The institutionalized imposition of power by one nation over the affairs of other nations, whether by political occupation and administration, by military occupation, or by economic or political influence of various forms.
Image Credit: “Azote for Stockholm Resilience Centre, based on analysis in Richardson et al 2023” I hear a lot about the assertion of sovereignty these days. And I see even more evidence of the confusion and destruction surrounding it as a fact and a value. Each nation values its own sovereignty above all else. However, … More Accepting Earth System Sovereignty
DISCLAIMER: I do not consider myself a poet. I don’t think I’ve written a poem in over forty years. However, the confluence of events in this past week or two, the two eloquent lines bracketing the text I wrote here, and reading the book on immigration, Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, … More A Pain Poem
I vaguely remember when I first encountered sociology and wondered, ‘what’s that about.’ I had taken an ‘aptitude test’ during my first year in college. It indicated that my highest strengths were in ‘science’ and ‘social.’ My first thought was, “What’s ‘social?” When I explored the social sciences, especially sociology and psychology, I encountered a … More The Empire Is Not Us
I hear a lot of talk these days about the “Laws of War.” I always found that a strange concept. Certain legal principles of what is acceptable killing and destruction prescribe what is and is not included in the presumptive moral basis for proper and improper behavior by troops and their leaders in the conduct … More Thanks, But No Thanks: Morality and War
Anyone who reads much about current affairs is likely aware of the most recent report from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). I have criticized the IPCC reports in the past, mostly because they have consistently underestimated the heating of the planet and the ecological and climate consequences of man-made disruption of the climate. … More The Global Caste System and the Climate Crisis
In the U.S. and probably many other places, the struggle between BIG and small continues. Now it’s really a matter of global life or death. Most of us have come to accept the fact that giant transnational corporations dominate the economy and our lives. Of course, some of these entities put forth a public persona … More BIG and BIGGER: How to Undermine Climate Action and Democracy to Save Capitalism and Kill the Planet
Did you not know that you are a Ukrainian? Yes, of course you are. Did you not know that you are an Afghan too? Yes, of course you are. Did you not look into the eyes of that little Ukrainian girl fleeing the bombs hitting her school? Of course you did. Did you not look … More You are a Ukrainian and an Afghan Too.
Yes, Vladimir Putin is universally despised as a ruthless war criminal, too well trained by the KGB, a narcissistic sociopath far more skilled than Trump in the dark arts of genocide and general destruction. Yet, there is so much more to the story. During his reign over the ‘new’ Russia, the West’s strategy of containment … More The War on Ukraine is a War on Planet Earth
It would seem that autocrats are all the same. Just like Trump, Vladimir Putin the barbarian autocrat of Moscow, telegraphs his moves as if they were obviously okay, although he incorporates all sorts of deception trying to justify his aggression. At the same time, the solidarity of the Ukrainians in the face of overwhelming military … More Vladimir the Terrible and Two Kinds of Tyranny
It was not only very disappointing that the United Nations 2021 “Conference of the Parties,” COP26, failed to reach beyond some new and some stronger “commitments” and “pledges” to reach various carbon emissions targets by certain dates. I among many others was even more disappointed with the struggle of some of the big environmental NGOs … More Words and Deeds: Platitudes vs. Action
Robert MacNeil Christie, Author 