International Politics Weekly

 New evidence has surfaced that questions what many thought they knew about the September 11th attacks.  A video showing the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., along with other landmarks, and a voice speaking Arabic detailing the layout of the building, security checkpoints, and noting the airport being a short distance away.  This evidence is coming to light amid a lawsuit levied against the Saudi government by families of 9/11 victims, alleging the Saudi government was involved in aiding and abetting the hijackers.  The outcome of the lawsuit is yet to be seen, however it seems that it will be difficult to force the Saudi government to pay any amount of money.  The United States government is unlikely to coerce them into paying the families compensation, as Saudi Arabia is an important strategic ally of the United States in the Middle East. This new evidence is yet another example of bureaucratic incompetence.  The video was seized at an apartment in t...

If you weren't aware of what tariffs were before, you certainly know what they are now.  President Donald Trump's administration has made tariffs its main bargaining chip with multiple other countries, most notably China, Canada, and the European Union countries.  The use of tariffs, or even the very threat of implementing tariffs, has caused the global market to fluctuate between highly negative and highly positive.  Certain economists have relayed concerns of a recession, with inflation and tariff policy being two major factors.  However, with the administration recently announcing its intentions to possibly slash tariffs on Chinese goods, the market soared.  But what is the point of implementing tariffs?  What are they?  What does this administration's trade policy mean for the economy and consumers? Tariffs are a tax levied on imported goods to a given country.  Tariffs can be used for a multitude of reasons, such as attempting to promote dome...

NATO is in an awkward position.  Russia's war in Ukraine has raged into its third year, and although the Trump Administration has proposed deals which they believe will bring peace, there is not an ideal end in sight.  The now infamous meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office has done nothing to quell NATO countries' concerns.  The United States has very quickly changed its approach to international relations.  What does this mean for NATO?  How will Ukraine fair as it continues to defend itself from Russia? Donald Trump has greatly changed the position the United States has held on the global stage since the end of the Second World War.  He has made isolationism the first pillar of US foreign policy thus far in his second term.  Although he echoed many of these isolationist sentiments in his first term, the world was a very different place.  The war in Ukraine has changed how...

Sudan is facing an ongoing crisis.  A bloody civil war has been ravaging the African nation for exactly two years as of April 15th.  The conflict has plunged the country into dire straits.  Extreme famine has taken over, and roughly half of the population is facing the possibility of succumbing to hunger.  Egregious human rights violations are commonplace, including rapes, and civilians and refugee camps being targeted.  This has resulted in tens of thousands of civilians being killed.  Disease outbreaks have become commonplace.  Dengue, cholera, and malaria epidemics have overwhelmed the country during the course of the fighting, and has contributed more deaths to an already extraordinarily deadly war. These conditions are horrendous, and multiple United Nations agencies have repeatedly echoed these warnings to the international community.  Yet, it seems as though many people, particularly in the western world, at a minimum don't understand the s...

 Hello everyone, Welcome to International Politics Weekly, my blog where I will be writing articles on all things International Politics, whether that be the economy, current global conflicts, and overall analysis of the important political events that impact our world on a daily basis.  A quick background on myself, my name is Justin, and I am a recent college graduate.  I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science last year, and I will be applying for graduate school this coming Fall, where I will look to pursue a Master's in International Relations. I started this blog so I can discuss these important issues that impact all of us on a daily basis, whether we realize it or not.  I also want to continue to strengthen my research and writing abilities, both of which are very important facets of graduate education.  I hope that anyone who finds this blog who is interested in this subject matter finds it informative and engaging, and I will continue ...