Commentary Archives - LIBERTY FIRST

VIDEO: Persian Comic on ‘Accountability’

April 19, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Political Satire, Politics /by DrRichSwier.com

By Vlad Tepes Blog

It is good to see that for the moment, at least somewhere in the United Kingdom you can say something true if it’s stated as a joke.

On the other hand, this wasn’t done that recently.

WATCH: Women Hate Accoutability — Nicholas De Santo

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Islam: America’s Historical Failure

April 18, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, National Security, Religion /by DrRichSwier.com

By Amil Imani

Honestly, I don’t know what will work! Apathy, political correctness, and massive Islamic lobbying have successfully prevented the public from truly grasping the all-pervasive, invasive Islamic assault.

As usual, the sworn enemies of the United States- leftist politicians, hungry for votes- despise America and harbor hatred for our Constitution. They delightfully embraced and welcomed this ‘Trojan Horse’ army inside our gates. It was a perfect marriage; both sides needed one another to survive.

These desert dwellers and the Quran-trained people, aided by our leftist politicians, exploit the provisions of the most benevolent system known to humanity- our democratic republic- to undermine it from within.

Islamists, by sheer numbers, will eventually be in a position to vote out democracy in many countries. They will elect Muslims to all positions of local influence, who will create and enforce policies according to the Quran. Once they control a town, they will establish informal Sharia, and there’s nothing the government can (or will want to) do about it.

Oddly enough, our elected officials have entirely overlooked the Islamization of European cities. Many European leaders have acted out of intense fear, granting Muslims the right to create their own shadow governments within countries like Sweden, England, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium, where they control their populations through Sharia Law without any accountability.

America, the greatest superpower on the planet, is gradually losing its power to these newcomers, and out of fear of being labeled racist, they, too, look the other way and remain silent.

The United States was in an excellent place to learn from its fellow European allies and stop this mess of Islamic immigration before it was too late. Even the attacks of 9/11 were not convincing enough for many of our fellow American citizens to wake up!!

Rather than seek a drastic solution to halt the progress of Islam, some of our fellow citizens and elected officials have welcomed more Muslims for resettlement and provided additional resources at the taxpayers’ expense to establish more mosques.

By now, we know that the apparatus that moves Islamic ideology is the life manual of Islam: the Quran, the Hadith, and the Sunna. Unfortunately, Muslims themselves are the ones who Islam most victimizes. They have inherited this viral psychological disease of hate and violence that they live by and transfer it to their children, as well as to sympathetic people in their cause.

It is generally assumed that peaceful religions address matters of importance to daily life and those that transcend it. Religion is believed to exercise a civilizing influence by structuring social life, promoting spirituality, and advancing a range of human virtues. Zoroaster, for instance, based his faith on the triad of good thoughts, good speech, and good deeds; Moses framed the fundamentals of his faith in the Ten Commandments; and Jesus placed love at the core of his beliefs.

Many people adhere to religion to find comfort and guidance in life. These perceived benevolent aspects of religion give it a special status. However, concerns about religious overreach have prompted societies to implement safeguards against that possibility.

The bottom line is that Islam remains a paradox for many, including America’s law enforcement agencies. Many so-called experts have struggled to decipher and understand this ideology, except for a few individuals I know.

It is a virtue to take action to oppose the hateful, a vice to ignore it. It is a virtue to hate tyranny, misogyny, discrimination of all sorts, oppression, and all manner of violations of the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples. Islam is a form of religious fascism, a destroyer of liberty and much of what free people cherish. Therefore, it must be confronted and destroyed ideologically.

Fellow Americans, it is time for us to confront the advancement of Islam in America. The destiny and survival of the free world are at stake. Avoiding this responsibility would be an unpardonable act by every enlightened individual and organization that values humanity.

Life, liberty, and dignity.

RELATED ARTICLES:

A Criminal Investigator-Intelligence Analysts’ Handbook of Islam

Grand Mufti of Pakistan declares official World Wide Jihad against Israel and all once Islamic lands

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A Criminal Investigator-Intelligence Analysts’ Handbook of Islam

April 18, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, National Security, Politics /by DrRichSwier.com

By Amil Imani

Dr. William Gawthrop has written a highly commendable, well-researched, and well-reasoned “handbook for practitioners, analysts, and investigators.”

“William Gawthrop retired after 48 years of service in the United States Army as a counterintelligence officer and a GS-14 intelligence analyst for the United States Government. He is a Joint Military Intelligence College graduate with a Master’s of Science, Strategic Intelligence; the United States Army’s Command and General Staff College; United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College; and the United States Army War College Defense Strategy Course. He earned a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. His latest book is The Criminal Investigator – Intelligence Analyst’s Handbook of Islam.”

This remarkable book delves into crucial details of many aspects of Islamic law and the ideological motivations of the perpetrators. This book provides excellent references. The civilized world must honor individuals who serve the cause of freedom, often at significant cost to themselves, and even pay the ultimate price for their labor. The fortitude and integrity of someone’s argument are usually best judged not by the force with which it is presented but by the clarity and accuracy with which they offered. Dr. Gawthrop has painstakingly and meticulously presented his new book, The Criminal Investigator’s Handbook of Islam for Intelligence Analysts.

