As the Syrian civil war embarks upon an odd cease fire - one replete with exceptions and violations - it's worth looking back at some of the failures that led up to this point. There are plenty to choose from, and that long sad path is better detailed elsewhere. Instead, we'll focus on just one: … Continue reading Why the Free Syrian Army Never Went Anywhere
The Geopolitics that allowed Turkey to down a Russian jet
Turkey shot down a Russian jet and got away with it. Why it wanted to, and why geopolitics allowed such a thing to happen.
Why the Hell Would ISIS Attack Paris? The Geopolitics of Terrorism
Why would Islamic State attack unarmed civilians in Paris? The geopolitics of terrorism.
One Year Later, We Must Still Ask, “Who the Hell is ISIS?”
It's now been just about a year since the United States went to war with the Islamic State, which is commonly called ISIL by the Obama administration or ISIS by everyone else who feels awkward about using IS's self-declared name. Here at Geopolitics Made Super, I don't shy away from using the very name IS … Continue reading One Year Later, We Must Still Ask, “Who the Hell is ISIS?”
The Geopolitics of Syria’s Civil War
Let's revisit, and use this oldie but a goodie to understand Syria. Sorry for the lateness, but my real life stuff is cramping my geopolitical style. Article overview 1). Syria is and always has been a terrible place to set up a nation-state 2). Bad was made worse by the invention of political ideology, which … Continue reading The Geopolitics of Syria’s Civil War
Why the Islamic State Must Provoke a Civil War In Saudi Arabia
To secure itself, the Islamic State must destroy its nearest Sunni Arab rivals, and Saudi Arabia is a tempting target.
Why the hell is ISIS attacking Kuwait, Tunisia, and France? (Or: When Terrorists/Revolutionaries Try To Build Nation-States, The Results Aren’t Pretty)
IS-inspired attacks have struck Tunisia, Kuwait, and France. Here's why, for the Islamic State, that makes a great deal of sense.
The How To Guide of Defeating the Islamic State (Or: The Geopolitics of Defeating True Believers)
Defeating the Islamic State will require all the brutality of World War II and all the subtly of the Cold War. Here's how now the guide to the conditions that must be present before the Islamic State is defeated.
Thinking the Unthinkable: When Will It Make Sense To Divide Iraq?
Iraq looks more failed by the day; when will it make sense to break it up? Only when it's overwhelmingly obvious.
The Islamic State Floats a Truce: Or, How Geopolitics Can Make Even Madmen Go Sane
The Islamic State proposes a truce, of sorts. Here's why that makes geopolitical sense, and the tale of how revolutions must betray themselves to survive.
Rogue Geopolitics 