<;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>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/believe-it-or-not-trumps-strategy-could-pave-the-way-for-more-pro-life-wins.jpg?id=51974734&;amp;width=1200&;amp;height=800&;amp;coordinates=31%2C0%2C11%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;Donald Trumps controversial statement on abortion this week <;a href=";https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-2024-ban-7bf06e0856b88a710c79a6eb85cffa6a"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;made headlines<;/a>; for all sorts of reasons‚ including the fact that his position frustrated his opponents TV ad campaigns. Thats good. But the former president had plenty to say in his short video that deserves unpacking and that still sets him apart from the most pro-abortion administration in U.S. history.<;/p>;<;p>;At issue is a <;a href=";https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;15-week national abortion law<;/a>;‚ which Republicans such as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) support. Just last month‚ Trump hinted he might support such a law. <;a href=";https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;The trouble is<;/a>;‚ the vast majority of abortions more than nine in 10 occur within <;a href=";https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/abortion.htm"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;12 weeks of pregnancy<;/a>;.<;/p>;<;p>;While a four-month abortion limit in places like California‚ New York‚ or Maryland would be a win‚ at the federal level‚ it would conflict with better goals and call into question the courageous efforts of legislators across the country.<;/p>;<;p>;Worse‚ if a national 15-week ban ever went into effect‚ it could foster a European-style stalemate‚ where laws would be difficult if not impossible to change decades later.<;/p>;<;h2>;Always a federal problem<;/h2>;<;p>;<;a href=";https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/05/06/ruth-bader-ginsburg-roe-wade/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Ruth Bader Ginsburg criticized <;em>;Roe<;/em>;<;/a>;<;em>; <;/em>;for short-circuiting legislative efforts. The late Supreme Court justice was a huge abortion supporter. But she argued that by removing the question from the democratic process‚ the courts overreach undermined a political consensus. And the pro-life generation is not looking for consensus around allowing almost all abortions to continue.<;/p>;<;p>;Some pro-life proponents have argued for limiting abortions at four months as a consensus position. But if consensus is the goal‚ consider that the 15-week proposal <;a href=";https://www.studentsforlifeaction.org/new-students-for-life-of-america-sflaction-you-gov-poll-shows-the-youth-vote-open-to-pro-life-perspectives-supports-services-for-mothers-rejects-the-biden-administrations-radical-age/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;polls as well as heartbeat laws<;/a>;‚ which begin around six weeks into gestation and would save significantly more lives. And yet‚ in refusing to articulate a gestational line at this time‚ Trump short-circuited the favored ad campaign narrative of the left at least for now.<;/p>;<;p>;Thats good news. President Trump did not define the goals of the pro-life movement as a late-term limit. But there are complications. And as you read this‚ Students for Life Action is reaching out to the president for clarification.<;/p>;<;p>;By overturning <;em>;Roe v. Wade<;/em>;‚ the Supreme Court opened the door to local‚ state‚ <;em>;and<;/em>; federal authorities to engage in the human rights issue of our day.<;/p>;<;p>;If weve learned anything from the Biden administration‚ its that abortion very much remains a federal issue. We are paying for and propping up abortion vendors at home and abroad. To give just a few examples:<;/p>;<;ul>;<;li>;From 2019 to 2021‚ Planned Parenthood received more than $1.7 billion including $90.4 million illegally obtained from the Paycheck Protection Program‚ according to a 2023 Government Accountability Office <;a href=";https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106215"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;report<;/a>;. The international Planned Parenthood Federation received another $2 million‚ and four domestic regional abortion providers received more than $107 million. <;/li>;<;li>;A <;a href=";https://waysandmeans.house.gov/report-abortion-costs-u-s-economy-6-9-trillion/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;separate report<;/a>; from the House Ways and Means Committee in 2022 demonstrated how abortion has cost the U.S. nearly <;em>;$7 trillion<;/em>; and the loss of almost <;em>;70 million babies<;/em>;‚ shrinking Americas potential population by 20%. <;/li>;<;li>;And in the 2014-2015 fiscal year‚ <;a href=";https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44295/15"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Planned Parenthood received $553.7 million <;/a>;in federal and state Medicaid reimbursements‚ or from government grants from the Department of Health and Human Services.<;/li>;<;/ul>;<;p>;The Democrats signature health care law‚ the <;a href=";https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.markey.senate.gov%2Fnews%2Fpress-releases%2Fsenator-markey-joins-senators-baldwin-blumenthal-in-introducing-legislation-to-restore-and-protect-americans-right-to-an-abortion-nationwide&;amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cd64d7576fb4c47ede14b08dbaf11949e%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638296262289227573%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&;amp;sdata=kbCNUKRikYE7OfuPSW75Il5wC2MI6Eq%2FBX3hEcNu57I%3D&;amp;reserved=0"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Womens Health Protection Act<;/a>;‚ would allow abortions to be conducted up until birth nationwide. States would be unable to push back or fight.<;/p>;<;p>;Those who say they dont want federal engagement on abortion should at the very least advocate ending federal spending on abortion and abortion vendors in the United States and worldwide. And we should stop sneaking abortion funds into areas like our defense or military spending.<;/p>;<;h2>;A pro-life remedy <;/h2>;<;p>;Should he be re-elected‚ Trump will have his hands full with <;a href=";https://www.studentsforlifeaction.org/kristan-hawkins-to-president-donald-trump-protect-life-re"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;a lifesaving agenda<;/a>;. That should include:<;/p>;<;ul>;<;li>;Making critical appointments at HHS‚ the Department of Justice‚ the Food and Drug Administration‚ and the Environmental Protection Agency. <;/li>;<;li>;Ending taxpayer support for abortion by getting the federal government out of the business of subsidizing the abortion industry.<;/li>;<;li>;Supporting mothers and young families by promoting services and support programs‚ including an expanded child tax credit.<;/li>;<;li>;Using the presidents bully pulpit to tell the story of life‚ as <;a href=";https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D3-oEEAAAQBAJ%26pg%3DPA43%26lpg%3DPA43%26dq%3DAbraham%2BLincoln%2Brecognized%2Bthat%2Bwe%2Bcould%2Bnot%2Bsurvive%2Bas%2Ba%2Bfree%2Bland%2Bwhen%2Bsome%2Bmen%2Bcould%2Bdecide%2Bthat%2Bothers%2Bwere%2Bnot%2Bfit%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bfree%2Band%2Btherefore%2Bbe%2Bslaves.%2BLikewise%2C%2Bwe%2Bcannot%2Bsurvive%2Bas%2Ba%2Bfree%2Bnation%2Bwhen%2Bsome%2Bmen%2Bdecide%2Bthat%2Bothers%2Bare%2Bnot%2Bfit%2Bto%2Blive%2Band%2Bshould%2Bbe%2Babandoned%2Bto%2Babortion%2Bor%2Binfanticide.%26source%3Dbl%26ots%3D7dO8wO6mNS%26sig%3DACfU3U0hEM1WeAT3qjXLnHctrDsqCoQ3GQ%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiXiO_lkdv5AhVPjYkEHRwCDV4Q6AF6BAgDEAM%23v%3Donepage%26q%3DAbraham%2520Lincoln%2520recognized%2520that%2520we%2520could%2520not%2520survive%2520as%2520a%2520free%2520land%2520when%2520some%2520men%2520could%2520decide%2520that%2520others%2520were%2520not%2520fit%2520to%2520be%2520free%2520and%2520therefore%2520be%2520slaves.%2520Likewise%252C%2520we%2520cannot%2520survive%2520as%2520a%2520free%2520nation%2520when%2520some%2520men%2520decide%2520that%2520others%2520are%2520not%2520fit%2520to%2520live%2520and%2520should%2520be%2520abandoned%2520to%2520abortion%2520or%2520infanticide.%26f%3Dfalse&;amp;data=05%7C02%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cce7272f3fe424e43189608dc55bceb08%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638479517230109762%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&;amp;sdata=Td6dm2Av%2F8YNj8ZnWdkYmPwkhfaoZZF8H%2FmfUZkQLrQ%3D&;amp;reserved=0"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Ronald Reagan famously did<;/a>;.