Sanctions and Militant Violence

Image available at: https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/revolutionary-armed-forces-colombia-farc By Treyton Zanutto- Texas A&M '22 Introduction  Sanctions are an important and increasingly common part of the modern globalized world. The importance of sanctions has become more evident as the western world has responded to the present Russian invasion of Ukraine with the large-scale implementation of sanctions. However, as these sanctions...

Taiwan’s Independence Movement & its Effect Across the Taiwan Strait

by PAUL HUANG, University of Toronto '23 When Chiang Kai-shek arrived on the island of Formosa in December 1949, a Taiwanese future seemed attainable. Before long, nationalists believed that a Taiwanese regime would retake the mainland and reinstate imperial legitimacy. After seven decades, however, Taiwan is no longer on the same trajectory. Instead, it is...

The 2020 Election: Déjà vu for Iranian-Americans

by YOUNES MAHMOUDIEH, University of Barcelona Picture a country plagued by uncertainty, instability, and violence; government institutions have begun to collapse as the world watches with growing concern. The United States has recently witnessed the rise of voter suppression, intimidation of the media, and the co-optation of military forces for political means. In many ways,...

Indian-Administered Kashmir: The Seed for India’s Theocratic & Undemocratic Future

by PARANJAY SAHANII, University of Toronto '23 IntroductionThe term ‘azaad’ rings in every shop, street, and district of Kashmir.[1] The citizens want freedom from corrupt government machinery, loss of life, economic degradation, and brutality. Thus, it has become synonymous with the wants of the inhabitants of the region. However, the waves of Hindutvaand the unstable history of...

China’s Collective Memory of the War of Resistance

by CHRISTAL CHENG, University of Toronto '22 The Second Sino-Japanese War refers to the military conflict fought between China and the Japanese Empire during World War II. In spite of the unimaginable scale of human suffering and the ravaging effects of war on the society, the eight years of resistance contributed to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) rise to power.

Reexamining One Country, Two Systems: The Future of Hong Kong

by ZIZUN ZHOU, '23 The recent demonstrations in Hong Kong once again reminded the world that the one country, two systems principle stands as one of the most delicate innovations in the political history of modern China. The principle is based on the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration over Hong Kong, which enabled the peaceful return...

Authoritarianism and Suicide Terrorism

by JORDANNA YOCHAI, '21 All suicide attack data is the intellectual property of the Chicago Project on Security & Threats (CPOST) and was accessed with the permission of Director Robert Pape. Introduction Suicide terrorism is a complex and, unfortunately, global phenomenon, whose incidence has only increased over time. In light of this, both academics and...

A New Solution to Heal NATO’s Transatlantic Divide

by JAKOB URDA, '19 and ADAM CHAN, '19 NATO is in a crisis moment. Critics from both sides of the Atlantic and all sides of the political debate are doubting NATO’s purpose. The transatlantic relationship is fraying as America and Europe are apparently moving away from each other on policy. Current American demands that European...

A New Challenger Approaches the INF Arena

by JOSHUA ZAKHAROV, '20 On February 1st, the Trump administration formally withdrew the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The next day, Putin pulled Russia out of the INF Treaty as well, inflaming apparent tensions between the two countries and leading to a compelling popular narrative that the end of the agreement...

Clash of the Titans – How China is Rising, and What the United States Can Do

by DHRUV BAID, '22 The United States and China have always had a tumultuous relationship, defined by ideological differences, ambitious expansionary policies, and increasingly interdependent and intertwined economies. Ever since President Nixon’s 1972 visit to the country, this relationship has only become more significant in the global arena. In terms of sheer human capital, China...