American Freedom Alliance

Episode 8: A Century of the Modern and Postmodern West Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson Ever since the days of classical Greece, Western civilization rested upon a bedrock of idealism and civic virtue. Then, amid the confusion and disconnection created by the Industrial Revolution, the West began to turn away from its traditional emphasis on religion, patriotism and family values. Nowadays we all wal...

Bill Whittle, the Master of Ceremonies at our recent Heroes of Conscience Awards delivered a compelling speech, drawing parallels between J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and the current cultural shift, celebrating the triumph of individual heroism and the collapse of outdated narratives. His insightful commentary and recognition of great men and women, including Robert Spencer and John Eastman,...

Irish journalists and filmmakers Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer delivered a hilarious dose of light entertainment with their interactive "Real or Not Real" game, challenging attendees to identify real vs. invented college courses like "Queering God" and "Black and Queer in Leather."  Their witty take on academia’s quirks added a fun twist to the event. On September 6, 2025, the American Freedom...

Episode 7: From British to American Centuries Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson Modern, multicultural America traces its uniqueness among nations to one culture in particular: that of Britain, from whence we originally came. Britain’s geographical isolation as an island nation nurtured the development of a tolerant, resilient political system that favors peaceful solutions negotiated among peers to vi...

We had the distinct honor of presenting Robert Spencer with our prestigious American Freedom Award, recognizing his unwavering commitment to truth-telling, exceptional research, and prolific writing on critical issues concerning threats to our national security. His tireless dedication to uncovering and addressing these challenges with clarity, courage, and intellectual rigor has made an indelible...

Join us in celebrating Dr. John Eastman's remarkable courage and unwavering resolve in the face of relentless lawfare.  We are proud to present him with the prestigious Hineini Award, a new honor recognizing his profound humility and steadfast commitment to doing His will.  Be inspired by Dr. Eastman's acceptance speech, a testament to his dedication and strength. *Introduction by Judge Alex Kozin...

David Mamet, a brilliant cultural commentator and fearless advocate for America, was the pitch-perfect keynote speaker for our Gala. One of America's most acclaimed playwrights, screenwriters, and directors, he is also a Pulitzer Prize winner, a keen observer who captures many aspects of our humanity and culture with unparalleled precision and intensity. His books, too, offer equal intensity and i...

Episode 6: From the Mediterranean to Northern Europe Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson Western civilization was born in Greece and Rome, but today Greeks and Italians must defer to Europe’s northern nations, especially Germany. Power shift northward because the south for centuries was locked in a life-or-death struggle with Islam, leaving the north free to develop cohesive nation-states – and to embra...

Episode 5: Byzantium and the Agents of the Renaissance Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson When something is characterized as “byzantine,” it’s generally not a compliment. But Byzantium, a.k.a. Constantinople, gets a bad rap it doesn’t deserve. After Rome, the city, fell in 476, Rome the empire lived on in the eastern Mediterranean for another 1,000 years with Constantinople as its capital, preserving W...

Episode 4: Rome’s Fall: Continuation or a new Dark Age? Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson Rome thrived by gradually Romanizing the Mediterranean world: absorbing and assimilating conquered peoples and turning them into Roman citizens. But eventually Rome became a victim of its own success. As the empire grew ever larger, the homogenization process broke down. In the countryside, small farms gave way t...

In this episode of Parresia, the American Freedom Alliance's podcast dedicated to amplifying bold voices, host Karen Siegemund sits down with renowned constitutional scholar Dr. John Eastman. Set to be honored with AFA's inaugural Hineni Award at our gala dinner on September 6th in Los Angeles for his unwavering commitment to defending America's foundational institutions, Dr. Eastman shares his fi...

Episode 3: The Ancient Mediterranean Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson The Mediterranean Sea functioned as antiquity’s superhighway, connecting Asia, Africa and Europe in ways that allowed for a dynamic exchange of goods and ideas. Blessed with relatively calm weather and with numerous islands to serve as way stations, the sea was readily navigable. First Athens and then Carthage built maritime empire...

