He was a comical figure in 2003 when U.S. forces were on the doorstep about to drive Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein into internal exile. Clad in a military uniform and wearing a beret, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf appeared on American television proclaiming that all was well with Iraq and the Americans were Read more…
When America’s Founding Fathers conceived of our republic, they drew extensively on the experiences of the Greek and the Roman republics of old. An important lesson was that monarchies, aristocracies, oligarchies, and pure democracies were a bad idea and should be avoided, a key point made by the Greek historian Polybius. Read more…
Like many Americans, I’m very happy that we are emerging from the COVID-19 national misery. That said, like many other people, I want to see some accountability from China, as they were the source of this deadly virus. Let’s be clear about something. The Wuhan Institute of Virology is part of the Chinese Read more…
Politicians—I know, I was one once—are particularly gifted at identifying self-interests. They do it all the time. It should come as no surprise to note that with every vote, legislators wonder, occasionally in public but mostly in private, “how will the people respond to the vote I just made?” It’s a selfish Read more…
I am reading, thinking, and writing a lot these days. In many ways it keeps me going as I watch in shock and horror how our norms are being disrupted by illogic, whim, and dangerous ideas, all of which will do little to sustain our culture, our civilization, indeed our country. Why Read more…
We live in a time of proliferating frauds. Moreover, we must recognize them if we are to save our grandchildren from crushing national debt, address racism honestly, embrace substance over symbolism, expose the truth about progressivism, and save our Constitution from destruction. The frauds are many. Consider a few. Something for Nothing: As a Read more…
Having spent a season of my life in elected politics, I have become very aware that political fortunes swing like a pendulum in a clock. And if you have a grandfather clock, as we do in our house, the pendulum swings slowly and methodically until the clock winds down. So too does Read more…
Like many Americans, I listened to the State of the Union speech delivered on 28 April 2021. I was curious about what the President would say. Cynics were rather sure they would hear a speech that was both boring yet radical. They were correct. It was hardly a riveting speech, but should that be Read more…
The recent and tragic death of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota is the latest in a series of controversies concerning race and law enforcement in America. Floyd has now become a poignant symbol of what people say is “systemic racism” in America. So is racism Read more…
Language is a powerful thing, particularly when it’s used correctly to edify, not mislead. But in politics, the meaning of a word is a mere triviality if it limits the schemes of politicians to obtain a larger purpose. We’ve seen this in government for years. It’s not new. It’s how Read more…