Anything goes
February 23, 2024 - The wars in Ukraine and Gaza make clear that US foreign policy is less about democracy and more about whatever allows Washington to reign supreme.
Confession: I punched out over 8,000 words this week. I wrote about Alexei Navalny’s death, Putin’s comments that he preferred Joe Biden over Donald Trump in the November election, and the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zeroing in on one was hard. I did manage to generate one piece that I’m waiting for the green light for publication. More on that soon.
In the meantime, Ishaan Tharoor’s column in today’s Washington Post newsletter caught my eye. He writes about the failure of the UN Security Council, the waning of US clout, and the “steady erosion of international law and the universal principles that undergird it.” He references Agnès Callamard’s piece in Foreign Affairs, which we linked to last week. She sheds light on the erosion of the rules-based order at the hands of the United States and its “war on terror.”
As the world marks the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Saturday, February 24, it is worth contrasting American actions to that war and the one unfolding in Gaza.
The Biden White House had warned that Vladimir Putin planned to invade Russia’s eastern neighbor. No sooner had Russian tanks moved in did Washington jump into action. It rallied NATO partners and formed a united resistance to Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Armaments and support started flowing into Ukraine. If Putin planned on an easy operation, such as the one in which he easily annexed Crimea in 2014, he was foiled.
That anniversary comes at a time when Israel is brutally bombarding Gaza, in retaliation for the Hamas attack in southern Israel that killed about 1200 and resulted in several hundreds of hostages last October 7. Since then, the US has stood alone in its support of Israel, which under Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership has vowed to “eliminate Hamas” and, as a result, has unleashed a massive military operation that stands at 30,000 and that has displaced millions of Palestinians.
Even before Joe Biden moved into the White House in 2021, he vowed to restore American leadership and revive democracy. He hosted the Summit for Democracy in December 2021 and again in March 2023. In between, the US president called on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even after Biden excoriated him while a candidate for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder noting that the Saudis needed to “pay the price, and make them in fact the pariah that they are.” Last June, Biden feted India’s increasingly strongman prime minister, Narendra Modi, at the White House.
International affairs are never simple or linear. In our multidimensional world, what one country says rarely matches its actions. It’s too difficult to do so. It’s even more so for the United States. Since the end of World War II, Washington has led the “rules-based liberal world order.” Amid the Cold War, with a clear “enemy” in the Soviet Union, that was straightforward. Since the Soviet collapse in 1991, that has been more challenging. 9/11 and the “war on terror” gave Washington something to craft its foreign policy. As Callamard notes, “a campaign that normalized the idea that everything is permissible in the pursuit of ‘terrorists.’” She continues:
For the last 20 years, the doctrine and methods of the “war on terror” have been adopted or mimicked by governments the world over. They have been deployed to expand the reach and range of state “self-defense” measures and to hunt down, with the barest of restraints, any people or authorities deemed to warrant the loosely defined but widely applied designation of “terrorist threat.”
This is what we have witnessed with Vladimir Putin. It is what we’re witnessing with Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza. It will not end with them. While the Biden White House works to resist Putin’s aggression and resolve the current conflict in Gaza, it is becoming clear that democracy is a tool not a guiding principle for Washington. American foreign policy is “anything goes” — as long as Washington reigns supreme. And it will only get worse if Donald Trump wins in November. — Elmira
I’m opening up my column to others. Please pitch me your op-ed idea/perspective. Let’s get more female perspectives. Email me on endeavoringe@gmail.com or respond to this post.
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Elsewhere in the World.....
On our radar...
