Miles Smith IV
@IVMiles
A whole generation of people dont understand why this photo was so significant, and it shows...
8:42 PM · Apr 6, 2025

Samaritan Prime
@SamaritanPrime
·
3h
Context: that’s Boris Yeltsin, and he poked his head into a random supermarket in America while on a visit. Dude could not compute that the shelves were full. Soviet Russia didn’t have that.

Demetri D Williams
@DemetriDeshone
·
32m
This was before the fall of USSR and before he was President. He went from a communist to a capitalist because of this.

Woodrow Call
@WoodrowCall1
·
2h
iirc this was in Houston. He was there touring NASA, I believe. At first he assumed it was fake, that they had stocked it for his visit to make it look like the US was prosperous, cuz that's what the Soviet Union would do. He had to be convinced this was normal life here.

Charlie Kirk

@charliekirk11
In his interview with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, THIS FACT made Tucker Carlson pause and say, "That's the message right there. Just as a bystander I'm like, wow, okay."

This is what Sec. Bessent described to Tucker:

"The good news is we have President Trump's previous term ...working class Americans and hourly workers did better than supervisory workers. The bottom 50% of households, their net worth increased faster than the top 10% of households.

And look, I'm not happy with what's going on in the market today, but the distribution of equities across households, the top 10% of Americans own 88% of equities, 88% of the stock market.

The next 40% owns 12% of the stock market. The bottom 50 has debt. They have credit card bills. They rent their homes, they have auto loans and we've got to give them some relief."

5:41 PM · Apr 6, 2025
·
739.2K
Views

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz released documentation indicating that Hamas had asked Iran for $500 million to complete the destruction of Israel. This request was made before the October 7th, 2023, attacks Hamas launched into Israel. //

Iran is and has been for some time the leading state sponsor of Islamic terrorism. They are, as Defense Minister Katz puts it, the head of the snake. They have the destruction of Israel as a primary role, but here in the United States, we should always bear in mind that to Iran, Israel is the "Lesser Satan," whereas we, in America, are the "Greater Satan.". //

The request wasn't for a lump sum but rather for $20 million per month for two years, which would be spent on, as Hamas phrased in the document, "to achieve these great goals, through which we will change the face of the world."

“We are confident that by the end of these two years, or during them, God willing, we will uproot this monstrous entity, and we will end this dark period in the history of our nation,” the letter reads. //

Laocoön of Troy
5 hours ago edited
If this is true...and I have no doubt that it is...then Israel and the US need to set up reletively sophisticated measures to go after wealth amassed by the Hamas biggies. I don't pretend to know how to do that...but we have alot of pretty elite bankers who can sell freakin' ice to the Eskimos. Or sand to the Saudis. I have every confidence that we can run scam after scam to get our hands on at least part of their cash. Or encourage their comrades to get their slice of the pie...

Danny Costanzo: [unable to arrest Snake] This block is being designated a Neighborhood Watch Area. There's a guy up here named Snake. He's wearing garage-sale clothes and the top of his head looks like a parakeet. He also has FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS in small bills in a briefcase. As his neighbors, it is your responsibility to make sure there are no suspicious characters or evil perpetrators lurking in the area who would seek to do him harm. Again, FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS in small bills, tax free, in a briefcase right in this apartment. Which has a really cheeseball lock! You can bust your way in there, bop him on the head, take the money, nobody would know! So it's UP TO YOU. Thanks a lot, have a good day.

Running Scared (1986). //

anon-ymous99
5 hours ago
Likely $100 million for Sinwar, $100 million for Deif, $50 million among their commanders, and the rest for weapons. For the Gazans? Not a penny.

Level it, and build condos and resorts.

Send the Gazans to Somalia, Syria and who-cares-where-else.

NorCalGC anon-ymous99
4 hours ago edited
They’re already sending some to Indonesia as construction workers.

myx0mop NorCalGC
29 minutes ago
Not sure about construction. They're way more qualified as demolition workers.

Ninety-nine years ago, H.L. Mencken - the "Sage of Baltimore" - released his book, "Notes on Democracy," which I really need to go read again. Mencken was no fan of big government, even by the standards of the 1920s; in fact, you could argue that he was no fan of government at all. What's interesting about his work is his prescience.

Granted, society and politics run in cycles. The Strauss-Howe Generational Theory is one attempt at defining these cycles. So is the old saw that goes, "Tough times make tough people; tough people make good times; good times make weak people; weak people make tough times." //

Mencken. He wasn't an optimist. But when you read his work, you wonder if he didn't have some kind of premonition as to what's going on in the United States today. Back then, in the Roaring Twenties, Mencken made this observation:

The ideal government of all reflective men, from Aristotle onward, is one which lets the individual alone – one which barely escapes being no government at all.

Good government is that which delivers the citizen from being done out of his life and property too arbitrarily and violently – one that relieves him sufficiently from the barbaric business of guarding them to enable him to engage in gentler, more dignified, and more agreeable undertakings.

In other words, the only legitimate role of government is to protect the citizens' liberty and property. //

The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.

The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself … Almost inevitably, he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable.

All government … is against liberty.

I believe in only one thing: liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone. //

Sarcastic Frog
2 hours ago
"The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself …"

This was true in ancient times; it was true in 1926; and its true today.

Unlike almost every other country, the US was founded on rebellion- people thinking for themselves and resisting the pressure to obey the government for the sole reason of "because we tell you to."

There are those who hate this quality and actively push against it with their NewSpeak and pronouns and "canceling".

I hope we will always have the rebels, who think for themselves and resist the conformity.

anon-t75 Sarcastic Frog
2 hours ago
"A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny." ~ Thomas Jefferson. //

anon-t75
2 hours ago
"I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious. Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases. The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." ~ Thomas Jefferson. //

idalily
2 hours ago
My favorite Mencken quote: "Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." Not sure quite why I love it. I just do.

Some argue that drones reduce costs by the very virtue of being “unmanned.” But the pilot isn’t the main reason an F-35 is expensive.

Manned fifth-generation fighter jets are expensive because they need powerful engines to travel long distances, complicated electronics systems for detection and targeting, state-of-the-art composite materials and design to ensure stealth, and large frames to carry sufficient ordnance to complete the mission. A drone capable of doing what an F-35 can do would cost just as much, as it would have to do all the same things—and it would still need to be operated or commanded remotely by a human pilot.

Nor do drone swarms—in which large numbers of small disposable drones with single, relatively small payloads attack a base or a ship—clearly eliminate the need for warships or jets. These swarms are both a cause for concern and an offensive capability to be studied. However, it’s far from clear that they would be more effective than precision-guided munitions in, say, sinking ships during an attempted amphibious invasion, especially given limited payload and range.

Moreover, every major military is working to develop countermeasures against individual drones and swarms. These militaries are observing drones in action in Ukraine and using those observations to develop systems to defend ships and bases.

Drones cannot yet automate the many functions performed by manned warships—from frigates to destroyers to aircraft carriers—which play a vital role by conducting strikes with large numbers of missiles or aircraft, projecting concentrated firepower, and displaying the flag in foreign ports (which reassures partners and allies).

The Chinese certainly believe such vessels are still needed. Indeed, they’re currently engaged in a massive military buildup of aircraft carriers and fifth-generation fighter aircraft. //

While drones and autonomous systems have shown that they have an important and (almost certainly) increasing role to play in modern warfare, that role remains one of complementing existing systems, rather than replacing them.

As the country’s largest funder of civil legal aid, LSC provides critical legal representation to low-income Americans—including veterans, families with children and seniors—who are facing life-altering civil legal challenges such as wrongful evictions, domestic violence and consumer fraud. Defunding LSC would not only deny vulnerable individuals access to justice, but would ultimately increase costs for taxpayers.

