“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)
“The United States military captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, and while many reactions focus on Maduro himself, that’s mostly beside the point. His government is repressive and illegitimate, having stolen Venezuela’s most recent election in 2024, but there are numerous bad governments in the world. The most important question before forcibly removing a foreign head of state is if it will make things better. On every stated and possible U.S. goal, this will more likely make things worse.” (01/08/26)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“One can fully understand any hatred that Venezuelan citizens might now have for the U.S. government. Just think: the U.S. government is now openly supporting the brutal tyranny under which the Venezuelan people have long suffered under the illegitimate Chavista regime. Why shouldn’t they hate the U.S. government? Last summer, there was no international crisis in Venezuela. Then, as the Epstein rebellion within the MAGA movement began, President Trump began initiating a new international crisis, one that involved amassing a gigantic military armada off the Venezuelan coast. Immediately, the MAGA rebellion dissipated, as MAGA members, predictably, patriotically and loyally rallied to the flag of Trump, the Pentagon, and the CIA.” (01/08/26)
