Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Trump's underlying message to South Africa's government: You're a fourth-world dump


On its merits, President Trump's acceptance of a few dozen South African white farmers as refugees easily conforms to the legal requirements for acceptance as refugees. 

It's likely that Trump enjoys the screaming from the left, as he is forcing them to live by its own rules that it set itself on refugees -- every refugee welcome, which means white ones, too.

But the fact that Trump did take these farmers in, when other presidents just ignored them, and the South African government is clearly enraged raises the second interesting possibility that somebody's sacred cow is getting gored, and Trump is goring it.

After all, aren't refugees either from war zones such as Ukraine, or else fourth world hellholes -- places like Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Haiti, Cuba, Somalia, Yemen, Burma, North Korea, Syria? Nasty pariah states.

By taking in refugees from South Africa, Trump is implicitly announcing that South Africa is in Yemen's or Somalia's league -- a dump, an s-hole country no one would go to who didn't have to go to, a place with travel warnings and sorry tourist stories.

Which pretty much goes against South Africa's vision of itself -- as a rising superpower on the global stage, a nation with clout, wealth, and influence.

Over the last several years, South Africa has promoted itself this way, particularly with its loud noisy campaign to make the BRIC the BRICS with its entry into the club.

According to Google AI, which gives a good summary of the conventional wisdom:

  • South Africa, as the newest member of BRICS, is often referred to as a rising star within the group. BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is a bloc of emerging economies that seeks to promote economic cooperation and reform the global financial system. South Africa's inclusion in BRICS signifies its growing global influence and its potential to play a key role in shaping the future of the international system. 

     Here's why South Africa is considered a rising star within BRICS:

    South Africa's economy, despite facing challenges, is one of the largest in Africa and contributes significantly to the BRICS bloc's overall economic growth. 

    • South Africa's membership in BRICS allows it to have a stronger voice in international forums and negotiations, giving it more leverage in shaping global policies and institutions.  
    • South Africa's position as a leader in the African continent makes it a valuable partner for BRICS in promoting cooperation and development in the region.
    • Organizations like the South African BRICS Youth Association (SABYA) actively engage youth in BRICS initiatives, fostering collaboration and promoting the collective potential of BRICS youth. 

Blah, blah, blah. In reality, they are producing refugees, same as some place like Syria, a third world hellhole. And like such countries, they have only the crummiest of allies.

Its choice of partners include Russia, China and Iran, and in particular as Russia's pawn.

According to GIS Reports Online:

Some in the international community have expressed mixed reactions to South Africa’s position within BRICS. Concerns are rife about the bilateral relations South Africa has built with authoritarian BRICS members such as Russia, China and now Iran.

Since Pretoria failed to condemn Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, South Africa’s relationship with Russia has come under scrutiny. Mr. Ramaphosa’s administration has been criticized by American diplomats as well as South African civil society for its close ties with Russia, but has still maintained its “non-aligned” posture. In defiance of the ANC’s position toward the Kremlin, and before becoming its coalition partner, the leader of the main opposition party in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance (DA), undertook a fact-finding trip to Kiev, demonstrating solidarity with the people of Ukraine.     

In the leadup to the 2023 summit, the African National Congress (ANC)-led administration under President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated its loyalty to the BRICS alliance by again refusing to condemn Russia. He went so far as to question the basis of the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s order to arrest Russian leader Vladimir Putin on South African soil if he attended the summit. South Africa’s diplomats controversially claimed that the ICC’s order interfered with South Africa’s sovereignty, and arresting him would be a “declaration of war."

Besides this, the South African government has sought to pariah-ize Israel, bullying the tiny state for resisting genocidal terrorists and putting out an arrest warrant for its prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu, according to GIS:

Pretoria brought Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on charges that the country might be involved in acts of genocide in Gaza. This move was in direct defiance of the U.S., who saw the court route as unfavorable toward attaining lasting peace in the region. South Africa’s official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, also opposed the government’s stance on Israel, which they saw as hostile and condoning the militant Hamas.

