Why Arabs Do Not Trust the Biden Administration by Khaled Abu Toameh

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19731/biden-arabs-trust

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states apparently still do not trust the Biden Administration, largely because of its perceived abandonment of its traditional Arab allies in the Middle East and President Joe Biden’s hostility to Saudi Arabia. This view began with then-presidential candidate Biden declaring the kingdom a “pariah” state — and is continuing with US attempts, still ongoing, to revive a “nuclear deal” that will enable an expansionist Iran to have nuclear weapons potentially to topple other countries in the region.

Meanwhile, the same Biden Administration has continued to cozy up to the Iranian regime, which the US’s own Department of State has called the “top state sponsor of terrorism” and which has, until recently, has not only been attacking both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates through Iran’s proxy militia, the Houthis in Yemen, but has also been supplying troops and weapons to Russia for attacking Ukraine.

The message being sent is that being America’s enemy pays handsomely, while, as with Afghanistan, being America’s friend can be fatal.

The London-based Rai Al-Youm online newspaper said that Blinken’s visit to Saudi Arabia failed to achieve most of its goals, including promoting normalization between the Kingdom and Israel. According to the newspaper, the Saudi media ignored Blinken’s visit, while playing up the arrival of former Real Madrid soccer player Karim Benzema in the Kingdom….

“There are many obstacles to America’s success in playing these roles, including what is related to the nuclear file, as a nuclear Iran remains a concern for the Gulf and for other countries in the region. The [Saudi] agreement with Iran may alleviate this concern, but it will not dispel it. Washington’s success in settling this file in a way that does not threaten the security and stability of the Gulf states is the bottom line and it is what will determine the future of Washington’s relations with the countries of the region.” — Sam Mansi, Lebanese columnist, Asharq Al-Awsat, June 12, 2023.

“[W]hatever Blinken achieved during his visit to Saudi Arabia will remain weak and incomplete in the face of the dangers of ongoing tensions in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and other conflict areas, most notably the civil war that broke out recently in Sudan, in addition to the comprehensive challenges posed by the fraught relations between Iran and Israel, which may explode if there is no progress in the nuclear talks, and if more daring steps are not taken to limit Iran’s continuation of uranium enrichment, and Iran’s public support for Russia and its cooperation with it in the context of the war against Ukraine.” — Sam Mansi, Asharq Al-Awsat, June 12, 2023.

Judging from the reactions of these Arabs to Blinken’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, it is clear that the Saudis and other Arabs have lost confidence in the Biden administration and are not pinning any hopes on it to bring security and stability to the Middle East.

Moreover, it is evident that the Saudis feel so offended by Biden that they are willing to move closer to Iran and Russia if that enables them to steer clear of the American president. It will take more than a visit by Biden or Blinken or Sullivan to repair the damage that has been done to America’s relations with Arab countries that used to respect the US. In fact, it is safe to assume that the Arabs’ attitudes toward the Biden administration will remain steady regardless of any effort that this administration might choose to make.

Intel bets $25 billion on Israel By Thomas Lifson

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2023/06/intel_bets_25_billion_on_israel.html

Bibi Netanyahu have been beaming when he announced to his cabinet via television that Israel is to receive its biggest foreign investment yet: a $25 billion commitment from Intel to build a new chip making factory and other facilities in Israel. it is a great sign of confidence that Israel will continue to exist, and it keeps Israel are the forefront of an important area of technology, where it is a global power despite its tiny size.

But in understading the scale of the investment,  keep in mind that early last year:

Intel today announced plans for an initial investment of more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge chip factories in Ohio. The investment will help boost production to meet the surging demand for advanced semiconductors, powering a new generation of innovative products

So, Intel probably is getting two factories or fabs as they are called. Plus roughly 5 billion dollars more, some for inflation and some for other uses, most likely R&D. This is far from Intel’s first investment in Israel.

During its almost five decades of operations in Israel, Intel has grown to become the country’s largest privately held employer and exporter and a leader of the local electronics and information industry, according to the company’s website.

Specifically,

Since entering Israel in 1974, Intel has invested more than $17 billion in Israel and employs 11,700 employees at its three R&D centers — in Haifa, Petah Tikva and Jerusalem — as well as at its manufacturing plant in Kiryat Gat. Intel says it is currently responsible for creating indirect employments positions for approximately 42,000 workers in Israel.

Sound of Freedom: The Story of One Man’s War on Child Trafficking By Janet Levy

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/06/sound_of_freedom_the_story_of_one_mans_war_on_child_trafficking.html

Last week, JPMorgan accused Cecile de Jongh, wife of the former governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), of working for Jeffrey Epstein and facilitating his underage sex ring.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan itself reached a $290 million settlement with some of Epstein’s victims.

