How Democrats Undermined Democracy

Growing up as a kid, no game made me smile more than The Simpsons Hit and Run. Sure, the plethora of jokes and references to the TV series were great, but it was the destructive, ludicrous spin on the Grand Theft Auto formula that was the most addictive thing about it. It’s been a long while since I played a game that captures that same spirit - that was until I got hands-on with Deliver At All Costs, the debut title from Far Out Games that’s being published by Konami. Continue reading Deliver At All Costs is a grin-inducing driving game with GTA DNA

A group of 27 silver Roman Republic-era coins has been discovered in the ancient Acropolis of San Marco and Santa Teresa on the island of Pantelleria in the Strait of Sicily. The coins are all silver denarii minted in Rome between 94 and 74 B.C. The first coins were exposed when rain disturbed the topsoil. The rest were found under a boulder during an excavation of the acropolis led by archaeologist Thomas Schäfer of the University of Tübingen. Schäfer and his colleagues have been excavating the site for 25 years, and in 2010 they unearthed 107 Roman Republican silver denarii from the exact same date range in that area of the acropolis. Schäfer believes the two coin finds were buried in a single instance. Schäfer hypothesizes that this small treasure was hidden during one of the frequent pirate attacks of the period: in those years, in fact, the campaign of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus was underway in the Mediterranean, who, on behalf of the Roman Senate, fought and destroyed the imposing pirate fleets. There were frequent raids against the villages along the coast and it is easy to imagine that someone hid the nest egg when the ships arrived, without being able to recover it. Spread over the twin hills of San Marco and Santa Teresa, the site contains the remains of the acropolis of Cossura (the Roman name for Pantelleria). The town was found by the Carthaginians in the 7th century B.C. and they built the acropolis on the hills and in the space between them. The Romans occupied the island in 217 B.C. during the Second Punic War. They put their own stamp of the acropolis, adding the Comitium, the meeting place for Curiate Assembly and the center of Roman political and legal activity. The Comitium has survived in good condition, one of only five known in the Roman world.

The Kamala Harris campaign, along with the Democrat National Committee (DNC) are offloading millions of campaign dollars to other down-ballot races across the country. This is very telling. As you may…

Donald Trump is doing even better today with Hispanic voters than he did in 2020, which is saying something because he did well with that group back then. What has changed since then? Millions of illegal…

        President Joe Biden was right to warn that democracy is under attack. He just never mentioned that he and his allies were the ones undermining it. Advertisement    …

And they grow 5 times faster than other related species.

by Leo Hohmann, Leo Hohmann: The government of Ukraine is leveraging the country’s war-time footing to fully digitize its citizenry with biometric digital IDs capable of tracking and controlling a large portion of human activity. And, according to a prominent American think tank, Ukraine’s digital ID app, called Diia (pronounced Diya), is increasingly viewed as […]

