Niccolò Machiavelli
The case for realism
We should be pessimistic about the possibility of change
Speak softly and carry a big stick
A prudent fear of the unpredictability of war has been the touchstone of realist thinkers
Encouraging evil for the common good
Mansfield does not condemn him: rather refreshingly he exhilarates in Machiavelli’s genius
Rough statecraft
Biden’s Machiavellian moment
Most Read
Gary Stevenson is wrong about wealth taxes
The popular economist is irritating, but more importantly he is mistaken
Tame Impala fails to impress
unconquered by a
taste of Crusader food
Why they hated Ann Widdecombe
Fair-minded people could agree or disagree with her opinions. Left-wing bigots hated her for not abandoning them
Ethnic minorities are abandoning Labour
It is not just Muslim voters who have been abandoning the Labour Party
How to fix the economy
A repentant ex-financial trader tells all
Labour’s Gagging Acts
Labour is taking inspiration from Pitt the Younger when it comes to curbing speech
Homage to Zaporizhia and Sumy
Horror continues in Ukraine — but the tide could be turning
What has Labour learned?
Pinning the failures of the government on Keir Starmer alone will not work
Andy Burnham’s devolution delusions
Think central government is the only problem? Look around you
Haskel’s challenge
Andy Burnham does not have much time to kickstart growth
The vague vision of Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer was competent but directionless on foreign policy
The artist formerly known as Nero
The life and death of Rome’s last Julio-Claudian emperor revealed every Roman fear about the dangers of one-man rule
Sometimes look on the bright side of life
We should welcome the more culturally affirmative moments of pessimistic and condemnatory commentators
Against Northernism
“Northernism” is a superficial form of cultural branding, not a serious political project
Today Havering, tomorrow Westminster
The local elections exposed a political class united mainly by its inability to feel embarrassment
The myth of banned books
If transgression is fun and easy, it is probably not transgressive