Ukraine’s current conflict is heading the same way as the Afghan war: away from the hallmarks of a “conventional” conflict and towards a protracted insurgency promising high costs for both sides.
Category: History
Pay Attention to Putin’s “Denazification” Claims
American foreign policy experts must take Putin’s “denazification” language far more seriously, because they could be a subtle promise of terrible atrocities in the near future.
America Must Rediscover the Trade Policy of the Founders
The ideological assumption was that interdependence prevents war. Thus, the loss of manufacturing jobs and the reduction in the middle-class wages of Americans was worth global peace.
Thucydides, Geopolitics and Escalation Points: A Lesson from the Punic Wars
American and Chinese interests do indeed overlap and clash at various points across the globe, from the halls of foreign governments to social media posts online. Yet this does not preordain war nor does the “Allison Trap” provide a useful framework for understanding rising tensions or their associated risks.
The Things They Carried (And Then Left Behind)
Uncle Sam has quite the hole in his pocket. As the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan continues, critics understandably worry about who is left behind. However, perhaps as frustrating is the emerging picture of what is being left behind.
Warriors Not Wanted: It’s Time to Ditch the Draft
Despite being over 80 years old, Selective Service remains a high-profile part of America’s national defense system. The Selective Service’s website actually crashed under the pressure of so many anxious browsers after US-Iranian relations turned confrontational over the killing of Qasem Soleimani.
“The End of These Miseries”: Augustine of Hippo on Realism and Societal Collapse
Image: The Conversion of Saint Augustine, Fra Angelico (c. 1395 – 1455) By Scott Strgacich The celebrated American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr called him “the first great ‘realist’ in Western history.” He spent much of his early life as a Manichean living in carnal sin with a concubine. He was a first-rate philosophical mind, schooled in … Continue reading “The End of These Miseries”: Augustine of Hippo on Realism and Societal Collapse
Pharaohs and Presidents: A Tale of Two Empires
By Scott Strgacich Erected in the 12th century BCE, the spectacular Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu boasts 75,350 square feet of reliefs and decorated walls. Like his namesake Ramesses II (the Great), Ramesses III enthusiastically assumed the pharaonic duty of constructing imposing temples upon which his memory was to be emblazoned. On … Continue reading Pharaohs and Presidents: A Tale of Two Empires
The Lessons of World War I
By Caroline Caywood On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian empire was brutally assassinated, sparking a chain of events that would lead to one of the most bloody and widespread conflicts of modern history. The First World War raged on for four long years and encompassed more than 100 countries, resulting in … Continue reading The Lessons of World War I
Separate Peace: How Democratic Peace Theory Undermines American Interests Abroad
Image: Natalie Wu By Caroline Caywood Since the arrival of the earliest settlers, America has adopted the ideal of a “city upon a hill” which is looked to as a shining example of justice, liberty, and peace. Over the past few centuries, this has been employed as a tenant of American Exceptionalism, westward expansion, and … Continue reading Separate Peace: How Democratic Peace Theory Undermines American Interests Abroad
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