<;/li>;<;li>;Protecting life on college campuses by directing the Department of Education to shift its focus from chemical abortion pill distribution to education about life-affirming options for protecting babies and mothers.<;/li>;<;li>;Ending the weaponization of federal agencies against the pro-life movement‚ traditional Catholics or Christians‚ and pro-family groups.<;/li>;<;li>;Embracing opposite day by using the executive powers of the presidency to undo everything that the Biden administration has done to expand abortion.<;/li>;<;/ul>;<;p>; Life can and will win. It just requires imagination‚ determination‚ and perseverance‚ because this isnt a battle thats won overnight or by the mere stroke of a pen. When it comes to human rights‚ true‚ lasting victory requires perseverance amid hardship.<;/p>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/how-the-internet-is-deleting-the-past.jpg?id=51979666&;amp;width=1200&;amp;height=800&;amp;coordinates=0%2C129%2C0%2C130";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;Last year‚ Nanna Thylstrup wrote about the precarity of <;a href=";https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/21/opinion/digital-archives-memory.html"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;our digital past<;/a>;. Old blogs‚ once thriving with activity and personal memories‚ are unceremoniously deleted by platforms and users. The Internet Archive‚ a bastion of digital preservation‚ finds itself under constant assault. Search engines continue eroding‚ making locating and accessing information increasingly difficult. Movies and TV shows vanishing from streaming platforms without warning; we find out too late that our VCRs dont work and the DVDs are out-of-print.<;/p>;<;p>;How many of us have lost entire chapters of our adolescence to now inaccessible Photobucket accounts? When our children want to look back at pictures of us as young adults‚ we may be forced to utter a disheartening‚ ";Sorry‚ baby."; The memories we once cherished are scattered across defunct platforms like Instagram‚ Google Photos‚ and iCloud‚ lost to the sands of time. Passwords are forgotten‚ accounts accidentally closed‚ and external hard drives lost in moves or rendered obsolete in a way that a traditional photo album never could be. Big Tech collects and razes our data with impunity‚ leaving us powerless to stop it.<;/p>;<;p>;Perhaps even more significant than the loss of personal memories is the way we value the content we post online. We often fail to recognize the importance of what‚ at the time‚ seems like trivial or irrelevant information. As a result‚ online activity Facebook groups that may have shaped our online identities‚ private LiveJournal communities that built entire subcultures have been lost to the void‚ never to be archived.<;/p>;<;p>;In her book ";Emo: How Fans Defined a Subculture‚"; Judith May Fathallah laments the state of some of the sources she needed to author her book‚ ";The sites this project considers are not always archives in the actual sense‚ because they do not necessarily seek to preserve texts‚ nor are they always easy to navigate.";<;/p>;<;p>;The instability and insecurity of our digital past are further compounded by the fact that if no one was present to capture screenshots‚ if bots weren';t crawling the data‚ or if the content was excluded from archiving tools like the Wayback Machine‚ it';s as if it never existed at all. This loss of context is exacerbated by the politicized nature of internet culture reporting‚ where journalists who take it upon themselves to report on these issues often fail to capture the nuances and complexities of the subject matter accurately. In turn‚ digital communities are siloed suspicious unwilling to talk to people who want to record history. The lore of the digital world is passed on from generation to generation‚ and sometimes‚ tribes and families and subcultures and cliques die out.<;/p>;<;p>;Sometimes it feels as though we are living in an oral culture‚ one that relies primarily on spoken rather than written language. The internet is a text-based medium‚ but the task of contextualizing memes‚ slang‚ and the unique creoles of digital subcultures requires context that what fragments we do save cant always provide.<;/p>;<;p>;Why doesnt preserving our digital past have more urgency? We should know better by now: Theres no such thing as its just the internet. The internet is part of our culture. Will future generations have access to a picture of the digital world‚ or is it doomed to be fragmented and distorted?