politics
Politics does not dictate our collective cultural mindset as much as it simply reflects it; We've got to look in the mirror sometimes, and we've got one.
How an Overvalued Dollar Sank U.S. Naval Power
At the close of World War II, the United States possessed the most formidable maritime industrial base in human history. During the war, the United States launched thousands of vessels that secured global trade routes and projected power across every ocean. Today, that industrial might has virtually vanished. While East Asian shipbuilders—specifically China, South Korea, and Japan—have surged to dominate the seas, American shipbuilding has withered into a fraction of a percent of global output.
By Elliott J. Schuchardtabout 6 hours ago in The Swamp
UK to Buy Three Mine-Hunting Motherships: Major Royal Navy Modernisation Deal Strengthens Maritime Security
The United Kingdom has announced plans to purchase three new mine-hunting motherships for the Royal Navy in a major step towards modernising its naval defence capabilities. The agreement, confirmed on 12 November 2026, will strengthen Britain's ability to detect and neutralise underwater mines while improving maritime security across European waters and the wider NATO region.
By Sagheen Khan2 days ago in The Swamp
Ex-Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Summoned to Testify Before Congress Over Alleged Affair With Suspected Chinese Spy
The controversy surrounding former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has taken a dramatic turn as US lawmakers intensify their efforts to question the technology executive about his reported relationship with a Chinese businesswoman suspected of having connections to Chinese intelligence. The developing situation has attracted international attention because of Nvidia's importance to the global artificial intelligence industry and the potential national security implications.
By Sagheen Khan2 days ago in The Swamp
It's Time to Stop the Lawless Killing in the Caribbean
For more than a year, the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean have been turned into a unilateral firing range. Under the banner of a Pentagon campaign named Operation Southern Spear, the United States military has systematically hunted down and destroyed small vessels in international waters, executing hundreds of people on the mere suspicion of drug smuggling. These lethal attacks, carried out without arrest, trial, or public evidence, represent a profound abandonment of the rule of law and amount to state-sanctioned murder on the high seas.
By Elliott J. Schuchardt3 days ago in The Swamp
What the Democratic Landslide Says About the Impact of Social Media
Social media have been blamed by the best of 'em for the ascension of Trump, Trumpism, and Maga-Americans. Andrey Mir convincingly argued in Postjournalism and the Death of Journalism: the Media after Trump: Manufacturing Anger and Polarization (2020) that the replacement of truth by likes and shares of posts on social media were responsible for the success of Trump and the Republican lies, and Ezra Klein ("I Didn’t Want It to Be True, but the Medium Really Is the Message", 2022, The New York Times ) in a general way blamed social media, supported by McLuhan's famous "the medium is the message," as the source of the successful assault on democracy in American politics.
By Paul Levinson4 days ago in The Swamp
Why It's Time to Formally Audit America's Gold
In 2013, Germany asked the United States to return 300 metric tons of German gold. Germany had stored the gold in New York during the Cold War, to keep it safe in the event of a Russian attack. The U.S. Federal Reserve informed Germany that the gold wasn't available. The Americans told the Germans that they could have their gold back seven years later, in 2020. The Federal Reserve blamed the delay on logistical challenges and verification requirements.
By Elliott J. Schuchardt5 days ago in The Swamp
Ukraine Peace Talks Resume as Russia and Ukraine Show ‘Some Flexibility’, US Officials Say
Ukraine Peace Talks Resume as Russia and Ukraine Show ‘Some Flexibility’, US Officials Say The possibility of ending the Russia-Ukraine war has returned to the international diplomatic agenda as representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States prepare for renewed peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi. According to US officials, both Moscow and Kyiv have privately demonstrated some flexibility regarding territorial disagreements, raising cautious hopes that diplomatic progress may finally be possible.
By Sagheen Khan5 days ago in The Swamp
Why Tennessee Urgently Needs to Reform its Judicial Ethics System
The Tennessee Court of the Judiciary was established by the state legislature in 1979 as a formal mechanism to investigate and discipline judges accused of misconduct. Decades later, following systemic gridlock, it was replaced in 2012 by the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct. While the name changed, the core structural flaw remained identical: a self-policing architecture that prioritizes institutional self-preservation over public accountability. If Tennessee is to ever establish a fair, transparent legal system, it must fundamentally reform its judicial ethics system, beginning with the elimination of the insider majority that shields corrupt judges while weaponizing ethics rules against reform-minded outsiders.
By Elliott J. Schuchardt5 days ago in The Swamp
