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Gwynne Dyer

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

Add America to the no-go list for many journalists 

  • Tourists don’t feel the immediate effects of the countries clamping down, but journalists are the canaries in the coalmine, and I’m certainly feeling the
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 28, 2025
Quite suddenly, under President Donald Trump, the United States has become just another great power where foreigners watch what they say, try to minimize contacts with official bodies, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the White House/Daniel Torok

Add America to the no-go list for many journalists 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 28, 2025
  • Tourists don’t feel the immediate effects of the countries clamping down, but journalists are the canaries in the coalmine, and I’m certainly feeling the

Add America to the no-go list for many journalists 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 28, 2025
  • Tourists don’t feel the immediate effects of the countries clamping down, but journalists are the canaries in the coalmine, and I’m certainly feeling the
Quite suddenly, under President Donald Trump, the United States has become just another great power where foreigners watch what they say, try to minimize contacts with official bodies, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the White House/Daniel Torok

The mystique of monarchy takes another victim

  • Playing the monarchy card might protect both Canada and the U.K. from worse treatment at the hands of the U.S. president.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 27, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
The whole show is designed to exploit U.S. President Donald Trump’s fascination with the British monarchy, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Andrea Hanks

The mystique of monarchy takes another victim

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 27, 2025
  • Playing the monarchy card might protect both Canada and the U.K. from worse treatment at the hands of the U.S. president.

The mystique of monarchy takes another victim

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 27, 2025
  • Playing the monarchy card might protect both Canada and the U.K. from worse treatment at the hands of the U.S. president.
Donald Trump
The whole show is designed to exploit U.S. President Donald Trump’s fascination with the British monarchy, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Andrea Hanks

Israel’s impossible dream

  • Despite the far-right desire to expel all Arabs from the lands now controlled by Israel, it remains a cruel fantasy that will never happen.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 21, 2025
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is the most articulate exponent of the dream to “relocate” Palestinians, and he sees the war in Gaza as a heaven-sent opportunity to make it real, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Israel’s impossible dream

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 21, 2025
  • Despite the far-right desire to expel all Arabs from the lands now controlled by Israel, it remains a cruel fantasy that will never happen.

Israel’s impossible dream

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 21, 2025
  • Despite the far-right desire to expel all Arabs from the lands now controlled by Israel, it remains a cruel fantasy that will never happen.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is the most articulate exponent of the dream to “relocate” Palestinians, and he sees the war in Gaza as a heaven-sent opportunity to make it real, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Can Ukraine survive Trump?

  • Although the U.S. president will try to bully Ukraine into accepting Russia’s terms, there is no evidence that Ukraine is really on the brink
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 20, 2025
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, will probably insist once again that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ‘no cards,’ and must submit, but that wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Can Ukraine survive Trump?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 20, 2025
  • Although the U.S. president will try to bully Ukraine into accepting Russia’s terms, there is no evidence that Ukraine is really on the brink

Can Ukraine survive Trump?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 20, 2025
  • Although the U.S. president will try to bully Ukraine into accepting Russia’s terms, there is no evidence that Ukraine is really on the brink
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, will probably insist once again that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ‘no cards,’ and must submit, but that wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Trump 2.0 and the end of NATO

  • No one in the European Union’s defence ministries believe that Washington would risk a nuclear war to defend European cities.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 15, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has comprehensively trashed the European delusion that the United States would come to its defence if Russia invaded, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the White House/Flickr

Trump 2.0 and the end of NATO

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 15, 2025
  • No one in the European Union’s defence ministries believe that Washington would risk a nuclear war to defend European cities.

Trump 2.0 and the end of NATO

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 15, 2025
  • No one in the European Union’s defence ministries believe that Washington would risk a nuclear war to defend European cities.
U.S. President Donald Trump has comprehensively trashed the European delusion that the United States would come to its defence if Russia invaded, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the White House/Flickr

Trump’s Afrikaner ‘refugees’ pitch a piece of theatre

  • Three decades after the end of apartheid the average white South African still has 20 times the wealth of the average Black South African.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 14, 2025
Afrikaners aren’t actually refugees. They are bit-players in a secular passion play staged by U.S. President Donald Trump, right, probably at the suggestion of his faithful side-kick Elon Musk, left, who grew up very rich in apartheid-era South Africa, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the White House/Flickr

Trump’s Afrikaner ‘refugees’ pitch a piece of theatre

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 14, 2025
  • Three decades after the end of apartheid the average white South African still has 20 times the wealth of the average Black South African.

