Why would any country risk so much without any measurable gain?
The Dutch Narrative of Water Management
By Maria Giannakopoulou Sun Tzu famously said that if you want to defeat your enemy, you have to be like water – able to adjust and take every possible shape. But what happens when you have to confront water itself? Climate change and water crisis are much more than just a threatening narrative; It is … Continue reading The Dutch Narrative of Water Management
Upgrade Unlocked: e-Embassy
Is diplomacy going through digital transformation as well?
Papyrus Review of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
📜 If I had to rewrite the whole book on a singe papyrus scroll, which parts would I keep? By Alexandros Sainidis Why is this book beneficial for those interested in International Relations? Because by nature we are generalists. We study the biggest social actors, states and international organisations, which cover enormous parts of Earth’s … Continue reading Papyrus Review of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
Interview with former Syrian Diplomat, Danny Albaaj
In this first interview by Pecunia et Bellum, we discussed sensitive political and geopolitical matters with Dany Albaaj, a former Syrian Diplomat who witnessed the changes in Syria first hand. We note that the views or calculations expressed by the interviewee do not in any way reflect the opinions of the Pecunia et Bellum team members, individually or collectively.
The Blueprint for International Relations (or how to read the World)
If you only have ten minutes to understand what is happening globally, read this.
How a UN mission increased the local prices of Offices
Gold is valuable because it is scarce. Same goes for offices.
How to cope with decease in science
What happens when a scientific topic dies?
Prediction and International Relations
Predictions are cringe.
The Chronicle of the Catalan Question
By Maria Giannakopoulou, The right of a people to self-determination is a striking and of highest importance right in the domain of modern international law. Going back to history, we spot the first time of its reference during the Westphalian Era, when the first European states as known today begun taking shape and appeared determined … Continue reading The Chronicle of the Catalan Question
Black Swans and Black Sheep
What do the Black Swans of Bosnia have in common with the Azov Battallion of Ukraine?
Soft-Power and the concept of ‘Mosaic Diplomacy’.
International politics could be compared to a mosaic which depicts power, both hard and soft.
De Macron
How Macron took lessons from de Gaulle’s Playbook
The Turkish-Russian Nuclear Cooperation
Can Turkey become a nuclear power with the help of Russia?
Jigsaw: The Power of Pictures
Presented by Alexandros Sainidis This post is part of the Jigsaw series where we share enlightening excerpts we find in books. Some words and ideas are more impactful when expressed by their writers, as they are. When I was a child, my mother would often say that mathematics is the global language – not English. … Continue reading Jigsaw: The Power of Pictures
The Internet Products
The end of the Cold War coincides with the Internet’s true development.
The conflict between Law and Power in Ukraine
By Stefanos Michelakakis, George Monopatis and Alexandros Sainidis Think of International Law as a set of rules that bind the states which have signed them. In many cases there are conventions that almost all the countries of the International Community are member-states of. These include the United Nations charter, the provisions of which are the … Continue reading The conflict between Law and Power in Ukraine
How Crypto could bridge Intelligence with Academia
Being unable to share despite knowing can be a subtle form of torture. You do not have to be a CIA spy to gain access to classified intel. Being an International Relations Analyst can often be enough to gain access to less critical but still classified information. Even at Chatham House Rule conferences public figures … Continue reading How Crypto could bridge Intelligence with Academia
Pomaks: the Misunderstood within the Greek Muslim Minority
By Nickolaos Angelis Dealing with minority issues around the world definitely sparks the interest of various readers. Many are curious to learn about the indigenous peoples. The natives. The people who used to live in their ancestral homes before they were “discovered”. Ranging from the Sámi (Lapps) of Scandinavia to the Aborigines of Oceania, the … Continue reading Pomaks: the Misunderstood within the Greek Muslim Minority
A rare text to see in a Russian book
This is something George Kennan would be pleased to read.
Your profession is not your personality; or your ideology.
At times I wonder how come I haven’t come across a similar thought or opinion to mine on the internet regarding a certain topic. There’s a special feeling of satisfaction when I find out pieces of people voicing the same concern. Introducing the “Jigsaw.” “So what do you study?”“International Studies” (In a dismissive manner) “Very … Continue reading Your profession is not your personality; or your ideology.
Chinese Thought and the Structure of Global Power
Becoming the biggest player in history
Can Video Games Make Wars Less Atrocious?
Final Fantasy Tactics games are a good influence regarding International Humanitarian Law
The Coronavirus might make the Contiguous Zone relevant
Dibs on Contiguous Zone becoming more relevant.
The Lemonade Stand of International Economics
A For Dummies Style humorous guide for International Economics
For the sake of the Fourth
‘Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave’ A different 4th of July emerges, with President Biden presenting the U.S. and his leadership as winners, moving forward unmasked and with confidence. The current President’s goal has been to get approximately 2/3 of the American population vaccinated by this time. The initial … Continue reading For the sake of the Fourth
The Sustainable Development Game
We have talked about videogames. But videogames are not to be confused with Game Theory in social and political sciences.
To feel like a State
Lv 2: This post is a part of my Video Games series. Humans have the capacity to be empathetic. Personally I am even more empathetic when it comes to a videogame character I am invested in. Regardless if you can read between the lines of world politics or not, we all have the ability to … Continue reading To feel like a State
Celebrating April Fools’ by honoring Bismarck’s Birthday
Bismarck’s Birthday is no joke.
