The Geo in Geopolitics
Fuckall Mountains
Today we cover some more theory, with the long term goal to be able to goss about what is happening on the BBC, or even better, let’s get ahead of the BBC. You might wonder, James, again? Fear not young padawans, good stuff to come. As I sit and ponder on what are the elements a geopolitical analyst needs to become proficient in, to be able to talk about it and have some form of credibility. The word ‘Geography’ keeps popping up in the actual terminology, so I decided to dive a bit deeper into this, let’s not reinvent the wheel am I right?
Turns out geography affects every element of a country’s geopolitical context. In many ways, the geography of a place will determine the geopolitics that rule it, and not the other way round. It will define it from the economic sectors that prosper, to the alliances and invasions they consider. It will determine the culture and military needs for a country. A coastal nation state will be investing in naval armies to protect itself from invaders or build naval trading routes for example. No geography is without its advantages or disadvantages so we build strategies around our geographies to ensure our people's needs are met.
“Lack of a warm-water port with direct access to the oceans has always been Russia’s Achilles heel, as strategically important to it as the North European Plain. Russia is at a geographical disadvantage, saved from being a much weaker power only because of its oil and gas. No wonder, in his will of 1725, that Peter the Great advised his descendants to ‘approach as near as possible to Constantinople and India. Whoever governs there will be the true sovereign of the world. Consequently, excite continual wars, not only in Turkey, but in Persia . . . Penetrate as far as the Persian Gulf, advance as far as India.”
“Prisoners of Geography” by Tim Marshall
This quote represents well in practice some of the theoretical notions we will put my mushy brain through today. A phenomenal book that not only will explain the history of why some of the major decisions were taken on the geopolitical front but also seeks to explain and determine the struggles that some regions will be facing in the future.
Geographers who study both place and space are very involved in shaping the geopolitics of our world. They study the art of sustaining resources, building well connected cities, issues and benefits of migration, critical infrastructure and much more. Trust me, I thought people who studied geography played with rocks in the fields and that they were all doomed to end up being the cool PE teacher. I am in absolute awe at the work some of your biggest academics have done on the topic and how much it actually dictates many of the other disciplines in politics but also across the spectrum such as immigration, sustainability and much more.
Let’s cover some simple ways in which geography affects people and their livelihood.
Numero uno, it dictates the resources you have access to. Let’s imagine a game of Catan that you are playing with your sweaty cousin Josephina. You turn out to select a piece of land that has a lot of wood, great to create barracks for your soldiers and housing for your villagers. However, potato levels are low (you guys know I love a mean potato). So you need to ensure you are finding ways to harvest food for your people or at least ensure you can have a steady inflow of potatoes by peaceful or non peaceful ways. Actually never played Catan unsure if potatoes are involved but does not matter, make it work!
It will also dictate how you travel and more importantly at times, how your goods travel. For the longest time the people above or below the Sahel, would not trade together until they found the tanks of the desserts aka camels (the animal not the cigarettes). These beautiful creatures could not only carry much of the goods the humans had to carry in the unbearable heat of the desert. But also could sustain kilometer on kilometer without the need to sustain themselves with water.
It affects your culture. Here it is important to make a note of what we mean by culture. We will define it by the characteristic features of everyday existence such as the way of life shared by a set of people within a certain place or time. Hence, everyday, if faced by a set of angry lions, your people will become accustomed to survive the repeated attacks of the lion, coexist with them, retaliate or even develop a set of deities around the lion. Now, view the lion as an aggressive neighbor ramping up public spending on armament and ranting on national television how much they love your beaches and oil fields.
Technically the list goes on and on and so many variables will then derive from the above and this is how geography can form such an important part and actually tangible explanation to the concept of geopolitics.
Whilst I sit here explaining this to myself as if I was 5 years old, let's have a look at what the smart people in the room have to say about the importance of Geography in the concept of Geopolitics. This essay advocates for the resurgence of Geopolitics on the international relations scene. While it stems from a very American focused lens, it dictates that there needs to be emphasis of Geography at the core of this concept (which is often now leveraged as a common term just to describe international relations). It’s a really good read, tying in the underscores of classical Geopolitical studies with the U.S strategic education system and how Geopolitics has endured over the years of international relations. Not replacing the term, but actually influencing it very much from the concept of Geography. And as much as we are moving to an ever globalized world we still need to pay close attention to the relief maps - you know those maps where you can run your fingers and feel the mountains, rivers and other physical features? Those ones - of the world as they will still determine or least affect many of the outcomes still to come over the years. It will always remain helpful in deciphering the complex international relation dynamics and influence strategic policymaking.
To give a bit more meat to the above substance we are going to address very briefly the 3 founding fathers of modern Geopolitics (From my thorough 5 minutes read these are the big boys) and simplify in a way that is actually insulting to what they discussed and proposed, I will get there one day boys.
Halford Mackinder: Mackinder is best known for his concept of the “Heartland Theory,” which posited that the control of the Eurasian “Heartland” (Eastern Europe and Central Asia) would lead to world dominance. Amigo was from the UK, Respekt.
