In times of upheaval, many books emerge addressing significant geopolitical and historical themes. Noteworthy titles include Hal Brands’ exploration of Eurasian geopolitics and Claudio Lomnitz’s analysis of Mexico’s dual realities. Robert Kaplan’s pessimistic insights mirror the Weimar Republic, highlighting the fragility of democracy, while Timothy W. Ryback details Hitler’s rise without popular support.
Sometimes societies become so used to certain outbreaks of violence that they lose sight of what they really represent. We name the events lightly, soften concepts, or reduce them to convenient explanations. But in doing so, we also dilute our ability to understand the true scope of what we are facing. When a government refuses to call terrorism what—by definition—is terrorism, it ends up defenseless against those who have decided to use fear as a tool of power.
Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics for their contributions to understanding economic growth through “creative destruction.” Their work clarified how innovation transforms markets, enhancing productivity and well-being, while emphasizing the necessity for continuous renewal as a driver of societal advancement and economic resilience.
ith less than four weeks to go before we bid farewell to 2025—amidst the fury, the din, the missiles, and the drones—it is inevitable that we pause and take stock of how, in our political and social sphere, we will close out the year. Now that the first quarter of the century is over, we understand that we are not living in exceptional circumstances. Each period leading up to the world wars was unique in its time, yet they all shared the same air of menace.
Any analysis of López Obrador’s book “Grandeza” (Greatness) must start from its essentially political and ideological nature, rather than as an academic historical review. It is a text written based on assumptions about the past to explain and defend his vision of the present. López Obrador’s book is a gem for studying how a man imbued with Judeo-Christian values seeks to twist the human experience to fit his very particular vision of the universe and the humanity that inhabits it.
The text discusses Mexico’s struggle to achieve sustained economic growth since the mid-20th century, emphasizing the failures of successive governments. It highlights the paradox of Mexico as both prosperous and stagnant, attributing this to neglect of critical infrastructure and effective governance. Political conflicts further hinder needed reforms.
In 2023, journalists uncovered “Team Jorge,” an Israeli company manipulating elections worldwide, claiming to have influenced 33 elections. Led by Tal Hanan, the firm employed a vast network of digital avatars for disinformation. The investigation revealed the persistent threat of digital manipulation, highlighting the evolving landscape of political influence.
When Thomas Hobbes wrote Leviathan in 1651, he offered a warning that still resonates: chaos is humanity’s natural state (“solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”), and order must be built—and rebuilt—by legitimate authority. A government that cannot guarantee security loses its right to rule.
The Iranian clerical revolution in 1979 led to a US embassy hostage crisis, impacting Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Steve Bannon, involved in military operations, later became a significant figure linking right-wing populism to traditionalist thought. He critiques modernity, promotes nationalist policies, and influences the Trump movement through media and ideologies rooted in religious and historical cycles.
The content reflects on Mexico’s complex relationship with revolution, contrasting its cultural reverence with historical failures observed globally. It critiques the current administration’s approach, highlighting stagnation in economic growth, education, and increasing violence and corruption. The author calls for an evolution in societal progress rather than celebrating revolutionary myths.