In 2019, a dangerous precedent emerged in the United States: a military officer who saw himself as the “adult in the room” placed himself above the elected political leadership. The officer was Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council. Vindman chose to bypass the chain of command, disclose classified material, and play a leading role in the first-ever impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. In the eyes of America’s conservative establishment, Vindman became one of the most recognizable faces of the “deep state” — a security bureaucracy operating as an independent guild, detached from the public and undermining the policies of civilian leadership in the name of “national security.” A closer look at developments in Israel in recent years, and especially during the months of the Iron Swords War, raises a disturbing question: Has this American model replicated itself inside the very heart of Israeli society? Has the IDF’s senior command undergone a similar process of institutional conditioning, creating an invisible filter that allows only officers who share a particular worldview to reach the General Staff table? Critics of the defense establishment see clear parallels, beginning with the system of appointments. Unlike many democratic countries in which elected political leaders exercise decisive influence over the identity of senior military commanders, promotions at the top of the IDF are largely driven by a system of internal selection — essentially, “friends promoting friends.” The appointment rounds controlled by the serving Chief of Staff and senior generals create a powerful filter. Officers with unconventional, offensive thinking, or those willing to challenge established assumptions, often find themselves blocked somewhere along the middle ranks. Those who eventually make it to the top floors of the Kirya are frequently those who have learned to speak the same language, adopt the same terminology of “containment” and “conflict management,” and align themselves with the prevailing institutional consensus.

This is a great interview. Xi Van Fleet is an inspiration. She was born in China, lived through the Cultural Revolution, and was sent to work in the countryside at the age of 16. After Mao’s death she was able to go to college to study English and has lived in the United States since 1986. In 2021, she delivered a school board speech in Loudoun County, Virginia against Critical Race Theory that went viral and ignited national conservative media attention. She now devotes her time and energy full time to warning about the parallels between Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China and what’s unfolding in America today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIsuGCoKE-Y

Live Update From the Liveblog of Friday, August 21, 2026 By AFP Today, 2:22 pm Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says it is time to end the months-long Middle East war with the United States and Israel because Tehran is in a position of strength over Washington. “It is better that we bring the war to an end now, as we are in a position of power and dignity, and the whole world acknowledges our victory and emphasizes that America has attacked our schools, hospitals and infrastructure in violation of all regulations and is hated around the world,” he says in a meeting with doctors.

ethno-nationalism dissected