Trump’s Afrikaner ‘refugees’ pitch a piece of theatre

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 14, 2025
  • Three decades after the end of apartheid the average white South African still has 20 times the wealth of the average Black South African.
Afrikaners aren’t actually refugees. They are bit-players in a secular passion play staged by U.S. President Donald Trump, right, probably at the suggestion of his faithful side-kick Elon Musk, left, who grew up very rich in apartheid-era South Africa, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the White House/Flickr

India and Israel on parallel tracks

  • Both confrontations were set off by mass murders by terrorists whose goal was to start a war that drew the world’s attention back to
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 8, 2025
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, runs a Hindu-nationalist agenda, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a hard-right coalition, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

India and Israel on parallel tracks

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 8, 2025
  • Both confrontations were set off by mass murders by terrorists whose goal was to start a war that drew the world’s attention back to

India and Israel on parallel tracks

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 8, 2025
  • Both confrontations were set off by mass murders by terrorists whose goal was to start a war that drew the world’s attention back to
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, runs a Hindu-nationalist agenda, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a hard-right coalition, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Impunity in Gaza: Israel and the Great Eviction

  • Seventy per cent of Gaza is already effectively out of bounds for Palestinians, and barring some surprise about-turn, the Great Eviction is getting underway.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 6, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at The White House on April 7. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Impunity in Gaza: Israel and the Great Eviction

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 6, 2025
  • Seventy per cent of Gaza is already effectively out of bounds for Palestinians, and barring some surprise about-turn, the Great Eviction is getting underway.

Impunity in Gaza: Israel and the Great Eviction

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 6, 2025
  • Seventy per cent of Gaza is already effectively out of bounds for Palestinians, and barring some surprise about-turn, the Great Eviction is getting underway.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at The White House on April 7. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Bolsonaro, Trump, and democratic takeover attempts

  • America’s President and Brazil’s former leader—who is in intensive care—once were tied to failed coup attempts in their respective countries. 
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 1, 2025
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro could go to jail for more than 40 years if he is found guilty of plotting to reverse his electoral defeat in 2022 by a military coup, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Bolsonaro, Trump, and democratic takeover attempts

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 1, 2025
  • America’s President and Brazil’s former leader—who is in intensive care—once were tied to failed coup attempts in their respective countries. 

Bolsonaro, Trump, and democratic takeover attempts

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 1, 2025
  • America’s President and Brazil’s former leader—who is in intensive care—once were tied to failed coup attempts in their respective countries. 
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro could go to jail for more than 40 years if he is found guilty of plotting to reverse his electoral defeat in 2022 by a military coup, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

An Indo-Pakistan nuclear war would hit the whole world

  • India has also worked to keep the level of violence down, even though the basic relationship is one of mutual hatred with religious overtones.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 30, 2025
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The relationship between the two nations is fundamentally unstable because Pakistan has only one-sixth of India’s population and one-10th of its wealth, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

An Indo-Pakistan nuclear war would hit the whole world

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 30, 2025
  • India has also worked to keep the level of violence down, even though the basic relationship is one of mutual hatred with religious overtones.

