“I think it’s important for us to recognize that this outrageous event underscores that it is time for peace and security to be restored in Ukraine.” In a press conference on July 18, President Barack Obama strongly condemned the senseless violence marring Ukraine, which has culminated in the deaths of 298 people aboard fallen Malaysian … Read more
Despite the fact that monarchies are found throughout the world, they often seem to be a uniquely European phenomenon and a distinctly American obsession;: as Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington (and descendent of British nobles) aptly sums up in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, “‘Oh, my God, you’re the son of a duke!’ … Read more
Perhaps one of the most fascinating political and cultural disparities between the United States and many other places in the world is the way in which the public treats the private lives of its leaders. The degree of importance that people and media seem to give to public representatives’ private affairs varies tremendously from place … Read more
In October 2013, the Swiss People’s Party proposed a referendum to implement immigration quotas. Embodying anti-immigration and anti-E.U. sentiments that contradict the traditionally pro-immigration European Union, the Swiss People’s Party cites Switzerland’s inability to maintain its influxes of immigrants as justification for the measure. More specifically, supporters of the Swiss People’s Party harbor growing concerns … Read more
Citizenship reform has been a top priority of the German legislature since it took office in September 2013. Talks among the governing coalition have been ongoing in the six months since its election, though no laws have passed yet. The outcome of the debate, which has largely focused on dual citizenship provisions, will particularly affect … Read more
BARI, Italy — 6 p.m. in the traffic-packed Italian city streets, all lit up in the fervent wait for Christmas. I’m sitting on the bus, the computer on my lap and earphones plugged in tight enough to cover the sound of two old ladies loudly arguing over whether cucumbers have gotten cheaper than radishes. As … Read more
With its recent annexation of the Crimean peninsula, the Russian Federation has amazed the international community once again. The permanent member of United Nations Security Council, which should logically preserve international law protecting national sovereignty, impudently violated and annexed a sovereign country’s territory. A majority of international leaders have condemned Russia for its actions. However, … Read more
“We will not stop until we have a revolution!” yelled several protestors, collected in Piazza Castello in Turin, Italy. It was December 9, 2013 and the movement known as “I Forconi” (the Pitchforks) was at the peak of its strength, paralyzing many Italian freeways, commercial centers, and other strategic hotspots. With leafleting, demonstrations, and violence, … Read more
Much of the international attention on Russia’s incursion into the Crimean Peninsula has focused on narratives of Russian strength and American weakness. Commentators from Charles Krauthammer at the Washington Post to Foreign Policy CEO and Editor-at-Large David Rothkopf have issued both implicit and overt criticisms of the “weak” American response to Russian aggression. The prevailing … Read more
It reads like something out of a Cold War drama: a former Soviet satellite convulsing with protestors; a communist sympathizing President ousted from power; statues of Lenin toppling across the country; and a battle for influence between old-time geopolitical foes. In the balance hangs the future of Ukraine, along with the fortunes of its 46 … Read more