INTERNATIONAL

The Banks’ Turbulent Month

On Mar. 10, California-based Silicon Valley Bank experienced a classic bank run as its Silicon Valley investors pulled large amounts of money from the bank, and the federal government intervened through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This caused massive st other strain on other banks across the nation, particularly the Signature Bank, which FDIC also took control of. Across the pond, Credit Suisse watched their shares drop up to 30%. Swiss authorities announced a backstop, which has temporarily calmed the market. 

In response to this, the Fed has pledged a record number of loans. Many worry about any parallel to the 2008 recession and what this means for a potential future recession. Whether paranoid or prophetic, many are questioning the foundations of the global banking system.

NORTH AMERICA & SOUTH AMERICA

Mexico

Mexico Investigating Border Fire as a Homicide

In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a blaze at a migrant detention center killed 39 people, and 27 remain hospitalized. As a disturbing video surfaced of federal and state agents failing to allow the migrants to escape the fire, Mexico is trying the case as a homicide case. Thus far, five suspects have been arrested in connection with the deaths. “All investigations are underway to find out what really happened,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador notes.

United States

Former President Donald Trump Indicted

After much speculation, President Trump was indicted for potentially violating campaign finance laws. Particularly, Michael Cohen, who was part of President Trump’s campaign team in 2016, paid pornographic actress Stormy Daniels for her silence about her involvement with Trump. President Trump soon reimbursed Cohen for the amount of $130,000 dollars. 

This hush money can be seen as a hefty campaign donation that was not documented by the Trump campaign. Falsifying business records is a felony, especially if the district attorney working on the case, Alvin Bragg, chooses to also characterize it electoral law violation. This will be especially important, as some see this case’s foundations as shaky. 

Nevertheless, this indictment brings American democracy into a new era of accountability. Trump is the first president to be indicted on criminal charges, and if the public sees Trump tried by the Manhattan jury, the case will continue to break the status quo. 

THE MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

Israel

Netanyahu’s Proposed Reforms Propel Israel Towards Dictatorship 

The Israeli parliament took a step towards passing a bill that would permit politicians to nullify High Court rulings with a simple majority and select judges. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed legislation to transform the country’s judiciary has been labeled as a “judicial coup.” The government has promised to expand those settlements and weaken the judiciary’s authority; members of the new coalition have also made extensive comments denigrating the LGBTQ+ community and called for stricter definitions of who qualifies as Jewish. Making its larger vision clear, the government released policy guidelines last week announcing the Jewish people’s “exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the land of Israel.”

Somalia 

March Marked the Longest Drought in the Country with at Least 43,000 Killed in the Past Year 

According to a new report, the longest drought on record in Somalia resulted in an estimated 43,000 deaths last year, with about half of the victims being children under the age of 5. This is the first official death toll released for the drought that has affected large swaths of the Horn of Africa. The outlook for the first half of this year is also grim, with forecasts suggesting that between 18,000 and 34,000 people may die. Somalia, along with neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya, is experiencing its sixth consecutive failed rainy season, with global food prices and the conflict in Ukraine exacerbating the hunger crisis. Humanitarian and climate experts have warned that the current trends are more severe than those seen during the 2011 famine in Somalia, which claimed the lives of a quarter of a million people. Last month’s food security assessment indicated that nearly half a million children in Somalia are at risk of severe malnutrition this year.

Ethiopia

New Interim Tigray Government Instituted in Ethiopia 

To implement a peace plan and end the war in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Mar. 23 established an interim administration for the area. The upper chamber of Ethiopia’s parliament formed the interim administration and appointed Getachew Reda, a delegate of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), as its leader. This decision was among the outcomes agreed upon in a peace agreement signed in South Africa in November 2022 between the federal government and the TPLF. The truce came after the conflict led to tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people. According to aid workers, the absence of an interim government has been hindering the humanitarian response in Tigray, where millions require urgent assistance.

CENTRAL ASIA & ASIA 

Pakistan 

On Mar. 19, Pakistani police stormed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday and arrested 61 people amid tear gas and clashes between Khan’s supporters and police, officials said. Senior police officer Suhail Sukhera, who led the operation in an upscale Lahore neighborhood, said police acted to remove a barricade erected by members of Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party and his defiant supporters. He said they blocked the lanes around Khan’s residence with concrete blocks, felled trees, tents and a parked truck. Khan was not in the home, having traveled to Islamabad to appear before a judge to face charges he sold state gifts while in office and hid his assets. The judge postponed that hearing until Mar. 30, which Khan failed to attend. 

India 

On Mar. 23, the leader of the Congress Party, India’s main opposition party, Rahul Gandhi, was disqualified from his position in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament), following a court ruling the previous day that found him guilty of defamation for comments he made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an election rally in 2019. Gandhi had been sentenced to two years in prison, the exact minimum sentence that renders an official ineligible to serve as a member of parliament. There were protests by Congress Party members in some parts of the country in response to Gandhi’s case, and Gandhi himself stated he will appeal the sentence. 

EUROPE 

Ukraine

IMF Approves 15.6 Billion in Funding for Ukraine

The IMF approved a global $115 billion package, 15.6 billion of which is allocated to Ukraine after 13 months of warding off Russian forces. Some of this funding will go to Kyiv’s energy sector, which has been a target of Russian forces. 

This is the first major convention program for a country involved in a large-scale war. It is meant to signify the global community’s commitment to Ukraine, especially with the high risk of the loan. The money includes deeper reforms in the second phase to return Ukraine to pre-war fiscal and monetary policies. President Zelensky welcomed the new funding and believes it will help them move forward to victory. 

United Kingdom

Scotland Names Sturgeon’s Successor: Humza Yousaf

This month, Scotland named its first minority and Muslim first minister, Humza Yousaf, as the leader of the Scottish National Party. Yousaf will continue to fight for the same issues that Sturgeon wrestled with. Notably, he wants to continue the fight for transgender rights in Scotland. He also calls for independence from the United Kingdom, ending the 316-year-long union, an issue that has become increasingly popular with younger voters. The United Kingdom has refused to grant a second referendum. Despite this, the Scottish remain optimistic in their fight for independence, with Yousaf spearheading the charge. 

France

France’s Retirement Protests Rage On

The anger in France is nearly palpable as some roads and railways have been shut down for weeks, and trash is piling up after trash collectors decided to strike. The protests are over President Macron raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. While France enjoys a lower retirement age than most surrounding countries, the problem seems to lie in choice and identity. The French are adamant about keeping the contract the government offers about pensions. Additionally, President Macron pushed the bill through the legislature to avoid a vote with the lower house of Parliament. Changes to the pension system in France have historically been a contested and protested matter but paired with inflation and rising social inequality, it has left the French especially angry and bitter. 

Russia

Putin Makes Allies and Adversaries Clear

Chinese President Xi traveled to Moscow to meet with Putin. They have met many times over, including several times since the start of the invasion of Ukraine. They jointly criticized the hypocrisy of the West and their narrative of “democracy against authoritarianism.” They seemed to show a shift in the international order and allyship when Xi and Putin claimed that “when we are together, we drive these changes.”

On the other side, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, alleging he is responsible for war crimes; the ICC focuses on the unlawful deportation of children. The Kremlin’s reaction responded within minutes, dismissing these claims. 

THE PACIFIC 

Vanuatu & the Pacific Islands

Youth Activist-led Movement Spurs Impactful UN Resolution

On Mar. 29, 2023, the UN passed a resolution that would make it easier to hold polluting countries accountable for climate change. The islands feel the effects of climate change more profoundly due to their geographic location and size. This is what inspired youth activists, particularly in Vanuatu, to get a legal opinion from the International Court of Justice to clarify the consequences of polluting countries. 

Pacific Islanders hope this new resolution will close the gap between the rhetoric of accountability and the inaction of each country. This divide can be seen even in passing the resolution: while it was co-sponsored by over 120 countries, the US, a large polluter, was not among them. Pacific Islanders that this will usher in new data-based and more egalitarian action. 

Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau

Biden’s New Budget Plan Outlines Billions for Three Pacific Islands

Biden’s newly outlined budget pours billions of dollars into three countries: Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau. This seems to be yet another move between the US and China’s competition for the Indo-Pacific islands. If approved by Congress, these billions would be received by the island nations over the course of 20 years. However, some islanders hesitate at the prospect of the money; they point out how previous agreements with the United States did not address their environmental and health needs after the nuclear testing in the 1950s and 60s. 

The post The World in a Glimpse – March 2023 appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

NORTH AMERICA & SOUTH AMERICA

United States 

Shot Down Spy Balloon Prod Questions Over US-China Relations

A balloon first approached American airspace through the Aleutian Islands and racked up political turmoil as it drifted down the coast of the continental United States. American officials suspect that the target of this balloon was military bases, like Guam and Hawai’i. On Feb. 4, the balloon was shot down. Upon inspection of the remains of the balloon, it seems that surveillance equipment was indeed inside. China maintains that the balloon was a civilian research project.

The news of the balloon has been met with a lot of fervor in the United States. Three similar objects have been shot down, although it does not seem like they were anything other than scientific or weather projects. Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose Feb. 3 meeting with China was canceled, rescheduled it a few weeks later and offered stern warnings to the country. The balloon heightened the bipartisan exigence for creating new legislation for China, but lawmakers still seem unsure how to navigate the split Congress. 

Mexico 

Mexico’s Electoral ‘Reforms’ Spark Protests

Tens of thousands Mexican protestors wear white and pink — the colors of the National Electoral Institute — in solidarity against the new electoral changes proposed by President Lopez Obrador. The reforms would cut funding for local elections and reduce sanctions for candidates who do not properly report their campaign spending. Lopez Obrador insists that this money should instead be given to the poor, but Mexican citizens seem more skeptical: they fear a return to the 70-year reign of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (“PRI”). This return to the past would be undemocratic, and with less funding to the electoral institutions of Mexico, would be harder to stop. 

ASIA & CENTRAL ASIA 

India 

India hosts G-20 countries, Ukraine a hot topic 

The world’s most populous country and the fifth-largest economy, is all set to host the G-20 summit in 2023. While the country is enjoying its role as host of this week’s G-20 foreign ministers’ summit, it is also hoping that the discussion won’t be overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. India, as the president of the G-20 major economies, intends to steer the agenda of the summit towards issues that are important for the Global South, such as climate change, food security, inflation, and debt relief. This is particularly relevant as three of India’s neighboring countries, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, are currently seeking immediate financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund due to the impact of rising global fuel and food prices on developing economies.

Uzbekistan 

Uzbekistan to revise constitution, again 

In July, public unrest in the Karakalpakstan autonomous republic caused Uzbekistan to shelve plans for a constitutional overhaul. The amendments being considered mainly deal with property rights and taxation, but many suspect that the underlying motive is to extend President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s time in office. Although the plan was revived in November after removing provisions that would have weakened Karakalpakstan’s autonomy, lawmakers are still considering it. Recently, on Feb. 24, two parliamentary committees, namely the anti-corruption and justice committee, and the democratic institutions, NGO, and self-governance institutions committee, held discussions on the proposed constitutional changes.

Kazakhstan 

Astana set to hold New parliamentary elections in March 

The parliamentary election scheduled for Mar. 19 is an important political event in Kazakhstan.  This day holds significance for the Kazakh people as it marks the day in 2019 when the country’s first President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, resigned after being in power for nearly three decades. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a former career diplomat and politician, took over as the new president after Nazarbayev’s sudden departure. Since assuming office, Tokayev has focused on enacting substantial political and economic reforms to transform the country. He believes that the upcoming election will reset the political system and give new impetus to the comprehensive modernization of Kazakhstan. The election is a logical continuation of the constitutional reforms that were implemented in 2022, following violent nationwide unrest, as part of a comprehensive program of economic and political reforms.

THE MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 

Iran

Iran’s Empty Promises of Amnesty

Earlier this month, Iran announced that it would free or reduce the sentences of many prisoners. This would be a celebrated development for many who were arrested in the protests. However, many human rights activists do not believe this is truly a cause to rejoice; amnesty would not apply to those charged with more serious crimes, which most demonstrators are. There are some prisoners charged with being “an enemy of God,” and have been executed or are now on death row. 

The resistance has not stopped. Many Iranian women in cities and towns are letting inches of their hair show from under a hijab, or refusing to wear one altogether. While many still adhere to the regime’s rules, videos of younger women in public places show them uncovered. Also, many celebrities and athletes are choosing not to wear the hijab while representing their country abroad. 

While mass protests have largely dissipated, especially due to the violence the regime has shown, daily acts of resistance, such as going out without a hijab, are still arising.  

Israel 

Tensions escalate over Israeli occupation of Palestine 

In the occupied West Bank, specifically in the Nablus area, Israeli settlers have reportedly carried out over 300 attacks, including shootings and arson, on Palestinian villages in what Palestinian officials are calling a “pogrom.” The attacks have caused significant harm to Palestinian residents, including the shooting of a 37-year-old man named Samih al-Aqtash in the stomach, which resulted in his death. Al-Aqtash, a father of five, had returned home after volunteering in Turkey to help earthquake survivors.

The Palestinian Red Crescent has reported that at least 390 Palestinians were injured during the rampage, which affected the villages of Huwara, Zaatara, Burin, and Asira al-Qibliya, with most injuries being caused by tear gas and smoke inhalation from fires set by the settlers. Palestinian media have also reported stabbings and attacks with metal rods and rocks, with one person hospitalized for a skull fracture caused by a rock to the head and another person beaten with a metal rod to the face. All of these incidents were reportedly carried out by settlers protected by the Israeli army.

Turkey and Syria 

Earthquake leaves a death toll of over 50,000

On Monday, Feb. 6 at 4:17 a.m. local time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, as reported by the United States Geological Survey. The quake was felt in several other countries including Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon. After the initial earthquake, dozens of aftershocks followed, including one with a magnitude of 7.5 that hit Turkey.The epicenter of the earthquake was located 26 km east of Nurdagi in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, with a depth of 17.9 km. The second event with a magnitude of 7.5 was centered about 4 km southeast of Ekinözü in the Kahramanmaraş province. The quake caused significant damage in Aleppo, a city in Syria already ravaged by war. The earthquake hit an area with millions of refugees who were already facing challenging circumstances, making the situation even more dire. Multiple 

Nigeria

Bola Tinubu Wins Nigerian Presidential Election

Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos, won the Nigerian presidential election. He calls for “cleaning up” the state to gain back the lost government revenue from corruption. However, he himself faces allegations of corruption, especially pertaining to the origins of his wealth. Others worry that he is getting too old to perform the job adequately, especially as most Nigerians are young and some other candidates may have reflected this demographic better. 

