One Year In...

 

Friends, Happy Anniversary!  That's the one year anniversary of DJT taking office, of course.  What an exciting year it's been!  Somehow, improbably, most liberals haven't yet fled to exile in Canada or Denmark.  In fact, some of them think they've wrestled back the political initiative from Trump and the MAGA movement.  We'll see about that in November.  What we know for sure is that the policy wins that Trump has racked up have been innumerable and way more impressive than during his first term.  The courts and Congress have been more acquiescent, and that's part of it, but Trump himself has also been way more disciplined, focused, and simply competent.  Hallelujah, I say!  Long may it last!

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-white-house-press-briefing-davos-greenland/ 

 

In other news, the DOJ has subpoenaed a variety of Minnesota public officials, all of them dastardly Dems, for their role in allegedly obstructing ICE's enforcement operations there.  This will not be an easy case to make, and who knows if it will lead to prosecutions, but even shaking the tree and forcing these latter-day Bolsheviks to pony up their private communications could prove...sobering, especially for them!

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/doj-subpoenas-walz-frey-others-192905545.html 

 

Finally, this article reflects on what a poor job colleges are doing preparing graduates for the reality of the new, AI-infused workplace.  The value of book learning has been declining, in the eyes of students and potential employers, for a long time, but AI is accelerating the trend.  Perceptive students are even asking themselves what use they can be to their prospective corporate masters, in an age when generative AI can do pretty much everything that they can do, sometimes better, and almost always a lot cheaper.  Frankly, I'm not just asking "what is college for?", I'm beginning to ask "what are humans for?"  What I mean is that, if we eliminate religious commitments, family duties, and work obligations from the roster of human preoccupations, as many people already have or are about to, then what's left???  Hmm.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/what-is-college-for-in-the-age-of-ai/ar-AA1UzNFy?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=24f0a0750d904c5cfb3fc51ade37dfc4&ei=5 

 

 

Arctic Chill

 

Friends, you may have noticed that a bunch of European countries just sent paltry expeditionary forces -- mere handfuls of troops -- to Greenland, in a move that they say is a sign of how seriously they take Greenland's defense against Russia and China.  Instead, President Trump seems to interpret this as an affront, i.e as a gambit aimed more at deterring U.S. aggression than anything from our non-NATO foes.  And in all likelihood he's right.  Trump therefore decided to threaten these European "friends" with tariffs, unless and until the U.S. demand to control Greenland is met.  Wow!  Trump says the Euro-weenies were "playing a dangerous game" when they decided to send troops to our doorstep, and I tend to agree.  It was a dumb move.  Having said that, provoking yet another trade war, or an actual war, with our erstwhile allies and partners could turn out to be "beyond stupid" as well, as (Republican) Senator Thom Tillis so memorably put it.  I think Trump needs to confront a hard truth: Denmark and its European confederates aren't going to hand over Greenland politely.  Trump will have to take it, if he's determined to have it, and that means he'd have to brave all the potential consequences.  If he's not that brave, then opening this can of worms in the first place was, if not "beyond stupid", at the very least ill-advised.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4qjwk9n2no 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-greenland-military-tariffs/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us 

 

In other news, this poll reveals how the Venezuelans are feeling about the U.S. capture of "El Presidente" Nicolas Maduro: they love it!  However, they also desperately want regime change and genuine democracy, which so far Delcy Rodriguez shows no inclination to grant.  

 

https://archive.is/dwbAt 

 

NASA is getting tantalizingly close to a return to the Moon -- for the first time in 50 years!  About time, I say.  Might we have bases on the lunar surface by the time J.D. Vance takes office?  I think we might!  Next stop: Mars!!!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly148lvyevo 

 

Finally, I was back in action today on the Newsmakers show.  Brian and I discussed the outrageous, lawless anti-ICE protests taking place around the country, the stakes in our battle to acquire Greenland, the seismic shifts taking place in British politics, and so much more!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-1-17-26/ 

God Helps Those Who Help Themselves?