<;/p>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=51979983&;amp;width=700&;amp;height=1245&;amp;coordinates=662%2C0%2C663%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;What U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake did in Arizona this week‚ only to have Donald Trump then endorse it the following day‚ is nothing short of mocking God. So‚ apparently‚ I now need to remind everyone of something that should be obvious to citizens in any culture worth saving: This devilish baloney has <;em>;<;em>;zero chance<;/em>;<;/em>; of making America great again.<;/p>;<;p>;Both Trump and Lake said that a ruling by the <;a href=";https://abcnews.go.com/US/arizona-supreme-court-restricts-abortion-enforcing-total-ban/story?id=109044087"; target=";_blank";>;Arizona Supreme Court<;/a>; to uphold a near-total abortion ban dating back to 1864 needs to allow for more reasonable amounts of baby killing.<;/p>;<;p class=";pull-quote";>;Republicans have lied to us for decades. The truth of the GOP duplicity is being laid bare.<;/p>;<;p>;Kindly save me your emails attempting to nuance or excuse this in any way. Not only are these Republicans calling for more deaths of the innocent‚ but Trump is taking this diabolical position after picking the judges who overturned <;em>;<;em>;Roe v. Wade<;/em>;<;/em>;. And Lake is reversing course after saying she supported the very same Arizona ban just two years ago.<;/p>;<;p>;There is no righteous or moral justification for this abortion about-face. You simply arent allowed to confuse this with the arguments we had when heartbeat and personhood bills arrived on the scene‚ and we were asking what a life is and when it begins. At no time during those debates did we ever concede the premise that that very life was always worth protecting‚ only how far and how fast could we reach our goals in a fallen world.<;/p>;<;p>;This is different.<;/p>;<;p>;We have a law that protects nearly all children‚ and Republican politicians including the presumptive 2024 nominee for president are arguing that it <;em>;<;em>;goes too far<;/em>;<;/em>;. They are explicitly saying it is undesirable and unjust to save as many babies as possible.<;/p>;<;p>;Maybe I should have figured out what Im about to say after Team GOP did nothing with the hellish discovery that Planned Parenthood baby killers were selling frozen baby body parts for profit‚ but Im pretty sure Im over the target now.<;/p>;<;p>;This was <;em>;<;em>;never<;/em>;<;/em>; a pro-life party.<;/p>;<;p>;The GOP was a party inhabited by pro-lifers‚ and therefore‚ the party merely felt like it had to condescend to us for votes. I have described <;em>;<;em>;Roe v. Wade<;/em>;<;/em>; for years as a <;em>;shibboleth <;/em>;of the damned for Democrats. Thats no longer sufficient. It turns out it was a <;em>;shibboleth <;/em>;of the damned for Republicans as well.<;/p>;<;p>;The Republicans clearly had no plan for what would happen after overturning <;em>;<;em>;Roe<;/em>;<;/em>;. That is likely because too many in the GOP really didnt want <;em>;<;em>;Roe<;/em>;<;/em>; overturned. They just wanted the votes of those who still hate the shedding of innocent blood just like God hates it.<;/p>;<;p>;Republicans have lied to us for decades. And now that <;em>;<;em>;Roe<;/em>;<;/em>; has been smashed like the pillars in the temple of the fish demon Dagon‚ the truth of the GOP duplicity is being laid bare. Just like the single moms in the Democratic Party we like to parody and lambaste for their bloodlust‚ we are perfectly fine with an expanding kill list in the land of the magic R as well.<;/p>;<;p>;Meanwhile‚ some of the harshest moments in the scriptures come as a result of cultures that embrace the killing of their children. In fact‚ the final straw for Israel was when the people went down into the valley of Ben Hinnom and did what Moses told them never to do by throwing their babies into the fire to the demon Molech. And when those same people returned from exile some 70 years later‚ the very place of unholy sacrifice and desecration was turned into a trash dump that was renamed Gehenna.