In many contexts, we tend to believe that politics is highly elitist and controlled to the fullest by powerful interest groups. Regardless of the nature of those interest groups – may they be religious, economic or ethnic –, there is certainly a considerable truth to the claim that they exert power behind the political curtains. … Continue reading Limits of Political Calculation
The Political Cube – Enhanced Political Thinking
Undoubtedly, symbolism is one of the biggest weaknesses of human beings. The need to label complex thoughts is a natural drive to enhance the efficiency of thinking by compressing related meanings into one word. While conceptualisation is rather useful, symbolism is a form of simplification that, over time, reduces our capacity to process more complex … Continue reading The Political Cube – Enhanced Political Thinking
Politics Through Language
Among the very few beautiful sides of us humans, language may be the shiniest one. Words, regardless of spoken or written, are of so immeasurable importance to us as conscious creatures that they are our most important reproductive tool – without them, we would just grow in numbers. Language is colourful. It can warm our … Continue reading Politics Through Language
(Mis-)Understanding Iran
Recently, the Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced an intense period of unrest and uprising. This wave of unrest has amounted to nationwide protests that were further fuelled by the violent opposition of the government. Initially, starting in mid-2021, the protests were directed at the worsening economic situation that included water shortages and inflationary pressures … Continue reading (Mis-)Understanding Iran
Toxic Politics: Left vs. Right
Two hundred years ago, nobody would have had a clue what could hide behind the title of this article. Today, everybody has a very specific idea about what is meant by it. What is common terminology today, is actually a very recent development. Without going into much detail about how we came to view the … Continue reading Toxic Politics: Left vs. Right