Accusations levelled too strenuously at others often reveal the accuser’s own failings – a psychological defense called displacement or projection, what the New Testament (John 8:7) meant in warning against “casting the first stone.” Inflammatory selective accusations – “autocrat,” “aggressor,” “terrorist,” “authoritarian,” and other swear-words – are hurled at adversaries with subjective enthusiasm but little […]
Is America’s recent fascination with the European far right misconstrued and risky for the US? The United States has made similar mistakes before; now might be the time to be more cautious. In 2011, I was in Washington when a well-known geopolitics expert of Jewish descent told me about America’s rising confidence in Egypt’s Muslim […]
Trump and Xi talked about trade, but a Chinese malaise haunts America and stalls bilateral ties. To break the stalemate, Beijing should perhaps address the issue of democracy. It’s not ideal, and it’s not a deal, but at least after scores of tweets, statements, and public wailings, a call broke the months-long standoff. US President […]
Does America need an exorcism? There is indeed an 80-year pattern in American history that has global implications. Every eight decades, the US faces an existential internal crisis that is overcome with war. First, 1781 The Union itself started with such turmoil. The 1776-1883 Revolutionary War began as an effort to wrest the 13 colonies […]
Looking at it from the outside, it is like a contest of bodies and minds. Donald Trump is big, has dyed, fake hair, and his statements are often prejudiced according to some present sensitivities and always glib. He seems to want to cheat age and reality, trying to look young and cocksure. He harks back […]
