Kazakhstan and the ‘resource curse’

Approximately three years ago, I read an article in The Guardian written by Nicholas Shaxson, the author of “The Finance Curse: How Global Finance is Making Us All Poorer.”  Shaxson had worked as a Reuters correspondent in the petrol- and diamon... more

Biden’s diplomatic picks raise eyebrows in Washington

Jeff Flake, the new U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, has arrived in Turkey and is set to assume his duties after the relevant diplomatic procedures have been finalized. What sets Flake apart from other ambassadors is the fact that he had served as both a R... more

America is unraveling

Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau had once upon a time said that living next to America was like sleeping with an elephant. “One is affected by every twitch and grunt,” he added. However, it’s not just the Canadians but Latin America and ... more

What Frank Herbert’s Dune can teach us about Neo-mercantilism

The first half of the 20th century was marked by two world wars, and the second one was shaped by the Cold War and the plethora of proxy conflicts that followed. Those 40 long years ended with the Soviet Union throwing in the towel in the late 1... more

Did Biden kill the American dream?

As the U.S. gets ready to ring in 2022, one thing has become clear: Joe Biden hasn’t made good on the lion’s share of his promises to the country. Despite the Democrats reigning over the White House, House of Representatives, and Senate, we can say t... more

The ambiguous future of American politics

American fingerprints were all over the military coups conducted all over the world during the Cold War era (and after it too). The list goes on and on of this secret the whole world is already privy to. Back in the day, the word through the grapevin... more

The West shrugs as Africa continues to reel from centuries of colonialism

The third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit was held in Turkey’s Istanbul between Dec. 16-19. Cooperation between Ankara and Africa, which is steadily developing, is, of course, of vital importance. As the Africa Summit was being held in Turkey, ... more

Will the US be able to save its own skin in time?

During the Cold War, which lasted between 1945 and 1991, a showdown unfolded between the Soviet Union and the U.S.-dominated “Western world.” Furthermore, the West took to labeling itself as the "Free World" and the Soviet Union as the "Iron Curtain.... more

All the world’s a democracy?

The United States of America hosted a virtual Democracy Summit on Dec. 9-10. It’s ironic, because when it comes to democracy the U.S. isn’t what one would call a good host. Forget being a pioneer of democracy across the globe, democracy is on the col... more

Star Wars: Hypersonic missiles heating up fresh conflict between US, China

One of the craziest showdowns of the Cold War era, which lasted from the late 1940s to the early 1990s, was America’s Star Wars program, which aimed to destroy any intercontinental ballistic missiles fired at the U.S. by the Soviet Union using laser ... more

Is Biden getting ready to call it quits?

Joe Biden’s approval rating, which basically denotes whether or not the incumbent president is seen as successful or not by the public, has slipped to a fresh low. In the presidential elections, not only is the future leader of the country elected, b... more

Will Washington abandon its China policy of ‘strategic ambiguity'?

One of the fault lines of the “New Cold War” simmering between the U.S. and China is undoubtedly Taiwan. The 180-kilometer strait between mainland China and the Island nation is located in an extremely strategic position in terms of international tra... more

Joe Biden’s jostle with Jerusalem

During his one-term presidency, Donald Trump had withdrawn the U.S. from the Iran Nuclear Deal and, furthermore, imposed sanctions against Tehran. Trump was under the illusion that “maximum pressure” on Iran would lead to regime change in the country... more