An Indo-Pakistan nuclear war would hit the whole world

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 30, 2025
  • India has also worked to keep the level of violence down, even though the basic relationship is one of mutual hatred with religious overtones.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The relationship between the two nations is fundamentally unstable because Pakistan has only one-sixth of India’s population and one-10th of its wealth, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump-era elections in the Anglosphere

  • A measure of how Trumpism does in the export market will be found in the other parts of the ‘Anglosphere,' and happily there are
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 23, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
There has certainly been outrage at U.S. Donald Trump’s threats to crush the Canadian economy and take over the country, which doubtless moved more votes to Liberal Leader Mark Carney, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/the White House

Trump-era elections in the Anglosphere

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 23, 2025
  • A measure of how Trumpism does in the export market will be found in the other parts of the ‘Anglosphere,' and happily there are

Trump-era elections in the Anglosphere

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 23, 2025
  • A measure of how Trumpism does in the export market will be found in the other parts of the ‘Anglosphere,' and happily there are
Donald Trump
There has certainly been outrage at U.S. Donald Trump’s threats to crush the Canadian economy and take over the country, which doubtless moved more votes to Liberal Leader Mark Carney, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/the White House

Sudan civil war an outlier in Africa 

  • There are 55 countries in Africa, and but only two have open wars. Even that many nations are not nearly enough to provide each
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 17, 2025
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, left, leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, while General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan commands the ‘official’ Sudanese Armed Forces. The mercenaries who work for them are the scum of the earth, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Sudan civil war an outlier in Africa 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 17, 2025
  • There are 55 countries in Africa, and but only two have open wars. Even that many nations are not nearly enough to provide each

Sudan civil war an outlier in Africa 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 17, 2025
  • There are 55 countries in Africa, and but only two have open wars. Even that many nations are not nearly enough to provide each
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, left, leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, while General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan commands the ‘official’ Sudanese Armed Forces. The mercenaries who work for them are the scum of the earth, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump: a window of opportunity

  • Donald Trump’s minions may not have told him yet, but last week was not just a temporary setback in his crusade for high tariffs.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 14, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump not only blinked first, but he blinked at exactly the right time, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Trump: a window of opportunity

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 14, 2025
  • Donald Trump’s minions may not have told him yet, but last week was not just a temporary setback in his crusade for high tariffs.

Trump: a window of opportunity

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 14, 2025
  • Donald Trump’s minions may not have told him yet, but last week was not just a temporary setback in his crusade for high tariffs.
U.S. President Donald Trump not only blinked first, but he blinked at exactly the right time, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Comparing casualties in Gaza to Ukraine

  • The number of dead in the Gaza Strip makes clear something very unpleasant is going on—and it can’t be explained away by saying that
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 10, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Estimates put the deaths at more than 50,000 in Gaza, compared to at least 12,650 in Ukraine. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Comparing casualties in Gaza to Ukraine

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 10, 2025
  • The number of dead in the Gaza Strip makes clear something very unpleasant is going on—and it can’t be explained away by saying that

Comparing casualties in Gaza to Ukraine

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 10, 2025
  • The number of dead in the Gaza Strip makes clear something very unpleasant is going on—and it can’t be explained away by saying that
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Estimates put the deaths at more than 50,000 in Gaza, compared to at least 12,650 in Ukraine. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump smashes the system with global tariffs 

  • It’s the United States against the whole world, and America’s only possible great-power ally is Russia.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 7, 2025
Donald Trump.
Donald Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump has greatly overestimated America’s ability to prevent a realignment of global trade that simply goes around it, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Trump smashes the system with global tariffs 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 7, 2025
  • It’s the United States against the whole world, and America’s only possible great-power ally is Russia.

Trump smashes the system with global tariffs 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 7, 2025
  • It’s the United States against the whole world, and America’s only possible great-power ally is Russia.
Donald Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump has greatly overestimated America’s ability to prevent a realignment of global trade that simply goes around it, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

The third wave of nuclear weapons countries is upon us

  • Several nations are seeking to replace the lost U.S. guarantee of nuclear deterrence with some homegrown equivalent, and the weapons could be available in
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 2, 2025
Nobody set out to destroy the deterrence system, least of all U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured in 2013, who was just seeking some short-term advantages in his usual way, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

The third wave of nuclear weapons countries is upon us

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 2, 2025
  • Several nations are seeking to replace the lost U.S. guarantee of nuclear deterrence with some homegrown equivalent, and the weapons could be available in

