Source: American Greatness
by Thaddeus G. McCotter
“At first blush, it may appear the nation’s two preeminent populist movements, the Right’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) and the Left’s Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), have nothing in common. And it is true, of course, there exist numerous differences in the political views and aims of these movements. (These will be looked at in depth in Part Two of this series.) Yet, while rarely if ever recognized, let alone mentioned, by each movement’s members, there exist similarities between MAGA and the DSA. Naturally, the fundamental basis of any populist movement has spurred the creation of both organizations: namely, the members believe a powerful, unaccountable entity or entities are unfairly exploiting them and obstructing their personal pursuit of happiness. Further, they believe their exploitation is facilitated and exacerbated by collusion between the powerful entities and similarly powerful organizations.” (08/15/26)
“Should we be comforted because Zohran Mamdani & Co. sugarcoat the word ‘socialism’ with the qualifier ‘democratic’? I suggest not. Hayek spelled out why. Mamdani can quote Hayek dismissively, but has the mayor read the relevant book, published 47 years before his birth? He shows no signs of having done so. … Hayek explained that democracy cannot withstand the requirements that would be imposed on it by the very nature of comprehensive central economic planning (socialism, whether national and international). This criticism did not refer to the fatal Mises-Hayek calculation/knowledge problem with socialism or the public-choice incentive problem. It concerned rather the political incoherence of democratic socialism.” (08/14/26)
“Closed administrative courts with no impartial reviewers were overruled in SEC v. Jarkesy. Strangely, FCC procedures won’t get the same scrutiny.” (08/14/26)
“In the early months following Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, Latin American leaders emerged as some of the world’s sharpest critics of the military campaign. Then-Colombian President Gustavo Petro was among the first world leaders to call Israel’s actions a ‘genocide.’ Chile and Honduras recalled their ambassadors from Tel Aviv, and Belize and Bolivia severed diplomatic ties with Israel. But just two years later, across the region, governments that had distanced themselves from Israel are now moving quickly to repair ties. Not surprisingly they are the same leaders who have rushed to ingratiate themselves with the Donald Trump administration in Washington.” (08/14/26)
Source: Independent Institute
by Daniel Sánchez-Piñol
“It has become increasingly common, particularly among politicians on the far right, to describe episodes of large-scale unauthorized immigration as an ‘invasion.’ Few words carry more emotional weight in politics. An invasion evokes images of hostile armies, territorial conquest, and a nation’s fight for survival. It transforms a debate over immigration policy into a struggle against an existential enemy. The events in Ceuta show why that analogy collapses under scrutiny.” (08/14/26)
“In the good old days, dump trucks came in one discrete unit. Nowadays, they pull trailers with as much cubic space as themselves. Once upon a time, buses, too, were constituted in a fairly modest vehicle. Today, they are double their previous size. Half as many drivers are now required to pilot these roadway behemoths. This ’causes unemployment,’ in the view of many folks. … Such is the source of a widespread economic anxiety. Those struck by it suffer from the ‘lump of labor’ fallacy. In this view, there is only so much work to be done, and if machines take away a lump of labor, there will be just that much left for human beings to do. This is mistaken.” (08/14/26)
“One morning, when Jacob started his 9 a.m. shift as a UPS driver in Minnesota, he noticed it was hazy outside. It was July 16, and wildfires raging across northeastern Minnesota and southern Canada had unleashed acrid, hazardous smoke across much of the state. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was urging people to stay indoors. But Jacob was expected to work an estimated 9- or 10-hour shift, getting in and out of his vehicle delivering packages. Management hadn’t provided any protective measures, like masks, he says, and he was inhaling the toxic smoke for hours. ’The worst part about driving and working outside is we don’t have air conditioning or anything,’ he says over the phone.” [editor’s note: I don’t usually post these climate hoax pieces, but this was particularly delulu – SAT] (08/13/26)
“Affordability and war may be top of mind for many voters, but the fight for abortion rights still rages. In November, Virginia, Idaho, and Nevada will weigh in on ballot initiatives to protect abortion access. Virginia’s proposed constitutional amendment would enshrine ‘a right to reproductive freedom’, allowing women to make their own choices about their pregnancy barring a ‘compelling state interest’. Nevada voters approved the Right to Abortion Initiative in 2024, but constitutional amendments must be approved in two even-numbered election years, so voters must approve the question again. Idaho currently has one of the country’s strictest abortion bans, but the Idaho Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act Initiative would remove that ban and enable individuals to make their own choices about childbirth care, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and other supports throughout pregnancy.” [editor’s note: This piece never mentions Taxachusetts, where abortion has now become a sacrament, even up to the moment of birth – SAT] (08/15/26)
“The real goal isn’t to promote accuracy, but to encourage agitated conservatives to complain about historical references that make them uncomfortable.” (08/14/26)
“Three approaches to regulating the artificial intelligence industry have been gaining traction in recent weeks: Sam Altman’s call for an international regulatory body, styled after the International Atomic Energy Agency; a bipartisan House proposal that would subject AI developers to audits by government-licensed verification organizations, similar to the Federal Aviation Administration’s aircraft certification model; and Google’s proposal to set up an industry-funded self-regulatory body under federal oversight. Before even considering which regulatory agencies and policies to implement for AI, however, Congress should first define the limits of government power. The lesson of past technological innovation is not that the government should have no role; it is that its role should be circumscribed at the outset so that the technology is not stifled.” (08/13/26)