Delays of the results seem to be partly a result of poor planning. Some elected officials showed up very late to the polls and without enough information on how to work the voting system. Additionally, violence has been variable in Nigeria, so there may be places in which voting was a dangerous affair. As the nation awaits its result, the sluggish nature of the election has led many to question the legitimacy of the voting system, calling it a ‘rigged election.’

South Africa

South Africa’s Foreign Policy Shifts Away From the Western Sphere

South Africa may be straying away from Western government and influences, as last month South Africa welcomed Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, for naval exercises with Russia and China. This forges a new path of foreign policy for South Africa; it seems to be shying away from its Western trading partners and allies in favor of Russian and Chinese influences. While this not only erodes its democratic principles, it is a curious move, as much of its international trade lies with the EU and America. 

EUROPE 

Ukraine

The One Year Anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine War

The first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was marked this year on Feb. 24. Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a defiant speech, promising to endure and win the fight against Russia. While the Ukrainians remain steadfast in their determination to keep their country, they also took the moment to mourn the thousands who have died. 

Testaments to Ukraine’s strength have manifested themselves in ceremonies around the world. A minute of silence led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in front of Downing Street. A rally by protesters in Tokyo. A candlelit vigil in Melbourne. US President Biden visiting Zelenskyy in Kyiv. 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shaken up the political order, especially when providing resources and weapons. As Ukraine enters its second year, the challenges will only heighten. 

Scotland 

Scottish First Minister Steps Down

Nicola Sturgeon, head of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and First Minister of Scotland, decided to step down this month. She has led Scotland for the past 8 years, through the COVID-19 pandemic and the narrowly defeated independence referendum.

In her last months, she has clashed with Westminster. She is an advocate for another independence referendum, especially post-Brexit, which the U.K. government has refused to grant. She also drew a lot of criticism for her moves regarding transgender rights; she supported legislation to make it easier for people in Scotland to legally change genders. After pushing the bill through the Scottish parliament, it was vetoed by the Sunak administration; this caused many to worry how it would affect the passage of the SNP’s agenda.

With many drawing parallels to Jacinda Arden, the New Zealand Prime Minister who also decided to step down, Sturgeon claimed that her decision to bow out was not influenced by recent events but rather that good service also means knowing when to step down. 

United Kingdom

Britain’s Trade Deal with Northern Ireland post-Brexit

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Ursual von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, struck a trade deal in regard to Northern Ireland. After months of difficulty, the deal would make it simpler to ship goods between Britain and Northern Ireland. Sunak named this new deal the “Windsor Framework,” after working out the final terms in Windsor. This may also function as a nod to the new king, who showed up in support of Sunak’s new plan. Some found the king’s attendance strengthening. Others affirmed that the monarch should have remained apolitical. 

The timing of the deal was also important. Without the trade deal, Northern Ireland and the UK could have returned to a hard border, just on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Biden, who pressured Sunak to make a deal with the EU before his trip to honor the anniversary, endorsed this trade deal. 

With the deal struck, Northern Ireland’s governmental institutions may now return to their functioning state. Additionally, the deal has had mixed reactions from Parliament, and if it goes into action, will serve as a legacy to Mr. Sunak. 

France

 Nearly 1M French March Against Pension Changes

France’s pension protests this month drew out nearly 960,000 thousand people across various cities of France. President Emmanuel Macron wants to pass legislation that raises the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 to be eligible for full state pension. 

While this particular round was not accompanied by rail protests, there was a surprising air traffic controller strike that caused many flights to and from Paris to be canceled. Previously, these protests have been on the weekdays, so with the fourth round landing on a weekend, many who could not previously attend, like students, showed up to add their voices. Police have had to use tear gas and arrests to quell unrest. While Macron insists a reform to the pension system was in his campaign promises, strong opposition is rooting across France.

The post The World in a Glimpse – February 2023 appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

Photos by: Lauren Schulsohn and Jacob Wisnik

Just a little over 150 miles from the heart of downtown Los Angeles lies the Salton Sea, once a bustling vacation destination for Hollywood stars and affluent beach goers in the 1950s, is now a toxic, primarily abandoned, eerily beautiful, reminiscent place of what once was. Finance Chair Jacob Wisnik, Governor Cameron Mellilo and myself, President Lauren Schulsohn made the four hour trek — thank you Southern California traffic — to explore this unique destination.

South of Palm Springs, and, in the midst of the Southern California desert, is the Salton Sea. The current body of water that comprises the Salton Sea is not a naturally formed lake. Rather, following the flooding of a canal being constructed on the Colorado River, in 1905, the excess water created the Salton Sea. It is not necessarily rare to see a large body of water in this area as Lake Cahuilla existed for approximately 2,000 years and then disappeared after 1580. However, what is of concern, is that as the Salton Sea was accidently man-made, there is no fresh-water flowing into the lake.

As the lake has no fresh water flowing into its body, it has consistently struggled to sustain its size. In an effort to preserve the size of the lake and to efficiently discard agricultural waste, as the Salton Sea sits in Imperial County, home to approximately 500,000 farmable acres, farmers began funneling their agricultural run-off into the lake. And for years, this strategy worked, and allowed for the construction of resorts, yacht-clubs, restaurants, and a bustling beach town with the occasional visit from the Beach Boys and Frank Sinatra. The lake even served as a WWII Naval Auxiliary Air Station that tested dummy atomic bombs to better understand aerodynamics. However, as the 1970s came along, without a fresh-water source, the lake struggled with rising salinity, toxic pesticides, and flooding that came from excessive dumping of agricultural runoff, leaving resorts destroyed and optimism low – people got up and left. Today, the Salton Sea is virtually a ghost town.

In the last 25 years, the Salton Sea has lost a third of its water, and due to decreased rainfall and rapid climate change, it is projected that California’s largest body of water will lose 75% of its current volume by 2030. The remaining fresh water sources that did flow into the lake were cut-off in 2003 and re-routed to San Diego county. In the face of drought, California believed that the fresh-water would have more use in San Diego county as over 3 more million people inhabit the area. 

The degradation of the Salton Sea has had significant implications on the environment and human-life. In the summer of 1999, the Los Angeles Times reported that on average 7.6 million fish die every day. Today, there are barely any fish in the lake left that can stand the high-levels of salinity. The ones that can, such as the Mozambique tilapia, western mosquitofish, and the native desert pupfish, reside on the few toxic waterways that flow into the lake. These waterways are also already extremely polluted by the time they reach the Salton Sea. While there used to be swaths of dead fish piled high each year as a result of the toxicity, today, these piles do not even occur as there are nearly no fish left. Instead, one can see the reminiscence of the piled high dead fish as crushed fish bones primarily make up the sand on Salton Sea beaches and dead fish residing on the bottom of the lake create a distinct smell that is unmissable. 

After exploring the ruins of Bombay Beach, our team drove out to Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge to examine the bird populations. Over 400 different bird species reside in this area allowing the population of birds to be over 100,000, with even more in winter months. While that estimate does seem like a lot, it is only half or even a third of what used to live on the Salton Sea just a decade ago. White pelicans, a popular icon of the Sea, have become a nearly impossible site. Without abundant fish populations, birds find other places to spend their time; however, non-fish eating birds will most likely always continue to find their way to the Salton Sea.

The human and economic toll on this area has been vast. The air surrounding the sea has become increasingly toxic with a high concentration of aerosolized particulates. As a result, the air is causing respiratory illness and higher levels of childhood asthma. Due to the toxicity of the lake and the consistent shrinkage, it is difficult to set up businesses as people cannot rely on the lake for entrepreneurship. No one uses the lake for fishing and there is not a single company that you can rent a boat to ride on the lake. It is projected that the Salton Sea will cost Greater Palm Springs billions in lost tourist revenue in the next five years. 

Imperial County, populated by 180,000 people, is 80.9% Latino, 13.7% White and 10.5% African-American, has higher levels of poverty, with 23% of the population living below the poverty line, which is 8% higher than the California average. 

Being less than 40 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border on the lake’s most southern tip, our team had to go through two border checkpoints on our drive around the sea. Routinely, drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, are found at these checkpoints, often with quantities over $100,000.

One source of sustainable economic growth has been the geothermal energy facilities that first began operation in 1982. As the Salton Sea lies on the San Andreas fault line, these facilities work to harvest the energy from hot fluid. Following the gathering of energy from this hot fluid, they infuse the now cooled fluid back into the ground. There are 11 facilities around the Salton Sea conducting this work.
In recent years, it has been discovered that enormous deposits of lithium reside underneath the Salton Sea and its surrounding areas. Experts believe that there is enough lithium in this area to provide batteries for over 50 million electric vehicles over a three year period. Instead of these facilities putting the cooled fluid back into the ground immediately, they would first extract the fluid for lithium before inserting it back into the ground. In a political landscape that is putting greater emphasis on electric machinery and automation, once the technology for this type of lithium mining is fully developed, operations will most likely begin.

While there are some prospects for economic revitalization via lithium mining, after speaking with locals, the sentiment was all the same; even if they cannot swim in the lake, they don’t want to see it gone. Doing nothing to mitigate decreasing water levels also is not even a safe solution as the air is becoming increasingly toxic and endangered species are suffering great losses. 

Over the years, many research studies and calls for action have taken place, and despite this work, real change has not come. Some recommendations have called for providing an influx of fresh water to the Salton Sea; however, this project would cost billions of dollars and only impact a small population of California. In November, the federal government pledged $250 million to restore the Salton Sea as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, and in December, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a contract to find short and long term solutions to help preserve the Salton Sea. 

Although the solution to restoring the Salton Sea is unclear, just like any place facing environmental degradation, life continues to live on in the area, and in many ways, flourish. The Salton Sea area has an influx of people moving in, beautiful structures of art are constantly being created, and on our adventure, we saw other tourists marveling at the majestic bird population. In our journalistic pursuit to assess severe environmental effects, we also found ourselves enjoying Cabernet Sauvignon with the locals at America’s only lawless city known as Slab City, drinking date milkshakes in Westmorland, and cleaning off our muddy shoes after a genuinely fun day at the Salton Sea. 

Despite our fun, the Salton Sea is not just a ghost town trying to find its identity in a society that has left it behind. We must use the Salton Sea as a lesson of inaction that can be applied across the world. Yes, life lives on, but every time there is an environmental threat or disaster, we cannot wait to see what happens. We must act. And our stop of inaction and start of action should begin right in our own backyard, with the restoration of the Salton Sea. 

The post A Lesson of Inaction in Our Own Backyard: The Salton Sea appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

It’s a classic case of history being written by the victor. 

Powerful nations feel threatened that their power might be vulnerable. Therefore, they need to obtain as much power as they can. One such measure is the possession of nuclear weapons. 

But is it fair for nuclear powers to demand nuclear non-proliferation from all countries, nuclear and none? Depends on who you ask. 

In 1970, a total of 189 countries signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), leaving major powers that already had nuclear weapons at a standstill and preventing weaker countries from building such an  arsenal. 

The overarching goal of the treaty was to contain nuclear weapons and technology, promote nonviolent uses of nuclear energy and support nuclear disarmament. However, the execution of such initiatives is questionable, at best.

The NPT has no requirements explicitly stating that major powers must reduce their arsenals or halt the development of nuclear weapons. There is also no incentive to prevent countries from backing out of this agreement, if they feel provoked. 

Given these circumstances, it is evident that the premise of disarmament only makes sense if both countries are of equal standing. This would prevent a security dilemma, since neither country is threatened. However, when forcing smaller countries to halt their development of nuclear weapons, they will inevitably still feel threatened by more advanced nuclear powers.

For instance, despite its misleading title, the Cold War was arguably a time of peace in which the U.S and the Soviet Union restrained from using nuclear force while simultaneously increasing their arsenals. Although the case is an obvious success story of nuclear deterrence, it is important to remember that in the historical context, both Russia and the United States were major rising hegemonies after World War II, with similar access to nuclear intelligence.

Currently, the United States only allows its allies (Great Britain and France) to have nuclear weapons, further ostracizing other countries and maintaining this polarizing international atmosphere. When Russia attempted to do the same by supplying Cuba with missiles in 1962, all hell broke loose — resulting in the awkward period of nuclear non-proliferation known as the Cold War.

Nuclear non-proliferation doesn’t account for small countries feeling threatened, therefore prompting them to obtain weapons through illegal means. For instance, in the case of  North Korea, it is evident that the United States has done its best to prevent its progress in developing nuclear weapons. Despite this, North Korea withdrew from the NPT in 2003 and has made significant progress in producing fuel for nuclear bombs. 

Even current members of the treaty still tread a fine line by producing enriched uranium (commonly used to fuel nuclear weapons). After all, it is inevitable that sitting ducks will become restless and start to quack.

Although some argue it is inconsequential to consider what-if scenarios, this situation does call into question what would happen if Ukraine had not given up its nuclear arsenal to Russia as a condition of the NPT? Could Ukraine have deterred Russia from invading? 

Similarly, in modern situations of conflict such as Taiwan and Afghanistan, the control that their occupiers had over the region could have been, in a sense, avoided. Hypothetically, if both sides were equally defended, these conflicts might have been left at a standstill, like in the Cold War. 

Such scenarios display a significant downside of non-nuclear proliferation, in that it is highly dependent on one’s intentions. It does not directly prohibit the development of nuclear energy, but rather its potential uses. 

Regardless of intent, nuclear non-proliferation is forcing the international community to follow a rigged system in which major powers have the upper hand. 

The NPT needs to be seriously restructured in order to fulfill its original purpose — to avoid another Hiroshima and Nagasaki — and successfully promote nuclear deterrence. However, given that it currently benefits those that have a chokehold over the international community (namely, the United States and Russia), it is unlikely that it will be reexamined anytime soon.

For now, we are nothing more than sitting ducks.

The post Sitting Ducks: The Conundrum for Non-Nuclear Powers and Urgency for NPT Revision appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

INTERNATIONAL

Fears of Damaging Global Recession Recede, For Now

This autumn, fears of a recession spiked anxieties in large economies in the global community. For the United States, it was a salient issue in the midterm elections. Europeans braced for the winter season and its accompanying energy costs, and China continued to be stifled by their zero-covid policies. 

