Is National Public Radio fair and balanced? Do they care what you think?NPR has a Public Editor to monitor listener complaints and concerns‚ but as we all know‚ the majority of their listeners are going to complain theyre not progressive enough. In 2021‚ Public Editor Kelly McBride appeared on Brian Stelters CNN podcast to praise NPRs decision to allow their journalists to go to (leftist) public protests so they can bring their full humanity to work with them.When Stelter asked about NPRs critics‚ McBride dismissed any conservative complaints about a leftist tilt because they are not genuinely interested in improving NPR. McBride claimed her job was to coach NPR to achieve its own internally stated goals. It doesnt help to be magnifying disingenuous criticism. To balance NPR is to harm NPR?NPR senior editor Uri Berliner wrote a bombshell expose for the Free Press website‚ chronicling NPRs blatant bias on subjects from Russian collusion conspiracy theories to the Hunter Biden laptop. NPR didnt report negatively on Donald Trump‚ they sought to damage or topple Trumps presidency. Is McBride going to find that this internally stated criticism isnt worth considering?NPR media reporter David Folkenflik countered with an official word saladfrom NPR chief news executive Edith Chapin rejecting Berliners critique: ";We';re proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories‚"; she wrote. ";We believe that inclusion among our staff‚ with our sourcing‚ and in our overall coverage is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world.";Inclusion of conservative viewpoints is something NPR refuses to do. Folkenflik has been an NPR media reporter since 2004‚ and he has never interviewed me or anyone else at the Media Research Center for one of his reports on media performance‚ including in his multitude of hostile stories on Fox News.But Folkenflik recently filed several stories from fervently anti-Israel leftists at The Intercept complaining that The New York Times was too pro-Israel in reporting about sexual assaults committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7‚ 2023. You can complain from the Left that Hamas is presented as too violent‚ but you cant complain from the right that Republicans are painted as Jim Crow racists or fascists.CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy wasnt as calm as Folkenflik. He hated this Berliner critique from the start. In his April 9 newsletter‚ he skeptically stated the idea that NPR is ";supposedly embracing"; a progressive view‚ and Berliner ";felt more aligned with the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal than NPR."; So Darcy wants to deny NPR';s identity is on the Left‚ and then he signals that it is.Darcy expressed disgust that Fox News quickly pounced on the article‚ and it may lead to a Jim Jordan type to hold an oversight hearing on NPR tilt. Horrors!On April 10‚ Darcy was at it again. Berliner';s expose on NPR is ";nothing short but a massive gift to the right‚"; whose top priority is ";vilifying the news media."; This is weird coming from Darcy‚ who routinely vilifies Fox News as fake news and argues it should be deplatformed by cable companies. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of reach‚ Darcy and Stelter have argued.On a daily basis‚ taxpayer-funded NPR is nothing short of a massive gift to the Left‚ pumping out progressive propaganda to over 1‚000 stations. Because it has public in its branding‚ too many Americans still think its a service to everyone. and not just to the Democrats who insure the millions keep flowing.

Imagine making a documentary about one of the 20th centurys leading opponents of the Ku Klux Klan without ever talking about the evil of the KKK itself.If that sounds like malpractice‚ consider PBSs new documentary on the life of William F. Buckley Jr.The Incomparable Mr. Buckley‚ the latest installment in the American Masters series‚ has much to say about anti-Communism but never reckons with the murderous reality of Communism itself.In failing to do so‚ producer and director Barak Goodman unintentionally reminds his viewers of why Buckley was needed in the first place and why he still is.Never mind that Buckley died in 2008‚ and next year marks the centenary of his birth.The liberals who already reigned in Americas universities when Buckley was a Yale student in the late 1940s have not learned any lessons in the decades since then.Faculty and administrators still will not speak frankly about evils emanating from the left end of the political spectrum‚ from Communism to the many violent groups that claim to act in the name of anti-colonialism.The PBS documentary gets Buckleys resume right but understands little of its significance.In 1951 Buckley published his first book‚ God and Man at Yale.Four years later‚ when he was not quite 30 years old‚ Buckley launched National Review‚ which became the all-but-official publication of the nascent conservative movement.He had a hand in the creation of other institutions‚ too‚ such as the rights student activist arm‚ Young Americans for Freedom.Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan drew political support and intellectual sustenance from the movement Buckley built.And after Goldwaters crushing defeat in the 1964 presidential election‚ Buckley restored conservatives spirits with his run for mayor of New York City the following year.The Incomparable Mr. Buckley is right to suggest that although WFBs mayoral campaign never had a shot at winning Buckley joked that if he won‚ hed demand a recount it taught conservatives how to mobilize urban Catholics and voters fed up with escalating crime.The Nixon coalition‚ which would win the White House in 1968 and 1972‚ was the Buckley coalition first.His mayoral run made him a media sensation and led to a career in television‚ on top of the several careers he already had as an author‚ editor‚ lecturer and movement-maker.He even started his own highly successful interview show‚ Firing Line‚ which ran for more than three decades‚ mostly on PBS affiliates‚ starting in 1966.The Incomparable Mr. Buckley tantalizes viewers with clips of WFBs exchanges with Firing Line guests such as Norman Mailer and Allen Ginsberg.But the documentary is reluctant to let Buckley speak for himself; voiceovers from historians offering their own spin break in after only a few words from the subject himself.The filmmakers prefer to highlight defeats and embarrassments: the debate Buckley lost to James Baldwin at Cambridge University in 1965 on the resolution The American Dream is at the expense of the American Negro and WFBs explosion on live TV‚ while covering the 1968 Democratic National Convention‚ when Gore Vidal taunted him as a pro- or crypto-Nazi.Buckley‚ losing his composure for once‚ retorted by calling Vidal a queer and saying hed sock him in the