Essays

essays

Trump and Xi gamble on Latin America

The United States and China are locked in an intensifying battle for Latin America. Yet both superpowers may be disappointed with the results.

Marc Levinson March 5, 2026

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The history of conservatism is a history of crisis

In every era, conservatives face a choice: what to preserve, what to change, and who decides.

Gwion Wyn Jones March 4, 2026

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Space and AI – the final frontier

The convergence of AI, robotics, quantum systems and synthetic biology is transforming space exploration, raising profound civilisational questions about the nature of humanity.

Nayef Al-Rodhan March 4, 2026

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A deep history of America’s tariff wars

The challenge to Trump’s tariff strategy is part of a much longer story. Controversy over trade policy has shaped American politics since the US Constitution was ratified in 1788.

Samuel Gregg March 2, 2026

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The power of sloth

Recovering the lost meaning of sloth challenges modern assumptions about the good life.

Elise Morrison February 26, 2026

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Ukraine’s new world of warfare

On the battlefields of Ukraine, technological change has transformed modern warfare beyond recognition. European NATO powers remain woefully unprepared for this existential challen..

Peter Caddick-Adams February 25, 2026

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Kafka goes to China

The journey of Franz Kafka’s works from Europe to Mao-era China shaped generations of writers.

Jeffrey Wasserstrom February 20, 2026

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The Greenland question

Donald Trump's aggressive bid for Greenland has amplified the island's long drive for self-rule, while illuminating the complex ties that bind Copenhagen, Washington and Nuuk.

Elizabeth Buchanan February 19, 2026

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Russia’s Arctic game

President Putin sees Greenland as a testing ground for his vision of a world divided into spheres of influence, in which the United States and Russia set the rules of the game and ..

Sergey Radchenko February 18, 2026