“For the past month, Americans have been wondering whether President Trump will attack Iran, or whether the massive military build-up in the Middle East is just another bluff. President Trump claims that the decision is his alone to make. Thus far, President Trump has made little effort to explain to the American people – or to Congress – why launching a war against Iran is in our national interest. Instead, he wanders from one reason to another, hoping something will stick.” (02/02/26)
“In the months before the April 12, 1861, firing on Fort Sumter, there were lots of sharp divisions in the North about the proper reaction to the first seven Confederate states that had already left the Union. Not all Unionists believed that war was inevitable. Some, in fact, were happy to be done with the departing South and thus see their stain of slavery gone from the Union. Similarly, others agreed that the emerging Confederacy was not worth the trouble and costs of war, and the secessionists could just form their own nation and stew in their own backward, servile juice. But after Fort Sumter, Lincoln … gained a consensus that the Constitution had no clauses about any lawful departure from the Union. But it did operate under a clear supremacy clause that made state obstruction of federal law and occupation of federal property veritable sedition.” (02/02/25)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by James Bovard
“In last month’s Future of Freedom article, I explained how the 2016 presidential election made ‘post-truth’ become the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year. Americans felt forced to choose between two candidates that most voters despised. The political system’s credibility plummeted in the 2016 campaign. But the 2016 election was actually far more corrupt than it appeared at the time. The FBI sought to cast a veto over the votes of American citizens.” (02/02/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“After nearly two decades of halting, stumbling talks, India and the European Union (EU) have at last concluded a free trade agreement (FTA) that both sides are describing as economically consequential and strategically necessary. Exposure to global volatility has shaped India’s economic geostrategy in 2025 and looks to do so in 2026 just as much, meaning that a reliable trading partner is highly sought after; while the EU has been left feeling bruised over trade relations with the United States.” (02/02/26)
“Eighteen years ago, when I first moved to the Twin Cities, they had a reputation for being ‘Minnesota nice.’ I sigh now to remember it. Somewhere deep in a dresser drawer, I still have a t-shirt that reads: ‘Keep St. Paul Boring.’ I liked boring St Paul. I admit that things could be worse. Our recent adventures haven’t been nearly as exciting as the ones in 2020. During the George Floyd riots, the chaos spilled over noticeably into surrounding neighborhoods, with columns of black smoke visibly rising into the sky, presumably from burned buildings and cars. … Even without the smoke and shattered windows, these have certainly been Interesting Times, which naturally prompts reflection.” (02/02/26)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“‘Government X does bad things’ and ‘therefore the US should forcibly overthrow Government X’ are two completely different claims. Propagandists keep acting like they’re the same claim and like the second claim naturally follows the first, and I’m seeing far too many people accepting this manipulation without question. They are not the same claim. They’re entirely unrelated. It should not be necessary to explain this to grown adults, but here we are. Even if we accept as fact all the claims about how badly the US-targeted government is behaving, and even if we ignore the obvious fact that unilateral US regime change wars are against international law, there is still no valid reason to accept that a government doing bad things justifies US regime change interventionism.” (02/02/25)
Source: Independent Institute
by Jonathan Hofer & Kristian Fors
“When people decide to rent or purchase a home, they often focus on financial liabilities (what they pay to others) and overlook the economic costs of capital. Several rent vs. buy calculators are available online …. These offer many insights but tend to understate the unrealized opportunity costs of the road not taken, from both the renter’s and the homebuyer’s perspectives. Renters may have the opportunity to invest what would have otherwise gone toward a down payment and closing costs, as well as the monthly savings they gain from not having a mortgage. On the other hand, at some point, a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment is likely to be lower than monthly rent, and it also offers the potential benefit of property appreciation.” (02/02/26)
Source: ProSocial Libertarians
by Andrew Jason Cohen
“I’ve continued taking part in conversations about the problems of academia. Some I’ve recently discussed this with agree with me that thinking of academia as a mere means to a career is a big problem. They nonetheless worry that colleges have lost their way and are teaching things they oughtn’t. Some complain that the humanities have simply expanded too much, reducing the emphasis on classics. Some, typically folks in the social sciences, seem less concerned with the classics but nonetheless have an antipathy toward anything new. The social science advocates I’ve discussed these things with seemed to believe their disciplines were closer to the hard sciences than the humanities. Perhaps they are right, at least in some ways (assume they both use empirical evidence more than the humanities). I’m not sure why that matters.” (02/02/26)
