We need to pay attention to this ‘libertarian coup’ — Like a good analyst and writer, I got my copy out early. After the first leadership debate I wrote Liz Truss’ economic plan is diabolically bad on the 19th of July. She had actually uttered very little till that point in her campaign, but it was enough to ‘leave me…

For all the good you’ve done, in the name of God, go — Boris Johnson and his family have decided to do the decent thing. Go on holiday so they don’t get in the way of the movers. How considerate. If only all of us could vacate our flats before the movers and packers trudged in. This is his second holiday in the…

An attack on the Indian Parliament opened up an escape route for Osama bin Laden in December 2001 — 9 December 2001, White Mountain, Afghanistan A mere two months into the US invasion of Afghanistan, a 15,000-pound Daisy Cutter bomb was rolled out of the back of a C-130 cargo plane. A bomb so large that it literally had to be dropped out of the back of one of the world’s largest airplane. The target…

India, not Taiwan, is the first line of defence against an expansionist China — South Asia is often called the second most unstable region in the world, after West Asia. Although this overlooks the many insurgencies and tumult on the African continent, the stakes in South Asia are high. Three nuclear armed neighbours share thousands of kilometres of unsettled borders across deserts, mountains, high…

The Tory party psychodrama is leading us into a national meltdown — I wrote about Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss’ diabolical pronouncements on the economy, but the most striking aspect of the leadership contest is the sheer antipathy between the contenders. The final two, former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, are busy tearing chunks out of each other. When…

She is enamoured by ‘pushing on a string’ — Liz Truss, fast becoming known as just Liz, pulled out an absolute clanger in the last TV debate on Sunday. Barely anyone noticed. A good day to bury bad pronouncements, as Britain swelters in record-breaking heat. Rishi Sunak, the front-runner in the leadership contest, might even have choked a little…

Who even is Penny? — Only 11% of Britons can identify Penny Mordaunt in a photograph. I, till this week, was firmly in the 89%. Her campaign has ‘momentum,’ whatever that means in a multi-level campaign to become the next Conservative party leader and Prime Minister. First, an MP convinces twenty of their parliamentary colleagues…

Germany’s error lies, not in being beholden to Russian energy, but not having the military and geostrategic might to secure access to that energy — For fifty years, the German Economic Miracle has been underwritten by cheap and secure piped gas, first from the Soviet Union, then from Russia. Greenlighting the Nord Stream II gas pipeline as late as the previous decade was another step in that direction. If you have a historic enemy, with…

Agnipath will make our forces weaker — So, it comes down to this. The 50th edition of National Identity will talk about the far-reaching and radical changes in military recruitment and appointments. Both have been pet peeves of this publication for good reason. India’s security depends on it. The nature of recruitment determines the quality of personnel…