Rightwinggranny is adding some guest writers to the website this year. The opinions expressed by these writers are not necessarily the opinions of rightwinggranny.
The Source Of The Conspiracy Theories
Reply
On Monday, The American Thinker posted an article about conspiracy theories in America.
The article includes the following meme:
The article reports:
Five years ago, suggesting that COVID-19 may have originated in a laboratory rather than a wet market could earn someone the label “conspiracy theorist.”
Discussing vaccine injuries could result in a post being removed from social media. Questioning prolonged school closures, forced masking, or vaccine mandates often led to accusations of being “anti-science.”
Today, many of those once-forbidden discussions have become part of public debate.
That doesn’t mean every alternative theory is correct.
But it raises an important question.
What happens when institutions repeatedly assure the public that they are unquestionably right, only to revise, retreat, or quietly abandon those assurances months or years later?
The answer may be found in Rasmussen Reports’ latest survey.
Nearly half of Americans — 45 percent — now believe it is at least somewhat likely that COVID-19 was deliberately released as part of an effort to reduce the world’s population.
Pause and consider that.
Not five percent.
Not fifteen percent.
Nearly half of the country.
I am not arguing that this belief is true. I have seen no evidence that COVID was part of a deliberate depopulation plan, and the Rasmussen survey does not make that claim.
But public opinion tells us something equally important.
Americans increasingly assume the worst about the institutions that once enjoyed their confidence.
In my recent Rasmussen Reports column, I argued that the greatest casualty of COVID was trust.
The article concludes:
The real lesson of Rasmussen’s poll isn’t that nearly half of Americans believe a depopulation theory. The real lesson is that nearly half of Americans now consider such a theory plausible.
Those are not the same
Ironically, the officials who warned most loudly about “dangerous conspiracy theories” seldom paused to ask why those theories were gaining traction. People rarely abandon trusted institutions without cause.
That should alarm every physician, scientist, public health official, and elected leader across America.
Distrust doesn’t arise in a vacuum. It is cultivated when certainty supplants humility and questions are treated as threats rather than as opportunities for inquiry.
Trust is the foundation upon which modern medicine rests. Once that foundation is fractured, rebuilding it may take generations—far longer than it took to destroy it.
Please follow the link to read the entire article. Skepticism is healthy within reason, but trust is also important.
Someone Needs To Do This
On Monday, The Hill posted an article reporting that President Trump announced that America will be taking steps to insure the security of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The article reports:
President Trump said Monday that the U.S.’s naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz will be reinstated as Washington and Tehran fight for control of the crucial waterway after strikes were exchanged over the weekend.
“The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving.”
“All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait,” he said, adding that the U.S. will be known as “the Guardian of the Hormuz Strait.”
Trump said the U.S. will be “reimbursed” 20 percent on all cargo shipped “as a matter of FAIRNESS” for the security needed.
“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” he wrote. “The process and formation will begin immediately.”
If our military is guarding the Strait and making the use of it available to other countries, we need to be compensated. Hopefully we will see regime change in Iran at some point and will no longer need American forces to protect the Strait.
The article notes:
Iran, for its part, has pushed back, saying the strait is theirs and they “will not allow a rogue and child-killing army from the other side of the world to continue its illegal interference in it,” according to The Associated Press.
According to factually.co:
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), waterways used for international navigation where no reasonable alternative exists are classified as “international straits” and are subject to transit passage, which prioritizes uninterrupted navigation and limits coastal-state control [3][5]. Many legal scholars and Western governments treat Hormuz as such an international strait and therefore argue transit passage applies as a matter of customary international law and UNCLOS interpretation [7][8]. Iran, however, asserts broader rights within its territorial sea and has claimed the ability to suspend passage or regulate traffic, invoking older legal doctrines and the fact that it has not ratified UNCLOS—an argument that complicates treaty-based enforcement.
It is obviously in the interests of most of the world to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. America is probably the only country in the world that has the military muscle to do that.
UPDATE: Further negotiations have resulted in the 20% toll being by significant investment in America by Middle Eastern countries.
Misplaced Blame
Aside from the Quran instructing Muslims to kill the infidels, there are a number of rules that Muslims and Muslim countries follow. One rule is a total intolerance for homosexuality. I am not talking about a simple objection to the lifestyle–I am talking about public hangings and throwing people off of rooftops. In America, all of us may not support the lifestyle, but I think we understand that we don’t murder people for it. Evidently, some people who booked a cruise did not understand Islamic law. They suffered the consequences.
On Monday, Townhall posted an article about a cruise of gay men whose ship was denied entry in Turkey and Egypt. Had they been better informed, they would not have been surprised by this.
The article reports:
Unfortunately, Turkish authorities canceled the stop, citing ‘moral standards’ and ‘family values’ as grounds. Leftists were outraged, including singer and actress Patti LuPone, who was scheduled to perform on the ship.
