India-Pakistan Myths, Pentagon Number Games, Pope Diplomacy, and More
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After a brief but intense exchange of military attacks, India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire deal to put an end to the latest round of skirmishes. In a new piece, former Inkstick managing editor Sahar Khan returns to excavate the myths that, if not dispelled, will continue to fuel violence between the two nuclear-armed countries.
Much of the world mourned the passing of Pope Francis. There’s a new pope now, one from the United States, but Natalia Cote-Muñoz breaks down the diplomatic kit Pope Francis left behind in a world increasingly focused on hard power.
That’s not all we’ve got at Inkstick. And if you’re not already, please follow us on LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube.
“When a Trillion Is Not a Trillion: The Pentagon’s Budget Request” by William D. Hartung (May 12)
The Pentagon’s budget request is out now, and it is for $1 trillion — sort of. More worrisome, though, is that as military funding reaches its highest levels since World War II, the Trump administration’s proposal calls for $163 billion in cuts in domestic programs.
“Pope Francis Left Behind a Diplomatic Toolkit for a Fractured World” by Natalia Cote-Muñoz (May 13)
Over 12 years, Francis transformed Vatican diplomacy into a modern soft-power institution. He didn’t ask nations to obey but to believe — to see the moral stakes in migration, poverty, and climate not as Catholic issues but human ones. His diplomatic toolkit offers valuable lessons.
“How India’s Cyber Scam Industry Causes Global Havoc” by Hanan Zaffar (May 14)
Across India, thousands of young men and women from cities, suburbs, and rural areas are stepping into roles in the fast-expanding, multi-billion-dollar scam industry. Some are out of jobs, others never had one. Abroad, though, the consequences are felt in the US, Canada, the UK, and beyond.
“The Myths That Keep India and Pakistan at War” by Sahar Khan (May 15)
Since becoming nuclear powers, recent violence marked the first time that India and Pakistan have targeted each other’s military bases, engaged in an hour-long aerial battle, launched drones, or had warships postured in the Arabian Sea. There are off-ramps for future flare-ups, but they only work if you consider three core myths behind the conflict.
“Deep Dive: ‘No Chance to Rest’ for Saudi’s Domestic Workers” by Inkstick (May 16)
Amid United States President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf, the global rights watchdog Amnesty International released a new report that reveals the severe exploitation, racism, and exclusion that migrant domestic workers face in Saudi Arabia.