The third wave of nuclear weapons countries is upon us

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | April 2, 2025
  • Several nations are seeking to replace the lost U.S. guarantee of nuclear deterrence with some homegrown equivalent, and the weapons could be available in
Nobody set out to destroy the deterrence system, least of all U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured in 2013, who was just seeking some short-term advantages in his usual way, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

Trump’s treaty blunder to blame as Iran bolsters nuclear program

  • Under the old nuclear deal, Iran put its nuclear program on hold in return for all the major powers easing sanctions on the country.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 27, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
The Iranians claim that they are only enriching uranium for nuclear fuel and other peaceful uses, but nobody believes them. U.S. President Donald Trump should have left the nuclear deal alone, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Trump’s treaty blunder to blame as Iran bolsters nuclear program

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 27, 2025
  • Under the old nuclear deal, Iran put its nuclear program on hold in return for all the major powers easing sanctions on the country.

Trump’s treaty blunder to blame as Iran bolsters nuclear program

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 27, 2025
  • Under the old nuclear deal, Iran put its nuclear program on hold in return for all the major powers easing sanctions on the country.
Donald Trump
The Iranians claim that they are only enriching uranium for nuclear fuel and other peaceful uses, but nobody believes them. U.S. President Donald Trump should have left the nuclear deal alone, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

How DRC’s borders and mineral-rich regions keep the country in conflict

  • The eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been at war for the past 30 years, and it’s about to get worse.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 25, 2025
Residents walk along a road in Bombo Lumene Natural Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC has 60 per cent of the world’s coltan, a mineral essential for electronic devices. Photograph courtesy of Unsplash

How DRC’s borders and mineral-rich regions keep the country in conflict

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 25, 2025
  • The eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been at war for the past 30 years, and it’s about to get worse.

How DRC’s borders and mineral-rich regions keep the country in conflict

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 25, 2025
  • The eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been at war for the past 30 years, and it’s about to get worse.
Residents walk along a road in Bombo Lumene Natural Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC has 60 per cent of the world’s coltan, a mineral essential for electronic devices. Photograph courtesy of Unsplash

Keeping the ‘rule of law’ alive

  • LONDON, U.K.— Last week there was a vote in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, that may have changed the course
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 20, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump doesn’t understand the rules that were established in 1945 or why they matter to the world, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Keeping the ‘rule of law’ alive

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 20, 2025
  • LONDON, U.K.— Last week there was a vote in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, that may have changed the course

Keeping the ‘rule of law’ alive

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 20, 2025
  • LONDON, U.K.— Last week there was a vote in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, that may have changed the course
U.S. President Donald Trump doesn’t understand the rules that were established in 1945 or why they matter to the world, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Filipino family feud leads to Duterte’s ICC arrest

  • Rodrigo Duterte finished his single permitted term as Philippines president in 2022, leaving 30,000 police murders in his wake and a popular approval rating
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 17, 2025
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Duterte
Last week’s arrest of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court for the ‘crime against humanity’ of mass murder was long overdue, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Filipino family feud leads to Duterte’s ICC arrest

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 17, 2025
  • Rodrigo Duterte finished his single permitted term as Philippines president in 2022, leaving 30,000 police murders in his wake and a popular approval rating

Filipino family feud leads to Duterte’s ICC arrest

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 17, 2025
  • Rodrigo Duterte finished his single permitted term as Philippines president in 2022, leaving 30,000 police murders in his wake and a popular approval rating
Rodrigo Duterte
Last week’s arrest of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court for the ‘crime against humanity’ of mass murder was long overdue, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Maybe a short ceasefire in Ukraine, maybe not

  • The war, which has just passed its third anniversary, is as deeply stuck in the mud as the First World War that it so
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 13, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, insisted on preconditions before entering peace talks, whereupon U.S. President Donald Trump, right, lost it in that infamous Oval Office exchange on Feb. 28, writes Gwynne Dyer. Zelenskyy had to back down. Screengrab courtesy of CNN

Maybe a short ceasefire in Ukraine, maybe not

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 13, 2025
  • The war, which has just passed its third anniversary, is as deeply stuck in the mud as the First World War that it so

Maybe a short ceasefire in Ukraine, maybe not

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 13, 2025
  • The war, which has just passed its third anniversary, is as deeply stuck in the mud as the First World War that it so
U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, insisted on preconditions before entering peace talks, whereupon U.S. President Donald Trump, right, lost it in that infamous Oval Office exchange on Feb. 28, writes Gwynne Dyer. Zelenskyy had to back down. Screengrab courtesy of CNN

Who is to blame for recent bloodshed in Syria?

