Why a theory of despair is shaping some left responses to Gaza — Simon Sebag Montefiore’s attack on decolonisation theory (The Atlantic, 27 October 2023) makes a valid point: that by defining the Jewish presence in Israel as “settler colonial” it legitimises the destruction of the state of Israel as an objective, and has led some on the left to justify the Hamas…

Hamas terror attack was aimed squarely at the global order — The Hamas terror attack has triggered war in Gaza, a geopolitical crisis and now — from Sydney to New York City — outbursts of street-level anti-Semitism in the West. Unless it de-escalates quickly, it looks like a strategic turning point both for Palestinian nationalism and Israel. I covered the 2014…

Future of US democracy hangs on a 45-page PDF and a jury… — If Jack Smith has a thousand-yard stare, there’s a reason for that. He made his legal reputation prosecuting war criminals. So we have to assume that piercing gaze has already looked into the heart of darkness. Now, as prosecutor in the indictment of Donald Trump for conspiracy to undermine American…

Or brilliant conceptual exercise hampered by lack of money? — “Our mission is clear,” begins the UK’s 2023 Defence Command Paper, issued last week: “to protect the nation and help it prosper”. It continues: “That does not just mean more ships, tanks and jets — indeed in this document there are deliberately no new commitments on platforms at all– because…

Stalinist nostalgia, Putinism and anti-Semitism prove a toxic mix — [This is a long-read. It originally appeared on my Substack newsletter in two parts. I’m making it available here because it has stimulated an sharp political debate in the UK.] I was recently alerted to an anti-Semitic post by a participant in the 5,000-strong private Facebook group “Organise Corbyn Inspired…

Britain’s top general says you can’t face down Putin on the cheap — [This article appeared on my Substack newsletter — Conflict & Democracy — yesterday for subscribers. Amid the Twitter rationing/outage I’m releasing it also here 24 hours later.] The omens are not good for Britain’s forthcoming Defence Command Paper. General Sir Patrick Sanders, chief of the general staff, is to quit…

Stop The War movement finds yet another reason to tell Ukraine to stop resisting… — Putin’s regime is in danger of collapse therefore Ukraine should stop fighting…That’s the message from Stop The War. Having been struck dumb by the events of Saturday 24 June, the campaign has finally come out with a line, penned by self-styled Ukraine expert Andrew Murray. Because there’s a danger Russia’s…

Prigozhin mutiny creates political fragmentation bomb — Putin blinked. Prigozhin gets to run his neo-colonial crime empire from Belarus. Some generals will be fired. The war goes on. That’s the appearance. But what is the essence? I’ve been depressed by the incapacity of the Western media to cope with the reality of Russian fascism over the past…

Prigozhin’s troops seize Rostov and regime looks paralysed. Updates follow. — As I write, Russian Telegram channels are flooded with videos of Wagner Group detachments staging a coup in Rostov. In Voronezh they’ve reportedly exchanged fire with regular forces; in others, paramilitaries at checkpoints designed to stop them are shown hiding as they pass. UPDATE 05:37 CET: Putin has still not…