Nobody would be the ideal Federal Reserve chair

Nobody knows best how to manage the U.S. economy. Nobody even knows what the correct interest rate should be. Nobody would make the perfect Federal Reserve chairman.

Nobody for Fed Chairman | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul: 

July 28, 2025 - "President Trump has recently suggested that, unless Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell cuts interest rates, the president might revert to his The Apprentice days and tell Powell, 'you’re fired.' President Trump backtracked on firing Powell after the president’s comments caused stock markets to fall. However, it is almost certain that President Trump will not reappoint Powell when Powell’s term ends in May.

"Media reports indicate the leading candidates to replace Powell include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, former Federal Reserve Board Governor Kevin Warsh, and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. A more interesting question than who will replace Powell is why would anyone want to, since the next Fed chairman will likely face another Fed-caused meltdown.

"The national debt is over 37 trillion dollars and rising. Yet few in Congress are serious about cutting federal spending. This puts pressure on the Fed to keep interest rates low to limit the cost of ongoing debt interest payments. So, the Fed continues monetizing the debt, pumping more money into the economy, weakening the dollar’s purchasing power, and eroding the American people’s standard of living. 

"The Federal Reserve’s low interest rate policy also distorts the market, leading to the bubble-boom-and-bust business cycle that has plagued the American economy since the last link between the dollar and gold was severed in 1971.

"The Fed’s job is also made more difficult by a reduced demand for Treasury securities among investors, causing the Fed to increase its purchases. This pumps more money into the economy, further eroding the dollar’s value.

"Concerns about the national debt’s effect on monetary policy are a key factor behind the recent increase in gold prices and the interest in cryptocurrencies. The danger posed by the national debt is one reason why foreign countries are increasing their gold holdings and considering challenging the US dollar’s world reserve currency status.

"Whoever succeeds Jerome Powell as Fed chairman will face a no-win choice. He could try to keep interest rates low to ensure the federal government’s interest payments remain manageable, at the cost of making it more likely the US economy will face another Federal Reserve caused meltdown. Instead, he could try increasing rates to limit price increases thus raising the cost of managing government (and private sector) debt to unsustainable levels, throwing the economy into a severe downturn.

"Congress members and President Trump are attacking Chairman Powell for spending over two billion dollars on Federal Reserve headquarters renovations. This is a waste of taxpayer money, but it pales in comparison to the harm suffered by the American people because of the Federal Reserve’s inflationary policies.

"Treasury Secretary Bessent has suggested expanding the investigation beyond the costs of renovating the Fed headquarters to examination of 'the entire Federal Reserve institution' to determine if the Fed has 'succeeded in its mission.' This suggests Secretary Bessent would support passing the Audit the Fed legislation, which is a step toward returning to a constitutional and sound monetary policy. However, anyone who understands Austrian economics knows a fiat money system managed by a secretive central bank can never succeed in creating lasting prosperity and will eventually crash the economy.

"No person or persons can know the 'correct' interest rates, and the Federal Reserve’s attempts to control interest rates are destructive like other central planning. The proper answer to who should be Fed chairman is … nobody."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/nobody-for-fed-chairman/

Montreal church fined for hosting Christian singer

The Democracy Fund has taken on the legal defence of the Montreal church fined for having U.S. Christian singer Sean Feucht perform at one of its services. 

Montreal church fined for worship service; TDF takes on legal defence | The Democracy Fund (news release):

Sean Feucht in 2021.  Photo by
Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons.

July 28, 2025 - "The Democracy Fund [TDF] has stepped in to represent Ministerios Restauración/Église MR — the Montreal church at which US-based artist Sean Feucht worshipped on July 25, 2025. 

"Ministerios Restauracion Church was issued a ticket with a fine in the amount of $2,500 for engaging in Christian worship at a Friday service. 

"Video shows police entering the Church before or during the worship service. Later, protesters attempted to forcefully shut it down.

"Feucht, a Christian musician and activist known for leading large outdoor worship events across the U.S., was in Montreal as part of a Canadian visit. His presence drew criticism from local activist groups.

"Officials accused the Church of violating municipal bylaws related to event permits or zoning. However, no such regulations prohibit regular worship gatherings.

"TDF litigation director, Mark Joseph, said:

 'Freedom of religion is a fundamental freedom under s.2(a) of the Charter: you do not need permission or a permit from the government to worship at a church in Canada. It is absurd to suggest otherwise, and it risks setting a dangerous precedent that will extend to all religions. TDF and its lawyers intend to fight this matter and are eager to respond to this obvious Charter infringement in court.'....

"Legal fees are expected to be sizable in this case, but TDF is committed to supporting religious freedom for all Canadians. We will need your help to defend the Ministerios Restauración Church: please consider making a charitable donation to TDF. 

"Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education, and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education and supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic."

