This is a lightly edited transcript of the accompanying video from professor Peter St. Onge. Recently, Elon Musk gave a talk detailing the government attacks on his companies since he came out as pro-free speech and, especially, since he came out as pro-Donald Trump. These include endless made-up environmental rules—including a study to see if falling rockets hit sharks. It includes curbs on SpaceX launches specifically because Elon tweets pro-Trump things. And it includes a $600,000 fine for spilling … drinking water in a desert. Not a joke. Attacking dissident companies, of course, is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes. As Mussolini put it, “everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” For a true authoritarian no citizen is allowed to dissent—and certainly no companies, which are sitting ducks. Of course, in theory, this sort of thing doesn’t happen in America. In theory, we jail bureaucrats who conduct Mussolini-style lawfare. Alas, it has been going on ever since the progressives imposed the administrative state about a hundred years ago. Saddling now every industry in America with a regime Big Brother, a library worth of regulations, mandates, licensing boards—a bureaucratic army that, like everything government does, is thoroughly corrupt. Still, before Donald Trump there was some independence. CEOs could still criticize regime shibboleths like mandatory racism—er, affirmative action—or transvestites in girls’ locker rooms if anybody had been dumb enough to propose that in 2015. Sadly, that all changed as authoritarian Borg went to war with Trump, culminating in the reign of terror during COVID-19 that snuffed out the slightest hint of disloyalty with an enthusiasm that would make North Korea blush. We saw it in living color during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots. Historically, about 70% of Fortune 500 CEOs vote Republican. Meaning that, statistically, at least 70% of them were probably horrified by BLM’s orgy of city-burning and murder. And yet not one Fortune 500 CEO spoke up. Now, you might say that’s because most are spineless cowards, and that’s true. But look at it from their perspective: You’re entrusted with tens of thousands of employees, and if you speak up, rioters will come beat them, burn their workplaces, and put them out of a job and your shareholders out of a retirement account. You could, like Elon, be targeted by hundreds of regulators—even prosecutors in blue cities—hunting with a fine-tooth comb for some way, any excuse, to destroy the entire company. For a CEO with a legal duty to protect the company—and a moral duty to protect employees—it’s simply too risky. So, they shut up. To be sure, many indulged, enthusiastically jumping on the institutionalized racism of DEI or cutting checks to the very rioters burning cities—in fact, BLM cashed more than $50 billion in corporate donations. Not since Genghis Khan has burning a city been quite so profitable. But others never drank the Kool-Aid. They may have opposed the Left with every fiber of their being. But they were held hostage by rioters, prosecutors, regulators, even financiers like BlackRock. So, what’s next? The solution is very easy: Get rid of the administrative state. Lay off the hundreds or thousands of little Mussolinis populating every regulatory agency from the EPA to the CDC. The Supreme Court laid the groundwork earlier this year with its Loper Bright decision clipping bureaucrats’ wings. And Musk himself has been floated by Trump for a blue-ribbon panel slashing government waste and corruption. The final step is Congress sitting down and actually defunding these agencies. Zero them out. Return the money to the people. Return the bureaucrats to jobs that don’t involve extortion. And let Americans get back to exercising our rights without being destroyed. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post The Regime Goes After Elon Musk appeared first on The Daily Signal.

