But are overarching, complicated cabals with many players and moving parts influencing world events? Nah. Belief in them is widespread, however, and discloses various personal traits.
Diplomatic Switcheroo in Chinas
The squabbles may seem absurd and petty, but the peace between China and Taiwan has stuck for 70 years without a shot fired and indeed incredible economic benefits inuring to both Chinas and their partners abroad.
The Realignment of the American Political Mind
Whether the lure of authoritarianism is strong or is awakened in us, whether we’re angry or not: these are the new divisions. As fractured in so many metrics as we are, the result in this new America is we’re all now student-victims at Trump University.
Oh No, Jerusalem
Trump’s move, one of the most ill-considered US actions in the Middle East for a generation is just the latest iteration of a dynamic between a horribly unqualified president and the millstone of poison ideologies which will grind the region into dust.
Fear of a Black Flag: The Islamic State’s Propaganda and Future
Al Qaida’s dull Osama-lectures in Arabic never had the pizazz of IS’s sleek magazines and certainly not the charisma of their reality-tv snuff films. Their gruesome short films are filmically excellent.
The Real Reasons For This Qatari Kerfuffle
The allegation Qatar supports terror is rich coming from the Saudis who for decades have been promoting and subsidizing Wahhabism, the sharp end of fundamentalism which is intellectual architecture for ISIS.
Finding Aggressive Patriotism at the World’s Militant Theme Parks
Patriot Park is the physical manifestation of aggressive patriotism added to a cult of personality centered on Vladimir Putin, both popular in Russia lately. It was opened by President Putin himself last year.
A Yemeni Catastrophe That is Being Totally Ignored
We don’t hear much about it in part because the West is more concerned with Syria and Iraq’s rolling disasters, and tribal beefs in obscure, non-oily countries don’t interest us. Horribly though, we favor the Saudi destroyers.
Book Exposes World of the Sons of the North Korean Elite
That said, Ms. Kim’s book is one of the most insightful reads a NK buff can use to explore from an armchair. Published in 2014, it could have been written yesterday, nothing has changed.
What’ll Happen in the Syria Civil War?
Only a fool would predict, so here goes: Lebanon’s war lasted 15 years, but Syria’s will last longer because the foreign backers are in it for the long haul: for global, not regional, victory.