Speaking of 'genocide.'

Trump used that word on them yesterday, probably for this very reason. Back at you, South African rulers.

Besides economic influence, which is not great, by the way, as investors flee as their farmers are physically fleeing, Trump struck a blow to something they have been wielding like Gollum's 'precious,' -- their moral authority on the global stage.

According to Google AI again, summing up what is out there:

South Africa, particularly since the end of apartheid, has been viewed as possessing significant moral authority, especially in Africa and internationally. This stems from its successful transition to democracy and the role of its leader, Nelson Mandela, in promoting reconciliation and human rightsHowever, some critics argue that South Africa's moral authority has been eroded by its actions and stances on certain international issues.

  • Factors contributing to South Africa's moral authority: 

    The country's shift to majority rule and its commitment to a non-racial, democratic society earned it widespread recognition and respect on the global stage. 

    • Mandela's leadership during and after apartheid, his emphasis on forgiveness and reconciliation, and his global image as a symbol of hope and justice have significantly contributed to South Africa's moral authority. 
    • South Africa's constitution, known for its extensive protection of human rights and its emphasis on equality, has been praised as a model for other countries.

Actually, they don't have any moral authority at all now -- they are out creating refugees, foolishly following the Zimbabwe or Hugo Chavez model of stealing other people's land in the name of 'social justice,' which in the end will create another Zimbabwe.

Here they are hailing the signature of the 'Expropriation Law' with a slew of socialist lies:

ANC views this law as a progressive and transformative tool to advance land reform in ways that enable inclusive economic growth and social cohesion. By unlocking access to land, the legislation will promote the development of sustainable human settlements, enhance agricultural productivity for emerging farmers, and enable urban land development to address spatial inequality. This is a direct response to the needs of millions of South Africans who have been excluded from land ownership and access to natural resources for far too long.

This law is a critical step towards fulfilling the vision articulated in the Freedom Charter, which declared, “The land shall be shared among those who work it.” It reflects the ANC’s commitment to achieving economic justice and creating a South Africa where all citizens enjoy equal access to the nation’s wealth and resources.

Here is a part of the ruling ANC (now part of a coalition after a group of crazed leftists broke off to form their own parties) party platform:

Accelerate land reform and redistribution to reduce asset inequality and protect security of tenure, improve food security and agricultural production, promote rural and urban development and enable greater access to housing.

Recent history shows that the exact opposite will happen, not in the least due to the destruction of property rights, which ends all access to capital and title deed, the twin pillars to actual development, as Hernando de Soto wrote in "The Mystery of Capital."

Like Robert Mugabe and Hugo Chavez, they really believe that stealing other people's land will provide "food security" and improve "agricultural production." Chavez used to talk about this all the time.

When I visited rural Venezuela in late 2005, I was shown with my own eyes by blogger Daniel Duquenal just how disastrous that land expropriation was -- how once productive farmland had been turned into a total wasteland.

A hallmark of a third world dump is to follow Venezuela's 'model,' which not surprisingly, is creating more refugees, the very refugees President Trump just recognized as refugees.

People have been fleeing that country for years, and a recent New York Times report noted this as if nothing were wrong with it, and farmers' grievances were somehow exaggerated.

But the refugees are real, according to textbook legal definitions.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' website:

Under United States law, a refugee is someone who:

  • Is located outside of the United States
  • Is of special humanitarian concern to the United States
  • Demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group
  • Is not firmly resettled in another country
  • Is admissible to the United States

A refugee does not include anyone who ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

If they're out there getting tortured, raped, and murdered and the government is doing nothing, and worse still, effectively endorsing it with "kill the Boer" chants by whipped up politicized mobs, then there is no doubt the case of refugee status has been met, as long as the other qualifiers are there, too.

