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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My weekly column: Remember when Gen. Milley promised to stay away from politics after Lafayette Square?

Milley last year, on Lafayette Square:

As many of you saw the result of the photograph of me at Lafayette Square last week. That sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society. I should not have been there. My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics. As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from.

Milley this year: Critical Race Theory!

"[W]hite enlisted soldiers are being made to sit through lectures about white privilege by the senior officer class, when they are far more likely than those officers to have grown up in poverty, have black babies, and report to Hispanic superiors.*

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/06/25/blue-state-blues-gen-mark-milley-chooses-his-politics-on-left/

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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
Weekly Torah reading: Tzav (Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36)

This week's portion describes various different kinds of sacrifices brought by the priests in the Temple, as well as the investiture ceremonies for Aaron as the High Priest (Kohen Gadol), which was performed before all the people.

This is also Shabbat HaGadol -- the "Big Sabbath" that precedes Passover, which begins at sundown. (There is a whole discussion in the Talmud, in Tractate Pesachim, about what to do if the Sabbath precedes the holiday.)

The blessings of the Sabbath are considered even more important for a people about to be liberated from slavery. The Sabbath is the ultimate expression of freedom -- freedom from work, and even from worldly cares.

I'd like to share this excellent article by Agam Berger, a freed Israeli hostage who kept up her Jewish observance, to the extent possible, in captivity. Her faith guided her through. For her, the Passover miracle is a lived experience.

...

Trump's tariffs and uncertainty about the future

President Donald Trump's tariffs are creating uncertainty in the markets -- perhaps deliberately so -- and they have also accelerated a confrontation with China. We need to know how this is going to end, or it could end badly.

Trump was on solid ground when he proposed reciprocal tariffs -- i.e. applying the same tariffs to other countries that they apply to us, in an effort to restore truly free trade. But that effort has been complicated by two other factors.

One is that the Trump White House chose to include non-tariff barriers to trade in its calculation of what other countries have been charging the U.S. Fair enough, but the method of calculating those barriers is rather uncertain.

The other is that Trump appears to see a long-term role for tariffs as a way to generate revenue for the federal government, even replacing income taxes. It is hard to imagine that tariffs alone can generate nearly enough revenue.

After the initial turbulence following April 2 -- "Liberation Day" -- the markets ...

Breitbart News Sunday: show rundown (April 6, 2025)

Well, we have a LOT to talk about regarding the economy. The tariffs have finally arrived, and with them a decline in stock prices -- to put it mildly. But other prices are dropping, too -- including interest rates and gas prices.

What does this all mean?

We'll also explore the implications for foreign policy, especially regarding China, with the TikTok deadline pushed off by 75 days, and Russia and Ukraine getting nowhere nearer to a deal.

And we'll talk about where Trump is heading next, with our own White House correspondent, who has unparalleled access to the Oval Office and all of the information you could possibly hope to have about the week ahead.

Special guests:

John Carney -- Breitbart News financial editor, on tariffs and markets
John Hayward -- Breitbart News foreign correspondent, on world affairs
Nick Gilbertson -- Breitbart News White House correspondent, on Trump

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

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