Unconscious Selfishness has replaced Unconscious Graciousness

Another term for unconscious is unintentional; as opposed to conscious…or intentional.  We as individuals are composed of both the conscious and the unconscious.  No doubt, on a technical level, there are many hairs to split when discussing conscious behavior.  But for the purposes of this piece, let’s just say that conscious behavior is intended behavior…it is what we mean to say or do.  We often make mistakes…when what we mean to do doesn’t always turn out as intended.  But that is a component of the human creature; the connections between our minds and our limbs or mouths are not always perfect.

 

Unconscious behavior is a much deeper and darker well.  What makes us what we are?  There is the age-old debate about nature vs. nurture. There are the fields of psychiatry and sociology.  There are the ever winding mysteries of the human mind and how it works.  But once again, for the sake of simplicity and this piece, let’s just say that unconscious behavior is the stuff that we say or do…but are never really sure why we say it or do it.  It is our natural state…it is who we are.  And no matter how many ingredients are baked in this particular unconscious cake, there are certainly large amounts of how we were raised, how we were taught, and the experiences we have lived included in the recipe.  We have all at one time or another received the sage advice…just be yourself.  That’s what I’m talking about here.

 

I truly believe that a child is brought into this world with an aura of innocence.  He or she is an empty vessel to be filled by the aforementioned baking ingredients.  By and large, up to and through the Boomer generation, those ingredients included various lessons such as interpersonal courtesy, common consideration, personal/workplace ethics, and general respect for others.  This was how children were raised.  I will grant that this is only some of the full ingredients list, but it is the part I want to discuss.  Keep in mind that we are talking about traits that begin to emerge in the early years and are thereafter nourished and cultivated as to become natural attributes in a person…what we would call unconscious behavior.

 

Without making a causative judgment, it strikes me that all the subsequent generations beyond the Boomers…in an increasing fashion…have minimized/trivialized these noted traits to the point where, in many cases, they are non-existent.  This has occurred not only in child rearing, but also in a larger social-environmental sense.  We all experience it through our encounters with others…like when our partners, children, friends, and coworkers are face-planted in their electronic devices and essentially tune out everything else…including us.  We see it in all aspects of our culture and society as we drift towards a narcissistic attitude that makes everything about us…the individual.  We see it in the lack of respect for others…family, friends, employers, those who are less fortunate, those with differing opinions, and the elderly among us.  In so many ways, we have become a very selfish and uncaring bunch of people.  We have taken a cold turn and no matter the reason for the change, it is not a turn for the better. 

 

All things that fall into the broad and ever-evolving field of old-fashioned are not desirable or worth preserving…but much of it is.  The lessons once taught to our children about respecting their parents, about how job performance reflects one’s character, about how accepting accountability for one’s words or actions demonstrates maturity, about how concern for the welfare of others should rise above one’s self interest…these are no longer in vogue. 

 

Lots of folks do not look you in the eye today when you speak with them. Lots of folks do not want to be troubled with extraneous conversation that goes beyond the point at hand.  Lots of folks are too consumed by their own wants and needs to be worried about the wants and needs of others.  Think about your daily interactions with cashiers, salespeople, and service representatives.  We just don’t seem to be communicating much these days.  These dwindling traits in many ways reflect the graciousness that once naturally existed in most folks…a cultivated and unconscious decency that tended to bring us together as a family, a community, a society, and a people.  We’ve lost that.

 

Much of this graciousness in ourselves has been replaced with selfishness.  Many times, the decent things we actually do come across as phony, contrived, or insincere because we do them consciously rather than unconsciously; they don’t seem natural.  These acts ring untrue and have a hollow feel to them.  Things can get complicated when we do the right thing for the wrong reasons.  That’s what happens when you think too much about how to act and stop being true to yourself.  I don’t really think this shift was predominantly intentional and designed; I think it is simply a product of our natural evolution as a species and as Americans. 

 

This is not about pointing fingers or assigning blame; it is simply a sad eulogy for lost treasures.  And even though we, individually or collectively, might not be held consciously accountable for the loss of these human components…we are undoubtedly accountable in a collective and unconscious sense for their loss.  We took our eyes off the prize.  We forgot some of the things that were precious and worth saving.  We became focused on and distracted by the shiny objects…and let some of the good things slip away.  I wonder…are they gone for good or does enough of the essence remain as to make a revival even possible?  It is a hard truth that goes: Sometimes…you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.  Here are some lines from the song “The Heart of the Matter”… Don Henley, Mike Campbell, and J.D. Souther wrote it…Henley performed it…the words ring so true…

 

Ah, these times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
And people filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive
In such a graceless age?

