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This article explores the increasing dangers in the world, such as the war in Ukraine, China's actions in the South China Sea, and Iranian aggression. It highlights the decline in military funding in Western democracies, which has weakened credible deterrence and allowed authoritarian regimes to exploit this vulnerability. The article emphasizes the significance of alliances, national-defense bases, and military institutions in maintaining security and deterring threats. It also discusses the historical context of the liberal peace project and the need for liberal democracies to respond to the rise of authoritarian regimes. The article suggests that the liberal West should adopt a proactive approach to foreign policy to address national-security threats, while acknowledging the contradiction between NATO's strategy of military deterrence against Russia and the preference of the liberal West to deter China economically and technologically. The article further addresses the decline in military capabilities and personnel in the United Kingdom, emphasizing the need for increased defense spending. It concludes by urging the West to invest in military capabilities and prioritize long-term thinking to effectively deter adversaries, while highlighting the importance of alliances and partnerships in improving security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. [Extracted from the article]

ARTICLES A striking feature of left-of-center intellectual debates over the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Bidenomics' flagship bill that aims to channel $500 billion in financing and incentives toward domestic renewable-energy projects, is the growing recognition that the legislation has at least as much, or perhaps more, to do with geopolitics as it does with climate policy. Indeed, many China doves can be forgiven for not seeing any distinction between the two in the Biden administration's pursuit of "integrated deterrence" in the Indo-Pacific. Rather than engage in the necessary political work of ruthlessly setting priorities, this White House has opted for a China policy that means (at least to its core constituencies) all things to all people. [Extracted from the article]

The article is a response to a review of the book "The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart." The author of the book, Jeremy Carl, expresses gratitude for the positive aspects of the review but criticizes the reviewer, Thomas Powers, for focusing on peripheral topics and attacking his views. Carl argues that his book is intended to provide a serious analysis of racial politics and offers solutions for whites to vindicate their equal rights, rather than promoting racial tribalism. He also defends his claims about America being a systematically anti-white environment and the importance of confronting the white progressive left. Carl concludes by criticizing Powers for not offering his own solutions and for failing to understand the nature of political power. [Extracted from the article]

That summer, many of the official levers of government - the executive branch, the Senate, and 59 state legislative chambers - were controlled by Republicans. The existence of a flourishing "civil society" in fully developed capitalist countries - the "mediating institutions" in the space between the people and the state - made the Leninist strategy of social transformation via top-down government power untenable. In a hegemonic system, Gramsci saw politics and civil society as "essential elements, indeed the constitutive elements of a state of balance, a state of equilibrium between social forces identified as the leaders and the led", Valeriano Ramos Jr. wrote in the Marxist Theoretical Review. "In the East", Gramsci wrote, "the state was everything, civil society was primordial and gelatinous; in the West, there was a proper relation between state and civil society, and when the state trembled a sturdy structure of civil society was at once revealed. [Extracted from the article]

This article examines the growing alliance between Tehran and Beijing and its impact on power dynamics in the Middle East. China has emerged as a major supporter of Iran, offering economic assistance and undermining U.S. sanctions. The article delves into the historical context of Chinese-Iranian relations and how they have evolved. It concludes by discussing the potential consequences of this alliance, such as Iran's potential acquisition of nuclear weapons and increased regional influence. The article also highlights the differing intentions of Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow in the region, challenging the previous notion that the Middle East is of lesser importance in global affairs. [Extracted from the article]

Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future, by Patrick J. Deneen (Sentinel, 288 pp., $30) With the publication of Why Liberalism Failed in 2018, Patrick Deneen emerged as the leading theorist of what has become known as the "post-liberal" tendency of the intellectual Right. In a surprising conclusion, then, Deneen turns away from the classical mixed regime and its premise that disagreement, contention, and instability are inescapable elements of our pursuit of earthly goods. In Regime Change, Deneen abandons the caution that characterized his previous book. Returning to the distinction between the few and the many that frames Regime Change, Deneen is suggesting that common goods needn't be universal goods. [Extracted from the article]

"Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor" by Donald J. Robertson is a biographical study of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor known for his philosophical views. The book explores his family life, education, military campaigns, and rule over the Roman Empire. Despite the flaws of his predecessors, Marcus Aurelius stood out for his even-handedness, justice, and thoughtfulness. His written work, particularly his book "Meditations," continues to be read today. The book also delves into the complexities of his private life, including his wife's alleged infidelity and the troubled reign of his son, Commodus. Overall, Marcus Aurelius is regarded as one of the best men to have ever lived, combining political power with virtue and philosophical wisdom. [Extracted from the article]

ARTICLES When President Biden appointed Lina Khan as chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission in June 2021, there was talk of a revolution. Muris, the former FTC chairman, wrote that Khan wishes to restore the Robinson-Patman Act and 1960s merger rules. Wilson's resignation letter noted Biden's campaign promise to reduce partisan divisiveness and questioned whether his choice of Khan to lead the FTC fulfilled it. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the false narrative that the Republican Party has become the party of the far Right and is focused on white racial anxieties. The author argues that the data shows that the typical Republican voter has not radicalized and that the party made gains among minority voters under Trump. The article also highlights the shift among non-white voters towards the Republican Party in recent election cycles. The author suggests that Republicans should focus on appealing to culturally conservative working-class voters while also attracting elite support. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the debate surrounding the use of military force against Mexican drug cartels. Many Republican presidential candidates are advocating for direct military action, such as Special Forces raids or drone strikes, against the cartels. However, there are legal and practical questions surrounding this approach, as the authority to declare and wage war is split between Congress and the president. Some members of Congress propose passing authorizations for the use of military force specifically tailored to narco-threats. The article highlights the power and influence of the cartels, particularly in the drug trade, and the need for a comprehensive strategy to address the issue. Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has expressed outrage at the legislative proposal, but the article argues that the current approach has been ineffective in combating the cartels. [Extracted from the article]

Relations with all those countries and institutions that touched upon Britain meant more state papers in more red boxes for her to read on their crises and more counsel to give the prime minister of the day on British policy. ARTICLES As the queen's mortal remains were transported from Balmoral, where she died, first to Edinburgh, then to London, to rest in state for her subjects to say a final farewell, large crowds gathered to show their respect and affection, along silent roads in oddly personal tributes. Elizabeth the Second of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been the sovereign for the entire life of anyone under the age of 70. [Extracted from the article]

His kooky hand-picked candidates cost the GOP the Senate because they performed worse than pro-life GOP governors and pro-life GOP House candidates in battleground states, but many in the mainstream media were more than happy to join Trump in portraying abortion as the top factor hindering Republican gains in 2022. POLITICS Trump's Turn against Pro-Lifers For months, Donald Trump has been blaming the pro-life movement for the GOP's underwhelming performance in the 2022 midterm elections because he needed a scapegoat. Special counsel Jack Smith is urging Judge Tanya Chutkan, the Obama appointee presiding over the January 6 case against Trump, to place severe limits on what Trump may say about the case - even though his opponents, including President Biden, are uninhibited. The Trump administration was able to secure the release of a hostage held by Iran without providing a cash infusion to the regime. [Extracted from the article]

"The Diplomat" is a Netflix series that follows Kate Wyler, a foreign service officer who becomes the U.S. ambassador to the U.K. after a British aircraft carrier is attacked. The show explores the complexities of diplomacy, international crises, and personal relationships. Through its portrayal of Kate and her husband Hal, the series delves into the challenges of balancing personal and professional responsibilities in the world of diplomacy. [Extracted from the article]

Many conservatives are understandably unwilling to view the charges against Trump in a vacuum given that the Department of Justice let Hillary Clinton off the hook for her home-brew server, that President Biden (because of his cooperation with document requests) is unlikely to pay a price for his own stashes of classified documents, and that Democrats have pursued a yearslong campaign to get Trump. POLITICS Bathroom Reading It is impossible to read the indictment against Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago documents case and not be appalled at the way he handled classified documents as an ex-president and responded to the attempt by federal authorities to reclaim them. Twenty-three states now have laws to protect the lives of unborn children at six weeks of pregnancy, when a baby's heartbeat is detectable, or earlier, but several of these laws are being held up in state court. Their political audience is mainly military veterans in the early-primary state of South Carolina, many of whom served at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. For DeSantis in particular, it is also a stick in the eye of Donald Trump, who signed legislation that set the renaming in motion. [Extracted from the article]

