Archive | 2014

Islamic State and the Murder of Captives: A Display of Defiance?

Islamic State demonstrates enormous commitment to their cause with the public murders of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, but the Western response indicates that lessons have been learnt from the Iraq War, and a coordinated, localised response is likely to produce an elongated struggle that will shape Iraq’s future. Another week goes by, […]

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NATO’s Expansion Would be a Mistake

NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made announcement recently that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is for the first time looking to deploy its forces at new bases in Eastern Europe, in response to the Ukraine crisis and in an attempt to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from “causing trouble in the former Soviet Baltic republics”. […]

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Financial markets: quiet before the storm?

The recent headlines of geopolitical clashes or the series of stricter banking regulations that are restricting banks by forcing them to deleveraging did not stop the financial markets from growing. On the contrary, undeterred by relatively weak growth of the major economics, financial stocks are continually reaching their record highs. Volatility on the markets is […]

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GPI’s founder Alexander Clackson debates NATO with Ukrainian Ambassador-at-Large

Alexander Clackson, founder of Global Political Insight, took part in a debate on The Heat, a weekly news and current affairs talk show program on CCTV America, the English-language news channel run by Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television, based in Washington. The debate with Olexander Scherba, the Ukrainian Ambassador-at-Large focused on whether Ukraine should join NATO.

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Fracking: Where Britain Stands

Over the past several months the British public has been exposed to issues concerning fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing), though some argue in favour of this method of extracting shale gas. Where there is the argument that fracking has horrendous environmental repercussions, there is also the argument that it prevents reliance on other countries’ energy sources. Many maintain that this […]

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Ukraine Crisis: Europe At Fault

At three months since the beginning of the Kiev government military operation against anti-government rebels in Ukraine’s south-east, Europe appears to be acting to the detriment of its reputation as a peace and rule-of-law project, as well as its broader economic and trade interests and political goals in the region. The expansion of restrictive measures […]

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GPI’s Alexander Clackson discusses Ukraine on RT

Alexander Clackson, founder of Global Political Insight, was asked to appear on CrossTalk, a current affairs debate television program on RT. It focuses on global affairs, with host Peter Lavelle moderating conversation between multiple guests. This episode focused on the crisis in Ukraine. Ukraine is running out of many things: money, time and patience. There […]

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The West’s new strategy towards Syria’s Assad

The West’s increasing involvement in Iraq to combat the Islamic State (IS) insurgency has placed significant dilemma on its stance towards  Bashar al-Assad. The virtual none existence of the border between Iraq and Syria, and the apparent lack of Iraqi government authority in the Sunni dominated lands, has allowed the formation of the Islamic State and the […]

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The social and political ramifications of the Brazilian World Cup

In the months preceding the Brazilian World Cup, our television screens were plastered with images of protests, riots and burnt out cars on the streets of Rio De Janerio, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte. The cause of the violence was attributed to social discontent with protesters captured carrying banners with potentially threatening messages such as […]

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Contemporary Sino-Russian Relations: A change in the strategic balance of power

History illustrates that the recurring themes of a world with a fading hegemon are wars and instability. From Eastern Ukraine, to the South China Sea, current events signal a shift in the global strategic balance. Russia and China have become increasingly antagonistic towards the perceived interference from the West into their spheres of influence. These […]

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Can a Peaceful Outcome Be Salvaged in Ukraine?

On 4th August, the world marked 100 years since World War I, a conflict that resulted in 16 million deaths. A century later, a new conflict is brewing, this time between Russia and Western countries, with Ukraine being the hotspot of military activity. Ever since a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest broke out in […]

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The end of the rise of the super-rich?

How to direct Western economies to stability and prosperity? Austerity or spending? One American billionaire proposes a different solution and predicts the end of the rise of the super-rich. Since the start of the financial crisis in 2008, experts all over the world have discussed ways to get the economies in effected countries out of […]

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How culture affects power

Unbeknown to most people, there exists a particular – and slightly peculiar – research domain in the discipline of consumer behaviour called; The Socio-Cultural Patterning of Consumption.  It addresses the question of how systematic consumption behaviours are precipitated by institutionalised social structures.  A nexus of these social structures is; Social-Class.  The provenance of this now […]

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Brazil and China Relations

While attending the BRICS summit in July this year, President Xi made a state visit to Brazil where he met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. This was Xi’s first visit to the country since becoming president (he previously visited as Vice President in 2009), and comes as China and Brazil celebrate their 40th anniversary of bilateral ties. Before […]

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