Civic Essays
What We Owe the Next Generation
There is a kind of conversation that has gone out of fashion in this country, and we are paying for its absence. It is the conversation older people used to [...]
The Havok Journal | Military & Veteran News, Commentary, Culture
- Washington Solved Corruption by Calling It Access September 10, 2026Author’s Note: This is one of four pieces on how American politics ran representative government through a donor pipeline and decided “independent” means the candidate can headline the fundraiser while somebody else asks for the unlimited check. We’ll cover how we got here, how the machine works, what Washington calls corruption, and what might actually […]Tammy Pondsmith
- The End is the Beginning of Healing September 10, 2026[Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to Jake’s article: “Dismissed with Prejudice.”] The words are heartfelt and genuine. They are the words of those most loved and cherished and those who all but forgot we existed. They are glad it is FINALLY over. For those loved and cherished, they understand the end is only a […]Jake Smith
- As We Go… This We Know September 10, 20262016 02 03 Wednesday It is just cold enough to be uncomfortable. Those crew members not on watch are assembled at parade rest on the flight deck. We’re steaming north with the California coast to our starboard side. I am looking west into a pale yellow afternoon. It is 1630, and the sun is halfway […]K.C. Aud
- Pascal’s Wager and the Military Profession September 9, 2026Military professionals spend their careers making decisions under conditions of uncertainty. It’s an inherent part of the job. No commander has ever possessed perfect information. No intelligence estimate has ever been complete. No battle plan has survived entirely intact. Yet decisions still have to be made. In many cases, they must be made before enough […]Charles Faint
- Your Super PAC Is Totally Independent Please Stop Laughing September 9, 2026Author’s Note: This is one of four pieces on how American politics ran representative government through a donor pipeline and decided “independent” means the candidate can headline the fundraiser while somebody else asks for the unlimited check. We’ll cover how we got here, how the machine works, what Washington calls corruption, and what might actually […]Tammy Pondsmith
