Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“In the long, sordid history of U.S.-Cuban relations, it has always been the U.S. government that has been the aggressor, and it has always been the Cuban government that has been the defender. Cuba has never initiated an attack against the United States or against the American people. It is the U.S. government that has invaded Cuba. It is the U.S. government that has engaged in state-sponsored assassination attempts in Cuba, including in partnership with the Mafia, one of the biggest criminal groups in history. It is the U.S. government that has committed acts of terrorism within Cuba. It is the U.S. government that has targeted the Cuban people with death by starvation with a brutal economic embargo. Why can’t U.S. officials just leave Cuba alone?” (07/01/25)
“In his unpublished preface to Animal Farm, George Orwell remarks that ‘the sinister fact about literary censorship in England is that it is largely voluntary. It is not exactly forbidden to say this, that, or the other, but it is ‘not done’ to say it, just as in mid-Victorian times it was ‘not done’ to mention trousers in the presence of a lady.’ With the Israeli and U.S. aerial invasions of Iran on June 13 and June 21, respectively, the Victorian convention remains intact. There are certain questions it won’t do to ask. Are the invasions legal under international law? Are they morally justified? And who has the right to make those determinations? These questions would be central in a media sphere that values legal and moral consistency. In Western media, by contrast, asking them is like mentioning trousers before a lady.” (07/01/25)
“It is now widely accepted that Iraq’s alleged possession of nuclear weapons was the excuse, not the reason, for the Israeli/American desire to destroy Iraq. It should also be obvious than Iran’s alleged aspiration to develop and possess nuclear weapons is the excuse, not the reason, for the Israeli/American desire to destroy Iran. If such an alleged nuclear weapons aspiration were a genuine Israeli concern, Prime Minister Netanyahu would not have opposed the negotiation of the JCPOA and would not have pressured President Trump to withdraw from and effectively negate it during his first administration. The reason why Israel opposed the JCPOA is that it removed any alleged ‘Iranian nuclear threat’ and hence deprived Israel of any excuse to attack and seek to destroy Iran.” (07/01/25)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Wanjiru Njoya
“Methodological individualism is best known for its applications in economics, and its importance for historical analysis is often overlooked. The main significance for historical inquiry lies in rejecting the dominant discourse which explains historical events purely by reference to collective group identity such as race or class. According to activist historians, the heritage of a people is ascertained not from how it was understood by individuals, or by the families, neighborhoods, counties, or states with whom such individuals joined cause of their own volition, but is to be decided on everyone’s behalf by Marxist-adjacent ‘experts’ who designate collective group heritage based on people’s race, class, or national identity.” [editor’s note: “National identity” is no different than “family, neighborhood, county, or state”-based “understanding;” those collective units are not individuals; “paleoconservative” identity politics is just a verion of the “Marxist” take – TLK] (07/01/25)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Sergio Martinez
“On June 1, 2025, Mexicans were called to vote for judges, magistrates, and Supreme Court justices. It was the first major implementation of a sweeping judicial reform passed in the twilight of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration. The change was framed as a democratization of justice, but it was a masterclass in judicial capture. People should be alarmed. Mexico is undergoing a transformation that compromises the separation of powers, individual rights, and the very conditions that allow for sustained prosperity.” 907/01/25)
“The Senate is on the verge of passing the distinctly misnamed ‘big beautiful bill.’ It is, in fact, one of the ugliest pieces of legislation to come out of Congress in living memory. The version that passed the House recently would cut $1.7 trillion, mostly in domestic spending, while providing the top 5% of taxpayers with roughly $1.5 trillion in tax breaks. Over the next few years, the same bill will add another $150 billion to a Pentagon budget already soaring towards a record $1 trillion. In short, as of now, in the battle between welfare and warfare, the militarists are carrying the day.” (07/01/25)
“Throughout history, policymakers have repeatedly fallen prey to what Friedrich Hayek termed the fatal conceit — the belief that social and economic orders can be consciously designed and imposed from above. As of March 2025, former Bolivian Vice President and enduring neo-Marxist intellectual Álvaro García Linera has weighed in on Bolivia’s deepening hydrocarbons and dollar crisis. Chronic shortages of diesel and petrol, accompanied by days-long queues, are the cumulative consequences of two decades of state-centric economic mismanagement initiated during Evo Morale’s presidency following his 2005 rise to power. These outcomes have been exacerbated by constitutional overreach and persistent regulatory interventions that have distorted market signals and undermined energy sector efficiency.” (07/01/25)
Source: Popular Information
by Judd Legum, Rebecca Crosby, & Noel Sims
“The legislative filibuster, which creates a 60-vote threshold, only exists when it is convenient for Senate Republicans. Whenever the filibuster threatens to impede a Republican priority, it is ignored. This week, Senate Republicans are seeking to pass President Trump’s megabill under the budget reconciliation process, which allows for the expedited consideration of tax and spending measures. Crucially, a budget reconciliation bill is not subject to a filibuster. This allows Senate Republicans, who control 53 seats in the Senate, to pass the legislation with a simple majority. But the budget reconciliation process, which is used by both parties, is also limited. … Permanently extending Trump’s 2017 individual tax cuts should be subject to the filibuster. But Republicans want to permanently extend Trump’s 2017 individual tax cuts, and do not have the votes to overcome a filibuster. So, Republicans are ignoring the filibuster.” (07/01/25)
“As the federal fiscal outlook has steadily deteriorated, alarm outside the halls of power appears to be inversely related to detectable signs of concern within them. The worse the problem gets, the more elected leaders seem committed to staying the course. This is deeply regrettable. Nevertheless, the political class’s instinctive avoidance of responsibility for developing a practical solution is understandable for three reasons.” (07/01/25)
“The Senate spun its wheels all day Monday, and went into early Tuesday morning without final text of its Big Beautiful Bill, without final parliamentarian rulings, and without a plan to pass it. But as we hit mid-morning that may be changing. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) were the deciding votes on the bill, and for a long while, they got nothing moving in their direction to secure their support. One subtext to Monday’s vote-a-rama is that Murkowski and Collins voted with the Democrats numerous times, including to commit the bill back to committees with instructions. These were free votes for the two, yes, but they signal a lack of full-throated agreement with the bill. Collins did not get the favor returned for her dalliances with the Democrats.” (07/01/25)