Read more (or donate) here: https://www.thedemocracyfund.ca/montreal_church_fined_for_worship_service_tdf_takes_legal_action

Double standard in Lich-Barber prosecution

"The selective prosecution (or non-prosecution) of offences committed by protesters, based on the protesters’ political views rather than on their behaviour, is a serious affront to the rule of law."

The Glaring Double Standard in the Prosecution of Lich and Barber | Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms | John Carpay:

July 24, 2025 - "If Chris Barber and Tamara Lich had organized a series of massive rallies in Ottawa to protest the federal government’s failure to control the earth’s climate, would they have been criminally charged with mischief and held responsible for clogging up Ottawa’s downtown core?... If the rude anti-Trudeau flags displayed by some truckers had instead been rainbow flags, or Hamas flags, would the federal government have declared a national emergency, and used violence against peaceful protesters? And would Crown prosecutors now be asking for an eight-year jail sentence for Barber and seven for Lich? 

"Sadly, these are questions that must be asked in light of what appears to be a glaring double standard that sees crimes in Canada being prosecuted — or ignored — depending on the politics of the protesters.

"In July 2021, 'protesters' tore down and damaged a large statue of Queen Victoria on the [Manitoba] Legislature grounds, in broad daylight, with police watching.... In February 2022, Manitoba Justice announced that, while property destruction was a crime and not a valid exercise of freedom of expression, none of the criminals would be prosecuted!... In March 2020, protesters blockaded railroads across Canada in the name of stopping oil and gas development.... Prime Minister Trudeau offered to meet with them, and police did little.... Less than two years later, thousands of Canadians, including many truckers, assembled peacefully in Ottawa to protest vaccine mandates. The prime minister refused to meet with them, declared a 'national emergency,' and then the protesters were met by the force of armed police and had their bank accounts frozen.

"On May 11, 2020, lone protester Cody Haller was arrested, dragged out of the Alberta legislature grounds, and given a $1,200 dollar ticket. The 'rule of law' was apparently very important when people protested against the violation of their Charter freedoms: complete and total obedience to health orders was expected.... A few weeks later, neither police nor Crown prosecutors objected to anti-racism protests across Canada that were clearly in violation of public health orders. In Regina, the chief of police spoke at one of these clearly illegal rallies.... 

"The selective prosecution (or non-prosecution) of offences committed by protesters, based on the protesters’ political views rather than on their behaviour, is a serious affront to the rule of law.

Chris Barber and Tamara Lich. CBC photos.

"Crown prosecutors in Ottawa are now seeking jail sentences for Barber and Lich that are too rarely imposed on people convicted of serious crimes. The Crown also seeks to confiscate Barber’s truck, affectionately known as Big Red, even though Barber had followed instructions from Ottawa police about where to park Big Red, and later moved Big Red after police requested him to do so. The Crown does not dispute that the Freedom Convoy, in which thousands of people participated over the course of three weeks, was devoid of the violence, vandalism, arson, threats, and other criminal conduct that frequently characterize other protests.... 

"When convicting Lich and Barber of criminal mischief, the judge noted that 'Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber consistently said this was to be a peaceful protest. There are no messages, Tik Tok or otherwise, where they used violence or threats of same. They did not incite or aid supporters in engaging in intimidating, aggressive or threatening behaviors by their mischief or blocking roads. They were not trying to intimidate the downtown residents....There are no words spoken where they suggested to make it difficult for police to do their lawful duties. The actions of the Accused on their respective arrests were consistent with what they told their followers; their actions led by example'....

"Lich has already spent 49 days in jail. Both Lich and Barber have been subjected to more than three years of criminal proceedings, while Crown prosecutors in Ontario claim that they lack adequate resources to prosecute murders and other serious crimes.

"The double standard in law enforcement in Canada is glaring. If the judge imposes any jail time on Lich, Barber, or both, it will bring the administration of justice into grave disrepute in the minds of millions of Canadians, and further tear our social fabric."

Read more: https://www.jccf.ca/epoch-times-the-glaring-double-standard-in-the-prosecution-of-lich-and-barber/ 
– or Read this column in Epoch Times

A personal message from John Carpay as we await Chris Barber’s sentencing | Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms | July 23, 2025: 

U.S. foreign policy led to chaos in Syria

The civil war in Syria is the result of more than 13 years of U.S. government foreign policy.

America’s Syrian Civil War | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

July 21, 2025 - "As Syria descends into full-scale civil war, with more than a thousand people killed in just the last few days, it may be a good time to remember the phrase, 'Assad must go.' That was the slogan the regime-changers rolled out some 14 years ago during the 'Arab Spring' that was supposed to usher liberal democracies into power throughout the region.

"From Tunisia to Egypt to Libya and on to Syria, the plan was to remake the Middle East according to the will of Washington’s 'master planners.' The State Department, the media, the Pentagon, and the think tanks fed by the military-industrial complex were all enthusiastically on-board the program because making war and overthrowing governments is their bread and butter.

"If the United States pursued a foreign policy of non-interventionism as laid out by our Founders the massive 'national security state' would cease to exist. We would return to being a republic and they would have to return to honest work.

