Aid for Kachin, Not Just Kyiv (Draft)

December 9, 2022 Author’s Note: Due to a new workflow that seems to be working well, I will, going forward, only be publishing on a bi-weekly basis. Therefore, what follows is merely the first part of a new paper that I will publish the rest of on 12/16. In the meantime, please feel free to

Making U.S. Foreign Policy Work Better for Americans and Africans

December 2, 2022 Back on March 24th, a month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Chinese state media service Xinhua News Agency published an article blasting the Western-centric behavior of the United States, proclaiming that, “double standards were boldly on display when the U.S. urged European countries to absorb people fleeing Ukraine while [remaining]

Making U.S. Foreign Policy Work Better for Everyone (Part 1)

November 24, 2022 Author’s Note: Due to the short week and the holiday, what is below is merely the first half draft of this piece. The remainder will arrive on 12/2 in its usual manner with each recommendation more fully developed. In the meantime, please feel free to read what has been written so far

Under the Radar Reports

July 29, 2022 Due to scheduling issues this week—and in lieu of the usual paper looking at a singular topic—I thought it would be best to resume a practice that I like to do at least a few times every year: highlighting a couple of the more interesting papers, commentaries, and briefs that many people

The Perils of a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact

July 1, 2022 According to most media reports, President Biden will be heading to the Middle East later next month—making stops in Israel, the West Bank, and finally Saudi Arabia—where he will allegedly be looking to mend fences with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after calling the kingdom a “pariah” on the campaign trail, and

The Russian War in Ukraine: A Truly Global Problem

March 11, 2022 In today’s globally interconnected world, war and strife in one part of the Earth can, and often does, have an enormous impact not only on the immediate region, but the rest of the planet. Indeed, the effects of the war even reach beyond the Earth, as well. While the majority of U.S.

Half Measures: The Biden Administration’s FY 2022 Defense Department Budget Request

December 17, 2021 On December 7th, the House of Representatives passed a $768 billion defense policy bill, increasing the Pentagon’s budget by approximately $25 billion over what the Biden administration had requested. Then, on December 15th, the Senate approved the bill on an 88-11 line, and the President is expected to sign the measure despite

Foreign Policy Links for the Week Ending 10/22/2021

October 22, 2021 For just the second time this year, personal scheduling difficulties will mean that there will be no traditional blog post this week. However, that does not mean that there has not been a number of fascinating articles and reports released in recent weeks which I have not had a chance to cover

A Strategy to Prevent War: Examining China’s Pattern of Military Interventions and Preventing a Conflict in Taiwan

October 15, 2021 Earlier this month, the RAND corporation published a report by Timothy R. Heath, Christian Curriden, Bryan Frederick, Nathan Chandler, and Jennifer Kavanagh titled, “China’s Military Interventions: Patterns, Drivers, and Signposts,” which provided a comprehensive look at historical patterns of Chinese interventions abroad, whether they engaged in military operations or non-war missions such

The Imminent Closure of Bab al-Hawa and How to Avoid a Humanitarian Disaster in Northern Syria

July 2, 2021 On July 10, absent reauthorization of Resolution 2533 from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Bab al-Hawa border crossing from Turkey into Syria will close for authorized aid deliveries, potentially spelling disaster for the millions of civilians who rely on United Nations humanitarian support. According to Mark Lowcock, UN Under Secretary-General