French public life is becoming more ‘Americanized’ and British public life more French
by Rashmee
Posted on February 20, 2020
Everyone’s talking about the alleged “Americanization” of French public life, but almost no one is mentioning the almost parallel Gallicization of British public life. Let me explain. Just days ago, for the first time in France’s modern history, a politician resigned because his sex life was publicly exposed. Benjamin Griveaux, one of President Emmanuel Macron’s … Continue reading “French public life is becoming more ‘Americanized’ and British public life more French”
Read MoreTrump and the lucky man syndrome
by Rashmee
Posted on February 19, 2020
Everyone’s marvelling at Donald J Trump. He may dissemble, lie, cheat, bully, blunder, but he has the damndest luck. Imagine, he was serially bankrupt but can now claim to have led the sound management of the world’s largest economy. He’s a serial philanderer who can now claim to speak about God and the values so … Continue reading “Trump and the lucky man syndrome”
Read MoreTrump’s invisible wall is not just for Muslims
by Rashmee
Posted on February 15, 2020 / The Arab Weekly
The virtual wall takes the United States back to a century ago, when being white was key to acquiring US citizenship. The battle to replace Donald Trump in the White House got properly under way with the Democratic Party primary election in New Hampshire, so it’s worth examining the state of Trump’s signature campaign promise … Continue reading “Trump’s invisible wall is not just for Muslims”
Read MoreMr Trump’s proposed NATOME will be in the Middle East. That’s as ludicrous as the acronym
by Rashmee
Posted on February 14, 2020
It’s hard to see the rationale for Donald Trump’s call on the NATO alliance to increase its involvement in the Middle East. He’s dreamt up a name for the mission – NATOME (NATO plus the initials of Middle East) – but beyond, there’s no clarity on anything very much. NATO is primarily focused on collective … Continue reading “Mr Trump’s proposed NATOME will be in the Middle East. That’s as ludicrous as the acronym”
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 MoreTwo ‘I’s currently seem to define America
by Rashmee
Posted on February 6, 2020
Iowa and impeachment. In the first week of February, an impeached American president was acquitted by a partisan Senate and the first-in-the-nation US presidential election vote was beset by chaos. It would not be extreme to say that to many around the world, Iowa and impeachment currently define America. The two ‘I’s suggest impunity and … Continue reading “Two ‘I’s currently seem to define America”
Read MoreAfter Brexit, British bolshie-ness will be up against the great powers
by Rashmee
Posted on January 30, 2020
Tom Cotton is a US senator from Arkansas, the state that Britain and much of the world would chiefly know as being the home state of president Bill Clinton. Mr Cotton is also a close ally of Donald Trump, someone that Britain and much of the world knows to be bullying, transactional and utterly uninterested … Continue reading “After Brexit, British bolshie-ness will be up against the great powers”
Read MoreNato is not threatened by Macron’s call for strategic clarity but by the values gap with Turkey
by Rashmee
Posted on January 20, 2020
I’m with Peter Ricketts on NATO. The man who served as the UK’s permanent representative to the defense alliance from 2003 to 06, has said (paywall) that Emmanuel Macron’s doubts deserve a sensible and measured response. That is entirely true. Instead of rebukes from Donald Trump and Angela Merkel, Mr Macron’s attempt to force attention … Continue reading “Nato is not threatened by Macron’s call for strategic clarity but by the values gap with Turkey”
Read MoreTrump’s threat to ruin Iraq financially has a historical parallel
by Rashmee
Posted on January 19, 2020 / The Arab Weekly
It is outrageous to expect Iraq, which has suffered the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and the destruction of its infrastructure and economy, to pay for its own occupation. When US President Donald Trump threatened to make Iraq pay for the sprawling US base west of Baghdad if it forced American troops to … Continue reading “Trump’s threat to ruin Iraq financially has a historical parallel”
Read MorePeace in Afghanistan? It’s September all over again
by Rashmee
Posted on January 18, 2020
Going by the news, the Taliban might be closer than at any point in a whole year of negotiations with the United States to signing a preliminary peace deal. But we have, of course, been here before. In September, Donald Trump reversed US approval for a deal that was all but signed. (Plans for the … Continue reading “Peace in Afghanistan? It’s September all over again”
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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