In the article, the author discusses the global power struggle between the U.S. and China as of February 2021. Also cited are the competition between the countries in areas like trade, cyberspace, and space warfare, China's adoption of the concepts of communism and capitalism, and the key role played by social media and new technologies in the U.S.-China rivalry.

DeSantis has rolled up an enormous number of early endorsements from state legislators and power brokers in Iowa and New Hampshire, including a growing number who are abandoning Trump. First, the Republican Party needs to shake what's become a culture of losing emblematized by the pre-Trump party, Trump's 2020 defeat, and the failure since 2020 of Trump-endorsed candidates. But DeSantis is often at his best when sparring with hostile press, and like it or not, even many Republican primary voters still get their information from the mainstream press, alternative sources such as podcasters, or more Trump-sympathetic outlets. [Extracted from the article]

The wily politician did not like what he saw, or rather what he did not see, exactly--the truth being carefully hidden--but what he deduced to be at work: a conspiracy [...]

Ferguson and Witcher argue that these effects are quite powerful and that America could have built a healthier economy without slavery. Like Ferguson and Witcher, Rowe aims to chart a path that eschews the excesses of Right and Left while embracing what is truly great about American principles. Black Liberation through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America, by Rachel S. Ferguson and Marcus M. Witcher (Emancipation Books, 464 pp., $18) Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power, by Ian V. Rowe (Templeton Press, 304 pp., $24.95) Is there a centrist approach to racial issues in these polarized times, one that deals honestly with American history while upholding the best of the country's founding values?. [Extracted from the article]

In the article, the author discusses the reasons why the U.S. should not wage a war against China if the latter invades Taiwan. He claims that Taiwan is insignificant to the U.S.' security interests and the government should not commit to Taiwan's defense in case of a Chinese attack. Also cited is the book "Strategy of Denial" by Elbridge Colby discussing topics like China's military and economic growth and its goal of replacing the U.S. as the hegemon in Asia.

In the article, the author explains why the U.S. should defend Taiwan if it is invaded or attacked by China. Also cited are why defending Taiwan benefits the self-interest of the U.S., how China's expanding power could affect prosperity and freedom of Americans, and the strategy of China to use its economic leverage to suppress free speech as seen in its approach to countries like Australia, Japan, Canada and the Philippines.

He considers the ideas of a long line of thinkers with whom he does not agree: Descartes and Rousseau, Marx and Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Wilhelm Reich. For all his intellectual espionage, Trueman knows that the best weapon in the culture war is not a weapon at all, but true Christian charity. Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, by Carl R. Trueman (Crossway, 208 pp., $17.99) CULTURE WAR is a metaphor so powerful that we tend to forget it is a metaphor. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the need for the U.S. to focus on improving its sea power capability to maintain its leading position within the global system as of June 2021. Other topics include the need for the U.S. to develop and implement a comprehensive economic, diplomatic and military strategy focusing on securing superiority of the seas, air, space and cyberspace, and the 2018 book "Seapower States" by Andrew Lambert.

The article discusses relations between Europe and the U.S. during the early 21st century, particularly focusing on European discontent with U.S. president Donald Trump. The author argues that European influence on the rest of the world was waning. He also discusses the impact of the three major European wars of the 19th and 20th centuries, European demographic decline, and Europe's emphasis on equality rather than opportunity.

The article considers the strategic objective of the Chinese Communist Party to displace the U.S. as the most powerful country in the world and to promote socialist market economy. Topics discussed include the problems facing China such as slower economic growth and political turbulence, importance of the unification of China with Taiwan to its rise to power, and elements of the Chinese strategy highlighting the creation of networks of strategic partnerships and technological advancement.

