The year was 2022. The Democrats’ draconian Covid measures had never been worse, and the mood among Republicans was unmistakably bullish. This was the moment they had been waiting for: the big turn…

By any measure, Northeast Asia is becoming more dangerous. North Korea is expanding its nuclear arsenal and improving its missile force. The People’s Republic of China is doing little to enforce sanctions…

With about two weeks to go until Election Day, the prevailing feeling among Democratic strategists seems to be one of growing concern—and for good reason. The Democratic nominee, who has raised an unprecedented…

You are the weakest link.

We're creatures of the Sun.

Politics Haunted by the Red Wave Republicans were feeling good this time two years ago, too. Credit: image via Getty Images The year was 2022. The Democrats’ draconian Covid measures had never been worse, and the mood among Republicans was unmistakably bullish. This was the moment they had been waiting for: the big turn toward freedom and their chance to deliver a resounding mandate against two years of psychotic fear-mongering from hypochondriac Blues all across America.  Kari Lake was destined to be the next governor of Arizona and Herschel Walker was going to become the new senator from Georgia. Tudor Dixon was going to stage an unlikely defeat of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Blake Masters was going to beat Mark Kelly to inherit John McCain’s Arizona senate seat, and Doug Mastriano was somehow going to sneak into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion. Except none of it happened. The only MAGA Republican who carried that miserable night was the curious George Santos. The big GOP winners two years ago this November were the Trump critics Brian Kemp, Chris Sununu, and Ron DeSantis. Lake, who made it her mission to “drive a stake through the heart of the McCain machine,” lost Arizona by razor-thin margins after she openly taunted the key McCain voting bloc with repeated attacks on the late senator. Eying a 2024 senate seat, she would later attempt to walk back her ferocious attacks, but the damage had been done. In the words of McCain’s daughter Meghan: “NO PEACE, BITCH.” Masters championed many of the key tenets of Trumpism and paid for it dearly at the ballot box, where he lost by nearly 5 points to Kelly. The Washington Post labeled him the “worst candidate” of 2022. In Georgia, Walker’s candidacy was arguably more humiliating for Republicans. Not just because the fiercely pro-Trump candidate was convincingly beaten at the ballot box, but because it was revealed that the outspoken pro-life candidate allegedly pressured at least two women to get abortions in the past. It was the sort of hypocritical tale that has become all-too-common in the age of Trump. This year, Mark Robinson, a socially conservative firebrand and Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, is embroiled in his own embarrassing porn site scandal that quieted the MAGA faithful. The whole charade could possibly drag down the Republican ticket and tilt North Carolina for Harris. Dixon never had a chance to win Michigan, but you wouldn’t have known it from the onslaught of “They can’t stop what’s coming!” posts scrawled on ? (then Twitter) daily in the lead-up to Election Day. She was torched by 11.  The MAGA favorite Doug Mastriano, who made no effort to find common ground with independent voters, single-handedly sunk the Republican ticket in Pennsylvania, losing by 14 points and making things inescapably difficult for the Republican senatorial candidate, television’s Dr. Oz, who was dogged by criticism that he just wasn’t MAGA enough. Oz lost to John Fetterman, a more extreme candidate who had suffered brain damage from a stroke on the campaign trail, by less than 5 points.  The Red Wave had become a nightmare. It’s worth remembering as we head into the final stretch of the 2024 presidential election cycle. The polls have never looked better for Trump. Republicans, for the first time since their walloping in 2022, are bullish again. Could the American electorate really rally behind Harris, a person who was hand-selected to lead the Democratic ticket by the same midwits running our government into the ground from behind the curtains on K and L street in Washington D.C.? If we take Trump at his word, maybe they can.  Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club on October 12, Trump gave perhaps the most honest assessment of the American electorate this century: “The real threat to democracy is stupid people.” Stupid politicians, stupid voters, stupid pollsters, and stupid pundits—it’s a big whirlpool of stupidity, and we’re all adrift in it.  Which isn’t to say we should abandon democracy, but it’s worth at least noting that until the votes are cast and counted, nothing is for certain. All the “it’s coming” tweets (and I’ve seen far too many given the ghosts of two Novembers ago) won’t carry Trump across the finish line. The voters will have to do that for him. The post Haunted by the Red Wave appeared first on The American Conservative.

Foreign Affairs It Is Time to Talk to North Korea The Biden-Harris diplomatic freeze is ineffective and dangerous. (Salma Bashir Motiwala/Shutterstock) By any measure, Northeast Asia is becoming more dangerous. North Korea is expanding its nuclear arsenal and improving its missile force. The People’s Republic of China is doing little to enforce sanctions against the North and might encourage war on the Korean peninsula if Beijing and Washington come to blows over Taiwan.  Russia has revived its relationship with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, making the latter all but impervious to sanctions. Moscow also might surreptitiously aid the latter’s nuclear and missile programs in return for artillery shells and more for the war in Ukraine. Finally, no one is talking on the peninsula. In theory that’s Pyongyang’s fault, since it has refused to engage. On other hand, the U.S., as well as the conservative Yoon government in Seoul, won’t discuss what the North desires to discuss. Hence deadlock. The Obama administration was noted for its policy of “strategic patience,” which essentially meant kicking the can down the road while hoping that nothing too bad happened. North Korean provocations risked war in 2010, but Seoul eschewed military retaliation. President Donald Trump threatened “fire and fury” in response to the North’s missile tests, before turning toward summitry. After his second meeting with Kim Jong Un collapsed in Hanoi in February 2019, Pyongyang steadily reduced its contact with Washington and Seoul, most dramatically destroying the inter-Korean liaison office built by the South in Kaesong. President Joe Biden, who views himself as an old hand at diplomacy, entered office apparently determined to do nothing. To be sure, he offered to talk but gave no indication that there was much to negotiate other than denuclearization, which Kim ostentatiously rejected. The latter surely surprised no one. Few Korea analysts believe that the DPRK would yield weapons that cost so much to develop and provide the one sure deterrent to U.S. military action against Pyongyang. Alas, North Korea’s response to the Republic of Korea has been even tougher, returning only obloquy to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s overtures. With Seoul playing a secondary role to Washington, Kim evidently sees little gain from engaging Yoon. It is one thing to be skeptical of Trump’s diplomatic style. It is quite another to reject his search for a new path forward. At the end of the Obama administration U.S.–DPRK relations were at a dead end. Trump’s first year looked extraordinarily dangerous, with Secretary of Defense James Mattis later relating that he slept in his clothes to be ready for late-night North Korean action. In this world Trump agreed to a summit with Kim. By and large Washington’s Korean policy community was horrified. Even though virtually no policymaker believed that Kim would negotiate away his nuclear program, most opposed seeking arms control agreements short of denuclearization. Despite their consistent past failure they insisted that the U.S. government continue to follow their strategy. Trump’s decision to meet the North Korean leader caused a neuralgic reaction among many analysts.  This was evidently the view for the incoming Biden administration. For instance, at the November 20, 2019 Democratic presidential debate candidate Biden responded to a question on North Korea: “Well, first of all, I’d go back in making sure we had the alliances we had before since he became president. He has absolutely ostracized us from South Korea. He has given North Korea everything they wanted, creating the legitimacy by having a meeting with Kim Jong Un, who’s a thug—although he points out that I’m a rabid dog who needs to be beaten with a stick, very recently was his comment.” This comment was inaccurate on all counts. Biden reiterated his policy which amounted to allies first, irrespective of American interests. He wrongly suggested that the U.S. and ROK were alienated: South Koreans generally didn’t like Trump, but the relationship continued. Kim was a thug, but Trump rejected his demands, which caused the rupture. Moreover, Biden quickly warmed up to a similarly brutal tyrant, Mohammed bin Salman. And viewing even a meeting as a concession betrayed the hubris that continues to undermine US foreign policy. In fact, it is more important to talk to one’s adversaries than one’s friends. Candidate Kamala Harris has done no better. She declared, There are no concessions to be made. They—[Trump] has traded a photo-op for nothing. He