The cruise said the Scarlet Lady would instead dock in Egypt and stop in Cairo. That stop was canceled by Egyptian authorities on similar grounds. This was not a shock to this writer, who was just in Egypt in June. In fact, you’re not allowed to have ‘transgender’ markers on your passport, or Egypt will deny you entry into the country.
Cruise organizers claim they made the stops last year with no issues.
Now, the LGBTQ+ crowd has decided to blame President Trump for the choices made by Turkey and Egypt.
“As a gay man, it’s just really hard to hear. I know that this kind of prejudice is not new to these kind of countries and obviously I don’t wanna go anywhere that shares those kinds of views,” the man said. “But you just can’t help but feel that with this current administration, people around the world feel more emboldened to do these kinds of things. And it’s just really awful.
The article notes:
That’s what Islam always was, what it is, and what it always will be. President Trump didn’t ’embolden’ them. In fact, President Trump supported gay marriage before Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton jumped on that bandwagon.
And it’s important gays who aren’t radical Leftists realize what the radical Left is enabling here. Islam is not kind to gays, and with Islamists gaining hold in the U.K. and U.S., it will end badly for the LGBTQ+ community.
Gays for Palestine is one of the most naive groups in the world. If they lived in a Muslim country, they would be hung or thrown off of a building. Having a gay pride parade in Gaza would result in the participants being gunned down. In Israel the parade would be allowed. I think the LGBTQ+ community is on the wrong side of the fence on this one.
Posted by my friends at The Patriot Post:
I’m Not In Favor Of Vigilante Justice, But…
On Sunday, Red State posted an article about one of Israel’s responses to the attacks of October 7, 2023.
The article reports:
In the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre that left 11 Israeli coaches and athletes dead at the hands of Black September terrorists (bonus question: the Palestinians and which other nation were involved in “Black September?”), Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir unleashed Operation Spring of Youth, a raid on Palestine Liberation Organization camps in Lebanon that killed over 50 terrorists. She also went after the Munich massacre organizers. Operation Wrath of God unleashed Mossad hit squads on Black September terrorists cowering in Europe, under the illusion they were safe there. This operation continued until its final hit on February 14, 1988, in Cyprus. Between nine and 11 key Munich planners and facilitators were ultimately killed, with slop-over from the targeted hits bringing the score to around 20. The operation was marred by the Lillehammer Affair where the wrong guy was killed, but as Napoleon said, you can’t make an omelet without whacking Arabs…I mean breaking eggs.
Many years ago, I had the privilege of meeting a member of the 1972 Israeli Olympic Fencing Team who was not killed in the massacre and hearing his story. There were a few members of the team that were not taken to the airport, and they survived. They spent the rest of their lives caring for the wives and children who were left behind.
The article notes:
According to Israeli media, Israel has killed no fewer than 2,561 of the around 3,000 terrorists who crossed from Gaza into Israel on October 7. About 1,000 of these were killed in traditional combat with the IDF. The remainder got their one-way trip to Hell courtesy of a secretive unit called Nili. Nili was formed shortly after the October 7 attack and given the mission of tracking down every single terrorist who invaded Israel on October 7. The name Nili is an acronym for a biblical phrase (1 Samuel 15:29) that translates as “the Eternal One of Israel will not lie.” It is composed of elements of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security and counterintelligence service, which operates directly under the Prime Minister, and the Israel Defense Forces.
I am not a fan of vigilant justice, but where would Israel go to hold those responsible for October 7th accountable? The United Nations only recently fired the members of UNRWA that were involved in the attack–fired–nothing more. The United Nations has always been more likely to condemn Israel for responding to an attack than to condemn the attacker. The World Court is not any better. Sadly, Israel is the only country likely to hold terrorists accountable when they attack Israel.
When Socialism Gives Way To Capitalism
There is currently a generation in America that thinks socialism is a good thing. Few of them have actually visited countries where socialism is in effect, but they are convinced it is a good thing. If you ask about poor living conditions in a socialist country, they will simply state that the country is not practicing true socialism and that America could do it right. Well, we now have a concrete example of what happens when capitalism takes over a socialistic country.
On Friday, Just the News reported:
Venezuela, as an oil-producing country, appears to be making its comeback as the Trump administration’s efforts to reform the country’s oil law come to fruition.
The South American country appeared to take another big step in that effort this week when acting President Delcy Rodriguez signed regulations reforming Venezuela’s main oil law.
Under the new regulations, the country’s national oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), effectively loses control of Venezuela’s vast oil resources.
Under the former communist regime, the country’s oil industry floundered. In May 2021, Venezuela was producing less than 600,000 barrels of oil a day, despite having the world’s largest oil reserves. This past May, it was producing nearly 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.
Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in the 1970s. Then in 2007, former President Hugo Chávez forced foreign oil companies to surrender majority stakes to the state, which resulted in the departure of ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. Of the big players, only Chevron acquiesced to the communist leader’s demands.
The article concludes:
The improved regulatory environment in the South American country is enticing more interest from America’s producers, but so is the global energy market in the wake of the war in Iran. The blockades of the Strait of Hormuz sent oil prices into triple digits, and though they dropped to pre-war levels following the signing of a temporary agreement, that agreement appears to be crumbling with renewed hostilities.
