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Sunday, February 15, 2026

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Gwynne Dyer

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

Surviving the population crash

  • The challenge is how to make our way safely down from the old high-birth-rate regime to a new low-birth-rate future because the present pace
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 12, 2026
France's Marine Le Pen, left, the United Kingdom's Nigel Farage, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and United States President Donald Trump. A phalanx of right-wing populists either in power or closing in on it are painting immigration as a threat, and peddling ‘great replacement’ narratives to the angry and the ignorant. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Flickr

Surviving the population crash

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 12, 2026
  • The challenge is how to make our way safely down from the old high-birth-rate regime to a new low-birth-rate future because the present pace

Surviving the population crash

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 12, 2026
  • The challenge is how to make our way safely down from the old high-birth-rate regime to a new low-birth-rate future because the present pace
France's Marine Le Pen, left, the United Kingdom's Nigel Farage, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and United States President Donald Trump. A phalanx of right-wing populists either in power or closing in on it are painting immigration as a threat, and peddling ‘great replacement’ narratives to the angry and the ignorant. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Flickr

The curious case of China’s disappearing generals

  • All six members of China’s highest military body have been dismissed on suspicion of corruption, including last month the vice-chair, Zhang Youxia, one of
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 9, 2026
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping
China’s highest military body is the Central Military Commission, with President Xi Jinping himself in the chair in his parallel role as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The curious case of China’s disappearing generals

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 9, 2026
  • All six members of China’s highest military body have been dismissed on suspicion of corruption, including last month the vice-chair, Zhang Youxia, one of

The curious case of China’s disappearing generals

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 9, 2026
  • All six members of China’s highest military body have been dismissed on suspicion of corruption, including last month the vice-chair, Zhang Youxia, one of
Xi Jinping
China’s highest military body is the Central Military Commission, with President Xi Jinping himself in the chair in his parallel role as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The last arms control treaty expires

  • The American president knows nothing about nuclear weapons, and doesn’t care. He is not a man who will put any effort into rebuilding a
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 5, 2026
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured in July 2018, are both reckless men, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

The last arms control treaty expires

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 5, 2026
  • The American president knows nothing about nuclear weapons, and doesn’t care. He is not a man who will put any effort into rebuilding a

The last arms control treaty expires

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 5, 2026
  • The American president knows nothing about nuclear weapons, and doesn’t care. He is not a man who will put any effort into rebuilding a
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured in July 2018, are both reckless men, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Shealah Craighead

Is Iran pretending to have nukes?

  • Iran’s former ayatollah declared the development and use of weapons of mass destruction forbidden on moral and religious grounds. We should take this decree
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 4, 2026
It’s possible that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, pictured, has followed the same stupid strategy as Saddam Hussein did in Iraq, and is approaching the same ugly consequences, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Is Iran pretending to have nukes?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 4, 2026
  • Iran’s former ayatollah declared the development and use of weapons of mass destruction forbidden on moral and religious grounds. We should take this decree

Is Iran pretending to have nukes?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | February 4, 2026
  • Iran’s former ayatollah declared the development and use of weapons of mass destruction forbidden on moral and religious grounds. We should take this decree
It’s possible that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, pictured, has followed the same stupid strategy as Saddam Hussein did in Iraq, and is approaching the same ugly consequences, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Iran an active case study on whether massacres work

  • The regime will effectively be an occupation force that rules only by terror—but such regimes can last a long time if they are ruthless
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 29, 2026
This month’s killing in Iran is on a whole different scale in the nation’s history, and the past is no guide to the future, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of BBC News

Iran an active case study on whether massacres work

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 29, 2026
  • The regime will effectively be an occupation force that rules only by terror—but such regimes can last a long time if they are ruthless

Iran an active case study on whether massacres work

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 29, 2026
  • The regime will effectively be an occupation force that rules only by terror—but such regimes can last a long time if they are ruthless
This month’s killing in Iran is on a whole different scale in the nation’s history, and the past is no guide to the future, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of BBC News

After Davos, Trump confronts an inflection point

  • Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarkable speech at Davos said what many political and economic elites were thinking: don’t let the bullies win; fear is
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 26, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, went into last week’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, full of bluster, but he ultimately back-tracked on threats to Greenland, and tariff nations that support the territory, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the World Economic Forum/Ciaran McCrickard

After Davos, Trump confronts an inflection point

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 26, 2026
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarkable speech at Davos said what many political and economic elites were thinking: don’t let the bullies win; fear is

After Davos, Trump confronts an inflection point

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 26, 2026
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarkable speech at Davos said what many political and economic elites were thinking: don’t let the bullies win; fear is
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, went into last week’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, full of bluster, but he ultimately back-tracked on threats to Greenland, and tariff nations that support the territory, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the World Economic Forum/Ciaran McCrickard

One Danish soldier

  • If even one soldier dies in Greenland due to American aggression, NATO nations would be forced to step in.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 22, 2026
United States President Donald Trump often changes his mind, and the number of times he has said he will use force on Greenland is far greater than the times he has said he won’t, writes Gwynne Dyer White House photograph by Molly Riley

One Danish soldier

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 22, 2026
  • If even one soldier dies in Greenland due to American aggression, NATO nations would be forced to step in.

