“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

If one listens to Democrats–the mainstream media and elected officials–the U.S. economy is in a freefall, worse than China Joe’s, perhaps worse than in the history of the country. Of course, all of this FAKE NEWS!

It is unimaginable that Americans could be buying into the Democrats’ complaints about “affordability”, inflation, and prices. Especially since the Democrats caused all the economic problems in the first instance. President Trump’s administration is doing an admirable job of digging us out of China Joe’s hole.

Below is an article from Andrew Wolff which cuts through some of the B.S. that permeates the news. I urge you to read it. And to be patient. And optimistic. Things are good, and getting better.

The Data Is In — and the Narrative Is Wrong

Consumer confidence, demographics, and falling inflation gird the Trump economy.

BY:          F. Andrew Wolff, The American Spectator (January 27, 2026).

It would appear that most mainstream economists and legacy journalists either don’t believe the “numbers” or don’t like what they reveal about the Trump economy.

Of course, there are analysts who do not do their work through the lens of politics.

The combination of solid wage growth, low inflation, a confident consumer … suggests the economic expansion should continue at a healthy pace in 2026.

The U.S. economy, says Goldman Sachs Research, is poised for stronger performance this year than many economists are projecting.

On a full-year basis, the economy is forecast to grow 2.8 percent. The probability of a recession in the next 12 months has fallen from 30 percent to 20 percent.

While most economists estimate that the economy will grow only 2.0 percent in the coming year, this forecast increasingly appears counterintuitive to solid economics. 

Americans continued to spend in November — a reflection of rising incomes, mild inflation, and employment that remains steady. Moreover — and this is both important and often misunderstood — they drew down savings, further indicating confidence in maintaining robust consumption.

The US Consumer

Consumer spending, adjusted for inflation, rose 0.3 percent for the second month, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) said last Thursday. (The agency released both October and November figures after a lengthy delay caused by the federal government shutdown.)

The report indicates Americans are spending with confidence despite some complaints of elevated prices — wage growth and payroll expansion continue to outpace what’s needed to maintain labor market stability. Real consumption growth of 0.3 percent in both months represents genuine increases in the volume of goods and services purchased, generating economic expansion in Q4.

Personal spending was supported by the strongest advance in outlays for goods since July, including motor vehicles, gasoline/energy goods, and apparel. Services expenditures remained robust, led by health care and financial services. Particularly significant — discretionary spending in sectors like recreation services, recreational goods, and dining advanced robustly, reinforcing an important message — consumers feel secure enough to spend on leisure.

In addition, the BEA revised its Q3 GDP figure upwards from 4.3 to 4.4 percent — the most in two years.

With personal consumption growing at the fastest pace of the year, the Atlanta Fed’s “GDPNow” (which estimates what current data implies for economic growth) has Q4 growth at 5.4 percent.

Confident Consumers Reduce Savings Rate

Personal saving contributions fell to 3.5 percent in November from 3.7 percent, the lowest since October 2022, as Americans chose to maintain consumption rather than fund precautionary savings.

While some analysts see this as a sign of financial distress, this drawdown in savings is a classic indicator of consumer confidence. When Americans feel secure about their employment prospects and incomes, they are comfortable spending rather than hoarding cash. This suggests

Americans expect the economic expansion to continue.

A point of reference is that wages and salaries rose a solid 0.4 percent in November, continuing to support household purchasing power. While mainstream analysts have expressed caution about labor market weakness, the underlying fundamentals tell a different story.

A combination of strong real spending growth and declining savings rates indicates consumers feel confident about their financial situation. When Americans become apprehensive about job security or the economy, they typically cut spending and build savings as a buffer. The current encouraging data reflect the converse.

Labor Market — Stronger Than Expected

Major financial institutions, including the Dallas Federal Reserve and RBC Economics, dramatically adjusted downward estimates of “break-even employment” — the monthly job creation needed to maintain stable unemployment.

Due to demographic variables from Baby Boomer retirements to reduced immigration numbers, break-even employment is now significantly less — down from previous estimates of 100,000-plus jobs per month to just 30,000-40,000 per month.

Job creation averaged roughly 49,000 per month last year. While some have viewed this number as weak compared to the torrid rates of 2022-2023, it more accurately represents a healthy labor market given the new demographic realities. Initial jobless claims remain at historically low levels around 200,000, and the unemployment rate of 4.4 percent is well below post-war averages ranging from 4 percent to 10 percent.

Dallas Federal Reserve data released in October noted that modest payroll gains, which might have seemed concerning in 2023, are now indicative of a stable and balanced market given the dramatically lower break-even rate driven by altered demographics.

This helps explain current consumer attitudes and behavior. Rather than spending despite a “reported” weak labor market, the Dallas Fed writes, “This recalibration suggests that today’s more modest payroll gains don’t signal weakness but are consistent with a balanced labor market.”

Consumers are spending confidently because the labor market remains fundamentally sound, recalibrated for the new demographic realities.

Inflation Approaching the 2.0 Percent Fed Target

The personal consumption expenditure price index (PCE) — the Fed’s benchmark for inflation — increased 0.2 percent in both October and November. Excluding food and energy, the core PCE price index also increased only 0.2 percent in both months.

On a three-month annualized basis, total PCE inflation dropped from 2.8 percent in September to 2.5 percent in November. Three-month annualized core inflation fell from 2.7 percent in September to 2.3 percent in November.

(Note of caution: The recent government shutdown precluded the Bureau of Labor Statistics from collecting October 2025 consumer price index data. The October price indices were derived from the geometric mean of September and November CPIs, which may affect data comparability.)

Price pressures have come down considerably — approaching the Fed’s target. The Dallas Fed’s measure of underlying inflation rose at a one-month annualized pace of 1.5 percent in October and November, the lowest since 2020. The six-month annualized figure was 2.3 percent in both October and November.

The bottom line: we’re approaching the Fed’s 2.0 percent target.

The combination of solid wage growth, low inflation, a confident consumer, and a labor market that remains fundamentally healthy — despite requiring fewer monthly job additions due to demographic shifts — suggests the economic expansion should continue at a healthy pace in 2026. And this is without factoring in the stimulus coming in the first half of 2026 from the Trump tax cuts, continued tariff revenue, and two likely additional interest rate cuts from the Fed this year.

This assessment suggests that the consensus economic growth estimate of 2.1 percent for 2026 could be — as has been the case in the past — somewhat politically driven. Forecasts of growth projections closer to 3.0 percent are more likely to reflect economic reality.

GFK

“No matter how big a hammer you use, you cannot pound common sense into stupid people.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

This Sunday marks the beginning of the Pre-Lenten season. The three Sundays before Ash Wednesday are named by their relation to Easter Day. Thus Septuagesima falls approximately seventy days before Easter, Sexagesima sixty days, and Quinquagesima approximately forty days before Easter.

The wisdom in numbering the Sundays before Easter was to shift our focus from the manifestation of Christ to the world towards the reason for the Incarnation. Three Sundays were set aside before Ash Wednesday to allow the faithful to shift their focus meaningfully towards Lent and establishing their Lenten rule.

The Epistle for this Sunday alerts us to the Lenten task ahead: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. Taking Lent seriously means treating it as an athletic competition, striving to win the prize. The ultimate prize is our salvation, which we are work out “with fear and trembling.” Lent assists us in this task as we examine more closely our lives and attempt to root out those things that ought not to be there.

Over the next several weeks, as we prepare for Lent, think about how we might dedicate ourselves to more prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Think about how we might draw more closely to God this Lent. May we fashion a Lenten Rule this year that will allow God’s grace to truly transform us. Then may we appreciate with greater depth the meaning of the Resurrection of Our Blessed Lord.

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are not taking it well that a Tazewell Circuit Court Judge is preventing them from amassing even more political power. The Democrats are asking the Virginia Court of Appeals to strike down the judge’s ruling, claiming it was interfering with their illegal and unconstitutional actions.

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are also emulating their counterparts in Minnesota and California, pushing legislation that would ban ICE agents from wearing masks, and prohibiting ICE agents from making arrests in and around courthouses. None of this legislation–if it became law–could be enforced, because it is unconstitutional. The States do not get to dictate to federal law enforcement how it operates.

“. . . That it’s clear . . . it”s clear that the far-right in this country, that they have not accepted the results of the Civil War, and that they have longed for a rematch . . . to have a republic that subjugates and subjects individuals to a permanent lower class.”

–Chicago, Illinois Mayor Brandon Johnson (D.).

What is he talking about? The man is a dolt.  He is historically illiterate.  It was the Democrats—not the Republicans—who protected the institution of slavery, who instituted Jim Crow, segregation, affirmative action and DEI, and who created the Ku Klux Klan.

Minnesota has agreed [FINALLY!] to honor ICE detainers, and to release illegal aliens from prisons and jails directly to ICE agents. This policy, as is practiced in most States, allows a safe transfer of criminals to federal authorities, without releasing the criminals back into society. Indeed, if Minnesota had been doing this all along, 2 Minneapolis residents would not have died.

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe is asking the faithful to financially support illegal aliens in the United States. Uh, no.

Sarah Mullally was confirmed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the 1st woman to hold that position in the Church of England’s 1,400 year history. More evidence of Great Britain’s decline and destruction.

“Do not compare ICE or Border Patrol agents to the Nazis. That’s an unfair comparison. The Nazis were willing to show their faces.”

–Stephen Colbert, on one of his last television appearances as host of CBS’s The Late Show.

Stephen Colbert is a disgusting, despicable excuse for a human being.

The Family Drive-In Theatre in Stephens City, Virginia has been given a reprieve. The longstanding business was originally slated to be closed, but a new owner has swept in, purchased the property, and intends to keep the business operating. WOO HOO!

In a taste test of commercial mayonnaises, Southern Living magazine deemed Duke’s Mayonnaise the best. No surprise there. But in a surprise decision, Blue Plate finished behind Kraft. The judges deemed Blue Plate to be too “fluffy” and “sweet”. Oh, my! Russell is not going to be happy about this development.

Mattel’s Ken doll, Barbie’s longtime boyfriend, has a full name. It is Kenneth Sean Carson. Who knew?

“No one is going to pay a $15,000.00 premium for a car that competes with a Corolla.”

— Johan de Nysschen, then President of Audi America, commenting on the debut of the all electric Chevy Volt.

Just two years ago, Mary Barra, chief executive of General Motors, declared: “We believe in an all-electric future.” She went on to claim that the challenges her company was facing in the EV market were merely temporary bumps on the road to net zero.

On January 8, 2026 GM announced it would take a $7.1 billion hit in charges against its earnings, of which $6 billion is due to Barra’s failed EV strategy. In a filing with the SEC, the company also warned that it would take more write-downs this year as part of a “strategic realignment of EV capacity.” In other words, GM is drowning in debt due to Mary Barra’s really, awful, bad bet.

Southern doughnut brand Krispy Kreme is kicking off all things chocolate with their beloved Chocomania Collection, back by popular demand.  From January 27 through February 1, the North Carolina-based brand is partnering with chocolate pioneer Hershey’s for four new delectable doughnuts.  Each begins with a perfectly pillowy Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut coated with Hershey’s chocolate.  Yum!

Spain’s Socialist government is granting amnesty to more than 500,000 illegal aliens. Do not think that if returned to power, U.S. Democrats would not do the same thing. They would.

During recent Olympic trials in Lake Placid, New York, Team Canada manipulated the competition so as to make it mathematically impossible for American Katie Uhlaender to earn enough points to qualify for the games in Milan, Italy.

GFK

“Not all chemicals are bad.  Without chemicals like hydrogen and oxygen, there would be no water, a vital ingredient for beer.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

GOOD MORNING Mary Hazen! Do not let Winter keep you down! Remember; you are always telling me that Spring is coming!

Monday was National Peanut Brittle Day. Sigh. And we missed it!

Yesterday I left the house in Northern Virginia for the 1st time since the snowstorm. I should have stayed home.

I took the farm truck into town. AFTER I managed to get it out of, and down, the driveway. The gravel lane to the main road was slick, but not as slick as the “plowed” main roads. My drive and parking lot at the office had been plowed, but the entrances were not shoveled. The ice and snow were firm, and only occasionally did I actually break the surface. The streets of Berryville have not been suitably plowed, so parking at the bank and the Post Office was difficult, if not impossible. I underestimated how cold it was, and so did not wear gloves. Big mistake. I was very happy to return home. Today I may not leave. I may not leave until May.

The federal government is going to partially shut down at midnight on Friday. Because Democrats are demanding it.

The Democrats are demanding the elimination of ICE funding. That is not going to happen. ICE operations are fully funded through 2029. What Democrats are demanding is not achievable. And it is dangerous. They want to stop all deportations of criminal illegal aliens–also known as the Democrat voter base.

“If I were President Trump, I would almost think about, OK, if the mayor and the governor are going to put our ICE officials in harm’s way and there’s a chance of losing more, you know, innocent lives or whatever, then maybe go to another city and let the people of Minneapolis decide, ‘Do we want to continue to have all of these illegals? Are we going to allow our governor, attorney general and mayor to get away with this?’”

–Representative James Comer (R. Ky.), going weak in the knees over FAKE NEWS and Democrat whining.  SURRENDER MONKEY!

The Stupid Party Lives!  This is not a question for the folks in Minnesota to decide.  This is a question for the President of the United States.

Good news for normal Virginians, bad news for Virginia Democrats. A Tazewell County, Virginia circuit court judge ruled that the Democrat effort to bypass the Constitution of Virginia’s non-partisan redistricting commission was unconstitutional. Take that, socialist tyrants!

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are barreling forward to make law abiding gun owners criminals. Legislation expected to pass and be signed into law would outlaw all semi-automatic guns as “assault weapons”. Also banned would be magazines that hold 10 or more rounds of ammunition. There are no grandfather clauses, and the possession of these banned instruments carry a penalty of 12 months in jail, and/or a $2,500.00 fine, upon conviction.

Never mind that the proposed Virginia gun legislation is clearly unconstitutional. Democrats do not care.

The bill’s author is Virginia State Senator Saddam Azlan Salim (D.), who was born in Bangladesh.  Great.  A foreigner is pushing legislation to negate a basic right held by this country’s inhabitants since 1607.

“Even if there is an investigation that ultimately proves that at the time of the shooting it was legally justified, I don’t even think that matters at this point because people are angry at ICE.”

–Minneapolis, Minnesota Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

It does not matter whether the shootings by ICE agents in Minneapolis are justified. Police Chief O’Hara admits this.  No one in Minneapolis cares.  All they care about is getting ICE out of their city, obstructing and defeating its enforcement of federal immigration law, and protecting criminal aliens.  THAT is what everything is all about.

“This is a small bunch of wannabe Nazis.  That’s what they are.  In a country of 350 million, we outnumber them.  If we have to hunt you down the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will find your identities.  We will find you.  We will achieve justice.”

–Philadelphia, Pennsylvania District Attorney Larry Krasner, threatening to retaliate against federal agents for enforcing federal law.

Larry Krasner is just bent out of shape because the idiots in Minnesota are getting all the attention. He wants everyone to realize that he is incompetent too!

U.S. Senator and hipster doofus Jon Ossof (D. Ga.):         Will one, even ONE, Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Georgia join other GOP leaders who are calling for a full, transparent, independent investigation into Alex Pretti’s killing in Minnesota?

Representative and U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins (R. Ga.): Here’s my statement, Jon: we need to fully fund DHS so ICE can continue deporting violent criminal illegal immigrants from our streets. I stand with President Trump and law enforcement. 

When will you say one, even ONE, word about the illegal aliens arrested just this month for raping, kidnapping, and molesting your constituents?

Librarian Morgan L. Morrow of Ripley, West Virginia solicited hitmen snipers to “take out” President Trump. That was not smart. Miss Morrow is now staying at the Jackson County Jail, courtesy of the State of West Virginia.

“Hi.  This is Elliot Forhan, candidate for Ohio Attorney General.  I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump.  I mean, I’m going to obtain a conviction rendered by a jury of his peers at a standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, based on evidence presented at a trial conducted in accordance with the requirements of due process, resulting in a sentence, duly executed, of capital punishment.  That is what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump.”

This is a transcript from a real political advertisement, currently airing in Ohio. No kidding.

Blue Bell Ice Creams is introducing a line of ice cream for those who wish to put more protein in their diet. Blue Bell PRO pints will be available in five delicious flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, and Salted Caramel.

Jaguar is still reeling from its failed androgynous ad campaign, and its efforts to build an all-electric fleet of vehicles. Long known for placing powerful engines in its automobiles, Jaguar’s consumers were, and are, wholly uninterested in electric vehicles. The company is delving back into the gasoline powered market, but with a twist; the new vehicles will be hybrids, not pure gasoline powered automobiles. Sigh. Jaguar is assuring customers that the new hybrids will be quite powerful. But nothing says V-12 less, than a hybrid automobile. Another epic fail.

FAT Brands, which owns popular fast food chains such as FAT Burger, Johnny Rocket’s, and Twin Peaks, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The company is dealing with $1.3 billion in debt.

“ . . . it is important to remember where this will lead.  Neocons will use this story to push the president to start a regime change war, spreading the fiction Iran is somehow a threat to the United States.  It is not.  Yes, they scream “Death to America,” but they do so in response to our behavior in their region, not out of inherent hatred. America had no Islamist terrorism problem before 1948.  That is no coincidence.”

–Tucker Carlson, insisting that Iran is no threat, and besides, it is all Israel’s fault.

When Tucker Carlson arrived in Washington, D.C., he was a promising young writer, who had problems with alcohol. The quote above suggests that his problem drinking has returned.

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who won a total of 8 Super Bowls, 6 with New England, will not be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. Huh.

Professional golfer Patrick Reed is leaving the LIV tour, and returning to The PGA Tour. That’s a shame. Cheater.

GFK

“The 2 most common elements in the Universe are hydrogen and stupidity.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

I am sick and tired of writing about Minnesota. It is such an awful State, next to Canada, colder than imaginable in Winter, and hot and overrun with mosquitos in the Summer.

In 1970, actress Mary Tyler Moore starred in a sitcom–The Mary Tyler Moore Show–set in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She played Mary Richards, a news director for a local television station.

Now I really enjoyed Mary Tyler Moore when she played Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show, which was set in New York. But from the very beginning I hated The Mary Tyler Moore Show, largely because it was set in Minneapolis. At the young age of 10, I knew–KNEW–that Minnesota was a miserable place. And this is before the Democrats obtained total control over the State government, and made it into a less attractive version of Canada.

Many, many years later, I was faced with attending court in Minneapolis on behalf of a large client of my firm. I put it off as long as possible, and successfully resolved the matter without having to actually appear in Minnesota. I was so happy to have dodged that bullet.

So–at least for now–I am done with writing about the goings on in Minnesota. The Democrat controlled government is in full blown insurrection against the federal government. It is easily the greatest rebellion since the Nullification Crisis in 1832, leaving aside The Late Unpleasantness, which was not a “rebellion”, but a secession. The Democrats are willing to let their own citizens die, if they can do it in service of a criminal alien class. It makes no sense. But I am now bored with the whole “resistance” movement up North. Blah, blah, blah.

So, today we are Minnesota free. Below are 2 articles. The 1st article addresses the lunacy of what the Left calls the exercise of their First Amendment rights. The 2nd article debunks the Leftist claptrap about the United States being an authoritarian State, and President Trump being a dictator. Please enjoy this respite from our neighbors up North.

Sorry, AOC — Protest Culture Is Un-American

BY:          David Harsanyi, The New York Post (January 25, 2026).

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez likes to argue that the “whole point” of protesting is to make people “uncomfortable.”

In this as in so much else, the Democratic darling is incorrect.

Debate, dissent, running highly misleading political ads on TV: These are all part of our great tradition of political discourse.

Taking to the streets to disrupt the lives of average citizens is a leftist ideal, not an American one.

It’s antithetical to the highest virtue of republicanism, namely minding your own business.

But decades ago American leftists began conflating “activism” with patriotism, and millions of young people were convinced that protesting is an expression of good citizenry.

These days, caring is often given more reverence than wisdom, knowledge or achievement, let alone patriotic activities like working, getting married and raising kids.

An equally intolerable and parallel notion has also sprung up: It says the rest of us have a patriotic duty to admire anyone who’s “making a difference” or engaged in “participatory democracy,” no matter how insufferable or wrong they are.

And protesters are almost always insufferable and wrong.

Every loudmouth ignoramus with an opinion has a First Amendment right. You’re not special.

Yet modern left-wing protesters believe their passion and anger imbue them with moral license to demand things and speak over their fellow citizens.

Just watch the video of those self-righteous “activists” disrupting church services in St. Paul the other day, or global-warming cultists shutting down traffic in major cities, or college students using their heckler’s veto to disrupt speeches and debates.

As we’ve seen with two recent shootings in Minneapolis, protest culture can have deadly consequences.

Then again, most of these efforts aren’t organic or spontaneous expressions of political anger anymore.

They are well-funded and well-managed by organizations that see political benefit in creating chaos and turning our country into a revolutionary battleground.

From Lenin to Alinsky, forced confrontation has been a tactic of Marxist activism.

Every bully, of course, sees themselves as the embodiment of MLK Jr., though most of them lack dignity and a worthy cause.

It’s amusing hearing these self-aggrandizing activists treat protests as great acts of bravery.

But wake up: You’re not actually living in a fascist state.

Those marching against the clerics in Iran risk their lives.

Bottom of Form

As did those who marched in Tiananmen Square in 1989, who rose up against the Communists during the Prague Spring of 1968, or who engaged in civil disobedience against the Stamp Act in 1765.

You can be as passionate as you like here in these United States, but our laws governing the border and immigration, and ICE itself, were all democratically instituted.

You’re free to vote in the next election.

Failing to get your preferred legislation passed isn’t repression, and you’re not Gandhi.

Though it’s heartening for the rest of us to know that most protests are merely performative acts with little political consequence.

Demonstrations are rarely a barometer of public sentiment.

In the left’s hagiographic rendering of the 1960s, peace-loving demonstrators took to the streets and ended the Vietnam War.

In the real world Richard Nixon, who won a historic landslide victory in 1972 against peacenik George McGovern, ended the conflict.

Anti-war protesters couldn’t stop the Iraq War, either. Or any American war, for that matter.

Tea Partiers couldn’t stop Obamacare.

“Occupy Wall Street” was unable to overturn the laws governing basic economics.

Pussyhat marchers embarrassed themselves, but they didn’t stop Donald Trump from occupying the White House — any more than Jan. 6 marchers and rioters did Joe Biden.

And the anti-ICE nuts disrupting church services who accuse parishioners of being “white supremacists” will likely have similar luck.

That’s good news.

The “right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” is our inheritance.

It guarantees anyone can march without worrying about punishment or reprisals from the state.

Though it shouldn’t escape our attention that many of the same progressives who treat public demonstration as the purest form of “democracy” advocate for censoring views they find dangerous — and regularly conflate speech with “violence.”

Democratic socialists nearly always shed the adjective as soon as they gain power.

Let’s face it, though, most unhinged activists you see ranting and raving act like children.

And children have trouble comprehending the distinction between things you can do and things you should do.

You can cosplay as Islamic revolutionaries on campus.

What you should do is read some books about the Middle East.

But nothing in a free country compels the rest of us to celebrate spoiled adults making a spectacle of themselves — or to treat them as anything but nuisances.  

___________________________________________________________________

What Would Life Really Look Like Under a Totalitarian Regime?

BY:          Ward Clark (January 26, 2026).

The Left just loves to claim that President Trump is some sort of dictator. They love to claim he sits at the head of a totalitarian government. That’s poppycock, of course. The notion is easily dispelled by pointing out that, were President Trump a totalitarian dictator, one wouldn’t be allowed to call him a totalitarian dictator. 

Dictatorships, from Rome to the present day, are notoriously short on respect for free speech.

Let’s be real about this: If any totalitarian system does come to power here in this nation, it won’t be coming from the Republican Party. It’s the Left – always the Left – that does these things. It’s the Left that is always calling for more government control. It’s always the Left that wants to throttle dissent by calling it “hate speech.” It’s always the Left that wants to disarm us, to intimidate us, to control us, and to sweep us aside if we oppose them. They can’t; in the United States, it’s just not that easy. 

Let’s do a thought exercise. What might an actual totalitarian regime look like if one came to power here? As I see it, and as shown by examples from history, there would be three broad phases.

First: The takeover. However, a totalitarian government comes to power, whether it be by vote, by coup, or some other means. What happens when they assume control? The likely move would be to take control of all of the federal government. Congress is dissolved, and all but a few confirmed fellow-traveler members of Congress are arrested. The Supreme Court is disbanded, and again, the members are arrested. Opposing state governors are arrested – if the takeover comes from the left, that means that the new regime will try to arrest the governors and key officials of states like Texas, Wyoming, Florida, and Alaska. The new regime can’t give in, or the whole thing comes apart. Civil war ensues.  

Assuming the new regime wins the likely conflict, what next?

Second: The crackdown. The media, legacy, alternative, and otherwise, is shut down. That especially means alternative media sites like, well, this one. Only state-approved information is disseminated. The internet is heavily filtered, ostensibly to keep out “disinformation” and “hate speech.” We already see this in communist countries today: North Korea, China, and Cuba. Major media figures are arrested. A new system of “news” arises: State-sponsored, state-controlled. 

To deal with the old red state, blue state dichotomy, the new regime erases former state lines and redraws the country into districts, or soviets, if you like. These would be drawn to minimize the ability of the more independent-minded among the population to form any kind of effective opposition.

The military is “reformed” and put under the control of hand-selected, regime-friendly generals. The rank and file attend forced “re-education” sessions; anyone who resists is imprisoned. Re-education and labor camps are built all across the country, from Boston to San Diego, from San Antonio to Fargo, and they fill up rapidly.

