Flash Points: The month that changed a century

Plus: The punk-prophet philosophy of Michel Houellebecq [Foreign Policy Logo]( [Foreign Policy Flashpoints]( April 13, 2022 | [View in browser]( To read unlimited articles featured in Flash Points, [sign in]( or [subscribe today](. [The Month That Changed a Century]( Putin seeks to destroy not just Ukraine but the entire postwar global system. He may yet succeed. By Michael Hirsh --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Punk-Prophet Philosophy of Michel Houellebecq]( The success of France’s most famous novelist has less to do with art and knowledge than anxiety and rock ’n’ roll. By Justin E. H. Smith --------------------------------------------------------------- [Russia Is Mimicking Open-Source Intelligence Methods to Discredit Bucha Atrocities]( The Kremlin is desperate to muddy the waters around its war crimes. By Justin Ling --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Malaise Poisoning French Politics]( There’s a word for the anger and disappointment French voters are feeling: “seum.” By Fleur Macdonald --------------------------------------------------------------- [It’s Time to Beat Putin at Poker and Call His Bluff]( The West must understand the high-stakes game Russia is engaging in, and use calculated aggression to expose the Kremlin’s weak hand. By Jason Pack Photo: Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images --------------------------------------------------------------- Official development assistance only covers 6% of least developed countries’ (LDCs) $2.5 trillion funding gap—and COVID-19 has only made things worse, especially for women. In the [new report]( from FP Analytics, supported by Microsoft, explore how and why innovative blended finance models could be the key for unlocking the investments LDCs need to grow and thrive. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Coming Soon: The China Challenge.]( The newest issue of FP is out Friday. [Become an FP subscriber now]( to read masterful analyses of the U.S.-China relationship, plus get a free copy of the print magazine at no additional charge when you join. FOLLOW FP ON This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to FP’s Flashpoints newsletter. Want a friend to receive this newsletter? [Forward it]( now. Want to receive other FP newsletters? [Manage]( your FP newsletter preferences. [unsubscribe]( | [privacy policy]( | [contact us]( | [advertise]( Foreign Policy magazine is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2022 The Slate Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006. [Link](