There are many sources claiming that Biden and Putin are not talking to each other, or at least very rarely. And this is stranger than we first realise. Even during the Cold War nuclear threat, American presidents talked to Soviet leaders. There were channels for discussions and consultations. It was not seen as strange, even though they represented completely different …
Italy’s Prime Minister Meloni ran on a platform of reducing immigration and strengthening Italian family ties. But this was a lie, and it wasn’t many months before the mass influx of refugees continued. And the promised local initiatives are likely to be delayed. The same thing happened in the US. Biden promised improvement after the terrible Trump’s presidency. The rogue …
Views on labour have changed over time, and so has its meaning. Even today, the concept of ‘work’ is somewhat diffuse, as it is a multifaceted word. On the one hand, we can engage in repetitive labour, which is necessary but boring and may even expose the body and mind to harm. On the other hand, we can engage in …
Taxation is a hot topic in politics, with some calling for higher taxes and others for lower ones. It is seen as a matter of freedom on the one hand, and shared responsibility on the other. One thing that most people agree on is that taxes should go back to the citizens. Taxes should be used for police, defence, education, …
Libertarian Javier Milei won the presidential election in Argentina by a wide margin. His policies are based on classic libertarian principles, including cutting the number of government agencies, stopping the central bank from manipulating fiscal policy, etc. It is about less power for the state and more power for the individual. And possible punishment for those who led the country …
Mines, iron ore and forests have long been part of Sweden’s basic industry. The iron could be refined into swords and cannons, and the forest into ships, buildings and furniture. But it was during the later stages of the industrial revolution, between 1870 and 1970, that Sweden became one of the richest nations in the world, with a standard of …
The geopolitical entanglements of the past year are beginning to unravel. It all started when the Russians grew tired of the Ukrainians not honouring the two Minsk agreements, which involved leaving the Russian minority alone and some autonomy. The Russians took a limited force and went in to “scare” the Ukrainians to the negotiating table. Hence the strange attack on …
We know that the US, the world policeman, often abandons its war projects, from the Vietnam War to Afghanistan. Even countries like Korea have been partially abandoned, divided, with a frozen conflict. The behaviour has its reasons, probably often because the US cannot send and maintain huge armies across the globe. At best they can do it for short periods, …
More and more Swedes are waking up to a country they don’t recognise. You can accuse them of much, of having slept away several decades, or of having backed substandard political parties for too long. But nevertheless, many are waking up now, in the wake of culture clashes, increased crime and violence. Many mistakes were made, so let’s take a …
The world’s eyes are on Gaza, where Israeli aircraft are currently laying carpet bombs in response to Hamas’ lightning attack. Gaza is a small territory, about 40 kilometres long and less than 7 kilometres wide, bordering Egypt and Israel, with a population of about two million. However, Gaza does not border the West Bank, and these two areas together form …
In the great game between nations and empires, I am of course in favour of the Western cultural sphere. The one based on the Western and Central European countries, and which partly opposes the Eastern European culture, including Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. The West has created a strong and extraordinarily successful civilisation; I need hardly mention all the inventors, poets, …