  As a historical figure, Abraham Lincoln is well known for two main things: He guided the United States through the American Civil War and fought to end slavery throughout the country.   His life, however, did not begin with the presidency. It began in the backwaters of Kentucky, and it was there that the fascinating life of one of the most revered presidents would begin. Through trials and tribulations, Abraham Lincoln led a full life, meeting interesting people and experiencing events that molded him into the great man who led the country through its darkest hour.   Here are ten facts about Abraham Lincoln. 1. He Was Born in a Log Cabin in Kentucky The birthplace of Abraham Lincoln in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Abraham Lincoln was not born in a place where opportunities for success were common. In a rural area in central Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks on February 12, 1809. His father struggled financially, and Lincoln had to make do with very moderate means in his early life.   The log cabin where he was born was dismantled, but logs from the original structure were purportedly used to build another structure. That structure was later demolished, and the logs were used to recreate the original cabin. This structure now sits within a stone memorial built around it. While it is unlikely the current structure contains any of the original logs, it exists as a symbol of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.   2. He Took Charge of His Own Education Some of young Abraham Lincoln’s mathematics notes. Source: Library of Congress   Living in rural areas meant that Abraham Lincoln did not have the luxury of going to school. Itinerant educators helped him along the way, but for the most part, a young Abraham took charge of his own education, learning to read and write, as well as teaching himself mathematics. Later in life, he taught himself law and passed the bar exam to become a qualified lawyer.   3. Lincoln’s Mother Died When He Was Just Nine Years Old White snakeroot, the culprit behind Abraham Lincoln’s mother’s death. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Abraham lost his mother, Nancy, to “milk sickness” when he was just nine. At the time, it was thought that milk fever was an infectious disease, and nobody knew where it came from or what caused it. In reality, it is a form of poisoning caused by drinking milk from a cow that has eaten a toxic plant: white snakeroot.   Abraham’s father remarried several months later, and Lincoln formed a deep bond with his stepmother, who helped him through his grief.   4. Lincoln Was an Accomplished Wrestler Classics Illustrated Abraham Lincoln. Source: CCS Books   In his youth and as a young adult, Abraham Lincoln was well-known for his wrestling prowess. Indeed, at six feet four inches tall, he was an imposing figure.   At the age of 21, he was a county wrestling champion. He participated in many competitions, and it is claimed that he amassed hundreds of victories and lost only once.   A famous story that involved Lincoln as a wrestler was his encounter with the Clary’s Grove Gang, a tough bunch of young men from the settlement of Clary’s Grove. Wishing to test their skill, Lincoln found himself engaged in a wrestling match with their leader, Jack Armstrong. Varying versions of the story have different takes on who won, but in the end, the Clary’s Gang found immense respect for Lincoln and became some of his most loyal supporters.   5. He Was a Successful Lawyer Lincoln the Lawyer by Frederick Trevor Hill, New York: Century Co., 1906. Source: Library of Congress   Before he entered politics, Abraham Lincoln was an extremely talented lawyer, representing clients at virtually all levels of the court. His clients came from all walks of life, and he represented them in cases of slander, fraud, divorce, mortgage foreclosure, debt, and even murder.   His practice was centered around the town of New Salem in Illinois, and it was there that he likely earned the nickname “Honest Abe.” Exactly why he earned this nickname is subject to debate, but it may have been his adherence to truth and justice during his legal career that earned him the reputation of being particularly trustworthy.   He suspended his legal duties several times while he dabbled in politics. In 1860, after his bid for the presidency, he made it clear to his legal partner, William H. Herndon, that after his term in office, he wanted to return to the practice and continue as if nothing had happened.   