THURSDAY ROUNDUP: The Calm Before the Storm

The usual weekly roundup was preempted by the big announcement of the Gem State Chronicle, so I present it for you today instead. It feels like the calm before the storm right now, with the Idaho GOP Winter Meeting starting tomorrow and the legislative session beginning on Monday. This is a good time to reflect on what we hope to accomplish in the coming year and how we can all position ourselves for success, both personally and politically.

I hope you all had a lovely time celebrating Christmas and the New Year. 2024 looks to be a pivotal time for our society, so we must all be ready for anything.

My essay about the influence of IACI and the business community as a whole over Idaho politics was republished at the Kootenai Journal this morning, with a few tweaks I made for that audience. Idaho voters need to have a serious conversation about what role businesses and special interests should play in our political system.

Remember to bookmark Idaho.one to see the latest updates from independent media in Idaho. With the session starting next week, there’s going to be a lot of information flying around, and it will be difficult to separate the signal from the noise. Idaho.one is a great addition to your daily drive, along with the Gem State Chronicle, of course.

Matthew Todd is a resident of Dry Creek Ranch, just outside of Eagle, and he has been hosting political figures from throughout the Treasure Valley in his very nice studio. I sat down with him earlier in December, and that episode will be live soon. A few days ago he spoke with outgoing Eagle mayor Jason Pierce for a relaxed and candid discussion about the issues facing our community:

Mayor Pierce was my Statesman of the Year for 2023 for the way in which he made the tough choices even at the cost of his own political career.

The crew at TimcastIRL often have interesting discussions, but I found this recent clip especially insightful. Blackwater founder Erik Prince explained what it looks like when societies collapse, which should give us direction in how to prepare for whatever our country faces in the future. Get to know your neighbors, be involved in local politics, and build a physical community where people can rely on each other:

If you haven’t watched any videos by Shoe0nHead then be warned, her style is not for everyone. She comes from a liberal perspective but has the rare ability to see things rationally. Here, she watched the new Daily Wire movie and shared what seems to be an honest opinion that it could have been better. As the right begins creating more culture and parallel institutions, we need honest criticism that helps us become better rather than surrounding ourselves with an echo chamber. (Yes, that goes for me too!)

Finally, I listened to this song on the way home from my road trip last weekend and it’s stuck with me ever since. The lyrics describe the love story of Winston and Julia from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, which, if you know the story, ends tragically for both. It’s a reminder that totalitarian regimes will always try to break down your relationships with your loved ones and your community in favor of total dependence upon the state. Love is our resistance!

Enjoy the last few moments of calm before we go full speed ahead. I’ll bring you news from the GOP Winter Meeting tomorrow and Saturday and then keep you updated on the legislative session starting Monday. Make sure you’re subscribed to Substack and connected to the Chronicle on the web, Facebook, and Telegram. See you on the flip side!