Even if peace does come between the U.S. and Iran, global interest in oil resources that aren’t dependent on the Strait of Hormuz won’t go away anytime soon. It’s possible, though not certain, that Venezuela will become a major player in the world energy market, and U.S. companies appear likely to play a big role in that future.
Capitalism works.
Statistics Can Say Anything You Want Them To!
On Sunday, John Hinderaker posted an article at Power Line Blog that illustrates how numbers can be twisted to mislead people. The numbers in question have to do with the declining birth rate in America.
The article reports:
The New York Times has probably put out more significant misinformation than any other news outlet over the last 40 years. Being scrupulously fair, I admit that the National Enquirer may have propounded even more fake stories than the Times, but the Enquirer’s misinformation is generally insignificant–three-headed calves, cabbages that look like Jesus, and the like–while the Times’ lies are important, like the Russia collusion hoax.
Here is a nice example of how the Times misleads its readers–although again, to be entirely fair, it is possible that Times reporters are so bad at math that the error was accidental. The story was Women in Their 20s May Not Be Having Babies, But by 45 Most Probably Will. The point of the story was to reassure readers: concerns about demographic decline are misplaced. This chart was the centerpiece of the story:
That chart looks good. It implies that women are simply having children later in life.
The article includes the following chart which tells the real story:
It isn’t really a surprise that a woman who has her first child at 40 is not likely to have as many children as a woman who has her first child at 25. Times have changed. Back in the 1960’s, I had a friend who had her first child at 26. The doctors considered her an ‘older mother.’
The article concludes:
Yes, women over 40 are having more children, and God bless ’em for it. But that increase obviously can’t make up for the decreasing births among women in their childbearing prime. The United States is suffering demographic decline, and it is, or should be, a serious concern.
I think most readers of the New York Times are below average in basic mathematical skills, like most Times reporters and editors. This is unfortunate in an era when data is ubiquitous and statistics are all around us. If you don’t have at least an elementary understanding of statistics, you can’t be an informed voter. And I am afraid that leaves out most of the Times readership.
Having children is a long-term responsibility. Unfortunately, I believe that many of the children raised in the past 30 years or so are not interested in taking on that responsibility.
Negotiating With A Two-Year Old
When your child is standing in front of you with his face full of chocolate, it is pretty obvious who got into the cookie jar. He can blame the dog, his sister, or his brother, but the truth is still obvious. Someone got into the cookie jar, and he looks like the obvious culprit.
On Friday, Breitbart reported the following:
Iran reportedly told Trump advisers the Strait of Hormuz attacks were the work of a rogue hardline group and not a deliberate government decision.
Iran has reportedly told the Trump administration behind closed doors that the attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz were not intended as official government action and were instead carried out by a rogue hardline faction seeking to derail ongoing negotiations, according to senior U.S. officials cited by CBS News senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs.
The White House, however, is pushing Tehran to publicly admit it was responsible, arguing the incident breached the ceasefire agreement. Despite the incident, President Donald Trump has instructed Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press ahead with diplomatic talks, which are expected to take place in Oman.
And what about the other attacks by Iran on their Arab neighbors? Was some rogue group responsible for those attacks also? If the government of Iran was not responsible for those attacks, wasn’t it still their responsibility to control the people doing the attacking? Who is actually in charge in Iran?
The article notes:
U.S. officials also warned that Washington is prepared to use both military force and economic pressure if Iran launches further hostile actions.
The United States and Iran appear to be steering back toward the Memorandum of Understanding despite recent military action, after U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets following Trump’s confirmation that the ceasefire had ended.
I am not convinced that anything good is happening here. I believe Iran wants to drag out negotiations until November in the hope of influencing the American mid-term election. They seem to want to talk to America only after we remind them that we have attack capabilities.
More Fraud
On Friday, The New York Post posted an article about another bogus childcare center in Minnesota.
The article reports:
A Minnesota daycare center owner featured in YouTuber Nick Shirley’s viral video showcasing alleged bogus childcare facilities has admitted that she defrauded the US government out of millions of dollars — which she used, in part, to buy up real estate.
Fahima Mahamud, CEO of Future Leaders Early Learning Center in Minneapolis — which was featured in Shirley’s December video round-up of questionable facilities around the Twin Cities — pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the US.
According to prosecutors, between October 2022 and November 2025, Mahamud filed claims for more than $4.6 million from the Child Care Assistance Program — a federal program that provides daycare assistance for low-income families — on behalf of recipients who never paid the required co-payment.
The article concludes:
Prosecutors said Mahamud claimed to serve tens of thousands of meals to hungry children at the center each month, but actually “served only a fraction of those claimed meals,” court documents state.
She closed down Future Leaders in February — and tried to flee the US for London two days later.
Mahamud’s sentencing date has not been set.
Aimee Bock, the mastermind behind the scheme, was handed a stunning four-decade prison sentence in May for helming what prosecutors called one of the largest pandemic-era fraud schemes in the country.
