Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 17/09/2026Here's some other commentary from me about the BRICS after last weekend's summit. This time an interview for Astro Awami TV's Amirul Aiman in Malaysia. international.astroawani.com/video/us-pre... 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 15/09/2026I was quoted in @aljazeera.com on BRICS before last weekend's summit. My main points were: The 'West' is breaking down, so it's unclear what BRICS would even challenge. On Iran: membership gives Tehran a platform - but members aren't aligning with it. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...aljazeera.comBRICS summit: Is the bloc truly challenging a Western-dominated world?Some experts say BRICS need not replace the West to succeed - only make Western dominance harder to exercise. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 02/09/2026Without saying your age, what’s your favorite movie that came out when you were 20 years old?static.klipy.comTrainspotting: Renton's Manic SmileALT: Trainspotting: Renton's Manic Smile 010
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 28/08/2026Thanks to @tomthehack.bsky.social for the opportunity to contribute in his article. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 28/08/2026US-Iran may be becoming a “forever war”: recurring military confrontation, pauses and diplomacy, then renewed confrontation and economic pressure. Not quite war, not quite peace. My latest thoughts today in the @southchinamorningpostrss.newsmast.social.ap.brid.gy: www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...scmp.comHormuz deal presses pause on Iran conflict, but fears of ‘forever war’ remainTehran is likely to stick to its guns in the hopes that the US midterms will bring about a Republican defeat, analysts say. 100
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 22/08/2026Yes, they were standing quietly because the Spanish anthem has no lyrics. 110
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 10/08/2026US policy towards Iran has shifted from deterrence to compellence. The 2026 war shows the costs of that shift — and its failure to deliver. I explore what this means for Trump’s options in my new article for CEBRI-Journal, Brazil’s leading public policy journal. cebri.org/revista/en/a...cebri.orgWhy Deterrence and Compellence Failed Against IranWar Reflects a Failure of Coercion? 010
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 07/08/2026As a current French (and before that Belgian) resident, the discovery that there is no all-in-one shop like Boots is a regular source of disappointment and frustration to me. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 31/07/2026David Tenannt from Twenty Twelve, W1A or Twenty Twenty Six. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 31/07/2026Possibly the best Peking duck I've had! 😋 maps.app.goo.gl/WpaKwprNwNRG...maps.app.goo.gl 010
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 30/07/2026This was too important a story not to discuss, so co-host @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social squeezed time in from his holidays to join me and talk about it. 001
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 27/07/2026Can't access the article but will it also include us Brits who live overseas? I can't vote but would be happy to do so. However, the system needs to be set up so that it's possible to do this. Postal vallots don't work as they don't arrive on time. Getting the embassies involved would help. 130
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 27/07/2026So true. I asked my non league team to do the same. And I asked every Premier league club after the Grok/serialised children scandal. Not one bothered to reply. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 23/07/2026I just want to be sure that they brought in an actual cyclops and some giants to ensure accuracy in casting. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 22/07/2026It's been a fun season, doing the @footpolpodcast.bsky.social with @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social. We've had great guests talk to us about football and politics this year. We're off on a well earned summer break, but we already have plans for new episodes, topics and guests come September. Stay tuned! 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 22/07/2026This was our last episode of the season. There was a lot to get through and @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social kept me on my toes as I wanted to get it all in within a limited amount of time. I think we did it justice, but we'll let you be the judge of that! Have a listen and let us know what you think. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 20/07/2026There's still a chance that they could win something this year, perhaps the FIFA Peace Prize, given that the present incumbent also has a taste for violence. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 20/07/2026Reflecting on the morning after the night before and thank goodness Spain won. We could get into the politics of it all (and I'd still plump for Spain), but really, Argentina were just a thuggish bunch who chose to shithouse rather than play. 110
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 20/07/2026Our latest @footpolpodcast.bsky.social episode is out! We recorded before the knockout stage and before the biggest controversies. But if anything, they just reinforce the points Gaby made. Personally, I think FIFA is working as intended... But that's not necessarily good for players or fans. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 06/07/2026A bit of a change from the World Cup, but still an incredibly important topic and I'm glad that we were both able to cover it and with @cmrobertz.bsky.social do it real justice. Do listen and let us know what you think! 001
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 02/07/2026My latest commentary for @eastasiaforum.bsky.social is out. China isn’t mediating the US–Israel–Iran war because it isn’t trying to. Its Middle East strategy is commerce first, not security leadership. A key risk though is prolonged disruption in Hormuz. Do read! eastasiaforum.org/2026/07/01/c...eastasiaforum.orgChina gains by standing aside in the Iran WarDespite its growing influence in the Middle East, China has largely remained on the sidelines of the Iran war, prioritising economic ties over security leadership. 010
