RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/07/buttigieg_blew_more_than_half_the_dot_budget_on_dei_failed_to_make_critical_air_traffic_upgrades.html

Democrat frontrunner for 2028 Pete Buttigieg, is the kind of guy who could give California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom or Los Angeles’s mayor, Karen Bass, a run for the money.

Amid news of an aircraft near collision over North Dakota, following a disastrous similar military-civilian crash in Washington, D.C. in January, we learn this about how he ran the cabinet office he headed, the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Steve Guest @SteveGuest

MUST READ: “Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg failed to replace outdated air-traffic-control systems while in office — with his agency instead shelling out tens of billions of dollars on a DEI agenda, according to federal spending records and airline-industry insiders.”

So while he was ‘breast-feeding’ his twins and telling us about his ‘husband,’ what with the move to Traverse City, he was not only not showing up for work during critical supply chain crises (remember that?) when ships backed up to enter ports, or berating airlines for ‘price gouging’ and inefficiencies, he had billions of dollars to play around with and decided to spend it on DEI, not air traffic safety upgrades.

https://swtotd.blogspot.com

“But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations… This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.”

Letter from John Adams to Hezekiah Niles February 13, 1818

                                                                                                             In this year of the semiquincentennial of our Declaration of Independence, have we swapped individual independence for dependence on government paternalism?

Threats to democracy, a current rallying cry of the Left, have been a constant since our founding. They have come from both the right and the left. They fade, however, when exposed to unfettered free debate, and an unbiased study of the classics and our history. Today, supported by main-stream media, the Left puts the blame for such threats square on Republicans, especially those of the MAGA variety. Disallowing dissension, they wave their hands, and with crocodile tears flowing and with Republicans in control of both Houses of Congress they cite the deportation of illegal migrants, including those with criminal records, piggish billionaires, corrupt corporations and cuts to government services. It is ironic that Mr. Trump is accused of being authoritarian, when his attempts to reduce the size of government are at odds with Democrats who prefer a larger, more paternal government.

Beginning with Franklin Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ ninety years ago, through Lyndon Johnson’s ‘Great Society’ in the 1960s, to Barack Obama’s ‘Cradle to Grave Care’ thirteen years ago, the United States has moved irrevocably toward a more paternalistic state. My point is not to argue that all federal welfare programs are wrong and should be abolished, but to point out that major entitlement programs consumed about 50% of the 2023 federal budget and are growing faster than all other programs. With total federal debt at $36.6 trillion and rising, interest expense already consumes over 13% of the federal budget, entitlement programs will be unaffordable for future generations. As well, some programs discourage aspiration, hard work, self-sufficiency and independence. Welfare reform is badly needed.   

While I keep a skeptical eye on MAGA Republicans, Democrats should look in the mirror as regards threats to democracy. Their demand for conformity can be seen in the expanding interest in Socialism, the ultimate in paternalism. From Bernie Sanders in the Senate to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the House, Democrat Socialists of America (DSA) has risen from the ashes of the early 20th Century Socialist Party of America. Nine years ago the DSA was formed with a small number of adherents. Today it has 90,000 members, including an aspiring candidate for mayor of New York City, a young man who followed a privileged path to power. Socialists oppose capitalism and the personal freedom that allowed the talented and aspirant, regardless of economic and social class, to rise in our country – the magnets that attract so many to our shores.

https://goudsmit.pundicity.com/28730/use-it-or-lose-it

 goudsmit.pundicity.com  and website: lindagoudsmit.com 

Use it or lose it is the colloquial definition of neuroplasticity, defined in more technical terms by BetterHelp online in its, February 19, 2025, article “What ‘Use It Or Lose It’ Means in Neuropsychology”:

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the central nervous system to form and reorganize neural connections in response to injury or a learning event. This trait allows the human brain to adapt and change depending on events or experiences. Human brains can adapt through learning when an individual practices a task repeatedly. However, if they do not follow through with this repetition, this adaptive ability is lost, and they lose these possible new neural pathways until they return to the practice. This phenomenon is often referred to as the central nervous system’s “use it or lose it” insurance policy.

Why is neuroplasticity so important? Because neuroplasticity is the process that establishes agency in human beings, and because neurological processes can be used constructively or exploited for destruction. In my 2024 book, Space Is No Longer the Final Frontier—Reality Is, Chapter 5: America Requires an Education Revolution explains the concept of agency, and how agency is required for freedom in a constitutional republic.

Reading is the essential foundational skill individual citizens use to access information and make informed decisions. Together, reading, writing, and arithmetic are the communication tools that equip children with agency. Understanding the psychological concept of agency is extremely important to our discussion. Encyclopedia.com[i] defines and discusses agency:

The concept of agency as a psychological dimension refers to the process of behaving with intentionality. Human beings exercise agency when they intentionally influence their own functioning, environments, life circumstances, and destiny. To posit that human beings have agency is to contend that they are self-organizing, proactive, self-regulating, and self-reflecting rather than reactively shaped by environmental forces or driven by concealed inner impulses.

Reading provides agency for learning because textbooks, including math and science textbooks, require the ability to read. Reading provides a sense of independence, accomplishment, and self-sufficiency. Competence is the mother of self-esteem, and learning to read is a seismic shift in a child’s perception of self. The child begins to feel his or her power.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/07/pope_leo_calls_up_and_congratulates_buzz_aldrin_on_the_54th_anniversary_of_the_moon_landing.html

Pope Leo XIV continues to be a pope of pleasant surprises. He actually tweeted this out, as if he were a bit excited about it:

“This evening, 56 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, I spoke with the astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Together we shared the memory of a historic feat, a testimony to human ingenuity, and we reflected on the mystery and greatness of Creation.”

Who saw that coming?

