history
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.
Saudi Arabia’s Break With Interventionism
After decades of shifting alliances that failed to deliver stability, Saudi Arabia now has a “zero-conflict” policy toward its neighbors. It is this, rather than a turn to Islamism, that is paradoxically creating tension with the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Sri Lanka’s Civil War and the Limits of Literature
As new mass graves are exhumed in Sri Lanka, a journalist who spent years embedded with the Tamil Tigers surveys the works dealing with the country’s civil war and asks whether, between myth and memory, fiction and nonfiction, a narrative can ever be complete.