Category Topical

Africa, Civil Society, Governance & Law, Policy & Politics, Regional, Security & Conflict, Topical

Civil Society, Coups, and the Future of Burkina Faso

August 25, 2022

Burkina Faso’s rich history has been marked by violent fluctuations between military juntas and pushback from civil society, resulting in a state that lies somewhere in between. Modern Burkina Faso’s leadership nominally supports civil liberties and political freedoms but has…

Asia Pacific, Book Reviews, Economics, International Development, Regional, Special Content, Topical, Uncategorized

Book Review: Aid Imperium by Salvador Santino F. Regilme Jr.

August 19, 2022

Review of: Aid imperium: United States Foreign Policy and Human Rights in Post-Cold War Southeast Asia by Salvador Santino F. Regilme Jr. University of Michigan Press, 2021. How does foreign aid affect recipient nations’ human rights conditions? What determines whether…

Civil Society, Governance & Law, Policy & Politics, Regional, Security & Conflict, South America, Topical

Colombia sunset viewing the green surroundings of Minca

Can the Government Police Itself? Colombia’s False Positives Scandal and its Lessons for Atrocity Prevention

August 5, 2022

Introduction In April of 2022, a Colombian general and ten other servicemembers admitted that they had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.[1] It was the first time that senior Colombian military officials admitted to wrongdoing since the systemic killing…

Economics, Policy & Politics, Security & Conflict

Insurance Instead of Deterrence: A Pivot in Cybersecurity Strategy

June 22, 2022

Deterrence is tired. It has been put to work for more than seventy years in the nuclear warfare domain, and it has performed admirably there. After all, the world is still intact. The problem is not that deterrence does not…

Asia Pacific, North America, Policy & Politics, Security & Conflict

Will Biden’s New Truman Doctrine Offset the Sino-Russian Pact?

June 20, 2022

During his maiden trip to Asia as president in late May 2022, Joe Biden implied that the United States would take stronger military action to defend Taiwan against China than his administration has taken to support Ukraine to fight against…

Book Reviews, Economics, Energy & Environment, North America, Policy & Politics

Review: Robert Vitalis’ Oilcraft: The Myths of Scarcity and Security that Haunt U.S. Energy Policy

June 13, 2022

Of all the myths and fabrications that exist in political discourse, few are more stubbornly persistent than the scarcity of resources and the policies supposedly needed to control them. Today, that discourse has converged around one definitive commodity: oil. The…

Asia Pacific, North America, Policy & Politics, Security & Conflict

How to Weaken the China-Russia Axis: Historical Lessons from Great-Power Competition

June 2, 2022

Key Judgments Growing ties between Moscow and Beijing threaten US national security. American strategic planners should consider undermining these ties as a strategic imperative. This goal remains achievable if pursued with vigor because Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has…

Economics, Policy & Politics, Security & Conflict

Image of a protest sign saying "system change not climate change"

Beyond MIRVs and SCUDs, the Newest Global Weapon Is ESG

May 31, 2022

Introduction In the weapons world––loaded with the likes of Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), and SCUDs––an emerging global weapon is Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). The current ESG target is Russia, and the payload is an…

Economics, North America, Policy & Politics

Domestic Policy Is Foreign Policy: Wage Stagnation and Income Inequality Threaten America’s Leadership Abroad

May 13, 2022

The negative economic effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are being felt around the world. Here in the United States, Americans face rising gas and food prices, with more trickle-down consequences on the way. The majority of Americans have been…

Asia Pacific, Policy & Politics

South Korea’s Impending China and Japan Policy: Two Messages to the Yoon Administration

May 11, 2022

During the 2022 South Korean presidential campaign, President Yoon Suk-yeol and his party, People Power Party, have proclaimed “strategic clarity” in foreign policy.[1] His direction shifts South Korea’s behavior toward China away from “strategic ambiguity,” which the conservatives refer to…

Asia Pacific, North America, Security & Conflict

Image of a gold square computer chip on a dark background

Clash of the Chips: A Comparison of US-China Semiconductor Production Capacities

May 7, 2022

Introduction The 2021 National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence identified artificial intelligence (AI) as an inspiring technology, one that will be the most powerful tool for future generations towards benefiting humanity.[1] It also recognized that AI-enhanced capabilities will serve as…

Energy & Environment, Security & Conflict

How Climate Change Could Make Water a Resource Trap Risk

April 19, 2022

Climate change will likely make it harder for people to find potable water. Over the next 50 years, some parts of the planet may become virtually uninhabitable, which could in turn cause large waves of human migration.[1] Nearly a third…