David Harvey: Above the Parapet

Prefiero morir de pie que vivir de rodillas - Better to die on your feet than live on your knees

Mark Carney, the Canadia Prime Minister, made an interesting and well-publicised speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.

His theme was on the importance of being open and honest about widely accepted beliefs we all know to be at least “partially false”. He urged middle-nations to call out the cosy view of the “rules-based international order” which is routinely abused by the powerful.

David Harvey: Power Shifts and the Rules Based Order

The Illusion of Certainty in International Affairs

In contemporary international affairs, the “rules‑based international order” usually refers to the post‑1945, largely Western‑led system of institutions, norms, and practices that seek to structure state behaviour through agreed rules rather than raw power or ad hoc deals. The term is politically contested and not synonymous with positive international law, even though it heavily draws on, and often claims the legitimacy of, the UN Charter system and wider treaty and customary frameworks.