I’ve just published the first part of a long-form essay series called How It All Ends on Substack. This project began as a thought experiment, not a prediction: What happens when a federal government slowly stops working—not with a revolution or collapse, but through neglect, mismanagement, and quiet withdrawal?

Part I, titled The Quiet Drift, focuses on the erosion of federal cohesion in the United States. It traces how state and regional governments have, in many cases, already begun taking the lead on infrastructure, health care, disaster response, and even fiscal policy—often out of necessity, not defiance.

This isn’t a dystopian rant. It’s a systems-level analysis rooted in my background as a soldier, sailor, and consultant with nearly four decades of experience. It’s also informed by my academic grounding in political structures (thank you, University of New Mexico!). I knew that Poli Sci degree was good for something.

The core question isn’t whether the country breaks apart overnight—but whether it’s already breaking apart in ways we’ve simply normalized.

It’s long, yes. But the stakes are high. If you’ve felt like something fundamental is coming loose in how this country operates—or why things feel so directionless—I hope this gives you a framework to think it through.
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🔗 Read Part I on Substack: How It All Ends — The Quiet Drift

The warning signs aren’t subtle anymore.

Collapsing public services. Courts shielding the powerful. Policies that openly punish the vulnerable while rewarding corporations and political allies.

Many Americans are asking the same uneasy question:
Is this just bad governance—or something far worse?

I’ve spent the past few weeks writing a deep, difficult essay about this very question—examining what happens when a society’s foundational agreements, known as the social contract, are intentionally dismantled by those in power.

This isn’t just about political dysfunction or corruption. It’s about an organized effort, stretching back decades, to undo the very idea that governments owe anything to their people.

In my new Substack essay, I explore:

• The history and meaning of the social contract—and how it’s been weaponized.
• How movements like Project 2025 are following an old, dangerous playbook.
• Why today’s economic and political elite aren’t simply ignoring collapse—they’re welcoming it.
• The eerie parallels between our current moment and the fall of the Roman Republic.
• Why “bread and circuses” still work—until the bread runs out.
• Practical, grounded ways communities can resist—not by protesting alone, but by building alternative systems of survival.

This piece isn’t just another rant about politics. It’s a long, researched, and deeply personal reflection on where we are, how we got here, and what comes next.

I also dive into the unsettling mindset driving this crisis—what I call social Darwinism, rebranded, and explain why even tech billionaires like Peter Thiel openly reject democracy in favor of elite survival.

If you’ve ever wondered whether we’re simply living through yet another political crisis, or witnessing something far more dangerous and permanent, I hope this essay offers some clarity—and some ways forward.

👉 Read the full essay here:
The Death Cult’s Endgame: What Happens When the Social Contract Is Deliberately Broken? (Substack)

Most people think of the Civil War as something that happened far from here—fought in places like Gettysburg, Antietam, or Vicksburg. But in the spring of 1862, New Mexico became the front line of a Confederate invasion.

I recently dug into this fascinating—and largely forgotten—chapter of our history, inspired by a local July 4th weekend reenactment of the Battle of Glorieta Pass here in Edgewood. It was a small event, but it sparked something bigger for me: a deep dive into the stories behind New Mexico’s role in the Civil War.

Here’s what I discovered:

• Confederate troops really did invade New Mexico, aiming to seize the Southwest and Colorado’s gold fields.
• Along the way, they occupied Albuquerque and Santa Fe, flying the Confederate flag over the oldest capital city in the United States.
• At Valverde Ford, a bizarre and tragic “kamikaze mule” episode unfolded—one of the strangest moments of the war.
• Hispano New Mexican fighters, many of whom had been Mexican citizens just 14 years earlier, defended their homes with ferocity—motivated by long-standing animosity toward the invading Texans.
• Kit Carson and New Mexico volunteers played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s identity, laying the groundwork for eventual statehood.

I tell the full story—including the battles of Valverde and Glorieta Pass, the Confederate retreat, and why this history still resonates today—in my latest Substack essay:

👉 Read the full essay here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/axelnewe/p/the-battle-for-the-far-west-new-mexicos

It’s more than just a war story. It’s about the layers of identity in New Mexico—how families that had been here for centuries shaped the territory’s future and fought to defend it. That same dynamic still echoes today, even if most people have forgotten it.

Sometimes, the most fascinating parts of history aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones hiding in plain sight, right under our feet.

Back in May, I wrote this blog post to share a white paper I had written on the quiet dismantling of America’s healthcare safety net—Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA.

At the time, I knew it was serious. I didn’t expect it to start moving this fast.

Since then, the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed, triggering new waves of cuts, privatization, and eligibility rollbacks—some hidden in plain sight, others buried in legislation that few people outside of Washington noticed. Even fringe healthcare proposals have started creeping into the mainstream.

So I’ve written a follow-up.

This new essay is far more than an update—it’s a deep dive into the accelerated erosion of Medicare, Medicaid, and VA healthcare, the growing risks for millions of Americans, and what we can still do to push back before it’s too late.

You can read it here on my Substack:
👉 Hollowed Out: How America’s Healthcare Safety Net Is Quietly Being Dismantled

I’m keeping this blog as a running record of these shifts—not because I think anyone’s sitting around reading my archives, but because these fights over healthcare are going to define the next few years in ways that many people won’t see coming.

If you’ve followed my writing before, you know this isn’t just a political exercise for me. This is personal. These policies affect veterans, working families, seniors, and anyone who depends on the healthcare safety net to survive.

I’ll keep tracking it.

Some ships are remembered for glory. Others, for firepower or fame.

My first ship wasn’t glamorous or fast. She wasn’t even armed.

But USS Merrimack (AO-179) was my first ship, and she taught me more than I ever expected about leadership, grit, and life at sea.

I recently wrote a full tribute to her, blending history with personal stories, including photos of her service and final days. You can read the full version here:

👉 Read the Full Tribute (with photos) on Substack​
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​Excerpt from My Full Tribute:
USS Merrimack wasn’t just another ship. She was a lifeline to the fleet, delivering fuel, supplies, and support wherever she was needed.

She was also my first ship.