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Gwynne Dyer

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

An Arab nadir driven by clueless hegemons

  • We are at a point where Trump’s America and Netanyahu’s Israel have established complete domination over the Middle East. 
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 29, 2025
Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still wants to get the Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, but this may no longer require a confrontation with Donald Trump, writes Gwynne Dyer White House photograph by Daniel Torok

An Arab nadir driven by clueless hegemons

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 29, 2025
  • We are at a point where Trump’s America and Netanyahu’s Israel have established complete domination over the Middle East. 

An Arab nadir driven by clueless hegemons

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 29, 2025
  • We are at a point where Trump’s America and Netanyahu’s Israel have established complete domination over the Middle East. 
Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still wants to get the Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, but this may no longer require a confrontation with Donald Trump, writes Gwynne Dyer White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Trump’s case for invading Venezuela

  • The American president must know that U.S.-bound cocaine comes mostly from Colombia and Peru, while opioids—the real drug plague—come primarily from China and Mexico.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 27, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, is doing everything possible to look like he is serious about overthrowing Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela by force, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump’s case for invading Venezuela

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 27, 2025
  • The American president must know that U.S.-bound cocaine comes mostly from Colombia and Peru, while opioids—the real drug plague—come primarily from China and Mexico.

Trump’s case for invading Venezuela

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 27, 2025
  • The American president must know that U.S.-bound cocaine comes mostly from Colombia and Peru, while opioids—the real drug plague—come primarily from China and Mexico.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, is doing everything possible to look like he is serious about overthrowing Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela by force, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Denmark versus the Russia’s shadow fleet

  • The sanctions regime makes it hard for Russia to charter ships from legitimate shipping companies. Instead, it has built a ‘shadow fleet’ of almost
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 22, 2025
Last month, unidentified drones forced Denmark to shut down its airports on several occasions, and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Russian involvement could not be ruled out. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Denmark versus the Russia’s shadow fleet

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 22, 2025
  • The sanctions regime makes it hard for Russia to charter ships from legitimate shipping companies. Instead, it has built a ‘shadow fleet’ of almost

Denmark versus the Russia’s shadow fleet

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 22, 2025
  • The sanctions regime makes it hard for Russia to charter ships from legitimate shipping companies. Instead, it has built a ‘shadow fleet’ of almost
Last month, unidentified drones forced Denmark to shut down its airports on several occasions, and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Russian involvement could not be ruled out. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

American contempt for Latin America on full display

  • U.S. President Donald Trump has interfered in both Brazilian and Argentine politics, and the U.S. Navy continues its strikes off Venezuela’s coast in a
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 16, 2025
In the latest example of American influence, Argentina President Javier Milei, left, has welcomed Donald Trump’s $20-billion bailout even as the American president mused about the country’s elections, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore 

American contempt for Latin America on full display

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 16, 2025
  • U.S. President Donald Trump has interfered in both Brazilian and Argentine politics, and the U.S. Navy continues its strikes off Venezuela’s coast in a

American contempt for Latin America on full display

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 16, 2025
  • U.S. President Donald Trump has interfered in both Brazilian and Argentine politics, and the U.S. Navy continues its strikes off Venezuela’s coast in a
In the latest example of American influence, Argentina President Javier Milei, left, has welcomed Donald Trump’s $20-billion bailout even as the American president mused about the country’s elections, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore 

The coming AI crash

  • Far too much money is being spent on long-odds bets that some new artificial intelligence tech will appear that justifies the current ridiculously high
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 15, 2025
The biggest players in the system supporting AI are spending vast amounts of borrowed money on a technology they don’t even fully understand, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

The coming AI crash

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 15, 2025
  • Far too much money is being spent on long-odds bets that some new artificial intelligence tech will appear that justifies the current ridiculously high

The coming AI crash

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 15, 2025
  • Far too much money is being spent on long-odds bets that some new artificial intelligence tech will appear that justifies the current ridiculously high
The biggest players in the system supporting AI are spending vast amounts of borrowed money on a technology they don’t even fully understand, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

Chimps, war, and us 

  • Jane Goodall’s research revealed chimpanzees were far more like us than anybody had suspected. One aspect was deeply troubling: they fight wars. Like us.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 8, 2025
Jane Goodall, pictured in 2019, died on Oct. 1 at the age of 91. She was also one of the greatest self-taught scientists in history, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Simon Fraser University 

Chimps, war, and us 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 8, 2025
  • Jane Goodall’s research revealed chimpanzees were far more like us than anybody had suspected. One aspect was deeply troubling: they fight wars. Like us.

Chimps, war, and us 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 8, 2025
  • Jane Goodall’s research revealed chimpanzees were far more like us than anybody had suspected. One aspect was deeply troubling: they fight wars. Like us.
Jane Goodall, pictured in 2019, died on Oct. 1 at the age of 91. She was also one of the greatest self-taught scientists in history, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Simon Fraser University 

Gaza: the 20-point plan

  • The draft peace plan may not be dead on arrival, but it is extremely vulnerable.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 7, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, has a very short attention span, but he was able to bully Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into at least the opening stages of a ceasefire, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Gaza: the 20-point plan

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 7, 2025
  • The draft peace plan may not be dead on arrival, but it is extremely vulnerable.