 

Friends, after declaring to the Iranian people, now in revolt against their theocratic rulers, that "help is on the way", it appears Trump has pulled the plug on that help, at least in the sense of military action.  Trump has drawn a red line on the (mass) execution of protestors, which is nice, as far as it goes, but it doesn't bring us any closer to regime change in Iran, which is what the Iranian people and sensible Americans want.  The sad part is that the moment may already have passed, and thus a golden opportunity to split the regime and cause its collapse may be behind us.  There are good reasons to intervene and not to intervene, but promising "help" and failing to deliver it is frankly shameful, if you ask me.  I hope President Trump follows the advice of Iran's Shah-in-exile and authorizes strikes against those elements of the Iranian leadership that have the most blood on their hands.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/on-the-verge-of-strikes-in-iran-the-us-held-off-what-happens-next-is-up-to-trump/ar-AA1UjbJj 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70lx085z85o 

Like Rats Fleeing a Sinking Ship...

 

Friends, today there was a VERY high profile defection from Britain's withering Conservative Party to its vibrant, expanding Reform Party, led by our old pal Nigel Farage, Mr. Brexit himself.  Robert Jenrick was part of the Conservatives' "shadow cabinet" and a leading candidate for party leader last time around.  The fact that he's given up on the Tories is hugely significant and could presage a complete collapse for Britain's mainstay right-wing party, which has carried the conservative/Conservative banner since Victorian times.  In a sense, the rise of Reform and the decline of the Conservatives suggests that even bigger changes may be coming to British politics than we've seen stateside in recent years, and we've seen a bunch!!!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/crmdmkg8gymt 

 

In other news, "popular", i.e. carefully cultivated, resistance to ICE's presence in Minneapolis may be increasing, and Trump says that he might have no choice but to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy active-duty troops to restore order.  That would be a big step.  Do the lefties really want to invite this form of escalation?  I wouldn't be surprised if they tap the brakes on their little revolution long enough to avoid it, but then again they may feel that the atmospherics of a "civil war", if not necessarily the reality of it, will accrue to their political advantage.  And I suppose it could, but that would be a very dangerous game to play.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qwez9zz7jo 

Contemptible!

 

Friends, nailing any Democrat to the wall, legally speaking, is about as easy as beating him or her to death with a wet spaghetti noodle.  DJT's, and the DOJ's, attempts at "retribution" against the Left have so far been a big disappointment, as we all know.  Having said that, our old pal Bill Clinton just handed us a gift.  He ignored a Congressional subpoena to testify about his association with Jeffrey Epstein.  What that means is that he's in contempt of Congress, and he's essentially daring the DOJ to prosecute him.  And why not???  The dastardly Dems did the exact same thing to Steve Bannon.  Who wants to see Slick Willy behind bars?  Now's your chance...

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/13/bill-clinton-under-contempt-of-congress-after-ignoring-bipartisan-subpoena/ 

 

In other news, President Trump is assuring the long-suffering people of Iran that "help is on the way", but help of what kind???  A little lethal force, judiciously applied, might be enough in this situation to bring Iran's theocratic regime crashing down.  The key might well be to make fruitful contacts in the Iranian military and police, and thereby to facilitate a coup d'etat.  Are there cooler heads inside the government to whom we can appeal, and who realize that the time has come to rethink their allegiances?  I hope so.  Otherwise, the only way to transform Iran will be via a bloody, and possibly protracted, revolution. 

 

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-cancels-meetings-with-iran-over-killing-of-protesters-0973aa84?st=cLFPH6 

The Beginning of the End?

 

Friends, those protests in Iran just keep escalating in intensity, and that puts DJT in a tight spot: he said he would use force against the regime if it slaughtered dissidents, and that's exactly what it's doing, so...  Will he use force, and, if so, to what effect?  This seems like a golden opportunity to topple a hated regime, and it would be dreadful to miss it, but on the other hand we want to be judicious about stepping into a potential quagmire and doing more harm than good.  What's the right course?  Darned if I know!  

 

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2026/01/12/estimates-say-iran-has-killed-up-to-2000-as-regime-claims-protests-under-control/ 

 

In other news, the mainstream media is getting highly agitated about sexualized deepfake images generated by X's A.I. platform known as Grok.  There is widespread talk of banning X altogether in response, which naturally would suit the leftist authoritarians very nicely.  Frankly, I'm surprised that more countries haven't banned X already.  You'd think they'd take any excuse, and excuses aren't hard to come by these days.  I advise Elon to keep fighting the good fight!  Sooner or later they'll have an election in the U.K., which is on the frontline of censorship efforts, and our good friend Nigel Farage may be in a position to set things right.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/01/12/uk-speech-regulator-launches-investigation-into-elon-musks-x/ 

