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This week, in our Daily Review newsletter, we took a look at the week’s major developments: |
- War in Gaza: The United States recently announced plans to build a pier near Gaza to deliver aid to the territory, where the Israel-Hamas war has driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation. The planned sea route is yet another reflection of how politically costly the war in Gaza has become for the Biden administration, which has been largely unable to rein in Israel’s military operations in Gaza. That has not only isolated the U.S. internationally, but driven a growing backlash against President Joe Biden within his own Democratic Party domestically. Biden’s decision to take more proactive steps in delivering aid by air and sea can be seen as a direct reaction to that backlash. But absent a more effective demonstration of his ability to alter Israel’s actions, it is likely to be insufficient to satisfy his critics. (Read more here.)
- TikTok: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would force the owner of TikTok, the Chinese company ByteDance, to sell the popular social media platform or face a ban in the United States. The move is driven by concerns that the Chinese government may be able to access the data of the app’s 170 million U.S. users and may be interfering with the content that is available and promoted by TikTok’s algorithm. There is some validity to these concerns, even if they lack hard evidence. Still, it’s worth pointing out that TikTok has received far more scrutiny than other social media platforms that are comparably problematic. It’s fair to say lawmakers’ criticism of the app is as much about anti-China posturing as it is about national security. (Read more here.)
- Senegal: Top opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, was released from prison yesterday, alongside his key ally Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is running in the country’s March 24 presidential election. Their release marks the end of an extended period in which President Macky Sall shook the foundations of Senegal’s democracy, considered one of the most stable in Africa. Now, the country’s electoral democracy is back on track, even if there remains more work to be done for Senegal’s civil society in restoring other democratic norms. The saga underscores the fact that, while “Senegalese exceptionalism” may have always been an exaggeration, the Senegalese people are clearly intent on defending their country’s democracy. (Read more here.)
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- The Biden administration’s record in Latin America is a mixed bag. The administration’s values are on target. Its tactics and tools are good, though underfunded, and it has notched a few victories to be proud of. But a small number of big challenges have stubbornly dominated the administration’s agenda for the past few years, without any progress. They are fueling the perception of a broader failure that will persist and possibly even worsen in the coming months.
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Only Credible Assurances Can Stabilize U.S.-China Relations. And in a briefing on Wednesday, Michael Swaine described the importance of credible assurances on five key points, known in China as the “Five Noes,” that Beijing is seeking from the United States as a prerequisite for the maintenance of stable relations. |
- The U.S.-China relationship is the most consequential bilateral relationship for the peace, security and prosperity of the world. It is also arguably the most contentious relationship across a wide range of issue areas. To prevent the relationship from veering into a severe crisis or conflict, each side can offer credible assurances that it will not deliberately or inadvertently threaten the most vital interests of the other. Unfortunately, neither Washington nor Beijing has thus far done so.
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This Week’s Most-Read Story |
Finally, besides international law and more-realistic depictions of the effects of nuclear weapons, political science shows that Americans are swayed by knowing what their fellow citizens think about weapons and war. A preponderance of studies show widespread popular opposition to nuclear weapons among all but a minority of U.S. citizens, yet it is often the “shocking” attitudes of that minority that get headlined in media coverage. Instead, the media can play a positive role in disseminating studies showing the widespread opposition to nuclear weapons and, just as importantly, opposition to targeting of civilians generally. |
And coming up next week, we’ve got: |
- A briefing by Constance Malleret on Brazil’s criminal gangs.
- A briefing by Joshua Kurlantzick on Southeast Asia’s response to the war in Gaza.
- And a briefing by Alana Moceri on Spain’s struggles to alleviate child poverty.
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On Feb. 28, Guinea’s interim president, Gen. Mamady Doumbouya, appointed a new prime minister, an attempt to address mounting disillusionment toward his military-led transitional government at a time when Guinea’s transition back to an elected government seems to most activists and the political opposition to have stalled. Read more.15 Mar 2024 |
A surge in violence in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado underscores the complex nature of the conflict there. After a period of reduced activity over the past three years, the insurgency has engaged in a series of high-profile attacks since December, underscoring the need for a more comprehensive approach to the conflict. Read more.14 Mar 2024 |
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As the U.S. enters an election year, concerns in Europe are growing over Washington’s ability to project power in Europe and the Middle East. Yet this focus often draws attention away from how much the foundations of U.S. global power are anchored in its ability to exert effortless dominance over the Western Hemisphere. Read more.13 Mar 2024 |
Although President Joe Biden’s approach to Latin America has notched a few victories, pretty much nobody is happy with it. A few big challenges have dominated the agenda for the past few years, without any progress to show for it. They are fueling perceptions of a broader failure that will possibly worsen in the coming months. Read more.11 Mar 2024 |
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Washington and Beijing have repeatedly stated their desire to prevent their relations from veering into a severe crisis or conflict. One way of doing this is for each side to offer credible assurances that it won’t threaten the most vital interests of the other. Unfortunately, despite some initial efforts, neither side has done so. Read more.13 Mar 2024 |
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With tightly controlled parliamentary and local elections in late February, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko installed allied figures in seats of power across the country and rooted out whatever was left of Belarus’ political opposition, thereby extinguishing the last dying embers of his country’s democracy. Read more.12 Mar 2024 |
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Middle East & North Africa |
On March 1, Iran held parliamentary elections that, as expected, were neither free nor fair. And yet, despite the ballot being an exercise that was entirely devoid of democratic legitimacy, the event and the results were far from meaningless. Iranians managed to make their voices heard, loudly rejecting the status quo. Read more.14 Mar 2024 |
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Nuclear brinksmanship has been on the rise in recent years, even as anti-nuclear sentiment has never been higher. That makes this moment in the U.S. a good one for reckoning and reassessment. Political science scholarship can guide journalistic efforts in refocusing the national conversation on the perils of a nuclear world. Read more.12 Mar 2024 |
In recent months, city councils across the U.S.—from Chicago to Boston to San Francisco—have passed resolutions calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. And this is just the most recent case in which municipalities have waded into global politics by taking a stand on an issue of war and peace. Why do cities do this? And is it effective? Read more.15 Mar 2024 |
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French President Emmanuel Macron wants to establish France and Europe as the world’s “third pole of stability” by building bridges with Global South countries. But his credibility is undermined by his consistently demonstrated inability to attend to France’s own Global South—its overseas departments, regions and collectivities. Read more.11 Mar 2024 |
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