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Sunday, September 8, 2024
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Gwynne Dyer

Gwynne Dyer is a United Kingdom-based independent journalist who writes a column for The Hill Times.

Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
After Hamas killed six hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing questions about whether he should have done more to save them, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he

Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he
Benjamin Netanyahu
After Hamas killed six hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing questions about whether he should have done more to save them, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
After Hamas killed six hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing questions about whether he should have done more to save them, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he

Netanyahu is Israel’s curse

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 5, 2024
  • Israel's prime minister is playing for time with the war, using it to avoid his criminal corruption trials, and an inquiry into whether he
Benjamin Netanyahu
After Hamas killed six hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing questions about whether he should have done more to save them, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

New Caledonia: pragmatism 3, nationalism 0

  • The latest independence surge is over for the same reason that other French possessions around the world all choose to remain French: the bribe
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2024
A push for independence from France by members of New Caledonia’s Kanak population failed after three consecutive referendum votes. Screenshot courtesy of Al Jazeera

New Caledonia: pragmatism 3, nationalism 0

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2024
  • The latest independence surge is over for the same reason that other French possessions around the world all choose to remain French: the bribe

New Caledonia: pragmatism 3, nationalism 0

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | September 4, 2024
  • The latest independence surge is over for the same reason that other French possessions around the world all choose to remain French: the bribe
A push for independence from France by members of New Caledonia’s Kanak population failed after three consecutive referendum votes. Screenshot courtesy of Al Jazeera

Western politicians turn to walls, deportations as public cools on migration

  • The current flow of migrants crossing Europe’s borders is only a fraction of what’s to come once climate change forces increasing movement of desperate
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2024
Olaf Scholz
Olaf Scholz
Under pressure following a deadly knife attack in his country, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised to speed up deportations of asylum-seekers whose applications have been refused. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/European Commission

Western politicians turn to walls, deportations as public cools on migration

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2024
  • The current flow of migrants crossing Europe’s borders is only a fraction of what’s to come once climate change forces increasing movement of desperate

Western politicians turn to walls, deportations as public cools on migration

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 28, 2024
  • The current flow of migrants crossing Europe’s borders is only a fraction of what’s to come once climate change forces increasing movement of desperate
Olaf Scholz
Under pressure following a deadly knife attack in his country, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised to speed up deportations of asylum-seekers whose applications have been refused. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/European Commission

Kamala Harris and the underlying struggle

  • When the U.S. vice-president invoked the ‘enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny’ she forgot a famous piece of historic wisdom: the enemy is us.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2024
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris accepted the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Kamala Harris and the underlying struggle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2024
  • When the U.S. vice-president invoked the ‘enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny’ she forgot a famous piece of historic wisdom: the enemy is us.

Kamala Harris and the underlying struggle

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 26, 2024
  • When the U.S. vice-president invoked the ‘enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny’ she forgot a famous piece of historic wisdom: the enemy is us.
Kamala Harris
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris accepted the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

The very precious life of Elon Musk

  • Nobody else has had the will, the skill, and the money to make SpaceX and his Starship heavy lift rocket happen.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2024
Elon Musk.
Elon Musk.
Elon Musk is heading for a crash, but it would benefit space exploration if the billionare has at least two more years of solvency to keep at his ambitious Starship project, writes Gwynne Dyer. Daniel Oberhaus photograph courtesy of Flickr

The very precious life of Elon Musk

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2024
  • Nobody else has had the will, the skill, and the money to make SpaceX and his Starship heavy lift rocket happen.