If they create refugees, they aren't first world, let alone first rate as a nation. They are another Somalia, and now Trump has just driven that point home. They no longer have status as a credible state. With these refugees accepted, Trump has let it be known that this is a country any credible country should steer clear of.



On the Fringe, Red Pill News, and more- May 14

 



SCOTUS Must Stop Rogue Judges From Undermining Trump’s Policies


From the day Trump first declared for the presidency, Democrats have tried to stop him with every conceivable strategy. We lived through the Mueller investigation, impeachment, the Russia hoax, weaponization of the criminal justice system, and outright assassination. All attempts failed.

Now they have a new tactic which, at least in the short run, seems to be working. District court judges are overreaching their power by issuing nationwide injunctions that block the president’s legal executive orders, even when the case only involves parties in a specific district. “We are experiencing a constitutional crisis, a judicial coup d’etat,” said Missouri Rep. Bob Onder.

“Since Trump took office,” said Texas Rep. August Pfluger, “activist judges in district courts have aggressively blocked his executive actions. Their rulings have had serious consequences for national security—including Judge Boasberg’s attempt to delay the deportation of dangerous gang members. The fact that an unelected lower court judge can micromanage the commander-in-chief should trouble every single American.”

Here are a few examples. A U.S. District Court for Maryland judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking parts of Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government. A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia placed an injunction on Trump's attempts to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). A judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York halted the deportation of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested for his role in pro-Palestinian protests. A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire was the third judge who attempted to block Trump's order ending birthright citizenship.

We are waiting for the Supreme Court to intervene. Sadly, SCOTUS has supported district judges in at least one case, where the court rejected a Trump administration request to lift an order by a federal district judge requiring the government to make close to $2 billion in foreign aid payments.

A recent event has dampened the chances for SCOTUS to do the right thing. Justice Sonya Sotomayor has decided to ignore the role of judges in our government. Sotomayor told the America Bar Association last week that lawyers across America should “fight this fight," obviously meaning against President Donald Trump and his administration. Sitting justices can’t be anti-Trump attack dogs. We should not tolerate this kind of behavior on the Court.

“Apparently,” said Mike Miller at RedState, “Sotomayor—along with the various federal district judges who aggressively (and unconstitutionally) attempted to derail Trump's agenda—missed the ‘justice is blind’ thingy in law school.”

The House passed legislation last week that limits the authority of federal district judges to issue nationwide orders. California Rep. Darrell Issa, who sponsored the bill, hopes it will deter “forum shopping” by groups that seek out a sympathetic district court judge most likely to block the president’s actions. The bill limits the scope of injunctive relief ordered by a district judge to those parties before the court. But the bill is unlikely to make it through the Senate, where at least some Democratic support would be needed.

The only hope is that a majority on SCOTUS will stand for the Constitution in spite of Justice Sotomayor. Otherwise the federal government will be run by the political preferences of local judges, and the results of a presidential election will be nullified.



SCOTUS Can Limit Birthright Citizenship


When the first oral argument before the Supreme Court on a Trump policy is held on Thursday, May 15, all eyes will be on the divided nine Justices. Trump has asked the high court to rein in the power of district court judges to issue nationwide or universal injunctions against the president’s policies.

Over 100 temporary or preliminary injunctions have been issued by district judges, most of whom were appointed by Democratic Presidents Biden, Obama, or Clinton. The underlying substantive dispute centers on the claim to birthright citizenship, whereby foreigners who give birth here subsequently assert citizenship based on the location of the childbirth.

Our Founders would be dismayed by the theory that merely being born on U.S. soil is enough to qualify for citizenship automatically. Christians know that Jesus and his 12 Apostles were born in the Roman Empire, yet none was a Roman citizen.

Only Paul among the early Christian disciples was a Roman citizen, a status he inherited from his parents, who were also citizens. Others earned or acquired citizenship, but no one became a Roman citizen merely by being born in the empire.

Within hours of Trump becoming president, he issued an Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which clarifies that American citizenship is not bestowed on people simply because they may have been born on American soil. “The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not ‘subject to the jurisdiction thereof,’” Trump stated.

Trump’s brilliant executive order clarifies that children born to a mother unlawfully present in the United States and to a father who was not an American citizen or lawful permanent resident are not entitled to American citizenship. Perhaps those children can become citizens one day, just like other foreigners, but merely being born here does not automatically entitle a child to citizenship.

Likewise, when a child’s mother’s presence in the United States was lawful but merely temporary, and the father was not an American citizen or a lawful permanent resident, then the child did not acquire American citizenship. This executive order took effect for anyone born 30 days after it was entered on January 20, 2025.

There has been a cottage industry of bringing pregnant Chinese mothers to California for them to give birth in a hospital here, go back to China, and then claim American citizenship when their children grow up. This racket needs to stop, and the Supreme Court could end it as Trump has commanded with one of his first executive orders.

Children born to foreign diplomats in the United States are not eligible to be American citizens. Citizenship is what defines a country and its future, and must be carefully limited to those who personally or through their families have a long commitment to our values and way of life.

American Indians were not automatically citizens for nearly the first 140 years of our country, because they had not assimilated into American communities but retained loyalties to their tribes. The same is true for many of the illegal aliens brought in by Biden, Obama, and Clinton.

Children born to American parents are American citizens if they are born in the United States, and can claim citizenship here if they were born while in another country. Children born to lawful permanent residents of the United States are American citizens because they are born subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as the Supreme Court held in 1898.

Persons temporarily present (such as tourists, workers, students, and diplomats) and persons unlawfully present (who could be removed without notice) are expected to go back home. Their children, though born here, retain the citizenship of their parents’ country of origin.

The Supreme Court is divided on the issue of birthright citizenship, and it may try to duck the issue for now. Instead, it may confine itself to the procedural question presented: “Whether the Supreme Court should stay the district courts’ nationwide preliminary injunctions on the Trump administration’s Jan. 20 executive order ending birthright citizenship except as to the individual plaintiffs and identified members of the organizational plaintiffs or states.”

Several justices, including Thomas and Gorsuch, have expressed strong opposition to nationwide injunctions that extend beyond the plaintiffs in a case. But it is unclear whether they can muster a majority of the Court to end this practice that is being used frequently by liberals now against many aspects of Trump’s agenda.

Limiting the scope of the injunctions against Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order to only the plaintiffs in the lawsuits would enable his order to go into effect against everyone else. That would mean the “Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Commissioner of Social Security shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the regulations and policies of their respective departments” implement this order.



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Trump Has Set a New Standard for Getting Things Done As President


Chase Jennings reporting for RedState 

The rate at which President Trump is moving his agenda forward and taking executive action is astounding. Trump is regularly accomplishing in one week what a White House used to be satisfied with accomplishing in one month. This past week is a perfect example. President Trump announced a new trade deal with both the U.K. and China, brokered an in person meeting between Russia and Ukraine, de-escalated a possible catastrophic war between India and Pakistan, secured the release of the final American being held hostage by Hamas, and is taking on big pharma in an effort to lower drug prices. 

President Trump is setting a new standard for what a president can get done in a short period of time. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrated the week’s accomplishments on X:

"A historic president delivering historic results. There is much more work to do — and the best is YET to come!”

They would never admit it, but Democrats must be amazed at what they’re seeing—especially after the last four years of the Joe Biden presidency. Taken one by one, the accomplishments of the past week cannot be overstated. The trade deal with the U.K. will open up the European market to U.S. farmers as never before. The White House fact sheet outlines the entirety of the deal, but this graphic from the White House outlines the top-line wins: 

We are also beginning to get a clearer picture of the trade deal with China. I believe Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent deserves the lion's share of credit for this deal. He has been a calming figure for the markets and has led from the front throughout these negotiations. The U.S. Trade Rep, Jamieson Greer, has been a major player as well. The Trade Rep X page discussed the deal: 

“After successful negotiations over the weekend in Geneva, @POTUS reached an agreement with China to retain U.S. reciprocal tariffs on China, reduce Chinese retaliation and eliminate harmful countermeasures, and establish a path for future discussions regarding opportunities for U.S. exports.

