LA firefighters turn up on Karen Bass's doorstep with demands and warning

NY Post   

"Pratt seems like he has the smarts to divert funds from programs that benefit illegal alien causes and needle give-a-ways to druggies to legitimate programs like Police and Fire protection." Reader comment.

"Furious Los Angeles firefighters have dumped hundreds of thousands of signatures on City Hall, demanding it raises sales taxes to cover chronic shortages across the Los Angeles Fire Department.

"LAFD bosses have warned for months they are desperately overstretched with a massive cash shortfall, and some staff are even going unpaid while pulling mammoth 48-hour shifts fighting the flames.

"But in her budget last month, Mayor Karen Bass refused to raise their funding, despite a deadly wildfire wiping out large swathes of the city last year.

"Dozens of firefighters on Tuesday morning turned up at the City Clerk’s office and handed over boxes stashed with 200,000 signatures for a ballot measure to hike the city’s sales tax.

"They want to bring the tax up by half a cent to fund more firefighters, ambulances, fire trucks, and fix up crumbling, decades-old stations.

"Firefighters say the campaign has become a last-ditch attempt to stop response times from slipping even further in the second-largest city in the US." . . . More...

Karen Bass's city

Mike Pence, Pretend Lifeguard of Conservatism—Voters Already Left His Pool

  Steve Cortes › American Greatness  

"A movement that failed to defend those things for decades cannot credibly lecture Americans about conserving the country now."

Remember this old dating joke?

"Mike Pence anointed himself to stand athwart the populist Right with a whistle in his mouth, screaming for conservatives to “get out of the pool.”

"The imagery fits him perfectly.

"Pence increasingly resembles that obnoxious childhood lifeguard we all remember—the self-important scold, high on perceived power, perched way above everyone else. As such, Pence is convinced that enforcing his rules matters more than understanding why people jumped into the water in the first place.

"From his perch at CNN studios and establishment think tanks, Pence now lectures conservatives about “traditional principles,” warning Republicans against populism and urging a return to the old GOP orthodoxy. He has given obnoxious interviews recently, pushing this theme, trying to sell his irrelevant new book, presumably to Democrats who hate the America First movement.

"But there’s one glaring problem with Pence’s sermon: the voters already rejected the system he represents. Specifically, Pence demands that Republicans engage in “soul-searching” over populism. Fine. Let’s do exactly that.

"What exactly did the old Republican establishment “conserve”?

"For 30 years, establishment Republicans insisted mass migration was good for America—good for GDP, good for business, good for “growth.”

"But good for whom?

"American workers faced relentless wage pressure. Small towns watched their identities change seemingly overnight. Schools, hospitals, and public services absorbed enormous strain. And corporate America got precisely what it wanted: an endless supply of cheap labor, all while generational Americans lost their nation.

"Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington perfected the same political scam cycle: promise border security now, but actually deliver massive loopholes and labor importation later.

"Thankfully, Americans realized they were being conned. That realization—not personality, not rhetoric, not “tribalism”—is why the populist Right rose so powerfully inside the Republican Party." . . .More...

A Skunk by Any Other Name—MSNBC is Now MSNOW | AMAC

Kamala Harris’ Dangerous Brainstorm; If it weren’t for bad ideas our former Vice President wouldn’t have any ideas at all.

 The American Spectator  

"As constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley writes in The Hill: “The American Constitution was a rejection of the “bad ideas” that politicians (called demagogues in Ancient Greece) have historically used to marshal the power of the mob.” And there can be little doubt that Harris and the Democrats want a “mobocracy.'”

"For a sense of how bereft the Democrats are of credible leaders and sensible policy ideas all one has to do is listen to the remarks of former Vice President Kamala Harris on the Win with Black Women podcast. She proposed a “no bad ideas brainstorm” in which Democrats would discuss “What we need to do, and think about doing, around the Electoral College … expanding the Supreme Court … statehood for Puerto Rico and D.C.” Harris, whom most polls of Democrat voters show as the front-runner for their party’s 2028 presidential nomination, said this as if she were offering fresh ideas. They are, in reality, shopworn tropes that can be heard every time a far left Democrat gets in front of a microphone.

