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What England Can Teach Us About 'Democratic Socialism'

Authored by Stephen Moore via The Epoch Times,

If you want to see modern-day socialism in action, look no further than to the other side of the pond at not-so-jolly old England. The story of Britain’s decline is a warning signal to those here in the States who are thrilled by the warm embrace of socialism.

Right now, the Brits are having the same debate about the merits of socialism as we are in our major cities and blue states. In England, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labour Party is out. But instead of turning to the right, it appears the UK will swerve further to the collective ownership of the left. Andy Burnham—the former socialist mayor of Manchester—is next in line. God save the queen.

As Greg Ip of The Wall Street Journal reports, “Burnham’s socialism is the real deal. He wants the state to control more of the means of production. ... (H)e advocates public ownership of water, housing, energy and transportation.”

Burnham calls it “business-friendly socialism.”

Sure.

That will make the trains run on time.

What short memories.

After World War II, the Brits experimented with creeping socialism for more than three decades. The Labour Party handed over to public bureaucrats and unions the means of production: the Bank of England, the coal mines, the airlines, iron, steel, and phone service, to name a few. Prices soared, nothing worked, unemployment lines lengthened, and the Brits got a lot poorer.

Britain’s share of world output fell by half, from more than 10 percent to less than 5 percent. About the only thing Britain had going for it was four lads from Liverpool called the Beatles, who singlehandedly brought deep pride back and caused a mini-stimulus. But in the 1970s, the downturn worsened.

We interrupt this story with the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979. She saved the kingdom by slashing taxes and privatizing everything she could get her hands on. It was the precursor to Reaganomics.

That didn’t last long. Now it’s Thatcherism in reverse—just as the left in America wants to reverse the Reagan and Trump legacies of deregulation, lower taxes, and sound money.

What seems to be driving this leap toward “democratic socialism” on both sides of the Atlantic is a middle-class fury over inflation. The idea of free food, housing, child care, and health care is alluring.

But prices have risen not because of a failure of capitalism. It was mostly caused by massive money printing, widespread shutdowns of private industry, retail businesses and schools, and stay-at-home orders during COVID-19. Government became the provider, and the leap forward in state expenditures was never entirely extinguished.

In both the United States and in England, the “affordability crisis” is mostly in government-owned, government-operated, or heavily regulated businesses. In the U.S., that’s health care, education, and college tuition. In Britain, it’s those industries plus energy, housing, and child care.

There is an infestation of socialism in Britain that has sucked the dynamic and wealth-producing spirit out of the UK.

We need a socialism vaccine in America.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/03/2026 - 05:30

Armed with a weed whacker and the vision of a proud American, one Alabama resident transformed his front lawn into what may be the most patriotic yard in America.

There was a time, not too long ago, when Hubert Hurkacz looked like a potential Wimbledon winner.

Ukraine Plans To Hyper-Innovate Humanoid Robot Soldiers

At the start of February, we pointed out that "humanoid warfare nears" and suspected these war bots were headed for Ukraine for testing. 

That hunch was confirmed by early March, after a TIME Magazine article reported that Foundation Robotics, a U.S.-based startup developing humanoid robots for industrial and military applications, had recently sent two Phantom MK1 robots to Ukraine for testing. 

Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation... 

The modern battlefield across western Eurasia has become the world's AI weapons lab, where drones, autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and ground bots are being stress-tested in real time. 

For any 'war unicorn' startup trying to validate AI-enabled killing machines, Ukraine has become the proving ground, and soldiers on the front lines will quickly tell these startups whether their products work or not - that's the part of hyperinnovation that people aren't seeing yet, but it is becoming visible as low-cost AI killing systems begin to spread across the world. 

Last month, we were the first to debut a new video showing the Phantom MK1 robot operating a mobile light mortar system during a live-fire training exercise in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now several Ukrainian news outlets, including United24 Media, say that Ukraine plans to launch a grant competition to develop humanoid robots for military use, part of a broader push to automate the front line and reduce battlefield risk for its troops.

