Category: North America

Where machines fail, will human instinct suffice?

Emotion is commonly associated with war and destruction, yet fear and empathy have arguably been the only things which have saved our planet from annihilation — emotions that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot feel. The mix of declining nuclear arms controls and rising AI usage in defence systems raises the question: what happens when humans are distanced from the consequences of their actions?  … Continue readingWhere machines fail, will human instinct suffice?

The Environment: Another Victim of Imperialism?

The wealth of Global North countries, the unequal impacts of climate change and the resulting vulnerability of Global South countries is the direct result of imperialism. The use of imperialist strategies against countries in the Global South has led to an unequal distribution of wealth and the destruction of the environment to fund the safety, wealth and development of countries in the Global North.  … Continue readingThe Environment: Another Victim of Imperialism?

The Web We Were Promised and the One We Got: Power, Control and the Future of the Internet

Few inventions have simultaneously united and divided human society as profoundly as the internet and it is unsurprising that it inspires such intense debate. Modern social interaction and community formation are now deeply dependent on it, with an estimated 63.9% of the world’s population utilising social media in some capacity in 2025. Control of the internet therefore, whether by government or private interests, represents an avenue of unprecedented societal influence in human society.
… Continue readingThe Web We Were Promised and the One We Got: Power, Control and the Future of the Internet

All Art is Uncommitted Crime: The Intersection of Art, Activism and Social Media in the 21st Century

German philosopher Theodor Adorno famously praised the inherent political nature of art, declaring that “every work of art is an uncommitted crime”. Art should not only allow us to think critically about society, but should galvanize radical action. If the goal of protest is to correct injustices in the world, and the goal of art is to inspire activism, then it comes as no surprise that art-inspired protest is so prevalent in both history and the modern day. … Continue readingAll Art is Uncommitted Crime: The Intersection of Art, Activism and Social Media in the 21st Century

Blowing the whistle: The beautiful game’s ugly underbelly

Two competing narratives exist alongside one another: the World Cup as a space for unity, in which multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism are celebrated, and the World Cup as a spectacle for nations to promote nationalism and sportswash. From the inception of the Association Football rules in 1863 to the 2026 World Cup, the World Cup and football more broadly are inherently interlinked with the histories of empire, nationalism and conflict. … Continue readingBlowing the whistle: The beautiful game’s ugly underbelly

Quantum Politics and the Iran Conflict: Rethinking Non-Linear Warfare

What began as a regional confrontation is evolving into a conflict affecting global markets, supply chains, and energy flows. The conflict reshapes the strategies, vulnerabilities and alignments of other states, from Europe and the Gulf to China, within an interconnected global system. This expansion highlights the limits of conventional, linear thinking in explaining contemporary conflicts. Instead, it points toward a shift to “quantum geopolitics,” where uncertainty, interdependence, and non-linear dynamics shape outcomes. … Continue readingQuantum Politics and the Iran Conflict: Rethinking Non-Linear Warfare

“There may not even be a special relationship depending on how things develop”: Ben Wellings on the UK-US Special relationship and the Anglosphere

In an exclusive interview with Pivot, Ben Wellings discusses the historical significance of the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom, and its connection to the Anglosphere, as further conflict looms in the Middle East … Continue reading“There may not even be a special relationship depending on how things develop”: Ben Wellings on the UK-US Special relationship and the Anglosphere

Intervention vs Isolation: Paradoxical Logic in Trumpian Foreign Policy?

Predicted to be an isolationist president, Trump has since demonstrated the unpredictability of his foreign policy directions. Is Trump pivoting to a more interventionist approach from what was promised, or has he always been aiming to retain a large military presence? If so, how can we identify a pattern in this seemingly abstract picture? … Continue readingIntervention vs Isolation: Paradoxical Logic in Trumpian Foreign Policy?

Cost-of-Living Crisis, Contract Killers, and Cobalt Kings: The Global Architecture of Insecurity

Too poor to afford a house, not enough space in the market to get a job; governments hiring modern-day mercenaries, committing unspeakable acts without any form of punishment; and, in our pockets, goods, made from the suffering of the bruised, bloodied, and broken.
We are living through an insecurity crisis, a global crisis that few are safe from. While there are many factors that have helped sculpt this issue, the hand of exploitation has been a principal architect of this state we find ourselves in.
… Continue readingCost-of-Living Crisis, Contract Killers, and Cobalt Kings: The Global Architecture of Insecurity

The Dictator’s Ghost: The Cold War Network Still Haunting South America 

1976. In the cold streets of Buenos Aires, an estimated 300 academics, activists, trade unionists and journalists are taken from an ordinary van into a nondescript garage named Automotores Orletti in the dead of night. People scream, never to be heard again. Fifty years on. The nondescript garage still stands; however, the sound of the screams are replaced with a deafening silence. … Continue readingThe Dictator’s Ghost: The Cold War Network Still Haunting South America