Authored by J.B. Shurk via American Thinker,
Freedom exists in the absence of government control. We are free when we are able to worship, speak, write, make a living, and protect our families and property without fear that government agents will punish us for our actions. America’s Founding Fathers embraced an expansive view of personal liberty that recognizes the inherent right of each person to do as he sees fit, so long as that person refrains from infringing upon the liberties of another.
Right away, then, freedom comes with some restraint. If we each lived alone on our own island, no-one’s liberty but our own would matter. When we live within a society, our freedom comes with certain encumbrances - namely, an obligation not to poach the freedom of others. There is, in other words, a moral consideration that necessarily accompanies the exercise of freedom. Do my actions cause someone else harm? Does the expression of my will unfairly restrict the expression of another? Do my decisions unjustly deny someone else’s liberty?
Harm…fairness…justice - these are words essential to every person’s moral reasoning. They are subjects that are dissected and analyzed throughout the Bible. Because our common law has evolved from a Biblical worldview, our legal system is rooted in Judeo-Christian morality. Therefore, an American who tries earnestly to be a good Christian is also likely acting within the boundaries of American law.
Taken together, freedom, moral restraint, and legal punishment operate in concert within any society. To the extent that a member of society can reasonably govern himself, State-implemented punishment becomes unnecessary. When members of society abandon self-control and pursue personal liberty recklessly or in ways that threaten the liberty of others, State-implemented punishment steps in to provide legal constraints where moral restraint proved ineffective.
Thus, there is a natural relationship among personal freedom, moral conscience, and State force. The more that people pursue their freedom in moral and just ways, the more irrelevant the State becomes. A society whose people are individually capable of governing themselves has no need for the machinery of government. The policing of a population’s legal obligations and the application of State-enforced punishments become not only redundant but also unjust infringements upon personal liberty.
It is no coincidence that free societies exist where there is a high degree of mutual trust among people. If a shop owner trusts that customers will not steal, then businesses can thrive without a government police force monitoring private transactions. If customers trust that manufacturers will refrain from making harmful products, then commerce can thrive without the need for government regulatory agencies. If members of society recognize that the fruits of an individual’s labor belong to that person, then property rights are respected without the need for courts and lawsuits. If public debate, dissent, and personal expression are highly valued, then there is no need for government agents to police words and ideas as “hate speech,” “harmful speech,” or “disinformation.”
High-trust societies are natural incubators of freedom. Accordingly, fostering trust among members of society maximizes personal liberty. How do societies cultivate trust? In a word: culture.
Culture is that collection of customs, mores, attitudes, traditions, beliefs, habits, language, and ways of life that bind a people together. Culture is an unwritten code of conduct passed from one generation to the next. Culture is the essential glue that allows common members of society to move in the same direction without any obvious director. Societies with strong cultures do not need external police forces because members of society “police” themselves.
When that culture includes a profound respect for personal freedom, private property, religious liberty, free expression, and self-defense, the mutual trust that exists among citizens naturally secures the blessings of liberty. It is no accident that an American, Thomas Jefferson, wrote the Declaration of Independence two hundred and fifty years ago. It is no accident that representatives from America’s original thirteen colonies devised together a Constitution that both greatly limits the powers of government and explicitly protects the inalienable rights of Americans. It is no accident that Americans’ respect for private property transformed an unsettled continent into the wealthiest, most innovative, and most influential country in the world. A moral people committed to personal freedom can build, do, and accomplish anything. A moral people committed to self-government can remake the entire world.
It is not difficult to see why the New World’s values have always threatened the Old World’s grip on global power. In a world where intelligence, hard work, and dedication matter more than titles of nobility and unearned inheritance, the common man is capable of generating wealth without a feudal lord’s permission. In a world where free speech and freedom of assembly are cherished political virtues, the common man is capable of forming opinions without the help of so-called “elites.” In a world where self-defense and private ownership of firearms go hand in glove with self-expression and private property, the common man is master of his castle and servant to none.
