The origin of Thanksgiving goes back to the Plymouth plantation, founded by the Pilgrims in 1620. You may have learned that in school, but I bet you didn't learn this in school: the original Thanksgiving came after the settlement abandoned socialism in favor of capitalism.

It appears that the original charter adopted a form of communal ownership and required equality of income. You're probably not surprised that this led to starvation and, as a consequence, plague. After two years, the colonists did something which few socialists since have ever done since—they learned from their mistake, and instituted private ownership. The starving times ended, the colonists traded their surpluses with the Natives and the new abundance was celebrated with a day of Thanksgiving.

It's not just about food, it's about freedom. Socialism is en vogue again today, but maybe this time around we can learn from history before we repeat its errors.

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As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, it's a good time to be reminded about the true history of the holiday.

Perhaps we should not be surprised that in an increasingly secular America, there's confusion about the origins of Thanksgiving. Some kids are now actually taught that the Pilgrims held a feast to thank the Indians. Afraid of appearing too religious, some are now calling it "Turkey Day," as if it all comes down to poultry.

The facts speak for themselves: In 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated what they called "the goodness of God" as they feasted with local Indians. In 1789 President Washington declared the first national day of Thanksgiving—asking Americans to "unite in most humbly offering our prayer and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations."

So much for a secular holiday. These Americans knew to whom they were praying.

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China exerts a strange power over America’s leftist elites. Increasingly, it seems like the allure of the communist power causes them to check all ethics at the door.

After visiting China to talk climate change, Gavin Newsom has strengthened ties with Chinese Communist Party-linked climate groups. Newsom won’t criticize China for building six times more coal plants than other countries. And in his meetings with Xi Jinping, Newsom refused to discuss China’s genocide against the Uyghurs.

CEOs of some of America’s most powerful corporations are similarly deferential. Apple CEO Tim Cook pulled Apple’s advertising on X because of Elon Musk’s alleged antisemitic words. Yet the same week, he happily dined next to Xi, a communist dictator guilty of human rights abuses—head of a country that threatens Taiwan, steals our trade secrets, and views America as an adversary.  

The priorities of the leftist elite on China are out of step with everyday Americans.

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The American Family Association is taking on Apple Inc. for deplatforming religious content. 

At the demand of the communist Chinese government, Apple’s app store removed a Bible and a Quran app. This is not the first time that Apple has censored religious content. Apple recently even severed its relationship with left-wing comedian Jon Stewart, reportedly due to his criticism of China. 

But instead of wallowing in outrage and only talking to fellow conservatives about the company, AFA is actually talking to Apple, proposing a ballot measure to go to the board of directors and to the other shareholders for a vote. 

Engaging with companies, placing proposals on ballots, showing up and voting, that's how the left captured corporate America and those same tools in our hands is how companies will be taken back to their real mission … that is: making a profit. 

We should all be following their example.

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The reservoir of sympathy for Israel in the wake of the October 7th attack has turned out to be shockingly shallow.

We’re seeing gleeful bloodlust in the streets of capital cities, among the students at elite universities. Murderers celebrated instead of condemned. 

What has happened to our world?

Israelis have no illusions about what is intended by the now-commonplace chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The message is simple in that phrase: Erase the Jewish state. Erase the Jews. I am hardly alone in believing it is a call for genocide, for extermination, for another holocaust.

Do you wonder at how ferociously Israel defends itself? Consider how the United States and Britain responded when the Axis powers sought to destroy them in World War II. 

America and her allies’ aim was the enemy’s unconditional surrender, or its leaders’ deaths and the destruction of their war machine. Total war. 

And America succeeded. 

As will Israel, where “never again” still means “never again.”

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The recent off-year election was a massive wake up call for Christians and for pro-life conservatives, or at least it should be.

Just consider the state of Ohio where voters codified what was known as Issue One. A constitutional amendment legalizing abortion, and that's now without restrictions. The amendment makes legal provision for abortion all the way through nine months of gestation, it passed convincingly.

