Nuke power

The US has started the Artemis program which is to set up a station on the moon by 2030. This station will require a steady source of power and small nuclear reactors are the only option. The lunar night lasts for two weeks so solar power is out and there is no atmosphere so wind is out. This is just one more reason why nuclear power should be the future.

West

Western Culture is a term that has come under attack by certain groups like the far right and far left. To begin with what are the main points of Western Culture. Individualism as opposed to collective identity. Rule of law and democracy. Critical thinking and science. Christian heritage. Capitalism and free markets. Human rights and equality Western culture was responsible for the industrial revolution which brought the world into the modern age. Most of modernity is the result of Western cultural ideas and innovations. The big complaint against Western Culture is that it is dominated by white males but this is slowly changing. Many people today are upset with living in the US and would like to make changes. They do understand that it still ranks as one of the better places to live. The best course of action for these people is to point out areas where the culture is need of improvement and then suggest ways to improve.

EU

Europe is dying from self-inflicted wounds and they need to make some serious changes. Starting at the end of the cold war in 1991 they embarked on a going green economy, excessive regulations and a laxed immigration system. This combined with an aging population has put pressure on social services, particularly retirement benefits. Energy costs are three times higher than in the US and the war is forcing them to spend more in defense. In general, the EU is deindustrializing because of high energy cost as they move important manufacturing businesses, like chemical and automotive to China and the US. In the past few years’ voters have demanded that they do away with net zero and start deporting immigrants. These are the policies that the US is following and the country is reindustrializing with low energy prices, reduced regulations and deporting illegal immigrants. The US has sent VP Vance to Davos to tell the Europeans that they must take on more responsibility for their own national defense The EU's share of global GDP is declining, falling from roughly 27-30% in 1980 to approximately 14-17% in 2025-2026, with projections suggesting further declines to around 12.9% by 2030

Trump news

When news people report on Trump, they often refer to his book, “The Art Of The Deal”, to explain his strategy but the book outlines the methods used by most negotiators. The union boss uses a two-prong strategy that is the basis for most contracts. First, he will demand a 20% raise hoping to settle for five percent and second, he is willing to walk away, meaning strike. The press reports the initial talks in the headlines because they seem so outlandish but in time things calm down and agreements are reached. Things like buying Greenland, Canada being the 51st state and 200% tariffs are grist for the mill for Trump and the press jumps on the bandwagon. Trump knows the news business survives on clicks and he offers them many on a daily basis. This is so different from most politicians that the press cannot understand his approach. Remember Obama, who used long pauses between sentences and sometimes between words as he attempted to make sure he didn’t say anything that could be misinterpreted. This was PC speech at its finest. Many people prefer this over the bombastic exaggerations and hyperbole that Trump spews out with ease. He is accused of misinformation at best and outright lying at worst but in either case it dominates the news cycle which seems to be his objective.

Interviews

When watching an interview on TV, it is understood that the interviewees are offering their opinions of facts but not facts. If the interviewers wanted facts, they would do what most people do and Google. They would conduct a formal question and answer talk with a computer like Chat GPT. This would be continuous ongoing fact checking and probably not garner much of an audience. It would be so lacking in misinformation that most listeners would be unable to confirm their own biases and they would lose interest. In today’s world most people want to hear news that correlates with what they already believe. It is so popular that it has a name, confirmational bias.

Nuclear

In another step towards nuclear power, last week a small nuclear reactor was shipped from California to Utah by the US Air Force. It is called the Ward 250 and uses small uranium pellets and a helium cooled system. This type of reactor can be transferred to the point of use and can power facilities like data centers and manufacturing plants. This plant has walk away safety protocols and uses no water. It represents the first step in a new industry, one which will help the US move away from fossil fuels and will allow the US to reach the goal of doubling the manufacturing base over the next ten years. It represents the leading edge of the new fourth industrial revolution.

Metro surge

Operation Metro Surge is over and lasted 74 days with both sides claiming victory. The goal of the protestors was to drive out the federal officers and they succeeded. The goal of the government was to get increased cooperation from local authorities and they succeeded. The long-term ramification is that cities and states may be emboldened to defy the federal government. This flies in the face of the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution which states that federal law holds ultimate authority over conflicting state laws. The loophole used here was that the state does not have to cooperate with federal law but it cannot interfere the carrying out of federal law. The question to be answered then, could any of the activities by the protestors be considered interfering.