I highly recommend this book to researchers, investigators, and analysts.

If you don’t mind, I’d encourage you to share this with educators, law enforcement, and other trusted individuals.

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Leftist Violence — Angry Student Wrecks Pro-Life Club’s Table

April 18, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Politics, Religion, Science /by DrRichSwier.com

By Conservative Commandos Radio Show and AUN-TV

GUESTS AND TOPICS

MATT LAMB

Matt Lamb is an associate editor for The College Fix. He also writes for LifeSiteNews, AMAC Newsline, and Human Life Review. He has written for the Washington Examiner and Headline USA. He previously worked for Students for Life of America, Students for Life Action, and Turning Point USA, along with Open the Books. The College Fix regularly trains students and helps them find jobs in media, with alumni at Fox News, The Daily Wire, Washington Examiner, National Review, a host of other publications.

TOPIC: Leftist violence — Angry student wrecks pro-life club’s table

RYAN YOUNG

Ryan Young is the senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI). His research focuses on regulatory reform, trade policy, antitrust regulation, and other issues.

TOPIC: Tariff relief on electronics

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Resurrection Hope

April 17, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Religion /by DrRichSwier.com

By Jerry Newcombe, D. Min.

Some modern Americans claim to not fear death. On November 15 last year, boxer Mike Tyson told a 14-year-old girl interviewing him that he has no fear of what happens after he dies.

When he was asked about his legacy after his death, Tyson told her: “It means absolutely nothing to me. I’m just passing through. I’m gonna die and it’s gonna be over. Who cares about legacy after that?”

So, death ends it all, and after that there’s nothing more? Such a view, widely held by some today, contrasts greatly with a Biblical worldview, the view that helped undergird much of the settling and founding of America.

The oldest city in North America is St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565. About half a century before, it was discovered by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon.

He came to the shores of what is today Florida on Easter Sunday, 1513. In his native Spain, the cathedrals were filled with flowers to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. What the Spanish explorer saw were resplendent flowers in this new land.

So he called it the land of the flower…La Florida. The name stuck (without the “La,” of course).

Easter commemorates the time when Jesus Christ walked out of His own tomb. By His resurrection, He changed everything.

Even the day of the week He arose was changed. Sunday is the Lord’s Day. It is the day that hundreds of millions of people around the world worship Him in honor of His resurrection on that first Easter Sunday.

Even the Constitution talks about the length of days (Sundays excepted) Congressional bills are under consideration to be signed by the president. Sundays excepted shows the founders honored the Lord’s Day, the Christian Sabbath.

Through the centuries many Americans also honor Jesus’s resurrection and His conquering death.

For example, one of the most visited houses in America is Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, the father of America.

He is buried on the grounds there, and behind the stone coffins that bear his and Martha’s remains is a stone plaque that bears witness to Christ conquering the grave.

The plaque contains the Savior’s words from John 11:25-26: “I am the Resurrection and the Life, sayeth the Lord. He that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” I have taken a photo of that plaque.

George Washington was a regular reader of the Bible (KJV) and the Book of Common Prayer (1662), which draws heavily from the KJV.

In 1755, the 23-year-old future president survived a military battle that was a massacre for the British and the American troops together by the French and some Indians, in the greater Pittsburgh area. This was during the French and Indian War.

Washington was the only officer to survive that battle, and apparently there was no chaplain on hand, so George Washington led the funeral service by torchlight for the slain British commander, General Edward Braddock.

The young Virginian used the Book of Common Prayer funeral service that night by torchlight.

The service begins with the declaration of Jesus written above, from John 11, now found behind Washington’s sarcophagus.

Here are some of the other Scripture-based prayers he read that fateful night: “We meekly beseech thee, O Father, to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness; that, when we shall depart this life, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our brother doth; and that, at the general Resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight; and receive that blessing, which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee…Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.”

The Christian view is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came into this world for the purpose of redeeming lost humanity. He was fully divine and fully human. He was the only person who ever lived that was sinless.

But on the cross on Good Friday, He became sin for fallen humanity. He was punished for our transgressions. Then He was buried and sealed in a stone-cold tomb with a contingent of Roman guards outside His grave. But on Easter Sunday, He walked out of His tomb and changed all history in the process. It took many appearances to convince His disciples that He was really alive.

But they spread the message, despite great personal cost (including in many cases their own lives). This message of hope and the forgiveness it brings has now spread into all the world and it continues to spread. It is a message of hope for all who believe. It is relevant for all, including boxers, explorers, and presidents.

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Comrade Newson and His Filipina Marxist Attorney General Sue President Trump Over Tariffs

April 17, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Elections, National Security, Politics /by DrRichSwier.com

By Geoff Ross USN retired Surface Warfare/Air Warfare

The Communist Chinese cheerleader Comrade Governor Newsom is suing the Trump Administration for the tariffs imposed globally initiated to equalize free balanced trade between the United States and other nations.

Newsom is having another one of his Trump Derangement Syndrome episodes as he tries to save his very close relationship with his pals in Communist China and its tyrannical leadership.

