The Center-Right Opposition Won the Venezuelan Presidential Election

The united opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, a former diplomat, easily won the Venezuelan presidential election yesterday with 65-70% of the vote, according to two exit polls and the tabulations from the opposition at 40% of polling places to which it had access. The previously little-known center-right candidate, who was a last-minute stand-in for the popular conservative candidate the ruling Socialists had barred from office, overwhelmingly won in every State in Venezuela, despite the oppression from the dictatorship that I have been posting about that rendered the elections for a six-year term not free and fair, and the rejection by the Socialists of most international observers. The anti-American Socialists have ruled for 25 years after being elected and then becoming increasingly authoritarian. Venezuela has suffered tyranny, corruption, crime, poverty, inflation, and energy shortages. Millions have fled the South American State, including to America. The national election council, controlled by the President, declared the incumbent the winner with just over 51.% of the vote, but without publicizing the particular results. In my last post, I had said that the opposition would win a free and fair election, but that it was doubtful the Socialist dictatorship would accept the results and cede power. The opposition has declared Gonzalez the president-elect and even some Latin American States led by the center-left have joined those on the right side of the spectrum in questioning how the results could possibly reflect the will of the Venezuelan people. States ruled by the far left and tyrants who do not permit free elections themselves have recognized the Socialists as the winners, despite the lack of transparency, which the United States and its Western allies also doubt. The U.S., which had mediated the deal in which the elections would take place and eased some economic sanctions for it having been scheduled, stands by the Venezuelan people and offers assistance in providing some protection for members of the Socialist regime to escape prosecution for human rights violations in exchange for giving up power. The dictatorship had violated the agreement in many ways in repressing the opposition, which creatively found means to work around it. The Socialist dictator had threatneed a “bloodbath” if he lost. The popular opposition is encouraging the Venezuelan military to uphold the true results of the election. The U.S. and much of the international community will continue to pressure the Venezuelan regime to be transparent in publicizing the results, and are otherwise not likely recognize the Socialist dictator as the legitimate ruler of Venezuela and will use sanctions as leverage to force him to accept the will of the Venezuelan people and give up power.

Foreign Digest: Hungary, Syria, Communist China and North Korea

Hungary: The European Union Commission’s annual report on the rule of law found that there has been no progress in Hungary on corruption, bribery, conflicts of interest, lobbying, political party and campaign funding, the independence of the media, and allowing a secure place for civic organizations. The EU report also cited uncertainty for businesses because of state intervention into the free market. The EU had frozen funds to Hungary for its infractions. Some EU funds had been unfrozen only because of changes to the Hungarian judicial system. Hungary delayed defensive aid to Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression and the self-described “illiberal” Hungarian President, Viktor Orban, whom the EU identified as autocratic and who is ruling by decree, engaged as rotating EU Commission President in a visit to Russia that appeared to be appeasement, thereby provoking a boycott of informal meetings held by Orban or hosted in Hungary by the other EU Commission members. Orban also visited on his appeasement tour Donald Trump, who admires the anti-migrant Orban and who opposes American aid to Ukraine because of his favorable relationship with Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union. Trump’s chosen running mate is also an admirer of the authoritarian Orban. The center-right European People’s Party, an EU parliamentary group, had suspended Orban’s party, which later withdrew to join a nationalist group. A center-right party has emerged as the leading opponent to Orban, who has ruled for 14 years, in the 2025 presidential elections. Syria: United Nations last week condemned the tyrannical Syrian regime of Bashar Assad for gross human rights violations. Syria has been in civil war since Syrians revolted against the dictatorship in 2011. Several hundred thousand people have been killed and millions fled. The Assad regime, backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist ally, Hezbollah, as well as the Russian Federation, have targeted civilian areas with bombings, including with chemical weapons. Communist China and North Korea: United States last week sanctioned Chinese citizens for supporting Communist North Korea’s missile and space program. The U.S. also charged last week in abstentia a North Korean military intelligence officer for leading cyberattacks in 2021 that targeted hospitals, thereby interrupting patient care, for which ransom was received, as well as the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, military bases and defense and energy companies, including in South Korea and the Republic of China (Taiwan) and even Communist China, even though it is an ally of North Korea. Secret defense capabilities were exposed. The ransom, which was laundered by the officer through Communist China to fund more attacks, was recovered. Although the arrest of the suspect is unlikely, the charges will enable economic sanctions to be imposed that will make it harder for North Korea to collect ransoms from hospitals again. Today, the U.S. announced the establishment of a joint military command in Japan to respond more quickly than from the current American headquarters in Hawaii, to any invasion of Taiwan by Communist China or South Korea by Communist North Korea.

