News
Lebanon's political elites are using displacement and humanitarian crisis to delay elections again
2+ mon, 1+ day ago (1068+ words) Lebanon was meant to be preparing for key parliamentary elections in May 2026. Then came the return of war. Its justification was a now familiar one: war, instability and a security situation deemed incompatible with democratic process. As conflict escalates across…...
How worried should we be that political leaders keep making oblique Nazi references?
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (515+ words) Several high-profile political leaders have in recent months been seen apparently dabbling in Nazi allusions. In many cases, dog whistle messages send oblique signals to supporters. These are pitched at a frequency that most listeners can't hear but are meaningful…...
With only two years on the contract, incoming Australian Defence Force Chief David Johnston has a lot of work to do
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (758+ words) The announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday that Vice Admiral David Johnston will be promoted to admiral (the top rank in the Royal Australian Navy) in July and become the nation's next chief of the defence force has been…...
Gulf expat reactions to Iran war show us how countries instil loyalty in western migrants
2+ day, 4+ hour ago (453+ words) This was not a trivial claim " these messages were sent as the countries they live in came under attack. But the attitudes they exhibited reflect a broad strategy long cultivated by Gulf Arab regimes. This aims to instil in the…...
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy provides in-house science advice for the president
5+ mon, 2+ day ago (774+ words) Presidents need science advice. From climate change and pandemics to the governance of AI and the country's nuclear arsenal, science sits at the center of a range of foreign and domestic policy challenges that reach the president's desk. Thankfully for…...
Lived experience" is valued in activism " but is it doing more harm than good?
6+ mon, 3+ day ago (966+ words) Lived experience lends authority to those long excluded from public debate, offering insight traditional expertise may miss. But it also raises questions about who gets to speak. Those without direct experience of an issue can find their place in activism…...
How megalomaniac leaders establish their grip on a group " and they how they lose it
4+ day, 21+ hour ago (1208+ words) Megalomaniacal leaders are fascinating. They exude boundless confidence, harbour sometimes excessive ambitions and make decisions that are often out of touch with reality. Yet their power of attraction persists in the business world and in politics. Why? Because their rise…...
What America's divided and tumultuous politics of the late-19th century can teach us
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (886+ words) As a scholar of American politics and the presidency, I believe one American historical period is especially worth revisiting in this turbulent moment in the U. S. : the 20 tumultuous years between the presidencies of Ulysses S. Grant and William Mc Kinley in the…...
12 ways the Trump administration dismantled civil rights law and the foundations of inclusive democracy in its first year
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (741+ words) One year after Donald Trump's second inauguration, a pattern emerges. Across dozens of executive orders, agency memos, funding decisions and enforcement changes, the administration has weakened federal civil rights law and the foundations of the country's racially inclusive democracy. That…...
When satire could destroy a career: the scandals of Georgian politician Charles James Fox
4+ day, 40+ min ago (939+ words) Political satire has mocked the powerful for centuries. But in an age of endless headlines, rolling news and social media outrage, satire can often feel strangely powerless. In Georgian Britain, satire had the power not just to entertain the public,…...