Donald Trump’s visit to Mainland China should not be misunderstood as the end of strategic confrontation between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. In the short term, bilateral relations may indeed become more manageable. The two sides reportedly discussed trade, tariffs, agriculture, aviation, technology, Taiwan, and the Iranian regime; Reuters described the trade outcomes as “preliminary,” with tentative understandings rather than a grand settlement.
Continue readingManchester United, Michael Carrick, and Why Football Needs Both Principles and Flexibility
For once, I do not want to write about politics or economics. I simply want to write as a happy Manchester United supporter. A few months ago, it was difficult to imagine how quickly the mood around the club could change. Michael Carrick returned in January with United in seventh place, and by last weekend’s 3–2 victory over Liverpool, United had secured Champions League football for next season and were sitting third in the Premier League. Whatever happens in the remaining matches, that already feels like a remarkable improvement.
Continue readingWho Really Pays the Corporate Tax? Investment, Jobs, and the Politics of Taxing Firms
A corporate tax is legally paid by a corporation, but a corporation is not a person standing apart from society with an independent capacity to bear economic pain. A firm is a network of workers, owners, consumers, suppliers, and investments. When government taxes corporate profits, the legal liability may appear on the company’s tax return, but the economic burden can be distributed through lower returns to owners, weaker investment, lower wages, fewer jobs, or higher prices. This is why corporate taxation is not a technical argument about whether one sympathizes with “business.” It is a question about capital formation and, ultimately, about the opportunities available to ordinary people.
Continue readingRemembering Margaret Thatcher: Thirteen Years On
Thirteen years have passed since the death of Margaret Thatcher. Commemorations of political leaders often drift into ritual. Yet Thatcher’s legacy cannot be understood in isolation, nor can it be reduced to domestic policy debates within the United Kingdom. Her historical significance lies in a broader constellation of figures—Ronald Reagan, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Pope John Paul II—who, across different domains, contributed to the intellectual, political, and spiritual defeat of communism in the late twentieth century.
This was not a coincidence of personalities. It was a convergence of ideas, institutions, and moral conviction.
Continue readingReading the US Strategy in the U.S.–Iranian Regime Crisis
In moments of crisis, the most important analytical task is not to react to tone, but to identify strategic intent. That distinction matters greatly in judging recent U.S. behavior toward the Iranian regime. Many observers focused first on Donald Trump’s language: the ultimatum, the threat of devastating strikes, and the rhetoric surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Yet the more consequential question is whether these moves formed part of a coherent bargaining strategy. If one examines the sequence carefully, the answer is yes. The pattern was one of escalation, deadline compression, selective military signaling, and then a narrowly defined off-ramp toward a temporary ceasefire and negotiations. It is reported that Trump publicly tied his threats to reopening Hormuz, then agreed to suspend bombing for two weeks; shortly before the deadline expired, Pakistan announced that the United States and the Iranian regime had agreed to an immediate ceasefire, with follow-up talks to continue in Islamabad. Reuters and AP likewise described a two-week halt linked to renewed talks rather than a settled peace.
Continue readingWhen Cinema Meets Historical Literacy: A Reflection on The King’s Man
It is not uncommon to see sharply divided reactions to films like The King’s Man. Some viewers dismiss it as chaotic or historically confusing, while others appreciate its deeper narrative structure and references. The difference, more often than not, lies not in the film itself, but in the viewer’s familiarity with history—particularly the complex web of European political relations before and during the First World War.
Continue readingIncentives, Burden-Sharing, and the Reconfiguration of the International Security Order
In the current international security landscape, one can observe a phenomenon that deserves careful and dispassionate analysis. The pressure exerted by Donald Trump on NATO allies—particularly regarding defense spending and strategic responsibility—has, in the short term, led several member states to reassess their own security obligations. One visible consequence has been a renewed European attention to strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy flows.
This development has attracted criticism. Some argue that such pressure undermines the so-called “postwar international order.” Yet this criticism often rests on an insufficiently examined premise: that the existing order is both neutral and self-sustaining. A closer look at the historical evolution of that order suggests otherwise.
Continue readingOn the 101st Anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s Death: The Revolution Remains Unfinished
March 12 this year marked the 101st anniversary of the death of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China. In 1924, after being invited north amid efforts to address China’s political fragmentation, he journeyed toward Beijing despite already being in poor health. Historical accounts agree that after the October 1924 Beijing coup, Feng Yuxiang, working with Duan Qirui and Zhang Zuolin, sought to bring Sun north for discussions on national affairs; Sun issued his Northward Declaration in November 1924 and arrived in Beijing in December. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died in Beijing on March 12, 1925.
Continue readingArtificial Intelligence, the Knowledge Problem, and Why Universities Will Become More Important, Not Less
Every technological breakthrough produces two kinds of reactions. The first is excitement—often exaggerated. The second is fear—almost always misplaced. Artificial intelligence is no exception. As large language models and memory-augmented systems advance, a familiar claim resurfaces: that university teaching and research will soon be automated away, and that professors will become obsolete. This argument misunderstands both artificial intelligence and universities. More importantly, it misunderstands knowledge itself.
Continue readingWhy Western Europe Is Falling Behind: Welfare States, Interventionism, and the Loss of Economic Vitality
To say that Western Europe is “poor” would be inaccurate and intellectually dishonest. Compared with developing countries, Western Europe remains wealthy. But that is not the correct benchmark. The real question is whether Western Europe has reached the level of dynamism, innovation, and economic vitality that its history, institutions, and human capital should allow. On this standard, the answer is increasingly no.
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