For now, some of these concerns seem to be abating. Prices have fallen in the United States since the election, winter in Europe has been relatively mild, and China has ended its ‘zero-COVID’ policy. Unfortunately, many economists believe a cooldown is still necessary. In order to properly slow down the economy, they believe central banks must keep interest rates higher, which will have wide and long-lasting effects across many economies. The global market proves to be unpredictable, though, so many will have to be attentive to changes in the coming months. 

NORTH AMERICA & SOUTH AMERICA 

Brazil

Brazil’s Insurrection Emulates the United States as Lula Steps Into the Presidency

After the close election of Bolsonaro and Lula de Silva, the concession to power seemed to be going fairly well, despite Bolsonaro sowing seeds of doubts for years before the election. 

However, just days after Lula de Silva took office, Bolsonaro supporters swarmed the Capitol, pushing their way inside Congress and the Supreme Court. With an uncanny resemblance to the United States, some media outlets are calling it another Jan 6.’

Consequences of this are sweeping in quickly. Brazil reports that over 300 people have been arrested and Brazil’s governor, Ibaneis Rocha, has been removed from his post.

The riots are only one of many challenges de Silva will be facing as president. Inflation is concerningly high, large amounts of spending to maintain the countries needed, poverty rates are increasing, and, as home to the Amazon rainforest, Brazil’s environmental mandates are demanding. Lula’s left-leaning policies aimed at resolving these issues, but they must be done in the increasingly tougher global market. 

United States 

The American Crisis in Elected Officials

The United States still seems to be feeling the consequences of its midterm elections. Earlier this month, Republican lawmakers struggled to elect a leader, and finally voted senator McCarthy after 15 votes over 5 days. In order for this to be possible, McCarthy had to make concessions to a more conservative swath of his party, bringing in a new era for the GOP. With the House already divided, the compromise needed to pass legislation becomes increasingly difficult. 

Republicans face another crisis of confidence through a Republican from New York, George Santos. He curated a facade of being a product of the American dream; upon further research however it seems very little of his supposed life story is actually true. While his lies include a criminal charge in Brazil and his educational credentials, the thing that shocked Republicans most was perhaps photos of him surfacing in drag. 

Finally, classified documents have been found at the homes at both Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s houses this month. While both are breaches in confidence, it should be noted that the Justice Department stated Biden had around 300 documents and self-reported the documents. Trump was visited by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago, and 33 boxes with 11,000 documents have been taken. 

Peru

Deadly Protests Continue, and Future of The Presidency Remains Unclear

After then-President Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress to prevent them from voting on his third impeachment, protests erupted in Peru. Current President Dina Boluarte struggles to manage them. Protesters have erected roadblocks, creating shortages in food, medicine, and other essentials. Dozens have been killed, some of which happened at the country’s airports, which the protesters tried to storm. 

While Boluarte’s approach to quelling protests has been criticized for their violence, she has made clear that she has no interest in being president. She offered a bill that moved a new general election up from 2026 to 2024 to assuage the protesters in December. This month, she tried to propose a bill that moved it up further to late 2023, but that was shot down by the Peruvian Congress. 

It is unclear exactly what the protestors want. Some want President Castillo back, despite him currently being in pretrial detention. Some may not be happy until new elections arrive in Peru. Either way, the resolution to Peru’s political turmoil remains unclear. 

Haiti

Haiti’s Breaking Point and the American Response

After years of national disasters and political turnover, Haiti is engulfed in gang violence that has taken the nation hostage. Close to 60 percent of the capital is controlled by gangs, who use horrifying levels of sexual violence to control the nation. Gangs kill and kidnap others at will. The country is currently leaderless, as most of the elected officials have left the nation. 

Additionally, as the country is steeped in famine-like conditions, cholera has made a comeback, killing a confirmed 283 people, with thousands more cases suspected.

With these conditions, there is an exodus in Haiti — but nowhere for them to go. The Biden Administration is weighing how to handle the migrants from the country, from expanding the current facility at Guantanamo Bay to holding them at a third nation temporarily. Additionally, many more migrants may come when there are no longer blockages to power and gas. As Haiti continues to burn, the Biden Administration needs to make decisions, and quickly, on how to aid the victims from a nation flooded with terrifying violence and death. 

ASIA & CENTRAL ASIA 

China

China Reopens and Feels COVID-19’s Effects

After China suddenly ended their longstanding ‘zero-Covid’ policy, COVID-19 has ravaged the country. Without adequate information on vaccines or support for medical institutions, many of China’s deaths due to Covid were wholly preventable. However, the CDC said there were no immediate spikes after the Lunar New Year, which was also this month. 

Through rescinding this policy, it is clear that China wants to return to high economic growth, rather than sensible covid policies. Additionally, its nationalism prevents it from accurately and clearly reporting data; China’s data is believed to be widely underreported. 

India 

India Bans the BBC documentary, India: The Modi Question 

BBC’s latest documentary has caused a stir, given its criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his role in the Gujarat riots of 2002. The current PM was serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time of the riots and critics have pointed out his lack of action during the gruesome events. The government cited that the documentary portrays anti-Modi rhetoric and interferes with domestic politics. They effectively silenced any potential criticism from citizens, particularly Muslim citizens. 

As a result of the documentary and India’s response, the country is under international scrutiny and has heightened Indian-U.K. relations. The ban on the documentary is more than just censorship — it is a leap towards the same kind of governance India once fought against under British colonialism. In recent years, Modi’s BJP party has carried out local and national efforts to proselytize its minorities and promote its Hindu nationalist ideology. 

Pakistan

Pakistan’s Week of Diplomacy Starts With Deadly Mosque Bombing

At least 59 people have been killed and 157 injured at a suicide bombing in a mosque in Peshawar. This bombing apparently targeted policemen who had been praying in the mosque. A similar bombing happened last month, targeting a police station. It is unsure at the time of writing whether these events are related.  

The timing of the bombing is of interest as well, especially on the foreign affairs front.This week, the president of the UAE was said to visit Islamabad, but that was canceled due to the weather. Additionally, the IMF was set to visit the country in order to unlock a bailout loan. For now, the country is on high alert. 

Nepal 

Plane Crash in Nepal Claims Lives of 72

On Sunday Jan. 15, Yeti Airlines flight 691 crashed into the tourist-heavy city in Nepal, Pokhara. Most of the passengers were medical students returning to Nepal as the new semester begins. There were 72 deaths, among them 68 were civilian passengers and four were crew members. Videos on social media showed the plane engulfed by flames and black plumes of smoke at the crash site, where emergency responders were seen trying to retrieve victims. The search for any potential supervisors was called off within days of the crash. 

THE MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA 

Egypt

U.S. Secretary of State in Egypt Amid Rising Tensions in the Middle East 

The top leadership of the American government flew to Egypt on Jan. 29 as violence between the Israeli forces and its Palestinian counterpart escalated. Secretary Anthony Blinken is expected to make a trip, following his visit to Cairo, to Israel and the West Bank. 

On Jan. 26, nine people were killed in an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank in one of the deadliest such operations in years. Israel said it was targeting Islamic Jihad militants and later hit the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire. Blinken will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and call “broadly for steps to be taken to de-escalate tensions,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters as he condemned the “horrific” synagogue attack. 

The Middle East has always been a key region of interest for the United States and Israel seems to be emerging as its strongest ally in order to have a strong hold. 

Iran

Iranians Anger Seethes as Protests Recede

Four months later, Iranians are still leading their unprecedented levels of protest, as a new injustice by the state is publicized. Protestors have started to be hanged, bringing new levels of grief to the country. Over 20,000 people have been locked up, and many have been shot and hurt by rubber bullets or metal pellets. There have been reports of those sustaining these injuries being arrested in the hospital after their surgeries. Protests surged again earlier this month after the commemoration of a passenger jet shot down in 2020. 

However, Iranians seem to be pulled back towards their normal life. Inflation is so high in the country, some have turned to a barter system. University campuses, which were once a site for some of the most heaviest protests, have quieted and are being heavily policed. 

Getting a clear picture on Iran has become exceedingly difficult, as foreign journalists are not welcome, and many journalists already in Iran have been jailed. As the media outside of Iran pieces together the fragments that they can get from small videos and witness testimonies, one thing remains clear: Iranians’ anger has not and will not be quieted so long as they are under the regime. 

Somalia

ISIS Leader Killed in a U.S.-led Raid 

Bilal-al-Sudani, a leader of the Islamic State, was killed along with 10 of his operatives in Northern Somalia. The strike was ordered by U.S. President Joe Biden on Jan. 25. The U.S. operation targeted al-Sudani, an important Islamic State financial facilitator, and took place in the Cal Miskaad mountains, in a remote cave complex in the Bari region of Somalia’s Puntland state. 

Kenya 

Venezuelan Diplomat Convicted over Murder of Ambassador 

A Venezuelan diplomat was found guilty in a Kenyan court for the murder of the acting Venezuelan ambassador 10 years ago. Dwight Sagaray, who was the first secretary at the embassy, was found guilty of the Jul. 2012 killing of Olga Fonseca, Judge Roselyn Korir said in her ruling on Wednesday. The court also convicted three Kenyan nationals who had been charged alongside Sagaray, saying they were involved in a common plan to carry out the murder. Fonseca, 57, was found strangled in her bedroom less than two weeks into her posting to Nairobi, which followed the abrupt departure of the previous ambassador after he was accused by his domestic staff of sexual harassment

Malawi

Worst Cholera Outbreak, 750 Dead and Counting 

The country has reported its worst ever cholera outbreak over the past two decades. The country has had a death toll of 750 with numerous people taking the disease everyday. The World Health Organization chief described the southeast African country as among the hardest-hit amid ongoing global epidemics that are “more widespread and deadly than normal”.

Malawi’s Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda on Jan. 12 ordered the closure of many businesses that lack safe water, toilets and hygienic refuse disposal facilities, and announced restrictions on the sale of pre-cooked food. According to the health minister, the country has recorded 22,759 cases since the onset of the outbreak in March last year

Israel

Netanyahu’s Right Wing Shift Weakens Supreme Court

Sworn in for his sixth term in office, Netanyahu was named prime minister in late December. However, this government coalition may look a little different than his previous terms, as they include more far right parties. While Netanyahu has promised not to only consider their agenda, the centrist parties of the countries are notably absent; they refused to serve under a prime minister that is convicted of fraud and corruption. This is in reference to an ongoing trial, in which Netanyahu is accused of granting certain Israeli media outlets favors in exchange for a more generous portrayal of himself. 

This month, Netanyahu’s new right wing shift manifested itself in new legislation against the Supreme Court. Netanyahu’s justice minister, Yariv Levin, wants to have an ‘override’ clause which would allow the Israeli parliament to override a Court decision to pass potentially unconstitutional laws. Additionally, it would make the court unable to strike down government decisions on the ground of ‘reasonableness.’ These, among other reforms, would destroy the Supreme Court’s independence from the other branches of government. 

In response to this, thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in protest for the past couple weeks. “No to dictatorship,” they chant, as some experts warn that the passage of these ‘reforms’ would signal an end to democracy. 

Tunisia

Low Turnout in Tunisian Elections Not Promising for Future of Democracy

Tunisia will undergo elections this month, but startling low turnout is expected with the first round of voting in December only seeing 11.2% of registered voters go to the polls. This reflects the illegitimacy that citizens see in the system; their lack of enthusiasm is not without its merits. Since President Kais Saied was elected president in 2019, he has dissolved parliament and changed the constitution, with the new legislature having little to no power to hold the presidency accountable. 

Tunisians don’t see politics as a viable way to reach their goals. As they are experiencing budget deficits, they are often not able to pay for adequate amounts of food, medicine, oil, and other essentials. While the country is going through sluggish negotiations with  the IMF for a 2 billion dollar bailout, around 32,000 citizens have chosen to leave the country entirely. 

PACIFIC 

New Zealand 

Prime Minister Jacinda Arden Set to Resign

On Jan. 19, the world’s youngest leader to ever be elected and the prime minister of New Zealand announced that she would be stepping down as the leader of the country no later than Feb. 7.

“I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility – the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple,” she said.

Arden’s time in office was marked by numerous hardships, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mar. 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the Dec. 2019 White Island volcano eruption. She steered her country through the pandemic and emerged as one of the world’s most recognizable heads of government.

Kiribati

Kiribati Rejoins Pacific Forum 

The island nation of Kiribati rejoins the Pacific Forum, signaling the end of a rift that seemed to be fracturing in the region. Kiribati withdrew from the forum mid-2022, citing lack of input in the bureaucratic arm of the organization. Some thought that the timing of the exit indicated taking the Chinese side in the U.S.-China rivalry, but after a visit from the Prime Minister of Fiji armed with a formal apology, it seems the island nation is back in the regional forum. 

EUROPE

France 

Macron Aims to Raise Retirement Age 62 to 64

French President Emmanuel Macron, on Jan 10, announced that the government plans to raise the retirement age of its citizens from 62 to 64 as is “no longer negotiable”. A union-led online petition against the retirement plan saw a surge in new signatures after Borne’s comments.

Mr. Macron’s last attempt to change the pension system in 2019 prompted massive street protests and one of the longest transportation strikes in France’s history, until the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the government shelved the plan. The  plan is a more straightforward attempt to balance the system’s budget by making the French work longer, a move that is still likely to meet strong popular resistance.

The bill goes to a parliamentary commission on Monday, and to a full debate in the National Assembly on Feb. 6. Opponents have submitted 7,000 proposed amendments that will further complicate the debate.

Ukraine 

German and U.S. Tanks are Due to Arrive in Ukraine 

German and American tanks are headed to Ukraine to assist in the country’s ongoing resistance to the Russian invasion. There is potential for this action to heighten tensions between the united West (the United States and Europe) and Putin. Germany’s agreement to send weapons and now these tanks come almost after a year of denying military support to Ukraine. The leaders of the United States and Germany each announced Wednesday they will send contingents of tanks to Ukraine, reversing their longstanding trepidation at providing Kyiv with offensive armored vehicles and unleashing powerful new tools in Ukraine’s efforts to retake territory seized by Russia.

Russia

Russia’s Relationships After Ukraine

After the ongoing, unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the international community shunned Russia, looking at ways to punish Russia, especially economically, for their crimes. This month, the United States targeted the Wagner Group, labeling them a ‘transnational criminal organization.’ The Treasury Department sanctioned individuals and entities with ties to the Wagner Group, hoping to interfere with Russia’s ability to buy war materials. 