face and youll stay plastered! if he kept up the abuse.Vidal delighted in getting this rise out of Buckley and thought it made great television‚ but the conservative was mortified.The trouble with The Incomparable Mr. Buckley‚ though‚ isnt that it showcases such episodes but that it finds its subject incomprehensible at the most important level the meaning of his lifes work.When Goodman isnt presenting Buckley as a figure fit for Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous‚ he and the historians hes enlisted press the thesis that Buckley was an irresponsible elitist who dabbled with populist forces he could not control.The documentary ends with scenes of Donald Trump and the Jan. 6‚ 2021‚ riot at the U.S. Capitol.But its elite liberals‚ not Buckley‚ who created the opening for Trump.Buckleys institutions‚ notably National Review‚ opposed Trump yet their opposition wasnt enough to offset demand for Trump from voters whom liberals had alienated.By failing to learn the lessons Buckley tried all his life to teach‚ and refusing to moderate their left-wing prejudices in light of an articulate conservative critique‚ liberals in politics‚ media and the academy guaranteed the rise of populism.From the Cold War to crime in the cities‚ they blamed America for every problem.Thirty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall‚ liberals like those behind The Incomparable Mr. Buckley persist in treating Communism as a footnote to McCarthyism.They have their history‚ and their view of Buckley‚ upside down.Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review. To read more by Daniel McCarthy‚ visit www.creators.com

Christopher Allan Miller stripped naked in the womens locker room at a Planet Fitness location in North Carolina. Despite identifying as a woman‚ Miller was arrested Thursday for indecent exposure to a minor.Local police received a call on April 4 from a traumatized woman claiming that Miller was walking around the womens locker room completely naked.Its a man but he says he identifies as a woman‚ and he wont leave the restroom. But he is just walking around showing us his and he wont leave‚ the concerned woman said according to local newsWSOC-TV 9.The offendersbooking details list Miller as a male and indicate that hes being held at the Gaston County jail.Planet Fitness member Betty Brice spoke out about her concern with Miller in the bathroom‚ saying‚ I think a woman should be able to go into a women';s bathroom without a man coming in saying hes transgender.";Planet Fitness has been under fire as of late for its policy on transgender people‚ which states that individuals may use whichever facility that best aligns with their ";gender identity."; Heres what the websiteclaims:Planet Fitness is more than your neighborhood fitness center we are the Judgement Free Zone. At Planet Fitness‚ we celebrate and champion diversity and provide an environment where everyone feels accepted‚ respected and like they belong. Planet Fitness prohibits discrimination and harassment that is based on gender identity or gender expression in the workplace and in our clubs. The following is our corporate policy regarding the accommodation of our members and team members in terms of their gender identity.When it comes to nudity‚ heres what the website states:We ask that members respect the privacy and comfort of other members by practicing modesty in the locker rooms and remaining covered as much as possible.Obviously Miller neglected to do that if he was‚ in fact‚ in the nude.A female gym member namedPatricia Silviacomplained back in March about a biological man using - and even shaving in - the womens locker room‚ even when a girl around 12 years old was present in the space.Related:Man Allowed in Women';s Restroom at Planet Fitness‚ Company Stock DropsInstead of apologizing to Silvia and dealing with the situation appropriately‚ Planet Fitness revoked her gym membership‚ leading to many members voluntarily canceling their Planet Fitness memberships out of protest. The gyms value plummeted around$400millionafter the fiasco.It really is sad and disturbing that Miller was not only in the ladies room‚ but that he was in the ladies room butt-ass naked. While I am glad he was arrested‚ this is exactly the kind of thing Planet Fitness is inviting with these sorts of policies.Follow us on Twitter/X:In what world does trying to be an OnlyFans star do anything to honor a deceased grandfather?@tierin_rosebreaks down the left';s latest insanity in this week';s Woke of the Weak!pic.twitter.com/mvUFDdwPCb MRCTV (@mrctv)April 9‚ 2024

Given the fact that much of Thursdays news cycles were dominated by the death of O.J. Simpson‚ it shouldnt have been that surprising Simpson was invoked during the White House press briefing. Somehow‚ the ever-inept Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had a cringeworthy answer.The Associated Presss Darlene Superville has always been a Biden hack‚ so she probably thought she was helping the White House out with her third question being about the corrupt and disgraced former NFL player (after two about Israel): Was there any reaction from the President to O.J. Simpsons death? Do you know if they ever crossed paths? If so‚ how? When?Setting aside the unintentionally somewhat on-the-nose crossed paths phrase‚ Jean-Pierres answer showed complete callousness to the family of those many believe Simpson killed‚ Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.So‚ Ill say this‚ Jean-Pierre began (as she often does) before adding [o]ur thoughts are with with his families during this difficult time obviously‚ with his family and loved ones.Yeeesh. Based on the creative litany of responses to a video tweet of the exchange‚ the public certainly has been left scratching its head. It was as though Simpson were some revered statesman or cabinet secretary‚ not a man with the nickname The Juice whose smarmy behavior led to a life of ruin after evading guilt in the criminal trial for the deaths of Nicole and Ron.Alluding to the tweet from Simpsons account by his family announcing his death‚ Jean-Pierre concluded:[A]nd Ill say this. I know that they have asked for some privacy and so‚ were going to respect that. Ill just leave it there.To see the relevant transcript from the April 11 briefing‚ click expand.White House press briefing [via ABC News Live subfeed]April 11‚ 20242:11 p.m. EasternDARLENE SUPERVILLE: Was there any reaction from the President to O.J. Simpsons death? Do you know if they ever crossed paths? If so‚ how? When?KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: So‚ Ill say this. Our thoughts are with with his families during this difficult time obviously‚ with his family and loved ones‚ and Ill say this. I know that they have asked for some privacy and so‚ were going to respect that. Ill just leave it there.

Comedy Centrals The Daily Show brought out all the cringe on Thursday as temp host Michael Kosta labeled a recent Fox Business segment between Mark Simone and Larry Kudlow discussing abortion as a ridiculous embarrassment. That led him to do a sketch with Jordan Klepper where the two pretended to be stereotypical macho men who claimed to be pro-life‚ but also didnt know how babies are made or what an abortion is.Kosta wrapped up the straightforward monologue on the FBN segment by introducing the sketch‚ Now‚ a panel of men talking about abortion might seem like a ridiculous embarrassment for everyone involved‚ but I actually think it';s a great idea for our new segment‚ Men talk about abortion.";Kosta talks about abortion all the time‚ so he really means pro-life men discussing abortion. Still‚ complete with bad wigs and fake cigars‚ he asked‚ Alright‚ let';s get right to it‚ man to man. What';s your solution for abortion?Referencing remarks Simone made in the clip‚ Klepper replied‚ Okay‚ easy peasy‚ lemon squeezy. Alright‚ if a woman needs an abortion‚she should just take the bus toa state where it';s legal.After claiming that having had some testicular injury qualifies him to render such judgments‚ Kosta added that I know it';s frustrating for women‚ but we can';t allwe have rights some places and other places we don';t. For example‚ I';m not allowed to go to the Epcot food court anymore because apparently you can';t Do that to the funnel cakes. I mean‚ Double standards? Double standards?Klepper also urged women to accept their stance‚ Look‚ look‚ women are making too big a deal about all of this. Look‚ I';ve never had to walk through a line of protesters to get basic health care‚ but I have had to make eye contact with the woman at Walgreens while buying a pack of slim-fit Trojan condoms! So‚ sometimes you got to get past feeling judged‚ ladies!Kosta affirmed Klepper and wondered‚ You are brave‚ my broham and by the way‚ what about thefather';s rights?... Right!Are you a father?Klepper declared that he wasnt because I haven';t quite figured out how it works yet. I do know boobs are involved‚ though‚ you know. How about you?";Not only did Kosta report not being a father‚ he claimed to not be able to find a date‚ Yeah‚ I haven';t found the right lady. I was in a relationship for several years‚ but she turned out to be a raccoon and she tricked me out of my credit card!Starting to break character‚ Klepper relayed a similar expierence‚ Tale as old as time period‚ player‚ tale as old as time. In fact‚ my ex was three possums in a trench coat! Just‚ you knowpoint ispoint is when it comes to women';s rights‚ we get it!Wrapping it up‚ Kosta finally asked‚ What is an abortion?Klepper again pleaded ignorance‚ Not a clue.Not a clue.But‚ but‚ but‚ I think the boobs areonce again involved.The inverse of its funny because its true is its not funny because its not true‚ and this bit about pro-life men being irredeemably dumb fails because pro-life men are keenly aware of what abortion is and how babies are made.Here is a transcript for the April 11 show:Comedy Central The Daily Show4/11/202411:06 PM ETMICHAEL KOSTA: Now‚ a panel of men talkingabout abortion might seem like aridiculous embarrassment foreveryone involved‚ but Iactually think it';s a great ideafor our new segment‚ ";Men talkabout abortion.";KOSTA [IN CHARACTER]: Yeah‚ yeah‚ alright! alright‚ you know it!Yeah!Joining me now ismy main bro‚ my main man‚ youre just like me‚ arent you? Yeah.JORDAN KLEPPER [IN CHARACTER]: Yeah‚ I sure am‚ a big old man!Huh‚ just watch me open this jar!I';ll finish it later!KOSTA: No‚ you softened itup‚ you softened it up‚ big dog. Alright‚ let';s get right to it‚ man to man. What';s your solution forabortion?KLEPPER: Okay‚ easy peasy‚ lemon squeezy. AlrightKOSTA: Yeah‚ yeah‚ yeah.KLEPPER: If a woman needs an abortion‚she should just take the bus toa state where it';s legal.KOSTAL Okay.KLEPPER: Look‚ obviously I';ve never had totravel out of state for anabortion but I did accidently hit myself in the balls tryingto double knot my deck shoes.I cried so hard they helicoptered me into a hospital in the next state‚ I was fine!KOSTA: Couldnt agree more‚ chief. Couldnt agree more‚ chief. Women should just take the busride or just give birth.And look‚ I';ve never givenbirth.KLEPPER: Of course not‚ but you wouldcrush it if you did!I mean‚ you would crush it.KOSTA: I would crush it. You know I would! Hey look‚I know it';s frustrating forwomen‚ but we can';t all wehave rights some places andother places we don';t.For example‚ I';m not allowed togo to the Epcot food courtanymore because apparently youcan';t ";Do that"; to the funnelcakes.I mean‚ Double standards?Double standards?Yeah‚ yeah‚KLEPPER: Double standard!Double standard‚ Double standard. Look‚ look‚ women are making too big a dealabout all of this. Look‚ I';ve never had to walk through aline of protesters to get basichealth care‚ but I have had tomake eye contact with the womanat Walgreens while buying a packof slim-fit Trojan condoms! So‚ sometimes you got to get pastfeeling judged‚ ladies!KOSTA: Youre brave.KLEPPER: Thank you.KOSTA: You are brave‚ my broham and by the way‚ what about thefather';s rights?KLEPPER: Oh‚ the fathers have to haverights!KOSTA: Right!Are you a father?KLEPPER: I am not a father! No‚ I would like to be‚ but Ihaven';t quite figured out how itworks yet.KOSTA: Okay‚ okay.KLEPPER: I do know boobs are involved‚ though‚ you know. How about you?KOSTA: Yeah‚ I haven';t foundthe right lady.I was in a relationship forseveral years but she turned outto be a raccoon and she trickedme out of my credit card!KLEPPER: Tale as old as time period‚ player‚ tale as old as time. In fact‚ my ex was three possums in atrench coat!Just‚ you know point is point is when itcomes to women';s rights‚ we getit!Michael: We!Get!It!Alright‚ before we go‚ quick question:What is an abortion?KLEPPER: Not a clue.Not a clue.But‚ but‚ but‚ I think the boobs areonce again involved.

