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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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Tigray proving to be a Sparta in Africa

  • LONDON, U.K.—“We have to deal with anyone who’s still shooting,” said Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigrayan forces, early this month. “If it takes
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 31, 2021
If Ethiopia's prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, pictured at a UN address, makes a quick deal with the Tigrayans that ends the blockade and recognizes their independence and borders, he may have enough troops and credibility left to suppress the Oromos and other ethnic insurgents who will soon come out into the open, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screen capture via UN's YouTube page

Tigray proving to be a Sparta in Africa

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 31, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“We have to deal with anyone who’s still shooting,” said Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigrayan forces, early this month. “If it takes

Tigray proving to be a Sparta in Africa

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 31, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“We have to deal with anyone who’s still shooting,” said Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigrayan forces, early this month. “If it takes
If Ethiopia's prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, pictured at a UN address, makes a quick deal with the Tigrayans that ends the blockade and recognizes their independence and borders, he may have enough troops and credibility left to suppress the Oromos and other ethnic insurgents who will soon come out into the open, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screen capture via UN's YouTube page

Climate change and the new space race

  • LONDON, U.K.—If you’re worried about your “carbon footprint” – a concept foisted on the world in 2004 by British Petroleum to persuade people that
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2021
Virgin Galactic's VSS1 Imagine craft. Virgin is one of several businesses pioneering commercial space flight tourism. Photograph courtesy of Virgin Galactic

Climate change and the new space race

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—If you’re worried about your “carbon footprint” – a concept foisted on the world in 2004 by British Petroleum to persuade people that

Climate change and the new space race

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—If you’re worried about your “carbon footprint” – a concept foisted on the world in 2004 by British Petroleum to persuade people that
Virgin Galactic's VSS1 Imagine craft. Virgin is one of several businesses pioneering commercial space flight tourism. Photograph courtesy of Virgin Galactic

Violent Islamist strategy still a failure and ultimately a dead end

  • LONDON, U.K.—Violent Islamist movements, as current events in Afghanistan demonstrate, have had some success in Muslim countries that have been invaded by the United
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 25, 2021
Osama bin Laden, pictured in 1997, the founder of al-Qaeda, was responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The notion that the Taliban take-over in Afghanistan will lead to a huge new wave of Islamist terrorism is absurd, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Violent Islamist strategy still a failure and ultimately a dead end

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 25, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Violent Islamist movements, as current events in Afghanistan demonstrate, have had some success in Muslim countries that have been invaded by the United

Violent Islamist strategy still a failure and ultimately a dead end

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 25, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Violent Islamist movements, as current events in Afghanistan demonstrate, have had some success in Muslim countries that have been invaded by the United
Osama bin Laden, pictured in 1997, the founder of al-Qaeda, was responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The notion that the Taliban take-over in Afghanistan will lead to a huge new wave of Islamist terrorism is absurd, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Humiliation can be good for you

  • LONDON, U.K.—The footage on Aug. 16 of a giant USAF transport taking off from Kabul airport with desperate Afghans clinging to its fuselage—and then
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 18, 2021
U.S. soldiers, pictured in Afghanistan, June 16, 2010. The humiliation in Afghanistan is a chance for Americans to reconsider their country’s behaviour. As Rudyard King wrote at the end of the second Boer War in 1901, 'We have had no end of a lesson: it will do us no end of good,' writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. William Tremblay

Humiliation can be good for you

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 18, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The footage on Aug. 16 of a giant USAF transport taking off from Kabul airport with desperate Afghans clinging to its fuselage—and then

Humiliation can be good for you

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 18, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The footage on Aug. 16 of a giant USAF transport taking off from Kabul airport with desperate Afghans clinging to its fuselage—and then
U.S. soldiers, pictured in Afghanistan, June 16, 2010. The humiliation in Afghanistan is a chance for Americans to reconsider their country’s behaviour. As Rudyard King wrote at the end of the second Boer War in 1901, 'We have had no end of a lesson: it will do us no end of good,' writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. William Tremblay

The conquest of Mexico: some history is inevitable

  • LONDON, U.K.—Friday, Aug. 13, is the 500th anniversary of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, fell to the
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 9, 2021
An artistic depiction of an Inca army. French writer Laurent Binet’s book, Civilisations, offers an alternate history in which the Incas and Aztecs conquered Europe.  It’s fiction, of course, but it makes you think, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The conquest of Mexico: some history is inevitable