At least some of the people responsible for stealing taxpayer dollars are being held responsible. However, some of the blame needs to be placed on those charged with overseeing these programs. These are not small numbers, and the people in charge should have noticed that something was amiss (unless they were in on the scam).
That Doesn’t Sound Like A British Name
On Thursday, The Daily Caller reported that Muhammad was the top baby name in England and Wales in 2025 (for the third year in a row). Normally, the most popular name in a country would not qualify as news, but this represents a demographic shift in Britain that may very easily become a problem for the British.
The article reports:
There are around 4 million Muslims living the UK, representing 6% of the nation’s population, the Muslim Council of Britain reported March 2025. Muslims reportedly accounted for around 32% of the UK’s population growth between 2011-2021.
Lowe released “The Rape Gang Inquiry Report” in June. The report alleged that some young Muslim men would befriend, kidnap, drug, and rape girls as young as 11, often forcing those they impregnated into getting abortions. This occurred in nearly 40% of the UK’s local authority districts, according to the report
The Britain leader Rupert Lowe has formed a group called Restore Britain to fight the Islamification of Britain.
Islam is not compatible with western culture. Westerners do not believe it is acceptable to kill or harass people who do not share your faith. Westerners do not believe it is acceptable to sexually assault a woman because she is not wearing a hijab. Westerners do not believe that any woman who is not a Muslim is fair game for sexual abuse. Sharia law does not give women rights–a women accused of adultery can be stoned regardless of the evidence. Under Sharia law, husbands are allowed to beat their wives. None of this is compatible with the law in western culture.
Letting large numbers of people who do not share your culture into your country all at once is a recipe for cultural suicide. If immigrants are not willing to assimilate, they should not be welcomed. We are currently watching the death of England as we know it.
From my friends at The Patriot Post:
Standing Up For Patriotism
On Friday, Townhall posted an article about a misguided disciplinary action against some of our National Guard pilots.
The article reports:
Earlier, Townhall reported that several South Carolina National Guard Pilots were suspended after they conducted a flyover at a beach. The eight pilots made the pass during the Salute from the Shore Airshow, celebrating Independence Day.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth caught wind of the disciplinary action and vowed to fix the issue.
Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War, posted an update this morning, writing, “Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted. Carry on, Patriots.”
Lifting the suspension implies that it is okay to be a patriot. I am sure the people on the beach loved the flyover.
The article includes videos of the people on the beach cheering on the pilots. Americans have the right to be patriotic. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth just affirmed that right!
Sometimes It’s Hard To Remember That In America People Are Innocent Until Proven Guilty
The preliminary hearing of Tyler Robinson in Utah is continuing. Some of the evidence is overwhelming.
On Thursday, Breitbart reported:
Robinson, the man accused of killing Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, allegedly admitted to the killing on multiple occasions, both in text messages and to an acquaintance. Lee said that he witnessed State District Judge Tony Graf admit the highly compelling and “damning” evidence while sitting in the courtroom behind the victim’s family.
“I was in the courtroom today sitting next to Jack Posobiec and just behind Erica Kirk when evidence was admitted by Judge Graf. That evidence, the evidence admitted today, is absolutely compelling. It’s damning,” Lee (Senator Mike Lee) said. “It contains multiple confessions by the defendant, Tyler Robinson, acknowledging not only that he killed Charlie Kirk, but acknowledging that he did so having planned it in advance in great detail. And acknowledging at one point that he was motivated by hate.”
When did it become appropriate to kill someone because you disagreed with their lifestyle or political views?
The article concludes:
The state is pursuing capital punishment, with prosecutors actively seeking the death penalty if the case goes to trial and ends in a conviction.
I hate the possibility of such a young person being executed, but my brain can’t really wrap around the fact that someone so young would take it upon themselves to kill someone because he didn’t like what the person stood for.
The Need To Start From Scratch
In December 2025. the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Trump v. Slaughter.
The SCOTUSBlog reported at the time:
On Monday, Dec. 8, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Trump v. Slaughter, a battle that has been brewing, on one hand, since soon after President Donald Trump took office in January and, on the other hand, for years. At the center of the battle are laws that limit the president’s ability to fire the heads of independent, multi-member federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission. The president and his supporters are proponents of a doctrine known as the “unitary executive” theory – the idea that the president should have complete control over the executive branch. Under this theory, the president should be able to fire any member of the executive branch, and laws – like the one at the center of this case – that restrict his ability to do so violate the constitutional separation of powers between the three branches of government.
In June, the Court rejected President Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, but allowed the President to fire Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a member of the Federal Trade Commission.
That decision allowed the President to fire the remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission.
On July 9th, Just the News reported:
President Donald Trump on Thursday night reportedly terminated the members of the Election Assistance Commission, which is an independent commission that assists election administration officials nationwide.
All three of the remaining commissioners were removed in some way, according to Reuters, with the two Democratic commissioners, Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, notified by email. The Republican commissioner, Christy McCormick, was allowed to resign.
