Commentary As the mother of a 17-year-old in a deep-blue state, I am often asked questions about socialism and communism. Not always being able to answer them, I have to do extensive research. I guess this is the situation many Epoch Times readers encounter: having to discuss these topics with family and friends. One comment I received: “Yeah, I know communism is bad. But I want socialism, like the kind in Sweden or other Nordic countries.” Indeed, Nordic countries are often used as models of "good" socialism by leftists, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Clintons, and former President Barack Obama. In 2010, National Public Radio praised Denmark as “a country that seems to violate the laws of the economic universe.” Although having high taxes, it had "one of the lowest poverty rates in the world, low unemployment, a steadily growing economy, and almost no corruption." In 2003, Sweden’s social democratic former Prime Minister Goran Persson used a bumblebee as an example to illustrate his country’s economy: "With its overly heavy body and little wings, supposedly it should not be able to fly—but it does." Nima Sanandaji, a Swedish researcher and author, wrote the book “Scandinavian Unexceptionalism: Culture, Markets and the Failure of Third-Way Socialism,” which provides a very good explanation of the realities in Nordic countries. Let me summarize the book for you in case you don't have time to read it. Culture—Not Welfare State—Led to Nordic Countries' Success "A Scandinavian economist once said to Milton Friedman (U.S. economist, 1976 Nobel Prize laureate in economics): ‘In Scandinavia, we have no poverty.’ Milton Friedman replied: ‘That’s interesting, because in America, among Scandinavians, we have no poverty, either.’"—Joel Kotkin, professor, Chapman University The welfare state isn't the reason for the Nordic countries' success. The Scandinavian societies had achieved low income-inequality, low levels of poverty, and high levels of economic growth before the development of the welfare state. Before the implementation of welfare state policies, between 1870 and 1936, Sweden’s growth rate was the highest among industrialized nations. However, as the welfare state was gradually adopted between 1936 and 2008, the growth rate of Sweden fell to 13th. According to Sanandaji: "High levels of trust, a strong work ethic, civic participation, social cohesion, individual responsibility, and family values are long-standing features of Nordic society that predate the welfare state. These deeper social institutions explain why Sweden, Denmark, and Norway could so quickly grow from impoverished nations to wealthy ones as industrialization and the market economy were introduced in the late 19th century. They also played an important role in Finland’s growing prosperity after World War II." (All quotations in this article are taken from Sanandaji’s book unless otherwise noted.) The book indicates that religion, climate, and history all seem to have played a role in forming these special cultures. These countries have homogeneous populations with similar religious and cultural backgrounds. Protestants tend to have a very strong work ethic; a very hostile natural environment make Scandinavia a difficult place to survive unless a farmer works exceptionally hard; many farmers own their own land and have complete control over the fruits of their labor, so it has been financially rewarding to work hard. Culture matters. It's the culture, along with free-market capitalism and the rule of law, that has made the Nordic countries prosperous, and made it possible for them to implement welfare policies without serious adverse consequences. It's also the culture that has fostered the success of the descendants of Scandinavian immigrants to America. Most of those migrants came to America in the 19th century before the implementation of welfare state policies. They weren't elite groups, but their descendants are more successful than their cousins in Scandinavia, which suggests that the welfare state policies have impeded the growth of economy. Southern European countries, such as Italy, France, and Greece, have adopted similar welfare state policies as Nordic countries, but have had much less favorable outcomes. Again, this strongly suggests that culture really matters. Welfare-State Policies Weaken Nordic Cultures and Values "It took time to build up the exceptionally high levels of social capital in Nordic cultures. And it took time for generous welfare models to begin undermining the countries’ strong work ethic."—Nima Sanandaji, Swedish researcher Policies help to shape the character of a society. As Scandinavians became accustomed to high taxes and generous government benefits, their sense of responsibility and their work ethic gradually deteriorated. When asked during a 1981–1984 survey if "claiming government benefits to which you are not entitled is never justifiable," 82 percent of Swedes and 80 percent of Norwegians agreed. But in a similar survey in 2005–08, only 56 percent of Norwegians and 61 percent of Swedes agreed with the statement. Generous welfare benefits reduce the incentives for taking a job or working hard. It also weakens parents’ incentives to teach their children to work hard. More and more people have become dependent on government welfare payments. And the dependency would pass from one generation to the next. This growing population in turn voted to support more welfare and bigger government, and therefore higher taxation, which has pushed the Nordic countries toward more extremes of socialism. Are Scandinavians More Tolerant of High Taxes? No. “Fiscal illusion distorts democratic decisions and may result in ‘excessive’ redistribution.”