In this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason, Lee Smith welcomes historian Victor Davis Hanson for a clear and grounded look at what defines the “Western way of war” and how it is shaping modern conflict. Hanson explains that, at its core, this approach relies on overwhelming technological superiority, precision targeting, and strategic infrastructure disruption; seeking decisive outcomes without prolonged ground engagements. Drawing on current tensions in the Middle East, he contrasts this doctrine with insurgent-style warfare, arguing that restraint from entering drawn-out, on-the-ground conflicts is not weakness, but strategic discipline.

The conversation expands into a broader geopolitical lens, exploring how economic pressure, supply chain disruption, and coalition dynamics function as extensions of military force. Hanson outlines how blockades and targeted strikes can weaken regimes not only militarily but internally, accelerating political fracture and forcing high-stakes decisions from leadership. With historical parallels ranging from World War II to the Cold War, this episode offers a clear-eyed assessment of how modern power is exercised, and what victory may look like in an era where dominance is measured as much by strategic patience and leverage as by force.

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In this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason, Lee Smith welcomes returning guest J. Michael Waller for a timely discussion on the concept of multipolarity and its growing influence in global affairs.

Smith and Waller examine competing visions of global order, from alliance-based systems rooted in shared interests to spheres of influence dominated by adversarial regimes. The conversation explores the role of NATO, the rise of China, shifting dynamics in the Middle East, and the future of American leadership on the world stage. At a moment of rapid geopolitical change, this episode offers a clear-eyed assessment of what is at stake in the debate over the balance of global power.

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In this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason, Lee Smith welcomes renowned legal scholar Richard A. Epstein for a timely and thought-provoking examination of birthright citizenship and the original meaning of the 14th Amendment. Drawing on decades of scholarship in constitutional and Roman law, Epstein challenges widely accepted interpretations and argues that modern legal frameworks have strayed far from the historical statutes that once governed citizenship in the United States.

Together, they explore the role of naturalization laws, the legal distinction between allegiance and jurisdiction, and the broader implications for national sovereignty and the rule of law. As debates over immigration and citizenship continue to shape the American political landscape, this conversation offers a deeper look at the legal foundations and consequences behind one of the most contested constitutional questions of our time.

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Lee Smith welcomes Constitutional Attorney KrisAnne Hall to examine the original constitutional framework of taxation and how far the United States has departed from the Founders’ design. Drawing on founding-era documents and early American history, Hall explains how taxation was intended to function at the state level, with the federal government relying primarily on tariffs and limited, apportioned contributions from the states. She outlines the philosophical foundation behind this structure, rooted in consent, representation, and the protection of individual liberty.

The discussion traces the pivotal shift from that system to the modern federal income tax, exploring how wartime measures, political incentives, and the passage of the 16th Amendment reshaped the balance of power between the citizen and the central government. Smith and Hall also examine the long-term consequences of direct taxation, the role of regulation in expanding federal authority, and the broader question of whether the current system aligns with the principles of a constitutional republic.

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Lee Smith welcomes educator and author Jake Tawney to examine the true nature of mathematics and its role in shaping both the individual mind and the American founding. Challenging the modern view of math as mere computation, Tawney argues that mathematics is fundamentally about truth, discovery, and the formation of human reason; training the mind to think clearly, pursue what is true, and communicate it effectively.

Drawing on the intellectual traditions of the Founding Fathers, the conversation highlights how mathematical reasoning played a critical role in early American governance, including the debate that led to President George Washington’s first veto. As modern education moves away from these foundations, Tawney makes the case that recovering mathematics as a formative discipline is essential not only for intellectual development, but for the preservation of a free and self-governing society.

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Episode Forty: The Information State and the War for Truth

In this focused discussion, Lee Smith sits down with writer Jacob Siegel to examine what information warfare actually is and how it has evolved from a tool of foreign conflict into a defining force within American political life. Drawing from his new book The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control, Siegel explains how modern information warfare extends beyond propaganda to include the struggle for narrative control, the manipulation of communications systems, and the targeting of decision-making itself.

The conversation traces how efforts to combat foreign disinformation gradually expanded into the regulation of domestic speech, blurring the line between legitimate national security concerns and the policing of American political expression. Smith and Siegel also explore the deeper philosophical roots of information control, the danger it poses to national sovereignty, and what it would take to recover a public sphere that protects both truth and liberty.

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Episode Thirty-Nine: Immigration and the Defense of the American Nation

In this focused discussion, Lee Smith welcomes attorney Erielle Azerrad to examine the intersection of immigration law, national security, and the responsibilities tied to entering the United States. Using the case of Mahmoud Khalil as a focal point, the conversation explores the legal grounds for deportation, the limits of First Amendment protections for non-citizens, and the implications of allowing individuals who support anti-Western or terrorist-aligned ideologies to remain in the country.

Azerrad explains that U.S. immigration law has long recognized the government’s authority to deny entry or remove individuals whose actions pose a threat to national security, while also challenging the growing narrative that frames such cases as free speech disputes. The discussion ultimately turns to broader questions of leadership, visa vetting, and the expectations placed on those seeking to live in the United States, offering a clear reflection on what it means to protect the integrity of the American nation.

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In this episode of Roots, Rights & Reason, Lee Smith speaks with Professor Gregory Roper about why the ability to argue well is essential to the survival of a constitutional republic. Drawing on classical rhetoric and the ancient Roman concept of stasis theory, Roper explains how rational debate once shaped civic life—and why modern culture has largely abandoned the discipline of logical argument in favor of emotional manipulation and political tribalism. The conversation explores how education, media, and social platforms have contributed to the decline of meaningful debate, and what it will take to restore the art of persuasion that once sustained the American republic.

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