Articles

Thailand’s neutrality and foreign policy: Why I’d vote for Thaksin over Pita
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Thailand’s neutrality and foreign policy: Why I’d vote for Thaksin over Pita

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The EU stands at a critical juncture, grappling with financial instability, rising inflation, escalating immigration issues, and internal political strife that threaten its very foundations. The refusal to adequately support member states during economic crises, coupled with the selective allocation of resources to non-member states, has fueled public discontent. Inflation has reached alarming levels, forcing vulnerable populations to make difficult choices between basic necessities, while the immigration crisis places significant strain on frontline countries, leading to job losses and a black market for labor.

How the Cow was Lured to the Milking Parlor

How the Cow was Lured to the Milking Parlor

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By Ralph Bosshard: When the Cold War ended, the Swiss became euphoric, believing all old problems dating back to two world wars could now be quickly solved through peaceful cooperation. It was during this time that cooperation between Switzerland and NATO began, which was intended to lead to the so-called interoperability, meaning the ability to collaborate between armed forces. Swiss army officers increasingly participated in NATO training events. However, soon the ugly side of this cooperation emerged when the West and NATO used their monopoly position as the world’s strongest military alliance to implement old geopolitical concepts to suppress popular uprisings worldwide and topple undesirable regimes.

Causes of conflict almost never lie entirely on one side

Causes of conflict almost never lie entirely on one side

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An interview by Theo Brand: In 2014, Dolph Kessler was in Ukraine for a photo project. Then the thought crossed his mind that things could get completely out of hand. When Putin made his raid in February 2022, he was shocked. “But there was a second emotion behind it. I was also angry that it had come to this and had thoughts like: this war was not necessary.” This summer his book War or Peace, Want to Win or Draw was published. “Prior to Putin’s invasion, the West did not want to seriously discuss the option of a neutral Ukraine.”

Team Genocide walks out on Nagasaki Commemorations

Team Genocide walks out on Nagasaki Commemorations

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By Eugene Doyle: In an astonishing “Fuck you” to the survivors of the 1945 US nuclear bombing of Nagasaki, several Western countries including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Italy and the UK have just dropped a bombshell: announcing their ambassadors are shunning this week’s commemorations in solidarity with Israel.

ICC Independence and Neutrality: Why It is Broken and How to Fix It
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ICC Independence and Neutrality: Why It is Broken and How to Fix It

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In theory, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an independent body that stands apart from international politics. Its effectiveness and fairness are crucial for international criminal justice, which pursues the lofty goals of achieving justice for all, ending impunity, deterring conflict, and preventing future war crimes. However, in an era of global superpower rivalry, this institution is being tested in unprecedented ways.

Hegemony or Bust

Hegemony or Bust

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Novelty has observers rummaging through their inventory of ideas and concepts to find one to fit the new experience. Its application is supposed to provide some rudimentary meaning about the new phenomenon. Many are content with doing just that – however freighted with inappropriate connotations that label might be, however ambiguous its denotation(s).

On Diplomatic Professionalism
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On Diplomatic Professionalism

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In a world of shifting power balances, Americans can no longer compete internationally with wealth and weaponry alone.  We live in a world in which other nations no longer automatically defer to the United States.  Our national margin for error has demonstrably narrowed.  In several regions war has already replaced the Pax Americana.  It threatens to do the same in still others.  Our highly professional military remains peerless, but our diplomacy – our first line of defense – increasingly lacks traction.  Our country needs to get a lot better at diplomatic reasoning and the practice of diplomacy.  To match the professionalism of our competitors, we must professionalize our own diplomacy.  But what is diplomatic professionalism?