Joel Pollak
Lifestyle • News • Politics • 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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The National Archives declare themselves racist

As I note at Breitbart, the National Archives has produced a report that declares themselves racist -- including, specifically, the Rotunda in which the nation's founding documents are preserved.

I don't think there could be any serious objections to adding exhibits to the Rotunda that reflect broader participation in the nation's founding. However, the casting of the nation's Founding as racist -- or, at best, incomplete -- is a real problem.

The report declares: "Freedom wasn’t fully chartered by the three documents in the Rotunda." That reflects what one might call a "soft" version of Critical Race Theory: not that the documents are racist as such, but insufficiently anti-racist.

President Trump offered a (p)rebuttal to that argument when he delivered a speech at the Rotunda last September: "America’s founding set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery, secured civil rights, defeated communism and fascism, and built the most fair, equal, and prosperous nation in human history." In other words, freedom was inherent to the documents. Other, later documents simply elucidated and elaborate the original idea.

It is true that later documents -- like the post-Civil War amendments, for example -- added to, and subtracted from, the original text. But a nation that wants to survive must believe that its founding is transcendent. You can have an academic debate, or you can have a nation that preserves the right to that free academic debate, but if you only have the former, you won't for long.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/06/28/national-archives-report-declares-rotunda-with-countrys-founding-documents-racist/

https://www.archives.gov/files/news/archivists-task-force-on-racism-report.pdf

https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-white-house-conference-american-history/

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The drive home 💔
00:00:46
Day 24 of THE AGENDA: Conclusion -- What Trump should work on with Congress

This is the final edition of THE AGENDA -- finished a few days early!

00:03:43
Day 23 of THE AGENDA: Protecting the Constitution, and our elections
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Weekly Torah reading: Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1 - 24:18)

This week's portion elucidates some of the first laws and principles of the Torah that follow the Ten Commandments, including -- a message particularly relevant to freed slaves -- the Jewish restrictions on indentured servitude.

God also provides the basic civil laws of Jewish society, governing almost every area of life -- in this one portion! -- as well as several basic principles of faith and religious observance. Moses then ascends Sinai for 40 days.

One of the laws God gives is the law against taunting a foreigner. This is different from allowing people to enter your land illegally; it is about showing respect, however, for people from other lands and other groups.

I am reminded of the importance of this principle because of the rhetoric lately attacking Elon Musk, a fellow South African-turned-American, for his foreign roots -- often by people who favor illegal immigration, ironically.

...

A brief update on progress

Since the Palisades Fire on January 7, my posts have been fairly sparse. I have just been so busy -- fighting the fire, covering the fire, helping neighbors, and launching a new podcast, "Three Homeless Guys," with two local friends.

Things are up and down. My family is still displaced, and we haven't resolved our living situation. We are awaiting answers from the insurance company (State Farm) on what they will cover, including alternative living expenses.

There are some incredible opportunities opening up -- more on that later -- and our kids are generally doing well, though this has been hard for them as well (especially the two middle kids, who miss their friends and their house).

The emotion of it all hit me yesterday. Today I feel wrung out. But I also feel that, in a way, going through the fire has been a process of refinement, of re-casting in a new mould, to face new challenges. And to win each new day.

Breitbart News Sunday: show rundown (February 16, 2025)

So much to talk about, once again, as the Trump administration continues at breakneck pace. From DOGE chewing through the federal bureaucracy, to Marco Rubio heading out on his first missions for Trump, there's so much...

Special guests:

Assemblyman Carl DeMaio -- on the L.A. fires and reforming CA insurance
Matt Boyle -- Breitbart News political editor, on DOGE and confirmations
Jamie Paige -- founder of the Westside Current, on L.A. politics and the fires
Frances Martel -- Breitbart News foreign editor, on Rubio and Russia/Ukraine
Rob Hersov -- South African commentator, on SA's fight with the White House

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