Ground Combat
A challenge to common assumptions about the future of land warfareGround Combat reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges today's overly subjective and often inaccurate approaches to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to offer an evidence-based approach to examining the future of war.Connable created and analyzed an original dataset of more than four hundred global ground combat cases, showing that there was an evolutionary rather than revolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. Despite advances in military technology, tanks, artillery, and infantry remain central to how war is waged on land. This book asks readers to stop and think about the implications of these findings for force planning and future predictions about military-technical revolutions.This book sets an essential evidentiary baseline for military officers, policymakers, and scholars who think about the future of modern war.
Ground Combat
A challenge to common assumptions about the future of land warfareGround Combat reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges today's overly subjective and often inaccurate approaches to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to offer an evidence-based approach to examining the future of war.Connable created and analyzed an original dataset of more than four hundred global ground combat cases, showing that there was an evolutionary rather than revolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. Despite advances in military technology, tanks, artillery, and infantry remain central to how war is waged on land. This book asks readers to stop and think about the implications of these findings for force planning and future predictions about military-technical revolutions.This book sets an essential evidentiary baseline for military officers, policymakers, and scholars who think about the future of modern war.
Cyberterrorism
The Defence, Security and Foreign Policy Review of the UK government has predicted a contested and competitive world as Russian and China extended their exponentially growing assertiveness. Britain's new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) was introduced under the National Security Act, which stands in need for those to make preparation for transparency of their political influence activities. This authenticates a better arrangement of information about foreign state actor's interference. The UK and EU have been embroiled in a complicated web by growing assertiveness of these actors. In 2024, a series of incidents appeared in social media and newspapers spotlighting vulnerability of EU security to hostile State Actors. Foreign Information Manipulation has become a precarious threat to democratic societies in Europe and Manipulation stratagem and gambit mean constituting packages of false and concocted information in order to create confusion. The polarization of opinions strengthens standpoint that silence more moderate viewpoints. There were speculations about the interference of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the elections of both France and the UK in 2024. Post-Cold War intelligence evolved in different shapes, sometimes becoming different, modernized and reformed, sometimes failing to come out of former Soviet cloak and dagger perceptions, but this consecutive struggle resulted in an extended battle for reforms, reshaping and revamping. Musa Khan Jalalzai's comprehensive exploration of contemporary security challenges, particularly focusing on the evolving risks to European security in the digital era. Musa Khan Jalalzai, an expert in the field of security studies, provides a detailed and nuanced analysis of how cyberterrorism, cyber warfare, and intelligence networks impact the European Union. Mr. Jalalzai takes an in-depth look at France's national security challenges, particularly the country's response to both traditional and emerging cyber threats. He explains how France, a key EU member state, is investing in cyber defence and intelligence reforms to protect its sovereignty against hostile activities, both from state and non-state actors.
Cyberterrorism
The Defence, Security and Foreign Policy Review of the UK government has predicted a contested and competitive world as Russian and China extended their exponentially growing assertiveness. Britain's new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) was introduced under the National Security Act, which stands in need for those to make preparation for transparency of their political influence activities. This authenticates a better arrangement of information about foreign state actor's interference. The UK and EU have been embroiled in a complicated web by growing assertiveness of these actors. In 2024, a series of incidents appeared in social media and newspapers spotlighting vulnerability of EU security to hostile State Actors. Foreign Information Manipulation has become a precarious threat to democratic societies in Europe and Manipulation stratagem and gambit mean constituting packages of false and concocted information in order to create confusion. The polarization of opinions strengthens standpoint that silence more moderate viewpoints. There were speculations about the interference of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the elections of both France and the UK in 2024. Post-Cold War intelligence evolved in different shapes, sometimes becoming different, modernized and reformed, sometimes failing to come out of former Soviet cloak and dagger perceptions, but this consecutive struggle resulted in an extended battle for reforms, reshaping and revamping. Musa Khan Jalalzai's comprehensive exploration of contemporary security challenges, particularly focusing on the evolving risks to European security in the digital era. Musa Khan Jalalzai, an expert in the field of security studies, provides a detailed and nuanced analysis of how cyberterrorism, cyber warfare, and intelligence networks impact the European Union. Mr. Jalalzai takes an in-depth look at France's national security challenges, particularly the country's response to both traditional and emerging cyber threats. He explains how France, a key EU member state, is investing in cyber defence and intelligence reforms to protect its sovereignty against hostile activities, both from state and non-state actors.
