First of all this is the first time in my memory that the convention was held in a single day. Second it should have started at 9 AM not 11 AM.

Why did they do it?

I can only speculate…perhaps it was to keep the debate to a minimum, silence the conservatives and/or send a message to get in line.

The convention is meant to be a deliberative body… it has become anything but.

I have a few take-aways from the ND GOP state convention:

What we have been doing in Ukraine for years is immoral.  It is not only harming Ukrainians and the rest of the world, it is harming America.  Our Founding Fathers wisely warned us against becoming entangled in foreign wars and governments and unnecessary treaties.  What these kinds of intrigues did to bring about World War I they will do again and keep doing.  It is time to take power away from our own neocon leaders of both parties, to demand that America be what it has been pretending to be and once was - a nation of free men and women.  Chronic war is robbing us of our own values.  Over and over these tactics and schemes have proven most harmful to America and our national interest.  It's time to stop.  No better time than right now.  

“Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes… known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” — James Madison

I have a confession to make:  I haven’t always been a Republican.  

It was my senior year in high school. The year was 1976.  Jimmy Carter was running for President. Being the democrat I was raised, and the bleeding heart that cries at movies, I began to listen more closely to the political rhetoric.

The following joke beautifully illustrates the insane infliction of woke culture on society. A guy walks into a bar and wagers a patron for a drink. “How many legs would a dog have, if we called the dog’s tail, a leg?” Through a slightly inebriated haze the patron confidently replies, “Five, obviously.” The truth is, calling a dog’s tail a leg does not make it a leg.

Funny. We laugh while being asked, no -- required – to pretend a man is a woman. Non-compliance with this idiocy of pretending will get you “cancelled,” or worse.

When I read the last fundraising piece that came from the NDGOP, something hit me after the first sentence.  I gave into this strategy once. That it is all about winning—no matter the cost. 

Another thing that struck me was that the message was canned—it had nothing to do with what is going on here or the gravity of what’s at stake at the convention in ND this weekend.

This isn’t about winning.  The Democrats are not even fieldling serious candidates.   This is about the very essence of who we are as Republicans in North Dakota.  This is far more about what we stand to lose if we face this challenge sitting down.

Is America on the path to return to the stagflationary economic conditions of the late 1970s and early 1980s? What are some helpful economic policies to navigate through this tough time? In this article, Dr. Mark Hendrickson examines the situation and writes, “A big part of the inflation problem is as much psychological as economic.”

There is method in this madness.  Why else would the US be contemplating a WWIII nuclear disaster over the border crossing of a country half-way around the world when we are totally unconcerned about a massive invasion going on across our own border?  Why, when we are still reeling from the covid scandal would we put further pressure on our economy by making war on Russia?  We don't make war on Mexico.  Is it because we have such close ties with Ukraine in corruption perhaps?  Our First Family* is deeply invested there in corrupt business ventures, some of them very hazardous to the human population.  Or is this just a conveniently scheduled event to distract us from our own serious problems?  In any case, our military is in no condition to be thrown into the breach in Ukraine to prop up the boy dictator, Zelenskyy.  There are few, if any, left in our military who have not ben injected with the poison - you know, the stuff that causes young, healthy men in peak condition to keel over with heart attacks.  We are in no position to go to war with anyone and we are in no position to dictate to other countries what they must do.  Or not do.  Last week President* Biden called for a change in leadership in Russia.  This comes very close to a declaration of war.  "For one brief, shining moment" Biden is in complete agreement with Lindsay Graham.  Only a couple of years ago we were hearing false claims that Trump was put in office through "Russian collusion".  Back then foreign interference was painted as a "bad thing".  Now we have a president* who is advocating we do exactly this in Russia!  But when we abandon the concept of any kind of rules other than "what I want" this is where it goes.  A Democrat administration* does this.  I remember the smear ads of Lyndon Johnson where he implied that Barry Goldwater would start a nuclear war with Russia.  Can they make up their minds what they want? 

