# Politics & Current Affairs **URL:** https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/c/politics-current-affairs/22.md [Latest](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/tags.md) --- ## [About the Politics & Current Affairs category (read before posting)](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/about-the-politics-current-affairs-category-read-before-posting/54)
**Author:** [@Jamal](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Jamal)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 20, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/about-the-politics-current-affairs-category-read-before-posting/54 "2026-02-20T18:52:56Z")
Contemporary events and public issues examined beyond headlines and partisan talking points. NOTE: For ongoing commentary, reactions, news links, and informal political conversation that doesn’t need its own topic, use … --- ## [The Rupture - Is Pax Americana ending?](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/the-rupture-is-pax-americana-ending/203)
**Author:** [@ssu](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/ssu)\ **Replies:** 237\ **Last updated:** [November 4, 2026, 6:44am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/the-rupture-is-pax-americana-ending/203 "2026-11-04T06:44:15Z")
Times are truly changing. Just to show how things are changing, here are two speaches, the first by the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and the latter by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. First some quotes from both… --- ## [The Public Execution -- cancelled](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/the-public-execution-cancelled/3768)
**Author:** [@Ecurb](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Ecurb)\ **Replies:** 135\ **Last updated:** [October 30, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/the-public-execution-cancelled/3768 "2026-10-30T16:38:50Z")
One problem with modern liberalism is that it abhors the dramatic. For example, modern liberalism opposes the death penalty. This is all well and good – abolishing the death penalty would doubtless protect innocent peop… --- ## [Thoughts on trying people for historical crimes?](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/thoughts-on-trying-people-for-historical-crimes/3810)
**Author:** [@unimportant](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/unimportant)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [October 29, 2026, 9:32am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/thoughts-on-trying-people-for-historical-crimes/3810 "2026-10-29T09:32:47Z")
Particularly when society viewed the actions as normal back then. The Russell Brand case is all over the news front pages lately. I am not fan of his at all. I think he is a vacuous creature, similar in ilk to Jordan Pe… --- ## [How do I see America and how does it see itself?](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/how-do-i-see-america-and-how-does-it-see-itself/2718)
**Author:** [@Dobbler](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Dobbler)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/how-do-i-see-america-and-how-does-it-see-itself/2718 "2026-10-23T13:00:11Z")
I haven’t been the the US in a long time… decades. I live in Canada. The information I receive about the US is through various sorts of media. Depending on how one judged, even for a Canadian, I think I might qualify as … --- ## [A Thought Experiment Related to the Gaza Conflict](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/a-thought-experiment-related-to-the-gaza-conflict/3593)
**Author:** [@Toothy\_Maw](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Toothy_Maw)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/a-thought-experiment-related-to-the-gaza-conflict/3593 "2026-10-20T19:27:27Z")
The following OP contains a thought experiment I developed in thinking about what is happening in Gaza. It is invoked in service of an argument intended to expose the odious implications of Israel’s policy and logic. I k… --- ## [Are we engaged in a new arms race?](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/are-we-engaged-in-a-new-arms-race/3231)
**Author:** [@Punshhh](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Punshhh)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [October 8, 2026, 11:39am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/are-we-engaged-in-a-new-arms-race/3231 "2026-10-08T11:39:32Z")
There has been a marked increase in security, war, existential threat, related news stories recently. It seems that every day a new story breaks through on to the front pages. Stories which a few years ago would have bee… --- ## [Iraq and Iran](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/iraq-and-iran/3426)
**Author:** [@kerravon](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/kerravon)\ **Replies:** 77\ **Last updated:** [October 7, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/iraq-and-iran/3426 "2026-10-07T17:23:32Z")
I supported the 2003 Iraq war for multiple reasons, but the clincher was the fact that Saddam was ordering the rape of Iraqi women - institutionalized rape. A similar thing is happening in Iran, and I want to see a simi… --- ## [Should citizens be allowed to own semi-automatic firearms?](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/should-citizens-be-allowed-to-own-semi-automatic-firearms/2151)
**Author:** [@TheLonelyPhilosopher](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/TheLonelyPhilosopher)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [August 24, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/should-citizens-be-allowed-to-own-semi-automatic-firearms/2151 "2026-08-24T15:45:46Z")
Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, there have been thousands of mass shootings around the world. A significant proportion of these attacks have involved the use of semi-automatic firearms. From the 20… --- ## [The Gaza War's Double Standard](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/the-gaza-wars-double-standard/1215)
**Author:** [@Toothy\_Maw](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Toothy_Maw)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [June 14, 2026, 10:26am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/the-gaza-wars-double-standard/1215 "2026-06-14T10:26:35Z")
The following OP addresses the fact that the apparent, surface-level logic according to which Israel has functioned throughout the Gaza war—that dangerous ideological actors need to be eradicated at almost any cost if it… --- ## [Should the US government fund critical theory research?](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/should-the-us-government-fund-critical-theory-research/843)
**Author:** [@Frank](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Frank)\ **Replies:** 61\ **Last updated:** [May 7, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/should-the-us-government-fund-critical-theory-research/843 "2026-05-07T13:04:17Z")
This question is about a uniquely American issue, but feel free to drop insights from wherever you are. The question is an earnest and politically neutral one: What’s the reason that the US federal government should co… --- ## [Putin’s folly in Ukraine](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/putin-s-folly-in-ukraine/65)
**Author:** [@Punshhh](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Punshhh)\ **Replies:** 146\ **Last updated:** [March 29, 2026, 9:25am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/putin-s-folly-in-ukraine/65 "2026-03-29T09:25:09Z")
I was going to start a thread on the Ukraine war, to follow up on the Ukraine war thread on the old site. But was listening to an interview with a Ukrainian commander on the radio. He said something which struck me as an… --- ## [Anthropic Takes a Stand](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/anthropic-takes-a-stand/150)
**Author:** [@Wayfarer](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Wayfarer)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [March 27, 2026, 9:42am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/anthropic-takes-a-stand/150 "2026-03-27T09:42:59Z")
The Washington Post reports that Anthropic rejects Pentagon terms for lethal use of its chatbot Claude. The dispute has arisen over the terms and conditions for the Pentagon’s use of Claude.ai for military and surveillan… --- ## [US-Israel - Iran War](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/us-israel-iran-war/165)
**Author:** [@Tzeentch](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Tzeentch)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/us-israel-iran-war/165 "2026-02-28T15:02:29Z")
It appears the long-awaited sequel to the US-Israeli attack on Iran from 13 – 24 June 2025, also known as the ‘Twelve Day War’, has now finally kicked off. Massive US troop deployments to the Middle-East have done littl…