The Unlikely Buddha

Former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, known for her independent streak and pivotal votes, now grapples with a salacious civil lawsuit alleging she shattered a North Carolina family's 14-year marriage. Heather Ammel, ex-wife of Sinema's former bodyguard Matthew Ammel, filed in Moore County in September 2025 under the state's rare "alienation of affection" law—one of only six remaining in the U.S.  The complaint paints a vivid picture of seduction, luxury trips, and job perks during Sinema's Senate tenure, demanding over $25,000 for emotional distress. The Explosive Allegations The saga began in April 2022 when Sinema hired Army veteran Matthew Ammel, fresh from service with PTSD and addiction struggles, as her personal security. What followed, per the filing, were intimate Signal app messages—"I miss you. Putting my hand on your heart"—towel-clad photos, and shared hotel stays on jaunts to Napa Valley, a U2 concert in Las Vegas with Cindy McCain, Sau...

In his 2012 book * Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy *, Christopher Hayes introduced the concept of a "Crisis of Authority," a phenomenon in which widespread distrust in institutions and elites leads to societal upheaval. Hayes argued that the failures of meritocracy—an ideal system where success is based on talent and hard work—had instead created a self-perpetuating elite class, prone to corruption, incompetence, and detachment from the public. This breakdown in trust, he predicted, would lead to political polarization, populist movements, and deeper societal fractures. Fast forward to today, and Hayes’s analysis feels eerily prescient, particularly when viewed through the lens of Donald Trump’s rise and enduring influence in American politics. The Crisis of Authority in Action   The "Crisis of Authority" is rooted in the public's growing disillusionment with traditional institutions—government, media, academia, corporations...