Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Sarah McLaughlin
“American foreign policy is vast, complex, and can change by the hour. The First Amendment protects our right to support, challenge, protest, or question the policy of the United States and every other government around the world. But in seeking deportations of some legal residents in the United States, federal officials are claiming to target immigrants for expression that could, in their view, impact American diplomacy — and the implications for free expression are profound. This broad justification effectively means any legal immigrant in the United States cannot speak his or her mind about any political issue without risking deportation, lest their words in some way implicate present or future foreign policy matters.” (03/26/25)
“Alaska is a cold state where residents need energy to keep the chill at bay. Fortunately, the state is blessed with natural resources, including abundant oil and natural gas that can help satisfy that need. Unfortunately, as I’ve written before, a nationalistic, century-old law requires that shipping between American ports be conducted only by U.S.-built and -flagged ships. And there aren’t any liquid natural gas tankers that satisfy the requirement. Now Alaska officials are seeking a waiver so they can use their own resources to resolve a growing energy crunch. … There’s no practical reason the gas can’t be transported by tanker from the North Slope wells to the users in the state’s populated areas. But there’s a big legal barrier.” (03/26/25)
“In countries struggling against a drift toward autocracy, the tone of pro-democracy protests is usually hostile, even rude. Not so in Turkey these days. After a week of street demonstrations since the March 19 detention of the main opposition politician, Turks are offering a new playbook to the world – largely based on loving one’s enemies. From his jail cell Monday, for example, presidential hopeful Ekrem İmamoğlu – who was arrested on dubious charges of corruption – sent this message to the young people protesting in Turkish cities against the two-plus-decade rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: ‘Stay away from conflicts. Be good to our security forces, police officers, and people whom I love very much. Let me see you all with smiling faces.'” (03/25/25)
“Six years ago, there was a remarkable and unprecedented movement to challenge the illegal U.S. involvement in the Saudi coalition’s war on Yemen. That movement drew support from both parties and had members from all across the political spectrum. For the first time in almost half a century, Congress insisted that the president end U.S. involvement in a foreign war. Trump refused to stop U.S. support, but there was at least a concerted effort against the war. Today the U.S. is actively engaged in hostilities in Yemen without Congressional authorization, but there is no similar movement to end the bombing. … Perhaps now that Trump has taken ownership of this terrible policy there will be more resistance, but so far there has been no significant opposition in Congress that I can see.” (03/26/25)
“In the classic 1973 movie The Sting, con men extraordinaire played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford hatch a plan to take down a fearsome mob boss played by Robert Shaw in a high-stakes poker game. The cons first pickpocket Shaw, stealing his billfold and then, using Shaw’s own money, outcheat him at cards to take him to the cleaners. The stakes are a lot higher with Private Equity (PE). While Redford and Newman ripped off a mob boss, PE firms take over companies that provide important services — healthcare facilities and nursing homes, for example — and manufacturers that employ thousands.” (03/26/25)
“One of the first films to appear during the lockdown was Songbird, a tremendous dystopian film that was panned by critics for no good reason other than that it told too much truth. That was the exception. Most filmmakers gave up trying to adhere to the strictures over masking and social distancing and decided to wait it out until regular life returned. That 18-24 month period, however, led to a serious isolation on the part of the film and arts community, as it did with everyone. When it ended, we might have expected a sigh of relief and a return to normalcy. We got the opposite, an arts community more alienated than ever, along with distorted politics and culture too.” (03/26/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“The Trump administration is targeting another Columbia University student for deportation due to speech crimes against the state of Israel. This time they’re going after a 21 year-old woman who was born in South Korea but has been in the US since age seven and is a legal permanent US resident. … The legal argument here is that because these activists are obstructing the foreign policy goals of the US government, it’s okay to remove them because they are not citizens. What people are missing about Trump’s new policy of deporting pro-Palestine protesters on the grounds that their activism is contrary to US ‘foreign policy interests’ is that it’s not just an attack on the activists’ political speech, it’s also an attack on US citizens’ right to hear criticism of their government’s foreign policy.” (03/26/25)
“We don’t like saying we told you so. But sometimes, it’s the only way to break through the noise. In 2022, we warned that Wyoming’s ‘Second Amendment Protection Act’ was nothing more than political theater – a facade meant to fool gun owners into thinking their rights were being defended while the state continued helping the feds enforce unconstitutional gun control. Even some of our allies, like Gun Owners of America, backed it. And that changed everything. They put their very good reputation on the line to support a bill we knew was worthless. We told them not to. We explained in detail why the bill was utterly ineffective. They ignored us. And it cannot be overstated: this bill only passed because GOA supported it. Full stop. Now, three years later, even Gov. Mark Gordon admits we were right.” (03/26/25)
“The Trump administration has decided to brawl with the federal courts. President Donald Trump’s advocates denounce ‘single’ district judges for overstepping their authority, while critics see an executive trying to blast through the Constitution’s checks and balances. Both views, unfortunately, have merit. The question is whether the Trump administration would be content with curbing lower-court overreach, or if its real beef is with an independent judiciary altogether.” (03/26/25)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Param Vir Singh
“AI’s potential to enhance human intelligence, productivity, and decision-making is vast. While some warn of its risks, history suggests that revolutionary tools drive progress rather than hinder it. The economic benefits alone are staggering. AI is expected to contribute trillions of dollars to global markets over the next decade, fostering new waves of prosperity for nations that successfully integrate it. … Yet, despite these opportunities, the US appears to be hesitating.” (03/26/25)