Syria
The Syrian regime and, in particular, the Asad clan has managed to survive the Arab uprisings, recover lost territory, and retain its authority over state institutions and diplomatic missions outside of the country. Syria's foreign policy, as developed under former president Hafez al-Asad, has effectively enabled the current regime's survival. Neil Quilliam examines how Syria, a country that operates at the margins of the international political system, has been able to project its power beyond its size and capability by leveraging relations with key states that typically oppose US policy in the region. He explains how Syria's relations with its major partners, including Russia and China and regional actors like Iran, are key to sustaining the regime and securing its survival. But this has come at a price. In a compelling analysis Quilliam shows that by effectively mortgaging the state to Russia and Iran, Bashar al-Asad has severely limited his margin for manoeuvre in the future. The book offers an insightful and balanced analysis of both the continuity and change within the Syrian state and the threat it poses in its regional context and the persistent challenge it presents to the international community.
Routledge Handbook of Critical Kashmir Studies
The Routledge Handbook of Critical Kashmir Studies presents emerging critical knowledge frameworks and perspectives that foreground situated histories and resistance practices to challenge colonial and postcolonial forms of governance and state building. It politicizes discourses of nationalism, patriotism, democracy, and liberalism, and it questions how these dominant globalist imaginaries and discourses serve institutionalized power, create hegemony, and normalize domination. In doing so, the handbook situates Critical Kashmir Studies scholarship within global scholarly conversations on nationalism, sovereignty, indigenous movements, human rights, and international law.The handbook is organized into the following five parts: Territories, Homelands, Borders Militarism, Humanism, Occupation Memories, Futures, Imaginations Religion, History, Politics Armed Conflict, Global War, Transnational Solidarities A comprehensive reference work documenting and consolidating the growing Critical Kashmir Studies scholarship, this handbook will be of interest to scholars of anthropology, political science, cultural studies, legal and sociolegal studies, sociology, history, critical Indigenous studies, settler colonial studies, and feminist studies.
Nature and Nationalism
In this new edition of his now classic 1999 book, Jonathan Olsen explores the relationship between the far right and the environment, or what he terms "right-wing ecology." Arguing that radical environmentalism is not exclusively a domain of the left, Olsen shows how many of Germany's far right parties and groups ground their ecological ideology in an anti-universalist anthropology which sees human beings as naturally 'rooted' in specific nations and cultural traditions. Pollution in this discourse signifies not only the disruption of the natural world, but the social world as well, thus providing an environmental justification for an anti-immigrant politics which finds resonance outside the specific milieu of the far right. A rigorously theoretical book, Nature and Nationalism challenges our understanding of the deeply ambiguous ways in which 'nature' functions to legitimate a wide variety of political ideas.
H. Bush's Policies, W. Bush's Decision, V. Putin's Reaction, with US 2020 elections and followups
Syria
The Syrian regime and, in particular, the Asad clan has managed to survive the Arab uprisings, recover lost territory, and retain its authority over state institutions and diplomatic missions outside of the country. Syria's foreign policy, as developed under former president Hafez al-Asad, has effectively enabled the current regime's survival. Neil Quilliam examines how Syria, a country that operates at the margins of the international political system, has been able to project its power beyond its size and capability by leveraging relations with key states that typically oppose US policy in the region. He explains how Syria's relations with its major partners, including Russia and China and regional actors like Iran, are key to sustaining the regime and securing its survival. But this has come at a price. In a compelling analysis Quilliam shows that by effectively mortgaging the state to Russia and Iran, Bashar al-Asad has severely limited his margin for manoeuvre in the future. The book offers an insightful and balanced analysis of both the continuity and change within the Syrian state and the threat it poses in its regional context and the persistent challenge it presents to the international community.
Turkish-American Relations in the 21st Century
Turkish-American relations have been considered a model partnership between a great and middle power during the Cold War due to the positive nature of relations, being advantageous to both sides. While the United States took advantage of T羹rkiye's geopolitical position and military strength against the USSR, T羹rkiye benefited from American economic power and military technology. However, with the end of the Cold War and the emergence of new regional and global developments, a stable framework to clarify and shape Turkish-American relations has not yet been crafted. Additionally, crises such as the non-approval of the 1 March memorandum in 2003 to support the American war effort in Iraq and the 15 July 2016 coup attempt in T羹rkiye further distanced these two historical allies. To discuss these issues frankly and to provide some suggestions to improve the two countries' relations in many different regions/fields including Syria, Iraq, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, the defense industry, the energy sector, and much more; Turkish-American Relations in the 21st Centuryaims to bring important experts on Turkish foreign policy and Turkish-American relations together.
Philosophy, Language, and Literature in an African Context
Philosophy, Language, and Literature in an African Context investigates the link between philosophy and language in African literature. Wilfred Lajul and the contributors argue that African literature is more than the desire of literary writers to entertain or provoke thought, but rather a stylistic means through which they convey important information and philosophy. This book also probes into theories, contexts, and moral language in African literature, exploring their implications for language use. The contributors analyze linguistic, philosophical, and cultural worldviews of the African literary writers shown within their poetry, novels, and plays. This book provides new ways of understanding the relationship between philosophy and language in African literature.
Military Marxism
Adam Mayer's Military Marxism: Africa's Contribution to Revolutionary Theory, 1957-2023 explores African Marxist theory and the intellectual merits of Afro-Maxist schools of thought to show how they have developed and impacted sub-Saharan Africa from the Cold War to the present. He also discusses the efficacy of the movements influenced by Marxism and how they are contested today. Through in-depth research, Mayer answers the following questions: Who were the African Marxist intellectuals? What happened to these intellectuals in the 1990s in NGO-administered, deindustrialized Africa? How are these theories inspiring popular rebellions and radical anti-Western military coups today? This book explores how Military Marxism, through its own rich and variegated African theory, has continued to inform and guide the practice of various political movements today.
Foreign Aid’s Effects on Development and Human Security in Kenya
Using Kenya as a case study, this book demonstrates the effects and limitations of foreign aid on development and human security in poor countries to reshape the processes for the benefit of both the donors and the intended beneficiaries.
Georgia's Journey towards Democracy
Georgia's Journey Towards Democracy: Civil-Military Relations and National Security Decision Making in a Former Soviet Republicexamines Georgia's path toward democracy from its independence in 1991 to the present time, emphasizing the role of civil-military relations in that journey. The research offers a historical review of the political events that impacted the country's uneven movement to democracy and the personalities who steered the country forward. Using Samuel P. Huntington's concept of an authoritarian transition that is unique to modernizing states, and especially with the former Soviet republics, the research concludes that Georgia remains in its authoritarian transition, but also raises the issue that this transition may have been further derailed by state capture. This study is important for donor states to understand the historical and cultural traditions that affect the effectiveness of their assistance to Georgia. Georgia's Journey Towards Democracy concludes with several recommendations to assist Georgia to advance toward becoming a united liberal democracy and the necessity to free its civil-military relations from partisan politics and state capture.
The Western Sahara Deadlock
Yasmine Hasnaoui's The Western Sahara Deadlock: Understanding Algeria's Role and the Path to Resolution investigates the extent of continuity and change of Algeria's foreign policy in the Western Sahara conflict following Algerian independence in 1962. The deterioration of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria is a result of a deep-rooted rivalry over the conflict. Morocco's diplomatic discourse over the past decade asserts that Algeria's direct involvement is the main reason for its perpetuation. Algeria, on the other hand, denies such accusations, claiming instead that the Sahara conflict is a UN matter, labelling Morocco as the last colonizing power on the African continent. To verify the validity of these contradictory allegations, Hasnaoui examines major factors, including geographical continuity and security interaction, that have influenced the creation and implementation of Algerian foreign policy with respect to the Western Sahara conflict. Hasnaoui sheds light on the current atmosphere of Algerian-Moroccan relations, Algeria's role in the Western Sahara conflict, and the consequences related to its failure to achieve a full Maghreb integration.
