Tag: violence

WorldBrief03_Day293OfYear12026_TUES20OCT2026_ParisProtests

Paris experienced its most violent protests and riots approximately two centuries ago during the span of nine decades that witnessed the first and second republics along with the rise and fall of the Napoleon and Bourbon monarchies. In comparison, France has experience much more mild but nevertheless serious protests of government policy changes over the last seven years.

Question: Is Xi gaining influence & is Trump’s power waning as they prepare to meet in China?

The United States faces challenges in the Strait of Hormuz as the Russo-Ukrainian War persists. Xi Jinping’s leadership continues to assert authoritative control over Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea, while potentially leveraging U.S. political dynamics for Chinese expansionism. This climate highlights current global power shifts.

Beetle on soil near a nuclear missile with US Air Force markings in a bunker

Question: What do cuckoos, kings, cleaner fish, caterpillars, and beetles have to do with nuclear proliferation?

The Trump administration is receiving a lot of criticism over the war with Iran, but I’m hearing few suggestions from those critics on what to do now. I can understand criticizing the administration for initiating the conflict without a better-developed strategic plan. But where do we go from here? If you’re the POTUS, what’s your next move?

Question: Is the US-Iran War is driven by a desire for influence?

Hegemony is dominant influence, not violence. A county can be influential without being violent. But the quickest way to expand power is through violence. And violence often comes with the territory of hegemony.

On Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson

Heather Ann Thompson’s “Blood in the Water” chronicles the 1971 Attica Uprising, highlighting systemic racism and injustice in American prisons. The book details the uprising’s context, violence, and legal aftermath, including a class action lawsuit settled 25 years later for $12 million, illustrating the gap between conviction and true justice.

On The Will To Change by Bell Hooks

Bell Hooks’ book “The Will to Change” (2005) highlights cultural sickness and the need for empathy, responsibility, and a will to change to address it. She contrasts domination with partnership, shame with self-esteem, fear with courage, and rage with nonviolence in the context of a patriarchal society. Hooks calls for a shift towards empathy, responsibility, and change.