Doubt is an unpleasant condition but certainty is absurd. — Voltaire

I didn’t always like to read.

Deep down I prefer being lazy, honestly. Or at least I think I do. Watching Netflix rather than reading Chomsky, is much more enjoyable for most people — believe it or not.

For some reason, however, I find the feeling of not knowing unbearable. Eventually, I became so curious that I started researching my own book topic on Christianity, Atheism, and the global problems of the 21st century, or at least what I think they are.

It took me 2 years to research the book and approximately 5 months to write and self-publish! I write about the writing process in one of my blog posts. …

For most of us, the end of the year is a time to reflect on what we did throughout the year and where we can improve for the next year. Here, I want to share how I managed to write a book in 2020 and what key strategies you can enact in 2021 to finish your book or achieve any other goal!

Here’s to a fulfilling year!

This year was a difficult one for most. We encountered severe change at unprecedented levels. No one could have imagined what early reports of a virus might look like for the world.

It has been months of “debate” over stimulus checks in many countries in the world; many businesses have gone out of business; and more relationships have ended than at any other point in recent memory. …

Widely described as the ‘last dictatorship in Europe,’ Belarus masquerades under the title of a democracy with free elections, whilst being an autocracy.

The Political System in Belarus

Belarus has a House of Representatives, who appoint the Prime Minister, opposing party members, and a constitution. Initially, the constitution stated that the president was only allowed to serve two terms. In 2004, this was changed in line with Lukashenko’s aspirations to remain in power.

International observers have called the elections rigged and unfair; and opposing politicians are often fined or imprisoned. Observers also point out that Belarus is among the worst states in Europe for free expression and freedom of the press. …

In early August of 2008, half of the Georgian military, some 13,000 troops, marched to Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, to take over from South Ossetian separatists who were shelling villages in Georgia. Then Russia intervened. … Why?

This is a part of my brief blog series on Russian politics I am doing this week because it is the holidays and I have a little bit more time. Enjoy!

The plan of the Georgian military was to move most of its forces to Tskhinvali and to later occupy the Roki tunnel in order to cut off any potential for reinforcements from the North. …

Before Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, any serious threat to undermine post-Soviet territory from Russi awas thought of as unlikely.

Political analysts, world leaders, and strategists alike, therefore, found the developments in Crimea surprising. Since then, we do not know how far Putin will go to expand his empire … and for how long.

In order to understand where Crimea is today, we should briefly look at why Putin and pro-Russian separatists legitimize Crimea’s separation from Ukraine. Politically, Crimea has had a history of separatism. …

The Great Patriotic War in Vladimir Putin’s Russia signifies the staple of perseverance and victory for the Russian people. Any careful reading of history testifies to why Putin would use The Great Patriotic War to his advantage.

I will do precisely that in this blog post.

Clearly, the Russian war effort against Nazi forces diverted their attention from Western forces. The Battle for Stalingrad, for example, held between 1942 and 1943 claimed more than 1 million Red Army lives. Other infamous Russian battles tell a similar story.

Indeed, Russia suffered heavier losses than every other Allied nation during World War II. According to the statistical evidence, Russia is responsible for a large part of the war effort against Germany. In fact, the British historian and journalist Max Hastings writes in “Inferno: The World at War, 1939–1945” that the Red Army was “the main engine of Nazism’s destruction.” …

I wanted to start a brief (4–6 posts) about Russian politics for people who are interested as I believe that our focus on Russia and the developments in Ukraine, Georgia, and elsewhere are among the most important international developments of the century thus far. Make no mistake, Putin is one of the greatest threats to democracy today. Let’s not turn a blind eye.

Here is my first post about “The Unexpected Rise of Putin.” I have written more about Putin in the past and I briefly mention him and why Russia should be among our “global priorities” in my book. …

Brazil is one of the most diverse nations in the world, with over 200 million citizens, making it the fourth-largest democracy in the world. They accordingly boast one of the largest economies in the world, making them a large trade force.

Globally, Brazil is the 9th largest producer of oil, 2nd largest producer of beef, making them the 7th largest economy in the world. Their impact on the Global South is, thus, vast. That does not prevent the Global North to think that it is largely obsolete in their discussions of the international order.

In this blog post, I will argue that Brazil should receive the attention it deserves to properly grasp the democratic crisis the world faces from the resurgence of right-wing populist regimes. …