The Logic of the Tanker War
Monday, 7 September 2026On Saturday the war with Iran changed what it was aimed at. The United States struck three Iranian crude tankers: the Downy off Kharg Island, the Stark 1 near Jask, and the Kylo in the Gulf of…
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Geopolitics
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A World on the Brink: Three Flashpoints Reshaping Global Order
April 2026 is a month of living dangerously. A planned Trump-Xi summit signals a fragile thaw in US-China relations even as tariffs remain above 100%. Ukraine deploys the world's first all-robot assault force. Iran…
The 48 Laws of Power Summary (8/10)
The 48 Laws of Power* by Robert Greene is a book about pragmatism. Greene doesn’t attempt to indoctrinate his readers into believing a fixed philosophy, in fact, he does the opposite.
Law 14: Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy (The 48 Laws of Power)
Law 14: Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy It is critical to know your enemy. Joseph Duveen was the greatest art dealer in the first half of the 20th century. He monopolized the millionaire art-collecting market. But…
America Is Going to War With Its Own Map
For more than a century, politicians have called the border between the United States and Canada “the longest undefended border in the world.” It was the ultimate geopolitical luxury: a 5,500-mile line that needed no…
One Strait, Half a Century of Lessons
This week’s news, read through Daniel YerginSomething expires today, and the expiration matters less than what it reveals.Monday marks 60 days since the United States and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum — the…
The Changing World Order – Summary (7/10)
Ray Dalio’s book, “The Changing World Order,” talks about how big countries and empires have grown strong and then fallen over time. He looks closely at history, money, and government to see patterns in how these big…
The Next Decade Summary (9/10)
The Next Decade* is a book about geopolitics by George Friedman, author of The Next 100 Years. Overview Most people think that the longer the time frame, the more unpredictable the future. I take the opposite view.…
The Prince Summary (7/10)
The Prince by Machiavelli is an introduction to realpolitik. It’s important to understand that Machiavelli’s audience is a prince.
The End of the World is Just the Beginning – Summary (8/10)
In The End of the World is Just the Beginning, author Peter Zeihan attempts to show readers how the world will look after the end of globalization.
The Rise of the Scientific World State
In “The Scientific Outlook“; Bertrand Russell imagines a future that is dominated by science and technology. In this world, there will be one government.
Kayfabe: The Theater of Wrestling and Its Influence on Modern American Politics
Kayfabe is a curious and uniquely American concept, originating in the colorful and bombastic world of professional wrestling. At its heart, kayfabe refers to the deliberate portrayal of scripted events as real,…