Posts

Showing posts from June, 2025

The Problematic Future with Vengeful Gods

With all the chest pounding and usual White House hyperbole, one would think the world is a safer place. It is not. It is just the opposite. The bombing of Iran by the United States has unleashed a complex set of possible outcomes in a complex and problem ridden part of the world. While it cannot be known at this point in time which outcome or outcomes will result, certain things can be said to be highly probable. There is no question that Iran has been weakened, but it has not been defeated. Nor have the thousands of terrorists lying in wait in every country of the world given up their jihad against the deeply despised great Satan of the West and its little brother in the heart of the Middle East. This very real stateless diaspora has been enlivened and emboldened. Everywhere Americans (and westerners by association) will be looking over their shoulders for the next attack, and more often than not, they will not see it coming. In his brief speech to the nation, Donald Trump thanked Go...

The Realpolitik of the Present Moment

It is a time tested principle of international relations that if one nation issues an ultimatum to another that they must accept "unconditional surrender", it only steels the resolve of the country threatened with the ultimatum - especially before a shot is fired. To suggest such an outcome in the current environment in the Middle-East is not only a strategic error, it is the height of diplomatic stupidity. It is also a clear and frightening indication of the impulsive ignorance of a so-called world leader. Herein lies the rub: the President of the United States is suffering badly in the polls. Even if he contemplates that his pre-election promises to end all wars are remembered by the people who elected him, it does not matter to his fragile ego. It is also a sad pattern that when leaders see their popularity plummeting, they are inclined to rattle their sabers - and worse to use them in a manufactured war. The risk that this could happened has been heightened. The pretext o...

Snakes in the Grass

In the geo-political environment that swirls around us there are many metaphorical "snakes in the grass" - venomous, mostly with offensive intent, waiting to strike when the circumstances serve their interest. These snakes lead countries and use whatever resources they can muster to advance those interests, and especially, to retain and exercise the power in their environment. This has been the state of nature in geo-politics throughout history. Modern snakes like Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu have slightly different modus operandum. Modi lies deep in the grass, moving in subtle ways to strike against the Muslim minority in India and suggesting, but never really effecting, the removal of barriers to trade in his market. Speak to any business about the challenges in accessing the Indian market. Netanyahu on the other hand is more overt. He continues to prosecute a near genocidal and revengeful war well beyond the pretense that propelled Israel into the fray. His persona...