"Instead, a determined effort that took nearly 14 years finally produced the 'regime change” in Syria last December that the neocons wanted. Assad did finally go – to exile in Russia – but as is always the case with US-directed regime change, his replacement was even worse. Imagine all those years fighting the 'war on terror' and then cheering when a branch of al-Qaeda takes power in Syria. Yet that’s exactly what happened, with President Trump going so far as to praise Syria’s self-appointed president as, 'a tough guy, a fighter, with a very strong background.'

"Assad, like Libya’s Gaddafi and the others targeted for 'regime change,' was no saint. But as with Libya, we are seeing the chaos unleashed by US intervention in Syria is making the country far worse than before. Libya has remained in chaos and civil war for the past decade, with no future for its people. That seems to be what is in store for Syria as well. The new, unelected regime has slaughtered Alawites and Christians from nearly day one, and last week turned its guns on the Druze minority. A country of many different faiths and ethnic groups has been ripped apart, probably for good.

"Those pushing regime change all these years called us 'Assad apologists' when we cautioned against intervention. We should not expect an apology now that their regime change has achieved the opposite of what they promised....

"Centrally-planned economies produce luxury for the elites and poverty for everyone else. Yet the US foreign policy establishment believes it can centrally plan the government, economy, and even religion of countries thousands of miles away and about which it knows nothing. Once again we can see how wrong they are and what destruction their actions cause.

"Syria’s descent into mayhem and violence is another tragic reminder that Washington’s neocons are very good at undermining and overthrowing governments abroad that refuse to 'play ball' according to DC rules, but when it comes to actually bringing anything of value from the chaos they create they are hopelessly incompetent. In Syria the damage is done, and future generations will continue to suffer from the cruel folly of those convinced they know how to run everyone else’s lives."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/americas-syrian-civil-war/

Libertarian Harris runs in Battle River - Crowfoot

Mike Harris has registered as the Libertarian Party of Canada candidate for the August byelection in Battle River - Crowfoot.

2025 Candidates | Michael Harris | Libertarian Party of Canada:

"Something exciting is happening in Alberta.

"Michael Harris, our candidate in the Battle River–Crowfoot by-election being held August 18th, is putting Liberty front and center in a daring by-election bid against Pierre Poilievre. While the political establishment repeats the same tired promises, Michael and his team are doing something bold — travelling town to town, talking to real people about real freedom.

"This is the unmistakable energy of a vibrant and determined movement.

"We’re reaching out to you not just to share the good news, but to invite you to be a part of it. Whether it’s helping on the ground, spreading the word, or simply staying connected, your involvement matters more than ever. This is our moment to show Canadians that liberty is more than a talking point — it’s a principle worth fighting for.

"If you'd like to join the team in Battle River–Crowfoot or donate to his campaign, visit Michael’s website at www.michaelharrisformp.ca or you reach Michael Harris directly at michaelharrisformp@gmail.com, or contact us at communications@libertarian.ca. Getting involved in this campaign puts the message of liberty in front of voters at a pivotal moment — while the opposition leader seeks a new seat, we’re offering Canadians a new voice. Opportunities to contribute are wide open, and now is the time to step in and ride the wave of growing Libertarian momentum.

"Thank you for being part of something bigger. Together, we're building a freer future — one principled candidate, one riding, and one conversation at a time."

https://www.libertarian.ca/michael_harris

RCMP ordered to produce account freeze records

Court compels RCMP and TD Bank to hand over records related to freezing of peaceful protestor’s bank accounts Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (news release):

July 4, 2025 - "The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice has ordered the RCMP and TD Bank to produce records relating to the freezing of Mr. Evan Blackman’s bank accounts during the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest.

Evan Blackman (photo courtesy Evan Blackman).

"Mr. Blackman was arrested in downtown Ottawa on February 18, 2022, during the federal government’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act. He was charged with mischief and obstruction, but he was acquitted of these charges at trial in October 2023. However, the Crown appealed Mr. Blackman’s acquittal in 2024, and a new trial is scheduled to begin on August 14, 2025. 

"Mr. Blackman is seeking the records concerning the freezing of his bank accounts to support an application under the Charter at his upcoming retrial. His lawyers plan to argue that the freezing of his bank accounts was a serious violation of his rights, and are asking the court to stay the case accordingly.

"'The freezing of Mr. Blackman’s bank accounts was an extreme overreach on the part of the police and the federal government,' says constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury. 'These records will hopefully reveal exactly how and why Mr. Blackman’s accounts were frozen,' he says. Mr. Blackman agreed, saying, 'I’m delighted that we will finally get records that may reveal why my bank accounts were frozen.' 

"This ruling marks a significant step in what is believed to be the first criminal case in Canada involving a proposed Charter application based on the freezing of personal bank accounts under the Emergencies Act."

https://www.jccf.ca/court-compels-rcmp-and-td-bank-to-hand-over-records-related-to-freezing-of-peaceful-protestors-bank-accounts/

Official Epstein story not the only one to question

It is good to see people questioning the Justice Department's claims on Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged client list. The advancement of liberty requires a widespread questioning of authority. 

