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Saturday, December 21, 2024
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Gwynne Dyer

Gwynne Dyer is a United Kingdom-based independent journalist who writes a column for The Hill Times.

The daily news miracle

  • One of the daily miracles of the media world is that there is always exactly enough news to fill the slot.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 18, 2024
Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron's recent snap France-only election has caused media pundits at home and abroad to hyperventilate about his ghastly mistake. The truth is that votes for the EU Parliament don’t matter much because it doesn’t have much real power. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The daily news miracle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 18, 2024
  • One of the daily miracles of the media world is that there is always exactly enough news to fill the slot.

The daily news miracle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 18, 2024
  • One of the daily miracles of the media world is that there is always exactly enough news to fill the slot.
Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron's recent snap France-only election has caused media pundits at home and abroad to hyperventilate about his ghastly mistake. The truth is that votes for the EU Parliament don’t matter much because it doesn’t have much real power. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Another miracle needed in Syria, please 

  • The best insurance is a secular democracy where religious beliefs are a private matter, but it’s unlikely that the now-ruling Islamist Sunni force will
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2024
Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is Syria's new de facto leader. Screenshot courtesy of CNN

Another miracle needed in Syria, please 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2024
  • The best insurance is a secular democracy where religious beliefs are a private matter, but it’s unlikely that the now-ruling Islamist Sunni force will

Another miracle needed in Syria, please 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2024
  • The best insurance is a secular democracy where religious beliefs are a private matter, but it’s unlikely that the now-ruling Islamist Sunni force will
Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is Syria's new de facto leader. Screenshot courtesy of CNN

Superstitious peasants

  • The willfully ignorant will always be here. They’re noisier than most, but usually a minority. Keep going anyway. It’s just another cost of doing
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 12, 2024
The methane burped out by the world’s one-and-a-half billion cows is a mere by-product of the chemistry by which cows process hard-to-digest grass in their specialized stomachs, but it accounts for about 30 per cent of global methane emissions. Luckily, we can make it go away fast, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Pixabay

Superstitious peasants

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 12, 2024
  • The willfully ignorant will always be here. They’re noisier than most, but usually a minority. Keep going anyway. It’s just another cost of doing

Superstitious peasants

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 12, 2024
  • The willfully ignorant will always be here. They’re noisier than most, but usually a minority. Keep going anyway. It’s just another cost of doing
The methane burped out by the world’s one-and-a-half billion cows is a mere by-product of the chemistry by which cows process hard-to-digest grass in their specialized stomachs, but it accounts for about 30 per cent of global methane emissions. Luckily, we can make it go away fast, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Pixabay

Syria gets another chance

  • The largely peaceful and non-violent nature of the Assad regime’s collapse has created no conquering hero whose charisma overshadows all potential rivals.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 10, 2024
We could imagine a different future for Syria in which the half of the population who have become internal or external refugees return safely to their homes, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of BBC News

Syria gets another chance

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 10, 2024
  • The largely peaceful and non-violent nature of the Assad regime’s collapse has created no conquering hero whose charisma overshadows all potential rivals.

Syria gets another chance

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 10, 2024
  • The largely peaceful and non-violent nature of the Assad regime’s collapse has created no conquering hero whose charisma overshadows all potential rivals.
We could imagine a different future for Syria in which the half of the population who have become internal or external refugees return safely to their homes, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of BBC News

South Korea: what did the army do?

  • Happily, the rapid reaction of the civilian defenders of democracy made further debate within the South Korean armed forces unnecessary, but what might happen
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 5, 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s television broadcast on Dec. 2, 2024, made no sense whatever because there was no need to 'to protect the country from North Korea's Communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements,' writes Gwynne Dyer. Screen capture image courtesy of CNN

South Korea: what did the army do?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 5, 2024
  • Happily, the rapid reaction of the civilian defenders of democracy made further debate within the South Korean armed forces unnecessary, but what might happen

South Korea: what did the army do?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 5, 2024
  • Happily, the rapid reaction of the civilian defenders of democracy made further debate within the South Korean armed forces unnecessary, but what might happen
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s television broadcast on Dec. 2, 2024, made no sense whatever because there was no need to 'to protect the country from North Korea's Communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements,' writes Gwynne Dyer. Screen capture image courtesy of CNN

Syria: jihadis again

  • It’s no coincidence that the war in Syria restarted just as Hezbollah was defeated in Lebanon, since Lebanon and Syria were part of the
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 2, 2024
This may not be a replay of the Western scramble out of Afghanistan and the Taliban victory of 2021, but the future of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is certainly at risk, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Syria: jihadis again

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 2, 2024
  • It’s no coincidence that the war in Syria restarted just as Hezbollah was defeated in Lebanon, since Lebanon and Syria were part of the