  • There are no ‘pro-Assad fighters.’ There are just Alawites defending themselves from other Syrians who want vengeance for crimes committed by the old regime.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 11, 2025
Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government was overthrown in 2024. Assad needed reliable allies to run the tyrannical state, and Alawites needed jobs, so they ended up greatly over-represented in the lower ranks of the army and government, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Who is to blame for recent bloodshed in Syria?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 11, 2025
  • There are no ‘pro-Assad fighters.’ There are just Alawites defending themselves from other Syrians who want vengeance for crimes committed by the old regime.

Who is to blame for recent bloodshed in Syria?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 11, 2025
  • There are no ‘pro-Assad fighters.’ There are just Alawites defending themselves from other Syrians who want vengeance for crimes committed by the old regime.
Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government was overthrown in 2024. Assad needed reliable allies to run the tyrannical state, and Alawites needed jobs, so they ended up greatly over-represented in the lower ranks of the army and government, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Fortress North America?

  • It’s as bizarre as Britain annexing Ireland or Germany seizing Austria (both of which did happen in the Bad Old Days), but that’s what
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 6, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump wants to 'annex' Canada and make it the 51st state of the United States of America. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore

Fortress North America?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 6, 2025
  • It’s as bizarre as Britain annexing Ireland or Germany seizing Austria (both of which did happen in the Bad Old Days), but that’s what

Fortress North America?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 6, 2025
  • It’s as bizarre as Britain annexing Ireland or Germany seizing Austria (both of which did happen in the Bad Old Days), but that’s what
U.S. President Donald Trump wants to 'annex' Canada and make it the 51st state of the United States of America. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore

Trump-Zelenskyy clash delivers death blow to NATO

  • If NATO's European members decide to build a new alliance free from the whims of a pro-Moscow America, they'll have to figure out how
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 3, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
In the White House on Feb. 28, U.S. President Donald Trump, centre, and Vice-President J.D. Vance, right, launched a vicious attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the massed cameras of the American media, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of CNN

Trump-Zelenskyy clash delivers death blow to NATO

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 3, 2025
  • If NATO's European members decide to build a new alliance free from the whims of a pro-Moscow America, they'll have to figure out how

Trump-Zelenskyy clash delivers death blow to NATO

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | March 3, 2025
  • If NATO's European members decide to build a new alliance free from the whims of a pro-Moscow America, they'll have to figure out how
U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
In the White House on Feb. 28, U.S. President Donald Trump, centre, and Vice-President J.D. Vance, right, launched a vicious attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the massed cameras of the American media, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of CNN

First as tragedy, then as farce

  • Donald Trump is probably not going to start a war. Adolf Hitler was the tragedy; Trump is the farce. But even farces can do
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 27, 2025
Donald Trump, left, and Adolf Hitler. Both Hitler and Trump took advantage of relatively new communication technologies to spread their message—radio and mass-circulation newspapers in Hitler’s case, Fox and X in Trump’s–and they both made lavish use of the so-called ‘Big Lie,' writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

First as tragedy, then as farce

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 27, 2025
  • Donald Trump is probably not going to start a war. Adolf Hitler was the tragedy; Trump is the farce. But even farces can do

First as tragedy, then as farce

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 27, 2025
  • Donald Trump is probably not going to start a war. Adolf Hitler was the tragedy; Trump is the farce. But even farces can do
Donald Trump, left, and Adolf Hitler. Both Hitler and Trump took advantage of relatively new communication technologies to spread their message—radio and mass-circulation newspapers in Hitler’s case, Fox and X in Trump’s–and they both made lavish use of the so-called ‘Big Lie,' writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A weak regime clings to power in Myanmar