Mistrusting Government about Epstein and More | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

July 14, 2025 - "Last week the Department of Justice announced that Jeffrey Epstein did not maintain a 'client list' of prominent individuals who may have broken the law at Epstein’s private island.... In February, in response to a question about when Epstein’s client list would be made public, Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had it on her desk and would soon release it. She now says she meant she had a file related to Epstein, not the Epstein client list. 

"The Justice Department also claimed it did a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death and can definitively say that Epstein committed suicide even though an autopsy paid for by Epstein’s brother concluded that Epstein was likely murdered.

"The Justice Department’s announcement last week was met with outrage, much of it coming from some of President’s Trump’s most prominent allies, such as popular media figures Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Benny Johnson.

"The willingness of so many Trump allies to openly criticize the Epstein announcement and other actions like the bombing of Iran is a positive development. 

"Advancing liberty requires that more people refuse to automatically trust government officials, whether concerning Epstein, wars, the economy, or other important matters.

"Widespread questioning of government presents an opportunity for the liberty movement. Those who understand the philosophy, history, and economics of liberty can explain that it is not just that some government officials lie. Instead, all governments lie, and the more important the issue the bigger the lie. In fact, the modern state is built on a series of lies, including:

• that the moral prohibitions against murder and theft do not apply to the government,
• that government regulations protect consumers, workers, and small businesses from greedy corporations,
• that the best way to help the poor is through government bureaucracies, not private charities,
• that government bureaucrats know a child’s educational needs better than do the child’s parents,
• that the US government is justified in intervening in countries around the world because the US is an exceptional force for justice and liberty and its crusade for global democracy is worth the ending of many innocent lives,
• that the government has the moral authority to override personal health and lifestyle choices — such as whether to drink raw milk — for our own good,
• that foreign aid takes money from wealthy Americans to give to poor people in other countries,
• that a government-created central bank can print the way to prosperity while enabling a welfare-warfare state without causing a boom-bust business cycle and continuously reducing the average American’s standard of living through eroding the dollar’s purchasing power,
• that gun control, mass surveillance, and airport harassment keep us safe, and
• that government is the source of our rights so government can restrict or 'modify' our rights at will.

"Exposing such lies is key for restoring liberty. The good news is that the more mistrust of government grows the easier it will be to find people receptive to our message."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/mistrusting-government-about-epstein-and-more/

Chris Carbert granted bail pending appeal

2022 Coutts protester Chris Carbert has been granted bail pending his appeal of his 2024 conviction and sentence.

Coutts blockade leader granted bail pending appeal of convictions, sentence | CBC News | Meghan Grant:

Chris Carbert. Photo Bridge City News.

June 30, 2025 - "One of the men serving a sentence for convictions connected to the 2022 Coutts border blockade has been granted bail pending his appeal. Chris Carbert is serving a 6½-year sentence for mischief over $5,000 and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He has appealed his convictions and sentence. 

On Monday, Alberta Court of Appeal Justice Jo-Anne Strekaf ruled Carbert can be released pending his conviction appeal arguments, which are set to be heard in September. 'Detention pending his appeals is not necessary for the protection or safety of the public,' wrote Strekaf in her 10-page decision.... Strekaf ordered Carbert's lawyer Katherin Beyak and prosecutors to appear before her with a release plan. Carbert was convicted alongside Anthony Olienick, who was handed the same sentence in 2024. Both men were acquitted on the more serious charge of conspiracy to murder RCMP officers.... 

"With credit for the time he spent in custody pending trial, Carbert had two years, seven months left to serve when he was sentenced in September 2024. Carbert is eligible for statutory release in June 2026 and his prison sentence will expire in April 2027. 

"Strekaf cited the Corrections Services Canada assessment completed for the purposes of Carbert's parole hearing which found he is a low risk to reoffend and has support from three prison workers; an officer, the chaplain and the shop instructor. '[Carbert] has demonstrated that there is no substantial likelihood that he will commit a criminal offence or interfere with the administration of justice if released from detention pending the hearing of his appeals,' wrote the judge. 

"Strekaf also noted that both Carbert's conviction and sentence appeals may not be completed until after his mandatory release date. 'In effect, if he remains in custody, he may have served most, if not all, of his sentence regardless of the outcome of his appeals,' wrote the judge."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coutts-blockade-protesters-carbert-bail-pending-appeal-1.7574336

Coutts protester Chris Carbert granted bail pending appeal | July 2, 2025 | Landon Hickok | Bridge City News | July 2, 2025:

The People v. the Permanent Government (1)

Part 1 of the story behind the Trump administration's battle with the U.S. administrative state.