Syria: jihadis again

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 2, 2024
  • It’s no coincidence that the war in Syria restarted just as Hezbollah was defeated in Lebanon, since Lebanon and Syria were part of the
This may not be a replay of the Western scramble out of Afghanistan and the Taliban victory of 2021, but the future of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is certainly at risk, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

ICC arrest warrant shrinks Netanyahu’s world

  • Member states are obliged to carry out the ICC’s arrest warrants. Non-members are not, so Netanyahu is not in any immediate danger of arrest.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 25, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could have avoided the International Criminal Court arrest warrant simply by opening a credible investigation into his government’s conduct following the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. UN photograph courtesy of Loey Felipe

ICC arrest warrant shrinks Netanyahu’s world

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 25, 2024
  • Member states are obliged to carry out the ICC’s arrest warrants. Non-members are not, so Netanyahu is not in any immediate danger of arrest.

ICC arrest warrant shrinks Netanyahu’s world

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 25, 2024
  • Member states are obliged to carry out the ICC’s arrest warrants. Non-members are not, so Netanyahu is not in any immediate danger of arrest.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could have avoided the International Criminal Court arrest warrant simply by opening a credible investigation into his government’s conduct following the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. UN photograph courtesy of Loey Felipe

Sudan’s warring sides and the long-simmering ethnic conflict

  • The conflict is a struggle for power between two professional killers—one leading Sudan’s army, and another heading the nation’s paramilitary forces.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 21, 2024
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as ‘Hemedti,' left, leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, while General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan commands the ‘official’ Sudanese Armed Forces. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Sudan’s warring sides and the long-simmering ethnic conflict

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 21, 2024
  • The conflict is a struggle for power between two professional killers—one leading Sudan’s army, and another heading the nation’s paramilitary forces.

Sudan’s warring sides and the long-simmering ethnic conflict

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 21, 2024
  • The conflict is a struggle for power between two professional killers—one leading Sudan’s army, and another heading the nation’s paramilitary forces.
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as ‘Hemedti,' left, leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, while General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan commands the ‘official’ Sudanese Armed Forces. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

South Korea to the rescue in Ukraine?

  • South Korea's vast stocks of ammunition would reverse Ukraine’s lack of firepower at the front, and give the country a chance to negotiate a
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 18, 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a visit to Ottawa in September 2022. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

South Korea to the rescue in Ukraine?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 18, 2024
  • South Korea's vast stocks of ammunition would reverse Ukraine’s lack of firepower at the front, and give the country a chance to negotiate a

South Korea to the rescue in Ukraine?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 18, 2024
  • South Korea's vast stocks of ammunition would reverse Ukraine’s lack of firepower at the front, and give the country a chance to negotiate a
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a visit to Ottawa in September 2022. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Haiti’s ruling council is falling apart

  • Created from rival factions in April, Haiti's nine-person Transitional Presidential Council has fired the nation's interim prime minister.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 13, 2024
Ousted Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, who was dismissed by the nation's governing council after six months, says the council has no power to remove him from the post. U.S. State Department photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Haiti’s ruling council is falling apart

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 13, 2024
  • Created from rival factions in April, Haiti's nine-person Transitional Presidential Council has fired the nation's interim prime minister.

Haiti’s ruling council is falling apart

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 13, 2024
  • Created from rival factions in April, Haiti's nine-person Transitional Presidential Council has fired the nation's interim prime minister.
Ousted Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, who was dismissed by the nation's governing council after six months, says the council has no power to remove him from the post. U.S. State Department photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

How did COP29 end up in Azerbaijan?

  • Ninety per cent of Azerbaijan’s income comes from oil, so the optics of locating the climate conference there were challenging.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 11, 2024
Simon Stiell
Simon Stiell
Simon Stiell, executive secretary of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, pictured on Sept. 22, 2023. He addressed delegates at the opening of the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan on Nov. 11. UN photograph courtesy of Loey Felipe

How did COP29 end up in Azerbaijan?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 11, 2024
  • Ninety per cent of Azerbaijan’s income comes from oil, so the optics of locating the climate conference there were challenging.

How did COP29 end up in Azerbaijan?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 11, 2024
  • Ninety per cent of Azerbaijan’s income comes from oil, so the optics of locating the climate conference there were challenging.
Simon Stiell
Simon Stiell, executive secretary of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, pictured on Sept. 22, 2023. He addressed delegates at the opening of the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan on Nov. 11. UN photograph courtesy of Loey Felipe

Night of the old white men

  • For many white women, panic at the end of absolute majority status for American whites was countered by outrage at Trump’s complicity in the
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 7, 2024
A big factor in Donald Trump’s spectacular comeback—the dog-whistle racism that so many older white males responded to—is due to a period of demographic transition which will pass, writes Gwynn Dyer. Wikimedia Commons photograph

Night of the old white men

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 7, 2024
  • For many white women, panic at the end of absolute majority status for American whites was countered by outrage at Trump’s complicity in the