He emphasised the geographical significance of landmasses and argued that controlling the Heartland was crucial for controlling the world.
His perspective highlighted the importance of land power and the geographical constraints of continents in shaping geopolitical dynamics.
Alfred Mahan: Mahan focused on maritime power and the significance of naval dominance in shaping geopolitics. USA baby!
He argued that control of sea routes and naval supremacy were essential for global power projection and economic dominance.
Mahan’s ideas emphasised the importance of naval strength in securing trade routes, controlling colonies, and projecting power internationally.
Nicholas Spykman: Spykman built upon Mackinder’s and Mahan’s ideas by emphasizing the importance of both land and sea power. Kartuffels from the Netherlands innit.
He introduced the concept of the “Rimland,” the coastal areas of Eurasia, as a pivotal geopolitical zone.
Spykman argued that controlling the Rimland was essential for containing the Heartland and securing global power.
His perspective integrated both land and maritime elements, recognising the interconnectedness of geopolitics across different geographical domains.
Three bromigos here, actually were all born in the 19th century and would all happen to see one of the great world wars and actually die suspiciously close to these dates with Mayan in 1914, Spykeman in 43’ and Mackinder in 47’. They could not even fathom how developed the world would become and the access to the technologies such as the really cool [Insert badass jet fighter name here] we currently have, but their theories were right on the money.
There is no right or wrong here, as Spykeman proved by copping out and pitching his predecessor's ideas. But I must say I agree with this. Whilst the US remains quite isolated by two seas at each side and a single border on either side, it makes sense Mahan would be hell bent on naval power. Whereas Mackinder, just a swim away from baguette land kept a wary eye on the Heartland. The US and the UK have both invested hugely on these two fronts of their armies and remain quite amphibious in the need of both naval and land support in case of military action requirements. Do not even get me started on Air force, they were too early for this. If only there was an intellectual writing on the importance of developing Geopolitical understanding in the modern day… Wait a minute! (Important to disclaim there are multiple acamedics on the topic of the role of air superiority in Geopolitics and I am by no means in the top 3).
Should we now dissect what exactly represents geography in geopolitics? Yep, I can keep this going forever and ever. For the sake of the argument we will only stick to 3 to ensure I don’t go too loco on you. We will focus on Location, Resources and Physical features.
Location
A nation's location, its space or proximity to a friend or a foe, is the first concept we will focus on in the sense of Geography. As we were dealt the cards and selected plots of land on the Catan board or were distributed land by supposed birthright in late 17th century Europe following multiple wars and hand designed by a drunk Englishman in most of Africa. The location and definition of your country is a key factor to how all matters relating to geopolitics will affect your nation.
Flint’s Introduction to Geopolitics (3rd edition) splits location up in the following subdivisions and considerations.
Places: Places are the fundamental geographical entities that form the stage for geopolitics. They are sites of experiences, interactions, and identities that shape how people and groups relate to a location. Man made (like the massive mansion I will buy after you all start reading this blog actively) or created by Mother Nature (Rivers and Mountain ranges).
Regions: They group together multiple places based on shared characteristics, such as cultural, economic, or political factors. The boundaries of regions can be formal (e.g., the European Union) or functional (e.g., the Middle East).
Territory: Territory refers to the bounded, physical space that a state or other political entity claims sovereignty over.
Scale: Scale refers to the extent of something in relation to something. When considering scale, a quarrel between my sister and I is insignificant, but in my world, baby, that can be world war III.
Networks: Not physical but connections and flows of people, goods, ideas, and information that transcend traditional geographical boundaries.
Resources
The need for leaders - and cooler younger siblings around the world - to understand the occurrence and securing strategically important resources is vital to develop and achieve sufficiency from domestic or international resources, as described by Ken Hugues(I added the sibling thing hehehe). One of the central factors of successful statecraft is to be able to maintain your people.
Seasons come and go, and so do crops. Technologies rise and fail, giving both abundance and fall in provision and distribution of stated resources. Trade routes, open and close securing steady inflows of goods or limit you from getting a hold of your favorite Japanese Whiskey.
From the basics of keeping your people nourished, to acquiring the resources required to build a nation leading space fleet, and discovering even more resources - the ever evolving race never stops - resources will always be a focal point of geopolitics. In an arguably decaying world the need to develop the next reliable source of inflow of resources is what keeps nations afloat. The behavior of nations states is partially explained by its resource situation.
There are so many subdivisions you can create depending on the lease with chich you look at it, but fear not here is a gross oversimplification:
Natural Resources: Materials or substances that occur naturally on Earth
Renewable Resources: These resources can be replenished naturally on a human timescale.
Forestry, FreshWater and Sunlight.
Non-renewable Resources: These bad boys take a while to cook up and cannot be easily replaced after they are used up.
Fossil Fuels:Coal, oil, and natural gas.
Minerals:Metals, such as iron, copper, and gold, as well as non-metallic minerals, such as sand, gravel,and limestone.
Human Resources: These are the skills, knowledge, and experience that people develop and bring to society and workforce.