Pro-life conservatives must face the fact that we have lost just about every major statewide vote on election since the Dobbs decision reversing Roe v. Wade.

One of the functions of the law is to teach. In the almost half century between when the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v Wade decision, and then when it was reversed in the Dobbs decision, the law sent a moral message. Indeed, it sent an immoral message about the lack of the value of human life in the womb.

When a legal system teaches wrongly, you end up with the wrong morality.

It's a sober moment and it's a call to action.

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This past Tuesday in the nation’s capital we saw a March for Israel.

I was there. I showed up early. People from all over the country were represented. “Cleveland stands with Israel” read one sign. “Philly stands with Israel,” Houston, another—Columbus, Cincinnati—it was a great opportunity to see all of America come together. 

It was a marker in American history: America stands with Israel. 

No matter how many crazies we have on university campuses and no matter how much cowardice we see from college administrators, the nation at large stands with Israel.

The new Speaker of the House—Mike Johnson—was there.

The Senate Majority Leader—the Democrat Chuck Schumer—was there.

Yes: We’ve seen the wicked face of anti-Semitism raise its head in our nation:

•    In the halls of Congress.
•    And in our major cities, where the anti-Semitic protests are loud and destructive and sometimes violent.

But the Times of Israel estimated that nearly 300,000 showed up on Tuesday in solidarity with Israel …

… What we saw was the soul of our nation on display:

America stands with Israel.

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Be prepared for embarrassment. In the run up to President Biden’s visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in San Francisco this week, the Chinese foreign minister warned that the road to the meeting wouldn’t be smooth sailing.

In other words, China doesn’t feel obligated to play nicely. And why would it? The Biden administration has become China’s supplicant. One of its stated objectives for the meeting is to get China’s help in dealing with Iran.

Any sensible person realizes that’s hopelessly naïve. China’s goal is to replace America as world leader. Why would anyone think it has the slightest incentive to help the United States?

Worse, going hat-in-hand to the Chinese only creates an image of weakness.

Let’s hope this foolish gambit doesn’t tempt Xi to miscalculate on Taiwan—just as Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan preceded Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

With dictators like Xi and Putin, weakness always begets aggression.

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Western politicians, media, and cultural elites have demonstrated a complete failure to grasp reality in the wake of Hamas’ October 7 massacres. Agitators for the Palestinian cause and the benighted students of Academia have spent the last four weeks demanding a “cease fire” on behalf of the Gazans.

But that’s not what Hamas wants. Last week, they told the New York Times that they wanted a state of “permanent war” with Israel as a means to its annihilation. Only a permanent state of war would convince other Arab nations to join Hamas in the genocide of Jews in Israel. Even before that, Hamas’ senior leader Ghazi Hamad promised to continue the massacres until they had “removed” Israel and all of the Jews in the region. 

Cease fires are useful when combatants see ways to peacefully coexist with each other. Hamas has never hidden its genocidal ambitions, and now proudly proclaims them. Their only use for cease-fires is to gain new tactical advantages to conduct their genocide.

When terrorists tell you who they are … believe them.

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The 20th century knew more than its share of evil and of evil powers, but something new, ominous and world-shaping came into view in 1936 when Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany declared a “Rome-Berlin Axis,” united in opposition to the rest of Europe. 

Now, as Israel fights against a massive attack by the Islamic terrorist organization Hamas, even as Ukraine fights against a Russian invasion, the picture coming into view reveals a new axis of evil that poses a civilizational challenge that the United States and our allies cannot ignore. 

Once again, an axis threat looms.

The new axis of evil includes Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. 

All four nations pose a direct threat to the West.

Each is working to subvert the world order. All four are driven by an aggressive ideology. 

All four are autocracies or dictatorships who see the United States and our allies as decadent, weak, rich, and temporary. All four are deeply rooted in history. All four are driven by an aggressive ideology.

We're about to find out if freedom-loving nations can muster the determination to defend our freedoms against rogue regimes.

Far too many politicians and world leaders refuse to acknowledge the reality, but denial is deadly.

We're about to find out just how determined we are that our civilization shall exist for our own children.

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