The Election Assistance Commission is an independent agency of the United States government created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002.
The article concludes:
The firings leave the four-member commission with no commissioners, meaning it cannot take official action until new members are installed. The fourth member, a Republican, had left voluntarily earlier this year, according to USA Today.
Commissioners are required to be nominated by the president based on recommendations from the Republican and Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, and no more than two commissioners can serve from either party at a time.
I am not exactly sure what this Commission is supposed to be doing, but if their job is in any way related to maintaining election integrity or maintaining accurate voting roles, they are not doing their job.
Bringing Manufacturing Back To America
On Tuesday, The Gateway Pundit posted an article about a decision by Toyota regarding the manufacture of their Tacoma trucks.
The article reports:
Toyota has announced that they are moving production of their popular ‘Tacoma’ line of trucks from Mexico back to Texas, which will create thousands of new American jobs.
The Toyota plant in san Antonio, Texas which will take on Tacoma production already produces other models, so the infrastructure is in place for the expansion.
This is great news for the country and a huge win for the Trump administration.
While the left shrieks about imagined Trump controversies every day, this is what President Trump is focused on. Making life better for average Americans.
The article quotes CNBC:
Toyota Motor on Monday announced that it is investing $3.6 billion to move production of the Tacoma midsize pickup truck from a plant in Mexico to its San Antonio, Texas, manufacturing campus.
The investment is expected to create 2,000 U.S. jobs at the facility, add a second vehicle assembly line and roughly double the size of the 2.7-million-square-foot plant by 2030, the automaker said. It will expand the plant’s annual capacity from roughly 200,000 to 350,000 units, Toyota said.
The announcement is part of Toyota’s stated plans to invest up to $10 billion more than previously expected domestically in the U.S. through 2030. It comes less than a week after the Trump administration confirmed it would not extend its trilateral trade pact with Canada and Mexico, instead opting to conduct annual reviews.
A Toyota spokeswoman said the company is “maintaining its operations in Mexico” as Tacoma production transfers from Tijuana to Texas over the next four years, but she declined to share additional details. The company plans to continue to produce Tacoma pickups at another Mexican plant in Guanajuato, she said.
“This investment expands Toyota’s manufacturing capacity and complements our broader North American production network,” she said in an email to CNBC.
Please understand that if you elect Democrats in the mid-term elections a lot of this growth will end. Creating jobs and wealth for every American is the Trump agenda. Creating wealth for Wall Street and the political elite is the agenda of the Washington, D.C., swamp.
Saving America: Islamist Threat
Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of this great nation, we should all be reminded of the warning of President Abraham Lincoln: “that if America is to be destroyed, the source of that destruction will come from within our borders.” Many countries in Europe, especially the United Kingdom and France, are experiencing an existential threat from Islamist immigrants. These immigrants, instead of practicing the values of their host countries, are setting up enclaves which follow Islamist Sharia Law. Let’s examine the nature of this threat since it is coming to our country.
In order to fully understand the nature of this threat, we must go back to the founding of the Muslim religion in the 7th century AD by their prophet Muhammad. Muhammad, who primarily authored the Koran, which like the Bible to Christians, contains rules by which faithful Muslims are required to live. First, anyone who is not a Muslim is considered an Infidel (non-believer), and the Koran specifies that they are the enemy and should be treated as such. Infidels can be executed, enslaved, or subject to paying a fee to be allowed to live in an area controlled by Muslims. The goal is to make the world Islamist, with no exemptions. Since the founding of the Muslim religion, there have been centuries of their attacks against Christian nations and cities. These attacks by Muslims against Christians has been some of the most brutal and savage in world history. The book “Sword and Scimitar” by Raymond Ibrahim documents the horrendous savageness of these attacks which have continued up to the present time. The cruelty and savagery are difficult to read about, but we must understand the reality that we are facing.
Some people may doubt whether this threat still exists in the world today. Well, it does. For example, Christians in Muslim majority countries like Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, and Iran are currently subject to persecution, sexual violence, and discrimination. The willingness of Muslims to use violence was clearly evident this past January when up to 30,000 Iranians were killed by the government of Iran when they protested against the Islamist regime. It is crucial that we realize that the use of violence against Infidels is encouraged by the Koran. Also encouraged is the sexual abuse of non-Muslim women, which not only is a consistent theme over the centuries, but is happening now. For instance, the UK has experienced a 300% increase in rapes since the dramatic influx of Muslim immigrants. Similarly, in Sweden, 80% of rapes are by immigrants. Essentially, the Muslim faith not only allows, but in many ways encourages, the sexual violence against non-Muslim women who are seen as deserving it.
Another issue is general conduct towards infidels. Muslims are allowed to lie, cheat, break promises, and violate terms of agreements with infidels as they deem necessary to advance Muslim dominance. That is why we should never expect the current Islamist regime in Iran to live up to any agreement they might sign such as nuclear weapon restrictions or stopping support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah. When they chant “Death to America,” we must take them at their word. Thirteen centuries of Muslim attacks on Christians show they mean exactly what they say.