—Jean-Robert Tyran, Swiss economist, and Rupert Sausgruber, Austrian economist Scandinavians haven't been fully aware of the cost of a bigger government. Politicians have created a “fiscal illusion” in which a large portion of taxes is indirect or hidden, such as those in effect before wages are paid, in the form of employers' fees or employers' social security contributions, and those included in the listed price of goods, like VAT. These taxes eventually fall on all people, but they aren't aware of them. Sanandaji described a survey conducted in 2003: "The Swedish public was asked to estimate the total amount of taxes they paid. The respondents were reminded to include all forms of direct and indirect taxation. Almost half of the respondents believed that the total taxes amounted to around 30–35% of their income. At the time of the survey, the total tax rate levied on an average income earner, including consumption taxes, was around 60%." According to a database of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Sanandaji's calculations, from 1965 to 2013, all Nordic nations' tax burdens have increased significantly, but most of their visible taxes have decreased, except in Denmark. This has successfully created an illusion that government expansion wouldn't cost much. So why not elect politicians who expand government size and increase welfare? A Failed Socialist Experiment in Sweden "Sweden is the world champion in ‘jobless growth.’"—Headline of a 2006 article in the Swedish business daily Dagens Industri From the beginning of the social democratic era in the 1930s until the 1960s, Nordic countries had remained relatively free market-oriented and had similar tax levels as other industrialized nations. It was at the beginning of the 1970s when radical social democratic policies were adopted, and the fiscal burden and government spending reached high levels. Sweden went the furthest toward socialism among Scandinavian nations since the late 1960s. The basic idea was to replace free markets with a model closer to a socialist planned economy. "Not only did the overall tax burden rise, but the new system also discriminated heavily against individuals who owned businesses. As politics radicalized, the social democratic system began challenging the core of the free-market model: entrepreneurship." According to Swedish economist Magnus Henrekson, in 1980, “the effective marginal tax rate (marginal tax plus the effect of inflation) that was levied on Swedish businesses reached more than 100 percent of their profits.” This means that a private entrepreneur would actually lose money if he or she made a profit. Henrekson draws the conclusion that the tax policies were "developed according to the vision of a market economy without individual capitalists and entrepreneurs." The result of the policy is obvious; the establishment of new businesses dropped significantly after 1970. In 2004, "38 of the 100 businesses with the highest revenues in Sweden had started as privately owned businesses within the country. Of these firms, just two had been formed after 1970. None of the 100 largest firms ranked by employment were founded within Sweden after 1970. Furthermore, between 1950 and 2000, although the Swedish population grew from 7 million to almost 9 million, net job creation in the private sector was close to zero." As for the jobs in the public sector, they increased significantly until the end of the 1970s. At that point, the public sector couldn't grow larger because taxes had already reached the highest possible level. "When the welfare state could grow no larger, overall job creation came to a halt—neither the private sector nor the public sector expanded." At the beginning of the 1980s, "employee funds" were introduced in Sweden. It was to take away a portion of companies’ profits and transfer them to funds controlled by labor unions. The purpose was to achieve socialism moderately by gradually transferring the ownership of private companies to the unions. "Although the system was abolished before it could turn Sweden into a socialist economy, it did manage to drive the founders of IKEA, Tetra Pak, H&M, and other highly successful firms away from the country." The dreadful policy of "employee funds" was finally abolished in 1991, which is around the time that Sweden faced its most severe economic crisis since World War II. It took almost two decades for employment to reach its pre-1990 level. As a comparison, it took only seven years for Sweden to recover, in terms of employment, from the Great Depression in the 1930s. Finally, Welfare Reform "Sweden was the more socialist of the Scandinavian countries a few decades ago. It is also the country that has reformed the most."—Nima Sanandaji, Swedish researcher Beginning in the 1990s, almost all Nordic nations realized that welfare reform is inevitable, except Norway. In 1969, one of the largest offshore oil fields in the world was found in Norwegian waters. The oil wealth makes it possible to sustain its generous welfare systems. Since Sweden and Norway are quite comparable in many ways except for welfare reform, it's a great experiment to see the impact of the reform. The reform in Sweden includes reducing welfare benefits, lowering taxes, liberalizing the labor market, and implementing gate-keeping mechanisms for receiving sickness and disability benefits. After the reform, from 2006 to 2012, the population supported by government benefits decreased to 14 percent from 20 percent in Sweden. In comparison, the population supported by government benefits in Norway decreased by only less than 1 percent in the same period of time. For young Norwegians, there is very little incentive to work hard. Employers are therefore turning to foreign labor, including from Sweden. Between 1990 and 2010, the number of young Swedes employed in Norway increased by more than 20 times because of higher wages in Norway brought by oil revenues. According to a survey of Norwegian employers, three out of four answered that Swedish youth work harder than Norwegian youth. After the reform, during the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, Sweden showed impressive economic performance. The reforms lead to greater economic freedom, stronger incentives for work, and less reliance on government welfare. Denmark and Finland also reformed their welfare systems. Even in Norway, some market reforms have been made. More are likely to come. A Word of Caution to Americans The Nordic nations are returning to their free-market roots. They have learned their lessons through their forays into welfare states or even tentative socialism, and have turned around from a dead end. We Americans shouldn't fall for leftist propaganda and rush into a future that is doomed to failure. Jean Chen is originally from China and writes under a pen name in order to protect her family members there.