Third and finally: The purge. Anyone suspected of being a troublemaker is . . . dealt with. This is where the great irony of this sort of thing comes in; all the street-level leftist shouters who, before the takeover, served as useful idiots, working coordinated riots, throwing rocks at cops, and just generally making trouble, are no longer an asset to the regime. They are, instead, known troublemakers. Now they are rounded up. The new regime already has the names of these troublemakers, their locations, and all of their social media traffic. That’s more than enough for show trials, perhaps done by military tribunal, perhaps by set-up show courts. In either case, the known troublemakers, the ones who thought they would be running things in the new regime, are now sent to one of the new camps. That is, if they are lucky. The real high-profile ones, the ones that showed any ability to lead others, are far more likely to end up looking at rifles from the wrong side.

But it won’t be just the useful idiots who are purged. If you regularly read alternative, conservative media, which you’re doing right now, you’re suspect. If you ever voted for a Republican, at any level of government, you’re suspect. If you own guns – and believe me, the new regime will know – those guns will be confiscated, and a few high-profile people will “resist” and be shot down, and the shootings publicized by state media, pour encourager les autres.

The First and Second Amendments are gone. No free speech, ever again. No freedom of conscience. No right to bear arms. All of the Bill of Rights is gone. The Constitution is suspended. Elections are either cancelled or are one-party, one-choice sham elections. 

That’s what a dictatorial regime looks like. We have seen this happen, time and again, in Lenin and Stalin’s Soviet Union, in Mao’s China, in Pol Pot’s Cambodia, in Castro’s Cuba, and in the hereditary dictatorship of the Kims in North Korea. Will it happen here? I don’t think so. The United States would be a tough nut to crack, and if nothing else, any such totalitarian regime would likely never be able to gain control of our rank-and-file military and would lose the civil war mentioned above, probably catastrophically.

This is, however, what it would look like if the United States were taken over by an actual totalitarian regime. This is why it’s so hard to take the Left seriously at times. President Trump, agree with him or not on any given issue, was elected by the constitutional process and is carrying out enforcing laws that were legally enacted by our elected representatives. That’s all. He’s not a dictator. His administration is not a totalitarian regime. And it’s the Left, not the Right, that would be at the source of any attempt to bring about a dictatorship.

GFK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAY BAYS! May today be even more special than all your other special days. I miss you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON! Can Samuel shovel my driveway?

“How do you know a man is thinking of his future?  He buys 2 cases of beer instead of 1.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

A long-time dear reader and golfing companion wrote to express his puzzlement at my non-mention of the recent Unpleasantness of s***. He is right to be puzzled, as I am prone to complain about the lightest dusting of the white stuff.

The truth is that the media focused so much attention on this recent Unpleasantness, that I was tired of the subject. There is nothing I can do about it, except prepare and tolerate it.

The s*** and sleet arrived, and blanketed the area. Horses and cows could be seen from our home’s windows braving the weather, the horses with their blankets, and the cows . . . well the cows were just plain grumpy. Dudley was none too happy, as he hates s*** as much as I do; perhaps more, as he is consigned to his bathroom duties in the outdoors.

But English and I hunkered down. We read. We watched old movies. English prepared wonderful cocktails and delicious meals. It was a little break, of sorts.

We are still awaiting our s*** removal guy to clear the driveway. And even after leaving our property, we have to navigate the gravel lane and icy, narrow country roads that lead to town. I may not leave the house until April.

But this particular event has focused me on 2 things. One, I need to put in a natural gas powered generator in our house in Chatmoss. Second, we need yet another house, no further North than South Carolina, and possibly, maybe, in Southern California. English opposes the latter, but after this recent Unpleasantness, she may relent. Carlsbad is nice, as is Laguna Niguel. Because, dear readers, rest assured, I still detest s***!

President Trump ran on a platform calling for the restoration of law and order. Instead of apologizing for the police, and excusing and coddling criminals, law enforcement would be allowed to do its job. And now we know the results. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, crime rates have plummeted–not slowed, plateaued, or dropped, but plummeted–in 2025, compared to 2024. Good job, Mr. President!

The Energy Department cancelled $30 billion in “green energy” loans, previously approved by the China Joe Administration. Good. “Green energy” is a scam.

Fifty-seven (57) House Republicans joined all Democrats to defeat a measure that would have repealed a China Joe mandate that all newly manufactured automobiles have a “kill switch”, which would allow a vehicle to automatically shut down if it–the vehicle–determines that the driver is driving erratically or dangerously. The Stupid Party Lives!

Last week, the mainstream media and Democrat politicians reported and cried that ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota had “kidnapped” a 5 year old boy, and used him to lure his illegal alien father into being arrested. Moreover, ICE was preparing to deport the 5 year old boy, along with his father. FAKE NEWS!

What actually happened is that the father–an illegal alien–was walking his son home from school, and when he spotted ICE agents, he ran away, abandoning his son on the sidewalk in freezing temperatures. ICE agents took the little boy into custody–what were they supposed to do, leave him alone on the sidewalk?–and fed him McDonald’s and entertained him while other ICE agents searched for a relative. ICE located the mother, who refused to accept her son! ICE then asked the father, who had been apprehended earlier, if he wished to keep his son with him in detention, and take him with him upon deportation. The father indicated that he did, and so ICE reunited father and son.

The media, Governor Jazz Hands (D. Mn.), Mayor Frey (D.), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D. Mn.) all lied about this incident, repeatedly, even after the lie had been debunked. No matter. Because . . . Orange Man Bad.

An anti-ICE agitator bit the finger off an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Was this part of a “mostly peaceful” protest?

Austin, Texas’s City Council declared January “Muslim Heritage Month”. The resolution was championed by the Council On American Islamic Relations. CAIR is a terrorist organization. Good job, Texas Lefties! Surrender to the enemy.

“It’s just reprehensible that they would even go down this road.  But, it seems to be what’s happening in Richmond.”

–Representative Robert Wittman (R. Va.), addressing the Virginia General Assembly Democrats’ all-out offensive against The Virginia Military Institute.

VMI was founded in 1839, and is the nation’s oldest military school. It’s alumni include Generals George Marshall and George Patton, United Nations Ambassador Michael Walz, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, James Caine. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson taught at VMI. And in 1864, the Keydets marched North from Lexington, many barefoot, all under supplied, and decisively defeated the professionally trained and supplied Union Army at New Market, Virginia. VMI counts among its graduates titans of industry, doctors, lawyers, and active duty career military men. But no matter. The Democrats in Richmond are determined to destroy this unique, historical, storied, and successful educational institution. Shame on them!

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has folded like a cheap suit. The Lefty Labourite wanted to return the Chagos Islands, which hosts a U.S./U.K. air and naval base which commands the Indian Ocean, to Mauritus. China Joe supported the give-back, but President Trump opposes it. So vociferous was President Trump’s opposition, that Mr. Starmer relented. For now, the world is a tad safer. Thank you, President Trump.

What would likely have occurred if President Trump had not successfully faced off against Keir Starmer? The Red Chinese would be occupying that air and naval base, and in command of the Indian Ocean.

Sade’s Cocktails, a dive bar that has operated in Carmel By The Sea, California for 100 years, closes later this week, for good. Very sad.

The Daily Telegraph, a British cesspool of fake news, is claiming that William Shakespeare was actually a black woman. Uh, huh. The Bard was a pasty white guy from Warwickshire, who lived in Stratford-upon-Avon. Sigh. What a bunch of chuckleheads must work at this newspaper!

Eileen Gu is a world champion skier. She used to compete for the United States in the Olympics, but in 2022, she competed for Red China instead. Which she is still doing. So why did the City of San Francisco, California make her the Grand Marshal of its Lunar New Year Parade? Miss Gu deserves no honors in this country. She is a commie, more committed to an adversary of the United States, than the country of her birth. Let her go to China, and live, if that is what she prefers. She may have been born an American, but she is not an American. Traitor.

Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani will play for Team Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.  A regrettable decision, given their status came through playing baseball in the United States.  But, unlike Eileen Gu, these guys were actually born in Japan.

“I hope President Trump sends in the National Guard.  We need curfews.  We need real consequences for attacking law enforcement.  These men and women should be able to do their jobs and go home to their families safely.  We’re deporting their voters.  That’s part of what’s happening, and it’s blowing up their whole plan.”

–Former University of Minnesota star football player, and Minnesota Vikings captain, Jack Brewer, commenting on the chaos in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

GFK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HOLLAND KOONTZ! What a long, strange trip it has been!

Our little girl turns 21 today. Where has all the time gone?