6. Lincoln Grew a Beard at the Suggestion of a Young Girl Abraham Lincoln without a beard. Source: Public domain via picryl.com   For most of his adult life, Lincoln kept his face clean-shaven. In October 1860, while campaigning for the presidency, he received a letter from an 11-year-old girl, Grace Bedell,  who suggested he grow a beard. She wrote,   “I have got 2 brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you will let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President.”   Lincoln wrote back to her, grew his beard, and became president! He was also the first US president to have a beard.   7. Lincoln Loved Cats Cat. Source: photo by Greg Beyer   Abraham Lincoln was fond of cats. When he became president, he left his dog, Fido, back in Illinois and was gifted two cats by Secretary of State William Seward upon taking up residence in the White House. Lincoln had a great affection for Tabby and Dixie and is believed to have remarked that Dixie was smarter than some members of his cabinet.   It is believed that at one point during his presidency, four cats were living in the White House. This was unusual because, at the time, cats had not yet become the popular pets that they are today. Cats were only popularized as household pets in America and Britain in the late 19th century.   Nevertheless, Lincoln’s love for his cats was born out of a deep sense of compassion that characterized the American president. On a visit to a wintery battlefield in March 1865, Lincoln rescued three very cold kittens who had lost their mother. He took them into an officer’s tent, where he kept them warm. Upon leaving, he instructed a colonel to take good care of them.   “I hope you will see that these poor little motherless waifs are given plenty of milk and treated kindly.”   Once, when Lincoln’s wife, Mary, was asked about her husband’s hobbies, she simply replied, “Cats.”   8. Lincoln Is the Only President to Hold a Patent A model of Lincoln’s patented invention, which allows boats to traverse sandbars using inflatable bellows. Source: Wikimedia Commons   From a young age, Abraham Lincoln showed a fascination for mechanical things. As a young man, he also took a job as a flatboatman and took journeys up and down the Mississippi River. He had a lifelong passion for boating, and he often navigated through the waterways of the United States, regularly encountering the annoyance of being stuck on a sandbar.   This led Lincoln to create a bellows device that inflated to lift boats over these sandy obstacles. Patent No. 6469 was issued in 1849 but was sadly never constructed.   While other presidents were also inventors, none of them took the extra step of having their inventions patented. James Madison, for example, created a curious cane with a microscope embedded into it, allowing nature lovers to examine things up close while out hiking!   9. Lincoln Had a Thing for Hats Abraham Lincoln’s hat that he wore on the night of his assassination. Source: Smithsonian Institution   Abraham Lincoln also loved his stovepipe hats, an even taller version of the top hat. Despite already being six feet four inches tall, Lincoln made himself stand out even more by wearing a stovepipe. As a result, the stovepipe tophat has been associated with Abraham Lincoln ever since.   Not only did the hat make him stand out even more, but it also served as a storage space for important documents, a very useful function for a president on the move with lots of paperwork!   10. His Death Wasn’t Immediate The assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, artist unknown. Source: Wikimedia Commons/Heritage Auctions   Shortly after 10 pm on April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth crept up behind the president while he was watching a production of Our American Cousin in Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. Wilkes leveled his Derringer pistol at the back of Lincoln’s head and pulled the trigger. The bullet entered his head through the back of his left ear and came to a halt behind his right eye.   The attack left him unconscious, and he was taken across the road to a house where he was tended to by doctors. The damage, however, was irreparable. Lincoln spent the last eight hours of his life in a coma and died at 7:22 in the morning of April 15.   According to eyewitnesses around his deathbed, he slipped away peacefully.   John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices were caught and put on trial. Four of them were executed by hanging, while Booth died in a shootout with the police.   Despite his abrupt and premature ending, Abraham Lincoln led a life filled with notable events. An adventurous and ambitious human being, Lincoln left an indelible mark on the history of the United States, leaving it a better place for all in his quest for justice and equality.   It is no surprise that he is among the most beloved icons of America and revered the world over.

