Blog
A running commentary on politics, international affairs and culture
With Maduro Gone Democracy Must Remain the Goal
With Maduro now in US custody, we must remember the goal in Venezuela is not just the fall of the regime but the return to democracy.
Let’s Not Give Up on Myanmar
As Myanmar faces a sham election under military rule, its ignored and brutalised democracy movement fights a war the world cannot afford to forget.
Somaliland: The Idea of Earning Recognition
Somaliland has been long deserving of recognition as an independent country, but what should determine this? Is self-determination an absolute right or are there institutional realities to factor in?
US Finally Striking Terror in the Sahel
As the Sahel emerges as the global epicenter of jihadist violence, the recent joint US-Nigerian strikes signal a long-awaited strategic shift toward collaborative intervention in West Africa.
Sharp Power to Oust Maduro?
With things heating up between the US and Venezuela, could Trump's sharp power negotiation technique be a safe and effective way of confronting dictators in the future?
A Ruble for Your Peace?
A US-brokered “peace” that rewards Russian aggression at Ukraine’s expense is not pragmatism but appeasement, and history shows such deals only embolden dictators.
How To Get Away with Occupation
The UN Security Council’s backing of Morocco’s autonomy plan proves that legitimizing illegal occupation is easy if you play it right.
The Taiwan Question
The question over Taiwan has long been personally and politically significant to me. And with things cooling down between the US and China, what might be in store for the world’s most gallant democracy?
Why Is Erdoğan Being So Pragmatic?
The welcome news of Tufan Erhürman’s landslide electoral victory in unrecognized Northern Cyprus marks a significant step toward ending one of Europe’s longstanding conflicts. But why is the Turkish president congratulating him?
A Peace of Hope at Last?
Hamas has fallen, the hostages are coming home, and the war is finally ending. But peace arrives not in triumph, but in ruins — and with bitter lessons unlearned. This is the anatomy of a war that was both inevitable and disastrously mismanaged.
The Weird Axis of the Anglosphere’s Center-Left
As Britain drifts from global heavyweight to geopolitical afterthought, an unlikely alignment between Starmer, Albanese, and Carney could resurrect CANZUK as a serious alternative to US dominance.
Are We Back on Course with Ukraine?
Has Trump’s flip-flopping nature finally flipped the right way at last? Could it be that, after wasting 9 months on isolationist utopia, the US president is finally seeing the optimism that could change the course of the Russian-Ukrainian War?
Libya and Unfinished Business
The NATO intervention to help rebels depose Gaddafi has had lasting consequence, not least the rise of terrorism and Russian influence in Africa.
Been Mugged by Reality, Mr. President?
With Iran’s nuclear facilities destroyed, is the US president finally waking up to the utopianism of his own America First doctrine?
One Good Thing About Trump Presidency: Netanyahu Getting What He Deserves
Relying on slippery allies is a lesson that Europe is quickly learning, but it appears to be one that Netanyahu shouldn't be too far behind on either…
Back to Square One
Hamas’s genocidal assult on southern Israel has prompted the Jewish state to act against the terror group, but the concerns of Israeli unilateralism persist.
From Russia with Destabilization
Putin’s continuous brinkmanship has finally culminated in a full-on invasion of Ukraine, while Western voices attempt to apologize for it.
A Very Afghan Threnody
The Taliban’s victory after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan signals the beginning of a darker world in which human rights will diminish.
Hello? Internationalism?
The struggle of the people of Hong Kong against the CCP’s tyrannical government is a call for us to show solidarity. But why is the much-needed internationalism absent?
Future of UK Politics
While Boris Johnson’s ascendancy to the political throne in the UK is uninteresting in itself, the new fault lines forming in British politics point to a major realignment in the future.