On the law issued in France to increase the population
Montesquieu on Louis XIV's pensions for large families and on how a depopulated state can be revived, from "The Spirit of the Laws".
politics
Only a handful of thinkers need the truth; the crowd must simply believe
Pope Paul IV on why truth is dangerous and the crowd wants only something to believe in, with an account of the inquisitor Gian Pietro Carafa, who became pope in 1555.
Key points from the BRICS joint declaration at the 17th summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The joint declaration adopted by BRICS at its 17th summit in Rio de Janeiro calls for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied Palestinian territories, and a global framework for governing artificial intelligence.
China's strategic depth and the clash of its interests with those of the United States in the Asia-Pacific
This infographic maps the complex operational picture in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility, where the United States confronts China.
What a person needs first is not education but upbringing
Al-Farabi on upbringing before instruction, the ruler's pursuit of true happiness, and moderation as the root of virtue.
All warfare is based on deception
Sun Tzu on deception in war, the summit of military skill, and what an enemy's peace overtures really mean.
People never lie so much as during a war, after a hunt, or before an election
Otto von Bismarck on lying in wartime and elections, finding a case for war, and what a state's attitude to its teachers reveals.
The North–South Transport Corridor and Iran's pivotal role
The International North–South Transport Corridor is an ambitious 7,200-km multimodal route from St Petersburg to Mumbai. Because every branch of it runs through Iran, the country has become the corridor's pivotal link.
Two centuries of US budget deficits as a share of GDP
The chart traces the US budget deficit as a share of GDP over more than 200 years of American statehood, from the years before the world wars to the 9% average of the past five years.
Why Chinese manufacturers dominate the solar panel and battery industries
The author's case for why Chinese manufacturers dominate the global solar panel and battery sectors: long-term state industrial strategy, subsidies, self-sufficiency in minerals, scale, automation and cheap electricity.
The art of putting the right men in the right places is the beginning of the science of government
Talleyrand on the craft of government, the uses of flattery and the truth that in politics belief matters more than fact.
While you live, keep learning; do not wait for old age to bring wisdom
The Athenian lawgiver Solon on lifelong learning, the wise use of power, and laws that hold the weak but let the strong break through.
Sir Winston Churchill on Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin:
Churchill's famous tribute to Stalin as an extraordinary, ruthless and uniquely capable leader who took Russia with a wooden plough and left it with atomic weapons.
Success is the ability to move from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm
Winston Churchill on perseverance, the speed of a lie, the value of having enemies, and why history holds the secrets of political foresight.
The main principles of war propaganda
The British diplomat Lord Ponsonby set out the main principles of war propaganda in his 1928 book Falsehood in War-Time.
Ukraine, a new and important space on the Eurasian chessboard…
Zbigniew Brzezinski on Ukraine as the geopolitical pivot of Eurasia, and on how the West should deal with China.
The lifespan of a dynasty rarely exceeds three generations…
Ibn Khaldun on why dynasties seldom outlast three generations, and on asabiyyah as the force behind the rise and fall of civilisations.
When we are right, we often doubt
Benjamin Disraeli on doubt and certainty, the power of great thoughts, and the kind of information that decides who succeeds.
R. Kjellén's doctrine of the 'anatomy of state power' and the 'great powers'
Rudolf Kjellén (1864–1922) was a Swedish geographer and political figure who considered himself a pupil of Friedrich Ratzel. His doctrine treated the state as a living organism and defined the great powers by three spatial factors.
After Germany abandoned its nuclear programme and shut down its plants
After Germany abandoned its nuclear programme and closed its plants, German imports of nuclear-generated electricity hit a record in 2024.
People have always been and always will be the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics
Lenin's warning that people remain the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics until they learn to look behind fine phrases and promises for class interests.