The Artful Dilettante is a native of Pittsburgh, PA, and a graduate of Penn State University. He is a lover of liberty and a lifelong and passionate student of the same. He is voracious reader of books on the Enlightenment and the American colonial and revolutionary periods. He is a student of libertarian and Objectivist philosophies. He collects revolutionary war and period currency, books, and newspapers. He is married and the father of one teenage son. He is kind, witty, generous to a fault, and unjustifiably proud of himself. He is the life of the party and an unparalleled raconteur.
If nuclear negotiations fail and conflict arises with the United States, Iran will strike American bases in the region, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said Wednesday, days ahead of a planned sixth round of Iran-U.S. nuclear talks.
“Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don’t come to fruition. If a conflict is imposed on us… all U.S. bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries,” Nasirzadeh said during a press conference.
President Donald Trump has not ruled out bombing Iran if it does not reach a new nuclear deal.
The next round of talks is due this week, with Trump saying negotiations would be held on Thursday while Tehran says they will take place on Sunday in Oman.
Iran is expected to hand a counter-proposal to a previous U.S. offer for a nuclear deal it rejected, with Trump reacting Tuesday that Iran is becoming “much more aggressive” in nuclear talks.
Nasirzadeh added Tehran recently tested a missile with a two-ton warhead and does not accept limitations. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had said in February that Iran should further develop its military, including its missiles.
After almost 25 years of freerepublic.com being a rare bastion of sanity in this crazy world, I will be ending my time as a member of this once great site.
The quality of FR has degraded to the point that I no longer find much usage for the site that I can’t find on other platforms and sources. I have had multiple conversations with many freepers, both in the forum and privately and many of them agree with some of my points of contention:
A) The primary reason I am leaving is the failure of FR to address the rising and blatant antisemitism on here. Yes, a vast majority of freepers call them out and see right through it but the failure of the FR leadership to deal with this issue is not acceptable. There are a few dozen of these posters on here who have a very clear track record of posting their jew-hatred over and over again. Of course they will mask it under the cover of “I’m criticizing Israel, not Jews” or “I’m an American Firster” label or my favorite one “I’m an Appalachian Christian”. But if you look closely at what they comment on and how they do it, it is clear they have a JEW problem. These posters will ignore the atrocities committed by the same types of people who committed 9/11, killed RFK, blew up the USS cole, the marine barracks in Lebanon, shot up a club in Florida and countless other horrific acts that have killed and maimed thousands of people, orphaned many children, and left multi-thousands of grieving loved ones behind. The moral corsmpass of these posters is quite shocking to say the least. And they always use the same tropes–foreign aid, the USS Liberty incident, war-mongering BiBi, AIPAC controls xxxxxx, and my favorite one is when they link to sites like the UN and Amnesty International as their “proof” that Israel is violating some international “law”. Some are more blunt and vicious than others, but it’s come to the point where much of my time is spent responding and commenting to the crazies on here. And of course most of them will deny they hate Jews, they just don’t want American foreign policy dictated by Israel etc….. FR is not twitter and is supposedly a tightly monitored site of like minded conservative individuals. Most of these loonies should be formally warned or banned, but they are not. Whatever happened to zotting?
B) Another significant reason I’m leaving is sadly, the quality of the discourse here. This was a website that was once feared as a threat by the left and helped expose the Dan Rather scandal. Those days are long gone. There was a time when I would come on here to get genuine and insightful opinions on politics and world events from intelligent people. Many of my political understandings and positions over the years were molded from what I read on this forum. Nowadays most of the comments to the real issues facing the USA are nothing more than silly venting comments in the vein of “we should lock up everyone of these rioters and throw away the key” or “Trump needs to fire these judges ASAP” or “It’s time for public tarring and feathering to return” level of quality. I can read through multiple threads without finding a useful insight to glean from it. It is really nothing more than venting and wishful thinking but not really practical–the same level of commentary can be found on a foxnews comments section. The personal assaults and attacks levied against each other don’t bother me so much and are often a natural response and I do sometimes like seeing someone get slammed down. I know I have been guilty of some crude and impolite commenting over the years. It’s the overall value of the content that has declined.
