The Middle East & Sex and the City
February 9, 2024 - Foreign policy columns shouldn't be clickbait (I know my title is)
Happy Lunar New Year 🐉 (that’s a dragon, if you’re wondering)
Happy Valentine’s Day! 🥰
Remembering the victims of the Turkey earthquake that took place a year ago this past week. Am proud to be a part of Turkish Philanthropy Funds, which just announced several more grants to continue relief efforts in the region. You can watch a discussion I moderated with representatives from three organizations working in the region this past week. (They’re also hiring - see below).
And all I know about the Super Bowl this Sunday is that the Kansas City Chiefs are in it. And I know that because of a conspiracy theory surrounding Taylor Swift and her football boyfriend. Leave Taylor alone. Go Mets!
Last weekend, Tom Friedman published a piece in the New York Times comparing the Middle East to the Animal Kingdom. (I refuse to link to it.) I immediately texted my closest friends, “Tom Friedman is not okay.”
He’s not the only one digging into the comparison box. In the Washington Post, columnist Fareed Zakaria likened the Middle East to the Godfather and in the WSJ my Bard colleague Walter Russell Mead wrote a piece this week referencing Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings in an article entitled, “Make Iran Fear America Again.” 🙄
It’s hard to write a column each week. There’s the matter of time. (I ain’t got a lot of it.) Then there is the matter of choosing a topic and having a unique take, while also keeping up with the news cycle and what’s dominating the op-ed pages. The trouble with the latter is that when it comes to foreign policy and national security, men dominate. Yes, there are more female columnists and contributors than in days past. More than often, however, the ladies focus on “soft issues” — reproductive rights, development, domestic matters, and pop culture. (Economics is an interesting outlier. The FT has Rana Foroohar and Gillian Tett and Bloomberg has Allison Schrager and Claudia Sahm— all brilliant).
If you scroll through what’s listed as top foreign policy Substacks and thinkers, the results are predominantly men.
Something is very wrong when foreign policy columnists put out pieces that lean into mainstream analogies (of work penned by other men). It’s lazy and gives the impression that foreign policy is simplistic; that it is something that can be reduced to sound bites — and that the people they talk about are characters in a one-dimensional world and not human in a complicated multi-dimensional one.
In 2022, the Pew Research Center released a study on American knowledge about international affairs. Only 48 percent knew that Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan and only 17 percent knew that Xinjiang is where China’s Muslims live. It’s not surprising then that last year Gallup found that fewer Americans want the US to take a leading or major role in world affairs. Why should they care about the world when the columnists don’t?
Columnists exercise influence policy and help shape the narrative. It’s one thing to try to make foreign policy more accessible to a wider group of people. It’s another when foreign policy is diminished to clickbait.
Am I tempted to compare the Middle East to Sex and the City1, where the US is the self absorbed and image obsessed Carrie Bradshaw and Saudi Arabia and Iran are both Samantha, ready to fuck anyone? (You can fill in the other characters… because I’m not actually serious.) Sure. It might get a laugh and, even perhaps, an “atta girl.” We don’t need more of that in a space that is desperate for serious and accessible analysis and a variety of solutions.
Newspapers, get female foreign policy columnists. And the columnists doing the work, do better. — 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.
Elsewhere in the World.....
On our radar...
Pakistan held elections yesterday. As we noted last week, former Prime Minister Imran Khan was not on the ballot. Another former PM, Nawaz Sharif was. Will anything change with the new/old government? Bina Shah reflects on decades of trying to get to democracy in Pakistan, but never actually embracing it. (NYT)
Note: As of Friday morning, 2/9, the results of Pakistan’s elections are still coming in. Reporting shows that it is a tight race between Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League and people supporting Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as independents.
