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<p>Two of East Asia’s oldest and strongest players — Japan and South Korea — have had a hostile relationship for as long as some can remember. In a BBC World Service poll that was taken in 2014, only 13% of Japanese viewed South Korea positively, and only 15% of South Koreans viewed Japan positively. This dislike for the other is deep-rooted in history, with both countries having a strong mutual distrust for the other, and a multitude of incidents and events h...
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<p>Humanity has come far from the rhetoric of denial and indifference that defined decades of climate inaction. Nations, corporations, and individuals accept the geopolitical colossus that climate change presents. Yet, where environmentalists frame the issue as existential and immediate, world governments thrust domestic priorities into the conversation. On the world stage, issues of national security, industrial capability, and economic prowess are included in the discussion of the planet...
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<p>The activities of the Wagner Group in the Central African Republic (CAR) must be stopped immediately. Though it styles itself as a private security company, the Wagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organization made up of tens of thousands of mercenaries. In fact, it is often referred to as “Putin’s Private Army” (Faulkner). The Group first entered the CAR in 2018. Initially, its activities were building a cultural center and making several deals to gain ...
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<p>As the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine passes, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine shows no sign of ending. To analyze the dynamics of the peaceful resolution of this military escalation, it is essential to examine the international relations theory of audience costs. Political scientist James Fearon popularized the term “audience costs”, which suggests that state leaders have three choices in an international crisis: attack, back down, or...
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<p>On April 14th, 2021, President Biden announced that the U.S. Military troops would completely withdraw from Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which had first spurred the U.S. to take military control of the country. However, the Taliban ultimately managed to storm Kabul and complete its own transition into power a month before that date, on August 15th. Coincidentally, this was also the anniversary of the formation of Afghanistan’s most int...
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<p>The World Trade Organization (WTO), a multilateral institution that regulates trade, is dead. Over the last two decades, the WTO (known as the GATT agreement before 1995) has significantly declined in terms of legitimacy and power . The WTO’s decline has correlated with the rise in protectionist foreign policy of various administrations which prioritized national interests over the rules-based system. Proponents of the liberal international order (LIO), a paradigm that promote...
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<p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is advancing at an unprecedented pace, and with the advent of deep learning, AI systems can now analyze vast amounts of data and perform complex tasks that were once thought impossible. From self-driving cars to intelligent robots, AI is rapidly changing the way we live and work.</p>
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<p>It even wrote that entire paragraph. </p>
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<p>The relevance of artific...
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<p><em>Bruno Barbey. FRANCE. Paris. December 8, 2018. Yellow Vests ( " Gilets Jaunes " ) Protest. jstor.org</em></p>
<p>In a little over a half-decade, Europe has transformed from a bastion of progressivism to a hotbed of nationalism and far-right-wing political ideology. Right-wing parties have recently seized power in numerous European countries, such as Poland, Italy, Hungary, and Sweden, while far-right movements are gaining popularity in ot...
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In the aftermath of a deadly terror attack in Jerusalem committed by two Palestinian nationals, bloodshed between the two warring countries continues to escalate at the expense of the ongoing refugee crisis along the Israel-Palestine border. The violence between the two opposing factions is nothing new to the region ever since Israel’s creation in 1948. The two-state solution was culminated by the victorious allied powers in the aftermath of the Holocaust as an attempt to make reparations ...
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<p>On October 16, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials from across China converged in Beijing for a historic meeting. Every five years, the CCP holds a week-long conference to set its leadership and outline its policy agenda. It is usually a routine affair meant to project the CCP’s power, but at the 20th National Congress, premier leader Xi Jinping broke traditions, forcefully removing his predecessor from the meeting and extending his reign indefinitely. Xi’s most ...
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<p>In August 2022, just minutes before outgoing commissioner Michelle Bachelet’s term ended, the UN Human Rights Council released a long-awaited and vehemently opposed report on human rights abuses in China . The report, which included interviews with dozens of Muslims in the region and public documents, suggested that the Chinese Communist Party is responsible for severe human rights violations against ethnic minorities . Crimes in Xinjiang specifically target Uyghurs, a Muslim ...
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<p>One of the most pressing international issues in today’s world is the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the subsequent destruction of the international norms of conquest and border sovereignty. The blatant attempt by Russia to disregard Ukraine's authority and storm the country’s borders disrupts the decades-long status quo of state sovereignty upheld within the international community. It has been 30 years since another country outwardly invade...
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With its involvement and large contribution to defeating the Axis Powers in both World War I and World War II, the United States has established itself as the superpower of the Western Hemisphere. On top of its military success, the United States quickly rose to power in the last century to become the world’s largest economy. After becoming a recognizable force, the United States began interfering with countries around the globe in order to protect American interests and ideals. Thus, the ...
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<p>On December 17, 2010, a fruit vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi would set himself on fire after being harassed over his lack of a merchant’s permit and ignored by his local officials when he applied for one . Bouazizi’s self-immolation cemented him in the annals of Tunisian history as a symbol of defiance against the authoritarian Ben-Ali regime that controlled Tunisia for 20 years. It also marked the beginning of Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution and the Arab Sprin...
