Free Republic

Former Polish President Lech Wałęsa hailed his friendship with Ronald Reagan during their respective administrations, claiming that Poland owes Reagan "our freedom." "You may consider this statement extremely lofty, yet it does not sound lofty to those who regained liberty after half a century," Wałęsa, 80, told Fox News Digital on the anniversary of Reagan’s birth. "Some politicians defend values not because they find it profitable but because those politicians are convinced that there are certain values that are worth living for, and that there are values that are worth giving life for," Wałęsa said. "Only such politicians are really...

I'm originally from the United States, but I've lived in Germany for over 11 years. Moving to Germany was not necessarily an extreme culture shock, but many things have surprised me — especially when it comes to raising my three kids, who have all been born here.

This week at work a team member was talking about how her 23 year old son who is done with college is itching to move to Germany because he is tired of the USA and what is going on here. Two other co-workers chimed in saying how everything is wonderful in Germany and that so much is "free" and one the lady has a friend who moved to Germany from the USA and she loves it because of once again all the "free" they get. I wanted to explode and tell them nowhere is like the USA and that they...

The majority of U.S. adults are living paycheck to paycheck heading into this holiday season, a report shows. LendingClub’s latest report shows that as of October, 60 percent of adults said they are living paycheck to paycheck. Around 40 percent of consumers consider themselves to be worse off now than in 2022. Even higher earners are struggling to get by, with 42 percent of those making six figures also living check-to-check under President Joe Biden. According to a separate CNBC survey, the number of adults struggling to save between checks is up from 58 percent in March.

As cost increases persist and workers try to keep up, buzzwords like “poverty wage,” “minimum wage” and “living wage” are coming back into the lexicon, shaping conversations about what it means to make enough and who decides where to draw the line. The federal minimum wage, which was last raised in 2009, stands at $7.25 an hour. A full-time employee, working an average of 40 hours per week on minimum wage, makes $15,000 annually (which puts these workers below the poverty line in many states). A recent study from SmartAsset found that the average American worker needs $68,499 in after-tax...

It doesn’t get any sadder than this: “19 percent of men and 12 percent of women in the 25-34 demographic cohabit with their parents.” Nearly a fifth — a fifth! — of men aged 25-34 live with Mom and Dad? What? At least the parents aren’t happy about it. The Hill reports:

This morning, as I hastily move around getting ready to drive an hour towards Austin to go to work, I decided I could stay silent no more. The homeless problem is NOT what the government and media want you to BELIEVE it is. It is a far worse problem created by government and supported by media disinformation or outright refusal to do investigative reporting to uncover what is going on. I know for a FACT that at least one young man working for a financial services company in Austin is living off of vouchers provided by Austin for the homeless...

I’ve never escaped Watergate,” says John Dean, as once again he allows the years to melt away, the old faces to crowd in and the secret tapes to whirr in his mind. “There’s just no choice. I’m living in the bubble. It’s become a fact of life.” America has never escaped Watergate either. The biggest political scandal of the 20th century, and the only one to cause a presidential resignation, has become a byword for lost innocence and lost faith in institutions. Along with the Vietnam war, it marked the end of an era in which a president’s words were...

Over a third of Americans who make at least $250,000 per year say they're living paycheck to paycheck, which Bloomberg suggests underscores how inflation is 'taking a bigger bite out of Americans' budgets at all ends of the pay spectrum.'Another interpretation is that Americans makig at least $250,000 - placing them in the top 5% of earners in the country - have horrendous financial literacy.According to a survey by Pymnts.com and LendingClub, some 36% of households who make at least $250k - nearly 4x the median US salary - devote almost all their income to household expenses. Higher-income households are...

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) and his wife were deep in debt but reportedly staying at an expensive Brooklyn hotel with an indoor pool, restaurants, and beautiful views. The New York Post reported Saturday: After leaving office four months ago, de Blasio and Chirlane McCray made a beeline from Gracie Mansion to the swanky New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge — where suites run from about $600 to $5,000 a night — and have been staying there ever since while their home in Park Slope, Brooklyn, undergoes renovations, according to hotel staffers and other sources.

During an interview aired on Friday’s edition of Comedy Central’s “Tha God’s Honest Truth,” Vice President Kamala Harris argued that “the cost of living is too expensive for too many people. It has been this way even before the pandemic.” And the Build Back Better reconciliation bill will decrease the cost of living.

New Zealand will ease COVID-19 measures and implement a new system for living with the virus next month, according to a Reuters report. The country has seen one of the strictest lockdowns in the world and will move away from its "zero COVID" policy to allow businesses and vaccinated people more freedom, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday. The new policy will be implemented on Dec. 2 at 11:59 p.m., with Arden acknowledging that "delta is here and not going away."

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said Sunday on “MediaBuzz” that he is “very grateful” to be living “rent-free” in the head of former President Donald Trump when asked about Trump’s criticisms of his debate moderation skills. Referencing the first 2020 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, which was hosted by Wallace on September 29, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio, anchor Howard Kurtz said, “By the way, Trump still takes shots at you over the first presidential debate that you moderated last year, saying, oh you didn’t have control

Ronald Reagan liked to tell stories. As president he told one to a convention of Protestant ministers, about a preacher and a politician who died on the same day and were greeted by St. Peter at the gates of heaven. Peter explained heaven's rules and escorted the newcomers to the homes they would occupy for all eternity. The preacher's proved to be a single room with a bed, table and chair. The politician's was a huge mansion with handsome furnishings. The politician was grateful but puzzled. "How do I deserve this grand place while that good man of the cloth...

The last remaining World War II Nazis are living comfortably at home in Germany, leading normal lives and, in some instances, are still proud of their participation in one of world history’s biggest atrocities. In the chilling new documentary “Final Account,” out Friday, British director Luke Holland, whose grandparents were killed in the Holocaust, interviewed several former Nazis about their memories of the murderous Third Reich. It took him 10 years to track his elderly subjects down and capture them on film. And Holland himself died in June shortly after completing his movie.

It’s just the flu, bro. There has been an uptick in participation in this thread recently. This is not good, in a way, as it is a sign that the Fearbros may be growing in number as are more active on Freerepublic. Hopefully we persuade some of them to come around to the Flubro and Flubra way of thinking. - Lockdowns violate normal human living. A natural law argument can easily be made that these lockdowns are horrific for humanity. Some of the reasons are: 1. Prevents, inhibits and delays marital unions which are required for procreation and raising of...

Who the hell are these politicians to imperiously decide who’s “essential” and who’s not? Non-essential, they hiss, pointing a finger at you. Non-essential! If you’re non-essential, these tinpot dictators with their catastrophically wrong “models” tell you, stay home. Lose your job, your business, your life. What the hell do they care? You’ll take it and you’ll like it! Nicht wahr? As certain Germans used to say. Isn’t that so? Jawohl! They’ve got theirs, Jack. And it comes with State Police chauffeurs. They’re just trying to do the Reich, I mean right thing. At long last, finally, working people are starting...

**SNIP** So far, Sharma has interviewed more than 850 veterans in 45 states. “They can say that their lives have had a purpose greater than themselves. Lot’s of people are born, they live and they die without having an impact on the world,” Sharma said. “But every single World War II veteran have given millions of people a chance at life. Because of the hell they went through at 18-19 years old.” Sharma’s goal is to preserve their stories for future generations through his nonprofit, Heroes of the Second World War.

Many of us are between 65 and death, i.e. old. My friend sent me this excellent list for aging . . . and I have to agree it's good advice to follow. 1. It’s time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don’t just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof....