“The Afghan War, which inaugurated a wave of western attacks in Asia and North Africa 20 years ago, will prove in its last act the futility and destruction of ‘humanitarian intervention’.”
Foreign Policy
“Will Scottish civil society be strong enough to resist dangerous escalations, waged not in the name of the ordinary citizens of China or Scotland, but in the name of competition for wealth and power?”
Analysis: Is Scottish politics mature enough to resist the anti-China axis?
“A low tax regime and de-regulation are the preferred models of attracting foreign investment, and the Scottish Government is certainly exploring just such incentives.”
Analysis: Does foreign investment mean the rise of ‘global Scotland’?
Since we don’t live in an ideal world, foreign aid must suffice as compensation for the UK’s larceny overseas. Yet even these meagre reimbursements have been cut to the bone
Source Direct: Banned Aid
Decades of Palestinian solidarity were subjected to a fierce cultural backlash, particularly in Britain, where it was bundled with centrist efforts to retake the Labour Party.
Source Direct: Israel’s George Floyd Moment?
“There are of course things that any government, even those lacking many formal foreign policy powers, can do to help the Palestinians.”
Analysis: Palestine, protest and complicity – which way forward in Scotland?
There are two inferences that almost everybody agrees on: firstly, that the Taliban has won and will likely exploit the power vacuum for their own barbaric purposes; secondly, that America’s decision to leave is nonetheless the best for all concerned.
Source Direct: Afghanistan – Failed States and Rogue States
There are legitimate reasons to be sceptical of Brexit, but one of the silliest claims is that isolationism stems from nostalgia for Empire or even “neo-colonialism”. This violates the first law of all political tactics, which is to know your enemy.
Source Direct: British Neo-Imperialism: Know Your Enemy
Joe Biden’s inauguration yesterday thus had the feeling of a global event, with all of us vicariously participating. Much of the media, including our state broadcaster, put objectivity to bed and resorted to fawning, like Nicholas Witchell narrating the birth of a Royal baby.
Source Direct: Biden with Me
“Powerful forces are converging around a new stability. But just as with Biden’s eventual, narrow victory in the US, achieving it is harder than willing it.”