America is the new Rome
The American empire is arrogant, brutal and yet completely indispensable to Western civilisation.
In the legendary HBO series The Sopranos, a Hasidic Jew, being beaten for not paying up, refers to Masada, where a handful of Jewish zealots kept an entire Roman legion at bay for years. ‘Where are the Romans now?’, he asked. Tony Soprano’s response: ‘You’re looking at them, asshole.’
Like the Mafia, Americans are hardly reluctant to apply force against opponents. As we see in Iran, even a bully can prove a civilisational necessity when confronted with existential threats. At a time when most democracies have become cream puffs, there remains a need for an authoritative force, which right now only America and Israel seem willing and able to apply.
How the current conflict in Iran ends up is far from certain, but something had to be done about the Islamic Republic. The world’s primary exporter of terrorism was on the verge of being able to deliver nuclear-tipped missiles over long distances. Nothing was going to stop them – not the EU, much less the United Nations. Britain, which can barely defend its bases in Cyprus, has not proved of much consequence.
Politics
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Is American Nationalism Still Creed-able?
We are not there now, but there is reason to worry that the United States is in danger, if we are not careful, of ceasing to be a nation with the principles of 1776 at its core.
National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders
The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.
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Can Britain’s Next Prime Minister Escape the Net Zero Trap?
Britain has burned through five Prime Ministers and is paying some of the highest electricity prices in the world.
The Scanner at the Gate: Europe’s China Policy Litmus Test
China’s industrial policy is entering Europe through public procurement—and reshaping sensitive markets from within.
Confronting the New Antisemitism
"The postwar effort 'to rebrand Judaism as a religion' has made it impossible for American Jews to understand what they are facing today, because what we are facing today is an attack on the idea of Jewish peoplehood.”
“Democratic” Socialism Is Undemocratic
By promoting class hatred, suppressing private initiative, and seeking enhanced control of our lives, today’s democratic socialists undermine patriotism and individual initiative—two qualities that have long distinguished the United States from other major nations.
