“As the Israeli assault on Gaza passes the 13-month mark, and as Hezbollah reels under the massive Israeli bombing campaign on its leaders and operational centers in Lebanon, it has become clear that militant political Islam has run out of steam. Concurrently, Iran’s defense strategic doctrine has been deprived of a major component; namely, its ‘proxy’ militia groups. As a U.S. government senior analyst, I followed political Islam and Islamic activism since the early 1990s. Now nearly 30 years later, it’s safe to judge with confidence that if this phenomenon is to survive, leaders of Islamic parties must jettison violence and militancy and return to participatory politics.” (11/13/24)
“Ten states had abortion issues on the ballot on Election Day. Several of them voted on the issue — and on the top of the ticket — precisely as you would expect. Deep blue Maryland and Colorado, for example, voted to protect pro-choice initiatives, and voted heavily for Kamala Harris. Reliably red states did the exact opposite, defeating abortion initiatives, and voting heavily for Trump: Florida and South Dakota, for example. But it is the smattering of other states that shows just how right Trump was politically on returning the issue of abortion to the states. Voters approved abortion rights protections in initiatives in Montana, Nevada and Arizona, and the exact same electorates in those states also gave the White House to Trump.” (11/13/24)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“The way raw video evidence debunked the ‘Amsterdam pogrom’ narrative in real time in full view of the entire world is exactly why Israel hates journalists. It’s why it won’t let the western press visit Gaza, and it’s why it murders Palestinian journalists at every opportunity. … Trump’s ‘America First’ cabinet is being packed full of swamp monsters who want to pour American money into helping Israel destroy the middle east, pour American money into the unwinnable proxy war in Ukraine, and prepare American troops to fight a war with China to defend Taiwan. … And just as we’re reacting to the news of Trump filling his new cabinet with murderous warmongers, the Biden administration comes in with a helpful reminder that they too are evil blood-soaked monsters.” (11/13/24)
“The ridiculous and twisted western government and media propaganda that is painting the zionist, ethnonationalist, racist and terroristic (many IDF soldiers and reservists and even mossad agents) Maccabi Tel Aviv football hooligans as somehow victims of antisemitic attacks is beyond the pale of hasbara manipulations of an ever increasingly ignorant and reactionary populace in both the United States and western Europe. … These so-called ‘fans’ rampaged through the streets of Amsterdam shouting and singing racist slogans and violently attacking local citizens. Eyewitness and video accounts demonstrate that they destroyed property across the historic center …. They ripped Palestinian flags from buildings and chanted and sang ‘Death to all Arabs,’ ‘Fuck Palestine,’ and ‘There are no schools in Gaza because all the kids are dead,’ as they terrorised the central canal district of this historic port city.” (11/13/24)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Kerry McDonald
“While unlikely, shuttering the US Department of Education would not be the end of the world. Abolishing the department may sound extreme, but it’s important to remember that the federal Department of Education is a relatively new installation, created as a cabinet-level position by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and opening its doors a year later. Prior to that, there was a federal Office of Education in place since 1867 that was relatively small and inconsequential. Education was largely managed by states and local school districts, as it should be.” (11/13/24)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe
“Donald Trump’s victory in last week’s election reinforced the impression that he and his followers have ‘taken over’ the Republican party. The campaign saw Republicans like Liz and Dick Cheney switch sides and back the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris. Now — after Trump won a second term — the right is locked in an impassioned struggle to pressure the president-elect to appoint some Republicans to important executive roles and to freeze others out of the administration entirely. While it is often framed in the media as a battle between principled conservatives on the one hand and an angry, non-ideological movement focused solely on personal loyalty to Trump on the other, the current civil war on the American right is only the latest chapter in a much older story. To truly understand what’s happening today, we have to go back.” (11/13/24)
“U.S. Parents Involved in Education (USPIE) endorsed Donald J. Trump for president and we are thrilled with the outcome of the election! We believe President-elect Trump can permanently restore parental rights even beyond his administration by returning control of education completely to the states. He can also protect children from the harmful LGBTQ+ regulations coming from many administrative agencies in the federal government. For all this, we are hopeful, and we are prepared to support President-elect Trump with our policy ideas and our organized advocacy of chapters across the country with like-minded parents, grandparents and concerned citizens.” (11/13/24)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Thomas Homan as his ‘Border Czar’ reminds us how the enforcement of America’s socialist system of immigration controls has been a major factor in the destruction of the liberty of the American people for at least the past 80 years. For one thing, even the use of the term ‘czar’ conjures up images of pre-communist Russian rulers who wielded omnipotent, dictatorial powers over the lives of the Russian people. But Homan’s title is more than just symbolic. While it’s tempting to think that his czar-like dictatorial powers are directed only against foreigners, such is simply not the case.” (11/13/24)
“Recent sanctions from The United States and western allies highlighted the vital role of gold as the most secure and stable asset a country can maintain in its reserves. When Western nations imposed sanctions on Russia, freezing assets like foreign currency reserves and restricting access to global financial systems, gold emerged as the one resource they couldn’t confiscate or block Russia from using. This emphasized gold’s unique position as a safeguard against sanctions and geopolitical uncertainty, offering protection in times of increased global tension. As a result, many authoritarian regimes, particularly within BRICS nations, have been boosting their gold reserves as part of a broader effort to shield their economies from potential external threats. This trend reflects the growing understanding that, in an era where economic sanctions are frequently employed as geopolitical leverage, holding large gold reserves ensures a degree of economic independence.” (11/13/24)
“Elon Musk, President-elect Donald Trump’s bounciest adviser, thinks he can identify ‘at least’ $2 trillion in federal budget cuts. Although critics derided the billionaire entrepreneur’s suggestion as improbably ambitious, that assessment hinges on political assumptions rather than a clear-eyed understanding of what could be accomplished if Trump were serious about restoring fiscal discipline. Unfortunately, there is little reason to think he is. Trump’s record during his first term and his positions during his 2024 campaign suggest he will continue the federal government’s longstanding pattern of unrestrained borrowing even as the imbalance between revenue and spending becomes increasingly dire.” (11/13/24)