Labor: The physical and mental exertion used in the production of goods and services.
Education and skills: The knowledge and abilities that people acquire through education and training.
Manpower: In a military context, you can think of this as boots on the grounds
Physical Features
This one eats into the two above mentioned, so we will spend a bit more time focusing on Topography and Access. A big one here is that Physical Features is an ever changing concept, as we also develop technologies to mitigate the various elements of Topography. What can be useful for the sake of future arguments is provide a quick snapshot into these elements that we see being discussed in military writing and geopolitics.
1. Elevation and Relief:
Mountains: High mountain ranges can act as natural barriers, making them ideal for defense. They can also channel movement and limit access to specific regions. Used in military writing: “These fuckall mountains are blocking our invasion into chocolate land (Switzerland)”
Plateaus: Elevated plains can offer strategic advantages for observation and control of surrounding areas. However,they can also be challenging to traverse and defend. They can also not be elevated and fall under the Plains category Used in military writing: “Get naked and act dead, these fuckers will steamroll through the plateau”
Valleys: Low areas of land surrounded by mountains and hills on either side. Valleys can serve as natural transportation routes but also become funnels for invading forces. Used in military writing: “Let’s move the troops through that one Valley that leads to Chocolate land, they will never see us coming!”
2. Landforms:
Deserts: Vast deserts can hinder movement and logistics, creating natural barriers but also offering opportunities for unconventional warfare. Used in military writing: “Lisan al Gaib mastered the Worm dance before attempting the desert cross”
Forests: Dense forests can provide cover and concealment for guerilla warfare but also impede communication and movement of large armies. Used in military writing: “They are in the trees! OMG I knew this forest was like the worst idea ever!”
Islands: Islands offer strategic advantages for naval bases and control of maritime chokepoints but are also vulnerable to isolation and blockade. Used in military writing: “Ibiza! Literally the most influential island in Geopolitical history”
3. Water Features:
Rivers: Rivers can serve as natural borders and transportation routes but also present logistical challenges for crossing and defense. Used in military writing: “Giacomo! No skinny dipping in the river, we are on a mission”
Lakes: Large lakes can act as barriers or provide internal waterways for transportation and control of resources. Used in military writing: “Giacomo, what’s up with you! Same goes here, no naked swimming in the lake”
Coasts: Coastlines offer access to trade routes and naval power but also make them vulnerable to amphibious attacks. Used in military writing: “No Giacomo… I don’t think there are any nude beaches on this coast”
All the above could represent in some way shape or form a Strategic chokepoint: Narrow passages like straits, bridges over a river or valleys offer immense control over military or civil traffic and can become geopolitical flashpoints. Being aware of the topography surrounding you or ahead of some invading tourism, let’s check the maps!
Ultimately, Geography matters. This was very insightful at least for myself! Watch out Josephina, I am coming for you potatoes or worst case scenario Giacomo and myself will lead an expedition towards chocolate land.
James-Alexander
I’m back baby!
Happy 2024, young explorers and happy drinkers! It has been a while since I held myself accountable to write here. This has mostly been due to the fact that I struggle to find topics to write about in politics. It is just so vast! So after many hours of intense research and proper due diligence, by which I mean assisting in as many end-of-year drinking sessions and coming out of Dry January, 'oooow I missed you, you sweet brown bastard (referring to whiskey)' catchups. I have decided to rebrand Boozelitics into the discovery of Geopolitics as opposed to politics as a whole. Fear not, the boozy side of our intellectual discourses will remain a central piece to our discoveries.
This comes with setting myself new targets around reading more respectable academia on the topic (benching for 100KG, I mean 1 hour a day…Sorry, been to the gym a lot lately, what can I say…). Followed by one hour of amateur writing on a good day. Hopefully, this will mean higher-quality writing and more factual backups to my extremely witty jokes! This also means getting a piece out a week might be overstretching, at least at the beginning. It remains my major goal with this to have a piece you guys can read around a cozy fireplace on Sunday with your poison of choice and a better understanding of what is happening in the world, explained by a 5-year-old with ADHD and stomach cramps from all the laughing, right?!
So without further ado, what is Geopolitics, and what does it mean to me? Spoiler: there will be much more about me than good ol’ pal Geo here.
Coined by Swedish political scientist Rudolf Kjellén at the turn of the 20th century and rapidly spread out throughout World Wars 1 & 2. It was used to designate the geographic influences on power dynamics in international relations. In contemporary discourse, however, it has become widely employed as a loose term in general international politics.
A beautiful way to understand and dissect the fundamentals of geopolitics is understanding the imperatives and constraints of nations-states - a sovereign polity governed and represented by a community of citizens who identify themselves as a nation, combining principles of state and national sovereignty to legitimise its rule over a defined territory and its population. Described by Geopolitical Futures, these include geography, politics, economics, military, technology, and culture. These will all be referenced later when introducing these to real-life events.
