Greymantle's Politics and Culture

Insights into the Long Game

All the Right Moves: Leo XIV’s First Year as Pontiff

Ivor Greymantle

By recentering the Catholic Church on its foundational truths and prioritizing administrative integrity, Pope Leo XIV is attempting to heal internal Church fissures that many thought were beyond repair, while serving as a rare anchor in a world that has lost its moorings. In his first year, Pope Leo seems to have made all the right moves.

The Chaos Magick President: Trump’s War on Reality

Ivor Greymantle

In November 2024, days before Donald Trump’s improbable return to power, I published an article on these pages titled "Lord of Illusions: Donald Trump as Master Magician". Trump's behavior, I alleged, bore a close resemblance to that of the infamous Aleister Crowley. The "Illusionist" that I described in 2024 has fully manifested himself as “the Chaos Magick President" of 2026. The stage tricks are gone; what remains is a raw, blasphemous attempt to overwrite the firmware of our shared reality.

What Does Humble Pie Taste Like? Why the Iranian Regime Defied My Forecast of Collapse

Ivor Greymantle

Back in March, I made a very bullish forecast that Iran's regime would collapse with 98% certainty for myriad reasons, the U.S.-Israeli attacks being the most proximate. But I was dead wrong. In this post, I analyze the gaps and mistakes made in my earlier forecast. What does humble pie taste like? Read on and I'll tell you.

Beating A Dead Horse: How Hollywood’s IP Obsession Got Out of Hand

Gideon Evans

Since the early 2000s, sequels and franchises have dominated the U.S. box office, squeezing out original content and stories not grounded in pre-existing intellectual property, or "IP" as it is commonly referred to in the film industry. In this week's article, producer and comedy writer Gideon Evans analyzes why and "How Hollywood's IP Obsession Got Out of Hand".

The RSF Comes for Khartoum: Understanding Sudan’s Genocidal Civil Wars, Part 3

Robert Cox

Sudan's leaders beefed up the rag-tag Janjaweed militia, transforming what had been a group of semi-organized raiders into the RSF - a fully equipped adjunct to the Sudanese military. But after decades of expanding its operational capabilities, the RSF decided it wanted to be more than the tail that wags the dog. In 2023, it launched an all-out bid for power. We explain what happened, and why, in "The RSF Comes for Khartoum".

Devils on Horseback: Understanding Sudan’s Genocidal Civil Wars, Part 2

Robert Cox

Sudan showed signs of fissure from the start. Those in the South were afraid of being handed over to people who for years had done little but try to enslave them. As if to confirm their suspicions, only 8 out of 800 government positions during the 1956 independence negotiations were reserved for southerners. If our goal is understanding Sudan's genocidal civil wars, then the profound disconnect between an Arab, Muslim North and a Christian/Animist and African South can't be overemphasized.