has abandoned the—by shutting down the operations with South Korea for the last year-and-a-half, so those operations, which should be— and those exercises, which should be active, because they are in our best national security, the relationship that we have with Japan, he has in every way compromised our ability to have any influence on slowing down or at least having a check and balance on North Korea’s nuclear program. Her comment was, if anything, even less well-grounded than Biden’s. In return for the halt in military exercises, Kim suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests. He abandoned that pledge only in December 2019, after the failure of the Hanoi summit and breakdown in the bilateral relationship. That was more than the Obama administration gained in eight years. Under Trump both Washington’s relations with Tokyo and his relations with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were quite robust. Finally, U.S. policy prior to Trump’s election had failed to noticeably slow the North’s nuclear and missile programs, which accelerated after Kim succeeded his father in December 2011. Five years later, Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies wrote, “North Korea is the biggest blemish on President Barack Obama’s nonproliferation record. Pyongyang’s four nuclear tests and more than 50 missile and rocket launches during the past eight years have given it a capacity to rain nuclear warheads on its regional adversaries and a good start to be able soon to reach the U.S. homeland.” Alas, the Democratic Party has learned nothing. The 2024 party platform spouted innocuous boilerplate about Biden and demagogic tales about Trump:  Biden’s leadership, the United States hosted a historic trilateral Camp David Summit with Japan and South Korea, enshrined the Washington Declaration with South Korea, and extended trilateral deterrence discussions with Japan. … President Biden has also worked alongside our allies to counter the threat posed by North Korea’s destabilizing development of nuclear and missile programs, in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. By bolstering our trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan, we are maintaining peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and beyond. Trump took a different approach in the region, embarrassing the United States on the world stage including by flattering and legitimizing Kim Jong Un, exchanging ‘love letters’ with the North Korean dictator. Trump directly threatened our valued ally South Korea with the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed there over a trade dispute. President Biden has and will stand by our allies, especially South Korea, against North Korea’s provocations, including its illegal build-up of missile capabilities. The Washington Declaration was a desperate attempt to convince South Koreans that future U.S. presidents would defend Seoul from North Korean attack despite the risk of nuclear incineration of American cities. Unsurprisingly, many South Koreans are not convinced that is so, and the debate is growing over the possibility of creating a South Korean nuclear deterrent. Trump promoted the U.S.-ROK-Japan relationship. Although he failed to win an agreement with Kim on nuclear arms, the latter offered to close Yongbyon. Biden achieved nothing involving the DPRK. Trump suggested withdrawing U.S. troops because he believed the South was unnecessarily dependent on Washington for its defense, a sensible observation given the ROK’s vast economic, technological, and diplomatic edge over the North. Unfortunately, to “stand by our allies” just means to prepare for war, which Trump did as well as Biden. In short, the Democratic Party appears beholden to a failed status quo. It can argue that Trump performed no better. But at least he recognized the necessity of negotiating, and therefore tried a new approach. For that he deserves praise. Indeed, the imperative for negotiation and a serious attempt to freeze or at least slow the North Korean nuclear program grows ever more urgent. An agreement might remain out of reach, but a few more “love letters” and an occasional summit would be a small price to pay for lowering tensions on the Korean peninsula even a little. On this score, at least, Biden and Harris deserve an “F.” Although the North pointedly rejected Trump’s claim that Kim missed him, the former president could hardly do worse than his successor. And his record suggests that he might do better. The post It Is Time to Talk to North Korea appeared first on The American Conservative.

