Sad Realities but Plenty of Reason to Hope As Russia’s Escalatory Ukraine Invasion Enters Third Year

The U.S. was Ukraine’s strongest ally until Trump MAGA Republicans began blocking aid, resulting in Ukraine struggling in ways not…

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The Real Context News Podcast #12: Rula Jebreal—Palestinian Journalist, Analyst, & Author—on Palestine and Israel

By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981, YouTube)  January 6, 2024 (recorded December 29, 2023 intro/conclusion recorded January 5, 2024); see Brian’s other coverage the…

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The Real Context News Podcast #10: Journalist Noga Tarnopolsky on Israel’s 2 Wars: One vs. Hamas & One vs. Netanyahu

By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981, YouTube)  December 26, 2023 (recorded December 17, intro/conclusion recorded December 25); see Brian’s other coverage the…

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The Lord of the Rings, Israel, and Palestine: Reflections of the Gaza-Hamas War in Tolkien

From Jenin to Jerusalem, from Kibbutz Be’eri to Al-Shifa Hospital, how Tolkien’s tale evokes the horrors of war but also…

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Facts, Context Don’t Care About Your Narrative: Gaza Hospital Edition

I believed one thing at first. As more information came in, I let the facts and context guide me and…

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6 Steps for Israel to Take to Still Win, but with Far Better Outcomes for Itself and Gaza

A catastrophe at a hospital, regardless of its cause, highlights the need for careful, not rash action, on the part…

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The 9/11 and 10/7 Analogy for the Israel-Hamas War: Why It Both Does and Does Not Fit

An imperfect comparison is still an instructive one By Brian E. Frydenborg (Twitter @bfry1981, LinkedIn, Facebook, Substack with exclusive informal content, my Linktree…

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There Is No “Stalemate” In Ukraine: Ukraine Still Winning, Russia Still Losing

Slow but steady progress is just that, not a “stalemate,” and the dynamics still overwhelmingly favor Ukraine (Russian/Русский перевод; Если вы…

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If You Want to Support Israel, Call Out Its Apartheid in the West Bank

Siding with Israel when it is clearly wrong does not make you a friend, it makes you an enabler, and…

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From Orwell in Spain to Trump and Putin: Orwell as Antidote to Stalinism and Fascism, Then and Now

From Stalinist show-trials in Spain to Jim Jordan’s Judiciary Committee, history is repeating itself and it is terrifying as Trump,…

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The Post-Putin World Will Be So Much Better than This One

Imagining a post-Putin world is not as hard as many would think and would be better for everyone, including Russia…

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Offensive Smensive: 8 Reasons Why Russia’s Expected Offensive Cannot Succeed

Enough with the “Russian offensive” hype.  Whatever the Kremlin manages to stitch together in the coming weeks and months, there…

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