Welcome to Power & Pattern

Politics, security and moral dilemmas

Feb 28, 2025

A Neuron — Photo by Amos from Stockphotos.com on Unsplash

Welcome to Power & Pattern, a newsletter delivering in-depth analysis of how historical patterns shape global politics today. I'm excited you're here as we explore the complex forces that drive international relations, power dynamics, and strategic decision-making.

Why This Newsletter Exists

In today's fast-moving news cycle, we're often presented with political choices framed as inevitable outcomes. From currency crises to trade wars, resource conflicts to defense policies, there's a tendency to portray political decisions as natural laws rather than what they truly are: choices made by human actors with specific interests.

Power & Pattern exists to examine these dynamics, looking beyond headlines to identify deeper patterns in how power operates in our interconnected world. We'll explore how economic and political forces intertwine, how moral frameworks clash with practical outcomes, and how historical precedents inform current events.

My Analytical Approach

My analysis is built around some core principles:

Connecting historical patterns to current events. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme. By examining historical parallels like the connections between Vietnam peace negotiations and current Ukraine diplomacy, we can better anticipate future developments and recognize the structural patterns that shape international relations.

Looking for the gap between claims and actions. Political actors often say one thing while doing another. By examining this gap, we can better understand true motivations and constraints between public diplomatic statements and actual strategic choices in public forums like the Munich Security Conference.

Revealing how theater and performance shape international relations. Modern diplomacy increasingly functions as performance for multiple audiences. I analyze how public spectacle and staged confrontations—rather than private negotiations—are becoming the primary vehicles for international policy shifts.

Examining how technical and security decisions mask political preferences. What gets presented as technical necessity or security imperative is often a political choice in disguise. From fighter jet procurement to nuclear deterrence strategies, I unpack how seemingly objective decisions reflect underlying political calculations and power dynamics.

Analyzing the strategic consequences of institutional transformation. As organizations like NATO and the Munich Security Conference evolve from their original purposes, I examine how these transformations create new dynamics and vulnerabilities in the international system.

What You Can Expect

Each week, you'll receive comprehensive analysis that connects historical examples to current events, challenging conventional narratives about how power operates in our interconnected world.

Content Focus: Thorough examinations of global politics, historical analysis, and moral dilemmas in international relations.

Publishing Schedule: New posts every Tuesday/Wednesday morning, with each piece providing substantial analysis (approximately 10-15 minutes of reading time).

Style: Professional yet accessible, embracing complexity with rigorous framework-based analysis. Rather than simplifying international relations, I explore the tensions, contradictions, and nuanced patterns that drive global events.

Community Engagement

This newsletter isn't meant to be a one-way conversation. Give me your thoughts, challenges, and alternative perspectives in the comments section. The most interesting insights often emerge from thoughtful dialogue, and I'm expecting substantive feedback.

If a particular topic interests you or if you have suggestions for future analyses, please don't hesitate to share them. While I can't respond to every suggestion, I do read and consider all feedback.

Power & Pattern