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(TVP World) European militaries increasingly reporting seriously depleted resources

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Great Britain, a principal ally of the U.S. military and the largest defense spender in Europe, has limited military resources with only about 150 operational tanks and around a dozen long-range artillery pieces.

Last year, the scarcity of equipment was so acute that the British military contemplated refurbishing rocket launchers from museums for Ukraine, but this plan was abandoned.

France, another major defense spender in Europe, possesses less than 90 heavy artillery units, roughly the amount Russia reportedly loses each month in Ukraine.

Denmark lacks heavy artillery, submarines, or air defense systems. The German army is reported to have sufficient ammunition for only two days of combat

Read it all.

Posted in England / UK, Europe, Foreign Relations, Military / Armed Forces, Politics in General, Ukraine

(Quanta Magazine) New Cell Atlases Reveal Untold Variety in the Brain and Beyond

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

In the 16th century, the Belgian cartographer Abraham Ortelius created the world’s first modern atlas — a collection of maps that he called “The Theater of the World.” The maps, drawn by Ortelius and others, detailed what was at the time the best knowledge of the world’s continents, cities, mountains, rivers, lakes and oceans and helped usher in a new understanding of global geography.

Similarly, the creation of cell atlases — maps of organs and bodies constructed cell by cell — is heralding a new era in our understanding of biology. Powerful sequencing and imaging technologies invented in the last decade are revealing with unprecedented detail the composition of human organs and tissues, from the pancreas and liver to the placenta, as well as those of other animals like the mouse and fruit fly. With these new tools, researchers can fingerprint individual cells based on which genes they are expressing. That information has revealed subtle and unsuspected distinctions among cells and has begun to illuminate how the diversity of cell types can be essential to the healthy functioning of organs.

“We’re at this amazing point in time in science where we’re now able to understand the composition of these cell types,” said Steve Quake, a bioengineer and biophysicist at Stanford University who helped develop the technologies that make cell atlases possible. “It’s changed the way we understand how human biology works.”

Read it all.

Posted in Anthropology, Science & Technology

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Nino of Georgia

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Almighty God, who didst call thy servant Nino to be thine apostle to the people of Georgia, to bring those wandering in darkness to the true light and knowledge of thee; Grant us so to walk in that light, that we may come at last to the light of thine everlasting day; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Posted in Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the Day from George Adam Smith

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Almighty and most merciful God, who has given the Bible to be the revelation of thy great love to man, and of thy power and will to save him: Grant that our study of it may not be made vain by the callousness or the carelessness of our hearts, but that by it we may be confirmed in penitence, lifted to hope, made strong for service, and, above all, filled with true knowledge of thee and of thy Son Jesus Christ.

Posted in Advent, Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Bible Readings

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerub’babel the son of She-al’ti-el, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehoz’adak, the high priest, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: This people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?

–Haggai 1:1-4

Posted in Theology: Scripture

(Premier) Peter Ould says CofE bishops are ‘washing their hands of doctrine’ over same-sex blessings

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

“I’m really saddened by this,” he said. “There’s lots of clergy, evangelical clergy, middle of the road clergy and Catholic Church clergy, who are really disappointed that the House of bishops have taken this step against a lot of advice and knowing that it’s going to cause massive damage to the Church of England. So I’m disappointed that we, as a Church are putting forward prayers and we are doing it on such a narrow margin in terms of votes for and against.

“There are lots of clergy and churches who want to know how they’re going to be looked after if they dissent, if they continue to hold to the doctrine of the Church of England. None of that has been explained that this point.

“Some things in the pastoral guidance show that bishops are almost washing their hands of clergy and the doctrine. It feels like we’re almost being gaslit.”

[The] Rev [Mr] Ould said that just before the House of Bishops meeting, a broad alliance of Anglo Catholics and evangelicals had written to the bishops telling them not to go ahead with the guidance.

Read it all.

Posted in Anthropology, Church of England (CoE), CoE Bishops, England / UK, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Religion & Culture, Same-sex blessings, Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion), Spirituality/Prayer, Theology, Theology: Scripture

(Church Times) Prayers of Love and Faith commended, despite final HTB plea

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

The House of Bishops’ decision to commend the prayers of blessing for same-sex couples was made despite a last-minute plea from leaders in the HTB network. Inclusive groups are urging churches to use the prayers this Sunday.