C) As a follow up to B, A vast majority of the articles that are being posted nowadays are from very mainstream fake news sources such as the NYtimes/Reuters/AP/DailyMail/MSNBC/CNN/SFGate etc… with a solid supplement of other almost useless sources such as foxnews/nypost/breitbart. Any halfway intelligent freeper on here KNOWS darn well that there’s NOTHING useful published on these websites or articles so the comments turn into nothing more than “this article is such fake news” and similar style comments. It’s the same story over and over and over again and we all point it out. But real thought provoking ideas are not to be found. And of course we have the endless BOMBSHELLS and BOOMS and BREAKING headlines from the gateway pundit and dailymail posted on a daily basis that never amount to anything. Sites like American Thinker / townhall / Sultan Knish and some others are the only ones with real content worthy of real discussion If anyone dares to post some thought provoking article from some small blog or some less-known unfamiliar site, you’re instantly accused of blog-pimping. As a lead on to my next issue, the same news event is often posted multiple times just from a different source.
D) Leadership–I know I’m going to get flamed hard for this but who is steering the ship here at FR nowadays? I have much respect for Jim and what he’s built but I really feel like he only appears when appealing for money. He certainly is not actively involved in leading and guiding the site into the future. Perhaps it is time to pass the torch on to someone else who can keep the site as a useful and relevant place on the internet. Sadly, I feel that there is no one clearly calling the shots and no leadership here anymore
E) My final issue with FR is the functionality of the site. There hasn’t been a single update to this site since I joined. Not a thing. No, we don’t need flashy profiles and avatars and other silly bells and jingles but it’s 2025 and simple features like the ability to edit your comment or even delete it would be nice. A like and dislike option to a post would also be a nice feature and save a lot of the commenting issues I mentioned above. The ability to respond inline to comments would also make the flow much easier–If someone makes a comment at #12 and I dont join in until comment #93, I’m forced to copy/paste what they wrote so my comment can be understood in context. And no in 2025, I shouldn’t have to use html to post a picture. The breaking news is often hours behind an actual event happening. The search features are primitive at best. The site can still be very basic looking but can still be user-friendly.
Protests that sprang up in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement raids and prompted President Donald Trump to mobilize National Guard troops and Marines have begun to spread across the country, with more planned into the weekend.
From Seattle and Austin to Chicago and Washington, D.C., marchers have chanted slogans, carried signs against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and snarled traffic through downtown avenues and outside federal offices. While many have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement as officers made arrests and used chemical irritants to disperse crowds.
Activists are planning more and even larger demonstrations in the coming days, with “No Kings” events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump’s planned military parade through Washington.
The Trump administration said it would continue its program of raids and deportations despite the protests.
ICE will continue to enforce the law,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted Tuesday on social media.
There is not a single fact, much less a body of them, that you and a lefty can agree upon to start a conversation about The Orange Man.
Consuming biased media distorts what Democrats believe drives and informs conservatives. This effect does not go in the other direction. Everything we know about Democrats spews, ceaselessly, from their lips and major media. Everything they think they know about us comes from media propaganda, out-of-context video clips, and other loony bins who don’t speak for the right.
This misrepresentation results in statements to Donald Trump supporters like, “I guess you’re OK with Trump turning the country into a fascist dictatorship.” In addition to inviting a debate about Trump’s intentions, this challenges you to defend how you can be such a blind, gullible idiot unable to see the obvious truth. See: “Do you still beat your wife?”
Recently, a left-leaning friend proposed we attempt a civil conversation, in writing, about several subjects including climate change (yes, I broke my own rule). The conversation was civil and respectful, but we could not agree on any scientific expert or study that we could use as a common starting point. So, the conversation went nowhere concerning changing minds or openness to new information by either side.
The science is settled, and arguing that “settled science” is an oxymoron will get you nowhere. You’re a denier. There is only one rightthink.
Leftist Don’t Actually Want a Conversation Trump haters may demand from you, the hapless Trumpanzee, an explanation for how you can be so stupid. They call it a “conversation,” but it’s a cross-examination.
The lefty will start with some variant of: “How could you vote for a sexist, racist, homophobic, convicted rapist who is guilty of 473 felonies?”
You could respond, “Why did you vote for a vacuous, incoherent, babbling drunken whore?” But this will not work. Only Trump’s, and your, shortcomings are on the docket. So don’t answer.
After becoming frustrated at your insolence, some will demand to know why you won’t “defend” your decision. Here’s the answer: “Because I am not a defendant, counselor.”
Lefties seem to feel entitled to an explanation for your decision-making, while assuming they require none for theirs, because they are so obviously right. Another tack they take is, “If we can’t talk about this, how do we solve the problem?” What problem? My guy’s in, doing exactly what I elected him to do.
Here’s the root cause (lefties love looking for root causes) of the problem communicating across party lines: There is not a single fact, much less a body of them, that you and a lefty can agree upon to start a conversation about The Orange Man. None. That’s why it can’t happen.