She is down in Dallas this morning. I do not think that she has actually spent her birthday at home in 8 years. She went off to boarding school [St. Timothy’s School] at age 13, and then to college [Southern Methodist]. All this time, she has acquitted herself well, and managed to face trials and tribulations, accomplishments, victories, and celebrations, with an aplomb and grace that I am certain I did not possess at her age. She must have learned it from her Mother.

Holland is an adult today, and she should be very proud of herself. English and I are.

When did we begin naming snowstorms? And why? What’s next, naming April showers? Sigh. We are a little fragile and obsessed.

It is official; the United States is out of the United Nations World Health Organization! Woo hoo! Now let us get out of the United Nations altogether.

Trump Administration immigration advisor Tom Homan fired a warning shot at Governor Abigail Spanberger (D. Va.). She can try and make Virginia into a “sanctuary jurisdiction”, but ICE is not going away. If you want the Commonwealth to resemble Minneapolis, go ahead. Make Tom Homan’s day.

“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning.  Minnesota has had it.  This is sickening.  The President must end this operation.  Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota.  Now.”

–Governor Tampon Tim (D. Mn.).

A U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed a demonstrator in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The man was waving a handgun, and had 2 extra magazines on his person. The agents ordered the man to put down the gun, and he refused. His death is tragic, but predictable. Because the man was endangering others. The shooting was entirely justified, based on the known facts.

And the shooting is due, in part, to the refusal of Minnesota officials–Governor Jazz Hands, Mayor Frey (D.), the police chief, and others–who have encouraged the demonstrators, and refused to cooperate with federal law officers in the enforcement of federal law.

What the Democrats of South Carolina did back then is essentially what the Democrats of Minneapolis are doing today, fomenting a 21st century nullification crisis by making it nearly impossible to enforce federal immigration law in the territory under their jurisdiction. Trump, who has ordered 1,500 active-duty troops stationed in Alaska to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, is well within his rights (and within historical precedent) to respond in the same vein as [President] Jackson did to what amounts to a nullification crisis.

Indeed, the whole point of so-called sanctuary laws is to make it difficult or impossible to enforce federal immigration laws — to nullify them. Sanctuary policies like the ones operative in Minneapolis (and many other Democrat-controlled cities) prohibit state and local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities.

The lawless encouragement by Democrat leaders reflects a blatant disregard for managing our borders, for removing criminal illegal aliens from the street, and for protecting ICE and our citizens from the agitators’ hysterical behavior.

Adopting the position of sanctuary cities is an abuse of the federalist system; our federal sovereignty and national security are at stake. The federal government must be allowed to implement immigration law, and take actions against any state to stop this abhorrent, illegal, and unconstitutional mayhem.

Maybe it’s time for State leaders to be charged with obstruction of justice, or worse.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D.) suggested that illegal aliens would be justified in firing upon ICE agents under Arizona’s “stand your ground law”. Are you kidding me? The Arizona Attorney General is instigating illegal aliens to shoot federal law enforcement agents! This is outrageous!

Illegal aliens have no right to “stand [their] ground”; they are not supposed to be on this “ground”. And why do illegal aliens have guns? And why would you encourage anyone to open fire on federal law enforcement? Are you trying to get people killed?

Actually, yes. The Democrats do want people to be killed. That is, if it serves them politically.

“Mahmoud Khalil is a New Yorker.  He should remain in New York City.  I see this attack on him as part of a larger attack on the freedom of speech that is especially pronounced when it comes to the use of that speech to stand up for policy to human rights.”

–Comrade Mayor Zohran Mamdani, expressing his outrage at the U.S.’s deportation of pro-Hamas agitator Mahmoud Khalil.

No.  He is not a “New Yorker”.  He is Syrian.  He is being deported to Algeria.  Because his visa was revoked.  Good-bye! 

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are pushing legislation to prohibit ICE from enforcing federal law within 40 feet of election polling places. Now why would Democrats want to protect polling places from ICE enforcement? Hmmm.

Even if the bill passes, it is unenforceable, and unconstitutional. It’s called the federal “Supremacy Clause”.

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are pushing to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for the commission and conviction of violent crimes such as rape and murder. Their constituents are demanding it.

“It’s really mind-boggling, Mr. Speaker, that we continue to say 2020 as if the new normal of 2026 is not bonkers compared to where we thought our country would be and that some of us refuse to let others take us so far back that some of us would still be in chains.  And with that, Mr. Speaker, I exuberantly, exuberantly support House Bill 1384 and the appropriation that comes with it in order to offset the cost to our localities.”

–Virginia General Assembly Delegate Marcia Price (D. Newport News), explaining that if Virginia Democrats do not amend the Constitution to permit partisan gerrymandering, then Republicans will reinstitute slavery.

What is “mind-boggling” is that Democrats say such stupid claptrap. And it is not just the feckless woman from Hampton Roads. Representative James Clyburn (D. S.C.) said virtually the same thing on the news the other day. And what is more “mind-boggling” is that mainstream media does not push back, report, comment, or call out such stupid comments. Because . . . Orange Man Bad.

Virginia’s criminal Attorney General, Jay Jones, is seeking to withdraw from the settlement reached with the federal government over the Commonwealth’s granting illegal aliens in-State tuition assistance. Of course he is. Defying the law is a Jay Jones hallmark.

Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde of the D.C. Diocese traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, demanding that ICE quit “occupying” the city and State. Hmmm. ICE is enforcing the laws of this country. I am pretty sure that Scripture calls on man to abide by the laws of the governing authorities.

Meanwhile, at the very same time Bishop Budde was protesting the removal of illegal aliens in Minneapolis, there was another protest about a mile away from the Washington Cathedral, in Washington, D.C. Those protestors were there to march for life, and to peacefully call for the sanctity of life, the importance of families, and an end to abortion, which is the murder of an unborn child. Too bad Bishop Budde could not have been there, standing up for Biblical principles. She was too busy supporting criminals, more than 1,000 miles away from her flock. Innocent children will just have to wait.

McDonald’s restaurants are introducing 4 new menu items:

Hot Honey Sausage Egg Biscuit;

Hot Honey McCrispy Sandwich;

Bacon Hot Honey McCrispy Sandwich;  and,

Hot Honey Snack Wrap.

Patrons are also able to order Hot Honey Sauce dip with any menu item.

The Super Bowl is set, featuring the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks. Let the battle begin.

The Super Bowl halftime show, produced by Jay Z, and highlighting Bad Bunny, will showcase LGBTQ++ themes, including drag queens, and “trans”. Disgusting. I will not watch it.

Legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie has died at age 90. R. I. P.

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman, Kevin Johnson, has died at age 55. Sadly, the former NFL player was homeless, and was stabbed by person(s) unknown in Los Angeles, California. His body was found on the street. R. I. P.

GFK

Winter continues to envelop our little corner of Virginia. It is cold. Bitter cold.

English and I are going over to the Chilly Hollow Brewery today, to attend a kick-off of America’s 250th anniversary. It is sponsored by the Clarke County Historical Association, a group with which our family is proud to have enjoyed a long association.

Today I share an article from Mr. Everett Piper. It draws stark contrast between The Bible, and the Koran. Please enjoy.

No, the Bible does not promote violence like the Quran does

Christians understand the difference between descriptive and prescriptive literature

BY:          Everett Piper The Washington Times (January 11, 2026).

Last week, in this column, I wrote of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to be sworn into office with his right hand placed on the Quran. I then asked some questions every logical observer should ask: Does Mr. Mamdani believe what this book teaches? For example, does he believe in its explicit endorsements of child slavery, forced marriage, institutionalized misogyny, forced conversions, capital punishment for sexual immorality and the beheadings of nonbelievers?

I went further. Is Mr. Mamdani an advocate of violent jihad and the military conquest of the Christian world? After all, the specific copy of the Quran on which he chose to take his oath was published during the time of the Ottoman Empire, when Islam’s military expansion was at its peak.

Why did Mr. Mamdani choose this specific edition of the Quran? Was it to highlight and extol Islamic imperialism? If not, why not?

Most readers understood why these are reasonable questions and why we would be foolish not to ask them. After all, the mayor’s chosen scriptures are replete with verse after verse that promote the aforementioned things. It is also irrefutable that the present behavior of millions of Muslims around the world seems to confirm that they take these Quranic instructions and the corresponding history of Islam quite seriously.

Some critics, however, responded to my column with some indignation.

“But what about your Bible?” they asked. “It also promotes slavery, misogyny, military conquest and the execution of nonbelievers. Most of this stuff is also allowed if not encouraged by your Christian God, so who are you to judge Muslims?”

How should we respond?

Frankly, this argument is very foolish. How many Christians do you know who believe in child marriage, capital punishment for adulterers, forced conversions or the beheadings of those who leave the faith?

I’ll ask it again: How many Christians do you know who believe this?