One Danish soldier

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 22, 2026
  • If even one soldier dies in Greenland due to American aggression, NATO nations would be forced to step in.
United States President Donald Trump often changes his mind, and the number of times he has said he will use force on Greenland is far greater than the times he has said he won’t, writes Gwynne Dyer White House photograph by Molly Riley

Trump versus NATO, target Greenland

  • For Canada, the problem is that all the (false) American arguments to justify annexing Greenland apply equally to Canada. The strategy seems to be
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 19, 2026
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Why is U.S. President Donald Trump so obsessed with Greenland? The best guess in NATO circles is that it’s an extension of his old mania of putting his name on every hotel he owned. In this case, it gets his name in American history books, writes Gwynne Dyer.  White House photograph by Joyce N. Boghosia

Trump versus NATO, target Greenland

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 19, 2026
  • For Canada, the problem is that all the (false) American arguments to justify annexing Greenland apply equally to Canada. The strategy seems to be

Trump versus NATO, target Greenland

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 19, 2026
  • For Canada, the problem is that all the (false) American arguments to justify annexing Greenland apply equally to Canada. The strategy seems to be
Donald Trump
Why is U.S. President Donald Trump so obsessed with Greenland? The best guess in NATO circles is that it’s an extension of his old mania of putting his name on every hotel he owned. In this case, it gets his name in American history books, writes Gwynne Dyer.  White House photograph by Joyce N. Boghosia

Why America intervening in Iran is a bad idea

  • LONDON, U.K.— Any day now, the United States will “come to the rescue” of the protesters in the streets of Iran’s cities, and American
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 15, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has promised too much already to do absolutely nothing about the massacre of protesters in Iran, but he should do the absolute minimum he thinks he can get away with, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Why America intervening in Iran is a bad idea

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 15, 2026
  • LONDON, U.K.— Any day now, the United States will “come to the rescue” of the protesters in the streets of Iran’s cities, and American

Why America intervening in Iran is a bad idea

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 15, 2026
  • LONDON, U.K.— Any day now, the United States will “come to the rescue” of the protesters in the streets of Iran’s cities, and American
U.S. President Donald Trump has promised too much already to do absolutely nothing about the massacre of protesters in Iran, but he should do the absolute minimum he thinks he can get away with, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

How NATO members can take on Trump’s Greenland—and Canadian—obsession

  • Ottawa should offer military forces to protect Greenland from Russia and China, and ask the Europeans to send some troops to Canada for protection.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 12, 2026
If U.S. President Donald Trump invades Greenland then NATO, the military alliance that has played a large part in preventing a nuclear war for the past 75 years, dies, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Molly Riley

How NATO members can take on Trump’s Greenland—and Canadian—obsession

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 12, 2026
  • Ottawa should offer military forces to protect Greenland from Russia and China, and ask the Europeans to send some troops to Canada for protection.

How NATO members can take on Trump’s Greenland—and Canadian—obsession

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 12, 2026
  • Ottawa should offer military forces to protect Greenland from Russia and China, and ask the Europeans to send some troops to Canada for protection.
If U.S. President Donald Trump invades Greenland then NATO, the military alliance that has played a large part in preventing a nuclear war for the past 75 years, dies, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Molly Riley

Trump’s case for a Greenland invasion is utter hogwash

  • Despite what the U.S. president says, Greenland is a region of zero strategic importance. If Washington wants to base more troops there, it has
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 8, 2026
President Donald Trump has insisted that the United States needs ‘Greenland from the standpoint of national security.' White House photograph by Molly Riley

Trump’s case for a Greenland invasion is utter hogwash

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 8, 2026
  • Despite what the U.S. president says, Greenland is a region of zero strategic importance. If Washington wants to base more troops there, it has

Trump’s case for a Greenland invasion is utter hogwash

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 8, 2026
  • Despite what the U.S. president says, Greenland is a region of zero strategic importance. If Washington wants to base more troops there, it has
President Donald Trump has insisted that the United States needs ‘Greenland from the standpoint of national security.' White House photograph by Molly Riley

Imagining a post-Ayatollah Iran

  • Of the Iranian regime’s proxies, all but one are defunct or gravely weakened. Syria has changed sides, Hamas in the Gaza Strip is defeated
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 6, 2026
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is facing protests as the country struggles under the collapse of its currency and the explosive rise in the cost of living. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Imagining a post-Ayatollah Iran

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 6, 2026
  • Of the Iranian regime’s proxies, all but one are defunct or gravely weakened. Syria has changed sides, Hamas in the Gaza Strip is defeated

Imagining a post-Ayatollah Iran

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 6, 2026
  • Of the Iranian regime’s proxies, all but one are defunct or gravely weakened. Syria has changed sides, Hamas in the Gaza Strip is defeated
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is facing protests as the country struggles under the collapse of its currency and the explosive rise in the cost of living. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump, Venezuela, and seriously bad decisions