"They are not merely bad ideas, they constitute a clear and present danger to the republic. Indeed, they suggest that the Democratic Party can’t be trusted with real power until it is divested of the radical leftists who now control its agenda. All of the braying about “our democracy” notwithstanding, it could hardly be more obvious that the Democrats want to eliminate the constitutional foundations of the Republic so they can establish one-party rule. This is why Harris speculates about what we “need to do” about the Electoral College. She and her fellow travelers believe that it impedes genuine democracy, but obviously don’t grasp the consequences of dumping it. As historian Allen C. Guelzo writes at National Affairs:

Abolishing the Electoral College now might satisfy an irritated yearning for direct democracy, but it would also mean dismantling federalism. After that, there would be no sense in having a Senate (which, after all, represents the interests of the states), and eventually, no sense in even having states, except as administrative departments of the central government. We structure everything in our political system around a federation that divides power between states and the federal government … abolishing the Electoral College would point toward doing away with the entire federal system.

"Just as Harris and her ilk don’t understand the damage that would be caused by getting rid of the Electoral College, they are completely clueless about the consequences of meddling with the Supreme Court." . . . More...

Are there really 'no bad ideas' when it comes to 'saving our democracy'? - Eric Utter   . . . "As for the notion that there are no bad ideas? How about “Let’s kill all the Jews” or “Islam is totally compatible with a free, democratic republic?” Or even, “I’ve only had 10 rum and cokes, I think I’ll take a nice drive in my car?” And let’s be honest, Kamala doesn’t have brainstorms, she has perhaps a mild squall or minor dust-up on occasion, maybe even a moderate gust of wind, but no brainstorms.

"So, Democrats, just continue to call conservatives Nazis. Keep trying to imprison all your political opponents. An assassination or two might be needed here and there to, you know, “save our democracy.” (The problem is that Democrats actually think the country is their democracy, and that no one else has a right to govern it.)

"Kamala may still have her mind set on Running for President Under the Influence (RPUI), but it is hard to see any current likely Democrat heading a ticket the equal of Vance-Rubio or vice-versa. As sure as water is wet, Democrats will resort to their time-tested tactics of slander, libel, lies, gas-lighting, projection, and cheating." . . .

UPDATE:  Kennedy Has the Last Laugh on Kamala's 'Bad Ideas' and Cassidy's Collapse

. . . "Kennedy said Harris was "pandering to the loon wing of her party.”  

“Nobody has ever accused the vice president of being a policy maven. Um, sometimes she, I don’t know, she acts like she has a billy goat brain and a mockingbird mouth, and that’s a dangerous combination.

"My personal opinion is, for what it’s worth, is that, uh, she’s done, you know? She’s a smoked turkey. She had her, had her chance, and had her shot, and she missed it.

"I don’t think she’ll be the Democratic nominee. I would love for her to be the Democratic nominee. And if it looks like she gets any momentum, I will happily contribute to her campaign because she would be our dream candidate. But I think she's a smoked turkey, frankly." 

"Yes, please, put Harris forward — she's the living embodiment of how bad their "ideas" are." .

From Sleeper Cells to Liberation Army: Trump’s Genius Plan to Free Iran and Secure America

American Greatness

Iran’s regime is vulnerable not to foreign force but to its own people—and the West should prioritize empowering internal dissent over costly intervention.

Watch these simple tools fake anger to please their Iranian instructors:

"The regime in Tehran trembles not because of American bombers or sanctions alone, but because its greatest nightmare has always been the Iranian people themselves. While the chattering class in Washington and on cable news wrings its hands over “escalation” and “doom,” they miss the most powerful weapon President Trump has quietly at his disposal: Trump’s Silent Liberation Army—the millions of freedom-loving Iranians ready to reclaim their nation.

"Recent uprisings in Iran, building on the spirit of the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests and exploding into nationwide fury by late 2025 and early 2026, have shown the world the depth of popular discontent. Reports from reliable sources indicate massive demonstrations: up to 5 million protesters nationwide at peaks, with 1.5 million in Tehran alone on key days. These are not fringe agitators; they are ordinary Iranians—shopkeepers, students, workers, mothers—risking death for basic dignity, economic survival, and an end to theocratic oppression. Authorities have responded with brutality, killing thousands (estimates range from official figures around 30,000 to human rights reports far higher) and detaining tens of thousands. Yet the regime’s iron fist has only exposed its fragility.

"This internal powder keg is Trump’s ace. The mullahs fear their own citizens far more than foreign militaries. Why? Because history proves that when a people are armed and determined, tyrannies crumble quickly. The American Revolution succeeded when France provided arms to colonists fighting for liberty. In our own Founding, the right to bear arms was not a luxury—it was essential to self-defense against tyranny. Why deny that same fundamental right to Iranians who crave it?