<;/p>;<;p>;The fires in that place burned day and night to deal with the rot and the stench‚ so when Christ arrived to preach on the wages of sin which he preached on more than any other topic in all the New Testament he referred to an eternity in hell as‚ you guessed it‚ Gehenna. Thats where the same Messiah who lays down his life for his friends says you deserve to end up if you defile one of his children. And it would be better for you to have a one-ton rock tied around your neck and be thrown out into the open sea than it will be for you on your day of judgment.<;/p>;<;div class=";rm-embed embed-media";>;<;/div>;<;p>;This isnt just politics as usual. Were playing a far more dangerous game than that. And it is a game we cannot win. Its impossible. Dont say you weren';t warned. Go back to Bill Clinton in the 1990s for proof. He violated Democratic Party orthodoxy on virtually every issue but one: human sacrifice. And if that is the enemys alpha and omega plumbline‚ what should that tell us?<;/p>;<;p>;That the only way to win this game is not to play.<;/p>;<;p>;You simply cant triangulate or compromise on this issue and end up with a lower cost of living‚ a more secure border‚ fewer trans kids‚ and more medical freedom. Because a complete and total disrespect for life brings the opposite namely‚ our current godless reality. We are talking about nothing short of the destiny of Tolkiens ring of power. You cant wield such darkness‚ Boromir. You will only end up broken and dead if you try.<;/p>;<;p>;We';re not in charge here. God is. So‚ what are we doing when God never fails throughout all of human history to punish this wicked behavior? There is no prophetic significance whatsoever to this countrys survival that we can count on for protection‚ let alone the outcome of this upcoming election as we are dividing our own base while igniting our opponents collective appetites for mob rule.<;/p>;<;p>;That';s a terrible strategy. Im sure that the next red wave is right around the corner.<;/p>;<;p>;Or is that sulfur I smell?<;/p>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/this-is-how-members-of-congress-get-rich-while-you-stay-poor.jpg?id=51978706&;amp;width=700&;amp;height=1245&;amp;coordinates=662%2C0%2C663%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;American families are struggling more today than they have in a very long time‚ but guess whose portfolios are <;em>;not<;/em>; struggling? Members of Congress. Is that fair? Is that why we sent them to Washington?<;/p>;<;p>;The newest Blaze Originals documentary‚ Bought and Paid For: How Politicians Get Filthy Rich‚ debuted on Tuesday‚ and I am still shocked that we are the only ones addressing this topic head on. You should <;a href=";https://www.blazetv.com/watch/featured/1SUjRmqpfTkX-bo4-final-draft-1080p30-5mbps-v5"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;watch it<;/a>;. This is something that we need to fix because the soul of our country is being tainted. Our members of Congress have been compromised‚ and they are voting on policies that prefer their portfolios over their constituents.<;/p>;<;p class=";pull-quote";>;Wealth redistribution is a con. Money doesnt flow from the billionaires to people in the middle and lower classes. It flows to the people writing the laws.<;/p>;<;p>;The term redistribution of wealth has been the rallying cry of radical leftists for more than a century. From Karl Marx to the Bolsheviks and Mao‚ they all stated‚ in their own ways‚ that they wanted to take money from one group of people and give it to another group of people. The popular campaign catchphrase paraded by the left‚ An economy for everyone‚ is the utopian or dystopian end goal of this wealth redistribution. But who did leftists actually mean by everyone? Where was all the money going?<;/p>;<;p>;In the Soviet Union‚ members of the working class didn';t improve their station in life. It was the political class that got rich and reaped all the rewards. Mao‚ while millions were starving to death‚ had his own indoor swimming pool. An economy for everyone! That phrase is now being used as the rallying cry by some of the most powerful political institutions and elected officials in the country right now.<;/p>;<;p>;<;a href=";https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/an-economy-that-works-for-everyone/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Hillary Clinton<;/a>; campaigned on creating an economy that works for everyone. The country';s largest progressive think tank‚ American Progress‚ has a policy plan for building an economy for all. Moreover‚ former House Speaker <;a href=";https://pelosi.house.gov/issues/jobs-economic-justice#:~:text=While%20they%20try%20to%20raise‚the%20elites%20and%20special%20interests"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Nancy Pelosi<;/a>; (D-Calif.) wants us all to know that congressional Democrats will build an economy that works for everyone‚ not just the elites.<;/p>;<;p>;But who are these elites they keep talking about? Every time this rhetoric has been used in the past‚ whether that be in Russia‚ China‚ Cuba‚ or Venezuela‚ the elites became the people writing the laws. They were the ones that got rich.<;/p>;<;p>;History has shown that the redistribution of wealth is a con. Money doesnt flow from the billionaires to people in the middle and lower classes. It flows to the people writing the laws.<;/p>;<;p>;How did you do at the stock market last year? <;a href=";https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stock-market-up-24-percent-2023-rally/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;The S&;amp;P 500<;/a>; did well‚ closing out the year with a 24% gain. Though you cant actually invest in the <;a href=";https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/how-to-invest-in-sp500#:~:text=The%20S%26P%20500%20is%20a‚less%20risk%20than%20individual%20stocks."; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;S&;amp;P 500 as a whole<;/a>;‚ you can invest in an exchange traded fund called SPY. SPY tracks the overall S&;amp;P 500 performance‚ so most of the people like you and me‚ if you invested‚ saw a 24% return last year.<;/p>;<;p>;There are experts who track the S&;amp;P 500 and the SPY ETF for a living. According to public records‚ however‚ certain individuals out-experted the experts. One of these supposed financial geniuses saw a 238% return last year and beat out the experts at the SPY EFT by 200%. How is that even possible? What is this person';s secret?<;/p>;<;p>;Others in this select group of trading gurus out-traded the SPY EFT by 40% <;em>;at a minimum. <;/em>;Who are these financial gurus? Because I want to find out their secret. They must be a collection of financial geniuses doing crazy nerdy calculations.<;/p>;<;p>;It turns out that these financial geniuses are none other than Brian Higgings (D-N.Y.)‚ Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)‚ and Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) among other members of Congress. I know they hold the power of the purse‚ but I dont think this is quite what the framers had in mind.<;/p>;<;p>;How is Dan Crenshaw destroying the SPY EFTs performance? Did they teach advanced stock trading during Hell Week in SEAL training? Members of Congress have gotten so good at picking stocks that people are now following their moves rather than hiring a professional stockbroker. You can find websites like <;a href=";https://bullishbears.com/nancy-pelosi-stocks-to-watch"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;this one<;/a>; that monitor Nancy Pelosi';s purchases. Who needs a professional anymore? Just copy the financial genius of your local congressman.<;/p>;<;p>;It is no secret why members of Congress suddenly become financial whiz kids once they get elected. I';m not directly pointing the finger at anyone and saying they did anything illegal‚ but two words sum up all this behavior: insider trading.<;/p>;<;p>;<;a href=";https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-details-on-visas-attempt-to-influence-pelosi/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;ABC News in 2011<;/a>; exposed how Visa attempted to bribe Nancy Pelosi as critical credit card legislation was being debated in Congress. It noted how Visa offered her an IPO <;em>;while <;/em>;the bill was making its way through Congress.<;/p>;<;p>;Lawmakers‚ as it now stands‚ can hold private meetings with corporate representatives while<;em>; <;/em>;legislation is being debated that could help or hurt them‚ giving lawmakers the opportunity to turn around and make stock moves based on that information. According to the same ABC News story‚ This form of insider trading is one of the reasons why there are so many wealthy members of Congress.<;/p>;<;p>;None of this is a secret‚ even though both Republicans and Democrats try to downplay it in the public eye. What makes this even crazier is that if you or I did that wed go to jail. But Congress has a loophole. According to <;a href=";https://blogs.luc.edu/compliance/?p=4459"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Loyola University<;/a>;:<;/p>;<;blockquote>;If you are a member of Congress‚ there is a loophole. There isnt a limit on lawmakers trading stocks based on classified information nor is there oversight regarding the trades that lawmakers are allowed to make based on other information they are privy to as part of their job.<;/blockquote>;<;p>;Is this how Congress is beating the market? Members know all the chess moves before anyone else does. Theyve read the other team';s playbook before the game was played. But you and I are not allowed to.<;/p>;<;p>;We wonder why people like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi stay in office for 927 years. Why leave? Theres too much money to be made but not for the average American.<;/p>;<;p>;We wonder why our country is kept in a constant state of war. Is there any incentive for Congress to stop forever wars when it';s allowed to invest in military industrial complex corporations like Lockheed and Raytheon?<;/p>;<;p>;We wonder why the government wants more control of health care and why theyre doing such a hasty transition to unreliable energy. But how many congresspeople currently hold medical and green energy stocks?<;/p>;While people like Nancy Pelosi scream about the top 1% and how the rich need to redistribute to the poor‚ this is the system they really care about. This is the economy for everyone.<;p>;<;em>;<;br>;Want more from Glenn Beck? Get Glenn';s <;a href=";https://links.glennbeck.com/join/51r/signup-theblaze"; target=";_blank";>;FREE email newsletter<;/a>; with his latest insights‚ top stories‚ show prep‚ and more delivered to your inbox.<;span>;<;/span>;<;br>;<;/em>;<;/p>;

<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/navy-torpedoes-embarrassing-post-showing-commanding-officer-firing-rifle-with-backward-and-covered-scope.jpg?id=51989653&;amp;width=700&;amp;height=1245&;amp;coordinates=139%2C0%2C485%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;The U.S. Navy shared an <;a href=";https://web.archive.org/web/20240409204853/https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8312732/uss-john-s-mccain-gun-shoot"; target=";_blank";>;image<;/a>; to its official Instagram page Tuesday showing <;a href=";https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/Leaders/Biography/Article/3581139/cdr-cameron-yaste/"; target=";_blank";>;Commander Cameron Yaste<;/a>;‚ executive officer aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain‚ firing a rifle.<;/p>;<;p>;The post was captioned‚ ";From engaging in practice gun shoots‚ conducting maintenance‚ testing fuel purity and participating in sea and anchor details‚ the #USNavy is always ready to serve and protect.";<;/p>;<;p>;Keen observers noticed something amiss about the photograph taken on March 24.<;/p>;<;p>;Some critics <;a href=";https://www.reddit.com/r/navy/comments/1bzzztt/come_on_mcss_tell_me_whats_wrong_here/"; target=";_blank";>;suggested<;/a>; the fore grip on the rifle could be mounted closer to the gun';s center. A few had something to say about Yaste';s stance or his <;a href=";https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/navy-marines-trolled-instagram/"; target=";_blank";>;ostensible choice<;/a>; to shoot on three-round burst. Most‚ however‚ noted that the scope on the rifle was backward‚ with its cap still on.<;/p>;<;p>;Mockery and memes swiftly followed‚ prompting the Navy to torpedo its post.<;/p>;<;p>;Keyboard comedians came out of the woodwork‚ creating a slew of memes. Other branches also joined in the fun‚ sharing images of service members firing rifles with properly mounted scopes.<;/p>;<;p>;The National Guard‚ for instance‚ posted an image Thursday of two guardsmen firing rifles with no comment besides a side-eyes emoji.<;/p>;<;blockquote class=";instagram-media"; data-instgrm-captioned=";"; data-instgrm-permalink=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5l-Qs8Swhg/"; data-instgrm-version=";4";>; <;div>; <;div>; <;div>; <;/div>; <;/div>; <;p>; <;a href=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5l-Qs8Swhg/"; target=";_top";>;See on Instagram<;/a>; <;/p>; <;/div>; <;/blockquote>;<;p>;The U.S. Marine Corps did likewise‚ sharing an image of Marines assigned to Bravo Company‚ Battalion Landing Team 1/5‚ 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit‚ conducting a live-fire deck shoot aboard the U.S. Navy';s USS Boxer on April 6. The Marines'; post was captioned‚ ";Clear Sight Picture.";<;/p>;<;blockquote class=";instagram-media"; data-instgrm-captioned=";"; data-instgrm-permalink=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5lfRKfsgNV/?img_index=1"; data-instgrm-version=";4";>; <;div>; <;div>; <;div>; <;/div>; <;/div>; <;p>; <;a href=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5lfRKfsgNV/?img_index=1"; target=";_top";>;See on Instagram<;/a>; <;/p>; <;/div>; <;/blockquote>;<;p>;The military comedy Instagram page‚ dearmomimdead‚ responded to the U.S. Navy';s initial post with its own‚ captioned ";HEY NAVY. I FIXED UR SH!T...‚"; which was less charitable than the posts shared by the USMC and the National Guard.<;/p>;<;blockquote class=";instagram-media"; data-instgrm-captioned=";"; data-instgrm-permalink=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5mGGd4Pk4F/"; data-instgrm-version=";4";>; <;div>; <;div>; <;div>; <;/div>; <;/div>; <;p>; <;a href=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5mGGd4Pk4F/"; target=";_top";>;See on Instagram<;/a>; <;/p>; <;/div>; <;/blockquote>;<;p>;While Task and Purpose <;a href=";https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/navy-marines-trolled-instagram/"; target=";_blank";>;made expressly clear<;/a>; that the U.S. Navy ";is without equal on the open seas"; and has no problem obliterating America';s foes when playing to its strengths‚ it quipped‚ ";If an engagement calls for rifles‚ Marines will be there to help them out."; Task and Purpose then provided a visual indication on Instagram of how the scope ought to have been mounted.<;/p>;<;blockquote class=";instagram-media"; data-instgrm-captioned=";"; data-instgrm-permalink=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5jhNZpvmb-/"; data-instgrm-version=";4";>; <;div>; <;div>; <;div>; <;/div>; <;/div>; <;p>; <;a href=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5jhNZpvmb-/"; target=";_top";>;See on Instagram<;/a>; <;/p>; <;/div>; <;/blockquote>;<;p>;Even lawmakers got in on the mockery.<;/p>;<;p>;Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) shared an image of a gun with the barrel pointed toward the would-be shooter‚ writing‚ ";Navy';s newly issued sidearm.";<;/p>;<;blockquote class=";rm-embed twitter-tweet"; data-partner=";rebelmouse"; data-twitter-tweet-id=";1778070125343596913";>; <;div>;Navy';s newly issued sidearm.<;/div>; (@) <;a href=";https://twitter.com/RepMikeCollins/status/1778070125343596913";>;<;/a>; <;/blockquote>; <;p>;While many evidently found the bungled photo op amusing‚ others interpreted the error as bad omen‚ with at least one user <;a href=";https://x.com/DaikanyamaGuy/status/1777809604052947152"; target=";_blank";>;noting<;/a>;‚ ";We';re going to lose a major war.";<;/p>;<;p>;An archived <;a href=";https://web.archive.org/web/20240409204853/https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8312732/uss-john-s-mccain-gun-shoot"; target=";_blank";>;gallery of now-deleted images<;/a>; on the Department of Defense';s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service shows that Yaste posed with the rifle on at least two other occasions with correction.<;/p>;<;p>;After deleting the post‚ the Navy <;a href=";https://www.instagram.com/p/C5j0UioL7wX/"; target=";_blank";>;noted<;/a>;‚ ";Thank you for pointing out our rifle scope error in the previous post. Picture has been removed until EMI [extra military instruction] is completed! #Readiness.";<;/p>;<;p>;Stars and Stripes <;a href=";https://www.stripes.com/branches/stripes/2024-04-11/navy-backwards-scope-photo-13528758.html"; target=";_blank";>;noted<;/a>; that EMI is defined by the Nay as ";instruction in a phase of military duty in which an individual is deficient‚ and is intended for and directed towards the correction of that deficiency.";<;/p>;<;p>;Commander Yaste previously served as division officer aboard the USS Bataan‚ as weapons and executive officer aboard Patrol Coastal crew HOTEL‚ and as combat systems and weapons officer aboard the USS Hopper.<;/p>;<;p>;<;em>;Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. <;/em>;<;em>;<;a href=";https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_self";>;Sign up here<;/a>;<;/em>;<;em>;!<;/em>;<;/p>;