Essays

essays

What the Silicon Valley idealists got wrong

The internet and social media were supposed to democratise knowledge and unite the world. Things didn't quite turn out that way.

Nicholas Carr May 25, 2021

essays

What should we do when the terrorists go quiet?

Western governments must wake up to the uncomfortable reality that when terrorists go quiet, they might be planning something big.

Suzanne Raine May 20, 2021

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The crusader of good will

While no longer a state power, the Catholic Church remains a powerful political force in modern diplomacy.

Janne Haaland Matláry May 18, 2021

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Equality – what is it good for?

Modern society is history's most equal. But progress has not been linear – or easy to calculate.

Ian Mortimer May 12, 2021

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Confucius, competition and modern China’s misuse of meritocracy

Ancient Chinese ideas on merit are being manipulated to block checks on power and venerate authoritarian governance.

Eleanor Olcott May 11, 2021

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A garden of schizophrenics

How did our ancestors think? The written word provides crucial evidence of how language has shaped human consciousness.

Mariano Sigman May 5, 2021

essays

The endless frontier

American state investment in science is returning. But the threats of today – pandemics, climate change, China – will require bold political leadership as well as money.

Sharon Weinberger April 30, 2021

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Fighting in the shadows

The nature of war has changed forever. The West must adapt if it is to ward off threats to global stability.

Kimberly Kagan April 30, 2021

essays

The triumph of the Motherland

In the cultural vacuum left by the collapse of communism, nostalgia for the Soviet Union defines and sustains the modern Russian nation.

Arkady Ostrovsky April 23, 2021