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One man versus Communist China

Last week, while we celebrated the work of America’s founders, I honored a living freedom fighter: billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai. When Communist China crushed freedom in Hong Kong, Lai could have gone anywhere in the world and lived a life of luxury. But he chose to stay in Hong Kong and go to jail. A new documentary, “The Hong Konger,” tells his story. Lai grew up in poverty in China. “My mother was (imprisoned) in a labor camp,” he recalls. “We were just 5 or 6 and managing ourselves without an adult in the household. When I was 8 and 9, I worked in the railway ...

Juniata County’s “Grasshopper War”

I am a little late to the game since it began in 2018, but I have begun watching the television series, Yellowstone. If you aren’t familiar with it, I will give you a brief overview. The series follows the Dutton family, the patriarch being John Dutton played by Kevin Costner, as they strive to protect the family ranch in Montana called Yellowstone. It is constantly under attack by those seeking this picturesque and valuable land for development. It also involves the bordering Indian reservation of Broken Rock. Believe me when I say there is plenty of drama! Some of which is a bit far ...

Avoiding debate debacles with media

Everyone who cannot abide the way that liberal networks attempt to mangle Republican presidential candidates in primary debates is having the same thought: If the Democrats never award a primary debate to Fox News or Newsmax, why on Earth should Republicans subject themselves to CNN or MSNBC or the rest? Sen. Ted Cruz once suggested banning anyone from moderating a GOP primary debate if they’ve never voted in a Republican primary. Liberal journalists were appalled — probably because they don’t know any colleagues who ever voted Republican. This set of primaries is already ...

Corruption is about policy, not just money

Back in 1998, iconic feminist Gloria Steinem wrote a now-infamous editorial defending then-President Bill Clinton, who multiple women had accused of sexual harassment, assault and even rape. Steinem argued that Clinton's conduct wasn't really sexual harassment, much less criminal conduct, and that in any case the accusations against Clinton were in a different category than those made against Republican politicians (who had been forced to resign). But Steinem's bottom line was this: women — even (especially!) feminists — should overlook Clinton's behavior because, unlike ...

Best things first … use $30B to solve the world’s problems

For my new video, I asked people on the street, “If you could spend $30 billion trying to solve the world’s problems, how would you spend it?” “Build houses ... address homelessness,” said a few. “Spend on health care,” “redistribution.” The most common answer was “fight climate change.” Really? Climate change is the world’s most important problem? “It’s not surprising if you live in the rich world,” says Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center. Lomborg has spent the last 20 years consulting with experts from the United Nations, ...

Wanted: president embraces spending challenge

Election season is getting into gear, and that means politicians of all stripes making promises about what they’ll do for the American people if elected or reelected. I’d like to hear promises to get government out of the way and allow entrepreneurship and market competition to spur genuine and sustainable economic growth, including in the energy and housing sectors. This may be what America needs most, but I will settle for a promise to ensure that the national debt stays smaller than the size of the economy. A committed president just might be able to deliver. I never thought ...