We know the pope majored in math in college, probably because he liked it — but imagine that it extended to an admiration for space travel and celestial things from its practical side — who knew?

For the rest of it, it was a wonderful reminder of America’s greatest moment, one that has yet to be surpassed, the successful launch to the moon in less than a decade after John F. Kennedy called for it — done on slide-rule technology. They didn’t even have pocket calculators.

https://www.frontpagemag.com/so-you-want-to-be-a-leftist-huh/

I’m convinced that the “average” Democratic voter has no clue about the true ideology of Leftism and the Democratic Party. Historically, they are (excuse me) as dumb as rocks, and they probably don’t even know what the word “ideology” means. Now, the Obamas, Pelosis, Schumer, etc., know EXACTLY what they are doing. They are godless, globalist, Marxist-Leninists who are deliberately trying to destroy the traditional values and beliefs of the United States of America. But the average Democratic Party voter isn’t nearly that educated.

So, I want to help them out a little here. If you want to be a leftist, here is what you have to believe, and here is some history of your ideology.

1. The first thing you have to do to be a Leftist is to be full of hate. Vladimir Lenin, of Marxism/Leninism fame, the man who ramrodded the Russian Revolution of 1917 and foisted communism upon the world, wrote, “We must hate—hatred is the basis of communism. Children must be taught to hate their parents if they are not communists.” And, “hatred is truly the ‘beginning of all wisdom.’” This is a fairly obvious characteristic of Leftists; just look at their feelings towards Donald Trump. To be a Leftist, you have to hate as your primary human characteristic. Vladimir Lenin, one of their founders, said so. Wisdom begins with hatred.

2. If you want to be a Leftist, you also have to be a liar. Lenin again: “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” Just keep repeating the lie until enough people believe it. All politicians lie, of course, but it is inherent in Leftist ideology. If you want to be a Leftist, you have to be a liar. They go hand in hand.

3. If you want to be a Leftist, you have to be an atheist. Lenin: “Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism.” Karl Marx: “Communism begins where atheism begins.” Keep in mind that these two men are among the great philosophers and thinkers of modern Leftism, specifically Marxism-Leninism and communism. This is Leftism. Leftism is not just a bunch of political beliefs that Democrats hold in opposition to Trump and Republicans. It is an entire system of thought. Atheism is a way of life, a denial of God and everything He stands for. That’s Leftism. If you want to be a Leftist, be consistent.

https://issuesinsights.com/2025/07/21/the-sudden-epstein-fixation-is-about-one-thing-only-getting-trump/

Two impeachments didn’t do it. A phony Russian hoax didn’t do it. A dubious election loss didn’t do it. Relentlessly negative coverage didn’t do it. Civil and criminal judgments and massive fines didn’t do it. Two assassination attempts didn’t do it.

Maybe Jeffrey Epstein’s ghost will finally bring Donald Trump down. That seems to be the hope, anyway.

Epstein, who hobnobbed with the rich and famous, had been under investigation since 2005 for sex trafficking and pedophilia, and died in prison six years ago, has been responsible for conspiracy theories for years.

As NPR wrote in 2022:

One clear reason for the staying power of conspiracy theories involving Epstein is his frequent socializing with the world’s rich and famous. He hobnobbed with Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Donald Trump. Britain’s Prince Andrew lost his royal privileges over sexual assault allegations involving Epstein. Those relationships are potent examples for conspiracists to cast nearly all political events as driven by hidden, sex-fueled abuses and coverups.

In 2023, ABC News reported that “Hundreds of sealed court filings pertaining to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are set to be made public this week, and several prominent names – including Britain’s Prince Andrew and former President Bill Clinton – are expected to appear in the documents.”

These stories all came and went. Until now.

Today’s Epstein coverage gives new meaning to “flooding the zone.” Take a look at a recent front page of left-leaning news aggregator site Memeorandum. In all our years covering politics, we’ve rarely seen anything like it.

True, there is news. Attorney General Pam Bondi badly fumbled the issue of the Epstein client list. Trump has bashed supporters for fixating on Epstein. He’s suing the Wall Street Journal for reporting on a supposed birthday card sent to Epstein way back in 2003 (which was two years before the Palm Beach police started investigating a parent’s claim that Epstein had sex with her 14-year-old daughter).

https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2025/07/15/artificial_intelligence_breeds_mindless_inhumanity_1122667.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

I began studying AI in the mid-1980s. Unusually for a computer scientist of that era, my interest was entirely in information, not in machines. I became obsessed with understanding what it meant to live during the transition from the late Industrial Age to the early Information Age.  

What I learned is that computers fundamentally alter the economics of information. We now have inexpensive access to more information, and to higher quality information, than ever before. In theory, that should help individuals reach better decisions, organizations devise improved strategies, and governments craft superior policies. But that’s just a theory. Does it? 

The answer is “sometimes.” Unfortunately, the “sometimes not” part of the equation is now poised to unleash devastating consequences. 

Consider the altered economics of information: Scarcity creates value. That’s been true in all times, in all cultures, and for all resources. If there’s not enough of a resource to meet demand, its value increases. If demand is met and a surplus remains, value plummets.  

Historically, information was scarce. Spies, lawyers, doctors, priests, scientists, scholars, accountants, teachers, and others spent years acquiring knowledge, then commanded a premium for their services.  

Today, information is overabundant. No one need know anything because the trusty phones that never leave our sides can answer any question that might come our way. Why waste your time learning, studying, or internalizing information when you can just look it up on demand? 

Having spent the past couple of years working in higher education reform and in conversation with college students, I’ve come to appreciate the power—and the danger—of this question. Today’s students have weaker general backgrounds than we’ve seen for many generations because when information ceased being scarce, it lost all value.