Even with a myriad of sanctions and restrictions, Russia’s trade seems to have been resilient, appearing at pre-war levels. Some believe that many neighboring countries have continued to trade with Russia, including China and Turkey. Additionally, many firms in the European Union may have kept economic ties in Russia. 

On the domestic side, an unusual move of resistance was seen when over 200 doctors signed a petition to Putin to stop the abuse of Aleksei Navalny, Putin’s most known political opponent. This public criticism is rare and bold, as many professionals have been fired or faced criminal charges for speaking out against Russian activities. Navalny’s health was first jeopardized in late 2020 after being poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent that American intelligence sources attribute to Russian agents. 

Turkey

Turkey Threatens Potential NATO Membership for Sweden 

Ankara has refused to ratify the two countries’ NATO membership bids, primarily because of Sweden’s refusal to extradite dozens of suspects that Ankara links to outlawed Kurdish fighters and a failed 2016 coup attempt. Sweden has a bigger Kurdish diaspora than Finland and a more serious dispute with Ankara. 

“We may deliver Finland a different message [on their NATO application]and Sweden would be shocked when they see our message. But Finland should not make the same mistake Sweden did,” Erdogan said in a televised speech aired on Sunday. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, dropping their long standing military nonalignment.

The post The World in a Glimpse – January 2023 appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

In Favor of The Line: Sari Goldberg

While doubts on the viability of such a futuristic concept like the Line are valid, its creation comes at a time when global society has reached a tipping point in the fight against climate change. The livability and environmental crisis currently facing cities around the world can no longer be ignored, especially as the air quality in cities is worsened as the population, traffic, industrialization and energy use increase. Drastic changes to our ways of living are necessary, and the Line is paving a new path for imaginative solutions.

On July 25, 2022, Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Board of Directors, announced the idea for the Line as a city that redefines the concept of urban development. Prince Mohammed said, “NEOM will be a place for all people from across the globe to make their mark on the world in creative and innovative ways. NEOM remains one of the most important projects of Saudi Vision 2030.” Vision 2030 is composed of Saudi policy and projects meant to transform the nation economically and socially. Building of the Line, a key aspect of these reforms, began in October of 2021 and primary residents are expected to move in during 2024. As of July 2022, the first phase is projected to be completed by 2030. 

The Line, while 110 miles long, will preserve 95% of the nature within Neom, the developing city in the Tabuk Province in northwestern Saudi Arabia. With 9 million residents, the Line will have a population density of 260,000 people per square kilometer. In comparison, the most densely populated city in 2020 had 44,000 per square kilometer. 

By compacting the city between the two 1,600 ft high mirrored buildings, separated by a 660 ft outdoor space, the city is directly combating negative impacts of urban sprawl. Urban sprawl is the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas, creating low-density communities. It increases the need for transportation and reduces the land available for agriculture, exacerbating air and water pollution and limiting the landscape available to capture carbon dioxide. The sustainable city’s design is composed of vertically layered communities, which will challenge the traditional horizontal city and preserve nature, as well as enhance human livability. 

Energy production is the leading cause of unsustainable living, accounting for two-thirds of total greenhouse gas emission. By 2030, the world will face economic losses of $2 billion a day from climate-related issues. In response, the city will run on 100% renewable energy, shifting the country away from its primarily oil-based economy. 

The development will be zero-carbon through the elimination of carbon-intensive infrastructure like cars and roads. Mobility will be accessible by a high-speed rail with an end-to-end transit time of just 20 minutes. Residents will have access to all necessary facilities within a five-minute walk. The accessibility and convenience will reduce commutes, creating more time for leisure. Reducing former expenses, like car insurance and fuel, will also give residents higher disposable income. 

According to press releases, the Line will have the most food autonomy in the world. Currently, Saudi Arabia imports around 80% of its food, but the city plans to include greenhouses and vertical farming to reduce its external reliance drastically. 

While construction of the Line has just begun, it brings a new wave of ideas to the table. Addressing climate change will require large-scale actions taken by the most prominent actors on the world stage. According to an annual ranking by the CEOWORLD magazine, Saudi Arabia was named the 11th most powerful country in the world and first in the Islamic and Arab world for 2021. As the world’s second largest oil producer and largest exporter of oil, Saudi Arabia will be a key player as the global community is forced to address climate change. Even if the Line is the most dramatic solution seen by the international community, Saudi ambitions should inspire others to incorporate some of its goals and aspirations. The planet is changing, so the world must be prepared to change alongside it. 

Against The Line: Jasmijn Teunissen

Construction of the seemingly utopian city proposed in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s promotional video should not continue as it is financially and environmentally unsustainable. The design of the Line goes against traditional urban sprawl, as cities tend to expand outward as they grow. “Hub-and-spoke” transit systems tend to work best; where arms of transit are connected to avoid individuals having to travel back to a central transit station. The unique composition of the Line would thus require advanced transit technology to be efficient and achieve the promised travel time of 20 minutes across 160 miles. Transit technology required to reach the speed of 318 mph (512 km/h), does not currently exist as it outpaces current high-speed-rail technology. 

Despite marketing for the Line emphasizing sustainability and ‘zero-carbon emissions’ expert urban planners are skeptical of the embodied carbon impact of building the Line and all associated infrastructure. The massive height of the Line would require strength to withstand wind. Professor Philip Oldfield of UNSW claims “You cannot build a 500-meter-tall building out of low-carbon materials,” as it would need a “phenomenal quantity of steel, glass and concrete.” He estimates that construction of the Line would produce upwards of 1.8 billion tons of embodied carbon dioxide, equivalent more than four years of the UK’s entire emissions.

The Line’s design might disrupt biodiversity due to a greater edge effect impacting animal crossing. For migrating birds, for example, the large mirrored structures are highly dangerous. Others accuse the Prince of greenwashing, by making elaborate proposals for the city to distract from reality. The accusations of greenwashing are not the first the Prince has faced, as critics have noted the hard contrast between the nation’s unwavering dependency on oil and extensive environmental commitments such as promises to plant 450 million trees across the country. Saudi Arabia remains a top oil producer and has promised to increase production, despite the fact that to limit warming to 1.5 Celsius global oil production needs to fall by roughly 5% a year between now and 2030.

Construction of the Line threatens human rights, as it would forcibly displace thousands, including the Howeitat tribe which has lived peacefully in the area for generations. On Oct. 7, a Saudi court sentenced three Howeitat members to death for opposing the eviction. The Howeitat tribe sent an urgent request for a UN investigation into allegations of forced displacement and abuse by Saudi authorities.

Doubt of the project’s viability has also resonated amongst Neom employees, evident by the recent wave of resignations. Realization of the Prince’s overly ambitious plan has spread, as dozens of employees have resigned, some senior employees walking out on salaries of up to $1 million a year. The Prince’s initial goal to attract foreign investment through the futuristic project has fallen short, except for discussions with some foreign companies, including Russian ones. The intended completion of the Line is 2030 with an allotted $500 billion, however, some reports contend that the city will likely not be completed until 2050, upping costs significantly to an estimated $1 trillion. The project is funded by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom’s sovereign wealth private investment fund. The viability of the PIF relies heavily on oil exports, a market characterized by volatility. Many Saudis, unsatisfied with the tax pressure and the belief that the projects are unlikely to yield a substantial return over the short run have expressed dissatisfaction with heavy spending on high-profile projects such as the Line. 

Construction of the Line should not advance. The project goes against successful urban planning models, it threatens biodiversity in the region and continuation of it violates human rights due to forced eviction. 

Conclusion: 

Any unprecedented innovations come with uncertainties. The construction of the Line brings  concerns of adverse environmental impacts, questions of the viability of the architecture, and controversy surrounding forced evictions at the construction site. However, this revolutionized civilization may also usher in a new wave of innovative approaches to tackling pressing contemporary issues in climate justice, renewable energy, and sustainability. As developments in Saudi Arabia continue to progress led by crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the global community will be watching and anticipating if this radical approach can succeed and thrive.    

The post Saudi Arabia: Is “The Line” a Viable Solution to Climate Change? appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

NORTH AMERICA & SOUTH AMERICA 

Peru

Political Protests Seize Peru After Removing Former President From Office

Peru’s democracy is young and fragile, often experiencing rapid turnovers in the presidency due to political scandals and corruption. Peru’s former President, Pedro Castillo, continues along this course. After surviving two impeachments, the Peruvian Congress held a third vote of impeachment this month. Castillo, calling the vote a ‘coup’ attempt, tried to dissolve Congress. Even many of his closest supporters found this move grossly unconstitutional, and this act was followed by a slew of resignations and a removal of Castillo from power. He is now under arrest. 

In his place, Congress appointed its first female president, Dina Boluarte, who had been serving as his vice president. However, Boluarte is struggling with quelling the protests, which have turned violent and lethal. The death toll of these protests is currently in the mid-20s, most of them being teenagers. In response, Boluarte has called in the military and imposed curfews, a move that has been criticized by many, including human rights groups. 

The protests in Peru have no leader, so it is challenging to give them a spot at the table when deciding how to move the country forward. However, protestors seem unified when calling for Ms. Boluarte to step down in favor of a new general election and even a new constitution. Some even want Mr. Castillo to be reinstated. 

As Peru looks forward, it must struggle to find a satisfactory solution in a tenuous system. 

Chile

Chile to Open Embassy in Occupied Palestinian Territories

The Andrean Country of Chile further legitimizes the statehood of occupied Palestine following the president’s statements on Dec. 22. President Gabriel Boric made the remarks on Monday that the country plans to open a fully functioning embassy in the West Bank during a private ceremony in Santiago hosted by the city’s important Palestinian diaspora. 

“I am taking a risk (saying) this… we are going to raise our official representation in Palestine from having a charge d’affaires; now we are going to open an embassy,” Boric said. 

This would make Chile among a handful of countries to have an embassy-level office in  Palestinian territories which are contested with Israel. Chile and Palestine share similarities in terms of their struggle with neoliberal violence. Both indigenous populations–the Mapuche of Chile, and Palestinians–face the horrors of Israeli military weapons and surveillance technology.

United States

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy makes historic visit to the United States following Russian aggression 

In his first diplomatic trip overseas after the invasion of Ukraine in February,  Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Dec. 21. Zelenskyy addressed Congress and thanked them for the aid calling it an “investment” towards democracy. 

“I hope my words of respect and gratitude resonate in each American heart,” Zelensky said during the joint meeting of Congress, later adding, “Against all odds, and doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine didn’t fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking.” 

Ukrainian-American relations have strengthened ever since the invasion with the United States being one the highest supporters of Ukraine by providing the most military assistance, more than every other country combined.

On the other hand, the relationship between Russia and the United States has significantly declined with travel being banned to Russia and both countries expelling respective ambassadors. 

SCOTUS Votes for Pandemic Era Migrant Policy Continue

This month, the Supreme Court said that the migration policy made in March 2020 should stay in place until February, when it will hear the arguments of the case. The migration policy, known as Title 42, was made as a public health order during the pandemic; it allows migrants to be expelled from the border and block their access to asylum. 

The Biden administration has called for an end to the rule, but may need the extra time granted by the Supreme Court to plan how to deal with the influx of migrants expected to happen as soon as the policy is restricted. 

Some on the Supreme Court, such as Chief Justice Neil Gorsuch, dissented, questioning the Court’s standing to rule on this issue; he emphasizes the purpose of the Supreme Court is not to be a last-minute policymaker. 

Biden Signs Same Sex Marriage Act Into Law

This month, Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act with bipartisan support, which federally recognizes same-sex marriage. This progressive legislation was signed just months after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, in which Justice Thomas hinted that this overturning of precedent could be used on Obergefell v. Hodges. This bill insulates Obergefell from falling victim to a more conservative Supreme Court.

The House’s Report on January 6th Insurrection

The House delivered a lengthy report on the events on Jan. 6, 2021, with much of the detail already known to the public. While this will probably not affect the fervor of Trump’s supporters, the report can be used to detail wrongdoings for the Department of Justice, which has the power of prosecution. Additionally, the report lacks a prescription to ensure such events do not happen again.

While the findings may be damning and a clear wound to America’s democracy, Trump still plans to run for president in 2024. 

Biden Hosts African Leaders in D.C

President Joe Biden welcomed nearly 50 leaders from Africa on Wednesday for a summit intended to reset Washington’s commitment to a region where China and Russia are also working to expand their influence. Four nations’ leaders were excluded from the summit invite list following recent coups. But otherwise, all of the continents’ countries will be represented, including some with dire human rights records. The gathering is one of the largest of foreign leaders in Washington in recent years, and has led to traffic jams and tightened security for the dozens of motorcades and officials.

ASIA & CENTRAL ASIA 

China

Jiang Zemin Dies; His Legacy of Crushing Political Dissent Lives On

Former President of the PRC, Jiang Zemin, died this month. While he appeared unassuming and even friendly to many world leaders, he oversaw a transformation in China. Zemin steered China away from central planning, encouraging privatization. However, Zemin was unforgiving with political dissent, shutting down liberal journalists and threatening the Chinese press. However, his legacy of political oppression lies in one of China’s darkest moments: Tiananmen Square. Now, as President Xi deals with discontent among the people, he can now decide how to direct China without the influence of one of his party’s elders. 

China Hastily Ends ‘Zero-Covid’

China’s stringent zero-covid policies, which often included mass testing and mass quarantines, have suddenly been lifted in China amid unusual Chinese protests. President Xi has stoutly advocated for and invested in these policies, so this sudden shift caught many residents and officials flat-footed. Warnings of the dangers of coronavirus have seemingly disappeared, and vaccines, which the Chinese government have not advocated, are now being sought after by officials. While Chinese media praised President Xi for his entire coronavirus response, many wonder how China is going to deal with this unanticipated announcement. 

Tajikistan

UN Special Rapporteur makes significant visit to Tajikistan amid abysmal human rights record 

On a two-week visit to Tajikistan early December, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor called upon the government to “eliminate the intense atmosphere of fear”. After meetings with activists and officials including lawmakers, judges, and prosecutors, she called on President Emomali Rahmon and other officials to treat human rights activists as “partners, not enemies.” Additionally, she paid visits to two high profile political prisoners; two convicted journalists Abdulloh Ghurbati and Daler Imomali in the pretrial detention facility in Dushanbe. The recent wave of crackdowns on the minority Pamiri community  in the GBAO region has created an influx of prisoners. This visit comes at an integral time where arrests of citizens and suppression of human rights has been at an all time high.

