THE FOUNDATION
"Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it." --Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, No. 1, 1776Editor's Note
Tomorrow we celebrate Independence Day so we will not publish a regular Digest. We'll be back on Monday. God bless the USA!TOP 5 RIGHT HOOKS
How Long Will Unemployment Shrink?
Hiring was up in June, according to the employment numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The headline unemployment rate dropped to 6.1% last month from May's 6.3%. A breakdown of the report shows the number of people who could only find part-time work essentially flat-lined since last June at 2.6 million workers. However, the number of discouraged workers -- the unemployed who gave up the job search -- shrank to 676,000 people and the people not in the labor force grew to 92.1 million people, an increase of 2.3 million from last year. As the nation moves into the summer months, the teen unemployment rate jumped to 21%. CBS News is cautiously optimistic: More paychecks means more money is flowing in the economy, which might make for some second quarter growth. But according to Merrill Matthews at Forbes, most Americans receive some kind of dole from the government, which spells long-term trouble for a nation that has pulled itself up by its bootstraps in the past. More...Comment | Share
HHS Opaque at Border
If the wave after wave of unaccompanied children from Central America crossing the southern border were adults, the federal government would have a much easier problem to solve. Simply shut down the border and play hardball. But they're children. And so, the federal government is losing it. With centers to house the children near bursting, the federal government turned to the foster care system. If the illegals were adults, the government could simply give them a summons to a deportation hearing and watch them disappear into the fabric of America. (The vast majority do just that.) According to The Washington Free Beacon, Republican congressmen have tried to oversee the situation with little success. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WS) wrote to HHS suggesting the department was not transparent in how it's handling the crisis at the border -- particularly given reports of rampant diseases being carried in. HHS turned away Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) at a facility in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, telling him to schedule an appointment. "What are they trying to hide?" Bridenstine asked. "Do they not want the children to speak with members of Congress?" More...Comment | Share
State Changes Benghazi Story
As alleged mastermind behind the 2012 attack on the Benghazi consulate, Ahmed Abu Khatallah, heads to a Washington, DC, court, the government has changed the narrative of the day. Instead of spontaneous retaliation for that dreaded YouTube video, the government accuses Khatallah of conspiring to attack the consulate, killing four Americans. Retired Army Lieutenant General William Boykin, who was the number two intelligence chief for the Pentagon, said the arrest of Khatallah took so long because of politics. "The administration has known where this guy was since the end of September 2012," he said. "I have spoken to special operations people, who were telling me that they could go after him and others any time the administration was ready to do so. It took so long because the administration had to see how the video story was going to play out and how big the whole Benghazi issue was going to be." All along, the Obama administration played politics over security, but the intense scrutiny of the minority party compelled Obama to actually do his job. More...Comment | Share
No Guns in Target
Add Target to the list of companies that is asking consumers not to bring firearms into its stores. In a brief statement, interim Target CEO John Mulligan wrote, "[S]tarting today we will ... respectfully request that guests not bring firearms to Target -- even in communities where it is permitted by law." Why? He explained, "Bringing firearms to Target creates an environment that is at odds with the family-friendly shopping and work experience we strive to create." Naturally, an anti-gun group is behind the move. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America started a petition last month trying to get the company to enact a no-gun policy -- just as it had for Chipotle, Starbucks and Facebook. While the extreme open-carry protests have something to do with Target's new gun policy, it's safe to say this group isn't done. Keep in mind, though, Target didn't impose an outright ban on firearms. Anti-gun activists are claiming victory, but that's far from reality. For most, Target's recommendation doesn't change anything. More...Comment | Share
Newspaper Un-Endorses Obama
Once a supporter of Barack Obama, The Billings Gazette, a daily paper that covers Montana and north Wyoming, took back its words. "Sometimes, you have to admit you're wrong," the editors wrote. "And, we were wrong." In the editorial, the paper lists a few shortcomings of the administration: the Bowe Bergdahl trade, NSA spying programs, the crackdown against journalists, the Veteran Affairs scandal and the disintegration in Iraq. "These are all signs -- none of them definitive on their own, necessarily," the paper wrote. "However, when taken in completely, these demonstrate a disturbing trend of incompetence and failure. It's not just that Americans are in a sour mood about national politics. That's probably part of it. Instead, Obama has become another in a line of presidents long on rhetoric and hopelessly short on action." When you've lost the media, you've lost middle America. More...Comment | Share
For more, visit Right Hooks.
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Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint says, "The Patriot Post sets the record straight, keeping Americans informed about what's at stake in the political debates today."
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Read Tyranny Is Transient -- Liberty Is Eternal, on never losing faith even when the situation is dire.If you'd like to receive Alexander's Column by email, update your subscription here.
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RIGHT ANALYSIS
What Do Americans Think About Liberty?