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=51979955&;amp;width=1200&;amp;height=800&;amp;coordinates=151%2C0%2C317%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;John Bolton‚ an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump who previously served as assistant to the president for national security affairs during a portion of Trump';s White House tenure‚ has <;a href=";https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1778493711644586236"; target=";_blank";>;revealed<;/a>; that he voted for former Vice President Dick Cheney in 2020 and plans to write in Cheney';s name again during the 2024 presidential contest.<;/p>;<;p>;During an appearance on CNN‚ Bolton called Cheney a ";Reaganite conservative"; who would ";do an immensely better job than either Trump or Biden."; <;/p>;<;p>;Cheney served as vice president alongside of Republican President George W. Bush from early 2001 through early 2009.<;/p>;<;p>;When asked by CNN';s Kaitlan Collins about former Rep. Liz Cheney‚ who is one of Dick Cheney';s daughters‚ Bolton noted that he likes the former congresswoman‚ adding‚ ";Maybe some day she';ll get my write in vote too."; Liz Cheney‚ who was one of the House GOP lawmakers who <;a href=";https://www.npr.org/2021/01/14/956621191/these-are-the-10-republicans-who-voted-to-impeach-trump"; target=";_blank";>;voted<;/a>; to impeach then-President Trump in the wake of the January 6‚ 2021‚ Capitol riot‚ has been a vocal Trump critic.<;/p>;<;blockquote class=";rm-embed twitter-tweet"; data-partner=";rebelmouse"; data-twitter-tweet-id=";1778493711644586236";>; <;div>;<;/div>; (@) <;a href=";https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1778493711644586236";>;<;/a>; <;/blockquote>; <;p>;<;br>;<;/p>;<;p>;Bolton has <;a href=";https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1776306776343769120"; target=";_blank";>;opined<;/a>; that Trump and President Joe Biden are both unfit to occupy the Oval Office. ";Unfortunately for America and the world‚ neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden are fit to be President. Both have flawed national security approaches‚ albeit for different reasons‚"; he <;a href=";https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1770804475084562740"; target=";_blank";>;tweeted<;/a>;.<;/p>;<;p>;Bolton is in favor of reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. ";I implore Congress to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It is irresponsible to create unnecessary risk for intelligence agencies who defend American lives worldwide. House Republicans must show strong leadership on FISA‚"; Bolton <;a href=";https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1777717068034449653"; target=";_blank";>;tweeted<;/a>;.<;/p>;<;blockquote class=";rm-embed twitter-tweet"; data-partner=";rebelmouse"; data-twitter-tweet-id=";1777717068034449653";>; <;div>;<;/div>; (@) <;a href=";https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1777717068034449653";>;<;/a>; <;/blockquote>; <;p>;<;em>;Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. <;a href=";https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink"; target=";_self";>;Sign up here!<;/a>;<;/em>;<;/p>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/meet-the-mothers-defying-america-s-birth-dearth.jpg?id=51975493&;amp;width=1200&;amp;height=800&;amp;coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;In the midst of a historic ";birth dearth‚"; why do some 5% of American women choose to defy the demographic norm by bearing five or more children? <;/p>;<;p>;Catherine Ruth Pakaluks recent book‚ ";<;a href=";https://www.amazon.com/Hannahs-Children-Quietly-Defying-Dearth/dp/1684514576"; target=";_blank";>;Hannahs Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth<;/a>;‚"; is a compelling portrait of these overlooked but fascinating mothers‚ women who‚ like the biblical Hannah‚ see their children as their purpose‚ their contribution‚ and their greatest blessing.<;/p>;<;p class=";pull-quote";>;";After three it gets easier because your older kids organically start to help‚ and you get better at what youre doing. Thats a message few people hear. Five kids aren';t five times harder than one.";<;/p>;<;p>;<;a href=";https://business.catholic.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-profiles/pakaluk-catherine/index.html"; target=";_blank";>;Pakaluk<;/a>; is an associate professor of social research and economic thought at Catholic University and came onto ";<;a href=";https://helenroy.substack.com/p/defying-the-birth-dearth-with-dr"; target=";_blank";>;Girlboss‚ Interrupted<;/a>;"; this week to talk about her (literally) vital work.<;/p>;<;p>;Herself the mother of eight‚ Pakaluk traveled across the United States and interviewed 55 college-educated women who were raising five or more children. Through open-ended questions‚ she sought to understand who these women are‚ why and when they chose to have a large family‚ and what this choice means for them‚ their families‚ and the nation.<;/p>;<;p>;In this exclusive interview for Align‚ Pakaluk elaborates on the challenges declining birth rates pose to society and what can or should be done to help.<;/p>;<;p>;<;strong>;Align: Why did you write this book? What do you hope that your work will do to add to or change the conversation around motherhood in America?<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;p>;Catherine Ruth Pakaluk: Super low birth rates mean a future of economic stagnation as the supply of workers and ideas slows down‚ political instability‚ as government revenues shrink‚ fraying social ties‚ as people grow up with fewer siblings and extended family. All these worries are coming to the surface in the national dialogue and everyone wants to know: What will it take to reverse the trend? Can we incentivize women and families to have more babies?<;/p>;<;p>;But the conversation has totally overlooked the most important point of all: If people want children‚ why do they want them? What makes children and motherhood valuable? Are children worth wanting for their own sakes and not only as they fit into adult needs?<;/p>;<;p>;I wrote this book to put the question of the desirability of children front and center. We will not reverse the trend of low birth rates until we face that question. So I hoped my work would move us to talk more about the value of motherhood.<;/p>;<;p>;<;strong>;Align: Do you think that family life has been intentionally devalued? <;em>;Cui bono<;/em>;<;/strong>;<;strong>;?<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;p>;CRP: Hard question. Of course‚ all kinds of things get devalued unintentionally when the comparison set changes. How valuable is this ";compared to what";? Shiny new things come along. Apple watches devalued analog watches. The contraceptive revolution the pill (in 1960) with legal abortion as backup initiated the largest shift of mothers into the non-domestic workforce in history. I dont think people thought of reproductive control as devaluing family life but it fundamentally changed the choice set.<;/p>;<;p>;Before the pill‚ the alternative to having children would have been a lot of abstinence or forgoing marriage. After the pill‚ alternatives to having children included marriage‚ and if you wanted it more education and a job. All without a life of abstinence.<;/p>;<;p>;The pill changed the ";compared to what"; for family life‚ and many women‚ then and now‚ want some of that new ";comparison"; option. To the extent that higher education and jobs became viable for women to that extent family life was ";devalued."; All of this can be true without any intentional plan to devalue motherhood.