The ongoing war in Iran has elicited reactions—both positive and negative—from leaders worldwide. Debate over the validity of U.S. and Israel operations is welcome, regardless of opinion. However, hypocrisy must be called out. Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, condemned what he called “unwarranted attacks” on Iran. These comments came after Pakistan launched strikes into Afghanistan’s territory and then declared “open war” after Afghanistan fired back. Note this: Pakistan’s president defended these ongoing strikes by saying that Pakistan exhausted its diplomatic options and that Afghanistan needs to dismantle terror groups that depend on its war economy. That…

The partisan divide in our country is so visible when you take a look at how Congress is seated. Just observe any moment of applause during the State of the Union Address last week. Half the room would be standing up and applauding, while the other half would remain seated. This sort of seating (which also happens in normal legislative sessions) enforces divide, rather than encouraging conversation and civil debate. By having physical segregation between people of differing party affiliations, you enforce an “us-versus-them” attitude commonly seen in how high school students immediately seat themselves with their friends during class.…

If you’re an American, it’s likely that you watched the State of the Union Address this past Tuesday, or watched clips or read articles commenting about it. People will praise or condemn President Donald Trump’s remarks and behavior on the podium (there seems to be little in between). Regardless of our political views or our geographical location in this vast country, many of us sat down to collectively hear the President of the United States talk about the state of our union (and also, himself). It’s a strangely beautiful and rare thing, in an era when our national consciousness is…

Yesterday evening, while most Americans were asleep, missiles fell upon Tehran, Iran. President Donald Trump, in a video posted on Truth Social, declared “major combat operations” against Iran after weeks of inconclusive negotiations in which Iran would not budge on anything. And so “Operation Epic Fury” began. A flurry of activity followed. Lockdowns were placed in Israel as it joined in on U.S. strikes on Iranian leadership and also fending off Iranian retaliation. Other nations in the Middle East closed their airspace, and some received Iranian attacks and enacted defensive measures in response. Qatar remained unscathed after the Iranian attack,…

Children are not allowed to vote, drink, smoke, drive, consent to sex with adults, be drafted into the military, or engage in other activities that are legal for adults. These laws and regulations exist because we recognize that children’s minds are still developing and require protection and guidance. Therefore, should we not agree that children should also be unable to consent to sex-transition operations? It is often said that adults should have the freedom to make their own choices, even if I may personally disagree with someone making irreversible changes to their body based on the belief that they are…

The Board of Peace had its first official meeting last Thursday. Reactions to it are typical, as with anything President Donald Trump does. You either have the automatic dislike of it because Trump is involved, or you have gushing praise from his fans. As for me? I think it’s a little weird, but I have some hopes for it. First, critics should be aware that last year, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2803, which authorized the formation of a “Board of Peace” to provide a transitional administration in Gaza, as well as an “International Stabilization Force,” which would…

Last weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered an address to our European allies at the Munich Conference, aiming to reassure them of the United States’ commitment to the trans-Atlantic alliance while also providing some necessary critiques of European policy mistakes. Overall, the speech was well-received and offered relief from the overbearing, uncivil rhetoric of the Trump administration. However, Rubio made an appeal for unity based on common Western Christian values. While I agree that Western civilization has been founded on Christian values, I find it problematic when the Christian faith is reduced to merely a set of civilizational values.…

In recent months, the issue of banning anyone under 16 from social media has sparked heated debates, with countries such as Australia and the U.K. implementing or considering such policies. Understandably, these measures have been unpopular, as many young people want to use social media, and there are concerns about excessive government overreach. I believe that addressing teenage social media usage is an important step, but the way governments are approaching this issue is ineffective. For too long, adults have focused on keeping children safe in the physical world. However, the real danger for children and teens today often comes…

Last year, President Donald Trump cast doubt about Europe’s role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He put pressure on European members of NATO to up their spending, saying they relied too much on the United States for defense. He was correct, as for a while, several NATO members were not spending even 2% of their GDP on national defense, the minimum requirement that leaders had agreed upon in 2023. This was alarming for a continent that was constantly talking about the dangers of potential conflict with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022 and is continuing to set its…

Ideological movements originate from set ideas that influence how they propose policies to govern a nation. Even if ideologies may shift over time, they are marked by ideas that guide such evolution. Recently, the ideological movement of modern American conservatism has been changing constantly, not on the basis of ideas. Conservatives have never been one tight group that always agrees on everything (just like any political group). For example, some conservatives support free trade policies, while others are more economically liberal. Despite these differences, conservatives have generally coalesced around the idea that specific values and systems are worth conserving, even…