So, what should we do? First, we must take the threat seriously. Most Muslim immigrants have no intention of assimilating to American values and principles. Second, we must seriously restrict immigration from Muslim majority countries. Third, we must stop allowing Muslims to settle in enclaves where only mosques are allowed and public call to prayer is broadcast publically. Fourth, we must require all Muslims applying for entry into the U.S. or citizenship to renounce Sharia Law.
Freedom of religion in our Constitution was never intended by our Founding Fathers to include religious groups whose objectives are to destroy Christianity and consequently many of the principles that are the basis of our freedoms. We should never compromise with evil.
Heads, I Win; Tails, You Lose
Heads, I win; tails, you lose is the game the Democrats are currently playing with the voters in the State of Maine.
On July 9th, Yahoo News posted a CBS News article that reported:
Democrats are facing a rapidly closing window to replace Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who dropped out of the race Wednesday following a sexual assault allegation.
…The party will now have less than three weeks to pick a new candidate to go up against Collins. The exact process is not clear, but state Democratic officials have promised “transparency” — and say Platner himself will not be involved.
…State law does not delineate how the party should choose a replacement. The Maine Democratic Party announced Wednesday it would hold a nominating convention to select a nominee. It said it would announce the timeline, details on the process, how to participate and requirements for candidates “soon.”
Graham Platner was elected by a large majority in the Democrat primary in Maine (which used ranked choice voting). The Democrats ran a test and gambled to see how much Democrat voters would put up with and still support a candidate. The Nazi tattoo did not drive the voters away–voters were aware of it before the primary. The initial charges of sexual misconduct did not cause Platner to withdraw. It was only the charge of rape by a Democrat that has caused him to suspend his campaign.
So what did we learn? The ‘me, too’ movement and the statement ‘believe all women’ only apply when the charges are against a Republican or made by a Democrat supporter. If a political party puts up a questionable candidate who wins a primary, but is forced to withdraw, they can choose the replacement candidate–not the voters. In Maine, the candidate will be determined by the people selected to attend the nominating convention. The people attending that convention may or may not be representative of the voters in Maine. When President Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race, were the voters represented in the choice of his replacement? There seems to be a pattern here.
A Very Strategic Strike
On July 9th, The Times of Israel reported:
Overnight US strikes on Iran hit the Aq Taqeh Khan railway bridge in northern Iran’s Golestan province, Fars news agency says, a trade link to Tehran’s strategic partners China and Russia.
Fars says the route that goes on to pass through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan has been an important land link to China that gained further relevance during this year’s blockade of Iran’s Gulf ports by the US.
It adds that the route has also been used by Russia for cargo shipments to Iran since late 2025.
A friend on X posted:
This wasn’t just a random target; it was the bypass valve for the “North-South” transport corridor, which Tehran has been desperately relying on to move goods while its maritime ports remain under U.S. blockade. By vaporizing this rail link, Washington has signaled that it’s not just squeezing Iran’s navy in the Strait of Hormuz—it’s systematically strangling the regime’s entire land-based logistical network.
This strike is a masterclass in American strategic dominance. For months, the regime in Tehran has tried to use land routes through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to circumvent the U.S. naval pressure, hoping to keep its economy on life support despite the blockade.
Fars News Agency is Iran says that the bridge will be repaired quickly. If it is repaired quickly, we will have to bomb it again–it is Iran’s route around the blockade.
Everyone Eventually Runs Out Of Patience
On Wednesday, Zero Hedge posted an update on what is happening in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
The article reports:
- US strikes on Iran announced, as ‘heavy costs’ for earlier targeting of multiple commercial vessels
- Oil rises as Treasury revokes June 21 Iran oil waiver
- Hormuz Threat Level Raised To “Severe”
- Three maritime incidents reported on Hormuz in last 24 hours
- Another unidentified vessel hit by a Drone
- IRGC forces hit a Saudi Tanker
- IRGC forces hit a Qatari LNG tanker
These are the actions of a cornered animal fighting for its life.
The article concludes with a summary of the impact of the current situation:
Diplomatic Developments
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Tuesday that negotiations on a final deal will not commence if threats continue, referencing a memorandum of understanding with the US
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will travel to Iraq on Tuesday to attend funeral processions for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, scheduled for Wednesday in Najaf and Karbala
Market Impact
• European natural gas prices surged as much as 6% on Tuesday, the most in a month, following the attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz
• Oil prices climbed on Tuesday, with Brent trading near $73 a barrel, as the attacks highlighted continued risks to vessels in the critical waterway
• Gold fell for a second day on Tuesday, dropping as much as 1.2% to below $4,120 an ounce, as the Hormuz attacks rekindled inflation concerns
• France lowered its 2026 GDP growth forecast to 0.7% from 0.9%, citing the Middle East conflict as a factor holding back output
Oil Trade Developments
• India’s state-run refiners are in talks with traders marketing Iranian crude and preparing to buy barrels if the US extends waivers beyond August or eases restrictions
• Two supertankers hauling Saudi crude are heading to the US for the first time since February, following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
• Russia’s Urals crude price averaged $41.66 a barrel at western ports in early July, falling to pre-Iran war levels and less than half the level during the height of oil market turmoil in April
There are a lot of moving parts here.
