If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper-middle class should even probably be cut further. But I think that people at the high end – people like myself – should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we’ve ever had it.
An Open Letter to Brendan O’Neill of The Spectator
Sir Afilonius Rex and the Editorial Team
Brussels, The European Union, 3rd December 2025
Brendan O’Neill claims that Dublin City Council’s proposal to rename Herzog Park amounts to “erasing Jewish history.” He argues that removing Chaim Herzog’s name is like scrubbing a Jew’s name from a public space. Herzog was a Belfast-born Jew who later became Israel’s sixth president. He suggests this action is antisemitic. He presents the renaming as a disturbing and targeted act rather than a routine administrative decision.
Here is a response from some leading associates of goodstrat.com
US liberals still don’t get it, do they? I was particularly unimpressed by The Guardian’s US correspondent, Richard Wolffe, who wrote this of Trump “He is the very man Hillary Clinton warned us that he would be.”
Like as if we really need the advice of an entitled and arrogant warmonger about any other unhinged member of the globalised political circus.
The trauma and post-traumatic stress from the Holocaust and historical pogroms profoundly influence many non-religious (secular) pro-Zionists today. This manifests itself as mechanisms like inter-generational trauma, collective memory, and a deep-seated sense of vulnerability tied to Jewish identity. This isn’t limited to religious observance; Judaism often functions as an ethnic and cultural heritage. Situations in which historical persecutions shape worldviews even among atheists or agnostics. Here’s a breakdown of why this persists and affects them so significantly.
Inter-generational Trauma Transmission
The trauma from the Nazi Holocaust was passed down in multiple ways. Centuries of pogroms across Europe and the Middle East also left their mark. It was passed down biologically, psychologically, and socially. Studies show epigenetic changes. These are alterations in gene expression that do not change the DNA sequence. They can occur in the offspring of survivors. This leads to heightened stress responses, anxiety, or depression.
Note: Epigenetic. Relating to changes, especially heritable changes, in the characteristics of a cell or organism. These changes result from altered gene expression or other effects. These do not involve changes to the DNA sequence itself.
What countries in the world have a reputation for arrogance and ignorance?
No country exclusively holds arrogance or ignorance. However, certain nations consistently top international surveys. They often appear in global stereotypes. People frequently use these stereotypes, often unfairly. This happens when asked, “Which nationality comes across as arrogant and/or clueless about the rest of the world?” The usual suspects, based on recurring data from sources like Pew Global Attitudes, YouGov international polls, Statista, Reddit’s r/AskReddit mega-threads, and expat forums, are most frequently named for arrogance
Adding any other vaccines to this one is specious. ‘Vaccines are net kidney savers’ is a ridiculous thing to say. The medical and scientific question is the effect of THIS vaccine, and each COVID vaccine separately.”
It was in response to a comment I had made in which I stated, “This is fear porn, not science. The study warrants scrutiny (e.g., for confounders), but Hulscher’s “BREAKING” hype is baseless; vaccines are net kidney saviours.”
So I asked Grok if what I stated was correct. What follows is Grok’s non-partisan response.
Key Positive Achievements of Donald Trump as U.S. President (2017–2021)
Donald Trump’s single term as the 45th President of the United States focused on economic deregulation, foreign policy deals, and judicial reforms, among other areas. While his presidency was highly polarising, several initiatives garnered bipartisan support or measurable outcomes. Below, we outline significant positive achievements based on verified policy impacts, economic data, and international agreements. These are drawn from official records, government reports, and nonpartisan analyses.
A LinkedIn post by Thorsten Wunde (or “WundeThorsten”) shared a viral anecdote claiming to illustrate why “socialism always fails.” The story presents an economics professor in Sweden. He fails an entire class after averaging the grades to simulate socialist equality. This action leads to widespread laziness and eventual collapse. It concludes with a moral: When half the population realises they can slack off, the nation is in danger. The other half sees no reward for effort. This marks the end of every nation. This tale aims to serve as compelling evidence of socialism’s inherent flaws. However, it is deeply problematic on several levels. It is factually, logically, and empirically flawed. It’s a classic example of a fabricated parable. It is dressed up as real-world evidence. This story has been circulating online since at least 2009. It appears as chain emails and memes, often tied to U.S. politics (e.g., “Obama’s socialism”). Below, we’ll break it down systematically.
The article by Bassem Eid in The Times of Israel (Nov 2025) asserts that Hamas’s actions on October 7, 2023, and its use of human shields constitute genocide against Jews. It cites Golda Meir’s 1957 remark (“We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children… but we cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children”) to frame Hamas’s strategy as deliberately engineering Palestinian civilian deaths to provoke Israeli retaliation—thus meeting the legal threshold for genocide.
This is a bold, provocative claim that weaponises a revered Israeli leader’s words but fails under scrutiny on legal, factual, and rhetorical grounds.
Detailed List of Entities Calling for the Unconditional Release of Israeli Hostages Held by Hamas
The following is a comprehensive, categorised list of world leaders, governments, political parties, universities, social leaders, and NGOs that have publicly called for the immediate and unconditional release of the Israeli hostages (and, where applicable, their remains) taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.
This demand has been a consistent theme in international responses to the Gaza war hostage crisis, often framed as a war crime under international law and tied to calls for ceasefires and humanitarian access. The list is compiled from official statements, joint declarations, and reports up to November 6, 2025, including the recent U.S.-brokered ceasefire phases during which many hostages were released. I’ve focused on explicit calls for “unconditional” release, excluding conditional proposals (e.g., tied solely to prisoner swaps without emphasising immediacy).
Entries include brief context, dates where available, and sources for verification.
Note: Although universities were less prominent in direct calls (more often involved in protests or faculty statements), I’ve included relevant examples.
1. World Leaders. These individuals issued personal or official statements urging Hamas to release hostages without preconditions, often in UN addresses, summits, or media.