This agreement is a win for the American people, protecting the U.S. economy while charting a course to fair, balanced, and reciprocal trade with China.” 

Amazingly, these deals aren’t even half of what was accomplished last week. President Trump also secured the release of American hostage Edan Alexander, who was the last American hostage being held by Hamas. Everyone should watch Edan being reunited with his family (I’m not crying, you’re crying). 


Heartwarming Moment Edan Alexander Is Reunited With His Parents

Details of How Trump Team Facilitated Huge India-Pakistan Ceasefire


President Trump is also working to get peace talks started between Ukraine and Russia. Before you downplay how significant this is, just remember, there were no discussions happening at all under the previous administration. The AP highlights the hope for a meeting: 

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he will be waiting for Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Turkish capital this week to conduct face-to-face talks about the more than three-year war amid heavy pressure from the U.S. and European leaders to reach a settlement.” 

We are still awaiting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response—but the pressure is on. Again, the effort here by President Trump can’t be understated. Whether you like him or not, President Trump is clearly working every day to make America great again. 

For Trump and the White House, Big Pharma is on deck as he’ll work to lower drug prices for Americans. I understand the conservative argument against forcing Big Pharma’s hand on lowering prices, but something has to change and that is the message here. The courts will also have a say in what Trump is allowed to do—I say we let this play out. 

President Trump is working at warp speed to get America back where we need to be. We learned today that the annual rate of inflation is down to 2.3 percent, which is less than was expected. Egg prices are tumbling. All President Trump needs to do is keep going. 



Alberta's Separatists and the Possible United States Connection


Canada's recent election was a bit of a surprise - and a bit of a disappointment. Canadian voters went full-on Lib, with the Liberals taking not an overwhelming majority over the Conservatives but a significant one. The Liberals now have the Prime Minister's slot, and the Conservatives' presumed standard-bearer, Pierre Poilievre, lost his seat to a Liberal, Bruce Fanjoy.

Needless to say, many Canadians aren't happy with the outcome, and a look at Canada's 2025 election map is revealing; the prairie provinces in particular went Conservative (note that the Conservative ridings are blue in Canadian politics, and the Liberals red, the opposite of American practices.)

This has led the prairie province of Alberta to seek a referendum to separate from Canada and form an independent nation.

An Alberta separatist group has released a proposed referendum question on sovereignty from Canada, saying they will push the premier for a vote as soon as this year.

That is, if they can garner support from enough provincial residents.

During a news conference Monday, Jeffrey Rath — a lawyer with the Alberta Prosperity Project — pulled a blue provincial flag off an easel, revealing the question printed in large font: “Do you agree that the province shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province of Canada?”

“It’s not a wishy-washy question like what they had in Quebec,” Rath said, referring to a similar separatism referendum held in 1995 that very nearly saw the French-Canadian province separate from the country.

Note the wording of that; Alberta isn't seeking to become the 51st state in these United States. They're voting whether to go it alone. That seems a difficult prospect, as they would be a landlocked nation sharing borders only with Canada, who may be a bit peeved at the notion of one of the provinces leaving - and the United States, who would be ready, willing and able to make some trade deals for Alberta beef and other agricultural products that this province is known for, not to mention the province's generous gas and oil deposits.

A look at the 2025 electoral map is enough to make one wonder if parts of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba may want to go along for the ride. It's hard to say what might happen if those dominoes started down. And the people behind this separatist movement are touting some pretty business-friendly ideas.

