American Freedom Alliance

The Western Story: Episode 6

Episode 6 The Genres of Western Learning 
Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson

The Greeks, as the saying goes, had a word for it – and rules to go with it. Classical authors who worked within a given literary genre always followed those rules, which governed their vocabulary, meter, style, form, content and length. The modern world has rejected these rules in the name of freedom, but this has not served so much to free the author as to confuse him, and his audience too.

Passionate about a stronger, freer future? Connect with like-minded patriots today
X                           @AFAlliance https://x.com/AFAlliance
WEBSITE               https://americanfreedomalliance.org/
NEWSLETTER       https://americanfreedomalliance.org/join-us/
SOCIAL MEDIA      https://solo.to/afalliance
PODCASTS            https://americanfreedomalliance.podbean.com/

🚨 HELP US MEET OUR FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE!
ANY DONATION IS A STEP TOWARDS UNLOCKING $250,000!
Please consider contributing at this link https://give.cornerstone.cc/americanfreedomalliance

The Western Story: Episode 5

Episode 5 The Rise of Islam and its Wars with Europe 
Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson

The current tensions between Muslims and the West comprise simply the latest chapter in a long story. Islam spread with extraordinary speed during the first century of its existence, at Christianity’s expense. Later, Islam reached its apogee when the Ottoman sultans pushed their armies to the gates of Vienna. But the tide turned when Christianity came to terms with rationalism, while Islam turned back to fundamentalism when challenged by progress and change.

Passionate about a stronger, freer future? Connect with like-minded patriots today
X                           @AFAlliance https://x.com/AFAlliance
WEBSITE               https://americanfreedomalliance.org/
NEWSLETTER       https://americanfreedomalliance.org/join-us/
SOCIAL MEDIA      https://solo.to/afalliance
PODCASTS            https://americanfreedomalliance.podbean.com/

🚨 HELP US MEET OUR FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE!
ANY DONATION IS A STEP TOWARDS UNLOCKING $250,000!
Please consider contributing at this link https://give.cornerstone.cc/americanfreedomalliance

A Republic if We Can Keep It - Dr. Bradley Thayer

"A Republic... if you can keep it:" Ben Franklin's words are often cited as a warning regarding the fragility of the nation our Founders had crafted, and at this moment, even as we have so much to celebrate, the fragility is feeling particularly acute.
Dr. Bradley Thayer reminds us of what is at stake, and the truest nature and tactics of our foes.
A celebration, a warning, and an impetus to stand up for the good guys.
*Recorded in Los Angeles CA November 20th 2025

Dr. Bradley Thayer is a Fellow of the American Freedom Alliance and Founding Member of the Committee on the Present Danger: China, and in that capacity has contributed to countless events including several AFA conferences. Formerly, he was a Special Governmental Employee in the Department of Homeland Security where he contributed to the January 2021 report DHS Strategic Action Plan to Combat the Threat Posed by the People’s Republic of China. He has been a Visiting Fellow at Magdalen College, University of Oxford, and Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University. His research focuses on the existential threat to the U.S. from Marxism-Leninism and the Chinese Communist Party.
His expertise, analyses and eloquence on this threat to Western Civilization are crucial to our understanding of this foe, and to our ability to defend against it.
Dr. Thayer’s most recent book is 'Embracing Communist China' which he co-authored with James Fannell.

'Embracing Communist China: America's Greatest Strategic Failure' on Amazon https://a.co/d/h9Oscd1

🚨 HELP US MEET our MATCHING CHALLENGE GRANT!

YOUR DONATION of any amount will be critical to our meeting this challenge, and to playing a continued role in creating and sharing this crucial content that helps DEFEND AND SAVE WESTERN CIVILIZATION!
Please consider contributing at this link https://give.cornerstone.cc/americanfreedomalliance

The Western Story: Episode 4

Episode 4 The Synthesis of Judaism, Christianity and Classical Learning
Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson

Why did Western civilization survive the fall of Rome? The answer, in part, is that Rome had become Christianized, thus infusing Western civilization with a Judeo-Christian spirituality that appealed to the Northern European “barbarians.” In embracing Christianity, the barbarians embraced Rome too, even as they destroyed its empire. The synthesis with Judaism and Christianity assured the West’s survival.

Passionate about a stronger, freer future? Connect with like-minded patriots today
X                           @AFAlliance https://x.com/AFAlliance
WEBSITE               https://americanfreedomalliance.org/
NEWSLETTER       https://americanfreedomalliance.org/join-us/
SOCIAL MEDIA      https://solo.to/afalliance
PODCASTS            https://americanfreedomalliance.podbean.com/

🚨 HELP US MEET OUR FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE!
ANY DONATION IS A STEP TOWARDS UNLOCKING $250,000!
Please consider contributing at this link https://give.cornerstone.cc/americanfreedomalliance

The Western Story: Episode 3

Episode 3 Can Democracy Be Dangerous?
Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson

The Greeks invented democracy, but they never perfected the formula. Unrestrained democracy leads to mob rule, so the Romans instituted a republic with checks and balances. But placing too many checks on democracy leads to oligarchy and tyranny. Modern-day Americans want equality and liberty, but can we have both in equal measure? We’re still tinkering with the formula, trying to get it right.

Passionate about a stronger, freer future? Connect with like-minded patriots today
X                           @AFAlliance https://x.com/AFAlliance
WEBSITE               https://americanfreedomalliance.org/
NEWSLETTER       https://americanfreedomalliance.org/join-us/
SOCIAL MEDIA      https://solo.to/afalliance
PODCASTS            https://americanfreedomalliance.podbean.com/

🚨 HELP US MEET OUR FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE!
ANY DONATION IS A STEP TOWARDS UNLOCKING $250,000!
Please consider contributing at this link https://give.cornerstone.cc/americanfreedomalliance

UK as Urgent Warning to America: Same Threats, Different Continent - Peter Mcilvenna

In this episode of Parresia, Dr. Karen Siegemund hosts Peter McIlvenna, founder of the Hearts of Oak podcast and a board member and fellow of the American Freedom Alliance. They discuss the history and scale of grooming gangs in the UK—emerging publicly in the 1970s, involving over 500 convictions across more than 40 towns—and the institutional reluctance to address them due to concerns over social unrest. McIlvenna draws parallels to similar issues in Sweden, Germany, and France, while highlighting demographic shifts as a cautionary note for the United States. The conversation explores broader cultural differences between Islamic and Western values on topics like human rights, women's status, and martyrdom, before examining the UK's loss of national identity, the influence of cultural Marxism in education, and the church's shift toward contemporary social issues. A sobering examination of societal vulnerabilities and lessons for preserving freedoms.

Peter McIlvenna is the co-founder and host of Hearts of Oak, a UK-based podcast on topics related to Western Civilization, freedom of speech and other aligned issues. Mr. McIlvenna is a guest on many high-profile broadcasts, has been a sought-out commentator and international correspondent and is also a frequent speaker including at the American Freedom Alliance and the Council for National Policy. He has also been published in The Federalist and many other publications. 
Peter was Nigel Farage’s UKIP party’s national campaign manager, a senior researcher for the UKIP group, and has been Chief of Staff to Lord Pearson of Rannoch in the House of Lords since 2015.
He has been a determined advocate for free speech, freedom of religion, and the Judeo-Christian values, principles and morals on which Western Civilization is predicated, and we are enthusiastic about including him as an AFA Fellow.

