The Japan Conference, Revisionist History, and East Asian Politics
On September 3rd Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his cabinet, a common political action in Japan, often used as a way of maintaining support. The new cabinet included five women, which was widely considered a nod to female voters and a move to make politics more inclusive in a country with very few women […]
Cuban Privatization: The Newest Victim of a Failed Embargo
The birth of Communist Cuba at the height of the Cold War presented a perceived immediate and dire threat to the United States. In response, President Kennedy authorized a handful of covert CIA operations to overthrow Cuba’s leader, Fidel Castro. All of these attempts failed, culminating with the disastrous Bay of Pigs Invasion. In October […]
The Cost of Asylum: The Syrian Refugee’s Plight in Germany
Germany faces a uniquely delicate situation due to a recent influx of refugees. Since 2011, Syria has been immersed in a civil war that has rivaled any in recent years, with up to 200,000 people dead and at least 4.5 million internally displaced.[1] The crisis has forced millions from their homeland, which has created an […]
Setting Alight the Molotov Cocktail: The Kashmir Question
“It is an irony of history that by a combination of fortuitous circumstances a tiny nation of Kashmiris has been placed in a position of great importance, where it can be instrumental in making or marring the future of so many.” – Prem Nath Bazaz (1967) Hindustan’s partition into Pakistan and India precipitated problems and […]
Reviving a Power in East Asia: Japanese Remilitarization
President Obama’s plan to “pivot to Asia” seems to have been put on hold. The idea to increase U.S. military presence in Asia was prompted by the economic and military rise of China, the nuclear threat in North Korea and a rocky relationship with Russia. However, global crises like the rise of ISIS have brought […]
US Policy in the Middle East
On Tuesday September 16, 2014, Professor Joel Migdal gave a guest lecture at Northeastern University about his new book Shifting Sands-The United States in the Middle East. His presentation focused on the four main ideas throughout the book: the United States’ global role post World War II, the transition of main powers in the Middle […]
Gaza From Afar
On Tuesday September 9, Dov Waxman made his professorial debut to the Northeastern community with his lecture on the Gaza-Israel War. The lecture and Q&A session, Judging the Gaza War (From Afar), were part of the university’s series on Controversial Issues in Security Studies. Admittedly reluctant to address the topic, Professor Waxman opened his lecture […]
Safety at a Price: The Effect of Israel’s Security Culture on Palestinians in the West Bank
From the 25-foot tall concrete barrier wall to the hundreds of military checkpoints, Israel employs a pervasive security culture in the West Bank. Since Israel’s controversial creation, it has faced numerous security risks, from terrorist attacks to foreign invasions, all of which potentially pose a threat to Israel’s sustained national security. These external risk factors […]
Military Politicization in the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring in Northern Africa and the Middle East is arguably the first widespread liberal democratic uprising in the history of the region. While nearly every country in this area of the world experienced backlash against the government in one form or another, the North African Arabian belt, specifically Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria, […]
Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD): Schistosomiasis
END7 at NU is a budding student group at Northeastern that is in the process of becoming official. END7 at NU is a chapter of the larger nonprofit, END7, which is working to eliminate seven neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by the year 2020. One in six people in the world are living with NTDs, which […]