Newsom and his waterboy state attorney General (Filipina born) Rob Bonta want a ruling to stop the tariffs because they are hurting California consumers and businesses. Seriously? Sounds like they are worried about Chinese stores going under, not American.

Rob Banta is the same low IQ attorney that tried to eliminate cash bonds for criminals, just let them walk free from jail with no bondsman. He also banned private prisons. He even prosecuted companies for so-called excessive carbon emissions.

Perhaps the State Department should look at Comrade Banta’s immigration status and send his Marxist ass back to Quezon City in the Philippines where he was born and then he can focus on their air quality which is actually bad unlike California.

Newsom is also crying that more than 60,000 businesses in California export goods, apparently mainly to Communist China. Well the solution is to export California goods to friendly countries, not a country hell bent on invading Taiwan, a country trying to take complete control of the South China Sea and threatening the Philippines, Thailand and Australian economic fishing zones.

Newsom is also saying that tariffs will affect the procurement of construction materials critical to rebuild parts of Los Angeles, (Pacific Palisades) an illegal immigrant controlled city burned to a crisp from the fires his administration created by lack of forest management and failing to provide water to the fire fighters to save a fish.

Newsom says he needs timber, wood, steel, aluminum, and drywall products which are all available for procurement in the United States but Newsom wants to purchase these products from Communist China and the future 51st state of the United States Canada.

Newsom also fails to mention that the Mayor of Los Angeles a Communist Cuba government sympathiser, has yet to issue a single building permit so new home construction can begin using debris clearing as an excuse.

So while Comrade Newsom reminisces on his past trips to Communist China to discuss the fraudulent climate change agenda and his unconstitutional ban on the sale of new gasoline powered vehicles, lawn mowers, leaf blowers. BBQ grills and farm equipment.

With zero diplomatic experience, he actually spent more time meeting with his Communist Chinese pals discussing trade agreements of which California and the United States were always on the losing end of the deal, but not anymore. Not with Trump running things.

Governor Newsom and other Communist sympathisers in the Democrat Party have zero objectives to make America and California great again. They are concerned only with appeasing their handlers in the Chinese Communist Party leadership who have made significant inroads into state and local government blue states like California.

It’s very difficult for the Communist Chinese to infiltrate the Trump Federal level of leadership so they focus on weak local blue state operations like California. Vermont, Colorado, Minnesota and Massachusetts. Just follow the money and the politicians frequent trips to Beijing.

Governor Newsom and a few others like him are a bigger threat to our republic than the Communist Chinese because he (they) have control internally of their states like California. But, Trump will win and he will make America great again no matter how many of these low life bottom feeding Marxists cockroaches in the local and blue state governments try to stop him.

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America at the Tipping Point

April 15, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Immigration, Politics, Religion /by DrRichSwier.com

By Amil Imani

First published in 2019

Yet, too few people are discussing it or talking about it. Why? Many Americans have been conditioned to be tolerant and compassionate, to embrace multiculturalism, and to respect each other’s beliefs, ideals, and values. That’s wonderful in a utopian world, but the fact is, Islam doesn’t embrace any aspect of Western civilization—much less American culture. We said on 9/11 that we’d “never forget,” but guess what? Many of us have. America is slowly and methodically being dismantled as a nation by Islamic subversion, and our cherished freedoms are more fragile than ever. While we know how to fight the enemy abroad with combat troops, intelligence, and drone strikes, we’re doing nothing to combat the very same enemy that resides on our soil in broad daylight.

Let me be clear: if we don’t defeat Islam politically and quickly here, without a doubt, our children and grandchildren will be engaged in a religious and ideological bloody war, the likes of which have never been seen on American soil before. Just the other day, one day after the 9/11 anniversary, another Muslim, Zulfat Suara, “became first elected to Nashville office, winning at-large Metro Council seat,” and we all have already witnessed the two junior Muslim Congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib’s public discourse in the U.S. Congress. Wait, there are a lot more Muslims who plan to run in the 2020 elections and beyond.

And because a Muslim must follow Islamic laws and not man-made laws like the US Constitution, a Muslim can never be both a Muslim and an American at the same time. It is impossible. That’s where the clash begins, and no elected official in this country is willing to or wants to take the bull by the horns and discuss it. What a shame!

Do all Muslims adhere to the commands of the Quran? No, thank God. However, as they integrate into their communities and increase in numbers, they tend to become more militant and less tolerant of the laws and regulations of those communities. Any religion whose holy book instructs its followers to commit acts that contradict the rules of this country should not only lose its tax-exempt status but also forfeit its First Amendment protection and be banned from the United States altogether.

In countries such as France, Britain, and several North African countries, where Islamic enclaves and ghettos have emerged, local mullahs enforce Sharia law despite its conflict with national or state laws. What many Americans fail to understand is that Sharia law forms the foundation of Islamic theocracy and totalitarianism. The establishment of global Sharia law serves as their ultimate goal. The Quran is clear in its directive to Muslims to create a global Islamic state (Caliphate), over which the Islamic messiah, or Mahdi, will rule with Sharia as the sole law of the land. There is no mistake: this is the intent of influential Islamic elements in America.

