2011 – An Unexceptional Year for American Exceptionalism?
November 29, 2011 9 min. read

2011 evidenced our inability to predict substantial change and respond to tumultuous events. The ramifications of foreign policy decisions will not show their true colors for some time. Below, I discuss notable states – Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Cuba, Burma, Ivory Coast, Norway, Israel, and Palestine – that I believe are important because of their effects on peace […]

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The Return of Mars: Why Does Looking at the GOP Debate on Foreign Policy Matter for Europeans?
November 26, 2011 8 min. read

On November 22, 2011, CNN hosted a debate between the Republican candidates for the presidential nomination, this time dedicated to the theme of national security. The debate was sponsored by the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), two of the most conservative think tanks in the US, with considerable influence in shaping policies […]

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Shop Consciously and Child Labor Free This Black Friday
November 25, 2011 7 min. read

Now that you have managed to make it through the Thanksgiving holiday, your mind has begun to drift away from thoughts of turkey and stuffing, not to mention pumpkin pie, to thoughts of holiday giving.  Today the Christmas shopping season officially begins, as Black Friday consumes shoppers across the country.  It’s the American way to look for […]

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BRICS Rise Much Faster than Predicted
November 24, 2011 3 min. read

A huge topic in academia at the moment is the changing global economic and political landscape. The “Reshaping Power, Shifting Boundaries” theme of the 2012 International Political Science Association conference being held in Madrid in July is a testament of this. Academics from around the world will gather to discuss how power is being reconfigured […]

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Happy Thanksgiving
November 24, 2011 3 min. read

Today Americans are sitting down for what is, for most, the biggest meal of the year, spending the day with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. The day is one where we are able to escape the chaos that has become our everyday lives and take a moment to gather around tables covered in bountiful […]

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Improving Maternal Health in Afghanistan
November 23, 2011 3 min. read

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) recently published a working paper, Maternal Health in Afghanistan.  The paper is co-authored by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, fellow and deputy director of CFR’s Women and Foreign Policy program, and Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow and Director of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative, Director of the Women and Foreign Policy Program. […]

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NOXL
November 23, 2011 2 min. read

As you undoubtedly know, thousands of people, young and old, descended on Washington on November 6th, ringed the White House and told the President that the Keystone XL pipeline was not in the best interests of either the US or the planet.  The fact of the turnout was great news in itself, but even better […]

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Persian Gulf’s Big and Lil’
November 23, 2011 3 min. read

I recently came across two worthwhile pieces on Persian Gulf states punching above their weight. The first is a New York Times analysis of Qatar, the lil’ oil rich country that could: Qatar is smaller than Connecticut, and its native population, at 225,000, wouldn’t fill Cairo’s bigger neighborhoods. But for a country that inspires equal […]

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The Beginning of the End for Authoritarianism: Human Rights in 2011
November 22, 2011 7 min. read

It’s been quite a year for human rights. Almost as soon as the year began, popular revolts shook the foundations of authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Using the power of social media, people organized in opposition to autocratic rule across the Arab world. In Tunisia and Egypt, these movements overturned (or at least […]

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U.S. Defense Decimated by Debt?
November 22, 2011 4 min. read

The Congressional supercommittee charged with finding trillions of dollars in debt reduction has failed in their mission, opening the door to a drastic reduction in the U.S. federal budget. Like most people I would assume that debt reductions would take place in a calm and orderly manner, with decisions on reductions made by adults who […]

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Turkish Child Gang Rape Case Causes Outrage
November 21, 2011 5 min. read

Outrage in Turkey over the verdict of a rape case is being heard following the verdict by the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals (Turkey’s highest court). The case involved alleged gang rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2002, for which the court has ruled that the child had consented to sex with her 26 accused […]

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Universal Children’s Day
November 20, 2011 2 min. read

“There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace.” – Kofi Annan Universal Children’s Day […]

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