Roundup

Elizabeth Warren’s historically sound case against the filibuster

by Julian Zelizer

The Senate rule has long been used as a weapon against civil rights and other progressive legislation.

It’s time to do away with laws enforcing triumphal national histories

by Matthew Lenoe

Such ‘memory laws’ have become weapons for right-wing nationalists.

Why you don’t need to be French or Catholic to mourn the Notre Dame fire

by Kisha G. Tracy

The cathedral is an important part of our shared cultural heritage.

Why President Trump’s hard-line approach to Cuba is a mistake

by John Ermer

It opens the door to increased Russian influence on the island.

Why Trump Won’t Stop Talking About Ilhan Omar

by Jamelle Bouie

The president is following a Republican playbook that is now nearly two decades old.

When Slaveowners Got Reparations

by Tera W. Hunter

Lincoln signed a bill in 1862 that paid up to $300 for every enslaved person freed.

The return of ‘reefer madness’

by Emily Dufton and Lucas Richert

Both supporters and opponents of legalization are quick to use sensationalism to prove their points, stunting the pursuit of real research needed to determine cannabis’ social effects.

Immigration, Race, and Women’s Rights, 1919 and Today

by Arnold R. Isaacs

The comparison couldn’t, in many ways, be grimmer or more telling. 

Niall Ferguson isn’t upset about free speech. He’s upset about being challenged

by Dawn Foster

Powerful people used to express their views on others unopposed. Now their targets fight back, they find it intolerable.

Lessons From Vietnam on Leaving Afghanistan

by George C. Herring

There’s No Good Way to End a Bad War, but Some Options Are Worse Than Others.

Has Germany Forgotten the Lessons of the Nazis?

by Paul Hockenos

The country’s culture of remembrance is crumbling.

What's behind the surging interest in Pete Buttigieg

by Julian Zelizer

In retrospect, his unexpected viability makes a lot of sense.

How historians got Nike to pull an ad campaign — in under six hours

by Megan Kate Nelson

The multinational corporation dropped its “Lost Cause” ads after historians pushed back.

Why Democratic Presidential Candidates Should Make Climate Change Their #1 Issue

by Walter G. Moss

Nothing else—including medical care, the economy, income inequality, immigration, racism, or the gender or race of a candidate—is more important.

Roundup Top 10!

This week's broad sampling of opinion pieces found on the Internet, as selected by the editor of HNN.

‘Not a racist bone in his body’: The origins of the default defense against racism

by Christopher Petrella and Justin Gomer

The rise of the colorblind ideology that prevents us from addressing racism.

The End of the American Century

by George Packer

What the life of Richard Holbrooke tells us about the decay of Pax Americana.

The Man Who Saw Trump Coming A Century Ago

by Ann Jones

A Reader’s Guide for the Distraught.

What Donald Trump Doesn’t Get About George Washington

by Peter Canellos

“If he was smart, he would’ve put his name on it. You’ve got to put your name on stuff or no one remembers you.”

Anti-vaxxers are comparing themselves to Holocaust victims — who relied on vaccines to survive

by Helene Sinnreich

The comparison is offensive. It’s also historically wrong.