The problem is too few Americans are aware of it, and organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR are taking full advantage of American’s naiveté. On top of that, a consortium composed of pandering liberal politicians, blinded by short-term self-interest and egotism, attention and fund-seeking self-proclaimed prima donna professors, and bastions of useful idiots, are the witting or unwitting promoters of Islamism.

Understand that Sharia is very complex and derived from multiple Islamic sources. The Quran, considered the “uncreated word of Allah,” is the primary source of Sharia law. The Hadith (sayings and actions of Muhammad) is the second most crucial document in Sharia. Historic rulings by jurists over the years and so-called reasoning by analogy make up the other two less influential sources of Sharia. Together, they constitute Islam’s theological core, and they result in a totalitarian way of life for Muslim followers and non-Muslims.

Honor killings, marital rape, female genital mutilation, severing of hands and feet are but a few of the other components of Sharia law. When Muslim men are directed to beat their wives for rejecting sexual advances, it’s evident that American values are in direct conflict with what Islamic law requires of its followers. So, how do we reconcile this? We can’t!

In short, we need to open our eyes and see how the scheme played out in Europe. Much of Europe is already past the stage of no return. This is not a game. This is real. This ideology will devour your entire family, both Republicans and Democrats, if not now, soon enough. Americans need to wake up now and stop Islam from growing to the point of no return.

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FEC Opens Probe of Jasmine Crockett and Trump Signals Support for Religious Americans

April 15, 2025/in Commentary, Courts & Law, DrRichSwier.com, Politics, Regulation, Religion /by DrRichSwier.com

By Conservative Commandos Radio Show and AUN-TV

GUESTS AND TOPICS

STEPHANIE N. TAUB

Stephanie N. Taub serves as Senior Counsel with First Liberty Institute, focusing on restoring religious liberty in the marketplace. At First Liberty, she advocates for the rights of employees and business leaders of faith to work with integrity, consistent with their religious convictions. Taub has authored pieces published by National Review and the Federalist Society and has appeared on Fox News. The Texas Review of Law and Politics published her article on federal employment law protections for faith-based employers. The article elaborates on the statutory right of religious institutions to cultivate communities of faith.

TOPIC: President Trump signals support for religious Americans

FRED LUCAS

Fred Lucas is the Manager of the Investigative Reporting Project at The Daily Signal. He is an award-winning journalist and veteran White House correspondent who has written and reported for Fox News, Newsweek, National Review, History Magazine Quarterly, The Washington Examiner, Newsmax, TheBlaze, Townhall, The Federalist, The National Interest, The American Spectator, The American Conservative, and other outlets. Before going to Washington, he reported on state capitals in Kentucky and Connecticut.

TOPIC: FEC Opens Probe of Jasmine Crockett

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EXCLUSIVE: Election Integrity Watchdog Skewers Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate For Allowing Illegals To Vote

April 15, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Elections, National Security, Politics /by DrRichSwier.com

By The Daily Caller

The Fair Election Fund, an election integrity watchdog organization, is launching a new effort to hold each secretary of state in battleground states accountable in how they oversee elections, starting with Michigan’s Jocelyn Benson, the Daily Caller has learned.

The Fair Election Fund is releasing a new report on Monday about Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson detailing her “performance administering recent elections with a focus on the 2024 campaign,” according to materials obtained by the Caller. The organization writes in its 51-page report, obtained by the Caller, that they are giving Benson a “D” grade, arguing that she undermined “the confidence of voters in Michigan” and even most recently admitted that at least 15 non-citizens voted in the previous election.

“Fair Election Fund’s analysis revealed numerous examples of Secretary Benson failing to enforce existing election laws. These actions resulted in lawsuits brought by election officials, concerned citizens, and a variety of organizations in the lead up to the 2024 election,” the report writes.

“The lawsuits challenging Secretary Benson’s actions routinely resulted in courts finding her actions were unlawful,” the report continues.

The press release on the report notes that the organization’s review comes after Benson and the state of Michigan released its own review of the 2024 election, finding that 15 non-citizens likely voted in November.

“This is a serious issue, one we must address with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer,” Benson, who recently announced a run for governor to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, wrote in a press release.

The Fair Election Fund contrasts Benson’s report with her decision on Thursday to oppose the “the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act” which would require voters to prove that they are a U.S. citizen at the polls using their passport or birth certificate. The House of Representatives voted 220 to 208 in favor of the act on Thursday.

The organization also writes that under Benson’s watch, a Chinese national allegedly voted in the 2024 general election. Michigan officials brought charges against the Chinese national in October.

“Nine days before Election Day 2024, Haoxiang Gao — a 19-year-old Chinese national studying at the University of Michigan — registered to vote using his student ID, signed a document attesting that he was a United States citizen, and cast a ballot at an early voting site in Ann Arbor, Michigan,” the report reads. “Importantly, Gao was caught because he turned himself in by contacting the local clerk and asking for his ballot back — Benson’s voter-fraud defenses clearly failed.”

The watchdog also pointed to a judge’s decision to strike down Benson’s order instructing clerks to initially presume the validity of absentee ballot signatures. The Republican National Committee sued the Michigan secretary of state over the order.

Michigan Court of Claims Judge Christopher Yates struck down the guidance in June, writing that it was “a foul under Michigan law.”

