In a stunning setback to federal prosecutors planning to try the Bundy family patriarch and two adult sons later this year, the jury acquitted Ricky Lovelien and Steven Stewart of all 10 charges, and delivered not-guilty findings on most charges against Scott Drexler and Eric Parker.

At least implicitly, Trump now endorses the twin assumptions that since 9/11 have formed the basis for the larger war on terrorism: First, that sustained U.S. military action provides the most effective means of defeating terrorism; second, that the physical presence of U.S. forces in vulnerable Muslim-majority countries provides a means to render them inhospitable to terrorist entities.

In short, if we keep killing bad guys and persist in nation-building (an effort Trump derides at the same time he implicitly endorses it), the problem will eventually solve itself.

Little evidence exists to support those propositions. Indeed, the post-9/11 U.S. military experience not only in Afghanistan but also in Iraq and elsewhere points to precisely the opposite conclusion: The principal effect of the ongoing war on terrorism has been to exacerbate the problem that it purports to solve. The entire enterprise has been what Trump once understood it to be: a terrible mistake, a total disaster and a complete waste. Now, in effect, he has recanted.

Let’s get with it. Get out of Afghanistan. We’ve wasted billions and billions of dollars and, more importantly, thousands and thousands of lives, not to mention all of these young men and young women that come home and they really have problems.

First, Aaron, we have to understand that Trump is not in control of this. Trump is not dropping these bombs. I appreciate your saying that in that way, and I realize it was metaphoric, but in a real sense, he is not. Not only is he not in those airplanes, he has given the war zones to the Pentagon. So what we're seeing is the Pentagon taking ultimate advantage of this president's not really caring about the details of what they're doing.

Any time you turn the United States military loose — believe me, I was there for 31 years — and you tell them they've got carte blanche, they are gonna drop bombs until the cows come home. They know that their bread is buttered with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin and other makers of these armaments, and they know that in order to keep a good, warm production base and a relationship with these defense contractors, that they gotta drop a lot of bombs and shoot a lot of bullets.

That's what the military does. They're training their pilots; they're testing their aviation equipment, their AWACS control and so forth. They're salivating over doing this, not to put too fine a point on it. So you let the Pentagon be in charge, and the Pentagon is gonna run, and run, and run, and that's essentially what's happening. I daresay that many of the bombs aren't really dropping on feasible targets. They're just dropping to be dropped or to train or whatever.

Starting in five four three two one.

Hello, I am Adam Dick, a Ron Paul Institute senior fellow.

Let’s start.

Issue one.

Enough with all the complaints that United States President Donald Trump has not denounced racism sufficiently. What a president should do is stand up for the Constitution and ensure the government does not violate individual rights. One of those rights is the right to be racist.

Issue two.

In last week’s episode of Five Minutes Five Issues, while discussing President Trump’s declaration that he may use a “military option” against the Venezuela government, I said, “Nobody is even suggesting Venezuela poses any threat to America.”

Then, this week, two “somebodies” from the Trump administration did suggest it.

In a joint press conference with the president of Columbia, US Vice President Mice Pence said this:

A failed state in Venezuela will drive more illegal drug trafficking, with its murderous criminal consequences, radiating outward. A failed state in Venezuela will drive more illegal migration, compromising our borders, damaging our economies. And ultimately, a failed state in Venezuela will endanger the wellbeing of all who call this hemisphere home.

Also, when host Chris Wallace asked at Fox News why a “civil war” or “terrible situation” in Venezuela is “our problem” and could justify US military intervention, US Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo gave the following answer:

Oh, look, Venezuela could very much become a risk to the United States of America. The Cubans are there. The Russians are there. The Iranians, Hezbollah are there.

This is something that has a risk of getting to a very, very bad place. And so, America needs to take this very seriously.

Pence and Pompeo’s statements are reminiscent of the lead up to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, when George W. Bush administration officials ran from microphone to microphone to promote fear of the Iraq government and scare Americans into supporting war.

Issue three.

Five four three two one.

14.08.17 - 15:18
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Libyan National Army Commander Khalifa Haftar

On August 14, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a meeting at the Foreign Ministry with Libyan National Army Commander Khalifa Haftar, who is paying a working visit to Moscow.

During the talks, the parties in particular focused on the current military and political situation in Libya with an emphasis on the measures being taken to resolve the intra-Libyan crisis through mediation of the international community as well as under the auspices of the UN. In this context, the parties discussed prospects of the intra-Libyan settlement in light of the meeting between Khalifa Haftar and Chairman of the Presidential Council and Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord of Libya Fayez al-Sarraj, held on July 25 in a Parisian suburb.

Russia confirmed the importance of the continuation of the inclusive intra-Libyan dialogue involving members of all major political forces, tribes and regions of the country in order to reach mutually acceptable solutions and to ensure conditions for Libya’s sustainable development as a united, sovereign and independent state. It was also confirmed that Russia is ready to provide further assistance in promoting the political process, in contact with all Libyan parties.

The request from the [Justice Department] demands that DreamHost hand over 1.3 million visitor IP addresses — in addition to contact information, email content, and photos of thousands of people — in an effort to determine who simply visited the website. That information could be used to identify any individuals who used this site to exercise and express political speech protected under the Constitution’s First Amendment. That should be enough to set alarm bells off in anyone’s mind.