 

I have a difficult time tolerating President Trump’s arrogance, conceit, and bravado when speaking…but his content is typically spot-on.  Such was the case in his recent United Nations address.  What he said…NEEDED to be said.  The simple fact is that no one else is saying it.  If not him…then whom?

 

https://nypost.com/2025/09/23/opinion/michael-goodwin-trumps-un-speech-pulled-no-punches-and-put-the-world-on-notice/

 

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/weda-death-blow-globalism-trumps-un-speech-sets-us-pivot

 

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/end-united-nations

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/26/is-there-any-role-for-the-united-nations-in-trump-2-0/

 

The SCOTUS has been making some critically significant decisions lately, and this one…if it holds up…is certainly one of them.  Just as Congress had ceded some of its powers to the Executive Branch over the last decade or so, they have also passed legislation that seeks to steal power from the Executive Branch.  The Humphrey’s Executor decision is long overdue for a reversal and this might be the beginning of that.

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/big-victory-for-trump-on-removal-power/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/another-historic-opportunity-for-the-court-humphreys-executor-to-be-reconsidered/

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/09/the-supreme-court-steps-up.php

 

In the case of the United Nations and as illustrated by “this” action, it is true that even a broken clock is correct twice every day.  Dysfunctional as it is, the UN got this one right.  President Trump’s strong and unwavering support for Israel is one of his most admirable positions.  I am PROUD to see our President stand before the world and unapologetically confirm that support.  They are an ally that we should never abandon.

 

https://justthenews.com/government/diplomacy/un-delivers-final-nail-coffin-2015-iran-nuclear-deal-set-impose-snapback

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/23/explaining-israel-the-jewish-state-the-middle-east-and-america/

 

https://freebeacon.com/columns/laser-focused-what-iron-beam-means-for-israel-its-enemies-and-the-us/

 

https://freebeacon.com/israel/free-the-hostages-or-israel-will-hunt-you-down-netanyahu-says-in-un-speech-broadcast-through-gaza/

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/trump-releases-gaza-peace-plan-tells-netanyahu-he-has-full-backing-to-escalate-if-hamas-refuses-to-sign/

 

Like many policies, Donald Trump and his Administration has been playing both sides of the censorship/free speech debate and the practice of using the DOJ for political targeting.  These are two areas where I would like to see him remain on the side that leaves the politics out of the argument.

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/08/21/dni-gabbard-guts-neuters-biden-censorship-center-promoted

 

https://reason.com/2025/09/22/60-years-ago-ayn-rand-denounced-fcc-censorship-brendan-carr-should-listen/

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/jd-vance-fcc-brendan-carr/2025/09/24/id/1227747/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/09/trump-doubles-down-on-lawfare/

 

President Trump and his Administration are trying to rebuild our domestic and foreign policy ideals into more constitutional and traditional models that better reflect the principles and values upon which our nation was founded.  This effort must be continued…and that continuance hinges largely on the results of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/22/why-our-systems-collapse/

 

https://reason.com/2025/09/26/canada-should-offer-to-drop-its-terrible-agricultural-restrictions-in-return-for-u-s-tariff-reductions/

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/23/trade-deficit-plummets-429-second-quarter-under-trumps

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/24/us-chambers-small-business-index-sets-record-both

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/25/second-quarter-gdp-revised-again-best-quarter-2023

 

https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/new-home-sales-surge/

 

Here’s what you say when your opponent takes the economic mess that you handed him and begins to turn it around 180 degrees: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/27/economy/economy-inflation-tariffs-sentiment-jobs

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/a-state-department-for-the-golden-age/

 

https://freebeacon.com/america/the-united-states-has-spent-110-billion-on-aids-prevention-less-than-half-of-the-money-went-to-medical-supplies-and-health-workers-a-state-department-audit-found/

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/26/three-four-mayors-want-more-federal-help-combating-crime

 

The First Amendment is about Toleration….Not Endorsement

 Here is the actual text of the First Amendment to our Constitution:

 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

 

The right or privilege to speak one’s mind…in a reasonable fashion that does not incite violence or endanger people…is clearly protected by this Amendment.  This privilege is to be honored, respected, and tolerated.  As Americans, we are granted the right to say ignorant, outrageous, and even mean-spirited things.  What is NOT included in this Amendment is the right or obligation on any person or any entity to provide…or to be provided…a platform for that free speech.  You will also note that the terms hate speech or violence are not mentioned; the closest we come to that is the use of the term peaceably.