Night of the old white men

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 7, 2024
  • For many white women, panic at the end of absolute majority status for American whites was countered by outrage at Trump’s complicity in the
A big factor in Donald Trump’s spectacular comeback—the dog-whistle racism that so many older white males responded to—is due to a period of demographic transition which will pass, writes Gwynn Dyer. Wikimedia Commons photograph

Botswana and America: different elections, differing outlooks on democracy

  • Despite a longer experience with democracy than Botswana, a significant number of Americans fear that this week’s election outcome could lead to a civil
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 5, 2024
Whether Republican Donald Trump, left, or Democrat Kamala Harris wins the U.S. presidential election, the ideological passion that Americans bring to their votes has always been off the scale, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photographs by Shealah Craighead and Cameron Smith

Botswana and America: different elections, differing outlooks on democracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 5, 2024
  • Despite a longer experience with democracy than Botswana, a significant number of Americans fear that this week’s election outcome could lead to a civil

Botswana and America: different elections, differing outlooks on democracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 5, 2024
  • Despite a longer experience with democracy than Botswana, a significant number of Americans fear that this week’s election outcome could lead to a civil
Whether Republican Donald Trump, left, or Democrat Kamala Harris wins the U.S. presidential election, the ideological passion that Americans bring to their votes has always been off the scale, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photographs by Shealah Craighead and Cameron Smith

Trump’s climate ignorance won’t derail global efforts

  • It’s unlikely a Donald Trump presidency could completely counter the Inflation Reduction Act’s achievements or federal spending on energy and climate-related issues.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 31, 2024
Donald_Trump
Donald_Trump
As mega-hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated much of the southeastern U.S. a month ago, Donald Trump talked of the climate emergency as ‘one of the greatest scams of all time.’ Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump’s climate ignorance won’t derail global efforts

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 31, 2024
  • It’s unlikely a Donald Trump presidency could completely counter the Inflation Reduction Act’s achievements or federal spending on energy and climate-related issues.

Trump’s climate ignorance won’t derail global efforts

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 31, 2024
  • It’s unlikely a Donald Trump presidency could completely counter the Inflation Reduction Act’s achievements or federal spending on energy and climate-related issues.
Donald_Trump
As mega-hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated much of the southeastern U.S. a month ago, Donald Trump talked of the climate emergency as ‘one of the greatest scams of all time.’ Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The never-ending military tit-for-tat in the Middle East

  • None of the attacks and counterattacks in the conflict have had the slightest impact on the regional balance of power, or political stances of
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 29, 2024
Some Israelis—like those around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—are tempted to go all out against Iran, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

The never-ending military tit-for-tat in the Middle East

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 29, 2024
  • None of the attacks and counterattacks in the conflict have had the slightest impact on the regional balance of power, or political stances of

The never-ending military tit-for-tat in the Middle East

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 29, 2024
  • None of the attacks and counterattacks in the conflict have had the slightest impact on the regional balance of power, or political stances of
Some Israelis—like those around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—are tempted to go all out against Iran, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

No happy ending for the Chagos Islands

  • Britain is handing the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius, but Chagossians are banned from returning to Diego Garcia where many of their ancestors originally
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 23, 2024
Under the U.K.-Mauritius deal, Chagossians are banned from returning to their original homeland, the island of Diego Garcia, pictured, which was turned into a giant American airbase in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/European Space Agency

No happy ending for the Chagos Islands

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 23, 2024
  • Britain is handing the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius, but Chagossians are banned from returning to Diego Garcia where many of their ancestors originally

No happy ending for the Chagos Islands

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 23, 2024
  • Britain is handing the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius, but Chagossians are banned from returning to Diego Garcia where many of their ancestors originally
Under the U.K.-Mauritius deal, Chagossians are banned from returning to their original homeland, the island of Diego Garcia, pictured, which was turned into a giant American airbase in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/European Space Agency

The gender gap and the comprehension gap

  • Voters don’t understand the deeper issues that hurt them, and neither major party is in a hurry to enlighten them.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 22, 2024
Donald J. Trump
Donald J. Trump
Politicians like Donald Trump draw a curtain across the unhappy realities, and give angry and desperate people other targets to blame, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

The gender gap and the comprehension gap

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 22, 2024
  • Voters don’t understand the deeper issues that hurt them, and neither major party is in a hurry to enlighten them.

