LATEST ANALYSIS:
In America’s Competition With China, Democracy Could Lose
If the president condemns a manipulated election in Thailand, the U.S. could lose its oldest Asian ally. Ahead of the Thai elections, Brian Klaas reviews the stakes, in The Atlantic.
Erdoğan: a failure of moderate Islamism
Erdoğan was held up as the example of pragmatic Islamism. That was before he became a corrupt autocrat, Islamic State facilitator and enabler of global disorder. Arthur Snell explains, in Not All Doom.
Can TV soaps get Erdoğan re-elected?
Are Turkish soaps helping Erdogan to stay in power? David Patrikarakos investigates the soft power potential of Turkish ‘dizis’, for Unherd.
The End of America’s Title 42
Under Title 42, many migrants to the US were blocked from requesting asylum at all – what lies ahead with the policy expiring? Alexandra Hall Hall explores in Byline Times.
The Russo-Ukrainian War by Serhii Plokhy review — the myths and madness behind Putin’s invasion
The new magisterial book - ‘The Russo-Ukrainian War’ by leading historian Serhii Plokhi explains how long-held Russian imperial delusions lay behind the attack on Ukraine. Review by David Patrikarakos in the Times.
The Billion Dollar Shack
Nauru, a tiny little belly button nation in the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean, is the most interesting island you've never heard of. Follow Brian Klaas into a history of isolation, sudden riches, lost paradise and uncertain future - a story of globalization and interdependence.
Syrian President Al-Assad Plays a Strong Hand in Diplomatic Poker.
A winning hand for President al-Assad? Despite years of isolation and a poverty-stricken population, the Syrian regime has strong diplomatic cards to play… James M. Dorsey explains.
Shaping a 21st-century world order: The nation-state vs the civilizational state
US President Joe Biden positions the Ukraine war as a battle between autocracy and democracy, but that reduces what is at stake in the war: the nature of the state. And Putin isn’t the only civilizational leader out there… James M. Dorsey explores.
The Wagner Files
Wagner Group has catapulted out of the shadows and into the fore as the invasion of Ukraine wages on and the group expands its influence in Africa. Now, internal documents reveal how the mercenary group operates. David Patrikarakos explores in Unherd.
Research Collaboration with High-Risk Countries: What does the UK Public Think?
As geopolitical tensions continue to increase, so does research collaboration with international actors such as China. What risks should the UK Government, universities, and UK-based research programmes be aware of? And what do the British public think? Helena Ivanov writes for the Henry Jackson Society.
Sudan proves that the only thing worse than Western meddling is Western absence
As the situation in Sudan escalates, it is clear that the root problem of contemporary Western foreign policy isn’t meddling too much; it’s meddling too little. Jason Pack explains in The Telegraph.
Sudan, the War in Yemen and the Company You Keep
Britain's allies in the war in Yemen were the paymasters of the genocidal group now laying waste to Khartoum. Perhaps the paymasters should seek to end the fighting? Arthur Snell explores in Not All Doom.
How Trump Could Win
Donald Trump is deeply unpopular outside his base and is facing multiple criminal investigations that could land him in jail. But...he could also win the 2024 US presidential election. Brian Klaas explains how in the Garden of Forking Paths.
The football hooligans fighting for Ukraine
Donetsk's ultras are the ultimate survivors. David Patrikarakos dives into the world of the football hooligans who have become part of the Ukrainian resistance, in Unherd.
The Red States Experimenting with Authoritarianism
Republican States are becoming laboratories for authoritarianism. Brian Klaas explains, in The Atlantic.
Artificial Intelligence Poses a Huge Threat. It's Time to Put a Seatbelt on It
Our already-too-fractured democracy faces yet another threat, as AI reaches the next stage of maturity. Is it time for a seat-belt? Jonathan M. Winer co-authors.
British Foreign Policy in a Broken World
Arthur Snell reflects on the extensive shifts in the international order that have taken place over the last two years, suggesting that the UK should recognise its own contribution to the current state of disorder and that the recent Integrated Review Refresh represents a good starting point.
China’s President Xi is Playing GO – and Winning
It’s a new world, but in many ways 2023 is like 1793 all over again… Kenneth Dekleva explores how Xi Jin Ping is playing GO while Russia blunders its chess-moves and the West struggles with tic-tac-toe. In the Cipher Brief.
The Rise of Granfalloon Politics
Why are humans, aligning themselves into meaningless groups that hate each other more than ever before? Borrowing a whimsical framework from Kurt Vonnegut, Brian Klaas explores the political implications of the karass and the granfalloon in Garden of the Forking Paths.
The Great Reshuffle
Longtime rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia announced a deal to restore relations under the auspices of Beijing… what does this warming of relations mean for the major players in the region? Umberto Profazio investigates.