I watched a wonderful interview with Olga Tokarczuk, the author of The Books of Jacob and winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature.
Author Archives: Jeff Rich
In geopolitics, BRICS is the ocean, and the USA is Canute
The tolling of the bell for the American dream of a single world order, made in its own image, however does not mean the story of an expanding BRICS is the rise of a new hegemon. The multipolar world is becoming less unruly, and more plural. But who is King Canute, resisting the tide of history?
Landmarks of a changing world: 2023 BRICS Summit and India on the Moon
No doubt the big story of the multipolar world this week was the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. It even managed to feature the Indian space mission landing on the moon Narendra Modi was gracious enough to declare this an achievement of the plural world.
Exploring World History – Latest Burning Archive podcast
On the podcast this week I have released the second part of my conversation with Felipe Fernández-Armesto. In this podcast Felipe reflects on the multipolar world, China, India, Russia and the Hispanic History of America. We also have a remarkable conversation about the explorer, Magellan, and how explorers and exploration are the frontier of cross-cultural exchange.
Niger as the preamble to BRICS Summit
The military government in Niger is still standing, and the West African states have delayed, stalled and strung along the USA and EU powers that are demanding, away from cameras, a military counter-coup to restore Western democratic rule in Africa.
Australia’s minor power mentality.
There has been a growing debate in Australia over its subservient defence and security relationship with the USA. This debate is also leading into a meeting next week, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) national conference.
The Burning Archive Podcast Ep 114. Exploring World History with Leading Historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto – Part 1
The Burning Archive podcast brings you a special two-part interview with the esteemed world historian, Felipe Fernández-Armesto.
Mindful History Online Course Available Now
I have now released my full Mindful History course on my Learnworlds academy. I am offering a special introductory price. You will get three hours of video content and some great resources, including a simple five step process to apply history to decision making in your life.
Latest podcast: Can we cope with the pace of change?
Change is part of life and central to history. But has the pace of change accelerated over the last 50 years beyond our capacity to cope?
Did Oppenheimer get his Indian scripture wrong?
Reportedly, Oppenheimer read Sanskrit. But one small archival discovery I made in making the video was that Oppenheimer may have misquoted or used a poor translation of the line from the Gita.
American Psycho-Geriatric
Whatever the outcome of the 2024 USA elections, the next 16 months in America look like they will be a time of troubles. Could political disintegration of the gerontocratic American republic occur over the next two years?
Prospects of Global War
There have been some dark signs about the prospects for global international conflict over the next ten years. Without getting into details, the war is not going well for NATO, and there are signs that the leaders of those states are not prepared to eat humble pie in order to make genuine peace.
Day Four of 13 Days of Looking at a Bureaucrat: Governing the Drunken Commons
For 7 years between 2006 and 2013 I was directly responsible for alcohol and drug policy in Victoria (Australia). It is a contentious field, and it was a personally rewarding field. But it is a field in which many common problems of governing are revealed.
Day Three of Thirteen Days of Looking at a Bureaucrat
The third chapter of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Bureaucrat is the title essay, ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Bureaucrat’. It plays with Wallace Stevens’ poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, and seeks to open up the reader’s mind to the many unexpected, even poetic ways you can look at this plain, humble, even despised personality, the bureaucrat.
Day Two of Thirteen Days of Looking at a Bureaucrat
The second chapter of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Bureaucrat is Silenced Voice of the Bureaucrat. The second way of looking a a bureaucrat is to see a subtle mind that has been gagged, and who, if that code of silence were released may have something interesting to say. In this chapter I haveContinueContinue reading “Day Two of Thirteen Days of Looking at a Bureaucrat”
NEW BOOK! Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Bureaucrat
My new book, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Bureaucrat, is now out! Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Bureaucrat: Writing on Governing, is both memoir and essay collection. I think it breaks new ground because bureaucrats don’t publish memoirs. It will change how you see government, politics, working life, and bureaucrats.
The Zelensky Dream Ends in Vilnius
The big story of the week is the standoff between the NATO allies and Ukraine at the Vilnius Summit. Famously, President Zelensky was photographed all alone and angry, after being refused a pathway to membership to the “greatest alliance in history”.
Another Northern Atlantic Crusade for Democracy
On the podcast this week I gave a rapid fire history of the Altlantic, structured around seven key dates. These dates provide glimpses into the multipolar history of the Atlantic Ocean, and the chameleon-like character of the Atlantic idea, institutions, alliance and civilization. It tells the story of how NATO emerged from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
All Russian Collapse Narratives Collapse in Time
Vladislav Zubok compared the Time of Troubles, Russia’s major civil war of the early 1600s, with the political situation in Russia today. It has the flaws of many historical articles penned this week. The mutiny fizzled so fast that the facts fell before the drafting was finished.
New article – “The parasite state of consultants”
John Menadue and the team at Pearls and Irritations has published an article of mine on the public service today and the problems of the overuse of consultants.