The gender gap and the comprehension gap

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 22, 2024
  • Voters don’t understand the deeper issues that hurt them, and neither major party is in a hurry to enlighten them.
Donald J. Trump
Politicians like Donald Trump draw a curtain across the unhappy realities, and give angry and desperate people other targets to blame, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Mission to Europa

  • Beneath the ice on one of Jupiter’s four big moons is at least as much liquid water as there is on Earth. Going there
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 17, 2024
Elon Musk
Elon Musk
The scientific event of the year was the launch of the Europa Clipper mission in one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets on Oct. 14, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photo illustration, photograph courtesy of Flickr/NVIDIA Corporation

Mission to Europa

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 17, 2024
  • Beneath the ice on one of Jupiter’s four big moons is at least as much liquid water as there is on Earth. Going there

Mission to Europa

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 17, 2024
  • Beneath the ice on one of Jupiter’s four big moons is at least as much liquid water as there is on Earth. Going there
Elon Musk
The scientific event of the year was the launch of the Europa Clipper mission in one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets on Oct. 14, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photo illustration, photograph courtesy of Flickr/NVIDIA Corporation

Netanyahu needs U.S. support to wage war on Iran

  • A protracted game of ballistic missile ping-pong between Israel and Iran would be costly for both sides, but harder on the Israelis.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 16, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reluctant to get involved in a tit-for-tat missile exchange with Iran, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Netanyahu needs U.S. support to wage war on Iran

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 16, 2024
  • A protracted game of ballistic missile ping-pong between Israel and Iran would be costly for both sides, but harder on the Israelis.

Netanyahu needs U.S. support to wage war on Iran

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 16, 2024
  • A protracted game of ballistic missile ping-pong between Israel and Iran would be costly for both sides, but harder on the Israelis.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reluctant to get involved in a tit-for-tat missile exchange with Iran, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Enforced ‘remigration’ fears lifting off among conspiracy-minded in Europe

  • Europe’s borders with North Africa and Western Asia are already policed much more ruthlessly than the southern borders of the United States.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 10, 2024
Austria’s Freedom Party, led by Herbert Kickl, bluntly calls for the expulsion of immigrants. Last month, the party won the Austrian election. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Enforced ‘remigration’ fears lifting off among conspiracy-minded in Europe

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 10, 2024
  • Europe’s borders with North Africa and Western Asia are already policed much more ruthlessly than the southern borders of the United States.

Enforced ‘remigration’ fears lifting off among conspiracy-minded in Europe

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 10, 2024
  • Europe’s borders with North Africa and Western Asia are already policed much more ruthlessly than the southern borders of the United States.
Austria’s Freedom Party, led by Herbert Kickl, bluntly calls for the expulsion of immigrants. Last month, the party won the Austrian election. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

China’s truce between princelings and populists breaks

  • For almost three decades the two factions shared power, but then the economic miracle ran out of steam. As the People's Republic of China
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 7, 2024
Between 2012 and 2015, President Xi Jinping—the ultimate princeling—took over all the major offices of state making certain the country's future: authoritarianism.

China’s truce between princelings and populists breaks

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 7, 2024
  • For almost three decades the two factions shared power, but then the economic miracle ran out of steam. As the People's Republic of China

China’s truce between princelings and populists breaks

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 7, 2024
  • For almost three decades the two factions shared power, but then the economic miracle ran out of steam. As the People's Republic of China
Between 2012 and 2015, President Xi Jinping—the ultimate princeling—took over all the major offices of state making certain the country's future: authoritarianism.

Netanyahu’s military strikes in Lebanon can’t stop the inevitable 

  • No matter how many Hezbollah fighters the IDF kills in the advance into Lebanon, only two outcomes are possible: permanent military occupation, or eventual
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 4, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is brimming with confidence, and vows that Iran “will pay a heavy price" for its salvo of missile attacks, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Netanyahu’s military strikes in Lebanon can’t stop the inevitable 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 4, 2024
  • No matter how many Hezbollah fighters the IDF kills in the advance into Lebanon, only two outcomes are possible: permanent military occupation, or eventual

Netanyahu’s military strikes in Lebanon can’t stop the inevitable 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 4, 2024
  • No matter how many Hezbollah fighters the IDF kills in the advance into Lebanon, only two outcomes are possible: permanent military occupation, or eventual
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is brimming with confidence, and vows that Iran “will pay a heavy price" for its salvo of missile attacks, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Will he? Won’t he? Netanyahu decides

  • Involving Israel in a full-scale war with Hezbollah—and perhaps also with its Iranian sponsor—sounds like a disaster in the making, but the Israeli prime
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 1, 2024
Victory in Lebanon would certainly seal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s redemption, but the project to put an end to Hezbollah is still not assured of success, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, and screenshot courtesy of BBC News

Will he? Won’t he? Netanyahu decides

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 1, 2024
  • Involving Israel in a full-scale war with Hezbollah—and perhaps also with its Iranian sponsor—sounds like a disaster in the making, but the Israeli prime

Will he? Won’t he? Netanyahu decides

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 1, 2024
  • Involving Israel in a full-scale war with Hezbollah—and perhaps also with its Iranian sponsor—sounds like a disaster in the making, but the Israeli prime
Victory in Lebanon would certainly seal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s redemption, but the project to put an end to Hezbollah is still not assured of success, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, and screenshot courtesy of BBC News

Who ruined Sri Lanka?

