A comparison with China Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  28.07.2025 Performance of 歌剧魅影 Phantom of the Opera in a shopping mall (Shanghai 20.05.2023, my own photo)  Social cohesion decline in the West and the role of gaslighting by elites The erosion of social cohesion in Western na ...

When language becomes a weapon The Frontier Man (Larry Johnson) 08/07/2028 Artwork: Rebellion of the Soul. The Frontier Man August 2024 This article is re-published here with the approval of the author at “Sonar21” On 5 February 2003, U.S. Secretary ...

China’s long term strategy paid off. The West never saw it coming    Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  08.07.2025 Since the turn of the 21st century, China has not merely participated in global systems shaped by Western powers; it has decisively reconfigured them. From trade gove ...

The devastating influence of having no future.     Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  01.07.2025 Losing faith in the future In many western societies, the erosion of faith in the future has become one of the defining psychological and political crises of the 21st century. E ...

How truth decays in a world of tribal narrative.     Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  23.06.2025 Trust, but verify, lessons in healthy scepticism When my father-in-law boasted of shooting 23 German soldiers in World War II, I didn’t take his word for it. Digging into archives ...

Short-term politics, media puppets, and the death of innovation.     Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  07.06.2025 The short term vision Western political and economic systems are collapsing under the weight of short-termism, media dependency, and the marginalisation of eng ...

It was high time to cut the cord and to end a toxic dependency.     Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  02.06.2025 Chinese brands, media, financial institutions and apps The Western grip: an uneasy dependence For more than two decades, I have been acutely aware of the growing ...

and no light at the end of the tunnel … guest author Jaak Peeters 26.05.2025 Glenn Diesen The Norwegian political scientist Prof. Glenn Diesen regularly brings conversations with interesting people from the West and the East. Some people take the latter amiss, because he ...

A plea for a fundamental rethink of Europe’s approach to the conflict in Ukraine. Guestauthor: Steven Arrazola de Oñate 09/05/2025 Steven Arrazola de Oñate served his country in the Belgian army.He was stationed in Kandahar (Afghanistan),an experience about which he wrote his most r ...

Chinese students, scientists, professors and researchers leaving the US en masse. Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 06.04.2025 China’s scientific rise: a new era of Chinese talent returning home In recent years, a growing number of Chinese scientists, researchers, and students have made the si ...

Whistle-blowers, dissidents, and exiles fighting for free speech Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 26.03.2025 Bo Phut Resort, Koh Samui, Thailand The outcasts of the West In an era where Western governments claim to uphold free speech and human rights, an increasing number of dissidents find th ...

How Email Filtering, Algorithmic Bias, Foreign Media Bans, and AI Manipulation Control the Narrative. Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 17.03.2025 Intro Relentless propaganda and censorship have long shaped public perception, but the digital age has introduced new, more insidious methods of co ...

The Silent Triumph Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 06.03.2025 A Conflict of Shadows and Light In recent years, the world has witnessed an evolving battle, one that few predicted would change the course of history so dramatically. Images of fraying supply chains, rising tariffs, and the splin ...

The War on Young Minds. Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 03.03.2025 The Theft of Innocence The phrase “stolen children” typically evokes images of physical abduction; a horrific crime that dominates headlines and ignites public outrage. Campaigns like Pam Palmater ‘s Justice for Our Sto ...

The Socio-Economic consequences of Chinese style entrepreneurship. Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 14.02.2025 This article stands as a profound tribute to Chinese private entrepreneurs—an unshakable admiration for the long-established Chinese big corporations, and most importantly, an enthusias ...