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foreign affairs in strategic context
Browsing All Posts filed under »security«
Great Britain, license to kill: The geopolitics of James Bond
What role should a post-imperial Britain play in the world? This question has dogged us since at least 1962, when the former U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson made his infamous remark. Arguably, though, the new Bond film has an answer: Our role is to kill bad guys competently and with style. Throughout Skyfall, it […]
A plea for honesty in the aid debate
September 1, 2011
Many years ago, David Cameron pledged to protect the international aid budget from cuts if he became Prime Minister, and, since then, there has been a recurring debate in Conservative circles about the wisdom of this commitment. It appears on the horizon like a cloud promising rain; supporters of the pledge become very Wet; and […]
Afghanistan, David Cameron and British grand strategy
May 17, 2011
Yesterday, the Daily Telegraph reported that David Cameron has told the military to draw up plans for an early exit from Afghanistan. American commanders are alarmed by this and they are putting pressure on their British counterparts, as it might hasten an early US withdrawal. The story also ties into concerns the United States supposedly […]
A minister departs
May 9, 2011
It was a surprise to read Pauline Neville-Jones, the security minister, quit the government today. She had informed the Prime Minister about her wish to leave months ago, according to her resignation letter, but, in all the chatter about a reshuffle, I don’t think her departure had ever been suggested. This is an opportunity for […]
November 30, 2012
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