“US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s speech to the Munich Security Conference (MSC) last week was significant not for what he said, but for European leaders’ reaction to it. … Judging by European members’ response, they were clearly desperate to hear what sounded like a reassuring message from Washington. The audience broke into applause when Rubio stated that ‘we will always be a child of Europe’. At the end they even gave the secretary of state a standing ovation. For a few moments at least, they could enjoy the illusion that they were listening to a close family member.” (02/18/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Mark Moses
“For over a century, California stood as a frontier of first resort for the ambitious, attracting those eager to escape old-world constraints in exchange for a promise of radical autonomy. This California Dream was not a byproduct of luck; it was forged by a Gold Rush mentality that enshrined risk-taking as a prerequisite for success. This unique acceptance of failure sank roots early in the state’s consciousness, fueling a risk culture that welcomed entrepreneurs from around the globe. Supported by a strategic Pacific Rim location and fertile lands, this environment allowed innovators to transform California into a global powerhouse for agriculture, entertainment, and technology. However, modern political policies have effectively inverted these historical strengths, transforming a once-nimble sanctuary into a restrictive regulatory state.” (02/18/26)
“The justices on the Supreme Court should not favor the president who appointed them because checks and balances demand that they uphold the law without passion or prejudice. The current Supreme Court has increasingly shown a pattern of siding with the Trump administration — a result made predictable by the court’s conservative majority. Immigration cases have, with rare exception, aligned along these partisan lines. On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court sidestepped the question of birthright citizenship and overruled lower court decisions that sought to protect it. The original plaintiffs filed suit to enjoin the enforcement of the executive order that identifies circumstances in which a person born in the United States is ‘not subject to the jurisdiction thereof,’ thereby restricting the constitutionally guaranteed bestowal of birthright citizenship. The Trump administration petitioned the Supreme Court, which granted review.” (02/18/26)
“People could be so inured to crime that they stop reporting it to the police. Or the police could be so overwhelmed that they stop accepting the reports. Since most crime statistics are based on police reports, this would look like crime going down. There’s some evidence of this happening in specific situations, like shoplifting in San Francisco. Could it be the whole effect? No, for three reasons.” (02/18/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Maros Giansante & Sérgio Alberich
“Contemporary culture grants increasing prestige to the figure of the expert who avoids explicit commitments and presents himself as moderate, technical, and ‘non-ideological.’ This posture is celebrated as a sign of intellectual maturity. In an environment saturated with open conflict, the refusal to choose appears prudent. Moderation becomes a public virtue. The problem arises when moderation ceases to be circumstantial and begins to function as a method.” (02/18/26)
“Finally free from the demands of being chief archivist of the United States, secretary of state, national security adviser, and unofficial viceroy of Venezuela, Marco Rubio made his way to the Munich Security Conference to deliver a major address on Saturday. I shouldn’t make fun. Rubio, unlike so many major figures in this administration, is a bona fide serious person. Indeed, that’s why President Trump keeps piling responsibilities on him. Rubio knows what he’s talking about and cares about policy. He is hardly a free agent; Trump is still president after all. But in an administration full of people willing to act like social media trolls, Rubio stands out for being serious. And I welcome that. But just because Rubio made a serious argument, that doesn’t mean it was wholly persuasive.” (02/19/26)
“Hawks routinely try to paint adversaries as irrational in order to make diplomacy with the other side seem impossible and not worth trying.” (02/18/26)
“The Reverend Jesse Jackson died yesterday at age 84. Although in the past couple of decades, he was not the public presence he once was, it speaks to his stature that Trump issued what was, for him, at least, a remarkably appreciative and respectful statement in the wake of his death. In the 1980s and early 90s, the era when Trump’s brain is stuck, Jackson was a figure of the first importance.” (02/18/26)
“As sports media star Stephen A. Smith teased talk of a presidential run in 2028 this weekend, there is one thing that he and those advising him must surely know: The Democratic Party does not nominate outsiders. This is a lesson that Sen. Bernie Sanders [I-VT] learned in both 2016 and 2020 as his populist socialist movement was blocked at every turn by party leaders. To his credit as a politician, Sanders and the socialists, after a decade of work, have now all but taken over the party. The more relevant example to Stephen A’s would-be grab for the golden ring in 2028 is not Sanders, it is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose mistreatment by the DNC led him to endorse President Donald Trump in 2024.” (02/18/26)
