Four years after Russia violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity and seized the Crimean Peninsula, it is clear that Putin got exactly what he wanted—and at little cost. While Russia used direct and de…
Why the 2020 Census Will be Fundamentally Undemocratic (and we cannot fix it in time)
Did you know that the 2010 United States census missed upwards of 400,000 Latino children? Doing so rendered them effectively invisible in the eyes of the government. As a result, 400,000 children wer…
Interview with Jonathan Reiber, cybersecurity expert
Jonathan Reiber is a security expert currently serving as Senior Advisor at Technology for Global Security, a think-tank in Palo Alto, California, and a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley’s Center …
NATO: Losing Sight of the North Atlantic?
President Trump’s campaign trail rhetoric focused heavily on presenting a tough, assertive image of American power. Indeed, he broke new ground in toughness — not only did he take traditional US oppon…
How Climate Change Will Empower Russia
Former Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Rajendra Pachauri once said, “Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change.” People fear that the very existence of the planet ma…
A Real Pain in the Dniester: A New Era of Tension in Moldova
Moldova is the 33rd-largest country in Europe, a small slice of land tucked between Ukraine and Romania. Politically, however, it is stuck between the EU and Russia. While this corner of the continent…
To Engage or Not to Engage: Diplomacy with North Korea?
Editors’ disclaimer: this debate was crafted during early 2018, before the development of new events between North and South Korea’s possible peace treaty that would formally end the Korea…
Papa Putin and Mother Russia: The Historical and Political Implications of Domestic Violence in Russia
In Russia, nearly 40 women die every day due to domestic violence. This rate is around three per day in the United States. The women that survive are too often left with scars, burns, or permanent dis…
Mobile Voting: The Next Step in Expanding Democracy
On July 4th, 1776, the Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia to draft the Declaration of Independence, separating the colonies from the oppressive British monarchy on the principle that a governme…
By Any Other Name: Kazakhstan’s Alphabet Migration
Kazakhstan is no stranger to changes in the national language. In the country’s history, the written script has changed four times while the language in question, Kazakh, has remained the same. Migrat…
Still Stuck in the Cold War? Turkey, NATO, Russia, and the Art of Patronage
Russia announces new arms deals almost daily, and successfully completes them nearly as often. But the sale of Russian arms to a NATO member is a strikingly rare event. Last month, Turkey signed an ag…
A Matter of Pride and Prejudice: The Firing of FBI Director James Comey
It all began as an October surprise. On October 30, 2016, just days before the Presidential election that would cause an upset of historical proportions as Donald Trump was elected the 45th President …
Fear and Loathing in the Balkans
On January 14, 18 years since the end of the Kosovo War and six days before the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump in the United States, a train left Belgrade, Serbia, bound for the city of Mit…
Uncle Sam Wants Your Rubles
Good morning, Americans. Or shall I say, доброе утро! Doesn’t it make you feel warm and fuzzy inside to know that since Donald Trump was elected President on November 8, five dozen Russian bill…
Cybercrime: The Spark Which Started Russia’s Cyber Crusade
On the day the Soviet Union fell, the whole world watched, looking to see what would rise from the ashes of the fallen empire. By 1998, Russia’s military spending hit an all time low, and it was expec…
A New Sino-Soviet Split
Trump’s policy of pursuing closer relations with Russia has been the center of much ridicule, often dismissed without any consideration. Yet, if carried out correctly, it could become the next diploma…
Terminator in Transition: Should drones be able to think for themselves?
The metal body flies without effort against the sky – searching, synthesizing, processing data at an inhuman speed. A specific face has been imprinted on this machine. Once found, the machine can summ…
Ringed by Walls – Changing Perceptions of Israel in the U.S and Abroad
As President Barack Obama delivered the words “A nation ringed by walls will only imprison itself”, many analysts pointed the statement as an adage against Republican presidential candidate Donald Tru…