Intro LO: Following the recent bombings of Iran by Israel and USA (eg, Wiki-1, Wiki-2), I've been wondering whether Iran has any friends given the absence of any support (eg, China, Russia). Bloomberg came to a similar conclusion: Iran Stands Alone Against Trump and Israel, Stripped of Allies. Similarly, Israel and Turkey have few friends. The combination of...
I’m not sure if neutrality even exists. I doubt that I am neutral if/when push comes to shove. I suppose that (my) open-mindedness is (very) different from (my) neutrality. Nevertheless, both seem rationally related; not emotionally. Switzerland is neutral, according to its self-imposed foreign policy (Wiki). Nevertheless, a majority of Swiss want closer ties to...
On 6 February 2024, an Aeon Psyche article posed the following question in its title: “Is it better to have friends who are like you or different from you?“ Before reading its conclusion, I checked my gut feeling. In my view, similar is more likely than different. I was right. There’s an adjacent field: relationships. People often say that opposites attract. Merriam...
Axios Markets: Maybe strongmen aren't great at running economies By: Matt Phillips and Emily Peck Date: 15 August 2023 "In the battle between strongmen and democracies, elected governments are pulling ahead — at least economically, Matt writes. Why it matters: After the financial crisis of 2008 hobbled the U.S. and much of the West, China's strong...
Telegraph title: Russia may be devoured by its neighbours Telegraph subtitle: Japan, China, Turkey and even Ukraine could lay claim to Moscow’s territories. Putin may reap what he has sown By: Svitlana Morenets, "a Ukrainian journalist and staff writer at the Spectator"Date: 31 May 2023 "Ukraine’s resistance to Putin’s invasion has demolished the idea of...
The Economist title: Is Turkey more trouble to NATO than it is worth? The Economist subtitle: Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is the alliance’s loose cannon Date: 16 June 2022 The Economist "The received wisdom is that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has breathed new life, and a new sense of purpose, urgency and unity into nato. Someone forgot to tell Recep...
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