Courageous Followership and the Fight Against Tyranny: A Reflection on Mises, Hayek, and the Moral Responsibility of Followers

In my work on courageous followership and intelligent disobedience, I have often reflected on the conditions that allow tyranny to take root—and, more importantly, how we can prevent it. The genesis of my work was my grandmother’s loss of her family in the Holocaust. Why do people follow destructive leaders and support destructive systems and how can this be done differently?

USAID’s Legacy of Failure

President Donald Trump’s decision to retire the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has sparked debate across policy circles. Yet, a close examination of USAID’s operational history—its ineffectiveness in achieving economic development, lack of transparency, and its entanglement with politically-connected contractors—reveals that the decision is not only justified but overdue.