Geopolits | Making sense of the strategic world

Bridging the Dragon and the Elephant: Strategic Implications of Sino-Indian Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

October 27, 2024

However, the path toward deepened cooperation is not devoid of obstacles. Persistent gridlocks in their relationship continue to pose significant challenges. Historical mistrust, rooted in past conflicts and competing territorial claims, has fostered a climate of scepticism that cannot be dispelled overnight. The border resolutions, while promising, address only a fraction of the complex issues that beset their relations. Divergent strategic interests, such as India’s concerns over China’s Belt and Road Initiative and China’s apprehensions about India’s engagements with other regional powers, contribute to a delicate balance of competition and cooperation. Additionally, economic disparities and trade imbalances have engendered protectionist sentiments in both countries, complicating efforts to forge mutually beneficial agreements. Navigating these gridlocks requires sustained diplomatic efforts, confidence-building measures, and a willingness to reconcile divergent interests in pursuit of common goals.

How Ukraine’s Defence Industry Sold Itself Out

October 25, 2024

The full impact of Ukraine’s defence collapse became clear during the Crimean annexation in 2014. With no nuclear deterrent and a military crippled by corruption, Ukraine was in no position to resist. The Battle of Ilovaisk in 2014 was particularly humiliating; many soldiers lacked even basic bulletproof vests, some resorting to buying their own protective gear. Much of Ukraine’s weaponry, like the T-64 tanks and MiG-29 jets, was non-operational, left to rust in storage. This national helplessness starkly exposed the failure to modernize and keep the once-imposing arsenal.

Categories: America / Eastern Europe and Russia / Middle East / Western Europe

Future of Multilateral Cooperation at the SCO Summit

October 20, 2024October 20, 2024

The timing of the summit is notable, occurring against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war, and global struggles against climate change. Additionally, the rise of terrorism, a core focus of the SCO, continues to threaten peace across the region, including in Pakistan and other member states. As a multilateral organization, the SCO provides a platform to address these emerging challenges.

Founded in 2001, the SCO now comprises nine full member states, making it a unique multilateral group that spans nearly a quarter of the world’s landmass and includes 42.5% of its population. With permanent members such as China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and the Central Asian republics, along with strategic observers, the SCO has become a cornerstone of Eurasian diplomacy. Observer states like Mongolia and Afghanistan, alongside 14 dialogue partners including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, stand to benefit from the cooperative frameworks developed within the SCO.

Bollywood, Blockades, and Backroom Deals in India’s Charm and Strong-Arm Strategy in South Asia

October 12, 2024October 20, 2024

But this is where things start to get interesting. India’s hybrid strategy for keeping its neighbours, like Bangladesh, in check is as intricate as it is insidious. It is not just about guns and tanks—though those are certainly part of the package. No, India has perfected the art of the subtle squeeze. Diplomatic manoeuvring? Check. Economic dependency? Double check. Political influence? Absolutely. And let us not forget the soft power card, which India plays with the finesse of a skilled gambler. From infrastructure projects to educational exchanges, India extends its influence with all the charm of a seasoned salesperson selling you a car you do not really need.

Categories: America / Indo-Pacific regions / South Asia

Democracy for Sale in the Great American Electoral Hustle

October 11, 2024

What is clear is that American voters are trapped in a cycle of manipulation. From the Cold War’s promise of economic prosperity through deregulation to the post-9/11 era’s constant state of war and fear, elections have become less about genuine choice and more about controlling the narrative. Pro-business politicians, regardless of their party, have convinced voters that their policies—whether in the name of security, progress, or prosperity—serve the public good. These policies consistently serve corporate interests, widening the wealth gap and leaving voters disillusioned.