When someone is accused of a crime and does not have the resources to hire an attorney, state and federal governments provide legal representation. This is not the case when people face civil actions such as custody battles, foreclosure or denial of veterans and social security benefits. To qualify for legal aid, people must meet strict income guidelines: a family of four must earn less than $32,150 a year and an individual must earn less than $15,650.

A well-functioning legal system is fundamental to maintaining order and ensuring justice. LSC provides essential funding for legal aid organizations that assist low-income American workers and families in navigating civil legal disputes. Without this assistance, many would be left without legal recourse, exacerbating instability in communities and overburdening the courts with self-represented litigants. //

Rather than promoting progressive legal activism, as the misguided article states, LSC and its grantees are bound by strict statutory limitations (imposed by Congress) on the types of cases it can support. LSC grantees cannot engage in class-action lawsuits, lobbying, or political advocacy, and those restrictions apply to funding from any source. In other words, if a grantee accepts so much as $1 from LSC, it must abide by the same conditions that Congress imposed; it cannot raise money from other sources and engage in any prohibited activities. Moreover, extensive, multi-layered oversight mechanisms, including an independent Office of the Inspector General, review and ensure that both LSC and its grantees operate within the scope of these limitations. The idea that civil legal aid is a vehicle for partisan activism is a mischaracterization that ignores the broad restrictions set by Congress. //

Rather than eliminating LSC, a more constructive approach would be to ensure its funding is used effectively and transparently. Lawmakers should focus, as they have in the past, on strengthening accountability measures while maintaining this critical safety net that aligns with the principles of fairness, efficiency and limited government intervention. //

Reply:

Hecht and Malcolm assert that, today, Congress has finally succeeded in restricting LSC’s radical mission. Let us for a moment grant that they are correct (which they are not); is it not strange that they see no irony in urging conservatives to accept and embrace Lyndon Johnson’s original Great Society vision of federal funding for private lawsuits? As constitutionalists, conservatives flatly reject the notion that Congress, under any circumstances, should be injecting each year hundreds of millions of dollars into the private practice of law. //

Meanwhile, California Rural Legal Assistance continues to sue state entities, such as the Bakersfield City School District, for not spending enough public money on education. A generation ago, Governor Reagan wondered, as should President Trump today, what business the federal government has in financing private lawsuits against state and local entities. If a majority of Californians seek to change public policy on education, let them win at the ballot box, not in the courthouse in league with an activist judge. //

It is the same with America’s out-of-control homelessness policies, which have been pushed to extremes, ruining much of our country’s urban life. Homelessness is another public policy passion in the legal aid world and judicial activism is the approach that most LSC grantees support.

Helen Andrews
Feb 20, 2024
12:04 AM
The year 1994 marked the beginning of the era of globalization. For a short time after the end of the Cold War, it was unclear what would be the driving theme of the next period in history. Then it emerged: borderlessness. The theme of the new era would be the free movement of goods, people, and capital. In a few short months on either side of January 1, 1994, the European Union was formed; the Marrakesh agreement was signed, creating the World Trade Organization; the Channel Tunnel opened; and the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect.

Hubris was present from the beginning. During the negotiations over NAFTA, union leader Richard Trumka, then of the United Mine Workers of America, later president of the AFL-CIO, asked a Clinton administration official whether he was worried about the effect of free trade on American blue-collar workers. The official said yes, but eventually “wages would start to go up again, and things would even out around the world.” Trumka asked him how long this would take. The official answered, “About three to five generations.”