“This was particularly egregious because this is not the first time Secretary Benson had attempted to create a presumption of validity for signatures — it was at minimum her third attempt. In 2020, she attempted to create the presumption by including it in her guidance to clerks, which ultimately resulted in a court ruling her actions were unlawful and violated the Michigan’s administrative procedure act,” the Fair Election Fund wrote in its report.

The Fair Election Fund also pointed to the state’s voter rolls and how they were maintained as a reason for their low grade for Benson.

“Benson admitted that in 2020 the Michigan voter rolls lacked ‘sufficient comprehensive efforts’ to maintain clean voter rolls, but only after she vigorously denied and fought the allegation that voter rolls were bloated,” the organization wrote.

The RNC sued Benson in March 2024, alleging that the state is failing to abide by the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) requirement that voter rolls must keep “clean and accurate voter registration records.” The suit, however, was tossed out.

“While the RNC’s suit was dismissed on legal technicalities about whether they were ‘injured’ by the out-of-balance voter rolls and whether their claim was properly formatted, a conclusion the RNC is appealing, any objective comparison of Michigan’s voter roll maintenance to that of other states shows that Michigan can — and should — be more diligent in managing its voter rolls,” the Fair Election Fund writes.

“Benson admitted that in 2020 the Michigan voter rolls lacked ‘sufficient comprehensive efforts’ to maintain clean voter rolls, but only after she vigorously denied and fought the allegation that voter rolls were bloated. The court in the RNC’s suit granted her a temporary reprieve, but it remains to be seen whether she will again change her tune, do an about face, and announce that the voter rolls are bloated,” the report continues.

Benson’s office did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

AUTHOR

Reagan Reese

White House correspondent. Follow Reagan on Twitter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Just Four Dems Vote To Keep Non-Citizens From Voting In U.S. Elections

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Critically Thinking About Success: Part 2

April 14, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Education, Politics /by DrRichSwier.com

By John Droz, Jr.

Applying the Success Equation to U.S. K-12 Education.

This is a follow-up to Critically Thinking about Success (Part 1). I’m following the same format, but looking at how we can achieve success by relatively quickly fixing America’s totally broken K-12 education system…

I’ve always had a fascination with why certain people stood out from the crowd and were successful. As I developed my Critical Thinking skills, I researched and paid attention to what common traits these people had — and applied them to a variety of issues that I’ve dealt with.

I contend if we follow the five Traits below, that will maximize our chances of success regarding what to do with the Department of Education (DOEd)…

Successful people are often called dreamers — as they see possibilities that almost everyone else discards as pie-in-the-sky. But their dreams have at least three characteristics:

a) they are precise (not vague),

b) they are aspirational, and

c) they are within reason. These three attributes help a believer to stay focused on their vision.

The VISION is: to transform DOEd so that it facilitates a significant improvement of the US K-12 education system, within five (5) years.

As with almost all visions of successful people, the vast majority of citizens will be skeptical that this can be done. They will have an array of excuses (like the fifteen listed here), but to Critical Thinkers, there are legitimate counters to every concern regarding DOEd.

One way or another, almost everything has already been done before. (In fact, many historians look at history as a collection of repetitious cycles. A related famous saying is: “If you don’t learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it.”)

There are two primary ways of learning: Education or Experience. I found that those who are successful maximize the education part. In other words, a significant key to success is to learn as much as possible from the failures and accomplishments of others.

Most people are saying something like: “Get rid of DOEd because they have been a disaster.” That statement is absolutely true, but is getting rid of DOEd our best option to bring about our Vision? Unequivocally NO!

Critical Thinkers will approach this situation by saying: “Let’s identify and learn from the multitude of DOEd mistakes made in the past — and see that the transformed DOEd avoids those pitfalls.”

For example, Critical Thinkers will notice that DOEd never spelled out what the top priorities were for our K-12 education system! That is a simply stunning omission that explains a lot.

The good news is that this is easy to fix quickly. This error is compounded by the fact that when I read the Mission Statements of all fifty State Education Departments, there is zero uniformity among these!

So a powerful role that DOEd can play is leadership. The goal would be to get all States to have the same K-12 education objectives. How they achieve them will be left up to each State. See fifteen examples where DOEd leadership can be an extraordinary game changer.

We ALL have been presented with (and will continue to be in the future) multiple opportunities. Unfortunately, many people don’t recognize most opportunities until they are in the rearview mirror. Successful people have developed the acuity to recognize a much greater selection of opportunities than others do.

We literally have in our grasp a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to quickly and substantially improve the American K-12 education system. Again please carefully read fifteen powerful examples of what can easily be done.

To not take full advantage of this opportunity will in the future be looked at as a watershed mistake in American history. To consciously choose to make the situation worse (by turning over K-12 education to some fifty failing bureaucracies) would be criminal.

There are talkers and doers… Recognition of opportunities is an essential matter — but it is for naught if it isn’t acted on.

As a physicist, I can tell you that one of the fundamental principles of physics is the Law of Inertia. Basically what it means is that it takes more energy (effort) to get a stopped object to move forward, than it takes to get an already moving object to continue to move forward. The same applies to organizations. If their leaders are in a moving forward mindset, they will be more open to opportunities than someone who is defensively protecting their turf, or who simply decides a priori that something can’t be done, is too much trouble, etc.

