The Earthquakes of Erdogan
As an Economist headline editor put it recently, “Turkey sits at the crossroads of tectonic plates as well as civilisations.” And when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake centered near Gaziantep, Turkey caused a confirmed death toll of 50,783 souls, it highlighted the risk of autocratic license, boasting, and related corner-cutting to…
China’s Interest in Saudi Arabian Investment in Iran
China’s diplomatic aid mending Saudi-Iranian relations in the Middle East sees Saudi Arabia immediately offering investment in Iran in the name of Saudi Arabia’s self-interest in regional stability. Yet Saudi Arabia’s investment in Iran would bolster the Iranian regime’s capability to perpetuate repression of its own people, continue as Russia’s chief overt weapons supplier, and…
Strategic Factors: Constitutional or Utopian, Progress or Restraint?
The value of being conservative or progressive depends on the merit and persuasive gravity of the objectives that progressive or conservative goals would achieve at home and in U.S. foreign policy. If the achievement of progress or restraint morphs into provocative, anti-constitutional, one-party, identity-tribal, or single branch government ideology at home, it will be seen…