The US invasion of Iraq: failings and consequences
The United States’ decision to launch a preventive attack on Iraq in 2003 resulted in significant international resentment, plummeting approval ratings of the Bush administration and domestic disenchantment which manifested itself with subsequent election results. This was exacerbated by failure to find weapons of mass destruction, the mistreatment of prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison, and the problematic occupation.
The Role of Foreign Actors in the Development of Democracy in the Middle East-North Africa
Foreign actors have played a significant role in the development of democracy in the region. Admittedly, however, it has not always been constructive. Given the ongoing political unrest in the region, there is an opportunity for them to play a far more constructive role in the development of democracy than they have in the past.
National identity reaffirmation in the post-Soviet era: The case of Belarus and Ukraine
Independence from the Soviet Union has led to both similarities and differences in the reinvention of national identities in Belarus and Ukraine. Belarusian identity is still within its infancy due to the strong Russian influences and the active role of the Belarusian government to prevent the rise of civil society organizations. In contrast, Ukrainian identity has developed sufficiently enough to separate itself from Russia.
Democratisation and the decline of political violence in Northern Ireland and the Spanish Basque Country
This dissertation attempts to determine the impact of democratisation in helping undermine terrorism, by reaching a democratic compromise between all parties (as in Northern Ireland), or by delegitimising terrorist groups’ goals and means in the eyes of their audience (as in the Basque Country).
What Happens After the US Passes a Debt Limit Deal?
Seniors and the elderly are going to pay for this new “American Austerity”, those who can least afford it. Lets face facts: if there are no revenue increases, there will have to be cuts in pretty much every part of the US budget. If there is no cut in military spending, it will be you and me, the average American taxpayer who will feel the cuts. Sadly, nothing good will come out of any of this.
How has Russia framed the conflict in Chechnya as part of the ‘War on Terror’?
The contrast between the nationalistic sentiment of self-determination emphasised in the First Chechen War and the rhetorical transition towards radical Islam in the Second Chechen War has been highlighted by many as evidence of the significance of the Chechen conflict in the global ‘War on Terror’. This essay will examine how Russia has managed to illustrate the Chechen conflict in terms of a global fight against international Islamic terrorism.
How should America react when bad things happen in unimportant places?
What should the United States do when saving strangers is the morally correct thing to do, but politically and practically, it could turn out to be a nightmare? If America is going to put the lives of its citizens at stake in situations where the primary motivation is not national interest, but an interest in common global humanity, America should be sure that she can do more good than harm.
Global Human Rights Norms and the Retention of Capital Punishment
In the past 25 years 67 states have abolished capital punishment for all crimes, 5 have abolished it for ordinary crimes, and a further 35 states have become de facto abolitionists. This trend is curious because abolition has met with significant domestic resistance in a number of abolitionist states; in many the majority were against abolition. What explains the emergence of the abolitionist norm?
Keynesianism or New Interventionism? Economic discourses in post-crisis Britain
This paper examines the discourses within the British media following the 2008 financial crisis. The renewed interest in the writings of John Maynard Keynes had been heralded by some commentators as a paradigm shift in economic thought. The paper argues that rather than a Keynesian revolution, British thinking was dominated by ‘New Interventionism’; this conceived of the crisis as temporary contractions in consumer demand and credit lines.
Follow the Money: DPRK Style
After a stalemate of slightly over three years, diplomats are resuscitating the Six Party Talks, negotiations started in 2008 between the United States, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and China in an effort to denuclearize North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and mitigate the brinkmanship of the Kim Jong Il regime.
