Category Archives: International Affairs

Remember the Climate Apocalypse?

Posted on July 1, 2020 by

Remember climate apocalypse? The little girl lectures, scowling in hatred at the leaders of the free world because they refused to do what they were told? Those days almost seem quaint and comical in the mess that 2020 has become. … Continue reading →

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After COVID-19

Posted on June 13, 2020 by

Monumental moments in history often follow great conflagrations. Four-hundred years ago Europe, exhausted of her wars, and seeking to put an end to the 30 years war which was only the latest in the conflicts which had stretched back forever … Continue reading →

Posted in America, International Affairs, philosophy, Uncategorized | Tagged | 3 Comments

On #BlackLivesMatter

Posted on June 13, 2020 by

Apropos of #BlackLivesMatter, I first arrived in #Africa in 1999, beginning my work of ten years living on the continent trying to end four different civil wars. Two of the wars still rage, two have found a shaky peace – though the violence … Continue reading →

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The Return of Pessimism

Posted on May 29, 2020 by

During the heady days of hubris which now seem so long ago but in reality were only a few months back, I was often accused of pessimism. The world, as I saw it, was not headed to a good place. … Continue reading →

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A Funny Anecdote…

Posted on March 11, 2020 by

About eight years ago, when I was a Fellow in Human Freedom at the George W. Bush Institute doing research, writing and speaking about the ongoing threats to democracy coming from Cuba and Venezuela’s “Bolivarian Alliance”, I was invited to … Continue reading →

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Stepping Stones in Time

Posted on February 29, 2020 by

Time marches on, leaving stepping stones to remind us of where we have been, show us where we might be going and reflect upon whether or not things turn out as we expected. This is the job of writers. Some … Continue reading →

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Humanity’s Apogee – And What’s Next

Posted on January 23, 2020 by

It’s a strange time we’re living in. By any accounts, humanity is enjoying its glorious apogee. Using any measure, we are at our best moment. Famine has been mostly ended (in 2016 we had an unprecedented four: Nigeria, Yemen, South … Continue reading →

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“The Ghost of Freedom” – A Book Review

Posted on January 13, 2020 by

The stories that shaped the Caucasus are as ancient as language; water flowing evenly over mountains jagged and dangerous home to highland people who are as enigmatic as they are enthralling, their history deposited as olden pebbles in a river … Continue reading →

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“Ordeal – 1918” by Alexei Tolstoy, a Book Review

Posted on January 4, 2020 by

Americans are not very much acquainted with Russia’s Civil War. When we study communism we often think there was a clean break; Tzar Nicholas abdicates, Lenin takes over, USSR is born. Truth of the matter is the process was much … Continue reading →

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Building On Our Amazing 2010s – A New Decade’s Resolution

Posted on December 30, 2019 by

I have written too often about ruin. About an anarchy just over the horizon. We are all flowers grown from the soil in which we were planted and found nourishment. Our lives, our moments of significance juxtaposed against the boredom … Continue reading →

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