Int’l Affairs

Top 10 Geopolitical Trends of 2019 Europe’s Populist Surge In 2019, the rise of populism in Europe continued apace. France’s Yellow Vest protesters returned to the streets throughout the year. They also inspired people in other countries throughout Europe and around the world. The populist struggle also advanced in Britain over Brexit, with pro-Brussels forces making numerous attempts to cancel …

The Unstable Middle East  A review of seven Mideast conflicts The dynamics of power politics in the Middle East have drastically changed. There are many conflicting and contrasting historic, economic, geo-political and strategic forces in this part of the world. With the elimination of strong autocrats like Saddam Hussein, Moammar al-Gaddafi; the mauling of Bashar al-Assad in the bloody Syrian …

  Gen. Soleimani’s Assassination cry “havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war  on January 03, Qassim Suleimani, a top Iranian security force commander and the architect of Tehran’s regional military operations, was killed in Baghdad by a drone strike which was authorized by US President Donald J. Trump. The Pentagon justified this gruesome act by claiming that Maj. Gen. …

Democracy of Inhumanity and we the people of Global Conscience  In a synoptic view, global leaders professing to be wise and smart for being elected, turned out to be naïve and egoistically foolish. Once elected under the so-called democracy, they focus their minds on how to get re-elected and how to continue a tragic normality of abnormality against the masses …

America can’t Help Fighting Wars  The question that always haunts the intelligentsia and the hoi polloi alike is that why America can’t help fighting wars? Why its chequered history is replete with wars without any apposite casus belli? The answer to such questions is quite simple: war is an economic sine qua non of the existence of the United States. …

Conflicts to Watch in 2020 he understandings and balance of power on which the global order had once been predicated are no longer operative. Washington is both eager to retain the benefits of its leadership and unwilling to shoulder the burdens of carrying it. As a consequence, it is guilty of the cardinal sin of any great power: allowing the …

China’s Two Development Miracles And the lessons to be learnt Observing the entire course of China’s reform and opening-up in the past four decades, one concludes that the country has performed not only an economic growth miracle but also a social stability miracle – the former is the primary reason for the latter. One of the best manifestations of such …

A Common Theme of Global Unrest George Friedman From Hong Kong to Tehran to Buenos Aires, the world appears to be destabilizing. The question that has been raised is whether there is an underlying cause triggering this global unrest. On the surface, the answer to that ought to be no. There is so much unrest throughout the world at any …

World’s 20 Most Beautiful Airports World Going to the airport is not exactly considered a joyful experience. But sometimes the facilities can make air travel slog feel a bit nicer. Many airports across the globe boast striking architecture, beautiful art, luxury shopping, and even special amenities such as zen gardens, spas and movie theatres. Here are 22 beautiful airports around …

The Middle East and China’s Belt and Road Initiative China’s presence in the Middle East is on the rise, particularly in the framework of its Belt and Road Initiative. As the US draws down its commitments in the region, China has scaled up its engagement, developing relations with a myriad of countries, including those on different sides of regional divides. …