Rubio’s civilizational appeals will backfire
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech at the Munich Security Conference demonstrated he is a...
“Fair Trade” and the revenge against the “Foreigner”: From Chamberlain to Trump
A century before Trump’s tariff threats, Joseph Chamberlain pitched the same idea: use duties as a “big revolver” to force rivals into “fair trade.” That history helps explain why “unfairness” rhetoric and coercive foreign policy keep returning when hegemonic powers decline.
What’s with all the racism?
I’ve been wanting to write this post for some time. But every week just brings more bad news. More...
An Accidental Academic: 20 Years Later
This is my 20th year at the University of Texas. Although my dad was a university professor,...
New
Remembering Our Lost Colleagues
I started this...
Farewell
The Hayseed...
Can the news ever be impartial?
Probably not, but...
Featured
Farewell
The Hayseed Scholar podcast has come to a close. In this farewell episode, Brent's brother...
Benjamin de Carvalho
Dr. Benjamin de Carvalho joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Ben was born in Switzerland to a...
Who wants AI in the classroom?
I get emails. Sometimes they find me well; sometimes they try to convince me that I need to bring...
Recent
How To Review Efficiently and Fairly
Instead of Dry January, I’m going review free for January after having nearly 80 review...
Renee Goode and the limits of false terrorism charges
On 7 January, US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents opened fire on Renee Goode,...
Trump, US foreign policy and Venezuela: Aberration or Honesty?
In my international relations classes, I encourage my students to not just express their (mostly...
ACADEME
Is Peer Review Broken? Should Reviewers Be Paid?
My New Year’s resolution for 2026 is to somehow make peace with reviewing for journals....
Remembering Our Lost Colleagues
I started this post sort of confessionally. It’s been a while since I wrote on the blog. I...
6+1 Questions About “The Social Construction of Christian Persecution through Quantification in International Religious Freedom Advocacy”
What is the name of the journal article (or book) and what are its coordinates? Miray Philips....
6+1 Questions about American Conquest: The Northwest Indian War and the Making of US Foreign Policy
What’s the name of the book, and where can we find it? American Conquest: The Northwest Indian War...