The altarpiece of the Independence of Mexico ("El Retablo de la Independencia de México"), is a fresco on a wall by Juan O'Gorman, painted from the year 1960 to 1961. "What has characterized the Latin American state is not its concentration of power, but the very dilution of power." - Miguel Angel Centeno (2002, Loc.... Continue Reading →
Documentary Review: Canada’s Elite Special Forces Mission in Iraq, by Lisa Laflamme, 2017 (21 m)
Whenever the objective has been to disrupt, sabotage, rescue, gather intelligence, combat irregular enemy forces, etc. Special forces have always played a key role throughout the history of warfare. Top of mind commando forces include Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) and, in the United States, the Green Berets, Rangers and Delta Force. In the case... Continue Reading →
Analysis: On the perks and flaws of the very old idea of “New Nationalism”
"Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism." - George Orwell When Nation-States are born, they remember and reinterpret their pasts.This narrative brings meaning and sense of direction to their members. As countries evolve, they must go back to those pasts and permanently review them, sometimes even adapt them and make them omnipresent, to justify... Continue Reading →
Ted Talk: Is war between China and the US inevitable? by Graham Allison, 2018 (19 m)
Graham Allison is a prominent American political scientist. He is a professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 1971 he became internationally renowned after the success of his book Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis. Then, Remaking Foreign Policy: The Organizational Connection, co-written with Peter Szanton, was... Continue Reading →