<;/p>;<;p>;We know that some technologies can be individually rational‚ that is‚ any single person feels better off using it but as a group it puts the whole in a worse place. Were starting to wonder if smartphones are like this none of us wants to give one up personally‚ but overall were more anxious‚ depressed‚ and socially mixed up. Our kids may be suffering most of all. Thats a collective action problem. Looking back‚ the pill may be something like that a rational choice for any one woman‚ but a bad deal when were all in. The pill initiated a shift to where a life dedicated to raising children no longer looks as valuable.<;/p>;<;p>;Separately‚ I do think powerful evil forces principalities and powers have worked to devalue human life in general‚ because God loves human life. These forces employ unsound economic theories and play on irrational fears that there wont be enough stuff to go around. This is a longer story‚ but it reaches back at least two hundred years and includes Marxism‚ Darwinism‚ eugenics‚ Planned Parenthood‚ and the population bomb rhetoric and global policies. Now‚ any devaluation of human life per se will cash out as an attack on family life‚ since the family is the cradle of humanity.<;/p>;<;p class=";shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image";>; <;img alt=";"; class=";rm-shortcode"; data-rm-shortcode-id=";477de25796de3588d7d85cf4c9a8928b"; data-rm-shortcode-name=";rebelmouse-image"; loading=";lazy"; src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=51975524&;amp;width=980";>;<;small class=";image-media media-photo-credit"; placeholder=";Add Photo Credit...";>;Courtesy Regnery Gateway<;/small>;<;/p>;<;p>;<;strong>;Align: Why did you choose to focus on college-educated women?<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;p>;CRP: There is a powerful correlation between higher women';s education and lower birth rates‚ observed across countries and over time so powerful that education is sometimes hailed as the best contraceptive. This is the <;a href=";https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/sep/26/education-family-planning-key-africa-future-emmanuel-macron-un-general-assembly"; target=";_blank";>;reason why Emmanuel Macron commented<;/a>; about getting more education for girls in Africa‚ since perfectly educated women wouldnt go on to have large families. My <;a href=";https://twitter.com/crpakaluk/status/1051963909127790593?s=61&;amp;t=iq_JVYoc10Y8H-pu4o2R_A"; target=";_blank";>;reply to his statement<;/a>; and my follow-up with a graduation photo inadvertently went viral <;a href=";https://twitter.com/crpakaluk/status/1051994436253696000?s=61&;amp;t=9-FIm7_qLW9OszAw8uw6XA"; target=";_blank";>;with the hashtag #postcardsforMacron<;/a>;.<;/p>;<;p>;As people struggle to understand the future of fertility in the modern world‚ the perceived tension between womens education and sustainable birth rates will be front and center. Some on the right are taking aim at women';s education itself‚ asking if thats the turn that takes us to below replacement fertility.<;/p>;<;p>;I dont think thats the story but unpacking why that isnt the story required talking to women with college degrees who seem to ";defy"; the trend. So thats what I did. Their tale provided a counter-narrative one in which the value of children takes center stage.<;/p>;<;p>;Theres a risk‚ of course‚ that some readers will wonder if I interviewed college-educated women because I think college degrees are ideal for women or for people. I didnt‚ and I dont. I actually tend to think too many men and women go to college today but that';s a subject for another time.<;/p>;<;p>;<;strong>;Align: Can you address the popular notion that having kids ruins ones life? Did any of your case studies talk about this idea or mention how they deal with the real difficulties that children can introduce?<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;p>;CRP: Lol. Absolutely! It came up in lots of ways throughout the interviews. The short answer was something like of course‚ kids do ruin your life! But what they ruin is life as you knew it. On the other side you get a new life‚ one you dont know about yet.<;/p>;<;p>;You become a mom‚ the center of the universe for a person who will love you more than you knew it was possible to be loved. You become a heroine‚ a savior‚ an angel the only pair of arms that will answer in the night. You get all this yes‚ it wrings you dry sometimes‚ but its worth giving up the old life!<;/p>;<;p>;One of the moms said‚ When you make a choice‚ something else dies. Thats true for whatever you do. Nobody says‚ well‚ you became a lawyer‚ so your life is ruined. But of course‚ as a lawyer‚ you cant sleep till noon or do whatever you want. Those luxuries die. And thats okay. Anything demanding requires a change in your life its just how much do you want it? Is it worth the change?<;/p>;<;p>;Chuong Nguyen‚ host of the <;a href=";https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlicensed-philosophy-with-chuong-nguyen/id1607036740"; target=";_blank";>;";Unlicensed Philosophy";<;/a>; podcast (based in Budapest‚ Hungary) told me that his father used to say (and Im paraphrasing): ";The man I am today was born the day you were born."; I really love that. I think thats the way to think about it.<;/p>;<;p>;There are plenty of stories in the book about how women process the everyday difficulties. One of the main lessons mothering little ones gets harder up to a point‚ maybe three kids. But after three it gets easier because your older kids organically start to help‚ and you get better at what youre doing.<;/p>;<;p>;Thats a message few people hear. Five kids aren';t five times harder than one. Its actually a lot easier than having one in terms of the lifestyle challenge.<;/p>;<;p>;<;strong>;Align: What do you think it will take for America to reverse its low fertility rates‚ leaving aside the question of immigration?<;/strong>;<;/p>;<;p>;CRP: To reverse the low fertility trap‚ more women and men have to come to view children as blessings expressions of Gods goodness‚ rather than as something like a consumer good you weigh against other goods in your life.<;/p>;<;p>;If kids are in the latter category‚ we tend to fit them into an ever-expanding set of things we want to have or do‚ and kids get a smaller and smaller share of time in adult lives. But when theyre in the former category‚ seen as blessings‚ they become something of first rank‚ something we order our lives around and make sacrifices for.<;/p>;<;p>;My work suggested that to reverse the birth rate‚ it wont be enough to nudge people who see children as consumer goods into an extra child or more. Well need more of the people who see children as blessings and lovingly have three‚ four‚ or more children.<;/p>;<;p>; Israel has a stable above-replacement birth rate today because it has a higher percentage of devout Jews with larger families. That can be our future too. To get there‚ we need to pass legislation to allow all families to spend their tax dollars on religious and church-based schools where biblical values are nourished and protected.<;/p>;<;p>;We also need to pursue all other avenues to widen the impact of living religious communities this generally means the state taking a step back and letting churches grow stronger by doing more: more charitable work‚ more youth work‚ more health care work‚ and more social assistance work.<;/p>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/anti-trump-groups-are-quietly-planning-for-a-deepfake-election-crisis.jpg?id=51978767&;amp;width=1200&;amp;height=800&;amp;coordinates=0%2C0%2C74%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;Dozens of prominent U.S. and state government officials‚ advocacy groups‚ and executives from big tech companies gathered in New York last month to participate in an important simulated election exercise.