Source: Persuasion
by Joseph Heath

“The efforts of the Trump administration to purge DEI (‘diversity, equity and inclusion’) programs from the federal government bureaucracy have revealed an enormous amount of confusion about what DEI actually is (or was). In part this is due to the way it was sold by its practitioners, who often presented it as a straightforward extension of the ideas and principles that animated the civil rights movement of the 1960s. In reality, many of their claims were a lot more controversial. If there is any hope for resisting the full-fledged assault that is taking place, it should begin with a re-examination of these claims, with an eye to producing a more defensible body of doctrine.” (03/04/25)

https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-five-dogmas-of-dei

Source: Garrison Center
by Michael D Swaine

“Only one month in, the foreign policy moves of the Trump Administration in Europe, the Middle East, and North America indicate that radical, tumultuous change, marked most notably by major reversals in long-standing U.S. stances, could be the norm over at least the next four years. Following Trump’s threats to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland and absorb Canada, along with his apparent support for Russia over Ukraine and his bizarre offer to turn Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East by removing the Palestinian population, one might ask what is in store for Asia, and China in particular. Thus far, Trump has said relatively little about the region other than to predictably threaten tariffs against China and others while offering the prospect of welcoming some forms of Chinese investment into the United States and dissing Taiwan. However, this is unlikely to remain the case.” (03/04/25)

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-china-policy/

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: 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: 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/