The facts are that DOEd Secretary Linda McMahon:

1) can fire anyone at DOEd,

2) can hire anyone for DOEd,

3) can establish whatever policies and procedures she wants,

4) can spend $80± BILLION of annual discretionary funds anyway she sees fit, etc., etc.

What this means is that Linda can scrap the entire DOEd and start over —with essentially full control over every important aspect of it. In other words, Linda has the power to transform DOEd into a major beneficial force regarding American K-12 education.

This needs to be fully appreciated as an unprecedented opportunity, which requires prompt, meaningful action on her part to have DOEd blossom into a fabulously powerful force for good.

Every lofty goal comes with an assortment of obstacles. If they weren’t there everyone else would be doing it, and it would no longer be a lofty goal — it would be an everyday matter. So having a positive, persistent attitude is a key attribute of successful people.

There will be obstructions and obstacles in transforming DOEd into what it should be — like a large collection of vocal naysayers who lack the vision of how to convert DOEd into a major success.

We need to keep our eye on the prize, which means staying focused on the extraordinary benefits to America from starting to annually graduate 4± million well-educated, thinking citizens (instead of what’s happening now: annually graduating 4± million non-thinking citizens who are indoctrinated with progressive ideology). Reversing those figures would be profoundly beneficial to America’s future.

There are no guarantees in life. Even if you adopt the above five traits, unforeseen circumstances might derail an otherwise good plan. I have a few adages I adhere to, and the most important one is: “Work as if everything depends on you, but pray as if everything depends on God.”

The benefits from properly transforming DOEd reimburse every cost and sacrifice at least a hundred times over. All we need is the vision and an unwavering commitment to make it happen.

Here is other information from this scientist that you might find interesting:

I am now offering incentives for you to sign up new subscribers!

I also consider reader submissions on Critical Thinking on my topics of interest.

Check out the Archives of this Critical Thinking substack.

WiseEnergy.org: discusses the Science (or lack thereof) behind our energy options.

C19Science.info: covers the lack of genuine Science behind our COVID-19 policies.

Election-Integrity.info: multiple major reports on the election integrity issue.

Media Balance Newsletter: a free, twice-a-month newsletter that covers what the mainstream media does not do, on issues from COVID to climate, elections to education, renewables to religion, etc. Here are the Newsletter’s 2024 Archives. Please send me an email to get your free copy. When emailing me, please make sure to include your full name and the state where you live. (Of course, you can cancel the Media Balance Newsletter at any time – but why would you?

Bill Maher Says His Dinner With Trump Showed ‘Why The Democrats Are So Unpopular’

April 13, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Elections, Politics /by DrRichSwier.com

By The Daily Caller

HBO host Bill Maher on Friday described President Donald Trump as a “possible friend” while reporting on a star-studded dinner at the White House and lambasted critics who said he should have refused to meet with the Republican president because of all the areas where they disagreed.

Maher joined UFC President Dana White and musician Kid Rock at the White House for the dinner, which took place in late March. During the “Real Time with Bill Maher” show’s monologue, the comedian described speaking candidly about policies he disagreed with, and said Trump’s “no anger” reactions during the dinner were “emblematic” of why the Democratic Party was unpopular.

“Honestly, I voted for Clinton and Obama, but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump,” Maher said during a 13-minute report on the dinner. “That’s just how it went down, make of it what you will. Me, I feel it’s emblematic of why the Democrats are so unpopular these days.”

WATCH:

Maher described how he disagreed with Democrats on multiple issues, notably Israel’s war with the radical Islamic terrorist group Hamas, child sex changes, biological men competing in women’s sports and wokeness. He related his favorite moment of the dinner.

“So MAGA fans, don’t worry, your boy gave me nothing, just hats. Hats and a very generous amount of time and a willingness to listen and accept me as a possible friend even though I’m not MAGA, which was the point of the dinner,” Maher said. “My favorite part of the whole night was [when] we were standing in the blowjob room — we were — and he said, ‘You know, I’ve heard from a lot of people who really like that we’re having this dinner. Not all, but a lot.’ And I said ‘Same. A lot of people told me they loved it, but not all.’ And we agreed, the people who don’t even want us to talk, we don’t like you.”

After audience applause from the reference to former President Bill Clinton’s liaisons with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky died down, Maher then tore into those who didn’t like his attendance at the dinner, taking aim at Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey’s record-setting Senate speech.

“Don’t talk. As opposed to what, writing the same editorial for the millionth time and making 25-hour speeches into the wind?” Maher asked. “Really, that’s what liberals have? He takes the piss out of everybody else and we can hold ours?”

“Okay, that’s my report. You can hate me for it, but I’m not a liar. Trump was gracious and measured and why he isn’t that in other settings, I don’t know and I can’t answer. And it’s not my place to answer, I’m just telling you what I saw,” Maher continued. “And I wasn’t high. Damn! Missed opportunity.”

AUTHOR

Harold Hutchison

Reporter.

