Fundamentals of Contemporary Geopolitics

by Ron Raskin In our rapidly changing world, a wide array of ideas and ideologies compete for the hearts and minds of voters. It seems worthwhile, then, to create a taxonomy of these ideologies—both to clarify the many names we hear and to better understand the ideas they represent. Ideologies can be mapped along various

By Ron Raskin Shifting tectonic plates in the geopolitical landscape are sending ripples across the globe, rapidly transforming Western democracies. One of the biggest changes happening today is the rise of national conservatism, which prioritizes national interests, while classical liberalism, which emphasizes individual rights, is declining. In Europe, classical liberalism has traditionally been represented by

by Ron Raskin Today, people in Western societies can feel that something is changing. After years of peace, wars are breaking out around the world, and societies are becoming more divided. Things were once calm, but now instability is growing. Some even compare it to the years leading up to World War II in the

by Ron Raskin What exactly does Information Warfare mean? We live in a time when almost everyone knows about information warfare, but most people don’t fully understand what it really is or how to deal with it now and in the future. This post aims to clarify the topic. So, what are information warfare and

by Ron Raskin The events unfolding in the Islamic world today are comparable in significance to the transformative changes Europe experienced during the 18th and 19th centuries. Back then, the rise of nationalism began with the French Revolution, overthrowing the old feudal regime and peaking during Napoleon’s era, when his unprecedented force swept across Europe.

by Ron Raskin On January 29, 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush first used the term “Axis of Evil” in his State of the Union speech. This label originally referred to Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Later, in 2024, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and other leaders used this term again to describe China, Iran,

By Ron Raskin Since the beginning of humanity, groups have frequently competed over resources, leading to confrontations as part of the struggle for survival. These conflicts often have an interesting side effect: they push groups under pressure to unite, either by choice or by necessity. Over time, these temporary alliances of diverse groups can transform

By Ron Raskin Since October 7th, tensions have surfaced between the Israeli government and its allies, particularly with the Biden administration. Calls to end the war in Gaza have intensified, often framed around the need for a hostage deal but extending beyond that. The underlying rationale seems to align with what I refer to as

By Ron Raskin The century-long Arab-Israeli conflict—which now extends beyond Arab nations to include non-Arab Muslim countries like Iran and has effectively merged with the Jihad movement—has undergone several phases. The period of large-scale conventional interstate wars ended in 1973, followed by a phase of terrorism that peaked with the second intifada from 2000 to