Ukraine – Orange Revolution Myanmar – Saffron Revolution Georgia – Rose Revolution Lebanon – Cedar Revolution (OK – Cedar isn’t really a color, but it’s quite descriptive) Moldova? All these nations had popular revolts between 2004 and 2007. The Bush Administration moved quick to give them cute and happy names to express support for them. […]
When assessing the global balance of power, we typically measure the relative hard and soft power of states. Apparently, Japan is attempting to project an alternative form of influence – cute power. In March, the government announced the appointment of three new envoys of cute. The selections come a year after a cartoon was tapped […]
This was the Turkish proverb quoted by President Obama in his speech yesterday before the Turkish Grand National Assembly to say that the U.S. does not aim to fight extremism through force. The President’s speech was remarkably general, but at the same time, he made some important gestures towards the Muslim world. In case you […]
Political scientists study the power of states, looking at the linkages between a society’s economic and political strengths and its capacity to use or threaten military force. The assessment of a country’s power is made relative to other states in the international system. Yet the use of military force itself is tricky, because it can […]
One of the most vocal rising powers – Russia – shone on the world stage this past week. President Dmitry Medvedev made his way to the G20 Summit in London via Berlin. He met with several world leaders, agreeing on economics with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, forging a stronger bilateral relationship with Chinese President Hu […]
The world’s eyes now turn from London to Strasbourg, France and Baden-Baden and Kehl, Germany, the homes of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s celebratory 60th anniversary summit. The leaders are set to discuss Afghanistan, chart NATO’s future course, welcome France into the integrated military command, add two new members (now 28 countries in total) and […]
1,500. In their first meeting on Wednesday, President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev committed to negotiating a new arms control treaty. The United States and Russia hold the majority of the world’s nuclear weapons and further cuts in their strategic arsenals would improve US-Russia relations and advance nuclear nonproliferation. A new treaty would replace […]
Shortly after the Tato Nano was launched in India, the New York Times published an article detailing how China is vying to be the world’s leader in electric cars. “Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning the country into one of the leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years, and […]
During his trip to London, President Obama gave Queen Elizabeth II an iPod loaded with video and photos of her 2007 trip to the United States. While some may continue to question President Obama’s gift-giving abilities, at least it’s better than DVDs. Photo from Apple.
President Obama is expected to participate in the UN-connected meeting called the Alliance of Civilizations. It is the second forum of the alliance and scheduled for April 6-7 in Istanbul. The Alliance was established in 2005, and it aims to reduce cross-cultural tensions. The director of the alliance has said that Obama’s visit to Turkey […]
President Obama has a packed schedule of summit meetings. Today he met with President Medvedev of Russia, reported on in the New York Times, and employed his considerable charm to try to move the Russians toward accepting the quid pro quo of the U.S. giving up missile defense in Eastern Europe in return for […]
G-20 leaders are debating not whether to give more money to the IMF, but how much. The Brazilian Finance Minister is on record asking for US$750 billion more; the U.S. is reportedly in the same ballpark; Japan has already agreed to ante up US$100 billion; others are talking about a smaller overall Christmas gift of […]
This week there seem to be an endless amount of international summits… between the G20, NATO, Afghanistan, and Obama dashing here and there in Europe and Turkey, how can you keep track? The Global Intelligence Firm Stratfor has provided its coverage free of charge for those interested. It seems that in order to read the […]
As we discuss growing multilateral alliances, and as we report on Russia’s declining economy and rising geopolitical ambitions, we also can continue to note Moscow’s attempts to forge partnerships to ensure its energy dominance whilst staving off more economic attrition. Today, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. The meeting […]
The World Bank released a grim report on Russia’s economy. The Bank predicts a contraction of 4.5 percent this year and warns that the financial crisis could push nearly six million Russians into poverty. Despite worries (arguably small) of civil unrest due to unemployment, the public comments of Russia’s leaders still reflect assertive foreign policies. […]