Free Republic

How Progressives Were Able to Rule the Western Nations: Good Intentions, Bad ResultsBy The HermitThe story of the West in the last hundred years is not one of a secret cabal or a single mastermind. It is the story of an idea — progressive ideology — that promised to perfect society through reason, science, and planning. It appealed to the best intentions of reformers, philanthropists, teachers, and politicians. Yet, like many noble experiments, it has produced results far different from what its advocates hoped. What began as a movement to uplift and modernize has ended by weakening the civic and...

“Dare to Ukraine” is The Kyiv Independent’s wartime travel series that shows the country beyond the war headlines. In Episode 5 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” Masha’s journey reaches its final chapter. Before leaving, she brings everyone together for a shared meal, stories, and moments that reflect her month-long experience. From morning fishing to dinner-table singing at night, this episode captures the warmth, connection, and memories that make rural Ukraine unforgettable.

“Dare to Ukraine” is The Kyiv Independent’s wartime travel series that shows the country beyond the war headlines. In Episode 4 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” Masha’s quiet rural routine is interrupted by a new mission: uncover the local history and debunk Russian propaganda myths about Ukraine. What starts as a simple day in the countryside turns into a journey through Ukraine’s past and present — proving that even the smallest villages and communities carry stories of independence that shatter Russian lies."

💳 From Pay-and-Own to Pay-to-Access: How the American Household Became a Subscription MachineBy The Hermit Note: This essay is meant to offer a broad overview of how the American household has shifted from a pay-and-own economy in the 1950s to today’s subscription-based model. It does not attempt to cover every detail, variation, or socioeconomic factor, but instead highlights general trends and practical ideas for those interested in rethinking their relationship with modern expenses. In the 1950s, the average American family budget was straightforward, built on the principle of paying once and owning for life. Whether it was a television, a...

The High Cost of Easy Credit: How Consumer Debt Distorted the EconomyIn the past five decades, the expansion of consumer credit has transformed the American economy. What began in the 1970s as a convenient financial tool has become a fundamental pillar of daily life for most households. Credit cards, followed by newer lending models like "Buy Now, Pay Later," have fueled consumption, enabled lifestyle inflation, and propped up economic growth. But beneath the surface lies a troubling reality: easy credit has created a disconnect between buyers and sellers, distorted real demand, inflated prices, and built a fragile foundation of debt.In...

Whatever Happened to Just Going Out for Family Fun? Now that I’m retired, with more time behind me than ahead, I find myself looking back a lot more than forward. I’ve been reflecting on the changes I’ve seen — not just in the world at large, but right here at home, in the way families like mine spend time together. When I was young, family fun meant something simple. Back in the 1950s, when money was tight for most folks, we didn’t need expensive outings to enjoy ourselves. A picnic at the park, a day at the beach, just a...

🇺🇸 Before the Collapse: Why We Must Rein in Unsecured Debt — NowBy The HermitThere’s a quiet crisis unfolding beneath the surface of the U.S. economy: over a trillion dollars in credit card debt, the majority of it unsecured, with no collateral, no real oversight, and no meaningful limits. It’s not just a number — it’s a ticking time bomb.It may not look like 1929 — but in structure, in risk, and in who will bear the fallout, it feels dangerously familiar.📉 We've Seen This Movie BeforeIn the 1920s, Americans were allowed to buy stocks on margin — putting down...

📘 The Student Loan System: A Rigged GameHow U.S. Higher Education Became a Wealth Transfer from the Poor and Middle Class to the EliteExecutive Summary The American student loan system has evolved into a mechanism of upward wealth transfer, extracting income and opportunity from working- and middle-class students while enriching elite universities, financial institutions, and loan servicers. By removing bankruptcy protections, allowing unchecked tuition increases, and obscuring the risks and returns of educational debt, policymakers and institutions have created a rigged system — one that fails to serve students, the economy, or the public interest. 1. Origins of the Crisis:...

He was about as fine a young man as you could have dreamed up in a country so busy disgracing itself, Jesus-like in quality, if not in exact manner. Jesus, after all, was not a family man. But then there was nothing supernatural about Charlie Kirk. He was vividly of this time and place on earth. Now, in death, you can imagine him up on a mural in the post office. They’ve gone and turned him into legend, like Davy Crockett, Joseph Smith, Abe Lincoln. Yeah, it goes that deep. The Woke-Jacobin Left broke into a happy-dance when they heard...

China, Taiwan, and the Illusion of InvasionPosted: September 17, 2025As tensions between China and Taiwan continue to make headlines, it's worth stepping back to ask a more fundamental question: Is China actually capable of invading Taiwan? Or is the threat more bark than bite? After a detailed analysis of military capability, geography, politics, and historical precedent, the answer becomes clearer than what mainstream headlines may suggest.1. The Military Reality: Capability vs. IntentionWhile China has made significant investments in its military, a full-scale invasion of Taiwan would be among the most complex operations in modern history—possibly more difficult than the D-Day...

