A factory and a store burning after being bombarded in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, on March 6, 2022 (Flickr). Ukraine is on the verge of an ecological tragedy. The destruction of industrial facilities and contamination from heavy weaponry means that if Ukrainians are able to return to their homeland, they might not have … Continue reading Environmental Warfare in Ukraine: Should We Prosecute Eco-Crimes Like War Crimes?
The Revival of Strategic Competition in West Africa: Western Intransigence and Eastern Assertiveness
The Reemergence of Geopolitical Alignment On September 1, 1961, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 25 heads of state hailing from four continents—from Cuba in the West to Indonesia in the East, gathered to formally establish the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Born ideologically of the movements for anti-colonialism, non-interference, and pacifism, it would morph into an explicit geopolitical position … Continue reading The Revival of Strategic Competition in West Africa: Western Intransigence and Eastern Assertiveness
“Bongbong” and China
Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos “Bongbong” Jr. Photo Credit: Rappler Marcos “Bongbong” Jr. is bound to win the Philippines’ presidential election on May 9. In the latest polling, 56% of the electorate prefers his candidacy. Through evasion of media scrutiny, a sophisticated public relations campaign, and heavy doses of social media misinformation, Marcos has been … Continue reading “Bongbong” and China
The Rising Dilemma
Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, where residents have had to build homemade seawalls to protect their homes and communities. Photo Credit: Kadir van Lohuizen / NOOR The 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change is a “code red” for humanity. On the track we are headed, the global surface … Continue reading The Rising Dilemma
Taking My Dream to the Grave: Afghan Women Under Taliban Rule
Photo Credit: Human Rights Watch Farzana Ahmadi had dreamed of holding a government office after graduating university. Now, she says, she will take her dream to the grave. When the United States military left Afghanistan on August 31, 2021, the U.S. had in place a peace deal with the Taliban. The problem, however, is that … Continue reading Taking My Dream to the Grave: Afghan Women Under Taliban Rule
Climate Change: A Dynamic Threat
Sunsets started to tease the Arctic horizon as scientists on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy headed south in the Chukchi Sea during the final days collecting ocean data for the 2011 ICESCAPE mission. Photo Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Climate change already devastates our environment, most visibly in the form of massive … Continue reading Climate Change: A Dynamic Threat
Our Democratic Disadvantage in Space: NIMYBYism and Red Tape
Starship 20, Booster 4, and Starship launch tower at Boca Chica, Texas. Photo Credit: Elon Musk / SpaceX The United States’ democratic capitalist model has many advantages. Its freedoms serve as an engine for rapid innovation and economic growth. The advancement of the US space sector and commercial rocketry is largely due to this dynamism. … Continue reading Our Democratic Disadvantage in Space: NIMYBYism and Red Tape
Lest We Ever Forget
Photo Credit: Shutterstock Russia’s war in Ukraine not only victimizes Ukrainians but also negatively impacts minorities throughout the world. By encompassing almost all of the United State’s public, political, and media attention, Putin’s war is revictimizing groups like the Uighurs, the Rohingya, the Yezidis, and many other minority groups who continue to suffer unjustly at … Continue reading Lest We Ever Forget
Will Japan and Russia Ever Be at Peace?
Then-Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida shaking hands with President Vladimir Putin in 2016. Photo Credit: Newsweek Japan On August 9, 1945, merely hours before the B-29 bomber Bockscar dropped the “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, the Soviet Union began its offensive against the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria. Within days, the imperial forces surrendered and ceded control … Continue reading Will Japan and Russia Ever Be at Peace?
SSP Event: Ukraine, the U.S., and the Future of Air Warfare
Photo: ArmyInform On Tuesday, April 5, Dr. Kelly A. Grieco gave a talk entitled “Ukraine, the US, and the Future of Air Warfare” to the Center for Security Studies (CSS). She provided students with important analytical frameworks for the future of air warfare as well as an answer as to why so many analysts inaccurately … Continue reading SSP Event: Ukraine, the U.S., and the Future of Air Warfare