Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey
“This morning I came across an article critical of Americans voting for Libertarians, as it takes away from Republican wins. I found this interesting because often we are criticized as tilting at windmills and a complete waste of people’s time, yet apparently, according to Edward Ring, we are a critical component in politics. Ring … attempts unsuccessfully to argue that ‘libertarians cause more harm than good.’ Why? Because Americans who vote for Libertarians cause Republican losses. … no political faction owns Americans’ votes. Politicians must earn our vote, and if Republicans and Democrats want Libertarians to vote for them, then they are going to demonstrate that they will protect our civil liberties, be fiscally responsible, and reduce government power. It shouldn’t be much to ask, but Ring doesn’t care about that; he wants Republicans to remain in power, and he views Libertarians as a roadblock and a hindrance.” (09/17/26)
“Postliberals as a group have made no secret of the fact that they view mainstream economics as inhumane with its focus on consumption and GDP growth. Sometimes their arguments are questionable, but it’s true that modern economics has a way of embracing a flat, utilitarian view of the world, sometimes pushing that view into realms where it doesn’t belong. But should economists incorporate concerns about virtue, ethics, and happiness into their economic theory? Yes, but this question is more difficult than it appears. The issue is not whether ethics matter, but whether ethics should shape economic models themselves or merely how those models are applied.” (09/17/26)
“As theater artists in America, our most prized freedom should be the freedom to express our views, both on stage and off, even if those views are contentious, unpopular, or offensive. How can any artist hope to ignite meaningful thought or feeling if he can’t dare to say what he believes in his heart to be true? While private employers may generally hire and fire at will in New York State, legality is not the only measure of whether speech is truly free: a legal decision can still produce a chilling effect.” (09/17/26)
Source: Fox News
by Robert F Kennedy, Jr., US Secretary of Health and Human Services
“Prevention should be one of the most powerful tools in American medicine. We should identify disease early, prevent it when we can, and give doctors and patients the best evidence to make decisions about their health. Today, we are strengthening one of the institutions charged with doing exactly that. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, announced the appointment of eight new members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. We are reforming and refocusing the Task Force to strengthen scientific rigor, broaden clinical expertise, and improve the recommendations that inform preventive care across America. The Task Force carries enormous responsibility. Its recommendations influence how doctors screen for disease, how patients make decisions about preventive care, and how our country evaluates the evidence behind preventive medicine.” (09/17/26)
“The problem with the Princeton syllabus is not the individual courses. Fine, study socialism and Sondheim! The problem is the overall balance. These courses are all held in equal regard. The problem is the lack of insistence upon the canonical works of English. The problem is contemporary fiction instead of Shakespeare, dolls instead of George Eliot. Of the twelve courses you take as an English major, none is obliged to be on Shakespeare, Chaucer, Milton, Wordsworth—authors our grandmothers might have read as school-leavers. Yes, the syllabus is ideological, but it is also just lame.” (09/17/26)
“Canada clearly has no intention of allowing itself to become the United States’ 51st state. But it might be willing to consider becoming the 28th state to join the European Union. Sort of. On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, invited the U.S.’s northern neighbor to join the 27-nation bloc – the world’s third-largest economy – as an ‘associate member’. Her reasoning? ‘We share one ocean, one set of values, one way of seeing the world’, Ms. von der Leyen declared. ‘We believe that power does not belong to the strongest, the richest or the loudest – but to all of us. That democracies have the freedom to choose with whom to work.’ Such a partnership, she was careful to note, is ‘not against anyone else, but for our common strength’.” (09/16/26)
“Trump has turned much of historical Republican orthodoxy on its head, including on immigration, trade and policy toward Russia. But his utter disregard for annual deficits — a record $2 trillion for this fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 — and his shameful profligacy with taxpayers’ money is something Americans haven’t seen in their lifetimes, in either party. Worse, Trump implies otherwise, that he is fiscally responsible, and he does it with lies that are so easily refuted, so often contradicted by his own words, that it’s a marvel that even such a chronic prevaricator as himself can utter them.” (09/17/26)
“Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has long been to the law what Philly fans are to football: they are simply willing to do things that others will not do. While Philly fans are known for taking their demonstrations to shocking levels, Krasner has long denounced adversaries as Nazis and pledged to arrest federal immigration officials. However, a federal judge has finally had enough of the anger and antics that have long been the special brand of Philadelphia’s top prosecutor. For full disclosure, Krasner and I went to college together at the University of Chicago in the same class in the 1980s. Since then, we have debated and disagreed on fundamental legal and ethical principles.” (09/17/26)
“The United States has had military successes in the war, but, overall, the conflict has been a strategic disaster for Washington. The fighting has exposed serious vulnerabilities for the U.S. military and left its forces spread thin, cost the United States an estimated $38.1 billion so far, and caused a global energy crisis. The war is extremely unpopular with American voters, and a growing number of Republicans in Congress are voting in favor of ending the conflict; one GOP congressman has even moved to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war. But for all of those costs, the United States has achieved very little in Iran—and in some cases, things have gotten worse.” (09/17/260
