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
- The Border Policy with Absolutely No Political Upside July 28, 2026American politics requires us to believe that politicians calculate electoral advantage while choosing committee assignments, tax credits, courthouse names and sandwich fillings, yet become innocent woodland creatures whenever immigration enters the conversation. Apparently, nobody in Washington ever wondered whether legalizing millions of residents, helping them naturalize and encouraging their political participation might eventually affect politics. […]Tammy Pondsmith
- Without Discipline, Men Die July 28, 2026By an Anonymous USAF Brat The NCO club at Clark AFB in the Philippines backed up into Lily Hill. Lily Hill was one of those areas we, as dependents, weren’t supposed to investigate. Supposedly, there was a Japanese bunker complex up there with some unexploded ordnance. EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) and the base commander decided […]Special Guest
- Every Coin Was a Handshake Once July 28, 2026By Anna Redmond Every veteran has the drawer. Maybe it’s an actual drawer, the top one in the dresser, under the socks that never get worn. Maybe it’s a shoebox in the garage, an ammo can in the closet, a shadow box on the wall that guests glance at politely and never ask about. Whatever […]Special Guest
- Democracy Does Not Pick the Best Leader—It Picks the Best Liar July 27, 2026Democracy is often framed as a meritocratic system of governance—one in which the most capable, disciplined, and strategically minded individuals rise to leadership. It is a comforting narrative. It is also, historically and operationally, incomplete. A more uncomfortable truth emerges when one examines both modern politics and the enduring realities of human decision-making: democracy does […]Charles Faint
- Veterans Day 2009 July 27, 2026“October has been the deadliest monthfor U.S. troops in Afghanistansince the war began eight years ago.” In the pre-dawn hours he stands,silent and watchfulupon the tarmacas another military planeslowly taxis into position.A ramp is lowered,and six uniformed mencarry a simple boxdraped with an American flagto a waiting hearse. Gone are those dreams:peace at the 11th […]Lou Marin