Another notable definition comes from Senior Lecturer at Wales, Evan Graham, who stated that geopolitics at the level of international relations represents the studying of foreign policy to predict international behaviors through certain variables such as area studies, climate, topography (structure of the land), demography (population), and natural resources. Which, when you think about it, is quite similar to the above if we assume demography encompasses culture, economics, politics, and culture?
Looks like all the smart people in the room cannot agree on a definition, and this is a classic trend in what often overcomplicates the answers people are looking for on what actually represents geopolitics. This is the fun bit, right? Read as much as you can, create your understanding of it, and apply. Some differences overall but clear commonality in how they represent geopolitics. All the above makes sense to me right? Internal voice wishing to mansplain intellectually while having some fun kicking in, 3,2,1. I fucking love potatoes and whiskey. However, sadly, my garden in London (if you can call that, basically 2 meters squared of concrete) represents my nation-state but is too small or lacks the resources to produce both potatoes and whiskey. And as we know, my nation-state needs both. However, I realise my neighbor Sue has potatoes, jackpot! I ask for 20% of her potato production for access to the street through my 2 meters square of concrete; she needs that access as she has a car, and it makes her life easier. It’s been 6 months, and now I have a lot of potatoes but still no whiskey, and have not become so desperate as to make vodka, am I right? So I give half my potatoes over to a gun maker (weird neighbor in front, Jack), and I rob the liquor closet of my upstairs neighbor Lucy. I know, sounds like a lot, but I fucking love potatoes and whiskey. This is a disgusting oversimplification of the real world, and I do want to take these lines to clarify that all the statements above are for educational purposes, and I do not trade potatoes to rob my neighbor Lucy’s whiskey cabinet.
From the above and previous articles, you will start to understand it’s all about having fun in the process of understanding this beautiful concept, all the while 'dumbifying' concepts that are often overcomplicated for no reason. I promise this will have some more backbone as we go through these articles as the ultimate goal is to accurately understand what is going on and give my awkward ass some content for future dinner parties.
In 2024, we saw a rise in interest in geopolitics. I mean, look at the state of the world: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel/Palestine, the everlasting competition between China and the US, climate change, and a post-Covid-19 globalised world. It only seems fitting my whiskey and I jump on the bandwagon, doesn’t it? However, the more I think about it, geopolitics was always there really. I mean, in my case, my young naivete and eternal chasing from the next party were never paying close attention to it. When I did find some time to do some research, it always revolved around things such as 'how to talk to girls', 'how do I convince my parents to buy the play station', and 'will humans ever colonize Mars?'. We are getting somewhere with that last one.
Overall, there have been some sparks of interest in foreign affairs from a younger age, especially when I think about the fact that I wanted to join the British Cavalry, become a diplomat, and move to a 'high-risk' region. An unfortunate rugby injury that left my knee shattered meant that I had to turn my childhood wishes of going pro on the badass foreign landscape scene, to drinking and spilling the beans on what my unintellectual perspective believes the world is doing.
There is, however, some consolation in knowing that maybe this blog can simplify geopolitics enough for a younger spirit to pick up the dream and make this world somewhat a better place.
Stay curious and see you soon!
James-Alexander
Fly High little man
I appreciate your patience; I’m a bit behind on this one, but hey, who’s keeping tabs, right? I’ve been caught up in the first half of this blog for the past two weekends – it’s my birthday month, after all. Not that I need to justify myself to anyone, but Mom and Dad, it was a blast. To any future potential employers, I snagged two business cards during my midnight adventures, and, Jesus, I got you, spreading love and crazy stories.
Today’s topic is appropriately whiskey, part of the big five in liquors, much like the big consulting firms. However, whiskey stands taller in my eyes. As this stunning website beautifully states, whiskey is an amber to brown-colored distilled spirit made from fermented grains with varying blends and varieties, depending on local grains and taste.
Strong, like me at 40%, or my current portfolio losses. This beautiful liqueur is one of the reasons I started writing this in the first place.
What are the actual perks of knowing about alcohol? You are what you eat, right? Potato, Potawto (works better in speech format), I assume it works the same for drinking. On that note, please let me be anything but a Guinness, please. If anybody refers to me as a stout, I’ve lost in life. Old-fashioned, reliable, sexy, yes please. That’s a cocktail, though, so we’re not playing on the same grounding here. Let me ponder on this, and I will get back to you later.
Like anything in life, beauty is enhanced when one is aware of the craftsmanship behind the product. Men like big fancy watches because it magically increases their manhood (let’s just play along with them on this). But also because they are beautifully complex pieces of machinery. They tell a story and have a lot to say about the one who wears them. The thing with booze, just like these beautifully crafted pieces, is also a process that entails a savoir-faire that can often leave you speechless. Bonus points with this product; the more you consume it, the better the story behind the actual thing. You should hear a whiskey maker after the distilling season, afternoons spent crafting away, sipping his way into the best-tasting barrel. I mean, this is all speculation; I can only imagine the scene as I have yet to experience it or meet such talented craftsmen. Which leads me to my next point.
