As COVID-19 continues to spread, the Communist Party of China (CPC) rolls out a surveillance system that is claimed to solely contain the virus outbreak. However, lessons from history indicate otherwise. It is unlikely that such a system to be dismantled even after the threat has receded. It appears logical for those in power in China to retain and strengthen these omnipresent tools of supervision, integrating even greater levels of surveillance into an already oppressive environment.
Beijing’s game in a new Middle East
As China’s increasing assertiveness in the Middle East stands in stark contrast with the U.S. fading footprint, this article is attempting to examine the whole situation based on Beijing’s perspective. Specifically, it indicates that China’s strategies in achieving its interests revolve around four main tenets: partnerships with individual countries, non-interference, continuous increase of its economic footprint, and avoidance of a direct challenge to the U.S.-led security architecture. However, Beijing’s approach deems to be unsustainable in the long term since a deeper economic engagement will be translated into political entanglements, inevitably leading to further military involvement.
Read MoreWhy are we obsessed with President Vladimir Putin?
Even including Monday’s presidential debate, Americans are bombarded with Putin so much that he has become a cultural phenomenon, with references across popular media from TV to the Internet.
In Russia, it makes sense. But in the United States?
Read MoreFighting human trafficking through strawberries, chocolate, and shoes
Think about what you ate for breakfast. Do you know exactly where it came from? How it was cultivated? By whom? For the most part, these are not questions we ask ourselves on a daily basis. Considering the prevalence of trafficked people working in industries such as agriculture however, the answers may surprise you.
Read MoreDeterring State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks: Intelligence and the Lessons of Counterterrorism
From the earliest conceptual and theoretical work on cyber conflict, the problem of attribution, or “the return address problem,” has loomed large, undermining efforts to construct a credible deterrent against cyber attacks. The United States Department of Defense (DoD), in a 2011 policy report, recognized as much and identified the development of advanced forensics capabilities as a key component of national cyber strategy.
Read MoreWhat the USSR teaches us about easing Iran tensions
Many analysts have said it is faulty to compare Rouhani and Gorbachev. That’s true, but not quite for the reasons they list. As General Secretary of the Communist Party, Gorbachev was the head of state. His Iranian counterpart, therefore, is the Supreme Leader. Like Gorbachev, Khamenei’s primary concern is the survival of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Read MoreOf Sovereign Debts and Sovereignty
Speculations on the European sovereign debt crisis abound. Whether Germany shall remain the main creditor for a collapsing European Union is in large part a political rather than an economic decision. Angela Merkel faces a strong domestic pressure and her March 27th electoral loss of the Baden-Württemberg constituency, traditionally an electoral stronghold of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, sent a clear message....
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