PinnedMember-onlyDoes Putin have a claim to Ukraine?We have all heard Vladimir Putin’s repeated claims to Ukraine’s land. In his now-infamous essay, “On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” published in July 2021, Putin goes so far to deny Ukraine any claim to nationhood and makes his intentions to integrate Ukraine into Russia very clear. It…Russia8 min read
Just nowMember-onlyWhat Presidents & Politicians Are Like in Real LifeIn June 2022, I had the wonderful pleasure to intern at the GLOBSEC conference in Bratislava, Slovakia, where 5 Presidents, 10 Prime Ministers, and countless delegates met to discuss security concerns in Europe. The main purpose of the conference was to mobilize support for Ukraine. I hope and believe that…Politics5 min read
23 hours agoMember-onlyWhy I Stopped Taking PsychedelicsIn my early college days, I loved talking about psychedelics. And I also enjoyed taking them. I must have done LSD about 20 times. And I experimented with other psychedelic drugs as well. But after a few negative experiences, and the realization that I don’t have much else to explore…Medicine5 min read
1 day agoMember-onlySocial Media Threatens DemocracyLately, I have been focusing on the many threats to democracy. I think that it is one of the most important issues we could be focusing on. Many have written extensively about the rise of populism, especially right-wing populism in various parts of the Globe. I won’t do that here. …Social Media4 min read
1 day agoMember-onlyThe Politics of the PandemicWith the pandemic, many things changed. It was not only the masks, social distancing, and countless hours spent on Netflix that made their way into our lives. We also saw an increase in extremism. This is because weakening face-to-face interactions have proven to drive polarization in society. …Democracy4 min read
1 day agoMember-onlyJordan Peterson & Noam Chomsky are Wrong About Free SpeechThe one thing I dislike the most about both Peterson and Chomsky is that they are deeply wrong about the suppression of speech in the West. This came out in their recent comments on Ukraine and Russia. I will discuss examples of that below. If we are to engage with…Free Speech6 min read
1 day agoMember-onlyDemocracy Doesn’t WorkLook, democracy doesn’t work in the best way, depending on its manifestation in its various different forms. Electoral College. Gerrymandering. Proportional representation. First past the post. Ranked choice voting. Parliamentary democracies. All of these factors and systems influence the outcome of an election. Democracy has some issues and I will…Democracy6 min read
1 day agoMember-onlySanctions Didn’t Stop PutinOn Their Effectiveness in the Short-term & Long-term — In some sense, sanctions are working. But they are not enough. Indeed, with the rise in the price of gas and oil, Putin has even profited from his invasion. Based on a Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) study, the EU has daily transferred $730 million…Russia6 min read
2 days agoMember-onlyPutin Needs to Die or Be KilledFrom cancer to Parkinson’s to assassination attempts or simply death of old age, many have been wondering if Putin’s time has indeed come. He is clearly not living his happiest days, as can be seen from numerous video appearances (links to them below). And, as they say, stress in unhealthy…Putin6 min read
2 days agoMember-onlyLet’s be Honest, Putin Saved EuropeThe problem with the European Union (and Europe, at large) since at least 2014, was that it was becoming increasingly divided and polarized. As with other corners of the Globe, populism threatened the state of our democracies. I know this as a Slovakian, where we struggle with getting rid of…Putin6 min read