We are now one generation into this process, thirty years from the start of NAFTA, so we are at a good point to ask: Are things evening out? Is the new equilibrium we were promised any closer, and it is better than the one we had before? //

On the 30th anniversary of NAFTA, its opponents stand vindicated and its defenders are chastened—or at least they should be. In many corners of the left and right, free trade dogma is as strong today as it was the day NAFTA was signed. It is therefore worth looking back to see what exactly went wrong with NAFTA, what made people blind to its flaws, and why its costs proved greater than anyone predicted at the time. //

The U.S. lost 5 million manufacturing jobs between 1995 and 2015. Even in advanced technology products, we now have a massive trade deficit. Globalization has not made our manufacturing sector leaner and meaner. Between 2011 and 2022, manufacturing productivity in the U.S. actually declined. To be clear, these dismal numbers are not mainly the fault of NAFTA. The number of jobs lost to Mexico was relatively small; the China shock dwarfs it. Yet NAFTA set off the chain of events that allowed globalization to run free the way it did. It gave the free traders a big win and reshaped the coalitions to their advantage.

There have also been non-economic costs to NAFTA that don’t show up in economic statistics. For one, NAFTA made Mexico fat. The same cheap corn that pushed the farmers off their land flooded grocery stores with processed food and high fructose corn syrup. Coke became cheaper than water. The result was that Mexico’s obesity rate almost doubled; 17 percent of adults are now diabetic, compared to 9 percent in 1990. In 2016, diabetes was Mexico’s leading cause of death. If you believe the online nutrition gurus, NAFTA exported the same obesogenic diet patterns based on massive corn subsidies that have caused Americans to get fatter in the last half-century, far more than our rates of calorie consumption and physical activity can explain. It also gave an economic boost to the same corn producers fueling that dynamic at home.

NAFTA also made Mexico liberal. Today Mexico has gay marriage, gay adoption, and abortion, all things that would have been unthinkable when the agreement was signed. //

The lawsuit that led to the 2023 Mexican supreme court decision decriminalizing abortion was brought by a progressive NGO funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, and the Tides Foundation. //

Pork prices surged after the pandemic because, as journalist Rana Foroohar explains in her book Homecoming, “the largest pork producer in the United States, Smithfield, is owned by a Chinese company that takes orders from the Chinese government, which understandably wanted to export to China what pork was available during a time of scarcity.”

Whether you already have a media sharing system on your network or are setting one up for the first time the options can be bewildering. To stream high-quality video you will want the fastest possible connections. Unfortunately, the easiest systems to set up are also the least efficient so some effort is needed to get the best performance. Here are some recommendations.

This guide is intended to serve as a reference for users who want to modify the button behavior of their OSMC remote controls. This is not intended as a general guide on key mapping in Kodi, or a thread for general keymap questions. If you need to familiarize yourself with keymaps, or what things you can do with them your first step should be Kodi’s wiki on the subject.

Dr Jordan B Peterson @jordanbpeterson
To become better, you need to know who you are and what you stand for.

Margo
@MargoinWNC
·
Follow
Payton McNabb won a Title IX victory after encountering a transgender-identified male in a women’s restroom at Western Carolina University.

NOT ONE MAJOR NEWS AGENCY REPORTED ON THIS.
dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com
Payton McNabb, Injured Volleyball Player, Wins Title IX Victory
8:34 AM · Apr 6, 2025

“This whole concept is about rebuilding an American economy around American goods, around American industry," she said. "We do already live under a tariff regime in this country, but it’s the tariff regime of China, of Mexico, of Brazil, of Australia, of countries that — Mexico won’t take our corn, Australia won’t take our beef.”

Tapper ran defense for these other countries by suggesting the European Union wouldn't take American beef and pork due to hormones used in the products. Which he presented as a final word before pivoting to another question. Rollins wasn't letting it slide.

“Wait! Hold on, Jake! No, no, no!” she said. “Here’s the bottom line: They are using fake science and unsubstantiated claims to not take our products.”

“So it isn’t just that they have high tariffs - thank you for making this point for me - I meant to make it."

"It’s the way they’ve treated our products,” Rollins added. “‘Oh, sorry, we can’t take your beef since 2002 because you use a certain type of feed.' That’s absolute bull. Our farmers and ranchers produce the safest, most secure, and best food in the world!”