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 24/06/2026This is a big deal for us. Podcasts are saturated with football content, but ours is very different. We've found our audience and the reviews have been kind. But we want to achieve more. If you can help us do it by listening, sharing and subscribing, it would really help! www.buzzsprout.com/2253650/buzzsprout.comThe FootPol PodcastThe podcast that brings together football and politics. We'll be exploring the relationship between the two, both inside and outside the game.The podcast covers "Big Politics" like politicians, clubs,... 021
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 23/06/2026Is this an actual statement from him? If so then why on earth is the 25th amendment not bring brought into play. This is unhinged even by his standards. 120
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 23/06/2026The dominant narrative says Ukraine is gaining the upper hand and Russia is weakening. But what if that's the wrong way to read the war? In the latest Ten Minutes On..., I argue the conflict may be heading towards escalation, not resolution. 🎙️ www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 22/06/2026Our new episode is out! And it's a timely one, given that we're into the World Cup where we've already seen empty seats as a result of the excessive pricing. So it's just as well that we had @moneill94.bsky.social come and explain to us why this points to football's "enshittification." Do listen! 011
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 16/06/2026Switzerland held a referendum. Northern Ireland saw protests and disorder. Same underlying issue: migration. Why do similar pressures produce such different political outcomes? That's the question I explore in this week's Ten Minutes On… podcast. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 11/06/2026Yes, I know Pique divides opinion but I have a soft spot for him. 1986 was the first World Cup I followed. I'm still working out the trauma of England's defeat to Argentina and Brazil going out on penalties to France—which led my 8-year old sister to ask if they could play the game again! 001
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 09/06/2026The World Cup starts this week. But do tournaments like this actually transform countries? In the latest Ten Minutes On... episode, I explore the economics, politics and legacy of mega-events—from Barcelona 1992 to USA 1994 and Mexico 1986. 🎧 Listen now. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... 010
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 08/06/2026The World Cup starts this week and our latest @footpolpodcast.bsky.social episode is out this week, covering the subject. Unfortunately, I was away when it was recorded, so my co-host @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social did a fantastic job doubling for us both! Do have a listen! 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 02/06/2026Ebola is back in the DRC. But this isn't just a health story—it's about conflict, aid cuts, weak institutions and global health security. In 10 minutes, I explain why this outbreak matters and what it tells us about future crises. 🎧 www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... ▶️ youtu.be/BAVr09DRbio 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 26/05/2026I'm catching up on last week, which includes my most recent article for @apsamena.bsky.social on AI in the Gulf and its effort to offer a "Third Option" between the US and China. It was mostly written before the Iran war, so some of the ambitions may face tempering. zenodo.org/records/2019...zenodo.orgBuilding AI Capacity Between Beijing and Washington: The Gulf's China Strategy 021
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 26/05/2026A bit late from me, owing to the long weekend and having friends visiting, but I am grateful to @tomthehack.bsky.social for including my words alongside George Cafiero and Dania Thafer in his article on UAE-Israel relations amid the Iran war. www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...scmp.comIsrael thrusts a reluctant UAE into the open over defence tiesDisclosures about Iron Dome batteries and secret meetings have exposed ties analysts say the UAE would rather handle ‘more discreetly’. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 26/05/2026Pakistan was never supposed to be the key mediator between the US and Iran. So why has Islamabad suddenly become central to Middle East diplomacy? New episode of Ten Minutes On… examines Pakistan’s risky geopolitical balancing act. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... #Pakistan #Iran #Geopolitics 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 25/05/2026This was a great one to record. Living just inside France, it's great to know more about the game in the country here. And @jonathanervine.bsky.social was a really informative guest! 121
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 19/05/2026What if Washington no longer wants Cuba’s regime to collapse? After Venezuela and Iran, the US may fear chaos, migration and failed-state collapse more than Havana itself. 🎧 Podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... ▶️ YouTube: youtu.be/NGyjtFBjBbk?... 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 14/05/2026My contribution on the Trump–Xi meeting: why expectations of a decisive geopolitical turning point may be overstated. The real story is in structural US–China rivalry, strategic ambiguity over Taiwan, trade tensions & uncertainty around US policy coherence. themedialine.org/top-stories/...themedialine.orgTrump-Xi Beijing Summit Tests Leverage on Trade, Taiwan, Iran - The Media LineUS President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on […] 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 12/05/2026I had to give up with LLM assisted Fantasy (Premier League) Football season it kept offering me players from last season and had to be corrected about players' points and form. AI has made my performance worse than ever this year. 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 12/05/2026Does this mean we have to stop watching Father Ted now? I can't remember where we are on awful people and their art. 010
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 12/05/2026Britain’s local elections poses a key question: what happens when electoral systems no longer reflect fragmented societies? New episode of Ten Minutes On… explores democracy, legitimacy & electoral reform from the UK to Canada, France, Japan, Chile & beyond. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... 000
Guy Burton @guyburton.net · 11/05/2026Our latest @footpolpodcast.bsky.social episode is now out. It's a great complement to tyhe other 3 we've done on World Cup debutants, in which we dig beyond what's happening on the pitch to get a sense of the country itself: its history, politics, society, economy as well as football development. 000