Chronic pains, unending migraines, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, and breast cancer—they are completely unrelated diseases. But is there a common thread that ties them together? If you turn to Western medicine, then you have to go and see four or five specialists. But when you look at this cluster of symptoms through the lens of traditional Chinese medicine, then all these problems have one root. Interview trailer: Watch the full interview: https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv/doctor-explains-why-traditional-chinese-medicine-is-so-good-at-treating-chronic-diseases-5446022

“We took a selfie together and we just said, ‘Love and peace from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel.’ And we posted it and we went to sleep. And then, the next morning when I woke up, basically my phone was blowing up with messages from the Miss Iraq organization, from my family, from strange numbers, and I didn't know what was going on.” Sarah Idan grew up an Iraqi Muslim under Saddam Hussein and represented Iraq in the Miss Universe beauty pageant in 2017. She never imagined that a photo would ultimately force her family to have to flee the country. “During that time, I was getting all the antisemitism, all the hate that you would get if you're a Jewish person. And I had no idea what the Jewish people had to deal with until that moment,” says Ms. Idan. Today, she is a human rights activist who speaks out against antisemitism and Islamic fundamentalism. “They do not seek to free the Palestinians. They seek to eradicate the Jewish people. They seek to eradicate Israel. And then after that, they would come after Christians, they would come after everyone, because this is the mentality of radical Islam. They want to take over the world, and we keep saying that. And when we say that, we get labeled as ‘Islamophobes,’” says Ms. Idan. Watch the clip: "Even though they hate Christians and they believe they're infidels because they worship God or they worship the Son of God, their hatred for the Jewish people is more than their hatred for any other religion. And they truly believe if they kill a Jewish person, they will go to heaven for killing a Jewish person. They have this ideology, and I keep seeing this everywhere - in comments, in videos, and with people speaking. They think that this is a prophecy - that in order to bring the messiah, the 'mahdi' for them, they have to kill every Jew. They have to end Israel." -Sarah Idan 🔴 WATCH the full episode (56 minutes) on Epoch Times: https://ept.ms/S1107SarahIdan Ms. Idan: I was born in Iraq in 1990. From 1990 until 2003, it was a very different era than what came later. That was the time I lived under the Saddam Hussein dictatorship, and the whole country was indoctrinated by the Ba'ath Party. Every day we heard “Death to America. Death to Israel,” from Saddam on TV. Even when you go to school or with the graffiti in the streets, it says that everywhere. It was so much propaganda that was against the U.S. and Israel at the same time. In school it was the same thing. Whenever the teacher walks in and instead of saying, "Good morning," we all get up and we say, "Live long Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq." That was our greeting to each other in class. It was the same thing when we raised the Iraqi flag on Thursdays. Every Thursday in school, we had to sing all these songs about liberating Palestine and defeating Israel. It was a crazy time. Of course, under the sanctions and all of that, life wasn't easy. We had an electrical power schedule and a water schedule. We would go for days and not have any electricity and not have any water, so we had to conserve. It was just a really difficult life under Saddam. On top of all of that, you didn't have freedom of speech, and you didn't have freedom of thought. You basically had to worship Saddam and love Saddam. Anything that you would say against him could get you in trouble. Even if a child tells a joke about Saddam and someone hears it, then they would tell the intelligence services. Then the intelligence services would go to the family and interrogate the family, "Why is your child telling jokes about Saddam? Are you against Saddam?” That happened to my family because my dad used to be a part of the Ba'ath Party until 1990. He was a military engineer and he built many bases around Iraq. He was a high senior official in the Ba'ath Party. But during the Iran-Iraq War my dad started having different opinions. He felt like Saddam was going into a different direction. When the Halabja bombing happened, my dad started looking for excuses to leave. When Saddam invaded Kuwait in 1990 my dad said, "That's enough. I'm not invading another country. I'm not going there." He spoke to a couple of his close friends and they were able to come up with an excuse, saying that he had back problems and he couldn't serve anymore. But from that time until the moment when Saddam was taken out by the U.S., we were interrogated every now and then. Saddam was really tight in the way that he ruled Iraq. In every neighborhood and on every street