The answer is zero. Why? Because Christians understand the difference between descriptive literature and prescriptive literature.

Christians understand that the Bible is written in many genres and that God has revealed his truth through poetry, prose, prophecy, parables and, as I said above, both descriptive and prescriptive literature.

We know that over the centuries, God has communicated with humanity in the context of our brokenness and sin, and we understand the obvious: Just because the Bible describes David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his subsequent murder of her husband Uriah doesn’t mean God is prescribing that we go do the same.

The church has understood this interpretive principle for 2,000 years and has applied Scripture accordingly. For example, no Christian believes the Old Testament’s “war verses” that describe the Canaanite conquest are teachings for how we are to treat our neighbors and live today. No Christian thinks God’s description of how he judged an evil people who were literally sacrificing their children in the burning furnaces of Moloch is intended to trump the Sermon on the Mount or the story of the Good Samaritan.

So, no, child slavery, forced marriage, misogyny, legalized wife beating, beheadings and forced conversion at the point of a sword are never promoted in the Bible. Is some of this stuff described? Yes. Is it prescribed for followers of Christ? No. Never.

The opposite is true for much of Islam (as much as 80%, according to some Pew research). Why? The answer lies in the “doctrine of abrogation,” an Islamic principle that holds that the later verses in the Quran always abrogate (i.e., trump and supersede) the earlier ones.

Guess what. The Quran’s violent verses are the later ones, which is the exact opposite of Christianity.

Don’t let anyone tell you the Bible teaches the same thing as the Quran and that both books promote murder, slavery, rape, the subjugation of women and “death to the infidel.” It’s simply not true, and 2,000 years of Christian faith and practice prove it.

Has Western civilization stumbled a time or two over the millennia? Yes, but it’s Christian morality that has always been the correction, not the cause.

One final note on the matter of “imperialism and colonialism”: Isn’t it a bit ironic that any junior high reading of history shows that the most imperialistic and violent colonizer of the past 1,000 years was Islam? As I mention above, the Ottoman Empire serves as the quintessential proof thereof.

In fact, it was only after 500 years of Islam’s violent expansion across much of Europe, Northern Africa and the Mediterranean Middle East that Pope Urban II, at the behest of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, finally launched the Crusades to stop the butchery. Thank God he did, or we would all be living in a country much more like Iran than the United States of America.

GFK

“Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.”

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

“When you’re 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you’re 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you’re 60 you realize no one was ever thinking about you in the first place.  You have enemies? Good.  That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

“Fear is a reaction.  Courage is a decision.”

The above-quotes were all uttered by Winston L. S. Churchill, one of the greatest men to ever live, and arguably the greatest Englishman.  He was a journalist, soldier, author, member of Parliament, Lord of the Admiralty, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Home Secretary.  He served as Minister of Munitions, Secretary for War and Air, Secretary for the Colonies, and President of the Board of Trade.  He was Prime Minister of Great Britian (twice), and he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his history of World War II.

But for Winston  Churchill, the world would be very different now.  Britons would likely be speaking German, and the United States an isolated, poor, and defeated country.  Winston Churchill spent many a year in “the wilderness”, warning his countrymen of the dangers of Adolph Hitler and the rise of fascism in Europe.  Very few listened, and many of those who did dismissed his warnings.  If Winston Churchill had died on August 31, 1939, no one but his family might ever have remembered him.  But on September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and the world’s most terrible war began.  Neville Chamberlain had no choice but to confront reality, and he had no choice but to bring Churchill into the government, as Lord of the Admiralty.  By 1940, Neville Chamberlain was gone, and Winston Churchill became Prime Minister at Britain’s, and the world’s, most perilous hour.

With the fall of France, and the British retreat from Dunkirk, Great Britain stood alone, as Germany dominated all of Western Europe.  The situation appeared hopeless, as fears of a German invasion grew, and German bombers gave no quarter to the English cities, bombing them mercilessly.  In the face of almost certain defeat, Winston Churchill rallied his fellow countrymen to defiance, defense, and eventually, offense.  Great Britain was able to hang on until relief could come from the United States, seemingly on Churchill’s strength of character alone.

To read Churchill’s writings is to be drawn into the thick of events as they happened.  To read about Churchill is to be transported back to a time where brave men acted with common sense, determination, and courage. 

The Observations strongly recommends any books about Winston Churchill written by either Martin Gilbert or Andrew Roberts.  Or by Winston Churchill himself. The knowledge gained from their scholarship not only reveals the past but provides lessons for our present and future.

Winston Churchill died at age 90 on this date in 1965.  We may never see his likes again.  But we can learn from his time on Earth, and it would profit all of us to do so.  May God Bless his soul.

Today we examine the efforts of one of our country’s least appreciated Founding Fathers, Thomas Paine. Often referred to as Thomas Jefferson’s favorite author, Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, was an inspiration to those fighting for liberty from the British Crown. Enjoy!

WHEN COMMON SENSE WENT VIRAL

BY: Will Sellers, The American Spectator (January 4, 2026).

Two hundred fifty years ago on January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine published his influential pamphlet, Common Sense. In today’s words, its publication went “viral” as it was re-printed and distributed throughout the American colonies.

[H]is approach to government was so radical that he was treated with disdain in the United States, Great Britain, and France.

At the time of its circulation, the colonies were in a state of flux. British troops were engaged in active combat against colonial militias and both sides had taken significant casualties. But not all the colonies were in active rebellion. In fact, some colonial leaders sought reconciliation, but everyone realized the military conflict had irreversibly altered the colonists’ relationship with their mother country.

The next steps were uncertain, and no single idea of a way forward captured the imagination of the colonists.

Into this purgatory of crisis of conscience entered Thomas Paine and his thoughts about King George III, Parliament and the idea of monarchy.  In many ways, Paine was a Johnny come lately to the American cause. He had only immigrated to the colonies in late 1774 and had not experienced anything but the growing animosity between the colonists and Britain. He had not seen the initial autonomy of the colonies nor felt the symbiotic relationship between local, colonial government and the crown.

Paine was in trouble and not welcomed in Britain. He was a strident critic of his government and advocated any number of radical causes including the elimination of the monarchy. In fact, he spent so much time on political advocacy that he lost his position as a tax collector and the business he inherited from his wife failed. Facing debtors’ prison, he was forced to sell assets and with such financial instability, he became separated from his wife.

Fortunately, Paine was introduced to Benjamin Franklin in London and was encouraged to emigrate to Philadelphia. So, as many others had done, he left his financial and domestic troubles at home, crossed the Atlantic and came to Pennsylvania for a fresh start.

His arrival in Philadelphia came just as the Boston colonists were rattling sabers at Red Coats’ occupation of their town. Once fighting at Lexington and Concord started, Paine was in a unique position to assess and then encourage colonial independence. In the first full year of coming to America, he experienced the anxiety of the colonists with their relationship with Britain. He had witnessed the military conflict in Massachusetts and was in the middle of a political vortex of the colonist’s consideration of what direction to pursue.

Common Sense came at the ideal time as all colonists were questioning not only their relationship with the King and Parliament, but how they would organize to govern and protect themselves. If the road to independence was not clear, Paine provided a shining path.

As a newcomer, Paine published the work anonymously, identifying himself only as “an Englishman,” believing that the appearance of English authorship would confer greater legitimacy on his argument.

His work hit the right nerve. Within a few months more than 100,000 copies of the 47-page pamphlet were in circulation throughout the colonies. Paine’s work seemed to finally supply the organizing principle of independence to the colonists.

Rather than make the distinction that the British Parliament and not King George was the root cause of the colonists’ predicament, Paine directly attacked the King. Lambasting George III was not based on specific actions, but on the idea of the monarchy itself. Paine was a republican and 250 years ago, that meant no hereditary monarchy. Viewing all men as equal he argued that kings were historically the source of trouble for people and should be eliminated.

He further argued that independence was the only course of action to take and that the colonists must separate themselves from the evils of a king, seek self-government, and form a new society.

While the colonists were weary of the king and chaffed under his decrees, they largely blamed the king’s ministers and viewed King George as getting bad advice from poor counselors. Paine disabused the colonist of this notion and pointed out the entire problem was having a king to start with.

His arguments provided a logical basis to consider that being independent of Britain was the only way to resolve the conflict. If people had doubts about the colonists’ end game with their relationship with Britain, Paine gave them moral authority to pursue complete separation.

But Paine’s prescription after independence was a radical government that was more populist and closer to a pure democracy. This ran counter to many of the traditional colonists who had experienced the pre-revolutionary, benign neglect from Britain and simply wanted that again. The more established colonial leadership, while willing to replace the king, wanted to maintain the structure of state centered, colonial government. Many thought that Paine went too far.

