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S. C. Harist

Reform-minded writer exploring power, policy, and representation. Essays on governance, society, and the systems that shape us—written to rethink what we accept as normal.

Ideas, Not Ideologues

Why Belief Must Be Earned, Not Enforced Introduction We live in a world flooded with opinions, yet starved for thought. Every day, we encounter influencers and officials, activists and agitators, all declaring not only what they believe — but that everyone else must believe it too. The rise of tribal loyalty

Understand the Week Ahead

A Preview of What You Need to Understand to Understand This Week’s News Date: Monday, May 25, 2025 Author’s Note This week’s preview is not just a listing of events but a decryption of forces. Behind every bill, case, and hearing is a deeper argument about power:

Betting on the House: How Trump’s Casino Failures Mirror His Second Term

“Stupid is doing the same thing over again and expecting it to work.” Author’s Note This isn’t just about Donald Trump. It’s about a pattern—of failure, denial, and repetition. His bankrupt casinos weren’t outliers. They were previews. And in his second term, America wasn’t

Week’s End: Understand News, Its Processes, and Why It Matters

News from the week of May 18–24, 2025. ✍🏻 Author’s Note As an occasional antagonist, I ask not because I know, but because I refuse to assume. This week didn’t unfold — it was engineered. With sanctions lifted on Syria via executive fiat, the National Security Council hollowed out

One Land, Many Claims

How the Levant Has No Clear Claimant Subtitle: A Historical Essay on the Conquests and Claims of the Land Now Called Israel and Palestine Author’s Note: This essay is written not to settle the question of ownership, but to understand how that question became so entangled in faith, blood,

Sunday Spin Filter

Who’s Framing the Week Ahead? By S. C. Harist | May 24, 2025, for May 25, 2025 Public Affairs TV Shows Author’s Note This week’s Sunday lineup captures the recalibration of power in Washington. As foreign policy hawks reclaim airtime, progressive voices echo economic warnings, and institutionalists defend

The Unbuilding of America

How a nation that built the Hoover Dam let its bridges rot Author’s Note I didn’t write this just to describe broken bridges or outdated pipes. I wrote it because those failures say something deeper about who we are — and who we’ve chosen to be. Infrastructure isn’

What Do They Really Mean? Understanding the Language of the Political Spectrum

From “Radical” to “Moderate,” How Political Labels Shape—and Distort—Public Discourse Author’s Note When we talk about politics, we’re rarely just talking about policies. We’re talking about identities, fears, hopes, and the power of labels. This essay is my attempt to clarify the chaos—by grounding

If the Debate Were Real: Five Voices America Deserves to Hear

Simulating the 2024 Presidential Debate America Didn't Get Author's Note What would happen if the 2024 presidential debate had included not just the two major party candidates — but all those who were constitutionally eligible, had ballot access, and had something real to say? This simulation isn&

Trading Power: How the U.S.–China Economic Relationship Was Built, Broken, and Could Have Gone Another Way

What really happened, who it helped, and what we might have done instead Author’s Note As trade wars, tech tensions, and geopolitical chess moves dominate headlines, it’s easy to forget that the economic marriage between the United States and China was not inevitable. This essay explores how that