The Mirror of 1776
Source: Law & Liberty
by John G Grove
“Unfortunately, the Declaration of Independence does not unite us today. It indicts us.” (07/03/26)
Pope defends migrants on symbolic visit to key immigration hub Lampedusa
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Pope Leo XIV on Saturday visited Italy’s Lampedusa island, a major port of call for migrants risking the perilous crossing from Africa, in a stark message to US and EU leaders. The Catholic Church’s first US pope, who has clashed with the administration of President Donald Trump over its treatment of migrants, is marking July 4, the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, on a migration frontline. … After praying at the unmarked graves of shipwreck victims, the 70-year-old stood alone on the island’s rocky shoreline, buffeted by the wind as he looked out to sea, where countless migrant boats have been lost to the waves. He spoke to a migrant family before taking the children by the hand and standing along with their pregnant mother at the ‘Door of Europe’, a monument dedicated to people who risk everything in search of a better life.” (07/04/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260704-pope-defends-migrants-at-mediterranean-island-frontier
Focus Group, 07/04/26
Source: The Bulwark
“The Second Trump Election Broke Something in America (w/ Heather Cox Richardson).” (07/04/26)
Israel Is an Apartheid State – and Its Weird Marriage Laws Show Us How
Source: Antiwar.com
by Jonathan Cook
“Israel’s supporters have gone apoplectic over a short post on X from the journalist Mehdi Hasan, highlighting Israel’s peculiar marriage laws. Hasan asks: ‘Did you know that you can’t have a civil or secular marriage in Israel?’ He’s not wrong. Israel has banned civil marriage. You can wed only in a ceremony strictly controlled by religious authorities. If you want a civil marriage, you have to travel to another country. Why, you might reasonably wonder. Isn’t Israel a modern, secular, western-style liberal democracy? After all, that’s what our politicians and media keep telling us. The most popular rejoinder to Hasan from Israel’s apologists – that the situation is no better in Saudi Arabia – is not quite the flex they seem to imagine. So Israel offers the same human rights protections as Saudi Arabia? Impressive.” (07/03/26)
The Declaration still terrifies socialists and tyrants, here and abroad
Source: Fox News
by Newt Gingrich
“This Fourth of July matters more than most for three reasons. First, it is the historic 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration is the most radical political document ever written. It challenged millennia of thought about monarchs having rights and commoners being mere subjects, peasants or even slaves. Suddenly, people on the edge of a continent decided that they would challenge the entire system that dominated their world. Kings, czars and emperors were put on notice that power did not come from them; it came from God. The single phrase, ‘We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’, enunciated a transfer of authority and power from the head of government to the citizen.” (07/04/26)
Parallax Views w/ JG Michael, 07/.03/26
Source: Parallax Views w/ JG Michael
“The Politics of the UFC: Dana White, Trump, Ari Emanuel, & Freedom 250 Aftermath w/ Nate Wilcox.” (07/03/26)
The Spirit of Liberty in 1776 versus Today’s Political Paternalism
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Richard M Ebeling
“As friends of freedom, our duty is to remind our fellow Americans what that Declaration of Independence really means — the ideals that it represents about free man, voluntary society, and limited government. The spirit of liberty still glows in America like dying embers in what was once a bright flame of freedom.” (07/03/26)
Treasury Department launches “Trump Accounts” for children under 18
Source: United Press International
“The Trump administration officially launched ‘Trump Accounts’ on July 4, which have been set up for parents to save money for their children. The accounts, which include $1,000 for each child who is born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028 — President Donald Trump’s current term in office — can now be set up by parents after their authorization in last year’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’ The federal savings program is available for any child under 18, and can accept up to $5,000 in contributions per year, although the $1,000 seed funds for the accounts are only available to children born during Trump’s current term.” (07/04/26)
Partisan Press Conference (Episode 4)
Source: Reason
“Republican and Democratic coaches take questions from the press.” (07/03/26)
https://reason.com/video/2026/07/04/partisan-press-conference-episode-4/
Why the US Government Acquiring OpenAI Equity Destroys Free Markets
Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey
“I think we can all agree that talk about artificial intelligence (AI) is near-constant. And now we hear that OPENAI (the parent of ChatGPT) is offering 5% of its equity to the U.S. Government, valued at an estimated $40 billion. This is perhaps the most expensive bribe I’ve seen in U.S. history, as such a stake would help OPENAI ease up on political pressure and regulatory scrutiny. Talk about greasing the wheels, is Sam Altman that desperate?” (07/03/26)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/why-the-us-government-acquiring-openai