Source: Common Dreams
by Steven Harper
“‘This is going to be great television.’ But it wasn’t great. It was tragic. U.S. President Donald Trump’s comment at the conclusion of his unprecedented public outburst directed toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked a milestone in a momentous week: Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda became ‘America Alone … with Russia.’ Trump and Vice President JD Vance shouted at Zelenskyy, a beleaguered wartime leader [sic] struggling to defend his democratic [sic] nation against Russia’s invasion. They scolded him for not thanking Trump, who slowed to a trickle the flow of American weapons to Ukraine. In rejecting Trump’s request, Zelenskyy joined Trump’s list of ‘enemies.’ To get even, Trump is now helping Russia negotiate what it could not achieve after three years on the battlefield: the conquest of Ukraine.” (03/04/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-vance-putin
Source: ABC News
“Iran and Turkey have summoned each other’s diplomats for discussions, officials said Tuesday, after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan criticized Tehran’s policy of supporting militias in Syria and elsewhere. On Monday, a top aide to Iran’s foreign minister met with the Turkish ambassador to Tehran and emphasized the need to avoid ‘inappropriate remarks and unrealistic analyses that could lead to disputes and tensions in bilateral relations,’ according to an Iranian Foreign Ministry statement. The Iranian official, Mahmoud Heidari, also told the Turkish ambassador that Muslim countries should focus their efforts on halting Israel’s ‘crimes and aggressions’ in the Palestinian territories and Syria. Turkey reciprocated on Tuesday by inviting the Iranian charge d’affaires for discussions.” (03/04/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkey-iran-summon-diplomats-after-ankara-criticizes-iranian-119424741
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Pauses All Military Aid to Ukraine, Israel Preparing ‘Hell Plan’ for Gaza, and More.” (03/04/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apVvqY4amK0
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Patrick Carroll
“When considering the prospect of a minimal or even non-existent state, many are understandably concerned about how society would function. Doesn’t the government provide vital services ‘behind the scenes’ that keep society running? Wouldn’t there be chaos and disorder without those services? These are legitimate apprehensions that are worth taking seriously. Leaping into a vastly different governing system could cause serious problems, so we need to be confident before we make the leap that we aren’t jumping into a dystopia. Fortunately, economic reasoning gives us good reasons to be optimistic.” (03/04/25)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/does-government-keep-society-running-background
Source: SFGate
“The Hong Kong-based conglomerate that operates ports near the Panama Canal has agreed to sell shares of its units that operate the ports to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., after President Donald Trump alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane. In a filing, CK Hutchison Holding said Tuesday that it would sell all shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and all shares in Hutchison Port Group Holdings. The two units hold 80% of the Hutchison Ports group that operates 43 ports in 23 countries. The consortium, comprised of BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Limited will acquire 90% interests in Panama Ports Company, which owns and operates the ports of Balboa and Cristobal in Panama, according to the filing.” (03/04/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/blackrock-strikes-deal-to-bring-ports-on-both-20201812.php
Source: The Reframe
by AR Moxon
“The fine art of celebrating while dissatisfied. Every win is a step forward, and every step forward is a celebration. Embracing the Better — a series about directional alignment.” (03/04/25)
https://www.the-reframe.com/defiant-jazz/
Source: US News & World Report
“Republicans in Congress are taking aim at four cities — often called ‘sanctuary cities’ — over their policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement with a hearing this week that comes as President Donald Trump presses ahead with his campaign of mass deportations. Mayors Michelle Wu of Boston, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver and Eric Adams of New York are set to appear Wednesday in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. There’s no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. … Courts have repeatedly upheld the legality of most sanctuary laws. But Trump administration officials have targeted sanctuary policies right out of the gate in his second term, seeing them as a key impediment to deporting people in the large numbers he wants.” (03/04/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2025-03-04/republicans-target-4-sanctuary-cities-as-trump-pushes-mass-deportations
Source: bloggingheads.tv
“Trump vs. Zelensky: The Morning After | Robert Wright & Andrew Day.” (03/03/25)
https://bloggingheads.tv/videos/68465
Source: Independent Institute
by Craig Eyermann
“For the first time in years, the U.S. Congress is considering budget bills that could seriously rein in government spending growth. The big-budget news came out of the House of Representatives last week. The House passed its budget blueprint by a two-vote margin. House Concurrent Resolution 14 covers proposed spending for the entire U.S. government for the remainder of its 2025 fiscal year through its 2034 fiscal year.” (03/03/25)
https://blog.independent.org/2025/03/03/budget-battle
Source: TomDispatch
by Alfred McCoy
“In the weeks leading up to the recent presidential inauguration in Washington, this country and an anxious world expected many different things from what might be called (to borrow the title of the famed William Butler Yeats’s poem ‘The Second Coming’) Donald J. Trump. But nobody expected this. Nobody at all. ‘We will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley where it should be and where it belongs,’ President Trump announced to a burst of applause during his inaugural address on January 20th. Continuing his celebration of a decidedly mediocre president, best known for taking this country on an ill-advised turn towards colonial conquest, Trump added: ‘President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent …'” (03/04/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/slouching-towards-mount-mckinley/
