Pankaj Mishra

Former Bloomberg Opinion Columnist

Pankaj Mishra is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is author, most recently, of “Run and Hide.”

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Bloomberg Opinion

It’s Dumb to Make ‘Decolonization’ a Dirty Word

Demonizing the term only makes it harder for the West to appreciate a historical phenomenon crucial to how much of the world sees itself.

December 18, 2023

December 18, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

It’s Dumb to Make ‘Decolonization’ a Dirty Word

Demonizing the term only makes it harder for the West to appreciate a historical phenomenon crucial to how much of the world sees itself.

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December 6, 2023

December 6, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Hoping for Peace in Gaza? Don’t Look to Europe

Rancorous internal divisions are once again rendering the continent feeble and irrelevant as a geopolitical player.

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November 16, 2023

November 16, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

The West Never Had a Chance at Winning Over the World

Hopes of wooing the Global South to create a new world order always had an element of fantasy. Gaza should finally put an end to them.

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October 12, 2023

October 12, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Russia and China May Be Only Winners of Gaza War

The invasions launched in response to 9/11 gravely damaged Western power and credibility. A new one could have even more dire consequences.

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September 25, 2023

September 25, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

The West’s India Problem Isn’t Getting Any Easier

The backlash against Canada reveals a hyper-masculine new national identity, forged out of old feelings of humiliation, helplessness, and insecurity.

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September 11, 2023

September 11, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Don’t Expect Modi’s New India to Be a Friend to the West

Today’s Hindu nationalists belong to a longer tradition of anti-Western demagogues proclaiming themselves heirs to distinguished ancient civilizations.

The G20 2023 New Delhi Summit - Day Two

August 25, 2023

August 25, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

BRICS Shows It’s Little More Than a Meaningless Acronym

The group seeks to counter US influence but mostly practices cynical expediency

BRICS Summit Hosted In Johannesburg

July 26, 2023

July 26, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Spain Shows Europe’s Right Where It’s Gone Wrong

By indulging radicals, center-right parties may achieve little except a lowering of civilized norms and their own debasement.

Far Right Group Vox Election Rally

July 19, 2023

July 19, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Europe’s Far Right Isn’t So Fringe Anymore

Across the continent, radical parties are rising in popularity and threatening to gain a share of power in countries such as Spain.

Far Right Group Vox Election Rally

June 21, 2023

June 21, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

US Shouldn’t Mistake Modi for India

There’s room for a policy which both recognizes the country’s geostrategic importance and honors its pluralistic politics and culture.

Prime Minister Modi Of India Visits Australia

June 13, 2023

June 13, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Don’t Expect Ukraine to Save Democracy

The world should be rooting for its victory on the battlefield, but also be wary of those who claim to know what the consequences might be.

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May 21, 2023

May 21, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

For Strongmen, It’s Not the Economy, Stupid

Populist leaders of once-powerful civilizations such as Turkey, India and Russia have figured out how to defy electoral logic.

Turkey Awaits Results Of General Election

May 5, 2023

May 5, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

King Charles' Coronation Should Be Britain’s Last

The country needs to grapple with urgent challenges of the present and future instead of lavishly reenacting its past.

London Prepares For The Coronation Of King Charles III And The Queen Consort

April 24, 2023

April 24, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

India Needs More Talent at the Top

The country may have more people than China. But it won’t become a major economic, scientific and technological power without more technocrats.

India's PM Modi Addresses Crowds in Poll-Bound Karnataka

April 6, 2023

April 6, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Why So Many Are Buying What Xi and Putin Are Selling

In their ideological struggle with the US and Europe, the Chinese and Russian autocrats can tap into a still-rich vein of anti-Westernism around the world.

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March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

If the US Talks About War and China Peace, Guess Who Wins?

The West shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss Xi Jinping’s Moscow summit. His bid to play global peacemaker resonates across the developing world.

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February 27, 2023

February 27, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Don’t Abandon Democracy Elsewhere to Save It in Ukraine

The US and its partners should be trying harder to understand and woo the countries of the Global South, but not at any cost.

Don’t Abandon Democracy Elsewhere to Save It in Ukraine

February 13, 2023

February 13, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

The West Shouldn’t Be Losing So Many Hearts and Minds

A refusal to face up to its own imperialist past is giving Vladimir Putin and other demagogues a free pass.

The West Shouldn’t Be Losing So Many Hearts and Minds

January 30, 2023

January 30, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

The West Is Getting In Too Deep in Ukraine

The drive to defeat Vladimir Putin is taking on a dangerous and heedless momentum all its own, just like Iraq.

Defence Minister Lambrecht Visits Bundeswehr Tank Brigade As Germany Considers Deploying More Troops To Lithuania

January 22, 2023

January 22, 2023

OpinionPankaj Mishra

Democracies Shouldn’t Gloat About China’s Stumbles

The country still boasts a technocratic elite capable of recovering from even calamitous policy errors. How many of its neighbors can say the same?

Sri Lanka's Crisis Intensifies