Globalism’s “elites” have been pushing the idea of a “New World Order” for decades. But it is important to remember that when Americans declared their independence from the British Empire, they established a “New World” order that has continued to the present day. Two hundred and fifty years after the Declaration of Independence, the United States is the wealthiest, strongest, and most robust nation that has ever existed. It has 4% of the world’s population but influences every part of the globe. When Old Europe pushes for a “New World Order,” old aristocrats are desperate to return to the social conditions that existed prior to 1776. Globalists want the “Old World Order” rebranded as something new.
Ask yourself how you might go about destroying America’s “New World” order, so that the Old World’s feudal system can return. If you want to dismantle Americans’ economic and political freedoms, then you need to wreck Americans’ mutual trust. If you want to turn Americans against each other, then you need to ruin the foundations of their shared culture. In order to weaken the bonds of culture, you must first discourage self-restraint. By discouraging self-restraint, you encourage demands for government control. By empowering the State, you diminish the sphere of personal freedom. When the people have been denied freedom for long enough, they forget what it means to be free. Eventually, when the government offers “free” welfare in exchange for obedience, the descendants of free people accept their new chains. They accept total government control. They accept slavery.
Flooding Western countries with foreign immigrants has never been about compassion. Globalists use mass migration to destroy any semblance of social trust. “Multiculturalism” has nothing to do with fostering civic peace. Globalists “divide and conquer” populations in order to more easily rule over the dismembered parts. Anti-Christian programs do not exist to protect “diverse” points of view. Globalists attack Christians because Christian virtue cultivates the moral restraint necessary for freedom to thrive.
For globalists, freedom is the enemy. Government control is their greatest friend. You cannot destroy the former and promote the latter until the natural bonds of society are first broken. Totalitarianism never arrives by decree. It comes by request. In the two hundred and fiftieth year of America’s “New World” order, remember this: Our freedom is always under attack. Be vigilant and defend it.
Tyler Durden Sun, 05/10/2026 - 16:55The benchmark for global food commodity prices rose for a third consecutive month in April, hitting its highest level since early 2023, as Middle East supply disruptions, elevated energy costs, and tightening supplies of certain agricultural products appear to be driving the next leg higher in global food prices.
This is a major risk we have warned about throughout the U.S.-Iran war, as energy and supply chain disruptions spread quickly through fertilizer, diesel, freight, biofuels, grains, and vegetable oils. We even treated readers to a special food debate late last week to examine how the conflict could produce a broader food-inflation shock later this year.
The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization's FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 130.7 in April, up 1.6% from its revised March level and 2% higher than a year ago. This places the global food index at its highest level since February 2023.
The largest move in the food index came from vegetable oils, where prices jumped 5.9% to the highest level since July 2022. Palm, soy, rapeseed, and sunflower oils all rose, supported by stronger biofuel demand, higher crude prices, and tight Black Sea supplies.
"Despite the disruptions linked to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, global agrifood systems continue to show resilience. Cereal prices have increased only moderately so far, supported by relatively strong stocks and adequate supplies from previous seasons. Vegetable oils, however, are experiencing stronger price increases, driven largely by higher oil prices, which are increasing demand for biofuels and putting additional pressure on vegetable oil markets," said FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero.
Here is how the other subcomponents performed last month:
The FAO Cereal Price Index rose by 0.8 percent from March and was up 0.4 percent from a year ago, reflecting higher prices across major cereals, except sorghum and barley. World wheat prices increased by 0.8 percent, due to concerns over drought in parts of the United States of America and a higher likelihood of below-average rainfall in Australia. The increase was further reinforced by expectations of reduced wheat plantings in 2026, with farmers shifting to less fertilizer‑intensive crops amid high fertilizer prices – driven by elevated energy costs and disruptions associated with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Global maize prices increased by 0.7 percent, underpinned by seasonally tighter supplies and weather-related concerns in Brazil, as well as dry conditions affecting sowing in parts of the United States of America. Additional upward pressure came from firm ethanol demand amid elevated crude oil prices and ongoing concerns over fertilizer affordability. By contrast, world sorghum prices dropped by 4.0 percent, largely due to weaker global import demand and improved supply prospects in key producing and exporting countries.
The FAO All Rice Price Index rose by 1.9 percent in April, driven by higher Indica and fragrant rice prices, reflecting increased production and marketing costs in most rice-exporting countries following the surge in the prices of crude oil and its derivatives.