One thing I’ve said repeatedly since January 20 is that it’s nice to have adults in charge again. Terrorists, criminals, and radical leftists with wacky agendas aren’t able to run amok and do whatever they want anymore, especially when they’re using our taxpayer dollars to do so or they’re putting the safety of our communities and our national security at risk.
That’s exactly what’s going on in Los Angeles right now. The Democrats who are supposed to be in charge of protecting their constituents and their best interests are doing anything but as riots break out across the city. President Donald Trump is proving, once again, that he’s the only grown-up in charge by attempting to put a stop to all of this before it escalates into the types of situations we’ve witnessed before. Think back to the summer of 2020 when the George Floyd protests broke out. That led to the “the costliest civil unrest in U.S. history.”
That’s one reason why Trump won reelection, and it’s why he remains so popular with people even outside of his base. He’s restoring law and order to our country while incompetent Democrats encourage lawlessness that only hurts United States citizens.
As the chaos in Los Angeles rages on, Democrats seem convinced that they’re crafting a political advantage out of the destruction. Gov. Gavin Newsom is treating the crisis like a campaign launch for his 2028 presidential bid, while Mayor Karen Bass, at least physically present this time, continues to do virtually nothing to protect the people she was elected to serve. Her performance in-state isn’t much better than when she was off vacationing in Ghana during the January fires.
Of course, all know these riots really have little to do nothing to do with immigration. They’re the same old actors pushing their same tired radical agenda and using immigration as an excuse to do so. The left cares nothing about immigrants, illegal or otherwise — it only cares about power and control.
Because if leftists did actually care about people, they’d take a look at the list of illegal immigrants that the Trump administration has taken out of Los Angeles in recent days and go out into the streets and celebrate and applaud the president for making the city and the state of California safer.
That includes people like Cuong Chanh Phan, a 49-year-old Vietnamese national and gang member with a previous conviction for second-degree murder. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “Phan and his gang member associates were asked to leave a high school graduation party following a dispute. They returned with semiautomatic weapons and fired shots at 30 partygoers. Dennis Buan, 18, of South Pasadena and David Hang, 15, of San Marino, California were killed, and seven others were wounded.”
That also includes people like Mexican nationals Eswin Uriel Castro, who has previous convictions of “child molestation and being armed with a dangerous weapon and previous arrests for robbery and domestic violence,” and Cielo Vivar Ubaldo, who has convictions for “sex with a minor, narcotics violations, and hit-and-run.” Oh yeah, and this ain’t the first time either guy has been deported.
Or what about Filipino national Rolando Veneracion-Enriquez? According to DHS, the 55-year-old’s criminal history “includes burglary in Ontario, CA with a sentence of four years in prison, sexual penetration with a foreign object with force and assault with intent to commit rape in Pomona, CA with a sentence of 37 years in prison.”
That also includes people like Mexican nationals Eswin Uriel Castro, who has previous convictions of “child molestation and being armed with a dangerous weapon and previous arrests for robbery and domestic violence,” and Cielo Vivar Ubaldo, who has convictions for “sex with a minor, narcotics violations, and hit-and-run.” Oh yeah, and this ain’t the first time either guy has been deported.
Or what about Filipino national Rolando Veneracion-Enriquez? According to DHS, the 55-year-old’s criminal history “includes burglary in Ontario, CA with a sentence of four years in prison, sexual penetration with a foreign object with force and assault with intent to commit rape in Pomona, CA with a sentence of 37 years in prison.”
The Trump administration also recently detained Russian national Dzhakhar Aslambekov for “credit card fraud in government assistance programs” and Nicaraguan national Anastacio Enrique Solis Salinas, who has “convictions for domestic violence and hit and run, and a previous arrest for willful cruelty to a child.”
Mexican national Rafael Gamez-Sanchez, who has a conviction for vehicular manslaughter, was also arrested, as was Miguel Angel Palafox Montes, another “Mexican national with convictions for grand theft, narcotics violations, and identity theft, and previous arrests for battery and burglary.”
The mainstream media woulnever share this list with you. They’re too busy pushing their fake “peaceful protests” narrative to tell people what’s really happening, that President Trump is restoring law and order to our nation.
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Sarah Anderson is a freelance writer and journalist. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out on her small farm, swimming, traveling, yelling at a football game, or watching State Department briefings for fun.
ICE bad, illegals rioting good. You can bet that’s Democrats’ calculation. Riots have been underway in Los Angeles. Mask-wearing provocateurs are waving Mexican flags. LA is their Mount Suribachi. A lot of people say that if illegals love Mexico so much, then go back home. But they miss the point. What’s happening in LA is about conquest.