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John Cornyn: The ‘Mirage of Texas Conservatism’

April 12, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Elections, Politics /by DrRichSwier.com

By Amil Imani

Senator John Cornyn has long positioned himself as a stalwart of Texas values — challenging on borders, supportive of law and order, and a champion of conservative principles. Yet, beneath the polished rhetoric and carefully crafted image lies a troubling pattern of inconsistency that undermines his credibility. Cornyn’s tenure reveals a disappointing truth for conservatives who value results over promises: he excels at talking the talk but falters when it’s time to walk the walk. This is not a mere partisan jab but a call to scrutinize a record that fails to deliver the decisive action Texans deserve.

Cornyn’s most glaring shortfall is his handling of immigration, a cornerstone issue for any Texas Republican. He has repeatedly pledged to secure the border and tackle illegal immigration, resonating with the state’s right-leaning electorate. In a 2020 Spanish-language ad, he even claimed to “strongly support the legalization of Dreamers,” a bold statement aimed at softening his image among Latino voters. However, his voting record tells a different story. As highlighted by America’s Voice, Cornyn voted against the Dream Act in 2010 and opposed bipartisan immigration reform bills in 2006, 2007, and 2013, measures that included provisions for Dreamers alongside enhanced border security. This dissonance between words and actions has earned him the moniker “Cornyn Con,” a term that encapsulates his knack for promising much and delivering little.

For conservatives, this is not merely a flip-flop; it represents a betrayal of principle. Border security is non-negotiable in a state like Texas, where illegal crossings strain local resources and fuel national debates. Yet, Cornyn’s tenure as a senior senator – including his time as Senate Majority Whip from 2015 to 2019 – has coincided with ongoing border challenges. Critics argue he has squandered opportunities to advocate for robust, conservative-led solutions. Instead, he often aligns with establishment inertia, as evidenced by his support for President Trump’s border wall funding while neglecting the broader inefficiencies of federal immigration policy. The Texas Tribune pointed out his absence from a 2019 vote to overturn Trump’s emergency declaration, a move that diverted $265 million from Texas military bases – a decision that many conservatives viewed as prioritizing political loyalty over state interests.

Cornyn’s apologists might label him a pragmatist navigating a divided Senate, but for the true conservative base – those aligned with warriors like Ken Paxton – this is a feeble excuse for spinelessness. Consider his ineffective 2021 immigration discussions with Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Thom Tillis. Cornyn hinted at a deal, then proposed a cowardly plan covering only 650,000 “active” DACA recipients, neglecting the 3 million invaders that the House-passed Dream and Promise Act – a deplorable amnesty giveaway – would coddle. Paxton, who has fought vigorously to dismantle DACA as an illegal affront to Texas sovereignty, would view this as a capitulation to the open-border crowd. The Washington Post derided it as a GOP tactic – feigned compromise followed by finger-pointing when it fails. For hardcore Texas patriots, this isn’t leadership; it’s treasonous evasion by a RINO who prefers appeasement over confrontation.

Beyond immigration, Cornyn’s record raises broader concerns about his commitment to fiscal conservatism and limited government – hallmarks of the GOP base. He voted for the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a victory for supply-side enthusiasts, but also supported excessive spending bills that inflated the national debt. The Congressional Budget Office projected that deficits soared past $1 trillion annually during his tenure, a trend that frustrates fiscal hawks who expected more pushback from a supposed conservative stalwart. His lukewarm response to the 2020 COVID-19 relief debates – dismissively tweeting “blah blah blah” in reaction to Democrat objections, according to America’s Voice – further highlights a lack of seriousness regarding economic stewardship.

Cornyn’s nearly perfect 95% Trump loyalty score might fool some MAGA diehards, but it serves as a red flag for true conservatives – like Ken Paxton – who don’t bow to any White House, even Trump’s. His cowardice during the family separation crisis – a policy that Paxton would have supported to keep illegal families off Texas soil – reveals his gutless core. He expressed weak “concerns” in 2018, too timid to endorse a hardline stance or advocate for its end on principle. From Paxton’s perspective, defending the border means no mercy and no retreat; Cornyn’s meekness isn’t toughness- it’s a traitor’s timidity.

Texas deserves a senator who combines rhetoric with resolve. Cornyn’s 20-year tenure, though marked by electoral success, lacks the transformative victories conservatives desire. His immigration inconsistencies, fiscal variability, and reluctance to challenge party orthodoxy depict a career politician more focused on self-preservation than on bold governance. As the state becomes increasingly diverse and competitive – evidenced by tightening GOP margins in recent elections – conservatives should demand a leader who delivers, not one who merely makes promises.

John Cornyn’s façade of principled leadership has persisted too long; it’s time for a reckoning.

Critically Thinking About Success

April 12, 2025/in Commentary, DrRichSwier.com, Economy, Education /by DrRichSwier.com

By John Droz, Jr.

Plus some tidbits from my personal experiences.

I’ve always had a fascination with why certain people stood out from the crowd and were successful. As I developed my Critical Thinking skills, I researched and paid attention to what were common traits these people had — and applied them to myself. I’m sharing these with you and then will show an example of how I personally utilized this information.

[Note: The example I am citing below is financial success, but the traits apply to any type of success.]