there was an officer who lived on that street. They had a list of every family, how many people were living there, what year they were born, and what they did for a living. They used to come to us every month, kind of like the census, to check on us and talk to us. I remember one of our neighbors used to hate us and always ask my dad, "What's going on? Are you against Saddam?” They went through all of that. When the U.S. came in, my family, along with many other families, were so happy because it was the moment of liberation. To be honest with you, no one thought it would happen. Even when the U.S. came in and was bombing Iraq, we thought this was just going to be another bombing, and it will end with nothing, because we know how powerful Saddam was at the time. No one believed how easy it was to invade Iraq. I remember the day I was playing soccer with my friends on the freeway and all of a sudden, I saw this convoy come in. I am saying on the freeway, because no one was moving around, there was nothing happening. It was wartime. It was just us kids playing soccer in the street. Then I saw this U.S. convoy come in and my mind couldn't even register what it was. We thought it looked like an alien invasion or something. They got out of their tanks and started giving us flowers and candy and pamphlets saying, "We're here to help you. We're not here to kill you." One of the funny things on the pamphlets was, "If you know any Ba'ath Party member, you need to turn them in." I took the pamphlet to my family and we all just bursted into laughter, because all Iraqis were Ba'ath Party members. I was the only one in my family who was not. Because after age 13, you have to register in school, and they came in before I was 13-years-old. I was the only one not registered as a Ba'ath Party member. We were making jokes that I was going to turn them all in. That should tell you how much the U.S. was not prepared and how much they didn't know about what was going on in Iraq. That was one of the mistakes that led to the civil war and why Iraq was in such trouble when the U.S. came in, because they didn't even know the simple information on the ground. 🔴 WATCH the full episode (56 minutes) and read the full script on Epoch Times: https://ept.ms/S1107SarahIdan Epoch Original DVD collection:

President Joe Biden has invoked a wartime power to subsidize clean energy appliances, in order to push out household items that his administration deems inefficient. In other news, Washington D.C. has declared two emergencies, one on fentanyl and another on youth crime. And meanwhile, Elon Musk has announced a “thermonuclear” lawsuit. Watch LIVE: 🇺🇸 EpochTV Platform $1 Full Access Holiday Sale: www.joshphilipp.com 🔵 Watch the full episode HERE 👉 https://ept.ms/JoshLive1120CR_YT 🔴 Watch Josh's special report on CCP's Culture Warfare: https://ept.ms/CCPsCultureWarfare_YT [Exclusive Movie on Epoch Cinema] Fight for Freedom Storyline: A gentle giant of a man is turned into a blood-thirsty, revenge-driven killer when his family is brutally murdered. His quest for revenge forges him into a beacon of hope for his people as he becomes their leader in a fight for independence. Length: 1h 56min Director: Steven de Jong Cast: Milan van Weelden, Elske DeWall, Syb van der Ploeg, Jan Arendsz Producer: Steven de Jong, Bennie de Jong Watch the trailer: Watch the full movie HERE: https://ept.ms/FightForFreedomNTDYT

NY Will Now Monitor Social Media for ‘Hate Speech’ | Crossroads New York State will increase its online surveillance for so-called “hate speech,” and will confront people about their comments. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced this in a recent speech, which is raising concerns the city could begin punishing people for otherwise lawful speech. In other news, during CCP leader Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, President Joe Biden called out Xi as being a dictator who leads a communist regime. Although the White House seems to be doing damage control, Biden appears to be standing by his statements. And the CCP’s reaction to all this is telling of the real situation in China right now. 🔵 Watch the full episode HERE 👉 https://ept.ms/JoshLive1117CR_YT 🔴 Watch Josh's special report on CCP's Culture Warfare for FREE: https://ept.ms/CCPsCultureWarfare_YT 🇺🇸 Epoch Times 25¢ Sale: https://ept.ms/45vb0dH Video Footage Shows Alleged 'Vote Buying' Scheme | Facts Matter Earlier this month, reports emerged of a significant election fraud scheme that was allegedly conducted in plain sight. According to these reports, the scheme involved transporting homeless individuals from their shelters directly to polling stations. Once there, it's claimed that these individuals were essentially pressured or coerced into casting their votes, with the promise of receiving cash payments in return. This operation was not discreet, unfolding openly, which adds to the audacity of the alleged scheme. The details surrounding this case are quite remarkable, painting a picture of a well-orchestrated effort to manipulate the voting process by exploiting vulnerable populations for electoral gain.