In the last two weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris has been trying to revive her stagnant campaign by smearing former President Donald Trump as being Hitlerian and a fascist. She claims Trump is planning to put his enemies in encampments. Yet in the modern era, it was not Trump who put large numbers of U.S. residents and citizens into “relocation camps,” but liberal Democrat President Franklin D. Roosevelt who sent Japanese-American citizens and residents into them. If Harris refers to Trump’s supposed fascist policies during his prior four-year tenure, there is no such evidence. Nonetheless, the once “joyful” Harris is ending her campaign by trafficking in lies and smears reminiscent of the Joe McCarthy era. Recall that fascists hijack law enforcement and the military to suspend constitutional rights and punish enemies. But Trump did neither. Instead, in 2016, a corrupt FBI went after Trump himself during the Obama administration with the bogus Steele dossier. The FBI, which in 2016 had hired the faker Steele, in 2020, fused with social media to suppress accurate news reporting of the embarrassing Hunter Biden laptop scandal. A number of FBI directors and intelligence officials—John Brennan, James Clapper, James Comey, Andrew McCabe—who openly sought to destroy Trump had a long history of either lying or feigning amnesia under oath. Fascists try to warp the legal system. But Trump’s own Justice Department selected an independent special counsel to investigate the invented Russian collusion accusations against him. In vast contrast, the Biden Justice Department coordinated with Georgia prosecutors Fani Willis and Nathan Wade, special counsel Jack Smith, Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg, and New York Attorney General Letitia James to prosecute Trump, bankrupt him, and keep off the campaign trail. Fascists use their governments to destroy their enemies. During Trump’s term, for the first time in history, the House of Representatives impeached a first-term president twice. And in another first, the Senate tried Trump as a private citizen. A self-styled “anonymous” federal official bragged openly of deliberately, and likely unlawfully, leading a bureaucratic cabal to sabotage Trump’s lawful executive orders. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, in collusion with other bureaucrats, deliberately leaked a classified presidential phone call in an effort to ensure that Trump was impeached. Fascists seek to change existing laws to destroy opponents and illegally consolidate power. Currently, it is only the Democrats who seek to pack the court, destroy the Electoral College, end the Senate filibuster, and create two new states and thus gain four left-wing senators. In key states, they radically changed voting laws. As a result, roughly 70% of voters in 2020 did not cast their ballots in person on Election Day—even as the traditional rejection rates for fraudulent ballots mysteriously dived amid the influx. Fascists arbitrarily nullify any laws they feel do not aid their agendas. Biden-Harris destroyed immigration law in order to bring in more than 12 million illegal aliens and gain new constituencies. They also protected sanctuary cities, as some 600 such jurisdictions illegally and with impunity nullified federal immigration laws in neo-Confederate fashion. Fascists seek to politicize the military. But in Trump’s case, his former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, brazenly violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice by libeling Trump as a fascist. Worse still, Milley sabotaged the chain of command by ordering theater commanders to report directly to him in times of serious crises. And in near-treasonous fashion, Milley contacted his Chinese communist counterpart in the People’s Liberation Army to assure him that he would warn the Chinese military before carrying out any Trump order he felt existentially dangerous. Some of the most prominent retired four-star military officers—again in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice—publicly smeared Trump as a coward, liar, fascist, Hitler-like, a Mussolini, a creator of Auschwitz-like death camps, and worthy of being removed “the sooner the better.” Fascists seek to control and weaponize the media. So, Facebook and Twitter both conspired with the FBI to censure news accounts favorable to Trump. The major newspapers, social media corporations, television networks, and public broadcasting systematically and continually attacked Trump, censured his supporters, and fused with his opponents. Why then the charges of Trump the fascist and Hitler reincarnation? Simple. Harris’ personal negatives are rising, her polls inert. She has abandoned her prior run-out-the-clock avoidance of the media, her smiley “joy” campaign, and instead now embraces the big lie, while President Joe Biden writes off Trump supporters as “garbage.” Harris is now confirming to voters that she really can neither think nor speak well and has no consistent agenda that appeals to the middle class. So, in final desperation, Harris is smearing Trump as a fascist, even though, ironically, he has been the target of fascist machinations from her own party and supporters for nearly a decade. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Once Joyful Harris Now Goes the Full McCarthyite appeared first on The Daily Signal.

