History
A Better World
I took my kids to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans to help them understand the most consequential war in history. I didn't expect to spend the day fighting off grief.
History
The Enemy We Made: America's 70-Year History with Iran
The United States and Iran have been locked in hostility for nearly seventy years. American politicians treat that hostility as a given — a fact of nature, like weather. But it isn't. It has a beginning. And that beginning is a decision America made, in secret, in 1953, that changed everything.
Current Events
An Account of January 6—and Those Who Finished the Work
On January 6, 2021, American democracy was meant to break. The United States Capitol had been breached. Windows were smashed. Lawmakers fled through hallways and tunnels. Police officers were beaten. A mob, driven by false claims of a stolen election, roamed the seat of government looking for leverage, trophies, and
Current Events
How 9/11 Changed Me — and Changed America: A Personal Reflection
September 11, 2001 changed the world—and it changed me. I remember first hearing about the attacks on the radio. Like so many others, I rushed to the television and sat in shock as the events unfolded. For days afterward, I couldn’t sleep. The images replayed endlessly in my
Executive Power
From Tehran to TikTok: How Presidents Have Used IEEPA to Shape the World
In the last post, we looked at how the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was created in 1977 to give presidents limited powers to deal with real foreign threats — not to wage economic war whenever they felt like it. So how has that worked out? Well… over the past
Executive Power
What Is IEEPA? The 1977 Law Behind U.S. Sanctions
IEEPA: Born from Crisis — Why the U.S. Needed a New Emergency Law in 1977 Ever wonder how U.S. presidents can suddenly freeze a foreign country’s bank accounts, ban certain imports, or slap sanctions on international criminals — all without waiting for Congress? That’s thanks to a law
Current Events
Echoes of Tyranny: Then and Now
In 1776, the American colonies declared independence from King George III, accusing him of abusing power and ignoring their rights. The Declaration of Independence wasn’t just a breakup letter—it was a list of grievances, a warning about what happens when a leader puts himself above the law, silences