The Center-Right Opposition Would Win a Free and Fair Venezuelan Presidential Election

Venezuelans vote today in the presidential election, amidst repression by the Socialists who have ruled for more than 20 years after being elected and then becoming increasingly authoritarian. The united center-right opposition, led by former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, would win if the election were free and fair, and may still prevail nonetheless, but whether the dictatorial President would concede power is doubtful. I have been posting of the harassment of the opposition, including arrests of campaign officials, and various other repressive acts while Venezuela suffers tyranny, corruption, inflation, energy shortages, and crime. I had posted that the European Union’s election observers were denied entry. Now Brazil and Colombia have withdrawn their election observers after the Socialist dictatorship criticized the electoral systems of Venezuela’s South American neighbors. And Venezuela rejected the entry of two Chilean Senators to serve as observers. Under the anti-American Socialists, Venezuela has been close to Communist Cuba, the imperialist Russian Federation and Islamist terrorist-sponsoring Iran as part of what I call the Axis of Rogues.

Update on the Venezuelan Presidential Election

Thirty former Heads of State across Spain and Latin America have denounced the repression of the ruling Socialists in Venezuela that is preventing the upcoming elections from being fully free and fair, thus jeopardizing representative government and human rights. As I have been posting, the dictatorship has been arresting opposition leaders, closing opposition offices, prosecuting business that are hired by the campaign for basic services, and denying the opposition access to state media. The center-right opposition has united around former Ambassador Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia against the Socialists who have been ruling for over two decades in an increasingly authoritarian manner after being elected freely. The Socialists have banned public gatherings ahead of the Venezuelan presidential election a week from today on July 28. The South American State suffers from inflation, poverty, power outages, corruption, and tyranny, which has caused millions to flee the country. Venezuela is part of what I call the Axis of Rogues, together with Cuba, Russia and Iran, with which it has warm relations, and is unfriendly to the United States.

Latest Developments Re: The European Union and Russia

The European Union has rebuked the Hungarian President’s appeasement of Russia. Hungary currently holds the European Union’s rotating presidency. The Hungarian President, Viktor Orban, an anti-migrant nationalist who describes himself as “illiberal” and who rules by decree and whom the 27-member EU describes as an autocrat, went on a tour earlier this month immediately after assuming the EU presidency to advance his proposals for appeasement of the Russian Federation without consulting with the EU or making it clear that he was not visiting Russia and other capitals, as well as the Russian-backed American presidential candidate, Donald Trump, in his capacity as EU President. Orban, who had been pro-Russian, did not support Russian aggression against Ukraine, but has not sent arms to Ukraine, unlike the other EU members, and has consistently opposed supporting Ukraine with military aid to defend itself against Russia. His peace proposals are likely the typical ones of appeasement of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer intent on restoring the Soviet Union, by letting him keep some of the Ukrainian territory he has conquered, in violation of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, which Russia had recognized. Such appeasement would reward aggression, move Russian forces closer to Europe, and only whet the Russian czar’s thirst for more territory. The EU has withheld funds to Hungary because of its increasing authoritarianism and the main center-right EU parliamentary group, the European People’s Party, which Hungary later left, had suspended Hungarian membership for the same reason. In an unprecedented move, the EU Commission announced that it will boycott informal meetings hosted by the Hungarian President because of his appeasement tour. The European Parliament last week reiterated its continued military aid to defend Ukraine by a vote of a large majority, as the new center-right-led coalition with centrists, the center-left and Greens was elected to the offices in the EU with ample votes in favor. The coalition, which supports the EU itself and favors human rights, the transatlantic alliance with the United States, and defending Ukraine, keeps out both the far left and the far right. German Ursula von der Leyen, of the conservative Christian Democratic Union party, was re-elected to another five-year term with a larger vote than her first term. Meanwhile, the United States last week sanctioned Russian hackers who had targeted critical infrastructure in America for cyberattacks. The hackers had previously targeted Ukraine and the States and private companies that are supporting it.