Gaza: the 20-point plan

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 7, 2025
  • The draft peace plan may not be dead on arrival, but it is extremely vulnerable.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, has a very short attention span, but he was able to bully Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into at least the opening stages of a ceasefire, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Three months later: where are Iran’s fabled nukes?

  • Iran had 408 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, enough for nine or 10 atomic bombs if the regime chose to go that route, and
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 2, 2025
Donald Trump.
Donald Trump.
After the June U.S. bombing on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, President Donald Trump claimed the key facilities ‘have been completely and totally obliterated.’ Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

Three months later: where are Iran’s fabled nukes?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 2, 2025
  • Iran had 408 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, enough for nine or 10 atomic bombs if the regime chose to go that route, and

Three months later: where are Iran’s fabled nukes?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | October 2, 2025
  • Iran had 408 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, enough for nine or 10 atomic bombs if the regime chose to go that route, and
Donald Trump.
After the June U.S. bombing on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, President Donald Trump claimed the key facilities ‘have been completely and totally obliterated.’ Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

The United States: calculating things to come

  • I’d be less confident about saying 'no' to an American civil war than I was in the old Soviet Union because there I couldn’t
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 30, 2025
Portland, Ore., residents protest the U.S. president’s deployment of troops to the city to ‘protect’ an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 28. Screenshot courtesy of YouTube/KPTV Fox 12

The United States: calculating things to come

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 30, 2025
  • I’d be less confident about saying 'no' to an American civil war than I was in the old Soviet Union because there I couldn’t

The United States: calculating things to come

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 30, 2025
  • I’d be less confident about saying 'no' to an American civil war than I was in the old Soviet Union because there I couldn’t
Portland, Ore., residents protest the U.S. president’s deployment of troops to the city to ‘protect’ an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Sept. 28. Screenshot courtesy of YouTube/KPTV Fox 12

Unpacking Ukraine’s winning prospects, Flamingos and all

  • The missiles even things up a bit in the David-and-Goliath war against Russia, but the Ukrainian army has been retreating all year.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 24, 2025
American President Donald Trump, pictured, attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a February White House visit, but this week at the United Nations Trump suggested Ukraine could win back its territory. Official White House photograph

Unpacking Ukraine’s winning prospects, Flamingos and all

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 24, 2025
  • The missiles even things up a bit in the David-and-Goliath war against Russia, but the Ukrainian army has been retreating all year.

Unpacking Ukraine’s winning prospects, Flamingos and all

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 24, 2025
  • The missiles even things up a bit in the David-and-Goliath war against Russia, but the Ukrainian army has been retreating all year.
American President Donald Trump, pictured, attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a February White House visit, but this week at the United Nations Trump suggested Ukraine could win back its territory. Official White House photograph

Is it too late for a Palestinian state?

  • For the first time, big Western countries are recognizing the state, but it is not unified and it still controls no territory.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 22, 2025
The cascade of recognitions at the United Nations General Assembly’s annual session in New York is pure gesture politics, writes Gwynne Dyer. UN photograph by Manuel Elias

Is it too late for a Palestinian state?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 22, 2025
  • For the first time, big Western countries are recognizing the state, but it is not unified and it still controls no territory.

Is it too late for a Palestinian state?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 22, 2025
  • For the first time, big Western countries are recognizing the state, but it is not unified and it still controls no territory.
The cascade of recognitions at the United Nations General Assembly’s annual session in New York is pure gesture politics, writes Gwynne Dyer. UN photograph by Manuel Elias

Russia’s air war of flimsy decoys

  • What is President Vladimir Putin’s motive for this bizarre violation of NATO’s borders—especially given that the drones over Poland were not armed?
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 17, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s real goal with the Poland drone strike is to stampede NATO’s European countries into spending large amounts on their own national defence, instead of continuing to send arms to beleaguered Ukraine, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Russia’s air war of flimsy decoys

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 17, 2025
  • What is President Vladimir Putin’s motive for this bizarre violation of NATO’s borders—especially given that the drones over Poland were not armed?

Russia’s air war of flimsy decoys

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 17, 2025
  • What is President Vladimir Putin’s motive for this bizarre violation of NATO’s borders—especially given that the drones over Poland were not armed?
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s real goal with the Poland drone strike is to stampede NATO’s European countries into spending large amounts on their own national defence, instead of continuing to send arms to beleaguered Ukraine, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Same crime, different fate for Bolsonaro and Trump

  • Compared to the 2022 Brazilian attempted coup, the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol was much less serious—yet look at which country is in
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 15, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and former president Jair Bolsonaro.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Most Republican voters still believe that U.S. President Donald Trump, left, won the 2020 election. By contrast, only 36 per cent of Brazilians doubt that former president Jair Bolsonaro was part of the 2022 coup plot, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Same crime, different fate for Bolsonaro and Trump

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 15, 2025
  • Compared to the 2022 Brazilian attempted coup, the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol was much less serious—yet look at which country is in

Same crime, different fate for Bolsonaro and Trump

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 15, 2025
  • Compared to the 2022 Brazilian attempted coup, the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol was much less serious—yet look at which country is in
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Most Republican voters still believe that U.S. President Donald Trump, left, won the 2020 election. By contrast, only 36 per cent of Brazilians doubt that former president Jair Bolsonaro was part of the 2022 coup plot, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Qatar strike makes clear Israel has no interest in a ceasefire

  • Israel bombing America's closest ally in the Gulf puts every Arab country on notice that nobody is safe.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 10, 2025
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
With the bombing of Qatar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it blindingly clear he wants to avoid a ceasefire in Gaza, writes Gwynne Dyer. UN photograph courtesy of Loey Felipe

Qatar strike makes clear Israel has no interest in a ceasefire

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 10, 2025
  • Israel bombing America's closest ally in the Gulf puts every Arab country on notice that nobody is safe.

