Geopolitics

We are told that world politics is a chess game. Grandmasters move pieces across a board, sacrificing pawns to protect kings, calculating six moves ahead. It is rational. It is elegant. It is, above all, knowable. This is a lie. After walking through the resource wars of Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, Ukraine, Russia and China, and after one reader finally lost patience and called a certain former president a “greedy twat”, a different metaphor emerged. Not chess. Not even regular poker. ...

It is fashionable to believe that technological progress is inevitable, and that artificial intelligence will, barring catastrophe, continue its relentless march forward. But there is a future, quietly lurking just beyond the smug grins of Silicon Valley keynote speeches, where AI does not progress much further at all. Not because of some singularity, nor because we all upload our brains into the cloud, but because we collectively decide: “That is quite enough, thank you.” ...

The European Democracy Shield (EUDS), a name that practically screams “importance”, if not effectiveness. One imagines a shining bulwark of European resolve, standing firm against the onslaught of foreign interference, disinformation, and creeping authoritarianism. In practice, though, we might be dealing with something rather less heroic: an ambitious framework coated in Brussels gloss, promising much, delivering… well, that remains to be seen. The EUDS: idealism or institutional theatre? On paper, the European Democracy Shield is a bold step. It claims to offer a in-depth defence of democratic norms, combining regulation of digital spaces, protection for media, and support for civil society into one elegant package. But the EU is no stranger to bold declarations. The question is whether this will be another statement of intent with no meaningful enforcement, or something that actually holds the line. ...

This cheerful little analysis explores how Europe’s recent budget-slashing spree is playing out, cutting aid, climate finance, health, and all those other inconvenient things that don’t explode or vote. The immediate fallout (spoiler: it’s not great), the long-term consequences (even less great), and how all these “fiscally responsible” choices might cost several times more down the road. Think of it as a guide to burning down your house to save on heating. Only the house is a continent, and the smoke alarms are also being cut. ...

Why did Israel really attack Iran? Analysis with wit and additional perspectives by PR included. Israel’s recent strikes on Iran mark a dramatic escalation in a decades-long shadow war that has finally emerged from the shadows, rather like a pensioner suddenly taking up parkour. The reasons behind this attack weave together existential threats, geopolitical manoeuvring, domestic politics, and enough ideological hostility to make a North London dinner party look tame. Below, the key drivers, from nuclear paranoia to Netanyahu’s increasingly creative approaches to job retention, with a deeper look at Iran’s creaking regime, a misfiring axis of resistance, and the global political theatre fuelling it all. ...

Welcome to Fungolia, a fictional European nation best known for producing bureaucrats with severe stationery addictions, national holidays dedicated to committee meetings, and the invention of the “Mutually Suspicious Cooperation Accord” (which mostly involved not poisoning each other’s water supply). In Fungolia, difference isn’t just tolerated, it’s enshrined in law, embossed in gold, and swiftly ignored in practice. This article is about unity. Not the fluffy kind that fits neatly on a banner at a protest you forget to attend, but the kind you earn by wading through the muck of genuine difference. In a Europe increasingly divided by wealth, history, ideology, and the collective trauma of having to agree on cheese standards, the idea of unity can feel more like a punchline than a plan. ...

About the Broomstick Welcome to The Broomstick Brief, a blog for those who suspect that the world isn’t quite as rational, peaceful, or democratic as advertised. This is a space for untangling complexity, lifting the curtain on technocratic waffle, and occasionally poking polite fun at the collapsing scaffolding of late-stage capitalism. Here you’ll find long-form analysis, speculative scenarios, and the odd broom closet of critical thought, sweeping through the mess of geopolitics, information warfare, climate collapse, digital security, and the bureaucratic inertia that enables it all. ...