4 + 1 Football Games that Made History For All the Wrong Reasons
By Nickolaos Angelis It is commonly said that Football is more than just a game. That’s because team sports often offer an intense emotional experience. In support of that claim, an important motive behind the participation in an association is the need to identify with a certain group of people which reflects the experiencing background of … Continue reading 4 + 1 Football Games that Made History For All the Wrong Reasons
The Tigrayan Conflict
In the present, Ethiopia is experiencing a bloody civil war between the Federal Government and the state of Tigray.
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Navigating through a Jungle of Books and Journals
Too many books, too little time. What should we do?
Territorial Waters and Greco-Turkish disputes
The 12 nautical mile long Territorial Sea is far from being an exception.
The Evolution of Terrorism
Did you know that terrorism is a phenomenon that started towards the end of the 19th century?
Does MAD apply to Greco-Turkish relations?
Neither Greece nor Turkey are nuclear powers. Would the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) still apply to the two Aegean neighbours?
How does the system function? An interpretation of the current world order.
Understanding how the international system functions remains a rather confusing task mainly because the world order constitutes a dynamic field, the features of which are under constant change. This is due to the fact that the international system is the output of the perpetual interaction of countless actors, factors and parameters. In the effort to … Continue reading How does the system function? An interpretation of the current world order.
The Academic Currency
One of the trends we see in modern learning is condensed science. Be it in school, university or YouTube, we tend to explain, or be provided knowledge “in a nutshell”. It sounds convenient. My own Grandfather, an architect wishes it was possible to transfer knowledge with ease. “So much knowledge. It is a pity that … Continue reading The Academic Currency
Escalation in the Middle-East: The Assassination of Qassim Suleimani
By Mubbashir Hussain An unprecedented and expectedly very consequential event took place outside the Baghdad Airport on the third morning of the year 2020. Major General Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Quds Force of Iranian Revolutionay Guard Corps, was killed in a missile attack. According to a Pentagon statement, the attack was carried out at the … Continue reading Escalation in the Middle-East: The Assassination of Qassim Suleimani
The World After a Week – December 22, 2019
Today’s Weekly Brief
The World After a Week – December 15, 2019
The Russian Federation got banned from the next Olympics and the football World Cup (more). Russia’s only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, caught fire and is undergoing repairs (more). Russia and Ukraine hold their first summit on the Crimean – East Ukrainian conflict in Paris, agreeing on a cease-fire (more). In Great Britain the Conservative Party … Continue reading The World After a Week – December 15, 2019
The Oil Weapon
Prior to the dawn of the previous century, the world had already witnessed embargos, ranging from the Megarian decree to the Embargo act of 1807. What defined the trade disputes and embargos of the 20th century, however, was the use of oil; linked to electricity, fuel and more. Oil is a source of revenue, … Continue reading The Oil Weapon
The World After a Week December 8, 2019
Diplomacy and Russia: – Bulgarian diplomat expelled from Russia in tit-for-tat move after Sofia asked the Kremlin to recall a diplomat under suspicion of espionage. Bulgaria also declined granting visa to a Russian defense attache (basically an ambassador). Given the strong cultural ties and energy relations between the two countries, this response of Bulgaria causes … Continue reading The World After a Week December 8, 2019
The World After a Week – November 24, 2019
Pope visited Thailand, the most heavily Bhuddist country (more). Russia returned naval vessels which were captured during the Kerch Strait incident. The Ukrainian navy reported that three of the vessels were vandalized by Russians (more). Google will prevent advertisers from targetiing election ads using data containing public voter records and general political affiliations (more). Microsoft … Continue reading The World After a Week – November 24, 2019
The World After a Week November 17, 2019
Evo Morales, the Bolivian leader, lost power and sought asylum in Mexico. An interim government is currently in charge. The Brazilian embassy in Venezuela is occupied by Guaido supporters. Chilean protests are paving the way for a referendum in 2020 on whether the citizens of Chile want a new constitution. Spanish elections: Left still governs, … Continue reading The World After a Week November 17, 2019
The World After a Week November 10, 2019
Fifteen Asia-Pacific countries including China sign a trade pact without India. It is called Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). It is promised to be a big one. India is now more likely to agree on a trade agreement with Europe in order to avoid the outcome of being isolated. Speaking of India, its police has … Continue reading The World After a Week November 10, 2019
Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: 30th Anniversary
By George Monopatis and Alexandros Sainidis Following the defeat of the Third Reich, Germany was virtually cut in half. The Red army had occupied East Germany in the same fashion the Russian empire did during its war with Frederick the Great. What is remarkable, however, what happened to Berlin itself, the capital city of Germany. … Continue reading Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: 30th Anniversary
China: The Challenger
By George Monopatis It is common knowledge in international fora that China is the number 2 power in the international system. However, the tricky part consists of identifying the means of achieving the status of a world order challenger. Perhaps the straightforward answer to this question derives from the country’s geography. In a geopolitical sense … Continue reading China: The Challenger
Understanding Trade Wars through our Smartphones
The recent measures constraining Huawei’s activity in the Transatlantic provokes old questions of economic interdependence and new puzzles concerning cybersecurity