Reg:

One big problem with both Mearsheimer and Putin is they have a concept of rationality that is totally unmoored by human nature or by evidence of either history or the present.

If Man is a Aristotlean “Rational Animal” who survives by exercising rationality, then if he is doing an act that ends up self-damaging, rationality requires that he…[Read more]

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:
each state must ensure its own survival.

They also need to work together to ensure their own and each other’s survival.

We can argue about how Putin’s perception of this ‘threat’ being irrational or morally wrong but from Moscow’s standpoint, ignoring such a development would be irrational.

What is irrational about P…[Read more]

In a recent book, ‘How States Think’, Mearsheimer says that in an ‘anarchic international system’ (one with no world government – i.e. the real world), each state must ensure its own survival. Great powers seek to maintain or expand their security buffer zones to prevent potential threats from getting too close. Russia’s view of NATO expansion,…[Read more]

Fellow Unbelievers,

There are some things that need adding to this video below:

For one thing, Jeffrey could have said: “Oh, I meant to mention, John Mearsheimer and myself both hate Israel with a passion, so just forget all that Adam Smith rot about the benefits of trade and global…[Read more]

Reg writes:

That is what the civilized world hopes for. And behind all of this, in the background, are the religious zealots and power grabbing bigots that nobody seems to be talking about. They are like woodworms in a library. By the time anyone reacts to them all the books will be damaged. Then they will bring in a pedestal and put one book on…[Read more]