The history of the CPSU, the CPC, and the global situation don’t push Xi’s China toward democratic reforms. But domestic contradictions create fissures that could be hard to control otherwise. In 2012, the year Xi Jinping took power, it was the 63rd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CPC) rule in China. It was a […]
The Israeli bombing of the Church of the Holy Family raises bigger questions about the future of Israel. Does it want to live under siege, or does it want to become a powerhouse integrated into the region? The Holy Land is made up of symbols and of symbolic places. Jerusalem is the holy city of […]
There are two Wests: one is dead, though pretending to be alive, and the other is thriving, though pretending to have troubles. They are different and must not be confused, lest great mistakes be made. For centuries, the West has struggled with the recurring idea of its own decline and looming disaster. While other nations refrain […]
The core issue in recent Italy-Libya events is that Italy’s real influence in the country is minimal, despite Rome’s huge strategic interests (energy and migrants). Schoolbooks tell the story: during the Renaissance, when independent city-states relied on mercenaries, the warlords ended up taking over the cities themselves. Thus, the towns lost—at the hands of hired […]
Hamas is waging a modern cognitive war against Israel by blackmailing and murdering innocent Palestinians. Palestinians and Hamas must be separated. But a twist is afoot, and Russia could benefit from it. In WWII, Germany, Italy, and Japan completely surrendered. Their admission of utter defeat allowed them to rebuild these nations away from the toxic […]
When asked about the Dalai Lama fleeing to India from Tibet in 1959, Mao allegedly said: “Better in India than in the USA.” He was surely right then. Now, 66 years later, the 14th Dalai Lama is 90, and the choice of his reincarnation can become a very sensitive international affair. The key issue is […]
Ukraine is Beijing’s biggest quagmire, and there is no easy way out. A Russian victory is unlikely, and a prolonged war would bleed China politically and economically—unless the Western political front collapses, mesmerized by its ghosts. But then it’d be a different story. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told the EU’s top diplomat on […]
