In The News

Spiegel Online: The End of the End of History

Klaus Brinkbäumer November 27, 2017
Political systems of the West may no longer be perceived as the most effective way to organize human societies, and Francis Fukuyama’s prediction that democracy and Western values would triumph after the fall of communism in 1989 now seems presumptuous: “in the past 11 years, freedom around the world has receded. Of 195 states only 87 are still free, 59 are partially free and 49 are not free at...

ICIJ: Leaked Documents Expose Secret Tax Haven Secrets

Simon Bowers November 6, 2017
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released 13.4 million leaked files from a group of offshore service providers that show how companies and individuals thwart government efforts to collect taxes. One of the many stories of the so-called Paradise Papers focuses on Apple, the largest public company by market capitalization. Company officials admitted to US Senate...

FP: As US Retreats From World Organizations, China Steps in

Colum Lynch and Elias Groll October 9, 2017
China has strategically pursued leadership roles in global organizations. Colum Lynch and Elias Groll describe the efforts behind a Chinese representative to head the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. “The push reflects Beijing’s desire to project a more visible ‘soft power’ profile around the world and fill a political void left by an American administration that has grown...

GlobalVoices: Puerto Rico, Trapped Between Colonialism and Hurricanes

Ana Portnoy September 26, 2017
Two hurricanes struck Puerto Rico and the island confronts a humanitarian crisis with flooding, ruined infrastructure, limited food and water supplies. The US president issued a disaster declarations and also pointed to the island’s debt woes. Challenges for Puerto Rico from hurricane damage, high levels of debt or unfunded pensions are compounded by colonialism, explains Ana Portney, writing for...

The Economist: Can Political Islam Make It in the Modern World?

September 21, 2017
In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Islamist parties across the Middle East and North Africa have achieved mixed results. As the Economist notes, the legacy of the Muslim Brotherhood, which began as an anti-imperialist social and educational movement in Egypt under Hassan al-Banna in 1928, gave way to Islamist offshoots, each iteration borne out of its own historical particularities and social...

Foreign Affairs: Is War in Gaza Unavoidable?

Ghaith al-Omari and Grant Rumley September 5, 2017
War in Gaza seemed possible this summer after Israel went along with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s request to cut electricity for 2 million Gazans living under Hamas rule. As Ghaith al-Omari and Grant Rumley observe in a recent article for Foreign Affairs: “Abbas hoped to pressure Hamas into relinquishing control over the strip, which was plunged into darkness as the cornered...

EurasiaNet.org: Moscow’s Perennial Quest for Recognition

Igor Torbakov June 13, 2017
US intelligence agencies point the finger at Russia for attempting to intervene in US and other democratic elections, but the shenanigans won’t increase Russian influence. “The rise of Donald Trump’s administration in the United States was supposed to be a boon for Russia,” explains Igor Torbakov of Uppsala University. “Instead, it has become a source of profound disappointment for the Kremlin.”...