Notebooks

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Primo Levi’s grey zone

The Auschwitz survivor insisted we suspend moral judgement on those concentration camp prisoners who, faced with impossible choices, abetted the Nazis’ project of annihilation.

Ian Thomson January 27, 2026

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After American exceptionalism

For decades, American power was underpinned by ideals that inspired allies and adversaries alike. But the 'City on the Hill' now shines less brightly.

Marc Polymeropoulos January 27, 2026

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Bevin’s alternative European order

The Western European Union, conceived by Ernest Bevin, provided a crucial framework for European security. Its history illustrates how even the most useful security arrangements ca..

Peter Ricketts January 26, 2026

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The perils of a failed state in Iran

As the Islamic Republic continues to falter, the West should remain open to change from within the regime.

Rob Macaire January 26, 2026

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From Pericles to Davos

The Athenian statesman Pericles’ Funeral Oration is an organic unity, its authority derived from the speaker’s strength of vision. This stands in complete contrast to today’s polit..

Armand D'Angour January 23, 2026

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Scotland’s north country

The habits of speech and mind that shaped the history of Scotland’s north country still echo in the present.

Alastair Benn January 23, 2026

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The price of Europe’s defence

Europe’s dependence on the US for its defence may be coming to an end. Rapid military spending, the replacement of US assets, and taking on the nuclear umbrella will require hard e..

David Roche January 22, 2026

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Hydrogen warfare

Unlocking new hydrogen fuel technologies could unleash a transformation in warfare as profound as any witnessed over the past five centuries, with far-reaching strategic implicatio..

Mara Balasa January 22, 2026

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Conrad’s American century

In his 1904 novel 'Nostromo', Joseph Conrad imagined a world shaped by distant financiers and imperial ambition, anticipating a century of American global power.

Morten Høi Jensen January 22, 2026