"Meanwhile, the threats we face at home grow dire. Iranian-linked operatives have long exploited weaknesses, including Venezuelan passports issued under Maduro to thousands from Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Hezbollah affiliates, facilitating movement into the Americas. US intelligence and border reports from 2025 onward highlight heightened risks: potential sleeper cells embedded here; they are among the millions who entered unvetted during prior open-border policies. DHS bulletins warn of elevated threats, including plots for sabotage, cyberattacks, or worse—dirty bombs, infrastructure hits, and even assassination attempts tied back to Tehran. The regime has already tried to target American leaders; they won’t hesitate to activate assets if cornered." . . . More...

Congressman Stockman served on the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs and has traveled the Middle East extensively, and is a longtime advocate for closer ties with the GCC.

Ilhan Omar Knew About $250 Million Somali Fraud Scheme, Convicted Mastermind Claims in Explosive Jailhouse Interview

 Infidel Bloggers 

"The congresswoman herself filmed a promotional video in May 2020 at the Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, a key site in the fraud."

Ilhan Omar The Next Ayatollah of Iran

"Aimee Bock, the convicted mastermind behind the massive $250 million Feeding Our Future COVID meal fraud scandal, has dropped a bombshell from jail, saying she believes Rep. Ilhan Omar knew exactly what was going on and actively helped keep the fraudulent program alive.

"Bock, the founder of Feeding Our Future, spoke to the New York Post this week from Sherburne County Jail, where she is awaiting sentencing after her March 2025 conviction on conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud charges.

"Dozens of individuals, mostly from Minnesota’s Somali community, have been convicted in the scheme that fraudulently billed the federal government for tens of millions of meals that were never served to low-income children during the pandemic." . . .

Senator Tommy Tuberville says Barack Obama mass imported Somalis into Minnesota with the purpose of taking over the local government

. . . "“First of all, why would President Obama be allowed to bring in 80,000 people from Somalia and put them in one area in Minnesota, which is Minneapolis? And it was all done by plan. It’s a third world country. Not assimilate, to build their own neighborhoods, to overtake the local, state, and then federal government with Ilhan Omar. She’s not even a citizen, but she’s in Congress. I can’t figure out how we’ve allowed this to happen. People that are non-US citizens to be in Congress, to be help making laws and voting on things.” You know how we can easily fix these things from happening almost immediately, I’ll tell you No one that’s foreign born should be allowed to run for federal office in America. Make immigrants be here at least a full generation before being allowed to serve Take it even further. No one foreign born should be allowed to serve at any level in American government Also mandatory English" . . .

Babylon Bee headline or 'real news' headline?

  American Thinker   

"I’m not a fan of violent criminals, but, at that point, let him have his last smoke. But, no, the tragically woke, who normally champion hardened criminals, have to weigh in, noting that smoking is bad for one’s health. (Unless you are smoking pot.)"

"So, reading the world wide web for a gander at the news, here's what I spotted: 

”Democrats Deny Inciting Violence And Say Anyone Who Thinks They Do Must Be Eliminated By Any Means Necessary”

”Donald Trump whisked off stage in Pennsylvania after loud noises rang through the crowd”

”EU Sanctions Israel, Welcomes Taliban”

”British Police Reportedly Arrest Stabbing Victim After Alleged Attacker Plays race Card”

”Left-Wing Prosecutor Says Voters ‘Obtuse’ If They Expect Him To Keep Campaign Promises”

”Megachurch pastor claims Trump knows the Bible better than Pope Leo”

”Texas dairy farm explosion kills 18,000 cows”

”A Drunk Raccoon Passed Out in the Bathroom of a Virginia Liquor Store”

”Insurance claim: family take dead relative to bank as proof of death”

”Military to remove ‘Enola Gay’ photos for violating DEI rules”

”Death row inmate’s ‘last cigarette request denied over health concerns’” (The inmate was executed hours later)

”Democrats: Saving Democracy Requires One Party To Seize Total Power And Rule Forever”

"Of the 12 headlines above, only the first and last were from the Babylon Bee; all the others were “real.” Which is odd, in that the two from the Bee arguably ring truer than any of the others.

"Here are some brief comments on each of the actual headlines, in order:" . . .

Are there really 'no bad ideas' when it comes to 'saving our democracy'?

 Eric Utter - American Thinker   

"So, Democrats, just continue to call conservatives Nazis. Keep trying to imprison all your political opponents. An assassination or two might be needed here and there to, you know, “save our democracy.'”

