Dan Sanchez

Why did human beings slaughter each other by the thousands during World War I, a conflict of unprecedented mass savagery in which an entire generation of young men decimated itself and inflicted atrocities on civilian populations full of women, children, and the elderly? In the movie Wonder Woman, the heroic Amazon princess Diana believes that … Continue reading “Is Wonder Woman War Propaganda?”

Did the Deep State deep-six Trump’s populist revolution? Many observers, especially among his fans, suspect that the seemingly untamable Trump has already been housebroken by the Washington, “globalist” establishment. If true, the downfall of Trump’s National Security Adviser Michael Flynn less than a month into the new presidency may have been a warning sign. And … Continue reading “Trump Surrenders to the Iron Law of Oligarchy”

The World of Warcraft movie flopped in the States. That’s no great injustice. The movie isn’t exactly high fantasy. It compares miserably to “sword and sorcery” classics like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But there is one failing in Tolkien’s tales that Warcraft avoids. This flaw was pointed out by Game of Thrones creator … Continue reading “Do Orcs Love Their Children Too?”

Wednesday, two shocking videos of police officers fatally shooting civilians (Alton Sterling and Philando Castile) surfaced. The day before, many were appalled to hear the Director of the FBI announce that Hillary Clinton would not be charged for mishandling classified information. The two events may seem unrelated, but at bottom, they concern the same fundamental … Continue reading “From Cops to Clinton: Impunity Corrupts”

British voters have elected to leave the European Union in a national referendum. The UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage declared Friday Britain’s “independence day.” That is quite a statement given British history. A little over two and a quarter centuries ago, America had its own first Independence Day, and the British Empire was … Continue reading “Brexit Wins: Why That’s Great News for Europe, Too”

The massacre in Orlando has the usual political narratives all jumbled up. It was gun violence against gays. Therefore, say Hillary Clinton supporters, it validates calls for gun restrictions and anti-hate laws. Yet it was also an act of terrorism by a Muslim whose parents immigrated from Afghanistan. Therefore, say Donald Trump supporters, it validates … Continue reading “Hate, Terror, and Collectivism Culminate in Orlando”

The breakout of World War I upended many lives, including those of two great thinkers: the Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises and the American journalist Randolph Bourne. The young Mises had just revolutionized the economics of money and the business cycle. And he was on the verge of still more breakthroughs when his career was interrupted by the Great … Continue reading “The Sociology of War”

Dear high school senior considering a military career, Graduation is coming up. You’re probably looking forward to a relaxing summer vacation, enjoyed with the peace of mind that your next few years are pretty much covered. Maybe you’re going to enlist soon, and then be off to basic training. Or perhaps you received an ROTC scholarship and … Continue reading “Dear Grads, Don’t Join the Military”

It has been hero pitted against hero in the cinemas this spring. DC has the face-off right in the title of its latest big-budget flick: Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Then came Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, in which the Avengers disassemble into two warring factions, and Cap scraps with his friend Iron Man. There are … Continue reading “Super Heroes Collide in Post-Traumatic America”

In 2013, American and British public opinion said “hell no” to plans to bomb (and surely regime change) Syria, taking the momentum out of the march to war. This marked a peak in post-Iraq war-weariness. But then in August 2014, many hearts were touched by the plight of a group of Yazidis trapped on a … Continue reading “How Schooling Leads to War”