What is the topography of international-relations theory in the People’s Republic of China? What …
Episode 24: International Relations in China
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Recent Posts
Plato and teaching Foreign Policy
I assigned Plato’s Theaetetus this semester in my foreign policy class. It was the very first thing we read in a course that included more standard text’s like Walter Russel Mead’s Special...
A Holiday “With Tears in Your Eyes”
One thing that Trump hasn't done today yet (which he should have if he wants to stay in Putin's good graces) was to congratulate Russians with Victory day. It's an incredibly important holiday in...
Need some evidence of America’s waning influence?
One of the (many) concerns about the Trump Administration's foreign policy is the impact it will have on US influence around the world. Will Trump's rhetoric and actions restore US dominance in the...
More Recent Posts
Thinking the Unthinkable?
Yesterday, climate activist and environmental writer Bill McKibben tweeted a link to this eye-opening graphic: In many ways, this chart is merely another disturbing bit of information about weather in a year of shocking weather news. The United States experienced a record drought this summer --...
James Bond, Ambiguously Gay Villains and Masculinity
The James Bond movies aren't the first place most would look to learn about masculinity; it's an action movie, the special effects are always amazing, and most of us just leave the gender analysis at home...BUT just humor me for one scene. In my view the best part of an otherwise mediocre movie...
Happy Thanksgiving!
Now something of a cliche, but still one of the best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VbYZDohsHk&sns=em
Why Does John McCain Hate Susan Rice? Republicans and Benghazi
I've been curious why John McCain is pursuing Susan Rice with such a vengeance for her inopportune remarks on Sunday talk shows in September about the not-so spontaneous attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. As I think about other prospective nominees to lead the State Department like John...
Men with Guns (Goma)
First off, this is my first post. Thanks to Dan and the rest of the crowd for inviting me, though I fear they – and Duck readers – may soon tire of hearing about how building effective control over a given territory is just really damn hard. But, then again, why else would one invite an...
Wednesday Morning Linkage
I got back from an extended trip to London last night. To all the people who hosted me for talks, entertained me, and generally made the trip both fun and productive: a big thanks! I also bought some sweet rubber ducks at the British Museum. I'm going to start repeatedly flogging the nomination...
Tuesday Morning Linkage
Good morning! Obama became the first sitting president to visit Myanmar/Burma yesterday. Plus, Amnesty International announced the release of political prisoners in the country yesterday, too. It’s a little rare for the organization to “name and praise” instead of “name and shame” so I wonder...
Global Civil Society Targets Killer Robots
Today, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a new report, Losing Humanity: The Case Against Killer Robots, becoming the most influential NGO to date to join an emerging call for a preemptive norm against the deployment of autonomous weapons. The International Committee for Robot Arms Control, an...
Monday Morning Gaza-Related Linkage
I'm at the end of a rather long trip to London, which is why I haven't been able to process or upload either Duck of Minerva or NBN podcasts yet. Nevertheless, I've got some good stuff coming on both fronts. So stay tuned. Today's linkage focuses on Gaza. Al-Jazera reports that 92 Palestinians...
Duck of Minerva Target of Hostile Takeover from Cat Fancy Magazine
The Canard “All the Fake News that is Fit to Print” The Duck of Minerva, considered one of the nation’s top international relations blogs, has recently come under attack from Cat Fancy magazine. Aggressively trying to expand their market share and brand, the leading source of information for...
Friday Nerd Blogging
Friday Morning Linkage
From our infatuation with swing states to the pageantry of the Chinese Communist Catwalk -- great night of TV in China as Xi Jingping steps out first from behind the curtain. I miss the old days when it was a surprise.... This isn't going to end well. This morning's Jerusalem Post...