Down The Line

Recognition of Palestinian State: Symbolism or Real Change?

Recognition of Palestinian State: Symbolism or Real Change?

After more than 65,000 deaths and Gaza’s collapse into famine and ruin, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal have formally recognized Palestine. Their move breaks decades of Western policy consensus, signaling a potential turning point in the conflict, but with strict conditions and fierce Israeli opposition, the future remains deeply uncertain.

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Trump’s H1B Policy: Consequences for India

Trump’s H1B Policy: Consequences for India

A new Trump executive order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H1B visas marks more than a shift in U.S. immigration policy, it is a geopolitical act with lasting consequences. While American firms may adapt, India faces structural damage.

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Bagram: The Empire’s Airfield

Bagram: The Empire’s Airfield

Bagram Airbase was the nerve center of America’s two-decade war in Afghanistan and a unique strategic vantage point at the crossroads of South, Central, and West Asia. Its loss created a void in US power projection that over-the-horizon operations cannot fill.

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The Illusion of the Street: Why Uprisings Rarely Deliver Real Change

The Illusion of the Street: Why Uprisings Rarely Deliver Real Change

From the Arab Spring to Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya, street revolutions have ignited extraordinary hope, toppling entrenched rulers and inspiring global headlines. But history shows a harsher truth: these uprisings rarely deliver the transformation they promise. Once the euphoria fades, fractured coalitions give way to elite capture, military takeovers, or outright collapse. Without resilient institutions, the energy of the streets is easily co-opted, leaving ordinary citizens facing the same injustices under new faces.

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The Making of an Enemy: The Taliban’s Narrative War Against Pakistan

The Making of an Enemy: The Taliban’s Narrative War Against Pakistan

The Taliban’s hostility toward Pakistan is not confined to isolated voices. Rooted in religious narratives that brand Islamabad as “un-Islamic” and reinforced by incendiary speeches and propaganda, this rhetoric fosters deep mistrust. While official representatives preach cooperation, commanders and ideologues openly glorify conflict, creating a dangerous contradiction between diplomacy and reality.

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