Three days after his inauguration, President Obama met in the White House with Congressional leadership. Among the attendees was Republican Eric Cantor, who was eager to work with the new administration and believed that the new president was sincere about finding common ground. . . . More
Winning the Long War
When the political class discusses defeating ISIS, they do so misleadingly. Although defeating ISIS is necessary, it is not nearly sufficient to end the threat of radical Islam:
“Iraq is but one front in a broader war against Salafist extremists dedicated to eliminating Western influence from the Islamic world; winning the struggle may take decades. There is a growing realization that the most likely conflicts of the next fifty years will be irregular warfare in an ‘Arc of Instability’ that encompasses much of the greater Middle East and parts of Africa and Central and South Asia. . . . Final victory in today’s fight depends upon the integration of the nations in the Arc of Instability into the globalized world’s economic and political system.”
-Lt. Col. John A. Nagl in Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife
General Education & Citizenship
Something to ponder as you read and listen to the political talking heads:
“A stable and democratic society is impossible without a minimum degree of literacy and knowledge on the part of most citizens and without widespread acceptance of some common set of values.”
-Milton Friedman in Capitalism and Freedom.
Russia Is Not the Reason Trump Won
The Left is on the rampage. Already deeply afflicted with Trump-Derangement-Syndrome, the Left has convinced itself that Hillary Clinton lost the presidency due to Russia’s involvement in the election. According to a poll from back in December, 52% of Democrats believe that Russia, in fact, hacked the vote count, thus ensuring a Trump victory. That percentage is no doubt higher today. But not only is there no evidence that Russia meddled with actual votes, the Department of Homeland Security has publicly stated that Russia did not target, let alone compromise, the vote tally. It is telling that …More
Reclaiming the “Liberal” Label
The online Oxford Dictionary defines “liberal” as:
“Willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one’s own; open to new ideas” and “favouring individual liberty, free trade, and moderate political and social reform.”
In the U.S., “liberalism” has increasingly come to mean just the opposite of this definition. American liberals and progressives are neither liberal nor progressive. A term that more accurately captures their political beliefs is the “Left,” defined by Oxford as “[r]elating to a person or group favouring radical, reforming, or socialist views.” The American Left is authoritarian (favoring strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom; showing a lack of concern for the wishes or opinions of others), intolerant, and illiberal. So stop calling the Left (or yourselves) liberal.
Countering the Authoritarian Left
The New Freeman provides brief, but often in-depth, discussions on the law, economics, and foreign affairs. Its goal is to help readers put into context the unreasoned and nonsensical chatter coming from the illiberal and authoritarian Left. Ronald Reagan once observed that, “it isn’t so much that liberals are ignorant; it’s just that they know so many things that aren’t so.” That is as true today as ever. With so many “news” outlets trying to affirmatively advance a Leftist agenda, The New Freeman seeks to supply its readers with the perspective that these outlets omit.
The New Freeman 