Boris Johnson’s ouster isn’t embarrassing for the UK; it’s a testament to the power of our free press and the robustness of our parliamentary democracy. It’s something that could never happen in the dictatorships gleefully citing it as evidence of dysfunction.
Sergiy Nikolaychuk, a Deputy Governor at the National Bank of Ukraine, talks about running an economy during a war for his country’s existence.
In the 19th century, Britain was “the workshop of the world.” Now, it hardly seems to invent anything. What happened?
Trying to predict the course of French politics is a fool’s errand. Let’s do it anyway.
China’s vaccines suck, but its government is too proud to admit it. Instead, it’s trapping its entire population in zero-COVID purgatory indefinitely.
With similar policy platforms, the presidential candidates of the two major parties focus on the thing that differentiates them the most – their personal lives and their families.
Discerning the various candidates’ attitudes towards China is tricky, but they range from apologists for and opponents of the Chinese Communist Party.
Military expert Azar Gat discusses the nature of war, its relationship to economics, and the risks of war in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Being an “ally” to a historically-disadvantaged group is a terrible deal. Don’t get suckered into it.
Randonautica, a random number generator app, shows us how humans manufacture meaning.
In much of East Asia, the preference for whiter skin stems not from any desire to imitate Westerners, but from traditional culture.
An excessive and irrational fear of accidental war based on a misunderstanding of historical events is dangerous, especially when it paralyzes people and prevents them from standing up for themselves and for what’s right.
The Wuhan lab leak hypothesis was initially dismissed as a conspiracy theory before the mainstream started taking it seriously. What lessons can we learn from this about what to believe?
Elites habitually underestimate the working-class, assuming that we’re not interested in highbrow things. But we’re smarter than they think.
Years from now, it’s likely people will make all sorts of false claims about the War in Afghanistan. Perhaps it’s worth setting a few things down, for the record.
As India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh mark significant milestones since independence, what can they learn from each other’s successes and mistakes?
In a world deluged with information on China, the sinologist Orville Schell gives us that rarest of things: perspective.
Some of the best negotiators can be found in the most unassuming locations – in street stalls and humble stores selling cheap goods. What can we learn from them?
There’s nothing wrong with teaching Critical Race Theory. The problem is that it’s being taught as gospel.
Could hundreds of years’ worth of slavery and systemic discrimination really just have gone away? Yes.
Cold Wars are lost, rather than won. How might the US lose the new Cold War? How might China?
Burma’s generals with their illicit revenues are largely immune to sanctions.
The great Indian epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata used to belong to everyone. Now, they’ve been claimed as the exclusive property of the Hindu right wing.
The suspect seems less a racist than a religious nut.
Many are familiar with the Western canon – those core works of literature, history, and philosophy that are considered essential to the study of the subject. How about the Chinese canon?
Both Asian and Western authorities often portray Confucius as the patron saint of Asian autocrats. They’re all wrong.
Why misinformation can only be defeated with misinformation.
If the Australian government values the news industry so much, it should subsidize it itself, instead of expecting foreign private companies to do so.
The US debate on immigration has become so stupid, so deeply, unbelievably stupid, and it’s stupid in a way that’s unique to America.
If you see hatred and stupidity on social media, that’s because so many of us are hateful and stupid.
Which ideas should Democrats salvage from the Trump train wreck?
RESOLVED: Retire the public debate.
Heroes often lose some of their luster under close examination. But they don’t have to be perfect for us to admire them – or learn from them.
Westerners have a habit of making China seem more mysterious than it actually is, and dressing up their vapid or commonplace ideas in an aura of Chinese mystique.
Since the passing of the new security law, Hong Kong is arguably now a dictatorship. Malaysia has been a dictatorship for over 50 years. Here’s a guide to living under the new normal.
How our refusal to listen to each other is destroying us.
Most security issues aren’t military. Why do we act like they are?
Stuck at home because of the coronavirus, maybe we’ll be forced to face our demons – and overcome them.
Cultural differences may explain why some countries handle the coronavirus better than others.
Moral Foundations Theory explains the conservative backlash against the COVID-19 lockdown.
Can freedom of assembly be circumscribed during an outbreak?
Is religion useful even if you don’t believe gods exist?
During this crisis, many turn to music for solace. What’s the best music to get us through these trying times?
Oratory is one of a politician’s most potent tools. Why do China’s leaders use it so ineptly?
Air pollution makes the coronavirus deadlier.
Are some animals inherently more dangerous to eat than others?
To prevent outbreaks we must demand that even religious rituals meet basic standards of health and safety.
To beat Trump, the Democrats will have to come up with better campaign slogans. Here’s how.
If the ASEAN truly wants to become a power to contend with, it will have to make fundamental changes to its modus operandi.
The Chinese school system holds its students to a higher standard.
Mastery of chengyu, four-character idioms, is considered a mark of erudition in China. Yet, often chengyu confuse as much as they enlighten.
It’s time we put this myth to rest.
America’s national myths make it underrate its establishment and overrate its people. China’s make it do the opposite.
The Labour party suffered its worst defeat in a hundred years, but the biggest loser was the truth.
Who believes in the power of liberal democratic ideas the most? Dictators.
Cancel culture not only doesn’t help social justice, it’s harmful to it.
Forcing the withdrawal of the extradition bill is a great achievement, but now they risk overreaching.
How did the Nationalist Party go from the sworn enemy of the Chinese Communists to the pro-Beijing party in Taiwan?
Shinzo Abe’s remiltarization agenda illustrates the
disconnect between populace and politics in Japan.
An answer to the question you’ve all been asking.
They say there’s a thin line between genius and madness. But what’s the relationship between the two?