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

Iran

Iran’s Response to Protests Sparks More Anger Among Protestors

As the protests in Iran surpass 100 days, Iran has taken brutal steps in an attempt to subdue protests. They have abolished the ‘morality police’ while keeping the hijab law, but protestors agree that it is too little too late. Their demands have grown to encompass greater freedoms after decades of repression under the regime.

Iran announced that it had hung a 23-year-old man, Mohsen Shekari, earlier this month. While the death toll remains high for protestors, it is the first known execution due to the protests. This news brought strict and swift condemnation among international bodies, as they criticize the lack of due process in this execution. This did not deter the Iranian government; they continued executions just days later. Hanging another man’s body from a crane and broadcasting it across state media, the effect on the Iranian people was not fear. Instead, it seemed to galvanize them, and renewed their anger at the injustices of the regime. 

Executions continue and many more continue to be arrested. Current estimates put the number at 14,000 protestors have been detained. While foreign reporters are banned from the country, reports of sexual violence against protestors have been described by many women to the Western media, leaving many horrified and the Iranian government denying any allegations.

The draconian measures have made it clear that no one is safe, including high profile stars. After World Cup soccer player, Ali Daei, condemned the Iranian government, his wife and daughter’s flight out of the country was halted mid-flight in order to prevent them leaving. 

Despite the threats of the Iranian government, protestors remain undeterred:  “If one person is killed, a thousand more people will stand behind him.”

Afghanistan

UN Security Council Denounces Taliban Ban on Women Attending University 

As of Dec. 20, female students have been banned from attending private and public universities in the country, a Taliban government spokesperson said. Despite initially promising a more moderate rule respecting rights for women and minorities, the Taliban have widely implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia. 

In a statement agreed by consensus, the 15-member council said the ban on women and girls attending high school and universities in Afghanistan “represents an increasing erosion for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Additionally, they have banned girls from middle school and high school, restricted women from most employment and ordered them to wear head-to-toe clothing in public. Women are also banned from parks and gyms. The US Secretary of State also criticized the move saying it would be “devastating for the Afghan people”.

PACIFIC 

Cook Islands

The United States Recognizes Cook Islands as a Sovereign State, Spurring Change in the Region

Presiden Biden provided formal recognition of the Cook Islands. This announcement indicates a trend of Western countries recognizing the neglected states in the Pacific, which often turned to Beijing for funding and security instead. The formal recognition was announced at a Pacific island summit where Biden promised more funding and partnerships to these countries. 

As the Cook Islands enjoys this recognition, the reigniting their goals of joining supranational organizations such as the IMF and the UN. They may wish to take advantage of the newly promised funds by the UN to help poorer nations deal with natural disasters exacerbated by climate change. While their membership to these institutions is not guaranteed, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown believes that it will be harder to deny with U.S. support. 

The Cook Islands also are finding New Zealand more amenable to their changed status. Previously, New Zealand governed the nations and still asserts its control on the islands. Now, they intimated that they would be willing to work towards UN membership for the Cook Islands. 

As Western countries attempt to limit China’s expanding campaign of control around the Pacific, they also provide hope to these small island nations. 

Papua New Guinea

Residents’ Human Rights Complaint for Huge Mine Finally Moves Forward

After residents in the autonomous region, Bougainville, in the country of Papua New Guinea filed a human rights complaint about a large mine by Rio Tinto in 2020, an investigation into these accusations began this month. Residents worry that Rio Tinto neglected to clean up millions of tons of waste in their mine, polluting their air and water. While Rio Tinto committed to fund the investigation, they have not said anything about covering the cost of repairing the damage and cleaning up. 

While the mine was very profitable while it was in use, residents of Bougainville also feel like the profits were mainly given to the main island instead of those who are still feeling the impact of it in the region. This sentiment is still present in the current independence movement for Bougainville. 

As the investigation into these environmental and human rights abuses launches, residents of Bougainville look to Rio Tinto to clean up their mess. 

EUROPE

The Future of Energy in Europe

After the cut off of Russian gas, Europe has scrambled to protect their citizens from very high energy prices. As consumers will need to spend more on energy, they will have less to spend on other goods that will expand the economy, putting the Eurozone into a potential recession. Many Europeans feared power outages earlier this month as citizens needed more energy in the cold, although the power grid has so far held. 

Russia and Europe’s energy needs have historically been tied together. Nord Stream 1 and 2, for example, which connected Russia to Germany, had been mysteriously ruptured early this year, contracting Europe’s supply to natural gas even further. While it is unclear who has sabotaged the pipeline, distrust brews as investigations continue.

Europe has been looking into alternatives, like green energy, although this has been made harder by America’s protectionist policies, like those found in the Inflation Reduction Act, that often excludes Europe from these processes. Finally, the future of clean energy was drastically changed this month, as scientists in California were able to reproduce nuclear fusion, which leads to countless energy possibilities.

Russia

US-Russia prisoner exchange 

On Dec. 8, the US and Russia engaged in a prisoner exchange; WNBA player Brittney Griner

was freed from Russian detention in exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.  The Biden administration had been working to secure Griner’s release in a two-for-one exchange with Paul Whelan, an American, but the Russians signaled recently that they were only willing to negotiate for Griner and not Whelan. 

There had been concern about the health and well being of Griner, who is Black and a lesbian, while detained in Russia. Though Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993, homophobia and discrimination still persists. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill that expanded anti-LGBTQ laws.

Griner, 32, was arrested on Feb. 17, 2022, after having less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage while at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport and Russian authorities accused her of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance, which the Russian government says is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. On the other hand Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April 2012 after being found guilty of conspiracy to kill Americans and US officials, delivering anti-aircraft missiles and aiding a terrorist organization.

Putin Hints at Ending the War in Europe, Possible Negotiations 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he’s ready to negotiate “with everyone involved” in the war with Ukraine. Putin told a Russian news reporter in an interview that aired on Russian media on Dec. 22 that the Kremlin is ready to negotiate but their enemy are the ones refusing to talk. 

France 

Paris Shooting: Fear of Rising Prejudice Against Migrants, Kurdish Community Targeted 

A shooting targeting a Kurdish cultural center in a bustling Paris neighborhood Friday left three people dead and three others wounded, authorities said. A 69-year-old suspect was wounded and arrested. Shocked members of the Kurdish community in Paris said they had been recently warned by police of threats to Kurdish targets, and demanded justice after the shooting.

The 69-year-old told investigators he had planned to kill “non-European foreigners” as he embarked on his shooting spree on Friday, according to officials. The suspect was placed in psychiatric care after being questioned by police. Following this, members of France’s Kurdish community and others held a silent march on Dec. 26 to honor the murdered members. 

Turkey summoned France’s ambassador Monday over what it called “black propaganda” by Kurdish activists after the shooting. Some have marched in Paris with flags of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or suggested that Turkey was linked to the shooting. Turkey, the United States and the European Union consider the PKK a terror group, but Turkey accuses some European countries of leniency toward alleged PKK members. That frustration has been the main reason behind Turkey’s continued delay of NATO membership for Sweden and Finland.

The post The World in A Glimpse – End of Year Recap appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

This article was originally published in 2016

Glimpse Senior Correspondents Kshitij Kumar and Luke Phillips sat down with former Bush Administration CIA official Cofer Black. Black, a graduate of USC, served in the Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Operations for 28 years, primarily in postings across Africa. He directed CIA’s Counterterrorist Center during Director George Tenet’s “quiet war” on Osama Bin Laden from 1999-2001. Black was director of the Counterterrorist Center during the 9/11 attacks.

KK: I’ll start with a general question about ISIS. There was a really famously written article, I think in The Atlantic, entitled “What ISIS Really Wants.” What strategies should the US employ against the Islamic State that are different from those we once employed against Al-Qaeda?

CB: Al-Qaeda was a hierarchical organization, like the University of Southern California, like the Department of Defense, like anything. There’s a guy in charge, it’s hierarchical, there’s a command and control relationship, that was the way they went about their business. And so, to counter them was difficult, but there was at least an established hierarchy we could target. To quote General Hayden, the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, probably the riskiest job on Earth is the Chief of Operations of al-Qaeda. They must have gone through like twelve of them. So if you’ve got that job it’s unlikely that you’re going to hold it very long.

There’s a hierarchy. They have organized a structure, they have lines of communication, they’re sort of centralized, a kind of a hub-and-spoke thing. The reason we went into Afghanistan so quickly after 9/11 was the concern about follow-up attacks. That’s where they are; so that’s where we went. So it’s hierarchical, it’s located in specific locations around the world, and the mission was to basically advance their brand of Islam and to seize control of a defined immediate area in the Middle East. They did mutate over time–in the beginning, there was no mention of their support for the Palestinians, as an example. Later on when they started getting a bit more political they started talking about the rights of the Palestinians. So very agile and political in their objective, which was basically to get the Americans out of key areas in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and all that, for them to take over and establish a nation according to their views.

Al-Qaeda’s main enemy through all this was the United States and her allies but primarily the United States, because they saw us as being able to weigh in, and we were supporting what they saw as puppet regimes that were oppressing their people and all that. So, their primary target was to hit the United States. They really did believe, from their combat experience in Somalia, that it would escalate over time–East Africa bombings, you know, those kinds of attacks, a lot of people died, nothing happened, and essentially, that they became empowered to go forward, and that’s where we have the 9/11 business. So to get what they wanted locally, if they could eliminate the main supporting ally, the United States, they could achieve that. If you cut these people off, they thought, they could make things happen. They had a projection that was intercontinental. “Above all, tell the unvarnished truth, and if the boss doesn’t like it, whatever their rank–that’s their job.”

ISIS, on the other hand, was a bunch of local guys that had come out of the Iraq experience. If you look at a lot of the prisoners that were held in Iraqi jails and let go, they provided a good percentage of the leadership of ISIS. Which is one of the reasons they’re so tough, right? Because they’re trained Iraqi military men who, I fear, some of whom went down this path when the United States disbanded the Iraqi civil service and the Iraqi military. I’m still trying to figure that one out, right- I mean even after World War Two the allies kept the Nazis in place to keep the trains running, at least for a certain period of time. The Americans [in Iraq]elected not to do that.

So that was a mistake, to put it mildly. In fact there were many people that were hopping mad in opposition to this. But I guess Ambassador Bremer and primarily the Defense Department, this is the path that they took. It’s water under the bridge, it’s right there. But you have this sort of escalatory nature, that’s why they’re good. [ISIS’s] objective, until recently, was to establish the Caliphate. You know, a brand of Islam that any person that I consider to be a true Muslim has great difficulty explaining, they just, they’re crazy people–it has nothing to do with Islam. I mean, I’m no expert on Islam, but it truly is a beautiful religion. The people that practice it are every bit as holy and moral as those of my Catholic faith. It’s just another side of the same coin, I mean great people.

These guys are not. And their objective is to set up their caliphate, so rather than the al-Qaeda approach which was to achieve their objective locally by projecting out to the support of their enemies, the United States, these guys’s approach was “the war is here” and Iraq is here. And in their recruiting effort, they would broadcast overseas, “come, my brothers and sisters, come, come, come with us, help us establish the Caliphate.” It’s almost an opposite, you know? “Come here and help us establish the Caliphate.” And they used that approach for years. And they got a lot of recruits–and a lot of issues with that. How they got those recruits, how they viewed these people, they’re getting recruits, a lot from Europe, some from the United States, and a lot of these recruits are, just by physical appearance, clearly not from the region. Some guy would come and bring his Dutch girlfriend, Dutch girls, and it’s getting to be a bit international in the foreign volunteers that they have. But it was “come here and help us establish the Caliphate, and we’ll rule on–“ I mean you can look at their principles, it’s pretty close to hell.

But they have morphed. I used to make a big thing of this when I would talk–al-Qaeda is, hey, if there is a fellow traveler abroad, then conduct a jihad operation that conforms to our interests. You know, shoot a policeman, blow up a building at USC, whatever the hell it is. And so you would never know this person, there’d be no communications, they would be radicalized on the internet, they’d take inspiration from Osama bin Laden, and so you’d have these people do this stuff.

But what has happened with ISIS— I don’t know what to call it, ISIS, ISIL, Islamic State—it was “come here to us. Help us establish the Caliphate.” But now they’ve changed. They’ve changed and they say “If you can’t come to us, it’s fine! Do your operation there. You’ve seen enough TV, you know what we do, do the same thing.” And there are publications out there; they’d be a mutually supporting thing. There’s a magazine where they put out how to make homemade bombs, that sort of thing. So you’re going to have a lot of people who, one day or the other, they’re mentally ill, or they have a change of heart, they get radicalized, they do their own research, and they conduct a terrorist operation to advance the Islamic State’s cause. And if you listen to General Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, he has stated that we’ve done a good job against ISIS but they’re not weakened, one, and two, he expects an ISIS attack here in the United States. And by this he means, the projection of operational capability into the United States. Other people like former CIA director Michael Morrell, says that he would not be surprised if any day now, ISIS knocks an American airliner out of the sky here in the United States. So, you have this change. And I guess as things move on, remember at 9/11- we had been working against al-Qaeda for a very long time. Before 9/11 al-Qaeda was our number one terrorist target. This is what we did for a living. They tried to kill me while I was in Khartoum. So we knew all about it. Not many other people seem to, but after 9/11 they sure did.

I didn’t know about the Islamic State then. I didn’t even know about the potential of the Islamic State. I did know there was potential in the fragmentation of Iraq- nothing good can come of that, and there’s another bad decision there, that fracturing, what do you THINK’s going to happen? It’s like what happened in Yugoslavia. When you have long-standing cultures, both secular and religious, that hate each other’s guts, and you had a dictator keeping them in check even though he’s amoral, a very bad man, and all that, well when you take the lid off that pot, it’s very unlikely that they’re going to kumbayah and do what Nelson Mandela did in South Africa with the national reconciliation. And God bless him, there’s a place in Heaven for that guy. But there’s not many Nelson Mandelas.

LP: Especially not in the Middle East at the moment.

CB: Especially not in the Middle East at the moment. And you know, the culture there also is- if I take a loss in my family, there’s obligation for revenge, and so you get this constant spiral going around.

