Free Republic

Air superiority is no longer just a matter of the capabilities of individual aircraft. It’s a question of posture, doctrine, and overall warfighting infrastructure. And in that domain, the contest is no longer so lopsided. The West can no longer take comfort in its F-35 fleet. The J-20 has evolved into its operational equal—if not its superior.

This is a work in progress for a trilogy that is 60% written. I would very much value any questions, feedback, or criticism as I craft it! ---------------------------------- Prologue A light breeze brought Rhora awake. She was lying in her bed in rich chambers in what used to be Pernil Manor, with a window cracked open to provide fresh, cool air. As she lay there, another breeze, sweet with the aroma of spring, wafted inside. “Rhora.” It was only the slightest whisper on the wind, so faint that she thought she imagined it. “Rhora,” a woman’s whisper repeated. Her eyes...

Jim Acosta @Acosta A show you don’t want to miss at 4p ET / 1p PT. I’ll be having a one of a kind interview with Joaquin Oliver. He died in the Parkland school shooting in 2018. But his parents have created an AI version of their son to deliver a powerful message on gun violence. Plus Texas State Rep. @jamestalarico - see you soon on Substack and later on YouTube.

After decades of neglect left its stockpiles “far too shallow,” the United States is undertaking a massive revitalization of its munitions industrial base. Spurred by the demands of supporting allies like Ukraine and Israel, Congress is pouring billions into the effort.

A Arab Christians, for centuries, were heavily influenced by the surrounding [dominant] Islamic culture. By 1937, Arab-Christians joined the Arab-Muslims in celebrating Muhammad's birthday by displaying pictures of Hitler & Mussolini.[1] B Such was the case with Nazism admirer Michel Aflaq (1910-1989) [ميشيل عفلق arabic] one of the founders of the Ba'ath who stated: 'We were racists, admiring Nazism, reading its books and the source of its thought...'[2]. Aflaq was influenced by Islamic thought and sought to reconcile it with their nationalist and socialist ideals. He considered Islam to be a manifestation of "Arab genius" and deemed the ancient pre-Islamic...

The Texas House passed a motion on Monday to issue arrest warrants for more than 50 Democratic lawmakers after they failed to appear at the chamber to vote on a Republican-led effort to redistrict the state’s congressional maps. Democratic lawmakers broke quorum by fleeing to blue states like Illinois and New York and by not returning when the chamber gaveled at 3 p.m. Their absence led state House Speaker Dustin Burrows to say he would immediately sign civil warrants to permit the chamber’s sergeant-at-arms and state troopers to arrest them and return them to the state Capitol. “The sergeant-at-arms and...

"Listen, Donald Trump is a piece of ****, okay? We know that. Yes, yes, he is. But in a functioning democracy, he still would not be able to get away with this." =========================================================================== At a rally in Arizona over the weekend, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) said that President Donald Trump was a "piece of ****," claiming that "in a functioning democracy," Trump "would not be able to get away with this." While telling the crowd at MoveOn’s "Won’t Back Down Tour" about how "corrupt" the Supreme Court has become, Crockett said, "listen, Donald Trump is a piece of ****, okay?...

Democrats are planning to spend tens of millions of dollars to spin narratives on social media as part of a $110.5 million fundraising effort, according to images of slides from a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) donor event obtained by Breitbart News. Under a heading “Urgent Off-Year Funding Needs” on one slide, it states the DCCC looks to raise $10 million for social media and content creation, $20 million for “Accountability work,” $15 million for “Voter Registration,” $5 million for “Recruitment” and “Primary Engagement,” and $2 million for “Research” and a “Rapid Response Infrastructure.” One goal is to enlist at...

U.S. fighter jets scrambled to intercept unauthorized civilian aircraft detected over Trump’s Bedminster golf club in New Jersey while a temporary flight restriction (TFR) zone was in place. The civilian aircraft entered the restricted airspace at approximately 12:50 p.m. ET on Sunday. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) used flares to get the pilot’s attention. According to reports, this wasn’t the first intercept and multiple incursions occurred over the weekend. Newsweek has more: The interception on Sunday afternoon was the second in the restriction zone that day, and the fifth of that weekend. NORAD stressed that the flares they used,...

TEXHOMA, TX — Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to disrupt a vote on a new congressional redistricting map could soon find themselves out of a job, as Governor Greg Abbott announced the construction of a giant northern border wall designed to keep them out permanently. Abbott issued a statement declaring that while any Democrat who did not show up to vote on the new redistricting map was vacating their seat, he would also be building a wall to prevent them from re-entering the state. "You all can just stay up there in Oklahoma," Abbott said. "I just wanted them...