The Federal Reserve Finds Immigration Is Boosting the American Economy

The Federal Reserve of the United States, the bipartisan central bank chaired by a Republican appointed by Donald Trump, reports that the recent surge of immigration is boosting the American economy and is not contributing to inflation. The leading American business organization, the Chamber of Commerce, has long argued that the excessively restrictive policy on migrants, based on nativism from several decades ago, has contributed to the labor shortage, with the unemployment rate remaining near the 4% rate of full employment, which is one of the contributing causes of inflation. The excessive restrictions incentivize irregular (legal, but unauthorized; or illegal) migration, such as refugees seeking asylum from persecution, because there are insufficient regular pathways for immigrants or migrant workers. Refugees are legally permitted to enter if they have a credible fear of persecution, either at ports of entry, as preferred, or wherever they can, to save their lives or liberty. A good example is Cubans sailing on boats to Florida to escape Communism. Nativists make false claims that refugees have entered “illegally,” that the borders are “open,” and the professional media also often erroneously reports that they have, and that migrants are damaging to the economy and commit a higher share of crime. But conservatives, especially since Ronald Reagan, who proudly observed the contrast of people risking their lives to flee tyrannical regimes and risking their lives to come to America, have favored immigration, and, like the Founding Generation, have favored allowing refugees to live in freedom, as they have a greater appreciation of liberty because of having suffered under tyranny. The U.S. does not admit nearly enough migrants legally to satisfy the demand of American employers. A mass deportation of migrants, which would cost tens of billions of dollars, including many who have lived in America without posing any threat or committing crimes, would exacerbate the labor shortage and cause inflation to skyrocket, particularly for some industries, like agriculture. Furthermore, families would either be split up or forced to emigrate. In short, none of the justifications claimed by xenophobes about migrants are true and implementing even more nativist policies than already exist would not solve the problems blamed on migrants and cause far more problems instead.

Donald Trump Weakened the Republican Platform’s Pro-Life Language

The Republican National Convention (RNC) today adopted the GOP Platform that is less expressly pro-life and pro-marriage than before. It abandons the commitment to a human life constitutional amendment and for extending the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection of the right to life to the pre-born and for a federal ban on abortions after 20 weeks gestation. Instead of a federal ban on abortion after 20 weeks gestation, the proposed Republican platform leaves it totally up to States to permit abortion. It also abandons the statement that marriage is between one man and one woman. The language was weakened at the behest of Donald Trump in closed-door meetings, unlike televised ones previously, and was rushed through. Eighteen of the 102 Convention Delegates signed an informal minority report, which was not a formal one because it fell shy of the 25% threshold. A group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, Advancing American Freedom, were among the conservative pro-life leaders who urged Delegates to restore the stronger pro-life language to the GOP platform. There were pro-life protestors at the RNC. In 2016, the only part of the Republican Platform the Trump campaign opposed was language calling for defensive military aid for Ukraine against Russian aggression. The language was removed from the document. The purpose of party conventions is to nominate candidates for president and vice president of the United States, but in recent decades, the primary election process has supplanted the role of Delegates, most of whom are elected in primary elections by the voters, as has the practice of presumptive nominees choosing their own running mates, even though by the rules it is completely the choice of the Delegates, as a nominee may choose not to recommend anyone and the Delegates are free to choose another candidate, even if he does. But the last vestige of any role for the Delegates has now been eviscerated by the Republican Party. Instead of nominating candidates who represent its views as expressed in its platform, it is allowing its presumptive nominee to change the platform to represent his views, as the leader of the party, even before he is nominated. Thus, the representative model of governance of the Republican Party has now been supplanted by an autocratic one. Meanwhile, several Republican U.S. Senators who are not supporters of Trump are planning to skip the RNC.