  • The people seem on the brink of driving the brutal military regime from power. The first thing they should do after is get rid
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 25, 2025
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi—the daughter of the army’s founder—led a largely non-violent revolution that forced the military to share political power, but in 2021, the army took it back very violently, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A weak regime clings to power in Myanmar

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 25, 2025
  • The people seem on the brink of driving the brutal military regime from power. The first thing they should do after is get rid

A weak regime clings to power in Myanmar

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 25, 2025
  • The people seem on the brink of driving the brutal military regime from power. The first thing they should do after is get rid
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi—the daughter of the army’s founder—led a largely non-violent revolution that forced the military to share political power, but in 2021, the army took it back very violently, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump floods the zone with distractions

  • Donald Trump is serving the extreme right’s cause well at the moment, but in the longer run he is just likely to sabotage it
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 19, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders mirror the to-do list of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s plan for instituting permanent right-wing rule after a Trump election victory, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump floods the zone with distractions

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 19, 2025
  • Donald Trump is serving the extreme right’s cause well at the moment, but in the longer run he is just likely to sabotage it

Trump floods the zone with distractions

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 19, 2025
  • Donald Trump is serving the extreme right’s cause well at the moment, but in the longer run he is just likely to sabotage it
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders mirror the to-do list of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s plan for instituting permanent right-wing rule after a Trump election victory, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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Different kinds of thieves

  • The downside to protection rackets is it’s a crowded field, and there are always other rival mobs trying to spoil your play, or cut
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 18, 2025
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, is negotiating with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a cut of Ukraine’s future mining income in exchange for continued American aid. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Presidential Office of Ukraine

Different kinds of thieves

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 18, 2025
  • The downside to protection rackets is it’s a crowded field, and there are always other rival mobs trying to spoil your play, or cut

Different kinds of thieves

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 18, 2025
  • The downside to protection rackets is it’s a crowded field, and there are always other rival mobs trying to spoil your play, or cut
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, is negotiating with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a cut of Ukraine’s future mining income in exchange for continued American aid. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Presidential Office of Ukraine

Ceasefire in Ukraine?

  • Ukraine is unfortunate to have Donald Trump as the self-appointed arbiter of its fate. His servile attitude towards Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests he
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 13, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin. The war has reached a stalemate, so it might as well stop for a while, and that’s what is likely to happen, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Ceasefire in Ukraine?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 13, 2025
  • Ukraine is unfortunate to have Donald Trump as the self-appointed arbiter of its fate. His servile attitude towards Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests he

Ceasefire in Ukraine?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 13, 2025
  • Ukraine is unfortunate to have Donald Trump as the self-appointed arbiter of its fate. His servile attitude towards Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests he
Russian President Vladimir Putin. The war has reached a stalemate, so it might as well stop for a while, and that’s what is likely to happen, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Post-1945 order in flux as superpowers challenge borders

  • United States President Donald Trump demanding to take over Greenland, the Panama Canal, Canada, and the Gaza Strip is empire-building of the crudest sort.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 11, 2025
UN Security Council
UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council, pictured on Jan. 25. The keystone of the international system is under attack with countries sabotaging the barriers put in place to limit the spread of war, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of United Nations/Evan Schneider

Post-1945 order in flux as superpowers challenge borders

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 11, 2025
  • United States President Donald Trump demanding to take over Greenland, the Panama Canal, Canada, and the Gaza Strip is empire-building of the crudest sort.

Post-1945 order in flux as superpowers challenge borders

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 11, 2025
  • United States President Donald Trump demanding to take over Greenland, the Panama Canal, Canada, and the Gaza Strip is empire-building of the crudest sort.
UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council, pictured on Jan. 25. The keystone of the international system is under attack with countries sabotaging the barriers put in place to limit the spread of war, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of United Nations/Evan Schneider

Climate change should worry us more than Trump’s latest outrage

  • The media and most of their customers are ignoring this terrifying warming trend completely because the Tangerine Toddler is having a tantrum.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 5, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald Trump knows making outrageous claims is the best way to keep the media from talking about what he’s really doing—removing all legal, constitutional, and customary restraints on the presidency, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Climate change should worry us more than Trump’s latest outrage

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 5, 2025
  • The media and most of their customers are ignoring this terrifying warming trend completely because the Tangerine Toddler is having a tantrum.

