It's Time To Put Away Our Phones
- By Neil Patel
Next time you go to a restaurant, take a look around the room. Chances are half the people will be sitting in silence staring at their phones. This includes people there with their friends and family. We are so used to this that we've grown numb to it, but it's horrible.
What's the point of going out to dinner in the first place? It's not just to eat. People can do that at home and save a lot of money and time. Meals are social activities; they always have been. Going out to dinner is one of the most enjoyable social activities ever invented. For a family to do that and then each sit quietly staring at their phone is truly sad. And it begs the important question of what's going to happen to the kids doing this.
What's Driving Speech Codes and Bank Failures -- It's All the Same Problem
- By Neil Patel
Why are so many institutions and government agencies all of a sudden interested in regulating speech? Why is so-called misinformation a much bigger issue today than it was in the past? The answer you hear most often is that the efficiency of mass communication through social media has necessitated restrictions on speech. Misinformation flows rapidly now over the internet, so the government has to regulate it. That's what they tell us.
This is a bogus argument. The truth has a way of winning out in a true marketplace of ideas. The truth flows just as rapidly through the now-efficient means of communications as the lies. That was true before the internet, and it's true today.
The Truth About Jan. 6
- By Neil Patel
The events of Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol have been so highly politicized that it's almost impossible for anyone to get to the truth anymore. We don't know all the facts, even after months of investigations and hearings; nobody does for sure. What I do know for sure is if the situation were reversed, everyone's opinions on it would be reversed, too. That's sad and says a lot about where America is today. Americans are more dug into partisan bubbles and tribalism than at any time in recent history. It's so bad that many people can't even see the truth. Or don't want to look for it.
China Is Openly Infiltrating Our Political System and the American Media Doesn't Seem to Care
- By Neil Patel
The American media has been liberal for decades, but the utter disregard for the truth that pervades much of the reporting today is something new. With all the alarm over misinformation on the right, little attention has been paid to the much broader form of misinformation that dominant corporate media perpetrates today.
One of the biggest stories of our time is the way Communist China has co-opted so many leading American institutions and individuals. How is it that America, a country committed to human rights, is freely trading with China, a country currently operating slave labor camps? That's a serious and important question, but it's one the media barely addresses.
How to End the Ukraine War
- By Neil Patel
The war in Ukraine has been tragic for Ukrainians. It's in America's interest to dissuade other countries from rolling through their neighbors' borders. Stability matters in the world.
Other things matter, too.
From an American policy perspective, the long-term security of the American people should always matter most. That's obvious, but it doesn't seem to be the driving force today. America's long-term security includes, more than anything, not putting young American lives at risk in a war with Russia. Given this paramount concern, it seems odd that important and obvious questions are not being asked and answered. Specifically, how will the war come to an end in a way that doesn't put those young American lives in danger? As the father of an 18-year-old, I'm keenly interested. So are many others.
The Truth About the Debt Limit Fight
- By Neil Patel
As with so many of our national debates, the truth about the current debt limit fight is not just different from the narrative set forth by the corporate media; it's the opposite. The media narrative, to recap, is that the debt limit can and should be increased as a matter of course. Anything that veers from this automatic debt limit increase, the story goes, is just flat-out irresponsible. This narrative is being pushed not just in the media, but by Wall Street, corporate America, the Democrats in Congress and even some Republicans. That's not surprising since those groups are increasingly allied. Unfortunately, since this issue is so much more important than most, this narrative is not just wrong but flat-out dangerous.
What's Really Going On With the Phony Trump/Biden Document Scandal
- By Neil Patel
Even by Washington standards, all the fake posturing and hypocrisy over the Trump/Biden classified documents scandals is reaching new heights. The Donald Trump era, which we are still in by many measures, has shattered many norms. Some of it has been healthy. A lot has not. The vigor by which the left and some of the establishment right has gone after Trump has certainly shattered many norms that the country will regret.
The House Speaker's Race is Worth Celebrating
- By Neil Patel
There's a lot of alarmism going on right now about the race for speaker of the House. Many are calling it a crisis or a "three-ring circus." What it is really is the first sign that the reckoning and subsequent healing needed among Republicans may finally be upon us.
There is a huge split within the Republican Party. The party establishment sees an America that's fundamentally the same as it was in 1985 and has a policy agenda fit for just that moment. These Republicans still see big business as their allies. They equate policies that help big business with policies that help America.
Normal People Are Crying Out for a Leader
- By Neil Patel
The leftward shift of the Democratic Party has provided a huge opportunity for Republicans. People are completely put off by many of the radical policies Democrats are pushing. What a gift this should be for Republicans. So why have they been so thoroughly unable to capitalize?
