Best of the fortnight - 14 January 2022
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Each fortnight BISA Director, Juliet Dryden, scours the internet for IR-related content that might interest you. Here she brings you this week's best readings and podcasts to keep you up to date with what's happening around the world.
World politics
The Russia-Ukraine standoff
- Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is backfiring. Putin’s military moves are rallying Ukrainians and uniting NATO. Kari Schake for the Atlantic
- Russia thinks Ukraine is bluffing. To deter a Ukraine invasion, Washington’s threats need to be tougher. Chris Miller in Foreign Affairs
- China is watching Ukraine with a lot of interest. Michael Shuman in the Atlantic
- Did I invade? Do you exist? The Russia-Ukraine crises. James Meek in the London Review of Books
- Turkey could lose big in the Russia-Ukraine standoff. Ankara’s delicate balancing act between NATO and Russia. Jeffrey Mankoff in Foreign Policy
- Podcast: Russia and the US face-off over Ukraine. What can Washington do to impel the Kremlin to back down in Geneva this week? From the Daily.
United States/China
- Biden can no longer ignore growing Iran-China ties. Bradley Bowman and Zane Zovak in Foreign Policy
- Joe Biden was set up to fail. The Democratic President is a flawed politician in an impossible job. Read more from the Economist
- What the Thucydides trap gets wrong about China. Lawrence Freedman for the New Statesman
- How an independent tribunal came to rule that China is guilty of genocide against the Uyghurs. David Tobin in The Conversation.
Theories, ideologies and ideas
- The human factor. How Robert Jervis reshaped our understanding of international politics. Robert J Christianson and Keren Yarhi-Milo in Foreign Affairs
- Podcast: Liberalism – attacked from both right and left. Joshua L Cherniss discusses both the history and the potential future of liberalism. Listen to Intelligence Squared podcast
- Podcast: How misinformation spreads. Who is pushing misinformation online, what are they trying to achieve and how can we stop it without censoring free speech? From Risky Business
- Are we witnessing the dawn of post theory science? Does the advent of machine learning mean the classic methodology of hypothesise, predict and test has had its day? Laura Spinney for the Guardian.
UK and Europe
- The UK must abandon ‘democratic defeatism’ if it to stand up to China. Tom Tugendhat for the New Statesman
- Why European defence cooperation still matters for the UK despite Brexit. Gesina Weber for The Conversation
- Modern France and the ghosts of the past. France, like all countries, is haunted by events and mistakes of times past. These ghosts will guide modern policy until they are overridden and laid to rest. Peter Ricketts for Engelsberg Ideas
- Who does Eric Zemmour speak for? The far right French politician offers a crude exaggeration of what many in France believe but few dare to admit. James McAuley for the New York Review of Books.
Asia
- Kazakhstan’s chaos amid internet shutdowns and violence. Paulo Sorbello for Open Democracy
- Kazakhstan unrest. Another regional headache for Vladimir Putin. Liana Semchuk for The Conversation
- The duo fighting to preserve dynastic rule in the Philippines. Two of the country’s most notorious political families are teaming up for the upcoming political election to consolidate and control power. Timothy McLaughlin for the Atlantic
- Myanmar’s coup shakes up its ethnic conflict. A report from the International Crisis Group
- The North Korean who went home. Many defectors struggle against discrimination. Christoph Bluth for The Conversation.
Middle East/Africa
- The war for hearts and minds. The evolution of Al Qaeda’s media strategy. A look at the efforts of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) where they operate in war-torn Yemen Elisabeth Kendall for Engelsberg Ideas
- Ethiopia promises peace but keeps bombing rebels and civilians. The Economist.
The best of the rest
- Verdict on COP26. Politics has failed. It’s time to target the money keeping fossil fuels in business. Bill McKibben in Prospect Magazine
- Modern governments all need a ministry of oceans and here’s why. Chris Armstrong for The Conversation.
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