Free Republic

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...

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 Hidden Plan and the Power of Symbols — How the Elite’s Vision Meets the People’s Resistance For decades, a vision has quietly shaped much of the Western world’s political landscape — a vision crafted and advanced by an elite group of powerful individuals. These men, often embedded within influential institutions and organizations promoting bold agendas to end poverty, combat climate change, and build a “better” future, are not villains in secret bunkers but public figures united by shared beliefs. They believe sincerely that they are guiding humanity toward a necessary transformation, one that demands sacrifice and a reordering of...

Wolves in Humanitarian Skin: The Hidden Elite and Their Long GameIt is tempting to believe that world events unfold organically — that wars, economic shifts, and social upheavals are the chaotic result of human nature, poor leadership, or bad luck. But patterns emerge. Leaders across Western nations increasingly act against the interest of their own people, pushing policies that seem disconnected from cultural roots, economic realities, or popular will. At the same time, these same leaders speak the language of morality, of global responsibility, and of saving humanity — whether through climate policy, economic equality, or pandemic management. The message...

🏛️ Why Politicians Don’t Want to Solve Problems Here’s a theory I’ve been thinking about — and the more I look at the world, the more it seems to hold up: Politicians don’t actually want to solve problems. Because there’s more money, power, and influence to be gained in keeping those problems alive — especially in times of chaos and fear. Let me explain. ________________________________________ 💰 Crisis Means Cash Every time a major problem surfaces — whether it’s war, climate change, crime, or public health — billions of dollars get thrown at it. Committees are formed. Programs are launched. Studies...

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...

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.

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...

In Louisville, Kentucky, a violent serial criminal named Armond Langford was sentenced to 14 years in prison.But a pro-crime judge named Jessica E. Green let him out on probation after less than 1 year.After he got out, he kidnapped a woman and her children, and held a knife to the woman’s throat in front of her children.Sources:https://www.wlky.com/article/louisville-robbery-kidnapping-previous-conviction-lyndon/65643718https://www.wlky.com/article/louisville-langford-early-release-kentucky-lawmakers-speak/65646729https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2025/08/10/louisville-bank-robbery-suspect-once-had-14-year-prison-sentence-dropped/85599657007/

Baltimore Circuit Judge Yvette M. Bryant gave zero prison time to a violent criminal named Patrick Brice, even though there is video proof that he brutally assaulted two people, ages 84 and 72. One of the victims has permanent damage to one of his eyes from the assault.

Kansas City, Missouri, shut down its prison. They give free bus service so the serial criminals can go to the city run grocery store and continuously harass the customers. This is exactly what #ZohranMamdani wants to do to #NYC.

The cuts to National Public Radio’s taxpayer funding have definitely been a long time coming. The leftist outlet is blaming climate change (there’s a surprise) for — wait for it — a lot of rain, in summertime! “Climate change is fueling brutal rainstorms. Here's how to stay safe,” read the ridiculous headline for NPR’s July 15 Consider This podcast by All Things Considered co-host Juana Summers (ironic) and Climate Desk correspondent Michael Copley, both of whom are not scientists. Of course, Summers exploited the Texas flood disasters as a springboard to blame rainfall and recent flooding writ large in the...

VIDEOHow can that be? My wife had a string of WINS at the Casino today, July 12, 2025, yet we ended up still LOSING to the tune of about $30 to $40. How? Because of horribly LOUSY payouts. In fact our best slots payout today was about what our WORST payout was in June when she also had a string of WINS but WINS with normal to good payouts. We will be taking a break from the casino until early August because it seems that Lady Luck would only joke around with us again if we went back before then.So...

I asked Grok: Fact check: Compared to the 1950s, here are some things that are far, far better in 2025: Average life expectancy. Square footage of housing per person. Houses today are much bigger, but the number of people in each house is much smaller. Number of bathrooms per person in each house. Percentage of homes with air conditioning. Number of dental cavities for the average 18 year old. Percentage of the population that is vaccinated against polio and measles. Percentage of the population that has indoor plumbing. Percentage of the population that takes a daily shower. Being able to...

Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani have both said that billionaires should not exist. This information from Grok tells us which countries meet that criteria, and which ones do not.https://x.com/DanielAlmanPGH/status/1942015133875601709#BernieSanders and #ZohranMamdani have both said that #BillionairesShouldNotExist.This information from Grok tells us which countries meet that criteria, and which ones do not.#Socialism #DemocraticSocialism #Communism #Marxism #Capitalism #AynRand #Economics #Billionaires pic.twitter.com/L3qMsZI6ju— Daniel Alman from Squirrel Hill (@DanielAlmanPGH) July 7, 2025I asked Grok:Please list the per capita number of billionaires in each the following countries: the United States, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan,...

VIDEOSome obsessions are harmful. Think Captain Ahab and his OBSESSION with a certain White Whale. However, other obsessions can be very positive. And in the case of Portugal, they can be congratulated for their OBSESSION with fresh squeezed orange juice. And don't just tell them that the orange juice is fresh squeezed, they have to VERIFY it with their own eyes.

I'm proud to mention that I’m a columnist with Renew America. The editors suggested I provide a review of my new novel. The problem with reviews, good, bad, long, short, is that each is one person's opinion. Surely I can be more helpful. Here are the first six reviews: ——————————————————————- “I LOVED IT. It's interesting and fast-paced." —Laurie Endicott Thomas, author of "Not Trivial: How Studying The Traditional Liberal Arts Can Set You Free” —————————————————————— "A riveting sci-fi thriller that delves into artificial intelligence, government surveillance, and the nature of free will. At the heart of the novel is Carlos,...