“One of the asymmetries of history,” wrote Henry Kissinger of Singapore’s patriarch Lee Kuan Yew, “is the lack of correspondence between the abilities of some leaders and the power of their countries.” Kissinger’s one time boss, Richard Nixon, was even more flattering. He speculated that, had Lee lived in another time and another place, he […]
With a new king and a young, untested defense minister, Riyadh has plunged headlong into war in Yemen. At stake is nothing less than the kingdom’s position of leadership in the Arab world. Read Here – Foreign Policy
There was little Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad and Singapore’s Lee Kwan Yew could agree given their historical baggage. Read Here – Wall Street Journal
Xi Jinping is seeking to transform the military into a modern outfit that can “fight and win wars,” acknowledging the effect of corruption on the People’s Liberation Army — the world’s largest ground force — alongside decades of patchy training and tolerance of underperformers. Read Here – Bloomberg
If Netanyahu is ousted, he’ll likely be remembered as a leader who failed to advance the peace process with the Arabs, failed to derail the Iranian nuclear program—despite inveighing against it for years—and devoted most of his energy to preserving a problematic status quo. Read Here – Politico
China’s strongman leader,Xi Jinping, is hoping that a crackdown on dissent and corruption will shore up the party’s rule. He is determined to avoid becoming theMikhail Gorbachev of China, presiding over the party’s collapse. But instead of being the antithesis of Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Xi may well wind up having the same effect. His despotism […]
Russia doesn’t just need petroleum to fuel its tanks and planes, but to pay for them as well. Because oil and gas revenues comprise half the federal budget, defense spending is tethered to energy prices. Read Here – Moscow Times
Critical events of early 2015—cheap oil and Middle East violence—will probably continue to take their toll as the year goes on, according to a new projection of geopolitical hot spots. Lower overall prices for commodities may hurt the economies of resource-rich nations. Read Here – Bloomberg
America should think twice about arming Ukraine as Russia could easily help China achieve its dreams in the South China Sea. Read Here – National Interest
The rise of China, changing power dynamics, territorial disputes in the East and South China Sea, and the U.S. rebalance to Asia have all led to the re-emergence of the Indian Ocean as the center stage for power politics in the Indo-Pacific. Read Here – The Diplomat
