Tag: Latin America
How do we get out of here?
Ikonomou Pantelis, former IAEA nuclear inspector, writes:
President Trump and the international community
The geopolitical pendulum swings decisively through the power of arrogance and ignorance of a potential global hegemon. The US President Donald Trump. Continuous rotation of positions. Theatrical complacency and quest for public impression. Complete lack of strategic goals. Absence of serious planning.
His top characteristic is egotistic despotism. International institutions, fundamental values and universal rules of law are disregarded. Historical allies and friends of America are insulted. Pariah states and authoritarian leaders are admired. Signs of personal insecurity? Perhaps. However, they all result in worldwide untrustworthiness.
The threats to humanity
Most dangerously, the enormous threats to humanity are belittled or ridiculed: nuclear weapons, climate change, epidemics, poverty. Science, the locomotive of human civilization, is mocked. The interest of power succeeds. Might makes right. Extortionate deals are the goal.
Violence is growing and spreading worldwide. Wars and unspeakable human misery are increasing. Geopolitical disorder is on the march. Reasonable questions are raised: Is the sun setting on the West? Will humanity decline? Do we follow an irreversible course towards anarchy? Are these all samples of global entropy? Where is our planet headed?
A black hole lurks. Global threats are now ultimate. We need to comprehend it. If we ignore them, history will cease to repeat itself, forever. It is high time for the international community to act. Within the framework of the UN. Beyond colorful photos, bombastic declarations and inexpensive wishful speeches. There is need for bold decisions and above all, for binding actions.
What can be done?
There are serious proposals for Amending the UN Charter in order to achieve critical changes in the 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC), including: (a) Adding two representatives from Africa and two from Asia, (b) abolition of the right for veto of its permanent five (P5) nuclear members, (c) decisions of the majority of the UNSC to be binding and, (d) anyone who does not comply with the UN Charter should lose the right to vote.
Obviously, there will be serious obstacles. Such as, disagreements in agreeing on which countries will occupy Asian and African seats, Latin American demands, German ambitions, and European over-representation. The gravest hindrance would be the unwillingness of the P5 to give up their veto power. For any amendment of the UN Charter all P5 ultimate approval is required.
The moral and pragmatic power of the vast majority of the world population represented in the UN General Assembly is the most effective instrument for change. Only people can force the P5 leaders to undertake the way out of the catastrophic dead locks. Today’s perilous world crises do not allow for prolonging superpowers’ games through the UNSC. The future of the international community is grave. World leaders’ responsibility is paramount, so is their challenge to preserve and secure world peace.
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Stevenson’s army, September 26
– Peter Baker sees a divided America. Note this point:
In an increasingly tribal society, Americans describe their differences more personally. Since Mr. Trump’s election in 2016, according to the Pew Research Center, the share of Democrats who see Republicans as immoral has grown from 35 percent to 63 percent while 72 percent of Republicans say the same about Democrats, up from 47 percent. In 1960, about 4 percent of Americans said they would be displeased if their child married someone from the other party. By 2020, that had grown to nearly four in 10. Indeed, only about 4 percent of all marriages today are between a Republican and a Democrat.
– WSJ says US warned Iran in advance of suicide bombers.
– WSJ says US will meet with China about Red Sea– Vox sees more war going on.- Analyst says Iraq is falling apart
– FP questions Biden’s Venezuela policy
– FP reports European reactions to Trump
-WaPo says US foreign military training has inconsistencies
– Europe has different models of conscription
– Think tank reports on Chinese FDI in Latin America
– Experts see North Korea readying for military action
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here, with occasional videos of my choice. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, December 16
– I strongly agree with Phil Zelikow that the US is losing its capacity to do things in foreign policy. We have ideas but can’t turn them into operations.
– IISS has its latest Armed Conflict Survey
– Lawfare says Congress is working on classification laws
– Guyana and Venezuela make nice
– CNN says US criticizes Israel for Lebanese attacks
– Fred Kaplan says Hamas is gaining support
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here, with occasional videos of my choice. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, December 5
– Politico reports State Dept plans for Gaza
– Israeli critical of the war explains targeting plans
– Stimson Fellow says India has a targeted killing program
-WaPo details how Ukraine offensive stalled
– Politico says administration tells where US aid to Ukraine is being spent domestically
-Tom Nichols summarizes new Atlantic issue on a new Trump administration
– CBS reports conservative effort to urge voters
– Author shows how Monroe Doctrine is a shifting meme.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here, with occasional videos of my choice. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, February 16
– WSJ says Russia’s forces are depleted.
– Politico reports a private comment by Blinken calling Crimea a Russian red line.
– FT reports Latin American countries resist US calls for help for Ukraine.
– Steve Walt lists what Putin got right.
– Defense Priorities has a good collection of comments on Ukraine.
-FP has summary of the rise of China hawks.
-No surprise here: Politico says Chinese balloon is argument for increased defense spending.
– CBO report on the debt ceiling.
-I agree with this op-ed falling for defense budget to be split into capital and operational expenses.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here, with occasional videos of my choice. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, September 18
– NYT says Biden resists sending longer range missiles to Ukraine.
– NYT says autocrats are gaining in Central America.
– Here’s a link to a 2013 study of how Members of Congress spend their time.
– And, if true, a very sad phone call.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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