Robert Cox’s landmark article, “Social Forces, States and World Orders: Beyond International Rela…
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Predictions of a “second civil war” and the narrative landscape
Even well-intentioned warnings of political violence in the United States potentially leading to civil war may inadvertently strengthen the very same actors who are intent on making civil war a reality.
Just like Al Qaeda in its heyday, armed accelerationists in America are strategic actors who take advantage of narrative ammunition that is handed to them.
A narrative perspective lends itself to pro-active approaches, not just appropriate restraint.
Paul Lorenzo Johnson
Paul Lorenzo Johnson, independent researcher, USA, holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Davis. His research interests include civil–military relations, grayzone warfare, and genocide prevention. Recently, he was a co-editor of the Routledge publication Militias, States and Violence against Civilians, and his research has appeared in the journals Armed Forces and Society and Conflict Management and Peace Science
Judging a book by its cover
When I was in middle school I loved history: ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, the Middle Ages always fascinated me. Often during the summer vacation, I would read the history books in advance to prepare for the upcoming history classes (big surprise, I am a nerd). Old habits die hard, so this summer I picked up - actually, clicked on - the updated version of the Russian history book for high-schoolers "Russian history 1945 - beginning of 21st...
An Israeli Civil War: From Public Secret to Shared Illusion
For nearly three decades, a pervasive, unspoken fear of civil war created an "ugly stalemate" in Israel, a 'public secret' that pervaded its electoral politics and foreign relations. Thanks to the government's attempted "judicial overhaul," that fear is now very much in the open, Almost overnight, the Israeli public has developed a shared imaginary in which a civil war is not only thinkable, but familiar. How did this happen? What does it mean...
Daniel Bertrand Monk
Daniel Bertrand Monk holds the George R. and Myra T. Cooley Chair in Peace and Conflict Studies at Colgate University, where he is a professor of Geography and Middle East Studies. He is the [co] author/editor of An Aesthetic Occupation, The Global Shelter Imaginary, The Post-Conflict Environment, and Evil Paradises, as well as a number of other studies on the Israel-Palestine conflict, neoliberal spatial practices, and humanitarian reason....
How do we get people to care about migrants?
Earlier this week, a boat carrying migrants fleeing Afghanistan sank in the English Channel, killing six. Earlier this month, 41 died after a ship sailing from Tunisia sank near Italy. There are many more examples of such tragedies I could point to, and, sadly, there will be many more in the future. These are not acts of God, like hurricanes or earthquakes. They are created, both through the conflict and repression producing the crises and the...
Israel’s Democratic Deficit as a One-State “Solution” Emerges
I recently had the good fortune to participate in a week-long academic exchange to Israel, along with 20 or so other political scientists and historians. Because Israel isn’t one of the countries I have a lot of knowledge of, I thought this might be an opportunity to learn more about the country and wider region. My mom’s side of the family is Jewish, and I have distant relatives who died in the Holocaust and some who escaped death from...
“Here Be Dragons”: Navigating the uncharted waters of AI, with lessons from the ocean
You feel the gentle touch of the sea breeze on your face. Seagulls squawk overhead whilst waves crash against the shore. You glance at the book by your side, but its pages have lost their battle against the summer heat. You go for a swim. The feel of the cold salt water against your body brings back childhood memories of family trips to the seaside. When you return to your beach blanket, you catch sight of a hulking shadow cutting across the...
Bruno Carvalho
Bruno Carvalho is a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham. His research examines how the ocean has shaped Britain’s foreign policy and national identity through the theoretical lens of ontological security. Before starting his PhD, Bruno spent 13 years in the Brazilian Navy, as a Surface Officer. After serving on the Brazilian Frigate “Defensora”, submarine “Tikuna”, and Corvette “Julio de Noronha”, he worked as a staff officer in...
Be wary of those calling for bans on blasphemy
On Wednesday, protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, setting part of it on fire. This was in retaliation for the burning of the Quran during protests in Sweden. In response, the UN Human Rights Council called for restrictions on "anti-religious expression." Some may welcome this as a means to limit religious strife and stop Islamophobia, but they should be wary. These calls, in addition to being ineffective, often represent...
Episode 31: Great Balls of Power
Back in 2019, Uri Friedman wrote that we “find ourselves—as you will have heard in the corridors …