The very precious life of Elon Musk

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 21, 2024
  • Nobody else has had the will, the skill, and the money to make SpaceX and his Starship heavy lift rocket happen.
Elon Musk.
Elon Musk is heading for a crash, but it would benefit space exploration if the billionare has at least two more years of solvency to keep at his ambitious Starship project, writes Gwynne Dyer. Daniel Oberhaus photograph courtesy of Flickr

Thailand brings up the reserves

  • The country's new prime minister is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold this office, and part of the 'evil cycle' that
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2024
The political casualty list is getting so long that they are now bringing up the reserves, notably in the form of Thaksin Shinawatra’s youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of Bloomberg Television/YouTube

Thailand brings up the reserves

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2024
  • The country's new prime minister is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold this office, and part of the 'evil cycle' that

Thailand brings up the reserves

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 19, 2024
  • The country's new prime minister is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold this office, and part of the 'evil cycle' that
The political casualty list is getting so long that they are now bringing up the reserves, notably in the form of Thaksin Shinawatra’s youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, writes Gwynne Dyer. Screenshot courtesy of Bloomberg Television/YouTube

Ukraine: rumours and ceasefires

  • Don’t expect anything to happen on this front before November. If Donald Trump loses the U.S. election, Russia might be willing to sign a
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2024
Ukraine’s top commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Ukraine now controls 1,000 square kilometres of Russian territory. That may be true, but it doesn’t count for much because Ukraine’s total territory is more than 17 million square kilometres, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Ukraine: rumours and ceasefires

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2024
  • Don’t expect anything to happen on this front before November. If Donald Trump loses the U.S. election, Russia might be willing to sign a

Ukraine: rumours and ceasefires

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 14, 2024
  • Don’t expect anything to happen on this front before November. If Donald Trump loses the U.S. election, Russia might be willing to sign a
Ukraine’s top commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Ukraine now controls 1,000 square kilometres of Russian territory. That may be true, but it doesn’t count for much because Ukraine’s total territory is more than 17 million square kilometres, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Could Carles Puigdemont be a Scarlet Pimpernel for our times?

  • Some places must struggle for independence until they win it because their circumstances are intolerable. In more fortunate places—like Scotland, Quebec, and Catalonia—independence is
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 12, 2024
Carles Puigdemont, leader of the Catalan separatist movement, was smuggled into Spain to give a brief speech to his supporters on Aug. 8, before fleeing back to Belgium to avoid arrest by Spanish authorities. Creative Commons 2.0 photograph courtesy of Flickr

Could Carles Puigdemont be a Scarlet Pimpernel for our times?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 12, 2024
  • Some places must struggle for independence until they win it because their circumstances are intolerable. In more fortunate places—like Scotland, Quebec, and Catalonia—independence is

Could Carles Puigdemont be a Scarlet Pimpernel for our times?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 12, 2024
  • Some places must struggle for independence until they win it because their circumstances are intolerable. In more fortunate places—like Scotland, Quebec, and Catalonia—independence is
Carles Puigdemont, leader of the Catalan separatist movement, was smuggled into Spain to give a brief speech to his supporters on Aug. 8, before fleeing back to Belgium to avoid arrest by Spanish authorities. Creative Commons 2.0 photograph courtesy of Flickr

Bangladesh, Venezuela, and democracy

  • Protests have forced Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India and resign, toppling her 15-year rule.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 8, 2024
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, pictured in 2016, has been overthrown by the very same students who stood to benefit most from her remarkable economic achievements, writes Gwynne Dyer. Loey Felipe photograph courtesy of United Nations

Bangladesh, Venezuela, and democracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 8, 2024
  • Protests have forced Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India and resign, toppling her 15-year rule.

Bangladesh, Venezuela, and democracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 8, 2024
  • Protests have forced Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India and resign, toppling her 15-year rule.
Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, pictured in 2016, has been overthrown by the very same students who stood to benefit most from her remarkable economic achievements, writes Gwynne Dyer. Loey Felipe photograph courtesy of United Nations

Netanyahu’s game

  • What Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing at the moment is systematically crossing the ‘red line’ laid down by Israel’s most dangerous enemies:
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2024
How best to ensure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s friend Donald Trump becomes president instead of his Democratic rival? Drag the U.S. into a war with Iran before the American election, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by by Shealah Craighead

Netanyahu’s game

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2024
  • What Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing at the moment is systematically crossing the ‘red line’ laid down by Israel’s most dangerous enemies:

Netanyahu’s game

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | August 5, 2024
  • What Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing at the moment is systematically crossing the ‘red line’ laid down by Israel’s most dangerous enemies:
How best to ensure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s friend Donald Trump becomes president instead of his Democratic rival? Drag the U.S. into a war with Iran before the American election, writes Gwynne Dyer. White House photograph by by Shealah Craighead

Gaza deaths are being used as a tragic pawn

  • None of the local players cares a fig about dead Palestinians. Indeed, in the case of Hamas, the more dead Palestinian civilians the better.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 29, 2024
There are many demonstrations in Israel calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, to sign a ceasefire and bring the Jewish hostages home, but none about the fate of the Palestinians. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/U.S. Embassy Jerusalem

Gaza deaths are being used as a tragic pawn

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 29, 2024
  • None of the local players cares a fig about dead Palestinians. Indeed, in the case of Hamas, the more dead Palestinian civilians the better.

Gaza deaths are being used as a tragic pawn

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 29, 2024
  • None of the local players cares a fig about dead Palestinians. Indeed, in the case of Hamas, the more dead Palestinian civilians the better.
There are many demonstrations in Israel calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, to sign a ceasefire and bring the Jewish hostages home, but none about the fate of the Palestinians. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/U.S. Embassy Jerusalem

Venezuela seems headed for a free election, and a chance for change

  • Under authoritarian rule, per capita income is one-third of what it was 10 years ago, almost one-third of Venezuela’s citizens have fled the country
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2024
Nicolás Maduro
Nicolás Maduro
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been waging a defensive and ultimately doomed battle from the day he took power in 2013, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Venezuela seems headed for a free election, and a chance for change

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2024
  • Under authoritarian rule, per capita income is one-third of what it was 10 years ago, almost one-third of Venezuela’s citizens have fled the country

Venezuela seems headed for a free election, and a chance for change

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 25, 2024
  • Under authoritarian rule, per capita income is one-third of what it was 10 years ago, almost one-third of Venezuela’s citizens have fled the country
Nicolás Maduro
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been waging a defensive and ultimately doomed battle from the day he took power in 2013, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trump and the last stand of the American Christians

  • According to a 2023 survey, 87 per cent of Americans who identify as Republicans said they believe in God. Only 66 per cent of
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 22, 2024
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald Trump told the crowd at the Republican National Convention last week that he was alive on stage ‘only by the grace of almighty God.’ Photograph courtesy Gage Skidmore/ Flickr

Trump and the last stand of the American Christians

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 22, 2024
  • According to a 2023 survey, 87 per cent of Americans who identify as Republicans said they believe in God. Only 66 per cent of

Trump and the last stand of the American Christians

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 22, 2024
  • According to a 2023 survey, 87 per cent of Americans who identify as Republicans said they believe in God. Only 66 per cent of
Donald Trump
Donald Trump told the crowd at the Republican National Convention last week that he was alive on stage ‘only by the grace of almighty God.’ Photograph courtesy Gage Skidmore/ Flickr

Islamic scholars need to combat female genital mutilation 

  • The victims are overwhelmingly Muslims, and most who do this to their girl children are convinced that it is an Islamic practice, or even
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 17, 2024
A sign in The Gambia protesting female genital mutilation
A sign in The Gambia protesting female genital mutilation
FGM road sign pictured in Bakau, The Gambia in 2005. On July 15, the Gambian Parliament voted to maintain the ban on FGM. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Islamic scholars need to combat female genital mutilation 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 17, 2024
  • The victims are overwhelmingly Muslims, and most who do this to their girl children are convinced that it is an Islamic practice, or even

Islamic scholars need to combat female genital mutilation 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 17, 2024
  • The victims are overwhelmingly Muslims, and most who do this to their girl children are convinced that it is an Islamic practice, or even
A sign in The Gambia protesting female genital mutilation
FGM road sign pictured in Bakau, The Gambia in 2005. On July 15, the Gambian Parliament voted to maintain the ban on FGM. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Assassination attempt underscores U.S. history of political violence

  • Do assassinations really change the course of history? Intuition says yes, but historical experience says probably not.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2024
It’s sheer nonsense to believe that Donald Trump is the sole cause for the Republican Party’s slide into crude nationalism and populism. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Assassination attempt underscores U.S. history of political violence

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2024
  • Do assassinations really change the course of history? Intuition says yes, but historical experience says probably not.