So the problem is greater than just ISIS. You have ISIS in the mix in Syria, another not-so-good decision, nor was Libya in my mind. And under all that, you have secular and religious conflict between the blocs of the Sunni and the Shia, and then with that you have these radical Islamic terrorist groups that have their own objectives, and when you throw all this stuff in the mix, it’s extremely explosive. And odds are the outcome isn’t going to be good.

LP: I have so many questions about the legacy of the War on Terror and the invasion of Iraq in 2003, but you mentioned Libya, you mentioned the ongoing counterterror operations across the Near East, and it brings to mind some of the budget battles that are going on inside the Pentagon right now between the Carterites, on the one hand, who support more funding for strategic forces, and the Mabusites on the other side who support more funding for unconventional forces in terms of littoral combat ships and special forces teams and stuff like that.

So it seems almost as though since 2011 with sequestration policies and the Budget Control Act and decreased defense spending, we are increasingly forced to choose between what do we prioritize- fighting the War on Terror, the Long War, or fighting the new strategic competition with great powers like Russia, Iran, and China.

In your opinion, assuming we’re not going to reverse sequestration anytime soon, which fight is the more important fight for the direct security of American citizens and the homeland, and the direct security of American interests abroad?

CB: Obviously, the best person to talk to would be some authoritative person in the Department of Defense. But that being put aside, I would say, to attempt to respond to that question, the first thing I would say is that a coequal issue for all of us American citizens to know that our national defense, and particularly the Pentagon, has rationalized its spending, so that it spends money for products and services in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

I’m joking, by the way.

We all hear about these cost overruns on these things. I just read something the other day- I’m not OK with this, actually. When I hear things like “the Navy spent a couple billion dollars developing UAVs, drones, combat UAVs, that land on and take off of aircraft carriers. And they’ve cancelled this program, after they spent a couple billion dollars. And they’ll say “well there’s a residual benefit, we learned a lot of science and technology and what not;” but you know what, I would prefer for the estimates and the rationalization of needs to be sufficiently advanced that they wouldn’t spend two billion dollars for a system that they’re going to cancel. I also don’t like to hear things like, the new Littoral Combat Ship is not as capable as the ship it’s replacing, the Oliver Hazard Perry-class fast frigate. You know, I’m sorry, but as a taxpayer I just don’t understand this. And I think before anything happens, these people need to focus, almost to the exclusion of other things, on rationalizing how they procure their weapons systems and how much they’re gonna pay for it, and when you start spending that kind of money, I want a fine piece of kit coming out the other end.

I also don’t think it’s a good idea that when my son was an airborne ranger in Afghanistan, their needs for winter combat boots were such that I would go down and buy the best Oakley boots for my son and his men. I mean, I expect the Department of Defense- if they’re going to spend any money on anything- that the individual soldier in combat has the best equipment money can buy. If that’s Oakley boots, I want Oakley boots, and the F-35 can wait.

I know this is extremely difficult. It probably defies one person’s ability to fix it. But I do think the time has come; and if you do get someone like Bernie Sanders becoming President, guess what? He’ll probably get there, because he’ll make them do it! Right? I think they CAN do it, it’s just hard and inconvenient. But it could be done. I think it needs to be done, and it would free up a lot of money. Such things as when you contract to build a Navy ship- once you contract that ship, there’s a price, it costs X amount of dollars. And you can’t put in a work order that once you’ve signed, this is what you’re going to pay for the ship. And you know, send in on a weekly basis lots and lots of change orders. Change where the bathrooms are, where the pipes go. The cost of these additions is astronomical- like when you, you know, build a house. When you pay to have the house built, you get one price. When you start changing everything around, it gets incredibly expensive. So these are things, I think, that they really do need to fix.

Now, if you’ll allow me THAT part, refining and reforming the acquisitions process, that’ll free up money for more important things. And what are the most important things?

I think the most important thing is to defend ourselves against- if you look at the Department of Defense, to defend ourselves against mass annihilation. That was what the Cold War was about, this is where I came in in the Central Intelligence Agency. This is no joke. This was full-up, head-on, and in our case it was combatting the expansion of Soviet influence in the Third World. They were trying to grow, we were trying to stop them.

We had tremendous advantages! Our ideology was, you know like they say, in Greece, they ask Sparta, “How come you don’t have walls around your city?” And the Spartans answer “Our men are our walls.” Well, our ideology and our beliefs are really our walls. They’re what really makes us different, what brings allies to us, so that needs to be shored up. “I expect the Department of Defense- if they’re going to spend any money on anything- that the individual soldier in combat has the best equipment money can buy. If that’s Oakley boots, I want Oakley boots, and the F-35 can wait”

But what’s going to hurt you the most is, I think, what you need to defend against the most. So- that would come down to things like nuclear weapons, refurbishing our nuclear arsenal (which they’re doing, it’s just very expensive), maintaining the ability to have assured second strike against any combination of nuclear opponents, that would seem to me to come first. You cannot abrogate having a credible force when you have potential opponents, peer states, who are becoming more and more sophisticated in nuclear weaponry as you go along. You’ve got North Korea, you’ve got the Russians of course, the most formidable of all, and you’ve got others coming this way, as the negotiations with the Iranians demonstrated. That, I think, is the most important thing. So you need to maintain a credible, modern, strategic deterrent. That comes first. And we use the triad- so land-based, sea-based, and manned bombers- I’m a believer in that. It complicates the enemy’s problem- you have assured destruction. The problem is, they can kill us- but they know if they go that route, we have the sufficiency of force to ride out a first strike and we have enough force capability to annihilate them. Usually, that’s a pretty good deterrent, you know? You don’t need to be an international relations major to figure that one out, right? Well, when that deterrent is put into question, at the very least it allows a competitor state to become more adventurous, right?

So that’s that. So first we look at how we procure the weapons systems, make sure they’re cost effective, and how we control those costs, and then the next thing I would say would be making sure that the men and women in uniform are really effectively supported. It’s a disgrace, this thing that happened with the VA and all that, I’m no expert in this, but someone might want to think about combining the Veterans Administration with the Department of Defense Healthcare System, so that once you sign up, you’re in that stream of benefits for life, and it must be actively monitored and supported. We truly do owe it to these brave Americans to go forward and do it well.

And then thirdly would be maintenance of the [intelligence]operations capability we have now, which is pretty reasonable, well-sized. JSOC and all of that. Central Intelligence Agency. They’re the envy of the world right now; it’s hard to have such elite forces multiply, you can’t make them twice or three times the size, it’s just too hard. It’s like a car. A car can go so fast, right? Well to make it go 50mph faster costs 8 times as much as the car cost before. It just becomes unwieldy. So I would be happy to maintain what we have now, with a view to the fact that we have to do something about reducing the load we put on these people. As young people, they can’t spend their whole lives deployed. They have wives, they have girlfriends, they have children. People can’t stand that type of family stress. So we’ve got to reduce the workload. Not increase, but reduce.

So, every problem overseas is not the preserve of, you know, send in US military special operations personnel. There can be other alternatives which need to be developed, and we have a full nation-state capability that it can be done. There could be situations where really what you should send is an element of the LAPD. You know? Like that.

And then lastly but just as important, we need to maintain our conventional forces- they should never go any smaller than they are today. They can hardly keep up, keep that going. But I do think if you economize at the front end, you can carry these costs well.

You also have to rationalize the entitlements system, but then I’m not an expert on that. These things are really expensive, and I think they tend, in significant instances, to be sloppy and not a good use of the taxpayer dollar. Everyone has to treat this money like it’s their own. One of the things they shouldn’t get away with and try to counter is when you have a budget, and you get to the end of the year, and you haven’t spent it all; well you know that green eyeshade guy who says “go buy something,” right?

NO!

How about turn it back in to the Treasury? I think we do all these things, I think it’s imminently manageable. If you look on weapons systems, yes we need a new manned bomber, yes we need a new fighter, yes we need eventually the long range strike bomber to replace the B-52, I mean the aircraft carrier thing really has got to be resolved, do we need to spend such huge amounts of money on aircraft carriers when their flight decks are carrying less and less aircraft and the enemy is having more effective anti-ship missiles? Someone’s got to think this thing through, you know?

But I think it can be done. I think there’s enough money to do all this! And we just got to get with it. Ruthlessly.

LP: Kshitij, you had questions about cyber security.

KK: Yes, but before we get there, I have this that relates to what we just talked about, because you mentioned nuclear weapons and you mentioned a number of countries that are now gaining nuclear weapons. That kind of makes me think about the threats to the United States today.  What do you think is the greatest threat to the American people, should be worried about, currently. Whether that be another country or some sort of weapon or something like that.

CB: Sure. You know, it’s almost like air defense- if you have a lot of threats coming at you, you’ve got to prioritize- and you engage the most immediate one. You have to have rank ordering, how you’re going to spend your time and resources.

So. Now this is just me talking. The way I would put it, would be:

I think we should prioritize to put our economy in order, to give people jobs, and make this country productive in terms of creating goods and services so that we can service the needs in this country, we can export stuff overseas and make money. Number one. Over anything having to do with defense. I can explain to you why I think that, but let me go through the other things first. “…in Greece, they ask Sparta, “How come you don’t have walls around your city?” And the Spartans answer “Our men are our walls.” Well, our ideology and our beliefs are really our walls”

So that would be number one. Number two is a kind of a toss-up; you know this is where leadership comes in, I’m not in that position, I don’t have all the information. But I would say it’s basically a choice between China and Russia. But for very different reasons. I’d probably lean towards China being the next most important thing. Now, I like China. I like Chinese. I like Chinese food! What’s not to like? So it is incumbent on primarily the United States and her allies to posture ourselves and to work with the Chinese so that as they grow to be more important and more capable as a nation-state, they’re a growing power, that we encourage them to grow in such a way that they become a productive country in their region and play a constructive role internationally; that they’re not a threat to neighboring states; that they play a positive role internationally; and that we do everything possible to prevent a trade war with China, and worse, military conflict. Nothing good comes from either of those. But the jury is out- does China just want to secure itself and its near abroad, (and they really are not expansionistic- China has never been expansionistic in its history) or do you look at these islands they’re creating and their significant effort to seize resources in Africa and everywhere else to feed this economic machine and all of this- which way are they going to go? The world cannot afford to have a China gone nuts. It’s not good for China, and it’s sure not good for anybody else.

That’s so important, because let’s say we got into an arms race with China. Well there goes all your money right there. We’d keep up with China, that I guarantee you. But it wouldn’t be good for us, wouldn’t be good for China, so to me that’s the most important.

Next to that would be Russia, simply because of its nuclear capability. Ask Vladimir Putin! Someone said “your nuclear weapons capability is a deterrent and the West is afraid of it,” and Putin replied, “Well I hope so.” I don’t remember the exact quote. There are a lot of areas- I like Russia and I like Russians, I mean I was in the CIA. They’re interesting people, you know? And they’re very tough and formidable, you know? Which should really give you pause when you deal with them.  Their history has been tough. Napoleon, Hitler, the Mongols, everyone riding over their turf, riding roughshod killing their people. They’ve got a real need to defend. It’s in their blood.

That’s another one that they don’t have much else. This is me talking; I’m not in the government; I mean what do they have? They’re a gas station with nuclear weapons. Every time something happens they start talking about nuclear weapons. He goes into Crimea and President Putin starts talking about how he has a nuclear arsenal and they’re going to put some on alert. If you, if the US puts in a ground-based air defense system to defend against either an accidental or intentional launch of an MRBM nuclear-tip from Iran, the Russians see that as a threat to them! Which is ludicrous. Not only are they a gas station with nuclear weapons, they’re extremely thin-skinned and sensitive.

And, they’re on an excellent adventure! They go into Ukraine, they’re looking at the Baltics, they send those guys into Syria in a very unhelpful way and they put anti-submarine warfare ships off the coast of Syria- I mean, to me it looks like they’ve become sort of unhinged. I think that’s dangerous. So that would put them as number two.

I would put for number three, The Unexpected. The world running out of water, mass starvation, a pandemic- these things come up with shocking regularity. Go to the Third World. Walk through Bangladesh, where they have 180 million people in a space the size of New Jersey or Connecticut- you don’t think bad stuff’s going to happen with that? You got healthcare, water, so… we’re due for something big. These pandemic things come around all the time. The last one was the 1920s or something, 40 million people killed, I would put that.

Next I would put would be the regional problems; and the regional problems would be what we’ve got going here in the Middle East, you know the Sunni-Shia conflict, the nation-states where the leaders have weak control over the country and their people, and how this can come unstuck.

And then you’ve got the wild cards below that, wild cards like Korea and whatnot. I don’t worry that much about Korea because it’s in Korea, and we’ll win, so, ok, it’s bad. It could be a catastrophe, lots of people are going to die, but if you rank order it, I wouldn’t put it at the top.

LP: I find it interesting that you don’t list terrorism on that top three list. And it makes since given the framework you talked about-

CB: Well the way you put it, I’m talking about what can hurt you the most. And I think the way we’re positioned now is pretty well. We’re not pre-9/11 now. We’ve got a Central intelligence Agency and an intelligence community that is awesome at counterterrorism. They have lots of issues and they’re still stretched and they’ve got more things to do. But you know, they’re linked in with the rest of the world to fight these guys, they’re in good shape. You’ve got the military- has reconfigured its capacity to conduct special operations, they’re the envy of the world. The question is how big do you want them; I just think it’s too expensive and there aren’t enough people of the exact same quality that we can enlarge that force. I think we should just maintain what we’ve got, keep providing the best equipment, and reduce the workloads, you know. Every solution CANNOT be sending in US military special operations personnel. There are other people that can do this. My son was an airborne ranger, and OK, they’re not the SEALs or these other units, but they’re pretty good. Maybe they could do some of this. You see what I’m saying?

So I think counterterrorism is important. They can hurt you. But so far as I can tell so far, we’re not talking about annihilation of our entire society [by terrorists.]You could lose a lot of people, there could be a catastrophe. But I think as of right now we’ve grown so much and positioned ourselves to have a real, credible defense. Will some get through? Absolutely. But we’ve got a credible defense. To add more, the cost is astronomical, so I think we just keep what we’re doing there.

This probably isn’t very politically correct, but it’s what I believe.

KK: To jump regions then, we were wondering about your expertise in Africa and we wanted to ask a bit about Boko Haram. What threat does Boko Haram pose to that region of the world as a whole? And what do the recent attacks say about the group and their tactics?

CB: Well, Africa’s changed a lot since the first time I went there. You know the story, my dad was an airline pilot, he used to take me on trips and leave me off with the Pan Am guy, and he’d let me go and I’d spend a night with the chief and the crawl just like in the movies. It was wonderful, it was a great childhood. I’d do this all the time. So I got very comfortable with Africa and Africans, I’m very at home there. But it was very peaceful in those days- a little white boy could go walking through the jungle and go up to the village and they’d welcome you and they’d feed you and pat you on the head.

It’s not the same situation now. Things have changed, corruption is endemic. The governments’ control of their populations, even in the best of instances, is tenuous. There are coups all the time. The quality of life is low, so you have all these problems. And so layered on top of that you have things like Boko Haram, that play upon the division, they’re the opposite of uniters, so they’re taking their communities and turning them against “the man,” and invariably they’re going against the established order that is inefficient. Nigeria, right, look at the Delta. The oil comes from the Delta and how much of that money goes back to the Delta? Not much. I would be upset too! So over years and years and years without change, these people begin to take things into their own hands. So these Boko Haram people are basically an updated combination of having legitimate grievances as an underlayment, and then layering on top of that this sort of Islamic State approach to life, and their objectives; it’s a big problem. It’s a big problem because the societies that they’re targeting have such extreme difficulty trying to defend themselves, and that’s where the United States and her allies have a role to play.

But one of my things, is, you know- you can’t do things for other people. I’m kind of a believer in that. I shouldn’t be fighting for your freedom harder than you’re fighting for your own freedom. There are a lot of things we can do and we’re here to help, but you’ve got to be more motivated than me. And a lot of these countries are! But if they’re not, then you’ve got another problem. But I think the counter to that is to work- which we’re doing- is to work with the local security establishment, the local governments. It’s a long haul, we’ll win, we’ll wear them down, and this will mutate into something else and kind of go away. And then we’ll have something else to worry about.

But in the interim, it’s very bad and has a terrible effect on local populations. Grabbing these young girls, you know the whole story. Find me a religion or a culture that thinks that’s ok! You got to go back to like the Mongols. I mean, it’s an evil, that needs to be countered, but the solution is not to send the first infantry division to do it for them. I’m real big on that. And I think our country’s moved away from that.

There was a time not that long ago where that was always the solution- “we can do it better, so let’s go do it!” Well, actually you can’t because if you’re not them, you don’t have an effective, sustainable way to do it. You must work through the local establishment and it’s slow and ponderous; they may not do it as well, but over the long term that’s the way to go. Train the trainer and all that. It looks pretty scary the way the media presents it. But remember, with our media, you’re seeing everything that goes bad in the world, right now. Something goes bad in Pakistan, you got it. Car bomb goes off, there. The vast majority of people outside that region, their lives continue. But there are some countries where it’s such an unbelievable human catastrophe and some of these things are at risk of spinning just completely out of control. Like Syria. And I don’t mean control in a geopolitical sense, I mean the quality of life for the people.

We’re getting close. If the world keeps going the way it’s going now, we’re going to reach a point in the not-too-distant future where it’s hopeless, and there might not even be a lot of people there to help. They’ll all be in Europe or somewhere else. Which brings in another set of problems.

LP: To bring all this a little bit closer to home, we have a very interesting set of presidential candidates right now. Probably one of the most interesting refrains of the last election season has been Donald Trump’s “I will have the best cabinet of advisors you can imagine.” Now I fall into the camp that it’s important to have a very strategically-minded President but it’s even more important to have an excellent group of advisors like what Reagan had-

CB: You really are as smart as you look, my friend.

LP: How smart is that?

CB: Pretty darn smart!

LP: I appreciate that! So, you don’t necessarily have to give us some names, but what are some of the qualities you would look for in the number one cabinet for the next President in today’s world?

CB: This is how I see it. I don’t care how good the President is. I don’t care how accomplished they are. I don’t care how high their IQ is. I don’t care how smart they are. I don’t care what a great leader they are. In the foreign affairs and national security area, if he or she doesn’t have the best advisors possible, they’re doomed. It’s too hard! No one’s that smart! I remember President George W. Bush said he was “The Decider.” Well, it shouldn’t be that way. He should have trusted subordinates who know their stuff and can support him in making decisions. And I cannot begin to tell you, from my experience, how important that is.

So when you hear candidates say they’re going to do this, they’re going to do that, sometimes I wince, because I don’t think it’s either smart or possible or whatnot,  but it sounds good. But everything will be ok, as long as their advisors are top-notch.

And by top-notch- it’s interesting, it may not actually be referring to the people you would normally think of. Top-notch to me is not necessarily the people with the highest rank. Or they’ve written the best think-piece while they were a professor at Harvard. That’s ok, but that’s not really what I’m looking for.

What I would look for is men or women of good character, integrity, common sense. They execute reasonableness. They do something else that- I’ve never had this problem personally, I don’t know, maybe it’s one of my few strengths- they speak frank, blunt truth to power. Many times [the boss]won’t like it. And you might actually know it. And in the meeting or in the situation room, others would go see that as a political faux pas. “You’ve displeased the President.” It is your responsibility as a professional subordinate to tell the boss- whatever level you’re at- in special English- clearly, and frankly, so there’s no doubt in his or her mind what you said and what you mean- so they can take it in and make a good decision. There should be a total absence of politics and political maneuvering among your perceived competitors from other components, whether it’s in one agency or one division, or the interagency process. I’m a big believer in this. I have been an advisor to a candidate, not this cycle around, but a Presidential candidate, and it’s always my big thing. Success of the administration, in foreign affairs and national security, will ride damn near exclusively on who you pick to listen to. If you get people from extremes, then the information will come to you in a filter from the extreme.

Now I may be registered a Republican now, I may be an independent, I can’t remember, I’m just an American. I do this for my country. Who [the next President picks]using that criteria is very very important, and you know what? They don’t even have to be, spend their entire life- look at Secretaries of Defense. You can bring, like, Leon Panetta- he was never in DOD and he did a super job! I’ve got to tell you, he came in the CIA and did great! Actually I’m scratching my head, how did he do that well? And the CIA is a very exotic system, everything is cryptonyms and really complicated. How did he do it? He’s an exceptional guy.

So you need people like that. Of course, if you want to have a chance, you need me too.

But you need these principles of common sense, reasonableness, and the other thing, this is just a last thing, speaking as a father.

The deployment of American conventional forces should be based on the understanding that they are gunfighters. I take exception when four-star generals say “well, they’re diplomats too.” No they’re not. And I think that is just inaccurate. The Marine Corps does not exist for the Toys for Tots program. It’s America’s shock force, and that’s why their platoons are much larger than Army platoons, because they expect heavy casualties. They are warfighters. You take young men, eighteen to twenty-five in an infantry company, they can be trained to fight- you can’t expect them to be diplomats, medical personnel. It’s ludicrous. They’re fighters, and when you deploy conventional forces there had better be a gunfight, an enemy to engage and defeat. If not, you shouldn’t send them. You should be sending somebody else. Special operations personnel, the CIA, the Los Angeles Police Department, somebody.

It is absolutely unacceptable to me to deploy conventional forces and have them sit there, get shot at by the local population, or the enemy embedded in the local population, that’s not a place for conventional forces. There are other ways to do it, they may not be very efficient, but I would choose other alternatives. When American infantry shows up, people are going to die. Or don’t send them!

So I think that’s a key aspect, and the other thing should be- I think the leadership of the country- I’m not saying they’re not!- should take nothing more seriously than the commitment of conventional forces to combat overseas. To the point where if we do this, I think their children should be inducted into the Army, put in the infantry, and sent in the front rank. Because if they’re not willing to do that, they shouldn’t be sending my kid.

LP: Well, if Kshitij and I are in government service a couple of decades from now, we will keep your wisdom in mind, sir.

KK: Absolutely.

CB: If you accept anything I’ve told you, and you actually execute it, it won’t be easy- it’ll actually be hard- you could suck up to the boss and tell him what he wants to hear and he’ll like you and pat your head- and in that case, then you’ll have totally betrayed the reason that you’re there, and you’ve betrayed your boss, you didn’t tell him the truth, you’ve betrayed the American people. You should be fired. That’s how I see it.

Above all, tell the unvarnished truth, and if the boss doesn’t like it, whatever their rank- that’s their job. That’s why they get paid their salary and that’s why they’re sitting in that chair.

The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of the Glimpse from the Globe staff, editors or governors.

The post Glimpse from the Past: A Conversation with Cofer Black appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

NORTH AMERICA & SOUTH AMERICA 

Brazil

After Finally Challenging the Election, Jair Bolsonaro Gets Shot Down 

After warning that he would not accept the results prior to the election, Jair Bolsonaro finally posed his challenge, citing a software issue in the voting machines. This comes three weeks after the election was called in favor of Lula de Silva. Bolsonaro’s initial silence was taken as a relief to those supporting Brazilian democracy, especially since he won by such a small margin: 1.8%. 

Now that he has voiced his complaint, the Supreme Court justice who runs Brazil’s elections agency, Alexadre de Moraes, denied the Bolsonaro campaign’s arguments saying that they were false and anti-democratic. Many think that his late election denials are a way to rally up for a bid in 2026, perhaps emulating former American president Donald Trump. Bolsonaro is a public fan of Trump, who just announced his re-election this month. 

United States

U.S. Midterms are Unexpectedly Underwhelming for Republicans

Before the midterms, a much anticipated “red wave” was set to sweep the nation, giving Republicans control of the House and Senate by overtaking the Democrats’ narrow margins. However, Democrats fought off the concerns of inflation before the midterms, a generally Republican-favoring issue, by campaigning on concerns of Roe and threats to democracy. This led them to lose fewer House seats than many polls predict, keep the Senate with an anticipated Georgia run-off, and win some contested governor elections, like Arizona’s. 

However, Republicans did count a few wins this month. Greg Abbott successfully fought off another challenge from Beto O’Rourke. DeSantis won Florida’s gubernatorial election by nearly 20 points. This is good news for those who potentially want DeSantis to face off against Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. 

Mexico

AMLO Joins Protesters Against Potential Electoral Changes

Just weeks after protests against proposed changes to Mexico’s electoral rules, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (or AMLO) marched with crowds through the capital to show his support for these programs. These electoral changes would give more control to the president, and Obrador doesn’t have enough support to pass it through Congress. However, the president drew support from all across the country, many traveling to join him in his electoral reform, all of which the President maintains is genuine. Many opponents of Obrador accuse him of using his presidential power to unfairly push his agenda and win popular support, like by using executive orders or misusing funds for welfare programs that bolster his popularity, so they view these reforms more skeptically. 

ASIA & CENTRAL ASIA 

Indonesia

Death Toll Continues to Rise from Indonesian Earthquake

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s most populous and agricultural province this month. Many are forced to leave their village homes, and repairs may take a while as some villages are currently inaccessible. Death tolls continue to rise as rescue efforts continue, but officials put current estimates at around 310 people. Around a third of the deaths are children, as they were stuck in schools or other buildings. The damage by the earthquake was heightened by landslides caused by deforestation, mining, and urban development. 

China’s Xi Jinping meets America’s Biden for the first time in the G-20 Summit in Bali

President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping committed to addressing tensions between the two countries Monday morning in Bali ahead of the G-20 Summit. The three-hour meeting addressed the Russia-Ukraine conflict, tensions in Taiwan and the United States’ sanctions on China. The leaders met face-to-face for the first time at a crucial point in world politics, after both men strengthened their political positions at home, according to analysts. 

China has been under pressure from the United States since Trump imposed economic sanctions on the country in 2018 which limited the country’s growing economy. China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heightened international tensions last year.Both leaders expressed an “openness to restoring channels of communication” and repairing the relationship that has been compared to a second Cold War. Biden said that the conversation between the two leaders was “very blunt.” According to Jinping’s spokesperson, the Chinese leader viewed the meeting as “in-depth, candid and constructive.”

Kyrgyzstan 

Prominent Journalist Bolot Temirov Deported to Russia Following Fake Charges 

Bolot Temriv, a prominent and well respected journalist has been under persecution by the Kyrgyz government for a long time. He came under fire by the repressive government for uncovering corruption at its highest level. 

In January 2021, Temirov via his Youtube channel released a detailed report on the company of Taimuras Tashiev, the son of Kamchybek Tashiev, head of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security and a close advisor to Japorov. In the report, Temirov detailed the instances of  corruption and nepotism amongst the high ranks of the government, evidencing his claim that many government deals were freely being awarded to Taimuru. 

Temriv was allegedly charged with illegal possession of drugs and illegal crossing of the state border, forgery of documents related to use of a fake military ID and fake temporary ID. The state prosecutors sought a five year sentence until September 2022 when the Sverdlovsk District Court of Bishkek acquitted the human rights defender and journalist.  

The state prosecutor filed an appeal on the acquittal of Temirov and on Nov. 23, 2022 the  Bishkek City Court unprecedentedly ruled to deport the human rights defender to Russia. 

North Korea 

North Korea Tests Nuclear Weapons, Leader Makes an Appearance With His Daughter 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees the testing of the country’s new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Nov. 18. 

Kim made an appearance with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, in her debut to the world. This has sparked debates of the North Korean succession. While the country still functions in a patriarchy, experts believe that his daughter’s launch on the political world stage is a sign of Kim promoting his daughter up the ranks. 

Ju Ae is believed to be the leader’s second child aged about nine or ten years old. The presence of his daughter has not restricted world leaders from pouring in condemnation for the leader and his isolated regime. Many countries including Japan and the United States have criticized North Korea for its testing and development of nuclear weapons. 

The weapons have been reported to be within fireable range of the continental United States. Kim has solemnly declared that if his enemies continue to pose threats against North Korea, his government will react with nukes. He has emphasized the importance of nuclear weapons to his reign for the country’s safety.

China

China’s Zero-Covid Policy Sparks Rare Protest

China’s authoritarian grasp makes protests a relatively rare occurrence in China. However, China’s unnecessarily draconian zero-covid policy changed this trend. A power strip fire that could have been quickly put out by firefighters took too slow and ended up killing ten; many blamed the lockdown for hindering rescue efforts. 

Now, many are taking to the streets, staging vigils, holding up blank pieces of paper in silent protest, and even calling for the step-down of Xi Jingping, just as he secured another term of power in the country. It remains to be seen how long China can disrupt the lives of millions before they must succumb to the demands of their citizens, from looser Covid policies to a ballot box. 

