In 1795, Immanuel Kant wrote a book titled Perpetual Peace just prior to the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars. More than a century later, Norman Angell wrote The Great Illusion, which argued that great power wars were becoming obsolete, just prior to the outbreak of World War I. H. G. Wells and Woodrow Wilson described World War I as “the war to end all wars,” when in fact it was the prelude to what Raymond Aron accurately called The Century of Total War. When the Cold War ended, President George H. W. Bush spoke of a “new world order,” while Francis Fukuyama wrote that we were at The End of History, yet the 21st century has experienced lengthy wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a Global War on Terror, the Russia-Ukraine War, and warfare between Israel and its enemies in the Middle East. Yet the quest for permanent solutions continues — most recently in proposals for regime change in Iran, which, according to Sen. Lindsey Graham, will result in permanent peaceful relations between Israel and the Muslim world. There is obviously something within the human spirit that longs for a permanent global peace, but that quest is an illusion, a mirage that enters our sight only to disappear in the ashes of war. Henry Kissinger, a brilliant scholar of world history who saw firsthand the tragic side of human nature as a refugee from Hitler’s Germany whose family members died in the Holocaust, as a soldier in the U.S. Army during the Second World War, and as a national security adviser and diplomat during the Cold War, tried repeatedly to educate the American people about the realities of international politics. In one speech in 1976, Kissinger told his audience that “there are no easy or final answers” in global affairs; that the reach of American power “has its limits”; and that “what is attainable at any one moment will inevitably fall short of the ideal.”  Kissinger’s message, which he repeated in other speeches and in his remarkable memoirs and his erudite and scholarly books on h... No hoodwinking or hornswoggling here. Support independent journalism and get unlimited access to quality commentary. Subscribe Already a subscriber? Login here The post The Mirage of Permanent Solutions in International Relations appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it has determined that California’s Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation have violated Title IX.  The reported violations are that the California school system has permitted males to participate in girls’ sports and use female-only facilities, despite prior warnings. The investigation was based on discrimination against women and girls on the basis of sex.  The department stated that the Trump administration has “prioritized protecting female athletes from the unfair competition, unsafe situations, and the indignities involved when male athletes compete in athletic competitions designated for girls.” The California Department of Education and California Interscholastic Federation could face harsh consequences as a result of the investigation. The Education Department stated that failure to address and correct the policies may result in “referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for proceedings.” The U.S. Education Department outlined a 10-day window in which reparative actions can be taken to avoid the harsh penalties outlined by the statement. The department offered a six-point resolution agreement in its press release, which includes a requirement for all California departments receiving federal funding to comply with Title IX requirements. If the California departments agree to this resolution plan, further punishment may be avoided. Other proposed steps include restoring all awards, records, and titles to women who may have unfairly lost sporting competitions to biologically male competitors. The federal government would also require the California Department of Education to apologize to each female competitor who had any award or title misappropriated by a transgender athlete.   Liz Sanders, director of Communications at the California Department of Education, told The American Spectator: “The California Department of Education believes all students should have... No hoodwinking or hornswoggling here. Support independent journalism and get unlimited access to quality commentary. Subscribe Already a subscriber? Login here Username Password Remember Me     Forgot Password The post California School Systems in Violation of Title IX, Department of Education Finds appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

In the shadows of American history, countless voices have remained unheard—until now. Recently unearthed journals from early settlers are illuminating the rich tapestry of colonial life through intimate, firsthand perspectives. These diaries capture more than just events; they reveal the daily rhythms, hardships, and deeply personal relationships that shaped the fledgling colonies. As we turn ...

by Lucas Leiroz, Strategic Culture: The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025) concluded this past weekend, reaffirming its status as one of the most significant political and economic events of the contemporary world. Over the course of four days, the Russian city welcomed representatives from governments, businesses, religious institutions, academia, and think tanks from […]

The enemy doesn’t always come roaring—sometimes he just waits until we’re numb.

CNN’s Jake Tapper Pushes Fake Narrative About Iran Bombing Mission and then Guest Tells Him Trump’s Right

Slightly concerning.