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 9, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Friday, Aug. 13, is the 500th anniversary of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, fell to the

The conquest of Mexico: some history is inevitable

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 9, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Friday, Aug. 13, is the 500th anniversary of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, fell to the
An artistic depiction of an Inca army. French writer Laurent Binet’s book, Civilisations, offers an alternate history in which the Incas and Aztecs conquered Europe.  It’s fiction, of course, but it makes you think, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Afghanistan: how did they think it would end?

  • LONDON, U.K.—“I will never kneel before such a destructive force (as the Taliban),” declared Ashraf Ghani, the soon-to-be-ex-president of Afghanistan. “We will either sit
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2021
Ashraf Ghani, the soon-to-be-ex-president of Afghanistan, said the U.S. troop withdrawal was too abrupt, but after 20 years of troops in the country and an April notice from the new U.S. president the military would be leaving, it was hardly a quick exit, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Afghanistan: how did they think it would end?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“I will never kneel before such a destructive force (as the Taliban),” declared Ashraf Ghani, the soon-to-be-ex-president of Afghanistan. “We will either sit

Afghanistan: how did they think it would end?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“I will never kneel before such a destructive force (as the Taliban),” declared Ashraf Ghani, the soon-to-be-ex-president of Afghanistan. “We will either sit
Ashraf Ghani, the soon-to-be-ex-president of Afghanistan, said the U.S. troop withdrawal was too abrupt, but after 20 years of troops in the country and an April notice from the new U.S. president the military would be leaving, it was hardly a quick exit, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Peru’s Castillo probably not a Lula, but maybe a Morales

  • LONDON, U.K.—Peru holds the current record for revolving presidents (three came and went in a month last November), for coronavirus deaths (almost 6,000 per
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 3, 2021
Peru's new president Pedro Castillo is clever, charismatic, and he may do some good. He certainly couldn’t do worse than most of his predecessors, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Braian Reyna Guerrero via Flickr

Peru’s Castillo probably not a Lula, but maybe a Morales

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 3, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Peru holds the current record for revolving presidents (three came and went in a month last November), for coronavirus deaths (almost 6,000 per

Peru’s Castillo probably not a Lula, but maybe a Morales

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 3, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Peru holds the current record for revolving presidents (three came and went in a month last November), for coronavirus deaths (almost 6,000 per
Peru's new president Pedro Castillo is clever, charismatic, and he may do some good. He certainly couldn’t do worse than most of his predecessors, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Braian Reyna Guerrero via Flickr

Democracy is the default mode

  • LONDON, U.K.—At first I was going to write about the ‘Arab Problem,’ because there is not a single functioning democracy in the Arab world.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2021
Leaving actual killers aside, the ‘alpha male’ model of leadership is still successful in many countries that are formally democratic: Vladimir Putin in Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, and Viktor Orban in Hungary. Indeed even genuine democracies of long standing can be seduced by a ‘great’ leader, like De Gaulle in France. No, I don’t know where Donald Trump fits in this Pantheon, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Commons Wikimedia and Flickr

Democracy is the default mode

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—At first I was going to write about the ‘Arab Problem,’ because there is not a single functioning democracy in the Arab world.

Democracy is the default mode

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 28, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—At first I was going to write about the ‘Arab Problem,’ because there is not a single functioning democracy in the Arab world.
Leaving actual killers aside, the ‘alpha male’ model of leadership is still successful in many countries that are formally democratic: Vladimir Putin in Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, and Viktor Orban in Hungary. Indeed even genuine democracies of long standing can be seduced by a ‘great’ leader, like De Gaulle in France. No, I don’t know where Donald Trump fits in this Pantheon, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Commons Wikimedia and Flickr

A seabed setback and the Pacific island of Nauru

  • LONDON, U.K.—A month ago, it seemed to be just another tale of ruthless miners and desperate poor people conspiring to wreck the environment while
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 26, 2021
An aerial view of the Island of Nauru, a tiny independent island in the Western Pacific. The main function of the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority is to control mining on the Earth's seabed in the areas beyond the reach of national laws, but so far it has only issued exploration permits, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program

