The Workaround Presidency: Constitutional Arbitrage
We're witnessing the emergence of a decorative judiciary. A constitutional Potemkin village.
The Hangman: Erosion of American Democracy
In 2016, a new force entered our political landscape. A force unmoored from principles, norms, and the rule of law itself.
The Lie of the Strong Man
The strongman always arrives at the same moment: when patience runs out and faith in rules runs thin.
American Empire: Spheres of Influence
What Donald Trump is saying in this moment is that legitimacy and international law do not matter. Only power does.
The Rage Machine
Anger feels righteous. It's viral. It wins elections. But it's also burning us out and turning neighbors into enemies.
The Medium Place: If AI Doesn't Kill Us All
AGI might not kill us, but it probably won’t save us either. The more likely future is a dreadfully average world that’s neither hell nor utopia; just a comfortable cage run by a new aristocracy.
"Unaligned" is now "For the Republic"
Hey everyone, As a quick housekeeping note, Unaligned has rebranded! Unaligned → For the Republic As of today, this publication will be rebranding from “Unaligned” to “For the Republic.” When I first launched Unaligned, my focus was on not being “captured” by partisanship and on speaking for the “exhausted majority” that’
The Enshittification of Everything
The ad economy ate the internet. Then they came for work, culture, and your own sanity.
The Hydra Chokes: Inside MAGA's Stalemate and Self-Inflicted Decay
Some big problems are grinding Trump’s second term into stalemate.
0.2%
"Taher and his wife watched their baby take his final breath. Their other children began to scream." - AP News
The Tyrant's Two Heads: A Civil War for America's Authoritarian Future
Two rival faiths are fighting to rule America. One worships technology; the other God. Both dream of dominion. And between them stands a kleptocrat willing to sell the republic to whichever pays best.
The Party of Reagan is Dead
Big government conservatives? Small government liberals? The rise and fall of GOP ideals in the "Age of Trump"
Blue-Skied Dystopia
Surveillance, Algorithms, and Why Everything Feels Wrong Despite Looking Fine