Geopolitics & international affairs
Trump’s 25% Tariff on Brazil: A Trade War Without a Trade Deficit The United States sells more to Brazil than it buys. The administration’s own trade surplus makes a mockery of the stated rationale — so what is this really about? The Prank of Protectionism When Donald Trump ran […]
The AUKUS Shrinkage: Australia Traded Custom-Built French Submarines for Secondhand American Boats Once upon a time, Australia placed an order for twelve new submarines. They were to be designed specifically for Australian waters, built on a proper schedule, and tailored to replace an ageing fleet that was already past […]
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that asks AI companies to voluntarily submit powerful models for government review 30 days before public release — but explicitly prohibits creating any mandatory licensing or preclearance system. The order is a dramatically scaled-back version of the one Trump was […]
The Gulf Crisis Is Forcing Japan Into a Fundamental Strategic Energy ReThink Tokyo did everything right on paper — diversified LNG, built strategic reserves, restarted nuclear — and still finds itself dangerously exposed. Here is the uncomfortable truth that Japan now confronts: you can prepare for a crisis for […]
A Shot Across the Bow — The Sixth Ship The US fires a Hellfire missile into an unladen tanker heading for Kharg Island. The blockade of Iran is winning tactically. Strategically, the question is whether it breaks Tehran or hardens it. The warnings came for twenty-four hours. A Botswana-flagged […]
The Truce That Wasn’t Trump told Netanyahu he was “fucking crazy” and would be in prison without him. Then he brokered a ceasefire that collapsed before the ink could dry. These two facts are the same story. There is a story going around about a phone call on Monday, […]
Inside Tehran’s debate: Iran’s leadership split on whether to deal with Trump Three months into the war with the United States, Iran’s leadership is publicly united behind a single message — no surrender — but beneath the surface, the regime is divided between those who see a deal as […]
The Free Trip to a War Zone: How Aipac’s Charity Flies Congress to Israel Since October 7, 2023, the American Israel Education Foundation — a charity controlled by the pro-Israel lobby Aipac — has flown dozens of U.S. lawmakers and their staff on all-expenses-paid trips to Israel. The bombs […]
There are stories where the news is the decision. Then there are stories where the news is that the discussion is happening at all. This is the latter — and it may be the more consequential of the two. The Financial Times reported on June 2 that the United […]
Russian Strikes Kill 18 Across Ukraine; Zelenskyy Begs Trump for Missiles KYIV — Russia launched one of the largest aerial barrages in months against Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least 18 civilians and wounding more than 100 others in strikes that hit apartment blocks, residential streets, and commercial districts […]
