When the cause of liberty seemed most fragile, and its defenders most alone, a man named Thomas Paine picked up his pen and wrote: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” It was December 1776, one of the bleakest moments in the American War of Independence. Washington’s army was in retreat. Winter was biting. Desertions soared. Hope was fading. Many believed the cause of American independence was already lost. But Paine’s pamphlet, “The Crisis,” helped turn the tide. Gen. Washington ordere

I know Ukraine. I’ve been to Ukraine. Ukraine is not perfect — neither is the United States. But in many ways, Ukraine is the United States I long for. Not because of its suffering. Not because of its war. But because of its clarity. Because of the unshakable belief that liberty is not a passive inheritance but something worth fighting for, sacrificing for, and, if necessary, dying for. In Ukraine, there is no confusion about what is at stake — no illusions that democracy is self-sustaining, n

The war in Ukraine is not just a fight for national sovereignty — it’s a battle at the crossroads of a collapsing global order. While Ukrainians heroically resist Russia’s brutal invasion, the war has exposed the fractures of an economic system that has, for decades, concentrated wealth, power, and decision-making into the hands of a few. It is a test — not only for Ukraine but for the entire world: Will this war be remembered as the moment democracy fought back against authoritarianism, or wil

The recent Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wasn’t just a diplomatic disaster — it was a setup. From the moment Zelensky walked into that room, the stage had already been set. This wasn’t about serious discussions on aid or strategy. It was about weakening Ukraine, pressuring its leader, and crafting a narrative that justifies pulling back U.S. support. Trump’s accusation that Zelensky was “gambling with World War III” and Vice