The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index increased by 5.9 percent from March, reaching its highest level since July 2022. The rise was driven by higher prices of palm, soy, sunflower and rapeseed oils. International palm oil prices rose for the fifth consecutive month in April, largely underpinned by prospective stronger demand from the biofuel sector, supported by policy incentives in several producing countries and higher crude oil prices. Additional upward pressure stemmed from concerns over lower production in Southeast Asia in the coming months.
The FAO Meat Price Index reached a new record high in April, rising by 1.2 percent from March and 6.4 percent from a year ago. World bovine meat prices climbed to a new peak, underpinned by higher export quotations in Brazil amid limited supplies of slaughter-ready cattle, reflecting ongoing herd rebuilding. Pig meat prices also rose, driven by firmer quotations in the European Union amid rising seasonal demand, though partly offset by lower prices in Brazil due to ample supplies.
By contrast, the FAO Dairy Price Index declined by 1.1 percent from March, mainly reflecting lower international quotations for butter and cheese amid abundant milk supplies in the European Union and stronger-than-expected late-season output in Oceania.
The FAO Sugar Price Index also dropped, down 4.7 percent from March and as much as 21.2 percent from a year ago. The decrease was largely driven by expectations of ample global supplies in the current season, reinforced by improved prospects in key Asian producing countries, notably China and Thailand. The start of the new harvest in Brazil, the world’s largest sugar producer, further contributed to the downward pressure on sugar prices.
The question now is whether the latest rise in global food prices marks the early stage of a much larger move higher, as surging diesel and fertilizer costs begin to filter through the agricultural complex.
How Bad Will It Get? Watch the food debate here.
Tyler Durden Sun, 05/10/2026 - 16:20Trump calls Iran's peace proposal response "totally unacceptable"
Iran warns of 'decisive, immediate' response to British or French warships approaching Hormuz Strait.
Iran responds Sunday to US peace proposal, finally submitting something official to Pakistan. Details not initially disclosed. Trump TS: Iran "playing games with the United States."
IRGC new warning: will unleash "heavy attack" on US bases in region if more Hormuz aggression persists.
* * *
Trump Says Iran Response "Totally Unacceptable"President Trump has just issued a statement on his TruthSocial feed rejecting 'unacceptable' Iranian proposal for ending war.
"I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.”
I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!
Thank you for your attention to this matter."
Iran offered to transfer some of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country, but rejected the idea of dismantling its nuclear facilities, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran disputed the report, according to Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim.
And with the fragile ceasefire still holding for now, the odds of a peace deal by the end of May have plummeted.
Iran: We'll Immediately Strike French & British if they Approach StraitIran has newly warned of "a decisive and immediate response" to any deployment of European military vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, and has further declared that the Islamic Republic alone controls security in the strategic waterway. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi issued the warning Sunday in a post on X after France and Britain announced plans to deploy warships to the region.
"Whether in times of war or peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can establish security in this strait and will not allow any country to interfere in such matters," he said.
Gharibabadi said France plans to deploy its flagship aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while Britain plans to send a warship to the area under the stated goal of protecting freedom of navigation. Already these Western allied assets are moving through the Suez Canal as of days ago.
"Any deployment and stationing of extra-regional destroyers around the Strait of Hormuz, under the pretext of protecting shipping, is nothing but an escalation of the crisis, the militarization of a vital waterway, and an attempt to cover up the true root of insecurity in the region," he stated.
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei says Tehran’s “restraint is over” and any aggression against Iranian vessels will be met with a heavy and decisive Iranian response against American vessels and bases.
🔴LIVE updates: https://t.co/4wl9kYw8g4 pic.twitter.com/QckEP0allp
But France and Britain have previously sought to clarify that their warships will remain largely in a background support role when compared to the US naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman region. Their ships would only directly join Persian Gulf operations only once the war ended, according to reports.
Trump: Iran is Playing Games With the United StatesNew Sunday Truth Social statement soon on the heels of Tehran submitting its response to the US peace proposal, via Pakistan:
Trump said Iran had been "playing games with the United States, and the rest of the world, for 47 years," adding that it had been "laughing at our new GREAT AGAIN country," but stressed that "they will be laughing no longer!"
