The upcoming midterms will pit Democrats against Republicans. However, the traditional two party system does not fully explain America’s political landscape. Within both parties are subgroups. The Democrats have their moderates and their socialist counterparts; the Republicans have their moderates and their isolationist counterparts. Of course, both parties will be contesting against each other. But this year has shown much more internal fracturing and resorting to each party’s extremes. Perhaps the test for both parties will not be merely about getting the votes of independents or the opposing party, but if they can keep their own voting base in line.

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Trump’s executive order to restrict birthright citizenship only to children of at least one legal citizen or permanent resident. But is this overturn a fair interpretation of the 14th Amendment? In his dissent, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas explains that the intent of the amendment was to enfranchise freed slaves whose connections to America were often decades, if not centuries, old. He argues that being “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States means exactly this, in contrast to the many temporary visitors and illegal immigrants who enter the United States…

Recently, President Trump warned the country of rising communist and socialist influence. While I may agree that leftist ideology can be dangerous, I think that Trump is not addressing our democracy’s real threat. The recent rise of socialist politicians is not just about leftism, but also populism and demagoguery. Trump warns against leftism, yet he and his allies use similar tactics. The solution to the radical populism of Trump and his leftist opponents is a boring, yet necessary one: while we should desire progress and hope, we must also be conservative in our skepticism of radical change.

As this is written, it is a day before America’s 250th birthday. While Americans are currently in a celebratory mood, I think about the next few months. Midterm elections will bring political attack ads, candidate arguments, intense debates at dinner tables, and heightened rhetoric. Thinking about it makes me exhausted. But, that sort of messiness is what our Constitution guarantees. We should remember that political parties—despite George Washington’s warning against them—always existed from the very beginning and they will continue to exist. Let us celebrate our right to messy political affairs. But, party loyalties may cause the downfall of America.…

Texas has recently required that stories from the Bible be part of its state educational curriculum. Despite the controversy, I think that this can be a good thing. This is not because of my Christian alignment or my belief that the stories in the Bible are true, but because the Bible’s impact on American history is undeniable. Schools provide many readings for students, ranging from American short stories to ancient classics such as The Odyssey. If anything, the Bible should be one of these required readings due to its historical importance. Students should read this text—whether they believe in its…

Some Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have been calling out rising radicalism in the Democratic Party, particularly among its more socialist politicians, such as Zohran Mamdani. But if Republicans think that this will make people averse to Democrats, they are wrong. The “Radical Left” (as President Trump often says) is no longer a fringe, but a legitimate and substantial part of American politics. It is in power, or gaining power, across several states. Why? Because while its policies might seem extreme, the “Radical Left” actually seems like it is willing to do something about America’s problems. Many of its policies…

Recent advances of AI in warfare have caused military officers, philosophers, theologians, international legal experts, and others to grapple over the future of warfare—a future in which war is automated. Some decry it as dystopian while others say it would be better for the world. But, we cannot deny that it would make war very efficient. In the hypothetical future, soldiers do not fire guns, but instead type orders into a computer which then allows an AI program to pilot a drone into an enemy tank—most likely driven by an AI as well. But to make war efficient would make…

After another series of threats, President Donald Trump has announced that a peace plan with Iran is almost done and that a time to sign it needs to be determined. While Iranian state media denies this, President Trump is being oddly specific this time around, leading some to believe that this peace plan may be genuine. Peace is desirable, but it isn’t always good. Premature peace with Iran may lead to several issues down the road, such as their nuclear program, their control over the Strait of Hormuz and how they treat their citizens. This war began because the Trump Administration…

There are some who think America should pull back from the international stage. Not only has American reputation and strength diminished, according to these people, but our money is better spent on improving the lives of our own citizens. However, America and its allies, despite all the negative news in the past few months, are in a strong position compared to their adversaries. Iran, despite holding the Strait of Hormuz hostage, has been severely stripped of its arsenal and capacity to produce weapons. Russia’s forces stagnate on the fields of Ukraine while the latter actually seems to be getting the…

The U.S. shipbuilding industry is in dire straits. We are struggling to build even one submarine a year, and we are wasting money planning hypothetical warships (such as the Trump “Battleship”) that never make it out of development.On the other hand, America’s adversaries are building their fleets with whatever they’ve got. China repurposes its fishing vessels and tankers into a maritime “militia” capable of being used in a potential blockade against Taiwan. Iran repurposes cargo ships into cheap drone carriers. Sure, they are not high quality ships. But at this rate, our adversaries will have more ships than the number…