Lukashenko and Putin, Till Death Do You Part?
Alliances in the Russian-Ukraine War The moment Russian soldiers marched across the Ukrainian border, much of the world turned further against them. Anti-Russian rhetoric was already strong pre-Ukraine War, but with the US doing everything it could to blame the war on someone else, Russia was the perfect target of continued criticism. Though it was […]
What Americans Fail to Understand about Central American Immigration
Immigration at the United States-Mexico border has surged to record levels in recent years. Between October 2019 and March 2023, nationals of Central America made up one-third of the 5.8 million total immigrants who sought entrance to the United States. According to The Council on Foreign Relations, most Central American immigrants migrate from El Salvador, […]
The Truth Behind Bitcoin Country
In September 2021, El Salvador established Bitcoin as legal tender. In doing so, the government declared its validity as acceptable payment within the country: a landmark decision that attracted significant international attention. Soon after the glamorous headlines and Bitcoin billionaires’ hustling toward the country, economic stagnation and challenges to daily life began to plague the […]
The Biden Admin is Right to Exercise “Excessive Restraint” Against Iranian Proxies
Amidst the enduring conflict between Israel and Gaza, Iran’s proxy forces—collectively known as “The Axis of Resistance”—are hard at work in embodying Churchill’s adage to never let a good crisis go to waste. Stretching from Lebanon to Yemen and comprising scores of disparate factions including small Islamist militant groups, quasi-state actors, and designated terrorist organizations, […]
Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance: Constructions for the Future of Public Health
In the era of machine-learning and artificial intelligence (AI), many question the ethics and efficiency of integrating AI in all sectors of society. Society both vilifies and lauds AI for the problems and solutions it poses for the future of human security, with some critics forecasting “the end of modern society as we know it.” […]
How Worried Should We Be about an Open War between Taiwan and China?
An open war between Taiwan and China looms over international politics. Following former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022, many experts voiced concerns that this blunt act of US diplomacy could exacerbate tensions, and the succeeding developments seemed to confirm their worries. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi vehemently condemned the visit, […]
Tax Evasion and Policy Effectiveness: The European Savings Directive
Though it is a significant political and economic union that prides itself on democratic state cooperation, the European Union sees astounding quantities of tax evasion across its member states. While its international reputation evokes welfare for the poor, national healthcare systems, and free college education, these public goods face the danger of disintegration as EU […]
Dilma Rousseff’s Impeachment and the Brazilian Economy
In 2011, Dilma Rousseff was elected the first female president of Brazil. During her tenure, Rousseff advocated many popular policies including economic stability, poverty reduction, a decrease in unemployment, and political and tax reform. She went on to enjoy an approval rating of over 70 percent in the beginning of her first term, which eventually […]
The Dark Past and Uncertain Future of Nuclear Energy in Japan
In October 2020, then-Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide declared that Japan would reach net-zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050, an extremely high hurdle for the country to achieve in just thirty years. Japan is among the world’s largest carbon emitters, with forty percent of its emissions coming from energy production; in 2019, fossil fuels composed 88 […]
Henoko, The LDP State, and the Future of Democracy in Okinawa
This article discusses sexual assault. In January, Nago City re-elected Mayor Toguchi Taketoyo instead of his opponent Kishimoto Yohei by roughly 15 percent. The central issue of this race was the relocation of the US Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma from a crowded city center to the coastal Henoko district of Nago. This immensely […]