When authoritarian regimes collapse, the moment itself often feels decisive. Flags fall. Statues are pulled down. Headlines declare the dawn of a new Continue Reading
Politics
The Whiplash Doctrine: America’s Signals in a Hot World
By Calder M. Serba There’s a particular kind of quiet that exists just inside a perimeter fence. Not peace. Not safety. Something thinner than Continue Reading
Iran and the World: A Defining Crossroads
By Sheema Kalbasi Available reporting indicates protesters’ demands in Iran have shifted decisively from economic grievances and reformist appeals Continue Reading
Because We Can
“We live in a world in which you can talk about international niceties and everything else, but we live in the real world … that is governed by Continue Reading
First Reports Are ALWAYS Wrong. Stop Believing Them.
The first reports are always wrong. That statement irritates people because it sounds dismissive, cynical, or conspiratorial. It isn’t. It is a Continue Reading
Wait—Is The Iranian Regime Really About to Collapse?
Theocratic rule in Iran has long projected itself as indomitable — a strategic pillar in the Middle East, a regional counterweight to US influence, Continue Reading
Meet The Standard, Not Your Opinion
by Lt Col (ret), US Army, Darin Gaub Just like facts do not care about your opinion, a standard of performance does not care who you are but Continue Reading
Venezuela Shows the World: “You Can Vote Your Way Into Socialism, But You’ll Have To Shoot Your Way Out”
For decades, Venezuela stood as one of Latin America’s most promising democracies. But the story that unfolded over the last quarter-century Continue Reading
“What Happens Now?” A Venezuelan’s “Boots on the Ground” Perspective
Editor's Note: In the aftermath of the US capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, many Americans were left with questions. Among those are "why Continue Reading
When Fear Stops Working and Ordinary People Break Empires
Revolutions are often discussed as political or economic events. They are neither. They are psychological phenomena. This is not an argument for Continue Reading
Life, Power, and (Finally) Accountability in Venezuela: A Venezuelan Speaks
Editor's Note: In the aftermath of the US capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, many Americans were left with questions. Among those are "why Continue Reading
Congress Will Not Limit Itself so the States Must
Americans across the political spectrum agree on almost nothing anymore—but one idea keeps surviving the culture war unscathed: term limits for Continue Reading