There may be an element of quasi-magical recurrence about years ending in the number 9, for in modern history they are often momentous years when wars and eras begin or end. The title of EH Carr's book, The Twenty Years' Crisis 1919-1939 - which became a classic text for international-relations students - suggests the point. There are many other examples of chain-breaking events occurring at the end of a decade which went on to shape the next: the great financial crash (1929), the... more »
Pakistan army, Afghanistan war , Shaun Gregory
Pakistan's internal turmoil and conflict continues, even if much current external media coverage of the country is filtered through the lens of the transfixing global financial crisis and United States election. Both these events indeed reverberate in a Pakistan desperately short of funds and more hesitant than much of the rest of the world about its prospects under a Barack Obama presidency. But the country's crisis will not be salved by an emergency loan or a new figure in the White... more »
In the "Atlas" shop on Kuznetsky Most in Moscow, the salesgirl looks down and says that they have no maps of Georgia left. They used to, but not any more: "You understand, this is the situation now. All those events..." When asked if this means that Georgia itself is no longer on the map, the girl smiles: "You could put it like that".
In reality, it's not all as bad as that. Georgia remains on the map, but it will be coloured differently. Radmil... more »
The cold war has concluded nearly everywhere and is not going to restart. Dmitri Medvedev-Vladimir Putin's Russia is often disgruntled, and seeking to expand its influence, but no longer aggressively ideological; China is likely to continue behaving, as the current financial crisis demonstrates, as a moderate and peaceful if ascendant power. The only place where the cold war is still alive is in the western hemisphere. Barack Obama's major challenge is to put an end to this abnormality.... more »
Change we don't really need, Kanishk Tharoor
The Obama campaign pioneered the use of 21st century social networking in American electoral politics. Its My.BarackObama.com website was a small miracle of technology and tact, building a platform that at once spread information, enlarged the supporter base, directed energy and, most importantly, raised money. Barack's Twitter feed kept thousands of supporters (and foes) abreast of his latest speeches and rallies. Obama's campaign even deployed text messages on its path to victory,... more »
Is parliamentary sovereignty still vital?, John Jackson
John Jackson (London, Mischon de Reya): The texts of Nick Herbert's public speeches sometimes give the impression of having been drafted first by a well informed assistant, with a sound knowledge of our constitutional history, and then given a ‘going over’ by Herbert to provide a (Conservative Party) politically correct gloss. The result can read in an oddly disjointed – almost Palinist - way. This is a pity: it diminishes the value of serious attempts to discuss serious questions... more »
A stay of execution for English local government? , Chris Game
Chris Game (University of Birmingham, Institute of Local Government Studies): Every cloud, as the saying goes. It seems that one of the collateral victims of the global economic crisis may be the current round of English local government reorganisation.
Speaking at a recent Belfast conference of local authority chief executives, Communities and Local Government Secretary, Hazel Blears, claimed her department had gone ‘back to the drawing board’ on any issues that might help local... more »
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