Assassination attempt underscores U.S. history of political violence

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 15, 2024
  • Do assassinations really change the course of history? Intuition says yes, but historical experience says probably not.
It’s sheer nonsense to believe that Donald Trump is the sole cause for the Republican Party’s slide into crude nationalism and populism. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Joe Biden is now a lost cause

  • Donald Trump often loses the thread of his argument, too, but that’s irrelevant. Politics is about perceptions, and right now the focus is on
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 10, 2024
US president Joe Biden
US president Joe Biden
During the June 27 presidential debate, Joe Biden, pictured in March 2023, gave a halting delivery and had moments of confusion, setting doubts in motion about his mental fitness, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Joe Biden is now a lost cause

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 10, 2024
  • Donald Trump often loses the thread of his argument, too, but that’s irrelevant. Politics is about perceptions, and right now the focus is on

Joe Biden is now a lost cause

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 10, 2024
  • Donald Trump often loses the thread of his argument, too, but that’s irrelevant. Politics is about perceptions, and right now the focus is on
US president Joe Biden
During the June 27 presidential debate, Joe Biden, pictured in March 2023, gave a halting delivery and had moments of confusion, setting doubts in motion about his mental fitness, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Iran’s rapidly eroding theocracy

  • In a 45-year-old system in which the Supreme Leader always has the last word, can the reformist presidential candidate’s win really make a difference?
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 8, 2024
Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist Iranian candidate who opposes Islamic rule, won Iran’s runoff presidential election with five million extra people voting in the second round. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Iran’s rapidly eroding theocracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 8, 2024
  • In a 45-year-old system in which the Supreme Leader always has the last word, can the reformist presidential candidate’s win really make a difference?

Iran’s rapidly eroding theocracy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 8, 2024
  • In a 45-year-old system in which the Supreme Leader always has the last word, can the reformist presidential candidate’s win really make a difference?
Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist Iranian candidate who opposes Islamic rule, won Iran’s runoff presidential election with five million extra people voting in the second round. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Le Pen’s French election victory no cause for panic

  • The National Rally is an exceptionally nasty group. It now wears a smiling mask to attract naive new members nursing a grievance, but also
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2024
France’s National Rally Leader Marine Le Pen, pictured in 2017, has been ‘detoxifying’ the party to make it electable since taking over in 2011. Like most makeovers, it was mainly cosmetic, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons

Le Pen’s French election victory no cause for panic

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2024
  • The National Rally is an exceptionally nasty group. It now wears a smiling mask to attract naive new members nursing a grievance, but also

Le Pen’s French election victory no cause for panic

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 4, 2024
  • The National Rally is an exceptionally nasty group. It now wears a smiling mask to attract naive new members nursing a grievance, but also
France’s National Rally Leader Marine Le Pen, pictured in 2017, has been ‘detoxifying’ the party to make it electable since taking over in 2011. Like most makeovers, it was mainly cosmetic, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons

The West staring down last-minute enormous changes

  • Three of the four biggest western countries are facing elections that may radically change their political orientations.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 3, 2024
The only question for U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives is whether this election will be merely a catastrophe, or a full-scale extinction event from which there is no return, writes Gwynne Dyer. No. 10 Downing Street photograph by Simon Walker

The West staring down last-minute enormous changes

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 3, 2024
  • Three of the four biggest western countries are facing elections that may radically change their political orientations.

