Worse than John McCain?

Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul

“Following President Trump’s address to the nation on Wednesday about the Iran War, stock markets suffered losses while oil prices rose. The decline in stocks and increase in oil prices reflected disappointment over President Trump’s failure to articulate a plan to end the Iran War and the related restraint of shipping through of the Strait of Hormuz. The average gas price in America has risen to over four dollars per gallon since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran at the end of February. The increased cost of gas is raising prices at the pump and, by increasing shipping costs, resulting in higher prices at grocery stores and even on Amazon.” (04/06/26)

http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/worse-than-john-mccain

Wisdom From America’s Founders: Government Isn’t Evil, But…

Source: Town Hall
by Mark Lewis

“Government isn’t evil. People are evil, not institutions or things. An army, a gun, isn’t evil, but they certainly can be, and have been, used by evil people, for evil purposes. And this describes governments down through history as well. I have often said that government is a ‘necessary evil’. That isn’t quite accurate; it is, sadly, ‘necessary.’ If all men were angels, Mr. Madison said, we wouldn’t need government. But, obviously, all men aren’t angels, thus some restraining force is required to curb what evil men do. Governments should be established for that purpose, and it is a legitimate one. The apostle Paul, in Romans 13, describes the reality of our world even today by talking about the rationale for government and what our response to it should be.” (04/07/26)

https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/04/07/wisdom-from-americas-founders-government-isnt-evil-but-n2673996

Fake Australian, Chinese & Brazilian police stations: BBC goes inside seized scam compound

Source: BBC News [UK State Media]

“Wandering down the unlit corridors of a six-storey building behind the Royal Hill casino, each door opens onto a different world. In one there is a perfect replica of a Vietnamese bank. In another, you’re in an Australian police station. A Chinese police officer’s shirt hangs in one corner. Motivational messages have been painted on the walls. ‘Money Coming From Everywhere,’ read the Chinese characters on one sign. Discarded fake hundred dollar bills are lying all over the floor. This was a massive scam compound, just inside Cambodia in a border town called O Smach. Thousands of people from different countries worked here, under a harsh regime which strictly regimented their lives, defrauding thousands of others across the world of their savings.” (04/07/26)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjenpy8gx71o

Democratic Party faces its internal demons on US-Israel policy — again

Source: Semafor
by David Weigel

“Rank-and-file Democratic support for Palestinians has surged since 2024 and risen more since last summer, but there are influential party leaders who disagree. The US-Israel attacks on Iran are more unifying inside the party. Democrats are against them and happy to blame them for rising prices. But the demand for the official party to take a position is fraught with risk, at a moment when the party is feeling good about the issues this midterm election will be fought over.” (04/06/26)

https://www.semafor.com/article/04/06/2026/democratic-party-faces-its-internal-demons-on-us-israel-policy-again

Bernie Sanders has a plan to stop the AI industry

Source: Understanding AI
by Kai Williams

“With Republicans in charge of Congress and the White House, Sanders’s concrete proposal is unlikely to succeed in the near term; one superforecaster gave the data center moratorium bill a ‘less than zero’ chance of passing. But his proposal for a national moratorium conditioned on subsequent AI legislation could provide a rallying point for diverse anti-AI forces. If passed, it would give NIMBY activists what they want — a short-term reprieve from data center construction — while also providing leverage for advocates of AI safety, child welfare, labor rights, and other causes. Even some Republicans might get on board.” (04/06/26)

https://www.understandingai.org/p/bernie-sanders-has-a-plan-to-stop

Iran: Tehran synagogue destroyed in alleged US-Israeli attack

Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

“United States-Israeli strikes have ‘completely destroyed’ a synagogue in Tehran, according to Iranian media, as the attacks across Iran killed more than a dozen people overnight. ‘According to preliminary information, the Rafi-Nia Synagogue … was completely destroyed in this morning’s attacks,’ the Shargh newspaper reported on Tuesday. … In a video published on Telegram by Iran’s official IRIB News outlet, Homayoun Sameh, a Jewish representative in the country’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, said ‘the Zionist regime showed no mercy to this community during the Jewish holidays and targeted one of our ancient and holy synagogues. Unfortunately, during this attack, the synagogue building was completely destroyed and our Torah scrolls were left under the rubble,’ he said.” (04/07/26)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/7/synagogue-in-tehran-destroyed-in-us-israeli-strikes-on-iran

A Look at Our Material Progress

Source: Independent Institute
by Alex Tokarev

“Year after year, we are told by whoever is in opposition and seeks to get elected to a public office that life is getting harder. Young people can’t afford anything. That America was somehow better ‘back then.’ And ‘back then’ usually means 50 or 100 years ago, times often romanticized by Hollywood, but when life was actually much harder and less enjoyable. The truth is that, in material terms, we live in the best of times. And it will get better even when we hit a few bumps by electing the occasional socialist. Life now is much more affordable, safer, healthier, and full of opportunity than it was a century ago. Profit-seeking undertakers, the ones politicians love to demonize, are making everything more abundant, convenient, and reliable.” (04/06/26)

https://www.independent.org/article/2026/04/06/a-look-at-our-material-progress/

Why Does Congress Keep Kicking the Fiscal Can?

Source: Independent Institute
by Richard K Vedder

“I have worked and consulted with many congressmen, testifying at their hearings over several decades. They are mostly hard-working, bright, and reasonable people. Most have generally good, if not sterling, moral character, although the addiction to the money and fame associated with political power provides notable exceptions, leading occasionally to criminal convictions (Sen. Robert Mendenez and Representative George Santos are two recent examples). Especially worrisome: legislative branch dysfunctionality seems to be growing. Why does the system work so poorly these days?” (04/06/26)

https://www.independent.org/article/2026/04/06/why-does-congress-keep-kicking-the-fiscal-can/