Why Doesn't Regime Change Ever Seem To Work?
The problem is not that revolution is bad or that some cultures can’t rule themselves—it’s that social engineering is hard.
War
Trump's Plan to Seize Greenland is Simultaneously Evil, Illegal, and Counterproductive
It would alienate allies, impose US rule on an unwilling population, and blatantly violate both US and international law.The plan to impose tariffs on nations opposing the seizure is also illegal and harmful.
Seizing Greenland Might Be the Least Popular Idea in American Political History
This foolish, unnecessary, bellicose idea is running up against the "Lizardman's Constant."
Iran's Inflation Protests Turned Into an Uprising. Will Trump Get Involved?
The unrest started with a merchants' strike, escalated into a bloody crackdown—and might become an American war.
The Trump Administration Owns Responsibility for Whatever Comes Next in Venezuela
By deposing Maduro but keeping his brutal regime in power, the U.S. implicitly endorses its crimes.
I Once Supported Regime Change in Iraq. That's Why Venezuela Worries Me.
When we use our military and roll the dice with the fate of nations, the consequences play out in a much longer time frame than social media trends.
A Recent Book Shows Why Invading Greenland Would Be a Dumb Idea
Polar War demonstrates how difficult it is for armies to operate in the high north—and just how far America is behind Europe in Arctic warfare.
The 'Law Enforcement' Rationale for Invading Venezuela Is an Open-Ended License for War
If an indictment is enough to justify military action, why bother seeking congressional approval?
Did Marco Rubio Lie to Congress About Venezuela?
His explanation for why the Trump administration attacked Venezuela without congressional authorization does not stand up to scrutiny.
Americans Are Increasingly Skeptical of Foreign Military Intervention
Nicolás Maduro’s removal should be welcomed by anyone who values liberty. Yet data show Americans—led by the youngest adults—are turning noninterventionist.
Thoughts on the Capture of Maduro and Trump's Attack on Venezuela
Maduro is a brutal dictator who is getting what he deserves. But Trump's actions are still illegal, because lacking proper congressional authorization. Whether they result in a beneficial regime change in Venezuela remains to be seen.
Donald Trump Says the U.S. Will 'Run' Venezuela After Maduro's Ouster
When asked who would be in charge, Trump said: “We’re designating those people.”
Trump Should Have Tried To Get Congressional Authorization If He Wanted To Strike Venezuela and Capture Maduro
The strikes against Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro might be popular or defensible. They were not legal.
Reflections on a Visit to Israel
I spent two weeks teaching and lecturing in Israel. Here are some tentative impressions.
Here Are 5 Wars Trump Started or Expanded in 2025
The U.S. military is fighting or preparing to fight in more countries than it was when the self-proclaimed "peace president" took office.
Hegseth Won't Let Us See a Video That Might Undermine Support for Trump's Bloodthirsty Anti-Drug Strategy
The defense secretary claims the video, which shows a second strike that killed two floundering survivors, would compromise "sources and methods."
Should Libertarians Support Federal AI Regulation?
Plus: reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, mass shootings at Bondi Beach and Brown University, and the U.S. seizes a Venezuelan oil tanker
If the Syrian War Is Over, Why Are Americans Still Getting Killed in Syria?
The weekend’s ISIS attack came as the Trump administration is trying to expand the U.S. presence in Syria.
Congress Gives the Military $8 Billion More Than It Asked for
The version of the NDAA passed by the House is larger than the administration’s budget request.
Trump's Word Games Can't Conceal the Murderous Reality of His Anti-Drug Strategy
Calling suspected cocaine smugglers "combatants" does not justify summarily executing them.
Hegseth Mulls Releasing a Video That Illustrates the Brutality of Trump's Murderous Anti-Drug Strategy
The footage shows what happened to the survivors of the September 2 attack that inaugurated the president's deadly campaign against suspected drug boats.
Boat Strike Inquiry
Plus: Hep B vaccines, national parks nonsense, Trump involvement in Netflix deal, and more...
What Is Syria Like 1 Year After Its Revolution?
A former leader of Al Qaeda has convinced Washington that he’s a liberal reformer. Now comes the hard part of following through.
