Category: The American Spectator
Is the ayatollah a feminist?
The horseshoe theory may have been on full display after the supreme leader of Iran made a surprisingly feminist statement on social media.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei often ponders philosophical and political topics on his X page, most recently critiquing the role of women in Western society. In a string of posts on Wednesday, Khamenei insisted that Islam treats women better than other Western faiths and societies, and even resurrected a 2010s feminist talking point that has long been debunked.
‘Women’s wages are lower than men’s for the same work.’
“Islam’s view of women is the opposite of the Western capitalist view,” Khamenei said in a post on X. “In Islam, she possesses her independence, her capacity to act & to progress, her identity; in the West, her dignity is not respected, and she is treated as an object in the service of material interests.”
There is certainly room to criticize women’s role in Western societies, especially in the post-modern era. However, Khamenei conveniently omits the practical application of Sharia law in countries like Iran that tolerate child marriages and require women to hide behind hijabs.
Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images
In an even more surprising take, Iran’s supreme leader insisted that the gender wage gap was an oppressive reality that Western women have to endure, despite it being both disproven and outlawed altogether.
“Today, in many Western countries, women’s wages are lower than men’s for the same work,” Khamenei said in a post on X. “Today, that’s how it is. It’s a blatant injustice.”
RELATED: How Sharia law violates everything the founding fathers built
Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images
While criticizing the West, the ayatollah omitted the real, dramatic gender disparities in Iran’s workforce.
In Iran, less than 14% of women participate in the workforce, compared to 67% of men. Additionally, a husband can prevent a wife from working at all if he believes it to be “with the family interests or the dignity of himself or his wife.”
Iran’s law also forbids women from being employed in “dangerous, arduous, or harmful work,” with massive underrepresentation in higher professions like parliament. Women are barred from positions like supreme leader, and they cannot be appointed to judicial roles.
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A Talented Student, But the Wrong Ancestry. Why We Filed Suit Against the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
Imagine a high school senior anywhere in America with a 4.0 GPA, rigorous coursework, and an extensive record of volunteering and community service. He plans to attend a four-year university but, like millions of families, worries about how to afford it. He discovers a prestigious national scholarship fund offering mentoring, leadership training, and up to $5,000 in financial aid.
The post A Talented Student, But the Wrong Ancestry. Why We Filed Suit Against the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. appeared first on .
Woke ‘Franklin the Turtle’ publisher and Democrats lose their minds after Hegseth shares hilarious meme
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared a meme on Sunday depicting the eponymous star of the children’s book franchise “Franklin the Turtle” and the television adaptation “Franklin” dressed as an American soldier, perched on the side of a Bell UH-1 helicopter, and firing a rocket-propelled grenade at maritime drug-runners.
The AI-generated illustration, shared after lawmakers from both parties expressed concerns over American strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea, was made to look like the cover of a book in the series, complete with a title — “A Classic Franklin Story: Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.”
‘We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels … or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists.’
The viral meme, which Hegseth captioned “for your Christmas wish list” and had over 25.6 million impressions on X on Wednesday, evidently enraged various liberal media personalities and Democrats as well as the Toronto-based publisher of the Franklin books.
Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) also complained about the meme, stating on the Senate floor, “He wants to be taken seriously, but yesterday he posted a ridiculous tweet of a cartoon turtle firing on alleged drug traffickers — a sick parody of a well-known children’s book. This man is a national embarrassment.”
Kids Can Press said in a statement, “Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity.”
RELATED: Trump’s boat strikes may leave one Venezuelan drug-smuggling pirate haven in ruins
Photo by Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Image
“We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values,” added the Canadian publisher.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell responded to the publisher’s condemnation, stating, “We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels … or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists.”
Unfortunately for Kids Can Press and Democratic critics, their condemnations of the fictional turtle’s enlistment in MAGA memes appear to have only helped fuel the desire by trolls to depict Franklin in other provocative fake titles including, “Franklin Guards the Woman’s Locker Room,” “Franklin Gets Falsely Accused of War Crimes,” “Franklin Assists with 20 Million Deportations,” “Franklin Explains What Fauci Deserves,” and “Franklin Learns about George Floyd’s Autopsy.”
One fake book cover titled “Franklin Gets a New Job” features an image of the turtle, this time dressed up as a Department of Homeland Security agent, arresting the eponymous Latin American star of the animated children’s show “Dora the Explorer.”
Another fake cover titled “Franklin and Pete Hegseth Laugh at Communists” features an image of the war secretary and the turtle riding their bikes past four slovenly leftists.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) also got in on the fun.