For instance, according to Artificial Intelligence (AI):
To understand the price of oil needed to sustain the Russian economy today, consider the following factors:
-
- Budget Breakeven: The Russian government requires oil prices to be around $40-$50 per barrel to balance its budget.
- Economic Stability: Prices above $60 per barrel are generally needed for economic stability and growth.
- Inflation Control: Higher oil prices help manage inflation and support the ruble’s value.
- Social Spending: Sustaining social programs and pensions often requires oil prices to exceed $70 per barrel.
- Global Market Influence: Fluctuations in global oil demand and geopolitical tensions can impact the necessary price for sustainability.
- Long-term Investments: To fund future projects and infrastructure, prices above $80 per barrel are preferable.
Russia is an ally of Iran. Russia needs high energy prices to sustain its economy. Did Russia play a role in encouraging the attacks in the Strait of Hormuz?
From my friends at The Patriot Post:
It’s Time To Stop Being Patient
On Tuesday, Yahoo News posted a Reuters post about recent attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. I don’t think Iran is behaving very well, and I think it’s time for Iran to be held accountable for its bad behavior.
The article reports:
Three tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, including an LNG carrier at risk of explosion, as huge crowds mourned Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Qom.
Qatar blamed Iran for the attack on a huge Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker, the Al Rekayyat, which reported being struck overnight by a drone that caused a fire in its engine room.
The crew were safe and being evacuated, but maritime security sources told Reuters the fire could put the ship at risk of explosion.
A Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker, believed to be the supertanker Wedyan, was also damaged off Oman, maritime security sources said. The cause was not immediately clear.
The article concludes:
In a CNN interview, Netanyahu said it was too early to say how negotiations with Tehran will play out, but hinted at a continuing divergence with the White House over whether diplomacy can ultimately neutralize Iran’s nuclear program.
“The President believes that he can stop Iran’s nuclear program,” Netanyahu told CNN, adding that he has his doubts.
Nevertheless, Trump should be “given the chance” to achieve that goal, Netanyahu added, insisting the two governments were aligned on Iran strategy. “On the big things we see eye to eye, and occasionally we don’t, but we’re true allies,” he said.
Oil prices, which have returned to around the prewar level since last month’s interim deal, rose more than 2% on Tuesday following the incidents in the waterway.
In launching the war four months ago, Trump said his aims were to destroy Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, end its ability to threaten its neighbours and create conditions for Iranians to topple their leaders.
None of those goals has been met, although Washington says a permanent deal will halt what it says is an Iranian programme that could make a nuclear bomb, which Iran says it never sought.
At some point you have to stop negotiating with the neighborhood bully and simply punch him in the face!
UPDATE: I think President Trump has run out of patience.
Ignoring The Perspective Of The Founding Fathers
On Sunday, Jonathan Turley posted an article about the Founding Fathers and how they would have responded to the idea of a wealth tax.
The article states:
Below is my column in the Wall Street Journal on the bizarre claim of Gov. Gavin Newsom and others that the Framers would have supported wealth taxes, including the proposed Billionaire’s Tax. It is a claim that seeks to mask the economically unwise with the historically unfounded. The Framers sought to protect property from legislative redistributive impulses. James Madison wrote that the bicameral system, and particularly the Senate, “ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority.” That does not sound like an ally of Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna.
…Was James Madison the Zohran Mamdani of his time? Gavin Newsom appears to think so. In joining the growing number of Democratic leaders supporting a wealth tax, the California governor claimed that the U.S. Constitution and our Founders were all about wealth distribution: “The system America’s founders built,” he said, “was designed to prevent the concentration of power in a few hands, but we have allowed that concentration to happen anyway, slowly, in plain sight, over decades.”
The only problem with this argument is that it is utterly and demonstrably false. The Madisonian democracy is designed to avoid the concentration of political power, not the concentration of wealth.
The article notes:
The Constitution not only protects property, but was later amended to allow for income taxes rather than wealth taxes. Far from supporting a wealth tax, the constitutional system referenced by Mr. Newsom makes a federal wealth tax unconstitutional.
The article concludes:
Nevertheless, wealth taxes make for great politics. What is concerning is that, in addition to a wealth tax, Democratic leaders like Ms. Warren are pledging to pack the Supreme Court if they retake power. A packed court with an insistent liberal majority would let the Democrats push through measures that would otherwise be declared unconstitutional, including a wealth tax.
Congress could then gradually lower the level of wealth needed to trigger the tax, opening up the homes and estates of citizens as an untapped reservoir of money for the taking.
“You’re next” could then apply not just to office holders but to property owners in a push to redistribute wealth.
That strategy may well unfold in coming years, but it will be the realization of a Mamdanian, not a Madisonian, system.