The article examines the influence of public-employee unions on the political landscape in California. Topics discussed include the role of union influence in waste, fraud, abuse and lack of accountability in the state, implication of the efforts of public-employee unions to increase the size of government through tax increases, and effect of the union rules and protections under the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers on academic quality.

The article explores the significance of the decision of former U.S. President Donald Trump to end U.S. engagement with China. Topics discussed include the alleged importance of the move to U.S. security, prosperity and freedom, relationship of the U.S. with China during the early years of the Cold War and during the Korean War, and the increasing aggressiveness of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in challenging U.S. power.

The article examines the significant influence and power of Russia in the Middle East during the early 21st century and its impact on the status of the U.S. in the region. The author argues that Russian president Vladimir Putin's strategy is based upon similar strategies employed by then-U.S. president Richard Nixon and then-secretary of state Henry Kissinger following the Yom Kippur War.

The article discusses the promotion by China of its traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a soft power strategy amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Also cited are the effectiveness of TCM as COVID-19 cure as promoted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), how the U.S. uses both hard and soft power to advance its agenda, and TCM's use of herbs, acupuncture, and animal parts to treat patients.

Unfortunately for Ramaswamy - and for us - bad arguments have a longer shelf life in politics than in a courtroom, at a board meeting, or on a debate stage. Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence, by Vivek Ramaswamy (Center Street, 288 pp., $29) IN his first book, Woke, Inc., Vivek Ramaswamy, a first-generation American, Yale Law graduate, and immensely successful biotech entrepreneur with political ambitions, identified corporate political activism - in the form of restrictive speech-policing at the workplace, censorship by tech companies that control the means of communication, and investment firms' growing interest in goals other than financial returns - as a major source of our political dysfunction. And though Ramaswamy is a conservative, he notes that the American Right practices its own kind of victimhood politics, from rank-and- file voters all the way to the top of the GOP. [Extracted from the article]

The article examines the importance of presidential elections in the U.S. by analyzing the 1980 election pitting Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter and the issue of the Cold War during the period. Also cited are the rise of communism and Russian power during the period, and the claim by President Donald Trump that the 2020 election is the most important in history.

The article discusses the alleged efforts by Russian President Vladimir Putin to encircle Europe by expanding its influence in the Mediterranean, Arctic, and Atlantic regions. Also cited are the claim by Russian general Valery Gerasimov that the U.S. is expanding its military presence in Russia's borders, Russia's invasion and control of territories in Georgia and Ukraine, and Russia's engagement in the Libya war.

Presents information on the official and unofficial hierarchy of status and power in the U.S. Information that the U.S. President is at the pinnacle of the official hierarchy system; Note on the unofficial hierarchy system which is headed by Katharine Graham, the chairman of the board of the newspaper Washington Post; Comments on the struggle for power between these two systems; Report that anyone who comes to Washington D.C. and tries to buy power with money will soon be in trouble with the movers and shakers of the unofficial system; Reference to the book titled "The Power Game: How Washington Works," by Hedrick Smith which describes an interesting episode in the struggle between official and unofficial hierarchy system at work in Washington D.C.

In the article, the author discusses the power of money by citing as example how China is using its money to promote its global diplomacy. Other topics include China's Belt and Road initiative to invest in critical infrastructure in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the U.S.' promotion of free enterprise, and China's relationship to its economic development.

The article examines how the diversifying U.S. electorate has impacted Republicans, suggesting that such voters need to adapt in order to retain political influence. It discuss how the U.S. demographic has become younger, more urban, and better educated and notes how this contrasts with the typically older, rural, working-class voters relied upon by the Republican Party.

The author presents his thoughts on how the U.S. Air Force no longer understands its purpose of philosophy and discusses how this must change if the U.S. is to compete with international powers like Russia and China. Particular attention is given to the Air Force straying from its core mission of long-range strikes.

The author considers the cultural policy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Topics discussed include the mandate of CCP general secretary Xi Jinping in 2014 that all Chinese artists must adhere to correct views of history, nation, country and culture, emergence of the Chinese film industry as the most censorious and profitable market, and the aim of the Chinese government to surpass the cultural-ideological hegemony of the U.S. in the world.

