Shaukat Qadir

The globe was now in the throes of an economy dependent on war. And theorists knew that war-making, diplomacy and economies are cooked in the same cauldron but, the cauldron cooks out oodles for the rich and rich states; and fleshless bone and rotten vegetables for the poor and poor states. Weapons of Mass Destruction, […]

The war was finally over; or was it? Let me reiterate that this series is a study of Economics, which includes Political Economics. However, Political Economics emerged from the use, or threat of the use of, force; and is evolving alongside developments in the use of force and/or the threat of it; and because the […]

By early 1945, it was clear that the war was all but over. It was merely a matter of time. Both principal opponents, Germany and Japan were on the run. In the Pacific, Gen Macarthur had returned, as he promised when he left. And, was swiftly clearing remnants of areas still held by the Japanese. […]

On September 1 1939, Hitler blew the whistle and turned loose the Dogs of War. The juggernaut which was reputed to be unstoppable, more than lived up to its expected capabilities. By end May 1940 German forces had all but completed the capture of France. The British Expeditionary Force, BEF, in France tucked tail and […]

At the Treaty of Versailles, Germany and the German peoples were humiliated. Exceedingly so. They suffered in silence but, they desperately needed to restore their pride in themselves. Adolf Hitler, a corporal and a decorated veteran of WW 1, understood this fact. Hitler was also a gifted orator and capitalized on this as well. He […]

So we have concluded that wars were invariably fought for economic benefits but, the World Wars, also known as “the war to end all war” truly changed the game. Not the result, that stayed the same; the exploitable continued to be exploited. But the game began to be played with new rules, and more subtly, […]

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor for almost two decades, ending 180 A.D. is not as well-known to us, as Julius Caesar, who predeceased Aurelius by a few generations; although Aurelius may have more reason to fame. Aurelius, also known as the last of the “Five Good Emperors”, was a man of diverse gifts. A philosopher of […]

Wars are a pandemic that have scourged the world since the beginning of time. Having been a professional soldier for most of my life, I can testify to the ravages and futility of wars; and yet these are, and will remain ceaseless. Let me reiterate that, all wars are fought on the [ostensible] purpose of […]

Once again, Peace, War, and Diplomacy appear to have only a tenuous link to out subject; but that is not quite true. Later, when we get to studying the political economy of wars, the link will become obvious. Carl Von Clausewitz, a Prussian general of the 18th century, who based almost his entire study of […]

Civics is defined as “a study of the duties and responsibilities of citizenship”. That doesn’t really seem like Political Science, does it? Civics is derived from the Latin origin, Civicus which means relating to a citizen and, more importantly, Political Science is the study of the relationship of the state with its citizens. Comprehending political […]