 

Every person as an individual is responsible for the words that flow from them…either verbally or otherwise.  We own them.  But the right to take foolish social positions or step right up to the red line of defamation and incitement does not mean that someone or something out there must enable us, promote us, or legally provide us with the opportunity to do this.  Colbert, Kimmel, Kilmeade, Bondi, Trump, Schumer, LeBron, Taylor Swift, Springsteen, Tom Hanks, De Niro, Crockett, Katy Tur, Elon Musk, Hannity…all of these people can say whatever they choose within the bounds of civility and reason.  But unless they are in their own homes, their own backyards, or pursuing an enterprise that is solely of their own volition…they are beholden to those who have provided the platform for their espousing.  And…they are bound not only by the privileges of the First Amendment, but by the RESPECT for the First Amendment.  If we demand the right to speak our mind, we must allow others to speak theirs.

 

Look at our media today.  Do any of the platforms or channels have any real interest in balanced reporting?  I don’t think so.  Sure, some are more biased than others; but they all tilt pretty severely one way or the other.  They all have their own agendas.  I tell you what…you want balance?  Do this.  When you have a panel show of five…The View, The Five, the Whatever…instead of having a token minority view on the show running solo, give them two seats out of five; give them a fighting chance to get a word or two in the conversation. Fair and balanced?  Truth dies in the darkness?  Give me a break.  These are nothing but empty platitudes and vain glorious slogans.  All of these folks are perpetuating their idealistic bubbles and have no interest in presenting both sides in an objective way.  Whoopi rips on Republicans and Trump, but she does not incite or libel.  Jesse rips on Democrats and liberal/progressives, but he does not advocate violence.  This is free speech in action. 

 

We as human beings are far too prone to egotism, conceit, and are insufficiently self-aware to be given the right to DEMAND that our thoughts and opinions REQUIRES someone or something to put us up front…put a microphone in our hand, a monitor to read, or a keyboard before us…and then turn us loose to represent not only ourselves, but them as well. That is not free speech.  That is the expectation of entitlement.  That is arrogance run amok.  This all takes place in an environment of democracy, capitalism, free markets, and within the framework of our Constitution. 

 

ESSENTIAL to the process is the understanding that we are all but a small part of a bigger picture.  What we do on our own is our business; but what we do with other people’s time and resources gives them the right to influence our content.  We specifically give them that right when we accept their support.  People have the constitutional right to be stupid, say stupid things, and even do a lot of stupid things.  We do NOT have the right to demand a pedestal or stage on which to perform these stupid acts.  If that element is provided to us, then we are duty-bound to conform to the provider’s rules or, if we choose not to conform, we can walk away…or get terminated.  Our enablers may choose to pull the plug on our efforts or the consumers of our actions may choose to ignore us; either one of these results are reasonable expectations and risks of what we might say or do in a public forum.

 

Our political opinions, our social habits, our lifestyle choices, our ethics, our morals, our religion…all of these freedoms are given to us to use as we choose upon a deep and wide playing field.  But EVERY other person on that playing field has the same rights.  Respect for others, appreciation of differences, and the absolute need for co-existence demands that while we exercise OUR OWN First Amendment rights…we equally respect the privilege of others to exercise THEIR OWN First Amendment rights.

 

Here’s the deal: Believe what you like about abortion, gay rights, capital punishment, conservatism, progressivism, free markets, global warming, government spending and taxation…but do not get up in my face and DEMAND that I agree with you or else be branded a bible-thumping, flag-waving, intolerable fascist.  I will recognize your right to believe what you wish; but I enthusiastically retain the right to not endorse your ideas and possess a differing opinion of my own.  If we are to live in and maintain our democracy, we must learn these lessons.  We must begin to PRACTICE these lessons.  A monolithic and autocratic state such as communism or socialism is not the solution and those ideals are anathema to a free society and nation.  Toleration within limits is the price we must pay for our Constitution and the American way of life.

