IRS Whistleblowers Vindicated: Combatting Crime and Gangs | Additional Insights

Why is Donald Trump “fundamentally dismantling the federal bureaucracy?” questions Kimberley A. Strassel of The Wall Street Journal.

Consider the “years of retaliation” faced by Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler “for treating Hunter Biden like every other lawbreaker.”

They dealt with “political interference” and were “blocked from searching Joe Biden’s guest house,” “told to refrain from questioning Joe or chasing leads related to Joe’s grandchildren,” and were “removed from the Hunter case” for refusing to comply.

“Shapley and Ziegler have been repeatedly vindicated — by Hunter’s eventual prosecutions, his guilty pleas, and even his pardon.”

However, their recent “promotion to senior positions, where they will advise Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on IRS reform,” is the most genuine vindication of all.

Despite a “variety of prevention and intervention strategies aimed at diverting youth from gang involvement,” these “initiatives have yielded mixed results,” argues Joshua Carter at City Journal.

Since “violent crime is the primary driver of gang membership,” policymakers need to recognize that “the most effective way to prevent teenagers from joining gangs is by fostering safer communities.”

High-crime areas restrict “economic opportunities,” amplify “youth vulnerability,” and escalate “social isolation.”

In regions characterized by “lower crime rates, stronger community ties, and increased economic prospects,” “fewer young individuals feel compelled to affiliate with gangs.”

“Safe neighborhoods” arise from “intentional policy decisions” — and “curbing gang activity” is one of the most critical.

“To be frank,” the World Happiness Report, which consistently asserts that “the happiest nations are in Scandinavia” while ranking the United States significantly lower, “is a deception,” writes Yascha Mounk on his Substack.

Although media outlets disseminate its findings “with uncritical acceptance,” the report “merely aggregates responses to a single question” regarding overall life satisfaction, which “doesn’t accurately measure happiness.”

Moreover, “citizens in those very Scandinavian nations that are heralded for their supposed joy are notably more prone to take antidepressants or even to commit suicide.”

Conversely, certain areas in the United States “seem to exude happiness.”

“Allegedly reputable news organizations” should hold “publicity endeavors” like this report to “appropriate journalistic standards.”

Eugene Volokh at The Volokh Conspiracy observes that Chief Justice John Roberts “failed to comment on” the attempts to impeach his colleagues Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, nor about Sen. Ron Wyden’s request for “President Biden to disregard any ruling from Judge Matt Kacsmaryk on mifepristone.”

Now, however, Roberts is “raising alarms” regarding impeachment calls from the right; “his objections come a bit too late.”

“The constitutional crisis has two sides,” and “Roberts could ease the tension by promptly overturning some of these excessively bold rulings from lower courts.”

It appears he’d “prefer inaction while reflecting on the matter. I’ve long maintained that the Chief Justice exists in a reality separate from the rest of us. This situation confirms it.”

In the 1780s, Barbary Pirates, raiders from North African city-states, would “assault American merchant vessels, capturing sailors for whom they initially demanded ransom and subsequently required protection money as tribute,” recalls Dov S. Zakheim at The Hill.

“The Houthis represent today’s Barbary Pirates,” differing from their predecessors only in that they have yet to attempt to take American hostages for ransom.

“The pirates were essentially extensions of their North African rulers”; similarly, the Houthis are “heavily supported by Iran in terms of training and resources” — and as they assert “they will not be intimidated by U.S. assaults,” Trump may “only succeed in countering the Houthis if he acts beyond simple threats to the state that has long backed them.”

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board