What to Make of the October Jobs Data

The Democratic Party's liberal media allies seem intent on shielding Vice President Kamala Harris from criticism regarding the administration's latest disastrous jobs report.On Friday, the October report revealed that the Biden-Harris administration added only 12,000 more jobs to the economy — the lowest increase since December 2020. According to Fox Business, LSEG economists previously predicted a 113,000 job gain.Trump 'acts like the economy is in the toilet, but that's just not true.'While the private sector lost 28,000 jobs, the government "continued its upward trend in October," adding another 40,000 jobs, the report stated.The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the "unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent in October."These alarmingly low job-growth numbers come after the Department of Labor's preliminary annual benchmark report in August, which revealed job gains were overstated by more than 800,000 from April 2023 to March 2024, Blaze News previously reported.The administration has repeatedly overestimated its projected job growth. The DOL's numbers were revised downward by 81,000 in August and by 31,000 in September.The corporate media machine quickly came up with excuses for the Biden-Harris administration's weak job gains, blaming them on Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as the Boeing labor strike. Those news outlets did not previously extend the same understanding to former President Donald Trump, who faced unprecedented economic challenges as a result of COVID-19. An NBC News article from 2020 torched then-President Trump for gaining "just 661,000 jobs for September."On Friday, former New York state Sen. David Carlucci (D) told Fox News' Harris Faulkner that the economy is "a winning issue" for Harris.Carlucci stated that Trump "acts like the economy is in the toilet, but that's just not true.""Yes, people are struggling, and Kamala Harris knows that and says that, but you've got to take it in its entirety," he continued. "If we look at where we were four years ago, economists were saying we were headed towards a recession, possibly a depression."Faulkner responded, "So exactly four years ago, around the time of the election, what was being handed was 1.4% [inflation rate]. So I'm confused. I don't think you want to go back four years because that's an easy conversation to have," she added.Carlucci remarked, "He [Trump] was the second president after Herbert Hoover to leave with less jobs when he left office than when started office."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Mail-in voting is banned in many Western countries and even in war-torn countries like Ukraine.Mail-in voting was a strong point of contention in 2020 and continues to be hot-button issue during the 2024 presidential campaign, as Democrats have embraced the voting method and conducted legal campaigns to defend it.In March, a meme circulated online purporting to list at least eight notable countries that have banned mail-in voting.A page from Snopes, a left-leaning "fact-check" website, quickly popped up and labeled the claim a "mixture" of truth and falsities.However, a review of voting laws around the world reveals that many countries do, in fact, allow absentee voting for citizens who are out of the country but disallow mail-in voting for citizens who do not have a valid absentee excuse.The alleged fact-checkers mainly leaned on absentee voting as a reason why they couldn't fully claim that mail-in voting is banned in many Western countries. As Pew Research has noted, at least 88 countries allow voting from abroad in presidential-level elections, which means that absentee voting is not a controversial topic. In fact, virtually no one in the United States challenges the right of people with a valid absentee excuse (such as overseas military service) to vote. What many have argued, however, is that those who live in the United States and are thus without an excuse for not participating in in-person voting should not be permitted to mail in their votes. And an examination of the laws in the countries in question reveals that many of them have taken exactly this position. — (@) For example, France banned mail-in voting for in-country residents due to fraud.Snopes claimed that the practice was ended in France due to a "few instances" of fraud, particularly on the island of Corsica. However, Snopes' source states that fraud and malfunctions in voting systems were not confined to Corsica and listed other instances. Additionally, the list of those who could vote by mail-in ballot in France before 1975 was needlessly excessive. It included journalists who were "on the move," travelers and representatives, commercial agents, fairground traders, seasonal agricultural workers, construction workers working on sites far from their homes, people seeking medical assistance at a "spa" or "resort," and even "young people" who were at school far from their homes.France, however, allows online voting, so long as the voter is French, resides abroad, and is properly registered.According to Newsweek, Mexico banned absentee ballots in 1991 and mandated photo ID to vote. This came after the governing Revolutionary Party was accused of fraud and intimidation in order to garner mail-in ballots. Absentee ballots were reintroduced in 2006 only for those living abroad and only for specific elections, including the presidency.This policy is mirrored in Belgium, where mail-in ballots are not allowed for residents in the country. However, those abroad can vote both by mail and by proxy. At the same time, some regions, including the Flemish region, are not yet allowed to vote by mail or online. Belgium also instituted compulsory voting, which, for better or for worse, has resulted in a near-90% turnout rate. Consistent fines without justification could lead to a 10-year removal from voting registration.Sweden has a similar system. Mail-in voting is only allowed for those abroad through mail, by courier, or through an embassy. Multiple sources make it clear that resident Swedish citizens must vote in person, with early voting up to 18 days before the election."Voters vote for a political party and may, at the same time, mark the candidate that they would prefer to be elected on their ballot