The Right Ways to Defend Against the Threats to Security and Freedom from Donald Trump

I have often posted about the unique threats posed to American and global security, public health, and freedom because of the poor character of Donald Trump and because of his enablers who decline to keep him from power or hold him accountable for deception, intimidation, corruption, cruelty and authoritarianism, and the hostile foreign power who has been backing him. And I have expressed concern of the dangers of Trump and the populism and demagoguery of Trumpism also to the Republican Party and the conservative movement. But I have consistently been trying to use the dissemination of information and persuasion to counter the Trumpist threat, instead of using the same evil methods of ad hominem attacks, dishonesty, inconsistency and abandonment of civility typified by Trump supporters who have victimized with harassment and death threats every prominent conservative or Republican who even mildly criticizes him, as well as other political opponents, professional media, law enforcement officials, witnesses, prosecutors and judges; and have committed violent attacks on the United States Capitol, the husband of the Speaker of the House at the Speaker’s private home, and a Federal Bureau of Investigation office, among other attacks and attempts. These attacks are in addition to Trumpist conspiracy theory-inspired attacks on a restaurant, a synagogue, and various other targets. The intimidation from Trumpists, instead of being persuasive, undermine freedom of expression. I continue to believe that the best way to defend against Trumpism is not to act like Trumpists who have few principles and have no regard for civic responsibility, but to hold fast to first principles and to have the courage to speak the truth civilly and convincingly. And the best way to defeat Trump and Trumpism is not through violence of like kind or other violations of liberty and acts of election fraud that are as unpersuasive as the violence committed by Trumpists, but through the more meaningful and persuasive casting of free votes. Defeat Trump through the free votes of the electorate for candidates for public office (including members of the Electoral College and Congress), the votes of the Electoral College for President and Vice President, the votes of Congress to declare Trump and certain other supporters ineligible to serve in federal office because of their complicity in insurrection or to impeach and convict him for any of his numerous high crimes and misdemeanors, and the votes of juries of his peers to convict him of federal and state crimes for which he has been indicted by the votes of grand juries.

Pennsylvania Has Balanced Its 2024-25 State Budget without Raising Taxes

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has balanced its budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, without raising taxes after the Democratic-controlled state House of Representatives and Republican-led state Senate came to an agreement with the Democratic Governor. The budget carries over some business tax cuts and allows students to deduct loan interest. At over $48 billion, Pennsylvania’s budget spends $700 million less than the Governor proposed, but still uses $3 billion of the nearly $11 billion surplus from one-time revenues, instead of reserving it for the structural deficit. The budget increases public education spending, but also more for tuition for private and cyber charter schools, while making the state higher education system more affordable. Pennsylvania’s is one of the least affordable in America. Among other provisions, the budget also increases mass transit funding. It did not address “skill games” or relay on legalizing recreational marijuana, as the Governor had proposed.

Foreign Digest: Venezuela and Cuba

Venezuela: The Organization of American States, of which the United States is an America, urged Socialist-led Venezuela last week to put an end to persecutions and allow free and fair elections. The OAS cites a lack of independence of prosecutors that undermines the rule of law and violations of the freedom of expression. It notes there are 50 opposition leaders held as political prisoners by the authoritarian Venezuelan regime and that some local opposition meeting places have been closed and that the opposition is not afforded time on public radio and television. The opposition has united around a center-right former ambassador in the presidential elections later this month. The Socialists came to power over twenty years ago through elections and have become increasingly authoritarian. They are not permitting international observers for the elections. Communist Cuba: Non-governmental organizations report there are over 1,100 political prisoners in Communist Cuba, including many minors. The political prisoners suffer poor conditions and every one of them needs medical care. Many of them were arrested for peaceful protests in 2021, the largest since the Communist revolution in 1959.

Russia: Tricked into Becoming Mercenaries; Disinformation Ring and Assassination Plot; Dissent Silenced; NATO Summit with 4 Non-Members

Indians Tricked into Becoming Mercenaries: The Russian Federation is reportedly sending back dozens of Indians who had gone to Russia on the promise of jobs and were tricked into becoming mercenaries fighting in support of Russian aggression against Ukraine. India is prosecuting a ring that was trafficking Indians to Russia. I had posted recently of the policies of Nepal and Kyrgyzstan to ban or prosecute their citizens for volunteering for Russia. Disinformation Ring and Assassination Plot Disrupted: The United States disrupted another Russian disinformation network last week in which they posed as Americans to influence public opinion in favor of Russia and against Ukraine. American intelligence agencies reportedly have identified another Russian effort to back Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, as they did in 2016 and 2020, and to oppose candidates who support defending Ukraine against Russian aggression. The U.S. and Germany last week foiled an assassination plot against an arms industry owner who has been supplying arms to Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression. The disinformation campaign and assassination plot are part of an increased Russian hybrid war that includes sabotage, cyberattacks, and other means. Dissent Silenced: Oleg Orlov, a Russian who co-founded a human rights organization and who is a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was sentenced to a lengthy prison term last week for criticizing the Russian aggression against Ukraine and of the erosion of liberty under Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin. During his statement at trial that was broadcast on television and attended by other dissidents and foreign embassy representatives, the audio feed was cut off immediately after he cited “repression” across Russia. Russia criminalized criticism of its war and has arrested thousands of peaceful protestors. NATO Summit with 4 Non-Members: At the summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last week, which is led by the U.S., a joint statement was issued with four non-member States in attendance: Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. The statement declared Communist China an "enabler” of Russian aggression, expressed concern for the increased ties between Communist North Korea and Russia, and reported that the four had launched cooperative programs on Ukraine, cybersecurity, disinformation and artificial intelligence. In addition, New Zealand signed a partnership agreement with NATO and the U.S. and South Korea signed significant military agreements.