India

India’s Unique Position In Diplomacy

India is in a rare position for diplomatic relations, as it has good ties with the West, China, and Russia. During the Russia-Ukraine War, India has quietly stepped into loud disputes. It helped to free up millions of pounds of much-needed Ukrainian grain this summer. It asked Russia to back off from the Ukrainian power plant Zaporizhzhya this fall. India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has high ambitions when it comes to its diplomatic power. 

The United States seemed to recognize this potential when Janet Yellen, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, made a visit to India’s capital in order to form a friendship that can capitalize on India’s relations. This could be helpful for the United States as the cost of products are rising and the security of some supply chains are in jeopardy. In the future, India may see deepening ties with the United States, like how Microsoft is expanding operations in the country and a larger role in diplomacy. 

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

 Qatar

The FIFA World Cup Off to a Start in Qatar and Not Without Controversy

Nov. 20 saw the FIFA World Cup 2022 kick start with its opening ceremony. Qatar opened its gates to large crowds and even large criticisms and evaluations of its human rights record. 

The country has banned any and all LGBTQ paraphernalia in teh stadiums out of respect for the country’s religious practice. Many countries have criticized Qatar for restricting freedom of expression. While it is saddening to see rights of LGBTQ members and allies restricted it also questions the double standards of the world and the FIFA committee. 

Awarding a Muslim-majority country to host FIFA, what did the world expect? The soccer governing body, FIFA, knew this in 2010, when it awarded Qatar the football tournament. FIFA’s own governing statutes, in force at the time, ban LGBT discrimination of the kind Qatar enshrines in its national laws, and FIFA’s due diligence to enforce its own policies around the world has been ineffective. 

Additionally, when Qatar was awarded the football tournament it employed migrant workers to create a facility that could house large crowds. Since the country was awarded the tournament almost 6500 migrant workers have died over a span of 10 years. 

In the past 10 years, Qatar has embarked on an unprecedented building programme. In addition to seven new stadiums, dozens of major projects were completed including a new airport, roads, public transport systems, hotels and a new city. In this process much cheap labor has been employed from countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. 

Egypt 

Egypt Hosted COP27 In Another Effort to Advance Climate Talks 

The United Nations Climate Change conference was hosted by Egypt in the green city of Sharm El Sheikh. 

The conference ended with an agreement to create a fund to compensate less wealthy countries already suffering destruction stemming from rising average temperatures.

 The meeting also secured more commitments to cut methane pollution and addressed a renewed, desperate call to keep the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius , one of the targets of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

The deal for a loss and damage fund marked a diplomatic coup for small islands and other vulnerable nations in winning over the 27-nation European Union and the United States, which had long resisted the idea for fear that such a fund could open them to legal liability for historic emissions.

Israel 

Benjamin Netanyahu Wins Re-election as Prime Minister of Israel, Lapid Concedes. 

The former prime minister who made way for Yair Lapid earlier in the year has won the country’s 5th election in the last 4 years following Lapid’s concession in the recent November 1 elections. 

The popular vote was evenly split with about 49% of the vote going to Mr. Netanyahu and 49% going to his opponents.

He comes into office with an experience of over 15 years as prime minister. He has always been stringent on making concessions to the Palestinians to advance a peace process and has been reluctant to change the status quo in the West Bank in favor of his allies in the settlement movement. Under him ties between Turkey had worsened and now it will be interesting to see him continue to restore the ties, an attempt his predecessor, Lapid, did. 

Saudi Arabia 

The United States says Saudi Crown Prince Immune from Khashoggi Case Brought to the Justice Department 

Over four years ago in October, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated by agents of the Saudi government  in Istanbul by direct order of the crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS).The brutal attack on freedom of speech and the press by MBS vis-à-vis the Saudi government has not been held accountable until recently.

Washington Post columnist, Hatice Cengiz filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice against the crown prince. However, the Justice Department announced in mid-November that the prince has complete immunity in the case brought by Cengiz. A U.S. intelligence report that Biden declassified after coming into office said Khashoggi’s killing could not have happened without MBS’ knowledge.

The DOJ argues that MBS is immune from prosecution due to the office in Saudi Arabia that he holds. The department in the filing said, “Mohammed bin Salman, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the sitting head of government and, accordingly, is immune from this suit.”

Under Saudi law, the only authority which is immune from any prosecution is that of the King’s. The argument made against immunity is that the King holds all powers legislative, executive and judiciary in the absolute monarchy, and has full authority even over the Prime minister, unlike the United Kingdom.  Many believe that the Prince’s appointment as prime minister is that of exception in a pure attempt to evade accountability. He was made prime minister just days before the lawsuit was filed. 

Although it is unsure as to why the United States acknowledged the immunity of the prime minister instead of just staying silent. Could it be to regulate oil prices, considering Saudi Arabia controls one of the largest shares of the world oil or just a diplomatic decision? 

Iran 

Iran’s Merciless Responses To Ongoing Protests

Ever since protests erupted in Iran two months ago after the death of Mahsa Amini, Iranian officials have seen an unprecedented level of fury by its citizens. Many of those protesting are younger citizens, mostly in their teens. Growing up in a regime of repression, the youth of Iran do not hide their defiance. They have set fire to the childhood home of Khomenei. They are clashing with officials on the streets, schools, and campuses and say they will not rest until Mr. Khamenei steps down. 

Iran is no stranger to quelling protests, though. Their first crackdown comes this month with large arrests, the UN estimating that it totals to around 14,000. Officials have also been raiding high schools around Iran, barging in to interrogate and beat students. Security forces have been leaving their citizens riddled with rubber bullets and metal pellets, leaving some blinded in their eyes. Iranian officials are sentencing children to adult prisons and even death, enraging citizens even further of their brutal treatment of their most innocent of citizens. 

EUROPE

Ukraine 

Russian Troops withdraw from Kherson, Victory for Ukraine, Putin Faces Defeat 

On Friday, Nov. 11, Russian troops completed their withdrawal from the Ukrainian city of Kherson – a hastened retreat of thousands of Russian troops across the Dnipro river in the south of Ukraine.

Vlodymer Zelensky, the president of Ukraine celebrated the victory over Russia by raising the Ukrainian flag citywide and singing national anthems in joy of the victory. A spokesperson from the Kremlin earlier had said that the Ukrainian city of Kherson was part of the Russian Federation making the victory even more symbolic for Ukraine.

Kherson’s loss for Russia now threatens its influence over the region. Ukrainian troops have gone and taken back control of the city, it lies geographically very close to Crimea – A strategic and critical region for Putin.  

Russia

Griner’s Release Still Undecided

Brittney Griner, an American basketball star sentenced to jail for 9 years after entering Russia with vape cartridges, was rumored by a Russian diplomat to be closer to release through a prison exchange. However, U.S. officials dismiss this idea, saying that the Kremlin is not serious about prison exchange. 

The negotiation is still ongoing and Griner is currently in a penal colony where harsh treatment is common. This is just one of many conflicting disputes between Moscow and Washington: a Russian source said that they are working through a special channel to resolve the Griner issue, while the State Department declined this, saying Russia is not negotiating in good faith. 

United Kingdom

Rishi Sunak’s Debut

Rishi Sunak starts out his time as Prime Minister with a tough sell to Britons: a 55 million pound budget plan that includes tax raises and spending cuts to fill a gap in the budget. This comes from a Prime Minister that has more wealth than the current monarch. However, the budget’s initial debut did not have the disastrous financial consequences when former Prime Minister Liz Truss unveiled her plan. Additionally, many of the taxes’ onset would happen after the next general election. Finally, additional funding would go to healthcare and education. Despite all these ideals, Britons will nevertheless need to be sold on the perks of higher taxes and lower government spending.

Poland

NATO Maintains Poland Strike Was Not a Russian Missile

After a missile struck Polish farmland and killed two people, Polish officials blamed Russia for the attack. However, as Poland borders Russia, Polish president Andrzej Duda did not blame Russia and said it was not an intentional attack. However, NATO asked for further information on this, and President Biden claimed that it was unlikely that Russia fired the missile, but did not give an alternative for the assailant; the Kremlin praised this response. Had Russia targeted Poland, they would have risked drawing NATO into the war.

The post The World in A Glimpse – November 2022 Edition appeared first on Glimpse from the Globe.

Latin America’s complex and polarizing political history with dictatorships, neoliberalism, American intervention and economic inequality favors the ultra-wealthy and neglects the poor, especially in rural areas. The right- and left-leaning sides of the political spectrum relate to the tendency that these countries have in terms of centralization. While individuals who live in metropolitan areas are more likely to have access to resources and economic prosperity, those who live in rural areas tend to be ignored, pushing toward an imbalance in the countries’ development which results in contrasting political ideals among those who live in these opposite environments. However, a surge in left-wing politicians across Latin America is winning presidential elections against their right-wing incumbents signifying the resurgence of the “pink tide.” The pink tide represents the shift in Latin American countries, leaving their neo-liberal ways for leftist ideology during the early 21st century. Political analysts believe its revival is reoccurring, especially with the victories in Chile, Colombia, and Peru. 

Recently elected Chilean president Gabriel Boric is the country’s youngest president at 36 years old and who raised the temperature of the leftist wave in Latin America. The country’s history of leftism died when the right-wing military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet overthrew the socialist Salvador Allende government in 1973, which ruled Chile for almost twenty years. Pinochet’s legacy left Chile in a neoliberal state championing free-market fundamentalism. Boric vows to work with his cabinet members and political organizations to end Pinochet’s neoliberal model and constitution by raising taxes on the rich while expanding social services. 

More recently, Chilean feminists and Indigenous organizations fought and wrote the new constitution which expands Chileans’ rights and provides an environmental agenda. The updated text would guarantee individuals’ rights to health, housing and abortion, and establishes universal public services while granting nature rights by protecting Chile’s glaciers, parks, and waters from mining. The constitution’s passage would revolutionize the standard for Chilean democracy compared to Pinochet’s suppressive past of overthrowing the previous socialist government of Salvador Allende in 1973. While the vote for a new constitution overwhelmingly passed with a 78% vote, its progressive policies and leftist values stirred misinformation perpetuated by conservative politicians and media outlets like Fox News claiming that the new constitution bans private property, allows private companies to count votes and grants prisoners and migrants voting rights in the upcoming constitutional referendum. This misinformation spread across social media platforms in Chile dropped support and contributed to its failure. However, Boric’s determination for its passage plans to stage a revote to continue his promises of deconstructing Pinochet’s past. 

In Colombia, Gustavo Petro was sworn in as the country’s new president in August of 2022, and he is the first leftist candidate to hold office. Petro participated in the M-19, a military group formed by university students and activists created as a response to alleged fraud in the 1970 presidential election. His left-wing past resonated with voters which helped him defeat right-wing businessman Rodolfo Hernandez, joining a wave of leftist politicians and political outsiders winning elections in Latin America since the Covid-19 pandemic left incumbents struggling to fix their country’s economic problems like about half of the population living under the poverty line and lessen the economic reliance on fossil fuel. Petro promises to shift Colombia in a new direction away from its capitalist and American reliance. He wants to combat social and economic inequalities by increasing spending on anti-poverty programs, raising taxes on the wealthy and eliminating corporate tax breaks. His environmental agenda addresses climate change by stopping granting new licenses for oil exploration, banning fracking projects, delaying deforestation, and reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. In terms of Colombia’s U.S. relations, Petro plans to end the U.S.’s war on drugs in Colombia by redirecting billions of dollars in funding toward social resources. 

The case study of Peru’s current president, Pedro Castillo, is unique and shocking given the way in which he rose to power. The former school teacher and union leader had little experience in politics yet managed to win the election in the second round while not even being in the top ten candidates, according to a poll conducted by El Comercio. Castillo went from being predicted to win 6% of the vote to obtaining almost 19% of the vote in the first round. This percentage of support is significant considering that there were 18 different candidates running in the 2021 elections.  

During the campaign season, little was known about him but his ability to win the support of the majority of Peruvian voters by centering his campaign in the more rural areas of the country. Being originally from Cajamarca, a city in Peru’s northern highlands, 

Peru is a very centralized country within Lima, the capital city. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics, 29.5% of Peru’s population is concentrated in this province where over 124 million soles of the GDP is generated. The fact that those in the capital did not consider him a prominent candidate before his victory shows the deep divide between those living in Lima and the rest of the country. Fujimori won with over 50% of the votes in all 43 districts of Lima, and the disparity increased in the central Lima districts which are the most wealthy areas in the entire country. For example, in San Isidro Keiko, the rival candidate won with over 80% of the votes. 

His success as a candidate is also linked to his opponent, Keiko Fujimori. Keiko is a prominent political figure in the country as she inherited her role from her father Alberto Fujimori, who was among the most polarizing presidents in Peru’s history and faced a tremendous divide between the capital and the rest of the country. Alberto Fujimori’s goal was to eradicate terrorism which was a pressing security issue that the country faced in the 1980s and early 2000s, however, to achieve this goal, he became dictator and the president with the most amount of human rights violations in the country’s history. From massacres to forced sterilizations, Fujimori’s means were violent and were mainly targeted at Peru’s most vulnerable populations. While his time in power is characterized by his fight against terrorism and the ability to capture Abimael Guzman, the leader of Sendero Luminoso, the most prominent terrorist group at the time. This presents the dilemma of whether the end justifies the means. In the end, Keiko was not able to beat Castillo despite being the most experienced in conventional politics as well as being a well-known public figure. Fujimori’s failure at the polls says a lot about how much Peruvians desired to move on from the politicians of the past. This discontentment of so many Peruvians with previous governments leads to the question of how many people truly supported Castillo and his campaign versus how many people did not want a second Fujimori government.

In the past decade, Peru has had mainly right-leaning presidents, from Alberto Fujimori’s authoritarian regime to the more recent Pedro Pablo Kuchisky; the one thing that all these leaders have in common is their involvement in major corruption cases. All of Peru’s leaders in the last two decades have ended up either being impeached, in jail, or fleeing the country. The changes in the political ideology of Peru’s leaders can be described as a reaction to the failure of Peru’s previous right-leaning leaders and the county’s need for a radical change in the political system deeply rooted in corruption and inefficiency. 

As the pink tide continues more recently with far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro losing to leftist Luiz Inacío Lula in the 2022 presidential election, the pink tide power grows to eight Latin American countries and as the time comes, there may be more.

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