International Politics Weekly

 The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have all officially recognized Palestine as a state.  This is a significant turn in not only the Gaza war, but also a historical moment, given the involvement of British colonialism in the creation of the State of Israel.  However, despite the recognition granted by the three Commonwealth countries, opposition from Israel and the United States make this almost nothing more than a symbolic measure.  With other countries set to recognize Palestine in the coming days, including France and Portugal, analyzing the ramifications globally is crucial. The United Kingdom, as well as two of its former colonies, recognizing a Palestinian state is nothing short of historic.  The British Empire was given control over Palestine after the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War.  In 1917, the Balfour Declaration, which Britain authored, called for the establishment of a Jewish state.  It was not until th...

 Russia has recently flown drones over the airspace of Poland, in a concerning escalation of tensions between Russia and the rest of Europe.  These actions become more alarming considering the fact Poland belongs to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance.  Article 5 of the NATO charter states that an attack on one NATO party is an attack on all.  Granted, Russia did not attack Poland, however, Russia's motivations behind the incursion, although difficult to dissect entirely, may be to test the lengths which the alliance is willing to go to protect another NATO state.  The United Kingdom, for instance, has sent Royal Air Force jets to Poland as a deterrent to further Russian incursion.  Since this event, Romania claims that Russia violated its airspace during an attack on Ukraine.  What do these events mean for the future of NATO-Russia relations?  What is Russia trying to achieve? One may be wondering what Russia gains from provoki...

 Over the past seven months, Syria has undergone a stark transformation.  In December of 2024, longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime was overthrown, ending a 24 year long reign of tyranny and fear.  The new president is a former militant, Ahmed al-Sharaa.  al-Sharaa was a member of al-Qaeda in Iraq during the U.S. led invasion, later founding the anti-Assad organization, al-Nusra Front.  The devastating civil war in Syria lasted 13 years, and caused widespread damage and casualties.  The civil war as it was known since 2011 has all but ended with Assad's removal.  However, concerns over potential conflicts still linger, and clashes with Israel, and between groups in southern Syria have further complicated matters.  How sustainable is Syria in its current state? It is undoubtedly a relief for millions of Syrians that Bashar al-Assad's horrific rule has come to an end.  His regime was well known for its cruelty, including the use of chemic...

 Russia and Iran have been noted as becoming ever closer together as their anti-west viewpoints increasingly converge.  Most notably, Moscow and Tehran signed a partnership treaty to bolster cooperation between the two countries.  It must be noted that this is not a defense pact, meaning neither country is obligated to come to the defense of the other in a time of conflict.  The main fear of certain analysts was the possibility of Russia, China, or possibly North Korea, coming to the direct defense of Iran should it be attacked.  When Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran just a few weeks ago, anxieties increased dramatically.  This fear was brought to new heights when the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites directly, a bold move for an administration that has claimed it wants to see peaceful resolutions to global conflicts.  The strikes came and went, Iran struck land near a U.S. military base in Qatar as a form of retaliation-despite the U...

 As the constant tit-for-tat missile strikes between Israel and Iran continue into its seventh day, Israel is asking for direct American involvement in the conflict.  Specifically, Israel wants the United States to drop a bunker-busting bomb onto Iranian nuclear sites, a bomb that Israel does not possess nor have a delivery system capable of dropping it themselves.  This bomb can penetrate deep into the ground and inflict damage well beyond the surface level.  Israel believes these bombs can set the Iranian nuclear program back, and perhaps destroy it.  Assuming this belief is accurate, it would mean the United States will enter the fray, and Iran would certainly retaliate with strikes on American military bases and interests in the region.  The United States becoming entangled in yet another conflict in the Middle East is not only a bad idea, it would simply continue the stupidity of interventionist foreign policy that has not benefitted the United States ...

Just last evening, Israel conducted strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, hoping to weaken and destabilize Iran and their nuclear program.  Two of the most senior officers in the Iranian military were killed in the strikes.  These events are an escalation of tensions in the Middle East that hasn't been seen in months.  Just as this piece is being written, Iran has retaliated with strikes on Israel.  Further strikes against Iran in retaliation are certainly on the table, and the situation may unravel quickly.  Israel claims the strikes were in response to the threat Iran poses to the state, and their nuclear program was of immediate focus.  Are there possible motives Israel had to enact the strikes they are not revealing? These strikes by Israel are a major escalation against Iran, and within the broader region.  With Iran's retaliatory strikes, this situation has a real chance to snowball into a complete war, which will inevitably involve the ...

