Tea at Trianon: New Farm Security Plan

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Thursday, July 10, 2025

New Farm Security Plan

From Gregg Jarrett:

The Trump Administration has introduced a significant new initiative aimed at strengthening the role of American agriculture in national security. The National Farm Security Action Plan is the latest measure in the “Make Agriculture Great Again” campaign. Announced by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the plan positions agriculture as a vital component in protecting the nation from foreign threats and ensuring the resilience of the U.S. food system.

Secretary Rollins emphasized that the United States not only feeds the world but also leads it, and she affirmed the administration’s resolve never to allow foreign adversaries to control American land, research, or livelihoods. The plan is designed to prioritize American farmers, families, and the nation’s future, reinforcing a strong and secure agricultural sector.

The urgency of this initiative was highlighted by recent incidents, such as the Department of Justice’s prosecution of foreign nationals—including a member of the Chinese Communist Party—who were accused of smuggling a dangerous fungus into the country. This case, which involved a domestic research lab, brought attention to ongoing threats like agroterrorism, foreign acquisition of farmland, theft of agricultural technology, and cyberattacks against food systems. These challenges reveal vulnerabilities in America’s agricultural supply chain and underscore the need for robust protective measures. (Read more.)