Mark McQuay

If cemeteries create a community of both the living and the dead, what happens when the living get displaced?
Case in point: German cemeteries in the PL "Recovered Lands."
All Saints' Day is a good day to reflect on what happens to memory in the absence of those who remember.

🧵(not an easy read)

Text including the line that in medieval times "both king and barons assumed that a certain amount of criminality was involved in being a noble and would be tolerated"

Plus ça change...

From "Homo Criminalis: How Crime Organises the World" by Mark Galeotti (2025)

Armed conflicts involve governments, rebel groups, militias, communal factions, and foreign forces — all interacting in complex ways. The result? A web of violence that can feel overwhelming to understand.

That's why we launch the Conflict Networks Explorer
peaceobservatory.com/conflict-networks

#Geopolitics #SpheresOfEnhancement #AI #Statecraft #Foresight #GlobalTrends #Policy #InternationalRelations

human Magazin - human-magazin.de human ist das erste Magazin, das sich ganzheitlich mit den Auswirkungen der künstlichen Intelligenz auf Wirtschaft, Politik, Gesellschaft und Kultur befasst – und dabei den Menschen in den Mittelpunkt...

This inward turn risks miscalculation, spillover, and conflict – especially as “enhancement” escapes the lab and crosses borders.

🗣️ Available in EN & DE

📄 human-magazin.de#consulting

#Geopolitics #SpheresOfEnhancement #AI #Statecraft #Foresight #GlobalTrends #Policy #InternationalRelations

🚨 New article

🌿“𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 – 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐛?” 🧪

As the global order shifts, states are moving away from territorial competition and towards 𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 – insulated spaces where they can experiment to boost resilience and autonomy.

What looks like a return to 🧭 spheres of influence is actually something messier, harder to manage, and more disruptive.

🔍 We lay out practical insights for 🇪🇺 the EU and 🛡️ NATO to navigate this complex shift.

My latest paper with @roderickp.bsky.social explores an emerging new logic of international competition:

💪 Self-enhancement – not about dominance, but about resilience, rule-bending, and experimentation under pressure.

Spheres of Enhancement: Understanding the New Pattern of International Competition - CSDS Climate change and rapid technological advances are driving states’ focus inward, towards resilience and self-enhancement over traditional geopolitical rivalry. By brazenly breaking old norms to enhan...

🌍 States aren’t just competing anymore – they’re transforming.

In a world disrupted by 🌡️ climate change, ⚡ tech acceleration, and 😵‍💫 ethical breakdowns, nations are turning inward. They're not just competing against rivals – they're reengineering themselves to survive in a more hostile world.

"Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader."

The scenario is part of a wider project examining the EU's approach to partner governments which collude with criminal actors and its seemingly sanitised vision of Europe's own history

Set five years from now in the fictional Arctic territory of Snøland, the scenario explores themes of post-colonial relations, geostrategic rivalries and the compromises of state-building.

A wicked problem This paper tackles one of the wickedest of questions: how should the EU cooperate with partner governments which collude with criminals?

With Greenland back in the news, now is a great time to check out a scenario I co-authored with Roderick Parkes for @euiss.bsky.social back in 2020.

www.iss.europa.eu/publications...

A classic of New Year's LinkedIn 👇

Another big thank you to everyone who met with me to talk about #democraticfragility and #organisedcrime in Kosovo over the last week. It was wonderful to visit for the first time and to speak to so many insightful people!

Exactly right!

Glad to have found a nice study spot in Pristina to prepare for my next round of interviews in Kosovo

Thank you to everyone who talked with me about #democraticfragility and #organisedcrime in Montenegro over the last week. It’s been truly eye-opening and I’m very grateful for all the fascinating insights!

President Jakov Milatović shaking hands with DGAP´s vice-president Rolf Nikel and Senior Research Fellow Milan Nič

We were honored to welcome the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović today for a closed-door discussion on 🇲🇪 domestic challenges & the country’s path towards the 🇪🇺. Thank you very much for your time and the insightful exchange!

Brushing up on some essential vocab #organisedcrime

Very happy to be in my favourite Podgorica café prepping for a week of interviews about democratic fragility and organised crime in Montenegro