Hoisting Mexican flags on U.S. soil stakes a claim. This real estate is ours, declare the troublemakers, among whom are surely homegrown leftist agitators. LA, in part, smells like a George Floyd riots redo. In this instance, federal agents, acting on behalf of American citizens, are being fought. The feds tucking tail is the aim. Meanwhile, Democrats are quiet. Well, not exactly quiet, but there is no full-throated condemnation of the punks and agitators inflicting mayhem on law enforcement and innocent Angelenos. We hear weasel words instead.
LA mayor Karen Bass’ moral outrage is reserved for the ICE raids. ICE is instigating “terror in our communities,” says Bass, who was junketing in Africa earlier in the year as the Palisades burned. Violence needs to be met with (wait for it)… peaceful responses. Translated: law enforcement and the National Guard need to scram.
Says wine-tippling Kamala Harris, in pure Orwellian fashion, Trump’s deployment of National Guard units is a “dangerous escalation and cruel.”
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez visited a detention center. He deplored the conditions. Detainees, claimed the big-hearted congressman, lack food, water, and medicine. A bogus allegation but nifty propaganda.
LA County supervisor Janice Hahn came out for peaceful protests without condemning the lawbreakers and their violence.
Maybe these California Democrats would have preferred Trump deploying crisis counselors? A little kumbaya goes a long way, right?
Democrats always sing from the same song sheet. A unified front is a leftist tactic that Democrats picked up. They’re all calling for peaceful protests (after the fact) and deploring the National Guard’s deployment. With mobs attacking ICE agents, with rioters looting and damaging property, with LA citizens being terrorized, the only response is a show of force. If the bad guys don’t back down, then force is the recourse. And don’t hesitate to deploy more National Guard units if warranted.
We know what the Democrats’ prescription is for stopping the street violence. Just call off the ICE raids, Mr. President. Leave illegal immigrants alone. (Wink, wink), the riots will cease.
Never mind that the Trump administration’s priority is removing the worst criminals among “undocumented immigrants.” In the early going, border czar Tom Homan and Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem have had striking success in locating and deporting Tren de Aragua desperados, as well as MS-13 gangbangers. Who do these cold-blooded gangsters prey on first? Innocents in Latino communities. Surely, Democrats favor Trump administration initiatives to root out the worst criminal elements in communities they say they champion?
The open secret is that Democrats need lots of illegal aliens. Replenishing their constituencies with the undocumented is critical for political success. What they fear is further ICE roundups leading to deportations of ever larger numbers of illegals. Their fear isn’t without basis. Tom Homan has commented that greater numbers of apprehensions are required. For Democrats, depleting illegals’ populations and sealing the southern border is a recipe for political disaster.
Democrats’ principal fear is the next U.S. census. Every ten years, national census counts matter in terms of federal dollars allocated, U.S. House representation, and in allocation of electoral votes by state. If the 2030 census shifts House seats to red states, it’ll mean shifting Electoral College votes. Blue states will pay dearly. An apt example is California, Ground Zero for the current battles with ICE.
Meanwhile, California and New York, which have seen significant population outflows this decade, are projected to lose four [California] and two districts respectively. For California, this would be only the second time in its history it has lost representation (the first was this decade when the Golden State lost one seat).
Red states gains would cause Democrats to struggle to win the U.S. House and the presidency. Fewer federal dollars crimps Democrats’ ability to pay off voters. Retaining and boosting illegal populations are imperative for California and every blue state on the map. And, yes, illegals were counted in 2020, ensuring that Democrat losses were minimized.
Pew Research, which keeps tabs on the Census Bureau’s “undocumented migrant” counts, estimated that 10.5 million illegals were added in the 2020 census count. Pew reports that as of 2022, that number had climbed to 11 million. That’s still below the peak — 12.2 million in 2007 — when George W. Bush was in the White House. Surprisingly, Barack Obama earned the monicker “Deporter-in-Chief” for his record of booting illegals. With Biden’s election, Democrats decided not to make that mistake again.
Nonetheless, we await census estimates since 2022. Given the high volume of illegal entrants from 2023 to the end of Biden’s term, expect those numbers to reach or surpass the Bush presidency high.
The Trump administration, congressional Republicans, and conservative groups are using executive orders, legislation, and litigation to contest including illegals in the 2030 census. If Republicans succeed, Democrats will find themselves in a world of hurt.
