Why everything you think you know about international affairs is wrong

  Disinformation, trolls, bots, propaganda!!! The tweets and headlines complain. “Our enemies are subverting our democracy”, shout the politicians. “Use the media you can trust”, say the editors. If at any point up till now the thought of Russia or China popped into your head, go stand in the corner, face the wall and think very hard about what a bad, little child you’ve been – unless you’re Russian or Chinese, then you’re entitled to worry about what your own…

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Afghanistan – the illusion of doing something

The first post in a new category of subjects, international affairs. How could the Taliban win so easily? We just needed a few more months! We just needed a few more years! We’re abandoning the Afghan people! We’ve been inundated by these plaintive voices in recent days, many, genuinely well intentioned but many not so, although the media wouldn’t have given you that impression. These questions arise from a complete failure to understand what has been happening and realise we…

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