<;/p>;<;p>;The war game exercise imagined a fictional crisis in which AI-generated photos and videos are released on social media immediately before the 2024 election. The images appear to show election officials in Florida dumping ballots‚ in an apparent attempt to manipulate the elections outcome.<;/p>;<;p class=";pull-quote";>;If a deepfake election crisis does occur and there are good reasons to think it will Trumps enemies will be ready to take advantage.<;/p>;<;p>;The simulation also included phone calls to elderly voters in Arizona that featured AI-generated voices. The calls asked elderly voters to stay away from polling centers due to threats from radical militia groups.<;/p>;<;p>;Participants role-played how the Biden administration should respond to the simulated deepfake event. They gathered in a mock White House Situation Room‚ with each player taking on the role of a prominent figure in government‚ civil society‚ or corporate America‚ including the Department of Homeland Security‚ FBI‚ big tech companies‚ and even the CIA.<;/p>;<;p>;Participants engaged in lengthy debates about how government should address the problem‚ including whether Joe Biden should personally get involved‚ one of the big debates in the room‚ <;a href=";https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/war-game-deepfakes-disrupt-2024-election-rcna143038"; target=";_blank";>;according to a report by NBC News.<;/a>; Participants were apparently concerned that if Biden made any statements‚ it would be used as proof that he was attempting to rig the election in his favor.<;/p>;<;p>;Organizers called the event the Deepfake Dilemma. (The word deepfake refers to AI-generated content that is so realistic-looking or -sounding that it can fool people into believing its authentic.)<;/p>;<;p>;The Deepfake Dilemma is part of a much larger effort taking place nationally to prepare for a 2024 deepfake election crisis‚ and it should scare the heck out of you.<;/p>;<;h2>;A potential catastrophe<;/h2>;<;p>;Without question‚ AI-generated content could have an impact on the 2024 election. A well-timed deepfake image‚ audio clip‚ or video could create massive confusion for voters or perhaps even affect how individuals decide to vote. The danger is real.<;/p>;<;p>;It isnt hard to imagine‚ for example‚ how a deepfake audio clip of Donald Trump talking to Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine could be used to swing the election in Joe Bidens favor. This is especially true if such a clip were to be released just before Election Day.<;/p>;<;p>;Although they dont always get the media attention they deserve‚ election deepfakes have been released at a rapidly increasing pace in recent years‚ both in the United States and abroad.<;/p>;<;p>;For instance‚ just prior to the New Hampshire Democratic primary‚ a deepfake robocall featuring the AI-generated voice of Joe Biden asked people to stay home‚ to save their vote for the general election. The <;a href=";https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/new-hampshire-voters-sue-biden-deepfake-robocall-creators-rcna143662"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;robocall scheme<;/a>; was the work of Steve Kramer‚ a longtime Democratic Party operative.<;/p>;<;p>;During a heated mayoral race in Chicago in 2023‚ unknown nefarious actors <;a href=";https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/vallas-campaign-deepfake-video/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;released AI-generated audio<;/a>; of Paul Vallas. At that time‚ Vallas was considered the favorite to win the election. The audio‚ which was posted online by a fake news website called the Chicago Lakefront News‚ appears to show Vallas saying that back in his day‚ cops would kill 17 or 18 people and nobody would bat an eye. The audio clip also suggests that the city should start refunding the police.<;/p>;<;p>;Vallas ended up losing the mayoral race to Brandon Johnson‚ a far-left candidate. Its unlikely the audio is the primary reason Vallas lost‚ but no one knows for sure how great an impact the audio had.<;/p>;<;h2>;At stake in 2024 <;/h2>;<;p>;Although the threat of a deepfake election crisis in 2024 is real‚ its possible a bigger threat to a fair election is that anti-Trump groups might use an election deepfake to keep Trump out of the White House.<;/p>;<;p>;<;a href=";https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/war-game-deepfakes-disrupt-2024-election-rcna143038"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;NBC News<;/a>; reports that the participants in the Deepfake Dilemma war game and other nonprofits and good-government groups are actively working to build a nationwide network of former officials‚ technology specialists‚ and others to help local authorities detect deepfakes in real time and respond with accurate information.<;/p>;<;p>;That might be a good thing‚ if it werent for the fact that most of those involved appear to have a strong bias against Donald Trump‚ raising serious questions about whether they would use a future deepfake event to benefit Joe Biden.<;/p>;<;p>;One of the events participants was Kathryn Boockvar‚ a Democrat who served as Pennsylvanias secretary of state during the 2020 presidential election. Trumps campaign <;a href=";https://casetext.com/case/donald-j-trump-for-president-inc-v-boockvar-3"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;sued<;/a>; Boockvars office in 2020‚ alleging that the state and local officials violated election law.<;/p>;<;p>;Another participant was MSNBC anchor Alex Witt‚ an outspoken Trump critic.<;/p>;<;p>;Further‚ one of the key groups behind the effort is a nonprofit organization called Issue One. Issue Ones CEO participated in the war game and is also working across the country to develop better election integrity laws.<;/p>;<;p>;Although Issue One sells itself as bipartisan‚ it has directly opposed Trump on numerous occasions. Many of the Republicans affiliated with the group are openly opposed to Trump as well.<;/p>;<;p>;On its website‚ <;a href=";https://issueone.org/about-us/"; target=";_blank";>;Issue One brags<;/a>; that it helped lead the congressional push to establish a 9/11-style commission to investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. It also lauds its Count Every Vote initiative‚ a campaign to defend the integrity of the 2020 elections.<;/p>;<;p>;Another key figure in the growing deepfake election network is Miles Taylor‚ <;a href=";https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/war-game-deepfakes-disrupt-2024-election-rcna143038"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;an organizer<;/a>; of the March event. Taylor is a rabid opponent of Trump‚ one who has strong connections to the national security industry. Taylor served as the chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump administration. While still in that position‚ he anonymously published an infamous <;a href=";https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;op-ed<;/a>; in the<;em>; <;/em>;New York Times titled‚ I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.<;/p>;<;p>;In the Times article‚ Taylor painted a bleak picture of Trump and his motives‚ routinely hurling insults at his boss while hiding behind his anonymous byline.<;/p>;<;p>;For example‚ Taylor wrote‚ Trumps impulses are generally anti-trade and anti-democratic and that his leadership style is impetuous‚ adversarial‚ petty‚ and ineffective.<;/p>;<;p>;Do any of these people sound like nonpartisan figures?