Foreign Policy

If you're wondering what on earth is going on with the protests in India, I have just the piece for you. Sushant Singh explains how, confronted with a jobs crisis, an energy crunch, a falling rupee, and foreign-policy disappointments, Modi's government seems to be abandoning political engagement in favor of state coercion. In other words, a mass mobilization is coming up against an immovable strongman leader who has already weakened several pillars of democracy. Why, and what next? Take a look in the link below: GIFT LINK: https://lnkd.in/g4A5m2XN

No matter how it ends, the Iran war has already had profound consequences on the world. In fact, it has forever changed it, writes Kenneth Pollack in Foreign Policy this week. Think of how the Gulf states are changing their mindsets from defense to offense, how Israel is embracing constant borderland warfare, and how China is beginning to project power in the region. Take a look at this long read. GIFT LINK: https://lnkd.in/ge7Zh4Z6

Why is it that modern France seems to be a land of protest? And no less importantly, why does anyone still care about what happens in a medium-sized European country that has long ceased to be a global power? Read Emile Chabal in Foreign Policy to make sense of the extraordinary scenes out of France over the weekend. GIFT LINK: https://lnkd.in/gXkZrGQr

A bonus episode of FP Live: my take on why I think Trump has peaked in terms of international power, and how countries and companies will begin to change their behavior towards his White House. https://lnkd.in/gmgC2m3m

"There is fierce debate about whether the United States should, would, and could defend Taiwan in the event of a military assault by China. But there is another way events could play out that doesn’t involve a dramatic blockade or amphibious invasion: nonforcible realignment or, in a worst-case scenario, bloodless annexation," write Michael Poznansky and Ian Easton in Foreign Policy. "Such a strategy, known by euphemisms like 'winning without fighting' or 'peaceful reunification,' is Beijing’s preferred outcome. And Washington is unprepared for it." READ: https://lnkd.in/gWG_mCKK

A new world order for the 21st century cannot be built in the old way, with elites balancing their power behind closed doors, writes Gordon Brown, the former UK prime minister, in Foreign Policy. Instead the process has to begin in local communities, by building what Adam Smith called "circles of empathy", and then growing outwards to involve more and more people. This is a profoundly hopeful essay that is backed by polling, data, and wisdom. I urge you to engage with Brown's ideas. And if you agree or disagree, do share your thoughts in the comments. READ: https://lnkd.in/gq9wbVM6