The Federal Communications Commission is bringing back a policy of deeper government regulation over the internet with so-called net neutrality. Supporters of the system defend it, claiming it prevents internet providers from providing better services to some, and worse to others. Many who don’t support net neutrality claim that it stifles innovation. But there are deeper problems with net neutrality that are often left unaddressed—things like so-called “digital equity” and policies that would allow the federal government to have a say even over the terms of services for websites. In this episode of Crossroads, we’ll discuss this topic and others, and answer questions from the audience. Watch: 🔵 Watch the full episode HERE 👉 https://ept.ms/JoshLive1116CR_YT 🔴 Get full access to Epoch Times for just $1: https://bit.ly/1forJosh [PREMIERING 11/16, 7PM ET] The CCP's United Front Against American Performing Arts | Special Feature In summary, conquering a country goes beyond military force; it involves foreign control over politics, businesses, media, laws, and culture. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) employs this approach, known as "Unrestricted Warfare." Investigative reporter Joshua Philipp has been uncovering CCP networks since 2008 and recently observed their activities in South Korea. Despite the South Korean people's vote for a leader who seeks to break away from CCP influence, the CCP is quietly mobilizing its networks to prevent this shift. Surprisingly, one target in this covert struggle is Shen Yun Performing Arts, an American company promoting traditional Chinese culture, which the CCP aims to eradicate. This situation exposes the CCP's tactics in South Korea. Watch here today at 7PM 👉 https://bit.ly/3ujwIUU Recommendation: EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTARY–The Final War: The 100-Year Plot to Defeat America 🔴 Get full online access to Epoch Times for just $1: https://bit.ly/1forJosh "The Final War" is a groundbreaking documentary that combines personal stories with a deep exploration of the geopolitical struggle between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It follows Epoch Times reporters and China experts as they awaken to the threat posed by the CCP, revealing the hidden agenda behind the party's actions. While the CCP may seem enigmatic to most Americans, the film uncovers the Party's sinister intentions, with a particular focus on its strategy concerning the United States. It delves into the CCP's involvement in various global issues, such as Afghanistan, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Taiwan Strait, while shedding light on its promotion of the idea of "World War III." Through exclusive interviews with leading China experts, whistleblowers, internal Party records, and the behaviors of Party leaders, "The Final War" unveils the concealed truths of U.S.-China relations spanning seven decades. It exposes the CCP's century-old plot to defeat America, with successive generations of Party leaders executing their plan with cunning and secrecy. The film addresses critical questions about how the United States has misunderstood China and delves into the depth of the CCP's ambitions. As the documentary challenges preconceived notions about the CCP, it aims to inform and shake the American people's understanding of this complex and evolving global issue.

Commentary Is the United States becoming a police state? The answer would seem to be yes. Many of the features of a police state—such as widespread surveillance of citizens, censorship and suppression of free speech, ideological indoctrination in schools and the media, and political targeting of dissidents and political prisoners—are now present and observable in the United States. Dinesh D’Souza’s recent film, “Police State,” available on EpochTV, examines what a police state is and how it has taken root in America. Working in collaboration with Dan Bongino—former NYPD officer, Secret Service agent, and now political commentator—Mr. D’Souza burrows deep into the bowels of the police state. The film interviews insiders and whistleblowers, as well as ordinary citizens who have been hounded, raided, and targeted by an expansive police state apparatus that stretches across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The Rise of Government Overreach in America The free world is labeled as such due to free speech and equality under the law. Now, even in America, those lines are getting blurred. How far is America from a police state reality? Mr. Bongino says America is in the slow death stage, where it happens gradually and doesn’t alarm people as much. But the end results are equally devastating. The film shows how the police state emerged out of the ashes of 9/11 when citizens gave their government a whole new set of police powers in exchange for assurances of safety. Over time, those powers were turned against American citizens—largely patriots, Christians, and conservatives—who were accused of being domestic terrorists. The Patriot Act following 9/11 expanded the federal bureau's powers from law enforcement to domestic intelligence. Informants, spies, wiretaps, and more expanded police agency’s powers more than ever before. The Patriot Act gave the government power that could be abused and used not just on terrorists but on American citizens. The existence of the FISA courts was to uphold the American philosophy of checks and balances. Agencies needed authorization from the courts to conduct surveillance on someone. However, many of the barriers between counterintelligence and criminal investigations were removed after 9/11, resulting in a significant shift in the mission and strategy of the FBI. Whistleblowers explain how the FBI process morphed from finding the bad guys who had committed crimes to identifying who they believed had the potential to commit crimes and going after those people. The film shows examples of how this method has