The historical claim that the FIFA World Cup presents “…an opportunity to foster peace and goodwill among competing nations” is, unfortunately, more lofty ideal than reality. But it does have a useful application in the foul-beset field of diplomatic gamesmanship — Red and Yellow cards.… Read the rest
As a guide for how to deal with the insults, about-turns and wrecking ball style that pass for American foreign policy without resorting to profanity, I suggest channeling Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, with a small tweak: “Appropriate or inappropriate, that is the question.”… Read the rest
The philosophical question “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” was raised by the 13th century philosopher Thomas Aquinas. A metaphor for wasting time debating topics of no practical value, it sums up what efforts to resolve Gaza will be unless the U.S. actually makes “changes in policy”.… Read the rest
The Moody Blues’ 1970 hit “Question” opened, appropriately, with the lines: “Why do we never get an answer/When we’re knocking at the door/With a thousand million questions/About hate and death and war?”…”
In a world where those three ills are at pandemic level, the answer may well be because the question “why” isn’t asked often enough.… Read the rest