  • If the country's new president cannot keep his promises to slash taxes and renegotiate the terms for $25-billion of debt—which is all too likely—violence
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 26, 2024
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Sri Lanka's new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks after taking his oath of office on Sept. 23, two days after his election. Photograph courtesy of X/PMDNewsGov

Who ruined Sri Lanka?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 26, 2024
  • If the country's new president cannot keep his promises to slash taxes and renegotiate the terms for $25-billion of debt—which is all too likely—violence

Who ruined Sri Lanka?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 26, 2024
  • If the country's new president cannot keep his promises to slash taxes and renegotiate the terms for $25-billion of debt—which is all too likely—violence
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Sri Lanka's new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks after taking his oath of office on Sept. 23, two days after his election. Photograph courtesy of X/PMDNewsGov

Proving animal consciousness

  • The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness uses tentative language, but makes bold statements challenging orthodox views on the consciousness of creatures.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 23, 2024
If we acknowledge our shared consciousness, then we might have to apply similar moral standards to our behaviour, and not kill other conscious beings, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Pixabay

Proving animal consciousness

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 23, 2024
  • The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness uses tentative language, but makes bold statements challenging orthodox views on the consciousness of creatures.

Proving animal consciousness

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 23, 2024
  • The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness uses tentative language, but makes bold statements challenging orthodox views on the consciousness of creatures.
If we acknowledge our shared consciousness, then we might have to apply similar moral standards to our behaviour, and not kill other conscious beings, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Pixabay

What was the point of the exploding pagers?

  • Detonating the devices without an accompanying invasion is a far less effective attack.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 19, 2024
Exploding pagers killed at least 12 people and injured 2,800 others in Lebanon on Sept. 17 in an attack widely believed to be carried out by Israel. For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, attacking Hezbollah is irresistible in the face of its inability to defeat Hamas, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screen capture image courtesy of CNN World

What was the point of the exploding pagers?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 19, 2024
  • Detonating the devices without an accompanying invasion is a far less effective attack.

What was the point of the exploding pagers?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 19, 2024
  • Detonating the devices without an accompanying invasion is a far less effective attack.
Exploding pagers killed at least 12 people and injured 2,800 others in Lebanon on Sept. 17 in an attack widely believed to be carried out by Israel. For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, attacking Hezbollah is irresistible in the face of its inability to defeat Hamas, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screen capture image courtesy of CNN World

Global warming remains in uncharted territory

  • The trend in average global temperature has been racing upwards for decades, breaching the pre-industrial target for more than a whole year.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 16, 2024
There is a widening gap between what the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change says, and what is happening on the ground: monster wildfires, unprecedented heatwaves, and killer landslides, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of N.W.T. Fire

Global warming remains in uncharted territory

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 16, 2024
  • The trend in average global temperature has been racing upwards for decades, breaching the pre-industrial target for more than a whole year.

Global warming remains in uncharted territory

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 16, 2024
  • The trend in average global temperature has been racing upwards for decades, breaching the pre-industrial target for more than a whole year.
There is a widening gap between what the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change says, and what is happening on the ground: monster wildfires, unprecedented heatwaves, and killer landslides, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of N.W.T. Fire
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Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
After Hamas killed six hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing questions about whether he should have done more to save them, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he

Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he
Benjamin Netanyahu
After Hamas killed six hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing questions about whether he should have done more to save them, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

New Caledonia: pragmatism 3, nationalism 0

  • The latest independence surge is over for the same reason that other French possessions around the world all choose to remain French: the bribe
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2024
A push for independence from France by members of New Caledonia’s Kanak population failed after three consecutive referendum votes. Screenshot courtesy of Al Jazeera

New Caledonia: pragmatism 3, nationalism 0

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2024
  • The latest independence surge is over for the same reason that other French possessions around the world all choose to remain French: the bribe

New Caledonia: pragmatism 3, nationalism 0

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2024
  • The latest independence surge is over for the same reason that other French possessions around the world all choose to remain French: the bribe
A push for independence from France by members of New Caledonia’s Kanak population failed after three consecutive referendum votes. Screenshot courtesy of Al Jazeera

Western politicians turn to walls, deportations as public cools on migration

  • The current flow of migrants crossing Europe’s borders is only a fraction of what’s to come once climate change forces increasing movement of desperate
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2024
Olaf Scholz
Olaf Scholz
Under pressure following a deadly knife attack in his country, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised to speed up deportations of asylum-seekers whose applications have been refused. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/European Commission

Western politicians turn to walls, deportations as public cools on migration

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2024
  • The current flow of migrants crossing Europe’s borders is only a fraction of what’s to come once climate change forces increasing movement of desperate

Western politicians turn to walls, deportations as public cools on migration

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2024
  • The current flow of migrants crossing Europe’s borders is only a fraction of what’s to come once climate change forces increasing movement of desperate
Olaf Scholz
Under pressure following a deadly knife attack in his country, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised to speed up deportations of asylum-seekers whose applications have been refused. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/European Commission

Kamala Harris and the underlying struggle

  • When the U.S. vice-president invoked the ‘enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny’ she forgot a famous piece of historic wisdom: the enemy is us.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2024
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris accepted the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Kamala Harris and the underlying struggle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2024
  • When the U.S. vice-president invoked the ‘enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny’ she forgot a famous piece of historic wisdom: the enemy is us.