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According to a recent Gallup survey, the percentage of Americans satisfied with their level of freedom to choose what they do in life has plunged from 91% in 2006 to just 79% in 2013, placing the land of the free an abysmal 36th among countries with the highest degrees of satisfaction with their freedom. This is disturbing on its own, but when you consider that only 10 other nations experienced as sharp a decline in satisfaction -- and that those 10 nations included countries like Venezuela, Pakistan, Egypt, Greece and Yemen -- it becomes downright frightening.
Of particular concern is what this dissatisfaction means when paired with Americans' growing distrust of not one, not two, but all three branches of government. Another recent Gallup survey showed that Congress's approval rating is just 7%, the Supreme Court's just 30% (a 4% drop from this time last year), and the executive branch's just 29%, marking a six-year low. Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans believing government corruption is widespread has risen dramatically since 2006, ballooning from 59% to 79%.
Of course, a healthy distrust for government is far from a bad thing. As James Madison said, "All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree." What's perplexing, though, is that Americans now have more confidence in the military and police than they do in our government's executive, legislative or judicial branch, with 39% and 25% having a "great deal" of confidence in the military and police, respectively. While we hold our Armed Forces and local protectors in the highest regard, the reality is that as institutions, they are extensions -- be they direct or indirect -- of the government Americans so distrust. And the Washington Examiner's Becket Adams writes, such an upside down trust scenario "is not exactly a healthy place to be in a constitutional republic."
Diminishing trust in government and dwindling confidence in Liberty are hardly surprising, as many Americans have increasingly measured Liberty by government provision rather than government restraint. And when government has failed in providing -- as government will always do -- Americans have begun blaming their condition on a flaw in the liberties they enjoy.
Indeed, those who understand Liberty the least take the smallest pride in America. According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, "solid liberals" -- those who support big government, are skeptical of business and markets, and are consistently liberal on social issues -- are the least likely to take pride in being an American, with just 40% saying they "often feel proud" to be American. Meanwhile, among "steadfast conservatives," 72% often feel proud to be American, and among "business conservatives," the percentage jumps to 81.
How does all this bode for American Liberty? Well, for one thing, 40% of solid liberals probably won't be proudly waving American flags at tomorrow's parades. But thankfully, they'll have the freedom not to because of those who remain aware of the toil, blood and treasure that true freedom cost, who still understand the true meaning of Liberty, and who are willing to sacrifice for those glimpses of ravishing light and glory. Liberty will remain secure only as long as the latter remain stronger than the former.
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Not in POTUS's Job Description
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Read the rest here.
For more, visit Right Analysis.
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TOP 5 RIGHT OPINION COLUMNS
- Rebecca Hagelin: Declare Your Freedom
- Cal Thomas: America's DNA: 'The Federalist Papers'
- Stephen Moore: The Underappreciated Eric Cantor
- Larry Elder: Obama's Supporters Said 'Go Gangsta' -- Too Bad He Listened
- Victor Davis Hanson: Obama Seeks an Escape From the Middle East
OPINION IN BRIEF
Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626): "One of the Seven [wise men of Greece] was wont to say: That laws were like cobwebs, where the small flies are caught and the great break through."Columnist Rebecca Hagelin: "Independence Day is the perfect time to look back on history so we can follow in the footsteps of our great founding fathers. They laid bold claim to liberty by invoking the name of God (He is referenced four times in the Declaration of Independence) and forever changed the face of the world. Or better yet, look back on the history of Jesus' life and lay bold claim to the liberty of your soul by placing your faith in the One who changed the face of all eternity. Between the BBQ and fireworks this year, don't forget to say a prayer of gratitude for the rich blessings that have been poured out on us simply because we are fortunate enough to call America our home."
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Historian Victor Davis Hanson: "In his first term, Barack Obama all but declared victory in America's Middle East struggles. ... So what happened? In short, the Obama administration put politics and ideology ahead of a disinterested and nonpartisan examination of the actual status of the 2009 Middle East. The more Obama campaigned in 2008 on a failed war in Iraq, a neglected war in Afghanistan, an ill-considered war on terror and an alienated Middle East, the more those talking points were outdated and eclipsed by fast-moving events on the ground. ... Once more in the Middle East, Barack Obama is looking to blame others for a mess that has grown since 2009. But mostly he just wants out of the lose-lose region at any cost and wishes that someone would just make all the bad things go away."
Humorist Frank J. Fleming: "'My rights have been violated because I can't force my employer to pay for Plan B!' We need to teach our children better. ... Since both people for and against the Hobby Lobby decision are saying, 'Birth control is not your boss's business!' someone must be confused. ... The left is afraid [the] religious will force their views on everyone because that's exactly what the left does when they have any amount of power."
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Nate Jackson for The Patriot Post Editorial Team
Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform -- Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen -- standing in harm's way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.
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