 

And perhaps most importantly…we do not need our GOVERNMENT to play school monitor and begin placing us out in the hallway in our school desks.  Where the line is drawn between individual first amendment rights and actions that incite violence or defame others (i.e. disinformation and libel) is a HUGE question and challenge.  Congress will ultimately have to draw this line; the Judicial Branch will have to endorse their legislation; and the Executive Branch will have to administer those rules.  And all of this decision making will take place in the current maelstrom of a severe partisan divide, social media, photoshopping, AI, and other applications of high tech.  The biggest single threat to this process is not the irresponsible action of the individual, but rather the corruptible capacity of those in power...i.e. censorship.  Like it or not, the time has come to draw that line.  We can only hope and pray that it is drawn wisely.

Update...FWIW: I support Kimmel's right to say what he said about Kirk's death on his own late night show.  I support ABC's right to suspend his show for whatever reason they choose.  I support the Sinclair and Nexstar groups' right to pre-empt Kimmel's show for whatever reason they choose.  I DO NOT support Trump's FCC Chair for getting involved in the mix.  Most of all....MOST OF ALL....I support myself for never having watched a single moment of Kimmel's show.  Free speech lives....use it.

https://americanmind.org/salvo/assassination-cancellation-and-freedom-of-speech/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/a-senate-story-about-first-amendment-lawfare/

 

Pretty thin skin… https://www.newsmax.com/politics/donald-trump-jimmy-kimmel-brendan-carr/2025/09/19/id/1227155/

 

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/bondi-violence-threats/2025/09/16/id/1226629/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/09/pam-bondis-first-amendment-follies/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2025/09/16/meta-and-mark-zuckerberg-may-just-be-ready-to-fight-for-free-speech-b/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-media-are-incapable-of-covering-left-wing-violence/

 

https://americanmind.org/memo/how-to-dismantle-far-left-extremist-networks/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2025/09/19/teaching-the-three-rs-clinton-and-weingarten-return-to-republicans-rage-and-recrimination-as-schools-continue-to-decline/#more-235986

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/19/kimmel-ratings-chart-goes-viral-proof-real-reason-his-show

 

The economy is going to be the number one consideration of voters next year when the mid-term elections arrive.  The quarter-point FR cut should serve to continue a slow and deliberate improvement in our national economy.  We can only hope it moves fast enough to assuage the concerns many have about the high cost of living.  It is becoming increasingly clear that Trump has inherited an economy that was highly overrated due to the lies, disinformation, and general incompetence of the Biden Administration.  The lift is significant.

 

https://issuesinsights.com/2025/09/15/now-we-know-voters-were-right-experts-wrong-about-the-biden-economy/

 

https://www.city-journal.org/article/biden-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-roads-bridges-transit-failure

 

The Obama deep state holdovers that sprang forth under Obama, sabotaged Donald Trump, and supported Biden were not simply incompetent…they were also terribly corrupt…

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/17/weaponized-scoops-new-russiagate-documents-expose-media-government-collusion/

 

Education…Education…Education…

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/helping-college-students-avoid-wasting-time-and-money/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/17/the-latest-naep-disgrace/

 

I stand up and cheer when President Trump takes bold steps in an effort to reverse many of the progressive elements installed in our government and society by the Obama/Biden malaise.  But there is simply no denying that the support we give Trump when we agree with him can be a double-edged sword….a sword that may come back to cut us when a Democrat sits in the White House.  There must be limits to each branch of our government and these limits must be respected.

 

https://reason.com/2025/09/17/trump-has-a-habit-of-asserting-broad-unreviewable-authority/

 

 

The Devastating…and Continuing…Curse of COVID

The human cost of the COVID scourge is a historical tragedy that will leave emotional scars on people for generations to come.  For many, it will always represent the depths of despair and agony through unexpected loss.  But the collateral cost of COVID…perhaps less significant in personal terms but more significant in cultural and social terms…is the simple fact that COVID opened the door to loonies who had theretofore been bottled up and prevented from unleashing their foolishness upon their neighbors and fellow citizens.  In a bizarre fashion, COVID empowered them.  It created an opportunity for the Ultimate Karens among us to spread their wings and fly.  COVID was not their genesis; but it was their “coming out” party.