paper with a cross," the European Union writes about Sweden.Italy too only allows mail-in voting for those residing abroad. Japan explains its voting process through adorable cartoons, also noting that Japanese citizens should vote in person. Certain disabilities, along with living abroad, allow for voting by mail in Japan.Snopes points out that while Ukraine and Russia do not have mail-in voting, Ukraine hasn't had an election for several years due to the implementation of martial law.While Ukraine does not allow mail-in votes, it does allow certain questionable practices, such as impermanent address changes."Citizens are able to permanently change their preferred address (which does not have to be their residence) to be assigned a more convenient polling station for both local and national elections," Snopes wrote. "For national elections, they can also ask for a temporary change of address up to five days before the vote."While paper ballots and in-person voting are continuously decried as forms of voter suppression in the United States, it does indeed seem that by international standards, the U.S. is extremely lax in allowing mail-in voting for people who are residing in the United States.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah announced Friday that he will host a members-only forum for GOP senators vying for the leadership position on Nov. 12, less than a day before votes will be cast. Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, John Thune of South Dakota, and John Cornyn of Texas have all agreed to the forum, according to a letter from Lee. The senators will be given the opportunity to make their pitch and present any proposals before the Republican conference.'I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to what I am sure will be a fruitful discussion.' . "With the upcoming election for Republican leader, I, as well as many other members of this body, hope to have the opportunity to hear from the candidates, pose questions to them, and have a 'family discussion' on their vision for the future of our Conference," Lee said in the letter. "Each of the current candidates has agreed to participate, and should another candidate emerge, they will be given the same opportunity," Lee continued. Scott, Thune, and Cornyn emerged as the three front-runners to replace current Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has led the GOP in the Senate since 2007, making him the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history. McConnell announced his retirement in February this year, saying he would step down from his role following the election. "In addition to inviting every Republican senator, I will also extend an invitation to all of our new Republican senators-elect and candidates in elections that remain contested at the time of our meeting," Lee said. "I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to what I am sure will be a fruitful discussion," Lee continued. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Vice President Kamala Harris and businessman Mark Cuban sat down for an interview, in which they had a lot to say about former president Donald Trump. The pair took issue with Trump’s tariff plan, with Cuban telling Kamala that Trump “doesn’t realize the impact” and that “he is going to put who knows how many small businesses out of business.” “He is applying a machete, when a scalpel is what’s necessary,” Kamala replied. Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” and her father, Ron Simmons, believe that Cuban and Harris are wrong and that Harris’ “economic plan,” if put into action, will have much more devastating consequences. “Her plan, by this bipartisan group, is going to cost 786,000 jobs,” Simmons explains to Stuckey, using information from the Tax Foundation. “Trump’s plan would increase it by 600,000 jobs.” “Mark Cuban in this scenario is just a sycophant; he just is trying to say whatever agrees with her,” Simmons says. “Believe me, Mark is more concerned, which he talks about Trump being more concerned about, his own fortune and fame than he is about anything else.” “He also called Trump a fascist, right, and you know what a fascist is?” he asks. ‘Someone that wants state control of everything. That’s what they want, and not the individual. And actually Trump is just the opposite.” Stuckey notes that most Americans are most concerned about how Trump’s economic policy will affect their groceries, not whether or not the left is calling him a “fascist.” “He’s going to increase the child tax care credit, which I think is a good thing to do. And a credit is different than a deduction. A credit means that if you have a $1,000 credit, and your taxes were $2,000 before the credit, they’re only $1,000 after. It’s a direct write-off,” Simmons explains. “He’s also proposing that we allow a deduction for interest paid on auto loans. For a lot of people, especially renters, their biggest debt is their car. And you know how much cars cost these days,” he continues. “Under Donald Trump, I think what you see, you see a return to what happened between 2017 and 2021 from an economic standpoint, which was some of the best economic times in history,” he adds. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

I’ve always been one of those people drawn to trains, and that’s something that’s followed me through gaming. From classics like Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon and Transport Tycoon all the way up to modern versions like Railroad Corporation or Sweet Transit, there’s just something compelling about plopping down tracks and managing the lumbering beasts that ride them. One of the best is Railway Empire, which is just as well as you can save a colossal 80% on it right now on Steam. Continue reading Grab Railway Empire with 80% off and live your steam train dreams for less MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best train games, Best management games, Best strategy games

Making Halloween Great Again! Creative Costumes Mirror Trump's Return Journey to the White House

Abilities in Pokemon can be the deciding factor between a team being able to make it to the top and losing at the last minute. With new Abilities constantly being added to the series, here are the ten best Pokemon Abilities for you to use when crafting your team.