As per usual, I do not really know what I am talking about. But this is the goal in the first place, to take you along the journey of discovering what makes good booze and what makes good politics. Very much alike in these two disciplines, I find myself in the amazingly fun limbo of “this is great, right?”. Aside from liking the damn thing, I have never gone through the process of aiming to learn more about it. For now, it has only been trial and error on the tasting front.
So, in the similar weird vein that has been hitting me lately, I have decided to do something about it. This came after an evening talking about the wonders of wine with my good friend Austin. Great guy, by the way, bigger than life! Turns out that outside of being just a real aficionado, he works in the space – lucky bugger. He highly recommended I take the WSET course. This is the equivalent of what people take in the wine space to become enough of a wine snob that you can advise prime ministers at their regular round tables and decide what red liquid they should drown their worries in. I’d love to become a snob of sorts but on the harder drinks. Hopefully, this will not mean I get invited to the tea party of some oligarchs deciding whose finger they are chopping off next.
What is the bigger picture of becoming proficient in the art of politicizing and boozing? Aside from hopefully opening the door to many round tables and fending off your drunk uncle, I would love to someday do something more concrete in the space, ideally in both spaces. Who knows, maybe even starting my own thing, “James’s Juice,” for family and friends (yep, as soon as that came out, it sounded bad, need to work on the name).
There is that really cool feeling about sharing and seeing people consume and enjoy (hopefully one day), something you have spent time crafting yourself. A bit like this blog, there is that tingly feeling about hoping that someone out there is not only learning something as I do but maybe chuckling once or twice in the process.
A great example of someone doing this well is the “Tout Bien” pils created by Belgian YouTuber - Average Rob. Aside from making me laugh on a regular basis, he was able to pull the coolest stunt and actually live from his passion. That is truly remarkable.
When I was planning this article out (yes, I do think before I write, as opposed to popular belief), I wanted to include a recommendation for this week. Sadly, being nearly fully sober doesn’t give me much opportunity to dance with the blonde angels. However, I got this beautiful whiskey for my birthday celebration this Friday. So ‘Glenturret’ is the one I am going to start this journey on, and see you soon for a review.
Like and subscribe, hehe. See you soon!
James-Alexander
Columbus Baby! | Lucozade Sport
Just came back from a 5K, and I am drinking a Lucozade SPORT. Yep, I am one of those guys now! Need to get those electrolytes in, you know what I mean. What would I be drinking if I was not trying so hard? Good question! Some cheap whiskey, with a lot of ice, a couple of drops of Angostura bitters, drowned in some melted brown sugar. All mixing into this beautiful concoction I would most definitely ask for if I was on death row. Oh, my life was good before detox.
Before I dive into today's topic, I quickly want to acknowledge this article I came across from Politico, which describes alcohol as the lubricant of most backroom deals and the cause of more than one political downfall. Different stakes here, definitely feels like there is not much to fall from. However, I am of the opinion of one of the greatest political minds of our era - Churchill - who used to say he has taken more out from alcohol than alcohol has taken out of him. Very cool man; one day I will have a quote. However, be careful what you pick as your poison when politicizing, as universities like Michigan and Penn argue that a blonde one (beer) will make you look less intelligent. Sometimes a madman sipping on some Negronis at 9 AM beats an imbecile having a cold one on the weekend. Pick your poisons carefully, team.
But anyway, as per usual, I digress! What I am looking to cover today is analysis, the political type, of course. What is political analysis? Aside from a set of peer-reviewed articles on the topic by some of the brightest minds? Not today. Let's refocus on me and my little political adventure. Dahl defines it quite simply as the analysis of the nature, exercise, and distribution of power. So let's unpack this fancy definition and define it as the act of understanding and analyzing anything political. As you will have seen from the previous articles, I have tried to provide some theoretical introduction to politics, but transparently there is a side of me that just wants to jump into the thick of it. Did Columbus keep on drawing his travels on paper? Most likely. Did I also just compare my writing to one of the biggest adventures leading to a shocking discovery for the European world? Bet you!
Murphy's first three laws dictate that: Anything that can go wrong will, nothing is as easy as it looks, and everything will take longer than you think. Flip that around, sprinkle some whiskey-loving session, and you get Boozelitics.
If I am going to jump straight into this, let's at least cover the basic criteria of what would prevent me from doing any absolute garbage political analysis. First, never forget that whatever analysis you read is always riddled with the subconscious goals and ideas of the analyst itself. I could be trying, through the medium of politics and boozy discovery, to get you all to drop beer and start adventuring into the curves of sensual southern whiskey, creating an army of limp penises and overly confident women, ruling future generations to come. Basically, if you ever find yourself reading the thoughts of some rando on the internet, do your own critical analysis of the analysis piece itself. Cross-reference everything, talk about the topic with others, and get as many opinions involved as possible.
Start small and be pragmatic; when one day I inevitably try to introduce only Whisky Sundays followed by pub crawl Mondays as a human right and obligation, make sure you question my reasoning.
This one is being a wild one, but more seriously, I do want to become better at creating my own accurate and hopefully precise opinions when analyzing any current piece. I owe it to myself and whoever else got lost in this blog when doing some midnight soul-searching.
