About 16,000 hours. That’s how long kids spend in elementary, middle, and high school in the United States. In Battle for the American Mind, Fox News host Pete Hegseth argues that every aspect of the American high school experience is a product of so-called progressive education. In the U.S., ideas about white privilege and systemic racism […]
Behind The Scenes With Mike Pence
Mike Pence’s nature is cool, calm, and collected, which is why he made such a good foil to Donald Trump as vice president. His even-keeled nature came to the fore on January 6, 2021, when Trump pressured him to help overturn the election results. Pence says his unshakeable faith in God and the Constitution gave […]
The Ultimate Insider’s View
Jared Kushner served for a whirlwind four years in the White House. He had never intended to become involved in politics. But as the son-in-law of Donald Trump, Kushner found himself pulled into the vortex. In his role as senior advisor to the president, Kushner had front row seats to the presidency. He drafted speeches […]
The Two Faces of Genghis Khan
Violence. Rape. Pillaging. The Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan is often thought of as one of history’s worst villains. But Genghis Khan also had an outsized influence on polite society, building a great empire that thrived on culture, trade, technology, and tolerance. In fact, many of our modern traditions and laws were influenced by his rule. Genghis […]
How to Plot and Scheme
Common sense is like oxygen; the higher people rise, the less likely they are to find it. Put another way, powerful people have, historically, had a hard time keeping their aspirations in check. You’ve heard the saying, “With great power comes great responsibility.” But with great power also comes the distinct possibility of making bad […]
How to Know What You Stand For
Omar Little, the character from “The Wire,” had a famous expression: “A man’s got to have a code.” From the ancient Stoic philosophers to the Internal Revenue Service, codes of conduct have been important to individuals and organizations who want strong values to guide their choices. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a code, too. Former […]
When did China Begin?
Different cultures look at the world in different ways. Since world leaders think about issues of war, peace, and international order in different ways, understanding China’s long and fascinating history is critical to understanding global politics. The old Chinese dynasties inform the more modern history of Sino-American relations. An interesting thing to understand about China is […]
The New World Order
As we face the threats of climate change, weapons of mass destruction, and invasive technologies, there’s a burning need for a new world order. Foreign policy expert Henry Kissinger says that comprehending the forces that have shaped world politics is essential to understanding the current moment. So let’s dive in. According to Kissinger, no country […]
The First Black American Millionaire
In 1841, in New Orleans, William Alexander Leidesdorff passed as a white man. (His father was Jewish and his mother was Black.) When his fiancée learned his secret and called off their engagement, William sold everything he owned and bought a ship. He traveled to California to start a new life. On the West Coast, […]
Seventy-five Years of Russian Containment
As Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine, the United States has found itself in an awkward position. On one hand, there’s the call to protect democracy in Europe. And on the other, well, there’s Vladimir Putin, who no one really wants to provoke. This is not a new dilemma. In 1947, President Harry Truman faced […]
