The four ‘tribes’ of Britain, circa 2021
by Rashmee
Posted on April 26, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY Once upon a time there were Tories and Labour supporters. Then, there were Leavers and Remainers. Now, it turns out Britain has no less than four distinct tribes and they coalesce around a distinct view of the world. Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s recognise The Humanitarians, The Globalists, The Patriots and The Isolationists. … Continue reading “The four ‘tribes’ of Britain, circa 2021”
Read MoreWhat links the late Idriss Deby’s Chad to Egypt and India
by Rashmee
Posted on April 21, 2021
/ TAKE UP ONE IDEA The death of Idriss Deby, president of Chad for the past 30 years, renews the focus on electoral autocracies, which are sustained and flourish with the support of western countries. Deby – and modern Chad’s story – is quickly told. The 68-year-old strongman died of wounds sustained during a battle between … Continue reading “What links the late Idriss Deby’s Chad to Egypt and India”
Read MoreHow will Joe Biden deal with the foreign policy ‘hinge’?
by Rashmee
Posted on December 3, 2020
Henry Kissinger called America’s indecision between its values and its interests the “hinge”. Rightly so. Opinion has swung this way and that. America’s foreign policy “hinge” has always been a testy issue and four years of Donald Trump haven’t settled the matter. Not with Mr Trump’s America Firstism rejected in last month’s election. Joe Biden … Continue reading “How will Joe Biden deal with the foreign policy ‘hinge’?”
Read MoreOn the world stage, men and women leaders are merely players. They have their exits and entrances
by Rashmee
Posted on November 11, 2020
Many are offering a grim roundup of the disappointment being felt by some leaders and governments because Donald Trump won’t have a second term in the White House. (Click here and here for some examples of the type of commentary I’m talking about.) To which the right response is three-pronged and as follows: First, let’s … Continue reading “On the world stage, men and women leaders are merely players. They have their exits and entrances”
Read MoreWhat to make of Mike Pompeo’s ‘crusade’ against China
by Rashmee
Posted on August 16, 2020
Jeffrey Sachs’ contextualisation of America’s “crusade” against China is worth reading, what with Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump’s secretary of state, recently touring the world to push his aggressive agenda. On August 11, Mr Pompeo took off for Europe – Prague, Pilsen, Ljubljana, Vienna and Warsaw. He finished the tour at the weekend. In the Slovenian … Continue reading “What to make of Mike Pompeo’s ‘crusade’ against China”
Read MoreTime for the age of ‘postdevelopment’
by Rashmee
Posted on July 31, 2020
Development is a failed project, says Julia Schöneberg, and she should know. Dr Schöneberg’s research at the University of Kassel focusses on postdevelopment in practice, social movements and resistances, as well as decolonised approaches to knowledge production and pedagogy. Anyway, her piece in Open Democracy opens with a provocative quote from Aime Césaire’s essay titled ‘Discourse … Continue reading “Time for the age of ‘postdevelopment’”
Read MoreHow much will the EU’s ‘historic’ new deal change life in Europe?
by Rashmee
Posted on July 26, 2020 / The National
For the first time in nearly seven decades of Europe’s union, the 27-member bloc is prepared to jointly raise billions of euros on the capital markets. It is rare for European solidarity to go beyond declarations of shared values, the thicket of common regulations, cluster of continent-wide institutions and the more partial 19-country eurozone. The … Continue reading “How much will the EU’s ‘historic’ new deal change life in Europe?”
Read MoreCorona-alliances, travel corridors and air bridges: taking a flight is no longer business as usual
by Rashmee
Posted on June 17, 2020 / The National
While there is neither vaccine for cure for Covid-19, international travel is tentatively resuming in a strange new world of bubbles large and small, air bridges, green lanes, negotiated corridors and colour-coded zones. The cartographical features of the new travel order are not yet set but it is safe to say they will be unique. … Continue reading “Corona-alliances, travel corridors and air bridges: taking a flight is no longer business as usual”
Read MoreWhy a small American state can have a big impact on the world
by Rashmee
Posted on February 12, 2020 / The National
The battle for the US presidency gets properly under way with Tuesday’s election in New Hampshire, a small north-eastern state, where the Democratic Party picks its preferred choice for presidential nominee. Meanwhile, two seemingly contradictory narratives are emerging. The first is that the Democratic Party is simply incapable of winning against incumbent president Donald Trump … Continue reading “Why a small American state can have a big impact on the world”
Read MoreThe US and China are battling over a geographical concept
by Rashmee
Posted on January 15, 2020
To no one’s surprise, China doesn’t admit to being part of the “Indo-Pacific”. The strategy has potential – as well as its perils. Consider this. In the past decade, Indo-Pacific has become an established political and strategic concept for Australia, India, Japan and the United States. In the Trump era, the term “free and open … Continue reading “The US and China are battling over a geographical concept”
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Rashmee has lived and worked in several countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Tunisia, the UAE, US and UK