Syria: Prospects for Transition from Minority to Majority Rule
Absent the circumstances that facilitated the transition to majority rule in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Iraq, the prospects in Syria appear to be extremely poor.
Global Economic Governance 2.0: From G20 to a Global Economic Council
The G7 states themselves are no more likely to push for a Global Economic Council than turkeys are to vote for Christmas, but that should not stop others from advocating along these lines.
It’s Official: Syria is in a State of Civil War. Or is it?
Achieving an effective international consensus to stop the killing in Syria has little to do with semantics. It has much more to do with the squandered legacy of the Responsibility to Protect.
Implications from Aung San Suu Kyi’s European Tour
Suu Kyi’s chief challenge may be to avoid the temptation to turn vindication into vindictiveness. If she panders to her Western supporters at the expense of her partners at home, it would be a bad sign.
Sectarian Violence in Burma: A Country Opening Up, or Collapsing?
The existence of ethnic minority insurgencies will not bring about the collapse of the government. Nor will they have a decisive impact on other aspects of Burma’s reforms or on the decisions of outsiders to work with a reformed Burmese government.
Perceptions of the Other: Iran’s National Identity and Nuclear Policy
Iranian leaders’ different national identity conceptions provide insights into Tehran’s motivations for possibly acquiring a nuclear weapon, as well as the fallacy of Washington’s current approach.
Religion, Sacred Values and Conflict
Examining the role of sacred values in war may offer greater opportunities for breakthroughs into peace in seemingly intractable conflicts than hitherto realised.
US-Indian Relations: Permanent Interests Not Permanent Friends
It is important that the United States do a better job of defending its own interests in its negotiations with India. Nevertheless, there are areas of common strategic concern where we can work with the Indian government to the benefit of both nations.
Global Oil: Don’t Worry About Supply, Worry About Markets
Recent events surrounding the Arab Spring have made consumers fear ever-higher oil prices. The changing geopolitics of oil are about to tilt power towards countries less prone to embracing the liberal market paradigm.
Reviving the Russian Navy
With so much focus placed on China, it has become easy to forget another great East Asian power – Russia. The Kremlin plans to get back its naval power, to do it efficiently, and to become geopolitically relevant once more.
