List of Theory articles
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Five Japanese officials stand side by side on a stage. The four men wear black suits with white shirts and ties; the sole woman wears a blue pantsuit. Three of the officials lean close to speak to one another, pointing at something in the crowd off camera. As Another Leadership Election Looms, Japan’s Real Bosses Take Stock
Nominal leaders are secondary to party power—but the system’s looking shaky.
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A young man in a white button up shirt is seen in profile. Behind him, out of focus, fans crowded around the man as they wave and take photos with their phones. The Chinese Public Is Obsessing Over a Perceived Celebrity Cover-Up
The death of actor Yu Menglong has started a cycle of censorship and rumor.
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French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at a United Nations General Assembly meeting organized by France and Saudi Arabia in support of a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians, seen in New York City on Sept. 22. UNGA Puts Palestine in the Spotlight
Day 1 of the gathering’s high-level week was dominated by discussion of a two-state solution.
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Three animated women wag their index fingers. ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Leads the Wave Back to Korea
The megahit movie opens a new chapter for soft power.
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A person with glasses holds up a sign with Trump and Bolsonaro's faces, and the text: "INIMIGOS DO POVO." The person is surrounded by people holding up red flags. Trump Is Ushering in the Era of the Strongman
The U.S. president is promoting iron-fisted rule throughout the Western Hemisphere.
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A woman holds a placard reading "Corruption kills" as thousands of protesters march through central Belgrade. Serbia’s Imperial Fantasies Keep Blowing Back Home
Amid chaos, protesters have a chance to leave the past behind.
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Chinese soldiers march during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan in Tiananmen Square on September 3. Are We Overestimating Autocracies?
Russia and Iran have proved weaker than many thought. So will China.
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An illustration shows the seal of the United Nations with a shadow across it. Laurel leaves fall onto the ground from the seal as a person sweeps them up. The Golden Age of Multilateralism Is Over
And it cannot be revived by China, Europe, post-Trump America, or the global south.
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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seated, smiling and waving. Khamenei Thinks He Can Ride This Out
Russia and China can buy Tehran time but not a deal.
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Three members of the National Guard are seen from behind as they stand in front of Washington's Reflecting Pool at dusk, the sky and the water lit up orange with the sunset. The Lincoln Memorial stands at the shore across the water. All three guard members wear green camouflage uniforms, matching hats, and bulletproof vests that say "National Guard" on their backs. Trump’s War on Crime Is a War on Democracy
Democrats should fight back against the president’s militarization of law enforcement before it’s too late.
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French President Emmanuel Macron is seen prior to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place du Trocadero on July 26, 2024 in Paris. Is It Time for Emmanuel Macron to Resign?
French politics has been plunged into utter dysfunction, with no clear way out.
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Omar Abdullah smiles while riding a horse on his way to a special session of the regional National Conference party in Srinagar on Dec. 19, 2005. Kashmir’s Politicians Don’t Speak Kashmiri
The next generation of Kashmiri leaders is entering politics without fluency in the local language.
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This photograph shows the newly-inaugurated bronze statue in the likeness of the late Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his right-hand man Dmitru Utkin erected in Bangui, Central African Republic on Dec. 3, 2024. Prigozhin’s Ghost Haunts Africa Corps
The Wagner Group is no more but Moscow is peddling the same false promises.
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Large vehicles with cone-shaped missiles atop them roll through a square. A large crowd of soldiers and a military band standing in neatly organized rows are seen in the distance. China’s Military Is Now Leading
Wednesday’s parade proved the regional military balance has irrevocably changed.
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President Donald Trump talks with a child dressed as a skeleton with a "Make America Great Again" hat while hosting Halloween at the White House on the South Lawn October 30, 2017 in Washington. How Fear Killed Liberalism
Political anxieties have piled up and put an end to an era of public optimism.
