WEDNESDAY ROUNDUP: Nobody Knows Anything Edition
It is really getting hard to know what's really going on
Hello friends, I hope you’re all having a great week. Here is my regular roundup of stories I’ve been following.
First, as the title alludes to, it’s getting hard to know what is real anymore. Early yesterday, headlines reported that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had destroyed a hospital in Gaza. Then a second round of reports claimed that it was a rocket belonging to Hamas or Islamic Jihad that had gone astray.
At this point, people simply went with their preconceived notions. Supporters of Israel were 100% sure that Hamas had done the deed, while opponents were equally sure that it was the IDF. However, this morning we see that the hospital was not actually blown up in the first place — a rocket had exploded in the parking lot, damaging some cars and blowing out some windows, but the building remained standing.
My point is less about this specific incident yesterday and more about how our very concept of reality is about to be eliminated. AI image generation has been improving at a fantastic scale, and very soon we will have no way of knowing what is real and what is fake. AI generated images will be passed off as real, while real images will be dismissed as forgeries. In conflicts like these, both sides are attempting to gain sympathy and support from the rest of the world. When you consider the stories that have been used to justify wars in the past, such as the destruction of USS Maine or the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, this should be a reminder to be even more careful and discerning going forward.
In other news, I invite you to check out my voter’s guide for the November elections. I am still working on it, so let me know if you have feedback or suggestions. Regarding yesterday’s endorsement of Jason Pierce for mayor of Eagle, I wanted to point out that in addition to Gem State Substack, Pierce has also been endorsed by Congressman Russ Fulcher, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, former Eagle Mayor Nancy Merrill, and the District 14 Republican Party. I believe that puts me in good company!
You’ll notice that I am the one who posted the LD14 endorsement. I am not a PC, therefore I had no vote on who the committee endorsed; as secretary, however, I am responsible for communicating the committee’s decisions to the public.
Hillsdale grad and Marine veteran Josiah Lippincott had a great piece this week on what the conflict in Israel means — or shouldn’t mean — to America First patriots. Check it out here.
The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee announced a lawsuit yesterday against Coeur d’Alene council member Dan Gookin yesterday for defamation. Gookin is the latest in a long line of sore losers who don’t like the KCRCC’s vaunted rating and vetting system, but he allegedly crossed the line from criticism to libel with his accusations against Chairman Brent Regan and the committee. Read all about it at the Idaho Tribune.
Nate Hochman has an interesting piece in the American Conservative this week about the way in which the Boomer generation retains a lot of political power. I’m old enough to remember the first Boomer president, Bill Clinton, ushering in a new generation, but that generation still rules more more than three decades later. With the sad sight of Sen. Dianne Feinstein literally holding on to power until the moment she died, I think it’s reasonable to ask what a graceful exit will look like.
Eastern Idaho friends, remember that Dinesh D’Souza is coming to the Meleleuca HQ building on Saturday, November 4. Tickets are still available!
Senator Brian Lenney was the target of a hit piece by KTVB’s Brian Holmes regarding his opposition to amnesty for illegal aliens. (Click here to read about Holmes’ hit on me last year.) Lenney spoke to KIDO’s Kevin Miller about it yesterday:
On Monday I sat down for a livestream to discuss the history of Israel and the geopolitical situation in the Middle East as well as what it tells us about our situation in America. It’s a little long and rambling, but check it out if you’re interested:
The always great Moment of Truth podcast from American Moment discussed the same situation with Saagar Enjeti:
Finally, since the situation in the Middle East has people talking about the apocalypse again, here is an instructive video about different Christian beliefs about the end times. If you have grown up in a certain tradition it might be difficult to understand how others might have different beliefs. Mike Winger lays them all out clearly and coherently:
I think that’s enough for now. Have a great rest of your week, and remember to share and subscribe for more content from Gem State Substack! As always, thank you for your support — I truly appreciate it.