Marking the 150th anniversary of the Paris Commune, and wondering if it still carries lessons for today.
Category: War and peace
Liberal history revisited
A further volume of David Kemp's history of Australian liberalism casts more doubt on the Liberal Party's pedigree.
Armenia’s leader hangs on, so far
Democracy is under threat in Armenia, but so far its prime minister seems to be giving a good account of himself, despite last year's military reverse.
Unhappy memories in Georgia
A century on from its defeat and occupation by Soviet Russia, Georgia again worries about Russian influence and the fragility of democracy.
What is self-determination?
Israel/Palestine returns to the headlines, raising questions about the nature of the right to national self-determination, and whether there are principled grounds for according it to some but not others.
Democracy shut down in Myanmar
Myanmar's military uses baseless claims of election fraud to seize power. It sounds much too familiar for comfort.
At law in the Indian Ocean
Yet another judgement goes against Britain over the Chagos islands, raising awkward questions about the west's allegiance to international law.
Biden treads warily in the Mid-East
Ten years on from the Arab Spring, Joe Biden has the task of trying to pick up the pieces of American policy in the Middle East. It won't be easy, but there are a few hopeful signs.
Splitting the Republicans
The US Republican Party faces a possible split over its attitude to Trumpism, and the voting this month in Congress gives some indication of where it might happen.
Putin’s problems
While American democracy is graphicly displaying some of its shortcomings, its rivals don't have things all their own way either.
The World is Not Enough 