But Democrats do have a window to change the dynamic in their favor. In 2028, let’s say Andy Beshears or Roy Cooper or Gavin Newsom is elected president. Whoever the Democrat, he’ll declare a blanket amnesty and sign an executive order — or legislation, if Democrats run Congress — granting quick paths to citizenship. It’ll be done in the name of community and compassion and harmony. Not only will the millions of illegals among us benefit, but the many millions to come. And Democrats will have done everything possible to get the 2030 census to again count illegals.
The U.S.-Mexican border, shut tight by Donald Trump, will reopen. Got to keep the pipeline flowing. Yes, sirree, America will be transformed and you’ll like it. If you don’t, tough luck, because Democrats will possess the authority backed by millions of immigrantes.
As critical as the 2024 election was, the 2028 presidential contest will be of complimentary consequence. (No less critical, the 2026 midterms need Republican victories to hold the House.) Failure to elect J.D. Vance president — or, if not Vance, any worthy successor to Trump — means the Trump administration’s hard-won gains will be lost. The 2030s, which MAGA Republicans should dominate, may, at best, be a decade’s worth of contested ground. At worst, Democrats, boosted by illegal immigrant populations and a reopened border, could prevail.
The LA riots underway are a battlefront in a larger war. Illegals are declaring that American turf is theirs, and Democrats tacitly support the claim. An aim is to de-Americanize America. That alone may satisfy those who hate the stars and stripes, but for grasping Democrats, the goal is, and forever shall be, power — its acquisition, increase, and retention. The Mexican flags waving over LA streets are mostly about that.
J. Robert Smith can be found at X. His handle is @JRobertSmith1. At Gab, @JRobertSmith. He blogs occasionally at Flyover.
California – it’s one of the top states in the nation for lots of things, like gas prices, traffic, and blackouts. Visit California, and get a little glimpse into the future of any socialist nation.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s floated potential run for the White House in 2028 was likely thwarted by his handling of the anti-ICE riots gripping Los Angeles, conservative social media critics predict.
Newsom has been floated as a likely 2028 Democratic contender for the White House as he wraps up his second term as governor in 2026. Riots plaguing the city in response to the Trump administration’s efforts to remove illegal immigrants residing in Los Angeles, which come on the heels of massive wildfires that rocked southern California this winter, have left Newsom on precarious political ground, according to conservatives who are balking at his response to the LA chaos.
“Gavin Newsom’s odds of clinching the 2028 presidential race are practically nonexistent,” X user Angela Belcamino posted Monday. “Across the country, Americans are eyeing California’s struggles under his watch, convinced he’d unleash the same chaos nationwide if he ever won the White House.”
“Gavin Newsom’s handling of the LA riots should be considered an in-kind contribution to the @JDVance 2028 presidential campaign. Newsom is providing a lot of ad material for free,” one social media account posted on Sunda
“Notice how Newsom has no adverse commentary about the rioters – he saves all his venom for American authorities,” author and retired Army Col. James Hutton posted to X Sunday. “This is why he has no chance to be president one day. Most Americans tend to believe in this country.”
Many critics of the riots unfolding in Los Angeles argued that photos of the scene would live in infamy and dash any hopes Newsom may hold on running for president. Some users remarked that the photos depicting rioters surrounded by flames and smoke while waving a Mexican flag “will cost Newsom his 2028 presidential run,” and that the Trump administration couldn’t have asked for better” representation of California politics captured in photos.
The communist behind the “organic” riots in Los Angeles and across the country are being funded by Neville Singham, according to DataRepublican and Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.
Neville Singham is the man funding these riots. It’s not about illegal Hispanics. They’re just using them for propaganda. They are actual Communists. TY for the deep dive.
Hundreds took to the streets this weekend: blocking roads, attacking federal officers, even burning flags. But this wasn’t “spontaneous outrage.” This was organized. Funded. Coordinated. Here’s a breakdown of the groups, the money, and the people pulling the strings. Patience as I assemble the thread and verify information in real time
Hundreds took to the streets this weekend: blocking roads, attacking federal officers, even burning flags. But this wasn’t “spontaneous outrage.”
This was organized. Funded. Coordinated.
Here’s a breakdown of the groups, the money, and the people pulling the strings.
A number of NGOs have been implicated in this. Foremost is Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights or CHIRLA, and the photos of signs show they were printed by PSLWEB / Party for Socialism and Liberation.
CHIRLA has the EIN of 954421521. Most of its private funding appears to be from DAFs, which are the hardest to trace. However 34 million of its reported 45 million in revenue are from government grants.
In their most recent year, CHIRLA jumped from 12 million to 34 million in government grants. Nice!
However, this is probably from CA – “only” 450K in federal grants.
THE ARTFUL DILETTANTE 