  • From Napoleon in Spain two centuries ago to the U.S. army in Iraq two decades ago, military occupations by foreigners usually generate armed resistance
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 5, 2026
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Without boots on the ground, U.S. President Donald Trump has limited leverage on the Venezuelan regime, which has not been seriously crippled by the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Trump, Venezuela, and seriously bad decisions

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 5, 2026
  • From Napoleon in Spain two centuries ago to the U.S. army in Iraq two decades ago, military occupations by foreigners usually generate armed resistance

Trump, Venezuela, and seriously bad decisions

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | January 5, 2026
  • From Napoleon in Spain two centuries ago to the U.S. army in Iraq two decades ago, military occupations by foreigners usually generate armed resistance
Donald Trump
Without boots on the ground, U.S. President Donald Trump has limited leverage on the Venezuelan regime, which has not been seriously crippled by the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Derzhavnost and ‘respect’

  • LONDON, U.K.—The Russian word “derzhavnost” is usually translated as “great power status,” but the real meaning is closer to the gangland concept of “respect.”
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 22, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured on Aug. 15, 2025, at the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Maybe all this time we have been looking in the wrong place for an answer to the question: why does Trump always yield to Putin? Photograph courtesy of the White House/Daniel Torok

Derzhavnost and ‘respect’

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 22, 2025
  • LONDON, U.K.—The Russian word “derzhavnost” is usually translated as “great power status,” but the real meaning is closer to the gangland concept of “respect.”

Derzhavnost and ‘respect’

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 22, 2025
  • LONDON, U.K.—The Russian word “derzhavnost” is usually translated as “great power status,” but the real meaning is closer to the gangland concept of “respect.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured on Aug. 15, 2025, at the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Maybe all this time we have been looking in the wrong place for an answer to the question: why does Trump always yield to Putin? Photograph courtesy of the White House/Daniel Torok

Rubio’s fantasy and the risk of forever war in Venezuela

  • ‘In my opinion, the three regimes that exist in Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba are enemies of humanity,’ said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 18, 2025
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is a second-generation Cuban-American whose parents immigrated several years before Fidel Castro’s Communist regime took power. That history has shaped his politics, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Rubio’s fantasy and the risk of forever war in Venezuela

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 18, 2025
  • ‘In my opinion, the three regimes that exist in Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba are enemies of humanity,’ said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Rubio’s fantasy and the risk of forever war in Venezuela

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 18, 2025
  • ‘In my opinion, the three regimes that exist in Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba are enemies of humanity,’ said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is a second-generation Cuban-American whose parents immigrated several years before Fidel Castro’s Communist regime took power. That history has shaped his politics, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Geoengineering for grown-ups

  • We need to use every viable technique to hold the average global temperature down while we work frantically to end our emissions.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2025
A majority of early-career climate scientists now see geoengineering as necessary and inevitable, while many senior ones are still in transition, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

Geoengineering for grown-ups

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2025
  • We need to use every viable technique to hold the average global temperature down while we work frantically to end our emissions.

Geoengineering for grown-ups

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 16, 2025
  • We need to use every viable technique to hold the average global temperature down while we work frantically to end our emissions.
A majority of early-career climate scientists now see geoengineering as necessary and inevitable, while many senior ones are still in transition, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay

Trump’s many ‘peace’ deals turn sour

  • The U.S. president has tried to end warring in Gaza, the Congo, and along the Cambodian-Thailand border. He’s also tried to take credit for
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 11, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
United States President Trump’s hyperactive foreign policy record is clearly driven by his obsessive pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Trump’s many ‘peace’ deals turn sour

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 11, 2025
  • The U.S. president has tried to end warring in Gaza, the Congo, and along the Cambodian-Thailand border. He’s also tried to take credit for

Trump’s many ‘peace’ deals turn sour

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 11, 2025
  • The U.S. president has tried to end warring in Gaza, the Congo, and along the Cambodian-Thailand border. He’s also tried to take credit for
Donald Trump
United States President Trump’s hyperactive foreign policy record is clearly driven by his obsessive pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Venezuela strikes are nothing but performative murder

  • We are all back in the 19th century when the Western Hemisphere was the exclusive domain of the U.S.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 8, 2025
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, President Donald Trump, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Trumpworld is going to be a place in which the great powers do what they want, limited only by the strength of other great powers, while the lesser countries do what they are told, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Venezuela strikes are nothing but performative murder

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 8, 2025
  • We are all back in the 19th century when the Western Hemisphere was the exclusive domain of the U.S.

