Top Stories
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
America is the Only Country Where You Could Get Off a Boat and Proudly Call Yourself an American.
 |
- A friend posted this quote by TR. For starters, I never understood Roosevelt's appeal to conservatives. He was wildly popular during his lifetime (my grandmother, the first female voter in Chatham Co. GA, voted for him in her first presidential election), and seems to remain so. But TR was a Progressive leftist. Most of what he stood for should be anathema to actual conservatives. I suspect it's the guns, which he wanted to restrict to others, btw.
But the sentiment here is wrong historically, and wrong philosophically. For starters, you have to understand it was said during WWI where there were many Americans loyal to Germany and loyal to Ireland who opposed US involvement with the Entente powers.
The sentiment is wrong historically. This country has always been a multi-lingual society. The Constitution was initially published in three languages because the Dutch speakers in NY, and the German speakers in Pennsylvania could not understand English. Martin van Buren was our first non-native English-speaking president. Subsequent acquisitions added French speakers in Louisiana and Spanish speakers in Florida. Additionally, influxes of non-English speakers meant newspapers and neighborhoods populated by Germans, Russians, Yiddish speakers, Italians, Chinese, Swedes, and many others.
The sentiment is wrong. Yes, assimilation was the ideal probably up until the 1970s. But after that the realization that each person has a lineage that is part of him and embracing it helps one live an authentic life reduced assimilation. That in turn has created a much richer society, and contributed to American culture.
America offers immigrants a proposition: in your private life you can believe, say, and do whatever you want as long as you aren't breaking any criminal laws. In public life you sign on to an American tolerance. If your boss is female you treat her like you would any other boss. If your colleague is a non-Muslim, you treat her like any other person. If you're an evangelical Christian, don't bring that into the workplace in an unwelcome manner. People with religious tenets that forbid or mandate certain things request a reasonable accommodation from others, not a wholesale restructuring around their needs.
This is a key strength of America. As Reagan said, it is the only country where you could get off a boat and proudly call yourself an American.
Bill Bernstein, formerly of Nashville, where he was the owner of Eastside Gun Shop, now lives in Sumter, South Carolina. He is a scholar with a BA degree from Vanderbilt University and degrees in Classics from Corpus Christi College, Oxford, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Top Stories
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
Trump's Crony Socialism is the Wrong Way to Beat China.
The Commerce Department recently announced a $1.3 billion loan and $277 million in direct funding for USA Rare Earth, in return for an equity stake and warrants that are worth about 10% of the company.
... “This investment ensures our supply chains are resilient and no longer reliant on foreign nations,” Secretary Howard Lutnick said. If only. While the Texas and Oklahoma investments are promising, the government deal doesn’t solve America’s rare-earths challenge. It’s also fraught with political risk.
.... But government ownership of companies raises the risk that politics will influence business decisions. See how the French government has used its minority stake in automaker Renault to limit layoffs and dictate investments in the country.
Government ownership also increases the risk that officials will exercise favoritism to avoid losses and benefit cronies. ...
The Administration has also taken stakes in other mineral companies, including ... Trump officials don’t care about such apparent conflicts. But Republicans in Congress could put limits on state socialism in appropriations bills. Think of how a future Democratic President would imitate the Trump investment model—how about the government buying shares in electric-vehicle startups?
A better idea to counter China’s rare-earth dominance is to coordinate development of mines and processing facilities with allies, as the White House has sought to do with Australia. The Administration could also guarantee government purchases of rare earths and fast-track permitting, as Mr. Trump’s Operation Warp Speed did for Covid vaccines.
It’s a mistake to think that the only way to beat China is to emulate its statist model. (read it all)
Top Stories
Trump’s Push to ‘Nationalize’ Elections, Explained
Dialing in Monday on the podcast of former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who stepped down last month and returned to podcasting, Trump repeated unsubstantiated claims of noncitizen voters skewing election results, saying it is “amazing that Republicans aren’t tougher on it.”
“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over, we should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places,’” Trump told Bongino. “The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.” ....
What the Constitution says
The Constitution decentralizes the U.S. election process and has specifically left the President out. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 states that “the Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing [sic] Senators.”
In practice, this means local officials across thousands of jurisdictions administer elections and tabulate votes, with safeguards built in that the American Bar Association says makes it “almost impossible for systems to be breached on a scale to affect federal or state results.” (read it all)
Top Stories
Monday, February 02, 2026
It is Happening: Trump Says Republicans Should ‘Take Over’ Voting ‘In At Least 15 Places.’
If Republicans lose the midterm, Trump's agenda will be dead. I also suspect that a lot of Trump's corruption will be exposed, his cronies brought to justice and more than likely, Trump will be impeached. I think Trump will do everything possible, legal and illegal, to ensure he does not lose the midterm. As we know, he has attempted a coup once; stealing an election or suspending the Constitution or using force to hang onto power is not something he would have moral qualms about doing, and a lot is at stake.
