Revolutions usually lead to misery, even if they are sometimes celebrated afterwards. The most famous of them all is the French Revolution (1789), which ended in a veritable bloodbath, social and cultural suicide, and the eventual declaration of Napoleon as emperor, followed by wars throughout Europe. We also know what happened after the Russian Revolution (1917), and also with the … ►
The nuclear doctrine
Most people agree that a full-scale nuclear war is unwinnable. It is probably impossible to shoot down every nuclear-armed missile aimed at your country. And the more nuclear weapons the enemy has at its disposal, the more fateful the outcome. The nuclear arsenal is designed to withstand a first strike with sufficient capacity to effectively destroy the other country in … ►
The future of Europe – an outdoor museum for Americans and Asians?
Our cities are beautiful and our cultural heritage is rich, but the spirit of progress and innovation is fading. The spark that has been burning for over 500 years is flickering, and soon there will be little originality and uniqueness left. We are losing what once made us great, what drove us to conquer continents and contribute inventions, philosophy and … ►
Sanctions, sanctions, sanctions
Western sanctions against Russia have worked badly, really poorly if we are honest, it may even be that they have made the country richer. How can it have gone so wrong? Isn’t the idea of sanctions to prevent countries from trading, to make them poorer, and thereby force them to obey? For sanctions to be successful, the countries imposing them … ►
More questions than answers about Biden’s resignation
President Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race was expected, as his ageing became all too apparent, especially during the debate against Trump. But the question is, what happens now? Kamala Harris taking over as presidential candidate is seen as natural, as she is the vice-president. But the nomination will actually take place on 19 August at the Democratic … ►
Why call critics populists, Islamophobes, homophobes or racists?
The climate of political debate in the Western world has long been paralysed by the lack of real arguments and objective reasoning. Instead, people sit around and call each other names, much like they do in kindergarten. There are special gatekeepers in the media, academia and political life who stop too lively debates using such methods. It’s all about trying … ►
The attempted assassination of Donald Trump
A shooter on a rooftop near Trump’s podium, several people saw the perpetrator and reported the incident to police on the scene, but no one reacted until five shots were fired. One of them grazed the President’s ear, the others killed and injured people in the audience. The perpetrator, who was shot shortly afterwards, appears to have been a left-wing … ►
Orcs bomb hospitals and kill children
A children’s hospital in Kiev was hit by a missile a few days ago, and the collective Western media sphere decided in about 30 minutes that it was a Russian missile, and that it was deliberate, and part of an evil plan. Many commentators on X believed it was the work of orcs. We saw this activist journalism even at … ►
The left wanders through Europe like a zombie
Some thinkers see both world wars as a protracted struggle against socialism. And the various fascist groupings can be interpreted as an extreme backlash. The struggle continued even during the Cold War, and it did not end with the United States winning, no, but the Soviet Union dismantled communism voluntarily, and not long afterwards the empire was dissolved and the … ►
Peace talks in the east?
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a whirlwind visit to Ukraine on the day he took over the EU presidency. He brought a peace plan with him, and many believe that the trip was not entirely on his own accord. With Biden out of the picture, the Americans need to close the deal as quickly as possible. And there is … ►
Dementia, last-minute candidates and the success of the far right
After Joe Biden made a fool of himself on prime time TV during the first presidential debate, it is now permissible to talk about his dementia and whether or not he should run. Those of us who pointed out that he had dementia during the last election campaign were called conspiracy theorists; I do not know what the conspiracy or … ►