Essays
The ‘Third Gulf War’ And Its Aftermath
Iran stoked conflict abroad for 40 years to avoid ever fighting at home. But the end of American restraint set off a cascade that led to the ‘Third Gulf War’ and the likely hollowing out of the regime.
Festivals, Food and Fascism
Italy’s “sagre” or food festivals have less to do with ancient roots and more to do with modern politics than many now realize. From fascists to communists, politicians have long sought to use these celebrations of cuisine and locality to construct political identities.
The Long Shadow of the Iran-Iraq War
The Iran-Iraq War cast a very long shadow, one that looms over the current conflict and continues to influence the strategic culture of the Islamic Republic. It created a siege mentality and the idea of “faith and firepower.” Weeks into the current war, Iran has not run out of either.
The Russian Complex: Why China’s Ties to Moscow Run Deeper Than Politics
While the Sino-Russian partnership is typically viewed through the lens of hard power, it also stems from a shared history and a strong cultural enmeshment. From literary affinities to architectural imitation, from fashion trends to shared pedagogical models, Russia’s imprint on modern China is deeper than headlines suggest.
The Uncanny Echoes of Iraq in Trump’s War With Iran
There are uncanny similarities in how Bush spun and justified the Iraq War and how Trump is spinning and justifying the war in Iran. Yet Trump administration officials are trying to combat the perception that the two wars are at all similar, no doubt to avoid any association with a generational U.S. foreign policy failure.
A Tale of Two ‘Ketamine Queens’
As “ketamine queen” Jasveen Sangha awaits sentencing for her role in the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, Joanne Drayton traces parallels with the all but forgotten tale of the heiress Marcia Moore, who championed the drug’s mind-expanding properties and died in mysterious circumstances.
The Family Memoirs Uncovering a Different History of the 20th Century
The personal and political collide in three new books — Julia Ioffe’s “Motherland,” Lea Ypi’s “Indignity” and Olia Hercules’ “Strong Roots” — that use family memoir to illuminate the lives of women in 20th-century Eastern Europe.