Kamala Harris and the underlying struggle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2024
  • When the U.S. vice-president invoked the ‘enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny’ she forgot a famous piece of historic wisdom: the enemy is us.
Kamala Harris
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris accepted the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

The very precious life of Elon Musk

  • Nobody else has had the will, the skill, and the money to make SpaceX and his Starship heavy lift rocket happen.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2024
Elon Musk.
Elon Musk.
Elon Musk is heading for a crash, but it would benefit space exploration if the billionare has at least two more years of solvency to keep at his ambitious Starship project, writes Gwynne Dyer. Daniel Oberhaus photograph courtesy of Flickr

The very precious life of Elon Musk

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2024
  • Nobody else has had the will, the skill, and the money to make SpaceX and his Starship heavy lift rocket happen.

The very precious life of Elon Musk

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2024
  • Nobody else has had the will, the skill, and the money to make SpaceX and his Starship heavy lift rocket happen.
Elon Musk.
Elon Musk is heading for a crash, but it would benefit space exploration if the billionare has at least two more years of solvency to keep at his ambitious Starship project, writes Gwynne Dyer. Daniel Oberhaus photograph courtesy of Flickr

Thailand brings up the reserves

  • The country's new prime minister is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold this office, and part of the 'evil cycle' that
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2024
The political casualty list is getting so long that they are now bringing up the reserves, notably in the form of Thaksin Shinawatra’s youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of Bloomberg Television/YouTube

Thailand brings up the reserves

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2024
  • The country's new prime minister is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold this office, and part of the 'evil cycle' that

Thailand brings up the reserves

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2024
  • The country's new prime minister is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold this office, and part of the 'evil cycle' that
The political casualty list is getting so long that they are now bringing up the reserves, notably in the form of Thaksin Shinawatra’s youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of Bloomberg Television/YouTube

Ukraine: rumours and ceasefires

  • Don’t expect anything to happen on this front before November. If Donald Trump loses the U.S. election, Russia might be willing to sign a
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2024
Ukraine’s top commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Ukraine now controls 1,000 square kilometres of Russian territory. That may be true, but it doesn’t count for much because Ukraine’s total territory is more than 17 million square kilometres, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Ukraine: rumours and ceasefires

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2024
  • Don’t expect anything to happen on this front before November. If Donald Trump loses the U.S. election, Russia might be willing to sign a

Ukraine: rumours and ceasefires

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2024
  • Don’t expect anything to happen on this front before November. If Donald Trump loses the U.S. election, Russia might be willing to sign a
Ukraine’s top commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Ukraine now controls 1,000 square kilometres of Russian territory. That may be true, but it doesn’t count for much because Ukraine’s total territory is more than 17 million square kilometres, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Could Carles Puigdemont be a Scarlet Pimpernel for our times?

  • Some places must struggle for independence until they win it because their circumstances are intolerable. In more fortunate places—like Scotland, Quebec, and Catalonia—independence is
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 12, 2024
Carles Puigdemont, leader of the Catalan separatist movement, was smuggled into Spain to give a brief speech to his supporters on Aug. 8, before fleeing back to Belgium to avoid arrest by Spanish authorities. Creative Commons 2.0 photograph courtesy of Flickr

Could Carles Puigdemont be a Scarlet Pimpernel for our times?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 12, 2024
  • Some places must struggle for independence until they win it because their circumstances are intolerable. In more fortunate places—like Scotland, Quebec, and Catalonia—independence is

Could Carles Puigdemont be a Scarlet Pimpernel for our times?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 12, 2024
  • Some places must struggle for independence until they win it because their circumstances are intolerable. In more fortunate places—like Scotland, Quebec, and Catalonia—independence is
Carles Puigdemont, leader of the Catalan separatist movement, was smuggled into Spain to give a brief speech to his supporters on Aug. 8, before fleeing back to Belgium to avoid arrest by Spanish authorities. Creative Commons 2.0 photograph courtesy of Flickr

Bangladesh, Venezuela, and democracy

  • Protests have forced Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India and resign, toppling her 15-year rule.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 8, 2024
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, pictured in 2016, has been overthrown by the very same students who stood to benefit most from her remarkable economic achievements, writes Gwynne Dyer. Loey Felipe photograph courtesy of United Nations

Bangladesh, Venezuela, and democracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 8, 2024
  • Protests have forced Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India and resign, toppling her 15-year rule.