led to the entrapment of civilians and incentivized rewards for law enforcement agents. Under the Bush administration, these tools were used against Muslims. But under former President Barack Obama, they were turned on conservatives and republicans. The IRS began tracking groups who believed in limited government, and the DOJ went after political opponents. There was a fundamental shift in focus from terrorism to extremism, moving the goals of organizations like the FBI, with Republican Party members and ordinary citizens with conservative beliefs being categorized as extremists. Targeting Political Opponents The film also identifies former President Donald Trump as the primary target of the police state, along with the Jan. 6 protesters—some serving long sentences for peacefully entering the Capitol to make their voices heard—as the first political prisoners in U.S. peacetime history. Modern tyranny maintains the facade of democracy while only accepting a solution in elections that fits their agenda. According to the film, Jan. 6 gave President Trump’s opponents the moment they were waiting for to paint political threats as extremists. The film interviews eyewitnesses, including an older man, who attended the rally on Jan. 6, 2021. When he witnessed from a distance others climbing the walls of the Capitol, the man decided to stop and not go any further. He was later turned in by his neighbors, who had heard that he had attended the rally. Although he never even went to the Capitol building, he was arrested at gunpoint at his home and interrogated, resulting in a stroke that day. Between trashing elderly family members’ apartments, the presence of the news media, and the struggle to find a lawyer willing to go head-to-head with the D.C. courts and represent them, the emotional stress became too much for many innocent civilians. “When you know you’re innocent, the only thing you have on your side is truth,” the man said through tears. “I’m an American citizen. I had no right to be attacked.” An FBI whistleblower told Mr. D’Souza that the goal of home raids is to make the process the punishment. He says the demand by politicians for domestic terrorism incentivizes officials to supply them. When this whistleblower told his supervisors that certain Jan. 6 goers didn’t deserve to be investigated, he was told he had a duty to the FBI, not the Constitution. Sonya Labosco, director of the Air Marshal National Council, said that even those who traveled to Washington during the time of Jan. 6 have been entered into a database for being suspected domestic terrorists. This includes those who never attended the rally and were not at the capitol. Police states operate on a single standard, protecting their allies and going after their opponents. Police states act based on the political scene being set in the media instead of on law and facts. Although Jan. 6 attendees were treated like terrorists, law enforcement virtually allowed anarchy and little consequences for violent actors in the Black Lives Matter riots, as well as leniency in the rampant crime seen across many U.S. cities. According to the film, it would appear that tyranny and government overreach seem to be reserved for law-abiding conservatives. Weaponization of Law Enforcement Kash Patel, former attorney for the National Security Council and House of Representatives said just because America doesn’t have military machinery rolling down the streets doesn’t mean America doesn’t have the onset of a police state. He says the main actors are the faceless bureaucrats working in a basement somewhere, carrying out the larger purposes established by powerful leaders. Politicians who are not brought up in the bureaucratic system and don’t need the system are a threat. President Trump is one of those people. Although President Trump is often labeled an authoritarian by the left, Mr. D’Souza points out that the dictator is not the usual victim of the police state. With FISA and the Patriotic Act used against Donald Trump, the FBI obtained a FISA warrant on a Trump adviser, Carter Page. This allowed them to survey him and thereby survey President Trump through frequent association with his advisor. The goal was to try and fulfill their pre-planned story of a Trump-Russia collusion, which later turned out to be completely untrue. Hunter Biden’s laptop is another example of the FBI manipulating information that could influence an election. The FBI took possession of Huner Biden’s laptop 11 months before the 2020 election. The laptop showed perversions and corrupt Biden family dealings that likely would have swung the election results. Police agencies suppressed public disclosure by contacting Twitter and Facebook and telling them what to allow to be said and what to suppress. The mainstream media tagged all emerging details as Russian disinformation. Top-level government security worked with the media to bury the stories. For the government to have a direct hand in censoring speech and information violates the Constitution. The film also examines the raid at Mar-a-Lago over documents obtained by President Trump. Presidents are allowed to have documents, classified or not, but opening up an investigation enabled law enforcement to look at everything and try to find something to use against President Trump. This also allows for the person being investigated to be charged with obstruction of justice because, without an investigation, there can’t be obstruction of it. The film discusses how President Joe Biden had documents going back all the way to his days in the Senate. In addition, tens of millions of dollars from foreign entities such as China, Ukraine, and Russia, with no service performed by the Bidens in return, have been offshored to Biden family members and LLCs. In exchange, Hunter Biden sold political access to his father. When people say President Trump is an authoritarian, what kind of an authoritarian dictator is President Trump if the DOJ and law enforcement agencies are going after him while rushing to surround and protect political elites like Joe Biden from public scrutiny? Censorship and Violation of Constitutional Rights COVID-19 was used as a pretext for censorship and government overreach, with emergency powers expanding political powers. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chair of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees, points to the government telling people during COVID-19 that they couldn’t go to church and the FBI categorizing pro-life, pro-family Catholics as radicals. Big Tech worked with the government and FBI to censor the free speech of those who challenged mainstream narratives and advocated for sovereignty over their own bodies. But it didn’t stop with banning speech. Douglass Mackey posted a satirical meme that mocked Hillary Clinton. Once President Biden took office, Mackey was arrested by the FBI and hit with a felony charge for disinformation, causing him to face ten years in prison potentially. The film shows how parents who spoke against COVID-19 policies and radical gender ideology have also become a target for law enforcement simply for not believing the state has authority over their children. The film interviews two mothers, one from Colorado and one from Virginia. Following parents speaking out at school board meetings, the National School Board Association wrote a letter to the Biden administration claiming that American school and education leaders were under immediate threat and asking for federal law enforcement and other assistance to deal with this threat. Mr. D’Souza cites how this action would essentially criminalize parents for simply making their voices heard. It allowed them to be put under surveillance, with one stay-at-home mom having a threat tag on her name following a school board meeting. “It’s a frightening thought that my government might want to come and arrest me for doing nothing other than exercising my right to free speech.” On Nov. 16, 2021, one mother was home with her little boys, who were sitting at the table doing school in the morning. She heard banging on the door, and the FBI blew her door open, pulled her outside, and handcuffed her. Her 18-year-old daughter was dragged by her hoodie down the stairs. Their yard was roped off as if they were criminals. “If they’re coming for me, they’re coming for you,” she warned. Conclusion In a free country, the government exists to serve the citizens. In a police state, the government declares war on the citizens. Mr. D’Souza’s film is both terrifying and timely. It is an urgent warning to all Americans to protect their fundamental liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, the right to bear arms, and equality under the law before it’s too late. Watch “Police State” on EpochTV here.

The U.S. military is experiencing a recruitment crisis. Close to 70 percent of Americans say they would be unwilling to be drafted if a new world war started, and it’s now understood that many no longer want to fight for their country. So what’s the cause of this, and what does it mean for the nation going forward? In this episode of Crossroads, we’ll discuss this topic and others, and answer questions from the audience. Watch: 🔵 Watch the full episode HERE 👉 https://ept.ms/JoshLive1115CR_YT 🔵 Watch Josh's special report on the CCP's Culture War 👉 https://ept.ms/CCPsCultureWarfare_YT [PREMIERING 11/16, 7PM ET] The CCP's United Front Against American Performing Arts | Special Report What does it mean to conquer a country? When we think of conquering, we often think of troops marching down the streets. We think of jets flying overhead. We think of the subjugation of a nation by military force. But when all the noise and dust clear, what does it look like then? Well, it looks like a foreign government controlling the politics, the businesses, the media, the laws, and even the culture of another country. This isn't a far-off concept. It's actually the main method being used, as we speak, by the Chinese Communist Party. It's the true face of the CCP's regime—in line with what we often call "Unrestricted Warfare." Joshua Philipp, host of Crossroads and senior investigative reporter at The Epoch Times, has been exposing these CCP networks since 2008. He recently caught wind of such CCP operations on full display in South Korea. The people of South Korea have already cast their votes for the future. The country's new president, Yoon Suk Yeol, won the 2022 elections on the platform of breaking away from CCP influence and forming an alliance with the United States. But it seems that silently, and behind the scenes, the CCP is rallying its networks to prevent this from happening. At the center of these actions is a target of China's communist regime that might seem odd at first: Shen Yun Performing Arts, an American performing arts company based in New York, which has set out to revive the essence of China's traditional culture—a culture the CCP has sworn to destroy. And by targeting Shen Yun in South Korea, the Chinese Communist Party is exposing its hand. Josh's documentaries:

Right before the weekend, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released a new statement that contained some good news, given the fact that Americans will be saving hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on their taxes this upcoming year. The IRS disclosed its annual inflation adjustments, as it does every year. As inflation increases and the value of the money in our pockets decreases, the IRS makes yearly adjustments to accommodate for that change: “The IRS adjusts tax rates each year to take into account the higher cost of living… [In their recent announcement, the IRS revealed how a string of new annual inflation adjustments will impact the 2024 tax year, potentially bringing a boost to your paycheck.” This year, the annual inflation adjustment will affect over 60 different tax provisions, including the standard deduction. It’s the deduction for people who don’t itemize their taxes, and basically, it’s the amount of money that you can earn before you have to start handing over money to the government in the form of taxes. Last year, the standard deduction for a married couple filing jointly was $27,700. That meant that you didn’t have to pay taxes on the first $27,700 that you earned in the year. Your taxes only start after the $27,700 mark. Watch the video: Episode Resources: 🔵 No Farmers No Food: https://ept.ms/46chEWE 🔵 IRS Statement: https://ept.ms/3su9lHL 🔵New Tax Brackets: https://ept.ms/3FVORL9 [ Exclusive on Epoch Times ] Neurological Side-Effects in 1/3 of Vaccinated People: Study | Facts Matter According to a new study coming out of Italy, nearly one in 3 covid vaccine recipients suffered some type of Neurological Side Effect: including things like headaches, tremors, muscle spasms, insomnia, sleepiness, vertigo, difficulty concentrating, and so on. However, according to this research, the side effects (as well as their general prevalence) differed from one brand of vaccines to another — and so, let’s go through them all brand by brand. Subscribe to get the full access: Watch the video: Bannon's War Room - Dr. Robert W Malone @6:41 No Evidence Boosters are safe and effective against SARS-CoV-2 HV.1 variant Epoch Original Documentary DVD collection:

A study compared coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers over a seven-year period. It compared those who add sugar and those who don’t, and the findings on life expectancy are surprising! If sugar is really the "arch-nemesis" of health, how come this study suggests the opposite when we add a little to our coffee? Are you a light-roast or medium-roast drinker? Not all coffee is created equal. Nutritional composition varies among different roasts. This ties into that age-old battle between the antioxidants and free radicals in our bodies and how much coffee can lend a hand to the "good side." If your morning dose of caffeine enrichment is laced with a pang of guilt—like you might be doing your body a disservice—maybe it doesn’t need to be. Watch this #coffeelovers edition of #VitalSigns with Brendon Fallon to discover why. Watch for Five minutes: Watch additional exclusive episodes available exclusively on EpochTV.com that focus on topics not featured on YouTube 👉 https://bit.ly/3Mvx1SF - Support the program 👉 https://donorbox.org/wide-angle Exclusive Deal for our valued new supporters: Unlock a heartfelt offer at just $0.25 per week and embark on an enchanting year-long journey with us. Join our community today and experience the magic! 💫💖

"We had a situation in a time of peace where a thousand people were mutilated and butchered before the IDF responded. And yet, that ignited these people on the campus to root for the people who were murdering and beheading.” To make sense of the realities of the Israel–Hamas war, I sit down with classicist and military historian Victor Davis Hanson, bestselling author of a number of books including “The Dying Citizen” and the upcoming book “The End of Everything: How Wars Descend Into Annihilation.” Did Hamas miscalculate Israel’s response? Will Hezbollah intervene? What is Iran’s play now? And what do many in the West misunderstand about Israel and Hamas? "A lot of people apply rules to the Jewish state they would never apply to any other ally. And that explains the schizophrenia that we have," Mr. Hanson says. Watch the clip: Watch additional exclusive episodes available exclusively on EpochTV.com that focus on topics not featured on YouTube 🔴 WATCH the full episode: https://ept.ms/Y1101VictorDavisHanson Exclusive Deal for our valued new supporters: Unlock a heartfelt offer at just $0.25 per week and embark on an enchanting year-long journey with us. Join our community today and experience the magic! 💫💖

Directed by award-winning investigative journalist, TV broadcaster, and radio host Steve Gruber, the film focuses on the people and the personal stories of what it's like for local communities to lose hospitals. Through the real-life stories of local residents, former hospital executives, former hospital workers, police officers, a retired judge, and interviews with health care experts and a hospital association executive, "Flatline" tells the story of "America's Hospital Crisis" up-close and personal. "These are the real stories of people that are living through the loss of that foundation of healthcare and community where they live," says director, producer, and host Steve Gruber. "It's a loud and clear warning that we are facing a true emergency when it comes to healthcare in the United States." When hospitals close, people do not just lose the ability to access critical health care, the ripple effects reach far and wide, with many people losing jobs and local communities left in disarray. Life expectancy goes down while unemployment, crime, poverty, and death rates soar. Footage consists of interviews in 3 locations Kennett, Missouri; Massillon, Ohio; and Ducktown, Tennessee. Interviewees include Brock Slabach (CFO, National Rural Hospital Association), Paul Seegert (managing partner, PCS Advisors), Elizabeth Pruitt (former COO, Massillon Community Hospital), Eddie Elum (retired judge), Doug Collins (Ducktown Tennessee mayor), and many others. Watch Trailer: Watch Full Documentary on EPOCHTV : Flatline: America's Hospital Crisis | Documentary 👉 https://bit.ly/45XKV7h About Director Steve Gruber is an award-winning journalist, two-time Emmy Award finalist, TV broadcaster, and radio host with over 30 years of experience and notable interviews with guests such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former President Donald Trump. Steve is the daily host of Michigan's #1 syndicated radio program, The Steve Gruber Show, and America's Voice Live. Steve purchased the MTN network in 2015 and expanded it to include Michigan News Source last year.