Climate change should worry us more than Trump’s latest outrage

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 5, 2025
  • The media and most of their customers are ignoring this terrifying warming trend completely because the Tangerine Toddler is having a tantrum.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump knows making outrageous claims is the best way to keep the media from talking about what he’s really doing—removing all legal, constitutional, and customary restraints on the presidency, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Take Trump’s threat to annex Canada seriously 

  • When somebody says they are going to hurt you, it’s wise to take precautions.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 3, 2025
Doug Ford
Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford wears a ‘Canada is not for sale’ hat at a Jan. 15 first minister's meeting. U.S. President Donald Trump poses an existential threat to the Canadian confederation, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Take Trump’s threat to annex Canada seriously 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 3, 2025
  • When somebody says they are going to hurt you, it’s wise to take precautions.

Take Trump’s threat to annex Canada seriously 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 3, 2025
  • When somebody says they are going to hurt you, it’s wise to take precautions.
Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford wears a ‘Canada is not for sale’ hat at a Jan. 15 first minister's meeting. U.S. President Donald Trump poses an existential threat to the Canadian confederation, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Three possible scenarios if Trump really does invade Greenland, and none end well

  • There is a genuine possibility that the U.S. Armed Forces (assuming they obey a clearly illegal order) will invade and seize the territory of
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 29, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Most people treated Donald Trump's rambling on about seizing Greenland as a passing fantasy—until Trump had a 45-minute telephone conversation with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark on Saturday, Jan. 25, writes Gwynne Dyer. One senior European official said the call was 'horrendous,' and that she was shaken by his manner. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Three possible scenarios if Trump really does invade Greenland, and none end well

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 29, 2025
  • There is a genuine possibility that the U.S. Armed Forces (assuming they obey a clearly illegal order) will invade and seize the territory of

Three possible scenarios if Trump really does invade Greenland, and none end well

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 29, 2025
  • There is a genuine possibility that the U.S. Armed Forces (assuming they obey a clearly illegal order) will invade and seize the territory of
Donald Trump
Most people treated Donald Trump's rambling on about seizing Greenland as a passing fantasy—until Trump had a 45-minute telephone conversation with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark on Saturday, Jan. 25, writes Gwynne Dyer. One senior European official said the call was 'horrendous,' and that she was shaken by his manner. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The slide back towards war 

  • Both the United States and Rwanda are signatories of the UN Charter, and promised not to settle their disputes by war. That hasn’t stopped
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 28, 2025
Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame
Rwandan President Paul Kagame hasn’t formally declared war on the Democratic Republic of Congo, but 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan troops are already across the border, writes Gwynne Dyer. Paulo Filgueiras photograph courtesy of the United Nations

The slide back towards war 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 28, 2025
  • Both the United States and Rwanda are signatories of the UN Charter, and promised not to settle their disputes by war. That hasn’t stopped

The slide back towards war 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 28, 2025
  • Both the United States and Rwanda are signatories of the UN Charter, and promised not to settle their disputes by war. That hasn’t stopped
Paul Kagame
Rwandan President Paul Kagame hasn’t formally declared war on the Democratic Republic of Congo, but 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan troops are already across the border, writes Gwynne Dyer. Paulo Filgueiras photograph courtesy of the United Nations

The Middle East: where next?