<;/p>;<;p>;Do they sound like people who should be responsible for giving guidance to lawmakers and election officials in the event of a dire deepfake election crisis?<;/p>;<;p>;Do you trust that if a crisis does develop‚ Taylor and others wont use it as an opportunity to benefit Joe Biden?<;/p>;<;p>;Just to be clear: Im <;em>;not<;/em>; saying that anti-Trump forces are planning to launch a false flag deepfake operation during or prior to the 2024 election. But if a deepfake election crisis does occur and there are good reasons to think it will those who hate Trump will be ready to take advantage. They are working tirelessly to put the infrastructure in place to give themselves the best chance of controlling the narrative.<;/p>;<;p>;With all this in mind‚ you might be wondering how conservatives are preparing.<;/p>;<;p>; As far as I can tell‚ they arent.<;/p>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/can-black-americans-break-the-method-of-voting-and-victimhood.jpg?id=51978882&;amp;width=1200&;amp;height=800&;amp;coordinates=240%2C0%2C60%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;Today I want to talk about the method being deployed to keep black Americans obsessively loyal to the Democratic Party.<;/p>;<;p>;Its called the Method‚ an immersive and compelling form of acting that requires a performer to stay in character off camera. Its considered the highest and most powerful form of acting.<;/p>;<;p class=";pull-quote";>;Black people are rewarded and celebrated based on our ability to stay in character at all times.<;/p>;<;p>;Daniel Day-Lewis used it to portray Abraham Lincoln‚ won an Oscar for it‚ and earned wide acclaim as Americas best actor.<;/p>;<;p>;Comedian Dave Chappelle tells <;a href=";https://youtu.be/kxUDd6rOS38?si=GUADkOmmfGNV82fF&;amp;t=38"; target=";_blank";>;a funny story<;/a>; about meeting Jim Carrey while he was filming Man on the Moon‚ a biopic chronicling the life of quirky comedian Andy Kaufman. Chappelle never talked to Carrey. He met Carreys impersonation of Kaufman.<;/p>;<;p>;Most Americans probably believe Marlon Brando invented the art of Method acting. Brandos late 1940s performance in the Broadway play A Streetcar Named Desire popularized the acting style‚ but the Methods origin traces to the Moscow Art Theatre‚ the Soviet Union‚ 1898‚ and Vladmir Lenin‚ the most prominent supporter of the Moscow Art Theatre.<;/p>;<;p>;Constantin Stanislavski‚ a performer at the Moscow Art Theatre‚ developed and perfected the Method. He and a group of Russian actors appeared on Broadway in 1923. New Yorkers fell in love with the Russian troupe. A handful of Stanislavskis acolytes stayed in New York and taught American actors the Method.<;/p>;<;p>;I mention this to remind you of the Marxist influence on Hollywood and acting. Russian communists taught Americans to act‚ how to present fiction powerfully as reality.<;/p>;<;p>;When you turn on your television‚ sit down inside a theater‚ open your laptop to watch YouTube‚ or unlock your smartphone to cruise a social media app‚ youre being influenced by the Method.<;/p>;<;p>;The Matrix is a stage. Were baited and paid to perform.<;/p>;<;p>;The alliance between Hollywood elites and the Democratic Party explains why the Method is such an effective tool to control the voting habits and behaviors of black Americans.<;/p>;<;p>;The movie‚ television‚ and music industries‚ along with academia and corporate America‚ have assigned a specific role for black people: victims. We are rewarded and celebrated based on our ability to stay in character at all times.<;/p>;<;p>;Let me give you an example. Black people know that law enforcement is not on a genocidal killing spree against black men. But we also know there are tremendous‚ instant-gratification rewards for pretending police pose a bigger threat to black men than gang violence.<;/p>;<;p>;Dr. Dre‚ Eazy-E‚ Ice Cube the highest-profile members of the rap group NWA made millions of dollars and elevated status for performing the song F*** tha Police.<;/p>;<;p>;Heres another example. <;a href=";https://nypost.com/2024/04/10/us-news/chicago-police-fired-nearly-100-shots-during-fatal-traffic-stop-video/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Dexter Reed<;/a>;‚ a Chicago lad‚ opened fire on police officers‚ striking one officer and firing 11 shots in all. The police officers justifiably panicked and fired 96 shots at Reed‚ killing him.<;/p>;<;p>;Reeds mother and other family members‚ having watched multiple black families receive millions of dollars in lawsuits after officer-involved shootings‚ know they can potentially land a huge payday if they can portray Dexter as a victim. They also know the media will assist them in their performance. CNN was the first major TV network to step up and offer Reeds family a platform to portray him as a victim of an unfair traffic stop.<;/p>;<;p>;In addition‚ Reeds family knows that Democratic Party politicians in Chicago will be more than happy to hand them millions of taxpayer dollars in a lawsuit. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will do everything in his power to blame police for responding to the shots fired by Dexter Reed.<;/p>;<;p>;The false narrative that police randomly kill black men is a major selling point of the Democratic Party platform. The Democrats have convinced black people that our safety and freedom are dependent on keeping Republicans out of office. They install talented and committed actors on television shows to promote the lie that the slavery and Jim Crow laws Republicans defeated years ago will be instantly restored once a Republican returns to office.<;/p>;<;p>;The Method <;em>;works<;/em>;.<;/p>;<;p>;Black people see themselves as victims. Many of us spend each day looking for signs of our victimhood. We stay in character even when were off camera.<;/p>;<;p>;If you stay ready‚ you dont have to get ready.<;/p>;<;p>;Staying in character prevents us from identifying the farce. Plus‚ staying in character and ignoring the farce allows us to receive the benefits. Were paid actors.<;/p>;<;div class=";rm-embed embed-media";>;<;/div>;<;p>;Were paid in lawsuits‚ job promotions‚ diversity hires‚ and social clout. The black people who break character and choose to live in reality become social pariahs and unfit for leadership.<;br>;<;/p>;<;p>;Historian and economist Thomas Sowell is one of the wisest men in the history of America. He overcame incredible odds. Hes written thousands of profound columns and more than 50 books. Mainstream media ignores him or vilifies him. Al Sharpton‚ on the other hand‚ is corrupt‚ sleazy‚ and unintelligent and has accomplished virtually nothing in 40 years as a public figure. Hes a confidant of presidents and a TV and radio talk show host. Hes earned millions as a victimhood method actor.<;/p>;<;p>; Can the Method be stopped? Only through religious revival. The victimhood act cannot coexist with a sincere belief in the birth‚ life‚ and resurrection of Jesus Christ. A lie cannot survive the truth of Jesus Christ.<;/p>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/bidens-less-is-more-mantra-demands-sacrifice-only-from-average-americans.jpg?id=51977063&;amp;width=1200&;amp;height=800&;amp;coordinates=339%2C0%2C339%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon mentioned inflation more than 20 times in his <;a href=";https://reports.jpmorganchase.com/investor-relations/2023/ar-ceo-letters.htm"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;annual report to shareholders<;/a>;‚ released Monday. And he warned that the Federal Reserves response raising interest rates to cool spending could lead to more misery‚ in the form of stagflation‚ rather than the relief Americans want.