 Recently, the Trump Administration has publicly targeted international college students, and revoked many of their visas.  Harvard has been of particular ire to Trump, with the prestigious university vowing lawsuits over the reduction of their federal funding.  The saga over international students is the latest in the tit-for-tat between Trump and Harvard.  Many Americans may not realize the impact that banning international students will have on the economy, on American universities, or even on their children's odds of getting into college.  A federal judge has blocked Trump's order banning international students from attending Harvard.  The checks and balances of the federal government are serving their purpose in this case.  However, if Trump is able to circumvent the courts, what do the consequences of banning international students look like? The United States losing international students would have grave economic consequences and would impact A...

France's President Emmanuel Macron has stated that France may sanction Israel if the Israeli government doesn't take action to prevent famine and the humanitarian crisis that has faced Gaza for over a year and a half.  There has been growing international pressure on Israel to take action to alleviate the dire conditions that people in Gaza have been enduring.  Specifically, many have been calling for a lift of the blockade Israel has placed on Gaza, which has prevented aid from entering the strip.  Not surprisingly, Israel has punched back at Macron's comments.  The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed there is no blockade on Gaza stopping aid from reaching people.  This contradicts reports from multiple international organizations, including the United Nations.  Macron also stated that the founding of a Palestinian state would be "not only a moral duty, but a political necessity."  It is not hard to see where Macron is coming from in his state...

 Within recent weeks, the Trump administration has been admitting white Afrikaners to the United States under refugee status.  The administration claims that they have been facing discrimination at the hands of the South African government on account of their race.  The South African government has denied any discrimination of white South Africans, and does not believe they should be allowed refugee status.  This comes as a jarring break with the administration's typical rhetoric about migrants and refugees.  In fact, refugee admissions to people from other areas of the world, including active war zones, have been halted.  The Afrikaners have been given a highly questionable exception.  The admissions of white South Africans as refugees disturbingly coincides with a racist conspiracy theory, white replacement, and/or white genocide theory.  What is the true story?  Are they being persecuted? The fringe idea that white people are being replace...

Since early October of 2023, Israel has been bombarding the Gaza strip with military strikes, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children.  These actions have resulted in protests all over the world demanding a ceasefire, and voicing support for the Palestinian people.  A temporary ceasefire was brokered, however this has all but resulted in further military action from Israel.  Almost 100 people have been killed in the latest series of attacks on Gaza, and there seems to be no sign of this trend slowing.  Gaza has been under horrendous humanitarian crises over the course of the war, with homes being destroyed and lack of access to food and drinkable water.  Israel's blockade on aid to Gaza has been the primary culprit of these dire conditions-the United Nations and several countries have called for the blockade to be lifted.  In response, Israel claims the blockade is a tactic to implore Hamas to release Israeli hos...

The world has been watching with concern as India launched military strikes against locations in Pakistan claimed to house terrorists.  Pakistan has vowed to respond to the strikes.  India has since claimed that it had intercepted drones from Pakistan.  What develops next will remain to be seen.  There have long been hostilities between the two countries, although this is the most severe conflict to arise between them in decades.  The major concern about this particular set of hostilities is the fact that both countries have nuclear weapons.  Although using nuclear weapons does not serve the interests of either country, circumstances where two nuclear powers are involved in conflict is a cause for legitimate concern. The United States has called for both countries to de-escalate the situation, as have countries such as the United Kingdom, China, and Russia.  China has a direct interest in preventing this situation from spiraling too far out of control,...

 Hello everyone, I wanted to give an update on a change I've made to the blog.  I've changed the name of the blog to International Politics Weekly, as I will be posting pieces on a weekly basis now.  I've had a change to my personal schedule and weekly posts are more in line with it.  I will be posting every Friday, so be on the lookout for something in a couple of days.  Thank you for understanding, and I appreciate the support. Justin

 Tensions between India and Pakistan are at the highest they have been in some time.  A terrorist attack on tourists in Indian controlled Kashmir left over 20 people dead, most of whom were Hindu.  The group believed to be responsible for the attack is a Pakistani organization opposed to the settlement of Indians in Kashmir.  In response, the Indian government accused the Pakistani government of being involved with the attacks, a claim which Pakistan denies.  India implemented multiple retaliatory actions, including canceling all visas of Pakistani nationals, withdrawing diplomatic workers back to India, and withdrawing from a water treaty with Pakistan.  It is yet to be seen if any military action will be taken, although there have been light skirmishes in disputed Kashmir.  How do we understand the tension between India and Pakistan?  Where does it go from here? To fully understand modern tensions between the two countries, understanding the imp...

 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 ...