Iran Finally Responds To USAfter days of waiting, Iran has submitted its response to the latest US peace proposal to mediator Pakistan, despite the recent flare-up in renewed exchanges of fire in the contested Strait of Hormuz this past week.
"Iran has submitted its response to the latest US proposal to end 10 weeks of war, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Sunday, without providing any further details," Bloomberg confirms in a fresh headline. "Tehran hasn't yet given any public indication it would accept President Donald Trump’s plan that stipulates Iran permits passage through the Strait of Hormuz and Washington ends its blockade on Iranian ports in the next month."
IRAN REPLY TO US PROPOSAL INCLUDES ENDING WAR ON ALL FRONTS: TV
This comes as Qatar's PM has warned Iran that using the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure card, to choke the global economy, "would only lead to deepening the crisis" - and amid reports there could still be sporadic attacks on Gulf countries like the UAE. According to more of the limited details:
Sources in both camps have told Reuters the latest peace efforts are aimed at a temporary memorandum of understanding to halt the war and allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while they discuss a fuller deal, which would have to address intractable disputes such as Iran’s nuclear program.
The latest from Iran's president:
President Trump told Fox News days ago, "They want to make a deal. We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible that we'll make a deal." He had said if this happens "it'll be over quickly" and oil prices will plummet.
IRGC Fresh Warning on US BasesIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned any attack on Iranian oil tankers and commercial ships will be met with assaults on US bases and "enemy ships" in the region, Al Jazeera reports.
"Warning! Any aggression against the oil tankers and commercial vessels of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be met with a heavy attack on one of the American centers in the region and the enemy’s ships," the IRGC Navy said in the statement.
“Iran will no longer allow passages that are harmful to its interests”
Brigadier General Akrami Nia, the spokesman of the Iranian army, says countries that comply with US sanctions against Iran will surely have problems crossing the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/6EZ6NWsZse
Tehran is accusing the US side of severely violating the ceasefire earlier this week, by firing on and disabling two Iranian-flagged tankers trying to reach Iranian ports. State media reviewed of these hostile incidents:
In a statement, the spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the “aggressive, terrorist and marauding US military” had targeted an Iranian oil tanker sailing from Iran’s coastal waters near Jask toward the Strait of Hormuz, as well as another vessel entering the strategic waterway near the UAE port of Fujairah.
The spokesman also said civilian areas along the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island came under aerial attacks carried out “with the cooperation of some regional countries.”
The IRGC further said it will respond "powerfully and without the slightest hesitation" to any aggression or attack. Indeed there are reports that during the past week's skirmishes Iran fired on three US warships seeking to exit waters of Iran's coast.
Ayatollah Meets With Military CommanderWe reported earlier that in an official update Iran said that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had been 'moderately injured' but is recovering, and he had met with the president of the Islamic Republic. On Sunday he also met with a top military commader, per state Mehr, which writes: "In a meeting with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Major General Ali Abdollahi presented a comprehensive report on the preparedness of the powerful Armed Forces of the country to confront enemies' strategic mistake."
via MehrAccording to more of the state readout:
Abdollahi said “all fighters of Islam” possess high readiness in terms of morale, defensive and offensive preparedness, strategic plans, and the equipment and weaponry required to confront hostile actions by the “American-Zionist enemies.”
He warned that if the enemies commit any “strategic mistake, aggression, or invasion,” Iranian forces would respond “swiftly, intensely, and powerfully.”
The commander also assured the Leader that the armed forces would, “with full obedience” to his orders, defend “the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, our beloved land Iran, sovereignty, national interests, and the brave Iranian nation until the last breath and to the death.”
During the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the country’s armed forces and issued new directives for continuing action and confronting enemies decisively following the 40-day US-Israeli war against the country.
The Wall Street Journal wrote Saturday of the Ayatollah, "A government official claimed Khamenei, who hasn't been seen in public since that attack, is now in good health." However, there's still a lot of speculation on his role in national decision-making, and over whether he will ever make a public appearance.
Tyler Durden Sun, 05/10/2026 - 16:20