Venezuela strikes are nothing but performative murder

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 8, 2025
  • We are all back in the 19th century when the Western Hemisphere was the exclusive domain of the U.S.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, President Donald Trump, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Trumpworld is going to be a place in which the great powers do what they want, limited only by the strength of other great powers, while the lesser countries do what they are told, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Bibi awaits the next Trump distraction to dodge legal troubles

  • The ceasefire in Gaza intensifies the Israeli prime minister’s legal problems since he can no longer demand postponements in his trial proceedings due to
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 1, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, with the country’s president, Isaac Herzog, in 2022. Netanyahu has asked Herzog to pardon him in his ongoing corruption trial. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Bibi awaits the next Trump distraction to dodge legal troubles

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 1, 2025
  • The ceasefire in Gaza intensifies the Israeli prime minister’s legal problems since he can no longer demand postponements in his trial proceedings due to

Bibi awaits the next Trump distraction to dodge legal troubles

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | December 1, 2025
  • The ceasefire in Gaza intensifies the Israeli prime minister’s legal problems since he can no longer demand postponements in his trial proceedings due to
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, with the country’s president, Isaac Herzog, in 2022. Netanyahu has asked Herzog to pardon him in his ongoing corruption trial. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump and Putin’s goal is to destroy the international rule of law

  • Powerful people are deliberately trying to destroy the rule. Putin knows the rule but ignores it, while Trump doesn’t even know it.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 26, 2025
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin participate in a joint press conference after their meeting at the Arctic Warrior Event Center at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15, 2025. Trump and Putin are trying to destroy the international rule of law, writes columnist Gwynne Dyer Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok

Trump and Putin’s goal is to destroy the international rule of law

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 26, 2025
  • Powerful people are deliberately trying to destroy the rule. Putin knows the rule but ignores it, while Trump doesn’t even know it.

Trump and Putin’s goal is to destroy the international rule of law

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 26, 2025
  • Powerful people are deliberately trying to destroy the rule. Putin knows the rule but ignores it, while Trump doesn’t even know it.
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin participate in a joint press conference after their meeting at the Arctic Warrior Event Center at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15, 2025. Trump and Putin are trying to destroy the international rule of law, writes columnist Gwynne Dyer Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok

Ukraine: once more around the loop

  • Every month brings another chance for some political, economic, or technological change that alters the current equation, and gives Ukraine a better bargaining position
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 25, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s job is to know if and when the morale of the Ukrainian army and the general public is starting to break, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Ukraine: once more around the loop

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 25, 2025
  • Every month brings another chance for some political, economic, or technological change that alters the current equation, and gives Ukraine a better bargaining position

Ukraine: once more around the loop

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 25, 2025
  • Every month brings another chance for some political, economic, or technological change that alters the current equation, and gives Ukraine a better bargaining position
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s job is to know if and when the morale of the Ukrainian army and the general public is starting to break, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Iran: drought, incompetence, and maybe revolution

  • A prolonged drought in Iran might accomplish what other challenges failed to do: destroy the rule of the religious extremists who seized power in
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 19, 2025
Maharloo Lake, a hypersaline wetland in the highlands of Iran. Severe drought in the country could be the trigger for an uprising that finally dispatches a regime that has overstayed its welcome, columnist Gwynne Dyer writes. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Iran: drought, incompetence, and maybe revolution

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 19, 2025
  • A prolonged drought in Iran might accomplish what other challenges failed to do: destroy the rule of the religious extremists who seized power in

Iran: drought, incompetence, and maybe revolution

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 19, 2025
  • A prolonged drought in Iran might accomplish what other challenges failed to do: destroy the rule of the religious extremists who seized power in
Maharloo Lake, a hypersaline wetland in the highlands of Iran. Severe drought in the country could be the trigger for an uprising that finally dispatches a regime that has overstayed its welcome, columnist Gwynne Dyer writes. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump, the BBC, and a bad edit

  • With video editing, there is an honour system which says that you can edit the shot, but you must not change the meaning.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 12, 2025
Pro-Trump rioters occupied Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. Ahead of the protest in Washington, D.C., Donald Trump had posted it would 'be wild.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump, the BBC, and a bad edit

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 12, 2025
  • With video editing, there is an honour system which says that you can edit the shot, but you must not change the meaning.

Trump, the BBC, and a bad edit

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 12, 2025
  • With video editing, there is an honour system which says that you can edit the shot, but you must not change the meaning.
Pro-Trump rioters occupied Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. Ahead of the protest in Washington, D.C., Donald Trump had posted it would 'be wild.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

COP 30 unlikely to shift political will

  • Money is tight, wars are a huge distraction, and the climate has become unfashionable, so we’ll just have to wait and hope for better
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 10, 2025
Nothing very impressive is likely to come out of the UN climate conference despite the urgency of the situation, writes Gwynne Dyer. UN photograph courtesy by Kiara Worth

COP 30 unlikely to shift political will

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 10, 2025
  • Money is tight, wars are a huge distraction, and the climate has become unfashionable, so we’ll just have to wait and hope for better

COP 30 unlikely to shift political will

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 10, 2025
  • Money is tight, wars are a huge distraction, and the climate has become unfashionable, so we’ll just have to wait and hope for better
Nothing very impressive is likely to come out of the UN climate conference despite the urgency of the situation, writes Gwynne Dyer. UN photograph courtesy by Kiara Worth

Sudan: another partition?