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<p>In the modern age, access to energy has become increasingly unequal, creating difficulties in each nation’s ability to adapt to a newfound climate crisis. Many sub-Saharan African countries have fallen behind economically after the Industrial Revolution advanced much of the West at a rapid rate. Despite having emitted the majority of carbon pollution over the past 200 years, many Western leaders are suddenly and ironically demanding halting any new fossil fuel development acro...
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<p>On June 5th, 2021, attendees of the Bitcoin Conference in Miami witnessed a dramatic turning point for the world of cryptocurrency. Bitcoin fanatics eagerly listen to young crypto entrepreneur, Jack Mallers, as he discusses the future of cryptocurrency and its ability to tackle issues with our current financial institutions. Taking the audience by surprise, Mallers then introduces an unexpected speaker: El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. Appearing virtually through a video recording, B...
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It is nearly impossible to be a citizen of the 21st century and not be aware and somehow impacted by the increasingly pressing issue of climate change. Current estimates have predicted that by the end of the century, the average global temperature will have risen 5℃, leading to the displacement of 140 million people. According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by 2070 nearly three billion people may be living in areas too hot to be habitable. The consequences of climate c...
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During the 2022 Super Bowl, millions of Americans watched as a colorful QR code bounced around their black TV screens. Interests piqued, over 20 million people scanned the QR code which led them to Coinbase, a cryptocurrency company urging viewers to join their exchange platform by offering $15 in free bitcoin to those who sign up for an account . However, the excitement did not stop there. Super Bowl fans witnessed not one, but four commercials featuring cryptocurrency exchange companies: Coinb...
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Introduction
After decades of negative precipitation trends, Iran is on the brink of an environmental and socioeconomic crisis . Over the summer of 2021, thousands of Iranians from the southwest province of Khuzestan took to the streets to protest the mismanagement of the government in combating water scarcity. Five million Iranians in Khuzestan were left without water for multiple days in the blazing Iranian summer months. The protests resulted in the deaths of over 300 protestors .
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Russia has been steadily gaining strategic footing in Africa. This involvement marks a departure from Moscow’s traditional guarded stance vis-à-vis the African continent, where it had historically privileged economic cooperation and technical assistance (with Algeria for instance in the 1980s). Russia’s newfound involvement in Africa is characterized by a distinctly urgent dimension, taking place around the conflicts and crises playing out in Libya and Mali since the early 201...
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Article was written as the war unfolds in Eastern Europe, thus the scope is limited as the situation is constantly evolving
LOS ANGELES - On Wednesday, February 23rd, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, essentially waging war on Ukraine in what he calls an act to “protect people who are subject to abuse and genocide… and will strive to demilitarize ” . In reaction to Russia&...
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Introduction:
In the early 1990s, fast fashion took the world by storm. Since then, the industry has grown exponentially. In fact, in the first six months of 2019, fast fashion accounted for 66% of all online fashion traffic . Companies’ ability to mass-produce clothing at remarkably low costs forever changed the fashion industry and the world. On the surface, fast fashion seems to be a positive development — both clothing companies and consumers economically benefit. Producers pr...
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Hunger and food insecurity have been global crises for decades, one that is progressively worsening. According to a 2020 World Hunger report , approximately 750 million, or 1 in 10 people, suffer from severe food insecurity and malnourishment. Over 55 countries, many of which are considered to be developing, face hunger crises. However, such issues in these countries hardly developed overnight. Many of these nations were historically subjected to colonialism, and the aftereffects of colonization...
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17.7% of the world’s population resides on the subcontinent of India. But in May of last year, India accounted for a staggering 47% of global COVID-19 cases. This didn’t occur organically. Rather, Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s politically-motivated COVID policy jeopardized the health and safety of Indians.
Similar to many western countries, India initiated its first nationwide lockdown in late March of 2020. Prime Minister Modi’s initial messaging was ...
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The United Nations is the closest thing there is to a world government, representing 193 of the world’s 195 countries (excluding the Holy See, the universal government of the Catholic Church, and Palestine) . The stated goals of the United Nations are to promote global peace, develop diplomatic relationships between countries, and act as an institution where countries can coordinate common goals– namely the protection of human rights . If the U.N. plays such an important role in glob...
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The buildup of Russian troops along the Russian-Ukrainian border became one of the first international incidents the new Biden administration has had to contend with this year. When discussing the conflict, much attention is paid to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s thinking and strategic decisions–and less is paid to Ukraine, a nation whose sovereignty and very existence is threatened by the continued conflict. What decisions and strategic alliances Ukraine makes is hampered by the...
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Disclaimer: This article was originally written June 30, 2021 and in light of the evolving global COVID-19 situation, data and trends may have evolved as well
After a year of dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, the focus has turned from mitigation to eradication. The miraculous expedition of COVID-19 vaccines from companies worldwide has presented new challenges in vaccine implementation and inequity. While wealthy nations that either host companies that develop vaccines or can affo...
