International Relations

The show has successfully attracted numerous viewers including those who don’t regularly watch anime, which is unsurprising for its fantastic world-building and unique plot. It doesn’t follow the standard plot in the anime culture, where the good protagonists are trying to save the world by defeating the evil guy, and…

On the nationalist implications of soft power; why it exists, what it is, and how it places Japan within an imagined world society — Contents I. A double importation of norms to Japan; Introducing cosmopolitanism II. Unpacking the idea of “soft power”: National self-respect III. Soft power as mirror; Soft power as illusion I. A double importation of norms to Japan; Introducing cosmopolitanism A popular refrain whose origin can really be traced to the late nineteenth century is that Japan, as a country, has whatever…

Broad macro views. Not investment advice. It is no secret that the world is in a difficult place. There is a cost of living crisis driven by supply side constraints emanating from the conflict in Ukraine and lockdowns in China. Global central banks are trying to stem this inflation with…

On the economics, politics, and management of soft power — Contents Goldsmith et al. 2021, “Does public diplomacy sway foreign public opinion?”: Methodological problems with polling studying changes in public opinion Leheny 2006, “A Narrow Place to Cross Swords”: The Politics of soft power Lie 2012, “What is the K in K-pop?”: The economics of popular culture Nye 2008, “Public diplomacy…

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” - The preamble to the US Constitution America is the greatest country in the history…

On 24th February 2022, on the orders of President Putin, Russia invaded Ukraine. For nearly a fortnight, the world’s news has been fixed on horrific, devastating conflict in Ukraine. Many have felt helpless watching as Ukrainians flee, watch from abroad, and fight for their lives and country. Many Russians have…

Some people think the term “rules-based order” is a nonsense expression made up to rationalize and excuse the agenda of the U.S. and its NATO puppets. Nothing could be further from the truth. While not specifically called by that name, the concept of rules-based order has been around since the…

Fighting is the worst possible thing except maybe not fighting. The refusal to punch back leads to peace in its way. Being dragged into war is another in an endless delight on a globe those who just wish to be left alone are forced to share with bothersome goons who…