Russia’s Pyrrhic Advances at Soledar Near Bakhmut Setting Up Ukrainian Counteroffensive, Not Russian Victory

Many analysts seem focused on whether proclamations by Russia that it has “won” the battle for Soledar are accurate or…

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On Christianity, Ancient Rome, History, and Memory: A Christmas Season Reflection

A review of The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World (by Catherine Nixey, Mariner Books, 2017 hc/2019…

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A Brief, Non-Comprehensive Survey of Bioweapons, Biowarfare, and Bioterrorism History in Light of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Excerpt 1 of 5, adapted to stand alone, from a May 26, 2020 SPECIAL REPORT on coronavirus By Brian E.…

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America’s Current Extraconstitutional Republic

How Trump’s presidency has taken the presidency out of the bound of the Constitution and puts America into dangerous, uncharted…

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In Possible Government Shutdown, Trump and Republicans Lucky We’re Not Living in Ancient Rome

Author’s note: as I repost this for Real Context News as Trump enters the third year of his presidency, we are in midst of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, one lasting already over a month. My below analysis is still deeply relevant, sadly: Trump began his first and now second anniversaries of taking office mired self-inflicted shutdowns. ***** Though I originally published this article in the…

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Trump’s Jerusalem Jeopardy: A Hackneyed “Holy” Hot Mess

America’s president did something stupid concerning Jerusalem. Cue predictably stupid reactions. Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse December 11, 2017 By Brian E.…

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After the Storms: Are Harvey, Irma the New Normal?

And what would that mean going forward? Some hard choices, necessary changes, and a reckoning. Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse…

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With Comey Firing, Trump Moves America Closer to Banana Republic Status; How We Respond Is Vital to Preserving Our Democracy

Trump’s removal of James Comey was a blatantly transparent attempt to protect himself from Comey’s active investigation of his team’s…

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Trump, the Specter of Political Violence, & Lessons From the Roman Republic (Or, We Have a Problem America!)

Trump’s flirtatious waltz with hints and threats of political violence cannot be ignored and should not be underestimated. Apart from…

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9/11 Marked Continuation, Not Beginning, of Politicization of Foreign Policy & National Security

Rather than signify any beginning of weaponizing foreign policy and national security in politics, the 9/11 attacks simply marked the…

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Erdogan Leads Turkey’s Democracy on a Populist Death March After Failed Coup

In my previous piece on Turkey, written as the coup attempt was underway, I noted that should the coup fail, Erdoğan…

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DNC E-mail Leak Scandal: Not Much of a Scandal, Blown Way Out of Proportion: A Politics 101 Primer on Party Organization

Ultimately, the information revealed in the DNC e-mail hacks (by the Russian government!) “shockingly” revealed that people who were staffers…

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How W. Bush & Obama Paved Way for Trump: A History of Risky Precedents for Becoming President

Without George W. Bush’s presidency, it’s hard to imagine Obama’s 2008 victory; without both, it’s hard to imagine Trump being…

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Western Democracy Is on Trial, More than Any Time Since WWII

Author’s note: when I wrote this, I was confident Clinton would win but still worried about the chance of a…

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