The first thing I can think about is having a structure I typically follow when addressing any written piece, making it easier for myself and anyone reading. Being able to revert back and question my thought process in a structured manner is the only way there is going to be any development moving forward. If anything, I can start finally introducing some of my academic years of hardship into this. Coming from a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics degree (sounds fancier than it actually is), I always liked the fact that we would be pushed to view everything we did from three different lenses, which more often than not did not go hand in hand: Politics, Ethics, and making it all make sense in financial terms is harder than it sounds. There are always thousands of variables being thrown at an issue in point, and covering all of them is often impossible, so keep it small, be pragmatic, and check yourself constantly.
To conclude this, I will make sure that I will do more reading about what is good political analysis and what are some actual theoretical and proven ways of doing this properly. So moving forward, expect another article covering in more detail what this would look like. So, I guess I cannot really jump into the thick of it yet without navigating my adventure frégate blindly.
Hopefully, catch you next week. Don't trust anybody, just your whiskey buddy.
James-Alexander
Sobriety | 0% DAYS Lager
Blasting Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything” – yeehaw, now that's a song! Shifting away from politics momentarily this week, let's delve into the second pillar of this award-winning blog – Booze, or in this case, the absence of it (not forever, I promise).
This post proved more challenging than usual in finding the right words. While I typically adopt a light-hearted approach to my topics and engage in playful banter, I must acknowledge that this subject is a bit more serious. Before we proceed, let's raise awareness about this beautifully dangerous nectar. I might not be the best guide for finding the right support, but AA often serves as a good starting point. Everyone should be aware of their consumption levels and stay safe, as excessive drinking can have dire consequences. I usually avoid heavier subjects, but I felt it necessary to address this before returning to the usual 'Jimmy.'
Sobriety – although moderation is key in everything, this sweet nectar can be quite the menace. On a personal note, did I quit drinking because it was getting out of hand? The simple answer is no. I stopped for mainly three reasons, rather abruptly. There wasn't too much thought put into it. If you ever reach the point of 'should I,' go for it, my friend! Regardless of your reasons, it can only lead to positive outcomes.
Let's begin by discussing the obvious - Health. It's a no-brainer really; less poison for your liver means a lower likelihood of needing a pig's liver. Consider your size, tolerance, and mood. You might be downing four big boys (beer), sipping on a couple of dodgy uncles (whiskey), or even indulging in a threesome of skinnies (vodka soda). Regardless of your poison, there are situations where we find ourselves consuming more than we should. More outings, more weddings, and always that one colleague who extends the work drinks longer than necessary, be it to escape talk of targets and KPIs or to avoid making comments about the bride's quirky cousin. For social events, I often relied on timeless classics like the old-fashioned, a skinny bitch, or a reliable vino. All of this was adding up, and Jimmy was slowing down on the treadmill!
Proving it to myself – Why even go down this path in the first place? It's not that I slack off on everything else, but I've missed a publication deadline or two. Life can get busy. After some introspection, I realized I'm diligent in my job but not so much with anything related to self-improvement or pursuing my passions. Fun fact: I decided to be a whiskey guy at 16 (not condoning underage drinking, it was a specific situation, blah, blah, blah). I'm not entirely sure why I made that choice. Was it to prove to the lads that I could handle my whiskey or to remind the ladies that whiskey breath doesn't enhance my flirting skills? Regardless, it seems I got one of them right. Haters will claim I didn't take that commitment seriously. Can I now prove to myself that I don't like it too much?
Connected to the previous point, it's important not to let fun drinking become a defining aspect of your personality. I used to convince myself that I was more fun with 8 grams in my bloodstream. Oh, the philosophical conversations I've had alongside a cold blonde (the drink, gentlemen, the drink). It loosens the tongue and gets the creative juices flowing like nothing else. It might even make you believe you can tackle the intricacies of politics. While all of this is great, as I grow older, there's an inner voice asking if I can maintain that passion-driven ease in complex conversations and social settings without resorting to desperate desperados.
Has anything changed? Not really, except for the fact that I don't seek social outings as much as I used to. Another commonly asked question is whether I plan to continue after the six-month period. The simple answer is no. I've just started writing about drinking and politics, and trust me, you don't want to read only politics from me! This has been a rather personal journey, but I believe it's essential to transparently discuss the why, how, and the path forward. Just as I aim to share my journey in understanding politics with a capital P, I still want to explore topics that are closer to my day-to-day life.
See you next week! Stay healthy, stay aware, and drink responsibly, folks!
James-Alexander
I got you Giacomo!
Reverting back my last entry, upon reflection, I realised that I had placed a considerable burden on you all, and my writing was rather disorganised. To make this more appealing, it requires a certain level of structure. This will not only excite the academics snobs who believe in “structure” and “flow”, the likes, I would very much like to share a tea with and discuss book collection sizes. But most importantly it will keep me for digressing to much and hopefully making it more enjoyable for you guys.
