culture / history / literature
Endurance in War and Politics for Non-Political Souls
I wrote in my previous post about the rhetoric of “as long as it takes” on…
Stabs in the Back, Countered Knock-Out Blows, Ukraine and World War One
Meanwhile, in another cauldron of the unruly multipolar world, the Ruin of Ukraine continues. I am still holding back from commenting deeply on the Ukraine War, but there were some interesting comments I noticed during the week that coincidentally resonated with my reading 1916: A Global History. History it seems is repeating in 2023.
Dynasty, Democracy and Decolonization in Gabon
The Big Story of the Week is Gabon, but Why? A military coup in Gabon removed…
Latest Podcast: The rise and fall of the professions with Hannah Forsyth
My latest Burning Archive podcast is episode 116. Professions vs. Managers. The rise and fall of…
Olga Tokarcuk, Nobel Prize and multicultural identities
I watched a wonderful interview with Olga Tokarczuk, the author of The Books of Jacob and winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature.
In geopolitics, BRICS is the ocean, and the USA is Canute
The tolling of the bell for the American dream of a single world order, made in its own image, however does not mean the story of an expanding BRICS is the rise of a new hegemon. The multipolar world is becoming less unruly, and more plural. But who is King Canute, resisting the tide of history?
Landmarks of a changing world: 2023 BRICS Summit and India on the Moon
No doubt the big story of the multipolar world this week was the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. It even managed to feature the Indian space mission landing on the moon Narendra Modi was gracious enough to declare this an achievement of the plural world.
Exploring World History – Latest Burning Archive podcast
On the podcast this week I have released the second part of my conversation with Felipe Fernández-Armesto. In this podcast Felipe reflects on the multipolar world, China, India, Russia and the Hispanic History of America. We also have a remarkable conversation about the explorer, Magellan, and how explorers and exploration are the frontier of cross-cultural exchange.
Niger as the preamble to BRICS Summit
The military government in Niger is still standing, and the West African states have delayed, stalled and strung along the USA and EU powers that are demanding, away from cameras, a military counter-coup to restore Western democratic rule in Africa.
Australia’s minor power mentality.
There has been a growing debate in Australia over its subservient defence and security relationship with the USA. This debate is also leading into a meeting next week, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) national conference.