Understanding Cultural Landscape at Great Zimbabwe
Using Karanga/Kalanga concepts of cosmology and philosophy as well as local narratives, this book provides new perspectives on the cultural landscape of Great Zimbabwe and contributes to the reformation of the practice, interpretation, and construction of archaeological narratives in Africa.
Handbook of Indo-Pacific Studies
This handbook explores the significance of the Indo-Pacific in world politics. It shows how the re-emergence of the Indo-Pacific in international relations has fundamentally changed the approach to politics, economics and security.The volume: explores the themes related to trade, politics and security for better understanding of the Indo-Pacific and the repercussions of the region's emergence studies different security and political issues in the region: military competition, maritime governance, strategic alliances and rivalries, and international conflicts analyses various socio-economic dimensions of the Indo-Pacific, such as political systems, cultural and religious contexts, and trade and financial systems examines the strategies of various states, such as the United States, Japan, India and China, and their approaches towards the Indo-Pacific covers the role of middle powers and small states in detail Interdisciplinary in approach and with essays from authors from around the world, this volume will be indispensable to scholars, researchers and students in the fields of international relations, politics and Asian studies.
The Routledge Handbook of US Foreign Policy in the Indo-Pacific
This handbook provides a comprehensive survey of US foreign policy throughout the Indo-Pacific. Home to around 60 percent of the world's population; most of the world's largest and fastest-growing economies; around half of the world's states with full nuclear capabilities; and a complicated web of unresolved tensions, disputes, and conflicts, the Indo-Pacific is arguably the most diverse, dynamic, and contested region on Earth. US strategy there has evolved over centuries, with its physical presence going broadly unchallenged since at least the middle of the last century. However, the rapid development and expanding influence of China - alongside the growth of India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and others - as well as political and economic crises and disruptions within the United States itself, mean that in recent times the US has come to occupy a newly uncertain position and perceive a range of highly unfamiliar challenges. To explore how the US has managed, and continues to manage, its regional history, and how it approaches the modern-day landscape of an Indo-Pacific only recently normalised within international political discourse, the book contains 33 newly commissioned chapters from leading experts in the field. It does so partly with help from the more traditional realms of International Relations theory as well as more critical realms. It also unpacks US policy and strategy as it pertains to regional governments, states, and multilateral institutions, as well as to pressing issues including inter-state security, human rights, trade, artificial intelligence, and cyber strategy. It does so in four parts: History of the US in the Indo-Pacific Theorising US Policy and Presence in the Indo-Pacific The US and Indo-Pacific States and Institutions The US and Indo-Pacific Issues The book is designed to be of interest to students and scholars of the US in the Indo-/Asia Pacific; the international relations of the Indo-/Asia Pacific; and US foreign policy.
Peace and Conflict in a Changing World
Written by a team of experienced teachers and researchers in Peace Studies, this book assesses the field of peace and conflict research from its origins to the present day. It introduces influential concepts and theories, and examines the processes and dynamics of peacebuilding. Using case studies from around the globe, the book discusses a range of key topics in Peace Studies, such as: the meanings of peace; the causes of violent political conflict; peace processes and peace agreements; international peace and security; peace activism and the role of civil society; human rights, transitional justice, and reconciliation; asylum, migration and borders; gender, war, and peace; sustainable development and peace; religion, conflict, and peace; arts, sport, and peace; and peace education. The book will be of interest to scholars and students in peace studies, international relations, security studies, war and conflict studies, conflict transformation, as well as anyone interested in the research and practice of peace.
Anatomy of Local Government in Bangladesh
Anatomy of Local Government in Bangladesh provides a comprehensive analysis of Local Government Institutions (LGIs), focusing on their structure, functions, and challenges. The book delves into the historical evolution of municipal governance, financial autonomy issues, and the intricate relationship between local and national governments, contributing to informed policymaking in Bangladesh.
