The COVID-19 pandemic will not be contained without international solidarity and coordination, but not all high-level cooperation is productive — in fact, the politicization of some responses has critically compromised them. A particularly high-stakes example of this trend is the distortion of the personal protective equipment (PPE) supply chain in recent months. As demand continues to outpace supply, manufacturers are primarily offering PPE to their allies, states are taking hazardous shortcuts to produce and procure it, and some governments are being forced to choose between the wishes of their allies and the safety of their constituents.
As the novel coronavirus spread through Europe, heads of government quickly began to close their national borders in an attempt to reduce movement and the spread of the disease. These hasty measures threatened one of the fundamental tenets of the European Union: the freedom of movement, and the Schengen Zone, which guarantees visa and border-free travel in 26 states.
The non-governmental organization (NGO) has been one institution among many caught in the crossfire of growing discontent with neoliberal capitalism. Large, multinational NGOs became...
This week, as convoys of Lebanese protesters ebb back into Martyrs’ Square, reigniting the animus towards their dysfunctional regime, we are reminded that the masses have only been biding their time in the flanks of this public health crisis, intent on continuing their cause.
We are living in an unprecedented time that will undoubtedly leave a mark on history — already our generation has already been christened as “Generation Corona.” What will this future world look like? Society as we know it around the world will forever be changed in the wake of this global pandemic which has left nobody unaffected.
Former Australian Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull broke confidence earlier this week, spilling on his previously private engagements with both Presidents Obama and Trump.
This past summer, Australia experienced one of the most devastating fire seasons on record. But the fires have done little to ignite climate action on the national political stage. Instead, the country is actually increasing the rate of fossil fuel extraction and combustion — the very things which exacerbated these extreme weather events in the first place.
Strained US-NATO relations and fears of further Russian expansion have motivated the European Union to aggressively increase defense and security cooperation in the last five years. However, there is little indication that French President Macron’s call for a “true European army” will be realized in the foreseeable future.
This past summer, Australia experienced one of the most devastating fire seasons on record. But the fires have done little to ignite climate action on the national political stage. Instead, the country is actually increasing the rate of fossil fuel extraction and combustion — the very things which exacerbated these extreme weather events in the first place. So why is the Liberal Coalition continuing down this path? And does its ‘highly mitigated’ approach to climate change provide the answer for countries hoping to maintain strong economic growth while transitioning to renewables?