Categories: America / Indo-Pacific regions / Western Europe

Israel’s Double Act of Victimhood and Aggression in the Tragic Theatre of Middle East

October 9, 2024

It’s a masterstroke of manipulation, really. Israel has successfully convinced its Western allies that its survival is intrinsically tied to their own strategic interests in the Middle East. The logic goes: “Save us, and you save yourselves.” The audacity of such a position is breathtaking—Israel, which refuses to end its occupation, and which repeatedly undermines any prospect for a two-state solution, now frames itself as the last bastion of Western civilization in the region. And the Western world, held hostage by the fear of losing influence, buys into this illusion. The United States, in particular, continues to funnel military aid and diplomatic backing to Israel, even as the cost is counted in shattered lives and ruined cities. It’s a deal with the devil, one where the U.S. sacrifices its credibility on the altar of strategic expedience, all the while enabling Israel’s worst excesses.

Categories: America / Indo-Pacific regions / Middle East / Western Europe

The Urgent Need of Decolonisation in South Asia

October 7, 2024October 7, 2024

Decolonisation isn’t just about kicking out the old colonial powers; it’s about kicking out the mindset that they left behind. It’s about rejecting the role of Noren-the butler, refusing to wait hand and foot on multinational corporations and global superpowers, and deciding to be the host of the party instead. It’s time for South Asia to stop being everyone else’s economic sidekick and start running the show. Imagine a South Asia where industries are owned locally, politics serve the people (not foreign interests), and culture celebrates local identities instead of mimicking Western lifestyles.

Categories: America / East Asia / Indo-Pacific regions / South Asia / Western Europe

Class Warfare is Not Just About Money, It’s About Who Controls the Hashtags

October 4, 2024

This brings us to Karl Marx, who, bless him, thought he had it all figured out with his theory of class conflict. Marx believed history was driven by the antagonism between economic classes—the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. He predicted this would all culminate in revolution when the economic interests of these groups could no longer be reconciled. While Marx deserves credit for highlighting the role of economics in social conflict, he perhaps underestimated the sheer power of cultural forces. It turns out that intellectuals, religious leaders, and media moguls can shape society just as profoundly as any capitalist or factory owner.

Keeping the Peace or Keeping Power? How the UN Stays Relevant by Prolonging Middle East Crises

October 4, 2024

This, of course, is only the latest chapter in the UN’s complicated love-hate relationship with the Middle East. For decades, the organisation has been trying—desperately, it seems—to calm the region’s never-ending conflicts, but with very little to show for it. The Syrian Civil War is still going strong, despite the UN’s best efforts to broker peace talks. In fact, there have been so many special envoys to Syria over the years, it’s hard to keep track of who’s still on the job. And then there’s Yemen, where the UN keeps trying to get the warring sides to come to the table, but all it really seems to be achieving is a high score in sending humanitarian aid to devastated areas.

Categories: America / Eastern Europe and Russia / Middle East / Western Europe

How Western Powers, Missionaries, and Separatists Plot to Carve a Christian Utopia in India’s North East

October 1, 2024

On the geo-economic front, the North East has been blessed with natural resources—oil, natural gas, coal—that should theoretically make it an economic powerhouse. But instead of becoming the Dubai of India, the region remains underdeveloped, underappreciated, and, of course, under constant threat of insurgency. The region’s isolation hasn’t helped either. It’s like being invited to the world’s richest potluck dinner but realizing your table is at the other end of the banquet hall with no clear path to get there. India’s Act East Policy, designed to turn the North East into a bustling gateway to Southeast Asia, remains a distant dream as long as insurgents, militants, and foreign missionaries keep throwing a wrench in the works.

Now, the Western powers would have us believe that this Christian buffer state they’re supposedly cooking up would bring peace and stability to the region. Because clearly, breaking apart India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh to create a religiously homogeneous buffer nation is the surest way to calm things down. After all, what could go wrong with cutting a giant geopolitical hole in the middle of one of the most volatile regions in Asia? This new buffer state would, in theory, not only weaken India and China but also give the West a shiny new pawn in their Indo-Pacific chess game. And of course, if they get sea access via Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, well, that’s just icing on the cake.

Categories: Indo-Pacific regions / South Asia