1) “Beneath The Surface: The Spiritual Battlefield Surrounding The Nation of Israel” (John Rodrigues, Harbinger’s Daily)
From the article -- It was a geopolitical shift that left political analysts and casual observers alike absolutely stunned. President Donald Trump—the man whose entire public persona and political brand was built on unyielding strength, masterful negotiation, and the fame of The Art of the Deal—returned from highly anticipated high-level talks with Iran bearing a completely changed tune. The defiant, aggressive tone that had defined his approach to foreign policy for over a decade seemed to have vanished; everyone noted it. He appeared defeated, deflated, and even humiliated.
In a staggering reversal, the self-proclaimed master negotiator gave in to virtually every demand of the Iranian regime. What the world witnessed was not the art of the deal; it was the art of the kneel. How does a man of such immense worldly confidence suffer such an absolute, sudden collapse of resolve?
The answer does not lie in the realm of political strategy, economic leverage, diplomatic maneuvering or even secular psychology. President Donald Trump stepped into a room to negotiate a political contract, completely unaware that he was stepping onto a spiritual battlefield of an intense, ancient war. Because he was unequipped, unprepared, ‘in the flesh’ for a spiritual battle, he was utterly overwhelmed by his adversary.
2) “One-Third Of Americans Can Barely Read, But They Can Still Vote -- There is a culture of silence around the true status of American schools, and how their incompetence is destroying American self-government.” (Angela Morabito, Federalist)
From the article -- As Americans gear up for our country’s 250th Independence Day, a shamefully small percentage of the rising generation truly understands what we’re celebrating. On the latest Nation’s Report Card, only 22 percent of eighth graders had a proficient understanding of civics. A measly 14 percent were proficient in U.S. history.
This cohort, which was tested as eighth graders in 2022, graduated from high school this year. In practice, this means that emerging adults are woefully unprepared to take on the responsibilities of citizenship.
Most of this cohort is now eligible to serve on juries; less than half knew that the Bill of Rights guarantees citizens the right to a jury trial. Almost all of them will be eligible to vote in this year’s midterm elections, yet only 34 percent knew the functions of the three branches of government. All of them will participate in civic life, whether as neighbors, citizens, taxpayers, parents, or perhaps all of those things. This makes it all the more concerning that 31 percent could not identify why freedom of expression is important for a healthy society.
Ten generations ago, a group of patriots – most of whom were young adults – laid the groundwork for the greatest country the world has ever known. They did a lot of writing, winning the war for public opinion through Common Sense and The Federalist Papers. There was no public school system at the time, but there was a public that was willing and eager to read these texts, which most young people cannot understand today.
Now, not only are the public schools failing to deliver a history and civics education, they are also failing to teach the reading skills students would need to educate themselves on these topics.
3) “Islamist Terrorists Have Killed Almost 80,000 in Nigeria in Last 6 Years, Mostly Christians” (You Suarez, Washington Stand)
From the article -- In Nigeria, 79,323 people lost their lives in 15,434 attacks. These are the figures resulting from violence in the African nation during the six-year period between October 2019 and September 2025, according to a report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA). This amounts to an average of seven attacks per day within the country. Amidst this sea of bloodshed, Christian civilians were “disproportionately” affected, according to ORFA. They faced a relative risk of death 4.4 times higher and a relative risk of abduction 3.2 times higher than Muslim civilians...
In November 2025, the Nigerian government challenged President Donald Trump’s assertion that Christians were being “massacred” in the country, emphasizing that the claim “did not reflect reality.” Mainstream media — more interested in displaying their anti-Trump stance than in investigating the truth — repeated the words of Nigerian leader Bola Ahmed Tinubu without any critical thought. Tinubu is a political leader facing accusations ranging from money laundering and fraud to tax evasion.
The Nigerian government noted that, under the leadership of President Tinubu, the statement continued, Nigeria “remains committed to fighting terrorism, strengthening interfaith harmony, and protecting the lives and rights of all its citizens.” If that is the case, the truth is that it has not yielded results.
