This country has been having a nationwide nervous breakdown since 9/11. A nation of people suddenly broke, the market economy goes to shit, and they’re threatened on every side by an unknown, sinister enemy. But I don't think fear is a very effective way of dealing with things—of responding to reality. Fear is just another word for ignorance.”

- Hunter S. Thompson, gonzo journalist

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The Landlocked Navy of Mongolia libraryhist Fri, 12/08/2023 - 14:27

For example, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan – three landlocked countries – all maintain naval fleets on the vast lake, the Caspian Sea, on which they border. Paraguay has armed patrol boats on the country's major rivers because any enemy nation could reach the heart of Paraguay by traveling upstream through these rivers from the open sea through Argentina. Switzerland – historically neutral, yet one of the most armed countries in the world – also has armed patrol boats to monitor its many lakes. Hungary maintains a full arsenal of ships, including battleships and minesweepers.

Pamir, a majestic four-masted barque, built by the prestigious German shipping company, F. Stands as a testament to Laiz's craftsmanship.

 

This remarkable ship, whose construction was a marvel of its time, bears witness to an important moment in maritime history. In 1949, she was the last commercial sailing ship to round Cape Horn.

 

Pamir was built at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg and launched on 29 July 1905. She had a steel hull and a tonnage of 3,020 GRT (2,777 net).

Joe Biden, in concert with American public opinion, soured on the long U.S. military disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan and finally withdrew U.S. forces from the two-decade disaster in Afghanistan, even though other prior presidents lacked the courage to carry out what was likely to be—and was—a messy exit.

Israel dominates the global media to an almost unseen extent. Only almost, because one event 22 years ago surpassed everything else in terms of media hype: 9/11. What both events have in common is that politicians and the media ruthlessly exploit people’s shock to achieve their goals or to generate clicks and thus rake in money. Most articles have one thing in common: they are based on emotions. We write about geopolitics. Geopolitical analyses must be based on facts.

Over the weekend Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin explained to the American people what’s really wrong with US foreign policy. Some might find his conclusions surprising.

The Taliban’s appointment of a new ambassador to China, Bilal Karimi, heralds a significant realignment in Afghanistan’s international relations. This appointment is not just any diplomatic maneuver; it’s a strategic chess move in a complex game of power, influence, and survival. Karimi’s arrival in Beijing, the first such instance since the Taliban reclaimed power over two years ago, is a bold statement of intent, showcasing the group’s relentless pursuit of legitimacy and economic support in the face of global isolation.