Author

Ayşe Zarakol

Professor of International Relations, University of Cambridge, and author of Before the West: the Rise and Fall of Eastern World Orders.

Professor of International Relations, University of Cambridge, and author of Before the West: the Rise and Fall of Eastern World Orders.

More Articles

A cluster of green apples with one prominent red apple in the center, showcasing a vibrant contrast in color and texture.

Defeating the Digital Oligopoly

A Chinese flag and an American flag waving side by side against a clear blue sky.

The Gathering Storm - Part I

A person in a dark cloak and green headscarf kneels on a stone surface, holding a basket, beside a set of stairs.

Betraying the Global Poor

A young man holds a sign reading

Catalonia vs Spain: The Philosophy Behind the News

Protesters hold large cutouts of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin while demonstrating at night in Chicago, with the Trump Tower illuminated in the background.

Paula Erizanu, Stephen Walt

How To Understand a World Run By Bad Boys

Miniature soldiers positioned on a map of Eastern Europe, highlighting countries like Ukraine and Poland, suggesting themes of conflict and strategy.

The battle for global domination

A globe displaying Earth rests on a chessboard, symbolizing a strategic perspective on global matters.

Hidden global power grab

A scenic view of a traditional pagoda and stone bridge illuminated at dusk, set against a backdrop of modern skyscrapers in a bustling city.

The mysterious superpower

A wrinkled red flag featuring yellow stars and a pattern of binary code (ones and zeros) representing themes of technology and digital culture.

Huawei and the Great Decoupling

Hands cradling a detailed globe of Earth, set against a blurred sunset background with bokeh lights, symbolizing care for the planet.

Tipping the geopolitical balance - The China-Iran deal

The U.S. Capitol building illuminated at dusk, surrounded by trees and city traffic with light trails from vehicles on the street.

The last days of America

The illuminated facade of the White House at night, showcasing its classical architecture and surrounding gardens.

Marcus Papadopoulos

Trump vs Biden: It doesn't matter

A chaotic scene featuring bullet casings and dark red stains arranged on a background of scattered U.S. one-hundred dollar bills, symbolizing violence and money.

Why they killed Gaddafi

A large statue of a female figure holding a sword aloft, surrounded by misty forest landscape, symbolizing strength and victory.

Why Ukraine is Europe's most dangerous border

Two chess rooks, one red with the Chinese flag and the other white with the American flag design, set against a dark background.

Cold War II

A panoramic view of a city skyline at sunset, with blue lines representing digital connectivity weaving above the buildings, symbolizing network communication and technology integration.

States vs corporations

Iranian flag waving in the wind, featuring green, white, and red stripes with a central emblem of a stylized lion and sun.

Christian Emery

The Iran trap

Silhouette of people walking in a dusty, industrial landscape at sunset, with power lines and hills in the background.

The real reason for leaving Afghanistan

Afghanistan's national flag featuring three vertical stripes of black, red, and green, with the national emblem at the center.

Afghanistan and the forever war myth

A cautionary yellow triangle with a black radiation symbol, set against a textured gray surface, indicating a radioactive hazard.

9/11, Al Qaeda and the nuclear terror threat

A close-up of the American flag, showcasing its red and white stripes and blue canton with white stars, illuminated by soft lighting.

Michael Pembroke

9/11 and the decline of America

Colorful, flowing strands of light in vibrant hues of blue, green, yellow, and red create a dynamic, abstract composition resembling a wave of energy.

We can’t tame big tech

A raised black fist against a red background featuring the yellow stars and large star from the flag of China.

China’s secret weapon

A cracked wall features the colors of the Russian flag (red, blue, white) on one side and the Ukrainian flag (blue, yellow) on the other, symbolizing the division between the two countries.

The real trouble with Ukraine

Silhouettes of three armed soldiers walking toward a vibrant sunset, with a landscape of grassy fields in the foreground.

War rarely goes to plan

A stylized image of a man in a suit against a cracked red background featuring a Soviet hammer and sickle, symbolizing themes of power and authority.

Stathis N. Kalyvas

How we got Putin so wrong

A vast, empty road stretches toward a nuclear explosion rising in the distance, casting an eerie glow over the landscape.

The truth about nuclear deterrence

The image features cracked surfaces displaying the flags of the United States, China, and Russia, symbolizing geopolitical tensions and divisions.

Alexander Korolev

The US can't break the Russia-China alliance

Flags of China and Russia overlapping, with the Chinese flag featuring a large yellow star and four smaller stars, and the Russian flag showing horizontal stripes of white, blue, and red.

Aaron Friedberg

How the West got Russia and China Wrong

The national flag of India, featuring horizontal stripes of orange, white, and green with a blue Ashoka Chakra in the center.

India is creating a new world order