 

Barack Hussein Obama does not like this country.  He ran for the presidency with the goal of transforming America into a nation that more resembled his ideals.  Those ideals were socially progressive, extreme, and so far beyond what our framers envisioned in the Constitution that he and his Administration decided to dribble out their agenda in drips and drabs.  They were smart enough to realize that radical change of this magnitude had to be strategically employed.  Thank goodness those eight years were insufficient time for him to fulfill his dream. Their plan was for Hillary Clinton to continue down the ultra-liberal yellow brick road and complete the changeover.  Donald Trump threw a wrench in those gears.

 

President Trump in his first term clearly planned to unwind the damage wrought by Obama and his minions.  But the first part of his term was handicapped by inexperience and deep state sabotage while the last part was brought to a standstill by COVID.  I have no doubt that had COVID not arrived in America when it did, Donald Trump would have won a landslide victory in his quest for a second term.  Unfortunately, the epidemic provided cover for Joe Biden to run a stealth campaign for president and for the Democrat Party to pull all manner of election irregularities.  The rest is history. 

 

Post-election, Biden and his ilk threw all caution to the wind and picked up where Obama left off…only in hyper drive.  Where Obama dug the hole with a spade, Biden dug the hole with a mega backhoe shovel.  The obsession with COVID’s deadly potential created acquiescence from the public that permitted Biden’s power-hungry disciples to get off to a running start.  In multiple ways, COVID provided the impetus and the opportunity for progressive activists in the Democrat Party to seize power and control without too much scrutiny.  Under the guise of “the public good”, liberals who had burrowed into the deep state of the Trump Administration began to broaden their reach and autonomy.  They expanded the autocracy of the Executive Branch to levels not seen before and did it without shame, apology, or hesitation.  Their boldness was mimicked by liberal progressives at various levels all the way down through our culture.  As far as they were concerned…their time had come. 

 

The rush that was experienced by this bunch of greedy bureaucrats was exhilarating for them and without any significant pushback to question their motives, their science, or their reasoning…they ran hog wild.  The American citizenry became little more than sheep and the WDC wolves were more than willing to play Lords of the Manor.  What then transpired were some of the darkest days in our nation’s history. We can only imagine the apocalyptic meteor we dodged when Trump defeated Harris for the presidency. 

 

These “navel-gazing COVID Nannies” flourished during Biden’s four years as president and many of them still remain with us today.  The electoral defeats of the Democrats and Harris in 2024 did not cleanse our nation of this pestilence...they persevere.  They occupy all levels of societal position in our country from high-ranking government offices to neighborhood HOA Napoleons.  They control corporate boardrooms and school boards.  They dominate academia, media, and advertising venues.  They have strengthened their strongholds in urban centers across the country and are firmly entrenched behind their state and municipal autonomies. They have become part and parcel of our government’s intelligentsia.  This is the cancerous malady that President Trump, his Administration, and the Republicans in Congress are trying to seek out and destroy. 

 

The battle is being waged from the streets of Washington, DC all the way down to the streets of your hometowns and the rural roadways in your countryside.  Even though Trump and his allies are winning a lot, they are not winning all the time.  There is so much to do and so little time to do it.  And if the mid-terms do not sustain Republican control of Congress, the effort to right the American ship of state might very well be aborted far short of its completion.  The remnants of the COVID Curse are still alive and scattered throughout our nation.  If we are to return our country to a constitutional standing with worthy values and morals, it is essential that these remnants be removed…by the roots.

 

The deaths of Charlie Kirk and the young Ukrainian immigrant on the train are horrific indictments on what we have become as a culture and a society.  Upon reflection, the best comment I can offer is from the scriptures… “Jesus wept”.  Both of these individuals, one well-known and the other anonymous, were robbed of their precious lives and futures in a meaningless fashion that defies logic or understanding.  Kirk was a rising conservative force filling a niche that had been abandoned by his Party.  He was a unique and invaluable asset for his cause that will not be easily replaced.  Iryna Zarutska’s life represented the promises held forth by America and all the possibilities contained therein.  How fragile her hopes and dreams proved to be.  Both deaths are such tragedies. We should all…every one of us…be very careful how we deify or demonize those who are taken from us far too soon.

