“We tend to analyze foreign policy in terms of doctrines or ideologies. But from The Art of the Deal to his first primary campaign, Trump has always been more defined by a way of doing things than by a firmly held set of commitments or objectives about what to achieve in the world (other than to look out for Number One). That same mindset can help us make sense of Trump’s actions in Venezuela, and perhaps even to get some kind of handle on what kinds of actions the White House might pursue next.” (01/09/26)
Source: David Friedman’s Substack
by David Friedman
“In Less Bad Arguments for Protectionism I offered a number of arguments for tariffs that, unlike the more common ones, are consistent with a correct understanding1 of the economics of trade; I do not find any of then convincing but someone else might. One had to do with national defense. Suppose we get into a war with China. It would be inconvenient if some of the things we needed for the war, ammunition, computer chips, drones, or something else, were things we did not produce because we had been importing them from China. So it might be prudent to use protective tariffs to keep critical industries going even if they could not compete with foreign competitors. It is not an absurd argument, but it has several problems, especially as a defense of the tariffs Trump actually imposed.” (01/09/26)
“For years, some of us have argued that President Donald Trump’s January 6th speech was protected under the First Amendment and that any prosecution would collapse under governing precedent, including Brandenburg v. Ohio. I was regularly attacked as an apologist for my criticism of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s ‘war on free speech.’ I wrote about his history of ignoring such constitutional protections in his efforts to prosecute targets at any cost. I also wrote about how Smith’s second indictment (which the Post supported) was a direct assault on the First Amendment. Now, years later, the Washington Post has acknowledged that Trump’s speech was protected and that Smith ‘would have blown a hole in the First Amendment.’ In this appearance before Congress, Smith’s contempt for the First Amendment was on full display.” (01/10/25)
“Communities are rebelling against the construction of massive data farms. Some opposition is based on land-use concerns, but it’s also is driven by fear of inadequate electricity and higher energy prices. As the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Clyde Wayne Crews explains, this is a symptom ‘of far deeper structural problems rooted in legacy approaches to infrastructure — approaches that tether data centers to coercive public utility price- and access-control models.’ Perhaps it’s time for an approach that unleashes market forces, as the AI boom is showing the limits of our regulated monopoly power model.” (01/09/26)
Source: The American Conservative
by Jennifer Kavanagh
“Simply put, the turn in U.S. foreign policy toward the Western Hemisphere does not represent (so far) the long-awaited transformation that America First ‘restrainers’ have hoped for. Instead, it is yet another manifestation of the same old American pattern: the addition of new military commitments without shedding old ones. We cannot praise the administration’s military activity in Latin America as somehow better than expending resources in the Donbas or the deserts of the Middle East — because under Trump, the United States is doing these things too.” (01/09/26)
“Vaughn, an Arkansas man with a severe intellectual disability, spent decades in prison for a murder he did not commit. He was finally released on Friday.” (01/09/26)
“At a time when nearly half of Americans say they’re struggling to afford basic necessities, President Trump has turned his attention to invading and ruling Venezuela. One in two Americans are having trouble affording groceries, utilities, health care, housing, and transportation, according to a recent poll. Healthcare costs are rising – and in many cases doubling — for millions of Americans because Republicans in Congress refuse to help. And while grocery prices remain high, those same GOP lawmakers chose to cut food stamps for millions of struggling people. Our government should be helping working people and families. Instead, the president chose to use our tax dollars to invade a foreign country.” (01/08/25)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“As the eyes of the world watch negotiations over Kiev’s future, and the ‘special military operation’ that was intended to last ten days nears the end of its fourth year, Russia is carefully deepening its economic ties outside of the West’s sphere of influence. In this sense, the deal signed between the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Indonesia — Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and the world’s 17th largest ($1.4 trillion) — on December 22nd is emblematic of an ongoing structural realignment pursued by Russia in the last year. …. an attempt by Russia to turn away permanently from Europe and the West as its main trading partners.” (01/09/26)
“The evildoers are a centrally commanded paramilitary force. Yes, they’re violent wannabes who are too lazy, incompetent, or evil to find real jobs, but their sociopath bosses give them effectively unlimited funding and access to advanced weaponry. The forces of good, on the other hand, are everyday Americans (and immigrants) who’d really rather be left alone to make their livings doing productive work. No central command. No guaranteed paychecks courtesy of the nation’s tax slaves. Few automatic weapons. Believe it or not, that asymmetry can actually work to the benefit of the good guys. As satisfying — and as justified — as it would be to send these hoodlums home in body bags when they get violent, another recent incident in the Minneapolis area shows a more peaceful, and more effective, way forward.” (01/08/26)
“When the internet went mainstream at the turn of the twenty-first century, it was widely celebrated as a revolutionary force for freedom and democracy. Its decentralized architecture promised to empower individuals, expand free expression, and weaken the grip of authoritarian states. Many believed that open information flows would make censorship obsolete and repression impossible to maintain. That optimism has not merely faded — it has been decisively overturned. The same technologies once hailed as instruments of liberation are now being repurposed as tools of surveillance, censorship, and control. What is unfolding is not a sudden collapse of digital freedom, but a slow, structural transformation of the internet itself — one that is quietly reshaping how power operates in the digital age.” (01/08/26)