Qatar strike makes clear Israel has no interest in a ceasefire

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 10, 2025
  • Israel bombing America's closest ally in the Gulf puts every Arab country on notice that nobody is safe.
Benjamin Netanyahu
With the bombing of Qatar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it blindingly clear he wants to avoid a ceasefire in Gaza, writes Gwynne Dyer. UN photograph courtesy of Loey Felipe

No ‘new world order’ is coming

  • All the hype about the launch of a new ‘Asian century’ founders on the hard, unyielding fact that there is no Asia except in
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 9, 2025
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit was a stage-managed coming-out party for China’s new superpower status, but no actual deals were done, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

No ‘new world order’ is coming

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 9, 2025
  • All the hype about the launch of a new ‘Asian century’ founders on the hard, unyielding fact that there is no Asia except in

No ‘new world order’ is coming

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 9, 2025
  • All the hype about the launch of a new ‘Asian century’ founders on the hard, unyielding fact that there is no Asia except in
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit was a stage-managed coming-out party for China’s new superpower status, but no actual deals were done, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump’s ‘Gaza Riviera’ is insane but not impossible

  • The leaked U.S. pitch to remodel the wartorn region into a shiny new city built on ruins is both a bizarre and illegal project.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, held a White House meeting to discuss plans for Gaza’s future, with former British prime minister Tony Blair in the mix among real estate developers and others. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump’s ‘Gaza Riviera’ is insane but not impossible

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2025
  • The leaked U.S. pitch to remodel the wartorn region into a shiny new city built on ruins is both a bizarre and illegal project.

Trump’s ‘Gaza Riviera’ is insane but not impossible

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2025
  • The leaked U.S. pitch to remodel the wartorn region into a shiny new city built on ruins is both a bizarre and illegal project.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, held a White House meeting to discuss plans for Gaza’s future, with former British prime minister Tony Blair in the mix among real estate developers and others. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Here come the refugees

  • This rage for deportation started in the developed countries, but it is catching on everywhere. 
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 3, 2025
British MP Nigel Farage recently promised that a Reform U.K. government would deport 600,000 people during its first five years in power. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Here come the refugees

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 3, 2025
  • This rage for deportation started in the developed countries, but it is catching on everywhere. 

Here come the refugees

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 3, 2025
  • This rage for deportation started in the developed countries, but it is catching on everywhere. 
British MP Nigel Farage recently promised that a Reform U.K. government would deport 600,000 people during its first five years in power. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

America, Greenland, and upending the territorial status quo

  • Outside of the United States and Russia, most governments still uphold the key law about borders, regardless of their domestic political arrangements.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2025
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
Denmark has accused the United States of running a covert operation in Greenland. The attempt to recruit a few ‘pro-American’ Greenlanders to front the operation suggests President Donald Trump’s regime prefers a non-violent conquest if at all possible, writes Gwynne Dyer. Official White House photograph courtesy of Daniel Torok

America, Greenland, and upending the territorial status quo

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2025
  • Outside of the United States and Russia, most governments still uphold the key law about borders, regardless of their domestic political arrangements.

America, Greenland, and upending the territorial status quo

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2025
  • Outside of the United States and Russia, most governments still uphold the key law about borders, regardless of their domestic political arrangements.
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
Denmark has accused the United States of running a covert operation in Greenland. The attempt to recruit a few ‘pro-American’ Greenlanders to front the operation suggests President Donald Trump’s regime prefers a non-violent conquest if at all possible, writes Gwynne Dyer. Official White House photograph courtesy of Daniel Torok

Africa needs more than a ‘change the map’ campaign 

  • African economies have grown slowly over the past 50 years, but population growth has meant that real per capita incomes in most African countries
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2025
People are learning ‘from a distorted map,’ says Speak Up Africa founder Fara Ndiaye, leading to ‘a biased view of Africa’s role in the world.’ Photograph courtesy of Unsplash

Africa needs more than a ‘change the map’ campaign 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2025
  • African economies have grown slowly over the past 50 years, but population growth has meant that real per capita incomes in most African countries

Africa needs more than a ‘change the map’ campaign 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2025
  • African economies have grown slowly over the past 50 years, but population growth has meant that real per capita incomes in most African countries
People are learning ‘from a distorted map,’ says Speak Up Africa founder Fara Ndiaye, leading to ‘a biased view of Africa’s role in the world.’ Photograph courtesy of Unsplash

Trump’s delusional pitch for the Nobel Peace Prize 

  • The truth is that both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy privately view Donald Trump with contempt, and neither will sign up to a premature
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2025
Donald Trump, left, and President Vladimir Putin.
Donald Trump, left, and President Vladimir Putin.
The campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump, left, for the peace prize includes pretending he can end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but that conquest is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s heritage project, and he can still keep the war going for years, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump’s delusional pitch for the Nobel Peace Prize 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2025
  • The truth is that both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy privately view Donald Trump with contempt, and neither will sign up to a premature