Successful people are often called dreamers — as they see possibilities that almost everyone else discards as pie-in-the-sky. But their dreams have at least three characteristics:

a) they are precise (not vague),

b) they are aspirational, and

c) they are within reason (not that you are going to beat Tiger Woods’ golf records).

These three attributes help a believer to stay focused on their vision.

When I was 25 my vision was: I wanted to be able to retire by the time I was 40.

I had an interesting job at GE Aerospace (and was soon promoted to management), but I had other interests in life. To be able to enjoy them, I needed to be financially independent, so that I would be able to go where I wanted, and do what I wanted, when I wanted. I shared my vision with some co-workers and friends. They smiled and said: “That’s nice — good luck with that!”

Even though I didn’t know anyone who retired by 40 (through their own efforts), this was a high goal that I was quite sure was doable if I adequately applied myself to it.

One way or another, almost everything has already been done before. (In fact, many historians look at history as a collection of repetitious cycles. A related famous saying is: “If you don’t learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it.”) There are two primary ways of learning: Education or Experience. I found that those who are successful maximize the education part. In other words, a significant key to success is to learn as much as possible from the accomplishments and failures of others.

After considering (and in some cases trying out) several strategies to bring about retirement by 40, I decided to invest in real estate. A critically thinking person knows that a trial and error (i.e., the experience) approach to real estate investing (or any other such option) likely takes way too long (putting at risk my goal of 40), and will also likely result in unnecessary financial and other setbacks that could jeopardize the whole plan.

I did not have the benefit of knowing anyone who had done this, so I chose to learn from strangers. I went to a local bookstore and bought every book they had on investing in real estate. Over the next year or so I carefully read some fifty of those books. Some books were fabulous and others I maybe only picked up one good idea. However, my perspective was that one usable idea could give me $10,000 profit — so that was a good return on a $20 investment (for the book) and 3± hours of reading.

We ALL have been presented with (and will continue to be in the future) multiple opportunities. Unfortunately, many people don’t recognize most opportunities until they are in the rearview mirror. Successful people have developed the acuity to recognize a much greater selection of opportunities than others do.

I was in rural upstate NY, which was not identified by anyone as a hot spot for real estate investing. That said, my real estate investment crash course (the 50± books) gave me some ideas about what to look for. Before buying any property I also created my own documents that would help me assess opportunities — like a Return on Investment (ROI) form.

BTW, some of the 50± books I read were on Income Taxes, as understanding (and taking advantage of) tax laws is a very important part of a successful real estate investment strategy. It also clarified for me what category of real estate I should be investing in.

There are talkers and doers… Recognition of opportunities is an essential matter — but it is for naught if it isn’t acted on.

As a physicist, I can tell you that one of the fundamental principles of physics is the Law of Inertia. Basically what it means is that it takes more energy (effort) to get a stopped object to move forward, than it takes to get an already moving object to continue to move forward. The same applies to people. If you are in a moving forward mindset, you will be more open to opportunities than someone who is defensively protecting their turf, or who simply decides a priori that something can’t be done, is too much trouble, etc.

All the planning in the world means little if you aren’t willing to jump into the deep end. Shortly after the book education phase, I started making offers on select real estate properties. The details of getting appropriate real estate brokers, lawyers, banks, etc. is too long to go into here, but I also did that.

Before I got married (age 26) I had purchased my first real estate investment, as well as a home. My wife was on board and was supportive in several ways. We were on our way!

Every lofty goal comes with an assortment of obstacles. If they weren’t there everyone else would be doing it, and it would no longer be a lofty goal — it would be an everyday matter. So having a positive, persistent attitude is a key attribute of successful people.

From the get-go, I had several challenges regarding my real estate investing plan. One example is that I had limited cash to buy properties. As a 25-year-old, I had already started saving but had not had enough years to accumulate an appreciable amount. Once again I turned to the 50± books I had read for clever ideas on leveraging, etc.

There were multiple other problems to deal with. For example, we bought a home in November, that had been shut down. The Realtor assured us that the water had been properly drained. I worked on upgrading the unheated home over the Winter. In the Spring when I turned on the water, I ended up having to repair some 40 pipe breaks and leaks — some within walls. Ugh. The water had only been shut off, not properly drained. Lesson learned.

There are no guarantees in life. Even if you adopt the above five traits, unforeseen circumstances might derail an otherwise good plan. I have a few adages I adhere to, and the most important one is: “Work as if everything depends on you, but pray as if everything depends on God.” This perspective has worked for me, but you decide what’s best for you.

Here is the result of my real estate saga. Since I was paying close attention (not just robotically going forward), I realized when I was 34 that I had attained my goal of financial independence — several years ahead of schedule. So I formally retired from my management job at GE. (I remember at my exit interview the higher level manager told me that he thought my “retirement” was a ploy to get a promotion. Funny.) My wife also retired from her executive secretary position at a major manufacturing company.

Subsequently, many people asked how we were able to retire at age 34. If they seemed to be genuinely interested I would outline the plan I adopted. To this day I’m surprised how many people’s first reaction was something like “You were lucky!”

A careful reader will know that luck had very little to do with it…

The plan for my next Substack commentary is to show how success with the failing US K-12 education system is finally in our grasp — but it means applying the above five traits.