Paine’s writing continued to support the Revolution, but once it reached a favorable conclusion, Paine returned to Europe and caught the spirit of the French Revolution. In London, he advocated for the right of the people to overthrow their government. This did not sit well, and Paine was convicted of sedition. He fled to France and was instrumental in supporting that revolution too. But his writings became so radical that he was arrested and was slated for execution. Fortunately, American ambassador James Monroe intervened to save Paine from the guillotine.

Paine would return to what was now the United States, but he became wildly critical of his former friends when he realized they did not fully embrace his ideas of government. As a radical to the end, he could never find comfort with the U.S. Constitution and the stability of divided, co-equal government.

When he died, hardly anyone attended his funeral. While he was a catalyst for shedding the colonists of a king, his approach to government was so radical that he was treated with disdain in the United States, Great Britain, and France. Quite an accomplishment, but a sad ending to such an important advocate for American liberty.

GFK

“Today is your day!  Your mountain is waiting.  So . . . get on your way.”

–Winnie The Pooh.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENAN! You are still a youngster.

The United States has established a Board of Peace, which will oversee the Gaza resolution, and seek to resolve other international issues. Twenty-two (22) countries have joined. Notably, Great Britain and other European countries did not, expressing concern that the Board of Peace could undermine the United Nations. Too late. The United Nations undermined itself years ago.

President Trump pointedly criticized Canada as “ungrateful”, due to Prime Minister Carney’s recent actions, and statements disparaging the United States. Mr. Trump has a point; the Canadians, like Europe, have been free riders under America’s security umbrella for decades. Canadians could not defend themselves against a band of angry Eskimos. But with the United States’ guarantee, they are safe to hurl insults and policy brickbats at us.

The House of Representatives voted to repeal a China Joe Administration regulation that locked up and prevented the development of rare earth minerals in Minnesota. At last, good news concerning Minnesota.

Virginia’s Governor, with the full backing of General Assembly Democrats, is rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gases Initiative. The compact among, largely Northeastern, States, claims to address “climate change”. What it does is mandate changes on everyday people’s lives, raising energy prices, and restricting choices. Another blow to Governor Spanberger’s “affordability” agenda.

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are angry that The Virginia Military Institute eradicated DEI at the school. Stated differently, Democrats are angry that VMI is operating on the merit system, instead of a racial spoils system. So now General Assembly Democrats are threatening to cut off all funding to VMI. SHAME ON THE RACISTS IN RICHMOND!

Piling on, Delegate Michael Feggans (D. Va. Beach) introduced legislation to abolish VMI’s Board of Visitors, and place the Institute under the governance of Virginia State’s Board of Visitors. Good grief! Union General Philip Sheridan did less damage to VMI in 1864 when he set the school on fire.

VMI is not the only target of racial discrimination. Democrats have introduced a bill that discriminates against white men in government contracting.  For discretionary contracts under $100K, white men are barred from even being considered unless there’s literally no competition.  And even then, this bill allows agencies to award contracts to women or minority-owned firms that are 5% more expensive than a bid from a business owned by a white man. SHAME ON THE RACISTS IN RICHMOND!

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon quickly responded to the proposed bill, warning Virginia Democrats that it was unconstitutional, illegal, and would be challenged. And it is. Interestingly, it was in the case of City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson, that the United States Supreme Court ruled minority set aside contracts unconstitutional. But then again, Virginia Democrats never learn.

The Observations warned Virginia voters that Abigail Spanberger was no “moderate”, and that if Democrats captured control of the Commonwealth’s government, things would quickly go South. It gives us no pleasure to write, “we told you so”. Set forth are just a few of Democrat priorities for this year:

– New 4.3% sales tax on Uber Eats, Amazon, etc deliveries.

– New sales tax on admissions to a wide variety of businesses.

– Create two new higher tax brackets of 8% and 10% on people making over $600K.

– A new 10% tax bracket for anyone making over $1M.

– 3.8% investment tax on top of state income taxes.

– Raise the hotel tax.

– New personal property tax on landscaping equipment.

– Ban gas powered leaf blowers.

– Guarantee illegal aliens free education.

– Make it illegal to approach somebody at an abortion clinic.

– Extend the time absentee ballots can be received after election day to three days

– Allow people to cast their votes electronically through the internet.

– Expand ranked-choice voting.

– Extend the deadline for ballot curing to one week after election day.

– Redact the addresses of political candidates from FOIAs.

– Add Virginia to the National Popular Vote Compact for presidential electors.

– Make it illegal to hand count ballots.

– $500 sales tax on firearm suppressors .

– “Assault weapons” and large capacity magazine ban.

– 11% sales tax on all firearms and ammunition.

– Prohibit outdoor shooting of a firearm on land less than 5 acres.

– Lower the criminal penalties for robbery.

– Ban the arrest of illegal aliens in courthouses.

– Remove mandatory minimum sentences.

– Allow localities to install speed cameras.

– Replace Columbus Day with “Indigenous Peoples Day”.

Most all, if not all, of this will be enacted into law. Who is going to stop it? Welcome to California East. Sigh. I miss Coonman.

Heck, I miss California. Better weather.

The University of Maryland School of Medicine is looking to “decolonize” the study of medicine. What in the world does that mean?

At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lansing, Michigan, parish leaders are recruiting and training young people to advocate against the right to keep and bear arms. Stated differently, the Church is recruiting and training young people to advocate against a God-given right. Not to personally decide not to exercise that God-given right, but to prevent others from exercising their God-given rights. It does not sound quite Christian to me.

Billie Eilish condemned President Trump’s immigration and environmental policies. Huh. Who is Billie Eilish?

Smithfield Foods acquired Nathan’s Famous hot dogs. Great. First the Chinese controlled our ham and bacon, and now they control our hot dogs!

Congratulations to H-E-B grocery stores! The San Antonio, Texas based chain was rated #1 in the United States, for the 5th time in the last 9 years.

Vernon Parker, master chef at The Hubbard Peanut Company of Sedley, Virginia, purveyors of the finest peanuts, has died at age 83. Mr. Parker was the company’s 1st employee, having worked there since he was a teenager. R. I. P.

Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst has died at 70. R. I. P.

We conclude the work week by sharing the following article by historian, author, and Reaganite, Craig Shirley. For those of a certain age, this will cause some regret and pain. But it is important to know the facts, and be aware of what goes on in our broken society.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute’s hard left turn

Say it isn’t so, Ron

BY:          Craig Shirley The Washington Times (January 13, 2026).

In 1980, when George Bush won the Iowa caucuses and candidate Ronald Reagan was out of money and momentum, I was approached by the Fund for a Conservative Majority about running a high-dollar, independent expenditure to help boost Reagan in the next six primary states, starting with New Hampshire.

We helped Reagan turn around his campaign operations while Bush was well ahead in the polls. Reagan went on to win the Republican nomination, the election and historic recognition as one of America’s greatest presidents.

Forty-five years later, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute has gone the way of so many other formerly conservative institutions, such as the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund (now the Wallace Foundation), the MacArthur Foundation and the Smith Richardson Foundation. It has turned aggressively left, completely forgetting its reason for existence.

The foundation has thrown Reagan’s own conservatism onto the ash heap of history to embrace leftism and monied elitism and all they entail. Recent board member additions, for example, are wealthy donors and cronies who want their names on the foundation’s letterhead but have no association with Reagan, his legacy or conservatism.

Alia Tutor, the wife of a wealthy California construction executive, and John Momtazee, a media investment banker, have no relationship to conservative causes of any kind. Susan McCaw, Elaine Chao and Condoleezza Rice, all prominent figures in the neocon Bush 43 administration, have been added over the years.

Walter Benjamin was right when he said, “You could tell a lot about a man by the books he keeps.” The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum has censored most conservative books about Reagan from its online gift shop and disinvited conservative authors (me, for one) from its conferences while inviting myriad liberals who have no expertise on Reagan to appear at the library.

My six books on Reagan are now gone from the library’s site, including “Rendezvous With Destiny,” which was cited as one of the five finest campaign books ever by a Wall Street Journal columnist. So too are several of Kiron Skinner’s books and books by Martin Anderson and Annelise Anderson, close aides to Reagan.

Also missing are significant books by Nobel Prize laureate Milton Friedman, Ken Khachigian (one of Reagan’s favorite speechwriters), Newt Gingrich, Art Laffer, Peter Schweizer and Peter Robinson, another Reagan speechwriter, as well as other conservatives.

Yet “The Triumph of Nancy Reagan” by ultraleftist Karen Tumulty is prominently displayed. A little-read and badly reviewed book by Trump hater Chris Christie is for sale.

I am especially disturbed by all this, as I am a longtime champion of Reagan’s legacy. My wife, Zorine, and I worked for Reagan. I wrote many op-eds, papers and books on him and his times. Over the years, the library has often called on me to defend Reagan’s reputation.

