Author Archives: Pepijn

More realism – and not idealism – is needed

“Vice to which great powers easily succumb in a multipolar world is inattention; in a bipolar world, overreaction; in a unipolar world, overextension.” Isn’t that precisely what we have been witnessing? Convincing Foreign Policy piece from Stephen Walt on why thinking as a realist in (geo) politics is the best way to enhance the prospectsContinueContinue reading “More realism – and not idealism – is needed”

Jongere generatie hecht niet meer aan democratie. Of toch wel?

De nieuwe darling-politicoloog, de ietwat alarmistische Yascha Mounk vindt van niet en maakt zich zorgen. Tom van der Meer (van het onvolprezen blog Stuk Rood Vlees) weerlegt dat onderzoek, breed uitgevent door de NY Times. Het het valt allemaal reuze mee: de democratie is bij de neiuwe Europese generatie in goede handen.  

Courage is the only virtue that cannot be faked

I love Nassim Taleb’s books: they’re thought-provoking, intelligent and pretty original. His themes are important ones: how do complex systems behave, why is being anti-fragile better than being robust? His writing is full with philosophy inspired insights, new views on old matters and funny provocations. His latest subject is no exception: the importance of havingContinueContinue reading “Courage is the only virtue that cannot be faked”

Causeur on a mission

A man of strong opinions (sometimes wrong, often right), Hitchens was knowledgeable on virtually every topic. He did what activist intellectuals ought to do: entertain and enlighten the reader. These interviews are a great reminder of this work and, quite fittingly, start and end with words from two of his outspoken friends: Stephen Fry andContinueContinue reading “Causeur on a mission”

Refresh your priorities

A better book than the somewhat hysterical title suggests. Positioned as a totally new approach to living a good life, it actually builds on similar books, advocating the need to set clear priorities based on values, choosing relationships above result, valuing doubt over being right and critiquing the ferocity and speed with with (social )mediaContinueContinue reading “Refresh your priorities”

Europe, look eastwards!

Bruno Maçães, a former Portuguese Europe minister, argues that the Old Continent needs to respond to the New Silk Road as planned by China, called the Belt and Road initiative. This answer should start with taking a pan-continental view on (geo-) politics and consider Europe and Asia to be one continent. Maçães gives three reasonsContinueContinue reading “Europe, look eastwards!”

Niemand weet dat het beter gaat dan ooit

We weten (bijna) niets van de wereld – en vooral niet hoe goed het met haar gaat. Echter, we denken het wel te weten en maken daar beleid op. Rosling stelt 13 vragen over de toestand van de wereld – feitelijke vragen als hoeveel mensen hebben toegang tot elektriciteit of hoeveel meisjes gaan naar school? Keer op keer scoren gokkende chimpansees beter danContinueContinue reading “Niemand weet dat het beter gaat dan ooit”

Obama’s last push for diplomacy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqigalnC8NM On the eve of Trump launching a missile attack on Syria, I watched “The Final Year” – a Netflix documentary on the efforts of Obama’s diplomatic team (Samantha Power, Ben Rhodes, John Kerry) to solve conflict through diplomacy. Featuring Obama’s famous red line, now replaced by Trump’s “Mission Accomplished” – totally different approaches, sameContinueContinue reading “Obama’s last push for diplomacy”