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Is Realpolitik Fundamentally Incompatible with Relational Ethics?

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  The tension between realpolitik and relational ethics appears, at first glance, irreconcilable. Realpolitik prioritizes power, survival, and strategic advantage in an anarchic international system. Relational ethics—such as those articulated through Ubuntu—prioritize mutual dignity, interdependence, and accountability. One framework is often described as pragmatic and unsentimental; the other as moral and communitarian. Yet the question requires analytical precision. Are these paradigms structurally incompatible? Or do they operate at different levels of statecraft, capable of partial integration under certain conditions? To answer this, we must first clarify the philosophical foundations of each. 1. The Core Logic of Realpolitik Realpolitik emerged from European statecraft traditions, often associated with figures like Otto von Bismarck and later theorized by thinkers such as Hans Morgenthau . It rests on several premises: The international system is anarchic (no central auth...
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When Powerful States Promote Democracy Abroad, How Often Do Strategic Interests Override Democratic Consistency?

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  Powerful states frequently present democracy promotion as a cornerstone of their foreign policy. Speeches, strategic doctrines, and development frameworks from actors such as the United States and the European Union emphasize rule of law, multiparty elections, human rights, and accountable governance as universal norms. Yet the historical record reveals persistent tension between these normative commitments and geopolitical priorities. The central issue is not whether strategic interests override democratic consistency occasionally—they clearly do—but how systematically this occurs, under what conditions, and why . 1. The Structural Tension: Idealism vs. Realism Foreign policy operates within a realist international system characterized by power competition, security dilemmas, and economic interdependence. Even governments ideologically committed to democratic values must navigate: Military alliances Energy security Counterterrorism cooperation Trade and investment f...
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ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) Innovation Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Unfashionable-

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  The narrative surrounding transportation today is dominated by electric vehicles (EVs). Headlines proclaim the death of the internal combustion engine (ICE), automakers pledge billions to electrification, and policymakers frame ICE vehicles as relics of a polluting past. The conventional wisdom is clear: the internal combustion engine is obsolete, destined to fade as batteries, software, and renewable grids take over. Yet anyone who looks beyond hype will see that ICE innovation is far from dead . Engineers, researchers, and automakers around the world continue to refine, reinvent, and optimize internal combustion technology. The difference is one of perception, not capability: ICE is unfashionable, not finished . Its decline in public attention masks ongoing progress that could keep ICE relevant for decades—particularly in regions, sectors, and use cases where EV adoption is slow or impractical. 1. The Misleading Narrative of Obsolescence The story of ICE’s demise is largely sha...
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Could Investment in Machine Tools Reduce Africa’s Reliance on Imported Finished Goods and Save Foreign Exchange?

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  Africa has often been described as a continent rich in resources but poor in manufactured wealth. Despite possessing abundant minerals, energy, and agricultural resources, African economies remain heavily dependent on imports of finished goods—from cars and industrial machinery to household appliances and medical equipment. This dependence drains foreign exchange reserves, worsens trade deficits, and keeps Africa in a subordinate position within the global economy. At the heart of this problem lies the absence of a strong machine tool industry . Machine tools—the lathes, milling machines, grinders, presses, and computer-controlled machining systems that produce parts for all other machines—are often called the “mother industry” because they enable the production of nearly every manufactured item. Without them, Africa remains dependent on external suppliers for industrial goods. The central question is: Can investment in machine tools help Africa reduce its reliance on imported f...
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Is Rwanda’s Industrial Policy Focused More on Optics or Long-Term Capability Building?

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  The Rwanda Question- Rwanda occupies a unique position in African development discourse. It is widely cited as a model of governance discipline, policy coherence, and reform speed. Its industrial policy is often praised for clarity, ambition, and execution capacity—particularly when contrasted with policy fragmentation elsewhere on the continent. Industrial parks, special economic zones, “Made in Rwanda” branding, investment forums, and global partnerships all project an image of a country methodically building an industrial future. But this visibility raises a legitimate analytical question: Is Rwanda’s industrial policy primarily about optics—signaling modernity, competence, and investor-friendliness—or is it genuinely constructing deep, long-term industrial capabilities? The answer is not binary. Rwanda’s policy contains both elements—but the balance between them reveals important structural tensions. 1. What “Optics” Means in an Industrial Policy Context Optics does not mea...
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What Structural Reforms Are Most Urgent for Ethiopia’s Next Decade?

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  Ethiopia enters the next decade at a decisive inflection point. Two decades of state-led, infrastructure-driven growth delivered substantial physical transformation and periods of rapid expansion. Yet the limits of this model are now visible: mounting debt pressures, foreign exchange shortages, low productivity, fragile exports, institutional strain, and persistent political instability. The question is no longer whether Ethiopia needs reform, but which reforms matter most, in what order, and why . Structural reform is not a generic checklist. For Ethiopia, urgency must be defined by constraints that threaten macroeconomic stability, employment creation, and national cohesion. This essay argues that Ethiopia’s next decade hinges on five interlinked reform pillars : export capacity and productivity, state and SOE reform, financial and foreign exchange reform, private sector empowerment, and institutional governance. Without progress across these areas, growth will remain vulnerabl...
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