For many of us there is so much "going on" in Ukraine that we have ignored what is going on at home - continuation of forced vaccinations, the never-ending flood of illegals across our border, our record inflation, the scarcity of food and other products on our shelves, the shocking price of filling a gas tank, revelations relating to Hunter Biden, to election fraud, to other scandals and not least of all, the nomination of another candidate to the US Supreme Court.  We aren't supposed to be paying attention to this.  After all - Ukraine.  We're all guilty to some extent of having ignored these important issues.  But no more.  After all, long after Zelenskyy's war subsides we will be saddled with the person who takes Justice Breyer's place on the bench and it could profoundly change our own country.

I received a newsletter today from Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN).  I was disappointed to hear his mindless praise and support of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the puppet president of Ukraine.  It is unfortunate that members of the United States Congress seem to be willing to be led around by someone such as this without regard as to how this developed, what part the United States has played in bringing about this disaster for the people of Ukraine.  Emmer is facilitating supply of ammunition to the Ukraine government.  Sadly, the history is that their government has been shelling their own people for the past eight years or so - the people of Donbas.  Maybe we should ask them why.  Maybe we should assure ourselves that we are not enabling something worse than Putin in Ukraine.  It has never been my position that Russia should invade anyone.  But we made it possible by Biden being sworn into office.  He made Putin all-powerful by stopping our own energy production and opening the way for Russia to export its gas and oil.  We gave Putin reason to feel his interests were best served by invading Ukraine.  We have refused to listen to him or communicate in a civil way.  Maybe that would have prevented it.  Instead, we teased him, goaded him, basically dared him.  What did we think would happen?  And Emmer and his colleagues refuse to think about this open-mindedly and critically.  We should not support Putin, but we have no reason at all to support the un-democratic tyrant, Zelenskyy either.  Zelenskyy is up to his neck in war crimes, but we are silent as to that, maybe because of our own war crimes in establishing bio weapons labs in that country.  I will post Mr. Emmer's newsletter entry and my response, sent to him via email.  wou

It should not be lost upon us either that it is believed by some to be in Biden's and the Democrats' best interest vis-a-vis the 2022 elections that this war should continue until November, regardless of how many more Ukrainian people suffer and die.  It would be much to be desired by some that we do not turn our focus from Zelenskyy's war to the issues that really should concern us and really are our business.

Lastly I would offer a word of caution here:  when we sent ammunition and military equipment to countries here and there to oppose our foe-of-the-moment, as we did in Afghanistan, in Iran and other places, we have a funny way of finding the same bullets in our own fallen soldiers at a later date.  We need to learn not to do this.  We should vet very carefully the people to whom we supply arms.  I would not say that Zelenskyy would be a good candidate.   And the chances are very, very good that our current "most hated foe", Putin, will end up in possession of them.  This is stupid.  

Between Valentine’s Day and Easter lies St. Patrick’s Day breaking the “winter blues.”

This good-natured celebration holds fun for all. But there is more to St. Paddy’s Day than fun. This occasion celebrates Scots-Irish descendants and their ethnic heritage -- political correctness and “white privilege” be damned.

Who are the Scots-Irish? Where did they come from and how did they influence American history and culture? Good questions deserve good answers.

Earlier this week, the world lost a prolific journalist, speaker, freedom fighter, and family man. Charles Wiley passed away in his sleep at age 95. Wiley visited Grove City College many times to speak to students and was a long-time friend of professor and IFF scholar Dr. David Ayers. In this tribute, Ayers remembers his friend and mentor. He writes, “Charlie revolutionized the way that I think, the way I analyze things. I have read incredible books, had amazing professors, met some real geniuses, but no one like him.”

A little-reported story of the Ukraine conflict involves a clandestine unit of a Kremlin-backed private military organization which allegedly helped lay the groundwork for the invasion of eastern Ukraine. In 2014, the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic broke away from Ukraine after Russia invaded and annexed Crimea. Fighting continued there ever since with an estimated death toll of more than 14,000. Then, several months ago a group of Russian operatives from the shadowy Wagner Group arrived in the separatist enclaves in eastern Ukraine dressed as civilians.

While details of the group’s specific mission remain unclear, Wagner’s paramilitary soldiers, comprised of former Russian soldiers, are increasingly involved in some of the bloodiest conflicts in the world where Russia has an interest. The Wagner Group is linked to serious human rights abuses not only in Ukraine but also in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Mozambique. In accomplishing their mission the Wagner Group employs gruesome atrocities.