A group calling itself “the Alliance”, which comprises the current and former vicars of Holy Trinity, Brompton (HTB), the Revd Archie Coates and the Revd Nicky Gumbel, along with 23 other figures in the C of E, wrote to the Bishops on Monday, the day before the meeting at which agreement was reached to commend the prayers…

The letter says: “It is not too late to delay the commending of the Prayers of Love and Faith until the complete package of the Prayers, the full Pastoral Guidance and the Pastoral Reassurance are all presented to Synod.”

The Bishops are also urged to provide “formal legal structural provision” for those who object to the introduction of the prayers. Such a settlement “will enable those who feel compelled to pursue changes to doctrine and practice to be able to minister freely without their actions causing growing schism in the Church of England”, the group writes.

Read it all (registration or subscription).

Posted in --Civil Unions & Partnerships, Anthropology, Church of England (CoE), CoE Bishops, England / UK, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Religion & Culture, Same-sex blessings, Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion), Theology, Theology: Scripture

(RU) Terry Mattingly–Norman Lear And America’s ‘Deep Spiritual Malaise’

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

During “Sunday Dinner” press events, Lear argued that America was caught in “a deep spiritual malaise, and nobody is addressing it. The Religious Right did for a period and still continues to. But mainline churches don’t do that good a job of it. And the media don’t deal with it at all….”

In a 2017 testimony posted by Harvard (University) Memorial Church, Lear’s daughter Madeline described how her family’s spiritual search shaped her own conversion to Catholicism. “I’ve always believed in God. My parents believe in God, too. My mom was raised Christian, my dad, Jewish, though they would call themselves ‘spiritual but not religious.’ And so, I wasn’t raised with any kind of formal religion,” she wrote.

But faith, broadly defined, mattered to her father. In a 1992 Harvard address, Lear discussed his drive to explore the importance of humanity’s “mysterious inner life, the fertile invisible realm that is the wellspring for our species’ creativity and morality. It is that portion of ourselves that impels us to create art and literature. … It is that portion of our being that gives rise to our sense of awe and wonder and longing for truth, beauty and a higher order of meaning.

“For want of a better term, one could call it the spirit-led or spiritual life. … And yet, as a student of the American psyche, at no time in my life can I remember our culture being so estranged from this essential part of itself.”

Read it all.

Posted in * Culture-Watch, America/U.S.A., Death / Burial / Funerals, History, Movies & Television, Religion & Culture

(Economist Leader) Can you have a healthy democracy without a common set of facts? America’s presidential election is a test of that proposition

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Journalists should not spend much of their time writing about journalism. The world is more interesting than the inky habits of the people who report on it. But this week we are making an exception, because the discovery and dissemination of information matters a lot to politics. Don’t take our word for it: “A popular government,” wrote James Madison in 1822, “without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both.” Were Thomas Jefferson offered a choice between a government without newspapers and newspapers without a government, he said that he would choose the press (though that is probably going a bit far).

As the turmoil at America’s elite universities over antisemitism shows, creating a political culture in which people can argue constructively, disagree and compromise is not something that happens spontaneously. In media, business models, technology and culture can work together to create those conditions. They can also pull in the opposite direction. Our analysis of over 600,000 pieces of written and television journalism shows that the language of the mainstream American media has drifted away from the political centre, towards the Democratic Party’s preferred terminology and topics. That could lower the media’s credibility among conservatives.

As the country braces for next year’s election, it is worth thinking about the internal forces that deepened this rift. You can take comfort from the fact that the industry has been buffeted time and again during its long history, yet somehow survived. The worry is that today’s lurch may prove worse than any before.

Read it all (subscription).

Posted in America/U.S.A., Ethics / Moral Theology, History, Media, Office of the President, Politics in General, Science & Technology

A Prayer for the Feast Day of John of the Cross

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Judge eternal, throned in splendor, who gavest Juan de la Cruz strength of purpose and mystical faith that sustained him even through the dark night of the soul: Shed thy light on all who love thee, in unity with Jesus Christ our Savior; who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Posted in Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the Day from the Swedish Liturgy

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

O Lord God, heavenly Father, Who didst give up Thine only-begotten Son into grief and sorrow, that we might have peace through Him: grant us so surely to found our faith upon Him alone that we may have peace in our souls. Quicken us with Thy Word; grant already here on earth the peace which is a foretaste of the rest that remaineth for Thy people. And while the cares and tumults of this life beset us round about, guide us in all our undertakings by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may abide in Thy peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

Posted in Advent, Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Bible Readings

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.’