The two incidents do not just highlight Epstein’s vast network; they remind us of the horrific crime of child trafficking, believed to yield annual profits of $32 billion in the U.S. and $150 billion worldwide. It is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world, in competition with drug running and the arms trade.

One man, Tim Ballard, has made it his life’s mission to fight this evil and rescue as many of its innocent victims as he can. A former undercover operative for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ballard worked on its anti-child-trafficking teams but felt frustrated by the limitations of a government agency. In 2013, he and some colleagues quit to set up Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), which now has 150 employees, 80 contractors, and 70 trained dogs. Ballard and other staffers, who pose as customers to infiltrate child sex rings, have so far been involved in 7,000 direct rescues, resulting in 5,000 arrests. They also provide therapeutic aftercare to rescued children and train law enforcement agencies in five regions worldwide.

His valiant story is the subject of Mexican producer Eduardo Verastegui’s film Sound of Freedom, available for viewing nationwide beginning July 4.

Indeed, there’s an Epstein connection: Jim Caviezel, who plays Ballard, says the film features an Epstein island allegory, and wonders how the “three-letter agencies” could not be aware of the extent of the child-trafficking problem. He hopes the film will motivate more witnesses and whistle-blowers into speaking up.

Educational Freedom Update The education monopolists are losing – but refuse to go quietly into the night by Larry Sand

https://www.frontpagemag.com/educational-freedom-update/

As I wrote just two months ago, 2023 has seen Arkansas, Iowa, Utah, and Florida establish universal school choice programs, giving all parents in those states control over the spending of their state’s education monies. According to the EdChoice dashboard, as of April 23, there were 12 states with education savings accounts (ESAs), 26 voucher programs in 15 states, and 25 tax-credit scholarship programs in 21 states.

But now, that is old news.

On April 26, Indiana expanded its voucher program so nearly all students will be eligible. The state raised the income cap to 400% of the free- and reduced-price lunch income level, which is now about $220,000 for a family of four. As the Wall Street Journal notes, the bill also removes the other criteria for eligibility so that any family under the income limit can apply. “Tens of thousands of additional students could qualify, and a legislative analysis projects that some 95,000 students might use the program in 2025, up from about 53,000 in 2023.”

The Indiana program is almost universal. Betsy Wiley of the Institute for Quality Education told the Indiana Capital Chronicle, “Early estimates suggest only 3.5% of families with school-age children in Indiana would not be eligible for the program under the new income limit.”

On May 25, Oklahoma enacted a universal choice law. Gov. Kevin Stitt asserts, “School choice shouldn’t be just for the rich or those who can afford it. Now it’s available for every single family in the state of Oklahoma.” At least $5,000 will go to parents who want to send their child to a private school or home school.

Dems Trash U.S. Constitution It’s the only thing standing in their way. by Betsy McCaughey

https://www.frontpagemag.com/dems-trash-u-s-constitution/

If you own a business, the leftists in Congress are coming after you. The only thing standing in their way is the U.S. Constitution.

Whether you own a mom-and-pop diner, an auto repair shop or shares in a multinational corporation, your property is at risk.

The Constitution’s takings clause was designed to protect us from government grabbing our property without paying fairly for it. But last year, when Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, they rammed through the Inflation Reduction Act, boasting that it would enable Medicare to “negotiate” lower prices for medications for seniors.

“Negotiate” is a lie. Under the new law, government can strong-arm companies to sell their most popular medications at a price Uncle Sam dictates, or be taxed out of existence in a matter of weeks. On June 6, the pharmaceutical giant Merck sued, claiming the law violates its constitutional rights.

Amen. This lawsuit is a red flag for everyone in America who owns anything or hopes to.

The actual language of the law is breathtakingly coercive, but let’s face it, most members of Congress don’t bother to read bills before voting on them.

The law says that any company that refuses to sell at the government’s price will be hit with a tax that starts at 186% of the drug’s revenues on Day 1 and is hiked daily until it reaches a ruinous 1,900% of revenues — not just from government sales but all sales. That would mean hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes per day.

Social conservatism is on the rise. Maybe DeSantis is on to something with anti-‘woke’ fight.Ingrid Jacques

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/06/15/americans-more-conservative-liberal-social-issues/70320558007/

A new poll from Gallup found that 38% of Americans say they are conservative or very conservative on social issues – a nearly 30% increase since 2021. Those identifying as liberals declined.

It’s rare for a day to go by without some headline insinuating that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a fascist – or even a Nazi sympathizer. The Republican firebrand has “earned” the reputation by backing an agenda that pushes back against what he calls the “woke mob.” 

From critical race theory to gender ideology, DeSantis has built his brand on curbing the leftist agenda that has infiltrated K-12 classrooms and higher education. 

While liberals and many in the news media like to portray him as “dangerous,” it seems a growing number of Americans are empathetic to his cause. 