The article discusses the growing Republican influence in U.S. state politics after the 2016 elections. Topics covered include the wins of Indiana natives U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, Governor-elect Eric Holcomb, and U.S. Senator-elect Todd Young, and conservative policy gains in such states as Arizona, Wisconsn, and Michigan. Also noted is the expected leeway to be given state leaders on reducing regulatory restrictions on job creation.

The article discusses the authors' contention that power has become too concentrated in America's national political parties such as the U.S. Republican Party (GOP) as of 2016, and it mentions the impact that 2016 U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump's popularity is having on the attitudes of Republicans. The decentralization of American politics is examined, along with policymaking in the nation and the efforts to restore federalism and constitutionalism in the U.S. government.

The article considers the effect of the post-COVID-19 migration trends from Silicon Valley, California on the politics of the high technology industry. Topics discussed include the increase in the number of chief executive officers (CEO) who are willing to relocate their businesses from California, role of rising crime rate in the state in the relocation of businesses, and effect of the migration on the influence of California in national politics.

The article highlights the benefit of adopting the strategy of corporate political activists to counter woke capitalism in the U.S. Topics discussed include the role of the political challenge posed by the financial crisis and fight over power among the elite to free markets in the emergence of woke capitalism, significance of exposing the inconsistencies between the words and actions of woke executives, and the need for conservatives to practice caution in using leftist tactics.

The article discusses social hierarchy in the U.S. In the author's view writer Marcel Proust's prediction that progress towards a more democratic society in the U.S. would be accompanied by an increase in certain hierarchical attitudes among citizens has been borne out. The author is not opposed to a status-driven culture, but believes there ought to be places of refuge from it.

The article discusses the author's claim that the U.S. Republican Party (GOP) needs to understand the concerns of disillusioned voters in order to gain their support in the 2016 American presidential race, and it mentions how elites in the U.S. are paying attention to blue-collar white Americans due to the popularity of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Political power is assessed, along with Trump's views about issues such as immigration and free trade.

The article discusses what the late U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower would do if he were faced with various American foreign policy issues involving Islamic extremism, China's economic growth, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. American President Barack Obama's views about international relations and the actions of nations such as Iran are examined, along with U.S. power and Eisenhower's strategic options for dealing with the Soviet Union during the 1950s.

The article presents a discussion of geopolitics and U.S. foreign policy, adapted from a speech by the author, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state and chairman of "National Review," at a meeting of the American Society for Competitiveness. He presents a case for the view that geopolitical considerations can form the basis for a consistent, relatively successful foreign policy over time. Topics include global power, U.S.-China relations, and problems in the Middle East.

The article focuses on the 1959 novel "Advise and Consent," by Allen Drury. Topics include its portrayal of the permanent political class in Washington, D.C., the concept of the 'Great American Novel,' and how power can affect people's behavior. Information is provided on the book's description of Washington, D.C. during the 1950s.

This article applauds the decision of U.S. Reverend Jesse Jackson to ask his audience composed of African American boys to take their hats off while speaking to a junior high school assembly in Washington. The author believes that Jackson's action suggests that he stands for things that are greater than individuals. Jackson, the author notes, has the good power. She warns however that sooner or later Jackson will be considered an enemy of the people. The illustrate her point, the author, a white teacher, relates her bad experience of working in ghetto schools and her decision to quit teaching ten years later.

The article discusses distinct features of the modern state in the United States. First is an office of authority. Second is an apparatus of power. Third is a mode of association. Particular attention has been given to the third feature, mode of association, where the author differentiates between association based on substantive goals and association based on non-instrumental rules.

The article presents news briefs related to the world politics. The U.S. decided to leave United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Seizure of power by Major General Mohammed Buhari is probably a political plus for the government of Nigeria. The Environmental Department ordered the destruction of all the dogs in Peking. Ominous reports from Nicaragua states that an American-born bishop, a missionary in Nicaragua since 1947, had been kidnapped by counter-revolutionary Miskito Indians. In Japan the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has the political control. Senator Walter Mondale is facing a serious gender-gap problem.