Today, Mobina Riazi chronicles ordinary Iranians’ perseverance and courage in the face of digital censorship by a tyrannical government; Ross Levine announces a new series of letters written in the voice of Adam Smith, focusing on the institutions required for liberty; and Vivek Lall identifies three technologies that hold the key to twenty-first century geopolitical dominance, warning that America needs to take swift action to stay ahead of China in these areas.
Freedom Frequency
A new report by Mobina Riazi in Freedom Frequency describes how citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran are chafing under a surveillance state that increasingly responds to protest by inserting itself into every corner of the internet. Artists, musicians, influencers, and small women-run businesses are among those harassed by Tehran’s censorship apparatus, which seizes and removes content it disfavors, leaving threats and empty “ghost accounts” in its place. But Iranians persist in expressing themselves, often from exile, where they make clear the cruelty of their homeland’s secret cyber police and their hopes for change. “I’m not a traitor—I love my country, just not this government,” one writes on Instagram. “I love a free Iran.” Read more here.
Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations emerged 250 years ago—just as the United States was being born. Smith’s ideas were deeply important to the founders of the new nation, who mined them for inspiration on trade, taxes, political power, markets, and the benefits and challenges of liberty. Now, Hoover Senior Fellow Ross Levine sets out to remind the Americans of 2026 of the wisdom of these views—writing a series of letters in Smith’s own voice—both to dispel the myths and oversimplification that have accrued to Smith’s work and to position his views for today. “Smith understood something many have forgotten,” Levine writes. “Prosperity and freedom are not natural. They require institutions. And institutions require constant defense.” The first letter will appear later this month. Read more here.
Confronting and Competing with China
Writing for National Review, Distinguished Visiting Fellow Vivek Lall warns that “urgent national action is necessary” for the United States to stay ahead of China in the emerging technology “triad” of “nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems.” Lall, chief executive at General Atomics, says that a National Integration Initiative between the Departments of War and Energy is required to quickly “identify and eliminate regulatory roadblocks in each part of the tech triad.” The piece highlights how each element of the emerging technology triad mutually reinforces one another. As Lall writes, “The Chinese approach is intentional, aggressive, and cohesive,” while to this point the United States “has approached the pillars of the tech triad in a relatively scattershot way.” Lall concludes that with decisive action, 2026 can be the year “that we begin building an unassailable lead on the tech triad.” Read more here. [Subscription required.]
Law & Policy
What kind of year was 2025 for free speech? In this special year-in-review episode of Free Speech Unmuted, hosts Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer break down the biggest legal and political fights shaping speech in America right now. From the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision upholding the TikTok divestment law to a pending case that could redefine how much protection professional “talk therapy” gets under the First Amendment, the hosts explain what has happened and why it matters. Beyond the courts, Volokh and Bambauer examine Trump-administration actions involving law firms, universities, and the media, including federal funding threats, alleged retaliation against certain viewpoints, and the FCC’s response to controversial late-night TV commentary. The episode wraps up with a look at when controversial political speech can get employees fired and when the Constitution or state law steps in to protect them. Listen here.
Revitalizing History
Author and historian Richard Hurowitz joins Secrets of Statecraft with Andrew Roberts to discuss his book In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust, which recounts the extraordinary men and women who took immense personal risks to aid people who were being hunted by the Nazis. The conversation explores unforgettable stories of moral courage, including a Portuguese diplomat who saved thousands with a stamp and lost his career, and entire communities in Denmark, Albania, and France that refused to betray their Jewish neighbors. This is a powerful and deeply human discussion about moral responsibility, the nature of courage, and what it means to stand up when standing apart is dangerous — and why these stories still matter today. Listen here.
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