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October 8, 2025

Welcome to The Lighthouse, the weekly email newsletter of the Independent Institute covering politics, economics, current events, and everything in between.

Dear Readers,

After an assassin killed Charlie Kirk for his ostensibly hateful views, millions grieved. Others mocked Kirk. But now some of the mockers are losing their jobs as payback for their vindictiveness, raising a question: Are we seeing a kind of right-wing “cancel culture” at odds with the American principle of free speech? Independent Institute President Graham Walker, Senior Fellow and David J. Theroux Chair Phillip W. Magness, and Senior Fellow Williamson Evers explore this question with the help of Nadine Strossen, longtime President of the ACLU, on a new episode of Independent Conversations.

Also this week, Ivan Eland publishes a standalone article analyzing the Pentagon's efforts to develop a new National Defense Strategy for the United States. He notes that while a refinement of the American stance towards China is welcome, early indications suggest the Pentagon is adopting a more aggressive posture towards Latin America and domestic law enforcement.

Vicent Geloso dispels the all-too-common myth that immigration leads to lower wages.

Brady Leonard calls for political honesty in the face of inconvenient data.

Craig Eyermann explains why the government shutdown won’t trigger a debt default.

And finally, Christopher J. Calton warns conservatives about compromising on free speech.

Happy reading.

Jonathan Hofer
Managing Editor

Top picks this week


** VIDEO
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** Independent Conversations | Free Speech vs. Left and Right Cancel Culture | Nadine Strossen ([link removed])
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Are we seeing a kind of right-wing “cancel culture” at odds with the American principle of free speech?
Watch Now ([link removed])

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** The Draft National Defense Strategy Is a Mixed Bag ([link removed])
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** by Ivan Eland
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The Pentagon is taking one step forward and two steps back.
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** Why Immigration Doesn’t Lower Pay—Capital Barriers Do ([link removed])
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** When wages stagnate after immigration, it’s not the workers crossing borders who are to blame, it’s the capital that isn’t allowed to follow them. ([link removed])
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** by Vincent J. Geloso
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Rather than attack immigration, policymakers should attack the true source of wage stagnation: restrictions on capital flows.
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** What “Just Do Something” Looks Like In Practice ([link removed])
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** Voters demand action, and their favorite politicians often can not deliver the goods. ([link removed])
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** by Brady Leonard
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Politicians should be honest with their voters if the data that does not line up with popular opinion … and voters should understand that the state is not coming to save you.
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** The Shutdown and the U.S. Government’s Credit ([link removed])
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** by Craig Eyermann
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Despite the political circus, there’s actually no real risk that the U.S. government will default on any of its massive debt payments.
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** Conservatives Are at a Free Speech Crossroads ([link removed])
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** by Christopher J. Calton
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If conservatives acquiesce to the Trump administration’s expansion of federal power to suppress speech, then conservatives will lose all credibility on this issue.
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** FEATURED BOOK — OUT NOW!
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** A Balance of Titans ([link removed])
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** Peace and Liberty in the New Multipolar World ([link removed])
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** By Ivan Eland
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“Ivan Eland proposes a bold new foreign policy for the United States, one that would encourage other nations to share the burdens of policing the world, saving the United States billions in defense spending and making peace more likely and sustainable.”

—Harvey Sapolsky, professor emeritus of public policy and organization, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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