Residents of an independent Alberta would see oil and gas development double within five years, a free-market free-trade agreement with the United States, and a flat 10 per cent income and corporate tax, while being able to keep their Canadian passports and Canada Pension Plan entitlements.

“We’d be the lowest tax regime in North America,” Rath said. “Who wouldn’t want to locate their corporate headquarters in Edmonton or Calgary with a flat 10 per cent corporate tax rate and a flat 10 per cent income tax rate? We think we have a robust economic message to sell.”

Here's the catch: The Canadian Constitution is somewhat ambiguous on the topic of breakaway provinces, but some serious legal minds are claiming it can't be legally done, at least not by a simple referendum.

But what if the runaway provinces petitioned to join the United States? 

That would solve a lot of problems for Alberta and any other possible breakaway regions. Canada would no doubt raise a hue and cry if the United States recognized the breakaway regions and made them U.S. territories in preparation for eventual statehood. Yes, Alberta's referendum is to form a new national government, but we should note that Texas was an independent republic before joining the United States, as well as having been the subject of a military contest between the United States and Mexico. So, there's a precedent. And this would give landlocked Alberta a pathway for their goods to enter the international markets via America's West Coast ports.

Sadly, the Yukon Territory, in this recent election, went solidly Liberal - so there's no possibility, no matter what else happens, of the United States holding an uninterrupted territory from the Rio Grande to the Arctic.

It's an interesting question, but while this proposal, which I find unlikely, would be a net plus for Alberta, I'm not so sure about it being a net plus for the United States. Alberta may be a red state if admitted, but then again, it may not; Canada's centerline in politics is to the left of the United States' centerline, especially on things like the Second Amendment. Alberta may be a welcome exception to that rule, but remember, any addition would place two Senators and several more House representatives in Congress from a new state whose politics may not be quite at the American conservative mainstream. 

Now, a disclaimer: I doubt anything will come of this, even if Alberta's referendum passes. But we should note: Nothing is truly permanent: No nations, no borders. If Alberta does break away, we should have a thought as to their options - and ours.




Boomer Leftists Are Raging Against the Dying of the Light in the Saddest Way


Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Or don't. That's also a valid option. 

Leftist boomers are a breed of people who I think give modern leftists a run for their money in terms of ridiculousness. Now, with Donald Trump back in office, boomers are crawling out of the woodwork to protest his second term using any excuse they can. 

Boomers coming out to protest isn't exactly surprising. The leftists of that generation have always been the type to get out and "do something," with that "something" usually boiling down to standing outside a location and chanting — or worse, performing. 

For instance, boomer leftists labeled as "faith leaders" were standing in front of an ICE facility in Newark with arms linked, while other boomers sang out in front of them about fascism... or something. 


The increased activity of the old hippies is noticeable enough that even news outlets have taken notice. Business Insider wrote an entire piece on their loud and proud presence, with this bit being the most interesting to me: 

Consider some of the things boomers take pride in their generation pushing for: civil rights, women's rights, environmental causes — they may feel an urgency to come to the rescue of those things being under threat.

A generation that attended concerts for Live Aid, the Concert for Bangladesh, and made a Christmas song with the lyrics "Do they know it's Christmastime at all?" might have a different perspective about the implications of pulling USAID out of developing nations where part of its work was addressing global hunger.

I've been trying to figure out what the boomers have been trying to accomplish lately. Their protests are often this way — performative, brightly colored, and hard to watch. I couldn't tell who they were trying to convince with these displays. Then the Insider bit hit me. 

I think they're truly fighting for their legacy, because they see themselves as the great movers and shakers of their day, responsible for changes to the American social and political structure that's resonated for decades. 

And perhaps they're right to a degree. Leftist boomers are responsible for what I would say is a lot of the issues we're having today. They invaded colleges, became professors, and transferred their prejudices and sentiments to the young, who went on to become media figures, politicians, directors, actors, producers, and the forerunners of campus radicals. Their effect on the culture can't be shrugged off. 