Trump’s delusional pitch for the Nobel Peace Prize 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2025
  • The truth is that both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy privately view Donald Trump with contempt, and neither will sign up to a premature
Donald Trump, left, and President Vladimir Putin.
The campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump, left, for the peace prize includes pretending he can end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but that conquest is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s heritage project, and he can still keep the war going for years, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump management

  • It’s impossible to be always the last person Donald Trump speaks to, and the effort to be that person soon degenerates into slapstick and
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
It will take a massive campaign of perpetual flattery for the old NATO countries to keep U.S. President Donald Trump, far right, on side while simultaneously keeping Ukraine out of Russia’s hands, writes Gwynne Dyer.  White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Trump management

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2025
  • It’s impossible to be always the last person Donald Trump speaks to, and the effort to be that person soon degenerates into slapstick and

Trump management

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2025
  • It’s impossible to be always the last person Donald Trump speaks to, and the effort to be that person soon degenerates into slapstick and
Donald Trump
It will take a massive campaign of perpetual flattery for the old NATO countries to keep U.S. President Donald Trump, far right, on side while simultaneously keeping Ukraine out of Russia’s hands, writes Gwynne Dyer.  White House photograph by Daniel Torok

The AI crash

  • This is a financial crash of the sort that usually accompanies an exciting new technology, not an existential crisis, but it is definitely on
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2025
We are probably in the final phase of the artificial intelligence investment frenzy right now, writes Gwynne Dyer. Unsplash photograph by Igor Omilaev

The AI crash

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2025
  • This is a financial crash of the sort that usually accompanies an exciting new technology, not an existential crisis, but it is definitely on

The AI crash

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2025
  • This is a financial crash of the sort that usually accompanies an exciting new technology, not an existential crisis, but it is definitely on
We are probably in the final phase of the artificial intelligence investment frenzy right now, writes Gwynne Dyer. Unsplash photograph by Igor Omilaev

Trump and his whooshing deadlines

  • Whatever happens at the upcoming Alaska summit, U.S. President Donald Trump will go on setting deadlines and then missing them.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 11, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump at the G20 Summit in Japan in June 2019. With no leverage in Moscow, Trump's recent deadline for a Russian ceasefire in Ukraine passed unmentioned, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Trump and his whooshing deadlines

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 11, 2025
  • Whatever happens at the upcoming Alaska summit, U.S. President Donald Trump will go on setting deadlines and then missing them.

Trump and his whooshing deadlines

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 11, 2025
  • Whatever happens at the upcoming Alaska summit, U.S. President Donald Trump will go on setting deadlines and then missing them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump at the G20 Summit in Japan in June 2019. With no leverage in Moscow, Trump's recent deadline for a Russian ceasefire in Ukraine passed unmentioned, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

The two Netanyahus in the face of famine and genocide

  • One version of the Israeli leader is the amoral master tactician who has no permanent allies. Or the other more sinister character, whose goal
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 6, 2025
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still in power because he’s now a war leader and the courts can’t hold an inquiry into his behaviour until the war is over, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The two Netanyahus in the face of famine and genocide

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 6, 2025
  • One version of the Israeli leader is the amoral master tactician who has no permanent allies. Or the other more sinister character, whose goal

The two Netanyahus in the face of famine and genocide

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 6, 2025
  • One version of the Israeli leader is the amoral master tactician who has no permanent allies. Or the other more sinister character, whose goal
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still in power because he’s now a war leader and the courts can’t hold an inquiry into his behaviour until the war is over, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Major powers resorting to war more often, and doing so without even trying to justify it under the UN Charter rules

  • Maybe so much time has passed that some countries have forgotten what everybody’s objective was at the end of the Second World War: to
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Not only are major powers resorting to war more often, but they are doing so without even trying to justify it under the UN Charter rules for the use of force: Russia in Ukraine, Israel in Gaza, the United States over Iran.  The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia and courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Major powers resorting to war more often, and doing so without even trying to justify it under the UN Charter rules

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2025
  • Maybe so much time has passed that some countries have forgotten what everybody’s objective was at the end of the Second World War: to

Major powers resorting to war more often, and doing so without even trying to justify it under the UN Charter rules

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2025
  • Maybe so much time has passed that some countries have forgotten what everybody’s objective was at the end of the Second World War: to
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Not only are major powers resorting to war more often, but they are doing so without even trying to justify it under the UN Charter rules for the use of force: Russia in Ukraine, Israel in Gaza, the United States over Iran.  The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia and courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Counting babies in China (and elsewhere)

  • Declining populations almost everywhere should not be seen only as a problem. If we are now heading back down to a population of three
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 1, 2025
Lower birth rates do bring with them problems like a higher dependency ratio, but managing this kind of 'problem' is what governments are there for, writes Gwynne Dyer. Unsplash photograph by Lingchor

Counting babies in China (and elsewhere)

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 1, 2025
  • Declining populations almost everywhere should not be seen only as a problem. If we are now heading back down to a population of three

Counting babies in China (and elsewhere)

