Foreign and security policyThe zombification of America A post-American world? Apparently not so bad after all. The collapse of the world order is going much better than expected By Stephen Marche
Democracy and societyThe America that broke my mother’s heart The times when a communal creative introspection swept across the US have long gone — to the detriment of us all By Yanis Varoufakis
Economy and ecologyCapitalism’s creature For 250 years, the market economy promised ever-greater progress at the expense of morality. Turns out that is not what Adam Smith had in mind By Antara Haldar
Democracy and societyStacked atlas Trump is having constituencies redrawn to preserve his majority. Yet it is highly doubtful whether his plan will succeed By Antonia Herzinger
Foreign and security policyMore ships, more missiles, more power? The US failure in Iran exposes the limits of power. But it also shows a deeper loss of moral and leadership capital that may be harder to recover By Dan Smith
Democracy and societyAn (a)political World Cup Trump is dreaming of a fairy-tale summer. But war, repression and travel bans could cast a shadow over the football tournament By René Wildangel
Future of social democracyThe myth of the deserving billionaire While the rich get the benefit of every doubt, the poor are viewed as requiring discipline. Why? By Teresa Ghilarducci
Foreign and security policyThe art of war — but scratch the art The May summit between Xi and Trump is shaping up to be a historic mismatch between a long-term strategist and a false prophet touting his successes By Stephen S. Roach
Democracy and societyThe quiet power of protest songs When a song keeps us awake at night or forces us to question our own comfort, that is already a form of political work By Georgiana Banita
Work and digitalisationLaughter as an antidote to despair The brutal reality of ICE spurs political resistance in the US — including online. Memes like #iceonice have become a form of empowerment By Hanna Kirchberger
The good, the bad and the unchanged A different government in Israel could bring some relief for Palestinians. But a political solution remains nowhere in sight
Japan’s feminist reckoning In World War II, the Japanese Army forced women and girls into sexual slavery. With ‘Me too’ gaining momentum, it’s time to reckon with the past
Less hype, more power? In an age of AI anxiety, Europe’s obsession with rules may become a rare strategic advantage