Source: Libertarian Institute
by Joseph Solis-Mullen

“The underlying drivers were never mysterious. Prime Minister Abiy’s centralizing ambitions, to say nothing of his authoritarian tactics and ethnic chauvinism, have understandably collided with Tigrayan and Amharan demands for security and autonomy. Eritrea, which fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces against the TPLF in the last war, has since turned hostile. Relations between Addis Ababa and its former province turned neighbor deteriorated sharply as Abiy began again to discuss openly Ethiopia’s dire need for cheap and secure Red Sea access – particularly through the Eritrean port of Assab.” (10/08/26)

https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/things-fall-apart-in-ethiopia/

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
by Michael J Gerhardt & Michael Stokes Paulsen

“The failure of impeachment to meaningfully check corrupt or tyrannical presidents, because of partisan acquittals, may be the Constitution’s greatest modern failure. It is a betrayal of the principles that inspired the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.” (10/08/26)

https://archive.is/B2hFD

Source: OtherWords
by Nicholas Martinez

“With less than a month before the midterm elections, attempts by President Donald Trump and his administration to keep certain Americans from voting will likely continue. Voting is how we get an equal say in the decisions that impact our lives, regardless of race, disability, zip code, language, or income. That’s why we need to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their ballot free from fear, intimidation, or unnecessary barriers. Anti-democratic forces might dominate the headlines, but they have not dominated the outcomes. That’s important. Our democracy is strongest when voters can fully participate. Our elections are strongest when election officials can do their jobs free from political interference. And our future is strongest when Americans believe that their voice matters.” (10/08/26)

https://otherwords.org/democracy-works-when-we-defend-it/

Source: CounterPunch
by Naveen Basavaraj

“In 2003, singer Barbra Streisand tried to remove aerial photos of her home from the internet. But her efforts to take down the images only drove more people to seek them out. Two decades later, the Streisand effect has become a kind of internet maxim: Trying to bury something often ends up amplifying it. Working with colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University and George Mason University, I wanted to explore how this phenomenon plays out – and whether it’s simply internet folk wisdom or something that can be backed up with data.” (10/08/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/10/08/whether-its-banning-books-or-preventing-macklemore-from-touring-silencing-artists-often-backfires/

Source: The American Prospect
by Marueen Tkacik

“A reviled ‘boligarch’ and his right-wing adversaries are engaged in a low-level war, but the only people who will feel the impact are the Venezuelan people.” (10/08/26)

https://prospect.org/2026/10/08/crude-awakening-alejandro-betancourt-venezuela-oil/

Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob

“Billionaires haven’t done anything wrong merely by earning great wealth. Typically, they’ve done something right. They’ve been industrious and entrepreneurial and helped people improve their lives. Typically, they earn their billions; which, incidentally, they don’t stuff under a giant mattress but invest further. This doesn’t stop the [proposed California wealth] tax’s demagogic proponents, like Ro Khanna, from claiming that the interests of the ‘donor class’ are inherently opposed to those of the ‘working class.’ Khanna wants government to privilege one ‘class’ over the other. But as Dmitri Bolt points out, neither should get a government-enforced advantage.” (10/08/26)

https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/10/08/kill-the-class-warfare/