  • Much of the IDF, and even members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own cabinet expect to go back to war after the first phase
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 21, 2025
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, has been trying to write the Palestinians out of the story for his whole political life, and U.S. President Donald Trump may go along for the ride, writes Gwynne Dyer. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs photograph by Haim Zach 

The Middle East: where next?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 21, 2025
  • Much of the IDF, and even members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own cabinet expect to go back to war after the first phase

The Middle East: where next?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 21, 2025
  • Much of the IDF, and even members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own cabinet expect to go back to war after the first phase
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, has been trying to write the Palestinians out of the story for his whole political life, and U.S. President Donald Trump may go along for the ride, writes Gwynne Dyer. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs photograph by Haim Zach 

Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers stalled by U.S. sanctions

  • Is Donald Trump really going to maintain the U.S. sanctions on Russian oil sales when he’s in power? Meanwhile, Russia’s ‘shadow fleet' of second-hand
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 15, 2025
Greenpeace activists paint ‘peace not oil’ on the side of a tanker transporting oil from Russia to Poland in March 2022. Recent U.S. sanctions on Russian oil exports are having a big impact, writes Gwynne Dyer. Greenpeace photograph courtesy of Flickr

Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers stalled by U.S. sanctions

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 15, 2025
  • Is Donald Trump really going to maintain the U.S. sanctions on Russian oil sales when he’s in power? Meanwhile, Russia’s ‘shadow fleet' of second-hand

Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers stalled by U.S. sanctions

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 15, 2025
  • Is Donald Trump really going to maintain the U.S. sanctions on Russian oil sales when he’s in power? Meanwhile, Russia’s ‘shadow fleet' of second-hand
Greenpeace activists paint ‘peace not oil’ on the side of a tanker transporting oil from Russia to Poland in March 2022. Recent U.S. sanctions on Russian oil exports are having a big impact, writes Gwynne Dyer. Greenpeace photograph courtesy of Flickr

Rogue presidents

  • In any coup attempt, there's a point at which mere talk crosses the line into irrevocable action, and it's a bright red line.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 8, 2025
Like Donald Trump, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro are populists who have little regard for the truth or the law, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the Office of the President of South Korea and Palácio do Planalto photograph by Marcos Corrêa/PR

Rogue presidents

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 8, 2025
  • In any coup attempt, there's a point at which mere talk crosses the line into irrevocable action, and it's a bright red line.

Rogue presidents

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 8, 2025
  • In any coup attempt, there's a point at which mere talk crosses the line into irrevocable action, and it's a bright red line.
Like Donald Trump, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro are populists who have little regard for the truth or the law, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the Office of the President of South Korea and Palácio do Planalto photograph by Marcos Corrêa/PR

Trudeau bites the dust

  • Justin Trudeau’s resignation is the delayed consequence of a row with then-deputy Chrystia Freeland over the weak response to Donald Trump's threat to slap
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 7, 2025
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, left, has mockingly called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ‘governor,’ and says Canada should be an American state. His taunts and tariff threats helped push Trudeau to resign, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade and courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trudeau bites the dust

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 7, 2025
  • Justin Trudeau’s resignation is the delayed consequence of a row with then-deputy Chrystia Freeland over the weak response to Donald Trump's threat to slap

Trudeau bites the dust

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 7, 2025
  • Justin Trudeau’s resignation is the delayed consequence of a row with then-deputy Chrystia Freeland over the weak response to Donald Trump's threat to slap
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, left, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, left, has mockingly called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ‘governor,’ and says Canada should be an American state. His taunts and tariff threats helped push Trudeau to resign, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade and courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Welcome to ‘uncharted territory’

  • If we’re already 'in uncharted territory,' then what do we do next? There is no realistic short-term way to boost our emissions cuts: even
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 3, 2025
Tropical Storm Trami, pictured, is a large, catastrophic cyclone that hit the Philippines, and impacted Vietnam, Thailand, and China in October 2024. The Philippines was hit by six cyclones last October, and still there’s no big public demand there for a rapid switch to renewable energy sources, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Welcome to ‘uncharted territory’

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 3, 2025
  • If we’re already 'in uncharted territory,' then what do we do next? There is no realistic short-term way to boost our emissions cuts: even

Welcome to ‘uncharted territory’

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 3, 2025
  • If we’re already 'in uncharted territory,' then what do we do next? There is no realistic short-term way to boost our emissions cuts: even
Tropical Storm Trami, pictured, is a large, catastrophic cyclone that hit the Philippines, and impacted Vietnam, Thailand, and China in October 2024. The Philippines was hit by six cyclones last October, and still there’s no big public demand there for a rapid switch to renewable energy sources, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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

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