Long-form analysis on tabletop RPGs, video games, sports, politics, and movies
George Washington’s Presidency and Legacy Read Part One This is part two of my series on George Washington. To understand the American founding, we have to stop looking at George Washington as two completely different people. We tend to split him into a double portrait: on one side the marble saint of democratic liberty and … Read more
Is Donald Trump a Fascist? Yes and No Yes it’s a provocative question, and it can sound inflammatory. But instead of asking if the United States is a fascist state—which it is not—a better question is whether Donald Trump, based on his words, actions, and use of power, has behaved in ways that match key … Read more
Ronald Reagan’s Presidency and Legacy Read Part 1 Here By January 1981, Reagan’s beliefs were firmly set. Earlier I described how he spent thirty years gathering experiences, frustrations, and ideas that shaped his philosophy. He saw government as more of a problem than a solution, and he trusted that free people, open markets, and voluntary … Read more
Testing Constraints: Executive Power First, Constitutional Limits Later See my companion analysis: “Presidential Conflicts of Interest“ Let’s take a look at constitutional limits on executive power. Since late 2024, executive action across four constitutionally distinct domains: foreign policy, constitutional text, separation of powers, and domestic enforcement has followed a consistent pattern: legal and institutional constraints … Read more
Presidential Conflicts of Interest: How Preventive Safeguards Failed in Trump’s Second Term Last substantively updated: October 17, 2026 Oversight systems intended to prevent presidential conflicts of interest now act only after transactions close, rather than beforehand. In President Donald Trump’s second term, this shift created a recurring pattern: regulatory pressure decreased, private actors gained access … Read more