A seabed setback and the Pacific island of Nauru

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 26, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—A month ago, it seemed to be just another tale of ruthless miners and desperate poor people conspiring to wreck the environment while

A seabed setback and the Pacific island of Nauru

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 26, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—A month ago, it seemed to be just another tale of ruthless miners and desperate poor people conspiring to wreck the environment while
An aerial view of the Island of Nauru, a tiny independent island in the Western Pacific. The main function of the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority is to control mining on the Earth's seabed in the areas beyond the reach of national laws, but so far it has only issued exploration permits, writes Gwynne Dyer. Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program

Climate change conversation reaching an inflection point

  • LONDON, U.K.—Zeitgeist is a slippery word. At best it’s just a fancy German way of saying “the spirit of the times;” at worst it
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 21, 2021
The BC Wildfire Service, pictured responding on July 20 to the Tremont Creek wildfire, located approximately southeast of Ashcroft. We’re there at last: the heat waves and the storms of this northern hemisphere summer have been so far beyond the usual that the donkeys are finally getting the message, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Twitter via BC Wildfire Service

Climate change conversation reaching an inflection point

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 21, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Zeitgeist is a slippery word. At best it’s just a fancy German way of saying “the spirit of the times;” at worst it

Climate change conversation reaching an inflection point

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 21, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Zeitgeist is a slippery word. At best it’s just a fancy German way of saying “the spirit of the times;” at worst it
The BC Wildfire Service, pictured responding on July 20 to the Tremont Creek wildfire, located approximately southeast of Ashcroft. We’re there at last: the heat waves and the storms of this northern hemisphere summer have been so far beyond the usual that the donkeys are finally getting the message, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Twitter via BC Wildfire Service

‘Let the bodies pile high’: Boris Johnson’s gambling with people’s lives

  • LONDON, U.K.—“Let the bodies pile high in their thousands,” expostulated Boris Johnson in his private office, but the door was open and a number
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 19, 2021
On July 19, with new COVID-19 cases zooming past 50,000 a day and currently doubling every two weeks, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson ended all pandemic restrictions. He’s rolling the dice with his own people, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

‘Let the bodies pile high’: Boris Johnson’s gambling with people’s lives

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 19, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“Let the bodies pile high in their thousands,” expostulated Boris Johnson in his private office, but the door was open and a number

‘Let the bodies pile high’: Boris Johnson’s gambling with people’s lives

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 19, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—“Let the bodies pile high in their thousands,” expostulated Boris Johnson in his private office, but the door was open and a number
On July 19, with new COVID-19 cases zooming past 50,000 a day and currently doubling every two weeks, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson ended all pandemic restrictions. He’s rolling the dice with his own people, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Today Zuma, tomorrow Trump

  • LONDON, U.K.—Sooner or later ex-U.S. president Donald Trump is bound to be indicted for some crime. It doesn’t matter which—it could be a fraud
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2021
Though protesters came out in large numbers after former South African president Jacob Zuma, pictured in 2012, was jailed, Zuma’s future does not look bright, writes Gwynne Dyer. UN photograph by Mark Garten

Today Zuma, tomorrow Trump

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Sooner or later ex-U.S. president Donald Trump is bound to be indicted for some crime. It doesn’t matter which—it could be a fraud

Today Zuma, tomorrow Trump

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Sooner or later ex-U.S. president Donald Trump is bound to be indicted for some crime. It doesn’t matter which—it could be a fraud
Though protesters came out in large numbers after former South African president Jacob Zuma, pictured in 2012, was jailed, Zuma’s future does not look bright, writes Gwynne Dyer. UN photograph by Mark Garten

A president’s assassination: a Haitian puzzle

  • LONDON, U.K.—The presidential dogs were still alive, which meant that something was very wrong with the official explanation of the assassination of Haitian President
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 12, 2021
Haitian President Jovenel Moise, pictured in Port au Prince on Feb. 7, 2017, after being sworn in as the 58th president of Haiti. The puzzle of who killed Moïse and why may never be solved, although which candidate emerges victorious from the current cluster of three rivals claiming the presidency will be a pointer in the right direction, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

A president’s assassination: a Haitian puzzle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 12, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The presidential dogs were still alive, which meant that something was very wrong with the official explanation of the assassination of Haitian President

A president’s assassination: a Haitian puzzle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 12, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The presidential dogs were still alive, which meant that something was very wrong with the official explanation of the assassination of Haitian President
Haitian President Jovenel Moise, pictured in Port au Prince on Feb. 7, 2017, after being sworn in as the 58th president of Haiti. The puzzle of who killed Moïse and why may never be solved, although which candidate emerges victorious from the current cluster of three rivals claiming the presidency will be a pointer in the right direction, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Afghanistan’s likely fall: Taliban look to take over country after troop withdrawal

  • LONDON, U.K.—Five times in the past two weeks, government soldiers in Badakhshan and Takhar provinces in northern Afghanistan have fled across the border into
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 7, 2021
Canadian soldiers pictured in Afghanistan in 2018. The last German, Italian, and British troops left Afghanistan last week, and the U.S. is leaving now. The northern provinces that are now falling to the Taliban so fast are the areas they never controlled during their last time in power. They will not just win quickly this time. They will win completely, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Department of National Defence

Afghanistan’s likely fall: Taliban look to take over country after troop withdrawal

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 7, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Five times in the past two weeks, government soldiers in Badakhshan and Takhar provinces in northern Afghanistan have fled across the border into

Afghanistan’s likely fall: Taliban look to take over country after troop withdrawal

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 7, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Five times in the past two weeks, government soldiers in Badakhshan and Takhar provinces in northern Afghanistan have fled across the border into
Canadian soldiers pictured in Afghanistan in 2018. The last German, Italian, and British troops left Afghanistan last week, and the U.S. is leaving now. The northern provinces that are now falling to the Taliban so fast are the areas they never controlled during their last time in power. They will not just win quickly this time. They will win completely, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Department of National Defence

A case for the ‘wave 7’ hypothesis as wildfires spike and super-hot spells lengthen

  • LONDON, U.K.—First the ‘heat dome’, with temperatures in the mid-to-high forties Celsius in many parts of western North America for up to a week
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 6, 2021
Two wildfires burn in close proximity on June 30 in B.C., the Long Loch wildfire and Derrickson Lake wildfire. Record summer temperatures like this were foreseen as a consequence of global warming, but they were not predicted to arrive for another decade or so, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy B.C. Wildfire Service’s Twitter

A case for the ‘wave 7’ hypothesis as wildfires spike and super-hot spells lengthen

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 6, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—First the ‘heat dome’, with temperatures in the mid-to-high forties Celsius in many parts of western North America for up to a week

A case for the ‘wave 7’ hypothesis as wildfires spike and super-hot spells lengthen

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 6, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—First the ‘heat dome’, with temperatures in the mid-to-high forties Celsius in many parts of western North America for up to a week
Two wildfires burn in close proximity on June 30 in B.C., the Long Loch wildfire and Derrickson Lake wildfire. Record summer temperatures like this were foreseen as a consequence of global warming, but they were not predicted to arrive for another decade or so, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy B.C. Wildfire Service’s Twitter

End of the Ethiopian empire?

  • LONDON, U.K.—Most analysts thought it would take a year or two of guerrilla war for the rebels in Tigray to drive Ethiopian federal forces
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 1, 2021
So now Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, pictured, has a new job: to prevent the rot from spreading. There are powerful separatist forces in other states of Ethiopia too, many people are very unhappy with the federal government’s conduct of the recent election, and Tigray’s example could be infectious, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

End of the Ethiopian empire?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 1, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Most analysts thought it would take a year or two of guerrilla war for the rebels in Tigray to drive Ethiopian federal forces

End of the Ethiopian empire?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 1, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Most analysts thought it would take a year or two of guerrilla war for the rebels in Tigray to drive Ethiopian federal forces
So now Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, pictured, has a new job: to prevent the rot from spreading. There are powerful separatist forces in other states of Ethiopia too, many people are very unhappy with the federal government’s conduct of the recent election, and Tigray’s example could be infectious, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Examining the Communist Party’s founding narrative as China celebrates the centenary 

