Donald Trump’s engagement with Belarus’ leader Lukashenka raises concerns about empowering Russia and affecting Ukraine policies. While some view this as a pragmatic approach, critics argue it undermines Western sanctions and strengthens a totalitarian regime. The dynamics surrounding the release of political prisoners highlight ongoing geopolitical complexities and the challenge of promoting democracy in Belarus.
Inequality encompasses disparities in power and wealth, particularly between developed and developing nations. The manufacture of smartphones highlights these imbalances, as cobalt, essential for production, is mined under harsh conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Consumers benefit from these gadgets while overlooking the exploitation and social injustice faced by marginalized workers.
View More Inequality and Social Justice
This is not a story of a random Ukrainian musician that I have plucked out of the ether. I’ve been following the progress of the female DJ superstar, Marika Rossa, since 2012, before the crisis in Ukraine started. The internet brings musicians and fans together from every corner of the…
View More Dance for Ukraine: Marika Rossa – Female Techno DJ Ambassador from Kyiv
I am a new member of Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, in London. On a recent visit, I made use of the vast resources of a very well-stocked library at Chatham House and this book is the first of the loans that I have finished reading. It…
View More Review: Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia To Confront The West – by Keir Giles
Henry Kissinger, a prominent figure in U.S. foreign policy, celebrated his 100th birthday on May 27, 2023. Known for his role as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, he is credited with pivotal moments like U.S.-China relations renewal and criticized for human rights issues in Latin America. His insights remain relevant in contemporary geopolitics.
View More Happy 100th Birthday Henry Kissinger
I’ve read Gordon Correra’s previous work in espionage literature and for this reason I was drawn to seek out this new offering. In the current climate of the Russian invasion of Ukraine under ex KGB spy, Vladimir Putin, I felt that this relatively recent work would highlight some of the…
View More Review: Russians Among Us – Sleeper Cells & The Hunt for Putin’s Agents – by Gordon Correra
David Kilcullen is an experienced Australian military professional. He is a senior advisor to the US Military. In this book, Kilcullen describes the recent Western conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq as relative anomalies in the progress of future wars and conflict. He focus on the Urban, networked littoral. Giant coastal…
View More Review: Out of the Mountains – The Coming Age of the Urban Guerrilla – by David Kilcullen
Only a short volume, this well-written work documents the weakening of the West in the geopolitical arena. The book first focuses on the reductions in military power of Western nations, both in terms of their military budgets and also their matériel. Despite modern weapons being produced, the volume of forces…
View More Review: The Edge – Is the Military Dominance of the West Coming to an End – by Mark Urban
When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order by Martin Jacques My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is an excellent study of China and its position in the modern world. The author explores the rise of China’s power,…
View More Review: When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order
I studied Chinese language for a couple of years and am constantly on the lookout for books about China and its culture. When this jumped out at me from a charity shop bookshelf, at first I thought it was just another dictionary. But I read the back and thought that…
View More Review: A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo