Look out Europe: the Russian bear is coming
- June 05, 2015
- by
- Matt
There is a psychological theory called projection which I have often thought can be applied to international relations. Essentially, projection describes a tendency in interpersonal relationships by which individuals project onto others certain characteristics that they fear or hate in themselves.
An obvious example might be a sexually-frustrated fundamentalist preacher who persecutes others because he imagines that they are thinking about nothing but sex. Another example might an unfaithful or potentially unfaithful spouse who imagines that his/her partner is unfaithful.
Freud thought that the main purpose of this mechanism was defensive: by projecting...
Yemen: stirring the cauldron
- April 11, 2015
- by
- Matt
What exactly has to happen in order to demonstrate once and for all that war and militarisation are not the solutions to the many problems that the Middle East faces?
The casualty estimates and death tolls from the countries our armies and special forces have fought or intervened in don’t seem to do the trick. Neither...
Iran Nuclear Agreement: War Averted?
- April 03, 2015
- by
- Matt
Given the unfolding mayhem in the Middle East, yesterday’s framework agreement over Iran’s nuclear program is a positive development that should be cautiously celebrated. Ordinary Iranians have special reason to celebrate, because they are the ones, as always, who have borne the brunt of sanctions that should never have been imposed in the first...
What’s so interesting about William Tecumseh Sherman?
- April 02, 2015
- by
- Matt
There are a lot of books to read, and for those of you that like to spend time, maybe too much time, on the internet, there is a lot of stuff to read that isn’t in books and which doesn’t even give you time to read them. As if it wasn’t enough trying...
Why 1.3 Million Dead Are Not Worth Mentioning
- March 31, 2015
- by
- Matt
It’s one of the essential tenets of the new age of humanitarian war that war is not as bad as it used to be, or at least that it’s not so bad that the costs outweigh the gains. War, or western war at least, is no longer the grim rider on the pale...
Aaronovitch Administers the Hatchet
- March 23, 2015
- by
- Matt
Anyone who has read this site will know that I’m not a big fan of the UK’s little band of neocon/liberal interventionist journalists.
It isn’t just the fact that I don’t agree with them. I can live with disagreement. It isn’t even their total obliviousness to the discrepancies between their militarist proposals and the actual...
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