4) “The Israel they hate is imaginary: The younger generation’s opposition to a “genocidal” Jewish state has become one of the organizing principles of U.S. politics. But these toxic beliefs have nothing to do with the actual place.” (Jonathan S. Tobin, Jewish News Service)
From the article -- Israel, for those who come to know it, is a complicated place. It’s not the idealized fantasy of novels like Exodus or other classics of Zionist cheerleading. Bringing together Jews from different cultures and traditions from the world over is a wild and often difficult ongoing experiment that is still only eight decades old. Clashes between religious and secular, Ashkenazi and the Mizrachi, as well as adherents of right and left-wing political factions, remain a messy business and adds stress to everyday life. Not to mention the ongoing struggle against an entrenched government bureaucracy and the efforts of liberal elites to hold onto power, despite their diminishing share of the population. It can be a place of anger, inveterate political squabbling and endless arguments.
But the main takeaway from the experience of being in Israel after arriving back in the United States is that, whatever its great strengths and shortcomings, it’s nothing like the place described in the U.S. and international media.
One of the most extraordinary developments of recent history is the way opinions about Israel have become one of the organizing principles of American politics. Opposition to the Jewish state and its supposed policies of “genocide” and “apartheid” have become ubiquitous not just in the liberal media that has long treated it unfairly and judged it by double standards not applied to any other democracy, let alone one fighting for its life. But the drumbeat of incitement against Israel and its supporters—Jewish and non-Jewish—has now become an ever-present topic not merely of debate but of political allegiance.
5) “Who Really Are These New Democratic Socialists and Their Fellow Travelers? -- The new socialist movement claims to speak for ordinary Americans, but its leaders often come from the very elite institutions they criticize.” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)
Who are the so-called Democratic Socialists of America and their fellow travelers? While it is difficult to generalize, many current and would-be socialist officeholders share several common traits. Most of them represent a relatively small slice of American life. Almost all are urban, with little knowledge of small-town or rural existence. Their world is subways, buses, high-rises, Uber, taxis, and proximity to corporate, academic, and financial institutions—yet often with little understanding of where their food, fuel, water, or everyday goods originate, or where their waste and sewage ultimately go. Their worldview is shaped more by consumption than production, as though goods simply arrive in and depart from cities on autopilot.
A disproportionate number of our most prominent radicals are either first- or second-generation immigrants, most originating from failed or illiberal states in what was once called the Third World. They or their parents left their homelands in search of wealthier countries, fairer societies, greater opportunity, and, in many cases, safety and freedom. Yet once here, many of their families have prospered, often aided by extensive educational and institutional support from the generous American host. Few have even tried to explain the paradox of fleeing failed states, only to become virulent critics of the charitable nation that they chose to join.
Many are college-educated, often with degrees in fields that did not translate into the professional pathways they believed they were entitled to. They are often glib but otherwise poorly educated. Few possess any real grounding in history, literature, or the STEM fields. Most of their major and minor courses of study are in the social sciences—political science, sociology, psychology, community relations, and the like—or the infamous “studies” programs.
When they graduate from left-wing universities, they emerge strikingly arrogant and ignorant at once. As elite radical egalitarians, they proudly brandish their degrees and constantly reference their university training. Yet for all the time and money poured into college during what were supposed to be the best years of their lives, prolonged adolescence and bitterness appear epidemic among the new young socialists.
Other Excellent Reads from this Week
* “Why Negotiating With Terrorist Regimes Such as Hamas and Iran Is a Terrible Idea -- Needed: Unconditional Surrender, as After World War II” (Khaled Abu Toameh, Gatestone Institute)
* “The enduring promise of America: At 250 years old, the US remains a nation committed to freedom and prosperity.” (Joel Catkin, spiked!)
* “Save American Lives and Prosperity by Cutting the FDA Bureaucracy. -- The FDA’s mission is to protect patients, but its outdated bureaucracy can delay lifesaving medicines. Reforming drug approval could save lives, cut costs, and unleash American innovation.” (Thaddeus G. McCotter, American Greatness)
* “As Lessons Of History Are Ignored, It Has Never Been More Important For America To Remember The Consequences Of Deadly Ideologies” (Erick Stakelbeck, Harbinger’s Daily)
* “Whatever Happened to the Bicentennial Spirit? -- The joyous unity of 1976 offers a striking contrast to the fractured mood of the nation’s 250th anniversary.” (Greg Maresca, American Spectator)
