Dive into the archives.
- Romanian Justice
From frequent commenter Gabriel Mihalache:
In a recent survey 85% of Romanians said that they think they don’t have a chance in the courts if they don’t have money to bribe the judges. Check this pdf and see the chart titled “The Perceived Level of Corruption in Various State Agencies”.
- Happy Birthday To Us!
One year ago today, Younghusband and I started this blog with a vague mission to cover the dark underbelly of world affairs. Our inspiration was our mutual love of history and politics, travel and geography, the Great Game and Robert D. Kaplan. Chirol joined us in April, and the three of us have [...]
- Economist pans Kaplan
This week’s Economist has a very unflattering review of Imperial Grunts by Robert D. Kaplan. I pulled out a few choice quotes for those that don’t have a subscription:
He seeks to describe this empire through the experiences of the American servicemen defending it. It is a bold case, and he fails to make it.
He writes [...]
- Buffer States, Part 5: Mongolia
Part 1: Himalayas – Part 2: Afghanistan – Part 3: Switzerland – Part 4: Thailand
The final post in the series. As Qing-dynasty China fell at the turn of the 20th century and the Nationalist Party fought a civil war with communist insurgents, the provinces of Tibet, Xin’jiang, and Outer Mongolia declared independence. After the [...]
- Buffer States, Part 4: Thailand
Part 1: Himalayas – Part 2: Afghanistan – Part 3: Switzerland
Thailand, or what was known until 1949 as Siam, is a country with a long and rich history. Yet it’s peculiar border, particularly with Burma, is a direct result of the struggle between the French and British Empire during the years of colonization in [...]
- Buffer States, Part 3: Switzerland
Part 1: Himalayas – Part 2: Afghanistan
Like the Himalayas, the rocky Alps complicate how countries demarcate their borders, which brings us to Switzerland. Switzerland has four distinct communities that have kept their cultural and linguistic identity even after four centuries of living within the same borders. There is little common identity among the [...]
- Buffer States, Part 2: Afghanistan
Part 1: Himalayas
As Russia conquered the independent Turkish kingdoms of Tashkent and Bokhara (modern-day Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan), the southern border of the Russian Empire crept closer and closer to British India. At one point in the mid-19th century, Russian, British, and Chinese territorial claims (although not actual control) overlapped in the Hindu Kush Mountain range. [...]
- Buffer States, Part 1: The Himalayas
Whether it be immigration, smuggling, resources, or just a raw struggle for power, borders are notoriously difficult to manage. This is no secret. For the past few centuries, powerful states have set up smaller and weaker “Ëœbuffer states’ to create ipso facto demilitarized zones and preserve their security. I’m going to shine a light [...]
- Putin hints at “new role”
Putin hints at new role after he steps down; Opposes changing constitution to allow 3d term
President Vladimir Putin told the nation yesterday that he was against changing the constitution to extend his rule, but he dropped a vague hint about a mysterious new role he might assume after stepping down. The remarks, in a [...]
- Jared Diamond on Warfare
The following is an excerpt from Guns, Germs and Steel.