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-american-mainstreams-tacit-acceptance-of-left-wing-violence/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2025/09/13/when-words-no-longer-matter-nancy-pelosi-and-politics-of-violence/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/kilmeade-just-kill-mentally-ill-homeless-who-refuse-help/

 

https://reason.com/2025/09/11/charlie-kirk-assassinated/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/demons-are-all-too-real/

 

Academia in America is corrupted to its very core and must be exposed, held accountable for the harm it has wrought, and be transformed into something that better resembles what its true functions should be.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/15/was-the-current-madness-birthed-in-the-university/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/colleges-should-stop-selling-dreams/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/12/schools-are-in-hooky-hell/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-continuing-lack-of-transparency-on-college-costs/

 

What’s in a name?  Perhaps more…or less…than meets the eye…

 

https://reason.com/2025/09/09/trumps-department-of-war-rebrand-might-be-his-most-honest-move-yet/

 

Is it time for America to abandon this organization whose fundamental purpose has been distorted and perverted?  At the very least, perhaps its headquarters should be moved to a European country more consistent with its philosophical tilt…

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/the-u-n-s-colonial-reparations-folly/

 

I fully realize that foreign policy and affairs are games of three-dimensional chess and very few people possess sufficient facts to approach them intelligently; I certainly do not.  But sometimes you just have to wonder…what the hell are they doing?

 

https://freebeacon.com/columns/qatars-double-sided-diplomacy-crumbles-in-israeli-airstrike/

 

Liberal progressives have a mindset that demeans all those who do not buy into their dogma; they look down on them as inferior beings that are in desperate need of someone to run their lives.  They are so very willing to volunteer for that task…

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/13/are-you-entitled-to-your-own-facts/

Grocery Prices Need to Fall…the Clock is Ticking

President Trump and his Republican Party have been engaging in some spirited battles with the Democrats and their progressive allies as of late.  To their credit, they seem been winning more than losing and public sentiment appears to be on their side, by and large.  But while tariff wars, blowing up drug boats, arresting illegal aliens in all shapes and forms, mimicking Robert Duvall in militaristic memes, sparring with governors Newsom and Pritzker over crime and punishment, renaming federal departments and firing large portions of their workforce, passing Big Beautiful Bills, and all the other Trumpian adventures our President engages in might spur debate and effectively expose the Democrats for the fools that they are…there is an elephant sitting on the couch in this room.

 

That elephant is in the form of the high cost of living; grocery prices in particular.  The steps that Trump has taken to improve our economy make good sense.  He is shrinking the size of government, spurring investments that should create revenue and job creation, and seems to be holding inflation rates at bay for the time being.  But even if he manages to stop inflation in its tracks, the plain and simple truth is that the cost of living is too damn high.  If people do not see the price of their groceries come down by next summer, they are not going to be inclined to support the party in charge of the White House and the Congress.  It is that simple.

 

The economic policies that the Trump Administration is utilizing to lower the cost of living might very well work…over time.  The question is: How much time?  Prices will not be coming down overnight or even over weeks.  It will take several months, perhaps even a year or more, for effective economic policies to impact the daily lives of citizens.  It would be wise indeed for the President and his Party to tone down their rhetoric on many of the issues where their positions are supported by healthy majorities of the public.  There are times when you celebrate the win, move on to the next job, and stop thumping your chest.  Let the American people think for themselves, realize that things are getting better, and draw their own conclusions about which policies they support.  Let people think about the way people are living in California, New York City, Seattle, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Madison, and Chicago under the rule of Democrats.

 

Trump and his Administration are making a solid effort to bring down prices; but those efforts are getting lost in the shuffle of all the other “flavor of the month” issues that Trump loves to bluster and bandy about.  People need to SEE and HEAR that first off, the President and his officials are aware of the high prices and secondly, they are doing all they can in sensible ways to deal with this problem.  If prices begin to fall in time to influence the 2026 mid-terms, then Republican sailing should be smooth.  But if they stubbornly remain at their high levels and people hear Trump talking about everything but paying the grocery bill, then a lot of the so-called bigger issues are going to take a backseat to the cost of feeding the family.  Fair or not, the party in charge will garner the praise or carry the blame.  The clock is ticking.

 

Of all the woke and progressive movements that I find troubling in our nation today, there is none more serious than the significant amount of support that Americans hold for Hamas, the radical leaders of Palestine, and their venomous hatred for the Jewish people.  Hamas is pure evil with no redeeming qualities and no hope of redemption.  The Palestinian people, for whatever reason, have chosen to allow their lives to be ruled by this group of brutal terrorists.  There is absolutely no way that a two-state solution will ever lead to a lasting peace in the Middle East.  These realities dictate that Hamas must be destroyed and Palestine must come under the control of new management.  That management should be in the form of Israel and that is becoming more apparent with each passing day. 

