Summer 2026
Summer 2026
Power Play
Essays
The Digital Silk Road and Africa’s Connectivity Future
Africa is a continent still waiting to not only have access to the internet but to the knowledge, tools, and institutional capacity to shape its own technological future.
The Arrogance and Limits of American Power in the Latest Gulf War
With waning confidence in American influence and power to maintain peace in the region, Arab middle powers are moving toward a security equation characterized by multi-lateralism and regional defence pacts.
The War over Wartime Narratives
Three information ecosystems are interacting to reshape narrative control of global conflicts: states, influencers, and autonomous AI systems.
The New Gulf Realignments: Saudi-UAE Competition and the Evolution of Regional Order
The GCC is transforming, and the relationship between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi is guiding the change.
The Iran War and the Limits of Great Power
As American military power and Chinese geoeconomics fall short, regional players are searching for greater agency.
Libya’s Managed Chaos: Why the ‘Failed State’ Narrative is a Lie
For over a decade, international commentary on Libya has been trapped in a patronizing loop. It’s time to emerge from that narrative.
Europe’s Credibility Crisis in the Middle East
Europe talks about rules but follows power. When power shifts, Europe shifts with it, belatedly and uncertainly.
Will Washington and Beijing Nationalize AI Labs?
Both countries are increasing government oversight on artificial intelligence, but whether (or when) they enact total state control depends on their own perceptions of risk and potential leaps in AI development.
One Alliance, Two Wars: Why Israel and America Diverge on Iran
While strategically interdependent, their ambitions and long-term mapping of Iran strategy do deviate, ultimately drawing red lines between them
Podcasts
The Case for Soft Power and the Enterprise Fund Model—with James Harmon & Cornelius Queen: CR Amplified ep. 10
What’s a better geopolitical strategy—force, or finance? James Harmon and Cornelius Queen join CR Amplified to discuss how business can be an alternative to hard power for Washington.
The Axis of Resistance and Shifting Gulf Alliances—with Dr. Hamidreza Azizi: CR Amplified ep. 9
How has the recent U.S.-Israel war on Iran shifted the balance of power in the Middle East? Dr. Hamidreza Azizi joins CR Amplified to discuss the restructuring of the Axis of Resistance, the fracturing alliances of the Gulf States, and Iran’s long-term strategy for regional deterrence