The Latest

The latest posts from JB Shreve & the End of History

natural disasters

The Rise in Scale and Frequency of Natural Disasters

Older readers will remember a time when natural disasters were significant events. Today, they seem all too common. Does it feel like it is getting worse? It is! As the global economy stretches beyond...
age of polycrisis

The Age of Polycrisis

Welcome to the age of polycrisis. This is the age when what we once imagined as topics of dystopian fantasy has become the present daunting reality. It is where the predictable outcomes and arrangements...
debt limit crisis

The Recurring Debt Limit Crisis – Kicking the Can Down the Road

On Friday, the US Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, warned the US must take “extraordinary measures” to avoid defaulting on its debt as soon as January 19. Yellen explained she would impose those...

The Belgian Congo – History of Africa Part 19

In an earlier episode in our History of Africa podcast series,we looked at the Congo Free State. This was the ruthless and murderous regime under King Leopold of Belgium in the Congo. Public outcries...
history of Ethiopia

The History of Ethiopia – History of Africa Part 18

As this podcast was being recorded, Ethiopia is entering its second year of brutal civil war that launched on November 3, 2022, when Ethiopian forces invaded Tigray province. This terrible war is the latest...
africa and World War I

Africa and World War I – History of Africa Part 17

When most of us think of World War I, we rarely consider the continent of Africa. But Africa and World War I are important stories in the histories of both. This episode looks at...
French Colonial Empire in Africa

French Colonial Empire in Africa – History of Africa Part 16

This episode on the French Colonial Empire in Africa is part of our ongoing series in the History of Africa podcast series. This is the last episode on the period covering the era of...
Wagner Group

The Wagner Group – The Russian Bad Guys Coming Out of the Shadows

The Russian mercenary organization, the Wagner Group, is no longer hiding in the shadows. A recent Washington Post report detailed the acknowledgment and accolades poured upon the Wagner Group by Russian state media for...
German Southwest Africa

German Southwest Africa – History of Africa Part 15

Compared to other European powers like the French, the Belgians, and the British, the Germans were late to the great scramble game on the continent. Nevertheless, the Germans left their imprint on the continent...
fighting returns to Libya

Fighting Returns to Libya

The truce and political stalemate that suspended fighting in Libya’s civil war for nearly two years may have toppled into calamity over the weekend. On Saturday, more than 30 people were killed and 150...