Category Archives: Foreign Policy

Time To Talk About Veterans Day

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In 2023, what does Veterans Day really mean in America? Today, MAGA boomers are flooding social media with Veterans Day graphics. You know the ones I’m talking about – they have a picture of a soldier, probably an eagle, and a slogan like “thank you for keeping us free” imposed over a flag. I have nothing against the MAGA boomers. They mean well, and we are aligned on many important issues. But their line of thinking is based on the myth that the America of today still operates under the original Constitution. The systems our founders set up still work, but those pesky Democrats can’t stop messing things up! The purpose of the military should be to protect home, which truly keeps us free. But the truth is America’s veterans have not done that since 1812.

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The Most Important Country in the History of American Foreign Affairs

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Ask the average man-on-the street what the most important country in the history of American foreign affairs is, and you will probably get similar answers. It could be Britain, due to America inheriting her economic, cultural and political institutions. It could be the Soviet Union, due to the Cold War shaping American militarism for nearly a century. It could be Israel, due to their influence over post-Cold War geopolitics. These are all good answers. But the most important country in American foreign affairs rarely gets discussed today, and it’s located 700 miles off of the Florida coast. Foreign policy often affects domestic policy. This is why the most important country in the history of American foreign relations is Haiti.

Haitian revolution
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The Economic Reality of Africa – All Myths Examined

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Africa is home to some of the oldest civilizations on Earth. Yet, by all metrics, it is the poorest continent. Whether it is GDP per capita, life expectancy, political freedom or literacy rates, Africa ranks dead last. Why is this? The answers you will often hear are white (European) colonialism, racism, corruption, lack of unity, instability and lack of resources. There are elements of truth to some of these, yet the reasons you often hear from today’s mainstream historians and race hustlers are misleading. For one, Africa is a continent, not a unified nation of people. There are 54 recognized countries in Africa, each with its own unique circumstances. I’m going to take an in-depth look at all of the perceived causes of poverty and use statistics from individual nations to challenge each.

Colonial Africa
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Valmy, and the Origins of Modern Warfare

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The period that covers World War I, World War II, through the end of the Cold War, is sometimes called the “Long War.” Philip Bobbitt refers to it as such in The Shield of Achilles, which I reviewed here. The Long War is characterized as a battle of the nation-states that originated near the end of the 19th century. It was a battle over three constitutional orders: liberal democracy, communism and fascism. It was a period of time in which weapons technology advanced faster than any other period in history. These wars also took on a new level of nihilism via “total warfare,” where war became more than just a contest between professional armies. While greater weapons lead to greater potential destruction, there are also cultural issues at play. You have to go back further than World War I to find the origins of total war. You can look back at the French Revolution, and the Battle of Valmy.

Battle of Valmy
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No Solutions, Only Trade-Offs – Ukraine Edition

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The great Thomas Sowell often notes that when looking to solve problems, there are no perfect solutions, only trade-offs. You weigh the cost of your various options and look for the one that creates the fewest additional problems. You look for the best trade-off. Make your concessions based on three factors – compared to what, at what cost, and based on what evidence? Nowhere does this practice come into play more than in foreign policy. Today we’re going to look at the ongoing situation in Ukraine, and weigh the options based on historic parallels.

Crisis in Ukraine
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A Crisis of Confidence in the U.S. Dollar

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Economic uncertainty hangs in the air. Inflation is rising, supply chains are disrupted, and global conflict only compounds those problems. I’m not going to talk about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine as that is beyond the scope of this post. But the fallout of Putin’s actions, and the U.S. response, may set an interesting chain of events into play that could reshape the world.

Infinite money printing
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Casting Doubt on the “Last Testament of Lenin” Myth

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There is a common view amongst today’s Marxists and academic class that the terrors under Stalin were somehow a bastardization of Vladimir Lenin’s true intentions. The mass murders that occurred under Stalin’s U.S.S.R. occurred because he perverted Lenin’s idea of a Marxist utopia. I don’t believe that there is any evidence to back these claims. Common historical consensus states that Lenin wrote a “Last Testament of Lenin” before his death, warning others of the threat that “the mass murderer” Stalin posed to communism. I think the timeline shows that this is false. Let’s take a look.

Lenin and Stalin.
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Declaration of Independence – Indictment #18

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The Declaration of Independence is often misunderstood, which I wrote about here. One of the most important, yet overlooked, sections of the document is the list of indictments against King George III. The indictments are further evidence that the Declaration was never meant to be a revolutionary statement. From the Magna Carta to the colonial constitutions, George III was indicted for violating existing laws. Jefferson listed a total of 27 indictments against the King. Throughout February, we’re going to look at one indictment a day, why it was levied, and why it is still relevant.

King George III faces indictment #18
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Movie Pitch – World War I Guam

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I love World War I history. It’s often overshadowed by the sequel, but in my opinion it’s the more interesting conflict. The recent popularity and success of films like 1917 and YouTube channels like The Great War have helped contribute to a renewed interest in the war. The conflict stretched to all corners of the globe: Germany, Russia, The Ottoman Empire, France, The United States, Africa – and there are so many interesting stories to tell. But one place that never gets talked about is a tiny island over 7,000 miles away from where Gavrilo Princip assassinated Franz Ferdinand – the island of Guam. Somebody needs to make a movie about this, or at the bare minimum a mini-series, because it has all of the ingredients for perfect cinema.

The Island of Guam
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