Trump’s New Strategy for Afghanistan is Neither New, Nor a Strategy, Nor Trump’s

Trump’s New Strategy for Afghanistan is Neither New, Nor a Strategy, Nor Trump’s

For some time it has been clear that the White House of President Donald Trump was convulsed with a struggle among various court factions vying for the Emperor’s ear. Crudely oversimplified, these are variously described as: 1. The military «Junta» (Generals McMaster, National Security Council; Mattis, Pentagon; and Kelly, White House Chief of Staff; 2….

Abrupt Middle East Geopolitical Turnabout: The Qatar, Saudi Arabia and GCC Crisis

Abrupt Middle East Geopolitical Turnabout: The Qatar, Saudi Arabia and GCC Crisis

It is tempting, and not entirely inaccurate, to dismiss the escalating crisis between Qatar and a number of its neighbors as a petulant princely playground spat. Extending this tempting logic, one could conclude that decisive victory by each of the protagonists would be the optimal outcome. Yet the dispute also reflects deeper dynamics in Arab…

Wall Street Primitivism: Nicaragua, China, The Middle East & Charlottesville

Wall Street Primitivism: Nicaragua, China, The Middle East & Charlottesville

Wall Street, London, and the Bretton Woods institutions like the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund claim to support development and the eradication of poverty around the world. They also claim to support scientific progress and raising the global standard of living. However, often they seem to make friends and allies with very different…