  • The biggest city in western Sudan, swollen to half a million or more people due to minority ethnic groups fleeing genocide, fell to rebel
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 6, 2025
Displaced people arrive in South Sudan from Sudan through the Joda border crossing. Killing in Sudan has been non-stop since October. It’s the worst massacre yet in a civil war that has already killed 150,000 people and made one-third of the population refugees, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the United Nations by Ala Kheir

Sudan: another partition?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 6, 2025
  • The biggest city in western Sudan, swollen to half a million or more people due to minority ethnic groups fleeing genocide, fell to rebel

Sudan: another partition?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 6, 2025
  • The biggest city in western Sudan, swollen to half a million or more people due to minority ethnic groups fleeing genocide, fell to rebel
Displaced people arrive in South Sudan from Sudan through the Joda border crossing. Killing in Sudan has been non-stop since October. It’s the worst massacre yet in a civil war that has already killed 150,000 people and made one-third of the population refugees, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the United Nations by Ala Kheir

Trump’s game of ‘Made You Look’

  • If there are new revelations about Trump and Epstein on the way, then the U.S. leader needs useful distractions—like invading Nigeria.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 3, 2025
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump can infallibly trick the public into drawing their attention away from something else that he doesn’t want them to see, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

Trump’s game of ‘Made You Look’

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 3, 2025
  • If there are new revelations about Trump and Epstein on the way, then the U.S. leader needs useful distractions—like invading Nigeria.

Trump’s game of ‘Made You Look’

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | November 3, 2025
  • If there are new revelations about Trump and Epstein on the way, then the U.S. leader needs useful distractions—like invading Nigeria.
Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump can infallibly trick the public into drawing their attention away from something else that he doesn’t want them to see, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by Daniel Torok

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
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What shall we do with the climate refugees?

  • LONDON, U.K.—You wait ages for the bus, and then three come along at once. Books are a bit like that, too, although in this
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 25, 2022
An estimated 5,000 people protested in Ottawa on Sept. 27, 2019, calling for more aggressive measures to mitigate climate change. The UN estimates that 1.5 billion people may be forced to move in the next 30 years due to climate change, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

What shall we do with the climate refugees?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 25, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—You wait ages for the bus, and then three come along at once. Books are a bit like that, too, although in this

What shall we do with the climate refugees?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 25, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—You wait ages for the bus, and then three come along at once. Books are a bit like that, too, although in this
An estimated 5,000 people protested in Ottawa on Sept. 27, 2019, calling for more aggressive measures to mitigate climate change. The UN estimates that 1.5 billion people may be forced to move in the next 30 years due to climate change, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Killing Darya Dugina: own goal for Ukraine?

  • Neither father nor daughter was an important target in terms of their influence on Russian policy, which pretty much rules out any Russian motive
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 24, 2022
Darya Dugina, who was killed on Aug. 20 by a car bomb, was the daughter of father Alexander Dugin—sometimes called 'Putin’s Brain' by the foreign media because of his alleged influence on the Russian president. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Killing Darya Dugina: own goal for Ukraine?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 24, 2022
  • Neither father nor daughter was an important target in terms of their influence on Russian policy, which pretty much rules out any Russian motive

Killing Darya Dugina: own goal for Ukraine?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 24, 2022
  • Neither father nor daughter was an important target in terms of their influence on Russian policy, which pretty much rules out any Russian motive
Darya Dugina, who was killed on Aug. 20 by a car bomb, was the daughter of father Alexander Dugin—sometimes called 'Putin’s Brain' by the foreign media because of his alleged influence on the Russian president. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

India at 75

  • LONDON, U.K.—On the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to turn India into a developed country within the next 25
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 18, 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pictured in 2015, recently promised to turn India into a developed country within the next 25 years. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

India at 75

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 18, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—On the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to turn India into a developed country within the next 25

India at 75

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 18, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—On the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to turn India into a developed country within the next 25
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pictured in 2015, recently promised to turn India into a developed country within the next 25 years. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Ukraine happy for Russia to take the blame on destroyed warplanes

  • LONDON, U.K.—“This obviously does not happen because of a thrown butt,” said British Defence Minister Ben Wallace. But the Russian Ministry of Defence insisted
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 15, 2022
The NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group conducts an exercise in the Camp Ādaži training area in Latvia as part of Operation Reassurance, on Sept. 1, 2019. Taking responsibility for these strikes deep in Russian-controlled territory is not in Ukraine’s interest, so it’s happy for Russia to take the blame, writes Gwynne Dyer. DND photograph by Corporal Djalma Vuong-De Ramos

Ukraine happy for Russia to take the blame on destroyed warplanes

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 15, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“This obviously does not happen because of a thrown butt,” said British Defence Minister Ben Wallace. But the Russian Ministry of Defence insisted

Ukraine happy for Russia to take the blame on destroyed warplanes

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 15, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“This obviously does not happen because of a thrown butt,” said British Defence Minister Ben Wallace. But the Russian Ministry of Defence insisted
The NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group conducts an exercise in the Camp Ādaži training area in Latvia as part of Operation Reassurance, on Sept. 1, 2019. Taking responsibility for these strikes deep in Russian-controlled territory is not in Ukraine’s interest, so it’s happy for Russia to take the blame, writes Gwynne Dyer. DND photograph by Corporal Djalma Vuong-De Ramos

Taiwan: Nancy Pelosi’s last hurrah

  • LONDON, U.K.—Nancy Pelosi’s brief visit to Taiwan this week caused great, if somewhat confected, anger in Beijing, but the Chinese Communist regime was not
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 4, 2022
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's brief visit to Taiwan this week caused great anger in Beijing, but the Chinese Communist regime was not her main target, writes Gwynne Dyer. Flickr photograph by Gage Skidmore