The thing is, these boomer leftists aren't exactly moving the needle anymore, and that's what makes them seem so funny to a point where it's sad to see. Their behavior is so ridiculous that I too often hear other boomers tell me, "we're not with them." 

But behind all the cringy nonsense is, what I think, is a sense of something slipping away that they believe is theirs, and they're reacting to it the only way they know how, which is to do what hippies do. They gather together and virtue signal, not to the outside world, but to one another. This is their "one last ride" moment where they're reliving their glory days against a man they were brainwashed into thinking is the new Hitler, just like they were brainwashed into thinking every media target was Hitler before him. 

They're more than aware they aren't going to see the end result of anything they're protesting. Some of them are wondering if they've got four years left, and so they're looking to bookend their time with that "do something" mentality. They won't change anything, but I think they know that. This isn't about changing anything, this is just a self-congratulatory ritual based on nostalgic idealism. The cameras might be on them, but the audience is themselves. 

Think of an aging rock star going on tour. The vast majority of the audience will be people that loved them when they were popular decades ago, and while it may help people to relive something that once gave them life, it's not going to effect the world. Not in the way it used to. Everyone claps, everyone sings along, but no one is buying their new album.

If they were truly trying to affect change, they'd adopt more updated tactics, but they're not interested in that. That's for the youngsters, anyway. More fun to get the ol' guitar out, craft a badly written protest song, and rage against the dying of the light. 

But I've got bad news for the hippies: The things that are dying are, like their protest methods and beliefs, outdated, untenable, and in desperate need of retirement. The things they supported back then might have even had good intentions back in the day, but have proven to be corrupt and highly partisan, which might be fine for them, but for people living in reality, it's time for the mark these leftist boomers left to be scrubbed clean. 



Memorial Day Travel Primed for 20-Year Record As Americans Celebrate Post-Biden American Life


Bob Hoge reporting for RedState 

Americans are feeling good. It shows in poll after poll showing that a majority think we’re on the right track. It shows in the economic numbers, where inflation has finally cooled and grocery prices are finally less coronary-inducing.

Biden is no longer in the Oval Office, Trump has taken charge, and we’re on a new path forward. In yet another illustration of this, the American Automobile Association predicts mammoth traffic over the Memorial Day holiday weekend as lowering gas prices are freeing folks to go visit their families and have a little fun:

AAA forecasted on Monday that a total of 45.1 million people will take trips at least 50 miles from where they live between Thursday, May 22, and Monday, May 26, the day that Memorial Day falls on this year. 

The number of people projected to travel over those upcoming five days will break the long-standing Memorial Day holiday weekend record of 44 million that was notched 20 years ago, according to the organization.

Although many folks are still feeling the effects of the oppressive Bidenflation, the pressure is easing:

The organization said many Americans "say they’re taking advantage of the long holiday weekend to spend time with loved ones, even if the trips are closer to home" amid ongoing "concerns over rising prices" in the U.S.

During the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a projected 39.4 million travelers will use cars to get to their destinations, 1.2 million more than last year, according to AAA.


Annual Inflation Rate Hits Four-Year Low; Groceries Biggest Decline in Five Years

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Leave it to leftist outlets like Axios to try to somehow make the news gloomy:

While Axios can try to spread their permanent depression, the reality is that people no longer feel the need to pass out when they visit the pump. It was only a few years ago that it cost me $100 to fill up my Ford Explorer:

The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline hovered around $3.13 nationwide, according to AAA, down from $3.59 a gallon on Memorial Day in 2024.

"While some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends," Stacey Barber, AAA's vice president of travel, said in a statement. "Long holiday weekends are ideal for travel because many people have an extra day off work and students are off from school."

So go forth. Be merry, and honor those who sacrificed for our country. And if you’re like me, you’ll look at the gas station prices or your grocery bill and think to yourself, “change can be a wonderful thing indeed.”