"Former Vice President Kamala (hic!) Harris recently opined that there are “no bad ideas” when it comes to brainstorming ways to reinvigorate the Democrat party.

"During a May 13th livestream on something called the "Win with Black Women" podcast, Hic! Harris suggested that the Democrat party prepare an "expanded playbook" of ideas to help it retake power after the 2026 midterm elections.

"Harris opined:

"And in that no bad ideas brainstorm, we talk about what we need to do and think about doing around the Electoral College. We talk about the idea of Supreme Court reform, which includes expanding the Supreme Court. We invite a conversation about multi-member districts."

"The old sot suggested that, when Democrats retake the Senate, the Senate Judiciary Committee should quickly establish rules to "penalize people for lying" for Supreme Court justices and nominees.

"It is always hilarious when Democrats speak of their dislike for lying … and always a lie. They are to prevarication as Kamala is to drinking, as retrievers are to … retrieving things. They can’t help themselves.

"The Tipsy One added,

“Let's talk about statehood for Puerto Rico and D.C. These are the things I think that we've got to do.”

"She concluded by saying of Democrats:

"We gotta fight fire with fire. We gotta be ruthless, too."

"Democrats start fires. (They don’t always put them out, as clearly demonstrated in Los Angeles County last year.) And Democrats have always been ruthless, whether they were plantation owners or, more recently, possessed by Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) and the rabid desire to dispense, by any means necessary, with those with whom they disagree.

"As for the notion that there are no bad ideas? How about “Let’s kill all the Jews” or “Islam is totally compatible with a free, democratic republic?” Or even, “I’ve only had 10 rum and cokes, I think I’ll take a nice drive in my car?” And let’s be honest, Kamala doesn’t have brainstorms, she has perhaps a mild squall or minor dust-up on occasion, maybe even a moderate gust of wind, but no brainstorms." . . .More...

Anyone Want to Vote for Most Ignorant in Congress? AOC in a Landslide

 The Punching Bag Post  

"When a member of Congress repeatedly demonstrates ignorance about economics, history, and the principles behind America’s founding, voters have every right to question whether that person belongs in high office."

"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has never been shy about making sweeping political claims. Over the years, she has become one of the most recognizable voices on the American Left, championing democratic socialism, attacking capitalism, and portraying wealth itself as inherently suspicious. But her latest comments about the American Revolution may be one of the most incredible examples of how shallow and distorted her understanding of history (and life in general) really is.

"Speaking at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics during a discussion with longtime Democratic strategist David Axelrod, Ocasio-Cortez attempted to connect her attacks on billionaires to America’s founding. She declared:

"'I want to talk about how this is in the heritage of our country, because America was founded… you look at Thomas Jefferson writing to Madison in revolt of British aristocracy. The American Revolution was against the billionaires of their time. And we are declaring independence from such an extreme marriage of wealth and power and the state that the voices of everyday people did not exist.”

"I’m wondering how Axelrod kept a straight face. The Democrats are known for their revisionism, but AOC appears to actually believe everything she says – her word is automatically the truth, no matter how much she made up off the top of her head.

This bizarre claim came shortly after another controversial remark in which AOC insisted:

“You can’t earn a billion dollars.”

She later elaborated by saying: “You can get market power. You can break rules… But you can’t earn that.”

"This is a sitting member of Congress confidently lecturing the public about subjects she appears to fundamentally misunderstand (but where she feels free to make up her own bizzarro world version of economics)." . . . More...

Think of the powerful Democrats in Congress who guide this nation and confront America's allies and enemies: Maxine Waters, ex-Eric Swalwell, Jasmine Crockett, Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin, Al Green, Ayanna Pressley, Rosa DeLauro, Hank (Guam) Johnson, Shri Thanedar, Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, and, well.so many more who all hate President Trump and everything he does. TD 

LA Mayor Bass is to restoration as Gavin is to bullet trains

"President Trump last week ordered his EPA chief Lee Zeldin to override the L.A. mayor's foot-dragging on reissuing building permits, so fire victims can rebuild. City Hall's ineptitude during the fire was astounding. Mayor Karen Bass deserves credit for returning Malibu to its roots as a Trailer Park."  Argus Hamilton, May 11, 2026

‘Spencer Pratt’s Rhetoric Is Dangerous,’ Warns Karen Bass To The 30 Angelenos Who Haven't Been Stabbed To Death By Hobos | Babylon Bee parody   "LOS ANGELES, CA — Mayor Karen Bass struck back at mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt on Wednesday, warning the surviving Angelenos who hadn't been stabbed to death by a hobo that his rhetoric was dangerous.

"'Spencer Pratt wants to clean up our streets no matter who it hurts, even if it means locking up dangerous stabbing hobos," Bass said to jeers from the crowd. "But not me!"

"Bass went on to explain how Pratt, a former reality TV star, had vowed to "clean up her mess" — a statement she called a literal death threat. "If people start blaming me for the city's problems, they might start stabbing me instead of each other," she said." . . .More...

LA Mayor Promises Full Investigation Into Why She Was Allowed To Become LA Mayor | Babylon Bee again   "LOS ANGELES — In the wake of total devastation brought about by the LA fires, Mayor Karen Bass has promised her constituents she would authorize a full investigation into why she was allowed to become mayor of Los Angeles.

""I have no idea what I'm doing and I need to figure out why people thought I could do it," Bass said in a statement. "This whole thing has really been unfair to me."

"According to new polling data, voters are pointing the finger at each other, assuming that someone else was responsible for voting for Karen Bass. "I didn't vote for her!" said LA resident Jennifer Garner. "Ugh, I bet it was Ben. That guy's the worst."

"Bass previously questioned why any special interest groups would rally around her to become mayor. "This wasn't an idea I had," she recounted. "They came to me and asked me to be mayor. I will not rest until I discover who is responsible for me saying 'yes.'"

"Her office has promised to use every resource at its disposal to find out why she was allowed to become the mayor. The scope of the investigation includes questioning "the elites" about why they chose her and interrogating voters on why they could possibly think she was qualified for the job.

"At publishing time, Karen Bass had reprimanded herself for becoming mayor by suspending herself with pay until such time as the investigation could be concluded."

Los Angeles Voters, The World Is Watching

Issues & Insights   

"The entire California Democratic machine is made of political parasites who should be ridiculed out of public life. Pratt’s takedowns are a good start."

"New York City and Chicago voters made the most injudicious decisions possible electing Zohran Mamdani and Brandon Johnson to be their mayors. Both democratic socialists are inept yet destructive, unserious yet dangerous, demagogues who spew venom and traffic in incendiary divisive rhetoric. Their deranged policies will bankrupt their cities, financially, morally and culturally. Will Los Angeles voters do the same?

Actually, they already have. The question is, will they repeat their mistake and reelect Karen Bass? The current mayor is a Fidelista and a member of the Venceremos Brigade, a Cuban “enterprise that had a goal of encouraging the health and survival of a despotic, evil regime.” She reportedly was the group’s Southern California leader.

Or will voters carry City Council member Nithya Raman, whose “socialism could drag LA” to a “Marxist 19th century” dystopia, into the mayor’s office?

Reality television star and angry Palisades fire victim Spencer Pratt is making a splash as an outsider whose fed-up-with-it rhetoric resonates among many. He’s polling at 22% to Bass’ 30% and Raman’s 19% for the June 2 primary. The fact that Bass and Raman are polling anywhere north of low single digits is not encouraging.

The media, always invested in the most far-left candidates, have done everything they can to make Pratt look like a lightweight fool, but his loud honesty about the real-life trials of living in Los Angeles — the squalid homelessness, a perpetual public safety crisis, incompetent and unaccountable governance, to name a few of the many difficulties — rings truer every time he speaks. Pratt is the rip-sawing candidate the city needs to wake it from a progressive slumber that’s leading to decline.

Even if he doesn’t win, he’s giving California Democrats exactly the rude treatment they deserve. His artificial intelligence-produced videos are appropriately brutal, portraying Bass as a clown, a comic book villain and an incompetent who lists last year’s fires — which took Pratt’s Pacific Palisades home — as one of her accomplishments she’s running on.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also takes his well-earned lashes as an out-of-touch French royal eating cake, as does former vice president and failed (thanks be to God) presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who is presented as a useless lush. The entire California Democratic machine is made of political parasites who should be ridiculed out of public life. Pratt’s takedowns are a good start.

At What Point Do We Stop Tolerating Bernie Sanders [and his politics of envy. TD]?

 How many of Bernie's voters own Hamas scarves such as we saw on the streets after the Oct 7th murders of Israeli families?

The American Spectator  

"I’m sure as hell suggesting he shouldn’t be the ranking member of any committees, and he absolutely shouldn’t be in control of the politics of the Democrat Party, of which he isn’t even a member."