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 1, 2025
  • Declining populations almost everywhere should not be seen only as a problem. If we are now heading back down to a population of three
Lower birth rates do bring with them problems like a higher dependency ratio, but managing this kind of 'problem' is what governments are there for, writes Gwynne Dyer. Unsplash photograph by Lingchor

The pantomime ends in Gaza

  • Since food distribution to Palestinians is so erratic, deaths from this artificial famine continue to grow. It’s not clear whether this is random malevolence
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2025
All the back-and-forth diplomacy in Gaza over the past six months was just for show, and the only audience that mattered was U.S. President Donald Trump, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House

The pantomime ends in Gaza

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2025
  • Since food distribution to Palestinians is so erratic, deaths from this artificial famine continue to grow. It’s not clear whether this is random malevolence

The pantomime ends in Gaza

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2025
  • Since food distribution to Palestinians is so erratic, deaths from this artificial famine continue to grow. It’s not clear whether this is random malevolence
All the back-and-forth diplomacy in Gaza over the past six months was just for show, and the only audience that mattered was U.S. President Donald Trump, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House
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World War 2.1?

  • LONDON, U.K.—Columnists are not supposed to write about the same subject twice in a row, and only last week I wrote my umpteenth piece
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 14, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured. Columnist Gywnne Dyer does not think Russia will invade Ukraine. 'I’ll apologize profusely if I’m getting this wrong, but it feels to me like some Central Intelligence Agency people spotted some minor Russian troop movements and rang the alarm for domestic political purposes or just for fun.' Photograph courtesy of Flickr

World War 2.1?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 14, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Columnists are not supposed to write about the same subject twice in a row, and only last week I wrote my umpteenth piece

World War 2.1?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 14, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Columnists are not supposed to write about the same subject twice in a row, and only last week I wrote my umpteenth piece
Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured. Columnist Gywnne Dyer does not think Russia will invade Ukraine. 'I’ll apologize profusely if I’m getting this wrong, but it feels to me like some Central Intelligence Agency people spotted some minor Russian troop movements and rang the alarm for domestic political purposes or just for fun.' Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Ukraine: the invasion never comes

  • LONDON, U.K.—On Jan. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “our assessment has been that (a Russian invasion of Ukraine) could happen
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 9, 2022
On Jan. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a Russian invasion of Ukraine 'could happen any time between mid-January and mid-February.' It’s not clear whether any of the U.S. officials really believes their dire predictions, since there are other plausible reasons why they might utter them: to whip the European NATO allies into line, or simply to restore Joe Biden’s reputation as a determined leader standing up for 'freedom' after his less than stellar performance in the Afghan debacle last August, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/U.S. State Department

Ukraine: the invasion never comes

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 9, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—On Jan. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “our assessment has been that (a Russian invasion of Ukraine) could happen

Ukraine: the invasion never comes

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 9, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—On Jan. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “our assessment has been that (a Russian invasion of Ukraine) could happen
On Jan. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a Russian invasion of Ukraine 'could happen any time between mid-January and mid-February.' It’s not clear whether any of the U.S. officials really believes their dire predictions, since there are other plausible reasons why they might utter them: to whip the European NATO allies into line, or simply to restore Joe Biden’s reputation as a determined leader standing up for 'freedom' after his less than stellar performance in the Afghan debacle last August, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/U.S. State Department

The rise and decline of sociopathy

  • LONDON, U.K.—I generally leave the psychohistory to Hari Seldon, but just this once I feel sufficiently motivated to venture into the field. The immediate
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 7, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former U.S. president Donald Trump, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have something in comment, writes Gwynne Dyer. They are all liars. They don’t care if you really know the truth from personal experience. It doesn’t bother them that you know they are lying. They will just say the lie again—and you might even believe them, because they say it with such conviction, he writes. Screenshot courtesy of Boris Johnson’s Facebook, photograph courtesy of the White House/Flickr, and Wikimedia Commons

The rise and decline of sociopathy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 7, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—I generally leave the psychohistory to Hari Seldon, but just this once I feel sufficiently motivated to venture into the field. The immediate

The rise and decline of sociopathy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 7, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—I generally leave the psychohistory to Hari Seldon, but just this once I feel sufficiently motivated to venture into the field. The immediate
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former U.S. president Donald Trump, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have something in comment, writes Gwynne Dyer. They are all liars. They don’t care if you really know the truth from personal experience. It doesn’t bother them that you know they are lying. They will just say the lie again—and you might even believe them, because they say it with such conviction, he writes. Screenshot courtesy of Boris Johnson’s Facebook, photograph courtesy of the White House/Flickr, and Wikimedia Commons

North Korea: the sting in the tail

  • LONDON, U.K.—“They want to have a deterrence system that is like a scorpion’s tail,” said Prof. Kim Dong Yup, a former South Korean naval
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 2, 2022
Kim Jong-un has a military confrontation with South Korea that will never go away, as they are both part of the same divided nation. Caricature courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

North Korea: the sting in the tail

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 2, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“They want to have a deterrence system that is like a scorpion’s tail,” said Prof. Kim Dong Yup, a former South Korean naval

North Korea: the sting in the tail

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 2, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“They want to have a deterrence system that is like a scorpion’s tail,” said Prof. Kim Dong Yup, a former South Korean naval
Kim Jong-un has a military confrontation with South Korea that will never go away, as they are both part of the same divided nation. Caricature courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Boris Johnson: the long goodbye

