Gwynne Dyer
Independent journalist
Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries. His new book is 'Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work)'.
Of plagues, genocides and the coronavirus
Last Sunday in the city of Baltimore, they tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus and threw it into the harbour.
Hong Kong: The 'British' 3 million
We will grant BNOs five years' limited leave to remain [in the United Kingdom], with the right to work or study," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the UK parliament on July 1. "After five years, they will be able to apply for settled status. After a further 12 month with settled status, they will be able to apply for citizenship."
Motive behind Russian vote is anyone's guess
'The very existence of an opportunity for the current president (to be re-elected in 2024), given his major gravitas, would be a stabilising factor for our society," said Valentina Tereshkova, former Soviet cosmonaut, first woman in space, and now, at 83, a member of the Russian Duma (parliament).
Look at history, Syrian sanctions won't end war
Last week the US imposed new sanctions on Syria: a "sustained campaign of economic and political pressure" to end the nine-year war by forcing President Bashar al-Assad to UN-brokered peace talks where he would negotiate his departure from power. Mr Assad's wife was already cross about not being able to shop at Harrod's or Bergdorf Goodman, so he should crumble any day now.
China ambush in Himalayas threatens peace
Never bring a knife to a gunfight, the saying goes, but China does it differently. It brings clubs.
Bolsonaro's pandemic response may be a winner
What do you do if you are in charge of dealing with the pandemic and the number of deaths is getting out of control?
Fear at the root of America's race problem
It's been a bad week in the United States: six nights of protests, huge anger, rioting and looting in 50 cities, hundreds arrested or injured -- but only six dead over the police murder of George Floyd. The number may have gone up by the time you read this, but it's definitely not 1968 again.
What the virus is telling us about climate change
Human beings respond well to a crisis that is familiar, especially if it is also imminent. They don't do nearly as well when the threat is unfamiliar and still apparently quite distant. Consider our response to the current coronavirus threat.
What went wrong in Hong Kong?
'We are the meat on the chopping board," said Martin Lee, founder of Hong Kong's Democratic Party. "They have set a precedent for Beijing to legislate on Hong Kong's behalf." Or as Dennis Kwok, a former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, put it rather more succinctly: "This is the end of Hong Kong."
Will Covid-19 bring basic income?
The First World War speeded up the emancipation of women; the Second World War led to the creation of welfare states in all the industrialised countries. What great change will the coronavirus crisis bring us?