The West staring down last-minute enormous changes

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | July 3, 2024
  • Three of the four biggest western countries are facing elections that may radically change their political orientations.
The only question for U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives is whether this election will be merely a catastrophe, or a full-scale extinction event from which there is no return, writes Gwynne Dyer. No. 10 Downing Street photograph by Simon Walker

Assange is free at last, but the real bad guys won

  • The Wikileaks founder’s ordeal will prevent a dozen, or 100, or 1,000 potential whistle-blowers who have information that the public needs to know from
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 26, 2024
The example set by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, pictured in 2014, was a huge threat to the secret state, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Assange is free at last, but the real bad guys won

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 26, 2024
  • The Wikileaks founder’s ordeal will prevent a dozen, or 100, or 1,000 potential whistle-blowers who have information that the public needs to know from

Assange is free at last, but the real bad guys won

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 26, 2024
  • The Wikileaks founder’s ordeal will prevent a dozen, or 100, or 1,000 potential whistle-blowers who have information that the public needs to know from
The example set by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, pictured in 2014, was a huge threat to the secret state, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Far-right figures blame NATO, Biden for Russian aggression

  • If the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had not expanded to Russia’s borders, it would all still be peace and love in Europe, according to
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 24, 2024
Both Britain’s Nigel Farage, right, and America’s Donald Trump have recently claimed the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization provoked the war in Ukraine, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Gage Skidmore

Far-right figures blame NATO, Biden for Russian aggression

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 24, 2024
  • If the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had not expanded to Russia’s borders, it would all still be peace and love in Europe, according to

Far-right figures blame NATO, Biden for Russian aggression

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 24, 2024
  • If the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had not expanded to Russia’s borders, it would all still be peace and love in Europe, according to
Both Britain’s Nigel Farage, right, and America’s Donald Trump have recently claimed the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization provoked the war in Ukraine, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Gage Skidmore

Israel and Saudi Arabia against Iran: the backdrop behind the ongoing conflict 

  • Hamas attacked Israel in order to kill off the Abrahamic project—effectively tying Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United States together—and to put the Palestinians
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 20, 2024
American interests and U.S. President Joe Biden’s political future both now require the war to stop, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, to relinquish power, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia

Israel and Saudi Arabia against Iran: the backdrop behind the ongoing conflict 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 20, 2024
  • Hamas attacked Israel in order to kill off the Abrahamic project—effectively tying Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United States together—and to put the Palestinians

Israel and Saudi Arabia against Iran: the backdrop behind the ongoing conflict 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 20, 2024
  • Hamas attacked Israel in order to kill off the Abrahamic project—effectively tying Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United States together—and to put the Palestinians
American interests and U.S. President Joe Biden’s political future both now require the war to stop, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, to relinquish power, writes Gwynne Dyer. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia

Second chance for South Africa?

  • The recent election shows that the African National Congress' model is broken. The public now holds it to account, and in practice it will
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 17, 2024
Cyril Ramaphosa is president of South Africa again, but he only got his job back because he managed to cobble together a coalition at the last moment, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Second chance for South Africa?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 17, 2024
  • The recent election shows that the African National Congress' model is broken. The public now holds it to account, and in practice it will

Second chance for South Africa?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 17, 2024
  • The recent election shows that the African National Congress' model is broken. The public now holds it to account, and in practice it will
Cyril Ramaphosa is president of South Africa again, but he only got his job back because he managed to cobble together a coalition at the last moment, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Stop the Munich analogies 

  • To argue that a ‘Great War is coming,’ the doom-mongers have to pretend that such a war will be necessary to stop the Russians.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 13, 2024
Using the conditions surrounding the Great Wars as a present-day comparison, the logic goes that the West must vanquish the Russians now in Ukraine, or else President Vladimir Putin will try to conquer the world, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Stop the Munich analogies 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 13, 2024
  • To argue that a ‘Great War is coming,’ the doom-mongers have to pretend that such a war will be necessary to stop the Russians.

