The White House would like you to keep in mind that, until observed, the Strait of Hormuz exists in a superposition both open and closed.

No, Virginia, Delaware's Congressional District Isn't Gerrymandered Erroneous arguments abound in Old Dominion

Stupidity is perhaps too easy a hand wave (though perhaps also a necessary prerequisite), so why would anyone make such a claim and why would so many believe it?

It’s worth saying bluntly: “Both parties are the same,” has never in our lives been less true.

Libertarian Office Seeking As Political Pickup Artistry Around the country, hundreds of Libertarians seek office each year. Most are walking red flags.

“Like pickup artistry, the Libertarian approach to running for office is a low-hit-rate numbers game. Like pickup artists, most Libertarian candidates are actively off-putting to precisely those they are seeking to woo.”

a man in a robe sits next to another man in a blue robe ALT: a man in a robe sits next to another man in a blue robe

Shoot, I forgot to leave milk and cookies out for Willem Dafoe tonight.

Her removal as AG does not, after all, exempt her from future testimony, and absolute immunity does not extend to acts committed outside the duties of one’s office.

I’d be interested to see whether Pam Bondi’s comportment before Congressional committees is impacted by her recent loss of status and new disincentive to remain loyal to the president at direct personal peril.

I am increasingly of the opinion that one of the most significant social and political divides in America lies between those who are capable of understanding subtext, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, and abstraction, and those who are not.

The Folly of Little Metal Men Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and others have come under fire recently for the flippant, trivializing way they talk about war, American casualties, and our obligations under international law.

As a wargamer, I don’t know the first thing about real war, but I can spot when someone else is acting like a wargamer.

For a long time, the US has been conflating without consequence having the best military on Earth and having the most expensive military on Earth. Changes in warfare threaten to leave us with the latter while being far from the former.

I feel like I ought to, in solidarity, declare publicly that I absolutely love and applaud being at brunch.

America's Swingometer Election Why This British Election-Night Icon Is the Perfect Tool For The 2026 Midterms

The Brits are already using the perfect device for illustrating the dynamics of the 2026 midterm elections.

If only those holding a valid passport could vote in 2024, who do you think would have won?

If the Jones Act has to be lifted anytime there’s an emergency, what if we just left it lifted?

Cocktail Story Time (contains subscriber bonus content)

Join me for a drink?

(Concise recipe included as a thank you gift for paid subscribers; long, rambling version free to all!)

Our soldiers do not go to war in Christ’s name. Any chain of command saying otherwise is not serving as part of the American tradition.

Virginia's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Map And Why I Enthusiastically Support It.

Virginia is considering a truly horrendous congressional map. I can’t wait to vote for it. Below, I explain why.

Can anyone articulate to me the benefits, if any, to the UK of a Labour government such as it currently has? From the outside looking in, it is hard to decipher.

The Simpsons: Ayatollah YouTube video by Comic Book Guy

Even as we speak…

By placing the dignity of all human beings front and center, liberalism provides a strong incentive to find alternatives to violent conflict. We recognize that peace is not achieved through violence, but through creativity, innovation, and the best aspects of our human character.

The Online Right is Radicalizing Broken Men “Why do Trump’s supporters keep trying to kill him?”

A quick-hit this week, but I think an important one. The online radicalization of young men may have contributed to MAGA’s success, but it’s a problem that preceded Trump’s rise, and one we’ll have to solve regardless of his decline.

Presidents Day is a perfect time to reflect on the liberal values our founders sought to instill in a young America — openness, liberty, pluralism, equality under the law.

Read More Fiction Cracking open a novel can help illuminate the present

I think, if you’re anything like me in wanting a deep understanding of the present, you should read more fiction.

I share some recommendations in my latest substack.

I do *want* to return to a normalized, boring sort of national politics where opponents may be wrong without being an accomplice to evil. I’m not willing to pretend compromising moral clarity is the path back there.

“Good politics cannot be built on a foundation that doesn't recognize the essential value of every human being”

— @shawnhuckabay.info

Pam Bondi’s performance before Congress reminds me of the sort of unhinged lashing out some narcissistic defendants do at the judge when being handed down a long sentence for a crime they definitely committed.

That’s absolutely how I see it, and it feels good not to be confined by those boundaries.

Thank you both for the kind words. For what it’s worth, I don’t think I’m reclaiming liberalism as much as it’s reclaiming me!

RE: a certain article making the rounds today.

Alabama’s past is America’s future. Ever met anyone who brags they voted for George Wallace?