The Systematic Unraveling of the Administrative State | Brownstone Institute | Jeffrey Tucker:

July 13, 2025 - "In 1883, when the Pendleton Act was passed, creating the US civil service, it must have seemed like no big deal. The forgotten Chester A. Arthur was the president. The fear of being assassinated like his predecessor James Garfield convinced him to back the legislation. The case for passage: government needs professionals with institutional knowledge. Technicians were changing the world, so why not government too?

"Science and engineering were the rage – electricity, steel bridges, telegraphic communications, internal combustion, photography  – so surely public affairs needed the same level of expertise. Who could deny that civil service could do a better job than the cousins and business partners of professional politicians?

"That’s how it started. What was once called government of, by, and for the people was derided as the hopelessly corrupt 'spoils system,' a phrase that reflected genius marketing. So it was overthrown in favor of 'merit-based' hiring in the executive, a staff not yet permanent or huge, but the proverbial camel now had its nose under the tent. 

"Through two world wars and the Great Depression, and then the Cold War, what landed on the other side was something the Constitution’s Framers never imagined. We had huge governing systems in giant bureaucracies staffed by employees who could not be fired. It was left to them to implement, but really create the operational framework for the whole of civil society. It was a state within a state, one with many layers, including that which was and is classified. 

"Industry and media long ago caught on that the civil service was a more reliable source of information and institutional continuity than the elected or appointed branches of government. Serving in government became a mark of credibility in industry, and so the revolving door was in constant operation. Media and the deep state, including its military and intelligence sectors, developed a mutually beneficial relationship that allowed for the manipulation of the public mind. 

"The best thing about the new system was that hardly anyone in public life really understood it. The schoolkids were still taught that there are three branches of government with checks and balances between them. Public life has been long dominated by elections with fierce ideological battles that eventually became more like window dressing, the results of which did not matter much for the practical affairs of state. It was the illusion of democracy. 

"Once the machinery was revealed, and some critical attention was applied to its legitimacy, the unraveling was inevitable. The reason is rather obvious. The entire thing is inconsistent with the idea of a people’s government. The Founders fought a war to overthrow bureaucracy, not establish one. The Declaration of Independence plainly said: it is the right of a people to overthrow any government and establish a new one. That idea is the most embedded postulate in the whole of American civic life. It has far more legitimacy in the public mind than the claims of the civil service or the demands that its plots and machinations must remain secret from the people. 

"Strangely, throughout the whole period of administrative state gains, the Supreme Court was never called upon to render a clear judgment on its legitimacy. There were small decisions along the way that shored up its functioning, but nothing that plainly said: this is or is not consistent with the law governing a free people. 

"This year, and mostly because the Trump administration decided to challenge the entire model, the machinery has begun to malfunction and melt away. There is a very long way to go, but we finally have the answer to the question of this fourth branch’s legitimacy. Plainly, it is not legitimate. It never has been. 

"The opening salvo was arguably Phillip Hamburger’s Is the Administrative State Unlawful? (2014), which gradually set off a huge literary debate for and against, plus a growing army of podcasters who figured it out in the course of the events that followed. It was a classic case of raised consciousness: once you see it, you cannot unsee it. 

"The active confrontation began in Trump’s first term. He arrived in Washington, D.C., expecting to be the boss of the executive branch, probably because that’s what the Constitution says in Article 2, Section 1. He quickly found out otherwise. Everything he wanted to change was declared to be off-limits. So far as he could tell, the whole of the city agreed that the job was entirely ceremonial. 

"That did not sit well with him. The tradition in the deep state of ignoring the president unless he annoyed them rubbed him wrong. He finally got fed up with the plots, schemes, and attempts to undermine presidential authority – which he saw as like unto a CEO, but no one else agreed – that he decided to run a test. He fired James Comey as head of the FBI. Washington freaked out. 

"The man to whom the job of firing fell was Justice Department attorney Rod Rosenstein, whose sister worked at the CDC. She was Nancy Messionier, who called the first press conference on the matter of a new virus from China that she said would necessitate dramatic changes in American life. Her role was first revealed by the New York Times reporter, who later said he was tricked. 

"No one at the CDC bothered to check with Trump. By the time he was asked to sign off on lockdowns, a month following the initial CDC announcement, the deed was pretty well done. He chose to get out ahead of the issue rather than be eaten alive by a media prepared to blame him for every death. He spent the next eight months issuing edicts via social media – initially bad but increasingly better – but he was almost entirely ignored by the administrative state he had unleashed. 

"Just before leaving office in 2020, Trump issued an executive order that would have reclassified a portion of the civil service as holding jobs subject to termination. Every venue that covered federal affairs had a meltdown of panic about what this would mean for the future of the 100-year racket they had been running. The order was quickly repealed by the new president upon taking the oath of office – an action that set up the great battle of the future: permanent Washington vs. the public."

[continued in part 2]

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The People v. the Permanent Government (2)

Part 2 of the story behind the Trump administration's battle with the U.S. administrative state

[continued from part 1].