  Established in 1866, the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) is the oldest organized terrorist group in the United States. Formed in the aftermath of the Civil War the Klan worked to maintain white supremacy through extreme violence. The “second” Klan of the 1920s targeted immigrants, Jews, Catholics, and Communists – as well as blacks, reaching a peak membership of around 4 million people. Klan activity spiked during the Civil Rights Era and in the 1970s sought to rebrand itself, as Klan robes were swapped for suits and ties. Forced into competition with other white supremacist organizations, the contemporary Klan’s influence has diminished. It nonetheless retains a presence within the broader constellation of the American far right.    Civil War by Other Means Emancipation of Negroes, The Past and the Future by Thomas Nast, 1863. Source: PBS   Despite suffering military defeat, the Civil War (1861-65) in the South never entirely ceased. The emancipation of nearly four million slaves left the plantation owners impoverished, with no other method to earn a living except for the exploitation of black labor on their land.    With poor whites determined to avoid black competition for land and jobs, a fierce struggle ensued. United by the ‘shibboleth of race’ the planters and poor whites turned their wrath against the Federal government towards black people (Du Bois, 1935).   Armed bands of white men roamed the countryside aggressively targeting black people, and driving former slaves back onto the plantations. By the late 1860s, sporadic attacks had become organized and endemic.    White gangs met in secret and conspired to murder, lynch, and mutilate blacks. They burned churches, schoolhouses, and property without mercy. The extreme terror and lawlessness that raged across the South was epitomized above all by the armed guerilla warfare of the Klu Klux Klan.    The First Iteration of the Klan Two Klu Klux Klan members in their disguises, image printed in Harpers Weekly, 1868, Source: Missouri Historical Society   The Klu Klux Klan (KKK) emerged as a secret society of disgruntled Confederate veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866. Inspired by the late-19th century vogue for secret fraternities with their rituals, rights, and initiations – their name is thought to have been inspired by the Greek word “kuklos” meaning circle.      The Klan wasn’t initially formed as a racist political organization. However, shortly after it formed, the Federal government passed the Reconstruction Acts (1867-68). In response, the Klan turned to the specific aim of enforcing white supremacy in the South.   By 1870, the KKK had extended to the majority of Southern states, in large part due to the efforts of the first Grand Wizard of the KKK, former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forest.    The violence of the Klan was so extreme and widespread that in 1871 President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Enforcement Act (known as the KKK Act) into law to suppress Klan activity and restore a semblance of order to the South.   Revival of the KKK Revival: Klu Klux Klan rally, location unknown, 1922, Source: Wikimedia Commons   The second iteration of the Klan was organized by white protestant, predominantly lower middle-class Americans residing in the South and Midwest. Inspired by the vehemently racist Hollywood blockbuster Birth of a Nation (originally called The Clansmen), the KKK was officially revived by Spanish war veteran turned preacher, William J. Symmonds on 25th November 1915.    The reemergence of the Klan blended historic white supremacism and hostility towards blacks with antisemitic, anti-catholic, anti-immigrant, and anti-communist sentiments. The practice of burning crosses (inspired by Birth of a Nation) was introduced, along with the adoption of standardized white robes and regalia – the sale of which was monopolized by the Klan.    Unlike its predecessor, the second  Klan operated in the open rather than secretly. It charged $10 to join and by the mid-1920s, boasted around 4 million members, wielded power over elections, featured prominently in the media, and held large public rallies. Despite these differences, the KKK retained its commitment to terroristic acts of extreme violence, lynching, and intimidation against its perceived enemies.    The Civil Rights Era Klan Klan burning of a Freedom Riders Bus, Anniston, Alabama, 1961, Source: Wikimedia Commons   By the 1930s, the second iteration of the Klan had fractured and membership dwindled from 4 million in 1925 to no more than a few hundred thousand. The decline in numbers persisted as the Great Depression took hold.    However, the rise of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s set the stage for a resurgence. Sporadic Klan killings and intimidation never completely died down after the fall of the second Klan, but intensified in response to black demands for equality and an end to segregation in the South.    The Klan unleashed a veritable reign of terror against individuals associated with the Civil Rights movement. In 1956, Klansmen bombed the house of Martin Luther King Jr; in 1961, they burned a Freedom Riders bus in Alabama. Among their most heinous acts was the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, which tragically claimed the lives of four young girls.    The “New” Klu Klux Klan Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Klu Klux Klan, David Duke in the mid-1970s, Source: Wikimedia Commons   In 1975, the Lousianna-based Knights of the Klu Klux Klan (KKKK) were formally incorporated by Grand Dragon David Duke (1950-present). Duke’s vision was to transform the Klan into a polished, professional “white civil rights” organization, distancing it from the overt violence of the past.    His strategy was to present the views of the KKKK as common sense to “ordinary” (i.e. white) Americans. Under Duke, Klan robes were shunned for suits and ties, and the peddling of media-savvy antisemitic conspiracies superseded cross-burning mobs. The changes were nonetheless cosmetic: the racism, bigotry, and hate of the KKK remained in full flow.   Initially, the KKKK were relatively successful. By 1979, the group boasted 1,500 members and 10,000 non-member supporters. However, internal schisms – chiefly the egocentrism and corruption of Duke – eventually brought the Knights to their knees.    The group fractured in 1980. Duke, meanwhile, went on to serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives (1989-1992) and become “America’s best-known racist and antisemite.”    The KKK Today Unite the Right, Charlottesville rally, 2017. The contemporary Klan is a small part of a broader constellation of far-right movements in the United States.   According to The Southern Poverty Law Center, “the Klu Klux Klan is strong when its leaders are able to capitalize on social tensions and the fears of white people.” The social tensions of Reconstruction, the political upheaval of the 1920s, and the black militancy of the Civil Rights era all fit this pattern.     Today the Klan continues to decline in influence. While various Klan groups still exist, the biggest being the Loyal White Knights, there appears to be growing sentiment among white supremacist circles that the Klan is outdated.    Existing Klan groups now have to compete with other white supremacist movements for recruits, from “Alt-right” and Neo-Nazi groups to “White Power” militia. Klan presence is often noted at far-right rallies but own events are typically poorly attended. In some cases, Klan groups exist in alliance with Neo-Nazi factions of the Aryan Nations. Despite its evident decline, some 160 years since it first appeared, the Klu Klux Klan shows little sign of disappearing entirely.