Taiwan: Nancy Pelosi’s last hurrah

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 4, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Nancy Pelosi’s brief visit to Taiwan this week caused great, if somewhat confected, anger in Beijing, but the Chinese Communist regime was not

Taiwan: Nancy Pelosi’s last hurrah

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 4, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Nancy Pelosi’s brief visit to Taiwan this week caused great, if somewhat confected, anger in Beijing, but the Chinese Communist regime was not
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's brief visit to Taiwan this week caused great anger in Beijing, but the Chinese Communist regime was not her main target, writes Gwynne Dyer. Flickr photograph by Gage Skidmore

James Lovelock: Darwin’s heir

  • LONDON, U.K.—James Lovelock was a late bloomer. His first book, Gaia: a New Look at Life on Earth, was published in 1979, when he
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 3, 2022
We are far off course for curing our problems, as James Lovelock (pictured in 2002) well knew, but he has given us the vital context of a self-regulating Gaian system. Without that, we wouldn’t even know where to start trying to mend the damage we have done, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

James Lovelock: Darwin’s heir

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 3, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—James Lovelock was a late bloomer. His first book, Gaia: a New Look at Life on Earth, was published in 1979, when he

James Lovelock: Darwin’s heir

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 3, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—James Lovelock was a late bloomer. His first book, Gaia: a New Look at Life on Earth, was published in 1979, when he
We are far off course for curing our problems, as James Lovelock (pictured in 2002) well knew, but he has given us the vital context of a self-regulating Gaian system. Without that, we wouldn’t even know where to start trying to mend the damage we have done, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Tunisia, the last Arab democracy, goes under

  • LONDON, U.K.—Tunisia would seem to have everything going for it. Average salaries are the third-highest in all of Africa’s 50 countries, just behind Morocco
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2022
Last July, Tunisia’s usurper president, Kais Saied, dismissed the prime minister, suspended parliament, and began ruling by decree. This week, he emerged victorious in a constitutional referendum that makes all these changes permanent, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Tunisia, the last Arab democracy, goes under

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Tunisia would seem to have everything going for it. Average salaries are the third-highest in all of Africa’s 50 countries, just behind Morocco

Tunisia, the last Arab democracy, goes under

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Tunisia would seem to have everything going for it. Average salaries are the third-highest in all of Africa’s 50 countries, just behind Morocco
Last July, Tunisia’s usurper president, Kais Saied, dismissed the prime minister, suspended parliament, and began ruling by decree. This week, he emerged victorious in a constitutional referendum that makes all these changes permanent, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Monkeypox is a reminder

  • Monkeypox is very unpleasant and it spreads very fast, but it’s not a real killer: 16,000 cases in 75 countries in just a couple
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2022
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is manipulating the system in a well-meant attempt to persuade the world to build better systems for containing dangerous emergent diseases in general, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Monkeypox is a reminder

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2022
  • Monkeypox is very unpleasant and it spreads very fast, but it’s not a real killer: 16,000 cases in 75 countries in just a couple

Monkeypox is a reminder

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2022
  • Monkeypox is very unpleasant and it spreads very fast, but it’s not a real killer: 16,000 cases in 75 countries in just a couple
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is manipulating the system in a well-meant attempt to persuade the world to build better systems for containing dangerous emergent diseases in general, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Reopening Ukraine’s Black Sea corridor is a humanitarian issue

  • LONDON, U.K.—“Not all issues have yet been resolved, but the fact that there is movement is already good,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 21, 2022
Normally, Ukraine’s Black Sea ports export five to six million tonnes of grain per month, but most are now under Russian occupation and the biggest, Odesa, has been blockaded by the Russian navy for five months, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/dmytrok

Reopening Ukraine’s Black Sea corridor is a humanitarian issue

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 21, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“Not all issues have yet been resolved, but the fact that there is movement is already good,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in

Reopening Ukraine’s Black Sea corridor is a humanitarian issue

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 21, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“Not all issues have yet been resolved, but the fact that there is movement is already good,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in
Normally, Ukraine’s Black Sea ports export five to six million tonnes of grain per month, but most are now under Russian occupation and the biggest, Odesa, has been blockaded by the Russian navy for five months, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/dmytrok

Political leaders and the great multicultural experiment

  • LONDON, U.K.—Here’s an interesting fact. Only 14 per cent of people in England and Wales are Black, Asian, mixed, or other (i.e. non-white). Yet
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 13, 2022
Rishi Sunak, left, Kemi Badenoch, Nadhim Zahawi, and Suella Braverman represent four of the eight candidates vying to replace disgraced British prime minister Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party—and therefore the new prime minister, writes Gwynne Dyer. Chris McAndrew photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Political leaders and the great multicultural experiment

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 13, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Here’s an interesting fact. Only 14 per cent of people in England and Wales are Black, Asian, mixed, or other (i.e. non-white). Yet