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who was among the Democratic lawmakers who urged the military last month to “refuse” allegedly illegal orders from the Trump administration, called on Hegseth to resign on Tuesday in the wake of a report claiming that the war secretary ordered SEAL Team 6 to leave behind no survivors in a recent boat strike.
Luna responded with a fake Franklin cover titled “Franklin Shows His Classmates How to Identify a Spook.” The fake cover features an image of the turtle directing his fellow woodland critters’ attention to an apparent caricature of Slotkin on a chalkboard.
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Trump makes America dangerous again — to our enemies
For the first time in years, the world once again views the United States as a force for strength, order, and peace. Clear, consistent American leadership backed by resolve is restoring the U.S. role as the world’s stabilizing power. That clarity is already reshaping some of the most entrenched conflicts, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe.
The breakthrough in Gaza illustrates the shift. What looked like a permanent cycle of bloodshed has given way to a ceasefire, the safe return of hostages, and the growing global isolation of Hamas — a terrorist group that has long thrived on regional instability. The success rests on American influence, quiet coordination with regional partners, and the renewed credibility that comes from a White House that means what it says.
After years of drift and decline, the world once again knows where America stands.
The same seriousness is now visible in Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Washington may lead to a negotiated end to a devastating conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and destabilized global energy and food markets. Zelenskyy described his meetings as a “big chance” to finish the war.
President Trump’s peace plan to end the Russia-NATO war in Ukraine will stop the bleeding, enable reconstruction, and reduce the strain on U.S. ammunition stocks at a moment when the Pentagon must prepare for a potential conflict with China.
US diplomacy regains stature
Strength backed by diplomacy — not drift or apology — is what puts the United States in high esteem with much of the world again. Nations respect a country willing to confront aggression and equally willing to help broker reconciliation.
That same clarity guides the administration’s approach to economics and trade. When America projects strength abroad, it must also defend economic interests at home.
Rebuilding America’s economic strength
After years of watching U.S. innovation shipped overseas, the administration has signaled that America will build, produce, and lead from within. That principle drove President Trump’s deal with Australia to break China’s grip on rare earth minerals — metals essential to everything from fighter jets and missiles to smartphones and electric vehicles.
For years, Beijing used its near-monopoly on mining and refining these materials as leverage, threatening to cut off supplies whenever the U.S. challenged its aggression. The deal with Australia strengthens both nations’ capacity to mine and process these strategic resources, allowing the U.S. to build advanced technology and military systems without bowing to Chinese pressure. It’s another example of President Trump converting economic strength into national security strength.
America’s return to Central Asia
Last week, President Trump hosted a meeting of the C5+1 — the United States and the five Central Asian republics: Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Founded in 2015, the group has rarely received presidential-level attention. That changed with Trump’s direct engagement.
Trump emphasized access to Central Asia’s vast reserves of rare and strategic minerals. Turkmenistan emerged as a potential transit hub for processing and exporting these resources to America. Airlines from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed agreements to purchase 37 Boeing aircraft. The president also announced the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, a new trade corridor designed to boost connectivity and economic integration across the region.
Leaders reaffirmed commitments to counterterrorism cooperation, energy security, and balancing regional influence from Russia and China.
RELATED: America’s addiction to Chinese money runs deeper than we care to admit
Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Strength in technology policy
The administration’s posture on technology sends a message as unmistakable as a carrier group in the Pacific: America will defend its industries from predatory foreign dominance.
The recent approval of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise-Juniper Networks merger reflects that stance. The decision, made in consultation with national security officials, counters the global reach of China’s state-controlled telecom giant Huawei and strengthens U.S. data networks in an era defined by artificial intelligence and 5G. The move also signals that America will no longer sabotage its own companies to satisfy globalists or Beltway bureaucrats.
Predictably, Democratic attorneys general led by Colorado’s Phil Weiser — joined by congressional voices such as Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — denounced the decision. But their reflexive criticism doesn’t alter the administration’s commitment to peace-through-strength policies that protect American interests.
A world steadied by American resolve
When the U.S. leads with confidence, the world responds with respect. Whether confronting turmoil in the Middle East, pressing for stability in Europe, or rebuilding supply chains and industries essential to national security, American strength has produced a safer, more stable international environment.
After years of drift and decline, the world once again knows where America stands.
Peace through strength brought the world back to the table. Strength through accountability will keep it there. That is the kind of respect no adversary can test — and no ally will forget.
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