Last words
Marx noted that history reoccurs, first as tragedy, then as farce. We seem to be living in a period where history remains unlearned yet is... Read More
The global crisis of leadership
Yes, leaders are a reflection of their time, and people the world over might have finally reached the breaking point. Their cry for trusting, caring, and... Read More
Hail the Carnival King!
According to Bakhtin, the power of carnival comes from the way it subverts the rules of everyday life, reverses power dynamics and sweeps people up... Read More
Mistakes were made – part II
The US is now in the process of choosing its next president. Everyone – in America and beyond – should insist that all the candidates... Read More
The US and Russia
Russia and the US have a deep shared interest in their own and global security. They form, in effect, the Western and Eastern boundaries of... Read More
Broken states never heal themselves
Broken states never heal themselves and can only be put back together with the prolonged involvement of outsiders working together to end the violence, impose... Read More
Delicate dilemma – why the US must sustain Israel’s security
The present volatile situation in the Middle East is such that the US needs Israel more than ever if it is to keep secure its... Read More
The nuclear deal and militarisation of the Middle East
Support from the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries for the nuclear deal with Iran was attained with promises of substantial increases in arms sales and intelligence sharing, thereby... Read More
Before and beyond the Syrian calamity
No solution to the Syrian calamity can be found without first establishing the historical perspective and the root causes that gave rise to this catastrophe.... Read More
Civic fantasy
The United States is trying to build the South Vietnamese Army in Iraq (and Syria).
Can the US-Iran nuclear deal hold?
The great game with Iran is the oldest and the most interesting example of the US exerting its dominance towards becoming not just energy independent,... Read More
The future of (nuclear) war
The taboo against the use of nuclear weapons is fading as newer nuclear powers consider whether to use them as they would any other tools... Read More
In praise of buffer states
The United States and its NATO allies have long neglected an historical and geo-strategic truism: we need buffer states to avoid direct confrontation between regional... Read More
Confronting ISIS – military intervention or peaceful alternatives?
In the absence of a viable solution the crimes committed by ISIS, it is arguable that intervention is the only available route. However, the first step to... Read More
Ebola and the paradox of human rights
The current situation surrounding Ebola in the United States helps highlight a bizarre paradox of our time. We have become so obsessed with romanticized notions of “human... Read More
Iraq, Syria and the MidEast – what is to be done?
The essential fact of the sectarian conflicts (internal and external) that have characterized the MidEast for decades has been the artificial boundaries left behind by... Read More
NATO reform needed
It is time for the citizenry of NATO countries to demand that the principles contained in the original NATO treaty be honoured and that Article... Read More
Russia/China – containment?
Any effort to contain Russian and China should accept that they will insist on their own regional interests and that none of us has anything... Read More
Michael Brown and social fission
The bottom line is not that democracy is dead or activism is pointless, but that the accelerating decline of Western power creates unlimited possibilities for... Read More
Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. – the saga continues
The current crisis should encourage Europeans and Russians to explore structures to push security and political collaboration to the same high level as economic integration.... Read More
US foreign policy and Ukraine
The US might form its policy around building and maintaining multilateral commitment to prevent, diffuse and contain conflicts, using its sense of right and wrong... Read More
Time to begin thinking about world government?
What might a world citizen look like while there is still no world government? The first example might be Edward Snowden. Whether he meant to... Read More
Fundamentalists take US hostage
Will the Tea Party fundamentalists see the light and release their hostage before the US plunges into default in mid-October? Will the Republican leadership finally... Read More
Syria and a possible UN approach to chemical weapons
The UN would likely play a key role in verifying and overseeing an effort to put Syria’s weapons under international control. But the UN Security... Read More
What should the US do on Syria?
For the US to act as part of the international community and through the UN, it must commit itself in this particular case – and... Read More
