Weekly Roundup and the Failure of Deterrence
· 5 min read
Dear Readers,
This week, we continue our coverage of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Don’t miss Brian Stewart on how the West’s deterrence policy went askew, Michael J. Totten on Ukraine's dual Eastern and Western identity, and Dalibor Roháč on how to strategically challenge the Kremlin. Cathy Young also provides us with an exceptional analysis of Putin apologism within the right-wing intelligentsia in America.
Outside of the conflict, we present an eclectic selection of pieces including the ideological aversion to harm reduction and how the Bible separated into Old and New Testaments. Also don't miss Jon Kay on his journey into the world of cryptocurrency.
As ever, we thank you for your support.
Scott Newman
Associate Editor
Ukraine
A Failure of Deterrence
According to foreign policy “realists,” the tale we are being told about Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine is a fiction. Realists like to be known for their clear-eyed appreciation of the realities of global power, and in their telling, responsibility for the war does not lie chiefly with
Brian Stewart
Ukraine: On the Fault Line Between East and West
MSNBC’s Joy Reid thinks the West’s galvanizing response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is unfair. “Let’s face it,” she said on March 8th, “the world is paying attention because this is happening in Europe. If this was happening anywhere else, would we see the same outpouring
Michael J. Totten
Remind the Kremlin of Its Weakness
From the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, discussions about the war in the West have been permeated by a dangerous tone of complacency and self-congratulation. The Russian military has indeed been exposed as less than effective, and Ukrainian bravery has resonated among the…
Dalibor Roháč
Ukraine and the Pro-Putin Right
Reactions to Russia’s war in Ukraine have become a perfect demonstration of the “horseshoe theory,” according to which the extremes of Left and Right must converge. Amid overwhelming international condemnation of Russia and sympathy for the Ukrainians’ courageous resistance, Putin-friendly voices bl…
Cathy Young
World Affairs
I Didn’t Care About Crypto—Until a Fake Canadian ‘Emergency’ Showed Me Why We Need It
A few weeks ago, I visited my new favourite financial institution. It’s a Toronto corner store with a big rusted out air conditioner over the front door, and windows plastered with ads for drumstick ice-cream cones and lottery tickets. Near the back door, nestled under old cardboard boxes full
Jonathan Kay
The Curious Case of Hungary
The rapid emergence of anti-liberal political movements in a number of countries over the last few years has taken many political scientists and psychologists by surprise. And the rejection of the liberal democratic model is indeed puzzling, since Western liberal democracies have produced unpreceden…
Joseph Paul Forgas
Privilege-Checking in a World on Fire
Privilege is a sham mark of opprobrium—those who decry the privilege of others tend to want more of it for themselves. The dissemblance is all the more distasteful given that the detractors of privilege typically possess, comparatively speaking, an abundance of it. One need not be conversant in hist…
David A. Eisenberg
The Decline of American Soft Power
With Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and China continuing to grow as a credible peer competitor to the United States on both economic and military fronts, plenty of ink has been spilt speculating about what America’s future looks like. The primary theme of these speculative think pieces tends to…
José Niño
Culture
The Ideological Aversion to Harm Reduction
Putting a patient under general anesthesia is a dangerous business. Waking a patient up from anesthesia is an ugly one. After I turn off the gas the patient typically thrashes and writhes like a sinner in Hell. Yet such resistance has never bothered me. I don’t want good and
Ronald W. Dworkin
History
How the Christian Bible Became Separated Into ‘Old’ and ’New’
There is no firmly established technical term for the Bible in Judaism. The Hebrew scriptures may simply be referred to as “the Bible,” and the term “Jewish Bible” is sometimes used to distinguish it from the Christian Bible. In Hebrew, terms such as miqra (“scripture”) or kitve haqqodesh (“sacred t…
Konrad Schmid and Jens Schröter
Around the Web
Harvard Canceled its Best Black Professor. Why?
Roland Fryer was an unlikely Harvard superstar. Abandoned by his mom at birth and raised by an alcoholic dad, Fryer became the youngest black professor to ev...
The Cancellation of Russian Culture | Gary Saul Morson
Even at the height of the Cold War, no one thought of banning Russian literature, art, or music.
Gary Saul Morson
The Intellectual Catastrophe of Vladimir Putin
The meaning of Russia’s war in Ukraine is its own national weakness.
Paul Berman
Arnold Schwarzenegger tells Putin to “stop this war”
Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months.Start your free trial now:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3...