Routledge Handbook on Elections in the Middle East and North Africa
This Handbook analyzes elections in the Middle East and North Africa and seeks to overcome normative assumptions about the linkage between democracy and elections.Structured around five main themes, contributors provide chapters detailing how their case studies illustrate specific themes within individual country settings. Authors disentangle the various aspects informing elections as a process in the Middle East by taking into account the different contexts where the electoral contest occurs and placing these into a broader comparative context. The findings from this Handbook connect with global electoral developments, empirically demonstrating that there is very little that is "exceptional" about the Middle East and North Africa when it comes to electoral contests.Routledge Handbook on Elections in the Middle East and North Africa is the first book to examine all aspects related to elections in the Middle East and North Africa. Through such comprehensive coverage and systematic analysis, it will be a key resource for students and scholars interested in politics, elections, and democracy in the Middle East and North Africa.
International Organizations and Peaceful Change in World Politics
International organizations play an important, if imperfect, role in world politics, solving collective action problems in security, economic, environmental, and global health among others. While many believe that international organisations have formed critical pillars of global governance, sceptics contend that they reflect the power politics of the day and the interests of hegemonic powers. This volume examines whether international organizations contribute to or detract from peaceful change, acting as agents of both status quo and stasis. Providing a historical overview of international organizations, from the nineteenth century to the current day, a team of leading scholars offer an overview of how major theoretical approaches - Liberalism, Constructivism, Rationalism and Realism - have contributed to our understanding of the role played by international organizations in peaceful change. In particular, the roles of the United Nations General Assembly, UN Peacekeeping, UN Environment Program, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization and G20 are analysed.
International Organizations and Peaceful Change in World Politics
International organizations play an important, if imperfect, role in world politics, solving collective action problems in security, economic, environmental, and global health among others. While many believe that international organisations have formed critical pillars of global governance, sceptics contend that they reflect the power politics of the day and the interests of hegemonic powers. This volume examines whether international organizations contribute to or detract from peaceful change, acting as agents of both status quo and stasis. Providing a historical overview of international organizations, from the nineteenth century to the current day, a team of leading scholars offer an overview of how major theoretical approaches - Liberalism, Constructivism, Rationalism and Realism - have contributed to our understanding of the role played by international organizations in peaceful change. In particular, the roles of the United Nations General Assembly, UN Peacekeeping, UN Environment Program, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization and G20 are analysed.
Eyes on Gaza
A powerful and impassioned collection of essays on the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, written in real time during the annihilation by a leading scholar of Islamophobia.All the world's eyes are now on Gaza and Palestine. Arab and Muslim-American law scholar and author Khaled A. Beydoun shares his expertise and his perspective on the conflict in essays he wrote during the year following October 2023, accompanied by over sixty pieces of art created by Palestinian political cartoonist, Mohammad Sabaaneh during the same time period.Since October of 2023, the world has been watching as a horrific siege has been waged in Gaza. A devastating bombing campaign carried out by the Israeli military in response to a Hamas attack on Israeli civilians. We have witnessed the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, and our hearts are breaking. Eyes on Gaza is Khaled A. Beydoun's attempt to process what we have been seeing.Beydoun opens our eyes to the historic events and the political motivations which impact the decision making of the leaders involved, as he shares his own story and his father's story as Arab Muslims in America. He offers his expert perspective on events as they have unfolded. This book combines personal narrative, contemporary history, and thoughtful reporting to shine a light on the horror in Palestine today.
A Place in the Homeland?
What happens when the second generation - the children of immigrants - moves to their parents' homeland? A Place in the Homeland: Turkish-German Return Migration answers this question for the Turkish-German second-generation, sons and daughters of the Turkish guestworkers and political refugees who migrated to Germany in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Based on 71 in-depth narrative interviews, their life-stories of growing up in German industrial cities and then 'returning' to Turkey are traced through their experiences of childhood and socialisation, relocation to Turkey, earning a living, managing family and other relationships, adapting to an environment that many found challenging and developing new, hybrid identities in the ancestral homeland. The key finding is that 'place matters', and experiences are compared and contrasted between second-generation returnees in the megalopolis of Istanbul, the tourist city of Antalya and a range of provincial urban and rural environments in other regions of Turkey.
