The Vickers Commission’s failure
The UK’s Independent Commission on Banking set out to make banking safer and to change both the structure and regulation of banking. It failed to achieve any of these aims.
China vs India: a democracy battle
The last war between Asia’s giants erupted in October 1962. Fifty years on the respective works of a Chinese and an Indian intellectual define the shape of their 21st-century contest. For both, democracy is the key issue, for good or ill, that will define Asia’s future.
Hezbollah Hedges Its Bets on Assad
Hezbollah will not disappear even if the Assad regime does. Nonetheless, if the Ba’athist order in Syria falls, Hezbollah will be compelled to operate in a more challenging environment, both domestically and regionally.
Interview with Philip Marsden
Philip Marsden talks about his new book “The Levelling Sea”, his career as a writer and his award-winning books: “The Crossing Place” that tracks the Armenian diaspora and “The Spirit-Wrestlers” about the ‘doukhobor’ dissenters in Russia.
Nikolai Berdyaev on Picasso
An essay on Picasso by the great Russian thinker Berdyaev written in 1914. “Picasso is a remarkable painter, profoundly agitating, but in him there is no attainment of beauty. He is all transitional—all crisis”. A critical but incisive look at early Picasso.
Japan’s Coming Political Earthquake
Japan is now confronting political challenges that are as serious as any it has had to face since World War II’s end but the dearth of competent leadership means that the opportunites for change are not being seized.
Turkey’s Syria Problem
Christopher Phillips explains why Turkey’s recent regional resurgence in the Middle East is at risk of drowning in the Syrian quagmire. The crisis threatens Turkey’s regional ambitions and could also cause instability at home.
The Betrayal of the Republic
Joost Douma examines a critical moment in ancient Roman history when the essential ingredient of the success of the Republic: the 400-year old policy of sharing the common wealth, was systematically destroyed, thus leading to the demise of the Republic and civil war.
Can Egypt Chart Its Own Course?
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has proved willing to act independently of Washington. He visited China, and Iran before the United States, deployed soldiers in the Sinai and has forced the retirement of high ranking members of the military but he’s not about to leave the fold.
India: Linchpin of the Pivot?
Obama’s “Pacific pivot” gave a prominent place for India in his maiden visit to India in May, and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta called defense cooperation with India “a linchpin in U.S. strategy” in Asia but Indian leaders are wary about being drawn into a Cold War with China.