United States
All in a Day’s Work
Why does open authoritarianism feel like a relief to some people? If you are going to be told what to do and can’t offer feedback that someone actually listens to, maybe it is better not to even have the pretense of democracy. Open authoritarianism is, of course, what Trump offers.
The Decline of the American Empire — with Robert Kaplan and Faisal Al Yafai
Journalist and author Robert Kaplan joins New Lines’ Faisal Al Yafai on The Lede for a discussion on realism, the Iraq War and the causes behind the decline of the American empire.
Proposed Legislation Threatens a Backslide on U.S. Democracy
A “Stop Terror-Financing” bill that has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives has raised red flags for its similarity to “foreign agent” laws — a cornerstone of repression in Putin’s Russia and Orban’s Hungary. But with the incoming Trump administration, the bill has a good chance of becoming law.
Musk and MAGA Fight Over Visas
Tensions within Trump’s 2024 coalition regarding the H-1B visa program — which recently led to a full-blown online war between Trump’s advisers, like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, and his more hard-line supporters — reveal anxieties about the rise of Indians and skills-based immigration in the United States.
What a Presidential Pardon Could Mean for Jan. 6 Defendants
Experts say a pardon for Jan. 6 defendants could embolden those willing to engage in political violence and legitimize the conspiracy theories that drove crowds to the U.S. Capitol four years ago.
Lost in the Luigi Mangione Fun House
The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione has revealed a willingness to excuse violence directed at the powerful on the part of certain sections of the public and the press. This situation is not new, and its historical precursors help to demonstrate its danger.
The Unwieldy Paper Trail for Retiring US Military Personnel
Every year, more than 200,000 military personnel prepare to retire from the U.S. armed forces. But first, they must wade through a bewildering array of bureaucracy to prove that they did what they were ordered to, or risk losing pay and benefits from their pension.