The Sicily Bridge’s Feet of Clay: Priorities in Political Communication
From Roman aqueducts to the Eiffel Tower to Moscow’s Metro, throughout history elites have presented major public projects as symbols of national greatness. Unl...
Category: Column
The Illegality of Law: Iran’s 2025 ‘Untrue Content’ Law under Articles 19 and 17 of the ICCPR
After the Arab Spring, digital power and censorship in the Middle East surged to the forefront of the global political agenda. Once anticipated as tools of libe...
Sectarianism over Reform: Why Iraqi Elections Will Struggle to Enact Change
On November 11th, Iraqi citizens will elect a new Council of Representatives, the 329-seat unicameral legislature of Iraq, with every seat up for election. Fewe...
The Myanmar Frontier: Why the United States Should Provide Military Aid to the NUG
By August of last year, Myanmar’s ruling military Junta, the Tatmadaw, appeared to be on the brink of collapse. Since seizing power from the nation’s democratic...
What is Populism? The Case of Podemos in Spain
Populism is everywhere—and nowhere at the same time. Chávez, Iglesias, Le Pen, and Trump, are just some examples of the politicians considered to be populist by...
Trump’s Intentions Behind the Thailand–Cambodia Ceasefire: A Bid for “President of Peace”—and the Nobel
For five days in late July 2025, the world witnessed violence erupt once again on the Thailand-Cambodia border, one of the most prominent flashpoints in Southea...
Anti-Immigrant Rallies and Europe’s Identity Crisis: Is Multiculturalism Breaking Down?
Multiculturalism emerged at the forefront of Western Europe after the Second World War, gaining prominence during decolonization and the post-war flow of labor ...
Echoes of Colonialism in Pakistan
When Pakistan issued 75-rupee commemoration banknotes in 2022 to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of its independence, the symbolism was hard to miss. The new...
Smart Power in Practice: Statecraft Strategy for a Multipolar World
Introduction The concept of smart power, first articulated by Joseph Nye in the early 2000s, has become a foundational framework for understanding how states na...
The ICC and Human Rights: Promise vs. Practice
Imagine a world where perpetrators of repeated human rights abuses can escape justice and sabotage the efforts of those who seek to hold them accountable. This ...