The outcome of the Greek referendum seems like a paradox: Voting against austerity measures lead to yet more extensive austerity measures. That is mainly due to Greece not only being in an economic and international crisis, but also in a political, domestic crisis that Tsipras was tackling. Continue reading Strong Tsipras, Weak Greece
When rocks become a matter of national security
The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, including five uninhabited islands and three rocks, each smaller than 3.5 km² (Shaw 1999, 9), have caused diplomatic tensions between China and Japan for the last four decades. Most recently, an increase in Chinese vessels approaching the islands (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan 2015), currently under Japanese control, as well as an increase in intercepted chinese aircrafts in the area (Japanese MoD 2015) have raised concerns about an escalation of the conflict. The declaration of an East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by China has further caused the US to send B-52 bombers to fly through the zone (Danner 2014), a move accompanied by similar reactions from Japan and South Korea.
How did islands which China described as „economically and strategically insignificant“ in 1990 (Downs and Saunders 1999) and whose ownership was ignored by both sides until the 70s (Shaw 1999) become such a major issue in the relations between the two countries? Continue reading Competing for the Sea: Historical origins of the territorial dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands
Iran’s nuclear deal has the potential of changing US-Iranian relations as well as regional power dynamics – finally, after decades of disruptive clashes. Continue reading Stopped the Bomb
We tend to think of identity politics as merely another form of social control and mobilization. What most people forget: Anything referring to your identity tries to shape your very core, the person you are, wish to be and are perceived as. Continue reading Colonizing your conception of “self”