Politics

How the Iran War is Changing Everything

The latest regional security shocks have exposed a deeper reality. Hormuz is not simply an oil chokepoint; it is the foundation upon which the modern economies of the Gulf were built.

Assessing Trump's Iran Deal

A war fought in part to eliminate Iranian leverage ended with Iran holding more of it, over Hormuz, over Lebanon, and over the sanctions regime, than it had before the first missile was fired. Whether that trade was worth it depends on whether the next 60 days produce a durable peace or simply a longer, costlier version of the same unresolved fight.

Why is Albert Pinto Always Angry?

Everyone knows that to understand the legal nitty gritty is not everybody’s cup of tea. But everybody at least is entitled to one's common sense.

Israel Without Washington

The real question is whether Israel can remain the kind of Israel that the world has known for the past half-century without American power standing behind it. On that question, the evidence points in only one direction.

Ukraine's Masterstroke and Russia's Crumbling Air Defence

What Ukraine has executed is not merely a military operation. It is a masterclass in the psychological and strategic manipulation of an adversary whose leadership places symbolism above military reality.

Reserved Seats, Real Representation?

Rethinking Women’s Political Empowerment in Bangladesh

The American Experiment at 250

The republic that declared itself in 1776 was, at bottom, an argument that human beings could be trusted, through reflection and iteration, to correct themselves. Two and a half centuries on, having stumbled badly and then caught itself, it has just offered fresh evidence for that argument. The experiment is older now, but it is still running.

Morality Before Democracy

Democracy survives not because leaders are always virtuous, but because citizens possess the courage and awareness to resist injustice.

Europe's Defence Dilemma in an Era of American Retrenchment

A more self-reliant Europe could also stimulate greater defence-industrial cooperation, increased arms exports, and new opportunities for technological and industrial partnerships with smaller states. It may ultimately contribute to a more multipolar international security environment in which European powers exercise greater strategic influence.

Beijing Before Delhi

The significance of this visit lies in whether Dhaka brings the political alignment and focused preparation to match it. The advance preparation of specific project proposals, the investment conference architecture, and the push on FTA negotiations suggest it does.

No One Wins in the Myanmar Civil War

The tragedy in Myanmar will not stop, the junta rules a hollow state, the rebels hold territory but don’t have a future vision moving forward.

Beijing's North Korea Anxiety

Kim is no longer the supplicant figure of earlier years. He bargains now. He postures. He makes patrons come to him.

The Kitchen Cabinet

If the former advisers genuinely believe that a small and influential circle bypassed established processes, then they should go beyond hints and partial disclosures. They should provide a complete account of how decisions were made, who made them, and why the broader advisory council accepted that arrangement.

Modi's Demography Mission is Yet Another Hindutva Gimmick

The clearest sign of gimmickry behind the so-called mission to control Bangladeshi immigrants is that the government has appointed a non-demographer to head an exercise on demographic change.

West Bengal, A Month Later: It's Time to Get Real

It has been exactly a month since the BJP emerged the winner in the Bengal assembly elections. Some changes are more visible than others.

A Monopoly on Violence

Sovereignty is not maintained by lines drawn on a map or by seats held at the United Nations. It is maintained by the absolute certainty that if you attack the forces of the state, the state will break you.