History shows that authoritarian leaders often justify power through dominance—over institutions, rivals, and entire regions. Figures such as Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and Panama’s Manuel Noriega relied on a familiar playbook: centralizing authority, sidelining independent checks, suppressing dissent, and framing coercion as necessary for national security or sovereignty. I lived under the Noriega regime. That pattern […]
Easy to overlook in the flood of news about Venezuela was the announcement by Secretary of Defense (yes, Defense) Hegseth that he had issued a Letter of Censure to retired Navy captain and Senator Mark Kelly and referred him for further possible administrative action to reduce his retired rank and pay. These actions are taken, […]
DATE-TIME GROUP 061800JANUARY 26 FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C. TO: MFA NAGADOCHES CLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLY SUBJECT: SITREP 022 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” – OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS 3-7 JANUARY 2026 SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL […]
The Steady State “Quick Hits” are biweekly meetings held between The Steady State and local/national press discussing current events in the political and intelligence communities. The U.S. attack on Venezuela represented a significant acceleration in the foreign policy realm, of Presidential unilateralism, and illustrated how an increasingly authoritarian executive branch acts outside Constitutional constraints. View […]
New York City Demonstrations in response to US operations in Venezuela – January 3, 2026 Begin with the terrifying thought: “What if the people now exercising power in Washington truly intend not merely to strike Venezuela, or to coerce it, but to run it?” The President has said as much. That is the question increasingly […]
On the anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, veteran national-security leaders and Steady State Sentinel hosts Lauren Anderson, James Lawler, Peter Mina and John Sipher break their silence. Drawing on decades of service in the CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security (DHS), they share where they were that day, what they […]
The U.S. has carved out its own neighborhood, leaving Russia and China to carve out theirs, free of unhelpful western influences and able to license their authoritarian satraps to act in the narrowest of interests. The action by the US in Venezuela at the dawn of 2026 has put in place a vast and very […]
New Map of Venezuela and Gulf of America The United States’ seizure and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 has already produced a flood of contradictory claims and counterclaims. The Trump administration says it is now “running” Venezuela. But President Donald Trump has also said that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez remains […]
The Steady State Sentinel is produced by The Steady State, a community of former national security professionals who spent their careers safeguarding the United States at home and abroad. Today, we continue that mission by staying true to our oaths to defend the Constitution, uphold democracy, and protect national security. Each episode features expert hosts […]
The oath of allegiance taken by George Washington while encamped at Valley Forge, due to a Congressional Resolve of Feb. 3, 1778, that directed ‘every officer who holds or shall hereafter hold a commission or office from Congress’ to take such oath. (National Archives 12043370) In the first part of this series, we examined first-year […]