  • LONDON, U.K.—The plot couldn’t be more familiar: criminal mastermind gets away with endless daring escapades, and is brought down in the end by some
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 27, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has slid effortlessly through endless scrapes and scandals that would have finished off a lesser scoundrel, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Boris Johnson: the long goodbye

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 27, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—The plot couldn’t be more familiar: criminal mastermind gets away with endless daring escapades, and is brought down in the end by some

Boris Johnson: the long goodbye

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 27, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—The plot couldn’t be more familiar: criminal mastermind gets away with endless daring escapades, and is brought down in the end by some
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has slid effortlessly through endless scrapes and scandals that would have finished off a lesser scoundrel, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Fertility rates at astonishing levels in shrinking Asia

  • LONDON, U.K.—In the politics of population, the magic number is 2.1. That is “replacement level:” if a country’s fertility rate (the average number of
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 25, 2022
Populations in Europe are stable or gently falling, and in the Americas almost every country has a growth rate of less than one per cent. The only world regions still growing fast are the Middle East and Africa, where population growth rates are between 1.5 per cent and three per cent, writes Gwynne Dyer.

Fertility rates at astonishing levels in shrinking Asia

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 25, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—In the politics of population, the magic number is 2.1. That is “replacement level:” if a country’s fertility rate (the average number of

Fertility rates at astonishing levels in shrinking Asia

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 25, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—In the politics of population, the magic number is 2.1. That is “replacement level:” if a country’s fertility rate (the average number of
Populations in Europe are stable or gently falling, and in the Americas almost every country has a growth rate of less than one per cent. The only world regions still growing fast are the Middle East and Africa, where population growth rates are between 1.5 per cent and three per cent, writes Gwynne Dyer.

Berlusconi wants to be Italy’s next president, and he might win

  • LONDON, U.K.—It was looking like a good year for democracy. Donald Trump is gone in the United States, at least for the moment, and
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 19, 2022
Silvio Berlusconi, pictured in 2003, more or less withdrew from public view after open-heart surgery in 2016, but here he is again, still eager for power, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Berlusconi wants to be Italy’s next president, and he might win

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 19, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—It was looking like a good year for democracy. Donald Trump is gone in the United States, at least for the moment, and

Berlusconi wants to be Italy’s next president, and he might win

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 19, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—It was looking like a good year for democracy. Donald Trump is gone in the United States, at least for the moment, and
Silvio Berlusconi, pictured in 2003, more or less withdrew from public view after open-heart surgery in 2016, but here he is again, still eager for power, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Nuclear power: the missing piece of the puzzle

  • LONDON, U.K.—At the stroke of midnight last Friday, half of Germany’s remaining nuclear power stations closed down. The remaining three plants (of an original
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 4, 2022
There are currently 441 commercial nuclear reactors in the world, supplying about 10 per cent of the world’s electricity. There could have been three or four times as much nuclear power by now if the Green movement had not exploited a couple of accidents in the 1970s and '80s to cripple it, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Unsplash

Nuclear power: the missing piece of the puzzle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 4, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—At the stroke of midnight last Friday, half of Germany’s remaining nuclear power stations closed down. The remaining three plants (of an original

Nuclear power: the missing piece of the puzzle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 4, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—At the stroke of midnight last Friday, half of Germany’s remaining nuclear power stations closed down. The remaining three plants (of an original
There are currently 441 commercial nuclear reactors in the world, supplying about 10 per cent of the world’s electricity. There could have been three or four times as much nuclear power by now if the Green movement had not exploited a couple of accidents in the 1970s and '80s to cripple it, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Unsplash

China: no more Mr. Nice Guy

  • LONDON, U.K.—More than 200 Hong Kong police raided and shut down one of the last pro-democracy news websites in Hong Kong on Dec. 29,
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 29, 2021
More than 200 Hong Kong police raided and shut down one of the last pro-democracy news websites in Hong Kong on Dec. 29, in the latest sign that the Beijing regime will no longer tolerate dissent of any kind. It was total overkill—a couple of cops with a court order would have sufficed—but they were ‘sending a message’ to other ‘malcontents.' Screengrab courtesy of CNN/Reuters

China: no more Mr. Nice Guy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 29, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—More than 200 Hong Kong police raided and shut down one of the last pro-democracy news websites in Hong Kong on Dec. 29,

China: no more Mr. Nice Guy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 29, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—More than 200 Hong Kong police raided and shut down one of the last pro-democracy news websites in Hong Kong on Dec. 29,
More than 200 Hong Kong police raided and shut down one of the last pro-democracy news websites in Hong Kong on Dec. 29, in the latest sign that the Beijing regime will no longer tolerate dissent of any kind. It was total overkill—a couple of cops with a court order would have sufficed—but they were ‘sending a message’ to other ‘malcontents.' Screengrab courtesy of CNN/Reuters

In politics, it’s all about having the right enemy

  • LONDON, U.K.—The right enemy can be a major asset in politics, as Chilean voters have just demonstrated once again. All the opinion polls had
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 27, 2021
In Chile, the left-wing candidate, Gabriel Boric, won the Dec. 19 presidential election after it came out that the father of far-right candidate was a Nazi. Flickr photograph courtesy of Mediabanco Agencia