 

The Europeans, and the establishment types in this country, are by no means happy with President Trump's aggressive talk re: Greenland.  They believe that the use of force to take over Greenland would blow up the whole Western alliance.  Well, in that case, maybe the Danes should man up and consider selling the island, after all?  There's definitely some three-dimensional chess going on here.  U.S. acquisition of Greenland would be historic, and I would remind DJT and everyone reading this that hurting the feelings of the global elite is a very, very easy thing to do.  You can do it by invading Greenland, sure, but their hackles are elevated on a more or less continuous basis these days anyway, which means that there might be little downside to taking Greenland in a lightning assault.  I mean, what is Europe going to do to us?  Whine? Refuse to accept our complimentary security guarantees?  Oh yeah, that would really hit us where it hurts...NOT!!!  Again, I think it's much more likely that the Danes will consider handing over the island peacefully, because that would be much more dignified, and less destabilizing to that "rules-based world order" they love so much.  Let's give Trump some leeway to sort this out and see where it goes.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-officials-to-meet-with-danish-officials-wednesday-about-greenland-sources-say/ar-AA1U0CmA 

 

Finally, the DOJ has enraged a whole lot of Democrats and more than a few RINOs by announcing a criminal investigation into Jerome Powell for his remarks to Congress about the reconstruction project at the Fed H.Q.  Now, if he really did break the law eggregiously, I'm fine with him facing the consequences, but this does feel like gratuitous legal harrassment, especially considering that Powell is about to leave office.  Who really cares how much the Fed's makeover costs???  Trump's attacks against Powell have been more than a little irrational, if you ask me.  The Fed has a responsibility to keep the economy humming along by lowering rates, sure, but it also has a duty to keep inflation in check by keeping rates high.  It's a balance that's called for, in other words, and reasonable people can disagree about how to strike that balance.  Trump, as per usual, seems to believe that anyone who contradicts him is crazy, evil, or stupid...and that may be true in 90% of cases, but this might be one of the few where Trump himself is in the wrong.  Just sayin'.

 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/federal-reserve-chair-powell-under-criminal-investigation-over-hq-renovation-report 

Long Live the Shah!

 

Friends, something big is happening...in Iran, where mass protests have the regime of the mullahs running scared.  Iranians have groaned under theocratic tyranny for decades, and now there's widespread talk of bringing back the Pahlavis, i.e. the royal family that was ousted in 1979.  I say: hear hear!  A mostly secular constitutional monarchy would be a vast improvement on the mess that Iran has now.  It would be wonderful to see Iran become, once again, a key U.S. ally instead of a regional troublemaker.  Let's hope it comes to pass.  It's all in the hands of the Iranian people, at this stage.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2xew4w560o 

 

In other news, the usual suspects -- elderly white liberals -- are incensed by recent violence between ICE agents and anti-ICE protestors.  Rioters are an annoyance to the federal government, but one has to wonder whether at some point (blue) city and state authorities might become a bigger threat...  Those Dems are getting awfully unhinged about Trumpian "fascism"!  Nothing is impossible, in the age of Trump.  It bears watching.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99knmrx71go 

 

Finally, this article aptly summarizes the strong state of the U.S. economy.  Even though it's not producing a huge number of new jobs, the truth is that we don't need to, thanks to the exit of millions of illegal immigrants.  Economic growth is very solid and may even accelerate in the fourth quarter.  Meanwhile, the trade deficit has plummeted.  There's so much to celebrate!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/01/09/unemployment-falls-to-4-4-percent-as-economy-adds-50000-jobs-in-december/ 

Ice Storm Ahead?

 

Friends, lefties and establishment types are outraged -- outraged! -- that the thuggish president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, has been captured by U.S. military forces and brought to this country for trial.  They are also hyperventilating about what this might mean for the prospects of U.S. intervention in -- nay, conquest of -- Greenland.  They even claim that a U.S. takeover of the Danish colony could be "the end of NATO"!  Say it ain't so, MSM.  My response is...if we can cancel America's blank check to Europe to provide its security indefinitely by seizing Greenland, then that's all the more reason to do it...  My suspicion, however, is that Trump is much more likely to use the possibility of an invasion as leverage to encourage Denmark to sell the island.  Of course, since the Danes are as interminably anti-Trump as any New York City socialist, they will probably give him the finger regardless and dare him to attack.  Might he?  Only time will tell.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyg1jg8xkmo 

 

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/01/06/stephen-miller-greenland-should-be-part-of-the-united-states/ 

The Dynamic Duo

 

Friends, I'm not sure exactly what's going in Venezuela, but I do know what just happened in Florida!  Donald Trump and Elon Musk sat down to dinner together!!!  Oh my.  The estrangement between the two 21st century titans was very big news in 2025, and it's thus very heartening to see them burying the hatchet at the start of 2026.  The combination of the world's most powerful and dynamic politician, and its richest and most innovative private citizen, is well nigh unbeatable, if you ask me.  Possibly it was always a bad idea to involve Musk in the day-to-day management of government affairs, but there ought to be a place for him at the collective helm of modern conservatism, if you ask me, as his role in promoting liberty, American exceptionalism, and technological progress is second to none.  Welcome back to the fold, Elon!  Lefties, you can have Margorie Taylor Greene.  Enjoy her apostasy tour to your heart's content!  We've got Trump and Elon, and good luck keeping your heads above water against that dynamic duo...

 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-musk-share-lovely-dinner-mar-a-lago-after-public-feuding 

The Big Stick

 

Friends, usually Saturday is a slow news day.  Well, not today!  The U.S. military has executed a precision raid on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's compound, spiriting him and his wife away to face justice here.  Meanwhile, President Trump has declared that the U.S. will "run" Venezuela until such time as a proper transition can be assured, presumably meaning free and fair elections and an end to gangster socialism.  Wow!  My first thought is that the leaders of Iran, Denmark, and possibly New York City must be saying to themselves, "Oh, crap! This guy means business."  Indeed he does!  My second thought is that I am very happy for the long-suffering people of Venezuela, many of whom no longer live in Venezuela, because Maduro has wrecked it.  My third thought, however, is that our nation-building exercises in Iraq and Afghanistan began with similar bravado, and ended on much more somber notes, so we should be careful about "running" any foreign country, especially against the will of a large fraction of its inhabitants.  I would hope the "transition" that Trump discussed will be measured in months, not years.  That would be prudent.  In the meantime, let's make the Americas Great Again!!!  Woo hoo!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/01/03/president-trump-nicolas-maduro-captured-and-flown-out-of-venezuela/ 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-venezuela-nicolas-maduro-strikes-run-country-transition-military-rcna252044?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q4dg1kn8vo 

On Notice

 

Friends, Trump has threatened to intervene if Iran uses excessive force against the recent wave of protests, which is, if you ask me, all well and good if it's meant to destablize the mullahs and/or express sympathy for the regime's victims, but, if it represents an intention to literally attack Iran or to undertake regime change there, it's a terrible idea.  No one looks forward to the return of Iran to the fold of civilized, modern, democratic and quasi-democratic nations more than I do, but intervening militarily would be just as likely to strengthen the Ayatollah and friends as it would be to undermine them, and of course it would run the risk of dragging us into a wider conflict.  MAGA starts at home, if you ask me, and the Iranians will therefore have to solve their own problems.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q4z33pnnyo 

 

As 2025 becomes 2026, what's the state of Trump's popularity?  In a nutshell, it's not great, and it's not terrible.  It's in the range where Trump and Republicans definitely have to worry about a blue wave in 2026, but then again such a wave is by no means inevitable.  Unfortunately, with the mainstream media and many other powerful forces in America and worldwide working feverishly to undermine Trump, it won't be easy to raise these numbers appreciably.

 

https://x.com/TomBevanRCP/status/2006382575682789646 

 

Finally, New York City now has a "democratic socialist" as Mayor, and he's promising that the "warmth of collectivism" will blossom in the Big Apple.  Ha!  There may be collectivism, of a dingy, bureaucratic sort, but there sure won't be warmth.  New Yorkers are about as friendly as Red Army commissars -- speaking of which, it will be fun to see how much Wall Street fat cats and rich celebrities enjoy paying through the nose to foster greater "equity".  My guess is that Florida and Texas will be the big winners, as the migration of high earners to those states will soar.  Maybe Zohran could build a big wall around the city to deter escapees?

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/01/01/mamdani_we_will_replace_the_rigidity_of_rugged_individualism_with_the_warmth_of_collectivism.html