When Ronald Reagan Jr. wrote a half-baked, silly book about his father’s brain surgery, the library called me to mount a public campaign casting doubt on the book’s credibility. Yet that book is currently for sale at the library.

When a vial of Reagan’s blood was stolen during the 1981 failed assassination attempt, the library asked me to create a public pressure campaign to have the blood turned over to Mrs. Reagan, where it belonged. We were successful.

When Bill O’Reilly wrote his book about Reagan having Alzheimer’s symptoms during his presidency, the library called to ask that I again mount a public campaign, this time to undermine the credibility of the book. We were wildly successful. With several historians, we wrote op-eds disproving Mr. O’Reilly’s controversial accusations while persuading George F. Will to appear on Mr. O’Reilly’s show to dispute the claims.

When would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley Jr. was released, the library asked me to again write and make media appearances ripping Mr. Hinckley and the Clinton-appointed judge who set him free. I did. I also facilitated the donation of a Reagan staff assistant’s diary that documented the president’s time in the hospital after that attempt. It’s still on display at the library.

When the library needed to boost its campaign memorabilia displays, I gladly lent items. I also donated a large number of copies of my book “The Search for Reagan” and research materials.

In my book “Last Act,” I defend Reagan’s legacy against the lie that he had Alzheimer’s while in office. No one tells this lie anymore. I received many letters from Nancy Reagan over the years thanking me.

I have spoken many times at the Reagan library, but those days are now, sadly, over. This summer, when the library hosted a conference on the “Age of Reagan,” I called to offer my services, thinking the library had failed to invite me. An intern informed me that, although I was welcome to sit in the audience, I wasn’t needed for any panel because I was “too old.” At the time, I was a year younger than Reagan when he ran for president in 1980. Ageism is not very politically correct.

Apparently, the library was embarrassed by the whole affair, as a list of the participants is no longer available on the website. Still, the panels were loaded with liberal academic types.

I was proud and happy to do all this for the library, and I never thought about charging a dime. None of those now sanitizing and cleansing the place of Reaganism would have a job without my efforts in 1980. They might now be working as greeters at Walmart.

This is all doubly ironic to me, as Reagan dedicated his life to promoting conservatism and defeating collectivism — a labor of love. As he once said, “The conservative movement believes that government is not the solution to our problems.” The modern iteration of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute is not the solution either.

The final irony? President Trump is carrying on the Reagan agenda far better than the foundation named in honor of Reagan.

GFK

Congratulations to Vice-President Vance and Mrs. Vance on the announcement that they are expecting their 4th child. Best wishes and prayers to Mrs. Vance for a safe and healthy pregnancy and birth.

“I don’t want to curse, but those of us who escaped places like that, the one place where we thought we would never experience this is the U.S. [sic] god**mn States.  And we should all be ashamed that it is the United States that is allowing for this to take place, and it is being . . . broadcast to the rest of the world, where people are calling and saying, ‘Are you sure this is America?’  I am ashamed, and we must do everything that we can to bring back the America we all escaped into.”

–Representative Ilhan Omar (D. Mn.), expressing her contempt for the United States, its laws, and its people.

Ilhan Omar should be ashamed. She should be ashamed for her statements, her conduct, and her unbelievable ingratitude. She was granted asylum to come here, and ever since she has shown her contempt for this country. She has broken immigration laws, is neck deep in the welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota, has shown no love or respect for our history, Constitution, or laws, and she claims to represent, first and foremost, the interests of Somalia in Congress. She is a despicable, disgraceful excuse for a human being.

What will it take to deport this horrible person back to where she came from? What?

Socialist Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh (D.) wants to establish Somali neighborhoods in Minneapolis as “no go zones” for white people. In the United States of America.

Also in Minneapolis, a group of anti-ICE demonstrators stormed a church, disrupting services, chanting and protesting, and physically assaulting the parishioners and the building. All because the demonstrators believed that one of the church pastors was “pro-ICE”.

Former CNN host Don Lemon was among those in the anti-ICE mob who disrupted the church services. Mr. Lemon justified his presence and participation on the fact that the church parishioners were white supremacists. Sigh. Of course.

“The protest is fundamental to American society.  This country started in a protest.  It’s freedom of expression.  People have a right to lift up their voices and make their peace.  And none of us are immune from the voice of the public.  So I, quite honestly, I think that you’ve got the First Amendment freedom of religion and First Amendment freedom of expression – and I think it’s just something you’ve just gotta live with in a society.”

–Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, reacting to the anti-ICE demonstrators disrupting a church service.

Hmmm. So Christians just are going to have to live with demonstrators interrupting their church services. I wonder what Mr. Ellison’s reaction would be if this happened at a mosque? Keith Ellison is Muslim.

Neither Governor Tampon Tim (D.) nor Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D.) uttered 1 word in condemnation of the church disruption and desecration. Not. One. Word.

But Mayor Frey did find time to call the presence of ICE agents in the city an “invasion”. He called for the courts to intervene to stop a civil war. Mr. Mayor, you and your ilk started this “civil war”.

California Assemblyman Laurie Davies (R.) introduced legislation that would add “political affiliation” to the State’s “hate crimes” law. Sigh. Has it really come to that?

A lawsuit filed in California seeks to disqualify Representative Eric Swalwell (D.) from running for Governor, or from continuing to hold his Congressional seat. You see, there is a residency requirement for holding such offices, and it turns out that Eric Swalwell is not a California resident. He owns no real property. He leases no real property. The only real property he owns is in Washington, D.C., and he claims that as his primary residence. Mr. Swalwell, who claims to represent Alameda County in Congress (East Bay Area) lists a Sacramento address as his California residence. That address is his lawyer’s office, not a residence. Oh, my! What will it be Eric, mortgage fraud, or resignation from Congress?

Eric Swalwell dismissed the claims about his residency as “nonsense”. He further stated that listing his attorney’s office as his residence is “common practice”. Hmmmm.

“I am in support of abolishing ICE.  What we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist.”

–Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D. N.Y.).

Apparently Comrade Mamdani has fixed all of New York City’s problems, therefore he has time to address other areas of the United States.

“There is a concerted effort to re-segregate America.”

–An unhinged former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (D.), speaking on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, about the Trump Administration.

Episcopalian clergy across the United States are urging parishioners to address growing authoritarianism through “protesting faithfully”. What growing authoritarianism? ICE agents are executing faithfully the laws of the United States, against criminals who have no right to be in this country. These laws were passed by the Congress, and have been on the books for decades. But it is “authoritarian” to enforce the law? NO!

A statement by an associate priest in Staunton, Virginia said that the Church does not take partisan stands. Really? It is just a coincidence that every time the Church takes a stand, it is on the side of the Democrat Party?

Sailormen, Inc., one of the largest Popeye’s Chicken franchisees, is filing for bankruptcy. The filing will affect 131 Popeye’s stores.

Southern Living magazine ranked Jiff Creamy Peanut Butter as the nation’s best peanut butter. EXACTLY RIGHT!

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D. Ca.) went to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he beclowned himself. First, he bashed the United States because . . . Orange Man Bad. Then he bashed European nations for not standing up to the United States because . . . Orange Man Bad.

In 2026, the United States has entered into the most profound and searing debate about the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world since the end of the Cold War. The events in Venezuela, Ukraine and Greenland have raised basic questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace. 

The sovereign rights of nations to self-determination appear all too fragile in a world of ever greater conflagrations. The balancing of national interest with the common good is being framed within starkly polarized terms. 

Our country’s moral role in confronting evil around the world, sustaining the right to life and human dignity, and supporting religious liberty are all under examination. And the building of just and sustainable peace, so crucial to humanity’s well-being now and in the future, is being reduced to partisan categories that encourage polarization and destructive policies.

–Statement issued by Catholic Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, and Joseph Tobin of Newark. 

Can these foreign policy geniuses name a more moral country in the conduct of its foreign policy than the United States, since its inception, up until today?  We’ll wait.

United Nations (U.N.) Chief António Guterres criticized the United States for its abduction of Nicolas Maduro, and for seeking to obtain Greenland. Well. Terrorism and domestic oppression in Iran? Nothing to see there. Hamas terrorists attacking their own citizens, as well as Israelis? Nothing to see there (but it is Israel’s fault). China, the largest communist country in the world, which employs slave labor and threatens its neighbors with force? Nothing to see there. South Africa? Nope. Nigeria? Nada. But the United States? Ah, there is the “Great Satan”!

U.S. OUT OF THE U.N. NOW!

After the national college football championship game, Miami quarterback Carson Beck refused to shake hands with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Classless.

Knuckle ball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Wilbur Wood, has died at age 84. R. I. P.

GFK