German Diplomatic Documents 1871-1914 Volume 1
Originally published in English in 1928, this volume deals mainly with Anglo-German relations at the end of the 19th Century. Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's voice can be heard clearly in the documents which give an extensive picture of the alternating phases of relations between Great Britain and Germany, as influenced by their respective obligations and interests in the international issues which united or divided the Powers over a period of twenty years. The strongest impression which these documents leave is the revelation of how greatly the mentality of the western world changed since they were drafted, and especially during the decade which came after World War I. The shaping of policy, as exhibited in these despatches and memoranda, is governed almost exclusively by the ultimate idea of war as the deciding factor. The menace of war and the prospects of success or failure in aggression or defence appear to be the essential motives of policy.
German Diplomatic Documents 1871-1914 Volume 3
Originally published in 1930, this volume opens with some selections dealing with the situation created by the victory of Japan over China in 1904 which opened a new epoch in the history of the Far East. It includes two momentous conflicts profoundly affecting international relations - the Boer War and the Russo-Japanese War. It also touches at many points on the long discussions aiming at a naval agreement, with or without some form of general understanding, between England and Germany. Through the Alliance with Japan and the Entente with France it leads up to the separation of Europe into two rival camps, in the course of an evolution in which crisis followed crisis with increasing and often alarming intensity.
Masters of Realpolitik
"Masters of Realpolitik: Pioneers and Practitioners" delves deep into the intricate tapestry of power, strategy, and diplomacy, unravelling the philosophy of Realpolitik and its most influential adherents. With a sweeping lens, the text examines figures such as Machiavelli, whose pragmatic governance during the tumultuous Renaissance served as a template for political cunning, and Bismarck, the master tactician whose manoeuvres unified Germany amidst a web of alliances and rivalries. These luminaries, and others like them, are portrayed not only as architects of their era but as architects of the political frameworks that underpin contemporary statecraft. By anchoring their stories in the broader currents of history, the book brings to life the enduring relevance of power's relentless pull in shaping the world stage.Moving beyond its historical foundation, the work shifts to the modern relevance of Realpolitik, dissecting its influence on today's regional disputes, economic rivalries, and the fragile balances that dictate geopolitics. It does not merely recount the past - it critiques it, weaving this legacy into contemporary thought. The contributions of modern theorists such as Morgenthau are given careful attention, showcasing how their insights have refined and redefined the principles of political realism in an increasingly interconnected and volatile global theatre.Far from being a static chronicle, the book confronts pressing questions about Realpolitik's trajectory in an era marked by technological upheaval, environmental crises, and shifting power centres. Can this enduring framework adapt to a world where influence is no longer measured solely by borders and armies but by data, economies, and global cooperation - or conflict? Blending meticulous historical analysis with sharp reflections on the present, Masters of Realpolitik serves as both an erudite study of the past and an indispensable compass for navigating the political complexities of tomorrow.
Satow’s Diplomatic Practice, 8th Edition
First published in 1917, Satow's Diplomatic Practice has long been hailed as a classic and authoritative text. An indispensable guide for anyone working in or studying the field of diplomacy, this eighth edition builds on the extensive revisions in the sixth and seventh editions. The volume provides an enlarged and updated section on the history of diplomacy, the exponential growth in multilateral diplomatic efforts, and transformations in the corpus of international diplomatic law since the end of the Cold War. This eighth edition further offers a new chapter on recent developments and challenges of modern diplomacy, particularly in light of the increasing importance of China, and the shock to the international system administered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The book also traces the substantial expansion in numbers both of sovereign states and international and regional organizations, and features detailed chapters on diplomatic privileges and immunities, diplomatic missions, as well as consular matters, treatymaking and conferences. The volume also examines alternative forms of diplomacy, from the work of NGOs to the use of secret envoys, and interrogates the interaction between intelligence agencies and commercial security firms. It also discusses the impact of international terrorism and other violent non-state actors on the life and work of a diplomat. Finally, in recognition of the speed of changes in the field over the last twenty years, it includes updated chapters on human rights and public/digital diplomacy by experts in their respective fields.