It’s hard finding an American, anywhere, who believes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a good thing. I’m no exception. War is ugly, and innocent people suffer as the pseudo-elites play their geopolitical chess games driven by power-lust, pocketbook and politics. This also isn’t about rooting for the “good guys.” For Vladimir Putin cannot be counted among them, and, for that matter, neither can ex-actor and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy or our globalist “leaders.” Rather, this concerns something else.

I have a confession to make… I was a leader in two campaigns using the primary to defeat the NDGOP state convention endorsed candidate in the primary.

The years were 2012 when Kevin Cramer skipped the convention went straight to the primary.  He won the primary for Congress and who now serves as a U.S. Senator.  The other was 2016 when Doug Burgum defeated Wayne Stenehjem.

It has been 15 days since Russia invaded Ukraine and energy prices have risen sharply over the last few weeks. Are there other economic ramifications to come? In this article, economist Dr. Mark Hendrickson examines the situation and highlights the expected global economic fallout.

Let's talk about Texas . . . . 

Vladimir Putin’s war today is not designed to win the hearts and minds of the Ukrainian people. His objective is to force people to flee or be bottled up in built up areas. Once bottled up, cities could be razed on top of the people. Putin acted so in Syria in order to break resistance. Either way – no people, no resistance. But Putin’s best-laid plans might easily unravel in the face of a popular Ukrainian insurgency. The resilient Ukrainians have done so before. Putin will face a long, bloody insurgency that could spread across multiple borders.

The Mob knew how to get things done.  It seems that wimpy Senator Lindsay Graham thinks so, at least.  He has called for assassination to supplement our foreign policy.  Maybe he knows a guy.

It is 2022 and we are living in a Fun House - a lot of wavy mirrors, a lot of weird lighting and strange sounds.  It's a carnaval atmosphere and nothing is what it seems.  We can turn the place upside down and not find so much as a moth that will be willing to hear that the conflict that is raging in Ukraine is not 100% black and white.  Putin is the black hat, Zelenskyy is the snow-white hat.  He's a comic book hero, the newest member of The Avengers.  He dashes about "saving his country" from the Bad Guys.  From where I see it, he's just another bad guy and we should not do anything to extend his tenure or prop him up.  He's got George Soros and Klaus Schwab to do that for him already.  I have heard only two voices anywhere near the main stream who have not bee scattering rose petals for Zelenskyy to walk on (I take that back!  I guess Tucker Carlson is also a skeptic) - Col. Douglas Macgregor, who was interviewed by Stuart Varney on FOX, and the abrasive and hard-to-take Joy Behar of the View.  Things must be really getting crazy and really, really bad because I find I'm on her side for once.  It probably won't ever happen again, but that is just how ridiculous this story has become.

“FAITH IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS MAY FINALLY ERODE!” 

                  EXCLAIMS SOCIOLOGICAL EXCAVATOR

The risk of earth warming to very high temperatures is increasingly unlikely thanks to slowing population growth and abundant natural gas. Horizontal drilling, Hydraulic Fracturing, and Clean Coal technologies of the 21^st century have insured an ample supply of clean fossil fuel to keep us comfortable during then coming “Cold Era”. 

For the unconvinced among readers of this Part II, Mr. Casey’s book, “Dark Winter” (© 2014) is highly recommended. The reader can then personally decide if spending up to $10 Trillion to combat so-called “Climate Change” is preferrable to the solutions of Part I. The alternative is to continue fighting each other like pre-school children that government has not brainwashed… yet.

Now more than ever it is important for us to stand up for the right of the people to be heard. And I have a confession to make. While I’ve always believed in this fundamental tenet of the founding documents, I have not always been the most vigilant to act on it. I have let my own bias and opinion get in the way.  

With what’s been happening in North Dakota politics, I feel compelled to speak out…My battle cry?  

Let the people Speak. 

