Chinese Fossil Fuel Investments in Africa
African countries need investments, China needs raw materials, and African activists are fed up with the resulting corruption and environmental damage.
America is a Poor Advertisement for Democracy
Congressional paralysis, voter suppression, and widespread political polarization all suggest that American democracy is far from exemplary.
Missing from the Climate Talks: Corporate Powers to Sue Governments That Limit Pollution
Allowing extractive industries to file expensive lawsuits over environmental regulations could undermine whatever agreements might be reached at COP26 in Glasgow.
The United States of Tax Havens
The Pandora Papers reveal how billionaires, oligarchs, and despots the world over exploit America’s patchwork of tax havens.
Arab Spring Takes Back Seat to U.S. Military Aid for Egypt
There’s no accommodation that President Obama can make that will satisfy Americans hawkish for Israel.
Is the National Security Complex Too Big to Fail?
Think of Iraq as the AIG of wars — the only difference being that the bailout there didn’t involve just three payouts. More than eight years after the Bush administration invaded that country, the bailout is, unbelievably enough, still going. Even as the U.S. military withdraws, the State Department is planning to spend billions more in taxpayer dollars to field an army of hired-gun contractors to replace it. Afghanistan? It could have been the Lehman Brothers of conflicts, but when Barack Obama entered the Oval Office he chose the Citigroup model instead, and surged troops in twice in 2009. In other words, he double-TARPed that war, and ever since, the bailout money has been flooding in.
Supporting Peace – Not War – in Kenya
U.S. support for the recent Kenyan invasion of Somalia is disheartening for a number of reasons. Perhaps most disturbing, though, is that it provides further proof of a U.S. policy toward Kenya that emphasizes short-term interests in counterterrorism at the expense of long-term commitments to peace and stability. As Kenya’s next national elections approach and the potential for renewed violence in the country increases, the United States can and should shift its priorities toward those that will foster sustainable Kenyan and regional security – rather than those that threaten to undermine it entirely.
Time to Rekindle Talks with Iran
In light of major upheavals across the Middle East and the shaky foundations of the global economy, Washington should realize that the last thing it needs is to be dragged into a new and even more destructive war. More importantly, pushing for further sanctions would only embolden Iran to reconsider its very membership in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), given Tehran’s increasing frustrations with the IAEA. The best solution is to channel this renewed sense of urgency into the diplomatic track by reviving talks and exploring the so-called “step-by-step” option proposed by Russia. This is the best way to avoid a global tragedy. There is still time for proper negotiation.
The Militarization of Paradise
The South Korean government has been campaigning to have its southern island of Jeju recognised as one of the seven new wonders of nature. A favourite honeymoon spot in Asia and an official “island of peace,” Jeju already boasts several UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites. There’s an extinct volcano at the island’s centre, miles and miles of exquisite coastline, extraordinary lava formations on land and coral formations at sea, and…a huge naval base currently under construction.
We Have a Responsibility to Protect Responsibility to Protect
The principles of R2P — the U.N. doctrine of Responsibility to Protect — were trampled on by the United States and NATO in the Libya intervention.
True Reason for Iran’s Apparent Interest in Nukes Discovered
Can Ayatollah Ali Khamenei be pro and con nuclear weapons at the same time?
Should We Engage North Korea?
The recent two-day talks between the United States and North Korea were a good start, but it also shows that a diplomacy contingent upon denuclearization will not likely break the deadlock. Perhaps the pending leadership succession from Kim Jong-il to his heir apparent Kim Jong-eun provides a window of opportunity for the United States to effectively engage the North through a different strategy, and denuclearization can happen from there.
Rebuilding Libya
Muammar Gaddafi’s misuse of governmental instruments and assets for over 42 years has left a gaping political vacuum, a severely impaired civil service, and a virtually non-existent civil society in Libya. Decades of intentional manipulation of state resources and a gross mismanagement of oil revenues have led to immeasurable social exclusion. According to the UN, over 40 percent of Libya’s population of 6 million lived below the poverty line under Gaddafi and reaped no direct benefit from its monumental oil riches.
The China Divide and the Future of the GOP
The current Republican presidential field has given little indication of any serious thought on the future of the critical relationship between the United States and China.