“There were probably Arabs before there was Arabia,” writes Tim Mackintosh-Smith in his extraordinary new survey of these peoples. After all, what does the word “Arab” even mean? For Arabs themselves the term remains elusive: the Egyptian writer and public intellectual Taha Hussein argued that the people to whom the label applied were “in utter […]
The U.K.’s government under new Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stepped up planning and funding for a no-deal Brexit, but many feel that contingency plans will not be enough to mitigate the fallout from an increasingly likely abrupt departure from the EU. Read Here – CNBC
Time and again, the long view in China has stood in sharp contrast to America’s short-term approach. Sun Tzu put it best in his ancient treatise, The Art of War: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” Read Here – Project Syndicate
The US-dominated G1 world is long gone, and the G2 system in which America and China shared hegemonic responsibilities is now fading into memory. In today’s G-minus-2 world, US and Chinese policies threaten to have devastating consequences for the global economy. Read Here – Project Syndicate
As China transformed, many Western scholars and policymakers predicted that economic reform and integration into the world economy would force the country to liberalize politically and become a “responsible stakeholder” in the international system. The idea, sometimes called “convergence theory,” was that as China grew wealthier, it would become more like the United States. The theory was […]
In terms of harshness, the Yalta and Potsdam accords of 1945 were far tougher (on the Germans) than Versailles — and far more successful in keeping the peace. The failure of Versailles remains a tragic lesson about the eternal rules of war and human nature itself — 100 years ago this summer. Read Here – […]
The politics of the European Union, however, look increasingly pre-democratic. In this new Ancien Régime – much as in the old one – officials condemn petty theft while absolving themselves of more serious crimes. Countries that wish to join the EU are instructed to scrub their institutions of corruption before they can even be considered […]
On the whole, Beijing benefits from better relations between Islamabad and Washington. Chinese officials have regularly counselled their Pakistani counterparts to preserve ties with the US, even in the aftermath of the Osama bin Laden raid, which humiliated Pakistan. Deep mutual trust underpins the China-Pakistan relationship, so renewed communication between Islamabad and Washington is unlikely […]
Across the Continent, the reaction to his ascension to the U.K.’s highest political office has been marked more by gallows humour than genuine concern about what his tenure might bring. From Brussels to Berlin, everyone seems to have a personal “best of Boris” list. Read Here – Politico Also Read – Boris Johnson Promises To Take […]
Known in China as a ‘loyal communist warrior’, Li is also remembered abroad as the ‘Tiananmen Butcher’ for his hardline backing of the crackdown on student-led protests in 1989. Death of controversial politician prompts renewed calls for him to ‘be held accountable’ for bloodshed three decades ago. Read Here – South China Morning Post
looking beyond borders 