<;/p>;<;p>;Economically‚ the worst-case scenario would be stagflation‚ which would not only come with higher interest rates but also with higher credit losses‚ lower business volumes and more difficult markets‚ Dimon warned.<;/p>;<;p class=";pull-quote";>;As the November elections draw closer‚ the Biden administration is escalating the policies that have made life tougher for American families.<;/p>;<;p>;And he warned that Washington policies are hurting American families: The people who suffer the most‚ throughout all of this‚ are not high-income individuals.<;/p>;<;p>;But thats the point. The message from progressives is clear: They want working- and middle-class Americans to buy less‚ to demand less‚ and to expect less.<;/p>;<;p>;For example‚ Joe Biden continues to struggle with his administrations belated response to the very real pain that inflation has caused American families. His response has been to deny‚ deflect and then double down on the misery index.<;/p>;<;p>;<;a href=";https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/bidenomics-is-a-political-bust-for-biden"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Denial didnt work<;/a>;‚ so Democrats <;a href=";https://www.axios.com/2024/03/27/biden-democrats-ditch-bidenomics"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;quickly dropped Bidenomics<;/a>; from their vocabularies.<;/p>;<;p>;Next‚ they turned to deflection. On the campaign trail‚ Biden has tried to blame corporations for shrinkflation that is part-and-parcel of rising costs.<;/p>;<;p>;Yet‚ his calculated move to deflect blame from <;a href=";https://www.heritage.org/markets-and-finance/commentary/biden-blames-businesses-inflation-his-own-numbers-refute-him"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;his own fiscal policies<;/a>; that have kept inflation high‚ and to metaphorically shrug his shoulders in the face of it‚ fell flat.<;/p>;<;p>;In fact‚ the Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that less than <;a href=";https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/minority-blog/the-truth-behind-shrinkflation"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;2% of overall price increases<;/a>; could be blamed on shrinkflation.<;/p>;<;p>;As the Heritage Foundations <;a href=";https://www.heritage.org/markets-and-finance/commentary/biden-blames-businesses-inflation-his-own-numbers-refute-him"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;E.J. Antoni notes<;/a>;‚ businesses are hurting under Biden administration policies‚ too.<;/p>;<;p>;The producer price index is used to measure inflation on the products and services businesses buy sometimes called wholesale inflation and that index has risen 17.5% since Biden took office‚ <;a href=";https://www.heritage.org/markets-and-finance/commentary/biden-blames-businesses-inflation-his-own-numbers-refute-him"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Antoni adds<;/a>;. Conversely‚ the consumer price index‚ the widely cited metric for inflation faced by American families‚ is up 17.1% over that same time.<;/p>;<;p>;The Biden administration cant escape the blame for higher prices. And thats why it must try to redirect voters anger.<;/p>;<;p>;But the liberal shrinkflation agenda is more than just higher prices. Were seeing a whole-of-government approach to increasing our misery coming out of the Biden administration by forcing average Americans to sacrifice their quality of life and comfort for the progressive agenda.<;/p>;<;p>;Its not only the Biden administration demanding that we expect less. It is working to deliver less. Here are just a few examples:<;/p>;<;ul>;<;li>;Appliances‚ <;a href=";https://www.npr.org/2023/12/21/1183608380/energy-efficiency-climate-biden"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;NPR warns<;/a>;‚ are becoming a culture war target because they dont actually work well under Biden administration policies. The truth‚ <;a href=";https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/consumer-group-exposes-costs-biden-admins-war-home-appliances"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;according to Fox News<;/a>;‚ is that recent energy regulations proposed or finalized by the Biden administration would‚ on average‚ make water heaters cost $2‚800 more‚ gas stoves as much as $3‚250 more expensive‚ air conditioners $1‚100 more expensive‚ and gas furnaces nearly $500 more expensive. And consumer groups point out that the new appliances are often less effective than their predecessors.<;br>;<;/li>;<;li>;Love your truck? Dont get too attached. As the Wall Street Journals Kimberly Strassel warns‚ <;a href=";https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-is-coming-for-your-truck-forcing-electric-vehicles-may-lose-him-swing-states-ded74d41"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Biden is coming for your truck<;/a>;. But Americans know that no Tesla is going to function in the bitter cold of a Wisconsin or Alaska winter; no Ford Lightning will manage the work of a Montana ranch or a Kansas farm.<;br>;<;/li>;<;li>;And finally‚ whats up with the bugs? Why are the elites so obsessed with normalizing <;a href=";https://dailycaller.com/2024/02/16/biden-admin-shells-out-taxpayer-dollars-on-getting-americans-to-eat-trash-fed-bugs/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;insect protein<;/a>; while <;a href=";https://www.foxnews.com/media/davos-speaker-one-billion-people-stop-eating-meat-innovation-environment"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;finding ways<;/a>; to backdoor <;a href=";https://wraltechwire.com/2022/06/03/doomsday-climate-change-and-cattle-the-case-for-banning-beef-worldwide/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;ban steaks<;/a>; and <;a href=";https://www.texaspolicy.com/whos-going-to-feed-new-york-and-america/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;seafood<;/a>; for the rest of us?<;/li>;<;/ul>;<;p>;The Biden administration <;a href=";https://dailycaller.com/2021/10/25/antoni-the-biden-white-house-is-asking-americans-to-lower-expectations-on-problems-it-created/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;began its tenure with a call for lowered expectations<;/a>;. A seemingly coordination PR campaign in the national media tried to convince Americans that the fault lies with them not with the underperforming federal government.<;/p>;<;p>;And now‚ as the November elections draw closer‚ the Biden administration is <;a href=";https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/2959821/biden-1-trillion-spending-spree-voters-arent-buying/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;escalating<;/a>; the policies that have made life tougher for American families.<;/p>;<;p>;But this shrinkflation sacrifice is planned for ordinary Americans by their betters‚ the wealthy liberal elites setting these policies. Dont expect the progressives in power to give up their <;a href=";https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-kerry-scorched-misleading-private-jet-use-democrats-standard-hypocrisy"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;private jets<;/a>;‚ their second and third <;a href=";https://nypost.com/2020/02/21/the-million-dollar-property-listings-of-bernie-sanders-and-mike-bloomberg/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;vacation homes<;/a>;‚ or their <;a href=";https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-4-fall/feature/nimby-threat-renewable-energy"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;pristine ocean views<;/a>; at their beach houses.<;/p>;<;p>;The progressive elites will never make the same sacrifices. Those sacrifices are only for the rest of us.<;/p>;