Author Archives: briansandberg

Three Years of War in Ukraine

Posted on February 24, 2025 by briansandberg

Today, we are remembering the Russian invasion of Ukraine and marking the third anniversary of the start of the current Russian – Ukrainian War. The war began with a major Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that sought to … Continue reading →

Posted in Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, History of the Western World, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, War, Culture, and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tuning Out Trump is Dangerous

Posted on February 23, 2025 by briansandberg

“Many who had hoped to tune out Trump this time realize they don’t have that luxury. It’s far more dangerous now,” writes political analyst and columnist Maureen Dowd. News fatigue is a real problem when democratic institutions are under assault. … Continue reading →

Posted in Information Management, Political History of the United States, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DOGE is Accessing U.S. Citizens’ Personal Information

Posted on February 23, 2025 by briansandberg

Information is power. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claims to be slashing bureaucratic waste and improving government efficiency, however the DOGE team is attempting to gain access to various sensitive digital information systems of the federal government of … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Rights Issues, Democracy, Digital Humanities, Human Rights, Information Management, Information Revolutions, Legal history, Political History of the United States, Printing Revolution, Security Studies, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coup d’état and the Failures of the U.S. Justice System

Posted on February 23, 2025 by briansandberg

Brazil and the United States have both experienced recent coups d’état by their presidents, Jair Bolsonaro and Donald J. Trump. The justice system of Brazil has successfully confronted Bolsonaro by charging him with coup d’état, while the U.S. justice system … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Civil Conflict, Civil Rights Issues, Crowd Studies, Democracy, History of Violence, Legal history, Militias and Paramilitaries, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political History of the United States, State Development Theory, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Firing of Military Chair Disrupts Civil-Military Relations

Posted on February 22, 2025 by briansandberg

In a Friday night purge, President Trump has fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top military general in the United States, along with five other generals and military lawyers. “President Trump fired the country’s senior military … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil-Military Relations, Political History of the United States, Public History, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AAUP Lawsuit Blocks Trump Executive Orders

Posted on February 22, 2025 by briansandberg

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and its allies have successfully blocked (at least temporarily) two key executive orders issued by President Trump on higher education issues. The Democracy Forward lawsuit claims that the Trump executive orders are unconstitutional, … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, Higher Education, Humanities Education, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political History of the United States, Public History, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Europe in Trumplandia

Posted on February 22, 2025 by briansandberg

Europeans are in shock after the recent Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of European diplomats and international security officials in Germany. Academic colleagues and friends across Europe have been contacting me to ask what exactly the Trump administration is … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, Authoritarianism, Contemporary France, Democracy, European History, European Studies, European Union, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Italian History, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Parties and Organizations, Security Studies, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Declares Himself King

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

President Trump has declared himself king, opposing himself to the legitimately elected representatives of the State of New York over a congestion pricing law. The White House issued a post on X stating that “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Civil Conflict, Comparative Revolutions, Democracy, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Legal history, Monarchies and Royal States, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, Public History, Republicanism, Revolts and Revolutions, State Development Theory, United States History and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Sells out Ukraine and Destroys US Alliances

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

President Trump shocked the world this week by falsely blaming Ukraine for starting the current Russian-Ukrainian War. The New York Times reports: “In comments that stunned America’s allies in Europe and angered Ukraine’s government, President Trump on Tuesday appeared to … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, Human Rights, Peacemaking Processes, Political History of the United States, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Militarizing Immigration Policy Enforcement

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

The Trump administration is seeking to militarize immigration policy enforcement and undermine civil-military relations in the United States. “The Trump administration is ramping up plans to detain undocumented immigrants at military sites across the United States, a significant expansion of … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil-Military Relations, Civilians and Refugees in War, Empires and Imperialism, History of Race and Racism, History of Violence, Human Rights, Migration History, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment