What Caught My Eye (no. 13)
Some interesting articles and podcasts that caught my eye this week
Here’s this week’s edition of articles that I thought worth reading and sharing. Don’t hesitate to recommend your own reads; I may include some as well.
Rana Fahroor, America the Unstable, Financial Times, April 12, 2025. “America under Donald Trump is an emerging market, … characterised by uncertain economics, corrupt politics, institutions that are too weak to enforce democratic norms, violence and social polarisation.”
Walter Pincus, In Hegseth Panama Visit, Reading the ‘Untranslated’ Comments, Cipher Brief, April 15, 2025. A veteran national security reporter on Defense Secretary Hegesth’s visit in which he affirmed America’s commitment to Panamanian sovereignty but that was clear only if you read the translated statements left out of the DoD transcript
Neri Zilber, Steven Bernard and Jana Tauschinski ‘This is what victory looks like’: Inside Israel’s aggressive new security plan, Financial Times, April 16, 2025. An insightful analysis of how Israel is expanding territorial control in all directions in an effort to create security through domination rather than negotiations.
David Brooks, I Should Have Seen This Coming, The Atlantic, April 7, 2025. Since January 20, as I have watched America behave vilely, … I’ve had trouble describing the anguish I’ve experienced. Grief? Shock? Like I’m living through some sort of hallucination? Maybe the best description for what I’m feeling is moral shame: To watch the loss of your nation’s honor is embarrassing and painful.
Garrett Graff, Has America Reached the End of the Road? Doomsday Scenario, April 15, 2025. A thoughtful analysis how Trump’s defiance of the Supreme Court order to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Garcia from an El Salvador prison has much broader implications for the rule of law.
Constant Méhuet, The Ukrainian Schoolmaster Teaching History to His Invaders, New York Times, April 17, 2025. A Ukrainian high school history teacher tries through direct conversations and YouTube videos to teach Russians—and Ukrainians—about Ukraine’s history.
Abdi Latif Dahir, African Breakaway State Offers U.S. a Chance to Stick It to China, New York Times, April 12, 2025. Somaliland, a breakaway region on the Red Sea is seeking recognition for its independence and offering Washington some major strategic advantages in return.
Simon Fraser, Britain should embrace European and other middle powers, Financial Times, April 14, 2025. The former head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office argues for a middle-power strategy and how Britain can take the lead in bringing middle powers together to uphold the rules-based order the United States seems to be leaving behind
Finally, in case you missed it here are links to articles I wrote, interviews I did, and a synopsis of my weekly podcast on world news.
What Trump Could Learn from Thucydides, America Abroad, April 13, 2025.
The Empty Throne? Delphi Economic Forum, April 12, 2025.
World Review: Easing Chinese Tariffs, Defying Judicial Orders, Wobbling German Government, America Abroad, April 18, 2025.
Happy reading and listening!