Political leaders and the great multicultural experiment

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 13, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Here’s an interesting fact. Only 14 per cent of people in England and Wales are Black, Asian, mixed, or other (i.e. non-white). Yet
Rishi Sunak, left, Kemi Badenoch, Nadhim Zahawi, and Suella Braverman represent four of the eight candidates vying to replace disgraced British prime minister Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party—and therefore the new prime minister, writes Gwynne Dyer. Chris McAndrew photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Sri Lanka’s band of brothers

  • LONDON, U.K.—“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked, in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 11, 2022
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, left, former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and their brother Basil. After 20 years with the Rajapaksa brothers in power most of the time, Sri Lanka today is bankrupt, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Sri Lanka’s band of brothers

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 11, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked, in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then

Sri Lanka’s band of brothers

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 11, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked, in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, left, former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and their brother Basil. After 20 years with the Rajapaksa brothers in power most of the time, Sri Lanka today is bankrupt, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Cuban Missile Crisis redivivus: Russian rockets in Nicaragua

  • LONDON, U.K.—It was a piece of news so obscure and implausible that I missed it when it first surfaced last month. The news was
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2022
Russia President Vladimir Putin's much-hyped hypersonic missiles are irrelevant anyway, since ‘hypersonic’ missiles are only useful if a country has good anti-missile defences, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Flickr/DonkeyHotey

Cuban Missile Crisis redivivus: Russian rockets in Nicaragua

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—It was a piece of news so obscure and implausible that I missed it when it first surfaced last month. The news was

Cuban Missile Crisis redivivus: Russian rockets in Nicaragua

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—It was a piece of news so obscure and implausible that I missed it when it first surfaced last month. The news was
Russia President Vladimir Putin's much-hyped hypersonic missiles are irrelevant anyway, since ‘hypersonic’ missiles are only useful if a country has good anti-missile defences, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of Flickr/DonkeyHotey

Nukeless Sweden and Finland need NATO

  • LONDON, U.K.—Another 15 million people joined the NATO alliance on June 28. Finland and Sweden, formerly neutral countries but geographically near to Russia, gave
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 30, 2022
The only way Finland and Sweden can get protection from Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear blackmail is to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has three members with nuclear weapons of their own. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Nukeless Sweden and Finland need NATO

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 30, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Another 15 million people joined the NATO alliance on June 28. Finland and Sweden, formerly neutral countries but geographically near to Russia, gave

Nukeless Sweden and Finland need NATO

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 30, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Another 15 million people joined the NATO alliance on June 28. Finland and Sweden, formerly neutral countries but geographically near to Russia, gave
The only way Finland and Sweden can get protection from Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear blackmail is to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has three members with nuclear weapons of their own. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Israel: it’s all about Bibi

  • LONDON, U.K.—There was a rare moment of grace in Israeli politics on June 20, as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 22, 2022
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
The eight-party coalition had one unifying principle: to stop ‘Bibi’ (Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister for most of the past 25 years) from coming back to power yet again. It could only work by concentrating on social issues (where there was some agreement) while preserving the status quo on ‘security,' settler violence and Palestinian rights, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Israel: it’s all about Bibi

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 22, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—There was a rare moment of grace in Israeli politics on June 20, as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid

Israel: it’s all about Bibi

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 22, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—There was a rare moment of grace in Israeli politics on June 20, as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid
Benjamin Netanyahu
The eight-party coalition had one unifying principle: to stop ‘Bibi’ (Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister for most of the past 25 years) from coming back to power yet again. It could only work by concentrating on social issues (where there was some agreement) while preserving the status quo on ‘security,' settler violence and Palestinian rights, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

How did South Africa’s Ramaphosa get so rich?

  • Once upon a time (about four years ago), Cyril Ramaphosa was seen as South Africa’s last, best hope. Since the end of apartheid in
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 20, 2022
Cyril Ramaphosa is one of the richest men in South Africa and is now under attack from all sides, getting tarred with the same corruption brush as predecessor Jacob Zuma, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flicker/Government of South Africa

How did South Africa’s Ramaphosa get so rich?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 20, 2022
  • Once upon a time (about four years ago), Cyril Ramaphosa was seen as South Africa’s last, best hope. Since the end of apartheid in

How did South Africa’s Ramaphosa get so rich?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 20, 2022
  • Once upon a time (about four years ago), Cyril Ramaphosa was seen as South Africa’s last, best hope. Since the end of apartheid in
Cyril Ramaphosa is one of the richest men in South Africa and is now under attack from all sides, getting tarred with the same corruption brush as predecessor Jacob Zuma, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flicker/Government of South Africa

The pink tide is rising in Latin America

  • LONDON, U.K.—”Corruption isn’t fought with slogans on TikTok,” complained veteran Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro. But social media can win elections, and a right-wing
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 13, 2022
Going into the first round of the presidential election last month, candidate Gustavo Petro, pictured, was well ahead of the establishment candidate, Federico Gutierrez—but the runner-up was actually Rodolfo Hernández, whose social media skills make him a real threat to Petro, writes Gwynne Dyer. Juan Manuel Herrera/Organization of American States photograph courtesy of Flickr