Bangladesh, Venezuela, and democracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 8, 2024
  • Protests have forced Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India and resign, toppling her 15-year rule.
Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, pictured in 2016, has been overthrown by the very same students who stood to benefit most from her remarkable economic achievements, writes Gwynne Dyer. Loey Felipe photograph courtesy of United Nations

Netanyahu’s game

  • What Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing at the moment is systematically crossing the ‘red line’ laid down by Israel’s most dangerous enemies:
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2024
How best to ensure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s friend Donald Trump becomes president instead of his Democratic rival? Drag the U.S. into a war with Iran before the American election, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by by Shealah Craighead

Netanyahu’s game

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2024
  • What Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing at the moment is systematically crossing the ‘red line’ laid down by Israel’s most dangerous enemies:

Netanyahu’s game

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2024
  • What Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing at the moment is systematically crossing the ‘red line’ laid down by Israel’s most dangerous enemies:
How best to ensure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s friend Donald Trump becomes president instead of his Democratic rival? Drag the U.S. into a war with Iran before the American election, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by by Shealah Craighead

Gaza deaths are being used as a tragic pawn

  • None of the local players cares a fig about dead Palestinians. Indeed, in the case of Hamas, the more dead Palestinian civilians the better.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 29, 2024
There are many demonstrations in Israel calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, to sign a ceasefire and bring the Jewish hostages home, but none about the fate of the Palestinians. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/U.S. Embassy Jerusalem

Gaza deaths are being used as a tragic pawn

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 29, 2024
  • None of the local players cares a fig about dead Palestinians. Indeed, in the case of Hamas, the more dead Palestinian civilians the better.

Gaza deaths are being used as a tragic pawn

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 29, 2024
  • None of the local players cares a fig about dead Palestinians. Indeed, in the case of Hamas, the more dead Palestinian civilians the better.
There are many demonstrations in Israel calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, to sign a ceasefire and bring the Jewish hostages home, but none about the fate of the Palestinians. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/U.S. Embassy Jerusalem

Venezuela seems headed for a free election, and a chance for change

  • Under authoritarian rule, per capita income is one-third of what it was 10 years ago, almost one-third of Venezuela’s citizens have fled the country
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2024
Nicolás Maduro
Nicolás Maduro
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been waging a defensive and ultimately doomed battle from the day he took power in 2013, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Venezuela seems headed for a free election, and a chance for change

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2024
  • Under authoritarian rule, per capita income is one-third of what it was 10 years ago, almost one-third of Venezuela’s citizens have fled the country

Venezuela seems headed for a free election, and a chance for change

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2024
  • Under authoritarian rule, per capita income is one-third of what it was 10 years ago, almost one-third of Venezuela’s citizens have fled the country
Nicolás Maduro
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been waging a defensive and ultimately doomed battle from the day he took power in 2013, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump and the last stand of the American Christians

  • According to a 2023 survey, 87 per cent of Americans who identify as Republicans said they believe in God. Only 66 per cent of
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 22, 2024
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald Trump told the crowd at the Republican National Convention last week that he was alive on stage ‘only by the grace of almighty God.’ Photograph courtesy Gage Skidmore/ Flickr

Trump and the last stand of the American Christians

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 22, 2024
  • According to a 2023 survey, 87 per cent of Americans who identify as Republicans said they believe in God. Only 66 per cent of

Trump and the last stand of the American Christians

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 22, 2024
  • According to a 2023 survey, 87 per cent of Americans who identify as Republicans said they believe in God. Only 66 per cent of
Donald Trump
Donald Trump told the crowd at the Republican National Convention last week that he was alive on stage ‘only by the grace of almighty God.’ Photograph courtesy Gage Skidmore/ Flickr

Islamic scholars need to combat female genital mutilation 

  • The victims are overwhelmingly Muslims, and most who do this to their girl children are convinced that it is an Islamic practice, or even
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 17, 2024
A sign in The Gambia protesting female genital mutilation
A sign in The Gambia protesting female genital mutilation
FGM road sign pictured in Bakau, The Gambia in 2005. On July 15, the Gambian Parliament voted to maintain the ban on FGM. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Islamic scholars need to combat female genital mutilation 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 17, 2024
  • The victims are overwhelmingly Muslims, and most who do this to their girl children are convinced that it is an Islamic practice, or even

Islamic scholars need to combat female genital mutilation 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 17, 2024
  • The victims are overwhelmingly Muslims, and most who do this to their girl children are convinced that it is an Islamic practice, or even
A sign in The Gambia protesting female genital mutilation
FGM road sign pictured in Bakau, The Gambia in 2005. On July 15, the Gambian Parliament voted to maintain the ban on FGM. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Assassination attempt underscores U.S. history of political violence

  • Do assassinations really change the course of history? Intuition says yes, but historical experience says probably not.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2024
It’s sheer nonsense to believe that Donald Trump is the sole cause for the Republican Party’s slide into crude nationalism and populism. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Assassination attempt underscores U.S. history of political violence

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2024
  • Do assassinations really change the course of history? Intuition says yes, but historical experience says probably not.