The French Unite to Block the Far Right in the Runoff Parliamentary Elections

The left-wing bloc won a plurality of seats in the high-turnout French runoff parliamentary elections among candidates who had cleared a certain threshold of votes. The leftists, who had moderated their positions and pledged support for Ukraine against the Russian aggression, were followed by the ruling centrist bloc that includes some center-right members, thereby blocking in an upset result the far-right from gaining the majority of seats in Parliament and holding the premiership. Many candidates in each alliance had dropped out of the runoff to allow the other bloc’s candidate who had won the most votes to prevail. The far-right anti-migrant party with a history of sympathy for and financial support from the Russian Federation, came in third after having led in the first round of elections a week ago. The center-right party did its part with a respectable fourth-place finish to help prevent the first far-right-led French government since the Vichy collaborationists with the Nazi German invaders during the Second World War, despite its leader forming an alliance with the far-right, which, as I had posted, was rejected by the conservatives’ parliamentary leaders, as the Gaullist party has a history of opposing fascism. A far-right government could have compromised the West’s unity against Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union. The centrist President, whose term lasts three more years, had called the parliamentary elections a year early after his party lost to the far-right in the European Parliamentary elections last month. Although no party will have a majority of seats in the French Palriament, he will name a prime minister from the bloc that won the most seats, but not from the anti-Semitic far-left party within it that won the most individual seats. But even with this “cohabitation,” the French Head of State remains constitutionally powerful in the Fifth Republic. France, a great power, is an ally of the United States as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Foreign Digest: Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, United Kingdom and Iran

Haiti: The international force led by Kenya, approved by the United Nations and with support from the United States, has arrived in Haiti to police the Caribbean State that has suffered from armed criminal gangs that have taken over much of the capital and made political demands on the government. Haiti, which has been without a president since the previous one was assassinated in 2021 and without elections ever since, had recently formed a new government after the Prime Minister resigned because of the gang violence. Kyrgyzstan: Two Kyrgyz volunteers have been convicted this year of volunteering to join the Russian military’s aggression against the former Soviet Republic of Ukraine, even though Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet Republic in Central Asia, is an ally of the Russian Federation. I had posted how the Southern Asian State of Nepal, which is led by a Maoist Prime Minister who leads a coalition with Marxist-Leninists and republicans, had also banned its citizens from helping Russia. The East Asian States of Japan, South Korea, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Singapore have imposed economic sanctions on Russia, but other States have been careful to avoid certain sanctions from doing business with Russia indirectly, and as Russian aggression was widely condemned. United Kingdom: Center-left won a plurality of votes and majority of seats in the British parliamentary elections last week, after fourteen years of Conservative rule, oft-times in coalition with smaller parties. The liberal Labour Party had to moderate their previous far-left policies. On foreign policy, they condemn the terrorism of Hamas and stand strongly against Russian aggression against Ukraine, while they are implementing a migration policy more respectful of human rights, as far-right anti-migrant views in Europe and America pull the conservatives more toward nativism and thus the center-right concedes the middle ground that balances security with liberty and economic needs to the center-left. Indeed, a new anti-migrant party pulled votes away from the Tories, allowing Labour to win a much larger majority in Parliament than previously with a comparable vote total. The Conservatives suffered from the scandal of their then-Prime Minister who violated the health restrictions during the Coronavirus pandemic, disruptions from the British withdrawal from the European Union, global inflation, problems with government services, and voter fatigue from their long rule in Westminster. Meanwhile, the center-left Scottish separatist party lost most of its seats to Labour, thus ending any threat of another referendum on Scottish independence. The United Kingdom, a great power, is a strong ally of the United States as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Iran: The Iranian presidential elections last week were not free and fair. In addition to restrictions on human rights, candidates for President of the theocratic Islamic Republic and Parliament are approved by the mullahs, who exercise ultimate power, who do not allow anyone opposed to Islamism to stand for office. A relatively moderate Islamist defeated a relative hardline Islamist, in the low-turnout election. Iran spreads Islamic revolution throughout the Islamic world and is the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism.

Happy Independence Day! Declare Independence from Tyranny, Power Centralization, Hostile Foreign Election Interference and Aggression

Happy Independence Day! As I usually note, the resolution for independence from the United Kingdom of the Thirteen American Colonies was approved by Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, but the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, which has become the date to celebrate the break from the British monarchy, although several of the States had already declared their independence during the American Revolution and the War of American Independence. The British King, who was immune from prosecution for crimes, had tyrannized the British Colonies in North America, thereby violating the freedom that Americans expected as equals to other British subjects who were amply represented in Parliament, unlike the Americans. The Sovereign of the U.K. had also imposed restrictive trade terms that favored Great Britain, in accordance with the system of mercantilism that was replaced in independent America with a freer market and later free trade among the States. As I have noted before, Independence Day is not the celebration of the birthday of the “United States,” as the States did not form a Union until 1789, but the independence of each of the American States, meaning that they were no longer subject to a foreign sovereign, but exercise their own sovereignty. In a period when hostile foreign powers successfully influence elections in America overtly and covertly through propaganda and disinformation and disinformation, as well as by stealing information and publicizing it through cut-outs, and their interference is accepted by a presidential campaign and the fraudulent results accepted and legitimized, as happened when the Russians helped elected Donald Trump President in 2016, it is as important than ever to defend against foreign political and election interference that undermines American independence. And when foreign powers again commit aggression, as the Russian Federation is doing against Ukraine as part of its effort to restore the Soviet Empire, then the principles of independence and sovereignty are under threat globally and must be defended, lest American sovereignty and independence would no longer be recognized by any remaining foreign State who agrees with those principles, if they would all be conquered by hostile imperial powers, and the United States would have no allies and trade partners, as there would be no freedom and prosperity around the world, only empires to impose their rule. Moreover, although the States are in a federal Union, they retain a degree of their sovereignty, but state sovereignty has been eroded by centralized federal power that in the hands of an unaccountable authoritarian demagogue would be further eroded, and the freedom of the people would be threatened both directly and indirectly, as the States are supposed to be checks on federal power, because the Founding Fathers knew all too well from their experience with the British King and his supporters in Parliament how the centralization of power threatens liberty. Americans should declare anew our independence from tyranny, aggression and foreign interference and defend liberty, representative government and the federal Union of sovereign States that shares power, lest no autocracy or oligarchy amass power at the expense of the individual freedom. The American Creed, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal and are intended to live free and that governments must respect their liberty, has not only kept Americans free, but inspired people around the world to demand liberty and will continue to inspire freedom and representative government, as long as it continues to be defended.

Update on South Africa's Government of National Unity and its Rightward Shift

South Africa formed a government of national unity that shifted it toward the right, after the African National Congress lost its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago in the parliamentary elections last month, as I have been posted, and now a new cabinet and other executive officers have been sworn into office. The ANC, which won the most votes and seats, retained the presidency and a majority of the cabinet posts, but the pro-business centrist Democratic Alliance party obtained the deputy presidency and multiple posts. The parties that the DA campaigned with as an electoral bloc, namely the conservative party of the Zulus, who are the second largest tribe in South Africa, the Inkatha Freedom Party; a right-wing party for people of mixed race; and a party for Afrikaans speakers; as well as other smaller parties, also gained cabinet posts, as the already-large cabinet size was increased to include them. The far-left party of a former President convicted of corruption and a Marxist party that wanted to confiscate industries and white-owned farms without compensation, were kept out of the unity government. The new government gives confidence to investors. It is hoped that it can resolve South Africa’s poverty, unemployment, inflation, energy shortages and corruption. The formation of the coalition government, which is the first since the immediate post-apartheid period, marks a shift for southern Africa, where Marxist and socialist dictatorships have ruled since independence.