I typically begin these entries by selecting an absolute banger while describing the beverage fueling my thoughts (I can’t express how excited I am for this detox to be over, March 2024, baby!). So, as for today’s theme, much like the previous entry, we are still exploring the early days of politics. Let’s see if this approach is more appealing than the conventional method of discussing political terminology alphabetically.
Imagine a stylish yet inexperienced average chap strolling through the picturesque streets of London, well-dressed, well-liked, and rather misinformed about many things. Let’s call them Giacomo for the sake of argument. What would make it easier for them to read the political piece they picked up earlier today just because the girl on the cover was more smash-able than passable? As their eyes wander from the cover to the actual content of the article, they encounter numerous terms they are familiar with but would benefit from further explanation.
This raises the question: what are the five most common terms in any political piece or article? ChatGPT to the rescue. The prompt for this is quite simple (hire me, Facebook!). “Analyse all political articles and identify the five most frequently used terms.” It provided the following answer: the most commonly used political terms in articles are “election,” “policy,” “government,” “democracy,” and “legislation.”
These terms deserve their own discussion, but let’s jump right into it, don’t quote me in your last minute essay counting for 50% of your degrees credits people!
Elections
According to the Cambridge dictionary: An election is “a time when people vote to choose someone for a political or official position.” In my family, we held local elections, and it was decided that I would get the smallest room and do the dishes, but I was also elected as the most attractive among my siblings. Please don’t question the legitimacy of this vote; it was 100% valid.
As mentioned, these articles are country-neutral, which means they are also system-neutral (and slightly knowledge-neutral since I’m the author!). While this is great because it allows us to examine whatever I really feel like without limitations, it also means that different systems have varying characteristics related to elections often times create an absolute brain freeze (Is that right term?). Here are the most common ones:
1. General elections: These are a significant event in many systems, where leaders or high-ranking officials are chosen.
2. Presidential elections: In countries with a presidential system, the president is directly elected by the people, as opposed to the parliamentary system.
3. Some countries have different systems and a prime minister instead of a president, as explained here. In these systems, voters select local representatives who then choose the prime minister, whereas presidents are directly elected by the people.
4. Referendums and Initiatives are examples of direct democracy, where specific questions are put to a public vote. While some countries rarely use them or have never used them, there are famous cases, such as the UK’s vote to leave the EU. Or back in 2018 when I led to initiative of protecting our university pub as a national treasure.
Different countries employ various electoral systems, which are crucial in determining how people participate in politics and who holds power in a representative democracy.
Policy
Simply put, a policy is a set of ideas or plans for specific situations, officially agreed upon by a group of people. In politics, these are put in place by elected governments or political parties. Here are the key policy areas that the general population should be aware of:
Economic Policies: how we going to tax you granma and make sure things keep running
Social Policies: Set to promote quality of life of citizens
Foreign Policies: In place to ensure your friendly neighbor on the border shares their barley and doesn’t steal your girlfriend (actually they can really make a rule for that)
Environmental Policies: You like turtles? Well these bad boys are in place to keep them around for a while
Immigration Policies: A significant aspect of political agendas, regulating who can come and go and for how long
Defense and Security Policies: Remember that neighbor who gives you some of their barley, they have a missile pointing at them
Education Policies: How do we govern education and fund tuition for some Belgian chap to be able to write about the fundamentals of drinking
These are disgustingly oversimplified, and the way they are presented might not match an official political agenda, but it provides a good starting point.
Governments
Governments come in various forms, and they are responsible for enforcing the rules and policies, often determined through elections. There are many types of governments, as explained in this inclusive CIA article (This is very surely going to put me on some sort of list, what I wouldn’t do for you!). The main types include Democracy, Republic, Authoritarian, and Totalitarian, kind of the big 4 on the spectrum from most supreme power to the people to least.
Democracy
In the world of politics, there are numerous fancy terms and definitions. Simplifying it, democracy gives people the right to participate in decision-making through voting. In modern times, it typically involves a system of representation by an authority elected by citizens. Remember when I told you I got the smallest room, feel very authoritarian from me parents right? Turns out it was a majority, I’ll get you back some other time my dearest siblings!
Legislation
Legislation refers to the laws that govern a country or system, covering everything from drafting laws to approval and enforcement. It should not be confused with policies, although they are related.
Not going to lie this one is still rather confusing to me but from my understanding the legislation is the process of making and enacting laws and we can seen policy as the plan to follow certain guidelines often guided by said legislation. Know your rules people!
In conclusion, if we delved into different countries and systems, we could spend hours shedding light on various elections, government types, and even what experts like Pepito or Dr. Jack with five PhDs in politics think about democracy. But this will do for now, Giacomo can stop fantasizing about the magazine cover model and ensure his flatmate doesn’t cast an illegal vote to become the absolute ruler of the shitter on a Friday night. That’s democracy for you baby!
Stay curious, stay thirsty, drink safe people!
