“I have never been a deficit hawk, and I’m not about to change my religious affiliation now. But whatever we think of debt and deficits, there is one point that should be very clear: it has been run up almost entirely due to Republican tax cuts and their inept management of the economy. Every Democratic president of the last half century has left with a deficit that was lower, measured as a share of GDP, than the one they came in with, except Obama, who left it unchanged. By contrast, every Republican president has left with a considerably higher deficit than what they inherited.” [editor’s note: There have been no “tax cuts,” Republican or otherwise. If spending isn’t going down, taxes aren’t going down. Debt is just deferred payment of taxes – TLK] (08/25/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“On a Sunday night in late July, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and China’s Xi Jinping spoke for more than an hour. It was cordial and faintly triumphant, with the two governments announcing their intention to accelerate a long-stalled China–Mercosur trade agreement. Alongside this, there are plans to deepen cooperation on satellites and critical-minerals processing, and waive short-stay visa requirements. This marks a serious change for Brazil.” (08/25/26)
“The reactions to the Lindsay Clancy case have been appalling: where do people get the idea that she’s innocent, or worse, that she’s not guilty of her actions? The white wine brigade of white, leftist, suburban moms, who are outright morons, is back and worse than ever. The numerous posts from women saying they can relate to Clancy are disgusting, with some posts making me want to call child services because they’re all gushing over a child killer. Is there sharia law, but only for white liberal women? If not, we should make one, since that would codify their shutting up for all eternity, seeking permission to speak and leave the house. They should, if child killing is now an acceptable event for this unholy spawn of fetal alcohol syndrome.” (08/25/26)
“Democrats are widely expected to win control of the House in November’s election. The Senate remains a tossup. But there is a nagging suspicion that Trump will somehow pervert the will of the people to ensure that Republicans retain their majority in the House and somehow steal the election. … Trump will delegitimize eligible voters. He will scare them away from the polls by posting federal agents at their voting places or discouraging them by disparaging mail-in ballots. But here’s the crusher: If the outcome is close, his minions can refuse to seat elected Democrats by reason of a yawning loophole in how congressional elections are administered.” (08/25/26)
“The greatest threat today to American manufacturing and global exports comes from China. The People’s Republic has far surpassed the United States in industrial output and competes with Washington in a Cold War II spanning many fronts, including trade, technology, military development, and proxy wars in Ukraine and elsewhere. And that’s not to mention a new superpower space race. Why, then, is the Trump administration appeasing China on trade, while picking fights with countries like Canada that are friends and allies of the United States?” [editor’s note: The greatest threat today — as always — to American manufacturing and global exports comes from the US government. Anything other than complete unilateral free trade is a blow to America prosperity – TLK] (08/25/26)
“Today, loudly and proudly, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is a staunch supporter of the Iran War, the state of Israel, and U.S.-led regime change in other countries; he is outspoken against what he sees as rising antisemitism in America, particularly on the right. When he opposed a potential U.S.–Iran peace deal in June, the Washington Examiner reported that ‘Cruz, considered a possible 2028 presidential candidate’ was ‘positioning himself as more hawkish than the White House.’ … Cruz is now clearly aiming to be the most pro-war, pro-Israel, and thoroughly neoconservative Republican presidential candidate. A decade ago, he was aiming to be something else.” (08/25/26)
“Stabilizing the federal debt through growth alone would require 7.3 percent annual real GDP growth. Nothing in our history suggests that’s remotely plausible.” (08/25/26)
“For decades, the United States treated the prospect of an Iranian nuclear weapon as an intolerable threat. Yet when Washington and Tehran went to war twice in roughly a year, America’s own nuclear arsenal provided remarkably little leverage. … In neither war did America’s overwhelming nuclear superiority prevent Iranian retaliation or compel Tehran to capitulate. The paradox is striking: the weapon the U.S. had long insisted Iran must never possess proved largely incapable of shaping Tehran’s calculations, or determining the course of a war of choice that has consumed Trump’s presidency.” (08/25/26)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“I understand what you’re saying, but that’s mostly just head noise that gets indoctrinated into us by the unhealthy society we live in. Life isn’t about racking up a bunch of accomplishments or hitting certain milestones, it’s about living. Literally physically being alive, and making sure you fully live it. When I say ‘fully live’ your life, I don’t mean having a bunch of exciting experiences like going skydiving or running with the bulls, and I don’t mean ticking a bunch of boxes like getting married and having kids. I mean actually being present for it. Having your attention in what’s really going on instead of in a bunch of made-up thought fluff in your head. And that actually gets a lot easier to do once you let go of the notion that you’re doing life wrong and that your story isn’t unfolding correctly.” (08/25/26)
Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey
“It appears the executive branch seeks to use the USPS, a government-protected federal monopoly, to circumvent judicial rulings and override constitutional federalism. The new USPS rule gives states 60 days before the November general election to notify USPS if they intend to submit a list of eligible voters based on citizenship data. Only then will USPS send mail-in or absentee ballots to the states’ respective residents. It is clear President Trump and his administration have zero respect for the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a lawsuit from a California-led coalition of states, and without a ruling in their favor, the USPS cannot enact these new rules for the November midterm elections. Using the USPS to implement the same restrictions through a regulatory backdoor undermines the separation of powers as well as the rule of law.” (08/25/26)