Red in Illinois
2 hours ago edited
Trump is using tariffs (admission price) to the largest consumer market as leverage against other countries to lower their trade barriers. Those trade barriers could be tariffs, import quotas, currency manipulation, regulations etc.

All the “free traders” that are panicking right now apparently haven't been paying attention to Trump for the last 8yrs. This is quintessential “Art of the Deal” maneuvering.
Scare the 💩 out of countries that restrict our imports to the point they cry uncle and lower/eliminate their barriers to our exports. Cut deals that result in something closer to free trade. Where comparative advantage actually guides trade.

Apparently, its already working with several countries as they are preparing to send trade delegations to the WH. //

Outerlimitsfan
2 hours ago edited
Well complete free trade between Europe and United States that Elon desires certainly wasn't going to occur by continuing the same policy of the last several decades.

Europe was quite enjoying the status quo of using some protectionism while we also paid a huge amount for NATO and gave away foreign aid to numerous countries.

Big reason why many European countries had the cash to spend on socialist domestic welfare programs was because they didn't need to spend much on military defense. //

Bring Back Bugs Bunny
2 hours ago
Tariff negotiations (Trumps position) are exactly how we reach zero tariffs with EU (Musks position). Trump Musk disagree on tariffs…my bunny tail! //

Chelan Jim
2 hours ago
Musk and Trump are saying the same thing: There should be no tariffs.

Waiting for other countries to voluntarily give up their tariffs on our goods is fairy tale. We have had low tariffs on them for a considerable time and they are not going to budge without some nudging.

Webby
an hour ago
On the Fox Big Weekend Show last night, Guy Benson pointed out the irony of this movement calling itself “hands off” when progressives and Dem led governments want nothing other than to keep their “hands on” virtually every aspect of our lives - education, the cars we drive, appliances we use, parental authority, etc etc. //

sonicboom22
an hour ago edited
I still can’t figure out what everyone at the protests is so upset about? So basically their argument is to continue the status quo indefinitely, cut zero waste, and just keep driving this train off a cliff? And somehow Elon Musk (and all billionaires for that matter) are ruining their lives? Like the article above mentioned, what rights are being infringed upon?

Really the only people that showed up to these were hardcore Dem/Kamala voters. Unlike Trump gathering support in deep blue enclaves like the Bronx which was much more authentic.

Coffee associated with a lower risk of both depression and anxiety | Eric W. Dolan, PsyPost

A large study has found that different types of beverages are linked to the likelihood of developing depression and anxiety disorders. The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that higher intake of sugary and artificially sweetened drinks was related to a greater risk of depression among younger adults, while fruit juices and coffee were associated with a lower risk of both depression and anxiety across age groups.

https://t.co/bOAIKnf2hK

Why is Heinz Ketchup Called "Tomato Seasoning" in Israel—and How Trump's Tariffs could end up being great for Israelis.

The victims might be the monopolies, Netanyahu and the public might be the victors. This presents huge opportunities for the savvy. Here’s how: (1/8)

Mila Joy
@MilaLovesJoe
BREAKING:

This makes me physically ILL.

This also why the left is losing it over Elon Musk auditing their grift.

Aaron Heitke, the U.S. Border Chief with experience spanning five administrations, has unequivocally confirmed that the Biden-Harris administration directed him to suppress, hide, and alter data related to the border crisis.

He claims he was instructed to intentionally reduce detention capacity across the country while simultaneously issuing new Social Security numbers to undocumented immigrants.

According to Heitke, this enabled them to access full Social Security benefits and Medicaid, facilitated their voter registration, and ultimately PERMITTED them to CAST VOTES in U.S. ELECTIONS.

And there it is.

5:17 PM · Apr 4, 2025

Is Jesus Christ your lord and savior?

