Joel Pollak
Politics • Lifestyle • News • Travel • Writing
I will share my thoughts about American politics, as well as current events in Israel and elsewhere, based on my experiences in the U.S., South Africa, and the Middle East. I will also discuss books and popular culture from the perspective of a somewhat libertarian, religiously observant conservative living in California. I will also share art and ideas that I find useful and helpful, and link to my content at Breitbart News, Amazon, and elsewhere.
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Project 2025 vs. 'The Agenda'

The Heritage Foundation, the premier conservative think tank in America for several decades, has come up with a grand agenda for the next Republican administration. It's called Project 2025, and it is causing panic on the left.

The heart of the Project is a 900-page-plus policy manual, the "Mandate for Leadership." It's a comprehensive manifesto of what conservatives would like to achieve in reforming government, expanding freedom, and defending values.

https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

Project 2025 goes even further, and aims to staff the future administration. It even asks people to submit resumes for White House positions they may be interested in. It also has plans to manage the transition within federal agencies.

Something like this effort is absolutely necessary and long overdue. Few people can master 922 pages of policy recommendations, but the manual will serve as a useful way to make sure people are at least singing from the same song sheet.

It's not a particularly Trump-oriented manual, and I believe it reflects more of a traditional establishment conservative consensus. Trump has already come out with his own concise policy manifesto, which is the official Republican platform.

My own effort in "The Agenda" is different from all of the above. It is a simple description of executive orders and actions that the president can do on Day One of his administration without help from Congress or either political party.

I did not consult Project 2025 or the Trump campaign, though there are broad areas of agreement. In "The Agenda," I keep it simple, and provide a way for a lame-duck White House beset by enemies to make the biggest possible impact.

Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/164821116X

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Posts
Time-lapse sunrise at Temescal Falls
00:00:17
This is what is left of my special place in the forest

Burned, then covered in mudslides and rockslides. The river still flows through it. But we have lost so much. I have to believe the spirit still lives on.

00:00:16
The drive home 💔
00:00:46
Breitbart News Sunday: June 29, 2025

What a week it was for President Donald Trump -- and what a week it's going to be, as we prepare to celebrate the 249th anniversary of the United States. From the BBB to Iran, to the jobs numbers later this week -- so much news!

We'll focus -- unusually so -- on a recap of recent events, just because they have been so profound -- but we'll also look ahead to things to come.

Special guests:

Assemblyman Carl DeMaio -- on California gas prices and Gavin Newsom
Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the BBB
Carrie Severino -- Judicial Crisis Network, on recent SCOTUS decisions
James Rosen -- Newsmax White House correspondent, on the media
Frances Martel -- Breitbart News foreign editor, on Iran and Israel
Alan Dershowitz -- lawyer and author, on Iran and antisemitism

Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call in: 866-957-2874

Weekly Torah portion: Korach (Numbers 16:1 - 18:32)

This week's portion is about the rebellion of Korach against Moses. The story is a powerful lesson about the role of good leaders -- and the unique challenges they face, as it is human nature to question why others should have authority.

Korach's rebellion fails because it is ultimately based on personal interests, even though it uses the language of common grievance. Moses prevails because he remains true to his faith even when confronted by a crowd.

We have seen a lot of "Korach" lately in my particular political world, as a cohort of "talkers" has tried to challenge the Republican "establishment" over support for Israel. They lost badly this week because their protests was empty.

It's never a good idea to bet against Israel, or against God. My advice to those tempted to join such rebellions is to search their own hearts, and ask if they are acting out of conviction or out of some other motive, perhaps conformity.

There is another lesson in Moses's reaction. When God says he will ...

Envy: What Really Motivates the Anti-Israel 'Woke' Right

A new phenomenon has appeared over the past several months, which burst into full view during the recent "12 Day War": the so-called "woke right," a small but vocal group of anti-Israel commentators and podcasters.

We are talking about a small minority of people -- only about 6% of Trump supporters, according to one recent poll. But they are prolific on social media, and are therefore believed to be somewhat influential.

Some of these voices used to be avowedly pro-Israel, but turned against the Jewish state in recent months. Often, their changes of heart are ascribed to antisemitism, but usually that is too simplistic an explanation.

It is true that a few have used antisemitic language and themes. In some cases, these commentators had been  targeted previously by left-wing Jewish groups like the Anti Defamation League for cancelation for stating conservative ideas. Once targeted in this way, they became more hostile to Jews, and to Israel, because they felt they had been attacked first -- which they had been, ...

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