In politics, it’s all about having the right enemy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 27, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The right enemy can be a major asset in politics, as Chilean voters have just demonstrated once again. All the opinion polls had

In politics, it’s all about having the right enemy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 27, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The right enemy can be a major asset in politics, as Chilean voters have just demonstrated once again. All the opinion polls had
In Chile, the left-wing candidate, Gabriel Boric, won the Dec. 19 presidential election after it came out that the father of far-right candidate was a Nazi. Flickr photograph courtesy of Mediabanco Agencia

Humouring Putin

  • LONDON, U.K.—The geopolitical question of the moment is: how important is it to humour Russian Leader Vladimir Putin? The answer is: not very. Throw
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 20, 2021
The geopolitical question of the moment is: how important is it to humour Russian Leader Vladimir Putin? The answer is: not very. Throw him a fish or two, because he’s running a bluff and you don’t want to humiliate him, but there’s no need to placate him with major concessions, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Humouring Putin

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 20, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The geopolitical question of the moment is: how important is it to humour Russian Leader Vladimir Putin? The answer is: not very. Throw

Humouring Putin

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 20, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The geopolitical question of the moment is: how important is it to humour Russian Leader Vladimir Putin? The answer is: not very. Throw
The geopolitical question of the moment is: how important is it to humour Russian Leader Vladimir Putin? The answer is: not very. Throw him a fish or two, because he’s running a bluff and you don’t want to humiliate him, but there’s no need to placate him with major concessions, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Democrats in Chile right to be worried in presidential runoff

  • LONDON, U.K.—British journalist Claud Cockburn once claimed that he won a contest among the sub-editors on The London Times to write the dullest headline
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2021
The great surprise in the first round of the Chilean presidential election last month was that an extreme-right politician called José Antonio Kast, pictured in 2017, got the most votes. Kast could actually do some harm if he became president—but it’s less likely than it looks, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Democrats in Chile right to be worried in presidential runoff

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—British journalist Claud Cockburn once claimed that he won a contest among the sub-editors on The London Times to write the dullest headline

Democrats in Chile right to be worried in presidential runoff

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—British journalist Claud Cockburn once claimed that he won a contest among the sub-editors on The London Times to write the dullest headline
The great surprise in the first round of the Chilean presidential election last month was that an extreme-right politician called José Antonio Kast, pictured in 2017, got the most votes. Kast could actually do some harm if he became president—but it’s less likely than it looks, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

‘New normal’ may be far faster expansion of renewable energy than expected

  • LONDON, U.K.—The “new normal,” said International Energy Agency spokesperson Heymi Bahar last May, may be a far faster expansion of renewable energy than expected,
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 13, 2021
There has been a step-change in the growth of wind and solar power, which jumped by 45 per cent worldwide in 2020—and despite the pandemic, this year’s growth will be even higher. Even more important, hardly any other source of energy is growing at all, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

‘New normal’ may be far faster expansion of renewable energy than expected

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 13, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The “new normal,” said International Energy Agency spokesperson Heymi Bahar last May, may be a far faster expansion of renewable energy than expected,

‘New normal’ may be far faster expansion of renewable energy than expected

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 13, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The “new normal,” said International Energy Agency spokesperson Heymi Bahar last May, may be a far faster expansion of renewable energy than expected,
There has been a step-change in the growth of wind and solar power, which jumped by 45 per cent worldwide in 2020—and despite the pandemic, this year’s growth will be even higher. Even more important, hardly any other source of energy is growing at all, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Russia not headed for Ukraine invasion

  • LONDON, U.K.—I must admit that I Googled the plot of the 1997 film Wag the Dog before starting to write this. It’s a dark
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 9, 2021
Symbolism and historical stereotypes are what this is all about, and the dominant stereotype in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mind is the fact that practically everybody on the "A" list of would-be world conquerors has invaded Russia, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the World Economic Forum

Russia not headed for Ukraine invasion

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 9, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—I must admit that I Googled the plot of the 1997 film Wag the Dog before starting to write this. It’s a dark

Russia not headed for Ukraine invasion

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 9, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—I must admit that I Googled the plot of the 1997 film Wag the Dog before starting to write this. It’s a dark
Symbolism and historical stereotypes are what this is all about, and the dominant stereotype in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mind is the fact that practically everybody on the "A" list of would-be world conquerors has invaded Russia, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the World Economic Forum

Long live deterrence to dissuade nuclear attacks

  • LONDON, U.K.—“We reviewed the proposals… carefully and thoroughly and concluded that Iran violated almost all compromises found previously in months of hard negotiations,” said
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 6, 2021
When Joe Biden, pictured, replaced Trump last January it looked like reviving the Iran nuclear deal would be simple. Washington would drop all the sanctions Trump had slapped on Iran, Tehran would undo all the cautious steps it had taken on enriching uranium beyond the treaty’s limits to bring pressure on America and its allies, and everybody would live happily ever after, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Facebook

Long live deterrence to dissuade nuclear attacks

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 6, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“We reviewed the proposals… carefully and thoroughly and concluded that Iran violated almost all compromises found previously in months of hard negotiations,” said