The Systematic Unraveling of the Administrative State | Brownstone Institute | Jeffrey Tucker:

July 13, 2025 - "After four years in exile, Trump and his team plotted their revenge. It was clear to everyone that this issue was fundamental. He would have to risk it all by putting the question to the Supreme Court. He did this by issuing a record number of executive orders that pertained to the executive branch, all of which would presume that he could act like a president. 

"Trump’s team had predicted a flurry of lawsuits followed by injunctions, very much like what had happened in 2019-2020. This time, however, they would lawyer up and drive the question to the top. It was a huge gamble but it has turned out well. They knew that the structure of the status quo was completely indefensible from a Constitutional point of view. 

"The most recent blow to the administrative state gets to the heart of the issue. In Trump v. American Federation of Government Employees (July 8, 2025), the Supreme Court backed the right of the president to engage in mass firings of federal employees. There was only one dissenting vote from Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the judge who had reversed other Trump orders when she was a DC district judge. 

"Jackson’s dissent tries to make sense of the 4th branch of government. 'Under our Constitution, Congress has the power to establish administrative agencies and detail their functions,' she wrote. Thus, over the past century, Presidents who have attempted to reorganize the Federal Government have first obtained authorization from Congress to do so.' Lacking such authorization, she says, the Court should embrace the 'harm-reducing preservation of the status quo.'

"After all, she warns, 'This executive action promises mass employee terminations, widespread cancellation of federal programs and services, and the dismantling of much of the Federal Government as Congress has created it'.... There we go: the very core of the central-planning beast is at risk. At least she does understand the stakes. 

"This latest ruling – with many more likely to follow – comes on the heels of a flurry of similar decisions including: Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (June 28, 2024), which overturned Chevron deference (1986), reducing agency interpretive authority, shifting power from agencies to other branches (judiciary and executive, respectively); SEC v. Jarkesy (June 27, 2024), which limited agencies’ use of in-house adjudication, enhancing judicial oversight; Corner Post, Inc. v. Federal Reserve (July 1, 2024), which expanded opportunities to challenge old regulations; Ohio v. EPA (June 27, 2024), which enforced strict APA compliance, curbing regulatory overreach; Garland v. Cargill (June 14, 2024), involving restricted agency statutory interpretations; Trump v. CASA (June 27, 2025), which curbed nationwide injunctions, strengthening executive action; and City and County of San Francisco v. EPA (March 4, 2025), which narrowed the EPA’s regulatory scope.

"This has all happened with remarkable speed – in the course of one year. The regime of one hundred years has suddenly fundamentally changed to fit more precisely with what the Framers designed. It amounts to a counter-coup against the tyranny of experts and the convoluted systems of compulsion and control they had carefully constructed. Even if we do not yet feel the effects, the ground has shifted beneath our feet. 

"It’s a myth that courts are merely looking at the law and ruling cases on their merits. They are subject to the pressures of public opinion and have proven deferential to the ethos of the times. That ethos has changed, suddenly and dramatically, and why? 

"From 2020 to 2023, with continued fallout today, the administrative state that had long ruled out of the public eye reached deep into the private affairs of every American. It closed the schools, churches, and businesses. It issued stay-at-home orders. It kidnapped family members into medical institutions, allowing no contact with family. It then mandated the injection of multitudes with an experimental shot that achieved nothing but left many harmed and others dead. 

"It is a measure of the arrogance and perceived hegemony of this machine – which extends from agencies to corporations to academia and the nonprofit sector – that so many within its ranks believe they could get away with all these outrages without consequence. Public rage followed, expressing itself in every possible way and demanding change. That change has begun. The conditions are in place for a much more dramatic change, which could happen later or possibly sooner. 

"The intricate networks of influence, graft, and quid pro quo, and surreptitious pillaging of the people’s resources and power, believed itself to be invulnerable, somewhat like the rulers of the old Soviet empire in the months before it fell apart. Every old regime has believed itself to be secure up to the moments when its leaders seek sanctuary and its minions flee to the hills....

"We’ve wondered for many years what the revolution would look like when it came home. We got a glimpse of this last week, when iPhone cameras recorded thousands of State Department employees carrying their belongings out in bankers’ boxes out the front doors of the palace that had long been their home. Live by administrative edicts; die by them." 

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Carney gov't scrambles for savings for fall budget

Mark Carney's Finance Minister has directed cabinet members to find billions of dollars in savings before this fall's federal budget. 

Finance minister directs cabinet colleagues to find billions in spending cuts | National Post | Antoine Trépanier:

July 7, 2025 - "Canada’s Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has directed his cabinet colleagues to find ways to cut spending by billions of dollars as he prepares to present his first budget in October. In two letters sent Monday to all his cabinet colleagues — including secretaries of state who sit outside cabinet as junior ministers — Champagne stated his intention to reduce program spending by 7.5 per cent for the 2026–27 fiscal year, by 10 per cent in the second year, and 15 per cent in 2028–29. National Post did not see the confidential letters, but several high-ranking sources confirmed their contents, as initially reported by La Presse.

