Most Americans do not have the time nor the interest to open 1,000-page academic tomes on American history. Thus, it's crucial that we find meaningful, enjoyable, and reliable ways to take in our history. For this 250th year of our great nation, Stephen has 3 recommendations of high-quality, inspiring works that any American can access and appreciate:

1. "John Adams" on HBO
2. "America's God and Country" by William J. Federer
3. "The Light and the Glory,” “From Sea to Shining Sea,” and “Sounding Forth the Trumpet” by Peter Marshall and David Manuel

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Carl von Clausewitz argued that the object of war is always the predetermined end state — not the battle itself.

In the midst of peace negotiations with Iran, America has won militarily while fumbling the endgame: no regime change, no Strait of Hormuz renegotiation, no nuclear agreement, and a $300 billion rebuild check on the table. The same strategic clarity we demand of individuals has to govern superpowers — and right now, it doesn't. Unless negotiations take a different direction, what’s happening in Iran is shaping up to be a complete national embarrassment.

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Every nation's history contains both beauty and atrocity — America is no exception. Yet increasingly, the American story is being told through only one lens. Recent data suggests that young Americans are being shaped to view their country with contempt rather than complexity.

But the root of our failures isn't oppression along lines of race, gender, religion, or class. It's something more fundamental: our shared humanity.

There is no perfect system because there is no perfect people. If we’re going to keep our great Republic, we must know and learn from the dark periods of our history while lighting the way toward a brighter future.

If we teach American history as an exercise in oppression, we will build a people who hate themselves.

Dare to love America.

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The Kurds have been loyal American allies for decades — so why are we getting them so wrong? In this episode, Stephen draws on his book "The Miracle of the Kurds" to set the record straight about one of the most misunderstood people in the world: a moderate, resilient ethnicity spread across the Middle East with no nation to call their own, yet fiercely devoted to their identity and their allies. The Kurds have earned America's friendship time and time again — and it's time we gave it to them. Let's reset our perception of the Kurds.

Get a copy of "The Miracle of the Kurds:" https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Kurds-Remarkable-Reborn-Northern/dp/1617950793/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0

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Ben Sasse — Nebraskan, senator, university president, Harvard and Yale scholar — is dying of stage IV pancreatic cancer, and he is using his remaining time to speak truth to America. Staring death in the face, he's declared that Congress is asleep at the wheel, that our neighborhoods matter more than our political tribes, and that "there are no maverick molecules in the universe." You may not agree with everything he says — but a dying man speaking this boldly deserves your full attention.

Watch Ben Sasse's interview on 60 Minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcT9O5Sjmd0

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Names like Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, and Adams have become synonymous with the founding of America. But one name, often forgotten, holds just as much influence if we only read the pages of history.

The name? Whitefield. George Whitefield, credited with unifying the colonies in the first intercolonial event, preaching the idea of a God-ordained destiny for the colonies, and warning of Parliament's encroachments on the colonies' liberties, was instrumental in tilling the soil for the American Revolution. In this episode, Stephen examines the life and legacy of Whitefield in this episode, drawing on themes from his book, "Forgotten Founding Father."

Get "Forgotten Founding Father" today: https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Founding-Father-Whitefield-Leaders/dp/1581821654/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0

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To understand the tensions occurring today in Iran, we must first understand the religious background of the nation's Shiite Muslim leadership. While the U.S. State Department may view the Iranian conflict in political, geographic, and military terms, the nation's leaders interpret it through a profoundly religious and even apocalyptic lens. As a result, any U.S. administration—including that of Donald Trump—must recognize that negotiations with Iran are not grounded in Western values, but in an ideological and religious worldview that ultimately drives its decisions.

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As the 250th anniversary of America's founding approaches, it's prudent for us to turn back to the wisdom contained in our founding document. Even in the midst of the hellacious upheavals of our time, the eternal words of the Declaration of Independence serve as a foundation for freedom, faith, and revolution, not just in America, but around the world. Listen as Stephen sheds light on pivotal passages of the Declaration of Independence and issues a stirring personal challenge.

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Utopian dreams, though often clothed in the language of hope and progress, have brought profound suffering by denying the broken reality of the human condition. Rooted in the realism of the Judeo-Christian tradition, Stephen insists that we must see the world as it is—not as we wish it to be—recognizing that no perfect state exists on this side of eternity. By distinguishing between “utopia” (“nowhere”) and “eutopia” (“good place”), we can expose how the pursuit of perfection so often becomes tyrannical, and why wisdom, counsel, and humility remain the safer path forward.

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Since 1979, Iran has been under the control of a Shiite extremist Muslim government. As of February 28th, that regime is under direct attack due to targeted efforts by the United States and surrounding regions. What began as uprisings from Iran's young people is now a historical tipping point for both Iran and our own nation. Listen in to hear Stephen's thoughts about the disconnect between the president and Congress, the aftereffects of the initial attack, and what we can expect moving forward.

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