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US-China Relations in the Twenty-First Century – A Great Power Competition
The relationship between the United States and China is categorized, in many respects, as the most significant bilateral relationship of the 21st century. Previous expectations that China would eventually undergo liberal democratic reforms, adopt market capitalism, and accept American hegemony in a unipolar world, have gone from winning support among U.S. officials to being nothing more than a delusio...
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Introduction
In 1994, South Africa held its first election with universal suffrage, allowing all adult South African citizens to vote regardless of their race. The election results dramatically changed the composition of South Africa’s government, with the African National Congress (ANC), which was previously banned from participating in South African elections, obtaining 62.65% of the national vote and 252 out of 400 seats in the lower house of the national legislature. A new constitut...
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There are about 13,100 nuclear warheads stockpiled today. A single 5 megaton bomb, or half the tonnage of the U.S.’s strongest deployed bomb, can destroy the greater L.A. area in a matter of seconds. There are enough warheads on ‘high alert’ to obliterate nearly every major city in the world in the span of a few minutes. Despite these grim realities, a number of countries are still investing in, expanding, or maintaining nuclear arsenals at world-ending capabilities. Why? And, ...
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Vladimir Putin’s presidency is on the brink of returning Russia to its old totalitarian state given recent events. Alexei Navalny’s arrest has shaken up not only Russia but all of the West in fear of Putin’s growing autocratic rule. It is no surprise that Russia has been disguising itself as a free, democratic nation for a long time, but recent events suggest an alarming shift towards a dictatorship. With growing intolerance for political opposition, Putin is slowly becoming a ...
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Since the beginning of the United States’ intervention in the Middle East, countries around the world have looked to our involvement as an example of the dangers of overextending resources and lack of planning. Following the September 11th attacks in 2001, the United States military intervened in Afghanistan to drive the Taliban from power, and then in 2003 invaded Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime. These decisions inserted the United States military into the Middle East for ...
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Abstract
In 2019, the Hong Kong protests against the extradition bill captured worldwide media attention. The Hong Kong government proposed a bill that would allow China to exert greater control over Hong Kong’s autonomy and democratic government order. As a response, Hong Kongers took to the streets with five demands to Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, which contributed to Hong Kong’s growing social movement against China. Over the course of six months, only one demand received...
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Fans of Stanley Kubrick’s humorous 1964 film Dr. Strangelove will recall a scene of the U.S. presidential administration gathered dramatically in a war room, frantically trying to reach a drunken Soviet Premier through landline explaining that total nuclear annihilation is only a few hours away, as a result of a rogue armed bomber. Four decades later, in Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing, a nuclear disarmament deal is only reached through secret code, as the Russian president mistrusts hi...
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We stand today on the precipice of a great moral crisis as an international community, and indeed as a nation; one that has been culminating for over seven decades. Ironically, the crux of this crisis parallels the motivation that drove our country’s birth; yet that irony has seemingly been lost on our leadership, and perhaps more regrettably, on our general populace.
Since the end of the Second World War, the United States’ inaction on the humanitarian and political cri...
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America’s hegemonic decline has been ongoing since the early 2000s, but the US is now facing an increasingly difficult path to maintain the liberal international order. The emergence of China as a military peer-competitor, preeminent economic power, and a regional player through the Doha Round and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) represents the most significant postwar challenge to American leadership, leading to the revitalization of a Cold War-like setup that is causing many countries ...
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In 2020, Thailand gained international attention for a series of mass protests led by the Free Youth student group. Among many other democratic reforms, the student group called for the dissolvement of the parliament and the application of the rule of law in regards to the King . This is not the first time that Thailand has experienced political unrest. In order to understand why this cycle of pro-democratic mobilization has persisted for so many years with no end in sight, we must recall past t...
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As Beijing unilaterally imposed the national security law on Hong Kong last year, right before the twenty-third anniversary of the city’s handover to China from British rule, scholars have argued that the legislation signaled the “end of Hong Kong” and likened it to a “dagger that has stabbed into the heart of the city’s liberal foundations.” Others, such as Lord Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, condemned the law as a “compreh...
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When the clock struck midnight to bring in 2021, the United Kingdom left the European Union’s Single Market. The future of the United Kingdom is increasingly uncertain with a slow economic outlook and the popularity of nationalist parties in Scotland and Northern Ireland threatening the union itself . In contrast, much of the conversation about the EU’s future is optimistic, especially around the prospect of further integration.
Two twin crises–Brexit and the...
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Foreign policy pundits have paid acute attention to Chinese and Russian nuclear enhancements over the past decade as geopolitical concerns and technological capacities have increased. Just as considerable is the North Korean nuclear threat. Despite the DPRK’s nuclear program creating vast implications for international security and foreign policy, the country has received little sustained attention. Yet, viewing Kim Jong-un’s North Korea as a limited nuclear power instead of a formid...