My last post ended with the following question: “Does the new National Security Strategy mention anything about Russia and investing more resources in Alaska?” After reading the new U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) a few times, I can tell you that Russia is mentioned about 10 times, mainly in reference to how Europe needs to … Continue reading What’s in the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy—and Why Everybody Is Talking About It
Tag: Politics
Alaska or Greenland? Why America Is Looking in the Wrong Direction
There was a lot of talk not too long ago about Greenland and whether the United States should take over that country and make it the 51st state of the nation. The U.S. has a robust military presence there, and this is not the first time our country has tried to acquire Greenland. In 1946, … Continue reading Alaska or Greenland? Why America Is Looking in the Wrong Direction
“Third World” Is Outdated—and Dangerous: It’s Time to Change How We Speak
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I heard the term “Third World” quite a lot. I think this is one of those expressions that needs to be erased from our vocabulary, since there is only one world, and all countries belong to it. Using that term promotes discrimination and disdain toward people living in countries with fewer … Continue reading “Third World” Is Outdated—and Dangerous: It’s Time to Change How We Speak
The Romance of Leadership
You probably read the title and thought, “What is going on with Edward? Is he a romantic now?” I am a romantic, but I promise this post isn’t about that. Still, one of the definitions of romantic is: “having an inclination for romance: responsive to the appeal of what is idealized, heroic, or adventurous,”1 and … Continue reading The Romance of Leadership
Book Review: Tyranny of the Minority
Photo by Edward Ortiz The Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt was an interesting read. It is a close examination of what they perceive as structural flaws in the U.S. Constitution that have allowed minority rule to undermine, in their opinion, democratic norms. Most … Continue reading Book Review: Tyranny of the Minority
Reforming American Democracy
Last night, I finished reading the book Tyranny of the Minority by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. It’s an excellent book that provides not just good background information about what is currently going on politically in the United States, but also a list of actions the authors propose to improve our Constitution and strengthen our … Continue reading Reforming American Democracy
Judging the Judges
“A good judge must not be a young person but an old one, who has learned late in life what injustice is like and who has become aware of it not as something at home in his own soul, but as something alien and present in others, someone who, after a long time, has recognized … Continue reading Judging the Judges
Book Review: Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here
The book Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here by Jonathan Blitzer is a well-written work that feels more like a history book rather than a work on social science or government policy. It describes in detail the horrendous situations forcing the people of Central America to leave their countries and embark on the difficult journey … Continue reading Book Review: Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here
Book Review: John Adams
Photo by Edward Ortiz It really gives me a lot of joy when I start reading a book to learn about a particular subject and discover something I wasn’t expecting. That is exactly what happened with the biography of John Adams written by Page Smith. I’m setting a goal to read the biographies of the … Continue reading Book Review: John Adams
Rewriting the Past: The Threat of Historical Denial
Why people want to refute historical events that have been validated by eyewitness accounts and studied deeply by reputable historians and scholars is beyond comprehension. It is either an attempt to seriously influence people in order to do something nefarious, or just to create controversy to get more clicks on their websites and generate income. … Continue reading Rewriting the Past: The Threat of Historical Denial
Thoughts about leadership, history, and more 