*** I absolutely hate the spam political text messages and the deceit on which so many are based. Responding with “Stop” only seemed to confirm the senders had found me and enabled them to keep them coming from different numbers. Apple seems to have a remedy ahead: In early June, Apple announced a new feature through its forthcoming iOS 26 software that will allow iPhone users to screen messages from “unknown senders.” That will automatically place texts from such senders, starting in mid-September, in a separate folder without notifying the recipients.” Woo hoo! Let it be. I can’t wait. ***

Texas Republicans are trying to update their Congressional map in a way that will provide fairer representation for Republicans. (Fairer, in any event, in the context of the gerrymandering for which Democrats have long been notorious.) Texas House Democrats have fled the state to prevent establishment of a quorum, and thus defeat the redistricting. This is nothing new. Democrats did the same thing in Wisconsin a few years ago, and earlier this year in Minnesota. No doubt there are other instances. What is different this time is the Republicans’ response: “Greg Abbott Drops Bombshell on TX Dems Who Fled State:...

Citing Canada's plans to recognize a Palestinian state and the persistence of fentanyl smuggling over the border, President Trump imposed a 35% tariff on goods shipped into the US from Canada. "As it is now, Hamas bombards Israel whenever it wants to," Trump asserted. "Establishing it as a Palestinian state will only worsen the situation. Canada needs to be more responsible." Prime Minister Mark Carney took offense, saying "Canada's government is making historic investments in border security to arrest drug traffickers, take down transnational gangs, and end migrant smuggling. These include thousands of new law enforcement and border security officers,...

China’s leadership, including Xi Jinping, is now openly admitting to a crisis of industrial “overcapacity,” a problem they have termed “involution.” This counterproductive and “disorderly competition” is causing destructive price wars, particularly in the massive auto industry. While Beijing is attempting to use dictatorial measures, such as price controls, to address the issue, experts argue that this approach will fail.

Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX) suffered a meltdown after the Texas GOP unveiled a new congressional map that leaves her quite literally out of bounds. The far-left loudmouth, known for her unhinged outbursts, freaked out after Texas State Rep. Todd Hunter (R) released a proposed redistricting map that would reshape the political battlefield in favor of conservatives. The proposed map includes the elimination of five Democrat districts across Austin, Dallas, Houston, and South Texas. Crockett, who now doesn’t even reside in the district she currently represents, was livid. “I currently don’t live in the [Congressional District] 30 that they created…that’s...

A total of eight people were shot after a party in downtown Los Angeles overnight, and police say two of them are dead. The shooting took place around 1 a.m. Monday in the area of East 14th Place and Paloma Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The address provided by authorities is located in an industrial zone just north of the 10 Freeway. LAPD officers had previously been in the area around 11 p.m. Sunday to shut a party down, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether the gathering of people early Monday was connected to the earlier party...

A 25% tariff on shrimp from India is shaking up the seafood industry and drawing praise from Texas shrimpers and one Gulf Coast congressman. “Our domestic shrimpers, including those in my district, have struggled to compete against the unprecedented amount of foreign shrimp that has been imported into our country for far too long,” said U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX). “By imposing a 25% tariff on imports from India, President Trump is demonstrating that the United States of America won’t be taken advantage of … I applaud President Trump’s decisive action that puts American shrimpers first.” The White House announced...

The declassified appendix to the much-anticipated report by Special Counsel John Durham has sent the internet ablaze over its documentation of Hillary Clinton's insidious scheme in 2016 to falsely tie then-candidate Donald Trump to Russia in order to boost her own presidential campaign. That vendetta would culminate in one of the most notorious political witch hunts ever foisted on the American people that would effectively hamstring the administration of a duly elected president for four years. But one of the most damning revelations was that leftist billionaire George Soros, the City Journal-dubbed "Connoisseur of Chaos" who has used his billions...

VIDEOThe BEST way to force compliance from local officials who refuse to cooperate with ICE is simply to threaten to terminate their political grifting careers. Watch just how FAST and EFFECTIVE such a threat was in Florida when Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, after steadfastly refusing to cooperate with ICE, almost instantly changed his mind when faced with the threat of his removal from office. These officials will do anything to keep their grift going as you can see.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will begin trying to remove Democratic lawmakers from office Monday if they don’t return. Dozens of them left the state in a last-resort attempt to block redrawn U.S. House maps that President Trump wants before the 2026 midterm elections. Abbott is taking a far more aggressive stance than the one he took in 2021. He swiftly warning Democrats that he will seek to remove them from office if they are not back when the House reconvenes Monday afternoon. Abbott cited a non-binding 2021 legal opinion issued by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, which suggested a...