Category Archives: Saudi Arabia

A Twofer from Gwynne Dyer: Bibi & Hamas – “Objective Allies”? And Argentina’s Vicious Circle Election

The frog, the scorpion and Hamas

Gwynne Dyer – Nov 16, 2023

Stop me if you’ve heard this story before. Or rather, don’t, because it’s relevant to the current situation, and we have to bring the people who don’t know the story up to speed first.

It’s about a frog, doing whatever it is that frogs do on the banks of the Jordan River. Along comes a scorpion, and asks the frog for a lift across to the other side. The frog demurs, pointing out that the scorpion might sting him. Continue reading A Twofer from Gwynne Dyer: Bibi & Hamas – “Objective Allies”? And Argentina’s Vicious Circle Election

Is the Petroleum Profit Party Really About to End? Two Oil Countries Are Making Their Bets — And an Extra about The Other Washington

I. Guyana: Oil, Time & Money

Gwynne Dyer — Sept. 18, 2023

Guyana is not a ‘hellhole country’ of the sort Donald Trump complained about when he said he wanted immigrants to come to the US from white places like Norway instead, but it did used to be poor, tropical and largely populated by people of colour.

Continue reading Is the Petroleum Profit Party Really About to End? Two Oil Countries Are Making Their Bets — And an Extra about The Other Washington

Gwynne Dyer: The Secret Life of BRICS

What’s BRICs? Does it Amount to Anything?

Gwynne Dyer, August 31, 2023

What’s BRICs? Does it Amount to Anything?


YOU can expand the curious organisation called the BRICS, but you can’t define it. In fact, it’s hardly even an organisation: no headquarters, no secretariat. Even the (British) Commonwealth and la Francophonie have more substance: at least they share a former oppressor. Yet the BRICS are expanding.

Continue reading Gwynne Dyer: The Secret Life of BRICS

Garrison Keillor: Won’t Play Oman

Garrison Keillor

I had blurry vision for a couple years and found it hard to read the newspaper and then an ophthalmologist at Mayo did a three-minute painless laser procedure and a few days later I could read the paper, no problem, clear as day, and also watch a ball game on TV and keep track of the triple as it caromed off the right field wall. Continue reading Garrison Keillor: Won’t Play Oman