American Thought Leaders

The Chinese communist regime has “created a market in the organs of their political enemies,” says Matthew Robertson, a researcher who has been investigating China’s organ transplant system for more than a decade.Fluent in Mandarin, Robertson is a China studies research fellow at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and co-author of a number of research papers on China’s organ transplant system including, “Execution by organ procurement: Breaching the dead donor rule in China.”After conducting a forensic review of thousands of Chinese research papers, they found 71 cases where violations of the dead donor rule were essentially written into the paper itself.In a moment that stunned the world, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were recently caught on a hot mic with their translators talking about increasing longevity through repeated organ transplants.What is the true extent of China’s forced organ harvesting industry? How are physicians in China complicit? It’s been known for many years that practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual practice have been a prime target—but are they the only ones?Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Editor’s Note: Matthew Robertson previously worked as a journalist for The Epoch Times. 

Family farms in America are slowly disappearing, with a 2022 USDA census reporting that America lost 142,000 farms over just five years. The average farmer in America is now nearly 60 years old.But it’s not government subsidies that farmers need to stay afloat, says Joel Salatin. What small farmers really need is the freedom to innovate and sell directly to local consumers—without facing a morass of red tape, regulations, and mandates.Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms in Virginia, is widely recognized as a leading pioneer of sustainable or regenerative farming practices that enrich the land, rather than depleting it.Over the last half century, Salatin has seen his fair share of what he calls the “food police.” He discovered it was illegal to sell a couple dozen homemade pot pies at the farmers’ market without proving he had a certified $50,000 septic system; illegal to process his own meat without sending it to a licensed butcher; illegal for his 17-year-old apprentices to operate a cordless drill—even though they were legally allowed to drive a car; and illegal to build housing without a permit on his farm—an agricultural zone—for his highly popular farmer apprenticeship program.The result? Small farmers have to fight for survival, factory farming wins, and America is less healthy, he says.“In my lifetime I have watched this erosion of farmer access to retail dollars. Meanwhile, we’re seeing farmers go out of business hand over fist,” Salatin says.What America really needs is a “Food Emancipation Proclamation,” he says.Salatin is the author of 17 books, including “Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front.”Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Spencer Klavan, associate editor at The Claremont Review of Books and author, dives into the revival of Western classical traditions. He discusses the past cultural revolutions and the current trend toward rebuilding these foundational values. Klavan explores the significance of beauty in art, contrasts iconoclasm with the chaos of discarding tradition, and highlights the potential of younger generations returning to spirituality. He also critiques modern utilitarian ethics and examines the role of architecture in cultural identity.

Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization and author, opens up about the relentless attacks faced by his family. He shares insights from his memoir 'Under Siege' and discusses how the legal pressures and public scrutiny have shaped their resilience. Eric recounts the chilling assassination attempt on his father, arguing it galvanized support for the 2024 election. He reflects on his reluctance to enter politics while remaining open to it, and highlights the importance of supporting conservative voices through his book donations.

Dr. Ryan Cole, a board-certified pathologist and lab director, discusses alarming trends in cancer diagnoses linked to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. He advocates for transparency in health agencies and reveals concerns about contaminants in vaccine manufacturing. Cole argues for limiting mRNA usage outside research, citing potential risks of self-amplifying technologies. He emphasizes informed consent for experimental therapies and highlights the importance of rigorous regulatory review for future vaccines. Personal anecdotes illustrate the consequences of challenging established narratives.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Ernst Roets, Founder and Executive Director of Lex Libertas, addresses the consequences of race-based policies in South Africa. He argues these policies perpetuate a cycle of violence and crime, particularly the alarming murder rate among farmers. Roets critiques the oversimplification of cultural diversity and highlights the pernicious influence of foreign powers like China. He advocates for constitutional reforms and decentralization as solutions to the nation’s governance crises.

What happens when a nation loses one of its most influential voices—and what can we learn from the legacy he leaves behind?What is the role of faith in shaping America’s future, and how should we move forward?In this episode, I sit down with pastor Jackson Lahmeyer to reflect on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the work of the Trump administration to strengthen religious liberty in America.“We have a lot to learn from Charlie’s methodology,” Lahmeyer said. “Charlie would reach you in your mind, but also he'd reach you in your heart, because Charlie cared about people.”“The person was not the enemy. The idea might have been the enemy, but the person was not the enemy. ... That’s why Charlie was taken out, because he was so good at reasoning with people,” he said.“It’s the model that we need to adopt moving forward if we’re going to bring healing and restoration to the country,” he added.Lahmeyer is the author of “Chasing After the Wind: Why Nobody Is Catching What Everybody Is Chasing.”Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

James Uthmeyer, Florida's Attorney General and former Commerce Department official, dives into the controversy surrounding Florida’s proposed immigration detention facility, 'Alligator Alcatraz.' He discusses aggressive state measures against illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking while highlighting his investigations into surveillance technologies used by companies like Lorex. Uthmeyer also critiques the politicization of the U.S. census, exploring how these issues could reshape national security and state power.

In a moment that stunned the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping were recently caught on a hot mic talking about increasing longevity and even achieving immortality through repeated organ transplants.For the last two decades, we’ve been reporting how the CCP kills prisoners of conscience, the main body of them being Falun Gong practitioners, for their organs.Joining me today to unpack the significance of this moment and what it teaches us about the inner workings of the CCP is Epoch Times senior investigative journalist Joshua Philipp, host of EpochTV’s “Crossroads.”Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Legal scholar Robert George from Princeton University delves into America's current political and cultural turbulence, highlighting the importance of civil discourse amid growing polarization. He warns against a cycle of revenge, emphasizing that the future hinges on fostering civic friendship. George discusses the decline of faith and increasing moral relativism, drawing on historical insights to show the potential dangers. With a call to nurture truth-seekers, he advocates for the significance of courage and accountability in preserving democratic values.