Since we do not actually have national elections but instead have 50 separate state elections, stealing a "national" election is not easy, but it could be accomplished and I think Trump plans to do it. Since we have 50 different state election mechanisms, one cannot steal an election by simply taking over a national election commission, since there is no such entity. Nevertheless, I think it is possible to steal a national election. I think he has already started the process.
He has been renewing and amping up his claim that the 2020 election was stolen. I don't think this is by accident. He is laying the groundwork to steal the election. He is building support for the claim that the Federal government must take over the election process in some cities to ensure that the elections are fair.
I am also convinced that putting troops into American cities is about more than mass deportation. He wants to accustom Americans to accepting a militarised force in American cities.
This is what I see as Trump's plan to "win" the midterms:
Mid-decade redistricting: While this is not illegal, it is unprecedented and breaks tradition. Normally redistricng only occurs once every ten years following a new census. By creative jerrymandering, Republicans may pick up a couple or a few seats. This is already happening.
Intimidation: By having his ICE thugs pull people off the streets and break down doors without warrants and even retain and sometimes "disappear" people, he is giving people reason to feel intimidated. That a few people get murdered by his army of thugs is intimidating. Since those people murdered by ICE are white and American citizens, it is not just the undocumented or the brown-skinned among us who have reason to fear ICE or Border Patrol. On election day, the presence or the fear that ICE might be present at polling locations will suppress voter turnout.
Invoking the Insurrection Act: In areas where the demonstrations are large and turn violent, Trump will use that as an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act and will say it is impossible to conduct elections while an insurrection is underway, and in those areas in rebellion, elections must be cancelled.
Seizing voting machines and cancelling election results: In some instances, Trump will claim voter fraud took place and it is necessary to invalidate the election or necessary to seize voting machines and have the Federal Government count the ballots.
Refusing to seat the winning candidate: Under Article I, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution, the House of Representatives acts as the final judge of its members' elections and qualifications, allowing it to seat, exclude, or expel members. The Speaker will claim some of the elected candidates are either ineligible to serve or were fraudulently elected and the House will refuse to seat them.
I don't think I am exaggerating or unnecessarily alarmed. I know those who have drunk the Trump Kool-aid who will say I have TDS, but I think what I have outlined above is very possible, if not likely. Today Trump saying that the Federal government needs to "take over" the voting in 15 places should alarm everyone who cares about America remaining a democracy. I know some Trump loyalists don't care. Some will justify everything and anything Trump does. They will buy his argument that some parts of the country are in rebellion, and of course you can't have elections in parts of the country engaged in insurrection. Some of our fellow Americans are ready to embrace dictatorship. Many have aready but are in denial.
While I suspect what I have laid out is probably under consideration by Trump, it is not destined to succeed. Our institutions are still strong and we are still a nation of laws. For it not to succeed, people need to stand up and not be intimidated. Companies, Universities, local governments, civil society, and journalists need to be bold and fearless in standing up to Trump. There needs to be an army of lawyers ready to take Trump to court and seek injunctions. And, Democrats need to win the midterm by a margin so big that the election is too big to steal. Republicans are facing a strong headwind now and are likely to lose the midterm unless Democrats screw this up. The worst thing Democrats could do is nominate woke left-wing nut jobs like they did in the recent Tennessee 7th Congressional election. I think by nominating sane, sensible candidates, institutions and civil society being bold, and by lawyering up, Trump's attempt to steal the midterm can fail. I hope it does; a lot is on the line.
Top Stories
CRFB Statement on Overdue President’s FY 2027 Budget February 2, 2026
In fact, President Trump has yet to release a full budget proposal since taking office last year. And no president has submitted their budget by the statutory deadline in 11 years, since 2015.
The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:
If you don’t budget, you can’t govern. Yet once again, the President’s budget is late – and there’s no explanation for the missed deadline. The President’s budget is incredibly important for kicking off the budget process and showing the Administration’s priorities. But President Trump has been in office over a year, and we’ve yet to see his fiscal plan.
When the President does release his budget, it should include an actionable plan for getting our nation’s finances on sustainable footing. That budget should select a responsible fiscal target like reducing deficits to at least 3% of GDP, rely on realistic economic forecasts and credible budget estimates, and put forward specific tax and spending policies that put debt on a sustainable path.
With debt approaching record levels and deficits projected to average over 6% of GDP per year, significant reforms will be needed. We won’t be able to fix the debt without touching Social Security, Medicare, defense, or revenue – the math just doesn’t work. And we can’t count on heroic growth rates or crashing interest rates. Most forecasters expect long-term economic growth of less than 2% per year; a budget that assumes 3% sustained annual growth over the next decade is not a serious budget.
Unfortunately, policymakers actually added $1.5 trillion to the ten-year debt last year – a number that will go up significantly if the Supreme Court rules that many of the President’s tariffs are illegal.
The President’s budget offers an opportunity to start turning things around. We need the President to lead.
Top Stories
Sen. Rand Paul Does Not Trust the Trump Admin. The Video Doesn't Support What They're Saying About the Killing of Alex Pretti
Rod's Comment: God Bless Rand Paul. It is one of the few Republicans willing to stand up and call out the Trump administration.
Top Stories
Sunday, February 01, 2026
‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company
The Wall Street Journal has revealed that four days before Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, lieutenants to an Abu Dhabi royal secretly signed a deal with the Trump family to purchase a 49% stake in their fledgling cryptocurrency venture for half a billion dollars. Trump enriched himself and his family, putting at risk the security of the United States. Trump sold out his country. Here are excerpts from the story.
‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company
Wall Street Journal, Jan. 31, 2026- ... The deal with World Liberty Financial, which hasn’t previously been reported, was signed by Eric Trump, the president’s son. At least $31 million was also slated to flow to entities affiliated with the family of Steve Witkoff, a World Liberty co-founder who weeks earlier had been named U.S. envoy to the Middle East, the documents said.
The investment was backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Abu Dhabi royal who has been pushing the U.S. for access to tightly guarded artificial intelligence chips, according to people familiar with the matter. Tahnoon—sometimes referred to as the “spy sheikh”—is brother to the United Arab Emirates’ president, the government’s national security adviser, as well as the leader of the oil-rich country’s largest wealth fund. ...
The deal marked something unprecedented in American politics: a foreign government official taking a major ownership stake in an incoming U.S. president’s company.
... Trump’s election reopened the door for him. In the months that followed, Tahnoon met multiple times with Trump, Witkoff and other U.S. officials, including in a March visit to the White House where the sheikh told officials he was eager to work with the U.S. on AI and other issues, according to people familiar with the matter.
Two months after the March meeting, the administration committed to give the tiny Gulf monarchy access to around 500,000 of the most advanced AI chips a year—enough to build one of the world’s biggest AI data center clusters. ...
The agreement was widely viewed as a coup for the emirate’s ruling family, overcoming longstanding U.S. national security concerns and allowing the country to compete with the most powerful economies in the world at the cutting edge of AI advances. Proponents hailed the deal for unlocking a flood of investment into the U.S. and for helping entrench American technology as the global standard.
What wasn’t publicly known: Tahnoon’s emissaries had signed the deal to purchase 49% of World Liberty that January.
... Of the first $250 million installment from the Tahnoon-backed company, called Aryam Investment 1, $187 million was directed to Trump family entities DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC, the documents said. In addition to the payout to Witkoff family entities, another $31 million was directed to an entity tied to co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro. The Journal couldn’t determine how the second half of Aryam’s investment, which was due by July 15, 2025, may have been distributed.
... Disclosures on World Liberty’s website showed the Trump family’s equity interest fell to 38% from 75% last year, indicating someone had likely purchased a stake, but the company has never disclosed a buyer.
... “President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, who said his assets are in a trust managed by his children. “There are no conflicts of interest.” She said Witkoff is working to “advance President Trump’s goals of peace around the world.”
Read it all at this link. Disgusting!
Top Stories
Friday, January 23, 2026
Income, Health Insurance, Housing, and Education Measures in Tennessee’s Counties
by Rod Williams, Jan. 23, 2026- I love data. Being a student of political science and economics and having worked in a field where I had to work with data in securing grants, and simply caring about facts, and being analytical by nature, I like exploring data and seeing where it leads me. I also simply like knowing stuff.
I like fact-based arguments. It is not that two people cannot look at the same data and draw different conclusions, but at least when conclusions are based on data, there is a rational basis for one's opinion. It seems that more and more people take the view that an uninformed opinion is as valid as an informed opinion. Sadly, it seems, we are living in a post-truth era in which fewer people base their opinions on facts. In fact, it seems that often fact-based views are suspect, and a shared prejudice is more persuasive than a fact-driven opinion.
If you like data, The Sycamore Institute has released a treasure trove of data about Tennessee gleaned from analysis of U.S Census data. It is searchable and easy to use. One can look at poverty rates, homeownership rates, public assistance rates, housing cost-burdened rates, education levels, and much more, and compare them across grand divisions, or counties, or urban vs rural, and look at data broken down within these comparisons by age groups or other factors.
Here is some information I found insightful:
Income by County: It varies greatly, and that is not a great surprise but interesting.
- Williamson County, with a median household income of $131,202 is the county with the highest median household income in the state.
- Lake County, with a median household income of $30,500 is the county with the lowest.
- Davidson County's median household income is $75,664.
- Shelby County's median household income is $62,337
- Knox County's median household income is $71,662
- Hamilton County's is $72,568
- Williamson County is the most educated county in the state, with 61.8% of the people over the age of 25 having at least a bachelor's degree.
- In Hancock County, only 8.6% of the people over the age of 25 have a bachelor's degree.
- Van Buren County has the highest rate of household homeownership at 84.7%
- Lake County has the lowest rate of homeownership at 45.3%
- Davidson County has a household homeownership rate of 53.4%
- Shelby County has a household homeownership rate of 54.6%
Top Stories
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