Stop the Munich analogies 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 13, 2024
  • To argue that a ‘Great War is coming,’ the doom-mongers have to pretend that such a war will be necessary to stop the Russians.
Using the conditions surrounding the Great Wars as a present-day comparison, the logic goes that the West must vanquish the Russians now in Ukraine, or else President Vladimir Putin will try to conquer the world, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Emmanuel Macron’s strategy

  • Emmanuel Macron must realize that a crisis over mass migration to Europe is coming soon, driven by global warming. Temperatures in Greece, southern Italy
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 12, 2024
French President Emmanuel Macron, pictured on the Hill on June 7, 2018, called national elections in France for the end of this month. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Emmanuel Macron’s strategy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 12, 2024
  • Emmanuel Macron must realize that a crisis over mass migration to Europe is coming soon, driven by global warming. Temperatures in Greece, southern Italy

Emmanuel Macron’s strategy

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 12, 2024
  • Emmanuel Macron must realize that a crisis over mass migration to Europe is coming soon, driven by global warming. Temperatures in Greece, southern Italy
French President Emmanuel Macron, pictured on the Hill on June 7, 2018, called national elections in France for the end of this month. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

India’s election results a rebuke of Modi’s vision for the country

  • The polls said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party would win big, the media followed suit, and pundits began writing about the impending demise of
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 6, 2024
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre, at a campaign event in April. Modi revealed in a pre-election TV interview that when he was born he ‘was convinced God had sent me.’  Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

India’s election results a rebuke of Modi’s vision for the country

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 6, 2024
  • The polls said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party would win big, the media followed suit, and pundits began writing about the impending demise of

India’s election results a rebuke of Modi’s vision for the country

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 6, 2024
  • The polls said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party would win big, the media followed suit, and pundits began writing about the impending demise of
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre, at a campaign event in April. Modi revealed in a pre-election TV interview that when he was born he ‘was convinced God had sent me.’  Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A little more hope for the climate

  • Solar, wind, and nuclear power are already good alternatives to fossil fuels, and now a promising new contender is emerging.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 3, 2024
We have the tools to get through the climate crisis if we use them wisely, writes Gwynne Dyer. Unsplash photograph by Markus Spiske

A little more hope for the climate

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 3, 2024
  • Solar, wind, and nuclear power are already good alternatives to fossil fuels, and now a promising new contender is emerging.

A little more hope for the climate

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | June 3, 2024
  • Solar, wind, and nuclear power are already good alternatives to fossil fuels, and now a promising new contender is emerging.
We have the tools to get through the climate crisis if we use them wisely, writes Gwynne Dyer. Unsplash photograph by Markus Spiske
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A little hope for the climate 

  • New ideas and technologies are entering the market, and if enough fulfill their promise, we might still get through this century without runaway global
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 31, 2024
Parts of the Arctic are warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, but we could stop the melting if we stopped our emissions, writes Gwynne Dyer.

A little hope for the climate 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 31, 2024
  • New ideas and technologies are entering the market, and if enough fulfill their promise, we might still get through this century without runaway global

A little hope for the climate 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 31, 2024
  • New ideas and technologies are entering the market, and if enough fulfill their promise, we might still get through this century without runaway global
Parts of the Arctic are warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, but we could stop the melting if we stopped our emissions, writes Gwynne Dyer.

A little hope for the climate 

  • New ideas and technologies are entering the market, and if enough fulfill their promise, we might still get through this century without runaway global
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 31, 2024
Parts of the Arctic are warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, but we could stop the melting if we stopped our emissions, writes Gwynne Dyer.

A little hope for the climate 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 31, 2024
  • New ideas and technologies are entering the market, and if enough fulfill their promise, we might still get through this century without runaway global

A little hope for the climate 

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 31, 2024
  • New ideas and technologies are entering the market, and if enough fulfill their promise, we might still get through this century without runaway global
Parts of the Arctic are warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, but we could stop the melting if we stopped our emissions, writes Gwynne Dyer.