Conservatism is on the rise 

Americans Say ‘No Thanks’ To ‘Woke’ Corporations: I&I/TIPP Poll Terry Jones

https://issuesinsights.com/2023/06/19/americans-say-no-thanks-to-woke-corporations-ii-tipp-poll/

Companies, schools, amusement parks and even professional sports teams that have gone “woke” and adopted “diversity, equity and inclusion” measures are alienating many customers, leading to a drop in business, reports indicate. The latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows why: A strong plurality of Americans oppose such social activism rather than support it.

In recent months, companies as varied as Anheuser-Busch, Disney, and Target; the Los Angeles Dodgers; and major universities have suffered financial and reputational damage for pushing controversial DEI social and cultural issues on customers, fans and students.

To get to the bottom of this backlash, we asked I&I/TIPP poll respondents to tell us “Which of these statements best describes how you feel about these companies’ actions?” The online nationwide poll was taken from May 31-June 2 from 1,358 adults, with a margin of error of +/-2.7 percentage points.

All told, 46% of Americans opposed the trend toward corporate social activism, compared to just 17% who supported it. But a large contingent, 29%, expressed indifference.

These totals came from reactions of those who took the poll to five separate possible responses.

Among those who opposed the “woke” corporate trend, the strongest reaction, at 29% approval, came in response to this statement: “Companies have no business promoting such radical, divisive ideas on their customers and shareholders.”

Islam, Rape and Western Capitulation Eileen F. Toplansky

European nations, to their eternal shame, continue to ignore the Islamic religious dictates about ongoing rapes of infidel women. Consequently, women and young girls in Germany, France and Britain have paid a grievous price over the years. 

In Cologne, Germany in 2016 during a New Year’s celebration, migrants ended up molesting over 1,000 women.  In Britain, grooming gangs composed largely of Muslims maintain that rape of the infidel women is acceptable in their culture and part of the religious requirement. 

Christian girls in predominantly Islamic lands, i.e., Pakistan are also abused because “. . . , it is not even a crime as Muslims regard the girls as spoils of war.”

Yazidi women were told that their rapes “please God.” And there are other victims as well.

Hindu girls are not exempt either.

The depressing accounts of these Hindus showed . . .  how inhumanely religious minorities are treated in Islamic countries [.] While speaking with the media, many said that they had fled Pakistan after becoming victims of rape and kidnappings.

The Koran verses 4:3 and 4:24 permit Muslim men to have sexual relations with as many women as “their right hand possesses” — meaning as many women – all non-Muslim … as they are able to take captive during a jihad.

The incomparable Raymond Ibrahim continues to spotlight the reality of Muslim teachings.

Newt’s World – Episode 571: Alex Soros Takes Over

https://www.gingrich360.com/2023/06/17/newts-world-episode-571-alex-soros-takes-over/

Newt talks with Rachel Ehrenfeld, author of “The Soros Agenda” about the recent announcement by billionaire George Soros, that his son Alex will be taking over the family business.

Tearing Apart the Governing Consensus A victory for the administrative state in the war on Donald Trump won’t be a victory for the rule of law. By Roger Kimball

https://amgreatness.com/2023/06/17/tearing-apart-the-governing-consensus/

We hear a lot about the loss of “institutional legitimacy” these days. One of the great ironies attendant on that loss is a revolution in sentiment among many—but by no means all—people who think of themselves as conservative. Hitherto, such people would have been staunch supporters of those institutions that, traditionally, had represented the rule of law, the continuity of our culture, etc. Nowadays, they look with a jaundiced eye upon once-respected institutions like the Department of Justice, the FBI, the CIA, and the rest of the national security/surveillance apparat. 

How could it be otherwise? Recent revelations that scores if not hundreds of figures from that world had insinuated themselves into media, social and otherwise, to push a partisan agenda must give us pause. The stories are legion. Here’s one that just appeared in The Federalist by Margot Cleveland. 

The month before Joe Biden’s inauguration, FBI sources collaborated with the New York Times’ Russia-collusion hoaxer Adam Goldman to falsely portray the investigation into Hunter Biden as a big ole nothingburger. Americans just didn’t know it at the time. However, revisiting Goldman’s article now, in light of recent whistleblower revelations and statements by former Attorney General William Barr, reveals this reality—and more.

That’s bad, right? The FBI fed faked news to our former “newspaper of record” about a partisan matter that might well have determined the outcome of a presidential election. And the response? A little feckless hand-wringing on the Right. Some clucking tongues. At the end of the day, though, expect crickets. 

In one of the very best pieces I have seen about the Horrors!-Trump-had-classified-documents-at-Mar-a-Lago indictment, also published at The Federalist, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Scharf minutes several disturbing features of that 37-count farce. Much of what he has to say is broadly exculpatory of Trump, but one of the most disturbing items concerns the 38th item in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s partisan cudgel: the indictment of Trump’s aide Walt Nauta.