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Showing posts from April, 2022

The Postmodern Question

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“ People know what they do; frequently they know why they do what they do; but what they don't know is what what they do does. ” - Michel Foucault, French philosopher. The early 90's witnessed rolling back of state(decrease in government intervention) brought upon by neo-liberalism(resurgence of free-market capitalism). This was quickly followed by an increased economic growth, prosperity and overall development all around the world. It also bankrolled the increased interdependence of nation states - turning the world into a global village i.e. globalisation. All those changes that came along in the late 20th century gave rebirth to one of the dying streams of political thought. There was a rising skepticism, especially in the western intellectual corridors. Some questions that we all thought we were done with, started springing back up again. Questions such as - What does it mean to be human? How do human beings fit into this universe? Is god real? Why be moral? We are living

Pivot to Asia : Indo-Pacific, USA and China

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  "Let China sleep, for when she awakes, she will shake the world." - Napoleon Bonaparte, 1817 (While discussing China with Lord Armherst) In 2011, under President Obama, USA made a notable shift in its policy concerning Asia-Pacific. The 'Pivot to Asia', declared that an increased investment in economic and diplomatic efforts as well strengthening of alliance commitments with allies in the region - Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Phillipines was the most important task of American foreign policy in the coming decades. To understand what caused this sudden shift and awakening in the attitude of Washington, we need to have a look at some of the key historical events that shaped the way these two giants look at the world. United States of America - the land of manifest destiny. It is the most sought after piece of real estate in the world, albeit one that is not for taking. After the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, US became the sole pole in the unipolar world order. It s

World between orders : Inequality, Conflicts and Life

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  "Just as one bird does not make a flock, nor one day a season, so one action or a short time cannot make us happy." - Aristotle THE Horn of Africa, a region also known as the Somali peninsula lies on the crossroads of Red sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian sea. The region, once known for their notorious piracy activity on sea is now facing its worst draught in 40 years. A quick internet search will reveal some heart-shattering images of both people and animals lying dead on the ground and their bodies decaying under the open sky. The reason for their death - scarcity of two bare necessities required for survival i.e. food and water.  It is a real tragedy that the West, who also happen to be the self-acclaimed champions of human rights are ignorant as they continue to remain in bed with Ukraine and are seen to be making bold claims of standing up for human rights and against the tyranny of Russians. While the people in Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia are paying with their