One of the unintended consequences of a wealth tax is that it interferes with the desire to become wealthy. Why acquire wealth of the government is going to take it from you? As stated in the article, a wealth tax will eventually apply to the non-wealthy and wipe out the middle class. The middle class is the backbone of a free republic.
Forgetting The Lessons Of Recent History
On Monday, Hot Air posted an article about an idea put forth by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). Senator Murphy wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $25 over twelve years. Artificially raising the minimum wage is not a new idea–it has been tried multiple times and failed each time.
The article quotes the Competitive Enterprise Institute website:
Last week, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced the Senate version of the Living Wage for All Act, which raises the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $25 per hour — a 245 percent increase — over 12 years. It begins by increasing the minimum wage 66 percent to $12 an hour and then establishes separate schedules for large and smaller employers, with the former being required to raise hourly pay to $25 in only 5 years.
The article also quotes The Washington Post:
Who’s “we”? Businesses have to cover the cost of higher wages somehow — hiking prices, shrinking hours, laying off workers or hiring fewer are all on the table. A higher minimum wage also increases the incentive for automation.
Some states already know the effects of raising the minimum wage beyond what the market can bear. California set a $20 wage for fast-food employees in 2024. That eliminated 18,000 jobs within a year, according to an analysis in the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The article quotes a UC Santa Cruz paper:
On Wednesday, University of California – Santa Cruz released a real world appraisal of how the $20 mandate has affected owners and employees of fast food franchises. Stephen Owen, an economics lecturer, and a team of undergraduate helpers visited and studied more than 100 outlets in Santa Cruz and the Central Valley and came away with data that seem to validate industry predictions of the effects…
“Employees have been impacted with fewer job opportunities, reduced employee hours, elimination of overtime, and new eligibility challenges for healthcare and other benefits. Automation, such as order kiosks, mobile apps, Artificial Intelligence drive-through ordering systems, as well as other innovative assembly technologies, are being tested and implemented with the goal to reduce labor requirements.”
When wages are artificially increased, prices go up, and inflation increases. Senator Murphy needs to study economics!
Quietly Leaving New York City As The Socialist Take Over
On Tuesday, The Dallas Express posted an article about the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE).
The article reports:
The Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) began production, quoting, and trading operations on Monday, kicking off a phased rollout as a new national securities exchange based in Dallas.
The launch marks a significant milestone for the Dallas-headquartered startup, which aims to challenge the longstanding dominance of the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. TXSE started with limited test symbols for approved members, with broader symbol availability planned throughout July.
The exchange will operate under the market center identifier “F.”
Trading hours include a pre-market session from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., regular market hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and a post-market session from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
TXSE officials described the start of trading as a key step in proving the exchange’s viability. “With the start of full production trading, any last notions that TXSE is theoretical are instantly swept away,” a TXSE official stated.
Let’s look at some of the possible reasons that the Texas Stock Exchange might be opening. The Texas Constitution and Texas statutes prohibit levying a state personal income tax. Texas does not have a traditional corporate income tax–it imposes a franchise tax on businesses. That franchise tax rate is generally 1 percent for most businesses. The general corporate tax rate in New York City is 8.85 percent. Corporations with gross receipts over $1 million are subject to the General Corporation Tax.
The article concludes:
Gabriela von zur Muehlen, senior vice president and chief policy officer at the Texas Association of Business, added, “A homegrown national exchange means more jobs, more investment, and more growth opportunities for businesses and communities across the Lone Star State.”
The launch follows extensive preparation, including federal approvals and industry testing. TXSE is entirely electronic but headquartered in Dallas. Corporate listings are anticipated later in 2026.
Market participants were advised to complete connectivity and testing ahead of the launch. Additional rollout details are available on the TXSE website.
The development aligns with Dallas’ continued growth as a financial center, attracting major institutions and elevating the region’s profile in national markets.
Businesses are in business to make money. They will gravitate to places where it is the least expensive to do business.
The Extra Cost Of Illegal Immigration
On Sunday (updated Monday), Just the News posted an article about a paper written by the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas about the impact of illegal immigration on employment and housing costs.
The article reports:
A new Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas working paper estimates the record surge in illegal immigration during the Biden administration boosted employment while causing 30% of home price increases and 20% of rent increases.
The paper combined immigration court records with government administrative data to create the first ever calculation of how a wave of 7 million illegal immigrants from 2021 through 2024 affected local labor and housing markets.
“From early 2021 to early 2024, the U.S. experienced an unprecedented boom in unauthorized immigration, followed by a rapid slowdown beginning in mid-2024. We provide the first systematic empirical assessment of the labor- and housing-market effects of this episode,” the working paper said.
“The total weighted-mean increases in house prices and rents over this period were 22.4% and 22.6%, respectively. Putting these together, for the average MSA, UIWF can explain approximately 30% of the total increase in house prices and 20% of the total increase in rents,” it added.
You can read the full paper here.
Their conclusions make sense–it’s an illustration of the law of supply and demand. As more people come into the country, the demand for housing increases faster than the supply, and the cost of housing increases.