–Revelation 2:8-11

Posted in Theology: Scripture

(Church Times) Warm(ish) welcome for the COP28 fossil-fuel accord

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Christian groups have welcomed an international agreement, the first of its kind, in Dubai, on a transition away from fossil fuels. The speed and scale of this transition remains in question, however. Developing countries represented at the COP28 climate summit say that there is a lack of funding to help them to decarbonise their economies.

Although this was the 28th COP, the words “fossil fuels” had never previously been included in a final-outcome agreement. Patrick Galey, a senior fossil-fuels investigator at Global Witness, wrote on social media: “Imagine a global process to tackle malaria where it took 30 years for the word ‘mosquitoes’ to appear in decision texts, then that being hailed as a win. That’s how low the bar has been set for climate talks and fossil fuels.”

Talks at the two-week summit ran through the night and ended on Wednesday morning, nearly 24 hours after the proposed closing time.

The final agreement calls on countries to make a commitment to “transitioning away from fossil fuels” and to accelerating action in this “critical decade” to achieve net zero by 2050. It is hoped that this will send a political signal to investors, markets, and the world at large that countries are committed to decarbonising the global economy.

Read it all.

Posted in * Economics, Politics, Climate Change, Weather, Economy, Energy, Natural Resources, Ethics / Moral Theology, Foreign Relations, Globalization, Politics in General, Religion & Culture, Science & Technology

(1st Things) R R Reno–A Voice of Sanity

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Here’s another way of putting our present situation. We hear a great deal about polarization, and rightly so. The complacent middle ground is eroding. The Baby Boomer consensus is losing authority. As a result, the hard left waxes and woke revolutionaries are on the march. But the hard right grows as well. Politically, the extremes must be moderated; passions must be channeled constructively toward virtuous ends.

But mark this truth: One cannot be too “extreme,” too committed, in one’s love of God. Polarization dramatizes the stakes, not just in political affairs, but in our souls. A growing cohort wants to discern the will of God—and obey it. First Things has no interest in moderating that desire. Our vocation is to encourage, guide, and refine the desire for transcendence.

Like my young priest friend, we’re lucky to be a publication that stands for moral truth and orthodox faith. Yes, many in seats of power and with positions of prestige shun religious faith. To a degree I could not have imagined when I was a young student, today’s university culture is hostile to biblical religion. But our choices have become clearer as the lingering dew of Christendom evaporates. What we publish is now more urgent than ever, more needed—and more appreciated.

Read it all.

Posted in America/U.S.A., Religion & Culture, Theology

(NYT) A Year of ‘Unreal’ Fire and Warming in the Arctic

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

This summer was the Arctic’s warmest on record, as it was at lower latitudes. But above the Arctic Circle, temperatures are rising four times as fast as they are elsewhere.

The past year overall was the sixth-warmest year the Arctic had experienced since reliable records began in 1900, according to the 18th annual assessment of the region, published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday.

“What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic,” said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and an editor of the new report, called the Arctic Report Card.

Read it all.

Posted in Climate Change, Weather, Science & Technology

(WSJ) Russia Has Lost Almost 90% of Its Prewar Army, U.S. Intelligence Says

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

The war in Ukraine has devastated Russia’s preinvasion military machine, with nearly 90% of its prewar army lost to death or injury, and thousands of battle tanks destroyed, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence assessment shared with Congress.

The intelligence assessment, according to a congressional source, says that 315,000 Russian personnel have been killed or injured since the February 2022 invasion, or about 87% of Moscow’s prewar force of 360,000.

Russia also has lost nearly two-thirds of its tank force, or 2,200 out of its 3,500 preinvasion stock, the congressional source said.

While it is widely known that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military has sustained vast losses in Ukraine, the assessment provides new details about the extent of those setbacks.

Read it all.

Posted in Foreign Relations, Politics in General, Russia, Ukraine

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Saint Lucy

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Loving God, who for the salvation of all didst give Jesus Christ as light to a world in darkness: Illumine us, with thy daughter Lucy, with the light of Christ, that by the merits of his passion we may be led to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Posted in Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the Day from the Prayer Manual

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

All through this day, O Lord, may I touch as many lives as Thou wouldst have me touch for Thee; and those whom I touch do Thou with Thy Holy Spirit quicken, whether by the word I speak, the letter I write, the prayer I breathe, or the life I live.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

Posted in Advent, Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Scripture Readings

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Do not forsake me, O Lord!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!

–Psalm 38:21-22

Posted in Theology: Scripture

(Church Times) House of Bishops votes to commend part of Prayers of Love and Faith

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Blessings for same-sex couples can take place within existing church services from this Sunday, after the House of Bishops formally commended the Prayers of Love and Faith at a meeting on Tuesday.

A statement on Tuesday afternoon revealed that the Bishops had voted 24-11, with three recorded abstentions, in favour of commending the collection of prayers, which were first published in draft form in January….

Two marathon debates in the General Synod, in February and November, ended with votes approving the Bishops’ plan to commend the blessings, despite threats of legal action if they were to go ahead….

The blessings have only being sanctioned for use within regular services, and not as a stand-alone service. In the Synod in November, an amendment calling on the Bishops to consider a trial period for stand-alone services was carried, albeit narrowly….

Read it all.

Posted in --Civil Unions & Partnerships, Anthropology, Church of England (CoE), CoE Bishops, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Religion & Culture, Same-sex blessings, Sexuality, Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion), Spirituality/Prayer, Theology, Theology: Scripture

(BBC) Fewer births may force London maternity services to close

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Maternity services could close at one of two London hospitals due to fewer births, the NHS said.

NHS North Central London said it needed to cut the number of maternity units in its area due to declining birth rates.

It has launched a public consultation, proposing to close either the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead or Whittington Hospital in Archway.

Concerns have been raised but NHS bosses said “nothing has been pre-decided”.

Read it all.

Posted in Children, England / UK, Marriage & Family, Young Adults

(WSJ) The Math for Buying a Home No Longer Works. These Charts Show You Why.

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Homeownership has become a pipe dream for more Americans, even those who could afford to buy just a few years ago.

Many would-be buyers were already feeling stretched thin by home prices that shot quickly higher in the pandemic, but at least mortgage rates were low. Now that they are high, many people are just giving up.

It is now less affordable than any time in recent history to buy a home, and the math isn’t changing any time soon. Home prices aren’t expected to go back to prepandemic levels. The Federal Reserve, which started raising rates aggressively early last year to curb inflation, hasn’t shown much interest in cutting them. Mortgage rates slipped to about 7% last week, the lowest in several months, but they are still more than double what they were two years ago.

Typically, high mortgage rates slow down home sales, and home prices should soften as a result. Not this time. Home sales are certainly falling, but prices are still rising—there just aren’t enough homes to go around. The national median existing-home price rose to about $392,000 in October, the highest ever for that month in data that goes back to 1999.

Read it all.

Posted in * Economics, Politics, Children, Economy, Housing/Real Estate Market, Marriage & Family, Personal Finance, Young Adults

(Washington Post) China’s cyber army is invading critical U.S. services

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

The Chinese military is ramping up its ability to disrupt key American infrastructure, including power and water utilities as well as communications and transportation systems, according to U.S. officials and industry security officials.

Hackers affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army have burrowed into the computer systems of about two dozen critical entities over the past year, these experts said.

The intrusions are part of a broader effort to develop ways to sow panic and chaos or snarl logistics in the event of a U.S.-China conflict in the Pacific, they said.

Among the victims are a water utility in Hawaii, a major West Coast port and at least one oil and gas pipeline, people familiar with the incidents told The Washington Post. The hackers also attempted to break into the operator of Texas’s power grid, which operates independently from electrical systems in the rest of the country.

Read it all.

Posted in America/U.S.A., China, Foreign Relations, Politics in General, Science & Technology

A Prayer for the Feast Day of Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Most Gracious God, who hast bidden us to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before thee; Teach us, like thy servants Francis and Jane, to see and to serve Christ in all people; that we may know him to be the giver of all good things, through the same, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Posted in Church History, Spirituality/Prayer

A Prayer for the Day from the Geneva Bible

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

O Gracious God and most merciful Father, who has vouchsafed us the rich and precious jewel of thy holy Word: Assist us with thy Spirit that it may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to thine own image, to build us up into the perfect building of thy Christ, and to increase us in all heavenly virtues. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the same Jesus Christ’s sake.

Posted in Spirituality/Prayer

From the Morning Scripture Readings

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

My foot stands on level ground;
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord

–Psalm 26:12

Posted in Theology: Scripture

(Church Times) Independent Safeguarding Board was heading for trouble right from the start, Wilkinson review suggests

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

A “complex matrix of reasons” led to the disbanding of the Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB), says a report published on Monday.

Its author, Sarah Wilkinson, a barrister, identifies the Archbishops’ Council as responsible for “structural” issues with the way in which the ISB was set up and administered, which led to a situation in which the positions of the board members and Archbishops’ Council “were not clearly defined”.

