Showing 1 - 10 of 12
In Ukraine, the generals are not the problem
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 14/02/2024
» "God is usually on the side of the big battalions," Voltaire allegedly said. Not always, but "usually". So how much do you want to bet?
Predicting what Israel will do next is easy
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 08/07/2023
» The two-day Israeli military incursion into the Palestinian city of Jenin in the northern West Bank (12 Palestinians killed, one Israeli dead) seems at first glance like just another example of "mowing the lawn". That's what the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) call these periodic futile raids they make to kill some Palestinian fighters.
Iran nukes: End of the road for an agreement
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 20/07/2022
» About six weeks ago Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned that the attempt to revive the 2015 deal that restricted Iran's ability to enrich uranium was on the brink of collapse. Three or four weeks more without an agreement, he said, would deal the talks a "fatal blow".
What's wrong with the Philippines?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 13/05/2022
» 'Bongbong" Marcos didn't just win the presidential election in the Philippines this week. He won it by a two-to-one landslide, despite the fact that he is the extremely entitled son of a former president who stole at least US$10 billion and a mother who spent the loot partly on the world's most extensive collection of designer shoes (3,000 pairs).
Israel and Hamas: Lies and a glimpse of truth
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 29/05/2021
» First, three lies. The Gaza offensive has yielded "unprecedented military gains", said Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz. The ceasefire last week amounted to a "victory" for the Palestinian people and a defeat for Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, said a Hamas official. But the ceasefire brings "genuine opportunity" for progress, said US President Joe Biden.
Napoleon and world history: What if...?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 05/05/2021
» Napoleon Bonaparte doesn't come up much in conversation these days, which is hardly surprising given that he has been dead for two centuries. On the other hand, today will be exactly 200 years since he died, so maybe we could make an exception just this once.
Afghanistan: The same old sell-out
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 12/03/2021
» In an letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last weekend, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken insisted that Mr Ghani agree to share power with the Taliban insurgents in a transitional government, to be followed at some point by some sort of election. Understandably, the Afghan leader views this as a shotgun marriage in which the Taliban will hold the shotgun.
Saudi Arabia is a populist dictatorship
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 27/06/2018
» Joy and pride among Saudi women who are at last allowed to drive. Delight in the car dealerships that anticipate a lot of new business. And dismay in the families of the 1.4 million chauffeurs, almost all from South Asia, who have been earning around US$1,000 (32,960 baht) a month driving Saudi women around. But it will take a lot more than this to change Saudi Arabia.
Silly buggers: Russia, US play chicken
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 23/06/2017
» I don't remember which navy I was in when I first heard the term "silly buggers", but the meaning was clear. It included some sensible exercises like "man overboard" drills, but the heart and soul of the game was high-speed manoeuvres by ships travelling in close company. These sometimes got quite exciting, because ships don't have brakes.
The end of the big trade deals nears
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 23/11/2016
» US president-elect Donald Trump announced yesterday that he will cancel the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on his first day in office (Jan 20). That will kill the TPP off for all 12 countries that agreed on it just over a year ago: as Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, the TPP would be meaningless without the involvement of the US. But then, it was pretty meaningless even with US involvement.