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, […]
How to Fight a War Without Weapons
War between states no longer starts on the battlefield. States continue to pursue hegemony—being powerful enough to dominate all other states. As weaker states become stronger, other powerful states will attempt to undermine them to prevent the rise of an alternative unipolar or bipolar power balance. Within the modern context of nuclear proliferation and the […]
All Is Fair in Love Island and War
Illustration by Emily Rubin. “Anye impietie may lawfully be committed in love, which is lawlesse.” –John Lyly, Euphues Lyly’s adage—commonly uttered as “all is fair in love and war”—implies that conflict is as inherent to human nature as love and that rules don’t apply. The proverb also reflects realist theory, which believes states are rational […]
(Perpetuating) War and (Preventing) Peace: America’s Failed Arms Sales
America’s executive branch has systemically failed to evaluate state stability when sending billions of dollars of weapons abroad. The country’s defense trade lacks cogent rationale, amplifies risks, and results in countless unintended consequences. The trade exacerbates conflicts and costs American lives. Between 2002 and 2018, the US sold a conservative estimate of $560 billion in […]
Counterbalance: To War or Not To War
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) or the Islamic State, the terrorist organization that has seized parts of both countries, has one overarching goal in mind- the creation of an Islamic caliphate. The breadth of this goal alludes to one of the largest dangers […]
Colombia-FARC Peace Process
The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, better known as the FARC, began as a resistance movement among impoverished farmers in rural Colombia during the 1920’s and 1930’s. The movement started peacefully as a way to protest a lack of government intervention in peasant hardships, but when the government failed to intervene. The FARC became more […]
Seasons of the Arab Spring: A Review
On Thursday, January 22, the International Affairs Department hosted a panel discussion, “Seasons of the Arab Spring.” Contributors included Northeastern professors, Denis Sullivan, Valentine Moghadam, and Berna Turam. Visiting scholars Dr. Emily Curry and Shamiran Mako also participated in the panel. The discussion focused on five countries and their involvement in the Arab Spring: Egypt, […]
Reviving a Power in East Asia: Japanese Remilitarization
President Obama’s plan to “pivot to Asia” seems to have been put on hold. The idea to increase U.S. military presence in Asia was prompted by the economic and military rise of China, the nuclear threat in North Korea and a rocky relationship with Russia. However, global crises like the rise of ISIS have brought […]