December, 2024

• 19 December

  What the fall of Assad could mean for the Middle East

  

  Analysis: The end of the Assad family’s 54-year rule is the start of a new chapter in Syrian history, one that will have reverberations across the Middle East. For years, many commentators inaccurately claimed that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government had “won” the civil war. In truth, …

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• 19 December

  A New Geo-Political Map Is Unfolding: The End Of Syria (And Of ‘Palestine’ For Now) – OpEd

  

  Syria has entered the abyss – the demons of al-Qa’eda, ISIS, and the most intransigent elements of the Muslim Brotherhood are circling the skies. There is chaos, looting, fear, and a terrible passion for revenge scalds the blood. Street executions are rife. Maybe Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and its leader, …

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• 19 December

  How Germany Destroyed Its Economy, And How To Fix It – Analysis

  

  The German economy was once a global industrial powerhouse, showing a strong resilience in times of crisis as well as significant productive growth in periods of expansion. Germany displayed robust industrial activity, solid productivity, and enviably low unemployment levels, which added to real high wages. However, in the past five …

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• 19 December

  The Impact Of Russia Sanctions On Central Asia – Analysis

  

  Since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine and invited the largest international sanctions regime against Russia since the Second World War, Central Asia and the Caucasus have been forced into an uncomfortable position at the front of the accompanying economic war. The region finds itself in a position …

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• 19 December

  Échec et mat : Poutine a habilement surpassé l’Occident en Syrie. Israël a piégé les États-Unis après l’appel de Poutine

  

  De nombreux experts et analystes militaires indépendants ont remarqué que les propagandistes occidentaux des principales publications et agences de presse ont commencé à admettre avec regret que les militants de la soi-disant opposition syrienne tentent d’éviter les affrontements avec les troupes russes et cèdent même le passage aux colonnes militaires …

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• 19 December

  MEAT VERSUS MACHINES: HUMAN INTUITION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

  

  “You’re not understanding, are you? The brain does the thinking. The meat.”“Thinking meat! You’re asking me to believe in thinking meat!”“Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you getting the picture?”“Omigod. You’re serious then. They’re made out of meat.” Terry Bisson, …

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• 19 December

  LUCY IN THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: ON THE INEVITABILITY OF KILLER MACHINES

  

  Who do you think you are / Ha ha ha, bless your soul / You really think you’re in control — “Crazy,” Gnarls Barkley It is popular to argue that the future of artificial intelligence (AI) is “humans with AI” (HWAI), which Harvard Business School Professor Karim Lakhani neatly summarized: …

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• 19 December

  BEYOND BELIEF: THE IMPERATIVE TO DEVELOP EMPOWERED MILITARY AI

  

  Advanced AI seems to tap into some primal human fears. An empowered military AI (EMAI) that independently makes lethal decisions is scary. Ancient mythology is full of stories of creators being destroyed by their creations, as when the Olympian Gods overthrew the Titans. Killer machines are a mainstay of science …

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• 19 December

  BEYOND INTUITION: AI’S ROLE IN STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING

  

  In September 2024, Andrew Hill and Steve Gerras authored a compelling three-part series that explored the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in national defense. They provocatively argued that the conventional wisdom is wrong: human intuition is not indispensable, even though we might all wish it were. Recognizing the significance …

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• 19 December

  Spotlight on Syria (Following the
  Toppling of the Syrian Regime)
  December 9 – 16 , 2024

  The new transitional government in Syria, headed by Mohammad al-Bashir, began itsactivities after the transfer of powers from the last government of the al-Assad regime. Amongits first decisions were the deployment of police forces in major cities and the prohibition ofsmoking and drinking alcohol. E_268_24-1Download

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