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We weigh the stories nations tell about themselves against the record of wars, sanctions, and deterrence, and test whether intentions matter less than outcomes. From Vietnam to Venezuela, NATO to North Korea, we press for clearer language, broader history, and fewer illusions.

• Emerson and Hawthorne as mirrors of intellectual courage and conformity
• Vietnam’s legacy, media limits, and moral judgment versus “mistake” framing
• NATO at Russia’s border, ABM systems, and Cold War lessons revived
• Sanctions in Venezuela and Iran as civilian punishment, not reform
• China, innovation, and the politics of intellectual property
• Korean-led steps toward deescalation and deterrence realities
• Trump’s media strategy, party capture, and fear as a political tool
• Climate risk, nuclear posture, and the real election interference: money
• Syria’s devastation, Kurdish safety, and difficult tradeoffs
• Israel, the Golan Heights, and shifting U.S. support coalitions

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