The world is becoming more savage than ever.  The so-called "civilized" community of nations is now backing a war criminal.  Since when is it okay with all these self-righteous western "democracies" to behave like Genghis Khan?  Because that is what we are countenancing now in the Ukraine.  At the same time its president is seeking to join up with the European Union, while he is not solilciting but demanding the support of our western arms and ammunition, while he is posing for the camera - Zelenskyy just put out two announcements:  1) that any Russian soldier who defected and put down his gun would receive $40,000; and 2) a day later, that the Ukrainians would take no prisoners - all would be shot.    That ought to make it an easy decision for the Russian soldiers, don't you think?  How many will surrender?  And we just watched the President* of the United States end his incoherent State of the Union Speech with a directive to "Go get him" - apparently the "him" being Putin.  And everyone in Congress decked out in the team colors of Ukraine.  There is a really bad smell here.  

On Tuesday, 2/22/22, Tucker Carlson offered an opinion piece on Fox News. The topic was the Ukraine, the US, and our national interest. As a contrarian, Carlson easily grabs his listeners’ attention using scorn, irony, and most of all, hyperbole. Those who have never learned hyperbole are destined to be sucked in by it. It may startle those who seldom “think outside the box.” His lampoon targeted foolish policymakers and leftist media. I confess. I’m prejudiced left and biased right.

Carlson’s thesis: “…Democrats in Washington have told you it's your patriotic duty to hate Vladimir Putin… Hating Putin has become the central purpose of America's foreign policy…Very soon, that hatred of Vladimir Putin could bring the United States into a conflict in Eastern Europe.

It could well be that there are no "good guys" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.  My granny used to advise us to be careful of whom we associate with, and somehow I hear her voice in this one.  We should step back from the drama for just a moment and take note of whom we are throwing in with here.  It is easy to fear or distrust Putin.  He's not a "good guy".  But we know little to nothing of Volodmyr Zelenskyy aside from the flukish rise from comedian to president.  Yet the more we see of him, the more we do learn about him, the less we should feel confident in following him.  Our real interests lie elsewhere.  This is like a magician's technique - "Watch this hand!"  Who is on Russia's team?  Mainly just Xi Jinping, whom we know we can't trust (Biden just found this out).  Not good.  But who is backing Zelenskyy?  George Soros.  The E.U.  Klaus Schwab.  Perhaps this is an indication that 1) there are no good guys and 2) we should stay far away from this conflict and wait for a more important issue while we try to restore our own military and energy supply and recover our flagging economy.  We have no business in the Russia-Ukraine fight.

China will not allow you to own your conscience or your soul.  

The City of Grand Forks, together with the blessing of North Dakota's Governor Doug Burgum, is about to embark on a very risky game with China.  Although the people have been told that the Fufeng Group, an agribusiness enterprise based in China, is like any other big business and it would be a feather in the cap of Grand Forks to nail this deal for a many-multi-million-dollar investment, the people are not convinced.  That has made little difference in other decisions by the council, but one thing to keep in mind is that there is no such thing as a business in China that is not controlled by the CCP government.  In case you want evidence, the project is billed as part of China's "Belt and Road Initiative" (formerly known as "One Belt One Road"), which is part of China's long-range, over-arching strategy for its intended world domination.  Nations that have partnered through this program have rued the decision.  China has the ability through its strategic use of "economic development" throughout the world to steal our soul.

Dubbed the JR-15, the AFP relates that it’s “marketed by maker WEE1 Tactical as ‘the first in a line of shooting platforms that will safely help adults introduce children to the shooting sports.’” Clearly aghast, the news organ further reports that the “company’s website says the rifle ‘also looks, feels, and operates just like Mom and Dad's gun.’”

Unsurprisingly, the AFP reminds people in its commentary masquerading as hard news that the AR-15 “has been used in multiple mass killings in the United States…” while quoting only anti-Second Amendment activists in its piece. Yet is mixing kids and guns really anything to fear? Let’s examine the matter.

Like the prophets of old, Sobran had nothing new to offer. He was not an innovator. He could see no “root causes” as understood by the secular experts, at least none ameliorable by their generic prescriptions. The society that spawned the teen killers was a negative residue: it’s “what’s left when you subtract Christianity” from civilization.

Sobran’s cultural and historical memory informed him that the permanent things are never finally won or forever lost. The battle continues, and those who reject the miserable truce are entitled to a warrior’s exuberance. Nothing said here will resuscitate this great talent from the general amnesia. But those happy few who read Joe Sobran will be better armed against the armies of dissolution.