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My name is Derek Catsam and I am thrilled to serve as a blogger and writer for the Foreign Policy Association’s “Great Decisions” series. I will be handling issues related to South Africa. I am a history professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and I work on issues of race and politics in the United states and South Africa, though as a militant generalist I also write about sports, terrorism, and other issues.
I have experience writing in this format at my own blog, dcat, where I write about just about everything under the sun, from pop culture to sports. But I am thrilled to be able to focus on South Africa here at the Foreign Policy Association. I have extensive experience travelling, living, and working in Southern Africa and am thrilled to share my ideas and whatever insights I might have with you on this vitally important country on that most overlooked of continents.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
