Revisiting the UN-Controlled Constitution-Making Process for Somalia
When it comes to constitution-making, the process is vitally important. Somalia’s constitution-making process is deeply flawed. Political expedience, secrecy, exclusion and hastiness overshadow the entire outcome.
Syria: We Can’t Give Up On Diplomacy
As Lakhdar Brahimi takes over as UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, there is real merit in pursuing a comprehensive Security Council resolution and a post-conflict framework.
Baghdad’s Security Cooperation Dilemma: Military Assistance to Iraq in 2012 and Beyond
Washington’s best long-term strategy in Iraq is to seek economic, political, and security cooperation while recognizing the difficulties in Baghdad, as Iraqi policymakers attempt to rebuild a country caught up in a larger geopolitical tug-of-war.
UNASUR and the Eurozone Crisis
Regionalism in Europe is driven by economic efficiency and capital accumulation. In contrast, issues in the Americas, south of the Rio Grande, remain the old problems of dependency, barriers to development, and effective sovereignty.
Will the U.S. be Overtaken by China In Space?
Will Chinese taikonauts land on the moon in 2020? Given such broad Chinese efforts in developing space technology, China could surpass the US in the coming decade.
Political Feasibility
The notion of political feasibility is a complex one and has a sharp contrast with the fundamental idea of ideal theory – which tends to sideline all issues of feasibility in order to focus on the question of desirability.
Punk Politics in Putin’s Russia
The Pussy Riot case may serve as an example of Putin’s campaign to intimidate political opposition. It may also highlight a leader encircled by urban, secular, and liberal Russians, a conservative hinterland, the Russian Orthodox Church, and an unreconstructed security apparatus.
What the Case of Pussy Riot Tells Us About Putin’s Russia
Liberal Orthodoxy freed of Patriarchy’s control could appeal to many free-spirited believers, and can become a powerful tool in the hands of the new generation of equality-seekers in Russia.
Wrong About Orwell Being on the Right
Based on Orwell’s own writing and self-appraisal, there is little ambiguity in regards to his political beliefs. He was a democratic socialist and remained one until his untimely death.
Contextualizing Pussy Riot in Russia and Beyond
The trial of Pussy Riot and its larger issues are an indication of extreme repression. Yet, the tentacles of that repression extend across the globe – reaching far beyond Putin’s Russia.