James-Alexander
Some of the many basics | Red Smoothie
I'm currently blasting "Orange Juice" by Noah Kahan while sipping on a sweet strawberries, cherries, apples, Guarana, and flax seeds smoothie. Oh, yea about that, I've made the questionable decision not to drink for the next six months, dry monthing it as our generation would say. What was I thinking? Not much, really. Who starts writing about drinking and then decides to quit drinking? This guy! [insert funny James emoji]
Anyway, the reason behind this is that I'm genuinely trying to improve my overall well-being and prove to myself that I'm not just the funny guy you call for a Friday pint because you know he'll close the doors of the bar and has a couple of funny stories to tell. Nice I am oversharing again… In short, you'll be seeing more about politics than drinking from me over the next six months, and I suppose that's a good thing, right?
Now, onto politics. Where do you even start when you don't know where to start? I'm Belgian, spent most of my life in Madrid, and currently work in the big smoke, aka London capital. I guess I can begin by understanding these three (different? I'm not sure yet) systems and delving into their political history, voting systems, and parties. That sounds like a good idea, but I still need to grasp the basics. Let's take a step back and dive deep into the history of politics and its origins.
What is politics? According to the British Academy Blog (a reliable source, right? It's got "academy" in it!), "We often refer to something as being 'political' or 'all about politics' when it boils down to a power struggle between people or groups. The idea is that politics is a process of maneuvering to assert rival interests." That's enough for my simple brain to comprehend. Basically, we have a population that needs some form of governance, and politics refers to the power struggle among decision-makers for the greater good (in theory, ufff dangerously close to opinionated writing bromigo… well I have warned you guys don’t really know what I am talking about).
Just quoted a source (any pointers on properly blog referencing are appreciated!) This probably deserves its own article: "What makes a source valuable?" Can I trust the first source I find on a topic, or do I need to cross-check everything? My many years of deep academia scream BIG no, but in the interest of time and recognizing that I'm not an authority on the topic, take everything you read here with a grain of salt. Let's not forget that the purpose of this is to figure things out as we go.
But before I go off on a tangent, yes, it makes sense to me. Look at Belgium, Spain, and the UK. The politics of these countries all involve the clash of political parties (another fancy term, basically groups of like-minded people, in very non academia based short) and maneuvers to make decisions for their constituency.
Before we delve into the systems of these three countries (and hopefully more), can we address how exciting this is? New topics consistently arise that need development. Parties, for example, what are they outside of a social gathering where your friends are trying to find love or just a night with some whiskey curves? What about the population? Who falls under your constituency? (another fancy word, am I right? I remember that one from my university years!). From the little time I've spent living I know that often people disagree with the aspect of falling under certain constituencies (lived in both Spain and Belgium remember…).
You'll discover this as you hopefully read more of these, I write as I think and speak. It's not worthy of a Nobel Prize and can be a bit all over the place, but bear with me. Hopefully, it will improve over time.
In the interest of staying on track for a newbie like myself, and so that you can at least learn something new today, let's break it down:
Politics: as per the British Academy above
Political party: “A group of people organized to acquire and exercise political power” (as per Britannica, another source that sounds fancy but isn't a blog, bugger!)
Constituency: as defined on the official website of the UK Parliament “A constituency is the specific geographical area represented by each MP in the House of Commons. People who live in an MP's constituency are known as their constituents.” A little side note, as this seems very UK-focused, do people in a different geographical area also vote for their political representatives and are they also called constituents? I’ll save you the trouble after a bit of digging, I'm happy to confirm that this term is not limited to the UK and is used in general discussions around politics (thank you, university, again! Two times in a day, that's a record).
I won't spam you with more mind blowing knowledge today! See you next week, and we'll probably delve deeper into these topics and expand. These first sessions will set the foundation and tone for more contemporary conversations down the line!
James-Alexander
Where it all starts
Hello, everyone! I'm not sure where to begin, but let me share why I decided to start this in the first place. Anyone who has had the misfortune of meeting me knows that I have a wide range of interests, would like to explore various careers and enjoy a good whiskey on the rocks.
We are often told to pursue our interests, find the one we like the most, and become proficient in it as quickly as possible. So, when I sat down last week and thought about what I enjoy discussing but don't have much knowledge about, I realized it's the topic of Politics. What is it? Who is it relevant to? But most importantly, where do I start in understanding even the basics of what it all means?
This is where Boozelitics comes into play! I love sharing my thoughts, and I thought it would be more enjoyable to learn about this topic by sharing it with anyone willing to read. Please bear with me and provide feedback on my writing, research, and analysis. Feel free to email me; I'm always up for a good chat!
But let's not digress too much. Why Boozelitics. The Booze part is quite straightforward. Sometimes, I'll write these pieces while enjoying a relaxing drink, and other times, you might find me writing about a specific drink or a story that occurred during a boozy night. However, the latter term was new to me (it will happen more often than you might expect). The Urban Dictionary defines it as being overly arrogant yet essentially ignorant, particularly regarding Politics. Touché, Urban Dictionary, touché... However, other sources define it as thinking logically and literally at the same time. I prefer that definition for branding purposes, but I'm not quite there yet.
In conclusion, I hope you enjoy these entries, which I will try to publish as often as possible. Hopefully, you will learn something new alongside me.
See you soon!
James-Alexander