When setting out a new path, or the next step in the current path, leaders will often make reference to history. “[insert country] has always…” is the line so often parroted that it can only prompt the rolling of eyes. To take one example, Vladimir Putin’s speech with Tucker Carlson made frequent and incessant references …
General Barrow once said that “War is a man’s work… you have to protect the manliness of war”. But when men are given the exclusive role of protecting their country, there is an implication that they also have authority and responsibility over the protected. In today’s episode, we dive into the field of Feminist Security …
Author’s Note: Welcome back to the BIGA Podcast! This season, we’re focusing on Security, Strategy, and Defence to explore the threats, challenges, and opportunities facing the UK and what it can do to prepare. Let us know what themes you would like us to explore in future seasons! The news is rife with bombastic personalities …
Read more “Season 2, Podcast #1 – Professor Phillips O’Brien”
With the release of the defence season of the podcast, this week’s commentary piece is going to be a review of Professor O’Brien’s latest book The Strategists: How War Made Them and How They Made War. The book focuses on the five key leaders during World War II: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler. The …
I’m excited to announce that next week, season two of the BIGA podcast will begin and the theme for the season will be: Security, Strategy, and Defence. With Peter Jones helping to round out our season on diplomacy, it seems a fitting leap to discuss all things security. I’ve written previously about strategy, in particular …
Author’s Note: This piece is looking at the recent Netflix show Adolescence as a starting point for conversation about gender in the UK. As such, there will be spoilers about the show and I would recommend you watch it before reading this piece. ‘overall, male emotional repression is good, actually’. This was one of the …
Read more “Bad Apples: Adolescence, masculinity, and expression in the UK”
Last week, we finished the first series on our podcast. It was a pleasure to get the opportunity to speak to people across the diplomatic spectrum – from former ambassadors with decades of experience to a new generation cutting their teeth on the issues of the day to those who attempt to bridge international relations …
Author’s Note: Welcome back to my weekly commentary. I do apologise for not posting anything last week! A mix of interviews, illness, and travels made it a bit much but hopefully this week’s piece makes up for it! It is hardly a profound insight to say that Trump has been stirring the pot when it …
Author’s Note: This marks the end of our first podcast series as we’ve explored diplomacy in the 21st century and how the UK can navigate the challenges and opportunities unfolding in the world around us. It’s been really exciting for us to start this project and we hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we …
US ‘destroying’ world order, EU leaders in emergency meeting, China vows it will ‘fight to the end’ with US in trade war – or any other war. These are just a handful of the headlines from this week. While the news benefits from stirring up anxiety – fear sells after all – it does seem …