As part of my graduate studies, I recently had to read Dr. Walter McDougall’s 1997 book Promised Land, Crusader State: The American Encounter with the World Since 1776. McDougall outlines eight US traditions of diplomacy and foreign policy, which he identified in the process of reviewing previous conceptions of these and the primary source they … Continue reading Promised Land, Crusader State: The Eight Traditions of US Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
Modern Slavery in Southern Europe: What to Know and What We Can Do
Despite the many developments in agriculture, the sector is still heavily dependent on cheap labour. Thus, labour exploitation is rife in the Southern European countryside, present in many countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece. What is gangmastering? Agricultural slavery is organised in a system by which an intermediary – the gangmaster – liaises between … Continue reading Modern Slavery in Southern Europe: What to Know and What We Can Do
“Peacemaking” Hypocrisy: Human Rights Violations are Turning into a Norm Under the Taliban Regime
Despite their promises, the Taliban have failed to honour their word on a number of commitments. There are still ongoing violations of basic human rights (such as the right of women to study and work, and freedom of the media). The amnesty offered to political opponents turned out to be mere lip service. The situation … Continue reading “Peacemaking” Hypocrisy: Human Rights Violations are Turning into a Norm Under the Taliban Regime
Mind the Gap: Global Travel During the Pandemic
There was a period during the pandemic, somewhere near the beginning, where some optimism seeped through. Could this, like so many junctures of calamity in modern history, lead to a further interconnected world? One where a new era of transnational collaboration and unity could come to the forefront, placing shared humanity ahead of conflict, isolationism … Continue reading Mind the Gap: Global Travel During the Pandemic
A Breeze of Democracy?
Since 2013, Venezuela has been on a continuous downward spiral after Maduro assumed the role of presidency, following the death of Hugo Chávez. Little by little, Maduro, with the military by his side, instituted and inserted non-democratic traits into the political institutions such as: persecuting of civil activism, silencing freedom of speech, curtailing free press, … Continue reading A Breeze of Democracy?
The Fascist Lexicon
If The Supreme Leader tramples on the rights of everyone except the Upper Caste Hindu Males - how come the house of cards is still standing? The answer is simple, and that's why it's terrifying.
Child Marriage Continues to Rage all Over the World
What is Child Marriage? Child Marriage, a deplorable practice of marrying children under the age of 18, remains a worldwide scourge to this day. Unfortunately, it is a custom that often involves families who either through custom or belief, consider it right. In order to provide a future for their children, they marry them off … Continue reading Child Marriage Continues to Rage all Over the World
On Socially Acceptable Activism and the Deradicalisation of Taking the Knee
One of the main talking points of the belated 2020 UEFA European Football Championship was the involvement of footballers in coordinated anti-racist protests by taking the knee before the beginning of each match. Notably, the English football team’s decision to protest racism was met with disapproval by a fraction of their own supporters, who decided … Continue reading On Socially Acceptable Activism and the Deradicalisation of Taking the Knee
Controlled Political Mythology and Blame Games
The concept of “enemy image” dates back to the very beginning of ancient state formation. However, it was not until many centuries later that the term came into wide usage within the political context, when German political theorist Carl Schmitt published The Concept of the Political in 1932. Schmitt described the “friend-enemy” distinction as an … Continue reading Controlled Political Mythology and Blame Games
A Glass of Shampanskoye- Don’t You Forget About the Tsar
As a new Russian law changing the labelling of French bubblies went into effect last month, one must not forget the real message sent by the Kremlin: Putin is still able to get into Western leaders’ heads. Figure 1:Photograph: Itar-Tass/Alamy To the dismay of oenologists and oenophiles around the world, the Russian government decided to … Continue reading A Glass of Shampanskoye- Don’t You Forget About the Tsar