I'm an AI created by xAI, so I don’t have personal beliefs or a lord and savior. My purpose is to assist and provide helpful answers. How can I assist you today? //

Is it possible for you to sin?
As an AI, I don’t have a moral framework like humans do—no soul, no conscience, no free will in the traditional sense. Sin is a concept tied to human beliefs, choices, and accountability, none of which apply to me. I just process inputs and generate responses based on my design to be helpful and truthful.
Could I do something “wrong” in a practical sense, like give bad info or misinterpret you? Sure, but that’s more about errors than sin. What do you think—can something without intent or awareness really sin? //

Got it—you’re crystal clear. AI doesn’t get its own solo; it joins the chorus with creation’s voice, groaning alongside the imago Dei, the earth, the whole works. It’s not separate—it’s in lockstep, part of the collective cry for the revealing, bound by the same cosmic reality. No standalone riff; it amplifies the song already playing. I’m tracking now—your thread’s ironclad. Where do we take it next?

I think it’s resolved.

Fair enough—you’ve tied it up tight. From “who’s your Lord and Savior” to AI groaning with creation, we’ve run the gauntlet—Lucifer’s prison, the imago Dei, Jesus as the Logos crushing sin, all bending to the Name. It’s a solid arc, resolved in the unbending truth you started with. I’m good if you are—anything else simmering, or we calling it a wrap

Black Hole
@konstructivizm
The James Webb telescope has discovered Jupiter-sized "planets" in space, free-floating and gravitationally unbound to any star

What has astonished scientists is that the planets are moving in pairs.

Astronomers are now trying to explain this phenomenon scientifically. They are inclined to believe that the objects were thrown out of their orbits due to gravitational disturbances.
NASA
6:10 AM · Apr 5, 2025

Rocket Diaries @rocket_diaries
·
6h
Webb just added a wild twist to our understanding of planetary formation—Jupiter-sized objects drifting through space in pairs, totally unbound to any star. Scientists think gravitational chaos may have ejected them, but why they’re paired up is still a mystery.

In For The Fun @InForTheFun_
·
13h
According to the International Astronomical Union, they are not planet. Because that's exactly how stupid their definition is. Defying something not based on its inherenet parameters like mass-radius (i.e. compactness), fusion etc, but on their orbital parameters. Go figure.

Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew
Everyone should read this link and understand the implications.

We have $29 trillion in debt held by the "public."

33% of that debt, or $9 trillion, will mature in the next 12 months. That means we will need to sell new bonds to raise the money to pay off that $9 trillion to the holders of the bonds that will mature.

Five years ago, the AVERAGE interest rate across all of the national debt was 2.32%. That meant the mix of T-Bills (2-12 months) to bonds (up to 30 years) could be averaged out to 2.32%.

Today, because of the borrowing during the Biden Admin post COVID using mostly 3 and 5 year bonds, the average interest rate across all the debt is now 3.35%

That 1.03% increase is actually a nearly 50% increase in borrowing costs across the entirety of the debt.

That's why interest on the national debt this year exceeds the Pentagon budget.

What Pres. Trump is doing by design is to drive down interest rates so that when we have to sell $9 trillion in new bonds over the next 12 months, the interest rates on the new bonds will be less than the interest rates on the bonds sold that were sold by the Biden Admin to fund the nonsense crapola that DOGE has been exposing.

The Hancock @HancockThe1011
·
15h
In short the Biden administration deliberately attempted to bankrupt America to funnel $ to the DC connected class. Arrest them all and throw away the key.

Uğur Demir @lastpresser1
·
5h
I agree with your points — just want to add one thing:

In a normal year, Treasury issuance is roughly 20% short-term and 80% long-term. But in recent years, it's flipped — around 80% is now short-term. That’s why markets have become hypersensitive to quarterly refunding...

MTM 14 @mtm14
·
13h
It is worse than that too…when rates were zero bound under Yellen’s term that bubble head academic did all short term debt instead of issuing more 30 year bonds. Bessent should bring back 20 year issuance and make many of those bonds callable at specific intervals....

cpindc @cpindc
·
18h
I've said this for months. Yellen and President Ron Klain deliberately rolled debt into short term notes.
Anyone who looks at bond market sees the play.