The 'Threat' That Supposedly Justified Killing 2 Boat Attack Survivors Was Entirely Speculative
The commander who ordered a second missile strike worried that the helpless men he killed might be able to salvage cocaine from the smoldering wreck.
Rand Paul Bashes Pete Hegseth Over Boat Bombings: 'He Was Lying…or He's Incompetent'
Paul says Hegseth misled Congress about deadly strikes on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean.
Hegseth's 'Fog of War' Is No Excuse for Summarily Executing Suspected Drug Smugglers
Regardless of what the defense secretary knew or said about the September 2 boat attack, the forces he commands are routinely committing murder in the guise of self-defense.
The Law of War Was Not Designed for Trump's Bogus 'Armed Conflict' With Drug Smugglers
Instead of asking whether a particular boat attack went too far, Congress should ask how the summary execution of criminal suspects became the new normal.
Is Economic Anxiety Driving People to Socialism?
Plus: War crime allegations against Hegseth, Congress threatens the legal hemp industry, and reflections on the legacy of Tom Stoppard
Hegseth's Alleged Order To 'Kill Everybody' Complicates Trump's Defense of His Murderous Anti-Drug Campaign
Even if you accept the president's assertion of an "armed conflict" with drug smugglers, blowing apart survivors of a boat strike would be a war crime.
'Kill Everybody'
Plus: War with Venezuela looms, a National Guard member shot in D.C. dies, and Sean Duffy wants you to stop flying in your pajamas.
The Ukraine-Russia Deal That Wasn't
Plus: DOGE takes new form, inside a birth cult, and more...
Trump's Shameful Attempt to Reprise the Munich Agreement With Ukraine - and What to do About it
Trump's 28-point "peace" plan for the Russia-Ukraine War is a reprise of the 1938 Munich agreement, which dismembered Czechoslovakia for the benefit of Nazi Germany. But US and European supporters of Ukraine can do much to resist it.
Trump's Venezuela Escalation Could Destroy MAGA, Warns Rand Paul
Blowing up boats won’t stop drugs—but it could sink Trump.
The Alien Enemies Act and the Major Questions Doctrine
The Trump administration's claims that illegal migration and drug smuggling qualify as an "invasion" or a "predatory incursion" under the Alien Enemies Act go against the major questions doctrine.
Trump Is Quietly Expanding the U.S. Military Role in Syria and Gaza
The U.S. government is reportedly looking to put boots on the ground in Damascus to guard the border with Israel.
Checked Out
Plus: Gender on passports, New York's gang database, SNAP fight continues, and more...
My New Article "Immigration is Not Invasion"
It comprehensively explains why illegal migration and drug smuggling do not qualify as "invasion" under the Constitution and the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
Veterans Are Suffering Because of Government Red Tape
Filmmaker Jon Shenk and former Navy SEAL Marcus Capone discuss how psychedelics are helping veterans recover from war trauma.
Dick Cheney, Vice President and Self-Described 'Darth Vader,' Was a Champion of the War State
The former vice president liked being compared to the supervillain as a joke. But he had seriously villainous effects on millions of people in real life.
Trump Says His 'Armed Conflict' With Drug Traffickers Does Not Involve 'Hostilities'
The government is tying itself in knots to cast murder as self-defense and avoid legal limits on the president's use of the military.
Let Europe Defend Europe
Debt-ridden and challenged around the world, the U.S. should encourage Europe to defend itself.
Why Fentanyl Smuggling isn't War and Cannot Justify Extrajudicial Killing
Thus, Trump's attacks on boats in the Carribean have no moral or legal justification.
Trump Dares Congress To Take Its War Powers Seriously in Venezuela
The president bet that no one would stop him from land attacks in Venezuela. And Congress hasn’t given him any reason to think otherwise.
War Is Over
Plus: Zohran Mamdani's new allies, NBA returns to China, free Ayn Rand, and more...
Trump's Art of the Deal for Peace in the Middle East
Plus: new tariff threats escalate China trade war, federal layoffs begin amidst the government shutdown, and Democrats face a candidate-quality crisis
All 20 Surviving Hostages Freed
Plus: Luigi Mangione and the death penalty, LLMs and their gambling addictions, and more...