The Great Experiment and How It Ends: A Return to Nature, Purpose, and PartnershipIn the last several decades, Western society has launched what could be called a Great Experiment: a full-scale reengineering of the human relationship structure that has served civilization for thousands of years. The traditional roles of men and women have been dismantled, the institution of marriage devalued, and the idea of long-term partnership often treated as optional, or even regressive.This experiment was built on the promise of personal freedom: that women could have it all—career, independence, and family—on their own terms, and that men could be liberated...

The Permanent Record: From Empty Threat to Everyday Reality When I was a student back in the 1950s, we used to joke about the phrase “That’s going on your permanent record.” It was a hollow threat from teachers, something said when a kid stepped out of line — broke a rule, said something smart-alecky, or handed in an assignment late. We all laughed quietly to ourselves, because we knew there was no such thing. There was no record, and certainly nothing “permanent.” Today, that joke is no longer funny — because it has come true. We now live in a...

The Warning Was Sounded — But No One Wanted to Listen There may come a time, years from now, when future generations will ask: “How did they let it happen?” How did nations as strong, as historic, and as proud as those in Europe — the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands — fall into decline so quickly, and so obviously? The answer will not be complicated. They were warned. And they didn’t want to listen. The UK Is the Canary in the Coal Mine The United Kingdom, once an empire that spanned the globe, now finds itself shrinking — not...

1 John 4:16 (King James Version) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Libs are certainly not the brightest bulbs on a Christmas tree and certainly missed the compassion gene as they are doubling down on assassinations. How about a little self-reflection and admit the calling everyone you disagree with Hitlers and Nazis is leading to innocent people getting murdered. Challenging and defeating you in the arena of ideas is not the same thing as murder and assassination....

So .... thoughts on the question ... The REAL reason the President is deploying the National Guard in various cities is NOT necessarily to fight existing crime, but to get them into position for when the demonic alliance of Jihadists and "Trans-tifa" are unleashed by the nefarious players .... wishing to start a Hot Civil War in the streets?Kirk's murderer may have been more 'solo' than not. But, I have a sinking feeling he really was not a "lone" actor in all this ... and is a soldier of a bigger force.

We believe we should have the right to call anyone a Nazi. We believe we should be the only ones who decide if the charge is true. Nobody who is friends with someone accused of being a Nazi is allowed to defend them — they’re Nazis TOO! Then, if we decide someone really IS a Nazi, we get to shoot them. And then the world owes us a Gold Star for killing a Nazi. Also, we’re against the death penalty, so nobody else gets to kill anyone. Especially nobody gets to kill us. But we still get to kill anybody....

The liberals have gotten so absurd that they have turned themselves into comedy material. Therefore Justine Brooke Murray is now performing MRCTV comedy based on material published in Newsbusters. Here is Justine commenting on the absurdity of a Politico editor whining about no mass protests in DC against the federal takeover of the police department in the Capital. Oh, and look closely to see which Newsbusters article provided the comedy material. I would tell you the name that can be seen on that article but I'm much too (BLUSH!) humble..@Justine_Brooke schools the editor of Politico who is upset that there's...

GENIUS MOVE! Russian Revenues CUT IN HALF! | RFU News RFU News — Reporting from Ukraine 686K subscribers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXBmcrP_YMY Length 5:10 Aug 23, 2025 "Today, Russia has suffered a massive defeat on the economic stage. Here, Opec+ has cut Russia at the knees and offered India a cheap alternative to Russian oil to avoid further sanctions. With Russia desperately offering to sell its remaining oil at an even further discounted rate, revenues are dropping far lower than previously predicted, as Russia’s main economic crutch is being snapped in two. India has been under a 50% tariff from the US since...

I am Ukrainian. On this channel I will give you the latest news about the war in Ukraine. "Today, there is interesting news from the Liman direction. Here, Russians press forward and are rapidly burning through their forces, attacking Ukrainians from all sides. Holding an active defense, the Ukrainian third army corps is hitting back hard, denying the Russians new territory and taking advantage of their most exposed positions to make new significant territorial gains of their own. Russian forces continue to push towards Torske from all sides, but Ukrainian defenders from the 63rd and 60th Mechanized Brigades are defending...

VIDEOCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom has gone Full Shmuck on social media. We know that this was fueled by helpless rage as he is forced to watch President Donald Trump display effective leadership but are drugs also playing a role in his rabid rantings? His ambition is also now forcing him to go Full Shmuck in his desperate attempt to stand out from the other potential 2028 presidential candidates. In this video we can see perhaps the symptoms of drug withdrawal towards the tail end of a looooong interview with the editorial board of the Sacramental Bee in August 2021 as...