US
Despite saying that the US needed to take action on the US-Mexico border NOW, the Republicans killed the $118 billion immigration/foreign aid bill this week. The bipartisan bill contained many GOP demands, angering many on the left. Lisa Desjardins lays out what was in the bill. (PBS News Hour)
Sigh. As if it’s not enough that the border bill died in Congress this week, the “great replacement theory” has made its way into mainstream US immigration policy. Kate Huddleston on how this racist trope has made its way into the immigration conversation and why it hurts efforts to get to a workable border policy. (Just Security)
If you thought disinformation was a problem in the 2016 US presidential election, wait to see what happens this year. FPI Fellow Nina Jankowicz says that the information environment is more polluted and US democracy less safe. (Foreign Affairs) #OyVey
Africa
Senegal has long been praised for its political stability. So when the country’s president, Macky Sall, postponed elections set for February 25, it had global reverberations. They’re set to take place in December. Sall’s term ends in April, so he will stay on beyond the given mandate. What went wrong? Stephanie Busari and Nimi Princewill break it down. (CNN)
This week, the UN called for $4.1 billion in aid to respond to the crisis in Sudan. Is the UN the right agency to respond? Raga Makawi joined Inside Story to discuss. (Al Jazeera)
Asia
Last week, a Hong Kong court liquidated the property development company Evergrande. The company had defaulted on its debt in 2021. Mary Gallagher on how this liquidation points to a larger problem in China’s economy — and the desperate need for reform. (World Politics Review)
Sanctions are not an effective tool, writes Delaney Dorsey. She zooms in on Afghanistan, where she talks about how sanctions exacerbate humanitarian suffering and impact the women the most. (Inkstick Media)
The Americas
Listen: El Salvador’s elections last weekend yielded predictable results. Incumbent Nayib Bukele won, aka the world’s “coolest dictator,” 🤮 with an overwhelming margin. Mary Beth Sheridan discusses the dictator’s popularity and his war on gangs. (Washington Post)
Venezuela will hold elections later this year. The country’s Supreme Court just ruled that the opposition candidate, and the candidate polling with the most support, Maria Corina Machado cannot run for president. It’s now up to the voters to decide whether to hold onto Machado’s potentially sinking ship or find an alternative candidate. Julia Buxton, Patrick Duddy, and David Smilde weigh in. (The Dialogue)
A lot is riding on Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s ambitious foreign policy plans for this year. Fernanda Magnotta on the important balancing act his administration must play. (Americas Quarterly)
Europe
For the first time, a Sinn Fein politician is first minister – the top political office in Northern Ireland – and it’s a big deal. Megan Specia explains the historical significance of the party and introduces us to First Minister Michelle O’Neill — as well as the pivotal role that Brexit played in her ascent. (NYT)
Doing their job. The European Commission is taking action against the “Defense of Sovereignty” measure. Adopted last year, this measure allows the Orbán government to investigate foreign funded political activities. Orbán’s government says it’s necessary to protect Hungary from foreign interference. As Sarah Wheaton points out, the EC says it violates the principles of free association and expression. (Politico)
Middle East
Israeli and Palestinian women’s organizations have been working toward peace long before October 7. Xanthe Scharff dives deep into the necessity of women’s participation in peace agreements. (Foreign Policy)
Domicide is the intentional destruction of homes, partially or fully, to prevent people from returning, and it is currently being used in a lot of places, most notably Syria and now Gaza. In Syria, the Assad regime has looted homes in order to dissuade his opposition from returning. Cathrin Schaer and Omar Albam think that domicide should be added to the list of atrocities that can be punished in international courts. (DW)
Normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel? Maybe if Israel recognizes Palestine and the 1967 borders, writes Beatrice Farhat. (Al-Monitor)
Since the mid-20th century, the Middle East has become one of the most volatile spots in the world. With its complex history and conflicts with nearby countries, tensions have continued to rise. Robin Wright provides overview of the various conflicts in the region. (Wilson Center)
Turkey backs Hamas and recently reversed its opposition to Sweden’s accession to NATO. How has Ankara’s various positions impacted US-Turkish relations? Aslı Aydıntaşbaş discusses. (ECFR)
Science & Climate Change
China is among the world’s biggest carbon emitters. Yet, as a “developing nation” it isn't required to contribute to the UN Climate Fund. While the country pours billions into beating back climate change, Gorild Heggelund and Iselin Stensdal consider what would change if China were recategorized. (South China Morning Post)
In her recent report, the hope of clean air can become a reality in the Global South, says Soumya Swaminathan. She lists three main factors: science and action, recognition of climate change, and funding as the crucial steps to reduce air pollution. (Nikkei Asia)
Wildfires ripped through Chile, with an enormous number of fatalities. Why did so many die? Faulty technology that failed to warn and encourage evacuations, says Antonia Laborde. (El Pais)
Technology
Facebook turned 20 last Sunday. Belén Fernández reflects on the dangers of the social media platform’s censorship and violations of privacy. (Al Jazeera)
On Facebook’s 20th anniversary, we are continually reminded of its harm — from its impact on mental health to its promotion of mass violence and genocidal rhetoric. Courtney Radsch thinks that it’s time we focus on accountability. (The Guardian)
Under the Radar
The increasing frequency of counterproliferation attacks demonstrates the importance of bolstering international nonproliferation efforts, writes Doreen Horschig. (Lawfare) #Amen
Links You Loved....
Ivana Larrosa recommends Four Daughters (2023), which is nominated for an Oscar for best documentary.
She says:
This movie was the best of 2023. It’s a documentary with intense, moving and outstanding reenactments of the tragic disappearance of two sisters. The beauty and the bonding between all the women is a master piece by Kaouther Ben Hania (only a badass woman could bring this story from such a healing and therapeutic point of view).
Note from Elmira: I saw this too - and it is indeed terrific. Unique storytelling!
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
Remote, come work with me at the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program (BGIA). We’re hiring for a part-time Resume and Cover Letter Editor. We’re really looking for someone with HR chops.
In NYC, The Turkish Philanthropy Funds has two open positions, one is for a Donor Relations Assistant and an Institutional Partnership Lead. If you’re interested, reply to Elmira and she’ll get you the details.
In DC, The National Audubon Society is hiring for a Communications Director in its Policy shop.
Hybrid, Fitch Solutions is searching for a Political Scientist.
Apply to be the Director of RAND’s China Research Center.
Editorial Team
Elmira Bayrasli - Editor-in-Chief
Editors:
Pin-Shan Lai
Catherine Lovizio
Emily Smith
Yes, I’m aware that there is a Sex and the City movie set in Abu Dhabi - and it’s terrible.