The war isn’t over, but we’re leaving. Two full decades after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the United States is withdrawing from Afghanistan. How did we get here, what can we learn and as the issue progresses, what should we be reading on the conflict? Lessons from Imperial Hubris In confidence typical of the early… Read More And Now The End: Last Thoughts on Afghanistan

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated so I figured I’ll let my last remaining, loyal readers see what I’m up to in the next couple of posts: I’m limiting my list of four books. I have a bad habit of getting excited about a subject, starting 2-3 books on the subject then leaving them 20-30%… Read More What I’m Reading

If you clicked on my somewhat purposefully deceptive title in the hopes that I will be voting for your candidate, you will be disappointed. Neither candidate seems fit for power, but I do want to quickly outline how my views have changed on politics since the last election, specifically on ideology and on the necessity… Read More How My Mind Was Changed: Thoughts On the 2020 Election

So far, it’s been nearly 7 weeks of quarantine and social distancing. I have not attended church since March 8th. Lent felt strange and dry and even Easter has continued to feel off. This time has been one of unemployment, restiveness and an odd sense of stillness and waiting, as if life has been put… Read More Obligation in the Time of COVID19

To an extent, I am already burnt out and cynical about this entire process.  Late 2015 onward has been one long process of completing jading any of my remaining idealism about the American partisan system. To me, the outcome is entirely predetermined. Republicans will conjure any excuse, regardless of how absurd or irrelevant to dismiss… Read More Brief Thoughts on Impeachment

Dr. Hanson’s article, “America’s First Third-World State” is over at National Review hitting the rounds. Though Hanson is mainly a military historian (quite a good one, I enjoyed Ripples of Battle & A War Like No Other), he is popularly known for writing on the failures of governance in California. His piece is popular not only because of… Read More Is California a Third World Country?

I have a new piece over at Human Events regarding the new tanker war in the Gulf of Oman. The essay advises caution: Currently, the evidence seems to point to Iranian culpability. The incident on Thursday was preceded by earlier attacks on shipping last month. Nonetheless, the president must be prudent. Caution and clearheaded thinking, not… Read More Tankers, War & Black Flags

Human Events is back. After a brief hiatus, the magazine has returned in the last month. Furthermore they have been kind enough to feature my writing, specifically on foreign affairs. (Full disclosure, one of the publishers is a friend) Currently I have two pieces up, one on NATO and the other on the Venezuelan crisis.… Read More New Writing Over at Human Events

I’ll keep it short but I am glad to say that I’m now an officially published fiction writer. Dusty Saddle Publishing graciously published my short story in their anthology The Last Comanche. All nine writers worked off the same prompt: The warrior stood atop the rocky outcropping, blood dripping from his face and his lance. He… Read More Writing Update: Short Story Published

I don’t feel like anyone is capable of doing an adequate job summing up the immense loss. While blessedly the damage was significantly less than previously thought, the scarring is still a civilization-level tragedy. It is hard to imagine another symbol generating this much grief across the world. And yet before it is a symbol… Read More What Should Notre Dame Mean To Us?