Tuesday evening reading - January 28, 2025
More goodies from the stack of stuff I read on a daily basis here on Substack.
When I get to between six and eight posts (or so) I think are worth sharing, you’ll get Tuesday evening reading. It won’t be every week, but likely about once or twice a month. There’s nothing wrong with link love!
As I said in my last such effort, I seem to be finding more good reading - looked at my 15-strong stack of potential stuff and figured I better get cracking on boiling it down.
Go ahead and read these pieces, then come back and see what I have to say.
I’m leading off with my friend because he just makes common sense. It’s a litany of incompetence that often occurs when government runs amok and one party keeps itself in power.
On a related note, Judd Garrett exclaims:
Of course, this is not to say that one race or another would be better at running anything. I wouldn’t have minded Tim Scott or Dr. Ben Carson as President, for example.
We got Donald Trump again, though, and
cautions us that there are a lot of people who will try and stand in his way.
As Justin observes:
To a great degree, Trump's election victory notwithstanding, this movement will be directed from within the federal government and the Democrat majority states, unless Trump can succeed in purging the ranks of his agencies from these subversive, treasonous holdovers of the Obama and Biden administrations, who engaged in work slowdowns and even defied legal presidential orders during Trump's first term. And along this same line, much within the U.S. Armed Forces will be determined by whether or not Pete Hegseth is confirmed as the Secretary of Defense and just how effectively he can carry out his own purge to rid the Armed Forces of Obama's political appointments of communist-leaning officers to the upper echelon of the Armed Forces Command at all levels.
Step one was completed Friday night with Pete Hegseth winning a 51-50 vote for confirmation. And while this may seem overkill, I don’t think it’s an issue to understate the opposition to Trump in establishment Washington, D.C.
On the other hand, in an older piece I recently came across thanks to Notes,
revealed how much of a value Donald Trump put on loyalty, writing: Donald Trump, Loyalty, and the New Political Momentum.It’s weird how that came out, but here’s a good quote. You’ll see in paragraph 3 why my interest was piqued:
This brings us to the idea of a “common-sense movement,” a concept I (and others) have been exploring. Could this be the next phase of American politics? And if so, what would it look like?
A common-sense movement isn’t about abandoning conservatism or libertarian principles. Instead, it’s about framing these principles in a way that resonates with everyday Americans. Policies like fiscal responsibility, energy independence, and national security aren’t inherently partisan—they’re rooted in common sense. By emphasizing these policies and stripping away the ideological baggage, a common-sense movement could unite voters across the political spectrum.
The Tea Party movement of the late 2000s offers some lessons here. Initially, it was a grassroots effort focused on fiscal responsibility and limited government. But over time, it became fragmented, infiltrated by opportunists, and ultimately lost its momentum. A common-sense movement must avoid these pitfalls by staying focused on practical solutions and resisting the urge to become overly ideological.
Shifting gears, I have often said in comments and social media that the class envy card isn’t accepted in my establishment. So I was pleased to read that
gets this as well.
It’s not money that is the problem. It’s power and force.
Exactly.
Every week, I am sent a series of Substacks chosen especially for me, like The Newlywed Game used to. Normally I shrug and read them, but in this case I’m passing one along from
.
I don’t remember the grandparents on my father’s side because they both died when I was a young child. But on my mom’s side I remember they were both working folk: Grandpa worked in a factory and Grandma was a nurse at a local hospital. While I don’t remember any huge life lessons from them, I do remember enjoying the week in the summer I got to spend with them by myself - all three of us kids had a week at their house, plus we always went at fair time.
I’m going to close this out with something about one of my favorite historical presidents thanks to Notes and
.
While this is about our 30th president, there is something for number 47 as well:
I like that Trump has moved this all inside and will have the whole thing wrapped up by 1 pm. The job needs to start immediately. A hundred years of government abuse doesn’t need a party; it needs a chainsaw.
Start up that Stihl, baby! While Coolidge and Reagan were best known for cutting government, Donald Trump has an approach that could emulate the best of lumberjacks if it works out.
Anyway, all that should keep a good reader going and thinking for awhile. Now I’ll keep collecting for next time, which may be only in a week or two the way things are going.
In the meantime, though, you can Buy Me a Coffee, since I have a page there now.
"Start up that Stihl, baby!" 😄 Another great selection Michael. And thank you again for your mention.