Alan Dowd

As the generation that grew up in and saw the collapse of the USSR, Generation X is uniquely positioned to lead the US as it drifts into the second Cold War.

Maverick is not just fun and thrilling and moving; it’s not just breathtaking cinematography; it’s not just a great story; it’s not just great story-telling. For those with ears to hear, Maverick offers a powerful and needed message—and hence, much more than the original.

With Vladimir Putin’s planned two-day war to topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government now in its third month and Russian casualties piling into the tens of thousands, concerns abound that Putin might take increasingly drastic steps to alter the disastrous situation he faces on the battlefield. To prevent those grim prospects—or at least contain their effects—President Joe Biden should turn to the playbook his predecessors drafted.

Long-time neutrals Sweden and Finland appear poised to apply for NATO membership, perhaps as early as this month or during next month’s NATO summit. If these Nordic neighbors do join the alliance, this dramatic change in the European security landscape will be good for them—and for NATO.

As Vladimir Putin continues his war of war crimes against Ukraine, there are arguments swirling around—some more serious than others—that this war is, somehow, NATO’s fault. That’s certainly what Putin believes, but the blame-NATO crowd is wrong.

In the Free World’s multifaceted response to Putin’s war, a blueprint for a global alliance of democracies is emerging.

In an age when the word hero is conflated with and attached to movie stars and athletes and people who risk nothing of consequence, it’s bracing to watch—even from afar—true heroes and true heroism in action.

To prevent wars from spiraling out of control, an off-ramp is essential. Allowing Vladimir Putin to save face can save lives.

Vladimir Putin has launched attacks across Ukraine, recognized parts of eastern Ukraine as independent, sent Russian “peacekeepers” deep into Ukraine either to digest yet another chunk of his neighbor or to fully absorb it, and unleashed a storm in Europe. Although they cannot be seen from Kyiv, there are faint traces of silver linings in these storm clouds.

With Ukraine languishing outside the safety of the NATO alliance, the consensus seems to be that there is little the alliance can do as Putin enforces his latter-day Brezhnev Doctrine. That consensus view is wrong.