Eurasia

Rochester, NY (Special to Informed Comment) – An unforeseen health disaster with rapidly propagating domestic and international consequences strikes a superpower already wallowing in heavy seas. Overwhelmed by the surge, the ship of state floods, and begins to break up. The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in April 1986, and the subsequent disintegration of the USSR […]

Eurasia

What does it Mean that South Ossetia is Celebrating Independence?

Richard Foltz

By Richard Foltz | – Tskhinval, Republic of South Ossetia (Informed Comment) – On May 29 South Ossetians celebrated the signing of their declaration of independence in 1992. Given that South Ossetia’s statehood has been recognized by only five UN member states, this event could hardly be expected to make international news. And yet, given […]

China

Tripolarity: Are Trump, Putin & Xi Divvying up the World?

Michael T. Klare

The pundits and politicians generally take it for granted that President Trump lacks a coherent foreign policy. They believe that he acts solely out of spite, caprice, and political opportunism — lashing out at U.S. allies like Germany’s Angela Merkel and England’s Theresa May only to embrace authoritarian rulers like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North […]

China

With G7 in Disarray, Putin & Xi court Iran at Shanghai Cooperation Council

Becky Davis

China’s regional security summit with Iran and Russia stood in stark contrast to the contentious G7

Eurasia

Russian-Speaking Militants Prepare To Fight Assad In Hama

contributors

By Joanna Paraszczuk | ( RFE/RL) ) | – – Two Russian-speaking militant groups, including a battalion within Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate the Al-Nusra Front, claim they are preparing to fight Syrian government forces in the central province of Hama. The declarations come three weeks after Russia launched air strikes that initially appeared to help Syrian […]

Africa

Global Connections: World History as Social History – a New Synthesis

Juan Cole

I and colleagues have just brought out a world history. Because of the fine and exciting writing of my co-authors, it is more than just a textbook. My readers often ask me about history books – here’s one I can recommend. By John Coatsworth, Juan Cole, Michael Hanagan, Peter C. Perdue, Charles Tilly, and Louise […]

Armenia

Controversy as the “Forgotten Genocide” of the Armenians turns 100

contributors

AJ+ | – “April 24 marks the 100th anniversary of what’s been called “The Forgotten Genocide” and the “Armenian massacres,” when hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of Armenians were killed at the hands of the Ottoman Empire’s Young Turks at the start of World War I. Here’s a breakdown of what happened. […]