Ms Wilkinson suggests that the termination of the contracts of the ISB members was made “almost inevitable” owing to their “breakdown in relationships” after Meg Munn was appointed as acting chair in March….

The two other board members — Jasvinder Sanghera and Steve Reeves — expressed concern at not being consulted on Ms Munn’s appointment, and survivors and survivor-advocates suggested that her position as the independent chair of the National Safeguarding Panel, another body scrutinising C of E safeguarding practices, amounted to a conflict of interest.

Read it all.

Posted in Church of England, England / UK, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Pastoral Theology, Religion & Culture, Sexuality, Violence

(Washington Post) On the streets, opioids sometimes more potent than fentanyl: nitazenes

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

A recently unsealed federal indictment in South Florida opens a rare window into the source of nitazenes: manufacturers in China that officials say sell the drugs online and ship them to dealers in the United States. Prosecutors allege that a Deerfield Beach, Fla., man used WhatsApp and bitcoin to purchase nitazenes to mix with fentanyl or heroin, to stretch out his supplies of opioids and make an “ultra powerful substance.”

“The nitazenes can make [a drug mix] stronger than fentanyl,” said Anthony Salisbury, the special agent in charge of the Homeland Security Investigations field office in South Florida. “As if we needed something stronger than fentanyl.”

The South Florida case from October included indictments against a Chinese chemical sales company and an employee of that company. According to one of the indictments, the Chinese company selling nitazenes used websites, social media accounts and messaging apps to sell chemicals such as protonitazene and metonitazene to customers in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. As part of the investigation, a U.S. Postal Inspection Service agent posing as a buyer ordered nitazenes from the company, according to the indictment.

It was among the first criminal prosecutions to target an overseas source of nitazenes, Salisbury said.

Read it all.

Posted in China, Drugs/Drug Addiction, Health & Medicine

(NYT) Why Fears of a Broader Middle East Conflict Are Growing in Iraq

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

Just south of Baghdad, the urban sprawl gives way to glimpses of green, with lush date palm groves bordering the Euphrates River. But few risk spending much time there. Not even the Iraqi military or government officials venture without permission.

A farmer, Ali Hussein, who once lived on that land, said, “We do not dare to even ask if we can go there.”

That’s because this stretch of Iraq — more than twice the size of San Francisco — is controlled by an Iraqi militia linked to Iran and designated a terrorist group by the United States. Militia members man checkpoints around the borders. And though sovereign Iraqi territory, the area, known as Jurf al-Nasr, functions as a “forward operating base for Iran,” according to one of the dozens of Western and Iraqi intelligence and military officers, diplomats and others interviewed for this article.

The militia that controls the land, Khataib Hezbollah, uses it to assemble drones and retrofit rockets, with parts largely obtained from Iran, senior military and intelligence officials say. Those weapons have then been distributed for use in attacks by Iranian-linked groups across the Middle East — putting this former farmland at the center of fears that the war in Gaza could grow into a wider conflict.

Read it all (my emphasis).

Posted in Foreign Relations, Globalization, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Military / Armed Forces, Politics in General, The Palestinian/Israeli Struggle

(Bloomberg) Max Hastings– It’s Not Just Ukraine and Gaza: War Is on the Rise Everywhere

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Kendall Harmon

This week, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London published the latest edition of its authoritative annual Armed Conflict Survey, and it’s not predicting much peace for the holidays. It paints a grim picture of rising violence in in many regions, of wars chronically resistant to broking of peace. The survey — which addresses regional conflicts rather than the superpower confrontation between China, Russia, the US and its allies — documents 183 conflicts for 2023, the highest number in three decades.

It highlights “intractability as the defining feature of the contemporary global conflict landscape.” Nonstate armed groups, of which Hamas in Gaza is only the most immediately conspicuous, play a baleful role. In many places these forces are supported by disruptive major powers, notably Russia and Iran.

Although the world is not immediately threatened by a great war, such as those of 1914-18 and 1939-45, tensions are rising, especially between the US and China. I would identify an issue that seems to me, as a historian, especially important and dangerous. One of the primary reasons Europe went to war in 1914 is that none of the big players were as frightened as they should have been, of conflict as a supreme human catastrophe. After a century in which the continent had experienced only limited wars, from which Prussia had been an especially conspicuous profiteer, too many statesmen viewed war as a usable instrument of policy, which proved a catastrophic misjudgment.

Read it all.

Posted in Foreign Relations, Globalization, Military / Armed Forces, Politics in General
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