Ron Paul Liberty Report, 05/14/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Trump In China — Who Has The Upper Hand?” (05/14/26)
Can Socialists Support Commerce But Not Capitalism?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Christopher Freiman
“Many socialists condemn trade barriers while supporting bans on wage labor and private ownership. Can that logic be reconciled?” (05/14/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/can-socialists-support-commerce-but-not-capitalism/
ME: Vance set to speak about fraud investigations ahead of primary election
Source: Los Angeles Daily News
“Vice President JD Vance is slated to make an appearance in Maine on Thursday to highlight the Trump administration’s efforts to combat fraud ahead of the state’s primary elections for several high-profile races. Vance, who chairs the administration’s anti-fraud task force, is scheduled to deliver remarks at Bangor International Airport, the White House and the Maine Republican Party announced. The vice president, who is seen as a potential GOP candidate for president in 2028, has been promoting the work of the task force as he has campaigned for Republican candidates in recent months. But Thursday’s visit is the first that has been expressly billed as a stop to talk about the fraud-fighting efforts rather than the economic-focused message he’s delivered in other visits.” (05/14/26)
https://www.dailynews.com/2026/05/14/jd-vance-maine-fraud-investigations/
Radio Atlantic, 05/14/26
Source: The Atlantic
“America Has Always Had a Gerrymandering Problem. This Is New.” (05/14/26)
Return of the Next Pandemic Script
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Yaffa Shir-Raz
“On the surface, an international cruise ship experiencing serious illnesses and deaths during a voyage would seem destined to become an immediate global news story. But that did not happen. Only weeks later, on May 1, the story suddenly received intense international coverage. Within a short time, headlines around the world warned of a ‘plague ship’ at sea, passengers from 23 countries under monitoring, quarantine measures, and fears of human-to-human transmission. After the Covid years, and the way the crisis unfolded in early 2020, the sense of déjà vu was almost unavoidable. … This time, the timing is particularly striking. On May 1, three days before the MV Hondius story received widespread international media attention, the World Health Organization announced yet another one-year delay in negotiations over the PABS annex of the Pandemic Agreement.” (05/14/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/return-of-the-next-pandemic-script/
Honda records its first-ever annual loss on a costly EV strategy
Source: Seattle Times
“Honda racked up a 423.9 billion yen ($2.7 billion) loss Thursday, the first-ever full year loss for the Japanese automaker, acknowledging heavy costs for its electric-vehicle plans, stemming from President Donald Trump’s pro-U.S. [sic] policies. The Japanese automaker said losses related to its EV operations are estimated to total 2.5 trillion yen ($16 billion), incurred mostly in the fiscal year just ended and the current fiscal year. Analysts say Honda Motor Co. might have been too ambitious too fast, when many markets weren’t ready. As a result, Honda abandoned many of its plans for EV models, including those in the works in a joint venture with Sony Corp.” (05/14/26)
The Fifth Column, episode 557
Source: The Fifth Column
“When Everyone Stops Pretending w/ Steven Pinker.” (05/14/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/when-everyone-stops-pretending-w
Pope Leo is right. Trump’s war in Iran fails a test.
Source: Washington Post
by Ramesh Ponnuru
“Trump has made next to no attempt to justify his Iran policy using the traditional criteria for just war, and sometimes he broadcasts contempt for the idea that war could be subject to moral evaluation. When he threatens to end Iran’s civilization, it can’t plausibly be spun as anything but placing large-scale war crimes on the table. Though just-war theory is frequently associated with the Catholic Church, its influence extends to non-Catholics and it rests on no distinctively Christian premises. It holds that war is permissible when (among other conditions) it serves a just cause, is declared by a legitimate authority, has a reasonable chance of success and can be expected to do more good than harm.
There is plenty of room to debate when these conditions have been met, but they clearly rule out some wars.” (05/14/26)
US House fails to do its job on Trump’s illegal Iran war … again
Source: CBS News
“The House voted for a third time against acting as a check on President Trump’s military powers in Iran, even as a growing number of Republicans express concern about the prolonged conflict. Thursday’s vote on a Democratic resolution to rein in Mr. Trump’s authority was 212-212, falling just short of a majority. Originally introduced on March 4, the measure as written would have directed the president to remove U.S. forces from hostilities within 30 days of the start of the war, which began on Feb. 28. … The war passed a critical deadline on May 1 under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which says the president must remove armed forces from hostilities after 60 days if Congress has not authorized the war. The 60-day clock started once the president sent formal notification to Congress of the hostilities on March 2.” [editor’s note: the 0-day clock started the instant he started a war without the required congressional declaration – TLK] (05/14/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-iran-war-powers-resolution/
Mike Pence, Pretend Lifeguard of Conservatism; Voters Already Left His Pool
Source: American Greatness
by Steve Cortes
“Mike Pence anointed himself to stand athwart the populist Right with a whistle in his mouth, screaming for conservatives to ‘get out of the pool.’ The imagery fits him perfectly. Pence increasingly resembles that obnoxious childhood lifeguard we all remember — the self-important scold, high on perceived power, perched way above everyone else. As such, Pence is convinced that enforcing his rules matters more than understanding why people jumped into the water in the first place. From his perch at CNN studios and establishment think tanks, Pence now lectures conservatives about ‘traditional principles,’ warning Republicans against populism and urging a return to the old GOP orthodoxy. … Pence demands that Republicans engage in ‘soul-searching’ over populism. Fine. Let’s do exactly that.” (05/14/26)