Foreign Policy Blogs

Democracy Promotion

Anti-Kim Resistance Organization Declares North Korea’s ‘Government-in-exile’

Anti-Kim Resistance Organization Declares North Korea’s ‘Government-in-exile’

On the 100th annual anniversary of the Koreas’ March 1st anti-colonial resistance movement, a North Korean underground resistance organization called Free Joseon (formally known as Cheollima Civil Defense [CCD]) declared the country’s provisional “government-in-exile” with their adamant self-determination to “dedicate themselves to abolish the ‘Great Evil.’” An anonymous young woman wearing Hanbok solemnly read aloud […]

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The U.S. Should Get Rid of Its President(ial System)

The U.S. Should Get Rid of Its President(ial System)

Donald Trump is off to a rocky start in the White House. But the real problem is not the Trump presidency, but the American presidential system itself.

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Iran Freedom Rally Shows The Face Of An Alternate Iran

Iran Freedom Rally Shows The Face Of An Alternate Iran

Iranian dissidents gathered in Paris to show their support for democratic change and their opposition to Western deal-making with the country’s leadership.

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Why is the Internet not Fostering China’s Democratization?

Why is the Internet not Fostering China’s Democratization?

In the past, scholars tended to believe that the internet was an effective tool to challenge authoritarian regimes and facilitate the development of civil society. However, as an expert that has been investigating the issue for a number of years, I disagree with this widely held belief.

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The Realism of Aung San Suu Kyi

The Realism of Aung San Suu Kyi

When oppositions win by significant margin, the tendency is for sweeping changes. The previous regime’s leaders are investigated, arrested and prosecuted for corruption. Policies are thrown out the window and new constitutions are drafted. Myanmar has taken a different path.

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Media Freedom and Plurality is Struggling in Central & Eastern Europe

Media Freedom and Plurality is Struggling in Central & Eastern Europe

The European Union must do more to tackle endemic corruption and the lack of media pluralism in central and eastern Europe.

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The Mykonos Case: U.S. Federal Bar to Present Historic Awards to German Colleagues

The Mykonos Case: U.S. Federal Bar to Present Historic Awards to German Colleagues

In 1997, after trial proceedings lasting over three years, Berlin’s High Criminal Court convicted four individuals of murdering Iranian dissidents in a Berlin restaurant—and more significantly—explicitly found the murders were ordered at the highest levels of government in Tehran. The historic judgment culminated in an unprecedented diplomatic shift between Iran and Europe: Every EU member […]

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Taking stock of democracy

Taking stock of democracy

The struggle to establish and maintain stable democracies continues the world over. As I have said many times before, no one ever said democracy is easy or simple, but it provides the best opportunities for freedom and prosperity (also see Churchill’s view of democracy in my “about the author” script). But as of now, how […]

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Democracy’s potential on display in Chile

Democracy’s potential on display in Chile

2013 has been a year fraught with many challenges for democracy. One could circle the globe and find democratic struggles in every corner of it- from Maldives to Thailand, in Egypt and Iran, Venezuela to Burma, and of course the United States (I still shudder when thinking about the October government shutdown). Many of these […]

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The struggle of Syrian refugees in Bulgaria

The struggle of Syrian refugees in Bulgaria

For a  large number of refugees fleeing Syria, life in the place they end up is no less a struggle. Many Syrians looking to escape the ravages of war in their home country have made their way to Bulgaria (via Turkey) — the country I now call home. The problem is that the influx has […]

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Thailand and Maldives: the results are in

Thailand and Maldives: the results are in

In my update on Thailand and Maldives a few weeks ago, both countries were on the precipice of making decisions that would determine the direction of their democracies, or lack thereof. Let’s see how things turned out. Thailand On Monday, Nov. 11, 2013, Thailand’s senate made a strong statement against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who […]

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Regress in Thailand and Maldives

Regress in Thailand and Maldives

Sadly, the adage “the more things change the more they stay the same” is perfectly to describe struggles in keeping strong democracy in Asia. Upon returning from hiatus, I started looking for story ideas and ran across some “updates” to items I had covered earlier this year. But in reality not much is different in […]

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The Bus Driver’s Bolivarian Revolution

The Bus Driver’s Bolivarian Revolution

Elected President of Venezuela following Hugo Chávez’s death from cancer in March, Nicolás Maduro, a former bus driver who was Mr. Chávez’s foreign minister, has had a rocky start leading the country. Allegations of ballot-tampering, appointing corrupt officials to high-level government positions, and foreign policy missteps have created the impression that Mr. Maduro is little more […]

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Deposed leader poised to return to Thailand

Deposed leader poised to return to Thailand

The wave of protests  sweeping all corners of the world has reached Thailand. What’s more: Thailand appears as the latest disturbing example of leaders imposing their will on countries even when not officially in power. Thaksin Shinawatra served as prime minister of the Asian nation from 2001-06, when he was ousted in a military coup. […]

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How U.S. fits in to Egypt events (if at all)

How U.S. fits in to Egypt events (if at all)

Two weeks after Mohamed Morsi was ousted as the leader of Egypt, chaos still reigns. According to state-run media, seven people died on Monday, July 15, in violent skirmishes between Morsi supporters and opponents. An interim government is trying to instill some sense of ruling stability, but the widely supported Muslim Brotherhood (Morsi’s party) and […]

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