I remember my good old college days. I was studying for a multidisciplinary degree in arts and literature, with a minor in theater. This gave me the freedom to learn about the art of Commedia dell’Arte and its masked characters.
Today, when I see a politician like Donald Trump, I can’t help but associate him with the most famous character of Commedia dell’Arte, Pulcinella. Based on the appearance of his mask, it is said that he was a liar, at times cruel, and kept the most scabrous secrets to himself underneath the mask. A sly bastard, one might say!
If it took ages before Trump finally boasted about the benefits of wearing a mask and actually wore one in public, after thousands of deaths caused by COVID-19 under his management, could this actually be because his face was already masked?
The Beijing summit did not produce a major agreement between the great powers on the region, but it firmly established that Middle Eastern crises are now deeply tied to the great-power dialogue.
During the Cold War, the United States occupied the apex of this triangular dynamic, pitting China and the USSR against each other. Today, it is Beijing that occupies that apex.
A summit that would normally send a reassuring message ... faces total uncertainty thanks to the weakness of the United States. The only person to blame for this is Trump.
The Beijing summit did not produce a major agreement between the great powers on the region, but it firmly established that Middle Eastern crises are now deeply tied to the great-power dialogue.
During the Cold War, the United States occupied the apex of this triangular dynamic, pitting China and the USSR against each other. Today, it is Beijing that occupies that apex.