John Zada’s new book about how the news skews our perceptions and disorients society.
The Tragedy of Lebanon
John Bell reflects on how ignoring innate needs has crippled his homeland, and on how it could recover.
Politics As Blood Sport (and the Search for Big Daddy)
Having a strong political opinion and cheering for a leader may both feel virtuous, but they may also represent error and misjudgement, if unexamined.
The Life and Work of Ibn Khaldun
Ibn Khaldun, a 14th century Arab historian, wrote that most understanding of politics and history is a result of bias, whereas more permanent and accurate laws lie beyond that.
Q&A: Nabil Fahmy on the Craft of Diplomacy
Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy talks about the craft of diplomacy and how it has been impacted by the complexities of the digital age.
Coronavirus, War, Or…?
Many are wondering whether the global COVID-19 crisis is the harbinger of greater global cooperation or a confirmation of our more ‘selfish selves.’
The Bane of Complexity
“The more complex the functions which the state assumes, the more subordinate the bureaucrats on whom the citizen’s fortune depends.” – Nicolás Gómez Dávila, Colombian writer I recently had a …
Empty Words with Deadly Consequences
In an excellent article in the New York Times, Christy Wampole, Associate Professor at Princeton University, explains how abstractions in politics can have deadly consequences. She suggests that generalized concepts …
Lebanon (and Chile and Iraq) are an example to us all
This image says it almost all. A proposed tax on WhatsApp calls and suddenly there is a revolutionary movement. As it demonstrates, there were many other issues, and much build …