Long live deterrence to dissuade nuclear attacks

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 6, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“We reviewed the proposals… carefully and thoroughly and concluded that Iran violated almost all compromises found previously in months of hard negotiations,” said
When Joe Biden, pictured, replaced Trump last January it looked like reviving the Iran nuclear deal would be simple. Washington would drop all the sanctions Trump had slapped on Iran, Tehran would undo all the cautious steps it had taken on enriching uranium beyond the treaty’s limits to bring pressure on America and its allies, and everybody would live happily ever after, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Facebook

Omicron variant reveals rich countries’ short-term thinking on pandemic response

  • LONDON, U.K.—The new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus was discovered on Nov. 23 by scientists in South Africa and Botswana, the only countries
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 1, 2021
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the travel ban 'is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant. The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine their ability to respond to and recover from the pandemic.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Omicron variant reveals rich countries’ short-term thinking on pandemic response

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 1, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus was discovered on Nov. 23 by scientists in South Africa and Botswana, the only countries

Omicron variant reveals rich countries’ short-term thinking on pandemic response

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 1, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus was discovered on Nov. 23 by scientists in South Africa and Botswana, the only countries
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the travel ban 'is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant. The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine their ability to respond to and recover from the pandemic.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Ukraine ‘crisis’ unlikely to lead to war

  • LONDON, U.K.—“There is a threat today that there will be war tomorrow. We are entirely prepared for an escalation,” said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 29, 2021
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Nov. 26, that 'there is a threat today that there will be war tomorrow' and it is 'entirely prepared for an escalation.' Here we go again. All the players know the steps of the dance, and some of them even enjoy it. The purpose, however, is obscure, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Ukraine ‘crisis’ unlikely to lead to war

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 29, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“There is a threat today that there will be war tomorrow. We are entirely prepared for an escalation,” said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukraine ‘crisis’ unlikely to lead to war

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 29, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“There is a threat today that there will be war tomorrow. We are entirely prepared for an escalation,” said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Nov. 26, that 'there is a threat today that there will be war tomorrow' and it is 'entirely prepared for an escalation.' Here we go again. All the players know the steps of the dance, and some of them even enjoy it. The purpose, however, is obscure, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Killer drones: is nothing safe?  

  • LONDON, U.K.—Commercially available quadcopter drones carrying small amounts of explosives are “the most concerning tactical development since the rise of the improvised explosive device
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 22, 2021
Two weeks ago, three quadcopters flew into the heavily fortified ‘Green Zone’ in Baghdad to attack the home of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, pictured, who won last month’s national election and is working to form a new coalition government (usually a months-long haggle in Iraq). Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Killer drones: is nothing safe?  

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 22, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Commercially available quadcopter drones carrying small amounts of explosives are “the most concerning tactical development since the rise of the improvised explosive device

Killer drones: is nothing safe?  

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 22, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Commercially available quadcopter drones carrying small amounts of explosives are “the most concerning tactical development since the rise of the improvised explosive device
Two weeks ago, three quadcopters flew into the heavily fortified ‘Green Zone’ in Baghdad to attack the home of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, pictured, who won last month’s national election and is working to form a new coalition government (usually a months-long haggle in Iraq). Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Putin’s warning to Belarus spells end for border skirmish with Poland

  • LONDON, U.K.—It’s not a tempest in a teapot; it’s smaller than that. A few thousand Arabs and Kurds, mostly young men but including women
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 17, 2021
There were massive non-violent protests in Belarus last year after President Alexander Lukashenko rigged yet another election, and although they were crushed with mass arrests and beatings he is now in a state of perpetual anxiety, writes Gwynne Dyer. Wikimedia Commons photograph by Serge Serebro

Putin’s warning to Belarus spells end for border skirmish with Poland

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 17, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—It’s not a tempest in a teapot; it’s smaller than that. A few thousand Arabs and Kurds, mostly young men but including women

Putin’s warning to Belarus spells end for border skirmish with Poland

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 17, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—It’s not a tempest in a teapot; it’s smaller than that. A few thousand Arabs and Kurds, mostly young men but including women
There were massive non-violent protests in Belarus last year after President Alexander Lukashenko rigged yet another election, and although they were crushed with mass arrests and beatings he is now in a state of perpetual anxiety, writes Gwynne Dyer. Wikimedia Commons photograph by Serge Serebro

Backtracking coal targets a COP26 failure, but summit still brings hope

  • LONDON, U.K.—Closing the two-week COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Nov. 13, Alok Sharma, the British president of the 197-country conference, declared “We’ve kept
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 16, 2021
Alok Sharma, the British MP and president of the UN Climate Change Conference, came close to tears during closing remarks on Nov. 13. Sharma was upset because a last-minute assault by the world’s coal, oil, and gas superpowers nearly brought the meeting to a halt, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Tim Hammond

Backtracking coal targets a COP26 failure, but summit still brings hope

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 16, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Closing the two-week COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Nov. 13, Alok Sharma, the British president of the 197-country conference, declared “We’ve kept

Backtracking coal targets a COP26 failure, but summit still brings hope

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 16, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Closing the two-week COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Nov. 13, Alok Sharma, the British president of the 197-country conference, declared “We’ve kept
Alok Sharma, the British MP and president of the UN Climate Change Conference, came close to tears during closing remarks on Nov. 13. Sharma was upset because a last-minute assault by the world’s coal, oil, and gas superpowers nearly brought the meeting to a halt, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Tim Hammond

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