas as well as modest gains in agricultural productivity and manufacturing. And just last week, the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) removed four countries – including two of the continent’s largest economies – from its ‘grey list.'” (10/28/25)
“[Julius Caesar] wasn’t the first Roman dictator, just the most infamous one. In the Roman Republic, the title and authority of ‘dictator’ was occasionally granted by the Senate to an individual to deal with a big problem or emergency. Usually, the term would last no more than six months — shorter if the crisis was dealt with — because the Romans detested anything that smacked of monarchy. When Caesar crossed the Rubicon (where we get that phrase) his enemies in the Senate fled. So, the remaining senators named him dictator for 11 days to hold fresh elections. His second dictatorship was set for 10 years, and then finally he was named dictator for life. … Trump is not a dictator, but as Benjamin Franklin understood, republics fail not so much because would-be Caesars seize power. They fail because cowards give it to them — under the false pretense of an emergency.” (10/29/25)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Kimberlee Josephson
“Political pressure and high levels of uncertainty are a big concern for businesses today. And such concerns can have a ripple effect on the communities and nonprofits that rely on and benefit from partnerships with the private sector. I was recently reminded of this at my local Giant grocery store which featured a special promotion: if a customer spent $15 on select grocery items, Giant would contribute $10 to local food banks. This promotion was co-sponsored by Feeding America, America’s ‘largest hunger-relief organization.'” (10/29/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“It’s just news story after news story about the US and its allies terrorizing the world today. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been filming themselves committing horrific massacres in Sudan over the last couple of days, reportedly murdering some two thousand civilians. You can see the bloodstains on the ground in satellite images. As we discussed the other day, the RSF and its atrocities are backed by the UAE, a close partner of the United States. Meanwhile Israel has committed another wave of massacres of its own throughout the Gaza Strip, reportedly killing 104 people in a single day, including 46 children. This is as many Palestinians as would typically be killed on any given day in Gaza prior to the so-called ‘ceasefire.'” (10/29/25)
“he Indian-origin parable of the six blind men describing an elephant spread to many cultures and civilisations centuries ago and is therefore a widely-known story. Upon first encountering an elephant, the men who had heard about but not actually come across it, each person projects from the particular part of the animal he explored by touch to offer a generalised description of the whole beast. … The point of the parable is that specialists can similarly see in their area of expertise in granular detail yet be blind to the big picture. In previous articles, I have highlighted parallels between the 2003 Iraq war, nuclear disarmament, climate catastrophism, and Covid interventions (lockdowns, mask recommendations, and vaccine mandates). All three are conveniently brought together in the book Our Enemy, the Government: How Covid Enabled the Expansion and Abuse of State Power (2023).” (10/29/25)
“President Donald Trump’s demolition of the East Wing of the White House isn’t just an architectural abomination; it’s symbolic of the wrecking ball he’s taken to the Constitution. Driven by his unbounded megalomania and supported by the high-tech oligarchy and a Cabinet of fawning sycophants, the 79-year-old president has precipitated a constitutional crisis and set the nation on the road to authoritarianism and democratic collapse. … Trump has also openly teased about running for a third term in contravention of the 22nd Amendment; secured three indictments and counting against his political critics; launched a lethal air campaign against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific without congressional authorization and in arguable violation of international law; and demanded that the Justice Department hand him $230 million to compensate for the federal investigations into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and for prosecuting him in the Mar-a-Lago documents case.” (10/29/25)
“A lot of language that never used to be part of America’s political discourse has come into vogue since January 20. Like ‘Rubicon,’ that ancient Roman river that’s come to symbolize a divide between democracy and dictatorship, and has been crossed more times lately than the Hudson on a busy Monday-morning rush hour. Or this one: ‘Reichstag Fire.’ On February 27, 1933, less than a month after Adolf Hitler was named Germany’s chancellor, an alleged arson fire destroyed much of the nation’s legislative building in Berlin, the Reichstag. A Dutch Communist was blamed for the blaze, which sparked the ruling Nazis to implement the Reichstag Fire Decree, expelling leftist lawmakers and sending political foes to newly created concentration camps.” (10/29/25)
“I don’t want to live in a world where the government isn’t afraid of the people. I don’t want to live in a world where police are allowed to act like the masters over a population of slaves who either comply instantly or face death. I don’t want to live in a world where politicians are able to do whatever they want and the people feel they must obey them. I don’t want to live in a world where politicians and their enforcers decide what rights we have, and how those rights can be limited, rationed, or licensed. Where we are expected to thank them for not doing worse. … Unfortunately, this is the world we have been dealt. What can be done about it? First of all, realize this is backward.” (10/29/25)
“Amid an increasingly dire water crisis, the country’s next prime minister will face an enduring US troop presence and constant tug-of-war over Iran.” (10/29/25)
