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An illustration depicts nobleman Cesare Borgia seated with Niccolò Machiavelli, dated 1898.
An illustration depicts nobleman Cesare Borgia seated with Niccolò Machiavelli, dated 1898.

Machiavelli Preferred Democracy to Tyranny

The theorist’s magnum opus wasn’t a blueprint for dictators—it was an ode to institutional constraints on leaders.

An illustration shows Russian President Vladimir Putin on a television set with spinning lines behind him for a story about Russia's TV propaganda.
An illustration shows Russian President Vladimir Putin on a television set with spinning lines behind him for a story about Russia's TV propaganda.

A Day Inside Putin’s Surreal Television Empire

How the nonstop blare of Russian state media fuels the war effort—and blurs reality.

U.S. President Joe Biden sits at a table next to a screen showing with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a virtual meeting at the White House.
U.S. President Joe Biden sits at a table next to a screen showing with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a virtual meeting at the White House.

How to Talk About China Without Talking About China

Team Biden’s split-screen messaging on China at home versus abroad may pay off.

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Children attend an official initiation ceremony for the youth organization Young Pioneers in Moscow's Red Square.
Children attend an official initiation ceremony for the youth organization Young Pioneers in Moscow's Red Square.

Russia’s Frighteningly Fascist Youth

A new generation of Russians glorifies war, death, and Vladimir Putin.

Houses are shown on the edge of deep gouges in the land.
Houses are shown on the edge of deep gouges in the land.

U.S. Apathy Paved the Way for China in Africa

Despite a strong foothold during the Cold War, Washington has since fumbled on the continent.

A member of the Estonian Defense Forces sits next to a large-caliber machine gun during the Spring Storm military exercises by Estonian and allied NATO forces near Kadrina, Estonia.
A member of the Estonian Defense Forces sits next to a large-caliber machine gun during the Spring Storm military exercises by Estonian and allied NATO forces near Kadrina, Estonia.

Russia Is Already Looking Beyond Ukraine

Moscow’s massive losses may not neutralize its threat to NATO countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, Russia.

South Africa’s Nonsensical Nonalignment

The ANC has forgotten that the outside world’s principled rejection of neutrality sustained the struggle against apartheid.

Long Reads

A young boy at dusk walks on top of a stack of construction materials outside the new Camlica mosque in Istanbul.
A young boy at dusk walks on top of a stack of construction materials outside the new Camlica mosque in Istanbul.

Populist Architecture Is a Problem That Will Outlive Populists

The leaders of Turkey, Hungary, and India will all eventually leave the scene. But their buildings will be left behind.

Demonstrators silhouetted with the sun in the background wave Catalan pro-independence Estelada flags during a protest in Barcelona in 2019.
Demonstrators silhouetted with the sun in the background wave Catalan pro-independence Estelada flags during a protest in Barcelona in 2019.

Catalonia Can’t Quit Madrid

But separatist parties hope upcoming elections will revitalize the independence movement.

An undated pencil drawing depicts work on a sugar plantation in the West Indies. Black children are among the laborers working to chop sugar cane under the watchful eye of a suited white overseer wearing a hat.
An undated pencil drawing depicts work on a sugar plantation in the West Indies. Black children are among the laborers working to chop sugar cane under the watchful eye of a suited white overseer wearing a hat.

Sugar as Modern Capitalism’s Original Sin

A new book shows its history as anything but sweet.

A church steeple stands in the sun by the Moscow River in Moscow.
A church steeple stands in the sun by the Moscow River in Moscow.

Ukrainians Are Directing Their Anger at Their Church

As the Russian invasion carries on, Ukraine’s relationship to religion is becoming ever more strained.

visual stories

The village priest and worshippers where traditional garb as they gather outside the church in Bystrets, Ukraine, to celebrate Orthodox Easter.
The village priest and worshippers where traditional garb as they gather outside the church in Bystrets, Ukraine, to celebrate Orthodox Easter.

On the Homefront, Families Mourn Ukrainian Fighters

Behind closed doors in western Ukraine, the devastating impact of the distant war becomes clear.

A Ukrainian volunteer group Brave to Rebuild helps
A Ukrainian volunteer group Brave to Rebuild helps

Ukraine Starts to Rebuild After Russia’s Rampage

But some damage can’t be fixed by bricks and mortar.

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Should Governments Regulate AI?

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Is the White House prepared to deal with the remarkable growth of artificial intelligence? What are the current and potential risks to Americans? If governments should create rules around th...Show more

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Are America and Europe Aligned on China?

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The war in Ukraine has propelled the United States and Europe closer on a variety of foreign-policy issues. But do Washington and Brussels agree on how to deal with Beijing’s growing clout...Show more

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Inside the U.S.-China Tech War

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Over the last few years, the United States has moved to limit China’s technological rise. U.S.-led sanctions have imposed unprecedented limits on Beijing’s access to advanced computing c...Show more

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