Here's more from the report:

Ukraine will launch a grant competition focused on developing humanoid robots for the needs of the Defense Forces, Brave1 head Andrii Hrytseniuk said during the Brave1 Advantage event, attended by a Militarnyi correspondent on July 2.

The main goal of the initiative is to robotize as much of the first line of contact as possible and reduce risks for Ukrainian service members.

According to Hrytseniuk, the project follows a wider global trend, as humanoid robotics is rapidly developing in the United States and China.

At the initial stage, Ukrainian developers are expected to focus on simpler platforms that can gradually receive more advanced functions.

Unlike the global civilian humanoid robot market, Ukraine's program will focus strictly on defense needs and military use cases.

Meanwhile, CNBC finally caught up in the reporting ... 

With Phantom MK1 robots reportedly making their debut in Ukraine earlier this year, Foundation could be emerging as one of the leading humanoid robotics players for the modern battlefield among Western militaries.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/03/2026 - 04:45

'He is a wanted man. He's a guy to be reckoned with.'

In the bodycam video, it is apparent that the boat movers had no idea they were sailing a large possible piece of evidence. 

Europe's Climate-First Policies Fuel Resistance To Air Conditioning As More Than 1,300 Die In Heat Waves

Via American Greatness,

Europe continues to rely on alternatives to air conditioning even as deadly heat waves claim lives across the continent.  Officials argue that expanding air conditioning is not a long-term solution.

France’s record-breaking heat last week has been linked to about 1,000 deaths, most involving elderly people.

According to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Europe has recorded more than 1,300 excess heat-related deaths since June 21.

Despite experiencing fewer hot days than many other regions, it also records the highest number of heat-related deaths per capita.

A 2007 study found that air conditioning can reduce heat-related deaths by 75%. Even so, only about 20% of European homes have air conditioning, compared with roughly 90% of homes in the United States.

Rather than expanding air conditioning, many European officials have focused on alternative strategies, including public cooling stations and other measures designed to reduce heat in densely populated historic cities.

Ine Vandecasteele, an urban adaptation expert with the European Environment Agency, said widespread air conditioning is not the preferred solution.

“My honest response is I don’t think that should be the solution anywhere,” Vandecasteele told CBS News.

“It is an immediate response, which can support essentially those who may be vulnerable in hospitals, or in very short term can help. But in the longer term, what happens is, installing more air conditioning actually emits more heat into our environment, so it will actually increase the speed of warming.”

Higher energy costs have also discouraged broader adoption of air conditioning across much of Europe.

Italy has taken a different approach than many of its European neighbors.

According to the National Institute of Statistics, about 56% of Italian homes had air conditioning as of 2024.

European Union data also show Italy accounts for roughly one-third of the bloc’s electricity consumption for air conditioning.

Italian officials have also distributed wearable devices in Rome to monitor elderly residents, who face the greatest risk during periods of extreme heat.

Public attitudes toward air conditioning also differ from those in the United States. A recent survey in France found that one in six respondents said they would rather endure the heat than increase air conditioning use for environmental reasons.

Vandecasteele said she was not surprised by those findings. “We’re not doing this for us,” she said. “We’re doing this for the future generations.”

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/03/2026 - 04:00

Unlike most of them, he trails fame, fans and property damage in his wake. He is also a 2,200-pound elephant seal.

"I want to increase taxes on the wealthiest. He does not want that to happen."

Kevin O’Connell found himself repeatedly sending some version of the same text message to his ex-college roommate during the Jets offseason.

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“She had a sense, and she knew it was not for her,” Rogen said.

“She had a sense, and she knew it was not for her,” Rogen said.

He has amassed millions of followers across social media, where he shares content focused on fitness, discipline, entrepreneurship and his life after prison.

Roki Sasaki put the Dodgers in a six-run hole early Thursday night. Then their lineup scored 12 unanswered in comeback win over the Padres.

Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye both scored and Switzerland advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Algeria on Thursday night.