A huge chunk of the Republican Party's Washington establishment is still living in 1995. They are thoroughly unable to get their heads around the profound changes in America. As with so many Americans these days, they are defined by their own bubble. The people they know best -- corporate America and those in leadership positions -- are generally thriving. They haven't stopped to consider whether the trade, immigration, spending, defense and other policies that define them need an update in light of the country's current circumstances. The giant wave of political unease in America -- even after a reality TV host kicked their door open and took over the living room! -- has caused almost zero self-reflection among Republicans.
Conservatives Are Dying for a House Speaker Like Nancy Pelosi
- By Neil Patel
Nancy Pelosi will rightfully go down as one of the greatest speakers in the history of the U.S. House. I'm not sure I would agree with Pelosi on a single policy issue; that's not the point. As far as leadership ability and political smarts, Pelosi ran circles around the bumbling Republicans of her time. She got things done for the left in a way no recent Republican leader could for the right. When the stakes were highest, she was able to corral her votes. Simultaneously, when the far left went too far, she was willing to slap them down. There's a name for all this. It's called leadership. Republicans are desperate for a leader like this in the House.
Republicans Should Use Their Brains a Little When Picking Candidates
- By Neil Patel
The lessons from this election cycle are the same as the lessons from all election cycles: Good candidates matter, especially so for Republicans who are not playing on an even field. Conservatives can go with any competent candidate they like in deeply red states and districts. From my perspective, I'd like them to go with the most conservative candidate possible in those places. Politicians from deeply conservative places should challenge a system that's clearly in need of reform.
The Misinformation Police Are Coming for You
- By Neil Patel
The latest data seems to show voters may be breaking for Republicans in next week's midterm elections. That's good news for them in the short term. In the bigger picture, if that happens, everyone better buckle up. The left and their media and tech partners are going to have a fit.
If Democrats lose broadly in the election, their first move should be to look inward. Their policy choices have contributed to historically high and destructive inflation. By showering the country with too much COVID relief spending and pressuring the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates too low for too long, they helped drive up prices across the board. Their anti-fossil fuel agenda also helped push up energy prices. These choices hit every American budget. Certainly, there were factors at play out of any politician's control, but major glaring policy mistakes played a part. Voters know it, and they seem eager to make the perpetrators pay a political price.
America's Dumb Energy Debates
- By Neil Patel
If forced to pick one main reason the Democrats are going to get routed in a month, I'd go with their crazy energy policies. In no other area is the link between their radical policies and people's real lives as directly connected and easy to understand.
Crime is close, but the crime boom is mostly happening in deeply blue cities. Law-abiding members of these communities are certainly rethinking politics. Many of them are minorities. Many Hispanic, Asian and Black Americans are repulsed by much of the university-driven radical woke agenda being pushed on them in democratic cities. They see the results daily. Their pushback in places like San Francisco and Seattle offers reason for hope for normal people everywhere, but it will take time and won't move the needle in a huge way this election cycle.
The First Step to Pulling America Out of Its Tailspin
- By Neil Patel
The bad news for America keeps coming in, fast and heavy. The current and future challenges are lining up at a truly unprecedented rate. To say they look scary would be a huge understatement. America's future is on the line. Unless the country starts healing, that future looks bleak.
In the near term, on the economic front alone, there is inflation, recession and the potential for the dreaded stagflation of the 1970s (continued inflation coupled with unemployment/recession). On top of this is an energy security crisis with the potential for supply shortages and even blackouts, almost all self-inflicted and driven by an overaggressive transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy before the technology was ready. On immigration, America's border problem has grown to a full-blown crisis with millions of people flowing across annually (the U.S. government has no idea how many million). In addition to migrants, those crossing the border include dangerous people and drug smugglers illegally importing deadly drugs like fentanyl that are ravaging American communities. As if all of that were not enough, on the national security front, for the first time in history, an official nuclear power state is openly threatening nuclear war.
Ron DeSantis Found a Way to Finally Get People to Focus on America's Open Border Catastrophe
- By Neil Patel
What's been happening at America's southern border is so crazy and so out of control that it's almost hard to comprehend. As with all national issues, the power of the corporate media to set the narrative for the massive (but shrinking) number of Americans who still rely on them exclusively to stay informed has also played a role. The media is not interested in the border story. Sure, they cover it when they absolutely must, but they have been downplaying the catastrophe from the start. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are changing all that. They are creating a story that even the corporate media can't ignore. In the process, Americans are being forced, for the first time, to confront the reality of the tragedy on America' southern border.
It's All About the Midterms
- By Neil Patel
What's gotten better in America since Joe Biden took office? It's hard to come up with a list. The economy is in tatters. Inflation is booming. Food and energy prices are out of control. The poorest Americans are hurting more than they have in years. With an increasingly belligerent China and Russia joining forces, America's national security looks more precarious than it has in decades. In the face of this record, the Biden team has gone low. With no record to run on, Biden's advisers knew they had to flip the narrative. The new strategy is clear: Gin up your own base, and vilify your opponents.
Page 1 of 10