Assassination attempt underscores U.S. history of political violence

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2024
  • Do assassinations really change the course of history? Intuition says yes, but historical experience says probably not.
It’s sheer nonsense to believe that Donald Trump is the sole cause for the Republican Party’s slide into crude nationalism and populism. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Joe Biden is now a lost cause

  • Donald Trump often loses the thread of his argument, too, but that’s irrelevant. Politics is about perceptions, and right now the focus is on
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 10, 2024
US president Joe Biden
US president Joe Biden
During the June 27 presidential debate, Joe Biden, pictured in March 2023, gave a halting delivery and had moments of confusion, setting doubts in motion about his mental fitness, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Joe Biden is now a lost cause

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 10, 2024
  • Donald Trump often loses the thread of his argument, too, but that’s irrelevant. Politics is about perceptions, and right now the focus is on

Joe Biden is now a lost cause

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 10, 2024
  • Donald Trump often loses the thread of his argument, too, but that’s irrelevant. Politics is about perceptions, and right now the focus is on
US president Joe Biden
During the June 27 presidential debate, Joe Biden, pictured in March 2023, gave a halting delivery and had moments of confusion, setting doubts in motion about his mental fitness, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Iran’s rapidly eroding theocracy

  • In a 45-year-old system in which the Supreme Leader always has the last word, can the reformist presidential candidate’s win really make a difference?
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 8, 2024
Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist Iranian candidate who opposes Islamic rule, won Iran’s runoff presidential election with five million extra people voting in the second round. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Iran’s rapidly eroding theocracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 8, 2024
  • In a 45-year-old system in which the Supreme Leader always has the last word, can the reformist presidential candidate’s win really make a difference?

Iran’s rapidly eroding theocracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 8, 2024
  • In a 45-year-old system in which the Supreme Leader always has the last word, can the reformist presidential candidate’s win really make a difference?
Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist Iranian candidate who opposes Islamic rule, won Iran’s runoff presidential election with five million extra people voting in the second round. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Le Pen’s French election victory no cause for panic

  • The National Rally is an exceptionally nasty group. It now wears a smiling mask to attract naive new members nursing a grievance, but also
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2024
France’s National Rally Leader Marine Le Pen, pictured in 2017, has been ‘detoxifying’ the party to make it electable since taking over in 2011. Like most makeovers, it was mainly cosmetic, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons

Le Pen’s French election victory no cause for panic

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2024
  • The National Rally is an exceptionally nasty group. It now wears a smiling mask to attract naive new members nursing a grievance, but also

Le Pen’s French election victory no cause for panic

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2024
  • The National Rally is an exceptionally nasty group. It now wears a smiling mask to attract naive new members nursing a grievance, but also
France’s National Rally Leader Marine Le Pen, pictured in 2017, has been ‘detoxifying’ the party to make it electable since taking over in 2011. Like most makeovers, it was mainly cosmetic, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons

The West staring down last-minute enormous changes

  • Three of the four biggest western countries are facing elections that may radically change their political orientations.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 3, 2024
The only question for U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives is whether this election will be merely a catastrophe, or a full-scale extinction event from which there is no return, writes Gwynne Dyer. No. 10 Downing Street photograph by Simon Walker

The West staring down last-minute enormous changes

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 3, 2024
  • Three of the four biggest western countries are facing elections that may radically change their political orientations.

The West staring down last-minute enormous changes

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 3, 2024
  • Three of the four biggest western countries are facing elections that may radically change their political orientations.
The only question for U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives is whether this election will be merely a catastrophe, or a full-scale extinction event from which there is no return, writes Gwynne Dyer. No. 10 Downing Street photograph by Simon Walker

Assange is free at last, but the real bad guys won

  • The Wikileaks founder’s ordeal will prevent a dozen, or 100, or 1,000 potential whistle-blowers who have information that the public needs to know from
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 26, 2024
The example set by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, pictured in 2014, was a huge threat to the secret state, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Assange is free at last, but the real bad guys won

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 26, 2024
  • The Wikileaks founder’s ordeal will prevent a dozen, or 100, or 1,000 potential whistle-blowers who have information that the public needs to know from

Assange is free at last, but the real bad guys won

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 26, 2024
  • The Wikileaks founder’s ordeal will prevent a dozen, or 100, or 1,000 potential whistle-blowers who have information that the public needs to know from
The example set by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, pictured in 2014, was a huge threat to the secret state, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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