The war in Ukraine can seem fairly simple when viewed from only one direction. Russia invaded Ukraine, an independent country, and Ukraine has every right to defend itself. From that perspective, the central issue appears straightforward. But Russia tells a different story. For years, Russian leaders warned that the eastward movement of NATO—a military alliance
Chat-GPT and myself have successfully collaborated on many issues over the past six months, culminating both in the establishment of this website and its many articles. But when it came to the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict, we pointedly clashed, that is, until now. After making one last effort at convincing the program of the merits of my
WHY WE BUILD RULES AT ALL Every society that has ever existed has had rules. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about a small tribe, an ancient empire, a religious community, or a modern nation-state. Wherever human beings live together, they draw lines. They decide what is allowed and what is not. They create
We tend to assume that even in moments of crisis, someone is still in control—that governments, militaries, and institutions may be failing, but at least they are trying to steer the system toward survival. What if that assumption is wrong? What if what we’re witnessing isn’t strategy gone bad but the absence of strategy altogether?
Introduction Most people experience political and social division as something spontaneous — a natural clash of personalities, beliefs, or competing visions of the world. But history suggests something more complicated may also be at work. Across generations, institutions, political movements, media systems, and centers of power have repeatedly learned how to shape public perception, channel
Introduction Every generation imagines that it stands on the edge of resolution.We believe that with enough intelligence, diplomacy, technology, negotiation, or moral progress, humanity will eventually overcome war, division, and instability. Yet history tells another story. Conflict does not disappear. It mutates. It shifts shape. It reappears under new banners, new ideologies, and new