The pink tide is rising in Latin America

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 13, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—”Corruption isn’t fought with slogans on TikTok,” complained veteran Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro. But social media can win elections, and a right-wing

The pink tide is rising in Latin America

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 13, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—”Corruption isn’t fought with slogans on TikTok,” complained veteran Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro. But social media can win elections, and a right-wing
Going into the first round of the presidential election last month, candidate Gustavo Petro, pictured, was well ahead of the establishment candidate, Federico Gutierrez—but the runner-up was actually Rodolfo Hernández, whose social media skills make him a real threat to Petro, writes Gwynne Dyer. Juan Manuel Herrera/Organization of American States photograph courtesy of Flickr

Boris Johnson: dead man walking

  • LONDON, U.K.—‘Cad.’ ‘Scoundrel.’ ‘Rotter.’ The words that members of the British public used to describe Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the aftermath of last
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 8, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pictured Sept. 9, 2020. The words that members of the British public used to describe Johnson in the aftermath of last weekend’s failed attempt by parliamentary members of his own Conservative Party to remove him from office had a weirdly antique ring. Nobody in England really talks like that any more, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Boris Johnson: dead man walking

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 8, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—‘Cad.’ ‘Scoundrel.’ ‘Rotter.’ The words that members of the British public used to describe Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the aftermath of last

Boris Johnson: dead man walking

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 8, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—‘Cad.’ ‘Scoundrel.’ ‘Rotter.’ The words that members of the British public used to describe Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the aftermath of last
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pictured Sept. 9, 2020. The words that members of the British public used to describe Johnson in the aftermath of last weekend’s failed attempt by parliamentary members of his own Conservative Party to remove him from office had a weirdly antique ring. Nobody in England really talks like that any more, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Jealous gods

  • LONDON, U.K.—As everybody knows, the gods are thin-skinned, both the many gods of the classical pantheons (Greek, Roman, Hindu) and the jealous single gods
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 6, 2022
Nupur Sharma, pictured left, apologized for her remarks about the Prophet Muhammad after she was suspended from the BJP. The BJP’s Delhi media chief Naveen K. Jindal, who tweeted support for Sharma, has been expelled outright. Is the BJP turning over a new leaf? Not at all. It is frantically back-pedalling to assuage the anger of the oil-rich Muslim countries of the Gulf, which provide most of India’s oil and employ millions of its workers. The BJP’s war on Islam is for domestic purposes only, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of YouTube

Jealous gods

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 6, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—As everybody knows, the gods are thin-skinned, both the many gods of the classical pantheons (Greek, Roman, Hindu) and the jealous single gods

Jealous gods

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 6, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—As everybody knows, the gods are thin-skinned, both the many gods of the classical pantheons (Greek, Roman, Hindu) and the jealous single gods
Nupur Sharma, pictured left, apologized for her remarks about the Prophet Muhammad after she was suspended from the BJP. The BJP’s Delhi media chief Naveen K. Jindal, who tweeted support for Sharma, has been expelled outright. Is the BJP turning over a new leaf? Not at all. It is frantically back-pedalling to assuage the anger of the oil-rich Muslim countries of the Gulf, which provide most of India’s oil and employ millions of its workers. The BJP’s war on Islam is for domestic purposes only, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of YouTube

The codger misspeaks again. Or did Biden blunder on Taiwan remarks?

  • LONDON, U.K.—“Well, my dear, we didn’t know where to look. The old codger was getting away with it again, fielding the questions like a
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 25, 2022
When asked on May 23 if the U.S. would be 'willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?' U.S. President Joe Biden said yes, replying 'that’s a commitment we made. The idea that (Taiwan) could be taken by force, just taken by force, is not ... it would dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The codger misspeaks again. Or did Biden blunder on Taiwan remarks?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 25, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“Well, my dear, we didn’t know where to look. The old codger was getting away with it again, fielding the questions like a

The codger misspeaks again. Or did Biden blunder on Taiwan remarks?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 25, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—“Well, my dear, we didn’t know where to look. The old codger was getting away with it again, fielding the questions like a
When asked on May 23 if the U.S. would be 'willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?' U.S. President Joe Biden said yes, replying 'that’s a commitment we made. The idea that (Taiwan) could be taken by force, just taken by force, is not ... it would dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Russia will not disappear

  • LONDON, U.K.—Russian President Vladimir Putin will almost certainly not be in power three years from now. The war he foolishly began in Ukraine has
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 18, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured March 10, 2022. Russia is not a fascist state, just a kleptocracy where the thieves and the thugs have taken power, but Putin’s personal behaviour does begin to resemble Hitler in his bunker in the final days, and Hitler too was very ill. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Russia will not disappear

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 18, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Russian President Vladimir Putin will almost certainly not be in power three years from now. The war he foolishly began in Ukraine has

Russia will not disappear

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 18, 2022
  • LONDON, U.K.—Russian President Vladimir Putin will almost certainly not be in power three years from now. The war he foolishly began in Ukraine has
Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured March 10, 2022. Russia is not a fascist state, just a kleptocracy where the thieves and the thugs have taken power, but Putin’s personal behaviour does begin to resemble Hitler in his bunker in the final days, and Hitler too was very ill. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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