Alexei Navalny
Alexei Navalny’s death last week has sparked questions about why he ever returned to Putin’s authoritarian Russia in 2021, after the Russian president tried to have him poisoned. Emily Tamkin explains that Navalny, like many Russian dissidents that came before him, “was acting not only out of courage but conviction.” (Slate)
Navalny’s death is a blow for democracy activists and suggests that there is no future for the Russian opposition. Emily Parker argues that it’s important to pay attention to Navalny’s efforts. It provided a glimpse of what Russia could be. (CNN)
Is Putin strong or weak? Liana Fix and FPI Fellow Maria Snegovaya don’t believe the Russian leader’s grip on power is ironclad and suggest that the White House prepare for a potential leadership change. (CFR)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Two years on
The mood at this year’s Munich Security Conference was gloomy. News of Navalny’s death cast a cloud. So too did the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Rather than dwelling on the negative, now is the moment to bolster support for Kyiv, says Gwendolyn Sasse. (Carnegie Europe)
Two years into the invasion of Ukraine, it becomes increasingly clear that Russia has decimated much of Ukraine's cultural heritage. Natalia Liubchenkova shows us the magnitude of this destruction through images. (Euronews)
Listen: Where is the Russia-Ukraine war headed? Miriam Elder and Carla Anne Robins discuss. (The President’s Inbox)
US
America is locked in a battle for critical minerals, batteries, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals with China, all the while dependent on Chinese supply chains. Shannon O’Neil argues that if Washington just looked south, to Latin America, it could solve its economic and security concerns. (Foreign Affairs)
Africa
Fresh into his second term as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi is cracking down on activists. FPI Fellow Sarah Jackson warns of the similarities between Tshisekedi’s recent moves with those of his predecessor Joseph Kabila. (The Africa Report)
As the US Senate gets ready to confirm a new ambassador to Burkina Faso, a position that has been vacant for some time, the US and others from the international community would be wise to prioritize human rights and focus on reducing atrocities, say Kate Hixon and Ousmane Diallo. (Just Security)
Asia
As Pakistan turns…. Following the surprising results of the February 8 election, a five party minority coalition has come together to form a government. Farzana Shaikh lays out the backroom deals and the challenges that this new government faces. The first challenge: to lower the political temperature. 👀(Chatham House)
Last week we noted that the Internet played a key role in Imran Khan’s success on February 8, despite efforts to disrupt access to it. Ramsha Jahangir on how cutting off the Internet not only further erodes Pakistan’s rule of law but impacts its economy. (Al Jazeera)
In 2019, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, proposed a “citizenship” amendment that would fast-track citizenship to religious groups fleeing persecution in neighboring Muslim-majority countries. As the country looks to elections this spring, Modi is likely to push for its passage, further marginalizing India’s Muslims. (Nikkei Asia)
India’s farmers are one constituency that aren’t fans of Narendra Modi. Tripti Lahiri and Krishna Pokharel discuss. (WSJ)
The question of whether China will seize Taiwan has captured global attention. Journalists who arrive on the island are often stunned that rather than preparing for war, life is normal in the country. Clarissa Wei on what journalists get wrong about Taiwan. (Foreign Policy)
The Americas
Reforms that Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has proposed to Mexico’s constitution has sparked protests. Arantza Alonso Berbotto, Lillian Briseño Senosiain, María Elisa Vera Madrigal, Andrés Rozental, and Earl Anthony Wayne fill us in on what these reforms mean, especially in light of June’s elections. (The Dialogue)
Don’t speak ill of the dead. But don’t praise them either. Earlier this month, former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera died following a helicopter crash. Statements the country’s current president, Gabriel Boric, has made about Piñera are being criticized for being too forgiving, says Ramona Wadi. The former right-wing president’s legacy of repression mustn’t be softened or forgotten. (Inkstick Media)
One place right-wing populism hasn’t taken hold? Mexico. Carin Zissis ponders why ahead of elections later this year. (Americas Quarterly)
Europe
At this year’s Munich Security Conference, European leaders missed another opportunity to show how they plan to strengthen NATO’s European pillar and develop a robust European defense industry. With the prospect of another Trump presidency, there can be no room for such failures, writes Daniela Schwarzer. (Project Syndicate)
The 2024 Munich Security Conference (MSC) is a “brutal awakening for Europe,” says Anna Wieslander. While the reliability of the US was constantly questioned during the conference, the major discussion this year calls to strengthen “the European pillar” in NATO. (Atlantic Council)
Middle East
Sigh. For the third time since October 7, the US has vetoed a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council. Nicole Narea explains why and outlines the alternative resolution the American delegation has put forward. (Vox)
Wendy Pearlman on Israel’s slow erasure of Palestinian society. (New Lines)
Syria. It is still suffering. Elise Baker and Nushin Sarkarati on how the international community is profiting off of those who violate international law. This is a must read and must take action story. (Just Security)
Science & Climate Change
The use of AI has been controversial since it was created and OpenAI’s chief executive just confirmed that the industry is slurping up tons and tons of energy. Kate Crawford fills us in on how nuclear fusion could come into play and whether that would even be enough. (Nature)
Technology
In India, Narendra Modi is not just the prime minister. He’s the “influencer-in-chief.” Barkha Dutt on how India’s leader has mastered the digital space. (Rest of World)
Under the Radar
Rukshana Kapali has taken the Nepalese government to court 50 times since 2021 over trans rights. Nepal had always been held up as a leader in LGBTQ+ rights, but Kapali kept running into problems. Kapali argues that Nepal needs to match its reputation with policy. (The Diplomat)
Greece just approved same sex marriage. Will other Eastern Orthodox countries follow? Dasha Litvinova and Peter Smith take a look. (AP)
Links You Loved....
Well, it’s a link Elmira loved. It’s an ode to libraries, which are more than just a space that holds books. “They’re also centers for culture and community,” Julia Fischer writes in this piece. In Elmira’s opinion, they are shrines, ever sacred.
Have a book, film, podcast, music recommendation? Send it over to endeavoringe@gmail.com (or respond to this post). We’ll post it here.
Opportunities
USAID has launched the Science and Development Fellowships program. Deadline: February 29, 2024.
In NYC, the Arab American Family Support Center is hiring for a VP of Resource Development.
Wanna be a CEO? MindShare Partners is looking for one. The position is remote.
Editorial Team
Elmira Bayrasli - Editor-in-Chief
Editors:
Pin-Shan Lai
Catherine Lovizio
Emily Smith