Politics Long- and Short-Term Economic Trends Spell Trouble for Harris The American people intuit certain fundamental dysfunctions in the economic life of the nation. With about two weeks to go until Election Day, the prevailing feeling among Democratic strategists seems to be one of growing concern—and for good reason. The Democratic nominee, who has raised an unprecedented sum of $1 billion in three months’ time, has not been able to capitalize on the fact that she is facing an extremely polarizing opponent whom she handily bested in the only presidential debate of this most regrettable of election cycles. Part of the problem might be that Democrats seem intent on repeating the mistakes they made in 2016 when they fielded another wildly unpopular yet eminently qualified female candidate against Trump. This time around, however, January 6 has assumed the role that Russiagate played in Democratic messaging during the 2016 campaign—and the result may be similar.  The emphasis the Harris campaign has placed on J6 and threats to “our democracy” and reproductive rights, could put Harris over the top in suburban Pennsylvania and make up for some of the losses she will surely sustain in Michigan where Arab- and Palestinian-Americans may go for Trump or sit this one out.  Yet recent economic indicators point to a souring mood among the electorate—bad news for Harris. A recent Bloomberg News/Morning Consult survey shows that voters in swing states see the economy as the most important issue—and by a wide margin. A poll of 6,165 registered voters conducted in late September shows that 39 percent of those surveyed say the economy is the top issue, followed by immigration (13 percent), abortion (11 percent), and democracy (10 percent).  Several factors likely are at play here. In the time between 2016 and today, the median price of a single family home nearly doubled, from $241,000 to $422,100. The Federal Reserve’s hawkish interest rate policy under Chair Jerome Powell has added to homeowners’ discontent, with Bloomberg reporting that the monthly mortgage payments on a median-priced house have nearly “doubled from 14 percent of median income in 2016 to 26 percent this year.” And then there are the consumer sentiment numbers. On October 11, the University of Michigan released the results of its monthly “Survey of Consumers,” which tracks consumer sentiment, the view of current economic conditions, and consumer expectations. All three indices recorded declines in sentiment from those of the prior two months. Survey director Joanne Hsu noted in a statement that, while inflation expectations have eased over the past two years, “consumers continue to express frustration over high prices.” Longer-term trends also point to growing disquiet among working and middle class voters. The Democratic donor base and the political class that feeds off of it might be surprised to learn that the country they have led for 12 of the last 16 years has a Gini coefficient (a measure of income inequality) on par with El Salvador and greater than that of China and Russia. Inextricably tied to measures of inequality is the growing gap in the mortality rate between college-educated and non-college-educated Americans. The Nobel Prize winning economist Angus Deaton has observed that “the U.S. appears to be the only Western country where life expectancies are trending in different directions” for those with and without college degrees. Exit polls showed that in 2020 Trump won fully two-thirds of the white voters without a college degree.  Meanwhile, rates of intergenerational mobility have collapsed in recent decades—regardless of whether or not one has a degree. A 2021 study by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth showed that in the United States, the rate of upward absolute income mobility—the fraction of children who grow up to earn more than their parents, after adjusting for inflation—declined substantially over the past 50 years. More than 90 percent of U.S. children born in 1940 had higher real incomes at age 30 than their parents did, but only about 50 percent of children born in 1980 can say the same. Indeed, multiple studies have shown that over the past 30 years, beginning with the neoliberal, anti-labor policies put in place under Bill Clinton, the U.S. has developed (or, more accurately, devolved) into a kind of Vulture Economy, whereby those in control of the economy’s commanding heights have resolved, using every means at their disposal, to pick clean the bones of everyday Americans all the while telling them that they’ve never had it so good.  Yet as we have seen, the data show that voters know that this isn’t the case. The question now is which candidate will take the blame on November 5. The post Long- and Short-Term Economic Trends Spell Trouble for Harris appeared first on The American Conservative.

