As attritional wars harden in the world today, nuclear restraint is fraying — risking a shift from deterrence to mutually assured destruction to collective annihilation. The trajectory is portentous. M.K.Sudarshan Origins of deterrenceSince Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the logic of safety through threat has governed great‑power strategy. Watching the United States end the Second World WarContinue reading “The Last Taboo: Restoring Nuclear Restraint Before It’s Too Late”
Tag Archives: History
My interview with Colonel Douglas Macgregor on his book “Margin of Victory” (2015) and the ongoing US-Iran War
Sudarshan: Col. Douglas Macgregor, thank you for joining me to discuss your book Margin of Victory. I’ve read it cover-to-cover—it’s fascinating, especially the Conclusions chapter with its lessons for American military and foreign policy in the ongoing war against Iran. If you were to be interviewed on the book, what conversations and questions should oneContinue reading “My interview with Colonel Douglas Macgregor on his book “Margin of Victory” (2015) and the ongoing US-Iran War”
The colonial mindset of the Editors of UK’s ‘The Economist’ needs fresh lessons in Indian History
As usual, the UK Economist peddles once again in its columns a perversely colonialist perspective on Indian History. Will some learned Indian historian please impart to these washed up editors of this fossilised imperialistic relic of British journalism, fresh lessons in understanding the nuances of Indian History and Culture? The Economist suggests that there areContinue reading “The colonial mindset of the Editors of UK’s ‘The Economist’ needs fresh lessons in Indian History”
The Arc of a Brave New 22nd Century World… the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Bible – Part 3 (CONCLUDED)
Confronted with such a pattern, it is unsurprising that two great scriptures of the world — one recent in history, and the other very ancient — the Bible and the Bhagavad Gītā speak not in the language of dispassionate geopolitics, but in the idiom of divine justice and cosmic rectification. It is cruel irony, perhaps,Continue reading “The Arc of a Brave New 22nd Century World… the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Bible – Part 3 (CONCLUDED)”
The Moving Arc and the “One‑Tenthers” – Part 2 of 3
If the arc can be read as a product of resources and strategic geography, it can also be read as a mirror of power asymmetry. Throughout most of human history, the making of the arc’s fate has been reserved for what I call the “One‑Tenthers”—the small minority of great‑power states, imperial elites, and ruling‑class networksContinue reading “The Moving Arc and the “One‑Tenthers” – Part 2 of 3”
The Arc of Human Sorrow – Part 1 of 3
I. The Arc of Human Sorrow in the World If one were to trace, on a single map, the heaviest concentration of war, pillage, and displacement across human history, the line would run from Libya through Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Persia—an arc that has, for millennia, been less a geographical accident than a structuralContinue reading “The Arc of Human Sorrow – Part 1 of 3”
How to make sense of Bibi-Trump’s meaningless two wars on Iran
After I heard President Donald Trump’s April 7, 2026, Truth Social post laying bare the stakes for Iran and the whole world: “A whole civilization [will] die tonight never to [be] brought back… complete demolition by 12 o’clock… over a period of four hours”, I for one even in faraway Chennai, India couldn’t help feelingContinue reading “How to make sense of Bibi-Trump’s meaningless two wars on Iran”
The “Demon” that has caught America, Israel and the Arab GCC states with their pants down
For more than seven decades, American grand strategy toward Iran has been guided by a single, narrowing obsession: how to secure U.S. access to oil and gas in Iran and the broader Central Asian energy belt. From the 1953 coup against Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh to the present crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington’s gazeContinue reading “The “Demon” that has caught America, Israel and the Arab GCC states with their pants down”
What is present population size of Ayyangars? And how large is the size of the “Vadakalai” subsect?
Recently, some friends of mine on a WhatsApp group were engaged in chatter while discussing comparative Jain community population versus Ayyangar community size. Although , the Jains represent a religious minority while Ayyangars represent a Hindu sect , the lively discussion continued nevertheless. My views stated during the discussions were as follows : Ayyangars areContinue reading “What is present population size of Ayyangars? And how large is the size of the “Vadakalai” subsect?”
Here’s why PM Modi remains mum on the ongoing Us-Israel War against Iran
https://youtu.be/LfGcX4XuZ5A?si=eI-TrBmS3Dw3JFoO The above video discusses the Middle East’s reaction to Iran’s attacks and the US’s role in the region. It is a very sober and sagacious assessment. It’s America that is the real villain of the piece here . It’s very clear what the larger American imperial strategic game here is : 1. The targetContinue reading “Here’s why PM Modi remains mum on the ongoing Us-Israel War against Iran”