“The current population reality is the opposite of what the Ehrlichs said it would be. All over the world, except for places in Africa, legacy populations are declining. In the United States, our population would be declining were it not for immigration. Elsewhere, the replication rate is plummeting — and it’s not just the West, but in China and Taiwan; both Koreas, as different as they are; and in Japan. Without growing populations, our modern (if jury-rigged) social safety net pension systems are jeopardized, as is the possibility of finding caregivers to aging-and-dying populations. We cannot blame it all on Ehrlich of course. There are many factors at work. But is it possible to be more wrong than he was?” (03/20/26)
“On March 18th, an Ohio jury sided with rapper Joseph Foreman, better known by his stagename Afroman, in a civil tort case. Afroman, known for his over-the-top comedic style and the hit track ‘Crazy Rap,’ was in court this past week after sheriff’s deputies sued him for criticizing and making fun of them in several music videos and in interviews. In an important symbolic victory for freedom of expression, Afroman won the lawsuit. Had the government prevailed, it would have signaled that documenting government conduct and criticizing police could come at a steep price.” (03/20/26)
“You might as well ask why someone tugs his earlobe or scratches his chin as ponder why Trump went to war. On a certain day, in a certain place, after conversation with somebody – or all by himself – Trump decided to attack Iran. Perhaps it was a somatic reaction to an external prompt? Or an autonomic response – a fight or flight reaction – to an unknown stimulus ? We’ll never know; Trump himself doesn’t know. … Given that, it’s not surprising the U.S. is losing.” (03/20/26)
“Plato once called Diogenes ‘a raving Socrates’ and a dog. The latter insult stuck. The word ‘Cynic’ is a transliteration of the Greek Kynikos, which means dog-like. Diogenes owned the insult because the life of a dog so much resembled his own ideal of how human life should be lived. Human beings organize themselves into families and cities, and these institutions are upheld through strict customs and laws. We are animals but have deeply ingrained convictions about when and where to eat, to relieve ourselves, and to express and satisfy sexual desire. Diogenes thought these institutions and convictions, these nomismata, were ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous.'” (03/20/26)
“Since the inauguration of Donald Trump for a second presidential term, a student loan borrower has fallen into default every nine seconds. A federal appeals court wants to accelerate that process. Last week, a three-judge panel of the Eighth Circuit (which includes two Trump appointees and one appointed by George W. Bush) nullified the Biden administration’s income-driven repayment (IDR) program, versions of which have been in place under presidents of both parties for over three decades. The specific Biden-era version, known as Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), which nearly seven million borrowers have opted into, was authorized through 2028 by Congress and President Trump in the fiscal mega-bill passed just last year. Yet without any hearing on the merits, the Eighth Circuit unilaterally tossed out the program.” (03/20/26)
“he Iran hawks got the war they’d been seeking for the past decade or more—and they managed to kill off not just nuclear nonproliferation, but the concept of nuclear negotiations altogether. Every regime around the world remotely hostile to superpower interests will have to consider investing in nuclear weapons, as those have proven to be the only way to ensure any given regime’s survival. Given what just happened in Iran, the concept of negotiating that away has been torched, not unlike Golestan Palace in Tehran.” (03/20/26)
“When Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu launched their military aggression against Iran on February 28, they appeared convinced that the war would be swift. Netanyahu reportedly assured Washington that the campaign would deliver a decisive strategic victory – one capable of reordering the Middle East and restoring Israel’s battered deterrence. Whether Netanyahu himself believed that promise is another matter.” (03/20/26)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“Five years ago, the Postal Service came up with a 10-year plan for fortifying its financial situation. That was after it had lost $14 billion over a period of 14 years. For the past five years, however, the financial situation has not gotten any better. … Thus, to resolve its crisis, the Postal Service is asking Congress to permit it to borrow more money and to charge more for postage. But does anyone really think that borrowing more money and charging consumers more for postage is going to resolve the Postal Service’s financial woes? There is another solution, one that seemingly hasn’t yet entered the minds of the members of Congress: Simply abolish the Postal Service.” (03/19/26)
“Since Congress hasn’t declared war, the executive branch has no authority to wage war. Congress shouldn’t fund something that only Congress has the power to approve when it hasn’t exercised that power. … The beauty of the situation is that all Congress has to do to take control of the situation is the same thing it’s been doing: Sit on its hands, with one of those hands gripping the budgetary wallet tight. They don’t even have to say ‘no.’ They just have to NOT say ‘yes.’ … If Congress doesn’t even possess the testicular fortitude to refrain from shelling out billions every time Hegseth sticks his hand out, what is Congress even good for? The question kind of answers itself.” (03/19/26)