Israel's Single-Handed War on Islamic Terrorism
During the prolonged war that eight Arab and Muslim fronts launched against Israel on October 7, 2023, tiny Israel, backed actively by only the U.S., has been determined to defend itself by counter attacking.The initial war effort's intent, headed and financed by Iran, was to harass Israel by occupying Israel's military, while Iran could develop its nuclear technology, with the goal to "erase Israel off the map."President Joe Biden's Administration, which has limited Israel's action to defense only, has supplied defensive arms in kind, but it openly forbids any offensive one, failing to explain how it is possible to defend against incoming missiles and rockets without attacking the bases from which they are launched. However, the new Trump Administration is expected to revise that policy and release Israel from that limitation.(About the Author)Raphael Israeli has taught Islamic, Chinese, and Middle Eastern history at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A graduate of Hebrew University in history and Arabic literature, he earned a Ph.D. in Chinese and Islamic history from the University of California, Berkeley. Now retired, he has been a Fellow of the Harry Truman Research Institute at Hebrew University and the Jerusalem Center since the1970s. He is the author of 110 books and 100 articles.
State Tax Systems
State governments are responsible for most of the direct domestic spending that affects the well-being of their citizens. Fiscal stability, important for state governments to serve the public, is influenced by both state tax systems and spending programs. This important new book explores how states' tax systems have changed, particularly in the aftermath of the Great Recession, why changes were made, and how these policies contributed to state fiscal stability. Author Yuhua Qiao examines tax systems, including state personal income tax, corporate income tax, sales and use tax, fuel tax, healthcare provider tax, and sin taxes. As fiscal stability largely depends on a tax system with a broad base and diverse sources, this book pays special attention to how changes affect the tax base, as well as the challenges and opportunities states face in broadening it. Case studies within the book provide a rich discussion about the context under which a tax reform is adopted as well as its repercussions. The first book dedicated to a comprehensive examination of tax policy changes at the state level since the Great Recession, State Tax Systems: Policy Making for Fiscal Stability will help state government officials, public finance scholars, and students gain a better understanding of a given tax policy's impact on state fiscal health over the long term.
German Diplomatic Documents 1871-1914 Volume 4
Originally published in English in 1931, this fourth and final volume of documents brings the reader to the brink of World War I. The despatches beg the question of whether war was inevitable and if so, could it have been postponed? The question of whether the British Empire needed to have taken part in it, and how far its action or inaction was responsible for the outbreak is also discussed.
German Diplomatic Documents 1871-1914 Volume 2
Originally published in English in 1929, this second volume of the German Diplomatic Documents covers a much shorter period: 1890-1898. During this period there was no war or revolution in Europe, but the sphere of German and indeed European politics became enlarged. The documents in this volume deal with questions raised by diverse regions such as Armenia, Morocco, Tunisia, Tripoli, South Africa, Crete and Cuba. The papers here reissued show that colonial expansion is a recognised part of the official German programme. As with the first volume, the policy exhibited in the despatches of this volume are governed almost exclusively by the ultimate idea of war.
Who's the Devil? the Other or the West
"We've spent nine trillion dollars bombing the Middle East like mad. We've sown death there, including our own. And what has it gotten us? Nothing." Donald Trump, November 1, 2024. The figure of the devil has haunted our collective consciousness since the dawn of time. He structures our societies, whether religious or secular. Sometimes, the devil has been a friend before being "demonized". Sometimes, by force of circumstance, he has become an ally. And sometimes, the devil must be eliminated to mask or even justify the errors of our societies.Thus, during the Second World War, we made a pact with Stalin to bring down a devil deemed more formidable: Hitler. In Northern Ireland, the British ended up talking with representatives of the IRA, just as the French did a few years earlier with the Algerian FLN. Recently, the Americans negotiated with the Taliban, another terrorist group, before handing over the keys to Afghanistan. Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Bashar al-Assad were friends of the West before the latter precipitated their downfall, even if it meant causing chaos in their countries.R矇gis Le Sommier has been a war reporter for 27 years, and has himself interviewed a number of infamous figures. His aim is to revisit the concept of the devil in the light of recent and current conflicts, in order to answer one question: shouldn't the deleterious consequences of geopolitics conducted "in the name of good" lead us to doubt the validity of the actions taken by our governments, even today, against those they like to refer to as devils?