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/02/a-palestinian-state-is-a-threat-to-all-of-us/

 

https://www.jns.org/trump-and-rubio-reject-the-palestinian-victimhood-narrative/

 

https://ideas.tikvah.org/mosaic/essays/there-won-t-be-a-palestinian-state-in-the-west-bank-it-s-time-to-reconsider-the-j

 

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rk1upfsyex

 

President Trump has approached the Russia/Ukraine war in a very deliberate and sensible fashion.  He has given both sides multiple opportunities to settle the conflict and one or both of them have repeatedly and stubbornly refused to do so.  Russia started this war.  Only Russia can end this war.  Trump’s dalliance with Putin, no matter how well planned and designed, is obviously not working.  It is time for Trump, along with the apparently-willing European nations that we claim as allies, to drop the hammer on Russia in every way possible to bring it to the negotiating table.  Arm Ukraine to the teeth, including offensive weapons; isolate Russia economically and make them suffer for their intransigence; make it clear to China and India that Russia is not a good horse to be betting on in this international race for global supremacy.  The carrots have not worked.  It is time for the sticks.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/05/america-first-and-dealing-with-a-recalcitrant-putin/

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/trump-putin/2025/09/07/id/1225438/

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/gordon-chang-china-russia/2025/09/07/id/1225440/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/08/trump-should-use-honey-as-well-as-vinegar-to-isolate-russia/

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/budapest-is-back-in-the-game/

 

Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well in the U.S. Senate.  Senate Democrats have clearly chosen to adopt a governing strategy bereft of ideals and policy initiatives in favor of a fever-driven obsession…aka doing all things possible to damage the Trump Administration.  The Republicans that control the Senate should pay attention to how Trump has dealt with the Democrats and stop playing nice with their Senate adversaries.  In today’s political environment, it is critical to maximize the implementation of policy while you control the levers of power; the four years of the Biden Administration are woeful proof of that.  Republicans must trust the American people to recognize the irrational bureaucratic sabotage being waged by the Democrats for what it is…pure spite and malice towards a man that simply cannot defeat.  Do what is necessary and people will support it.

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/clearing-the-nominations-backlog-in-the-senate/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/en-bloc-nominations/

 

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/senate-rules-change-trump-nominees-republicans-democrats/2025/09/03/id/1224986/

 

The educational battle for the hearts and minds of our children and our future continues.  No fight is more important.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2025/09/03/school-choice-battles-are-widespread/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2025/09/01/harvards-faculty-burst-out-laughing-how-harvards-grade-inflation-became-a-bad-joke/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/a-good-higher-ed-reform-in-georgia/

 

https://reason.com/2025/09/03/as-public-school-enrollment-drops-alternative-options-gain-traction/

 

Is it possible that the deeply-entrenched media bias that we have lived with for so long is beginning to ebb?  There are signs that might indicate this is happening.

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/cbs-is-rethinking-its-life-choices/

 

But then again…maybe not: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-murder-in-charlotte-inconveniences-the-leftist-media/

 

President Trump continues to flex his authority in regards to the economy; particularly in the area of trade.  Where does that end up and how is it working?

 

https://www.civitasinstitute.org/research/what-could-the-supreme-court-rule-about-trumps-tariffs

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/09/who-did-better-biden-or-trump.php

 

Old fashioned ideals about marriage and children and family are taking a beating these days.  The experiences and wisdom that are held by many of the old heads simply don’t matter much to the last couple of generations.  But like it or not, the family always has been and always will be the bedrock foundation of this country…regardless of who rules Washington, DC.  Both of our political parties have fringe elements within them.  In the case of the Republicans, the radicals are in the wings.  In the case of the Democrats, the radicals are running the show.   What type of future does each of them see for you and your family?

 

 https://americanmind.org/salvo/the-family-the-foundation-of-americas-next-250-years/

 

https://www.commentary.org/articles/josh-appel/conspiracist-woke-right-religion/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2025/09/08/the-mark-of-kaine-how-a-senators-remarks-borders-on-constitutional-blasphemy/