Connect with Peter and Hearts of Oak
X                               @HeartsofOakUK   https://x.com/HeartsofOakUK
GETTR                      @heartsofoak         https://gettr.com/user/heartsofoak
WEBSITE                   https://heartsofoak.org/ 

🚨 HELP US MEET OUR MATCHING GRANT CHALLENGE! https://give.cornerstone.cc/americanfreedomalliance
AFA has been challenged to raise $250,000, every dollar of which will be MATCHED by a generous donor, but only when we reach the full goal amount.
That means YOUR contribution is the key to unlocking this gift of $250,000
We’ve made great strides, but we still have a way to go — and the clock is ticking.
This funding will power more of the exceptional events you’ve come to expect from AFA — world-class conferences, conversations and forums that address the ever-shifting threats to Western Civilization and America.
We are also working on new initiatives designed to:
-   Increase our reach and effectiveness in informing the public about these threats,
-   Empower us to address them, and
-   Embolden our community to stand strong for the principles that keep us free and prosperous.
With your help, we can meet this challenge and expand our impact.
Please give generously today — your support makes all the difference.
Thank you for standing with us.

The Clash of Civilizations - Ann McElhinney & Phelim McAleer

In this episode of the Parresia podcast, host Karen speaks with filmmakers and journalists Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer about their verbatim play based on survivor testimonies from the October 7 attacks in Israel. They recount their decision to travel to Israel shortly after the events to record firsthand accounts, discuss the challenges of staging the production amid security concerns, and examine the media's early framing of the conflict, including debates on proportionality and historical patterns of bias. The conversation also touches on their broader work in investigative storytelling through film and theater.

Ann McElhinney is an investigative journalist and filmmaker whose projects include the documentaries FrackNation, Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer, and My Son Hunter. She co-hosts the podcast The Scoop with her husband and frequently collaborates on verbatim theater productions that draw directly from real-life transcripts and interviews.
Phelim McAleer is an Irish journalist, playwright, and filmmaker known for works such as Mine Your Own Business, FrackNation, and FBI Lovebirds: Under the Covers of the Russia Probe. He co-hosts The Scoop podcast and has developed verbatim plays like Ferguson and the recent October 7th production, focusing on underrepresented stories through unedited personal narratives.

Connect with Ann & Phelim
WEBSITE                          https://unreportedstorysociety.com/
X                                       @annmcelhinney   https://x.com/annmcelhinney
                                          @PhelimMcAleer   https://x.com/PhelimMcAleer

🚨 HELP US MEET OUR MATCHING GRANT CHALLENGE! https://give.cornerstone.cc/americanfreedomalliance
AFA has been challenged to raise $250,000, every dollar of which will be MATCHED by a generous donor, but only when we reach the full goal amount.
That means YOUR contribution is the key to unlocking this gift of $250,000
We’ve made great strides, but we still have a way to go — and the clock is ticking.
This funding will power more of the exceptional events you’ve come to expect from AFA — world-class conferences, conversations and forums that address the ever-shifting threats to Western Civilization and America.
We are also working on new initiatives designed to:
-   Increase our reach and effectiveness in informing the public about these threats,
-   Empower us to address them, and
-   Embolden our community to stand strong for the principles that keep us free and prosperous.
With your help, we can meet this challenge and expand our impact.
Please give generously today — your support makes all the difference.
Thank you for standing with us.

The Western Story: Episode 2

Episode 2: Classical Warfare And the Birth of Western Military Dynamism
Hosted by Victor Davis Hanson

How was the West able to conquer the world, and how does it manage to maintain its military edge even today? Part of the answer can be traced back to the Greeks and Romans, whose military innovations comprise a formidable legacy that separates today’s Western armies from their less-lethal adversaries.

Passionate about a stronger, freer future? Connect with like-minded patriots today
X                           @AFAlliance https://x.com/AFAlliance
WEBSITE               https://americanfreedomalliance.org/
NEWSLETTER       https://americanfreedomalliance.org/join-us/
SOCIAL MEDIA      https://solo.to/afalliance
PODCASTS            https://americanfreedomalliance.podbean.com/

🚨 HELP US MEET OUR FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE!
ANY DONATION IS A STEP TOWARDS UNLOCKING $250,000!
Please consider contributing at this link https://give.cornerstone.cc/americanfreedomalliance