  • LONDON, U.K.—The Chinese Communist Party is celebrating the centenary of its foundation this week on July 1, and most people in China accept the
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 28, 2021
The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, pictured in 2012. The prevailing wisdom is that most people will put up with the dictatorship so long as the party also delivers constantly rising prosperity–but China now has a pseudo-capitalist economy and that makes the regime very vulnerable if there is a bad recession, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Examining the Communist Party’s founding narrative as China celebrates the centenary 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 28, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The Chinese Communist Party is celebrating the centenary of its foundation this week on July 1, and most people in China accept the

Examining the Communist Party’s founding narrative as China celebrates the centenary 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 28, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—The Chinese Communist Party is celebrating the centenary of its foundation this week on July 1, and most people in China accept the
The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, pictured in 2012. The prevailing wisdom is that most people will put up with the dictatorship so long as the party also delivers constantly rising prosperity–but China now has a pseudo-capitalist economy and that makes the regime very vulnerable if there is a bad recession, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The fascists really are coming, in the U.S.

  • LONDON, U.K.—Godwin’s Law, coined in 1990, says that as a discussion on the internet grows longer, the likelihood of somebody being compared to Hitler
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 23, 2021
Republican officials who refuse to say that Donald Trump, pictured, won the 2020 election are being removed by their own party. In a bid to frighten independent officials into quitting their jobs and creating openings for yet more Republican appointees, Republican-run state legislatures are imposing heavy fines (up to $25,000) on election officials who make even minor technical mistakes, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore

The fascists really are coming, in the U.S.

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 23, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Godwin’s Law, coined in 1990, says that as a discussion on the internet grows longer, the likelihood of somebody being compared to Hitler

The fascists really are coming, in the U.S.

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 23, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Godwin’s Law, coined in 1990, says that as a discussion on the internet grows longer, the likelihood of somebody being compared to Hitler
Republican officials who refuse to say that Donald Trump, pictured, won the 2020 election are being removed by their own party. In a bid to frighten independent officials into quitting their jobs and creating openings for yet more Republican appointees, Republican-run state legislatures are imposing heavy fines (up to $25,000) on election officials who make even minor technical mistakes, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore

Resistance to Burma’s military usurpers taking the wrong road

  • LONDON, U.K.—Burma (Myanmar) is a land of poets. Eleven published poets won seats in the 2015 election, which gave the country a limited form
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 21, 2021
The best way to resist Burma’s military rule, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, is through non-violent protest as violent attempted revolutions fail twice as often as non-violent ones,writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Vadim Savitsky

Resistance to Burma’s military usurpers taking the wrong road

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 21, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Burma (Myanmar) is a land of poets. Eleven published poets won seats in the 2015 election, which gave the country a limited form

Resistance to Burma’s military usurpers taking the wrong road

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 21, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—Burma (Myanmar) is a land of poets. Eleven published poets won seats in the 2015 election, which gave the country a limited form
The best way to resist Burma’s military rule, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, is through non-violent protest as violent attempted revolutions fail twice as often as non-violent ones,writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Vadim Savitsky

Vaccines for the world: charity or self-interest?

  • LONDON, U.K.—At the recent G7 summit, U.S. President Joe Biden promised to distribute 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines free to the poorer countries
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 21, 2021
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, centre, pictured June 11, 2021, host of the G7 Leaders Summit in Carbis Bay, U.K., with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, France's President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel. The billion doses promised by the G7 for mid-2022 just don’t cut it, and even an extra billion from China is not enough. Two doses each for five billion people is what’s needed. Or we can choose to live with the killer variants instead, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Simon Dawson/No. 10 Downing Street

Vaccines for the world: charity or self-interest?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 21, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—At the recent G7 summit, U.S. President Joe Biden promised to distribute 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines free to the poorer countries

Vaccines for the world: charity or self-interest?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 21, 2021
  • LONDON, U.K.—At the recent G7 summit, U.S. President Joe Biden promised to distribute 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines free to the poorer countries
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, centre, pictured June 11, 2021, host of the G7 Leaders Summit in Carbis Bay, U.K., with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, France's President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel. The billion doses promised by the G7 for mid-2022 just don’t cut it, and even an extra billion from China is not enough. Two doses each for five billion people is what’s needed. Or we can choose to live with the killer variants instead, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Simon Dawson/No. 10 Downing Street

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