Political violence in Portland, Oreg. a sneak preview of our unraveling civil society if all Americans do not denounce it:
http://dailytorch.com/2019/07/political-violence-in-portland-oreg-a-sneak-preview-of-our-unraveling-civil-society-if-all-americans-do-not-denounce-it/

The scenes of political violence in Portland, Oreg. are just the beginning. The worst thing civil society can do in the face of it is nothing. A permissive environment is encouraging this violence and when it goes unanswered, opposing partisans appear to confront it in the streets. Assuming a state of political violence is not the America we want to live in and raise our families, it’s time to let the police do their jobs. Public officials that get in the way are complicit with staging that violence. The civil society must be restored. Everyone, Republicans, Democrats and everyone in between need to speak in unison against political violence — before it’s too late. This is a sneak preview of what’s coming to all of our hometowns if we do nothing. What do you think?

Democrats, media give Biden free pass on China, NAFTA and trade in first debate:
http://dailytorch.com/2019/07/democrats-media-give-biden-free-pass-on-china-nafta-and-trade-in-first-debate/

The first Democratic presidential primary debate is in the can, and it looks like the media and his Democratic opponents intend to protect former Vice President Joe Biden on the question of trade and not damage him in the primary. Biden voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1993, and permanent normal trade relations with China in 2000, but you wouldn’t know it if you watched the debate. The issue, especially on the second night of the debate when Biden was present, barely came up at all. No trade or China questions were directed at Biden. NAFTA was not even mentioned in either night of the debate. Are these Democrats running for union household votes in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan they lost to Trump in 2016, or what?

Reddit quarantines largest Trump subreddit r/The_Donald with over 750K followers as Trump announces social media summit to address censorship:
http://dailytorch.com/2019/06/reddit-quarantines-largest-trump-subreddit-r-the_donald-with-over-750k-followers/

In the latest round of social media censorship, Reddit has quarantined the largest subreddit in favor of President Donald Trump, r/The_Donald, with over 750,000 followers, restricting access. The move comes amid a crackdown of conservative content on social media platforms, with users on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube being censored, suspended, banned and demonetized and Trump calling for a social media summit to address the censorship. Can anything be done to save the free and open internet?

Big Tech’s bid for one-party rule could result in it getting regulated to death:
http://dailytorch.com/2019/06/big-techs-bid-for-one-party-rule-could-result-in-it-getting-regulated-to-death/

The alarming trends we’re seeing with Big Tech companies engaging in censorship in the pursuit of “fairness” look a lot like a bid for one party rule. And the thing about one party systems is, once you have one, it’s really, really hard to get rid of it and there’s no guarantee that your favored class will be represented in its leadership. Sometimes those who support the rise of such a system wind up being marginalized by it. Look no further than Elizabeth Warren who wants to break up Big Tech to see what lies at the end of that tunnel. Is it worth the risk? Be careful what you wish for.

EPA repeal of Clean Power Plan a step in the right direction, but carbon endangerment finding remains in place:
http://dailytorch.com/2019/06/epa-repeal-of-clean-power-plan-a-step-in-the-right-direction-but-carbon-endangerment-finding-remains-in-place/

The EPA under President Donald Trump has finally rescinded the Obama era Clean Power Plan that sought to end coal as a form of electricity and puts states in the driver’s seat in terms of regulating carbon emissions rates. But because Congress has left the 2009 carbon endangerment finding in place the probability is that carbon emissions will once again be regulated nationally as a harmful pollutant under the Clean Air Act and Democrats will implement the Green New Deal as soon as they are back in power. What do you think?

Nothing new in Mueller statement as Special Counsel all but urges impeachment:
http://dailytorch.com/2019/05/nothing-new-in-mueller-statement-as-special-counsel-all-but-urges-impeachment/

With a wink and a nod, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller dove into partisan politics to try and kickstart the Democratic House’s impeachment proceedings using his report as a roadmap. But at the same time, it is a half-hearted move. Mueller said he will not be testifying to Congress or saying anything beyond his written report, nor did he add any new information that was not already stated in the report. There was no conspiracy with Russia, the whole reason for the investigation, and any supposed obstruction was the President reacting to that fact. In the meantime, the American people are ready to move on. What do you think?

Sovereignty first political parties win EU elections in UK, France and Italy, as Biden runs for President of the World versus Trump:
http://dailytorch.com/2019/05/sovereignty-first-political-parties-win-eu-elections-in-uk-france-and-italy-as-biden-runs-for-president-of-the-world-versus-trump/

Political parties pushing sovereignty first policies did remarkably well in European Parliament elections in the UK, France and Italy in May as nations feel increasingly overregulated and held back by the European Union. And it could serve as a bellwether for the U.S. election across the pond in 2020, where President Donald Trump lines up his America first reelection bid and Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden runs for President of the World. In a fundraising call in April, Biden claimed, “I get calls from people all over the world — world leaders are calling me — and they’re almost begging me to do this, to save the country, save the world.” Can you believe this guy?

Did Smoot-Hawley alarmists get Trump tariffs wrong when they predicted another Great Depression?
http://dailytorch.com/2019/05/did-smoot-hawley-alarmists-get-trump-tariffs-wrong-when-they-predicted-another-great-depression/

In 2016, much of the conventional wisdom was that, if implemented, then-candidate Donald Trump’s tariffs would wreck the U.S. economy. It would have the same impact as the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Act, and so the prediction goes, lead to another Great Depression. Trump began levying tariffs on steel and aluminum in 2018, and in the second half of last year, hit China with a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of high-tech goods and another 10 percent on $200 billion of goods and then raised it this month to 25 percent. Growth in 2018 came in at 2.9 percent, the best since 2015, and the first quarter of 2019 surprised at 3.2 percent. Unemployment is at a 49-year low at 3.6 percent. Inflation is stable at 2.0 percent the past 12 months. Are we anywhere near 1930?

By calling for Trump impeachment for firing Comey, Amash is condoning the FISA spying abuse that led to the firing:
http://dailytorch.com/2019/05/by-calling-for-trump-impeachment-for-firing-comey-amash-is-condoning-the-fisa-spying-abuse-that-led-to-the-firing/

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash was against FISA spying abuses apparently until they were directed at President Donald Trump. Trump removed officials including James Comey from the FBI who abused their authorities by spying on the Trump campaign, the opposition party at the time in the 2016 election, based on false information that Trump was Russian agent, now debunked by the Mueller report, and Amash cries obstruction. Does Amash think Comey should have been promoted or something?

Did Christopher Steele, Fusion GPS, the Clinton campaign and the DNC just make up the Russia collusion hoax? http://dailytorch.com/2019/05/did-christopher-steele-fusion-gps-the-clinton-campaign-and-the-dnc-just-make-up-the-russia-collusion-hoax/

In Oct. 2016, former British spy Christopher Steele — author of the false allegation paid for by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign that President Donald Trump was a Russian agent — had with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kathleen Kavalec on Oct. 11, 2016. Kavalec debunked some of dubious claims Steele made, including a Russian consulate in Miami that did not exist running a hacking recruiting operation. Did Steele just make this stuff up?