“'As part of this ambitious review, each minister must examine the programs and activities in their portfolio to determine which (of them): achieve their objectives, are essential to the federal mandate and complement rather than duplicate what is offered elsewhere by the federal government or by other levels of government,' the letter states, a senior government source said. Champagne also asked ministers for 'three priority proposals that can be funded by the reallocation of existing funds, following a spending review' by the end of the summer. Liberal government insiders indicated that a first wave of budget cuts could be felt in the next budget....

"This initiative is being led by the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board at the request of Carney, who often repeated 'invest more, spend less' throughout his recent federal election campaign. His goal is to reduce the operating budget, while setting increased spending apart in the capital budget.

"The Parliamentary Budget Officer projected early this year that the federal deficit would fall to $50.1 billion during this fiscal year.... However, Carney has made several big-ticket spending announcements since then, including an income tax cut, cutting GST on new homes and dramatically amping up defence spending. The C.D. Howe Institute projected last week that this year’s deficit could reach $92 billion."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/federal-finance-minister-tells-cabinet-to-cut-billions-in-spending

How will Canada reach its new defence spending commitments? | Ottawa Citizen | David Pugliese  •  Ottawa Citizen

June 26, 2025 - "Canada has signed on to the NATO pledge to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of annual GDP by 2035. That means that Canadians at that point will be spending $150 billion annually on defence and security. The NATO plan involves investing 3.5 per cent of GDP into core military needs, which includes armaments and equipment. Another 1.5 per cent will be spent on related infrastructure, cyber defence and security....

"Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that Canada should have no problem reaching the 1.5 per cent infrastructure portion by concentrating on projects that are already under way or currently being planned. That would include the development of the mining and stockpiling of critical minerals, an initiative that could see Canada becoming a trusted supplier to western nations for such material....

"But Carney has also hinted at cuts coming in other areas to fund the military spending boost. 'If we are moving to the higher and higher levels of defence spending because that’s necessary then we will have to make considerations about what less the federal government can do, in certain cases, and how we’re going to pay for it,' Carney told journalists at the NATO conference.

"Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux has said he doesn’t have enough information to determine how the Carney government will meet its spending commitments. But shortly before the NATO meeting, Giroux told Bloomberg News that for Canada to finance the 5 per cent GDP defence hike it 'would require a major shift of government priorities — away from social spending, for example — to free up some of the resources currently allocated to these types of expenses towards defence.' The spending hike could also be financed by 'some tax increases, for sure, or much higher deficits,' Giroux added."

Read more: https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/defence-watch/canada-defence-spending-nato

Canada's deficit could top $90 Billion this year

Canada's C.D. Howe Institute expects federal deficits to average $78 Billion over the next four years, more than double what the parliamentary budget officer forecast before the spring election. 

 Federal deficit could average $78B over 4 years, think tank warns | CityNews Toronto |  Craig Lord, The Canadian Press, and Cormac MacSweeney:

July 3, 2025 - "The C.D. Howe Institute predicts Ottawa’s recently announced spending plans — which include a much bigger defence budget — will drive its deficits markedly higher in the coming years. In a new analysis released today, the think tank says it expects Canada’s deficit to top $92 billion this fiscal year, given Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to meet NATO’s defence spending target of two per cent of GDP.

"C.D. Howe says it expects deficit growth to slow after that but predicts deficits will still average around $78 billion annually over four years, more than double the level forecast by the parliamentary budget officer before the spring federal election. The Liberal government did not publish a spring budget this year and has said it will instead push the planned fiscal update to the fall.

"In addition to ramping up defence spending, Prime Minister Carney’s Liberals recently pushed forward legislation to accelerate major project development and delivered a one-percentage-point cut to the lowest income tax rate.

"The C.D. Howe Institute accuses Ottawa of making costly commitments without showing the numbers to Canadians."

Read more: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/07/03/canada-federal-deficit-budget-spending-cuts/

BIG BUCKS LOST: Federal deficit numbers keep soaring with no end in relief | Toronto Sun | July 4, 2025:

Federal deficit projected to soar to $92B this year: 'Unfair to pass these burdens on,' C.D. Howe Institute says | National Post | Simon Tuck: 

July 4, 2025 - ""If this fiscal year’s deficit turns out to be as hefty as projected, it would be the second-largest deficit in Canadian history, topped only by the $327.7 billion shortfall from the pandemic year of 2020-21....

"Based on the most current and largely optimistic variables, the report says, federal deficits will remain above $71 billion during each of the following three years and in the fiscal year 2028-29 will be greater than three times what the government itself forecast in its most recent federal budget. But more likely, the report says, it will likely be a bit worse than that because the report’s authors say that they’re skeptical that all of the government’s plans to increase revenue through promised higher fines, penalties and savings will actually occur.... 

"But the most recent federal budget was now well over a year ago. The government took the highly unusual step this year of waiting until the fall to release its annual budget, more than half-way through the fiscal year.... The C.D. Howe report criticizes the government’s decision to wait until the fiscal year is more than half over before releasing its budget 'Delaying a budget until the fiscal year is more than half over is never good, but Canada’s current high-spending trajectory makes this delay especially bad.'

