Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s chauvinistic surge has inflicted unmistakable damage on its national brand image.
Abe Road
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Democracy & Governance
Why North Korea Today Is Not East Germany 1989
Policymakers have long predicted that North Korea will go the way of East German Communism. Not so fast.
Brazil’s World Cup Evictions: An Insult to Soccer
Forced evictions are happening throughout Brazil in advance of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, exacerbating the country’s growing inequality.
Putin’s Sochi Challenge
The Winter Olympics in Sochi have brought renewed scrutiny to vulnerabilities that could undermine Russia’s ongoing ambitions for international prestige.
The Color Wars
Clashes of colors — red shirts vs. yellow shirts in Thailand, a faded orange revolution in Ukraine — have many people reaching for the rainbow in response.
South Sudan: Colonialism’s Dead Hand
A studied refusal to pay attention to South Sudan’s colonial history helped ignite the current crisis.
How Will the Gulf Cooperation Council React to a U.S.-Iran Nuclear Deal?
The Gulf Cooperation Council needs to work together on a game plan for negotiating with Iran.
Egypt’s Fateful Choice: Democracy or Authoritarianism?
Algeria descended into civil war when its military suppressed the country’s democratically popular Islamists. Could the same happen in Egypt?
Thailand’s Protests and the Global Economy
As the economies of Southeast Asia integrate, Thailand’s social divide is as stark as ever.
What Do Thailand, Ukraine, Belgium, and Egypt Have in Common? Dysfunctional Democracies
When the losing party in an election resorts to extra-legal measures, democracy is threatened and secession may follow.