Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison

“Sanctions are not an alternative to war. Governments that use them are launching attacks on other countries. Sanctions are lethal. They are arguably more dangerous than military action because their human costs are more easily ignored or blamed on something else. I suspect that is why they are so often the weapon of choice to be used against other countries. That makes it much easier for governments to use this weapon against other countries, and that makes the use of the weapon much more common. Sanctions seem less extreme than using force, but they inflict greater and more indiscriminate harm than most military interventions.” (08/07/25)

https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/an-economic-weapon-of-mass-destruction

Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow

“President Donald Trump has gained a reputation for worrying about the possibility of nuclear war. He’s been criticized by the usual hawkish suspects for his concerns, but he deserves credit for recognizing the potential of a nation-ending and even life-exterminating event. Nuclear weapons may have dissuaded the United States and Soviet Union from turning the Cold War hot, but if deterrence fails in the future, the consequences could be global destruction. Yet the president is now escalating American involvement in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Worse, he’s gone from rhetorical bombast to nuclear theatrics …” (08/07/25)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/trump-shouldnt-play-with-nuclear-fire-in-ukraine/

Source: Washington Monthly
by Paul Finkelman

“Elon Musk has announced plans to start a new political party, the ‘America Party.’ The party’s name suggests that the immigrant Musk should occasionally talk to a historian — or maybe even read an American history book. Numerous political parties have called themselves some variation of the ‘American Party.’ Most have been obscure and short-lived with little impact on the nation. These are almost entirely (and deservedly) forgotten.” (08/07/25)

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/07/elon-musk-america-party/