U.K. election could be an extinction-level event for the Tories

  • Tories feel betrayed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Why throw away their last half-year in power when the numbers look so bad now? Something
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 29, 2024
Right now the opinion polls predict a catastrophic defeat on July 4 for Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party. The party’s real task in the near term is mere survival, writes Gwynne Dyer. U.K. PMO photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

U.K. election could be an extinction-level event for the Tories

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 29, 2024
  • Tories feel betrayed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Why throw away their last half-year in power when the numbers look so bad now? Something

U.K. election could be an extinction-level event for the Tories

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 29, 2024
  • Tories feel betrayed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Why throw away their last half-year in power when the numbers look so bad now? Something
Right now the opinion polls predict a catastrophic defeat on July 4 for Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party. The party’s real task in the near term is mere survival, writes Gwynne Dyer. U.K. PMO photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Crunch time for Netanyahu?

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had a bad week, but the pattern remains: the U.S. pleads for moderation, and Israel pretends to listen,
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 23, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among six named in arrest warrants by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on May 20. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Crunch time for Netanyahu?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 23, 2024
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had a bad week, but the pattern remains: the U.S. pleads for moderation, and Israel pretends to listen,

Crunch time for Netanyahu?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 23, 2024
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had a bad week, but the pattern remains: the U.S. pleads for moderation, and Israel pretends to listen,
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among six named in arrest warrants by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on May 20. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Small assassination attempt in Slovakia; not many hurt

  • Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico will survive, although his injuries are clearly life-changing. There is a ‘surge’ in violent rhetoric in Europe, but not
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 22, 2024
The assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico on May 15 was alarming, but we can narrow the problem down to a more specific group of people, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia/Flickr

Small assassination attempt in Slovakia; not many hurt

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 22, 2024
  • Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico will survive, although his injuries are clearly life-changing. There is a ‘surge’ in violent rhetoric in Europe, but not

Small assassination attempt in Slovakia; not many hurt

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 22, 2024
  • Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico will survive, although his injuries are clearly life-changing. There is a ‘surge’ in violent rhetoric in Europe, but not
The assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico on May 15 was alarming, but we can narrow the problem down to a more specific group of people, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia/Flickr

South African election: the fall of the ANC

  • For the first time since the end of apartheid, the African National Congress’ share of the vote in the upcoming election will fall below
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 20, 2024
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, pictured in June 2017, has served as president of the African National Congress since December that year. The socialist ANC is riddled with corruption and nepotism, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

South African election: the fall of the ANC

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 20, 2024
  • For the first time since the end of apartheid, the African National Congress’ share of the vote in the upcoming election will fall below

South African election: the fall of the ANC

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 20, 2024
  • For the first time since the end of apartheid, the African National Congress’ share of the vote in the upcoming election will fall below
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, pictured in June 2017, has served as president of the African National Congress since December that year. The socialist ANC is riddled with corruption and nepotism, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Thought experiment: buying the Palestinians out?

  • Gwynne Dyer responds to a reader asking whether the easiest way out of ‘the Middle East problem’ would be paying everybody to leave. It’s
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 13, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the various leaders of Hamas have spent the past 30 years trying to kill the two-state solution, but it could be on the table again, writes Gwynne Dyer.  Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Thought experiment: buying the Palestinians out?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 13, 2024
  • Gwynne Dyer responds to a reader asking whether the easiest way out of ‘the Middle East problem’ would be paying everybody to leave. It’s

Thought experiment: buying the Palestinians out?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 13, 2024
  • Gwynne Dyer responds to a reader asking whether the easiest way out of ‘the Middle East problem’ would be paying everybody to leave. It’s
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the various leaders of Hamas have spent the past 30 years trying to kill the two-state solution, but it could be on the table again, writes Gwynne Dyer.  Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Ocean temperature: the mother of all climate feedbacks?

  • There are about a dozen potential environmental tipping points that we do know about, but there may be a few still to be discovered.
Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 9, 2024
Icebergs visible from St. Johns, N.L. In the past 13 months, the average sea surface temperature worldwide has soared, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Ocean temperature: the mother of all climate feedbacks?

Opinion | BY GWYNNE DYER | May 9, 2024
  • There are about a dozen potential en