The Bikeriders, directed by Jeff Nichols, is a gripping exploration of the motorcycle club culture in the 1960s, a world that has often been romanticized and misunderstood. Inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1968 book of photography, the film plunges into the raw, untamed energy of an era defined by countercultural movements, where freedom came with both exhilaration and risk. Nichols, known for his deep, character-driven narratives, delivers a movie that is not only visually striking but also rich in emotion, character development, and social commentary. This film isn’t just a “biker movie” in the conventional sense—it’s a story about identity, belonging, and the fight for autonomy in a society that thrives on conformity. As viewers, we are pulled into the tension between the desire for absolute freedom and the cost that such freedom demands. A World of Complexity: Freedom and Consequences The movie centers around the Vandals, a Midwestern motorcycle club led by Johnny (Tom Hardy), a charismatic and unpredictable figure. Johnny’s vision of the Vandals is that of a brotherhood—free from societal rules and constraints, yet loyal to one another. As the club grows and becomes more violent, this vision is tested, both from external pressures like law enforcement and internal conflicts. The narrative unfolds through the perspective of Kathy (Jodie Comer), the wife of one of the club’s key members, Benny (Austin Butler). Kathy is an essential voice in the film, as her relationship with Benny serves as a lens through which the viewer experiences the tension between the liberating aspects of the biker lifestyle and its darker, more dangerous consequences. In this world, the bikers are both heroes and anti-heroes—flawed, rough around the edges, yet undeniably compelling. They reject the status quo and live by their own rules, but the very rebellion that sets them apart also drives them into increasingly destructive behavior. This dynamic is especially apparent in Johnny, whose unpredictable nature and unchecked aggression begin to strain the brotherhood he’s worked so hard to build. A Story of Belonging and Identity One of the most compelling aspects of The Bikeriders is how it explores the need for belonging. In the 1960s, motorcycle clubs offered a sense of community to those who felt marginalized or alienated from mainstream society. These clubs, while often characterized by their lawlessness, provided structure, purpose, and identity. For Johnny and his crew, riding isn’t just about the thrill of the open road—it’s about forging a collective identity in opposition to societal norms. The Vandals live by their own moral code, one that values loyalty and freedom above all else. Yet, as the movie progresses, we see how this pursuit of freedom can come at a steep price. The club’s internal politics, increasing violence, and run-ins with law enforcement threaten to tear apart the very bonds that hold the group together. Kathy’s character provides a unique counterbalance to this. As the spouse of a club member, she is simultaneously an insider and an outsider. Her relationship with Benny serves as a grounding force amidst the chaos of the biker world, but it also highlights the emotional cost of living on the fringes of society. Kathy is both fascinated by and afraid of the life that Benny has chosen, a conflict that gives the movie much of its emotional weight. The Beauty and Brutality of Biker Culture Visually, The Bikeriders is stunning. Cinematographer Adam Stone captures the beauty of the American Midwest, with wide shots of endless highways, sunsets, and landscapes that symbolize the vast, untamed freedom the bikers yearn for. At the same time, Nichols doesn’t shy away from the violence and brutality that often comes with this freedom. Bar fights, police chases, and internal club disputes are shot with a raw intensity that keeps the audience on edge. This balance between beauty and brutality is a central theme in the film. It reflects the duality of the biker lifestyle itself—on one hand, it’s about independence, camaraderie, and the open road; on the other hand, it’s about chaos, unpredictability, and the ever-present threat of violence. The film refuses to romanticize this world, instead offering a balanced portrayal that allows viewers to appreciate both its allure and its dangers. Themes of Power and Control Throughout the film, issues of power and control are ever-present. Johnny’s leadership is both his greatest asset and his greatest weakness. He embodies the ideal of the strong, independent leader, but his refusal to compromise or show vulnerability ultimately drives him to make decisions that alienate those closest to him. This is a story about how power, when unchecked, can become corrosive. At the same time, the film raises important questions about control in the context of personal freedom. The Vandals seek to control their own destinies by rejecting societal norms and embracing an outlaw lifestyle, but in doing so, they often find themselves at odds with each other. The tension between individual autonomy and collective responsibility is palpable throughout the movie, adding a layer of complexity to the otherwise straightforward narrative of rebellion. A Reflection on Today While The Bikeriders is set in the 1960s, its themes resonate strongly with contemporary audiences. The tension between individual freedom and societal expectations is perhaps more relevant today than ever. In a world where many feel alienated by political, economic, and social systems, the desire to break free and forge one’s own path is a powerful impulse. The film also touches on the fragility of community. In an era where polarization often drives people apart, The Bikeriders reminds us of the importance of belonging—but also of the dangers of blind loyalty. The Vandals, for all their virtues, fall victim to the very things that give them strength: their desire for freedom, their rejection of compromise, and their fierce sense of independence. A Gritty, Thought-Provoking Journey The Bikeriders is more than just a movie about motorcycles and the outlaw lifestyle. It’s a film that delves deep into the human desire for freedom, the need for belonging, and the consequences of rebellion. Jeff Nichols has crafted a story that is both intimate and epic, capturing the raw energy of biker culture while exploring the emotional and psychological complexities that come with it. For fans of the genre, The Bikeriders will undoubtedly satisfy. Its performances—particularly by Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, and Austin Butler—are captivating, and the cinematography is breathtaking. But beyond the action and aesthetic, this is a movie that asks big questions about power, identity, and what it means to truly be free. It’s a film that lingers in your mind long after the credits roll, leaving you to ponder the price of rebellion and the fragile nature of brotherhood. Whether you’re a biker or simply someone who appreciates a well-crafted, thought-provoking film, The Bikeriders offers a raw, emotional ride that is not to be missed. -40% $17.95 $29.98 PRIMEPRIME The Bikeriders (DVD) BUY NOW -37% $27.95 $44.98 PRIMEPRIME The Bikeriders (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) [4K UHD] BUY NOW -34% $22.95 $34.98 PRIMEPRIME The Bikeriders (Blu-ray + Digital) BUY NOW -29% $35.49 $50.00 PRIMEPRIME Vandals: The Photography of The Bikeriders BUY NOW $15.99 PRIMEPRIME THE BIKERIDERS OF CHICAGO: The Untold Story of America's Oldest Outlaw Bikers BUY NOW -29% $46.00 $65.00 PRIMEPRIME Danny Lyon: Message to the Future BUY NOW Amazon price updated: October 23, 2024 3:04 pm The post The Bikeriders – A Powerful Tale of Rebellion, Brotherhood, and Identity: Movie Review appeared first on The Bikers' Den.

The bass virtuoso no one saw coming. The post The greatest bass moment Klaus Voorman ever played first appeared on Far Out Magazine.