“This is no way for a constitutional republic to go to war. The ever-changing rationales, the failure to consult Congress, and Congress’ refusal to demand consultation and authorization, is an outrage no matter how this war ends. If the war and its aftermath are deemed successful, there will still be a price to pay as our system of checks and balances will seem to future presidents as even more of a dead letter. Conversely, if this ends in disaster, one could see a renewed effort to restore that system to prevent such calamities in the future. Everything unfolding in and above Iran depends on the consequences, intended and unintended, of one man’s unilateral decision to launch a war. In short, we’re all on blowback watch.” (03/03/26)
“Physicians are not interchangeable technicians. They are moral agents. In a free society, the government should not force a doctor to participate in a non-emergency procedure that violates deeply held beliefs.” (03/03/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Deborah Palma
“The governance of modern societies is in permanent tension between the immediate appeal of emotion and the need for enduring principles. Emotion — when converted into the driving force of state policy — frequently transforms into a mechanism of institutional erosion. The substitution of economic and moral principles by emotional imperatives does not represent a technical failure, but a profound philosophical divergence about human nature and the function of the state. In other words, policies based on principles are anchored in reason, empirical evidence, and the recognition of scarcity. On the other hand, political decisions oriented by irrational emotion disregard long-lasting structural effects.” (03/03/26)
“Power is felt, attributed, invisible, all-important, descriptive, without shape, and so much more. There is personal power, governmental power, and the collective power of the people. Power can be bought, sold, traded, bestowed, even rescinded. It can be good or bad, positive or corrupt. However you might wish to describe power, one thing is clear: how it’s used depends on the society in which we live. At present, of course, our society is one in which President Donald J. Trump is the quintessential seeker of power, a man who needs power the way most of us need food. And as it happens, he has at his beck and call not just the entire military establishment, but ICE (and so much more). With him in the White House, power is distinctly in fashion.” (03/03/26)
“ast week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a referendum for October 19. It will ask Albertans a slate of policy and constitutional questions. Independence, she said the next day, will be added to the ballot if the requisite number of signatures is met in the petition drive, which is likely. Albertans will get their chance to say if they want to leave Canada. But Canadian federalists can relax. The Alberta premier is one of them. The referendum is the fix to defeat Alberta independence. It will undermine the separatist cause and split the independence vote.” (03/03/26)
“By most measures, cannabis legalization is a resounding success for the 24 states (plus D.C.) that have implemented it. That’s why no state has ever repealed its legalization laws, and public support for the policy remains near all-time highs. Nonetheless, the policy still has its critics. Among them are the editors at the New York Times who, in a recent editorial, opinedthat states have rushed to legalize the substance ‘without adequately regulating it.’ In truth, however, state marijuana markets are highly regulated — and many of the options they proposed are either redundant or would inadvertently strengthen the illicit marketplace.” (03/03/26)
Source: Fox News
by US Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA)
“As a principled opponent of military adventurism since America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq, I was devastated this weekend when we learned that once again, American servicemembers will be coming home in body bags. Trump announced, ‘There will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is.’ No. That’s not the way it is. That must not be the way it is. As Trump now refuses to rule out sending ground troops to Iran, I believe we must do everything in our power to stop this horrific war of choice before more Americans are killed. That is why this week, I am forcing a vote in the House of Representatives on a bipartisan resolution with my Republican colleague, Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, to end this illegal and unconstitutional conflict.” (03/03/26)
