On February 12, 2009, Dr. Ron Paul (R-TX) delivered one of his most striking speeches on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Since referred to as the “What If…” speech, Paul’s remarks offer a precise distillation of the libertarian critique of U.S. foreign policy. At a time when military interventionism was still very much in vogue among Republican voters, Paul was willing to call a spade a spade and dismantle the faulty logic driving America’s misguided overseas adventures. Paul’s oratory is persuasive because he posits a series of hypotheticals that aren’t really hypotheticals....

The Dangers of ‘Trump Devotion Syndrome’
During a debate with political commentator Ryan Girdusky back in May, journalist Michael Tracey described a phenomenon he calls “Trump devotion syndrome.” (As far as I can tell, that term was originally coined by the Christian ethicist Andrew T. Walker, who referenced it in a 2024 piece. It was also used by Bill Maher this past March.) According to Tracey, those afflicted with the lesser-known TDS “dismiss any critical observation about [Donald] Trump, no matter how substantive, as frivolous or petty—like it’s just about his manner of speech or style.” In essence, individuals suffering from...

George Orwell’s Case Against the Atomic Bomb
In October 1945, George Orwell wrote an article titled “You and the Atom Bomb” for the socialist publication Tribune. Orwell’s piece makes a compelling argument against the atomic bomb, noting the myriad ways in which it maximizes state power and enables a handful of empires: "From various symptoms one can infer that the Russians do not yet possess the secret of making the atomic bomb; on the other hand, the consensus of opinion seems to be that they will possess it within a few years. So we have before us the prospect of two or three monstrous super-states, each possessed of a weapon by...
Senate Votes Down Two Resolutions to Block Israeli Weapons Sales
On Wednesday night, the US Senate voted down two joint resolutions aimed at blocking additional weapons sales to Israel. Both measures were originally introduced by US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in March.
Iran’s Top Lawmaker Calls Israel ‘Nazis of the 21st Century’
On Tuesday, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf denounced the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, likening the Jewish state’s actions to those of Nazi Germany.
AIPAC Quietly Removes Randy Fine from Endorsement List
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has removed US Congressman Randy Fine (R-FL) from its database of endorsed political candidates, The New Republic reported on Monday.
Robert Taft Foresaw the Dangers of NATO
On July 26, 1949, Ohio Senator Robert Taft delivered a speech in which he explicated his reasons for voting against ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty. His remarks included the following: "If we undertake to arm all the nations around Russia from Norway on the north to Turkey on the south, and Russia sees itself ringed about gradually by so-called defensive arms from Norway and Denmark to Turkey and Greece, it may form a different opinion. It may decide that the arming of Western Europe, regardless of its present purpose, looks to an attack upon Russia. Its view may be unreasonable,...
Israeli Settlers Launch Another Attack on Christian Community in the West Bank
Israeli settlers launched another attack on the West Bank town of Taybeh early Monday morning. Around 2:30 AM local time, settlers raided the village, where they torched multiple vehicles, threw stones at residents’ homes, and sprayed graffiti on buildings.