It is the most potent and dangerous arrow remaining in Mugabe's quiver. More daunting than corruption, more destructive than his alliances with the power structure, Mugabe's ability to marshal violence is the biggest remaining X-factor remaining in whether or not he clings tenaciously to power. That violence might come in the myriad security forces at his disposal. Or it might come from the informal but no less real informal sectors, such as the war veterans. If Mugabe maintains his hold over the formal and informal power structure, over the men with guns, he will remain in control. If not, Morgan Tsvangirai may just have a chance to succeed him. That those with their fingers on the trigger wield this much potential power is sad and frightening, but these are the straits in which Zimbabwe finds itself today.
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 […]