Episode 2: The Individual Versus the State Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson  Greece’s two most powerful city-states offered competing models. Sparta was more authoritarian, limiting its democracy to an oligarchic elite supported by serfs. Athens extended citizenship to a wider group, but often fell prey to the tyranny of the majority. It was Rome that finally managed to square the circle, by combinin...

Episode 1: The Origins of Western Civilization Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson  The West arose in a particular time and place, Greece in the eighth century B.C., during the dark age that followed the collapse of Mycenaean civilization.  An agricultural revolution gave rise to the autonomous yeoman farmer, backbone of the democratic city-state.  Their innovations included constitutional government, f...

Dr. Simone Gold, MD, JD, is one of the heroes who emerged during the Virus-related "crisis." Because of her commitment to science, to healing, to the truth and to the right to free speech, she became a prime target of countless government organizations, culminating in raids, threats and prison, among other cruelties hurled at her by an enraged and weaponized government. Selective Persecution: The...

The Red-Green Axis: Communism and Islam United to Destroy the West A Conversation with Frank Gaffney, Trevor Loudon and Robert Spencer On July 19, 2025, the American Freedom Alliance hosted a compelling and urgent discussion in Los Angeles. This thought-provoking event featured a panel of distinguished experts—Frank Gaffney, Trevor Loudon, and Robert Spencer—who explored the convergence of communi...

This is the eighth and final video in the AFA "History in the News" series hosted by Victor Davis Hanson. In this episode: The mythology surrounding Ronald Reagan and his presidency obscures the reality that he was neither a die-hard conservative nor a dangerous reactionary, but a gifted traditionalist whose pragmatism, communications skills and mastery of compromise allowed him to achieve what wa...

In this episode of Parresia, hosted by Dr. Karen Siegemund, President of the AFA, we sit down with Dr. Simone Gold, a board-certified emergency physician and lawyer renowned for her bold stance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Gold shares her journey from a respected ER doctor to a national figure challenging federal public health policies, which she describes as "lunacy." From organizing frontli...

This is the seventh video in the AFA "History in the News" series hosted by Victor Davis Hanson. In this episode: Presenting the postmodern presidency. Barack Obama's election has allowed the American people to experience firsthand what heretofore had been ideas and theories largely confined to the university - postmodern reasoning, moral equivalence, radical egalitarianism, multiculturalism and u...

This is the sixth video in the AFA "History in the News" series hosted by Victor Davis Hanson. In this episode: When people vote with their feet, they vote for the West. It's been true for centuries, and it remains true today: Non-Westerners emigrate to Western societies in vast numbers seeking personal freedom and a better life. But when people immigrate here illegally, and then resist assimilati...

Welcome to the Parresia podcast, where we embody the ancient Greek concept of bold, courageous speech in the face of misinformation.  In this episode, AFA President, Dr Karen Sigmund sits down with James Simpson, an accomplished author, economist, and former White House budget examiner. Jim dives into the themes of his influential books, including The Red-Green Axis and Manufactured Crisis: The Wa...

This is the fifth video in the AFA "History in the News" series hosted by Victor Davis Hanson. In this episode: For some 2,500 years, Western militaries have enjoyed innate advantages over their rivals. But on occasion, non-Westerners have obtained Western weapons, encouraged anti-war movements among Western populaces, turned Western nations against one another, and used the law of asymmetry to ma...

In this episode of the American Freedom Alliance's Parresia podcast, Dr. Karen Siegemund welcomes Dr. Peter Wood, President of the National Association of Scholars, to discuss the state of education in America. With a shared commitment to bold and truthful discourse, they explore the fundamental purpose of education, from K-12 to higher education, and its role in laying the moral and intellectual...

This is the fourth video in the AFA "History In the News" series hosted by Victor Davis Hanson. In this episode: Astronomical costs, partisan politics and the inability to graduate literate students all characterize the modern university. The solution will require a redefinition of higher education and the end of college as we know it. Passionate about a stronger, freer future? Connect with like-m...

This is the third video in the AFA "History in the News" series hosted by Victor Davis Hanson In this episode: People used to write hit songs about the wonder that was California. Not any more. How did a state with so much inherited and natural wealth manage to squander its advantages? Do the math: California has some of the highest taxes in the nation, yet it also has the worst services, public i...