"The old line has it that you get what you tolerate.

   "It’s a good life lesson which isn’t all that often applied to politics — at least, not in polite circles of our politics. We’ve had tolerance preached to us nonstop since we were children, or at least those of us who are Generation X and younger have, and so the idea that you get what you tolerate isn’t supposed to apply.

   "Somehow, it’s a racist or bigoted idea that you can refuse to tolerate the things you don’t want imposed on you. When, for most of us, it’s really just a question of standards.

   "And you should have standards in your life. Standards are important. Upholding them almost always results in things being better.

   "For example, it’s a standard that you shouldn’t have trash lying around in your yard. Or that you wouldn’t put up with crime in your neighborhood. Or that you wouldn’t share a house with a junkie or a child molester. Upholding those kinds of standards is a stance which immediately and consequentially improves your living conditions — or, better yet, keeps them from declining.

   "But we’re told that tolerance is a societal virtue. And perhaps it is, in the right context.

   "For example, a society should be tolerant of people from different ethnicities and demographics; that part is simple neighborliness.

   "Different cultures? Perhaps less so. Experience has shown us that some cultures will meet high standards for cooperation, productivity, and moral rectitude — and others perhaps don’t.

   "Tolerance isn’t a suicide pact, after all.

   "And what experience has also taught us is that tolerance of certain ideologies isn’t a good idea at all.

   "For example, there is an ideology based on the most indefensible of the seven deadly sins — envy, which St. Augustine called “the diabolical sin”; “From envy,” he wrote, “are born hatred, detraction, calumny, joy caused by the misfortune of a neighbor, and displeasure caused by prosperity.” . . .  More...

Among Democrats on Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wields far more power than New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. But the progressive champions have the hearts of Democratic voters across the country.

Bernie's accomplice: AOC Celebrated Amazon's Pullout; Cuomo Said It Cost 25K Jobs

Uncle Paul's Parodies

Reclaiming The Human Home

 Lars Møller - American Thinker  

"It is to declare, in brick and stone and careful proportion, that we are no longer ashamed of who we are—that we remember the Judeo-Christian roots of our culture and intend to pass them on, not as relics, but as living gifts to the future." 

"Since the slaughter of WWI, Europeans and Americans have waged a relentless campaign against their own civilization. A self-loathing spirit has seeped into every corner of culture, repudiating the Judeo-Christian roots that once gave the West its distinctive shape: the dignity of the person, the sanctity of place, the longing for transcendence. This erasure has been particularly brutal in architecture.

"Modernism, the aesthetic arm of a revolutionary and totalitarian impulse, originally set out to annihilate five thousand years of building tradition. It replaced the classical idiom—streets that invited conversation, façades that whispered continuity, roofs that sheltered memory—with glass-and-steel machines that scream contempt for the very idea of home. However, revolutionary avant-gardists—self-proclaimed “liberators”—were impatient to create a new humanity without special ties and break down the familiar and beloved. Removing the monuments of the past in our cities became for them a matter of sociocultural cleansing—and an ideological imperative.

"Into this wasteland stepped Sir Roger Scruton (1944–2020), the philosopher who taught us that beauty is not a luxury but a necessity of the soul. In works such as The Aesthetics of Architecture (1979) and Beauty (2009), and later as chairman of the UK government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, he insisted that the built environment is never neutral. It either nurtures oikophilia—the love of home—or breeds alienation. Architecture, for Scruton, is the art of settlement. It must be scaled to the human body, rooted in a particular place, and generous enough to welcome generations yet unborn. When it fails these duties, it does not merely look ugly; it wounds the psyche, severs the thread of collective memory, and turns citizens into transients in their own cities.

"At the heart of Scruton’s philosophy lies the conviction that beauty and human scale are inseparable. A building should not dominate or intimidate; it should invite. Streets must be “shared spaces” where people linger, children play, and neighbors recognize one another. Traditional vernacular architecture—knowledge passed quietly from master to apprentice across centuries—embodies this wisdom. It respects proportion, uses local materials that weather gracefully, and frames views that connect the dweller to the landscape and to history." . . . More...

. . . "Only when our streets once more speak of welcome, our roofs shelter memory, and our squares invite gathering will we have begun to heal the wound that modernism inflicted. Only then will we cease to be exiles in the very places that we call home. Roger Scruton showed us the way. It is time—past time—to follow." . . .