"Ottawa is making costly commitments, the report explains, without showing key numbers to the public such as how much more tax it expects to gather, the extent of its new spending and what the increased debt will mean for interest payments.... C.D. Howe suggests that the Liberal government eliminate or forgo some of its costly platform promises, make deeper cuts in its operating spending, substitute some revenue from less harmful taxation such as the GST, and cut federal transfers to provinces and territories."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/with-deficit-projected-to-soar-to-92-billion-it-is-unfair-to-pass-these-burdens-on-c-d-howe-institute-says

Military-industrial complex gets a big beautiful bill

Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will add at least $150 Billion to U.S. military spending.

A Big Beautiful Bill for the Military-Industrial Complex | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

June 30, 2025 - "The US Senate worked through the weekend on the 'Big Beautiful Bill' {BBB]. The goal was to pass it quickly to ensure the House will then pass it and send it to President Trump’s desk before the July 4th holiday....  

"The House version of the BBB added 150 billion dollars to the Pentagon’s already bloated budget. The Senate bill gave the military-industrial complex 156 billion dollars. Increasing military spending contradicts President Trump’s promise to stop wasting money on endless wars that have nothing to do with ensuring the security of the American people.

"Some of the BBB’s military spending will be used to put troops on the border. I support strengthening border security. However, I do not support using the military for domestic law enforcement, which includes enforcing immigration laws. Soldiers are trained to view people as potential enemies, not as innocent civilians to be protected. Introducing this mindset into domestic law enforcement will lead to abuses of liberty.

"Increasing spending on militarism while cutting spending on programs that help low-income Americans is bad politics and bad policy. Polls show that the majority of Americans, including many Republicans, do not support overseas intervention.

"The growing opposition to our hyper-interventionist foreign policy is easy to understand. The US has engaged in numerous military actions in many countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria since the beginning of the 21st century. The American people pay for this militarism in several ways. One is the “inflation tax” imposed by the Federal Reserve in order to monetize the debt incurred by the US government for endless wars. President Trump has turned his back on his antiwar supporters by bombing Iran and by increasing military spending to over a trillion dollars.

"The Republican insistence on increasing military spending is the main reason Congress cannot cut taxes without increasing the debt, making cuts in domestic welfare programs, or both. If the Republicans want to be the Make America Great Again party, they need to embrace a true America First foreign policy. This means no more regime change wars or US taxpayer supported 'color revolutions.' Instead, America should return to the Founders’ vision of a country that, in the words of John Quincy Adams, does not go 'abroad in search of monsters to destroy' and instead is 'the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all' while 'the champion and vindicator only of her own.'

"A return to a noninterventionist foreign policy is the only way we will be able to begin to pay down the national debt and restore a government that adheres to the constitutional limits on its powers and respects all the people’s rights all the time."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/a-big-beautiful-bill-for-the-military-industrial-complex/

Canadian gov't rescinds Digital Services Tax

Happy Canada Day! The Canadian government has rescinded its Digital Services Tax, one day before it was to go into effect.

Canada Rescinds Digital Services Tax After Trump Halts Trade Talks | Epoch Times | Omid Ghoreishi:

June 30, 2025 - "The Canadian government is rescinding its digital services tax to avoid stalling trade talks with the United States, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would end negotiations over the levy. Ottawa says that removing the tax will put Canada back on track to reach a trade deal with the United States by July 21.

"Trump said on June 27 that he is ending all trade negotiations with Canada over Canada’s digital services tax (DST), which would impact U.S.-based tech companies such as Amazon, Google, and Netflix.... The DST imposed a 3 percent tax on revenue that tech companies earn from digital services provided to Canadian users. It was scheduled to go into effect on June 30, and was retroactive to 2022, leaving U.S. tech companies with a $2 billion bill to pay by the end of June. The Canadian tax had been an irritant to both the Biden and Trump administrations....

"The Trump administration has already imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian products, though goods falling under the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement have been exempted. Washington has also imposed blanket tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports.... Ottawa has been seeking new trade negotiations with the United States to minimize U.S. tariffs. In announcing the removal of the DST, Canadian Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne said the move would allow trade negotiations with the United States to go forward....

"Champagne had insisted up until recently that Ottawa wouldn’t be putting the tax on hold, after pressure from Canadian and U.S. business groups as well as U.S. politicians to remove the tax. Canada’s Liberal government had said that the tax is in line with similar measures from a number of other countries, and that corporations should pay their 'fair share' of taxes in Canada.

The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated that the tax would bring in $7.2 billion over five years in revenue for Ottawa."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/canada-rescinds-digital-services-tax-after-trump-ends-trade-talks-over-the-levy-on-american-tech-companies-5880090

NO NETFLIX TAX - But Carbon Tariff is NEXT! | Canadian Taxpayers Federation | June 30, 2025: