In the last years of the 5th century BC, Athens was on the rocks. The Peloponnesian War against Sparta had been rumbling on since 431 BC. In 414 BC, the Athenians planned a bold offensive against Sicily. Before the navy departed, however, two outrages occurred. First, there were rumors that a religious cult, the Eleusinian Mysteries, had been profaned. Second, a shocking act of religious vandalism occurred — sculptures of the god Hermes, hundreds of which stood around Athens as protectors of thresholds, were hacked and mutilated. These were unpropitious omens for the Sicilian expedition: It ended in defeat for Athens, with almost the entire navy lost. In the febrile atmosphere after the mutilation of the Hermes sculptures, an anti-democratic conspiracy was feared and the charismatic, handsome and desperately unreliable aristocrat and military commander Alcibiades was blamed. After the Sicilian disaster, democracy was briefly overturned and replaced by an oligarchy in 411 BC. In 404 BC, after Athens’ final defeat, came the reign of terror of the Thirty Tyrants, characterized by mass killings. After a few months, democracy was restored. In 399 BC, Socrates was tried on charges of impiety and of “corrupting the youth” of Athens. Critias, one of the tyrants, had been Socrates’ pupil, as had Alcibiades. Historians and philosophers still debate how anti-democratic Socrates’ teachings were; the execution of Greece’s greatest philosopher was at least partly an act of scapegoating for the actions of the politicians whom he had educated.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.