New Labour is still the defining movement of British politics “This our hope: not just to promise change but to achieve it. New Labour. New Britain.” In the 1997 parliamentary elections, these words won Tony Blair the largest victory of any prime minister since Clement Attlee. Yet “New Labour” was more than a catchy slogan; … Read more
New prospects for stable democracy Four years ago, the Iraqi national elections were riddled with fraudulent voting, sectarian boycotts, and insurgent attacks. Although the accomplishment of largely free and fair elections drew praise from onlookers around the world, the elections still suffered from violence and low turnout; this seemed to indicate how difficult, even impossible, … Read more
How the European Union’s rapid expansion threatens European unity The European Union has come a long way in a short time. What began as a six member coal and steel community in 1951 has evolved into a diverse political and economic partnership of 27 countries, representing 495 million people and over 30 percent of the … Read more
Understanding the impact on oil-exporting countries On June 23, 2008 the price of oil peaked at over U.S. $140 a barrel, and by the following February fell drastically to below $39 a barrel. As Venezuela, Russia, and oil-dependent economies across the Middle East saw their oil revenues dry up over the course of a few … Read more
Cyber-warfare in the 21st century The battleground of the latest revolution in warfare is virtual: no tanks, no missiles, no terrain. Yet, because of the nature of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their ubiquitous coverage by the media, many have come to construct an understanding of modern warfare as based on surgical strikes, … Read more
The stability of authoritarianism in China The recent U.S. presidential election demonstrated that the democratic process can be brutal and exhausting as candidates vie for positions of executive power. This scramble in times of succession does not exist in China, where election season is not about campaigning. China has, through its control of the election … Read more
The implications of a Czech European Union presidency This January, the Czech Republic assumes the presidency of the European Union, a political system it has consistently criticized, marking the first time a former Soviet state will chair the 27-member coalition. The six-month rotating presidency, currently chaired by France, has been a largely ceremonial post in … Read more
Reallocating resources in a new era of global health In recent decades, great strides have been made in global health, with 90 percent of tuberculosis cases in Africa being appropriately treated and HIV prevalence rates dropping in some of the hardest-hit areas. However, neglected diseases, once eradicated—trypanosomiasis, dengue, leishmaniasis—are reemerging. With a multiplicity of goals … Read more
What Obama’s election means for international relations America may have chosen Barack Obama as President this past autumn, but the rest of the world had anointed him long before. After eight years of President George W. Bush’s aggressive unilateralism, symbolized by the unpopular Iraq War, many world leaders were ecstatic at the election of the … Read more
Maritime piracy and the global economy On Nov. 17, 2008, Somali pirates hijacked a Saudi oil tanker 450 miles off the coast of Kenya. The tanker, loaded with U.S. $100 million in crude oil, is the largest ship ever pirated. Internationally, piracy has long been a problem off the coasts of unstable countries including Nigeria, … Read more