Our Commentary section below includes recent short-form writings by Hoover History Lab authors published either by us or in the media.
See also Books, Articles, and Policy Briefs from the Hoover History Lab.
Washington’s New World War I Memorial Is defiantly Traditional
By Michael R. Auslin via the Wall Street Journal
September 12, 2024
The capital’s monuments to the Vietnam War and World War II were criticized as depressing and ungainly, but a 58-foot-long sculpture by artist Sabin Howard tells a classic story of heroism.
“My Ukrainian Village Is No More”
By Paul R. Gregory
September 11, 2024
Survivors confirm that the Russian offensive is following a familiar path of destruction and massacre.
Expertise and hard work is being thrown away because of Labour's decision to kick out hereditary peers from the Lords
By Andrew Roberts, via the Daily Mail
September 9, 2024
As the Government introduces its bill to expel the 92 hereditary peers from the House of Lords, we should be appalled at the way an efficient and elegant part of the British Constitution is being sacrificed on the altar of Labour hypocrisy, party advantage and class prejudice….
No, Churchill was not the Villain
Andrew Roberts via the Washington Free Beacon
September 6, 2024
The historian Darryl Cooper has argued in an interview on Tucker Carlson's show that Winston Churchill "was the chief villain of World War II," which would be both interesting and indeed shocking were his thesis not based on such staggering ignorance and disregard for historical fact that it is safe to disregard completely.
The Arms of August
By Barry Strauss
August 28, 2024
There are moments in history when not just armies but opposing political philosophies meet on the battlefield. The last week of August, 480 BC, was one of those rare moments. It was then, at two battle sites about 40 miles apart, that three countries and three societal visions clashed.
Washington Treasures I: The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
By Michael R. Auslin via the Patowmack Packet
August 25, 2024
The political pyrotechnics in Washington this summer have been so blinding as to blot out everything else happening in the National Capital.
How Likely Is a Gaza Cease-Fire and a Saudi Mega Deal?
Interview with Bill Whalen, Cole Bunzel, via Matters of Policy & Politics
August 16, 2024
The world is bracing for further violence in the Middle East, fearing the conflict will escalate into a regional war.
Presidential Agonistes, Half a Century Apart
By Michael R Auslin, via RealClear Politics
August 6, 2024
A broiling summer in the national capital, a president in crisis, and the final blows being delivered by the leaders of his own party. What drove Joe Biden from the presidential race is an eerie parallel to what Richard Nixon faced exactly 50 years ago. Both men believed they could survive fatal wounds, yet instead of having the voters decide their fates, both were ultimately done in by their own parties.
Is AI About To Run Out of Data? The History Of Oil Says No
By Niall Ferguson, John-Clark Levin via Time
August 2, 2024
Is the AI bubble about to burst? Every day that the stock prices of semiconductor champion Nvidia and the so-called “Fab Five” tech giants (Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta) fail to regain their mid-year peaks, more people ask that question.
The Taliban’s Political Theory: ‘Abd al-Hakim al-Haqqani’s Vision for the Islamic Emirate
By Cole Bunzel via the Hudson Institute
July 29, 2024
Since the Taliban’s August 2021 return to power amid the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government, questions have swirled around the kind of state that the group is building in the second iteration of its Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
War Is Interested in You
By Cole Bunzel via Hoover Digest
July 10, 2024
Why American leaders are repeatedly drawn back into the Mideast, the crucible of great-power designs and aspiring hegemons.
John Dunlop: An Appreciation
By Norman M. Naimark, Paul R. Gregory, Stephen Kotkin
July 10, 2024
The collection of the late Hoover senior fellow and Russia expert John B. Dunlop is a rich review of the movements and struggles that gave birth to the Putin era. It is also a tribute to an inimitable scholar and colleague.
How The Personalities of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman Help Us Understand The American Right
Interview with Jennifer Burns, via Forbes
July 10, 2024
Covert, Coercive, Corrupting
By Jonathan Movroydis, interview with Glenn Tiffert
July 10, 2024
As Beijing attempts to extend its power throughout the world, scholars in the West can stand up to Beijing. Hoover fellow Glenn Tiffert, a historian of modern China, explains how.
Israel and Ukraine Deserve to Win
By Niall Ferguson
July 10, 2024
Both democracies need our continued help. This is the wrong moment for Americans to become self-absorbed.
A Population Implosion
By Niall Ferguson
July 10, 2024
Humans once dreamed of populating the universe. Instead, our population is set to begin shrinking right here on Earth.
August 1945: Fallout
By Michael R. Auslin
July 10, 2024
The moral qualms dramatized in the movie Oppenheimer were central to the discussions about whether to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A new book illuminates what informed that decision, and what followed it.
The Civic Bargan: How Democracy Survives
By Josiah Ober via PolicyEd
July 2, 2024
The United States faces no shortage of challenges from political polarization to institutional distrust, to economic uncertainty. But through devoted efforts toward civic engagement, civic education, and civic bargaining, American citizens can ensure American democracy survives and thrives.
‘Endgame 1944’ Review: A Savage Conflict in the East
By Bertrand M. Patenaude
June 2, 2024
A ferocious military campaign put the Red Army within striking distance of Berlin and Stalin in a position to dictate postwar terms.
China is Attractive to Countries That Are Tired of Receiving Lessons from the West
Interview with Glenn Tiffert via Publico
April 28, 2024
(Original interview is in Portuguese). Hoover Institution fellow Glenn Tiffert talks about the Foreign Policy strategy of the People’s Republic of China in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Europe, and other part of the globe, as well as the impact of the Chinese economic situation on politics internally and under the leadership of Xi Jinping.
Should We Expect A Chinese Invasion Of Taiwan In The Near Future
Interview with Glenn Tiffert via the Lars Larson Show
March 23, 2024
Hoover Institution fellow Glenn Tiffert gives his opinion concerning the possibility that China will invade Taiwan.
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