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the US Congress Structure

Leadership House vs. Senate: Key Differences Aspect House Senate Members 435 100 Term length 2 years 6 years Election cycle All seats every 2 years 1/3 of seats every 2 years Representation By state population 2 per state (equal) Power Can initiate tax/budget bills Can reject or modify House bills Why Both Chambers Exist TheContinue reading “the US Congress Structure”

South Africa Demographic History of Settlers

A Demographic History of Settler South Africa By Jeanne Alexandra Cilliers

Taiwan Defense Spending

Why the U.S. Controls the Timeline Taiwan must pay for its U.S. arms purchases from its own defense budget Factor Why It Works This Way U.S. production schedules The U.S. defense contractors have fixed production lines and can only make so many weapons per year; they allocate slots to different countries Congressional approval U.S. CongressContinue reading “Taiwan Defense Spending”

The PORCUPINE Act

What the PORCUPINE Act Does The full name is the “Providing Our Regional Companions Upgraded Protection in Nefarious Environments Act”—PORCUPINE is an acronym. The bill was introduced in the Senate in May 2025 by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and passed the Senate unanimously on December 11, 2025. A companion House version (H.R. 7146) was introducedContinue reading “The PORCUPINE Act”

Why the U.S. lost the Vietnam War

Why the U.S. lost the Vietnam War despite having superior military technology and resources? American conventional military doctrine was poorly suited to the guerrilla type of war. To win a guerrilla war you need to The Tet Offensive (January 1968) was the turning point.What had happened? North Vietnam and the Viet Cong launched a massiveContinue reading “Why the U.S. lost the Vietnam War”

Normalisation with China in 1972 Nixon

This was driven by several strategic motivations: Triangular diplomacy was the primary driver. By establishing ties with China, Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger aimed to exploit the Sino-Soviet split—the growing rift between the Soviet Union and China. Playing the two communist powers against each other gave the US leverage in Cold WarContinue reading “Normalisation with China in 1972 Nixon”

Board of Peace vs. UN comparison

Enforcement Mechanisms: Board of Peace vs. UN Aspect Board of Peace UN Primary enforcement tool Financial leverage: Withholding reconstruction funds and donor money from non-compliant parties Security Council resolutions: Can authorize sanctions, military intervention, or diplomatic isolation Who decides enforcement Trump (Chairman) has sole authority to interpret violations and decide consequences; no independent judicial bodyContinue reading “Board of Peace vs. UN comparison”

Cold War (from 1947 to 1991 roughly 44 years)

The term “Cold War” is a contrast to “hot war”: Type Meaning Hot War Direct military combat between nations; actual shooting and fighting Cold War Tension, rivalry, and conflict without direct military combat between the two superpowers The U.S. and Soviet Union never directly fought each other militarily. Instead, they competed through: The conflict wasContinue reading “Cold War (from 1947 to 1991 roughly 44 years)”

Controversies of China’s permanent veto seat in the UN

The Situation from 1949 to 1971 Year Who held the UN seat Who controlled mainland China Situation 1945-1949 Republic of China (ROC/Nationalist) ROC controlled mainland Normal situation 1949-1971 Republic of China (ROC/Nationalist) People’s Republic of China (Communist) Mismatch: The seat holder didn’t control the territory it claimed to represent 1971 onward People’s Republic of ChinaContinue reading “Controversies of China’s permanent veto seat in the UN”

Tik Tok

TikTok ownership as of early 2026 https://x.com/looidrawing/status/2039563577120498087?s=20 Presser(Tiktok US CEO) will work alongside board members including Tiktok CEO Shou Chew, Susquehanna International Group managing director Mark Dooley, Silver Lake co-CEo Egon Durban, DXC CEO Raul Fernandez, TPG senior advisor Timothy Dattels. MGC Chief Strategy and Safety Officer David Scott and Oracle executive VP kenneth Gleuck.Continue reading “Tik Tok”